It took her three days, but she succeeded.

The fever ebbed away slowly, leaving Ju Li with a biting hunger and bitter mind. She had been able to sit up two days prior, but had only been able to eat that morning. All her body would allow was the barest sip of water before she began to vomit once more. Her lips were chapped, a hollow sound echoing in her ears when they brushed together. She stared out the open window, eyes trained on a spot just outside the garden and past the gate. She had not been seeing things when she had first spotted the man by their gate.

He had returned numerous times since he first arrived. She knew not his purpose, but she knew what she would do when she could walk. Her body, as it was, was much too weak to do so now. She also doubted what strength she would have if she were to have to stop her family from confronting him.

Ju Li could not make out any of his features, just that his hair was long and dark and he wore a hood. His clothing, from what she could tell, was nothing like anything she had ever seen before. Perhaps he was one of the foreigners she had not yet seen. But this begged the question of why he would show up at her home, of all places. Why would he come to her? What importance did she have?

It would seem that she was attracting people of great import and she wanted nothing to do with it. She would be content with a baker's boy or perhaps even a merchant; but this was all a game that the gods played. Surely she had been chosen as someone to toy with, the unfortunate one that was cursed with a thousand years of misfortune placed upon their family. They had afflicted her with a childish emperor for an admirer, stricken her with sickness when she refused him, and now they placed a watcher outside her home.

A sigh, shaky and weak, passed her lips as Xiao Li entered the room. She brought with her a tray. A smile touched the younger girl's face, which reflected on Ju Li's. At last, food. It was not fully known if she would be able to eat, but they expected that she would. Her mother had been gracious, set aside a soft green lentil soup with rice and lettuce. A measly meal, but it would suffice in light of her colicky stomach.

Drizzling the soup over her rice, Xiao Li handed her a deep-bowled wooden spoon and chopsticks. Ju Li's mouth watered, the aroma of spices filling her nose. While she longed for something more, this would surely do her well. Her expectations were high as she brought the first spoonful to her lips.

They waited a moment as she swallowed, preparing for the worst in the case it should happen. But, as if by some oversight by the gods, she was able to keep it down. With this as a sign to continue, she vigorously enjoyed the meal set before her.

As the last of the lettuce disappeared into her mouth, her sister cleared her throat, making the older girl look up. Her chewing subsided for a moment, Xiao Li giving her a pointed look. She swallowed, and at last her sister spoke.

"There is a man," she stated, brows raised.

"What man," Ju Li asked.

"I do not know; he merely waits outside the gate and if I try to speak with him he runs off."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Perhaps we should tell Mother."

"No; she has enough to worry about."

"Perhaps we should tell Father."

"No; he must attend to Mother."

"Then what do you propose we do?"

"We confront him."

"But you have said he runs when you approach."

"But he is always staring towards your room."

"And?"

"It would mean that his business is with you."

Ju Li had long since made this conclusion, but she had figured her sister would make it soon enough. And soon she did, and she seemed ready to take on whatever this man was.

"But I am still weak."

"I will help you out there."

"Mother and Father?"

"We will tell them we are simply going for an afternoon walk. They will think it is good for you—trust me."

Ju Li often found that her sister got them into a good deal of trouble after she said those words. But she found also that she could never say no when those words left her lips. A sighed resonated in the room as Ju Li attempted to stand and get herself dressed. She able only to get her underskirt on before her limbs ached with the strain and she looked toward her sister for help.

Together, the two of them slipped on the pale yellow blouse that had been set aside for when Ju Li felt better, fastening a tie to hold it closed before pulling up the green skirt that rested above her chest. Another few moments of steadying Ju Li, and they began to their journey to the gate.

As expected, the task of walking was not one that Ju Li was yet ready for. By the time they had touched the steps of the garden, she was a gasping mess. The food that settled in her stomach not long ago threatened to come back up the way it came. Xiao Li murmured encouragements, but she would not make it.

No amount of coaxing could get her much further and the two sisters turned back.

"I thought you could make it," Xiao Li murmured softly by way of apology.

"Clearly, I could not," Ju Li responded between her gasps.

"Clearly," her sister agreed as she lay her back down.

While their attempt at contact may have failed then, the veiled man would be a much closer goal than they had originally thought.

// not as  long as my chapters usually are, but I figured that I may as well post this since I missed yesterday's update due to having to decorate and clean up for an event with my family. please let me know if you see anything that needs to be corrected. if I told you guys how far this is veering from the original plot I had, you wouldn't even believe me haha. thanks so much for reading! cheers, rem.

P.S.: let me know what you think of the new cover. yay or nay?