A pot of magnolia brewed quietly in the military compound.
Two men sat side by side, overlooking the training ground where thousands of soldiers were presented. Kong Yunru took out a box of lavender, setting up to brew his own tea. "You wouldn't share, so I got my own. Now don't ask to drink mine."
Ou Junsan lazily turned his chin in his friend's direction. "Not interested."
Kong Yunru smiled, sure of himself, "Huh, you wouldn't say that if you know who got it for me."
Somehow, Ou Junsan's eyebrows furrowed. "Who?"
Kong Yunru held a lavender flower towards the sky, sunlight shining on the translucent petals. "Sister in law."
The flower was snatched into Ou Junsan's palm. It had not yet been in boiling water, but the flower burned against his skin. "Why did you bother her?"
"Hey, I didn't bother Mohua. She bought it for me as a gift since last time I helped her. Anyway, you stingy man can keep that one. I have lots here." True to his statement, the box was full to the brim.
Ou Junsan's fingers let go, and the flower fell onto the ground. A deep shade of purple against the brown dirt.
Kong Yunru nonchalantly continued on his small activity. "A quiet man like you, how do you talk to her? You're not as petty as you are to me, right?"
"We don't."
His mouth dropped. "You don't talk to her?"
"No."
"Not even at your parent's place?"
"No."
"Don't tell me, other than the very necessary words, you didn't utter a thing?"
"En."
Kong Yunru glanced at the man who calmly drank magnolia tea. Suddenly, he felt sorry for his friend. "My man, at this rate, you'll be single soon."
Ou Junsan placed down his cup. Unlike his usual self, he put enough effort to say further, "The silence isn't bad. It's comfortable somehow."
"Is that possible... Wait a minute, Ou Junsan, are you even aware of how scary you come off to others? A smile won't kill you, you know."
Ou Junsan stood up and Ou Jie trudged up to the tower. Before he left, he simply said, "Of me... she's not afraid."
Kong Yunru watched in silence and later, came down too. On his way, he asked a soldier, "Hey, don't you think our commander is weird today?"
"Aren't you also our commander?" The new recruit asked.
"I'm talking about Commander Ou. Isn't he a bit out of character today?"
"Ah, now that you mention it, there is something. You see that flower on the ground? Yes, that one, the commander ordered us to leave it alone. 'Let it sink in the rain,' he said."
"..." Kong Yunru kicked the dirt. Petty, so petty! What had his lavenders done to Ou Junsan's magnolias?
---
At Shen's Pharmacy, Shen Mohua carefully sorted the boxes of herbs. Every now and then, she'd stop to scribble a few notes down. Due to the rain, there were no customers in the shop.
Meng Jia walked into the storage room, her hands holding up a tray. "Mohua, take your medicine."
"En, coming." Over the years, she had become accustomed to obediently taking her medicine. There were no complaints of the bitter taste or of how many she had to take. The daily task was completed in a blink, only the mango in the girl's hands remained.
"Once your brother comes, you go home with him. Your father and I will be here until later."
"Yes, mother." Shen Mohua cleaned up the desk and looked out the window, waiting patiently.
It wasn't long when Shen Fai arrived. On his hand, he held a red umbrella. "A'mo, let's go."
The rain was pouring earlier, but now it was no more than soft drizzles. By the cobblestone paths, small shops were still opened. Shen Mohua glanced at her brother, who looked to be distracted. "Shen Fai?"
When he didn't answer, she followed his eyes to a figure. In the distance, there was a woman. Dressed in a white dress with blue floral embroideries and carrying a yellow umbrella, her beauty stood out like the sun after a heavy rain. Her fingers shook the little bells, brought it to her ears, and laughed in delight as if she had never heard such charming sounds before.
Shen Mohua nudged him. "Your beloved?"
"N-no," He quickly replied.
"Then, you like her?"
"N-no." Unbeknownst to him, the red tips of his ears already betrayed his feelings.
It was obvious he had a crush on the girl, but dared not admit it. She played along, "Mmm, okay."
After they passed the girl, he finally returned to himself. He suddenly remembered something, "Shen's Pharmacy will be closed for the next few days. Every year, on the week of the empress' birthday, the commoners ceased to work and the streets are filled festivities. Every street, every road, will be lit up in celebration."
"A'fai, you really know me well. Nothing sounds better than a full belly!" The brother and sister laughed together, then continued to converse lightly on the rest of their way home.
---
When Ou Junsan returned to his residence, he could sense Kong Yunru's presence in the corner of the room. "Did you forget something?"
"No, I have something." He took out the flower from his waist belt. "You see this? I brought it here to show you, the lavender won't sink in the rain."
"..." Ou Junsan draped his jacket onto the chair, and raised a towel to dry his hair. "That's it?"
"What do you mean, 'that's it?' This is the most important matter of the day." Kong Yunru held up a cup of tea. "Jun, lavender tea is indeed good. It's so much sweeter than the vinegar you've been having."
"Let me tell you something," Ou Junsan said, placing the towel back on the wall. "You know that old man by your house? Old Lin, his daughter likes you. You want me to tell her you like her?"
Thunk! The cup from Kong Yunru's hands dropped onto the table. "Jun, when did you become such a liar? Lin Qing has been chasing me since our toddler days, but I don't like her!"
"Do you think she'll believe you or me?"
"... You." Since young, Kong Yunru was a trickster. If Ou Junsan really lies to Lin Qing, she'll no doubt believe him. And then, she'll chase him everywhere!
Ou Junsan's lips curved to something similar to that of a smile. "Good that you know."
"Aiya, you're no fun, but don't forget who I am. I'm your best friend, your brother from another mother. No one knows you better than I do," Kong Yunru spoke, backing towards the doors. With a smug smile on his face, he continued once he was safely out, "Just wait until I tell sister in law about the bun. You can't lie to yourself, you lost your temper that time."
The two had been friends for years, he instinctively knew what Kong Yunru was referring to. Ou Junsan covered his ears to no avail. He was only blind, not deaf. That annoying friend's voice echoed loudly through the corridors, possibly all the servants in the manor heard his words.
"The one who threw the bun and broke that bald man's teeth wasn't me. It was you. It was you, Ouyang Junsan!"