Upon Her Lips - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

“Hey, have you heard?”

“What?”

“The Master was in the study all night. This morning, when Auntie Dai went in for the routine report, she got scolded and chased out. The Master’s face was terrifying.”

“I heard too. Everyone, stay alert today!”

In the corridor, two servants whispered urgently. Clearly, everyone in the manor was working with their hearts in their throats today, terrified of accidentally crossing the mistress for whatever reason she was displeased about.

A heavy, thumping weight on her chest jolted You Ran awake. A pair of blood-red eyes was staring directly at her.

“Ah—!”

She screamed and sat bolt upright. It was Wuming!

The raven flapped its wings, let out a couple of raspy caws, and then tilted its arrogant head. It took haughty, dainty steps toward You Ran and pecked at her hand. It was, however, quite gentle.

You Ran was confused as to why Wuming had flown into her room. Then again, her door was never locked, and Wuming was far too smart for a simple latch to stop him.

“Wuming…”

His pecking tickled. You Ran tentatively reached out her other hand to stroke his head. Wuming didn’t seem to enjoy the affection; instead, he sniffed her hand and hopped onto her small bed, pecking everywhere.

He seemed to be looking for something.

“Do you… do you need… something?” You Ran pulled back the covers, allowing the cold, aloof Wuming to conduct his “routine inspection.”

Wuming tilted his head. If he were human, his expression would have been “embarrassed and reluctant to speak.”

You Ran helped him look. Her room was simple: a bed, a desk, a lamp—nothing valuable. Why would Wuming come here to scavenge?

After Wuming turned the bedding upside down, You Ran finally lifted her pillow. Beneath it lay the circular chocolate wrapped in a gold-thread pouch. Before Wuming could pounce, You Ran snatched it into her arms.

This was her treasure! She wouldn’t give it to anyone!

Wuming let out a series of shrill, piercing shrieks that sounded both angry and distressed. Terrified that the noise would draw the whole household, You Ran knelt on the bed and begged.

“Please… don’t… don’t scream, Wuming,” she whispered.

Wuming looked at her pathetic state, cleared his throat with a caw, and pointed the tip of his sharp wing directly at the chocolate in her arms. That was his target.

You Ran clutched it tighter, looking conflicted. “Wu-Wuming, this… I…”

Wuming didn’t care for her explanations. He flapped his wings and lunged to grab it.

“Don’t! This is… the Lady’s…” Backed into a corner, You Ran tried to reason with the bird, but Wuming wasn’t listening.

Can birds even eat chocolate? You Ran thought the world had gone mad. Wuming had come here just to rob her!

“No! If you want to eat… I’ll buy you… some later! I won’t give… this piece… to anyone!” Wuming’s pecking began to hurt. Not daring to hit back, she shielded the chocolate against her chest and bolted out of the room barefoot.

You Ran sprinted through the corridors with Wuming hot on her heels, his wings beating the air as he made “man-eating” noises. Wuming has lost it! You Ran concluded. If he got the chocolate, he’d surely tear it apart with his knife-like beak.

The first rays of dawn hadn’t even reached the dark castle yet, but You Ran was already gasping for breath as she raced across several wings of the estate. The servants she passed were shocked. Running like a little maniac first thing in the morning? If the mistress sees this, she’s dead!

“You Ran! Stop running!”

It was Dai Wei. She was carrying a potted plant and nearly got knocked over. You Ran called out an “I’m sorry” over her shoulder but didn’t stop. Wuming was right behind her.

You Ran thought she could lose him, but Wuming was always faster. Gasping for air, she saw the main hall ahead. Auntie Dai was there. She would seek help from someone high enough to scare the bird.

“Auntie… Auntie Dai, help!”

Auntie Dai looked up and saw You Ran running toward her like a little wild thing. She was about to scold her when the girl cried out, “Please… stop Wuming, he… he—”

Wuming ignored Auntie Dai entirely. He only took orders from the highest power in the house. He dove for the chocolate.

“Wuming, please don’t! Auntie Dai…” You Ran was almost in tears from the pecking. Auntie Dai was about to intervene when Wuming’s beak hooked onto the chocolate’s silk cord.

“Wu-Wuming…!”

In a panic, You Ran swatted at Wuming, dazing him for a second. She reclaimed the chocolate and charged forward without looking where she was going.

Just as she was about to collide with a figure radiating a sub-zero chill, Daolei stepped in and caught her, preventing a disaster. You Ran crashed into the butler’s legs; he grabbed her by the arms to stop her from hitting the floor.

When You Ran looked up, she froze.

She had run into Mr. Daolei, but more importantly, two meters behind him stood Lady Mu Fei. Her golden-brown eyes were fixed coldly on the scene.

“Mr… Mr. Daolei… Lady…” You Ran knew she was in for it. But even as she trembled, she refused to let go of the treasure in her arms.

Seeing You Ran stop, Wuming immediately landed on her head, trying to use his beak to hook the “gift” again.

“Wuming.”

A hard, cold voice cut through the air. Wuming instantly retracted his wings, flew to the Lady’s shoulder, and stood there like a well-behaved pet.

“What is the meaning of this?” Mu Fei stepped forward, her icy gaze raking over You Ran’s improper appearance. Barefoot, messy hair, clothes in disarray… Mu Fei wondered when her tolerance for such sloppiness had become so high.

You Ran felt the weight of that gaze. She knew the Lady was already in a bad mood.

“Lady… I… I don’t know… why Wuming… wants to steal my… my things,” You Ran whispered, head bowed.

The oppressive silence continued. Mu Fei was waiting for more.

“It’s the… the chocolate,” You Ran finally confessed.

Mu Fei’s brow twitched. “The chocolate?”

“Yes… I only have… this piece from the Lady… I wanted to keep it… under my pillow… to save it forever… but Wuming tried to… tried to take it…”

As You Ran explained, the gloom on Mu Fei’s face began to lift. She knew exactly why Wuming had done this. He must have sensed her brooding in the study last night.

Was it that obvious? she thought. Even Wuming had seen through her. While she had been pretending to read a book (upside down), the raven had clearly picked up on her resentment over a certain “missing” gift.

Outwardly, Mu Fei remained cold. She cleared her throat and signaled for Daolei to move. She walked up to You Ran.

“Why were you unwilling to give it to Wuming?”

You Ran looked up, then looked away in a flurry of nerves. “I… I… it’s not that I wouldn’t give it… it’s just… I can’t bear to… because… it’s the thing that is most… most like Lady Mu Fei…”

Her voice became as quiet as a mosquito by the end.

Mu Fei’s expression was complex. She arched an eyebrow. “And what does ‘keeping it under the pillow’ mean?” Did she not know chocolate melts? (Luckily, the manor was kept at a vampire-appropriate chill.)

“This…” You Ran bit her lip. She was too embarrassed to say that she felt like she was sleeping next to the Lady by keeping it there. She wanted to be close to her every second of the day.

Mu Fei turned to the lingering servants and Daolei. “Is there nothing else for you all to do? Since you’re so idle, should I arrange for you to take a sunbath?”

In an instant, the hall was empty. No vampire wanted a “sunbath.”

Once they were alone, Mu Fei looked at You Ran’s red, cold feet and disheveled clothes. She let out a cold snort. “Don’t let me see you dressed like this again.”

Before You Ran could apologize, she felt herself being lifted by the back of her collar. Her feet left the ground. It was a bit tight around her neck, but she didn’t mind—the Lady’s mood seemed to have improved.

“Lady… were you… were you also… angry before?”

“Hmm?”

“If… if you are unhappy… you can… tell me. You Ran… can… make you happy,” the girl babbled.

Mu Fei’s smile froze. If she told the girl that her bad mood was caused by not being given a piece of chocolate, it would be a catastrophe of dignity.

“I wasn’t unhappy,” Mu Fei lied.

“Lady, then—”

“Be quiet.”

“Oh… okay, Lady. I’ll… be quiet.”