It Gives a Familiar Feeling

As they exited the Magistrate's estate Paoxiao was frowning slightly. Putting his hand over the deed and contract that had been safely stowed away along with Nastasia's coin purse, he slid a glance toward Jiang Ya Lin.

There was something he had been confused about. While he wanted to ask about it, he kept his silence until they were leaving the Magistrate's estate.

"Why did you say it was for Li Yu Rong? Nastasia was the one wanting it?" While he wasn't too clear on how these things worked between humans, generally, when a contract is involved, everything one wanted to do with the contracted would need to go through the contract owner.

This idea didn't sit too well with him. This was supposed to belong to Nastasia, but now that it was with Li Yu Rong the chances she'd be able to use it for what she wanted shrank; if she could do it at all. While Paoxiao was still a bit unsure of what designs Li Yu Rong had on Nastasia, he doubted that -with the way he protected her- he would allow her to run back and forth to operate a shop in town.

If the contract for ownership of the shop were in her name, then it would be easier for Nastasia in regards to this.

Smiling slightly, Jiang Ya Lin replied as she thought back to their meeting with the magistrate. "My father said that Magistrate Ning Shufen is a smiling fox. To deal with a smiling fox you have to use their weakness against them. The only thing I knew about him, besides what my father said, is that he had a respectful fear of the Elemental Spirit Master."

Honestly, she really hadn't expected it to work so well. It made her unbearably curious as to the relationship between the two that Ning Shufen would end up that muddle-headed with just the mere mention of his name. He didn't even confirm if they were speaking the truth before handing over the property with such a generous price attached.

The last thought caused her to frown that she couldn't help asking. "Xiao-ge, do you know what happened between them? It must have been really traumatizing if his thoughts were so scrambled that he didn't even think to confirm your identity before agreeing to sell the shop to you."

Being that there was a demon among the servants, the magistrate probably got the confirmation from him. Paoxiao did not mention this as he said. "I don't know."

"Hmmm," she hummed. She was a little disappointed that, though her curiosity was piqued, nothing could be done to satisfy it. "Well, in any case, I signed the contract over to your master. I didn't know how to write her name, so I signed it to the Elemental Spirit Master's Pet."

She chuckled a little over it, feeling to be in quite the good mood. It was thrilling, doing this with Xiao-ge. Her heart had been pounding all the way to the moment she signed the contract and they were allowed to leave without issue. Magistrate Ning Shufen, from beginnings to end, was completely distracted by thoughts of the Elemental Spirit Master's intentions.

Hearing that, Paoxiao's heart felt better. "Good." However, that heart suddenly seized as he realized they'd walked all the way to the end of the estate. They had walked all that way, but Nastasia, resting against the wall in wait as she should have been doing, hadn't been seen at all.

He was directionally challenged. Perhaps they had gone down the wrong side and it was the other way they needed to go. Thus, as he tried to keep his rising panic out of his tone, he asked. "Did we go the right way?"

At first, Jiang Ya Lin was confused as to why he was asking, but realizing in the whole of their conversation they had yet to see Nastasia, she understood. "This is the right way, but I-"

"An Ying has escorted her home."

Both Paoxiao and Jiang Ya Lin whipped around to face the owner of the voice. Paoxiao, seeing that it was Lu Se Ying and registering what was said, heaved a sigh of relief. "I see, that's good then." Recalling that he still had to tell Li Yu Rong about that man, the one Nastasia wanted to look for, he was eager to find his way back the Palace of the Four Gates. "I'll follow you back, then."

Lu Se Ying shook his head. "You'll have to find your own way back, I have other things to take of before returning." That said, he vanished before any protests could be made.

Helpless, Paoxiao could only stare at the spot he'd been standing. Seeing that look, Jiang Ya Lin felt her heart squeeze. She knew that he was worried about his master. "Xiao-ge, I'll help you get back. I'm sure that she's okay." She said gently as she tried to reassure him.

Paoxiao nodded and silently followed her as she led him through the streets; his mind was preoccupied over what to say to Li Yu Rong when he should get the chance to talk to him about that man.

---------------------------

Laying out across the floor, head propped on the cushion meant to be a seat for the desk, Nastasia was deeply immersed in the fairytale her eyes eagerly drank in. There were many books in Li Yu Rong's study. She would, after becoming more proficient in this world's language, take one out to read to better her range of words.

Those she didn't know, she would write down to latter have either Paoxiao or Li Yu Rong explain the meaning to her. Reading the words she did know, and those that took her a bit of time recall the meaning of, helped to solidify their presence in her mind.

The reason she had so quickly come to the study to read after that embarrassing and frustrating event with Li Yu Rong, was that she was once again awoken to the need to understand more about this world. This idea at that moment wasn't the first time it had come.

She was aware that she needed to learn more.

However, the books that held this information were extremely difficult to read. There were too many high-level words that it was hard to pick out the meaning of the sentences. After a while of reading, she'd develop a headache that soon zapped her will to press on.

Paoxiao only knew things about the Spirit Realm. She had tried asking him about it, but he was reluctant to speak too much about the place. Especially that, with her being human, she would never have the chance to visit.

His reluctance only made her more curious. So, from any of the creatures that would speak with her, she would talk to them about the Spirit Realm. Although it sounded like an extremely dangerous place, it was also made to sound very fascinating.

If there was ever a chance to go, the place she wanted to see the most would be the underwater ice forest the water sprites spoke of. Not only for the beauty that was reiterated masterfully, but also for the chance to see living ice. Of all the things told to her -of the ones willing to speak- that had been the one to spark her curiosity most.

In her childhood youth, Frozen was a movie she had watched countless times, she had loved it so much. She had all the dolls and even the outfits so that she, herself, could play act as the characters. Thought it probably wasn't likely, she couldn't help but wonder if there were little Olafs running around. The idea of it made her laugh merrily to herself.

As for the things of what they called the Mortal Realm, only Li Yu Rong would be able to tell her of them. The creatures here -or at least the ones willing to speak to her- have never left this Place of the Four Gates to know anything outside of it.

However, Li Yu Rong had been reluctant to tell her anything; always saying that it wasn't necessary yet. He was the one who brought up her lack of knowledge today, so perhaps if she asked him now, he'd be willing to speak?

Setting aside the book she just finished, Nastasia stood up to find another. Although she should be finding and taking out a book relevant to the things of this Mortal Realm, her fingers grasped at another fairy tale. This one was titled "The Death of the Immortal."

These fairy tales, though there were severe differences, they brought her back to the days before her father passed. When she still lived in Minnesota, when she curled up in her father's lap to hear his Russian stories to compete with her mother's Irish ones. When she read them she was filled to the brim with home-sickness, but also a kind of peace. It almost felt like her father was beside her, once again regaling her with his wonderful stories.

"I wonder who wrote these," she mused to herself.

"They were written by the previous owners of this Palace of the Four Gates."

Jumping at the sudden low-toned voice speaking out in answer, Nastasia turned to find Li Yu Rong watching her. He walked the rest of the way into the study, clearing the length between her at the bookshelves and entrance in a matter of seconds. He took the book from her hands and opened it up to flip through a few pages.

"It was the first of them that introduced this way of writing. He was also the first to come up with this way of binding books. Before, everything of importance to history was written on scrolls and everything else was handed down by word of mouth. These kinds of stories, meant to please the imagination of the reader, didn't exist."

He handed her back the book and she took it back gingerly. Being that only a bit of time had passed since he pinned her down and kissed her, Nastasia's feelings were still a little out of sorts. She was doing her best not to think of the feeling of his body against hers and of his mouth as he kissed her.

Li Yu Rong's lips curled up as he caught her distracted expression, but he held himself back from the want of teasing her. Instead, he said. "There's something I need to speak with you about."

Hearing that, she nodded her assent but was confused that he turned to leave the room after he got it. Did he not want to speak to her now? Did he mean for this to be a conversation they would have later? However, after he paused and gestured for her to follow him, she understood what he meant by this. He wanted to speak with her, just not here.

Thus, after putting the book in her hands back, she followed him out.