**
We wait until some of the storage room watchdogs are drunk and befuddled.
By the look of these soldiers, I think it was possible that an invader snuck in. I shake my head. I mean, look at their disposition.
"It won't be long until they switch shifts. We should sneak in now." With General Li's swift movements and me hanging pathetically beside her, we successfully sneak into the storage room.
They have already clear away most of their evidence. Bags of Millet are stocked up against each other on the pavement. While General Li and I examine the room for suspicious clues, General Li begins a conversation.
"You are a very meddlesome person, you know that Miss Yuan?" She coldly acknowledges without even flinching.
Is she talking about what happened in the tofu stand?
My lips curl into an embarrassed expression, "Yes, I know that. I just couldn't bear seeing injustice."
She exhales slowly, "How I envy you, to know that this early."
Her face blossoms into a melancholic smile, "You are erratic and unprincipled. To say the least, your actions are fickle; but, those same intangible traits of yours are precisely why he favors you."
"He—who?" I blankly stare at her.
"Nothing."
I try to respond to her somewhat disturbing compliment, "I envy your valiant efforts as a female General in this society as well as your companionship."
General Li lets out a relief sigh, "Valiant efforts and companionship, huh? Quite coincidental that you mention companionship. It's been more than ten years since I met those two. Time has passed so quickly."
I smile, "You guys must have a strong bond. You even have an engagement with Sir Xu."
Whoops!
My bad, that just slipped out.
She shrugs, "Strong bond? I presume." She glances at me, "Miss Yuan, you do know that the engagement between Xu Kai and me have been annulled some time ago, right?"
Their engagement had been annulled? Since when? Why am I so late to this?
I frown, "I did not know that, General Li. I apologize for bringing it up."
"It's fine," She turns back to the bags of Millets, "I have been mistaking guilt for love; I have not realize it until recently. It is about time that I let go of these feelings, create a positive mantra, and counter the painful thoughts."
"I truly apologize for inducing the past, General Li. But I do want to add, Sir Xu and I do not have any type of special relationship. I mean, look at me. Unembellished in hindsight, ill-mannered and impertinent. Why would he—"
"Silly girl," General Li comments, "I know his pattern of thinking and behavior by now. He has seen countless beauties and courteous noblewoman yet has not direct his attention to any of them." She laughs, "Once his eyes set on something, he will do whatever it takes to protect it, be it an item or a person. How solicitous."
Protect it? Like when he rescued me when I was abducted in the clan?
But the thought of Xu Kai and me? No, no, no.
That's like falling in love with my grandpa's grandpa's friend.
When General Li and I have found no further clue, apart from some of the Millet bags being a little wet, we return to General Li and my tent. We try to reason the possibilities as to why the bags have been drenched in water.
I say, "Surrounding the territories are plains, lakes, and rivers. They must have hid the clues in a lake or a river. But where could it be? We cannot possibly search everywhere; that would be endless."
General Li nods, "It's late right now. It would be difficult to track any clue should we head out now. We can wait until tomorrow."
A soldier, who seems to be on our side, reports from outside of the tent for General Li. She pardons herself, wandering off with him and conversing about matters relative to the case.
After waiting for quite a while, I figure I can go out and get some fresh air. I attend the resting area, where several logs are placed on the ground for soldiers to sit.
It is empty at the moment due to how half the soldiers are resting in the tent and the other half is on the watch. I take a seat down on one of the logs, feeling the breath of the wind.
Chirping, unitary footsteps, chirping, unitary footsteps.
The stars twinkle down at me; glimmering and flickering all over. I gaze at the stars; they are more mesmerizing than the ones I see in the present.
A faint voice enters my ears from a distance away, "Report back to me when you have rid of the obstructions."
Xu Kai.
He has just finish his conversation and send away a solider. He sights me sitting alone, approaching me. "What are you doing here?"
The sky grows darker, transitioning from blue to purple one stroke at a time. I point at the stars that lie against the deep purple shades, "Stargazing. Want to join me?"
He sits next to me on the log of wood, "Miss Yuan, don't tell me you have a talent for identifying stars as well?"
I laugh, "I wish. Look here," I direct my fingers to the largest shimmering star I see in the luminous purple sky. Externally, the star glows white, yet looking deeper, the core is purple. "That star reminds me of you. Prevailing, dominant, yet somehow possesses an innately soft core."
He locates the star next to it, one I can barely see. "That star embodies your presence. Frail, almost non-existent."
I cough, "How rude!"
His eyes reflect the river of stars flowing through the sky. "It unpredictably shines for some time and fades away.."
"..never failing to surprise me."