Curiosity unveiled more than I asked for

The second youngest child of the orphanage, a foreigner from a faraway land in the North of the state, Mai Pui whom we called her Pui, screeched my name from the lower floor in her high-pitched voice.

As it reluctantly brought me down the stairs, to another eventful surprise.

A tall woman stood in the centre of the parlour. The children gathered around like induced magnets, inwardly fascinated at her appearance, but outwardly looks like they might run away together at the sight of her domineering presence in the room. Luo Luo urged me to her side just as I caught the woman's eye.

Long Mei, the official at the exam, but why was she here? Most evidently when Mr Long abruptly entered the room her eyes almost instantly smiled and she almost partially lifted the wrinkles at the corners of her mouth almost smirking.

"Mr Long, is it?" She asked in a playful tone, "I see you have been playing housekeeper."

She chimed mockingly at his sheepish attitude towards her presence almost scornfully.

"Mei, are you here to pick up the child?" Mr Long asked directly, changing his tone as he noticed us spectating.

"It seems you'd rather pretend you don't know me Long Mingxi... Yes, I'm here to pick up that girl," she responded.

She gritted her teeth and continued smiling in an uncomfortably cold manner at his dismissive tone. Hastily scanning the room, her eyes rested on me, "Ah, yes Li Wen the child you've been sponsoring, Mr Long. "

I looked at both of them and wondered what their relationship was. I also wondered why she was here, was it because of my exam score?

Was I being specially picked up, but this is something I've never written, I thought curiously. However, I also had to remind myself I never paid much attention to the early parts of the novel.

"I am here to specially admit and escort you into the school before registration tomorrow, the executive principal of the school wishes to see you." Turning to face me, her face held a stoic and bland expression towards me, yet with a glint of intrigue.

Her hair was less glazed and perfected but smooth yet natural with a few baby hairs bouncing around making her look quite more youthful, adding to her charming beauty which almost dazzled me up close.

I responded quietly, "Ok. "

Silently anticipating the meeting with the man I'd never met nor written in detail. I do remember briefly writing about how the executive principal of this school was strict yet generous and had an eye for talent.

So it was no surprise how he wanted to meet the girl who mysteriously scored full marks on one of the hardest exams in the state.

However it wasn't enough to deduct how this meeting was going to go, and why he wanted to admit me earlier.

Official Mei, told me to wear my school uniform and take some of my belongings as they will be showing me to the dormitory. I went upstairs gathered my notebook and pens and placed them inside a velvet pouch gifted to me by Mr Long.

I took out the hanger unzipping the cloth which protected the uniform. I saw Luo Luo come upstairs to my large room in the attic, just as I was struggling to connect the bronze buttons of the uniform. They had been crafted intricately like petals, fragile yet durable and sharp.

Luo Luo giggled at my somehow adorable struggles, "Li Wen, sometimes you can be very cute. Let go of it, I'll come and help you, you'll look stunning when I'm done with you." She chimed in confidence.

"I was doing fine but thank you, I guess." I retorted softly in a childish manner.

Almost surprised by the sudden unintended efforts of behaving like my physical age.

I was supposed to be 15 yet I looked quite younger, so I couldn't help but relish the feeling of acting like a child which I once was, and now am.

Luo Luo stepped back her eyes embracing the view in front of her: me.

Tilting her head, almost like a camera trying to capture the most picturesque perfect pose. I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom the shirt almost perfectly hugged the premature curves of my body.The white blazer, adorned with orange lace and the school's emblem in vibrant orange and white, stood out. It paired perfectly with the white socks and blazer, complemented by a matching skirt and shirt set.

I had never noticed it before, but I had such a small waist, in my past world this is the type of body an influencer or an idol would have a slender, cute and petite type of image.

Additionally, the skirt looked shorter than I thought it would be, fluttering at the longer part of my thighs as I huffed in protest at the sight of this.

I had always taken on a more conservative and modest style in accordance with my beliefs and values, so I despised short skirts. Nevertheless, I couldn't deny that the skirt's perfect plaits and colourful patterns made it very likeable.

Still, I vowed to remember to ask the principal if I could wear trousers, praying there would be no gender disparities.

However, I do recall mentioning that in all the states there was a formal agreement of equality between men and women, in which neither was valued more highly than the other.

Your gender wouldn't influence your rank or your level, as I strongly believed in a sense of equality which my past world had lacked.

I wore a pearly pair of matte white platform shoes, which had copper-orange imprints encrusted onto them. A metal plate on the he which had my name.

I looked one last time at the rusting mirror in front of me. Tying my thick, black, bushy hair tightly with an orange ribbon into a ponytail. I smoothed my hair so that I looked neat.

I came down the stairs, gasps escaping from each child's mouth. Luo Luo, hand on hip, gawking at me like a proud mother. Her eyes fluttered with a kind of pride, almost as if they were glowing.

Even though, in all honesty, no one could and can outsmart the author. However, as time goes on I'm learning that there are things for me to discover too.

I quietly followed Official Mei into the floating vehicle that almost resembles a limousine of some sort. I smiled because I remembered the sketches of the vehicles I had created for all of the States.

This vehicle, traditional with a steam engine yet not manufactured artificially but using the raw resources of the land. Taking the shape of an elongated carriage.

With tubular metal wheels, it bounced smoothly along the road. There was a front part and a back part a curtain, acting as a wall.

The rear seat was immense and almost like a square box, these were often called carriages or a transport car among the other states.

The cushion enveloped me in comfort, as I leaned back relaxing and taking in the luscious green scenery on my way.

It took around 35 minutes to get there the carriage was faster than I thought releasing blue puffs or steam every now and then.

This steam was not harmful but actually a sustainable fuel for the growth of pills and elixir plants and crops.

The tall shoulders of the school towers exposed themselves through the trees which shrouded the school.

It's beautiful golden rings on the top of each tower like vessels to another world. The carriage was brought to a sudden stop, and I heard the door silently open and Official Mei opened the door for me respectfully in service.

I awkwardly got out and partially bowed in response, inhaling the fresh scent of the school grounds.

As we were walking towards the school entrance, which seemed miles away proportional to the never-ending length of silence which stretched between us.

I glanced at her the questions about her relationship with Mr Long inevitably gnawing at me.

"You must be curious about the strange relationship I and Long Mingxi have, right?" Official Mei asked not sparing me a glance, in a plain yet reserved tone.

"Yes." Piercing my eyes into hers as she turned to look at me at my surprisingly straightforward response.

...

We reached the entrance and were now climbing the stairs of one of the ancient colossal towers.

When she finally began to speak, "Well, I guess you could say we were... Old acquaintances, close to a certain degree. We knew each other, just a tad bit too well." Her voice was soft and tender, memories ripe within her voice as she spoke them to life again.

I sat down in the waiting room, curious yet surprised at the ambiguity of their relationship.

"I'm going to find the others, those rascals must have gotten bored. Wait here when I gather everyone and then we will go to the Principal's office."

I sat there like a hole forming at the crevice of the newly attained information.

I remembered. What they were to each other. That's when it hit me the line, where I said it... That they were,

"Too close for comfort..."

How?

How did I forget this, it was like a freshly packaged batch of memories arrived at the entrance to my mind.

It's almost like not all my memories came back.

Official Mei was-

Just like that-

Standing there in front of me-

Was a boy, too familiar for the words unspoken in my mouth to come to fruition.

Him.

A him, I couldn't yet grasp, one I couldn't fully remember yet. Not just yet.