Chapter 5: The Art of Not Dying at Breakfast
The sun rose over the Jade Lotus Pavilion, casting soft light across the courtyards. Birds chirped politely, as if even they were afraid of disturbing the cold-faced Master Murong.
Mei Xiao — or rather, Mei Lin — stared at the small mountain of dishes before her. Pickled lotus root. Glazed duck tongue. Something that might have once been alive but now resembled a soggy sea monster.
She smiled awkwardly at the maid. "Um… do you have toast?"
The maid blinked. "Toast…?"
"Yeah, like, you know. Bread. Burnt a little. With… jam?"
The maid bowed in horror as if Mei Xiao had asked to eat the Emperor.
"Forget it." She picked up her chopsticks and stabbed the nearest thing that didn't look like it could fight back.
Across the table, Murong Jing He sipped his tea without looking at her. As usual, his posture was perfect, his hair flawlessly tied, and his aura said, I could destroy a man with my pinky.
"I think this one blinked at me," Mei Xiao muttered, nudging a suspicious piece of fish.
"You are meant to eat it," Murong said, eyes still on his tea.
"Why don't you eat it?"
"I already have."
Mei Xiao glared. "Bet you didn't have the twitchy one."
His lip almost moved. Almost.
She narrowed her eyes. "You smirked."
"I did not."
"You totally did. That was, like, a 5% smirk. I saw it."
He finally looked at her. "It is inappropriate to argue over fish at the breakfast table."
She leaned forward. "So… is it appropriate to pretend your wife got possessed by a confused millennial and just go about your day like nothing happened?"
Silence.
Then, to her complete shock, he answered.
"I have people watching you," he said plainly. "If you were a threat, you'd be dead."
She dropped her chopsticks.
"…Comforting."
He stood up. "You're amusing. But amusement is dangerous in my world. Be careful."
Then he was gone, robes sweeping like shadow behind him, leaving Mei Xiao to wonder whether she'd just been warned… or flirted with.
Probably both.