Second Case 02: “The Cotton Candy and the Festival.”

Two days have passed, coincidentally today is the annual festival at Yangjiang village. This was the same day from back then where Liu Meifeng met Zhao Yu. Actually, she had been thinking of visiting the Zhao mansion. But she never dared, afraid if Zhao Yu forgets about her, after all, it's been nine years since they last met. Especially, Zhao Yu was especially small back then so it is inevitable if she forgets about her. Thus, for this reason, Liu Meifeng didn't dare to visit Zhao Yu as she spent her time studying for the examination.

"Hey, Ah-Feng. Let's go outside this evening, I heard there's a festival going on today.", Gu Yunxi said as she flipped to the next page of her book.

The two of them have been studying together for the sake of the examination. Sometimes they practiced martial arts together in the backyard, sometimes they did breathing exercises. Liu Meifeng closed her book and looked at Gu Yunxi, "Come to think of it, this will be your first time coming on such an occasion, am I right?",

Gu Yunxi nodded excitedly, she stood up and immediately sit next to Liu Meifeng. "Since this is my first festival, I hope to buy this sweet cloud!",

"Sweet cloud?", Liu Meifeng tilted her head confusedly, she didn't really catch what Gu Yunxi was saying. But then she remembered every sweet food sold at the festival, then she guessed, "You mean cotton candy?"

Gu Yunxi clapped her hands and said 'so that's the name!', then she nudged Liu Meifeng and ask her to buy her some cotton candy. Of course, seeing her like this Liu Meifeng couldn't say no, so she made a deal with her. If she finished memorizing half of the cultivating base book, she will buy her two cotton candies. Surely, Gu Yunxi agreed immediately and sit back at her original seat then began studying seriously.

Liu Meifeng didn't know if she should be proud or laugh at her. Thinking since when did the fierce and stubborn princess grow up to be a simple gluttonous girl. This is a compliment by the way, since Liu Meifeng was not favorable to the past Gu Yunxi. She just couldn't get along with such a fierce person. Although her coldness reminded her of her former best friend in her previous life, Huang Liangjin. But that's it, the rest is just the usual annoying spoiled little princess.

…

"Hey, Yu jiejie, do you want to go to the festival today?", Zhao Yun said as he approached Zhao Yu who was in the middle of sword dancing. Zhao Yu heard the words and immediately stopped, "It's rare for you to want to go to the festival.", then she continued practicing her moves. Zhao Yu always wore an all-white dress, making her look like a goddess descended to earth. Zhao Yun stare with admiration and clapped his hand,

"Well, you're always going alone, so I was thinking to go with you this time.",

That's right, for all these years she had always been going to the festival alone. Waiting for someone special at the exact spot where they first met.

"Are you still waiting for her?", Zhao Yun asked.

"Of course.", Zhao Yu said without stopping what she's doing, she continues practicing her moves diligently. She aimed to be the strongest swordsman so that she could protect her loved ones when they finally reunited. If she had waited long enough, then she will roam around the world and find her.

Zhao Yun sighed, he knew how much his sister loved that person. But this love was clearly not healthy for his sister, back then when he was a little kid. He couldn't tell the difference between man and woman, but now that he did. He thinks it would be better if his sister just forgot about that person's existence for her own sake. Previously, he dared to discuss this to Zhao Yu but Zhao Yu refused to listen to him no matter what he said. It's not like Zhao Yun had a grudge towards that person or anything, it's just he felt a little sad about Zhao Yu going to the annual festival every year and waiting at the same spot where the two first met.

"Okay, don't go ahead without me.", Zhao Yun said as he went back inside the house.

Zhao Yu stopped her movements and took a short break, she stared at the blue sky, and the face of Liu Meifeng when she was five surfaced in the sky. Zhao Yu sighed and murmured to herself, "Meifeng, how long are you going to make me wait?",

Zhao Yun just walked inside the house and was about to go to his room, but someone suddenly called him.

"Yun'er, come here.",

Zhao Yun turned his back and immediately came to the room where the voice came from. Inside was Zhao Yan's study room, year by year this room got even more cramped than before. Perhaps it's due to many people enrolled at the sect or maybe there was something else that his father kept secret. Either way, Zhao Yan didn't really care about it…

"I have seen the father.",

"Here, come help me tidied up all these documents.",

"Why don't you ask sister to help?",

Zhao Yan was busy dividing the documents while stamping them based on their gender, boys are on the left side while girls are on the right side.

"Your sister is busy practicing for the tournament this year. You who is the closest to her supposed to know about this.",

Zhao Yun shrugged and took the boy's document on the left side. Before tidying them up to the shelf, he checked on the documents one by one to see if there are any interesting students this year. Truthfully, Zhao Yun wanted to enroll in the Xue Hu sect, but his body is too fragile and not compatible to practice advanced martial arts. Hence, Zhao Yan made him study politics to become a diplomat of the country.

Zhao Yun flipped from page to page and found one document that piqued his interest.

"The royal prince of Tianliang kingdom enrolled in our sect?", he said eagerly, he had always liked to be acquainted with a member of the royal family.

"Yes, apparently he was interested in our sect and donated a lot of silver stones to our sect. Be sure not to offend him if you had a chance to meet him in the future.",

Zhao Yun said yes and put all the documents on the shelf while wondering why a prince from the other kingdom enrolled in the Xue Hu sect rather than the sects in the Tianliang kingdom.

…

...

...…

Time flies by without noticing it, the moment Liu Meifeng tilted her head to the window the sky was already dark. She remembers her promise to take Gu Yunxi out to the festival, the two of them have been studying since morning. Gu Yunxi must be tired and need some refreshing…

"Yunxi, let's—",

"I'm finished!", Gu Yunxi suddenly shouted and slammed the book to the table.

Liu Meifeng was shocked by the sudden scream, she immediately regained her composure and pretended to be mischief, "Oh? Let me test it.",

"But it's already dark!",

"Don't worry, the festival will be closed at midnight.",

Gu Yunxi put her head on the table lazily like a cat, then said go on to Liu Meifeng. Liu Meifeng took Gu Yunxi's book and asked the first question, "During a breakthrough if you encounter a black haze in your inner self, what it means?",

"It means there's an unnoticeable illness that prevents the body from breaking through to the next level, in this case it would be best to ask a physician to examine it so the body won't break.",

Liu Meifeng was surprised at the awfully detailed answer coming from Gu Yunxi, it seems like she really did study hard. Liu Meifeng flipped to the next page and asked the second question, "What's the right technique to do breathing exercise?",

"First stretch both of your hands in front of the stomach, second took a deep breath until your stomach pulled up to its limit while raising your hands, then let it out slowly while the hands moving down in rhythm with the breath, do this hence and forth.",

"Excellent, okay this is the last question. How to know that our Qi is high enough for us to break through?",

Gu Yunxi went silent for a moment, then she opened her mouth, "When you feel a surge of energy overflowing from head to toes, it means you are ready for the reaching the breakthrough.",

Liu Meifeng laughed and said, "Nope, that is for the sign of 'almost' reaching to breakthrough. The sign when you are ready for a breakthrough is when your inner energy accumulates on your chest revealing a faint light during Qi movement exercise. That is how we can tell that a person is ready to break through to the next level.".

"Ah, right. It's hard to tell the difference between 'ready' and 'almost ready' stage.", Gu Yunxi said sulkily, then she stared at Liu Meifeng with her puppy-like eyes, "Then, are we not going?",

Liu Meifeng tapped Gu Yunxi's forehead with the book lightly, "Of course we're going. I'm not that stingy.",

Gu Yunxi raised her head excitedly and pulled Liu Meifeng's sleeve, "Then, let's go Ah-Feng! Before the sweet cloud run out of stock!",

So that's what she cares about…

Liu Meifeng couldn't help sighed quietly as she let herself get pulled by Gu Yunxi out of the room.

Meanwhile, at the Zhao mansion, Zhao Yu stood in front of the door waiting for Zhao Yun. She looked up at the sky and saw that the moon was shining brightly tonight. Back then the moon also shone like this…

"Sorry to make you wait.",

Zhao Yun came out from the house wearing his favorite gray robes while Zhao Yu wore her usual white dress. Zhao Yu couldn't help comparing her little brother with a girl, he took longer to finish dressing up. But since she knew that her little brother was coming along because she had always come to the festival alone, she paid no mind to it.

"Let's go then.", Zhao Yu said.

The two brother and sister came to the marketplace where the festival was being held, Zhao Yun missed the festival and liked the desserts they sold especially during the festival. The two came to a cotton candy stall, they came a bit late because their house was quite far from the marketplace. Hence, there's only one cotton candy left.

"Mister, I want one!", "I'd like to buy one!",

Both Zhao Yun and Gu Yunxi said at the same time, the two looked at each other and blinked. Zhao Yun pretended to act like a gentleman and said, "The lady could have it.",

Gu Yunxi also bashfully decline while saying, "No, the gentleman can have it.",

Zhao Yun heard Gu Yunxi called him a gentleman, for the first time he was glad that he dresses in his favorite gray robes. Because it made him look especially handsome during the night. He smiled and took the cotton candy, after he pays the cotton candy he handed it offers to Gu Yunxi, "For the beautiful lady.",

Gu Yunxi blushed and was not sure whether to accept it or not. But Zhao Yun insisted so she ended up taking it and thanking him.

"What's the lady's name if I may know?",

"I'm Gu Yunxi, what about the gentleman?",

"I'm Zhao Yun, is lady Gu came here alone?",

"No, I came here with my big si—brother.", Gu Yunxi pressed her lips, almost mentioning the wrong address to Liu Meifeng.

Zhao Yun doesn't seem to realize it, hence he asked, "Where is your big brother?",

Gu Yunxi pointed to Liu Meifeng who stood alone not far from where the two stood. Zhao Yun saw a gentle-looking young man dressed in dark blue robes waiting patiently. The appearance of Liu Meifeng disguising herself as a man made Zhao Yun's high self-esteem lowered immediately.

"I-I see, so that is your big brother.", Zhao Yun said shakingly.

"Yes, what's wrong?", Gu Yunxi asked back.

"Nothing, may I take you to him?",

"Sure!"

Meanwhile, Liu Meifeng who was waiting for Gu Yunxi to buy the cotton candy felt a bit tired. Although it doesn't show on her face, but she did feel tired after all those walking. She was pulled along by Gu Yunxi and walked around the marketplace for two hours. The marketplace was terrifyingly crowded just like in the past, Liu Meifeng felt like she had swum into a school of anchovies without any way to get out. The two experienced the same crowded environment, however, they have different reactions. Liu Meifeng was tired, but on the other hand, Gu Yunxi felt amazing. She had never been into a place this crowded and with the red lanterns hanging through every corner of the streets, it seemed like a whole new world to her.

"Ge! I'm back!",

Liu Meifeng raised her head and looked at Gu Yunxi walking up to her with a young man following behind her. Liu Meifeng furrowed her eyebrows and stood in front of Gu Yunxi immediately, "Who are you?",

Gu Yunxi was a bit surprised by Liu Meifeng's protective actions, again in such a disguise her own sexuality was questioned once again.

Earlier, Zhao Yun saw Liu Meifeng's figure from far away. It is already handsome, now that he looks at it again, Liu Meifeng was indeed handsome especially with those Turquoise eyes that somehow reminded him of someone but he can't tell who. Zhao Yun smiles warmly and said, "The brother doesn't need to be cautious, I met lady Gu at the cotton candy stall earlier, we happen to have the same taste in cotton candy and the lady lets me take her to where the brother stood.",

Gu Yunxi immediately snapped back to reality and explained to Liu Meifeng. After hearing the explanation, Liu Meifeng let out a breath of relief then smiled at Zhao Yun, "Ah, so it is like that. Please forgive me for being rude.",

Zhao Yun shook his hand, "Not at all, I understand the brother concerns for having such a beautiful sister.",

"Yun'er, there you are.",

Zhao Yu suddenly appeared and complained, "You said you are going to be at the cotton candy stall, so why are you here?",

Zhao Yun smiled awkwardly, "I coincidentally met lady Gu at the candy stall earlier. It was crowded so I offered her to meet with her brother here.",

Zhao Yu nodded and said 'I see', then she tilted her head to Gu Yunxi and Liu Meifeng. When she saw Liu Meifeng she was taken aback by the color of her eyes. Zhao Yu gazed at Liu Meifeng as if she was daydreaming.

Liu Meifeng noticed Zhao Yu's gaze on her and realized that the woman who dressed in all-white attire was exceptionally beautiful. But she quickly dismissed the idea, since there's only one girl who occupies her heart.

"Um, is there something wrong with the lady?",

"You—are you a mixed-blood?", Zhao Yu asked in a daze.

Zhao Yun was shocked to hear his sister mutter such rude words. He quickly bowed his head and apologize, "Please forgive my sister, she didn't mean to be rude.",

Liu Meifeng understood that the woman didn't mean any harm, so she smiled and nodded.

"It's alright and to answer the girl's question, yes, I am a mixed-blood. My father is from Qianghai kingdom while my mother is from Zuguo kingdom.",

"I see.", Zhao Yu stared at Liu Meifeng from head to toe, reaffirming that he's not someone that she knew a long time ago.

"You… are you a man?", she asked again.

Liu Meifeng blinked and Zhao Yun immediately slapped his forehead. Before he could apologize once more, Liu Meifeng laughed, 

"Yes, my name is Xu Haoran. This is my sister Gu Yunxi, what's the girl's name with the young man?"