"..Here let me get it for you-" Deng Wu offers his help moving closer Tang Mu Lan less reluctant stilled letting him take off whatever was on her face. Instead of taking off the 'thing' like proposed Deng Wu sneakily grabbed her cheeks pinching them, "Deng Wu! Let go!..." She gripped his hands struggling to stop his assault on her cheeks.
She was just so cute glaring at him Tang Mu Lan made a avid decision to copy his actions also grabbing onto his cheeks, "-Let go it hurts!"
"-You let go first-"
"-No you let go first-" Tang Mu Lan cheeks red hurt such she feared they were on the verge of breaking off that is if cheeks could really break.
"-You let go!-"
"-No you let go!-"
Exhaling Tang Mu Lan advocates a solution, "..On the count of three we both let go-" Deng Wu nods agreeing to the terms.
"-1!-" The countdown begins both their grips were still locked tight.
"-2!-" Both grips gradually loosened.
"-3!-"
Tang Mu Lan rubbed her aching cheeks, "You fool!-" she cursed continuing glaring at him Deng Wu was also busy rubbing his aching cheeks.
"...Let's call a truce-" He offered a friendly smile Tang Mu Lan's brows quirked, "I'm listening-" Deng Wu swoops in stealing a kiss from her
it was a quick peak but was enough to bring out her fury, "..Deng Wu! You scoundrel! Come let me catch you!-" Tang Mu Lan chased after him when she got close enough she would smack him with her fan.
<<End of dream sequence>>
Deng Wu jolts up throwing off his sheet he brought his hand to his burning cheek, "Weird-" it was only a dream but the sensation he felt in his dream he felt in reality he gently rubs his cheek smiling like a fool.
Cheng Bi Yu rolled over on the other side of her bed Mei-Liang's obnoxious snoring had depleted making it easier to get enough shut eye before daybreak.
Cheng Bi Yu since her transmigrating journey dreamt about her life before her untimely departure from her original reality most interesting the image of her death flashed black and red before her she watched the life drain from her eyes her cold bloodied body laid limp on the desolate road.
A question that hadn't crossed her mind since then suddenly popped up at the back of her head, '..Who sent the envelope that unraveled the truth that ruined my life?-'
Unable to shake the thought Cheng Bi Yu sat up right left counting sheep again. The sun had risen to it's peak and most were up Mei-Liang just risen rubbed her eyes stretching her sore limbs she yawned turning her sights towards Cheng Bi Yu's bed she jolts frightened, "..Well you look like death-" Mei-Liang points out Cheng Bi Yu horrid appearance.
"..I feel like death-" Cheng Bi Yu tiredly groans rubbing the baggy cocoons below her eyes she then slowly stretched Mei-Liang crawls over leaning against the bed edge, "..Look at you I told you to sleep if you'd heeded you should looked refreshed not look like the undead-"
"..I know but with your snoring-" Mei-Liang quickly covered her mouth, "..Oh My!-" she slowly lowers her palm, "...Did I snore all night?-" she expressed a guilty conscience.
"..Not so much-" Cheng Bi Yu lifts from bed heading towards the bronze mirror, "..Well I look like shit-" she pinched her puffed cheek with big pores, "..Nothing a little makeup can't fix-"
Cheng Bi Yu and Mei-Liang sat outside leisurely chatting as Cheng Bi Yu ate her beloved sugar dumplings.
Zhou Tong approached the two, "..Ying Jie, Mei-Liang-" he warmly greets Cheng Bi Yu responds with a decent smile. Zhou Tong sat down with the two the scene became noticeably awkward when everyone kept eyeing each other but bound rooted silence.
Zhou Tong was positive meeting Tang Ying Jie wouldn't affect his psych but a brick load of memory from his previous night's shameless dream pooled his thoughts so he remained awkward under the circumstances.
Mei-Liang remained awkward due to Zhou Tong's roaming eyes on Cheng Bi Yu and Cheng Bi Yu just felt that it was too quiet at some point the transmigrator swore she even heard crickets.
"Lovely weather we're having," Zhou Tong breaks the ice Cheng Bi Yu muttered facing him, "..You really want to talk about the weather?-" Cheng Bi Yu beholds the the illusory bright blue sky she sighs in contempt, "..It really is, not too hot and not too cold. It's just right-" she smiles Zhou Tong lowered his gaze Cheng Bi Yu recognized this tactic Officer Zhou was knowingly avoiding eye contact but what for she didn't have the answer.
Cheng Bi Yu reverted to eating her dumplings thinking nothing of it. Rising she stretched her limbs, "..Zhou Tong, Mei-Liang take a stroll with me-" the others stood they began their leisurely stroll around the courtyard during the walk Cheng Bi Yu spots something out of the ordinary she approached reaching out her hand to examine the thing, "..Was this always here?-" she asked looking back at the two. Zhou Tong was quick to respond, "I've never seen this before,"
"Me neither...." Mei-Liang gave a follow up reply furrowing her brows her gaze focused ahead on the wooden swing.
"Really?-" Cheng Bi Yu was quite curious as to what a swing a child's play tool doing in the middle of Jiang Court Cheng Bi Yu glides her fingertips across the invention she gets on ready to test it out, "..Master be careful!-" Mei-Liang blurts panicked she pressed forward.
Cheng Bi Yu displayed a reassuring front, "..I'm just giving it a test ride," she swings back and forth the swing propelled taking her higher and higher Cheng Bi Yu frowned cause she suddenly lost her footing and mother gravity was no longer on her side, "Master!-" Mei-Liang's heart leaped from her chest when she saw her lady lunging forward.
Luckily for Cheng Bi Yu she had landed on a firm cushion, unluckily for her lips were pressed against the cushion. Zhou Tong's eyes bulged feeling the warm tender lips when he had leapt forward to catch Tang Ying Jie he hadn't predicted this incident.
Cheng Bi Yu quickly pulled back scattering off him seeing the small crowd created Cheng Bi Yu face flushed an embarrassed red, "..I apologize for my clumsiness Officer Zhou it was disgraceful of me-"
Zhou Tong had come to he got off the ground lightly dusting his robe, "...As a servant of the court I was just protecting you as I should-" Mei-Liang had also come to fully alert she rushed to Cheng Bi Yu's side, "Master are you okay? Is any where broken?-" she closely examined her.
"..I'm perfectly alright-" Cheng Bi Yu reassures with a faint smile. "..Thank goodness!-" Mei-Liang exhaled holding her chest, "..You scared me half to death. Don't ever do something so reckless again-"
The atmosphere became awkward again the servants chattered amongst themselves their deviant eyes trailed upon Zhou Tong and Advisor Tang happily feeding their hungry fujoshi hearts.
Cheng Bi Yu just wants to put the whole thing behind her but unbeknownst to her the servants weren't the only onlookers keen eyes watched from a distance.
Cheng Bi Yu shifted from her spot besides the servants she felt a set a trained eyes on her turning she caught wind of Zheng Yong he was silently watching them the whole time.
"Magistrate Zheng-" Cheng Bi Yu calls out waving Zheng Yong averts his gaze then noticeably fled. Cheng Bi Yu awkwardly lowered her hand, "..That's strange-" she pursed her lips she leaves trailing behind him.
"Magistrate!-" she calls out again the man paid no heed to her increasing his pace Cheng Bi Yu huffs gripping her hip, "..Why do I feel like I'm being avoided-"
[[It's because you are being avoided]]
"...That impossible. I know my standings with Magistrate Zheng we're not buddy buddy but we tolerate each other and besides we haven't greased elbows-" she rubbed her nose, "But if it's true it makes no sense. Why would that poker face openly avoid me?-"
Cheng Bi Yu sets her sights ahead brushing herself she's determined to catch him, "..Let's find out what makes you tick?-" Cheng Bi Yu cornered him in his study, "..Magistrate here you are. You ran so fast I didn't get the chance to speak. So why the rush?-" she boldly steps forward she chatted and chatted but Zheng Yong had longed zoned out his gaze fixated on her still glossy from her eating sweet treats earlier.
Cheng Bi Yu habitually licked her lips stirring lust in Zheng Yong who's eyes had misted he was led by impulse suddenly something snapped within him when recollection of the scene earlier flashed in his memory.
His Advisor had kissed his Officer angry he applied pressure to the small tea cup in his hand the tea cup had shattered due to excessive force the fragments fell to the ground.
Cheng Bi Yu frightened at the unexpected actions recoiled regaining her senses she sprung to her feet, "..Magistrate-" she plunge forward gently grasping his injured hand she applied the paste she somehow had under her sleeve courtesy of the system. Cheng Bi Yu bends slowly blowing on the cuts cooling the paste.
"-You should be more careful Magistrate although small injuries they're still injuries-" Zheng Yong softened moved by her care his pupils had literally transformed to heart he was smiling like a gaping fool this was of course unnoticed by Cheng Bi Yu.
Zheng Yong smile had plundered his demeanor back to its usual cold state he remembered his plan he needed to stay as far from Tang Ying Jie as he could.
"..Enough!-" Cheng Bi Yu peers up she was floored by his sudden shift seeing her befuddled expression Zheng Yong rips his hand from her grasps, "Didn't you hear me, get out! I don't need anymore of your help-" Cheng Bi Yu looks sideways she thought, 'Is this punk bipolar?!-' she gets up taking her bottle of cream with her, "Soyanara!-"
She doesn't forget to glimpse back, "..What a ungrateful punk-" she scoffed walking off, "..And to think I wasted my precious cream on you. Blasphemy!-"