"An outing is only half the fun without good food," Lixia said with a bright smile. "Besides, there's a special joy in making it ourselves!"
"Li'er is right," Yang Yufu chirped, lounging on the grass. "But we've never cooked a day in our lives. You'll have to be our teacher!"
"No problem," Lixia replied.
Mutong and Yufu looked at Lixia with a mixture of admiration and pity. "Li'er, you must have suffered so much in the mountains... Look at us, we're already adults and we don't even know how to simmer a pot of soup."
Lixia felt a bit awkward under their sympathetic gazes. Fortunately, Hongshang and the guards arrived with the supplies just in time to break the tension. "Alright, let's get started!"
The First BBQ of the Capital
For a proper BBQ, the secret lies in the preparation. Lixia had pre-skewered the meat—beef, mutton, marinated chicken wings—and even included some fresh vegetables and small fish.
"Wow, Li'er! You prepared so much!" Mutong's eyes sparkled with hunger. "Is this better than roasting things over a regular campfire?"
"This method uses charcoal, so there's less smoke and more flavor," Lixia explained.
Yufu took a few skewers and placed them on the grill. "This looks easy enough!"
Lixia watched them with a smile, then stepped aside to help Xiqiu slice some fruit. Soon, Mutong approached with a slightly charred skewer. "Try this, Li'er! It's a bit burnt, though..."
"It's perfect," Lixia reassured her, taking a bite. "When I first learned, mine weren't even edible. Here, have some fruit."
Lixia signaled Xiqiu and Hongshang to take over the instruction. "I'm going to go find A'Mu."
"I saw him head that way," Hongshang pointed toward a denser part of the forest. "Want me to come with you?"
"No need, I won't go far."
The Man in the Pavilion
Lixia walked a few hundred meters, calling out for her pet, but there was no sign of the chinchilla. Just as she was about to turn back, she heard a familiar "Squeak!"
Looking deeper into the woods, she spotted a pavilion. Several stoic guards stood outside, and inside, a man sat in a wheelchair, his back toward her.
According to Yufu, the forest was full of nobles today. Based on the aura of his guards and his solitary stance, this was likely a high-ranking lord who didn't wish to be disturbed.
"A'Mu?" Lixia called out tentatively. "A'Mu, where are you?"
"Squeak!"
To her horror, the little creature scurried out from the lap of the man in the wheelchair, clutching a piece of dried meat. Lixia hurried over and crouched down, grabbing one of A'Mu's ears. "You little thief! Are you stealing food from strangers again?"
A'Mu simply pointed at the man in the pavilion.
The Silver Mask
Yi Junlan hadn't expected to see the person he dreamed of every night in such a place. When A'Mu first appeared, he thought the little thing was just out on a solo scavenge.
He slowly turned his wheelchair.
He saw a girl in a lavender dress, wrapped in a white cloak with a fox-fur collar—the very fox skin he had sent. Amidst the frost-covered plum blossoms, she looked like a spirit of the woods. Some things only take one glance to be decided for eternity.
Lixia looked up as the man turned. He wore a formidable silver mask that covered his features, making him look like a phantom. Startled, she initially wanted to leave, but seeing the meat in A'Mu's paws, she offered a polite, silent nod of gratitude.
The man watched her without a word. Lixia took it as a sign of his cold nature and turned to go, but she was stopped by Mutong, who came running up behind her.
"Li'er! There you are! Yufu and I have finished the first batch... wait." Mutong froze, her gaze shifting to the pavilion. "Brother Lan? What are you doing here?"
The Unlikely Guest
Mutong let go of Lixia and hurried into the pavilion. "Brother Lan! I'm here with my friends having a BBQ... it's food cooked over charcoal! It's delicious! Would you like to join us?"
The guards stood in stunned silence. Their master never accepted such invitations.
Yi Junlan looked past Mutong at the distant Mo Lixia. Almost as if possessed, he spoke a single word: "Alright."
Even Mutong was shocked. She hadn't expected him to agree so easily. Overjoyed, she turned to Lixia. "Li'er, this is my brother, Prince Kang. Brother Lan, this is Miss Mo Lixia, the daughter of General Mo."
Lixia offered another slight nod. She truly didn't know the proper court etiquette, but since her family never forced it, she remained casual.
"Brother Lan, Li'er grew up in the mountains, so please don't mind her manners," Mutong said, smoothing things over.
Lixia looked at the man. Despite his simple robes, his aura was overwhelming. The mask made him look unapproachable, even terrifying, yet there was a deep-seated loneliness in his posture that she couldn't ignore.
A Stiff Atmosphere
Back at the BBQ site, Yufu and the maids were shocked to see the legendary Prince Kang approaching. They immediately dropped their skewers and bowed deeply. "Your Highness!"
"Rise. Be at ease," Yi Junlan said.
"Yes, Your Highness."
But how could they be "at ease" with a Prince of the realm present? The lively atmosphere dampened instantly. Sensing this, Yi Junlan moved his wheelchair toward the edge of the spring, sitting in silence.
Watching his solitary back, Lixia felt a strange, familiar pang of sadness. Why does he look so lonely? she wondered.