I know Meng Jue is impossible to figure out, and that’s just the way he is as a character and the way Tong Hua chooses to let his actions shed light on his motives rather than simply telling us. I can say that even until the very end of the novel, I’m not always certain whether some of his actions were calculated or a fly by response. Yun Ge, on the other hand, simply “is”. She exists, she is who she is, and nothing she ever says or does makes me think twice. I find almost every single character in Yun Zhong Ge more interesting than Yun Ge for that reason alone. She’s cute and perky, but that’s not much at this stage to make me wonder why every guy appears to like her. But then again, all the guys around her are pretty messed up so perhaps her normalcy is like a beacon of light to them.

Chapter 6: Snow In The Palm

The newly made wine is clear and there is a hint of green in the amber color. The taste is fresh and crisp, leaving a lingering aftertaste. When Uncle Chang saw the color he was already excited, but after he had a sip he was speechless.

The girls asked what he thought since he was silent for some time “I need to raise the price. Double, no, triple, no, quintuple! Five times the price!” Yun Ge and Xu Ping held each other’s hand and screamed in happiness. They were exhausted, one mixing the ingredients, the other making the wine. After much hard work, getting validation made them thrilled.

Uncle Chang wanted to sell it immediately, but Liu Bing Yi suggested giving away one cup with every one of Yun Ge’s meals for the next month. Afterwards Uncle Chang can sell it, and Liu Bing Yi doubled even the price Uncle Chang set.

Uncle Chang thought Liu Bing Yi knew nothing about these things, telling the girls the price was already sky high. Any higher and it would be the price for the wine sent to the Palace, and why would people buy their wine when they could buy Palace wine. But Xu Ping Jun and Yun Ge only listened to Liu Bing Yi. Xu Ping Jun said “Uncle Chang, if you won’t agree, we’ll sell it ourselves.”

Her one word shut Uncle Chang up. Within the month, word of that one cup of wine spread through all the rich homes of Chang An, but even with money no one knew how to buy it. People hate waiting and are curious by nature, so they spend whatever they can to reserve a meal from Yun Ge to drink the wine, then all praising it to the sky.

In the praise of many, Zhu Ye Qing hasn’t even gone on sale and already it’s renowned in all of Chang An.

………………………………………..

A bamboo plaque with the words “Zhu Ye Qing, the gentlemen of wine, the wine for gentlemen” is carved on it. The words are flowing like the clouds and the water.

“In the elegance there is a kind of strong beauty. The movements are all over each character. Good calligraphy! Good calligraphy!” Yun Ge sighed in praise “Who wrote it? I was just telling Xu Ping Jun that we needed to find someone talented to write the letters for tomorrow when we sell the Zhu Ye Qing. Too bad Meng Jue isn’t here, and we don’t know any talented writers.”

Liu Bing Yi didn’t answer and just smiled “If you think it looks good to use that is enough.” Xu Ping Jun was busy and looked over with a smile “I know! Bing Yi wrote it. A few days ago I saw him writing inside. I can’t read but I memorized the shape of the characters. Plus I counted, eleven characters total, just like what he wrote.”

Yun Ge laughed “Big brother, you were hoping to keep this from Xu jiejie, but she always figures it out.” Liu Bing Yi laughed “Ping Jun, you better not call yourself “stupid” anymore in front of me. If you’re any “stupider” then my supposedly “smart” person has nowhere to go.” Xu Ping Jun made a face at him and went back outside.

Since Yun Ge was known as the “Elegant Chef”, Liu Bing Yi suggested they make the entire wine selling operation as elegant as possible. In the store they placed ink pads, brushes, and paper. if someone who was truly talented, or was well-known, was willing to write a script of beautiful calligraphy, they would get their meal for free.

Uncle Chang was aghast at the thought, since there were many talented scholars in Chang An who could write well, then he’d go broke. Yun Ge laughed and explained that the well-known people wouldn’t need to do this to get a free meal, and the poor but talented person could one day be powerful and famous and then his writing would be priceless. If the famous person was willing to eat here, treating them for free is good for Qi Li Xiang’s name recognition and help them compete with the hundred year old already famous Yi Ping Ju.

Uncle Chang agreed and went off to prepare. Yun Ge watched Liu Bing Yi silently drinking his tea and she turned to look at the bamboo plaque. Such letters, what kind of depth must it take to write like that? This seemingly downtrodden hooligan who dog and cock fights and gambles daily, what happened to him that he now just wastes his life away?

The greatest sorrow is the death of the will. Was he really planning to do nothing for the rest of his life?

Xu Ping Jun said tentatively “Bing Yi, I always felt you were so smart, and now it appears you’ve got a business mind and even Uncle Chang agrees with your idea. Why don’t you seriously consider it and maybe you can start a business. Or maybe……..you can open your own restaurant. Our wine will sell well and Yun Ge and I can be the chefs. Whether it succeeds or not, its better than doing nothing like now.”

Yun Ge sighed inside, this is not going well. Liu Bing Yi put down his cup and walked out “You guys get back to working, let this person who does nothing get out of your way.” Xu Ping Jun chased after him with tears in her eyes “Bing Yi, you don’t any plans for the future? A man needs to have a family and a career. You can dog and cock fight for the rest of your life? Can you hang out with those hooligans forever? I know I’m stupid, and I can’t say this the right way, but inside my heart……”

Bing Yi stopped and turned back to Xu Ping Jun, with warmth in the still deep and dark depths of his eyes “Ping Jun, this is who I am. This is who I’ll be for the rest of my life. You don’t need to worry about me.” He finished and walked out without looking back at Xu Ping Jun. Liu Bing Yi’s figure was already in the crowd but one could spot him immediately still. He was like an eagle with his wings clipped and forced to be on the ground, but even if he couldn’t fly he was still an eagle.

Yun Ge looked at departing figure and then sat down, pretending she couldn’t hear Xu Ping Jun sobbing. She said loudly “Xu jiejie, want to drink with me?” Xu Ping Jun walked over and grabbed the wine without a word and started chugging, Yun Ge watched her without saying anything. In moments Xu Ping Jun’s face was red “My mom is forcing me to get married. The Ouhou family has sent people to speed it along and this time even my dad can’t drag it out any longer.”

Yun Ge said “Ah!” and the sat up straight “When did you get engaged? How come I don’t know this?” Xu Ping Jun retorted “You didn’t ask me, and why would I tell people I am engaged?”

“But……but…..aren’t you and big brother…….” Xu Ping Jun pointed at her own nose “Silly girl, are you trying to ask if I like big brother?” Yun Ge nodded and Xu Ping Jun hit herself on the head “You’re so stupid, you’re so stupid, in truth he doesn’t need me to do all this for him. What family order, what matchmaking rules, it’s all bullshit. But I know it’s bullshit and I still do it. I’m so stupid, thinking that if I work hard my parents wouldn’t want to let me go….”

Yun Ge grabbed Xu Ping Jun’s hand “Yun Ge, even you are being mean to me…..” and then Xu Ping Jun was sobbing. “Xu jiejie, if you don’t want to, let’s think of a plan together, don’t cry, don’t cry…..” Xu Ping Jun cried on Yun Ge’s shielder and her normal spicy tart-tongued self was gone. Yun Ge let her cry all she wanted for now.

Xu Ping Jun cried for some time before stopping and forcing a smile “Yun Ge, big sister is drunk, please don’t laugh at me….” “Xu jiejie, you once asked me why I came to Chang An. I said it was for fun, but in truth I was running from an arranged marriage. When I left the house you don’t know how many times I cried.”

“You don’t like that person?” Yun Ge replied “I never even saw him. People came to ask for marriage before but my parents always rejected it immediately. This time they didn’t and I….I was really upset so I ran away.” Xu Ping Jun sighed “Yours was someone asking for marriage, your parents didn’t even agree yet. I’m different than you, my engagement with the Ouhou family has been since I was young. All our birth days and times have even been matched. Run away? If Bing Yi was willing to run with me, I would elope with him. But would he?”

Yun Ge thought about Liu Bing Yi saying “you don’t need to worry about me” and couldn’t say anything to reassure Xu Ping Jun.” Xu Ping Jun drank and said “Since I was born, my mom saw me as worthless. Soon after my father committed an offense and was punished. My mom became a living widow and sees me as bad luck. They engaged me to the Ouhou family but I am not happy about it. So my mom treats me poorly. Thank god I can bring in money otherwise my mom…….” and she couldn’t continue anymore.

Xu Ping Jun is normally so tough that she is always smiling in front of others despite her family situation. This is the first time Yun Ge has seen her like this and it made her heart ache. She grabbed Xu Ping Jun’s hand. Xu Ping Jun rubbed Yun Ge’s head “Don’t worry about me. Since I was a kid, I worked hard for what I wanted. I’m just a weed, and a weed can only rely on itself to grow. Regardless of how heavy a rock is, a weed will always find a crack to grow out from………”

Xu Ping Jun walked into the back while Yun Ge started drinking by herself. She thought to herself – Xu jiejie has nothing and her only wish is to be with big brother. This wine is much better than the wine they drank when sending Meng Jue off, but Yun Ge felt like it tasted bitter.

………………………………….

Yun Ge’s poetic talents are like half a bucket of water. But even if she has never eaten pork, she’s at least heard a pig snort. Since she was a kid, her mom and Second Brother coaxed and forced her to learn quite a lot. Second Brother found all sorts of famous writings and taught her day in and day out. Yun Ge’s skill, while it can’t hold a candle to Second Brother, at least she’s good enough to judge calligraphy and painting.

Because Yun Ge has a good eye, the paintings and writings selected by her to merit a free drink are all very unique. The selection process is very entertaining and intellectually stimulating for everyone involved, and soon the scholars are all clamoring to leave a painting or writing on the bamboo plaque of Zhu Ye Qing. Yun Ge remembered Meng Jue’s suggestion that it’s best if few people knew the identity of the Elegant Chef, so the selection was always done behind a curtain. Soon Zhu Ye Qing’s fame has spread far and wide.

“Zhu Ye Qing, the gentlemen of wine, the wine for gentlemen” has become Chang An’s most popular phrase, and drinking the wine isn’t just about showing off wealth and power, but also about a validation of talent. Because Yun Ge and Xu Ping Jun live outside Chang An in Shao Ling Yuan, every day they have to rush into Chang An to work at Qi Li Xiang. Today when they arrive at the city gates, they discovered it was locked and no one was allowed in.

Xu Ping Jun asked around and heard that the vengeful ghost of Crown Prince Wei came haunting to ask the Emperor to overturn his case. It caused the entire city to be locked down and no one was allowed in or out without specific permission. Since they can’t run their business, they give themselves the day off and go to the countryside to play.

Xu Ping Jun was grumbling but Yun Ge was happy as a lark, chattering non stop the entire way and kept asking Xu Ping Jun to tell her stories and legends in Chang An. Yun Ge is great listener, always paying attention and making noises to correspond to what happened. It made Xu Ping Jun felt like she was even better than a professional storyteller. She got more and more into it, and with the beautiful surroundings, the trees and birds, she let go of her annoyance with not being able to earn money today.

Xu Ping Jun’s story somehow got to the most beautiful woman in the world Consort Li, whose story about shaking an entire empire caused these two girls to sigh. Yun Ge kept asking “Was Consort Li really that beautiful she could cause the city walls to crumble?” Xu Ping Jun answered “Of course. The old Emperor had many concubines, but when he died he requested that Consort Li, who died long before he died, to be buried with him. The old Emperor even posthumously made her an Empress, this goes to show how much the Emperor could never forget her.”

The two girls sighed about how beautiful women are just doomed to a short life, how could she have died so early? They laughed as they discussed whether the current Emperor was someone who was very devoted and true to his love. Xu Ping Jun looked at Yun Ge “Yun Ge, you can go be a concubine! Be a witchy little concubine and tempt the Emperor so much you could be immortalized in legend and in the future the girls will talk about you.”

Yun Ge nodded her head and jokingly said “Then big sister should go be an Empress. You will surely be remembered as an wise and loving mother to people, leaving your name in legend.”

[OMG, seriously? The irony and foreshadowing, it is so thick. I can’t even……]

With their crazy talk, both girls suddenly started laughing out loud. Yun Ge pointed at the doves and said “Only envy the paired up doves and not the fairies.” Xu Ping Jun was silent for a moment and then said a line she heard in the restaurant from a poet “Only wanting one person to grow old with.” They looked at each other and then said “Your wish will definitely come true!” They said it, and then both turned bright red, and then they started laughing again.

The two of them held hands and climbed up a little hill. On top of the hill were soldiers and the roads were blocked. “Why is it also under tight watch here?” Yun Ge wondered. Xu Ping Jun sighed “Still Crown Prince Wei’s dead spirit wreaking havoc, of course. In front of us is the burial place of Crown Prince Wei, and his three sons and one daughter.” Yun Ge craned her neck but couldn’t see the so-called burial. When a soldier looked over, Xu Ping Jun pulled Yun Ge away “Don’t look, Crown Prince Wei may have been dead for over ten years, but he is still a taboo topic in Chang An. Don’t get in unnecessary trouble.”

“That dead vengeful spirit must be fake, if it was the real spirit he’d have gone directly into the Palace to find the Emperor. Why wait outside the city gates? This is just making everyone’s lives difficult. And isn’t the Emperor just eighteen or nineteen years old now? When Crown Prince Wei was killed, he was just a kid. Even if he was a genius he still could’t have taken part in setting up Crown Prince Wei!”

“Who knows. Us common people don’t understand and don’t need to understand the mess of the imperial family. Even if we hate our family members it would never arise to killing a family member. But look at the old Emperor, he killed his son, grandchildren, and even their spouses. The entire family was wiped out. No wonder people say Crown Prince Wei’s vengeful spirit won’t leave Chang An. How can he rest in peace?”

After playing all day and eating out, they didn’t get home until it was late out. When Xu Ping Jun got home, her mom welcomed her with an unusual smiling face, while Xu Ping Jun walked in with a poker face. Yun Ge signed, bowed to Xu Ping Jun’s mom, and went to her own room. Since Meng Jue left, Yun Ge rented a room next to Xu Ping Jun and Liu Bing Yi. Now they are neighbors and can take care of each other. When she passed Liu Bing Yi’s room, she saw him sitting in the dark brooding.

She walked inside and sat down next to him. Liu Bing Yi raised his head and smiled at her, it was the same smile as usual, but Yun Ge felt that the smile was filled with despair. “Big brother, Xu jiejie is getting married.”

“The man is from a good family, and is a decent person. Ping Jun marries him and they can support each other, her life will be better than it is now.” “Big brother, you…..you never……” “I always saw her like a younger sister.” Yun Ge sighed. Initially she thought they liked each other, but if it was like this, then can she tell him now about their promise to marry each other? At least she should ask if he remembers her embroidered shoe? But maybe Xu jiejie……

As Yun Ge was still thinking, Liu Bing Yi looked far away and said “I don’t have the right, and the energy, to think about such things between a man and a woman.” Yun Ge lowered her head. He forgot already, so why even bother telling him? It will only give him more worry, and to Xu jiejie as well. Yun Ge lowered her head and was in a daze, while Liu Bing Yi silently stared at Yun Ge.

When Yun Ge raised her head, their eyes met and both startled before quickly turning their heads away. “Yun Ge, do you think I’m someone without any purpose in life?” In the darkness, Liu Bing Yi’s profile was to her so Yun Ge couldn’t see his expression clearly.”

Yun Ge softly replied “Big brother, the things you wanted to do you can’t so you’ve decided to do nothing. Those hooligans may not be doing serious things, but they have their own loyalty and friendship. Compared to the ordinary people of the world who seek riches and power by stepping on the powerless and poor, they are more worthy of beings friends with.” Liu Bing Yi was quiet for a long time. Yun Ge could see that Liu Bing Yi was in a very down mood day. If he didn’t want to talk about it, then she wasn’t going to ask. She sat there silently keeping him company.

Liu Bing Yi suddenly asked “Yun Ge, do you want to go for a walk?” Yun Ge nodded. Liu Bing Yi took Yun Ge deeper into the wilderness. The moonlight shone down through the trees, there was a slight breeze, the leaves and the shadows moving in tandem. Their footsteps would sometimes disturb a bird on the branch and it would caw before flying away, leaving silence once again.

Past the copse of trees it was suddenly an open space under the moonlight. Between all the weeds there was a burial mound. This isolation actually made Yun Ge shiver unexpectedly and she wrapped her arms around herself and scooted close to Liu Bing Yi. He laughed “Some guys like to lure a girl out here to get the girls to cuddle with them. The girls are afraid of dead people, but they don’t know that live people are scarier than dead people.”

Liu Bing Yi’s casual “go for a walk” took them to this burial site, but Yun Ge didn’t seem bothered and just followed him as they walked through the tombs. Liu Bing Yi stood before a tomb and Yun Ge looked but saw it was an unmarked grave. The weeds have overrun the entire grave already and even the tombstone was dilapidated and crumbling. Liu Bing Yi stood for a long time, his face somber and different than his usual demeanor “Did you hear about what happened today?”

“What?” Yun Ge asked. “The comedy outside the North gate.” “Oh, I heard! All of Chang An was sealed so I couldn’t go inside to cook today.”

At dawn today a man came to the North gate claiming to be Crown Prince Wei and asking all the ministers, dukes, and generals to come see him. He answered all the details about the Crown Prince correctly. He chastised Emperor Liu Fu Ling for being unfilial and unjust, letting his spirit unable to rest. Everyone came to gape until the officials dispersed the crowds and grabbed him. After Huo Guang held a hearing, the man admitted he was a taoist priest who wanted money and was paid off by people still supporting Crown Prince Wei and told to spread evil lies to disrupt Chang An. He was immediately executed as a warning to all.

Liu Bing Yi looked at the grave “This grave in front of you belongs to the woman who was once the mother to the entire Han world, Empress Wei. After she died she was just tossed in a remote grave wrapped in a straw bundle. When she was at the height of her riches and power, the Wei family had three daughters and one son in the Great General Wei. Thank god Wei Qing and Wei Shao Er died young and wasn’t around to see the Wei family fall from power. During the Crown Prince revolt, Empress Wei committed suicide, and the Crown Prince Wei and his wife and concubines, and his three sons and one daughter, were all executed.”

Yun Ge kneeled down and lightly touched the tombstone. When she was small she heard the story of Wei Qing, and her Second Brother told her about this lowly born woman who became the Empress, so Yun Ge suddenly felt sad “If people had money to pay off that taoist to go cause a scene, why wouldn’t they spend the money to fix up Empress Wei’s tomb? If they are loyal to Crown Prince Wei, why didn’t they think about his filial love for his mother?”

Liu Bing Yi laughed out loud “Such simple logic yet most people wouldn’t understand it. These people have been dead for years, yet they cannot be allowed to rest in peace.” His laughter rang out through the entire burial site, making it seem even more desolate. Yun Ge softly said “I heard Uncle Chang and others whispering about Crown Prince Wei, everyone feels bad. He was supposedly a reformer who looked after the needs of the people, completely different than Emperor Wu of Han’s tax and military spend philosophy. Because the people still miss Crown Prince Wei, then those in high power can never rest easy. They can kill him, but he cannot kill the hearts of the people. If Crown Prince Wei knew this now, he ought to rest better.”

Liu Bing Yi stopped laughing and stood there quietly. Yun Ge got up her courage to ask “Liu dage, you mentioned that someone wanted to kill you. Are you a Wei family relative?”

“You can say that! During the Crown Prince revolt, it affected a wide swath of people. At that time Chang An was running with rivers of blood. My family was also not spared.” Liu Bing Yi didn’t want to remember anymore so he smiled at Yun Ge “Let’s go back!”

The two of then walked side by side through the weeds and grass. Liu Bing Yi returned to his normal attitude, and Yun Ge actually felt like he was happier than when they first arrived. “Yun Ge, are you scared?” “No way.” “Really?” “Of course!”

“The let me tell you a story. A beautiful woman was discarded by a faithless lover, and after she immolated herself she became a vengeful spirit. Because she hated beautiful women, she loved to find pretty girls and quietly follow behind them, lightly breathing on them, so you can feel a cold on the back of your neck……”

“Ah!” Yun Ge screamed, her face scared “She got my leg, help me big brother…..”

Liu Bing Yi saw that her skirt in the weeds was tinged with red blood and he was so scared he started cold sweating “Yun Ge, don’t be scared. I made up that story, there isn’t a female ghost.” He thought that an animal had bitten Yun Ge, but after he brushed the weeds aside, he found Yun Ge’s leg standing there just fine. He stared dumbly and then realized there was only the scent of flowers and not of blood in the air. No smell of blood? He touched Yun Ge’s skirt hem and angrily said “Yun Ge!” Yun Ge made a face at him and then took off running.

Yun Ge laughed and yelled “Next time big brother wants to scare a girl, remember to bring some props! Otherwise the effect isn’t good enough. Spraying some lip stick with water and smearing it on my skirt, in the dark it looks like blood. And there are more tricks I know as well……”

Liu Bing Yi laughed and chased after Yun Ge “Yun Ge, you slow down. There might not be ghosts but there are snakes and rats hiding in the bushes.” Yun Ge laughed “I. Am. Not. Afraid!” Liu Bing Yi asked “Where did you learn all your tricks? You know more than my band of hooligans how to trick people. Next time they want to bring a girl here, they ought to consult you first.”

Yun Ge pouted “I won’t help them trick us girls! But if big brother likes a certain girl and wants to embrace her, I would teach you.” After she said this, she suddenly remembered Liu Bing Yi telling her a ghost story to scare her, and her face turned red. She turned and ran like the wind.

The two of them in the wilderness, one running, one chasing, their laughter washing away the eerie mood of earlier. The dark night, a desolate cemetery, it suddenly became very tender.

…………………………………………………….

Under the lamplight, Yun Ge was going over the account books. Ay, such a hard life! She had never needed to do this before, but now she needed to because she had to figure out how long it would take to pay Meng Jue back. Yun Ge thought of Meng Jue and her face turned red. She unconsciously touched her forehead.

Would she think of him? Humph, she owed him money, how could she not think of him? Every penny she earned she thought of him, every penny she spent she thought of him, doing the books before bed she thought of him, even in her dreams she thought of him.

Before he left he shouldn’t have asked whether she’ll think of him. He ought to ask “how many times will you think of me everyday?”

Why did he kiss me? And ask me that question? He……was he…… Yun Ge was thinking all these things when there was a rap on her window. “Not asleep yet?” Liu Bing Yi asked? Yun Ge opened the window “No! Did you eat yet? I have some roasted sweet potatoes.”

“I ate, but I’m kinda still hungry.” “It’s cold so let me heat it up.” “I don’t care about those things.” Liu Bing Yi took a sweet potato and started eating it as he leaned against the window. “Did you drink? Why is your face so red?”

“Oh? No…..I…..I’m just a little hot.” Yun Ge’s face was turning more and more red. Liu Bing Yi laughed “It’s already early Fall, and the sun has set a long time ago.” Yun Ge humphed and decided to be unreasonable “One can’t be hot in the Fall? One can’t be hot after the sun has set? Some people even sweat in the Winter!”

“Yun Ge, Meng Jue is back in Chang An.”

“What?” Liu Bing Yi’s words didn’t follow what she had said so it took a few moments before Yun Ge registered what he just said “If he’s back, why didn’t he come see us?” “He’s likely busy! I heard from my guys, someone saw him and Ding Wai Ren entering the Princess’s estate a few days ago.”

A few days ago? Yun Ge said “He seems to know quite a lot of rich and powerful people. I wonder how big his businesses are.” Liu Bing Yi appeared to be considering what to say, but then he finally smiled “I’m off to bed! You should sleep earlier as well.” Yun Ge’s good mood suddenly plummeted. She looked at the account books on the table and didn’t have any desire to work on it anymore. She put it aside and went to bed.

She laid on the bed tossing and turning, even late into the night she couldn’t sleep. Right when she was feeling frustrated, suddenly she heard the sound of music from outside. “Cai Wei”? She immediately sat up and hopped to the front door in a few quick steps and opened the door.

Under the moonlight, Meng Jue was wearing a blue robe, his figure tall and straight, and he was smiling at Yun Ge. His smile was warm and dashing, like the first ray of sunlight in the morning. Yun Ge’s frustrations immediately lessened. The two of them stood there looking at each other for some time, neither saying anything.

Yun Ge forced a smiled “I already saved some money, I can return a portion to you now.”

“You’re not happy to see me?” “No!” “Yun Ge, do you know that your fake smile looks dreadful? You’re giving me the goosebumps.” Yun Ge lowered her head, and Meng Jue called her a few times “Yun Ge” and still she ignored him.

A few small white puffs floated near Yun Ge’s nose and she accidentally snorted some up her nose. “Ah choo, ah choo” she sneezed, whiping her nose and looking really miserable. Meng Jue started to chuckle. Yun Ge angrily wondered if this person was here just to prank her, so she grabbed his sleeve and wipe her snot on it and cleaned herself up before turning to smile beatifically at him.

Meng Jue stared at his sleeve “Not angry anymore?” Yun Ge made a face “Why did you pick so many dandelions for?” Meng Jue smiled “For you. You gave me stars on the ground, so I’m giving you snow in your palm.”

“For me, it’s to tease me so I sneeze!” Yun Ge pointed at her nose, though her heart felt a sense of warmth. Meng Jue grabbed Yun Ge’s arm, and a quick jump on the ledge and they were sitting on the roof. He handed her a dandelion “Played with dandelions before?”

Yun Ge held the dandelion and looked at it for quite some time “Picked so many dandelions, must’ve taken you quite some time?” Meng Jue continued to just smile and look at Yun Ge.

Yun Ge softly asked “You’ve returned to Chang An for quite some time now, why did you come see me in the middle of the night? Where did you go during the day? What did you do these past few days?”

Memg Jue’s eyebrows raised “Did Liu Bing Yi tell you I returned to Chang An? I was taking care of some matters and didn’t want people to know that I knew you. Even coming to see you tonight, I’m not sure if I did the right thing.”

“You’re in danger?” “Are you afraid?” Yun Ge smiled and took a deep breath before putting the dandelion next to her mouth and blowing. “Whoosh” and all the little white tufts floated into the air. Some flew high, others twirled in the air, and some drifted to the ground.

Meng Jue gave another one to Yun Ge and she did the same thing again. As Yun Ge blew more and more, and the two of them continuing to sit on the roof, the entire courtyard appeared to be covered in falling snow.

Yun Ge put her chin on her knees and looked at the entire courtyard full of snow flakes. Meng Jue had a slight smile as he looked at the at the entire courtyard full of snow flakes. Liu Bing Yi opened his window and looked up to see the entire sky filled with swirling tufts. Xu Ping Jun put on a robe and got up, leaning against the door and looking at the entire sky filled with swirling tufts.

Under the bright moonlight, the misty and floating white tufts appeared to transform their little world into a very light, very soft, very clean, very happy dream.