Visiting the Capital for the First Time

Fangsu climbed down the stairs from the forest taking the saddle out from the bush she had hidden it in. Carrying it to a tree in the open field. Placing her forefinger and her thumb at her mouth, Fangsu blew hard. A sharp piercing whistle echoed through the open field. She placed the saddle next to the tree and sat on it like a seat, waiting for Tian and her Grandpa. Tian was the first one to arrive first. Tian was curious by the new companion next to his master, a white Qilin with a peach pink mane and beady black eyes that shone with innocence.

"Tian, this will be your new friend, " Fangsu introduces the two creatures with each other. Both were equally as curious about the other. Tian began sniffing the Qilin to familiarise himself with its scent and Tian happily neighed with the new friend. The young Qilin had a timid personality was startled by Tian's loud neigh, but quickly calmed down happy to have a new friend.

Fangsu began saddling Tian when her Grandpa finally came down from the mountain. "Fangsu how would you about feel about moving to the capital?" he curiously tried to gauge out Fangsu's reaction.

Fangsu finished saddling Tian, "The capital?" Fangsu wondered what the capital would be like, "I don't mind." Fangsu paused to think about the move to the capital. Fangsu didn't think much about the capital and halfheartedly answered.

Her grandpa worriedly shook his head, "In a few days, we will move into the capital, " He mounted on his own Qilin and beckoned it to move in the direction of their ancestral home. "There you will study alongside with people of similar age."

Fangsu actively listened to her grandpa while riding Tian with her Qilin following beside them. "Yes, Grandpa." She answered obediently.

"Have you named your Qilin?" Her grandpa tried to liven up the monotonous mood that surrounded them by moving to another topic.

Fangsu shook her head, "I haven't thought of one."

"How about Longan?" Her grandpa suggested one of Fangsu's favourite fruit for a name for her Qilin.

"I can't call my Qilin after a fruit, " Fangsu pondered over name choices for her Qilin. "Bai Xue, "

"Bai Xue?" Her grandpa thought it was a good name, "Why that name?"

"The Qilin's body is white as mountain snow, " Fangsu explained the reason for the name she chose and she turned to her Qilin, "Are you happy with the name Bai Xue?"

The Qilin nodded eagerly happy to receive a name from its owner, who was a gentle and kind person. One that didn't place huge importance on family status and following to the conformity to get power. Bai Xue was the only Qilin who wasn't focused on the fact that Fangsu wasn't a strong individual with peerless talent like other Qilin' would prefer but Bai Xue focused more on the character of the individual, as a contract between the contractor and Qilin is for a lifetime. Bai Xue rather has an averagely talented person with good character than a person with an arrogant and condescending character with peerless talent.

As they continued to travel back to their ancestral home, Fangsu took notice of a berry bush. A Peng Lei bush. "Grandpa there are some ripe Peng Lei berries!" Fangsu dismounted Tian and began picking the ripe berries in a makeshift basket made from her dress. Eventually, her basket was filled with the succulent sweet berries and she went to find a stream to clean them. Hearing the tickling of a stream, Fangsu found a small stream filled with small aquatic critters. Which darted away from Fangsu when she rinsed the berries.

"There are small freshwater shrimps and crayfish, " her grandpa stood behind Fangsu who was cleaning the berries, he ate the ones that were offered to him, "Should we have them for dinner?"

Fangsu shook her head, "We don't have nets to catch them and they still aren't ready to eat yet, " Fangsu fed some of the berries to Tian and Bai Xue to eat. After eating all the berries they continued back home.

When they arrived at the ancestral home, Fangsu packed the essential items into a box; her copper distiller bottles of aromatic dew that she had left, dried flowers that were among the rarer variety, her notebook filled with her handwriting, her personal dagger, the book that Xu Yang had given her and the last few sachets of her medicine. Her grandpa stood outside the house with a horse, waiting for her to finish packing, "Child are you ready? The trip to the capital will be a long one." Her grandpa warned Fangsu.

"It's fine, " Fangsu reassured her grandpa while tying her luggage securely on Tian.

"Child, do you know how to dismiss you Qilin?" Her Grandpa questioned Fangsu, "You must not summon your Qilin in front of the public. Otherwise there will be consequences."

Fangs nodded her, understanding the severity of such actions, "I'm not too sure how to dismiss Bai Xue."

Her grandpa guided Fangsu to dismiss Bai Xue by using Qi through a hand gesture and Bai Xue disappear from thin air. Both Fangsu and her grandpa decided headed out on the road until it was starting to get dark and they quickly went to find an inn to rest for the night. Fangsu paid the stable boy to care for Tian and her grandpa's horse while her grandpa paid for rooms for the two of them.

Fangsu entered the inn to go into her assigned room but a young girl went to stop her, "Hey, can you give your room to my mistress? She is exhausted."

Fangsu shook her head, "I'm sorry, but I already paid for the room." politely refusing the girl's request.

The girl haughty huffed, "We can buy the room from you, " She took out an embroidered purse made from high-quality fabric, "Name your price."

"I know your mistress is tired but I am too, " Fangsu tried to persuade the girl from trying to get her to give up her room, "I have travelled a long way."

"Do you know who my mistress?" The girl questioned Fangsu who was started to get anxious from the girl oppressive tone.

"I'm sorry but I don't, " Fangsu truthfully answered.

"My mistress is the first miss of t-" The servant girl was interrupted by another girl.

"Xiao Lu, " A young woman that was of similar age to Fangsu, dressed in a moon-white and sky blue sleeved silk top, a honey-coloured skirt, and a silk sash was tied around her slender waist. "I apologise for my servant's behaviour towards you, Xiao Lu apologise to the young woman."

The servant girl, Xiao Lu, bowed apologetic towards Fangsu, "I apologise for my behaviour against you."

Fangsu placed her box down and quickly made the servant girl stand up, "No worries, if you don't mind, " Fangsu lugged her luggage up again, "Why don't we share the room? I don't think it would be suitable for a lady of your status to be sleeping outside." Fangsu suggested to the two girls.

Both girls happily accepted the offer, following Fangsu into the assigned room. The three girls entered the room with two beds within the room, with an extra room for any servants, "You two can choose which bed you would like, " Fangsu offered towards the two girls, but the young miss declined.

"This was originally your room so you have the choice to sleep on which bed you prefer." The young miss allowed Fangsu to pick, which she picked the one closest to the window and the desk. The other two took the other unoccupied beds in the room, "I just realised that I have never introduced myself, I am the first young miss of the Ruan Clan, Ruan Jingyi (阮静怡)."

Fangsu was unsure of hierarchy but she knew manners since Jingyi introduced herself she also had to also, "I am the second miss of the Chen Clan, Chen Fangsu, "

"Chen? I have never heard of that surname before?" Jingyi stated.

"Well, my family lived in another place far from here, " Fangsu answered Jingyi's confusion.

"So where are you going after this?" Jingyi asked curiously, hoping for something.

"My grandpa and I are going to the capital," Fangsu answered

"Really? Is it okay if we travel along with you?" Jingyi hoped for Fangsu to say yes.

"I think it should be okay since we are going to the same destination," Fangsu reassured Jingyi who was embarrassed hid her face with her sleeve.

"I'm sorry, It's just that I have no female friends that outside of my family and servants." Jingyi shyly mumbled in between her sleeves.

Fangsu smiled at the shy Jingyi, "No worries, I also never had female friends outside of my family." reassuring Jingyi so that she wouldn't have to worry.

Jingyi happily rejoiced with her new friendship with Fangsu. The three girls began talking about random things such as favourite foods, clothes and the latest gossip but Fangsu couldn't contribute to the conversation. So she just decided to just listen to the conversation. "My mother has aromatic dew in her room but she doesn't allow people to use it since the product was discontinued many years ago," Jingyi complained about her mother not allowing the use of aromatic dew.

"I heard aromatic dew does wonders for the skin like clearing blemishes, lighten the skin without the use of cosmetics and slows aging." Xiao Lu added her knowledge about aromatic dew, however, it was still limited since it was discontinued years before they were born.

Fangsu was surprised to hear the topic of aromatic dews, something that she specialised in. Jingyi stared at Fangsu's face that was lightly sprinkled with freckles but her skin had an even skin tone, clear of blemishes, rosy cheeks, almost glowing but the most appealing feature on Fangsu's face was her eyes that were the same colour as her ash grey hair. But, there instead of black pupils like other people she had white pupils. "Fangsu are you able to see with your eyes?"

Fangsu nodded, "I can see perfectly fine."

"It's just that you have uniquely beautiful ash grey eyes that people don't normally have, " Jingyi compliment Fangsu's eyes. Fangsu felt a warmth in her heart, she sheepishly smiled.

"Miss, it's late, " Xiao Lu informed Jingyi who pouted as she wanted to talk with Fangsu. "You need to sleep." Xiao Lu made Jingyi take a bath and sleep right after.

All three of them slept through the night. The sunlight shone through the curtain and into the room, waking Fangsu awake. Xiao Lu was already awake preparing breakfast on the table. "Miss Chen I hope I didn't disturb you from your sleep, " Xiao Lu bowed her head politely.

Fangsu shook her head and began eating some breakfast when Jingyi came in with some messy bed hair, eating breakfast. Xiao Lu took Jingyi to the room to groom Jingyi before going out. Fangsu dressed in a moss green sleeved linen dress, with a dark grey outer robe, and a forest green sash was tied around her waist. With her hair, she simply pulled it into a ponytail with a dark beige ribbon. She took her luggage with her walking along with Jingyi and Xiao Lu outside.

Fangsu when to the back where a stable boy gave Tian to her and her grandpa was already waiting for her. She leads Tian to the front to where her grandpa was preparing, "Grandpa I made two new friends Ruan Jingyi and Xiao Lu, " Fangsu introduced the two girls to her grandpa.

Both Jingyi and Xiao Yi bowed toward the elderly man, "Greetings Elder Chen, Fangsu is truly a kind person for allowing us to stay in the same room as her."

The grandpa nodded and smiled, "Thank you for befriending Fangsu. If you prefer we can travel together,"

Jingyi agreed with the arrangement and they set off towards the capital, along the way Fangsu was picking up flowers and edible fruits from the roadside. "Jingyi! Xiao Lu would you like some fruit?" Fangsu held a range of fruit in her hands, "Would you like a passionfruit, pomegranate or bayberry?"

Jingyi took the pomegranate and Xiao Lu cracked it open to reveal shiny red pieces of pomegranate that shone like rubies. She popped a few pieces into her mouth and her mouth instantly shrivelled from the sourness, "Miss is it too sour?" Xiao Lu worriedly asked but Jingyi continued to eat the sour unripe pomegranate, enjoying the sourness.

Fangsu offered the passionfruit and bayberry, which Jingyi gladly accepted eating the fruits with such gusto. Fangsu moved to her grandparent was and offered him ripe bayberries, "We could make wine out of this, " her grandpa chuckled at Fangsu.

They soon arrived at the gates of the capital, the guard requested a token of identity which Jingyi and Xiao Lu passed through. Fangsu's grandpa handed hnext emerald green jade with a Qilin with the character Chen on it. The guard whispered into another guard's ears and went away, Fangsu wasn't completely sure but she knew something was going to happen in the next few days.

The capital was bustling with vendors and shops. Merchants were advertising new products from foreign countries. The scents of food mingled in the air and fabrics fluttered in the wind displaying their beautiful colourful lustre. Jingyi took Fangsu's hand and dragged her to a nearby shop that sold tanghulu buying three for each of them, "You gave me fruit earlier, let me treat you with this."

Fangsu held the stick with hawthorn fruit that was covered in syrup. The flavour of the tanghulu was delicious something she never had eaten before. "This is delicious, I have never eaten something like this, "

Jingyi and Xiao Lu paused their eating, "You have never eaten tanghulu before?"

Fangsu nodded shyly, "I use to live on an island and I could only eat the food made from the ingredients from the island itself, so there isn't a chance to eat this sort of thing, "

Both Jingyi and Xiao Lu were amazed by Fangsu's lifestyle away from civilisation, so they decided to spoil Fangsu with all the food from the street; pastries, fried foods, sweets and desserts from different tea houses. Fangsu's grandpa was silently following behind the three girls, Fangsu being spoiled by the two girls with food who was enjoying all the food that she was given. They eventually stopped at a clothing shop looking at the latest fashion trends. A guard walked up to the Jingyi and Xiao Lu, "Young Miss your father wants you home, " informing for Jingyi's presence at home.

Jingyi sadly held onto Fangsu's sleeve, "I don't want to go home yet, "

Xiao Lu sighed sadly, her miss had her first female friend and now they have to separate. "Miss you can always meet with Lady Chen anytime, but you need to go home." Xiao Lu tried to persuade her miss to leave for home.

Jingyi help onto Fangsu's hand, "Fangsu is it possible for us to meet again?" hoping to meet with Fangsu whenever her time allowed it.

Fangsu patted Jingyi's hand, nodding easing the worries of Jingyi. Jingyi beamingly smiled at Fangsu. They both exchanged addresses for their messager birds and discussing places where they could meet each other. Jingyi turned to leave the shop. Fangsu stopped Jingyi before they left. Fangsu opened her luggage, taking out two bottles, with a Qilin crest with the Chen family name on it. "Take this as a commemorating present of our friendship." Jingyi and Xiao Lu gratefully accepted these gifts and left.

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Jingyi and Xiao Lu continued to walk home with the guard, holding the bottles in hand. Jingyi was happy to have received a gift from a friend that was outside her family. The huge estate of the Ruan loomed over Jingyi like a mountain, Xiao Lu guided her into the estate and into the dining room where all her family member were eating dinner. "Jingyi sit down and eat." her father ordered Jingyi.

Jingyi sat next to her mother and began eating dinner, "Mother, I made a new friend." Jingyi happily announced.

"Friend? Who is she?" Her mother inquires while placing vegetables on Jingyi's and her husband's bowl.

"Her name is Chen Fangsu and she is a really nice person, " Jingyi continued to talk during dinner.

"Jingyi eat your dinner first and then you can discuss with your mother later, " Jingyi's father lightly scolded Jingyi.

Jingyi ate her dinner silently, the servant took all the dishes away and Jingyi continued to talk with her mother. "Fangsu is extremely forgiving especially when Xiao Lu was trying to protect me, " Jingyi praised Fangsu.

Jingyi took the bottle Fangsu had given her and showed it to her mother, "She also gave this to me as a commemorating present for our new friendship, " a glass bottle with the Qilin crest.

Her mother stared the bottle from Jingyi's hand, shocked to see this crest after so many years. "That girl what was her name again?"

"Chen Fangsu. Why?" Jingyi was confused by her mother's actions because of the glass bottle.

Her mother held her by the shoulder, "You must not share this with anyone, keep this as secret."

"Why?" Jingyi was perplexed by her mother's sudden turn of words.

"She must be a member of the Gardner's family because this crest is distinct to the Gardner, " Her mother explained while pointing at the crest, "Her identity is one of utmost importance and people will easily want to manipulate her."

"The Gardner? But that position has been vacant for more than two decades." Jingyi was surprised by the relation between the Gardner and Fangsu.

"If I'm correct, Fangsu is the daughter of my friend, Chen Heng Hui." Her mother's eyes brightened at the mentioned of her friend, "We always wanted our children to be friends and you two are."

Jingyi smiled happily, "If I can, I can invite Fangsu and her grandpa over for dinner next time we meet." both mother and daughter were discussing plans to invite Fangsu and her grandpa for dinner next time.