Mei Yuan walked in with a pot of tea on a tray and a few servants following behind her of the palace. She had previously gone to the kitchen and borrowed a few things, made the tea and left the stunned chef behind since it was not a usual sight to witness – a Gongjunim making tea over a stove of fire.
The twins looked over at her and could not help but smile. They stole glances in their brother's way who seemed disinterested. Mei Yuan's eyes widened when she saw the beautiful sisters and blushed, bowing slightly she greeted, "Hello sister-in-law Qian Lan, sister-in-law Qian Luse, if I knew you would be here so soon I would have prepared extra cups.
Qian Luse shook her head and stood up, "Do not worry about that sister-in-law, you have already mastered tea making?" She asked, surprised.
Mei Yuan shook her head and placed the tray down near Changling's bed on the table, "I wish, I only know the basics of tea making."
Qian Lan nodded her head in agreement, "I am sure you will master it one of these days, is her tea any good Oraboni?" She asked, smiling down at Qinghe.
He looked up at her with a frown and raised a brow, "Do not tease your sister-in-law."
The girls pouted.
Mei Yuan looked at them confused but poured for everyone tea. She served them rose tea with a hint of mint in it and after sipping on the tea, they got an after taste of apple. Wu Yong's eyes widened in disbelief and so did his son and Dong Woo. Youxian was not surprised as them but was impressed that she improved so much from a week ago.
Mei Yuan walked over with a cup of tea to Qinghe who looked at her lazily. The two of them barely had a conversation these days and it broke her heart.
Qinghe took the cup from her and scanned her face, he held back a frown, just as she was about to walk away he called her, "Mei?"
She turned and looked at him, she saw that he did not drink the tea yet and asked, "Do you not like the tea?"
Qinghe looked at her and shook his head, "Come here."
Wu Yong and the others frowned as they watched on.
Mei Yuan stepped forward confused and yelped when Qinghe pulled her down, he reached his arm out and wiped the charred marks off her face. Mei Yuan was taken aback and blushed.
The twins pouted watching them, they were not used to seeing another woman around their brother and felt jealous.
Qinghe let go of her and mumbled, "You're a Gongjunim for fucks sake."
Mei Yuan rolled her eyes, "Don't curse!" she said and huffed as she turned away.
Qinghe let out a chuckle and shook his head, no matter how much he tried, he could not hate her because of how much he loved her.
Qian Lan said suddenly as she watched Mei Yuan sit down beside Changling and replace the cloth on his forehead, "Sister-in-law, did you learn how to cook yet?"
Mei Yuan sighed, taking a spare cloth, she dipped it in water and wring it out then wiped away Changling's sweat, "I am still learning," she answered disappointed that did not go unnoticed by the multiple eyes watching her.
The twins looked at each other before Qian Luse asked, "Is it hard?" and received a nod.
"It's mentally and physically exhausting and hard to remember," she says with a frown.
The twins chuckled, Qian Luse said, "If you do it every day for a month, three times a day it will become natural."
Mei Yuan looked over at the twins and complained, "Sister-in-law, how can you speak of it so easily? I had to learn how to make a fire, how to keep the fire going and how not to burn stuff, then I was taught how to do washing, not to mix the white sheets with the coloured ones. My back aches from all the cleaning and in between all of those I have to learn how to make tea and be a good judge, not to mention that I am now also learning how to look after someone who is unconscious."
"You sound like you are having fun," Qian Lan commented.
"Having fun you say?" Mei Yuan forced a smile making the twins raise a brow at her, "I am sure you both know how hard it is to please Oraboni," she complains.
The twins looked at her surprised, "He lets you call him Oraboni?" Qian Luse asked.
Mei Yuan nodded, "Yes, after the taste of my tea improved."
They nodded at the same time and asked again, "Have you learnt to cook more than the basics?" At the same time.
Mei Yuan nodded, "Yes, I learnt how to make steamed buns and dumplings from Yuhua and Rucheng taught me how to cook rice with shrimp carrots, corn and peas. She also taught me how to use the stone grinder to make flour, then we made noodles."
The twins nodded, "I guess I could continue teaching you how to cook different meals, do you know how to make chilli oil and jelly noodles?" Qian Luse asked.
Mei Yuan shook her head, "Not really, I've seen how to make the chilli oil but Rucheng said it's best to start from the very beginning so we planted chilli seeds not too long ago and we bought and hung chillies to dry along with garlic and carrots."
"Who has been doing the cooking while the girls are away?" Qian Lan asked remembering that they left a few days ago.
Mei Yuan smiled weakly, "We had fish soup, chicken soup and preserved vegetables so far."
Qian Lan groaned, "You're making my brother suffer."
"If it's fine with you Oraboni, I'll cook for the time being and teach her all your favourite dishes," Qian Luse said helplessly.
Qian Lan smirked, "You need to teach her how to slaughter and clean ducks, chickens and fish too, don't forget Oraboni's favourite crayfish."
"I just remembered," Qian Lan said looking at Qinghe, "We got a message from Qing."
Qinghe looked over at her blankly telling her to shut up. She lowered her head and drank her tea in silence.
"What business do you have with the people from Qing," Wu Yong asked.
Qinghe looked over at Wu Yong and asked, "Are you interested in what I do father-in-law?"
Wu Yong glared at Qinghe, "All those who have business with Qing besides me mostly have bad intentions."
Mei Yuan's eyes widened hearing her fathers words, she stood up and looked at him with a glare, "Why must you always be so rude!!" She yelled.
"Are you going to be like this forever father? If you are then how will I live in peace with my husband? Will you be like this towards our children too?" She asked with tears in her eyes.
Before anyone could say anything Changling coughed.
Mei Yuan quickly sat back down beside him and took away the cloth.
Qian Lan got up and walked over to him, scanning his face she asked, "Are you dead?"
Changling groaned hearing her nonsense.
Wu Yong came over, he asked with a worried frown, "How are you feeling Changling?"
Changling groaned, "You just insulted my brother and yet you ask how am I feeling? If I was not injured I would have shown you how I felt."
"Changling, mind your manners," Qinghe warned him.
Changling groaned, "There's too many people in the room, get out."
Youxian turned on his heels and started walking, he did not want to be here, "You, stay!" Changling ordered making him freeze in place.
Youxian turned around and saw that his eyes were closed. Rubbing his neck he said, "You did not even open your eyes nor did I speak."
Changling opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, it was not decorated red like his palace the way he licked it, closing his eyes again he said, "I can smell you!"
He struggled to get up but Mei Yuan pushed him back down as she complained, "I do not want any nonsense from you, you are injured so stay in bed."
Qinghe looked at his wife surprised and burst out laughing, catching everyone off guard.
He stood up and walked over to the bed, taking out a fan from his sleeve he hit Changling on the head, "You heard the lady, stay in bed."
Changling opened his eyes and glared at his brother, "Leave and take your wife with you!"
*
Soon the two of them were left alone and Youxian felt so awkward. He refused to go near the bed or even look at Changling.
Changling struggled as he tried to sit up and started coughing. Youxian wanted to run over to him and help him but he was afraid that something might happen to him if he did.
When Changling finally managed to sit up against the pillows he looked at Youxian who was looking at the ground, although he was in so much pain, he was not going to let it come in between him and Youxian. Looking over at the younger boy he said, "Come here," in a weak voice.
Youxian shook his head, he heard Changling say after he sighed, "Ah-Xian, I missed you, you have been away from me for a whole week, was I really the only one who felt lonely?"
Youxian looked over at him but didn't answer him.
It took him awhile but he made his way over to the bed and sat down.
"Come here," Changling said gently patting his stomach.
Youxian looked at his stomach with a frown, "But you are hurt there."
Changling reached his hand out to grab Youxian and pulled him over, forcing him to lay down on him he said, "I do not care, I missed you too much."
After a while of silence Changling said, "What my Hyung-nim said is not true. I was supposed to just teach you to respect your father but then I fell in love with you. You did not seem like the type to show your true self to me and everyone else."
He looked down at Youxian and raised his face to look up at him, looking into his eyes he continued, "I am not lying when I say I am in love with you, you are beautiful, sexy and very honest when we are intimate and I like that about you and you overall make me go crazy. I just want you always by my side, I want to spoil you and make you feel good but you won't let me, you are too afraid of what other people think, why don't you just be yourself, you will be much happier and I really want to make you happy."
Wiping away Youxian's tears he asked, "Will you promise not to leave my side again?"
Youxian looked at him with his watery eyes and remembered what Qinghe said but now Changling was saying something else and he did not know who to believe – who was laying? But to be safe he nodded his head slowly, "I promise."
Changling smiled down at him and kissed his forehead, "Okay, help me up, I do not like staying in unfamiliar places."
Youxian got up when Changling pushed him and looked at him with a frown but still helped him, wrapping Changling's arm over his shoulder he said, "But you are still hurt, Wangja."