KUNLUN – The Little Lotus

Chapter Two

Without saying a word, she handed him the invitation Minister Wu had given her before her journey, instructing her to present it upon arrival. The old man carefully examined the invitation, then looked back at her, one eyebrow rising slightly. "Please wait here," he said. She simply nodded as he closed the gate once more. She had, however, noticed the careful way his eyes had examined her from head to toe. To avoid attracting unnecessary attention, she had deliberately chosen ordinary clothing: black jeans and a plain black T-shirt. Although both had been tailor-made specifically for her, there was no way anyone else could have known that. She had only just arrived in China, and although she was already fourteen years old, her appearance easily made her look no older than ten or perhaps twelve. She was so painfully thin that every rib was visible beneath her clothes—and there were two very different reasons for that.

One reason was painfully simple. Her so-called family had never fed her properly. Whatever remained after everyone else had finished eating was pushed onto her plate. Sometimes there was a spoonful of rice, sometimes a little mashed potato, sometimes a few strands of noodles. If she was lucky, a few scraps of vegetables were left behind. Meat, however, had never been among the leftovers they considered suitable for her. The crunch of gravel pulled her from her thoughts. The same elderly servant from before opened the gate once again. "Please, follow me." He turned without another word, and she quietly walked after him. As she followed, her black eyes calmly took in every detail of the estate. It did not take long to notice the expressions worn by the servants. They looked at her as though she were nothing more than dirt beneath their shoes. She neither reacted nor cared. Their opinions held no value to her. A single glance was enough to tell her that the estate was undeniably magnificent, yet everything about it had been designed with one purpose in mind—to impress anyone who stepped inside. Eventually the servant stopped before a side entrance. "The main entrance is reserved for invited guests," he explained. "Peddlers and beggars are absolutely forbidden from using it. And since you aren't an invited guest but someone who's obviously here because you want something..." He never finished the sentence. The girl simply raised her head, stopped where she was, and calmly took out her phone. "Minister Wu," she said after the call connected, "I've decided not to stay here. First I was left waiting outside the estate gate for thirty minutes. Now I'm being told I'm not allowed to use the front entrance. Apparently, beggars and peddlers are expected to enter through the side door. Since I'm not considered an invited guest, I have no right to use the main entrance. I'll make other arrangements." Only moments later her phone rang. "Hua Hua," Minister Wu sighed the moment she answered, "you can't simply wander around by yourself. You're only fourteen." The girl answered as calmly as ever. "Uncle Wu, of course I can. You, of all people, should know that I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." He let out another sigh. "Child, I promised your chief physician that I'd look after you." "Uncle Wu, I think it would be best if I simply bought a villa of my own. I'll still call you every day as I promised. All right?" A brief silence followed before the minister finally gave in. "All right. I'll send the driver again, and this time he'll have your photograph. Taking taxis alone could be dangerous." "Uncle Wu, do you happen to know anyone who's selling a villa?" A quiet chuckle escaped him. "Leave that to me." She nodded although he couldn't see it. "Very well. But please don't go to any trouble."

She put away her phone, turned around, and calmly headed back toward the gate she had entered through. The servant hadn't noticed. Only after reaching the entrance hall and realizing she was no longer following him did he hurriedly retrace his steps. By the time he returned, the girl had already opened the outer gate. "Stop!" he shouted. "What do you think you're doing?" She ignored him completely and stepped outside. "Hey! Didn't you hear me?" He hurried forward and grabbed her shoulder. The instant his hand touched her, everything happened in a blur. Before he even realized what had occurred, he found himself lying flat on his back in the middle of the driveway, staring up at the sky. The girl looked down at him with an expressionless face. "No one touches me." For a brief moment the servant froze. Those eyes... those bottomless black eyes no longer belonged to a child. Looking into them felt like staring into the open jaws of an ancient beast patiently waiting for him to make one more mistake. Slowly he climbed back to his feet, brushed the dust from his suit, and forced himself to say, "Come back inside." One delicate eyebrow rose ever so slightly. "That won't be necessary." At that exact moment, a long black limousine rolled to a smooth stop in front of the estate. The girl stepped aside, intending to walk past it, when the rear door opened and an elderly woman climbed out. The moment she saw the girl, her face lit up. "It's you! How wonderful! I've finally found you. My grandson has been looking everywhere for you." The girl merely glanced at her, gently took hold of the woman's wrist, and checked her pulse. After a brief nod, she reached into her pocket and produced two small porcelain bottles. Without wasting a second, she poured the contents of one bottle into the other, dropped a single pill into the now empty bottle, sealed it, and handed it back to the elderly woman. "Emergency use." The old woman smiled warmly. "Thank you." The girl simply nodded. Just then another limousine arrived. She looked up. The man stepping out of the vehicle was someone she had never seen before. Calmly she put the remaining bottle away, nodded once more to the elderly woman, and continued toward the road. "Please wait!" the old woman called after her. "I still don't know your name!" Before the girl could leave, the young man stepped into her path, extending an arm to stop her.