Chapter Sixty Two - His pursuers cross paths

Those who love shopping, never shop for just one hour and Carmen, who suggested that she only wanted to 'explore' for one hour, never had any intention of keeping to this, which Sun soon discovered to his chagrin. While grumbling about it did him no good, it did not stop the sour words from spilling from his lips, especially when his cousin entered yet another jewellery store. He followed in her wake, understanding that if he abandoned her as he so was tempted to do, he could expect loud and likely physical reprimand from his grandfather.  Grandfather was at the beginning of Body Tempering now, his core formed.  The difference between tertiary stage and quaternary stage like night and day.  So a beating would really, really hurt!

They were welcomed as they entered and Carmen flashed a winning smile as she allowed them to flatter and pamper her; their jewellery brought to her as she sat drinking tea for her to examine. The jewellery was not as intricate and stunning as the pieces found in the capital, nor was the surroundings as comfortable, but the service was not bad, so Carmen was not displeased and viewed more of the jewellery here than she originally intended to do. 

As they took away a tray that did not capture her attention, Sun leaned over and murmured; "Just how much allowance do you have anyway?" 

"You forget," she replied, quite smug and content seeing Sun's increasingly gloomy expression, "not only am I my father's only child, without Concubine or stepmother to bear, I also happen to be Grandmother's favourite."

Eventually, she chose a few 'trinkets'; a couple of jade pendants and a filigree gold bracelet to add to the other things she had already purchased elsewhere. Not just jewellery, but a small antique vase, a piece of interesting calligraphy and embroidered handkerchiefs.  Some would be gifted away, some would be placed in storage, others she would keep in her courtyard.

"Can we please return to the Institute now?" Sun nearly begged, causing a renewed upward curve to her lips.

"I'm quite tired and thirsty," she admitted with a small nod, as if after escaping the tedium of the last few days, she would return to it after this small amount of time!  She pointed to a nearby tea shop. "We're going there next!" Sun's grumbling resumed, his shoulders slouched as he walked along in her shadow.

Suddenly, the sun's reflection caught his eye and he unthinkingly move his head to see what it had reflected upon. It was a sword. This shop was new? Drawn like a moth to a flame, he yelled his intentions to his cousin. "I'm just going..."

"Yes, yes," she dismissed him with a wave of her hand, before returning it to the warmth of her hand muff. "I will wait inside." Sun practically ran to the weapon shop without glancing back.

As it happened, he wasn't the only person being dragged from pillar to post, just the other was not quite as unwilling.

"Do you not already have a pink strapless dress with gold gauze and embroidered peonies?" Maimai asked her sister, her arm curled about the other's.

"Maimai, don't you recall," Merylin replied with patience, "mother had that dress made for me last year. Even if it still fits, the peonies were orange and the silk quite bright of colour. I think it no longer suits me. A pale pink with white peonies is more suitable for this spring."

"If you say so," Maimai allowed.  As a shu daughter, she only had a few pieces decorated with beautiful embroidery, but it never bothered her.  She did not understand the need to order clothing with such exquisite craftsmanship, that took the seamstresses and embroiderers so many ten days to complete only for it to be worn once or twice as casual attire before being thrown to the back of the closet, never to be seen again.  But things such as dresses, makeup and jewellery made her sisters and mothers happy, so she listened and agreed with them, while sticking to her plainer dresses unless the circumstances called otherwise.

Merylin was never truly bothered about what this little sister personally thought, it was enough that she accompanied her to shop.  But she was also not an unkind person and did not go out of her way to bully or suppress the shu daughters in her family and they, in turn, understood their place.  Thus despite these two sisters being close in age with different mothers, they never came to blows.  Merylin could continue to play the virtuous and guiding older sister and Maimai could continue to pretend to be the supportive and loving younger sister.  This worked for them.

As they walked arm in arm down the paved street, Maimai's eyes widened as she caught sight of the new arms shop close by and a ripple of excitement trembled down her body.  Though she tried hard at being an able alchemist, her true love was martial arts and that included weaponry.  Merylin caught the direction in which her sister's gaze had been captured and sighed inwardly, before deciding to show benevolence. 

"I'm quite thirsty," she murmured.  "This tea shop has a reasonable reputation.  Why don't I order some tea for us?  Is there anything that you wish to do while it brews?"

She had barely finished before her sister had run off and disappeared inside the shop with a 'thanks, sister!'  Merylin did not openly roll her eyes nor shake her head before turning towards the tea shop to order her favourite beverage upon being seated.

"Hmmm, I wonder if Jin Li would like this tea..."

The words that gained her immediate attention came from the mouth of a young girl seated beside herself.  The girl's hair was brown, styled in a simple bun though decorated with a gold and ruby ornate hairpin, gold and silver beads of which cascaded down the oval shape of her face.  From the silk embroidery she wore and the fur lined cloak upon her chair, it was clear that despite the lack of servants waiting upon her, she was not of poor family.  Also, her features were pretty in a vibrant sort of manner, yet her body was delicate, not like those brutish female martial artists in the Institute.  However, Merylin was certain that she had not seen the girl before, so while it was not impossible for her to attend the Institute, she could not figure out how the girl had come to cross paths with that noble and elegant man.

Inwardly, she sneered.  It was clear that from her dreamy expression, that she thought she was some sort of match for her white moonlight?  This girl thinks too highly of herself!  If this Di daughter of a mighty and well known sect leader cannot capture the rare gaze of that man, then this silly child had no hope.  Unintended, her lips curved and she let a small chuckle escape from her throat.

This broke the dreamer's train of thought and it was Merylin that became to subject of scrutiny.  Carmen's keen eye was quick to evaluate the other from dress to etiquette, from the sharp look of disdain in those dark eyes to the elegant bearing as she sat, waiting to be served.  Instinctively, Carmen felt threatened, despite not understanding why.

She gave a small nod of greeting and returned her attention to her beverage, the steaming water infused with a blend of quality leaves was unsweetened yet refreshing to taste.  Her maid had managed to bribe one of the men that had attended to Jin Li during their short stay for tidbits of information about him.  Though all that she had managed to pry was that he had a fondness for drinking tea, it had not stopped her from purchasing various types of popular tealeaves and seeking her grandmother in order to hire an etiquette teacher to learn how to brew tea.  Unfortunately, Jin Li had not returned once after he left, leaving that knowledge very much earned in vain.  Still, she believed it would be useful for the future when she was his wife willing to serve him.

"Will you prefer the White Mountain Longjing or the Kylin Umber tea better..." she softly murmured aloud as she was drawn once more into her daydream.

A snort came from across the way and the yatou nearby looked 'kindly' as she spoke aloud; "Those teas are for a mortal's palette and cannot move the heart of a man such as Jin Li. I would advise you to give up such thoughts, less you get hurt."