Enduring Like the Plum in Winter

松树 (Pine): 二

"Did you enjoy the end-of-winter festival at our village?" Ruomei asked as she followed Lisong through the Heavenly Realm. The Immortal gave a nod, but otherwise did not answer.

"What made you want to visit?" She stumbled on a crack in the paving stones and Lisong reached out a hand to break her fall, but she caught herself and kept going. "We've never had an Immortal show up before. Do you think you'd ever come back again?"

If he was annoyed by her incessant questions, he didn't show it. "You could say it's in my nature to make a reappearance."

Ruomei clapped her hands. "Oh, that's wonderful! Then we'll be sure to plan an even bigger event next time – not that this year's wasn't already spectacular. In fact, it was one of the best yet. Do you think any of your friends would like to attend as well? The other Immortals, I mean."

Lisong turned to face her, fixing her with an unreadable expression in his dark eyes. "Those who follow the path of cultivation do not usually have much time for celebrations," he said slowly. "It is a long and difficult journey to become an Immortal, one that requires discipline and persistence."

"Oh, well, yes," Ruomei said, tilting her head and looking away, feeling a bit embarrassed. "So maybe a few years from now, instead."

Lisong raised one eyebrow again, a look that Ruomei was quickly becoming familiar with. "Or perhaps a couple hundred."

"A hundred – !" She broke off, to better focus on not running into him as he came to a sudden stop.

"We're here," he said without fanfare. Cautiously, Ruomei peered out from around his shoulder. They had stopped in front of a set of wooden doors set in an otherwise unremarkable white wall.

"Where's 'here'?"

"My home, Feng Ge." Lisong pushed on one of the doors, and it swung open to reveal a stone-studded pathway winding through a lush garden. Ruomei followed the Immortal inside with wide eyes, silent for the longest time since arriving to the Heavenly Realm as she gazed around with wonder.

As they proceeded through the garden, bamboo whispered in the wake of their passing, and Ruomei caught the calming scent of pine in the air. She inhaled deeply. It reminded her of the forest near her village, and despite the longing that it brought, she decided to take it as a good omen.

They crossed a small stone bridge over a flowing stream and headed towards a small white pavilion with a gold-tiled roof. A servant came out to greet them, and Lisong ordered tea and snacks before sitting down on one of the benches and motioning for Ruomei to do the same.

Still looking around, Ruomei sat, nearly missing and falling off the bench before she caught her balance.

Lisong's right eyebrow twitched, but didn't rise this time.

"I take it you are impressed with Feng Ge's garden?" he asked when the refreshments had arrived and Ruomei still had not spoken. The scent of fresh sweet potato and cranberry tea cakes stirred Ruomei from her daze, and she blinked, turning her attention to the table. She realized Lisong had been watching her the entire time she had been distracted, and she tried to ignore the blush creeping up the back of her neck and into her cheeks.

"Ah, sorry. Yes. It's beautiful." She eyed the tea cakes, but out of politeness didn't dare sample them until Lisong had chosen one first. "I never could have imagined coming to the Heavenly Realm and being invited to an Immortal's home. It's more wonderful than I could have thought."

She began to reach for a tea cake, but then lowered her hand to her teacup instead, realizing that she had been acting overly enthusiastic around the Immortal in her excitement. Now that she had had a moment to sit and think, she hoped she could appear calmer around him.