Li Wei sat in silence while the shadows of the time shunted through his thought bubble. A soft wind ruffled the trees, and the light added warmth.
Li Wei finally stood from his stone place outside, where he had sat for quite a while without stirring and added one off gasp sigh before heading out of the shade and through a hall into his room.
Now, the corridors were silent, and the steps sounded muffled. Upon entering his room, he saw warm food on the low table. Very simple but hearty: warm rice, soft vegetables, and spiced broth.
He sat cross-legged and began to eat slowly, each bite grounding him, even as his mind continued to drift.
Even if mom gets well.., where is she going to lay down?", this question resounded inside him like a furious wave. It stirred a hollow in his chest. And from that hollow, a thousand more questions crept in like shadows: About Miss Mei.
Not that close again; that guy has taken my place beside her... he's an old friend although...
He lowered his chopsticks and stared at the bowl, letting out a long breath. But instead of letting the thoughts win, he picked them back up and kept eating. Bitter thoughts had no place in an empty stomach.
Meanwhile, in the East Wing….
Miss Mei reclined in the royal-like seat in elegant posture but already showed clear signs of being shopworn. Sebastian, on the other hand, slouched on the other side, sipping thoughtfully from a teacup.
Life-the greatest-after-school-experience had dragged on longer than it should have. The nature of their subject matter-of late, until afternoon hung an oppressive weight of dullness.
"Hey Seb, I think I'm in need of some rest now," Miss Mei smiled weakly. "See you later tonight, alright?"
Sebastian looked at her - eyes still playful, voice teasing, "Okay then... I will leave you, my princess."
She slightly rolled her eyes but grinned. "Not even a hug for me?"
"Oh? You want one?" he smirked.
There was just a light hug, casual like old friends. But somewhere in the way his hand lingered for a second too long on her back, something unspoken hovered.
She turned her feet east toward her room, while Sebastian strode off toward the guest quarters.
Inside Miss Mei's Room...
The gentle sun rays ushered soft afternoon light into the room through tall windows. The curtains swayed to the rhythm of the light breeze and the scent of flowers from the courtyard filled the air.
Ying was sitting on the floor reading, surrounded by spread-out books. A sudden creak at the door made her look up. Her face displayed tiredness, perhaps due to excessive reading or hard thinking.
Miss Mei paused at the doorway, taking in the scene. "How are you today?" she asked, her tone lighter now. "I haven't had time for you, but I'm back." She smiled and stepped inside, pretending to be casual.
Ying quickly got up and bowed slightly. "Miss… I… I was just trying out your books," she stammered, her voice small, shy, as she avoided eye contact.
Miss Mei approached her and waved a hand lightly. "It's alright. Be yourself, Ying. Don't be shy around me."
Ying nodded, trying to relax. There was something warm and oddly comforting in Miss Mei's presence. And for some reason, she liked her: not because of her status, but the way she spoke-with care.
Now, please need you here , Miss Mei added more or less politely casually as she entered in the direction of the bedroom area.
Ying blinked. She turned about busying herself with the scattered books, arranging them in order according to size and thickness, until she heard the soft rustle of clothing from behind the divider.
Peeking, she looked in the direction of the bedroom-the door was ajar.
She hesitated, then moved closer.
The door opened wider and froze Ying. Miss Mei was inside, halfway undressed- one gown slipped off one shoulder as she prepared to bathe or simply to rest. Her back was awesome against Ying, smooth and pale with soft silk clinging to her skin.
Not naked-but close enough to make Ying's heart pound.
She quickly looked away but did not move.
Why is she undressing... but she said she needed me?" Her throat went dry. She took a step back, but her hand was still on the door. Her mind was buzzing with confusion.
Then suddenly a thought shot through her-silly, maybe, but it came anyway:
Is she trying to...
Ying did not want to think anything negative. She quickly slapped her hand softly against her thigh signaling coming in. Miss Mei smiled gently at her, saying, "You can come in."
Ying strode forward and sat beside her. The earlier shyness was lost now. Even as on this strange new day- filled with unexpected consideration- it was only getting better; her eyes sparkled quietly as she was ready. Ready for whatever this second-job-in-a-day would be.
It really was kind of fun. Helping Miss Mei get dressed, eating, then reading books-that was not hard. Peaceful. Comfortable. Almost...like family.
Miss Mei reached forward and pointed to a table near the open window. On the center of the table was a fine cloth, embroidered with an elegant golden phoenix pattern. Two small glass bottles stood near the edge-one with sesame oil and the other with cinnamon oil filled.
Miss Mei said softly then, "One last thing to do before rest, massage."
Ying blinked, grinned, and wondered "Massage"; she hasn't done that before, but anyway, she knew it from one of her visits long ago to the Servant Quarters while returning from Li Wei's house.
"Just my back and shoulders. Helps me to relax before the evening meetings."
Ying quickly got up and poured a little of the cinnamon oil into her palm. The scent rose warmly into the air-sweet and spicy. Miss Mei sat on the floor cushion, her back turned, robe loosened slightly at the shoulders.
Ying knelt behind her-his fingers trembling for a second before she pressed gently into the smooth skin.
She made slow, exaggerated movements as she had seen in the servants' quarters previously, descratching circular motions along the shoulder blades and light downward pressure at the base of the neck. There were no instructions from Miss Mei; only an occasional soft hum of pleasure broken by long intervals.
Minutes ticked away. The air was not disturbed in the chamber by anything except the slick smell of oils and bamboo leaves rustling in the garden, far away.
Ying finished it off with a light tap on her shoulder. "All done," she whispered.
Miss Mei slipped into a soft light garment that hung over her frame and tied the sash around her waist carelessly. Indeed, she was very graceful in movement, although there was now a bit of a yawn hanging on her lips.
Ying remained seated within that room, watching her quietly. So this might just be a gift from the heavens, not only in making things easier but also in trust.
At that point--
THUMP!
A clear piercing sound rang out from within the apartment, in the direction of the inner dining room.
Instantly, their necks jerked towards the door.
Miss Mei's brow creased slightly. "What was that?" she whispered dangerously under her breath.
Slowly stood up Ying. The breath caught in her throat...They looked toward the door trying to see what was going on.