The next morning, Mei and Mingde had an early start after their morning routine. Mei cooked pancakes and soup, which were as delicious as the meal from the previous night. She gave Mingde the flower, though he was initially hesitant to accept it since it was a gift from his father. However, he understood that there was nothing else they could offer.
Mei gave him some coins to buy sweets and to hire a cart for his return journey. He took the flower, promising to join her shortly, and headed out while Mei went to the farm.
After walking several kilometres, Mingde found a cart that took him to town. He went straight to Duke Su's manor, giving the guard at the gate a flower with a message that it was from Li Meilin for the young master. He proceeded to the market to rent a cart and return. Eager to assist his sister with farm work, he saved the money she gave him for sweets, knowing they might need it, and skipped away.
Meanwhile, at Duke Su's manor, Su Rui saw a beautiful flower on the big table, much to his surprise. The guard who delivered the flower smiled and informed him that a young boy had delivered it, claiming it was a gift from a lady named Li Meilin for Su Rui. His heart raced as he observed how well-cared-for the flower was, this unexpected gesture made him feel noticed and appreciated. He had never received a gift from a lady before. He rubbed his face, smiling and whispering to himself, "I knew you would get me into trouble someday."
Thinking, Su Rui kept staring at the lovely flower, and then he noticed a letter secretly placed between its petals. His heart thumped, and his heart raced, and confusion washed over him as he read it. It was a message from the mysterious woman he had never met, nor had he acted in any manner deserving of such thanks.
"Dear helper, thank you for helping me," it began, with messy strokes that evoked laughter. "What on earth had he done?" Su Rui wondered with a frown. He had spent the entire previous day on the estate. His imagination ran wild, perhaps his father had a mistress and child outside who resembled him. Oh, his poor mother! What would she do? Or maybe he had a long-lost twin wandering the world? Or perhaps a curse caused him to lose his memories at a certain time of day.
Despite all these wild thoughts, the actual answer paled in comparison to his wild thoughts, and it arrived that afternoon as an imperial guard with a letter from his cousin, the Emperor, accompanied by lavish gifts.
The letter started with a greeting. After the greeting, it informed him that yesterday, his cousin found a lady in need and could not resist using his name for the occasion; he hoped for his understanding.
Su Rui couldn't hold back his laughter. His stoic cousin, who showed no emotion, had sent an imperial guard for such a trivial matter! The big block of ice was finally melting. An idea flashed through his mind. Even better than the scandal of a secret mistress was the thought that his cousin might be in love with the lady in question. The mere idea amused him as he contemplated what to do with the letter and the beautiful flower.
Just then, the imperial guard who had left earlier returned abruptly, demanding the items sent by Miss Mei. A devilish scheme formed in Su Rui's mind; he now possessed a tantalizing secret, one he could use for future leverage against his cousin.
Meanwhile, deep in the yellow-framed study of the Emperor, Xuan sat in a grand chair surrounded by scrolls and memorials, trying not to let the previous day's encounter consume his thoughts. He had learned that Mei sent a flower and a letter to his cousin as a gesture of gratitude. Surprised and determined to get it for himself, he dispatched the imperial guard once more to Duke Su's estate to retrieve the items by any means necessary, fully aware of the teasing and the headache that was sure to follow.
Now, he wished he had used the name of a friend instead of his cousin's, realizing he had inadvertently set off this unique series of events. Mei's calmness attracted him—her strength at facing adversity drew him in. As soon as he entered the palace, he sent an investigator to learn research more about her. The next day, he received a report revealing that she was managing the Li household remarkably well, despite the odds stacked against her.
With everything that had happened with her father, could she ever accept him? Even if he knew he was right in his punishment, he still dreaded the answer to that question. The punishment for corruption was the extermination of ones family, yet he spared the kids as they were innocent and for the sake of the mother's friendships.
Knowing his cousin would undoubtedly use this information to tease him. He kicked himself over for not choosing a different name to go by.
For now, he had a lot of responsibilities, and he couldn't keep thinking of this matter at each moment. He needed a long and careful plan. It would take time to pass the complicated road ahead, but he was determined to do whatever it took to have her by his side.
Meanwhile, Mei was planting the seeds for the rice when she suddenly wondered how Su Rui reacted upon receiving her small gift. She wanted to give him a more expensive and meaningful gift, but she was very limited in terms of resources and had nothing else to offer besides the flower, so she promised herself that the next time she saw him, she would give him a proper gift.
Little did she know, however, that small kindness would incite so much fire, involving her in a much bigger story than she had ever imagined that was told thousands of years to come.