A Tour of Emotions

"There are six main bedrooms in our villa, sister Yan occupies the largest one on the third floor, beside her is the office she works in. She is lazy, so she doesn't get anything done anyway unless it piques her interest, she won't get up and get the job done" Xiulan narrated while sighing, he forgot that their villa is composed of many rooms. Now, he needs to spend half of his day touring Nixie.

Well, he took the day-off so it should be fine…if only his eldest sister, Yan Qiong would help him, life for him would be easier.

After all, if his sister wills to reach the top five of the inner elite circles, she can do it in a snap.

Nixie nodded slightly, and this took Xiulan's attention from his stress regarding his sister. The fact that Nixie didn't even bother listening to his juicy gossips and rants about his older sister proved that she's not a spy nor an agent.

This gained Xiulan's trust.

His eyes once more pinned down against the beauty.

She's surely a woman to behold, Nixie. Her big blue turquoise eyes remind him of a precious jewel and sea combined, it glistens beautifully, and sometimes, a hint of gold can be traced in it.

She must be a goddess or if not, an angel fell down to Earth to be his companion in this lonely journey.

He cleared his thought immediately after realizing what his thoughts are saying to him.

It was too early for that!

Besides, Xiulan is not even sure if Nixie will approve to be his wife, after all, his looks are average, even his skills...he's mediocre.

He wanted to be an architect but was forced to take a course related to the business by his family. There is no room for passion in their family nor weakness.

It was hard when you can't change the family you've been born to, it's one of the things we cannot choose in life, our family, our looks, and our passion. We will always come back to our roots, even if it's the one who caused our sadness and agony.

Before continuing with his house tour, Xiulan hesitated for a moment and after a few seconds, decided to let out his thoughts.

His face is leaning towards a door made of Elmwood while his hand stays in touch with the doorknob.

"Nixie..." he called without looking at the woman and with a simple, 'Hmm?" he knows she's listening.

"What is happiness?" he asked while his voice is dripping with loneliness.

He's wealthy.

He belongs to the top ten of most elite people in China yet in his whole twenty-six years of existence, did he ever felt truly happy?

Working every day for something you don't like drains his energy every bit.

He's tired but life repeatedly reminded him that he should keep going. Thus, it kept him hoping that someday, the discombobulated path he is in will make sense one day.

"Happiness..." her soft voice awakened the wandering thoughts of Xiulan.

"Happiness is not a state of mind, it's a choice, and it will be up to us if we will choose to be happy"

Hah...happiness is a choice, for a person who was labeled by his older sister, Yan Qiong as dumb, Xiulan did not expect he would find the answers in her mouth.

He was always been labeled as weak, as the sole man in the three children of Qiong's yet the most feeble one.

It was a rare occurrence, for a man to show delicateness.

Yet for this girl who appeared nowhere, happiness is all along, a choice.

He smiled tremulously to no one in particular.

"Then...are you happy?" he questioned one last time before proceeding to twist the doorknob of the closed door.

With a bitter smile unknown to Xiulan, Nixie responded vaguely.

"I was happy" she replied before entering the room which is the maid's quarters.

Was...she was happy before the humans started the massacre in her homeland.

Happiness is a choice and she won't pick it, she won't opt for it.

Xiulan wanted to throw more questions at her because of her answer but was interrupted by the line of maids that are waiting for them.

"Welcome young master" it was Keela, the oldest maid in the room who greeted. She was not exactly old, around the same age as Xiulan or a bit older.

The head maid cannot be seen inside their chamber as she is currently assisting the other masters of the Qiong household.

'Some other time, probably' he thought before answering the question of Keela.

Next time, he will ask Nixie about her reply today.

"This is the maid's chamber," Xiulan still said to Nixie even though it was obvious that this room belongs to the maids.

There are seven single beds inside the huge room, it was covered in white quilts partnered with white pillowcases.

Keela, one of the longest maids of the Qiong's and who grew up with Xiulan hid a small smile, it looks like the kid that she used to protect from bullies can defend himself now.

She was always there for Xiulan, and one time, she almost got fired by Yan Qiong for blocking the slap aimed for Xiulan, what can she do?

A part of her screams to save the young master she adored for being shy yet the kindness in the family.

Her family owes the Qiong's a huge pile of debt due to their dire need of money for her younger sister's heart transplant.

Her sister still died, but the debt remains.

Her life is nothing but an endless road of misery, she was born to pay debts and with mediocre looks, she can only dream that the young master she adores for many years will meet a good match.

Someone beautiful...someone who will be Xiulan's shelter.

Someone that is not her.

A hint of envy can be traced in Keela's eyes as she watches the two walk side by side.

She was always behind Xiulan, where his shadows lie.

'You shouldn't be jealous Keela, you have no right' she reminded herself, echoing those words in her head.

She has no right yet her stupid heart begs to differ.

She's not envious of how beautiful Nixie is, of how her brown eyes look mud in comparison to Nixie's turquoise iris.

She's not jealous of her figure nor her golden-hair...

However, she yearns to be Nixie, simply because she can touch Xiulan with ease.

Xiulan who was afraid of girls.

Xiulan who she never dared to get too close.

Life is unfair indeed, she was there for many years, yet she can never do the things Nixie did.