❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

Yi-Nuo got to work making the treats requested by Master Zheng, and the man arrived not too long after she had finished them.

She watched coyly from the kitchen, as the three men chatted at the wood table out in the garden. They enjoyed the longjing tea and sweets that she had made.

As she observed from the inside quietly, her gaze suddenly met with the young master, who quickly broke into a wide smile.

He motioned for her to come over, causing her cheeks to dust pink.

She awkwardly entered the garden, dusting off her Hanfu skirt as she approached the table

"Wu Yi-Nuo...come have tea with us....you prepared it, after all...you should be able to enjoy it too." He stated as she glanced at him.

"Yes! Join us, if you'd like." Master Zheng voiced, looking to the old man that sat opposite of him.

"Feng Xie...this young lady has been very helpful to use recently...she prepared these delights for your visit...do you mind if she enjoys them with us?"

The old man nodded as he looked to Yi-Nuo. His face was one that seemed like he had seen a lot in the world.

"Young lady, by all means, join us!"

She hesitated for a moment, before the young master patted the spot next to him and smiled up at her.

How could she say no to that smile? She felt her heartbeat quicken, her cheeks becoming more red.

"A-alright, I suppose..." She muttered, before clearing her throat.

She smoothed out her skirt and sat down on the spot next to the young master, watching as he eagerly poured her a cup of steaming tea.

"Here, careful though, it's hot..." he voiced quietly, placing the porcelain cup in front of her.

She thanked him with a small bow of her head, her lips tugging upwards.

"As always, young master...you are as gentle as the breeze on a summer day. " The man, Feng Xie laughed, earning a nod of agreement from the old master.

"It's in a Physician's nature to be kind...that is...if you are a true Physician. Those brats from the Hua Cheng Institute could never hold a lantern to our Mingze here," He stated, motioning to the young male with his cup of tea.

Yi-Nuo noticed him become slightly flustered.

The institute that they spoke of, the 'Hua Cheng Institute' happened to be a sophisticated group of medical students who studied medicine and physical science in the designated school, with textbooks and such materials. They were also located in Beijing, so their students took up most of the shifts at the palace, save for the ones filled in by Zheng and the young master.

Physician Li, who had provided Yi-Nuo with medicine for Tao Mei's leg pain a few weeks ago, was a student at the institute as well, so she knew of their modern ways and ideals somewhat.

"That's not true, Ba...they just do things differently over there. They're not bad people, though."

"I know that," the man replied. "All I'm saying is, most of them aren't as competent as you. You're kind, smart and responsible, Mingze. You work hard all the time and you never complain about it. I couldn't say as much for every young man on the streets of Beijing." He explained, earning a nod of agreement from Feng Xie.

The young master looked down to his cup of tea, lips tugging at a smile. Though for some reason, Yi-Nuo caught the slightest glimpse of sadness behind his bright eyes.

"Thanks...Ba."

It was quiet for a small amount of time, before she saw it fit to speak up and smooth over the atmosphere.

"Um....are the sweets to your liking, Master Feng?"

The old man nodded.

"Yes, they are! Thank you for humoring an old soul, young lady. I haven't had sweets like this since my wife passed 20 years ago," he said with a laugh.

Master Zheng hummed in response.

"I know how you feel," He added with a laugh as well. "My son and I are always too busy to cook, so after our last maid left, we only survived on Mrs Cho's Baozi from her stand. But now, we have Yi-Nuo... She's a kind girl and I'm very grateful to be able to give her a place to stay and work."

Yi-Nuo felt happy hearing these words. She had been often looked over at the palace, even when she worked harder than ever, the only person who really paid any attention to her was Consort Cheng.

She bowed her head deeply, cheeks tinted pink with bashfulness.

"Thank you, Master Zheng, the honor is all mine...."

Feng Xie chuckled.

"Your parents must be incredibly proud to have such a filial daughter, young lady...send them my regards when you see them next, hm?"

Yi-Nuo froze slightly, and she blinked a few times.

She cleared her throat, suddenly at a loss for words.

"I...of course..." She put a smile on her face as she nodded. "I'll be sure to tell them of your kindness."

The young master's gaze flickered toward her.
He watched as her expression wavered, and he remembered the imperial advisers words when they were at the palace.

"Miss Wu has no family...parents or siblings, no blood relatives inside or outside of the forbidden palace."

"She has no one that will mourn her death, if it comes to it."

He clenched his jaw tightly and reached to hold his cup of tea, though it slipped from his grasp and spilled onto his lap.

"Ah!" He exclaimed, quickly standing and attempting to brush the hot liquid off his Hanfu.
Yi-Nuo and the other two men looked at him as he stood, their eyes showing concern.

"Mingze...are you alright?" His father asked, brow quirked.

"I'm alright, don't worry...it just startled me." he chuckled, continuing to brush off his clothes. "I should go change though...if you'll excuse me."

He bowed his head slightly and headed towards the gate that led inside.

Yi-Nuo suddenly remembered that she had hung out all of the clothes she had washed yesterday out to dry. The young master wasn't one for materialistic things, so he only owned one or two hanfus for himself.

She looked to master Zheng.

"Um...I've washed and hung out the young master's clean clothes to dry, shall I bring it to him? I think he's forgotten them."

"Oh? Go ahead....i'm sure he'll appreciate it if you do," the man smiled.

"Right, then please excuse me,"

The female left the table as well, bringing up a short silence between Feng Xie and the Master.

"Your boy has grown into a very nice young man. How has he been doing lately?" Feng Xie voiced as he sipped his tea.

Master Zheng chuckled, his smile widening.

"Thank you, Feng Xie....I couldn't ask for a better son, really. He's been doing alright, I think. I must say, he does a good job at hiding it. Far better than Li Xue ever did...though I wish he would take my advice and live his life instead of working so hard." He said with a sigh. "It pains me to think how much he endures all the time."

Feng Xie nodded.

"I agree. Does Miss Wu know of his condition?" He asked out of curiosity.

The master shook his head.

"No. Mingze is very keen on not letting any of his acquaintances know. He thinks that people would treat him differently if they did, which is understandable to a point. I do think that it will bring him trouble in the future, especially seeing how the two of them get along already. And Mingze is so damn stubborn about things, it would take something incredibly powerful to change his mind about you know what."

'You know what.' Referring to, of course, the young master's reasoning for turning down every young woman that came to him concerning courting and marriage.

That reason, though, would remain unknown for the time being.

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

Yi-Nuo quickly unhooked the faded blue linen robe that hung from the bamboo rack. She gently folded it and headed back Inside.
She walked across the hall and finally arrived in front of the young master's door, though before she had the chance to knock, it slide open.

The young master's eyes widened slightly, cheeks tinted pink as he stood before her. He wore only his white under-robe that wrapped and tied closed loosely at the side.

Yi-Nuo gasped and turned around quickly as her face heated up as well.

"U-um....forgive me." She voiced, her eyes squeezed closed even though she wasn't facing him anymore.

He cleared his throat as she held out the hanfu for him to take.

"H-here, I brought this for you...it's clean. Please take it."

He took the robe quickly and then shut the door.

"Thank you." He said from inside.

"And sorry for....being indecent."

Yi-Nuo chewed her lip as she held back a laugh.

"Don't worry....i've already forgotten that it happened."

And with that, she rushed down the hall as fast as she could without actually running. Her lips curved into a small grin as she entered the yard leading to the garden outside.

The young master chuckled to himself as he heard her footsteps leading away.

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

The next morning was particularly cold, as a frost had developed overnight. It was bound to begin snowing any time soon.

Yi-Nuo had seen it fit to take the few taels she had left from the palace and go into the market.
While eating breakfast, the young master had to leave quickly to go tend to a patient, and he had been wearing only the simple hanfu and a thin overcoat made of linen with no fur. He had been kind enough to offer her the handy cloak left by the previous maid, so she wore that since she had no other.

She entered the tailor's shop that was not too far from the clinic. Inside, there were rows and rows of silks on display, and beautifully embroidered hanfu hanging from the wall on each side.

"Hello ma'am, can I help you with anything?" The shopkeeper asked. An older man who wore delicate silks like the ones on display.

"Yes, actually...do you have fur hanfu coats here? Specifically....ones for men?" She spoke, her tone quiet.

The man's eyes brightened, and he nodded quickly.

"Yes yes! We have a wide variety of those right now...would you like to browse our selection?"

Her smile widened upon hearing his words, and she nodded as well.

"Yes please!"

The man went to the back and came out not too long after carrying a stack of folded silk and linen coats. He set them out on the counter in front of Yi-Nuo, displaying them so she could take a look.

There wasn't a large variety to choose from, but one immediately caught her eye.

It was a blue-ish silver silken color with delicate embroidery,and it had cream-colored milky fur lining the collar, on the protruding shoulders and ends of the wide sleeves.

Her eyes seemed to light up, and her smile widened as she felt the softness of the fur.

"That one is called 'Peach blossoms in the breeze.'" the man explained, "It's one of our limited items, as the embroidery is done using threads imported from Japan."
"Oh, really? That's amazing...What's the price?"

"5 silver taels."

...

Somewhere in the distance, a money pouch fell from someone's belt-tie onto the floor.

...

Yi-Nuo left the tailor's shop, her coin pouch a few ounces lighter now, though she was happy to be able to pay back the young master with something that he would make use of.

She held the hanfu coat that the shopkeeper had wrapped in paper and tied up with a silk ribbon. Her lips tugged at a smile.

The young master had already done so much for her...and she didn't like letting people's hard work and kindness go unnoticed, so she didn't really mind spending her last couple taels on something for him.

Now, she was going to find him and gift the hanfu coat to him before it got any colder. She decided to ask around and see if anyone had noticed which direction the young master was headed.

"Um, excuse me Ayi...have you seen the Young Master Zheng go this way this morning?" she asked the older woman who managed a newspaper vendor cart.

She nodded.

"I saw him go up that way earlier, but after he turned the corner, I lost sight of him..." the old woman smiled.

"Oh, alright...thank you!"

Yi-Nuo headed toward the direction that the woman mentioned, her eyes darting around for the Young Master among the crowds. As she turned the corner, she came to a less busy area of the city.

The stone walls were tall over here, as it was probably the back alley of a nobles mansion or something similar.

She walked along the pathway for a little while, until she came across a man resting against the wall, a thick blanket laid over him as he worked on weaving a basket with bamboo fibers.

"Excuse me, have you seen Young Master Zheng around here this morning?" she asked in a gentle tone.

The man looked up at the girl, his gaze landing on the package in her hands.

"Zheng?" he said with a small cough.

He pointed to where the path continued down, his expression remaining silent.

"He passed by here this morning. Went that way."

She grasped the gift in her hand tightly, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Thank you, Shushu....and great work!" She voiced, motioning to the basket that was coming along nicely.

She bowed her head and began walking again, scanning the path ahead as she came to a turn.

There was a piece of paper hung on the wall, it was an old paper that looked like it had been there for a while. There was something written on it in ink.

She leaned toward it and started to read the fancy handwriting. Under it, was an arrow.

"Beijing community grave. Please find Mr. Cao for help with burying a loved one."

Her brow lifted slightly.

'A grave-site?'

She wondered what business the young master would have at a grave-site....but then, she remembered about his sister, and his mother, whom she presumed was also gone.

She looked in the direction that the sign was pointing and saw that the pathway came to a stone bridge.

The bridge led out of the city and to a place that was surrounded by a bamboo grove and a gentle stream as well.

It was snowing gently now, so as Yi-Nuo looked over the side of the bridge, she saw the snowflakes fluttering down gently.

"Jie-Jie....." a voice spoke gently.

It was the young master.

"I hope you're doing ok. You know, everyday....I think of what it would be like to have you at home again..."

Yi-Nuo's eyes went wide, and she glanced around to find where it was coming from.

Finally, she spotted the young master at a small tombstone. He was right below her, with his side facing the bridge as he kneeled at the snow dusted ground.

"It's snowing today....snow was always your favorite...huh?" He chuckled softly, a certain type of sadness in his tone. "You know, I'm helping someone out right now. She's a palace maid, and she was accused of something horrible that she didn't do."

Yi-Nuo couldn't help but continue listening, her heart pounding loud in her chest as she leaned over the edge of the bridge.

"Dad likes her." He continued. "And I do too...she's kind, like you. And smart... Someone that I would-."

As he stopped suddenly, her breath caught in her throat as she awaited his next words. Every beat of her heart seemed faster than the next, until he suddenly began laughing.

"-That I would recommend to the emperor to work as an agent," he finished jokingly.

She stepped back from the edge of the bridge, unsure as to whether or not he was speaking truthfully. That is, until he looked straight up at her, his smile widening when their gazes met.

"Wu Yi-Nuo...?"

She froze in her steps, her face tinting pink as the young master stood from his spot.

"U-um, it's not what you think...I wasn't spying! I'm so sorry..."

The male chuckled once more.

"Don't worry, I was only joking. When I saw your reflection in the stream, you were so curious that I couldn't help myself." He explained up to her.

She cleared her throat, tightly grasping the gift in her hands under her own cloak.

"Ah...I see..." she muttered, her tone quiet.

"Why don't you come down here?" He continued, "I want to introduce you to someone,"

Her lips tugged at a smile, and she made her way down the bridge and a small set of stone steps.

At the young master's side, she glanced at the tombstone that they stood in front of.

"Zheng Li-Xue —-Beijing—- 22 at death—-
All of Life is a dream walking. All of Death is going home."

Her eyes widened upon seeing the words. This must be his sister.

"She was so young....I'm sorry...that must have been hard for you." She voiced quietly, her tone gentle as she lit a few incense and placed it at the holder. The smoke wafted into the air with a flowery aroma.

A soft sigh left the male's lips.

"You're right. She was young, and it was hard....but she lived a good life. She was kind...and a good person. I strive to be like her every day."

Yi-Nuo looked to him as his gaze locked on the snow-dusted tombstone.

He looked so gentle standing there...the snowflakes fluttering down beside him, catching on his thick eyelashes before quickly melting... his eyes glinting with traces of tears... His breaths that were like clouds in the cold, and the soft smile tugging at his flushed lips.

She couldn't help but continue staring for a little while longer.

After a short silence, he cleared his throat, his gaze flickering to her. She quickly looked away, her cheeks heating slightly.

He only laughed, his smile widening as he blinked away the dampness from his eyes.

"Yi-Nuo...would you like to go get something to eat with me?"

She looked back to him quickly, and she nodded with a smile.

As they both walked side-by-side up the steps and onto the bridge, Yi-Nuo almost forgot about the gift she was holding.

"Ah," she stopped in her steps as they passed over the bridge. Her smile widened when she pulled out the gift from under her cloak.

"Here, I bought you something. Since you've practically saved my life, I couldn't let you go unthanked." She explained, urging the brown paper-wrapped gift forward into his hands.

His eyes widened upon seeing the item.

"A gift...for me?" He voiced, brow quirked.

She nodded, a toothy grin forming on her face, her cheeks dusted pink.

He broke into a wide smile, and he quickly undid the silk ribbon on the paper as they continued walking.

After unfolding it, the fur cloak was revealed.

"Woah.."

He felt the soft fur and equally soft silk, before unfolding it and holding it out by the shoulders.

"I seen that you had only the thin cloak to wear this morning...it's cold, so you should take better care to dress warmly." She explained, hands clasped behind her back.

He looked to her, laughing softly as he held it out.

"You're really observant, aren't you?" He smiled. Though, as he reached to pull the cloak over his arms, the man that Yi-Nuo passed from before ran up to them quickly.

"!!!"

He grabbed the cloak from the Young master and sprinted off onto the pathway, leaving the two dumbfounded at the edge of the grave-site gates.

"Hey! Come back here!" He shouted, starting forward with Yi-Nuo following behind.

The two exchanged a glance and hurried forward, chasing the man as they continued down the snowy pathway.

The man looked back toward them and quickly dumped a crate of gourds onto the floor, hindering their approach.

"He must be desperate for money..." Yi-Nuo explained, her breaths quick. "I saw him weaving baskets earlier when I entered the grave-site..."

The young master nodded, his brow furrowed as they pushed aside the squash.
They continued running quickly now, following the man into an alleyway.

The young master's breaths became heavy, and he reached to grasp the fabric of his clothes near his chest.

Yi-Nuo looked to him, brow furrowed as they continued chasing the man.

"Stop him!" She shouted, pointing to him as they approached a crowded part of the town.

A few bystanders jumped out of the way, but a tall man standing at a chestnut roasting cart managed to grab the thief and push him to the ground.

He groaned as the two caught up, trying to catch their breaths.

"He's....a thief..." she voiced, hands on her knees as she motioned to him.

"I can see that." The tall man voiced as he took the cloak from the man on the floor, who was being held down by his other arm, squirming and groaning as he tried to escape.

"This yours, young lady?" He asked, offering the scuffed up cloak to her.

"Yes, Thank you."
She took it and brushed off the dirt, her brow furrowed. She looked to the young master who was trying to catch his breath.

A sigh left her lips.

"Thank you...sir." The young master voiced, inhaling deeply.

"Don't mention it. I'm Fang Lu, by the way." The tall man said, "I'm guess you're Zheng? The physicians kid?"

He nodded, smiling slightly.

"Y-yeah...nice to meet you."

The tall man lifted the thief from the ground.

Yi-Nuo tilted her head slightly, noticing that the thief's eyes had a strange reddish tint to them. She didn't notice that before.

She scooted closer to the young master, motioning with her eyes to the man.

He looked too, noticing the same thing. His brow quirked.

"Ah, What a hassle." The tall man sighed as he scratched his beard with his free hand.
"You gonna confess and apologize or what?"

The thief said nothing, his expression blank. He only reached into his pocket discreetly, pulling something out that was concealed in fabric.

In the blink of an eye, he lunged forward with the glint of a dagger, aiming towards Yi-Nuo.

Her eyes widened, a gasp escaping her lips as the young master came in front of her quickly, shielding her from the man.

Blood stained the pure white snow as it dripped to the ground from the hilt of the blade.

"Young master...! "

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

Authors note.
Hello reader! Thank you for finishing this chapter. I feel like the story is picking up a little bit, and I hope you've been enjoying it.
I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!