Encounter (3)
Mi sat on the balcony. There was no blue moon tonight, and another month had passed. Counting the days, Fried should have arrived in Lincheng 17 by now. She wondered what Qiu thought when she received her letter. The fact that Petrus hadn't returned with the Lincheng 17 delegation could only mean one thing: Petrus was a more useful proton to them than Colin. Petrus was only 11 years old. Mi didn't know why Zara had died so young; she looked to be only in her early forties. Mi shook her head, banishing Lincheng 17 and Petrus from her mind. Petrus had returned to normal, and she was reducing contact with her. She had seen everything in the Flower Kingdom, except for the legendary long-lived species. Mi felt homesick; she wanted to go back to Blue Star.
Lian's carriage stopped downstairs again. Mi leaned out and saw the noble lady get off the carriage. It was strange. This was just a very small inn. The nobles of Taiyang City rarely even went to shops. They had the merchants bring their goods to their door for them to choose from.
Hearing Sheila's cautious voice, Mi led the guest into the next room. Could this young lady be a noblewoman from abroad? Mi wondered, besides Sun City, were there any other nobles in the Flower Kingdom? At this moment, Mi began to miss Fried. That little fellow was truly a little know-it-all; he could find out all sorts of information. Mi stared at the dark night sky. Fried had been gone for almost three months. She wondered if they had settled down in Lin City 17 yet. Back then, they were all afraid of revealing the two girls' whereabouts. Otherwise, it would have been so much better to have them take a boat to Mai City—faster and easier. That wretched Mrs. Aldrich, Mi cursed the noblewoman in her heart again.
Lian's carriage left the Flower Fate Inn. Mi saw the servant get into the carriage and leave. Was this noble lady left alone? This was another time Mi had come into close contact with nobles. The last one was Mrs. Aldrich. Mi thought the noble ladies of Sun City were all a bit strange.
Mi's balcony was shared with the balcony of the adjacent one-bedroom apartment. Mi turned her head and saw Ms. Lian peeking out at her. As soon as Ms. Lian saw Mi turn her head, she immediately withdrew. After a while, she crossed her arms in front of her abdomen, raised her head, and walked out arrogantly. She stood in front of Mi without saying a word.
Mi looked at the noblewoman with a puzzled expression. She stood up, offered her a chair, and then brought out another chair from inside the room: "Madam, would you like some tea?"
“Okay,” Lian sat down gracefully, then added, “I’m not married yet.”
"Okay, Ms. Lian, please have some tea." Mi handed over a cup of tea, her favorite milk tea, with fruit added. Mi had specifically asked Sheila to make it for her; the sweet fruit milk tea reminded her of Earth.
"My name is Lian, please call me Lian." Ms. Lian reached out and took the teacup with both hands. Her fingers touched the back of Mi's hand, and the slightly cool touch made her tremble slightly. The teacup made a soft clinking sound in the tray.
This was a very timid noblewoman, Mi Xiang. She asked, "Miss Lian, have you just arrived in Sun City?"
“Ah, I was born in Sun City.” Lian held up her teacup and answered Mi’s question hastily, then stared at Mi again.
"Do we know each other?" Mi found this noble lady very strange.
Lian nodded and then shook her head, holding her teacup without saying a word. Mi couldn't figure out what she was thinking, so she simply lowered her head and drank her tea as well.
Mi looked up, and Miss Lian was still holding her teacup: "Aren't you drinking tea?"
"Ah, I'll drink it." Miss Lian drank the tea in her cup in one gulp, then held the empty cup up to the rice, like a child waiting for praise.
"Would you like another drink?"
"Okay, sure."
Mi had no choice but to pour her another cup. This time, without waiting for anyone to ask, Lian picked up the cup and gulped down the tea. Then, she looked at Mi with an expression that seemed to be asking for praise. Mi had no choice but to pour her another cup, which Lian then drank. Mi poured out the last bit of milk tea from the bottom of the pot, filling the cup halfway. Lian then picked up the cup again and drank the tea.
Mi wondered to herself if this noble lady had something wrong with her head. She held up the empty teapot and said, "I'll go pour some more tea."
Mi practically fled off the balcony, finding Sheila: "Why is that noble lady staying here?"
Sheila was holding a gold medal in her hand: "Isn't she your friend? Oh, what's her title?" Sheila was very happy. Now two nobles were staying at her shop. She tried to recall the forbidden noble badges on the carriage. What was the design again? It was too dark for her to see clearly.
"I—never mind, just give me another pot of tea." Mi thought to herself, I only met her this afternoon, and her mind seems a bit off.
Sheila filled another pot of milk tea for Mi and said, "Drink less water tonight." The Flower Fate Inn only had one toilet in the backyard, and Mi disliked the smell of the backyard so she never went there.
Mi went back upstairs, where Lian was looking around her room. When she saw Mi, Lian immediately sat back down in her chair, behaving as obediently as a kitten.
Mi poured Lian another cup of tea, which she drank in one gulp. Mi's hand, holding the teapot, paused in mid-air. "Are you thirsty?" Lian looked at her and nodded, her eyes shining in the darkness.
Mi had no choice but to pour herself another cup, which she then finished. "Is it really that good?" she asked helplessly. Lian nodded, holding the cup up to Mi. Mi poured herself yet another cup, staring at it. She remembered there had been tea in it before; could today's milk tea be that good? Mi picked up the cup and took a sip—it was just ordinary milk tea.
Lian held the cup up to Mi again. Mi hesitated for a moment and asked, "Can you still drink this?" Lian nodded. Mi kept pouring tea, and Lian kept drinking, until the pot of milk tea was empty again. Lian put down her cup and reached out to Mi's cup. Mi had no choice but to hand it over. She happily held the cup, took a deep breath, and said, "It smells so good." Then she finished the milk tea.
The second pot of tea was completely consumed by Ms. Lian. Mi dared not offer the noblewoman any more tea, so she simply sat there, while Lian watched her with a smile. Mi was puzzled by her gaze. She stood up and said, "It's late, I need to sleep. Goodnight, Ms. Lian."
Good night, my name is Lian, you can just call me Lian.
"Uh, okay, Lian, goodnight." Mi practically fled back to her room. She decided that if this noble lady was staying here again tomorrow, she would ask Sheila to switch rooms; this noble lady was out of her mind. Mi lay in bed, still feeling Lian's gaze following her. What was wrong with this noble lady? Mi pulled the covers up in annoyance.
The next day, as soon as Mi stepped outside, a carriage bearing Lian's medals was waiting at the door. This time, Mi saw clearly that the carriage door had a lotus flower pattern, surrounded by a star map of Taiyang City. These were the labels of all noble medals—noble medals under a blazing sun and stars.
Lian sat in the carriage, and Xiao Wei opened the carriage door. Lian looked at Mi with a smile and said, "I'll take you to the restaurant."
"Oh, no need." Mi had absolutely no desire to deal with this beautiful-looking noblewoman who seemed to have some mental issues.
"Please, it's quite a distance from here to the restaurant." The servant respectfully invited Mi to get into the carriage.
Mi got into the carriage again for some reason. This time, Lian didn't look out the window. She stared at Mi's face the whole time, as if words were written on her face.
Everyone in the restaurant watched as Mi stepped down from the carriage and Lian walked into the restaurant. The owner, Doug Toh, followed behind Mi and muttered under his breath, "We haven't opened for business yet, sir. Hurry up and make something to serve that nobleman."
Having been a head chef for so long, Dougto often forgot that Mi was also an adventurer wielding a marigold, and the sight of a true nobleman with a carriage and medals in front of him filled him with even greater fear. Philip and little April took rags and wiped the spot where Miss Ellen was sitting, again and again. Kraft returned from grocery shopping, about to call for help to carry the vegetables, when he saw Ellen, his throat seemed to be suddenly choked, and he could only utter half a "come" before falling silent. Philip and Kraft awkwardly carried the basket of vegetables into the kitchen, Mi picked out some vegetables and cooked a bowl of clear noodle soup, and sliced some braised beef for the owner to take out to Ellen.
The boss refused, shoving the tray into Mi's hands and telling her to go out and serve the noble lady. As soon as Mi appeared with the tray, Lian stood up with a smile. She took a deep breath, looked up, and asked, "Is this for me?" Seeing Mi nod, she immediately picked up her fork and began eating, quickly finishing even the soup. "Is there more?" she asked.
Mi suddenly realized that she was afraid Mi would keep eating noodles like she did last night when she was drinking tea, so she quickly said, "That's all, lunch will have to wait a while."
"Okay." Lian put down her bowl and sat obediently to wait.
"Are you going to wait here for lunch?" Mi suddenly had a bad feeling. Lian nodded, and Mi, seeing that Lian's hands were empty, wanted to send her back: "Ten copper coins, please pay for breakfast."
Doug Tor tugged at Mi's clothes from behind, baring his teeth and telling her not to take the money. Lian, as expected, didn't have any money. She called out towards the door, "Xiao Wei." The middle-aged servant who had been following her came in, took out a gold coin and placed it on the counter, then took out another gold coin: "This is for lunch." Seeing her about to take out more gold coins, Mi quickly said, "We don't sell dinner here." Xiao Wei put away her purse and left.
The boss walked over quietly, picked up two gold dris, bit them with his teeth, suppressed a laugh, put one gold dri in his pocket, and put the other gold dri into Mi's bonus box.
As expected, lunchtime turned into a disaster. A nobleman was sitting in the restaurant, and no one else came in to eat. Everyone stared at Lian with curiosity before ordering takeout. Lian finished one set meal and ordered another. After she finished her third set meal, Mi had to stop serving her. Lian called out towards the door again, "Xiao Wei."
Xiaowei placed five gold derry pieces on the counter, then thought for a moment and placed another five: "Please serve our young lady her meal."
Mi returned the ten gold coins, thinking that even a glutton like Lian should be full by now: "She's already eaten three servings."
"Please bring some snacks for our young lady."
There are no snacks today.
"Then please serve some soup to the young lady."
Mi had no choice but to serve Ailian bowl after bowl of soup. After Ailian drank three bowls of soup, Mi refused to serve her any more food. She gently coaxed the somewhat dim-witted noblewoman, "How about you don't eat anymore? I'll make you milk tea tonight."
Lian nodded and obediently sat to the side waiting for Mi to get off work, then took Mi back to Huayuan Inn. Mi brought up the milk tea that the owner had brewed. Lian was already sitting on the balcony waiting. Mi poured her a cup of milk tea, but Lian smelled it and refused to drink it.
Mi looked at her: "Aren't you thirsty?"
"You said you'd make me milk tea." Lian glared at Mi, pouting aggrievedly.
"Huh?" Mi scratched her head sheepishly. "Then I'll go cook it for you now."
"Mm." Lian followed her all the way to the kitchen.
Mi brewed a pot of milk tea, which the noblewoman drank entirely. Mi now didn't know what to do with her; her stomach seemed like a bottomless pit, always wanting more and more. But Mi dared not give her any more. Where were the child's parents? Mi was starting to panic.
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