50 Volume 3: Together Again (1/2)
Blue Flower Palace had a heavy atmosphere. All the fairy servants knew about the argument and had been gossiping quietly in corners of the estate. No one dared speak too loud, lest the Nannies and Shan Hui hear them. Either group would take such talk very very poorly.
Yan and Shi were sitting quietly at the dinner table, staring at their plates glumly, pushing food around with their chopsticks.
”Come on boys,” Ye said anxiously. ”You need to eat.”
”Not hungry.” Yan huffed.
”Don't want.” Shi agreed.
”But you didn't eat lunch either. Your mother will be worried when she gets home.”
”When will she be home?” Shi asked Ye anxiously for the hundredth time.
”She's never coming home…!” Yan said in a dramatic angry tone, laying his upper body on the table and dropping his chopsticks with a clatter.
”Now, now,” Ye frowned at Yan's behavior. ”She will come home. Just… it just might take her time to calm down.”
”She wouldn't have to calm down if you and Big Brother and Father hadn't made her angry!” The elder twin muttered bitter and cast an angry glare at his Fairy Uncle.
Ye sighed, feeling like life wasn't fair. On this issue, he'd been siding with Jin from the beginning. He knew why MeiMei was upset, but even so, he didn't think himself wrong either. The only guilt he felt was from getting caught and in the process having his adorable nephews blamed for his deception.
”Yan Li,” Shan Hui glared at his younger sibling as he entered the room unannounced. ”Don't act like you've never made Mother angry. What about that time you convinced one of the Wu boys to climb a tree and he broke his arm?”
”Ah!” Yan sat up and Shi cried out, ”Big Brother!”
”That was just one time!” Yan responded indignantly.
”How about when you lost Mother's favorite bracelets because you used them as 'treasure' for Shi Ji to find?” Shi had run over to Shan Hui and hugged him.
”That- That- They found them eventually!”
”Two weeks later!” Shan Hui cocked an eyebrow. ”Or the time you almost blew up the kitchen.”
”That was an accident!”
”I saw the firecrackers…”
Yan knew he was losing, so he went for a low hit:
”At least Mother's never cried because of something I did!”
”Why you—!”
Shan Hui and Yan gave each other fierce glares, ready to start fighting.
”Big Brother, when is Mother coming home?” Shi butt in rudely while tugging on Shan Hui's pants, tired of the pointless fighting.
Shan Hui was distracted by the tugging and patted his more obedient brother on the head kindly.
”Soon.”
Yan Li gave his older brother a distrustful look.
”How are you so sure?”
”I have my ways.”
”You spied!”
Shan Hui rolled his eyes. ”Aren't you glad I did?”
Yan looked cross because, in truth, he was glad.
”Anyway, since she's coming home soon. You might as well eat.” He walked over to the table and snapped his fingers.
Immediately his Nannies began setting a place for him at the table and filling it with all the foods he liked. Plus some vegetables he didn't, but he was use to that so he ignored it.
Technically, they were more like Personal Maidservants at this point than Nannies. Perhaps their official titles should have changed, but as of now everyone in the family and Palace was use to thinking of them as ”Nannies”.
He took his chopsticks and ate a few bites. When he saw the twins were still standing around, he gave them a commanding look.
”What? She won't get here any quicker by you starving yourself. Sit down and eat.”
This was a perfectly valid point, so they both shuffled over and started eating. Slowly at first, and then quickly, shoveling food in their mouths like ravenous wolves. Well, they had missed lunch and were growing boys. It wasn't that surprising they were hungry.
Seeing their behavior, Shan Hui's lips lifted slightly.
In this family, other than with Mother, it was practically impossible to show familial affection straight-forwardly. Bickering and back-handed comments paired with sly behavior and manipulation were the only way to go about it.
”My sincerest gratitude.” Ye whispered after he hopped onto Shan Hui's shoulder, his face showing genuine relief. ”I couldn't get them to eat for anything.”
”Your welcome.” Shan Hui replied lightly. ”If Mother came home to find they'd skipped both meals, I would be the one to suffer for it.”
Ye clucked his tongue and rolled his eyes. He knew perfectly well Shan Hui was just worried for his brothers, who he viewed as weak and frail compared to himself. Since the boy wasn't going to admit it, Ye just played along.
”Must everything always be for your benefit, hm?”
”Can't it?”
The leaf fairy narrowed his eyes, a hint of mischief flashing in them.
”You know, I can only hope someday you have a child just like you. Then maybe you'll stop being so stubborn and understand the pain us adults go through raising such ungrateful children.”
Shan Hui snorted at Ye's obvious attempt to get a rise out of him.
”That is never going to happen.”
”Oh really?”
”That's right. I have no intention of getting cozy with some loathsome woman.”
Ye raised his eyebrows at Shan Hui's stoic declaration.
”Self proclaimed bachelorhood? At your age? As if anyone would believe you!”
”What does my age have to do with it? And why can't I decide now to be single? Mother is the only human out there worth the time of day.” He nibbled on a piece of fish before continuing. ”And she's got Father, so where does that leave me? With nothing. So, I'll just enjoy being single.”
”Ay ay, poor MeiMei. Hearing that kind of talk will make her cry.”
”Then don't tell her.”
Ye bounced a bit in place and grinned suddenly. ”Should I tell Jin?”