(My computer screen is busted and the place we went to doesn't have the part to fix it, so I get to type chapters on my phone until we find it 😐)

"Are you sure it'll work...?"

"It's not just any old wig. So long as the bangs are over your eyes, nobody will recognize you."

"Have you tested it?

"A handful of times, I have one of my own. It was meant to be a birthday gift years ago so we could hang out without being recognized, but then you..." Jing Yuan seemed to choose his words carefully before smiling, "Well, you made sure your comrades got home safely, and took your sweet time coming back."

Y/n cracked a small smile. Surprisingly, the mere mention of the incident didn't cause her pain. What did cause her pain, was the fact that he was so prepared to ditch duties back then just to go out and goof off with her. This little... he never learned, did he?

"Well.. how do I look? Like myself?" y/n inquired, brushing the blonde bangs over her eyes again.

"Like a completely different person. Even your voice sounds different. You ought to be careful, though. People who may know you well might recognize certain tones, so be mindful of that." Jing Yuan advised as y/n marveled at the wig with a thoughtful look, clearly planning all kinds of shenanigans she'd use it for.

"Hmm... then maybe we should consider testing it out?" y/n inquired with a little grin, "Aurum Alley, you still go hang out there, don't you? Let's grab a bite to eat!"

"You're still hungry?"

"Duh, I want something sweet."

Jing Yuan cracked a small smile, "Haa... I guess we could for a short while. On the way there, why don't you tell me what you've been up to?"

"What I've been up to...?" y/n murmured. As the gears turned in her brain, her cheeks grew progressively hotter and hotter until she jolted with a little, "Ah—! N-No thanks, I'd rather hear about you instead!"

"Me? Well, there's really nothing all that interesting."

"I insist! You always have interesting experiences!"

"Mm... if you're certain."

The pair of them began making their way towards Aurum Alley, Jing Yuan talking about how peaceful his mornings used to be while y/n listened attentively. He didn't have her full attention, though. Part of her was trying to locate the source of that STENCH in the air, while the other was frantically trying to mentally beat away the embarrassing memories from Penacony.

He wanted to know about her? Ha! She would never tell him what happened! She'd rather die than tell him! And since that wouldn't be happening anytime soon, the secret would stay between herself and the few people who witnessed it.

Just to keep the two of them out of trouble, Jing Yuan put on his own little wig—y/n couldn't help but tease him over how cute he looked with pink hair, the relentless playful comments from his companion leaving him with a little rosiness in his cheeks.

"You look like a peach," y/n remarked as they strolled through Aurum Alley together, giving him a cheeky little grin, "We should give you an alias!"

"An alias?" Jing Yuan echoed.

"Of course, specifically when we go wandering together like this!" y/n replied with a nod, crossing her arms as she glanced up at the sky, "Mm... I was thinking something like Taojun. Or... Jianxia!"

"If you get to give me an alias, do I get to give you one?" Jing Yuan inquired with a little smile, only for his companion gave him a little waggle of her pointer finger.

"Nope, I'm already called Rhea! Remember?"

"Well, we can just say this alias of yours is one you use aboard the Luofu. Nothing strange about that," the General pointed out, chuckling at the blank stare y/n gave him.

"You just wanna give me another nickname..."
"You'll like this one, I promise."

The pair of them stopped by Delicacy Pavilion, taking a seat and enjoying some chili oil beef offal stew. Contrary to y/n's statement about her wanting sweets, it turned out she was still eager for something savory.

As they were eating, y/n perked up at the sound of someone calling, "Dumplings and steamed buns—the buns are huge! Just a few and you'll be full!"

Oh, she didn't need to be told twice-!

As soon as the pair finished eating, y/n dragged Jing Yuan across the street to buy some dumplings. As they took a seat on some steps, people passing by and the lanterns overheard glowing with a gentle warmth, their conversation drifted a little.

"How have you been lately?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your companions told me that leading up to the battle against Phantylia, you'd been experiencing near constant pain. How has your condition changed?" Jing Yuan pressed.

"Since when were you a physician?" y/n mumbled before heaving a sigh, "I'm... better." 'Save for my troubled dreams nowadays,' "I'm not in pain." 'I'm constantly being watched.' "I feel..." 'Scared, confused, uneasy, like I'm trapped in my own damn skin.' "...thirsty. Let's go get some amber huadiao wine."

Jing Yuan regarded her for a long moment before helping her to her feet, "Lucky for you, I have some I was saving for just the two of us."

"Huh? Really? Are you talking about...?"

"Mhm, that one."

Y/n's lips quirked up into a small smile, "Ha, I remember. Will it taste any good? I mean, back then I didn't know 💩 about making amber huadiao wine."

"Neither did I, but there's only one way to find out," Jing Yuan hummed with a warm smile, "What do you say? Would you mind spending a little extra time with your old friend?"

"Haa... what a hassle..." y/n sighed playfully, looping her arm with Jing Yuan's and resting her head on his shoulder, "I suppose I could... you're lucky to have me by your side, Jianxia."

The General let out an amused chuckle, "What a gracious and selfless friend you are, Huilian."

They two exchanged a little glance before snickering, making their way to go retrieve that wine they'd waited so long to enjoy together. They were young and—let's just say—stupid when they made it. They had zero clue on what they were doing, nor what they were making it for. The making of that wine was an impulsive, spur of the moment type thing.

It was only while they were making it that they started to ask themselves what they were even making it for.

"Maybe it can be for Miss Baiheng," a young Jing Yuan had suggested as y/n him in separating the mixture into five different gourds, "Like... when she explores and documents everything in the universe."

"Like that's gonna happen, foxians don't live nearly long enough for something like that. Besides, she's like— super reckless. I have a feeling she'd kick the bucket before then," y/n had remarked, "I know Dan Feng's can be for when he reincarnates again! We can share it with him and talk about old memories!"

"Would he really be willing to do that?"

"He can't be prickly and cold in every lifetime. Besides, being a High Elder must be lonely. I didn't like being lonely when I was little, so he's gotta have good friends in his next life!"

"What about Yingxing's?" Jing Yuan questioned, "What will his be for? I mean, it won't get much time to age."

"Mm... maybe when he gets married."

"..." "..."

The two had paused before exchanging a glance, "Like hell that would ever happen." "Agreed, let's save it for his... 80th birthday. He's healthy enough to live that long."

"What about your Master, Jing Yuan?" the young y/n inquired, "What will the wine we make for her be given to her?"

"Well... I'm not sure. It's gotta be a really special occasion..." Jing Yuan had murmured with a contemplative look.

"When you surpass her, for sure?"
"Hehe, guess hers will have lots of time to age."

"Guess so, but that doesn't mean you can slack off and be lazy with training. Continue to do your best!" y/n had declared before glancing at the final guard, "And... this one?"

"That can be ours! We can drink it... once every century!"

"What if we miss out a century?"

"We make up for it the next time we drink—how about it?"

"I think I like that idea."

"Hey now, don't fall and hurt your back."

"I won't!"

Y/n watched with a little look of concern as Jing Yuan—now without his wig—climbed an old tree at the edge of Central Starskiff Haven. She waited quietly at the bottom as her friend reached into a gap in the tree's trunk, perking up when he pulled out a gourd with a little smile, "Here it is."

"Where should we drink it?" y/n inquired as the man safely made his way back down, "I can't think of a good spot..."

"Mm... it doesn't look like we can drink it now, so let's decide on that later," y/n gave Jing Yuan a quizzical look and he gestured to the gourd where familiar handwriting was visible.

It featured a date—sixteen days later, as well as a small message clearly written by y/n: 'Only to be enjoyed on the XXth day of the Wardance. (˶º⤙º˶)'

"Aw man... what am I supposed to do in the meantime? I'm certain you'll be too busy to hang out with me..." y/n mumbled with a small pout.

"Just lay low and be mindful. I'm sure your brother wouldn't mind an extra pair of hands at the restaurant," Jing Yuan hummed with a warm smile, giving y/n a pat on the shoulder, "Just be sure to keep your friend well informed—we wouldn't want them to be worried."

"Haa... you're right. I'll be sure to do that," y/n replied with a nod, "You sure you don't want my assistance with paperwork? I wouldn't want you to be overwhelmed."

"I'll be alright, nothing lifts my spirits more than some quality time with you," Jing Yuan assured her with a warm smile, leaning closer, "But, if you're offering..."

"I take it back." "How cold..."

"Tell you what, stop by the restaurant when you have the time." y/n suggested before leaning in as well until she was a mere centimeters away from brushing noses with her friend, "I'm sure the new hire would be glad to cook you something to perk you right back up."

"Mm, I think I like the sound of that. Is it free?"
"Of course not."

As the two went back and forth, Caelus—always in the wrong place at the wrong time—watched them with a flabbergasted look. From his point of view, the General was being flirtatious with some random chick who DEFINITELY wasn't y/n*in his eyes*.

He watched silently as the two chatted a little longer before going their separate ways. Caelus stood there, wondering if he was just tired. He'd spent the day reassuring March 7th about her upcoming training with Yanqing and Yunli.

She'd been asking if y/n could help her, but the woman had been missing and hadn't said a word to them ever since they'd told Jing Yuan where they left her and he'd gone to go retrieve her.

'I thought she was with him, but who is this lady?!' Caelus wondered, 'EEK! THEY'RE SO CLOSE! ARE THEY GONNA— oh nah, I've gotta get outta here.'

He fled in a hurry, ready to go yap to Dan Heng and March 7th back at the inn. As he skedaddled, y/n felt a little uneasy while Jing Yuan was suggesting having some tea instead to quench her thirst.

She couldn't quite understand why... but her worries were immediately washed away when Jing Yuan suggested that they spend a little more time together—ten minutes.

Those ten minutes were precious, so y/n made a silent vow to keep her attention on Jing Yuan and Jing Yuan alone for the little bit of time they had left together.

. 　。　　⋆　　•　 　ﾟ　　。 .　.　.　。 .　。
⋆　　　。　　 ⋆。　 ඞ 。　 . • . . ⁎ 。　. 　。　.　　⋆. 　　。 .　 .　　 . ⋆. 。. ⁎ 。•　 　ﾟ　　。

Y/n spent two days reassuring her companions that she was alright without outright telling them about her predicament. She let them now she would be resting up at home, to which her friends gave her thumbs up and asked her to take it easy.

Easy? Pfft, like hell she'd do that. All day, every day—NON STOP GRIND. ...in the kitchen.

"You... want to help me. For free?"

Yun gave y/n a puzzled look, in the middle of carrying groceries back to the restaurant, "What did you say your name was again...?"

"Rhea," y/n replied nervously.

"And you need a job because...?"
"There was a change in my plans, so I'll be returning home in fifteen days. Till then, I just wanted something to do."

"Well... I guess I could use the help around here," Yun murmured, "Your assistance would be appreciated, Miss Rhea."

"Great! When do I start?"
"Now would be nice, come help me set up."

Y/n was practically glowing as Yun explained what he needed her to do and talked her through which meals were which. She knew all of this, of course, but she was just so happy to be near her younger brother.

She hardly knew anything about him, but she wanted to know more! Unfortunately... when he was in work mode, there was no talking to him.

Throughout the first few days, y/n found that Yun was constantly locked in during work hours. He was either preparing food, taking them tot shoes, or rushing out to make deliveries. He hardly stopped for breaks, and only ate pre prepared meals he kept stored away.

Y/n felt bad that he had less because he was feeding her too, but he always insisted that she eat well and keep her strength up even when she asked if he was alright.

The Cloud Knights who stopped by for meals were very fond of him, affectionately greeting him and asking how he'd been. Y/n watched quietly—while still working diligently, of course—as her brother ran the restaurant throughout the day.

They really did have the same mother, he was so similar to her... that intense look in his eye he had when cooking, that delighted little grin he wore when people enjoyed his cooking, and that motherly tendency to constantly ensure that y/n's meals were balanced and filling when they sat together and ate in the evenings.

It was nice to see Yun just... living. Seeing who he was as a person, despite everything that had happened. And boy, was he snappy too...

"I'd heard that there was a highly renowned restaurant in Starskiff Haven, but I hadn't realized it was run by someone so young,"

Y/n glanced up from where she was taking someone's order, spotting her brother near the entrance with some empty dishes in hand. Another foxian was with him, one with pink hair and a pleasant little smile. He seemed nice enough, but she couldn't shake a little feeling that his presence was something to pay attention too.

"I've only just recently begun running this place on my own, but I've been taught well," Yun replied simply, "Are you here for a meal? If so, there's a couple of open seats. Sit wherever you'd like."

Y/n tore her gaze away from the two foxians as they chatted, locking into a rather... suspicious corner of the restaurant. She scrutinized it in silence, waiting for whatever had caught her attention to slip up and reveal itself, but she rushed back to the kitchen to retrieve another order before she could get that slip up.

The pink haired foxian took a seat, Yun returning to relay his order to her as he went back to cooking and y/n fetched everything he needed before rushing back out to continue keeping the flow of orders and dirty dishes moving.

That suspicious corner didn't seem very suspicious after a while—rather the slightly ajar seat next to the pink haired foxian. Hmm... what was it that was making her tingle?

Eventually, Yun handed the foxian's order to her. It was under the name Jiaoqiu. Looked more like a meal for two... maybe he just really liked food?

She perked up at the sound of voices and glanced at his table. Inconspicuous... normal, but he'd definitely been conversing with someone. And she knew she'd heard another, very quiet voice. Mmrgh... how suspicious.

She wandered over with his meal, setting it down before immediately retreating from the table to get back to work. Maybe she was just being paranoid—the dude hadn't really given her any reason to be suspicious of him.

He ate his meal, gave Yun his thanks and compliments which left the boy beaming with pride, then went in his way—taking that odd presence that had y/n on edge with him.

They day went by business as usual, eventually leaving y/n and her brother eating dinner together after cleaning up.

"Hey Boss, I've noticed you've been getting up early a lot," y/n commented as they were washing dishes together one evening, "How come?"

"Well... I do need to get groceries..."

"We get groceries together."

Yun hesitated, "It's... kind of embarrassing. I've actually been training a lot. To learn how to fight with a spear."

"A spear? Fighting?" y/n echoed.

"I know it's stupid... but, I've always wanted to become a Cloud Knight. My brother was one... my sister was one... while I never met my older brother, I was actually in awe of my older sister when I finally met her," Yun's tail began to wag a bit, "She was so cool, really strong too, and she could fight with anything that was given to her. I wanted to be like her, I wanted to learn from her, but... stuff happened."

His ears drooped a little and y/n paused as she dried a plate, giving him a solemn look, "I see... well, uh, I'm not... the person you wanted to learn from, but I have some experience in spearmanship. I'd be glad to help you learn."

The boy gave her a little excited look, "Really?"

"We're closed tomorrow, right? I can give you some pointers then." y/n replied with a warm smile.

"Ah, but... there's still deliveries. I've even got a really important one scheduled for tomorrow at the Shackling Prison." Yun murmured with a worried look.

"I'll go with you, then."

"I'm not sure if they'll let you in, Rhea..."

Y/n tilted her head as her brother contemplated the matter silently before heaving a sigh, "Ah, I'm sure they won't mind. I've got good friends there, they can recognize good people like you. Besides, I'll need help carrying all those meals."

"So it's decided, then! Tomorrow, after we make all the deliveries, we'll train!" y/n chirped and Yun nodded with a little smile of his own.

"Yeah, let's do that."

Yun ushered y/n off to bed after that, and she went right to sleep when she hit the sack. Surprisingly, her little visitor didn't pester her in her dreams this time. Not that she minded, she awoke bright and early to aid Yun in buying groceries and prepping those meals he needed to deliver.

They spent the earlier part of the day getting the basic deliveries out of the way, getting lots done in good time. And then, it was time. They gathered a 💩 ton of meals, Yun surprising y/n with how damn strong he was despite his smaller stature, and made their way to Scalegorge Waterscape where the prison was located.

A guard greeted them at the entrance, seeming to recognize Yun long before they'd gotten close encounter to speak.

"Good to see you, Yun! I hope the trip wasn't too much of a hassle," the woman greeted, to which the boy gave her a little warm smile.

"It wasn't. Usually id have to make two trips, but I had some help this time. This is Rhea, she's working at the restaurant for a bit," Yun hummed.

"Thanks for helping the kid out, Miss Rhea." the guard chimed, turning her attention to y/n, "He works himself ragged most of time, so it's nice to see someone helping him out. Come on, I'll show you guys where to bring the food."

She waved another guard over to take her place before gesturing for the pair to follow, leading