I Want Winter

Chapter 76

My head turned and I saw the person who hit me was about to leave. At that instant, my body lunged over and yanked him back. "If you have started. You might as well finish it," I said and turned my other cheek to him.
Ying Zhi.. if you slap me this last time... it will be the end of us. I will no longer proceed and give up on you forever....

His hand raised up and I just stared at him, waiting for the end. Once I saw his hand coming down, I closed my eyes and again a hard burning pain was left across my face, and yet it didn't hurt.
So long... Ying Zhi.
I walk away never turning back.

These couple of days, I have been pushing myself to bring tea to the Emperor, learning more about tea, and trying to get myself back home.
"My Lady?" Lin was calling.
"Yes? In here." I holler back as I kept scribbling something down. Lin enters the room to find me working on something.

"My Lady, what are you doing?" Lin asked after she set the tray of teapot down and poured me a cup.
Without looking up, I respond "Creating a calendar. I need to know the days before winter is over." I began to count how many days in winter.
I have a month and a half left before winter is over, so it must be mid-December.

"But what brings you here?" I ask and set the brush down.

"Oh, do you hear the news about Princess Hua Lan?" she said excitedly.

"What?" I asked and looked excited.
"Princess Hua Lan is pregnant!" She squeaks.

"Really?" I said and my face lit up, "Lin, come, and let's go visit her." I left my tiny room and reached the 1st Prince's court to find Princess Hua Lan sewing. "Greetings, Princess Hua Lan." I bow my head.

"Oh, Liling." She said and looked up and smiled.

"I came to congratulate you. Here, have some tea to improve your health," I said and set the tray down.

"Oh, thank you," she said and stopped sewing to pick up a teacup. We sat down and chatted. "How are you?'' She asked and looked at me concerned as I just smiled.

"I'm doing fine. I've been keeping myself busy these days, but how are you and the Prince?" I tried to put the force on her and not me.

"Umm, we are doing fine." She said shyly.
Then the 1st Prince called, "Hua Lan, it's getting cold. Come inside-" the 1st Prince came out and saw me. "Oh, hello Liling." He spoke.
"Crown Prince," I said and nodded my head.

"Come now. It's getting cold," he said to her once again.
"But-" she tried to say and look at me.

I smiled before saying, "It's alright. Go inside. It is getting cold." I got up and bowed my head to them. Lin and I picked up the cups and teapot, and we were about to head off.

"My lady, let me bring this tray back," Lin insisted.

"Alright, I'm gonna take a stroll so you may head back," I said and handed her the tray.

"Wait, my Lady. Take this with you just in case of the sunlight in your eyes or if it snows," Lin said and handed me a red umbrella before I left.

"Thank you, Lin," I said and took it.

I opened it and leaned the wooden handle on my shoulder while I still held it. I took my usual stroll to clear my thoughts.
Home... How can I get home? Ice doesn't work. Do I have to stay here the rest of my lif-
I stopped and clutch tightly onto the handle as I saw two figures from afar, walking side by side and I knew who it was right away. I watched them as snow began to fall, I swiftly turned to see them coming this way as I only left a trail...

I continued to walk away from them as quickly as possible until I was at the gates. I took a step out of the palace and greeted the guards, by the gates and exited from the palace. I entered the village to be stuck in the crowd until an old man in white said in a low voice, "I can help you."
I stopped and looked at the sign, " Fortune Teller", "Tsk, yeah right," I mumbled and was about to leave.
The old man chuckled, "You don't believe me. Well then, you are from the future who is stuck in that body and can't return home." As my body jerked back.

"Wait! You know I'm not from here! Tell me how to go back home!" I said frantically and was all over his stall, but he just sat there quietly. "Umm?" I look at him as he soon points at the sign. "Ugh," I mumble and pull out what I only had which was only 1 yuan, "sorry but this is what I only have," I said and set the yuan down on his stall. "A minute of my questions that you must answer?" I bargain.

The old man looked disappointed, but said, "Alright, only a minute." He picked up the coin and took out a small hourglass. Once he flips it, "How do I get back home? Is it by ice?" I quickly said. However, he sat there taking his time by stroking his bread before he finally spoke, "Yes by ice." As I was longing for the answer.

"How can that be? I tried but it didn't work?" I said and watched the sand drop each second.
He chuckled and shook his head, "It's not that simple...," I waited eagerly, "but you must go back where it all began," He stopped talking as the last grain of sand fell to the bottom. Then he packed his stuff and was leaving as I tried to say, "Wait! What do you mean where it all began?" And the old man was no longer in sight.
Where it all began?