An opportunity

After Zhen Feng left the library that day to meet with the envoy sent by the Emperor, he didn't return.

The following day, Lin Mei went to the kitchen to collect all the herbs and utensils necessary to prepare Zhen Feng's tea but was told by Mo Ling, the main chef, that the master of the house had left for an indeterminate amount of time.

At first, Lin Mei didn't have a clue how she would fill her afternoons without the company of the tyrannical man of the house, but soon she remembered that it would be the perfect time to make the arrangements needed for her escape. Maybe she could even make use of the fact that the owner of the house – and also the person who was forcibly keeping her there – was away in order to flee. Mei decided to talk to Liu Ting first, she would try to find out a few things from her.

On the third night after Zhen Feng's departure, Lin Mei went to the maids' quarters to meet Liu Ting just as she had done on the previous nights.

She knew where her maid friend slept since she had been the one applying medicine on Liu Ting's back following the incident. Servants were forbidden to seek medical assistance of any kind after being disciplined, and for that reason, Liu Ting had begged Mei not to treat her injuries. However, the mermaid had come each and every day to care for Liu Ting.

The first time Lin Mei came to assist Liu Ting, all the other maids were in a frenzy. Some of them simply wondered and speculated aloud about how their prince would react, and others actually feared for the safety of the guest they had grown accustomed to, knowing that their master would not be lenient on anyone who wouldn't follow the regulations.

Nevertheless, multiple days had passed yet their prince had not taken action against the unruly mermaid, and thus everyone was able to breathe normally once again.

By now, all the servants were accustomed to seeing Lin Mei strolling around in the maids' chambers.

When Lin Mei arrived at Liu Ting's room, she found that the maid had already been expecting her. The mermaid smiled when she saw her friend waiting for her, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Good morning Ting." The mermaid said with a pleasant voice and a warm smile.

"Good afternoon Miss Bai." The maid replied, highlighting the fact that it was already past noon.

"Liu Ting, I've already asked you to call me Ni Ni. At least when no one is around." Mei pleaded, with doe eyes.

"You are a guest Miss Bai. This servant still owes you respect." The maid slightly bowed to express her inferiority in hierarchy.

"Are we not friends? My apologies then. I misunderstood." The mermaid said in a calmer, slightly detached tone. If one were to hear it very attentively, they would detect a trace of disappointment in her voice.

"That's not what this servant… Miss Ba- I mean, Ni Ni… This maid is honored to be your friend. And won't forget your kindness. If it weren't for you, this maid would be in much poorer condition… This one might not even be alive, let alone standing on my feet just two days after being beaten into such a terrible state…" Liu Ting confessed, a little flustered.

"My ointment is truly miraculous, is it not?" Mei asked with a warm smile again invading her features.

"Yes." Liu Ting smiled softly in return. "Still, you don't need to keep coming here. My injuries are almost completely healed, we can just apply the balm at night in your courtyard like we always do, and skip the afternoons." The maid advised. "This maid knows that you dislike the noise and gossip of the servants…"

"When we are alone, I would also prefer you don't call yourself a maid. When no one is around, let us just be us. Two friends." Mei suggested with a happy expression on her face.

"A-Alright." Liu Ting consented, slightly stuttering.

"Well, since I'm already here, should I apply your medicine?"

"Yes, thank you very much." Liu Ting replied with sincere gratitude.

Lin Mei took out from her sleeve a blue porcelain jar that contained the very thick and transparent medicinal ointment that she had been applying daily on Liu Ting's skin lacerations. The mermaid opened the jar and scooped up some of the balm with her fingers while waiting for her friend to undress.

The balm had a very unfamiliar scent to Liu Ting since it mainly consisted of algae and other ingredients found in the water, in contrast to the healing balms used by most humans. Liu Ting took off her outer and inner robes until just a white dudou remained to cover her chest while leaving most of her back exposed. She had her dark brown hair gathered in two buns on each side of the head, allowing Mei to take a full look at her wounds.

Since the tears on Liu Ting's back had mostly scabbed, they no longer needed to be cleansed or bandaged. Lin Mei directly applied the medicine to the lesions using her clean fingers. Her ointment was effective in stimulating skin regeneration as well as diminishing the appearance of scars.

Mei had known all along of the risk she was taking when she went into the maids' quarters to help Liu Ting, but because she had heard many other maids conversing about how the presence of scars on a female human's body could have an impact on their value as a woman and, by default, on their marriage, Lin Mei had made it her mission to leave Liu Ting's skin as smooth as possible before leaving.

Her friend had a very small frame with very delicate and soft features. She was much shorter and more fragile than Mei and other mermaids. Mei felt that it was almost criminal to punish such a gentle-looking woman with physical violence.

Fortunately, thanks to her healing balm, the maid's back injuries were very close to being completely healed, and Lin Mei estimated that Liu Ting would only need two or three more days of treatment, after which, she could leave without having to worry about her friend.

Friendships required responsibility, commitment, and affection between two people. Lin Mei wouldn't often make friends, but she valued all of her relationships. She had only broken one friendship in her life. Her memory of what had happened between her and Anxin was very fuzzy, but the feeling of betrayal and loss she had felt at the time had not faded. She had broken any and every string connecting both their hearts together and now regarded the other as a stranger.

Regathering her thoughts after digressing for a few moments, Lin Mei remembered another important mission of hers and asked while still massaging the ointment into the sore skin on Liu Ting's back:

"Did you personally know the hungry child whom you fed that day?"

"I did… He follows me around frequently when I'm out in town. He is a deaf child with very ill parents and he has a very hard time trying to provide for himself and his family." Liu Ting sighed, a little sad. "He reminded me of myself when I was his age… That is why I took the risk and sneaked him in."

"Oh… And was he injured as well?"

"No, His Highness wouldn't casually harm a child, unless there was definite proof that the child was harboring ill intentions. Someone was probably sent to investigate the boy and because he was found to be just a regular unprivileged child, he was released before I was punished." The maid informed.

"I saw him leaving with my very two eyes. That is also why I was willing to accept punishment. His highness is a just prince, I hope you won't misunderstand him. After all, he seems to be very fond of you…" Liu Ting added, slightly blushing at the end of the sentence.

"Zhen Feng, he… I'm not too clear on what his feelings for me are…" Lin Mei sighed.

Hearing the mermaid say her master's name so casually, Liu Ting realized that it had not been her first time saying it. "The prince must really cherish her if she is allowed to call his name like that." She thought, with a gleeful heart.

"Anyhow, about that child. I have in my possession a few pearls that I can donate to him and his family. They are not very precious in the sea but here on land, we have been exchanging them for human money. I have quite a few, so it would very likely be of great help to his family. Would you like to come with me and show me the way to his house?"

"I am not allowed to leave the estate for the time being…" Liu Ting sighed.

After pondering, she gathered her courage to suggest:"Perhaps I could go secretly. Near the eucalyptus tree, the wall isn't as tall and the guards don't patrol there very often during the daytime. I don't think the prince hasn't investigated into this matter yet so I believe he still isn't aware of it." Liu Ting explained.

"That day I used a ladder to climb up the wall from the inside. Then I was able to pick up the child from the other side and brought him in. I shouldn't have brought him inside but I was afraid that he would draw the attention of the guards if he had remained waiting for me in that spot. However, Ling Ai found it suspicious when she saw me carrying leftovers from the kitchen and called the other two servants to follow me…"

"When will you be able to leave the house freely again?"

"In a month's time, I believe."

"Then you should wait until then. Don't risk getting punished again! Maybe we could find a trustworthy person who knows the townspeople and ask them to do it for us." Lin Mei suggested. Now that she had gotten the information she needed from Liu Ting, she would have to make sure that her friend was nowhere near that place when she made her escape.

"You are much wiser than me Ni Ni. I was a bit too anxious." She admitted. After a small pause, Liu Ting happily proposed: "Huang mama, we can trust her for this.". Huang mama was a strict woman but she had a soft heart, and she knew the town like the palm of her hand.

"I will leave these pearls to you then. I was planning on offering some ointment as well had the child been injured, but fortunately that has not been the case." Lin Mei said as she took a light blue sachet embroidered with beautiful pink seashell shapes from her sleeve and put it on top of a small drawer standing next to Liu Ting's bed. "Make sure they get them!" She smiled lightly.

"I am certain they will be very grateful Miss- I mean, Ni Ni. I offer you my gratitude in their stead!" Liu Ting spoke, bowing her head simultaneously.

"Liu Liu, I have no need for your gratitude." Lin Mei frowned. "I would, however, like to ask you for a small favor. I can also ask someone else if what I'm looking for is not an easy thing for you to come by."

"You may ask anything you need Ni Ni. I will do my best to comply with any request."

"Since Zhen Feng and I spend most of our time together in the library, I would like to visit the town with him one of these days. I believe it would be very useful for me to have a map. But not just any map. A map that has all the things that one would want to visit. Good restaurants, attractions, monuments… A detailed map highlighting all the entertaining things to do." Lin Mei explained cheerfully, hoping that these details would convince Liu Ting that the map's purpose was to serve as a tourist guide instead of a way to trace the best route for escaping.

Before her friend could reply, Lin Mei added:

"I also wish to keep this a secret from everybody, it's just between the two of us. For one, I want to surprise Zhen Feng, and secondly, I do not wish to fuel the gossip that has been bubbling out of everyone's mouths lately…"

"This maid- I mean, I understand Ni Ni. I will find a way to get one and deliver it tomorrow." The maid said with a genuine smile. The relationship between her new friend and her master had truly exceeded everyone's expectations. Liu Ting could see that Ni Ni was fond of the prince and that the cold and stern master she had been serving for five years had finally found someone he cared about.