Under the Bamboo Parasol

Ruan Wang Manor.

It was nearly dark in the capital when there was a knock resounding on the doors of Ruan Wang manor.

The magnificent doors opened, to reveal no one standing there. There was only an envelope on the floor in front of the manor.

Xu Fei eyed the envelop suspiciously, before bringing it before Ruan Wang for him to decide. He made sure that there were no substances upon the paper that may harm his master.

"Master, an envelope was just placed outside the manor." Xu Fei reported as he placed the envelope on the study table.

Ruan Wang looked at the envelope, which had written upon: Addressed to Ruan Wang. The calligraphy was messy and seemed to be written by a child.

Ruan Wang internally found it within himself to laugh as he thought how this handwriting had actually gotten worse over the years. He dismissed Xu Fei. Before he proceeded to open the letter.

The contents of the letter plainly invited him to go to Fu Lai restaurant in two days.

Ruan Wang placed the letter back into its envelope, before pondering upon it.

~

Meanwhile, Madam Lin sat quietly within the grand study room, that may as well have belonged to the emperor. There were countless valuable decorations that were perhaps considered priceless, yet it laid around to liven up the room, as opposed to locked up in a safe place.

There was a knock upon the door.

"Come in." She said, putting down the scroll she was reading.

A servant dressed in white entered, and placed a bamboo tube on the desk before leaving.

The bamboo tube was still in its sealed state, with a process exclusively known to their methods. Proving that their messages had not been compromised.

Breaking the seal with a twist, her dainty fingers pulled out a small rolled up piece of paper from within the tube.

After reading the contents, her lips twisted into a crafty little smile, as if she was looking forward to the two old friends meeting at the Fu Lai restaurant.

"Shall I have someone watch them and report back?" Wen Jian's voice came from a corner that was veiled with darkness, such that no one would be able to sense that there was another person within this grand room. The darkness blending with him as one.

"Do what you wish." Madam Lin didn't care for what they would speak of when the people met again after so many years.

There was no sound, and everything was as still as before. One was uncertain if the person had disappeared, or stayed behind watching over the study room.

Madam Lin rested her chin on her hand and gave a sigh "I miss Feng Yun, how long has she been away?" It was as if she was complaining to herself.

"It has been three days." The voice answered.

"Oh, feels like three months." She complained once more, "Yun'er must be having fun somewhere traveling around with her Rong'er they could be enjoying a signature dish of a restaurant, while I have to stay here and do all this paperwork."She lightly threw the scroll on the desk, landing with a light thunk.

"It's not fair!" She cried out once more. She seemed like she would break into a few sobs.

The light thunk of the scroll was enough to alert everyone within the manor. Perhaps if they were normal domestic servants of any noble household, they would not have been able to hear such a sound, but they all had a sharp hearing, and many of them were quite on guard when it came to sounds from the dead of night.

"What happened?" A servant girl was startled as she was woken up. She rubbed her sleepy eyes as they adapted to the darkness

"Nothing, go back to sleep. Madam is throwing a fit again." Someone said.

"Again? Didn't she have one yesterday? And the day before that?" They were all confused, Madam Lin had been throwing a fit at the frequency of one per day, ever since Feng Yun had departed.

"Isn't Feng Yun only a maid?" A person was confused as to why Madam Lin placed so much on Feng Yun, wasn't she merely the servant girl who served Madam.

"Be quiet, Feng Yun is more than a servant girl to Madam!" An elder servant reprimanded. It seemed that she knew how important Fang Yun was to Madam. Their bond was more than that of master and servant, but that of sisters.

"I understand." The person reprimanded replied, as the whispers died down. Everyone returned to what they were doing.

The moon continued to shine brightly, as it's luminous rays penetrated the thick rice paper windows a person usually put up in the winter. Outside, the weather had begun to grow colder, but deep within one's homes, it would forever be a feeling of warmth that went down to the very bone.