Ming Lan's Invite

It's been a week since Lady Guo's tea event. Sua Qiyi had successfully mastered the second and third stroke.

They were known as 'Controlling stroke' and 'Commanding stroke'.

As their name suggests, the two strokes controlled and sent commands to the weakened person and allowed the user to control the said person.

But for this to be done, they must master both the strokes of else it wouldn't work.

Since Qiyi had mastered both the strokes, she was able to control the weakened person or people. Her maximum number of targets were 5. Each person lasted up to five hours so if there are five people, it'll be divided into an hour for each target.

Qiyi was going out to meet with Ming Lan. Qiyi wore a light golden veil and matched it with her Chrome hanfu which had white designs.

She was going to meet her friend at Yangguang tea house on the main street.

After travelling on her horse carriage, Qiyi finally arrived at her destination in about half an hour.

She entered the tea house which had a total of three floors.

The first floor was open to all while the second floor had private rooms and lastly the third floor was the tea house owner's personal space.

Sua Qiyi made her way to the counter where she was greeted by a woman in her 30's.

"Welcome miss to Yangguang. How can this servant help miss?"

"I would like to know which room miss Ming Lan is in?"

Qiyi answered as Anya stood by her side.

"Oh! Miss must be Miss Sua. Please follow this servant to Miss Ao's room."

The servant led her the third room on the second flood and Qiyi and Anya entered the room.

Ao Ming Lan sat on one of the seats around the table but she wasn't alone. Around her was another girl.

"Qiyi! Come fast!" Ming Lan called her friend.

Qiyi nodded at the unknown girl and took a seat at the inky empty seat while Anya headed to a corner where the other two maids stood.

"I'm sure you two are not acquainted with each other so let me introduce you two."

Ming Lan being the active girl she is, stated and began introducing.

"This lady beside me is Ning Cai Shan, the second miss of the Ning household and the second grandchild of the Royal Tutor, Tutor Cai."

"Greetings to lady Ning."

Qiyi greeted formally.

"Greetings to lady Sua as well."

Ming Lan felt the intense tension between the two girls and started blabering utter nonsense to ease the mood. Alas, her efforts paid off and the Two girls grew comfortable with each other and chatted like they had been acquaintances for long time.

The three girls enjoyed their day when Ming Lan finally stated her main point.

"In two days, I'll be turning fifteen. You Two need to attend my birthday party. I'll send the invitation letter tomorrow. Make sure you two come!"

Mung Lan's deep stare was hard to ignore so the two girls nodded their heads in agreement.

Finally getting the answer she wished for, she let them go back home.

But while they were leaving, Ning Cai Shan Spoke up.

"I wonder if lady Sua wouldn't mind if I called you Qiyi asked well?"

Qiyi smiled and nodded in approval.

"Then I'll call Lady Ning as Cai Shan as well."

Both ladies smiled a happy smile and bid goodbye promising to see each other in two days.

.

.

.

The next day, the invitation letter was sent over.

"What should I gift Ming Lan?"

Qiyi asked Anya who stood beside her as she drank her cup of lavender tea.

"I don't know miss."

Anya answered as she stared at the falling leaves of the nearby tree.

"Hm....." As she contemplated her decision she finally jumped out of her seat.

"I know."

Anya looked at her energetic miss in confusion.

"Anya, get me the best lavender tea leaves, chamomile tea leaves and rose tea leaves. Also arrange for a black wood box it store those leaves."

Anya nodded in approval of her miss's gift.

She also had noticed that Ao Ming Lan loved tea very much. She bad drunk five cups of tea back at Yangguang.

Anya ran off to fulfil her task as Sua Qiyi quietly went back to sipping her tea.

She was drinking her tea when she suddenly remembered that she should start practising her alchemy soon.

She thought of going to buy a furnace and soon as possible after Ming Lan's birthday.

She thought of what pill to make first. She had visited their family before and had brought back three pill recipes to access for capabilities in this world.

She would buy the herbs and furnace all together.

Thinking so, Qiyi finished her tea and walked back to her chambers to eat lunch.

Other than Anya, there were two more maids whose names were Si Meng and Si Weng. Both were sisters.

Si Meng and Si Weng were setting the lunch table and we're about to call their miss when Qiyi returned by herself.

"Miss, lunch is ready. Please sit down."

Qiyi nodded at Si Meng's words and sat down. Si Weng served her many dishes.

A bowl of cooked rice, a plate of fine looking fish, another bowl of vegetable soup and also some other side dishes.

Qiyi was a foodie and so good food was something she highly appreciated.

She happily ate the food and didn't speak much. Si Meng and Si Weng were happy to see their miss eating happily.

Anya soon returnes with the prepares items and keeps on a table in Qiyi's room.

And as such, they spent their day choosing outfit for tomorrow or simply chatting and eating dried chicken strips.

As the day ended with nothing much to remember, Anya and the Two sisters left Qiyi in her room and retired as ordered by Qiyi herself.

In the cold breeze, Qiyi sat on her roof drinking warm fruit wine and gazing at the moon. She thought back to the time she spent with Pinyi. She knew that thinking this now was completely useless so she didn't utter much worse and silently drunk her fruit wine which didn't have any alcohol.

She was still wearing her veiled hat and was raising the veil up to her mouth only to drink her wine.

She was dazed and failed to notice a shadow approaching from behind her back.