Even before the sun was up, Pei Nan had already arrived at the Thousand Flower Pavilion. He was in his court official uniform. It could only mean one thing. He came over to see Pan Yu Mei before heading off to court.
Chu'mei was at the door to greet him. She didn't immediately announce his arrival. Pei Nan could already guess that Yu Mei was still sleeping. Usually he would use that against her but not this morning. Seeing how upset she was last night, he decided to let her sleep in this once.
"Your highness! What brings you here so early in the morning." Chu'mei asked surprised. This was the first time in her life that Pei Nan was coming over without notifying them beforehand. She had no time to react or urge Yu Mei to get ready. Most likely her lady was wrapped like a dumpling in bed.
[CHu'mei, think of something. If his highness finds out that my lady is still in bed, would he throw a fit?] Panic was written all over her face but who was Pei Nan? He would not let her feel assured. Why? Because she was the reason he couldn't see Yu Mei in the morning. If she had done her job and woken her lady up in the morning, he wouldn't have to be standing her depressed. To think he woke up extra early to come over. All the effort wasted.
"Is she still asleep?" he asked.
"Xiaojie is…" Chu'mei didn't know how to answer to him.
"Forget it. When she wakes up, make sure she drinks this ginseng soup."
The maid standing behind Pei Nan walked forward with a tray. Chu'mei quickly took it from her.
"I thank your highness on behalf of my lady."
Pei Nan didn't say anything else as he turned around to leave. A second later, he turned back. "Tell Consort Pan that in the afternoon she must go to the Empress's tea ceremony class. There is no but. I want her to use this time to become closer with my mother." He gave Chu'mei a death glare. "Make sure she goes or else it'll be you who gets punished." He warned before taking a leave.
She waited for him to disappear.
"Huh? Me again?" Chu'mei stomped her feet. How unfair was this? If her lady refuses to go, she was the one to be punished? What kind of logic was that?
Chu'mei let her lady sleep until her heart was content. Luckily it was only an hour more after Pei Nan left.
Yu Mei woke up in a good mood as she sat down for breakfast. Her bright happy eyes soon turned. She frowned confused. [What is this?] She strangely glared at the yellowish orange liquid in front of her.
By now Chu'mei had learned her lady's every facial expression. If she was correct, her lady would open her mouth in three seconds to ask and complain. Good thing Chu'mei caught on quick. Yu Mei's mouth slightly opened but was quickly cut off by Chu'mei's quick words. "It's ginseng soup. Drink up. It's good for your body."
"But I want meat." she complained.
Yu Mei picked up her spoon and took a sip of it. She scowled. "It's bitter." She pushed the bowl far away.
"Xiaojie, this morning his highness stopped by to give you this ginseng soup. If his highness hears that you didn't drink it, imagine how sad he would be. If I was his highness, my heart wouldn't be able to take it." Chu'mei put her hand on her heart, acting like she was truly hurt for Pei Nan.
"Pei Nan was here this morning?"
"En. If you were up earlier, you would have been able to send him off to court."
"Even if he was here, I would have chosen sleep over him." she sarcastically spoke.
"Xiaojie, how can you treat his highness so coldly. He even brought you back home last night." Chu'mei started to scold her lady lightly.
"Alright. No need to be dramatic. I'll drink it." Yu Mei once again picked up her spoon and took another sip. She tried to hide her smile in between sips. Chu'mei would never stop teasing her if she knew that Yu Mei was happy about Pei Nan bringing her soup. But why did the soup not taste bitter anymore? Yu Mei even thought it tasted rather sweet. How strange…
Chu'mei waited until Yu Mei was finished with breakfast before attempting her last task. The task that would decide her fate. Live or die!
Yu Mei noticed her little maid fidgeting her fingers. And so she turned around, crossed her legs and asked. "What's wrong?"
"Xiaojie…the Empress is having a tea ceremony for all her daughter-in-law's, including you."
"Me? How come I didn't hear about it? Forget it, don't answer. Regardless, I don't want to go. Tell her I am sick or something."
Chu'mei almost lost her soul the moment her lady rejected the idea. She already knew the answer.
"Xiaojie~ To be real with you, his highness planned this all out so that you could bond with his mother. Surely you don't really want to ignore his highness's good intentions, do you?"
"Pei Nan?"
"En." Chu'mei shook her head. Seeing that her lady was rethinking things, she began to exaggerate even more. "This morning when his highness came over, he specifically asked me to tell you that you must go. He knows that you don't have a very good relationship with his mother and it breaks his heart. You should have seen how determined he looked when he said he wanted create a chance for you two. To see the two women he loves the most in the world not get along, it truly pains him to see. Xiaojie, surely you see his highness's good intentions towards you. You must go for his sake."
[Please work, please work, please work!] Chu'mei's eyeballs were glued onto Yu Mei's silent face. Would she fall for it?
A few minutes went by. Still no reply.
"Fine. I'll go. But if she starts playing petty tricks with me, I'm not going to be considerate."
"Xiaojie has good insight. His highness was not wrong to love you." she kept on sugarcoating everything.
At this point, Yu Mei was beginning to question every word Chu'mei was spouting. But she chose not to call her out. Because she knew she couldn't avoid seeing the Empress. Two reasons why she would go. One, if she didn't go, her mother-in-law would use this against her in the future. Two, she would do it for Pei Nan. So that settles it. She was going.