"Good morning, guys." Zuri ran into the room, wearing a black and grey track suit and black sneakers. She was dabbing her face with a white cloth and sat on a chair in front of the bed.
"Good morning." Kenji sat up. "You could have woken us up so we could join you."
"Do you remember the last time you guys wanted to go with me for my morning exercises? Kenji, you had a fever and Kenzo couldn't even move."
"That was on the past." Kenzo went to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
"That was last month." Zuri took off her sneakers and socks. "I have to get to the Jade House early. The old man will definitely need me."
After Kenzo left the bathroom, she took a bath and changed her clothes. At the coffee shop, she dressed as a boy in formal clothes,but she could still dress as a guy but, without the wig.
She wore black jeans, a dark blue shirt and a black blazer. She covered her chest with bandages to ensure that she looked flat and didn't attract attention. Then, she wore black sneakers and a blue contact lense to cover her left eye.
She pulled her hair into an elastic band, carried her knapsack and hurried downstairs. She made sure she had her phone, Idea Book, keys hand sanitizer and extra cash.
She didn't forget to carry an extra pair of leather gloves since something could happen to the one she was wearing. She took some of the pies with her, knowing fully well that the old man hated sweet food.
****
"Old man." Zuri called, changing her voice to sound masculine as she entered the Jade House. "I'm here."
The door bell jingled and she parted the red lace curtains that blocked her from entering the house. The whole place was covered with floating red and gold lanterns and the walls were painted black and red with intricate designs of Chinese lettering. There were shelves filled with jade pieces, either jewelry, tea sets and jade rocks.
There was another curtain surrounded the coffee table and armchairs that were only used for visitors. There were only three people, including Zuri, who worked there, because Xiao-Dan, the old man who owned the place, had a sixth sense which could tell apart a trustworthy person from an untrustworthy one.
So, many people who came to work there were sent away since he saw them as dishonest and disloyal. His grandkids, Lin-Jin and Zinin worked with her and always thought their grandpa had gone off his rocket since he referred to a good looking guy like her as a woman.
But so far, only Zinin was a bit suspicious of her gender. During their break, they would drink tea in the medicine room, enjoying the smell of herbs, the smell that they grew accustomed to.