The third day dawned with a clarity that seemed almost offensive to me. My body protested less than before, but it remained a constant reminder that this biological machine needed urgent maintenance. I got up, washed my face with cold water, and headed to the Pavilion of Silent Bamboo.
Liling was already awake, organizing ingredients in the kitchen. Her hair was tied up in a less elaborate way than usual, as if she had been in a hurry. When she saw me enter, she smiled.
"Good morning, Kenji. You arrived early again."
"Good morning. What do you need me to do?"
She pointed to the workbench with a nod.
"Help me with breakfast. And tell me, did you finish reading the book on nutrition and Qi?"
"Yes."
"All of it?"
"Most of it."
Liling put down the knife she was holding and looked at me with that expression between amusement and disbelief that I was beginning to recognize.
"Another night without sleep?"
"I slept a couple of hours. It is enough."
"No, it isn't," she said, but her tone was soft, almost maternal. "You are going to collapse if you keep this up."
"I am not going to collapse. I am just making the most of my time."
She shook her head but did not insist. I took my position beside her and we began to prepare breakfast. There was something comfortable about working in silence with Liling; two people doing a job they both understood.
After a few minutes, I spoke.
"The book mentioned something about the temperature of food and its effect on Qi flow."
"Oh?" Liling did not look up from the vegetables she was cutting. "What did it say?"
"That cultivators with a fire affinity respond better to warm or hot foods. Something about how temperature helps maintain internal circulation without creating resistance."
Liling stopped. She looked at me.
"Why do you mention that?"
"Because I have noticed that Lady Xiao Yue trains with fire techniques. I saw it the other day when we were observing. Her hands glowed with heat during some of the forms."
"Observant," Liling said with approval. "Yes, the Lady has a fire affinity. A strong one, in fact. But why is that relevant?"
"Because her breakfast includes cold pickled fish and room-temperature tea."
The silence stretched out. Liling frowned, thinking.
"I never... I never thought about that. I have always served her what the kitchens send over."
"It is not your fault. No one thinks about these things because they operate on established routines."
Liling studied me for a long moment.
"What do you propose?"
"Small changes. Serving the tea hot instead of lukewarm. Lightly warming the fish instead of serving it cold. Hot soups instead of cold salads whenever possible."
"And you think that will help?"
I shrugged.
"I do not know for certain. But the book was clear about the theory. And if it does not help, at least it will not do any harm."
Liling considered this. Then she nodded, decided.
"Let's do it. We start today. But subtly. We don't want the Lady to realize we are experimenting on her."
"Exactly."
We worked together modifying the breakfast. The fish was briefly heated in a pan. The tea was prepared at a higher temperature. We added a small hot miso soup to the menu. When we finished, Liling inspected everything with a critical eye.
"It looks good. As if we had always done it this way."
"That is the point."
We served breakfast as usual. Xiao Yue entered at her exact time, wearing her habitual cold expression. She sat down without a word and began to eat. Liling and I waited in silence, observing discreetly.
Xiao Yue took a sip of the tea. She paused. She looked at the cup for a second, then continued drinking. She said nothing, but I noticed the smallest change in her posture: an almost imperceptible relaxation in her shoulders.
Interesting.
She finished breakfast without comment and withdrew. When the door closed, Liling looked at me with bright eyes.
"Did you see that?"
"The pause with the tea. Yes."
"She noticed something was different."
"But she didn't ask."
"Because it was a pleasant difference," Liling said with satisfaction. "This could work, Kenji."
The following days followed a similar pattern. Every morning, Liling and I prepared breakfast with the subtle modifications. Every afternoon, we did the same with lunch and dinner. Xiao Yue never asked directly, but I noticed small changes in her behavior. She ate a bit more. Her expression seemed slightly less tense after meals. Nothing dramatic, just marginal improvements.
On the fifth day, while we were cleaning up after lunch, Liling nudged me playfully with her shoulder.
"Hey."
"What?"
"Thank you."
I looked at her, confused.
"For what?"
"For helping. Most servants only do the bare minimum. You... you really want the Lady to improve."
I didn't know what to say to that. The truth was complicated. Yes, I wanted Xiao Yue to improve, but not for the reasons Liling probably imagined. She was a valuable resource being poorly managed. A wasted talent. Correcting that made sense from any perspective. But telling Liling that would sound cold and calculating.
So I said something simpler and also true.
"No one should be ignored just because others fail to see their value."
Liling looked at me with that intensity she sometimes showed, as if she were seeing right through me.
"I like you, Kenji; you are very strange."
"I will take that as a compliment."
"You should."
From that day on, something changed in my dynamic with Liling. She became more relaxed. She no longer maintained that constant professional distance. She started making jokes more frequently. Sometimes, when we worked together, she would lean against my shoulder to point something out, or push me gently when I said something she found funny. It wasn't anything inappropriate, just a closeness that hadn't existed before.
On the seventh day, while we were washing dishes together, she asked me about my life before the clan.
"Where are you really from, Kenji?"
"From far away."
"That isn't an answer."
"It's the only one I have."
She frowned, but she didn't insist. Instead, she changed tactics.
"Do you have family?"
"No."
"Friends?"
"You, I suppose."
Liling stopped. She looked at me with genuine surprise.
"You consider me your friend?"
Crap. Did I say something wrong?
"Are you not?"
Her expression softened. She smiled, and this time there was no trace of mockery in it.
"Yes. Yes, I am. It just surprised me that you said it so directly."
"I see no reason not to be direct."
"Most people do." She went back to the dishes. "But I like your way of being. You are very direct."
By the tenth day, the changes in Xiao Yue were more noticeable. During breakfast on the ninth day, she had finished all her food for the first time since I arrived. On the tenth, when Liling served her the hot tea, Xiao Yue spoke.
"The tea is different."
Liling and I exchanged a quick glance. She responded with her usual professional voice.
"Different how, My Lady?"
"Hotter. But it is... pleasant."
"Would you like us to prepare it differently?"
"No." Xiao Yue took another sip. "Keep it this way."
When we left the room, Liling was practically jumping with excitement. She grabbed my arm with both hands.
"It worked! She noticed and she liked it!"
"Take it easy," I said, but I couldn't help smiling a little. "It is only a small step."
"All journeys begin with small steps," Liling said, still clinging to my arm. She realized what she was doing and let go quickly, though her smile didn't fade. "Sorry. I get excited easily."
"It's no problem."
"You are very patient with me, you know? The Lady always says I talk too much and that I'm too energetic."
"Energy isn't a bad thing. Just... intense."
Liling laughed.
"Intense. I like that word. It's better than 'exhausting,' which is what most people say."
During the following days, I continued to observe Xiao Yue during her morning training sessions. Liling had given me tacit permission to do so, as long as I was discreet. Every morning, after serving breakfast, I would slip away to the side window to watch.
The patterns became clearer with each session. Xiao Yue was disciplined to a point that bordered on obsessive. She repeated the same forms fifty, sixty times. Her technique was impeccable in terms of visual execution, but there was something rigid in it. It was as if she were following instructions from a manual without fully understanding them.
On the eleventh day, I noticed something specific. During one particular sequence, Xiao Yue made a transition from a low stance to a high palm strike. The movement was beautiful and fluid. But right at the midpoint of the transition, there was a fraction of a second where her Qi dispersed. I saw it by the brief flicker of the flames around her hand.
There is the problem. The transition breaks the flow.
It wasn't a technical error; it was something more fundamental. But I didn't have enough knowledge to fully diagnose it yet. I needed to study more.
That night, after Xiao Yue retired to her private quarters, I stayed in the pavilion's small study. Liling found me there, surrounded by open books and sheets filled with notes.
"Still awake," she said, leaning against the doorframe. "What are you doing?"
"Researching something."
"About what?"
I hesitated. But Liling had proven to be trustworthy, so I told her the truth.
"About transitions in combat forms and how they affect Qi flow."
Liling entered the room and sat across from me.
"Did you notice something in the Lady's training?"
"Perhaps. I am not sure yet."
"You can tell me. I won't think you are being presumptuous."
I sighed.
"There is a moment in one of her sequences where her Qi disperses. It is brief, but consistent. It happens every time she makes that particular transition."
Liling frowned, thoughtful.
"Which transition?"
"The one going from a low stance to a high palm strike."
"Ah, I know that one. It is one of her favorites." Liling leaned forward. "Why does it disperse?"
"I don't know yet. It could be a synchronization problem between the physical movement and internal circulation. Or perhaps the sequence was designed for someone with a different constitution."
"And can you fix it?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "I am barely learning the fundamentals. Diagnosing complex problems is currently beyond my reach."
"But you want to try."
"Yes."
Liling watched me for a long moment. Then she smiled, but this time there was something softer in her expression.
"The Lady is lucky to have you, you know?"
"I haven't done anything yet."
"You have done more than you think." She stood up. "I'm going to sleep. You should do the same."
"In a moment."
"Kenji."
I looked at her. Her expression was serious.
"Sleep. The Lady needs you to be alert tomorrow, not fainting from exhaustion."
She was right. I closed the books and nodded.
"Alright. Goodnight, Liling."
"Goodnight."
The twelfth day brought an unexpected change. During breakfast, Xiao Yue spoke more than usual.
"Liling."
"Yes, My Lady?"
"My energy has improved this week. Did you change something in my diet?"
Liling looked at me briefly before responding.
"We have adjusted the temperatures of some foods, My Lady, so that they better complement your fire affinity."
"I see." Xiao Yue took another sip of tea. "Was it your idea?"
"Kenji suggested it, My Lady. He read about it in one of the books."
Xiao Yue's golden eyes settled on me. I remained still, my gaze respectful but not submissive.
"You read about my elemental affinity and deduced that warmer foods would be beneficial?"
"Yes, My Lady."
"Thank you." She continued eating. "Continue with the adjustments. They are working."
When we left, Liling was practically beaming with joy.
"She acknowledged you! The Lady acknowledged you!"
"It was just basic logic."
"To you, maybe. To the rest of us, it's impressive." Liling hugged me impulsively, squeezing me hard before letting go quickly, blushing slightly. "Sorry. I got excited again."
The thirteenth day was quiet. Normal routine, no incidents. But on the fourteenth day, everything changed.
Xiao Yue had finished her morning training earlier than usual. Liling had gone out to collect some supplies from the main kitchens, leaving me alone in the pavilion. I was in the small study, reading another one of Xiao Yue's books, when I heard soft footsteps.
I looked up. Xiao Yue was at the door, still in her training clothes. Her red hair was loose, falling in waves over her shoulders. She looked... more human like this. Less like an ice statue and more like a real person.
"My Lady," I said, standing up quickly. "Do you need something?"
"Sit."
I obeyed. She entered the room, observing the books scattered in front of me.
"You are reading Advanced Meridian Theory."
"Yes, My Lady."
"That is a difficult text. Most outer disciples find it incomprehensible."
"It is challenging," I admitted, "but understandable if you take the time."
Xiao Yue picked up one of my papers, reading my notes. Her expression did not change, but I felt her evaluating me again.
"Your writing is clear."
"Thank you, My Lady."
"Why are you so interested in cultivation?"
It was a direct question. It deserved an honest answer.
"Because everything is new to me. I want to understand it."
"What you seek is understanding..."
"Understanding always has value, even if I cannot use it directly. It helps me understand how this place works. How the people here work."
Xiao Yue fell silent for a moment. Then, surprisingly, she sat across from me. Like one person talking to another.
"I do not usually trust someone easily."
"I understand, My Lady."
"Do you?" Her golden eyes studied me. "Do you understand what it is like to be ignored by your own family? To be treated like a mistake just because the heir is already written?"
The question contained pain, though her voice remained controlled. It wasn't a rhetorical question; it was real.
"Not exactly that experience," I said carefully. "But I understand what it is like to work hard and have no one notice. I understand the frustration of having potential and having others waste it for stupid reasons."
Xiao Yue watched me for a long moment.
"Did you work hard before coming here?"
"Yes."
"At what?"
I couldn't tell her the whole truth. But I could give her something.
"At solving problems. At making broken systems work better. At finding solutions that others didn't see."
"And here you are a servant."
"For now."
That caught her attention. One of her eyebrows arched slightly.
"For now?"
"People can change their position if they demonstrate value. Even in a system as rigid as this one."
"An optimistic philosophy for someone in your position."
"It isn't optimism. I have seen how this clan works. There is room for movement if you know where to look."
"And where are you looking?"
The question was direct, almost challenging. I stood my ground.
"Here. Working for you."
"Why?"
"Because you are underestimated. And underestimated things are the best investments."
The silence stretched. I expected her to be offended, that my language was too familiar or my logic too calculating. But instead, something unexpected happened.
Xiao Yue smiled. It was barely a slight movement at the corners of her lips, but it was there.
"Investments," she repeated. "You speak in a strange way, Kenji."
"I know, My Lady."
"But it isn't unpleasant. Just... different." She stood up. "Continue studying. If you are going to work for me, I prefer you to be educated rather than ignorant."
"Understood, My Lady."
She walked toward the door, then stopped.
"Kenji."
"Yes?"
"The improvements in my diet. They were a clever observation."
"Thank you, My Lady."
"If you notice other things, other... inefficiencies, you may mention them. Not directly during meals. But you can leave me notes. Written notes."
My heart raced slightly. It was an opening.
"I will, My Lady."
Xiao Yue nodded and left. I sat there, processing what had just happened.
When Liling returned twenty minutes later, she found me still in the study with an expression that must have been revealing.
"What happened?" she asked immediately.
"The Lady came to talk to me."
Liling's eyes widened enormously.
"What? About what?"
"About... several things. About why I study. About my work here."
"And?"
"And I think I made the right decision coming to this pavilion."
Liling smiled, then stepped closer and ruffled my hair affectionately.
"I told you. You are exactly what the Lady needed."
"I haven't done anything yet."
"You already did something. You made her smile. When was the last time anyone managed that?"
I had no answer for that. So I simply nodded and went back to my books. But this time, there was a flickering sense of satisfaction in my chest.
Progress. Slow, but verifiable. Exactly as it should be.
That night, as I prepared for sleep, I reviewed the last fourteen days. The improvements in Xiao Yue's diet were working. Liling had become a genuine ally, even a friend. And Xiao Yue, the cold and unreachable woman, had given me permission to offer observations.
I had established trust. Slowly, with small but deliberate steps.