"Fat and round from eating," I grumble in between bites of my rice porridge. "Who's getting fat and round? I'm not some chicken you fatten up for dinner!"

We are sitting side-by-side at a table in Mo Ran's garden, and I've made some progress with the food. I can't eat too fast though, because I've just been insulted.

Mo Ran blinks and looks confused. "All the women I know like to be called fat and round. It means you are wealthy and cared for."

"Not this woman." I eat another spoonful. "Don't expect to win me over by fattening me up."

"Fei Fei."

The way he says my name compels me to stop eating. I lower my spoon and look at him.

He tucks some of my hair behind my ear. "Thank you, for giving me a chance. I thought I might have been too late in confessing to you, and that you wouldn't even want to try."

I blush and then wave my spoon at him. "You know, for a smart man who sees the future you say some dumb things. Must come from thinking too much, or maybe not having regular meals. I'm glad you confessed. If you hadn't I would have gone on chasing something that wasn't real."

"I was afraid what you had with him was real," he says. "I saw our future, but not enough of it to be certain of anything."

I continue playing with my spoon and frown. "When you kissed me, I felt something new. It was like falling from the sky into the pond for the first time. It scared me, it made me angry and boy it made me feel stupid."

He says nothing, though there is the hint of a smirk in the corner of his mouth.

"Now I know what it meant." I say. "Bei Tang Mo Ran, you are not my idol, or my crush, but you are the person I most want to see every day."

He blinks. "I think I understand some of what you're saying. This is a good thing, right?"

I take his hand. "I remember all the times you cared for me and listened to me, and I just took it for granted that you would always be around for me. Truth is, you have already won me over, because this world or any other without you wouldn't be worth living in."

His smile gets bigger and wider. He leans in and kisses my lips. It's a brief, soft, tender one. It is enough to send my heart racing again though.

When he stops, he looks at me and he kisses me again. I reach up and throw my arms around his neck. His hair brushes my fingers.

"It's our first day together." I finally say. "We need to celebrate getting together."

"How?" he asks, curious. "Luo Fei Fei, what are you thinking of?"

I give him an innocent look.

Soooo I ask Mo Ran's secret band to join us and we tell each other amazing stories of travel and adventure until the sun goes down. When the stars come out, I teach them how to sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and then we all sing it together. Someone pulls out an instrument, and I get to learn one of their songs too.

Mo Ran is smiling more than I've ever seen before. His smiles are all real ones too. Not those superior ones he usually gives to people when he is keeping secrets. He also tells this great story from his own adventures that involves a horse race across a desert.

"I want to go travelling with you someday," I say when we have a moment alone later.

He rests his hand on the top of my head and says imperiously, "You are my heart. You will travel with me all the time. You have no choice in the matter."

Pffft. He's being bossy. I shouldn't allow it, but he looks kind of cute this way. I decide to play along. "The Emperor made me a washer woman. How do you plan to get permission for me to travel with you?"

He shrugs. "You could marry me. That would make things a lot simpler."

I smile happily and then quickly try to hide it. That's the second time he's proposed to me today. Not that I'm counting or anything. "And miss out on all the great dates we could have as a new couple? No way!"

"Then you will have to travel with me as a servant. Don't worry, I'll bring lots of clothes for you to wash."

I gape at him. "You are joking, right? I am not washing your clothes."

"I'll have clothes made for you," he clarifies with a smirk. "You can wear them and wash those."

I glare at him, then turn and smile at the musicians. "Hi everyone! We're taking the party to another place! Just follow me and His Highness King Chen! He's paying."

"Fei Fei," Mo Ran says. "What am I paying for?"

"You'll see." I take his hand and lead him and his secret band out of the mansion. On the way, I see Yan Ran sitting alone. She looks miserable.

"Give me a moment alone," I say to Mo Ran. "Lead the men to town. I'll meet you there."

He sees Yan Ran and gives me a short nod. He goes over to join the men. I walk over to Yan Ran.

"Hi," I say, wondering what kind of response I'm going to get from her. "What are you doing here?"

"To see you." Yan Ran announces. "Not in the bath or . I swear I won't do that again, ever. Not to you or His Highness, or both of you. Never ever!"

"Oh." This conversation just got weird. "Okay. Good."

She frowns. "I'm not mad at you, I'm just feeling sad."

"Oh." I sit down next to her. "Do you want to talk?"

She bites her bottom lip. "We had to do a vote in the Constellation Owner's meeting this morning. I had to choose between His Majesty and His HIghness. I chose His Majesty."

She means that she chose Bei Tang Yi over Bei Tang Mo Ran. It's probably wise, given that she's going to marry Bei Tang Yi, but I don't say anything. I'm worried she made that decision because I told her about my feelings for Mo Ran.

She gives me a long look. "How was His Highness after the meeting today? Was he...happy? Does he seem mad?"

I sigh. She needs closure. "Come with me to a place."

Yan Ran follows me to join Mo Ran and the musicians. She tries to run away when she sees Mo Ran, but I hold on tight and drag her along. Soon, we all approach the doors to the House of Phoenix. The men cheer when they see Madame Yuan and her ladies. All of them except Mo Ran.

"Here?" Mo Ran demands. "How do you even know about this place?"

"I read it in a book somewhere." I slip my free hand around his arm and pull Yan Ran closer to me at the same time.

"We are here to celebrate and mourn love!" I say to them both. "There's nothing like a night of shame to put our differences behind us and move on."

"Lady Fei Fei," Madame Yuan waves her floaty hanky at my face. "What? Still want a job here as my favourite lady?"

I thump her arm. "Funny. Of course not!"

Mo Ran stares at me like he's never seen me before. How embarrassing.

Madame looks up at him and her face pales. "Of course not." She bows. "Your Highness, you and your esteemed guests are very welcome here."

I look at Mo Ran and give him a nod towards Madame Yuan.

"What is it?" he whispers.

"Payback for saying that I should wash your clothes, remember?"

He smiles, pays Madame and then puts his hand on my lower back as we go inside. "Be careful, Fei Fei. I'm very good at games."