Case 17: “It’s Not My Business.”

Liu Meifeng placed a tea set on the table and served tea to Gu Yunxi. Truthfully, Gu Yunxi didn't like to drink tea, because most of it tasted bitter or inexplicably weird. Gu Yunxi hesitated whether to drink the tea or not, but she didn't want to offend Liu Meifeng. Hence, she decided to take a sip, who knows the tea was sweet and a bit sour. Different from the tea where her big sister often serves.

"What's this tea? It's quite different…" Gu Yunxi asked curiously, she had never tasted a tea like this before.

"It's just a regular tea mixed with lemon juice and honey. Why? Your Highness doesn't like it?" Liu Meifeng asked back and was a little bit surprised, she never thought the people here were so ancient.

Gu Yunxi shook her head hurriedly and drank the tea again, obviously enjoying the sweet and sour tea. Liu Meifeng observed Gu Yunxi's pleasantly complexion and raised the corner of her lips. Her heart feels warm. It's as if she had obtained a little sister, is this what Huang Liangjin felt when he took care of his little sister back then?

Seeing Liu Meifeng spacing out, Gu Yunxi put down the cup and shook her hand in front of Liu Meifeng's face, "Haoran? Haoran~~~"

Liu Meifeng blinked twice and finally realized that she had spaced out again thinking about her past life. She smiled and finally focused her vision on Gu Yunxi.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something. What were we talking about?"

"I said I, Guanghe, and Cheng'an wanted to celebrate my sister's birthday in three days. Everyone at the village was too busy with the watermill construction, so we asked you to join us since you're proficient at cooking."

Liu Meifeng blinked, she never cooked in front of Gu Yunxi or others, how could they know?

"How did you know I can cook?" Liu Meifeng asked curiously.

Gu Yunxi snorted her nose and said, "Cheng'an said he and my sister were paying a visit to your cottage earlier in the morning, he saw you bringing a lot of lunchboxes and smell something good. He originally thought it was the Grandmaster who cooks for you, but my father knows the Grandmaster better than anyone here, though the Grandmaster is proficient in alchemy and martial arts, but he's definitely can't cook."

Liu Meifeng almost laughed out loud when she heard this, fortunately her Shifu was training outside at the peak mountain. Or else he might make a big fuss about it and begin taking a cooking class just to prove himself. Thinking that this might be possible to happen, Liu Meifeng shook her head helplessly and then realized something.

That's right! It's the first princess's birthday!

Liu Meifeng who was originally hopeless on how to deal with the tree fairy now finally sees the light coming. Yes, finally there's something that could help her!

"How could I refuse? Her Highness the first princess had helped me before and treated me good, I wish to participate with this plan." Liu Meifeng said eagerly with a dazzling smile, thinking that she finally could make the tree fairy owe her big time, her mood raised rapidly.

Gu Yunxi was taken aback, she never saw Liu Meifeng smiling like this and her face heated inexplicably. She thought it was because the cottage's high temperature made her flush, thinking this she finally calmed down and stood up.

"Then, tomorrow we will hunt a pheasant and deer, these two were my sister's favorite. I should go back and help around the village. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Of course, I'll see you tomorrow." Liu Meifeng stood up and sent Gu Yunxi out of the cottage.

Before leaving, Gu Yunxi turned back to Liu Meifeng and said in a low voice, "From now on you can just call me Yunxi." Without waiting for Liu Meifeng's response, Gu Yunxi already jumped down the steep mountain.

Liu Meifeng knew this is a sign that Gu Yunxi no longer sees her as a stranger, but a friend which makes Liu Meifeng happy. In this life, Liu Meifeng only had one close friend which was Zhao Yu. Thinking about Zhao Yu, Liu Meifeng sighed and looking at the sky, wondering about the girl whom she missed dearly.

I wonder what she's doing right now… Did she miss me as I miss her?

After all, Liu Meifeng left abruptly like that without speaking a single goodbye in person. Although she left her precious Aquamarine pendant left by her mother to Zhao Yu, surely, she won't just forget about her when there's something to remind her about her existence.

"Alright, let's settle this scandalous affair first."

Liu Meifeng closed the cottage's door and headed to the forest again. After Liu Meifeng left, the black figure behind the bushes finally came out, it was Duan Gen.

"Just what is this kid up to now?"

…

Liu Meifeng ran all the way back to the forest, when she almost reached the ancient Oak tree site, she slowed down her steps and happened to see the tree fairy sculpting a wooden mannequin. The tree fairy was too focused on sculpting the mannequin and didn't realize Liu Meifeng was watching her. Liu Meifeng smiled upon seeing this, the tree fairy looked so graceful and elegant, especially when she puts those serious expressions.

"I didn't know you can sculpt."

"When you live more than a thousand years, you'll get bored eventually and seek novelty." The tree fairy said without looking back at Liu Meifeng, then she puts down the mannequin and asked, "Why are you back again? Didn't I say I'm not in the mood to have company?"

"I know, but I'm here to send an invitation."

The tree fairy raised her eyebrows, "What invitation?"

"In three days, we will celebrate the first princess's birthday. Since the villagers were too busy constructing a watermill. We'll figure out that the King won't have time to hold a banquet, so we were planning to celebrate it privately somewhere in the forest." Liu Meifeng said categorically, she was planning to hold it at the cottage, but she knew her Shifu would be angry if she invited the tree fairy. Hence, it'll be best to just hold it somewhere in the forest and enjoy nature's scenery.

The tree fairy frowned and asked rhetorically, "Didn't you know there are wild beasts in the forest?"

"Why should we be afraid of those insignificant flies when we have you with us?" Liu Meifeng asked back.

"I don't remember accepting the invitation."

"But you didn't refuse, also that mannequin is for the princess's gift, isn't it?" Liu Meifeng pointed to the half-finished wooden mannequin on the ground. When she mentioned about holding the birthday party, the tree fairy didn't give a comment about it nor did she look surprised, instead, she was quite displeased when she chose an unsafe place to celebrate. Which means, she had known about the princess's birthday before and prepared the wooden mannequin for the present.

The tree fairy was seen through by Liu Meifeng once again, she was confused about how did she noticed it and knew something that she shouldn't know. The tree fairy knew Liu Meifeng had the ability to hear the voice of people's hearts when her roots connected to her mind. But that ability will only work when the two have a physical touch. Right now, Liu Meifeng is clearly standing five steps away from her and could already guess things thoroughly. If it is exactly as she said before, Liu Meifeng is truly a fearsome observer and human being.

"Are you really a human?" the tree fairy had to ask this, she was flustered every time she had to deal with Liu Meifeng.

"No, I'm a Minotaur."

"Don't mess with me."

Liu Meifeng shrugged and argued, "You're the one who was messing around first. Of course, I'm a human, if not my Shifu would've already drowned me in the sea a long time ago. He hates demons."

There was a trace of melancholy on the tree fairy's face, she looked sad for a moment before turning to her usual indifferent expression. Speaking of, Liu Meifeng doesn't know about the tree fairy's name. It is a bit unfair when the tree fairy knew about her real name.

"Speaking of, I've never heard about the fairy lady's name."

"Because I never said it." The tree fairy said indifferently and quietly expressing her refusal.

"You knew about my real identity, it would only be fair when I know yours too."

"You keep demanding this and that, who's the master in the end?" The tree fairy asked rhetorically.

"Of course it's the most beautiful lady in the forest." Liu Meifeng said half-jokingly.

The tree fairy sighed and went back to her seat to pick up the half-finished mannequin.

"Anyway, it'll be great if you could come to celebrate the princess's birthday. I don't know what kind of relationship you have with her before, but it never hurts to receive an extra blessing on their birthdate."

The tree fairy tilted her head to look at Liu Meifeng, "Even if it's from a demon?"

"What's the difference? Unless you want to put a curse instead of a blessing?"

The tree fairy sneered and ignored Liu Meifeng. Liu Meifeng sighed and said before she finally left,

"When one is true to their heart and didn't do evil, they were never a demon. Instead, when one has a corrupted heart and spreads evil to the world, even if it's a human, it is the true demon. As for you, I've never seen you harm living beings deliberately before I witnessed it with my own eyes, I will still call you a fairy lady."

After Liu Meifeng left, the tree fairy sighed helplessly and wondered why fate would be so hilarious to an extent of fooling her twice. The tree fairy knew why Liu Meifeng was so persistent to make her reconcile with Gu Zhuxuan. It is probably because she wanted to learn spells and martial arts techniques from her. But most importantly, she must be after the rare Black Lotus that was hidden deep in the forest.

Even so, those words that she had spoken did move the tree fairy, and she couldn't help scorn herself for getting swayed again by a mortal.

The tree fairy once knew the joy of caring and being cared for, which was all due to her accidental meeting with Gu Zhuxuan five years ago. When they were together it felt like a whole brand new world, suddenly becoming much brighter and the mood was mostly pleasant. But every meeting always ends with departure, especially for a mortal, parting was inevitable.

The tree fairy looked at the half-finished wooden mannequin, it looked like a cute and clumsy wolf. The tree fairy smiled as she looked at the mannequin attentively, to be honest, this is not the first time she sculpts a wooden mannequin for Gu Zhuxuan.

Every year a day before Gu Zhuxuan's birthday, she would always sculpt a wooden mannequin for her because once she told her that she liked a wooden mannequin. For fear of Gu Zhuxuan getting bored with the same shape of the wooden mannequin, the tree fairy learned how to sculpt for a different shape. Sometimes it's a fish, sometimes it's a tree, sometimes a boar, and so on. This time she made the shape of a wolf which is the symbol of Gu Zhuxuan's clan.

When she finished the wooden mannequin, she would secretly visit Gu Zhuxuan's tent and put the wooden mannequin in front of her door, then leave unnoticed, she didn't even dare to see Gu Zhuxuan directly for fear of getting melancholy and run up straight to her. Due to the incident five years ago, Gu Zhuxuan had no memory of her, that's why she never knew who was secretly giving her an animal wooden mannequin every year during her birthday. Even so, Gu Zhuxuan felt inexplicably happy upon receiving the wooden mannequin and always put it on her shelf. This alone is already enough for the tree fairy, just express her affection quietly.

"It'll be great if you could remember." The tree fairy said quietly, almost feeling hopeless. But she already swore on a cursed talisman not to get close to Gu Zhuxuan again. If she goes against her words, she will absolutely die.

…

...

The next day, as usual, Liu Meifeng came to the forest and swept all the dried leaves near the ancient Oaktree. Unlike yesterday, today she felt a bit lonely because the tree fairy didn't show up in a human form. But stayed inside her real body, the Oaktree.

"Are you really not going to come?"

There was no answer as if Liu Meifeng was the only one in the forest. She heaves a heavy breath and sweeps the dried leaves quietly. When she's about to forget the question, suddenly, the Oaktree spoke,

"From here you walk to the North until you reach a Cloughmore. In there, use your spiritual vision and you'll be able to see the hidden path beneath the Cloughmore, and that's where the Black Lotus plant you seek."

Liu Meifeng was taken aback, the tree fairy actually revealed the location of the Black Lotus without her doing anything, well not exactly anything, but does she counts sweeping the dried leaves as something?

"Why are you suddenly being nice today?" Liu Meifeng asked suspiciously, it's not like she's not happy or grateful, it's just too sudden, so she couldn't help getting a bit suspicious.

"When there was a day where I treated you badly?" the tree fairy asked, although Liu Meifeng cannot see what kind of expression the tree fairy had right now, but the tone when she spoke was slightly unpleasant.

"You're pretty weird today, is a demon also had a menstrual cycle?"

"Perhaps. Anyway, I have given you what you want, once you obtain it, never come back here again."

Liu Meifeng was startled, although it was her plan to make the tree fairy owe her something, doesn't mean she will be stingy to help others. Hearing what the tree fairy said, Liu Meifeng can't help but feel uncomfortable.

"What about our agreement?",

"Just consider it done.",

"What about the princess?",

"…it's not my business."