Once again, the inner residence in Lian House was lively - adding one more person to the company: Ji SongLi.
The person who had been asking questions to no-end to him was Zhen BuFeng. Being of similar military background, the latter was very interested in the situation of the Eastern Desert. But more than that, the young vice-commander of the Wolf army kept caressing his spear in anticipation, while also giving SongLi's sword a longing look, dark anxious glint in his eyes. For the normally expresionless young man, this was a blatant emotion showing on his face.
Zhen BuFeng clearly wanted to have a spar with Ji SongLi. He had not seen Ji SongLi for a few years - who knew what leaps and bounds the younger man had overcome and new heights he had achieved. As a fellow martial art practitioner, he could see and sense how SongLi had changed.
The way he sat with poise and rigidity of a well-trained soldier; the way his eyes were always wary of his surrounding; his calloused right hand -- his sword-wielding hand. The young man's entire being was like a sheathed sharp sword, but ready to be unsheathed to strike any moment if necessary.
This young man - Ji SongLi - had become a sword-master. As a spear-master himself, how could Zhen BuFeng not be itching to test his melee?
Ji LanBai grabbed SongLi's sleeve and excitedly intervened,
"Li-ge, we must celebrate your homecoming with cake!! The peach colored cake!!", then she turned to look at YuLan with eyes glittering, full of hope, "Right, YuLan?"
YuLan let out a soft chuckle. Ever since SongLi had left, although she had baked a few cakes, it was never the light fluffy berry chiffon cake she had made for LanBai's sixth birthday years ago. She was still unable to whip her own stiff egg-whites, so she just made do with denser type of cakes and cookies for the Young Miss.
"Of course it depends on your brother...," her hint was obvious.
SongLi smiled and was about to reply, when BuFeng interjected,
"Oh? the girly cloud-like cake you made the first time? I can help you with that."
YuLan, LanBai, and SongLi shifted their attention to look at the stern-looking young vice-commander. Zhen BuFeng coughed, tone of embarrassment in his voice,
"I can whip the egg-whites to the snow consistency now." he added, "I... have been training."
YuLan blinked her eyes a few times. A mental image of a stiff young man, in every way looking like a sturdy looking martial artist - wearing apron, whisking egg-whites... ,
"How... . Why... ." she only mustered in confusion.
Zhen BuFeng turned his neck to look at all directions, except her. Finally, he landed his eyes ruefully at the Crown Prince - accusing look in his sharp eyes.
"A certain Prince had been hassling a certain subject to train his hands for this... art of egg-whites. Finally this subject succeeded."
The Crown Prince coughed behind his fan.
Prince JunLi laughed,
"Ever since we left the Ji estate years ago, Miss YuLan," he narrated, "Eldest Brother could not forget how wonderful your cake tasted. So he pestered BuFeng to master it," he chuckled amusedly,
"After that, the rest was easy. The Palace's kitchen servants could do the rest."
Crown Prince KongJing snapped his fan against his palm, looking at his younger brother, his eyes twinkling in defensive light, "Second Younger Brother is not being fair. You and Third Brother GuoFu have also been enjoying the fruit of BuFeng's labour."
YOU ARE READING
One Lifetime Is Never Enough
Historical FictionShe thought she was going to die. She did. But the next time she opened her eyes , she found out that she was living a whole new life, as a little girl who was going to enter a noble household as a maid. However, a true pearl can never hide its lus...
