Legend of Fu Yao

There was silence in the room as Meng Fuyao awkwardly placed her hand on Ya Lanzhu’s shoulder.

“The previous year, I was grounded in Fufeng. My father and mother prepared a birthday feast to console me, and I requested for it to be as crowded and as grand as possible. On that day, amongst the crowd, I ran away again, and in such a hurry that I left my backpack behind. During midnight, I was starving, so I used a broken gold hairpin to exchange for half a stale biscuit with a farmer. Facing the lively palace, I munched on the biscuit and imagined that its taste was similar to the pork and beef whipped up in the imperial kitchen. Having smelled the aroma of those dishes somewhat means that I have eaten them…”

“And the year before that, I was lost in the Geya Desert. A bunch of robbers wanted to rob me, and I killed them, but they poked a hole in my water bottle. That night, the moon was huge, resembling the ice bowl in the palace. As I stared at the moon, I imagined how great it would be if it really was an ice bowl, as I would scrumptiously finish it. I used to complain that there was too much and wouldn’t finish it, but at that moment I regretted… Then, I thought that I shouldn’t die of thirst in Geya as that was too ugly a method to die, and no one would recognize me. So, I went to drink the blood of the robbers’ corpses, hehe…”

“… Don’t say anymore…”

Meng Fuyao used the wall as support and stood up. In the silence, she didn’t look at Ya Lanzhu but gave a forceful smile. “I’ll go add a few more dishes. For Zhu Zhu’s birthday, these dishes are too simple.”

Looking at her figure, Ya Lanzhu suddenly beamed. She knocked her chopsticks and said, “Meng Fuyao, I told you guys all these not to ask for your pity, but to tell you that in matters related to romance, there’s bound to be bitterness. The more persistent you are, the more bitter it will be. You’ll even be lonely, homeless and placed in dangerous situations, but so what? As long as you dare to, no matter how tough it is, you’ll be able to accept the hardships gladly. The scariest thing is to not even dare to try.”

She picked up a bunch of vegetables and slowly munched on them while handing out the vegetables to the beauties beside her. “Don’t put up that lifeless front of pretending to be nonchalant when you guys actually care a lot. Truthfully, I’m quite satisfied. This year’s birthday is really an unexpected surprise, and suddenly, I feel that I have everything. It’s important to be loved, but some relationships are just as valuable as that, right? All the birthday feasts held in the palace before I was 12 and the birthdays I celebrated while drifting around afterward combined have not made as happy as I am today… Meng Fuyao, you better scram back. Why add more dishes? Do you want me to die from overeating?”

Suddenly, Zhangsun Wuji smiled. “Princess Ya, why weren’t you the one who was engaged with me? If not, I would have already freed myself of my worries.”

Shooting him a sideway glance, Ya Lanzhu giggled. “I’ll gift you a sentence said by someone: the revolution is not yet a success, and more work needs to be done.”

As Zhangsun Wuji smiled, she raised her cup and delivered a toast. “I won’t be biased. I’ll say the same sentence to everyone – the revolution is not yet a success, and more work needs to be done.”

In an instant, the Crown Prince looked displeased, and he sighed as he continued to eat.

Sucking in a deep breath as she back-faced Ya Lanzhu, Meng Fuyao stared at the bright and round moon. She imagined how, under the same fiery moon in a desert, a fifteen-year-old girl had drunk the blood of a corpse as she celebrated her birthday. Many moments later, she raised her hand and flicked away a teardrop on her eyelash.

Then, she grabbed the guinea pig who had similarly been looking depressingly at the moon and laughed. “I’ll add just the last dish.”

Ya Lanzhu gnawed on the pig’s trotters and mumbled, “Non-meat please…”

After a while, Meng Fuyao mysteriously appeared with a golden plate on her hand, and it was covered with a silver top. “The highlight!”

Lifting her eyebrows in suspicion, Ya Lanzhu spoke. “You’re acting weirdly, what are you up to…” She opened the top, and instantaneously, she spat out a mouthful of alcohol.

Sitting in the center of the plate, was the guinea pig who was dressed with a crimson red bowtie.

“Presenting my birthday gift to you… the pure, loyal and bachelor Lord Yuan Bao’s… virgin dance.” Meng Fuyao solemnly welcomed the guinea pig, who slowly stood up and arranged his bowtie. Elegantly, he gave Ya Lanzhu a formal bow, and he reached out a paw.

Ya Lanzhu tried hard not to laugh. She looked at the invitation for a waltz dance – she had been with Meng Fuyao for such a long time, so it was only natural that she learned it too. But… dancing with the guinea pig?

The guinea pig waited in a dignified manner. He had made up his mind; he was going to give his very first dance to Zhu Zhu, and even his master had to wait.

Ya Lanzhu looked at the solemn guinea pig waiting for her, the beaming Meng Fuyao who was witnessing the scene, and the beauties beside her who were trying to overstuff her. Her eyes shone brighter and brighter, as though countless pearls were rolling inside them, but none of them fell.

Moments later, the corner of her lips lifted and she extended out a finger to hook onto the guinea pig’s paw.

She said, “Yuan Bao, don’t step on my hand okay.”

In the silence and under the moonlight, a huge circle of light shone on the table, reflecting a snowy-white ball of fluff hugging onto a skinny finger. He was totally absorbed into the noiseless waltz dance, and the finger followed his movements cooperatively, making flying, landing, swaying and swirling poses… There was no mockery, no sense of despising and nothing about the scene was comical. The finger and the ball of fur were as sincere and serious as they could be.

All precious intentions should be responded with sincerity.

After one song, the guinea pig returned the finger in a gentlemanly fashion and made another bow.

Ya Lanzhu laughed. “This silly Yuan Bao actually did the whole set of rituals. It’s your loss, your first dance belongs to me…” Suddenly, she couldn’t complete her sentence, and she covered her eyes with her hands.

Seconds later, crystal-like pearls fell from the gaps in her fingers.

The guinea pig scurried onto her arm and used his bowtie to slowly wipe them off as he slowly squeaked.

Just then, Meng Fuyao walked out in strides.

She walked out of the door and made a hand gesture. Without looking back, she headed over to the garden, before receiving the wax pill that was sent by the black-clothed messenger. “You may leave.”

Gradually, she opened up the pill. When she saw the flamboyant handwriting, she felt a complicated mix of emotions, and she slowly crumpled up the piece of paper.

After that, Meng Fuyao returned and stuck her head inside the house as she leaned by the window. At that moment, Ya Lanzhu had already regained her composure. Smiling, she asked, “News from Zhan Beiye again? He’s reaching tomorrow, right?”

“Yes.” Meng Fuyao beamed brightly at her. “He wants me to convey his well-wishes. He wishes you a happy 17th, and hopes that you’ll always have luck by your side.”

“If every day was as lucky like today, I might not be able to handle it.” Ya Lanzhu smiled and gave her a meaningful gaze. “Thank you.”

Meng Fuyao stiffened, but she relinquished herself. “When you’re polite, I can’t handle it as well.” Walking away from the window, she announced, “I’m washing my hands. You guys help yourselves.”

Instead of washing her hands, she sat quietly in the garden. In the distance, rays of light reflected off a pond of water, and the varied and shiny rays created a silvery luminescence over the pond. In the pond, the lotus seemed slightly withered and remotely rested under the whitestone bridge. As wind breezed past the surface of the water, a refreshing and aromatic scent of chrysanthemum wafted into her nose. Beside her lay a small chrysanthemum, looking as delicate and fragile as a pearl ring.

Someone sat down by her side, and the entire patch of chrysanthemum slightly bent, as though they were shocked by the intruder’s magnificent appearance. That person, however, only smiled gently and scrutinized the chrysanthemum between her snow-white fingers. “What a beautiful color.”

Without turning her head, Meng Fuyao muttered, “She said thank you. Who do you think she was thanking?”

Zhangsun Wuji chuckled and replied moments later, “Princess Ya is extremely smart.”

It elicited a sigh from Meng Fuyao. “Maybe I’ve overreached myself once again.”

“No.” Zhangsun Wuji turned to look at her, his deep gaze penetrating into her bright eyes. “Precisely because she’s a smart one, all the more she understands where you’re coming from.”

Meng Fuyao exhaled and leaned back, covering her eyes. “I often feel that I’m a sinner…” She stopped short of talking and sniffed the air in doubt. “What smell is that?”

Zhangsun Wuji laughed. “Show you a magic trick.”

When Meng Fuyao slanted her head, she was immediately speechless. The Crown Prince was taking out… a dish from his extremely wide sleeve.

Simmered meatballs.

Meng Fuyao tried hard to suppress her laughter. No wonder she felt that something was wrong just now. Other might not have noticed, but as the cook, she was quite aware of how many dishes she whipped up. Little did she know that it was smuggled by this glutton.

“If you want to eat, I can make it for you. Is stealing necessary? To think that a noble Crown Prince is stealing dishes from the table, aren’t you ashamed…”

Ignoring her, Zhangsun Wuji looked dejectedly at the plate of unappealing meatballs. He uttered, “I thought that meatballs could best retain their taste. I didn’t expect that after a while, they still turned so unsightly…”

Meng Fuyao instantly stopped her nagging.

So he specially kept it, because she didn’t eat much on the table and he was scared that she would starve?

The royal and elegant Crown Prince stole dishes from the table… What an unimaginable scene.

Sigh… a pity that His Highness really wasn’t very talented in stealing the right dishes. Once the meatballs cooled down, they would stick together, and it was near impossible to eat them.

Meng Fuyao wanted to laugh, but even as the corner of her lips lifted, she couldn’t bring herself to do so. Bending over, she hugged her head to cool down, and then she took the plate of meatballs and shoved them into her mouth.

However, Zhangsun Wuji took the plate away. “It’s cold, don’t eat it. You might just get a stomachache.” Then, he pulled her up and added, “Don’t be lazy, go make supper.”

Refusing to budge, Meng Fuyao protested. “I’m not hungry.”

“But I am.” A certain person dragged her along with no trace of politeness. “I’m still recuperating, and you have to take care of my nutrients intake.”

Meng Fuyao rolled her eyes, thinking about how “difficult” it was for His Highness to recover from his injuries. “I’ll make supper, but you have to burn the firewood for me.”

“Deal.”

Fifteen minutes later.

There seemed to be a harmonious sight in the kitchen – the charming cook busied herself in front of the stoves, and her hands successively produced amazing white wantons. Her hands were even fairer than the wantons, and her gestures were so light, as though she was dancing. Behind the stove was a man who leaned on the wall and leisurely placed the firewood into the stove. The bright and fiery fire reflected his handsome features, and his appearance radiated an everlasting jade-like glow. Though he was in a dirty place behind the stove, his posture did not change, and he occasionally looked up in smiles to gaze at the busy woman with a lingering expression. There was a rosy and comfortable atmosphere surrounding them…