Little Purple

"Did someone hear us?" Fa Sui gulped, he looked down, wondering who was below them. Suddenly, something came flying to the courtyard, it was Fei Ying.

The sound coming from below them was made by Zhi Yu, telling the bird to come to his place.

The bird was carrying a message from Falcon on a small tablet that was tied to his leg. Fa Sui jumped down to find Zhi Yu in front of his room, reading the message with solemn expression.

In his heart, Fa Sui sighed in relief, it seemed that Zhi Yu didn't hear his conversation with Tora.

Fa Sui looked up and didn't saw Tora on the roof, he jumped to another courtyard roof while Fa Sui's attention was distracted.

"Sui." Zhi Yu called.

Fa Sui glanced up and met Zhi Yu's eyes. Those pair of black orbs were usually gentle and calm. But the one Fa Sui saw now was unfathomable with a dignity behind them.

Fa Sui recognized those eyes as a part of Zhi Yu's other identity. Once he saw them, he kneeled. "Yes, Your Highness?"

"When will you visit her again?"

"Answering His Highness. Because if the Jin Min's order, this imperial doctor isn't allowed to check on her for a year. It's been ten months since, so I will check on her again in two months."

"Two months…" Zhi Yu frowned. "Then it will be too late to tell her by then."

Fa Sui glanced. "May your subordinate ask about is Your Highness thinking of telling her?"

"...It's about what Falcon found after tracing that river down." Zhi Yu sighed. Unfortunately, they will definitely shoot Fei Ying down if he ever send it to her place. "I will tell you the details after Falcon comes back."

-----

As the sun started to go up, its light gave the water surface looked so calm and beautiful. The water surface splashed and rippled after Falcon dipped his hand into it. Feeling the cold water on his skin, he went deeper and before cupping some of the warm yet refreshing water and cleaned his face, leaving his mask on the side.

The small flowing river water was also supplied by a small hot spring that was located near the shore, giving it just some temperature even thought it was the beginning of winter.

Falcon looked down to the water surface just after he cleaned his face.

Looking at that face that was a bit covered by the shadow from his body made him remembered that fateful night when he lost all of his family, all of his clan was wiped out.

When he was reminiscing about the past, one of his subordinate called him.

"A message from the chief to go home ahead of time?" Falcon titled his head. He put back his mask immediately and glanced at Fei Ying who was resting his wings on the side. "Why?"


Another subordinate of his came up and gave him the a fresh water. Falcon was drinking that was ter when the first subordinate said. "The third miss is going to marry."

Suddenly, Falcon spurted out his drink. "What?"

"Miss Hu Iz is going to marry, they need you to help prepare for it, so he is calling you back.

Falcon broke into cold sweat. It's true that he already investigated most of the case. Even though they did managed to found something interesting, the trace was vague. He tried to get more information about that trace, but to no avail. And also, there was something interesting about where the river flow went.

Falcon still remembered the first time he met the little Hu Zi.

Beautiful yet pitiful.

Was his first impression of her.

"So, who is the lucky man?"

-----

Weeks passed by fast, it was the day before the marriage.

Jin Lan sat down on a bench inside the pavilion which located near the small and shallow pond that already had a thin layer of ice on its surface.

He looked up and saw the sky before going back to reading his book.

"Lan'er," A voice called. "isn't it better to read inside?"

Lan looked at her and smiled. "I already decorated the room, I don't want to mess the decoration up."

The empress smiled back. She looked around and saw that he had cleaned the place himself for the past few weeks.

This courtyard used to be his, it was his but that time he had two places to stay. One of them was the nicest courtyard in the whole harem, the Serene courtyard.

"..." Suddenly, he remembered of something. "Aunt, I remembered that last month, I was drowning but I don't remember how I was saved. Do you know who saved me that time?"

"It was her." The empress chuckled. "Why do you ask so suddenly?"

Before the empress could hear the answer of her question. Her servant suddenly whispered, telling her that her time was over. The empress sighed, she heed the small prince a goodbye and went with the guards.

Jin Lan looked over. "So it was her?" He touched his cheek and down to his neck. "She had a very warm hand."