Upon Her Lips - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Daolei felt a wave of relief wash over him as the mistress of the manor returned to the inner rooms and the mischievous Grand Duke Yin Silie finally departed. It had been a close call; had Yin Silie taken a genuine interest in the girl, he wasn’t sure how he would have managed the fallout.

He walked toward the manicured flowerbeds and looked at the servant, Fu Ya, who remained bowed in wait. “These gardens look quite well-tended,” he said with a smile.

You Ran lowered her head, listening in silence. Her heart swelled with joy; this was the affirmation she had been hoping for.

“Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Daolei. I will continue to organize the remaining clusters,” Fu Ya replied smoothly, notably omitting any mention of You Ran’s hard labor.

Daolei nodded. He had just returned from an errand—one prompted by certain “hints” from a mistress who was suddenly, if indirectly, showing a streak of benevolence. Though Mu Fei hadn’t said much, Daolei had served her long enough to read between the lines. He had instructed the staff to purchase human necessities and ingredients. After all, fresh blood was not a staple of the human diet.

The manor had a resident “royal” chef, Han Sheng. He was a butcher who could turn the bloodiest ingredients into works of art for Mu Fei’s high-end raw cuisine. While he had never cooked for a human, Han Sheng was a master of his craft with a strong drive for self-improvement; he would surely learn quickly.

“Once you’ve finished here, take You Ran to see Han Sheng,” Daolei instructed Fu Ya. He then turned a warm gaze toward the obedient girl. “You must be hungry. Chef Han Sheng should have mastered bread-making by now. You will be the first to taste his creations—a rare privilege indeed.”

At the mention of hunger, You Ran’s stomach betrayed her with a loud, timely growl. She realized she hadn’t eaten since yesterday’s small bowl of thin rice water; since then, she had only had plain water. In her old life, if her mother didn’t give her food, she didn’t eat. Often, she survived on one meal a day and hardly knew what existed beyond rice gruel.

You Ran covered her stomach with her hands, her ears turning bright red with shame.

“It seems the hunger is real,” Daolei chuckled, his tone light and amused.

You Ran shook her head frantically in embarrassment. “No… not… hungry.” She felt she had to finish the flowers first. Daolei gave her a look of approval and reminded Fu Ya to take her to the kitchen once the work was done.

The moment Daolei left, Fu Ya lifted her head. Her polite facade vanished.

“Go and prune all the dead branches from the flowers in the south garden. If you aren’t done by nightfall, I won’t take you to the chef,” Fu Ya said, pointing to a massive sea of flowers much larger than the area You Ran had just finished.

You Ran froze. She looked at the sprawling garden and then back at the work at hand. She pointed a small finger behind her, asking timidly, “But… here…”

“This side must be finished too. Do you not understand? Everything behind you and the entire south garden. Finish by dark, or you’ll likely go without a meal.”

Fu Ya spoke with cold severity. She loathed this human girl. She secretly hoped the child would fail and be punished by Auntie Dai or expelled by the Master. Humans didn’t belong here, and she blamed this “lowly creature” for the trouble Molly had gotten into. “If you think you can’t handle it, go tell Auntie Dai, human child,” Fu Ya added “kindly,” hoping You Ran would give up. The idea of this girl eating food specially prepared by the head chef made her blood boil.

But You Ran only remembered Auntie Dai’s words: they were all the “face” of Lady Mu Fei. The Master loved flowers, so she would prune them perfectly, even if it meant skipping a meal. She was used to being hungry anyway.

“I… I will… finish… it… please…” Rest assured. Before she could finish, Fu Ya turned away with a scowl, refusing to listen further.

You Ran crouched down, picking up the heavy bucket, shears, and tools. Her tiny silhouette busied itself under the fading winter sun. It wasn’t until the garden lights flickered on that a mud-streaked little face emerged from the clusters of Red Bi Lotus.

Auntie Dai was calling for her.

“Auntie… Dai…” You Ran stood up shakily. Dirt and dead leaves clung to her face, making her look quite comical.

“Did you go for a roll in the flowerbeds?” Auntie Dai laughed. This new outfit would likely need replacing by tomorrow.

You Ran looked down at her mud-caked shoes and pants. She felt a surge of distress. It wasn’t her fault; as she had walked through the garden, the strange flowers seemed to have a mind of their own—tangling around her, startling her, and causing her to trip several times. Tears welled in her eyes at the thought of ruining the gift from Lady Mu Fei.

“Did Fu Ya not tell you to come in before dark?” Auntie Dai asked. You Ran looked up blankly. She only knew she had to finish or lose her dinner. Fortunately, there was a fountain nearby where she could drink water to dull the hunger.

“Sigh… that Fu Ya. She must have ‘forgotten’ to tell you. Come with me,” Auntie Dai sighed, knowing Fu Ya was taking out her resentment on the child.

“Wait… wait!” You Ran pointed urgently at the flowerbeds. She scurried back to the last cluster, kneeling to pick up every fallen leaf she hadn’t yet bagged. Her movements were slow but meticulous. Fu Ya had told her the Master loved cleanliness; if dead leaves were left to blow in the wind, Mu Fei would be displeased.

Even in the dark, the garden looked impeccable—cleaner than it had been in years. What would take others an hour had taken You Ran all afternoon, but she hadn’t slacked for a second. Auntie Dai watched with a glimmer of respect. This girl was tougher than she looked.

“You can’t carry that heavy bag. Someone will take it later. Follow me now,” Auntie Dai said.

Night in the manor was far more dangerous than the day. To the resident vampires, You Ran was a walking, scented dessert. If it weren’t for the terrifying aura of the Master of the domain, the girl would have been drained long ago. You Ran followed Auntie Dai through the corridors, keeping her head low as they passed other servants who stared with hungry curiosity.

“Master, you are going out so late?”

As they passed through the inner doors, You Ran heard Auntie Dai’s respectful inquiry. Her heart hammered. Lady Mu Fei. She desperately wanted to look up, but she remembered the warning: Never look directly at the Master.

“There is business in the South. I’m taking your favorite man along, if you don’t mind,” Mu Fei’s voice rang out, cool and melodic. She was donning a heavy black coat. Her pale skin and crimson lips made her look like a dangerous, high-born deity. There was a playful lilt to her voice; she was in a good mood.

Auntie Dai smiled, adjusting Mu Fei’s collar. “Safe travels, my Lady.”

Mu Fei’s gaze shifted to the small figure behind Auntie Dai. A small Red Bi leaf was stuck in the girl’s hair. Mu Fei wondered if the little thing had been in the garden all this time. She found herself obsessing over the girl’s messy, asymmetrical braids and the dirt on her face. It triggered her sense of order.

Under the startled gazes of the servants, Mu Fei reached out, intending to pluck the offending leaf. Sensing the movement, You Ran looked up slightly. Mu Fei immediately withdrew her hand, her expression snapping back to its usual icy distance.

“Does no one care for my sense of order?” Mu Fei snapped at Auntie Dai. “Her hair is asymmetrical.”

Auntie Dai felt a pang of worry; the Master was famously temperamental. She quickly reached out and undid You Ran’s hair ties, letting her soft black hair fall loose. “There, my Lady. No more asymmetry.”

You Ran stood there, dazed, her hair flowing over her shoulders. She could feel Mu Fei watching her.

“Better,” Mu Fei said, her mood shifting again to one of playfulness. “You Ran, did no one teach you to greet me?”

The surrounding servants broke into a cold sweat. Why was the Master teasing a human child?

You Ran froze. The Master had used her name. Her face, already hot, felt like it was on fire. She was a cocktail of embarrassment, joy, and terror.

“Ma… Ma… ster…” Her stuttering voice sounded pitiable in the grand hall.

Mu Fei’s golden-brown eyes danced with amusement. “And? What else?”

Auntie Dai didn’t dare breathe, frantically signaling Daolei to intervene. But Daolei remained still, sensing that Mu Fei was simply enjoying herself before a long journey.

You Ran racked her brain. She remembered a scene from a television she had once glimpsed through a stranger’s window—words spoken to someone dear. She took a deep breath, and though her voice was small, it was resolute.

“Master… I… wish you a… good… night. Good night!”

She lifted her head, her coal-black eyes meeting Mu Fei’s directly. It had taken every ounce of her courage to force the words out.

The room went silent. Mu Fei’s cool gaze faltered for a fraction of a second, replaced by genuine confusion. She was being looked at with such sincerity that she didn’t know how to react. After a moment, she turned to Daolei with a laugh. “I suddenly feel like taking this little thing with us. The journey would be much more interesting.”

Daolei chuckled and nodded. Mu Fei looked at You Ran one last time, then addressed Auntie Dai. “While I am away…”

“I will ensure the peace of the manor. Rest easy,” Auntie Dai replied.

Mu Fei stepped into the car, taking the winter chill with her. Through the rearview mirror, she watched the small human girl standing there, watching the car until it disappeared.

“Why did she say that to me?” Mu Fei asked suddenly. Vampires were nocturnal; they had no need for “good nights.”

“You mean the ‘good night’? I imagine the girl simply didn’t know she was being over-familiar,” Daolei explained, watching Mu Fei’s reflection.

“Let me think… when was the last time someone said ‘good night’ to me?” Mu Fei curled her lips and closed her eyes to rest. She couldn’t remember. Perhaps, in all her centuries, no one ever had.