Lovely Blossoms

Fen Hua stared at the small girl next to her. Her eyes were as big and beautiful as any child's could get. She hadn't learned about hate or real pain, she was untouched by the cruelty of the world. Fen Hua enjoyed playing with the girl. She allowed her to mess with her hair and chase her around the courtyard the two laughing and playing. This was the happiest Fen Hua had been in a very long time. Even the humidity and sweat didn't bother her as much as it had when she first arrived in the Nation of Jin Ping.

"Down," the little Miss, Liang Xiulan ordered. Fen Hua beamed down at her, her own eyes sparkling with adoration.

"You want me to carry you around again, don't you?" The five-year-old child nodded her head. Her toothy grin following.

"I won't do it today," she whispered moving closer to Xiulans ear. "Your brother will be here today. I don't want him to see me acting like a fool again." The last time Liang Delun came she was making silly faces to her ward. Liang Delun had given her a smirk, the corner of his mouth just lifting enough to make her heart race.

"Gege won't care," she said giving her cute little puckered lip pout.

"I won't do it."

"What are you two doing out here?" First Lady Liang Shu asked entering her daughter's quarters, she was a beautiful, elegant looking woman who had only become prettier with age. Behind her was her own servant that followed her everywhere she went. Her eyes were cat like and her face thin.

Lady Shu wore a calm blue hanfu and her hair was neatly in place. Everything about her always looked planned and well thought out. There was never a hair out of place, unless she intended. Her smiles always seemed as though they were calculated. She had never done anything to Fen Hua to make her feel anything but welcome, she was always smiles and friendliness, but there was that one time, when just for a moment, Fen Hua saw something behind the mask. A flash of something that made her skin crawl.

"We were playing mama," Xiulan said sidling up to her. "But she won't let me ride on her back again." She attempted the pout on her mother.

Lady Shu gave her daughter a disapproving look. Her chin raised and her posture straightened. "What kind of woman would do such a silly thing? A child of your status must live and act as a lady at all times."

"But that's not fun."

Lady Shu touched the tip of her daughters' nose with her fingertip. She bent down so that their faces were level. "Sadly, my sweet child, life is often 'not fun'." She turned her attention to Fen Hua then, "You are so good with her," she stepped closer and grabbed Fen Hua's hand into her own. The action to any onlooker would surly look maternal and loving, but it made Fen Hua feel as though she was being attacked and she had no idea why.

"Thank you," she said giving her best attempt at a smile.

Lady Shu watched Fen Hua's expression until she was satisfied with what she saw, though Fen Hua had no idea what that was. "Bring her in and get her ready. Li Li is already warming the water for her bath."

"Yes, Lady Shu," Fen Hua said in her meek voice of servitude. She watched as Master and servant walked away. Once they were out of sight, she let out a heavy breath. If it wasn't for this child beside her Fen Hua wasn't sure how she would have made it here these last three weeks.

When she first arrived, she had ideas of meeting up with Jingfei and spending time with Li Li and Da Chen, but like most things in her life, she didn't get what she wanted. She had yet been able to speak to Jingfei and Li Li only came into Xiulans quarters when she was needed for something leaving little time for Fen Hua to socialize with her. She hadn't even seen Da Chen once since she arrived.

She pulled Xiulans hand gently towards the bathing room. Her mind kept circling back to the fourth day being in the Liang household. On that day she met Second Lady Suyin for the first time. Jingfei was one of her servants, she always had three with her. Lady Suyin had walked into Lady Shu's sitting area and took a seat with little grace or charm. She had passed her eyes over Fen Hua for just a moment showing little emotion as she did. What Fen Hua saw from that look however was a woman who wore her feelings on her sleeve. She was an open book, and that became even more clear as the night progressed.

The Master of the house Liang Gemeng had come shortly after Lady Suyin. He sat in the middle of the two women giving little attention to either of them. Instead he called little Xiulan and allowed her to sit on his l.a.p.

"Papa missed you," he told her.

"You stink," she replied.

He chuckled his eyes lighting up as he did. Fen Hua noticed a few things at that moment. One, a quiet humble smile on the face of Liang Shu, and two, a look of contempt from Lady Suyin.

"Is she the only reason you came home? Don't you see me too?"

Liang Gemeng looked at his second wife, a tiredness entering his eyes. How he had adored this woman at one time. Her untamed and willfulness ways had caught him in her web. Now he was sick of these things that had drawn him to her in the first place. On the other side of him, his quiet and modest wife didn't speak. How much he relished in that silence. Not to mention the differences in sons. Just thinking about Liang Wenqian made him upset. The little tug from his daughter to his beard snapped him from his unhappy thoughts.

"I see you Suyin, just as lovely as always."

Lady Suyin was easily tamed by his charm. She failed to notice his lack of interest or the way he had lazily tossed out the words. To her, his words were like gold.