It had been a couple of days since Li-lian was told to stay on bedrest, the weather had changed along with leaves changing their colors.
Mo-chou was swiftly walking along the gray stoned path that leads to Li-lian's bedroom chambers. Mo-chou was humming a special tune taught to her by her late-grandmother. The actual song lyrics represent the myth of their sun god. Mo-chou always loved humming or singing the song to relieve her late-grandmother's memories and when Li-lian was recuperating, it helped soothe the nightmares Li-lian would continuously have every night. A bright smile found their way on her lips, she had spotted Li-lian with Yang-yang laying together, laughing, and reading a book as they made weird hand-motions towards Li-lian's slightly bulging pregnant belly. Mo-chou changed the speed in her pace, she was now fast-pacing towards the happy, loving couple.
"Good morning, Mo-chuo greets the empire's crown prince and crown princess" Mo-chou was feeling uneasy as she spotted another male figure sitting across from the couple with an annoyed look on his face. Mo-chou wanted to be friendly but she didn't want to trust the wrong person again, in case her mistress gets hurt again. Instead Mo-chou greeted the figure. As she looked up with her jade colored eyes, she made eye-contact with his almond purple eyes, long straight white hair. His long white hair was tossed over his right shoulder, his robes were a dark purple color with ivory-white plum blossoms. While Mo-chou was looking the guest up and down to find out clues to ask the other maids about his reputation if he had one, which most people did, She heard a chuckle, Mo-chou immediately looked up to make eye contact with the strange guest. They locked eyes, for the first time in Mo-chou's twenty-two years of living she never felt this feeling before, the butterflies in her stomach were in a frenzy. Mo-chuo blushed. She turned her face away in a hurry, she quickly asked if Li-lian needed anything. Li-lian said she was fine and Mo-chou could have the day off since Yang-yang had a day off from meetings. Mo-chou closed her eyes and smiled. She gave thanks to Yang-yang and Li-lian. Before Mo-chou left to ask the chefs in the kitchen what she can do with her day off, Li-lian called out to her, holding out a satchel with her hands. Mo-chou politely received the satchel, When she opened the satchel there were various things inside, a bag full of gold and silver coins, a semi-transparent crystal, a pink-white faded coat with water lilies sewed all over the bottom half, three silver daggers each was a different sizes. Mo-chou was happy but then concerned, she voiced it.
"Am I going to be meeting trouble? Or is this for the greenhouse?" Mo-chou asked while holding up the medium sized dagger.
"No, this time it's just for your safety, especially if you spend the day outside. Especially if you plan to go to that place today." Li-lian said with a knowing smile.
Mo-chou took the hint with a guilty smile on her face, she laughed quietly. Mo-chou bowed and took her leave. While Mo-chou was leaving she could still hear them chatting, carrying on their conversation they were having before Mo-chou came. She smiled, she thought hopefully the guest is a good person so her miss can heal some of the scars that were still healing. Mo-chou sighed. She continued to make her way towards the kitchen with a bright smile on her face.
It was only twenty minutes before Mo-chou finally reached the kitchen. She noticed the chefs were sitting down around the wooden island debating on what to make for lunch and dinner with the ingredients they have. Mo-chou stealthy walked into the kitchen wooden doors, they squeaked as they opened. The head chef got up to greet Mo-chou with a bowl of freshly baked honey-lotus bread, he knew Mo-chou would love it. Mo-chou lit up with child-like giddiness. She immediately grabbed the bowl to enjoy her first bite of fresh baked bread. Mo-chou could tell the atmosphere was tense since the other chefs beneath the head chef had their heads down, almost between their legs.
"What is the problem? Anything I can help with?" Mo-chou asked with her cheeks stuffed with bread. The head chef smiled and went to continue cooking dishes.
Both chef's looked at each other as if they wanted the other person to say something, but they did not. Mo-chou frowned from the awkward silence and glances between the chef's. She finished her last piece of bread with a cup of honey water she was given by the head chef.
"I can help out. I have the day off, but don't take too long to ask me, my day would be over by then." Mo-chu said as she grabbed the honey water to finish the last drop.
It took a second for them to say something. Finally the youngest chef Jia-ming asked if Mo-chou could gather some produce that they forgot to get for the sudden banquet that's being held two days from now. Mo-chou smiled, she could finally eat the fancy banquet food she craved every now and then.
"Write me a list, i'll bring the stuff by early morning tomorrow at the latest." Mo-chou said as she grabbed her satchel to pack more of the honey-lotus bread.
"Thank you, thank you." Both chefs bowed, the other chef Bai-feng quickly started writing out the list of ingredients they needed for the banquet. After he was finished Bai-feng folded the list and handed it over to Mo-chou. Mo-chou said goodbye to the head chef and chefs as she was walking out of the kitchen. Before Mo-chou made it out the door the head chef stopped her. He pulled out some lotus paste mooncakes in the shape of rabbits, lotus, and bamboo, with the mooncakes he told her to be careful on her way. Mo-chou smiled as she assured the head chef. Mo-chou was out the front door of the kitchen as she took her satchel, she took out the folded list Bai-feng gave her. She started to read the list out loud as she walked to the front gate. It was basic produce but she knew the difference between regular produce and the produce the head chef needed. She would have to travel to the outskirts of town to achieve some of the produce; she predicted that it would take until nightfall to reach the outskirts of town. Mo-chou immediately wanted to set off on her journey when she noticed expensive black leather shoes enter her eye's view when she quickly glanced down at the little passing frog as it hopped passed her legs. Before Mo-chou could look up, she bumped into the figure who smelled like fresh plum blossoms, her whole face turned red against her will. Mo-chou tried to balance off the sturdy chest but before she regained her balance the figure used a motion of his left hand to swipe Mo-chou off her balance, a gush of wind brushed past mo-chou's face as she closed her eyes to shield her eyes from watering. When she opened them a tear ran down her left eye. Her eyes made contact with the figure, it was the guest who was dressed in a purple robe with ivory-white plum blossoms. His long silky white hair brushed down past his left shoulder and tickled Mo-chou's lips as the strands settled with the wind.