Xiaoman grabbed a scorpion and threw it into the censer.
Gouzi and Ya Dan bent over, their bottoms sticking up, and huddled by the censer, trying to see inside through the small holes in the lid.
The censer trembled for only a few seconds before returning to stillness.
"How many seconds?"
Gouzi turned and asked Ya Dan.
Ya Dan replied, "Five seconds, maybe less."
She wasn't sure if her silent count matched the actual time, but it was roughly in that ballpark, between four and six seconds.
"Is it dead?" The two turned and looked at Xiaoman.
Xiaoman picked up the censer and shook it, her expression becoming a little strange. She looked at Gouzi and Ya Dan, and they looked back at her. A moment of silence fell between them.
"Say something!"
Gouzi pressed impatiently.
"It's dead!" Xiaoman said. "Not only is it dead, but it seems to have turned into a pool of blood."
Gouzi and Ya Dan: "..."
Holy hell, that poisonous?
Gouzi glanced at the censer in Xiaoman's hand, then at his own hand, or rather, through his hand at the blood flowing within.
How come after eating my own blood, this thing became even more poisonous?
Speaking of which, if it were to bite me again now, would I turn into a pool of blood, or would it get a full meal?
This was a question worth pondering.
Lü Wan stood at the doorway, watching the three children gathered around a censer in the room. Ya Dan was the first to spot Lü Wan. She tugged at Gouzi, then glanced at Xiaoman, before turning with a smile to greet Lü Wan, "Hello, Sister Lü Wan."
Ya Dan thought her little gesture was subtle, but Lü Wan saw it all. Without exposing the children's little secret, she nodded towards them and responded with a smile, then said to them, "Are you busy now? If not, the Mistress wants you to go to Xinyuan Pavilion for dinner."
Xiaoman placed the censer on the table and turned, blocking the censer as if by accident. She then said to Lü Wan, "Sister Lü Wan, you go ahead. We'll be there shortly."
Lü Wan didn't ask further, merely saying, "Then be prompt. The Mistress is waiting."
"Understood, Sister Lü Wan."
Xiaoman nodded vigorously, indicating she wouldn't keep her lady waiting too long.
"Alright."
Lü Wan turned and left. Ya Dan leaned against the window, watching Lü Wan depart through a gap, then turned to Xiaoman and Gouzi, saying, "She's gone."
Xiaoman breathed a sigh of relief. She untied the cloth bag at her waist, placed the censer inside, and hid it under the bed. She looked around, then pulled out a chest from under the bed and pushed it in, finally standing up with satisfaction, patting her clothes and dusting her hands.
She turned, her gaze falling on Gouzi's hand. She felt the bite mark on his tiger's mouth was a bit too obvious. She turned to ask Ya Dan for gauze. Ya Dan found the gauze, and Xiaoman gave Gouzi a makeshift bandage. Seeing her handiwork, Xiaoman nodded with satisfaction.
"Let's go!"
She tossed the gauze onto the table, beckoned to the other two, and led the way out the door.
Gouzi twitched the corner of his mouth.
Why did he feel the bandage made it even more conspicuous? Were Nan Shiying and the old man sure they wouldn't examine his wound and re-bandage it after seeing this?
Ya Dan put the gauze away and then hurried after them.
Xiaoman swaggered towards Xinyuan Pavilion, with Gouzi and Ya Dan walking somewhat hesitantly behind.
The servants at Xinyuan Pavilion were accustomed to Xiaoman's lack of propriety. Before the maids could announce them, she, with Gouzi and Ya Dan in tow, walked in, stopping only outside the main door.
"Come in!"
Lü Wan opened the door, stepped aside, and invited the three inside.
Xiaoman, with Gouzi and Ya Dan, entered the room, walked past the screen, and into the inner chambers.
"My Lady~"
Xiaoman curtsied prettily, then glanced at Gouzi and Ya Dan.
Gouzi was momentarily taken aback. He noticed that Nan Shiying rarely curtsied. Although he understood clearly in his heart that she was the esteemed Princess Regent, he sometimes subconsciously overlooked it. Now, being in the prince's mansion, he truly felt the majesty and formality conveyed by the title "Princess Regent."
He knelt on one knee.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Ya Dan knelt on both knees and said the same, "Greetings, Your Highness."
"Alright, come in quickly!"
Nan Shiying beckoned to the three, inviting them to sit and chat. The Poisonous Elder and she happened to have three empty seats. Xiaoman pulled Ya Dan up, took her hand, led her to a chair, and sat down beside her after arranging her seating.
"What are you standing around for? Come and sit."
After she settled down, she remembered Gouzi. The Poisonous Elder beckoned Gouzi. He was usually quite sharp, so why had he become so dazed after entering the prince's mansion?
"Oh, oh!"
Gouzi responded, walking over and sitting down beside Xiaoman.
Nan Shiying picked up the teapot to pour them tea. Lü Wan reached out to take it, but Xiaoman quickly intercepted the task. What logic dictated that a maid should serve the lady?
Seeing this, Lü Wan retreated to the side.
Ya Dan stood up, about to take over Xiaoman's task.
Xiaoman pushed her back with a hand, "You stay put."
Ya Dan, forced back into her seat, looked at Nan Shiying and then at the Poisonous Elder. She felt a bit uneasy just sitting there without doing anything.
"Here, have an orange!"
As Xiaoman poured water, she picked up an orange and stuffed it into Ya Dan's hand.
Ya Dan peeled the orange, separating the segments. She looked around and, not seeing an empty small dish, arranged the orange segments in her palm. Xiaoman placed the last cup of tea in front of herself before setting down the teapot and sitting down. Ya Dan extended her hand and brought the orange segments to her.
Xiaoman picked up an orange segment and, without preamble, popped it into Ya Dan's mouth. After watching her chew and swallow, she asked, "How is it, sweet, right!"
Ya Dan nodded vigorously.
"Eat, I'll peel this one myself."
Xiaoman said, picking up another orange and beginning to peel it.
Seeing Ya Dan still in a daze, Gouzi lifted her hand to his mouth, signaling her to eat quickly.
Nan Shiying watched the interaction between the three, a slight smile on her lips. She said to the still somewhat reserved Ya Dan, "Eat."
"Yes!"
With Nan Shiying's permission, Ya Dan finally began to eat.
When they were at Tongji Pharmacy or the dilapidated ancestral hall before, Ya Dan hadn't felt it, but now that she was in the prince's mansion, Ya Dan truly understood what it meant to be noble. The Mistress before her was the same, but Ya Dan no longer dared to affectionately call her "Brother Fengluan."
Brother Fengluan was her, but in Ya Dan's heart, she wasn't entirely her.
Ya Dan and Gouzi were both more reserved than they were outside the mansion. The Poisonous Elder clicked his tongue slightly, then glared at Nan Shiying. Nan Shiying felt a bit speechless. Whether she was in the prince's mansion or the pharmacy, wasn't her demeanor and conduct the same? How could the influence of the environment on their psychological perception be blamed on her?
Wasn't that unfair!
"Eat what you should eat, drink what you should drink. Didn't you see? The old man's eyes are practically spewing fire at me."
Nan Shiying pointed at the Poisonous Elder, telling them to look at this unreasonable old man. The Poisonous Elder, mid-sip of tea, almost spat it all out.
Seeing Gouzi's expression, Ya Dan and Xiaoman simultaneously burst into laughter.