I Slept and woke up in a Chinese Costume Drama

[accuscripter]

Soooo peeps… As I became conscious of my surroundings, I found myself listening to an old man. He was speaking gently, almost like it had been since he had been talking.

"Look for your cousin," he said. "She'll tell you what to do."

He leaned closer, his voice low and raspy.

"Your cousin has been searching for you all this while. It's better if you find her as soon as possible. You'll find her in the territory of the Red Desert. Both of you have suffered enough pain to keep you awake at night. It's time the two of you meet and get revenge for what happened to you and your families."

I stared at him blankly. I didn't know what he was talking about. I looked around, then back at him.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

"Nothing," I replied quietly. "Just… do I really have to do it?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you have another plan to get revenge on these people? Are you not tired of their assassinations? How many more do you want to lose before you come to your senses? Use your powers and protect each other."

Then he smiled slightly, nodded at me, and walked away disappearing before my eyes. One moment he was there, and the next, he was gone. I blinked, turned in every direction, and cried out, "Where are you? Where have you gone?!"

But there was no answer.

Tired and confused, I began to walk. I was wearing tattered pieces of cloth wrapped around my body, and a worn-out scarf covered my face. Only a few bangs of hair escaped from beneath it, giving me a slightly mysterious look.

As I continued on, I saw a group of people headed in the same direction. I approached them. One man noticed and called out, "Oye! Young man! What do you want?"

No one responded.

Again, he shouted, "Oye! You!"

Still, no reply.

"What kind of person is this? I've been calling for a while, and he doesn't answer… idiot."

And then de started walking toward me. I quickly stepped aside, trying to give him space to pass.

"Oye! I'm talking to you!"

"Me?" I said.

"Weren't you calling for a young man?"

"Look around! Who else here is young?" he laughed.

Then he came closer, peering at my face. I stepped back, uncertain.

"Are you a girl?"

"Gi... girl?" I echoed, hesitantly.

That's when I realized because of my veil, I must have looked more like a boy.

So I covered my face tighter and said, "Hahaha! Me? A girl? Ever seen such a handsome girl, laoye?"

He laughed too. "That's what I said! I was thinking my 85-year-old eyes can't even tell genders anymore!"

I laughed with him and discreetly adjusted my scarf again.

Then I asked, "Laoye, I want to go to the Red Desert. Do you know where it is?"

"Yes, I know."

"Can you tell me?"

"No, I cannot," he said, flashing a sheepish grin that revealed his gold-stained, broken teeth.

Honestly, I felt a bit disgusted. But since I was pretending to be a guy, I had to man up. I looked down at my sandals, avoiding eye contact.

"What can I do to make you tell me?"

"Follow me to my destination. Help me with my chores. I'm old. In exchange, I'll tell you where the Red Desert is and I'll even help you get there."

I was pretty sure he was messing with me, but against my better judgment, I said yes. I started walking with him. I had no idea where I was, why I was here, or even who I truly was. I knew I was Ann, but in this odd attire like something from a Chinese costume drama I felt like someone else. Maybe even a man. Strangely, it was exhilarating. I had always wanted to be a Chinese action fantasy heroine... or hero?

We joined a caravan of about twenty people, all dressed in beautifully traditional clothes. Their outfits were vibrant beads, layers of flowing cloth hanging from belts, and forehead pieces that made the women and children look almost regal. They were some kind of nomadic grassland people, I assumed. I didn't ask.

The days were hot. The nights, cold. After long days of walking, lifting, and working, we'd light a fire. At night we'd gather around it singing, dancing, chasing each other, eating whatever little food we had. It was... what we'd call "rosy" in the modern era.

After seven days of travel, we reached a pyramid-like area. As everyone prepared to leave, the old man called me over.

He hugged me tightly. I turned red with embarrassment but not too much. Only I knew I was a girl. He still thought I was a boy.

To be honest, if this were the modern world, I might've called the police for touching me without consent. I sighed. My ears burned as my face flushed.

After what felt like a full minute, he let go.

"Son... you don't have to follow us anymore."

I panicked. "Laoye, what are you talking about? Did I do something wrong?"

He smiled, but there was sadness in his eyes.

He placed a hand on my shoulder and turned me toward the vast openness before us. " Érzǐ... this is your destination."

"My destination?"

He nodded.

"The Red Desert?" I asked.

He smiled again.

I should've felt happy. I'd reached my goal far sooner than I expected. But not like this. I felt strangely... sad.

"Let me say goodbye to them," I said quietly.

"There's no need for that," he snapped.

His tone was sharp. My eyes welled up with tears.

"Get used to farewells. No one stays in life forever," he said, and turned to leave.

He walked away, and soon disappeared into the desert like he had never existed.

I looked around. Above me loomed a small pyramid. I was alone, standing right beside it.

Before I could gather my thoughts, I saw a fancy carriage approaching with guards on horseback. It stopped just a few feet from me.

A soft, raspy voice came from inside.

"Cousin..."

"Cousin?" I repeated.


"Exclusive Access ONLY FOR YOU!
Want to read ahead? For a limited time, you can access the full story for FREE on Patreon, not paid or hidden charges you can access this full story simply by becoming a FREE MEMBER! (patreon.com/accuscripter)
Don't miss out! This offer won't last long, so dive in now and enjoy the whole story for free! "

 

[Hyperionthetitan]

Chinese drama is always fun

 

[accuscripter]

Chinese drama is always fun

Click to shrink...

i know righttttt

 

[accuscripter]

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm good... how are you?" I replied, still looking at the carriage.

"It's been so long," she said. "What do you think of it?"

"I... I don't know," I replied, unsure.

Then a familiar voice came this time from beside the carriage. It was the old man. And next to him stood a beautiful woman, draped in flowing blue and pink chiffon like some Disney Jasmine her face half-covered, jewels glittering all over her veil and outfit. She was looking directly at me. And well people this was my so called cousin who looked more like the queen of this red dessert. And honestly, though I was a girl I was mesmerized with her looks….

The old man said, "Well... you don't need to panic about it."

Then she spoke again, her voice calm but commanding. "Cousin. This pyramid get your keys and follow me."

"From this pyramid?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"From inside this?" I panicked. My mind instantly jumped to ancient tombs, mummies, curses dead kings rotting in silk.

"In the bricks of this pyramid, you'll see boxes. Just put your hand on them you'll find the keys."

"How... how will I know ?" I started to ask, but she had already gone. She had climbed back into the carriage, which was now rolling away.

The old man smiled at me. As he followed the carriage, he turned once more and said, "Fires are always enchanting, aren't they? The best revenge, one might say... no?"

And just like that, he, too, was gone.

"You could have taken me with you!" I shouted after them, but my voice got swallowed by the desert air.

I sighed and started walking around the pyramid. I was exhausted, but determined. Then I noticed something a brick that looked oddly out of place, like a modern-day money safe. I placed my hand on it. It clicked open.

Inside, there was a large key.

Motivated now that I knew what to look for, I started scanning the bricks for more "safes." Eventually, I found four keys in total and no more. They were heavy, golden-yellow, and one of them was noticeably larger than the rest.

I held the largest key in my hand and, jokingly, mimed unlocking an invisible door.

Suddenly, without warning, I was no longer near the pyramid. I stood in front of a massive manor its towering gate at least twelve feet high. And it was wide open.

I stepped inside.

The whole place seemed to be preparing for an event. Cloths of every color hung from the walls to the center of a large fountain. Lights sparkled from every surface. It was... enchanting.

As I looked around, someone suddenly grabbed me by the collar and dragged me into a nearby room, throwing me inside. It was a girl.

As I regained my balance, I saw them.

Everyone was there. My cousin. And others strangers to me, but they all seemed to know exactly who I was.

My cousin walked up to me and said, "Matches."

"Matches?" I blinked.

"Tsk. Matches." She rolled her eyes, annoyed.

She wasn't wearing the regal costume anymore. She looked... casual. I couldn't even remember what she was wearing now. Well it doesn't matter what she was wearing… afterall I was the one in ragged tattered cloths…leave it … so yeah where I was??? Hmmm…ahhh….yesss… matches yess … sooo ….

Then it clicked to me.

"Matches?" I thought. Ah. She meant the fire.

I stared at her with wide eyes that screamed, Seriously?

She nodded.

But before she could say more, someone rushed over and started hitting me. I cried out from the pain, completely disoriented. Slaps. Kicks. Shouts. Shoves. One shove threw me into a corner near a cabinet.

People around us didn't react. They kept working as if nothing was happening.

Then a stout woman approached me. She knelt down, stroked my face with a kind of mock gentleness, and said, "Ann, Ann, Ann... my child. If you hadn't betrayed me and run away, I wouldn't have hurt you like this. Well... you still have a chance. Be my person. The choice is yours."

She shoved a piece of cloth toward me, then started dusting the drawer casually.

Soon, she was gone.

I sat there, battered and furious. The pain pulsed in my bones, but something deeper burned in my chest.

Fire... fire... fire...

Without thinking, I pulled out one of the keys. Only two remained. I opened the drawer.

Inside was a giant matchbox.

I froze.

It felt... too deliberate. Too planned. But the fury inside me didn't care if this was a trap. I picked it up and opened the box.

Suddenly, someone came close so close that their breath touched my ear.

"Ann," they whispered.

I jumped. The matchbox slipped from my hand. Matches spilled all over the floor.

Oof, friends… believe me when I say it was hell of a ride, in an unfamiliar place; it was such a visceral, symbolic, and chaotic descent into a dreamscape a feverish mix of revenge, resistance, psychological tension, and strange female alliances. There is mystery, magic realism, internal rebellion, and danger swirling together in a scene that's as haunting as it is oddly empowering. So yeah read and let me know what do you think … so lets continue what happened next … so i heard a voice…


"Exclusive Access ONLY FOR YOU EARLY READERS (FEW HOURS LEFT)!
Want to read full story? Well my friends! For a limited time, you can access this full story in a single post for FREE on Patreon, not paid or hidden charges you can access this full story simply by becoming a FREE MEMBER! (patreon.com/accuscripter)

 

[accuscripter]

PART 3 or the Last part/chapter can be assessed freely at patreon

"Exclusive Access ONLY FOR YOU EARLY READERS (LAST 24 HOURS LEFT)!
Want to read full story? Well my friends! For a limited time, you can access this full story in a single post for FREE on Patreon, not paid or hidden charges you can access this full story simply by becoming a FREE MEMBER! (patreon.com/accuscripter)