ShuîYuê was back in the kitchens with a basket full of sweet-smelling Osmanthus flowers. She placed it down as some other maids took it away to add to the rice wine they were making, "Hǎi! Please help me!" Yìfēi shouted from across the kitchen. ShuîYuê walked to her as she saw Yìfēi cutting vegetables, which looked more like she was killing these poor vegetables. Water Master took the knife away from Yìfēi's hand as she began chopping the veggies, "Wow, you know how to cut like a chef!" Yìfēi exclaimed.

'Of course, it's just cutting and destroying things that I am good at,' ShuîYuê said to herself. The day passed by working in the kitchen, and finally, they could get to bed, ShuîYuê plopped down on the floor as soon as she reached her room, Yìfēi shut the door behind them, plopping next to her best friend.

"Damn, I never thought working in the kitchen was so hard. I am better off polishing jewellery than this," Yìfēi yawned with a sigh.

"Yìfēi we should hurry up and leave this place already, or we are both going to be dead meat."

"That witch works us to death. She had me, the Wind Master, wash rice, who has never touched it except for eating and face pack," Yìfēi placed her hand on her chest, gravely offended.

"Shhh, don't expose us. We'll just tell him that the ghost fire could be the work of Jin," ShuîYuê yawned, stretching her arms.

Yìfēi flipped herself, laying on her stomach, "What about talking to Ghost King?" She asked; ShuîYuê shook her head, "YueYue, don't be a coward now. Just tell him that you don't like the Crown Prince and that was all a misunderstanding," Yìfēi urged, poking Water Master's cheek.

"It's not easy Yìfēi, Even if I explain it to him, he won't believe it," Water Master spoke sitting up.

"Why won't he believe you if you explain to him that you do not like Crown Prince?" Yìfēi questioned, confused.

"He saw the Crown Prince kissing me, Yìfēi; how will he ever believe it even if I explained to him that it was all a misunderstanding," ShuîYuê said, rubbing her head.

"Crown Prince kissed you in front of him?" Yìfēi gasped in disbelief.

"When I went to tell him that it was all a misunderstanding he didn't let me speak anything and just kissed me, I was frozen and couldn't process what was happening, I did try to push him away but he didn't budge and just then he walked in on us and saw us kissing," ShuîYuê explained clutching her forehead in despair.

"That's messed up," was all Yìfēi could say, Water Master shut her eyes.

"Let's just look for the ghost from the Southwestern mainlands and go back to report and tell Jun Wu that it was Jin who lit the fire," ShuîYuê said, tired from chopping countless vegetables.

"We don't have any evidence against him."

"We'll just lie," ShuîYuê shrugged her shoulder.

"To Jun Wu?"

"Yes."

"Damn YueYue, you have got some nerves," Yìfēi remarked, whistling.

"I am just tired of this place," she said, stretching her arms above her head.

"YueYue!"

"What?"

"Your boobs look bigger," Yìfēi observed staring at ShuîYuê's bosom.

ShuîYuê looked at Yìfēi disgusted, "Mind your own business," She snapped, glaring at Yìfēi who was busy comparing her size to the Water Master's.

"I am still bigger than you," Yìfēi said victoriously, as ShuîYuê turned around to go to sleep.

The next few days were very tiring for everyone as they worked hard to prepare for the Winter Solstice, The elemental masters were dead from working.

Finally, today was Winter Solstice; the maids had to get ready early in the morning and help distribute delicious Dumplings and Tangyuan to the people. ShuîYuê and Yìfēi were helping, too. They had been doing this since the morning. It was now late afternoon when ShuîYuê was handing the Dumplings and Tangyuan bowl to Daisy; she saw the same boy, the one who had caused problems at the Southwestern mainlands; he bowed his head, taking the bowls from Daisy's hand as ShuîYuê sneaked after him.

ShuîYuê didn't have the time to inform Yìfēi as she followed after him quietly, she saw him take a few turns as she walked behind him closely, the ghost sat down in an empty place and began shoving the food down his throat, 'He has been starving, He's all skin and bones why would a young boy like him cause so much chaos at Southwestern mainlands?' ShuîYuê wondered as she spied on him, 'He looks like a simple ghost. I'll let him eat first before catching him.' ShuîYuê decided as she hid behind a hut.

The boy finished the dumplings and Tangyuan licked the bowl clean, he got off and drank water at a faucet before walking ahead, Water Master followed him, he seemed like he had nowhere else to go to as he laid down near a tree, 'He's the one causing trouble, I need to capture him and then Yìfēi and I can leave for Heavens,' she thought to herself as she sneaking walked behind the tree.

The boy who lay on the ground opened his eyes hearing someone's breathing, he just got up and was pinned down by his throat as a woman held him down, she was dressed like the maids from Paradise Manor, and the boy clawed at her hand she hissed in pain but didn't let him go, "Why are you causing trouble at Southwestern mainlands? Who's ordering you to do this?" She inquired as she tightened her grip on his throat. The young ghost boy used all his strength as he pushed Water Master away, and ShuîYuê fell on the ground with a thud, 'He's strong,' she thought quickly, getting up.

The boy was trying to run away when ShuîYuê caught his bare foot, "I'll let you go if you tell me," she proposed, clutching his foot. He lost balance and fell, "Tell me or else," she threatened, pointing a dagger at him. He shook his head, mumbling something; Water Master pointed her dagger close to his neck threateningly; the boy was crying as he leaned his head back, "Tell me!" ShuîYuê snapped coldly.

"Order someone's," he managed to say while sobbing.

"Name, give me the name," she hissed, still holding up the dagger.

"I don't know, he comes dressed in black!" the boy cried.

"What does he look like?"

" Face covered," he said shakily; ShuîYuê lowered the dagger deep in thought. The boy took this as a chance and threw sand in her eyes, running away.

Water Master rubbed the sand out of her eyes as she looked around for the boy who had disappeared, "Who's ordering him?" She wondered out loud before getting off the floor. She walked back to the Manor. Everyone was walking to the Paradise Manor to receive food, and she followed a few women quietly.

"His Highness is so kind to distribute food to everyone," a middle-aged lady praised.

"Yes, he has done this for the past seven years without fail, we are truly blessed to have him," another woman agreed.

They had reached Paradise Manor, and the women got in the line to receive food as ShuîYuê walked back into the Manor, 'He's kind to do this,' she thought to herself smiling.

She had just entered the kitchens when she was bombarded with questions from Yìfēi and Daisy, "Where were you?"

"Why were you gone for some time?" ShuîYuê simply pointed to bowls, "You went to distribute food?" Daisy asked Water Master nodded her head, "My goodness, you are so kind," Daisy gushed gently.

"Alright girls, good job. Now you can go back and shower," the head maid ordered, clapping her hands, dismissing everyone from the kitchens.

ShuîYuê and Yìfēi had both showered when Water Master remembered to tell Yìfēi about the boy, "Yìfēi listen up, I saw that ghost boy from Southwestern mainlands," she said drying her hair.

Yìfēi turned around surprised, "What?"

"When Daisy was distributing food to people, I saw that boy receiving bowls and then he walked away so I followed after him quietly, he sat down and shoved the food down his throat, he was starving, and he was also very thin, he simply drank some water and laid down beneath a tree resting," Water Master explained.

"Why didn't you catch him?" Yìfēi asked, astonished.

"I did, I asked him why he was doing it on whose order because that boy didn't seem like someone who would do something like this, so I asked him whose order he was doing this he said he didn't know and when I asked for the name he said he didn't know that either, the person dresses in black that was all he said before he ran away," ShuîYuê replied.

"Great! So now there's a mastermind behind that ghost boy who was causing trouble at the Southwestern mainland and now we are stuck with figuring out who this mastermind is with just one clue that the person dressed in black," Yìfēi remarked sarcastically.

"Yes, this is something much bigger than what we think it is," ShuîYuê sighed, worried.

There was a knock on the door, which startled the two girls who gave each other worried looks as Yìfēi unlocked the door,
"Head maid had ordered you two to serve food and wine at the side hall," a maid informed before leaving abruptly.

Yìfēi looked at ShuîYuê annoyed, "What the hell? We worked all day alone and just had a taste of those yummy dumplings and Tangyuan, and now these heartless people are ordering us to work again!"

"We don't have the option of saying no," ShuîYuê reminded, putting her hair in a bun as few of her hair locks managed to escape.

"I swear I'll have that headmaid scrub my palace stairs with a toothbrush!" Yìfēi swore, determined.

"Send her to mine later," ShuîYuê joked as Yìfēi burst out laughing.

They each held various dishes as maids walked in the side hall; Yìfēi held a Tangyuan plate, whereas ShuîYuê was unlucky enough to hold a wine jar.

Ghost King sat in the centre of the round table as General Yông sat to his right, MíngLóng sat next to Yông Zìxìn followed by the Ghost King Jin, YànQīng sat to Chéng Huá's left as they talked to each other, Yìfēi looked at King Jin bewildered before looking back at ShuîYuê who nodded her head in understanding, 'How the hell is he alive?' Yìfēi wondered.

"Your Highness, dinner is served," the head maid informed, bowing her head. Ghost King lifted his hand slightly, "Put the plates," the head maid said to the maids, standing in line. All of them walked gracefully, placing the plates, "Pour the wine properly," the head maid whispered to ShuîYuê who nodded her head in return.

She walked up to Ghost King and kneeled beside him, pouring wine into his cup as he talked to General Yông, she poured wine next into King Jin's cup and then poured wine for everyone else standing back with the maids, they talked among themselves as King Jin laughed heartily, Yìfēi was glaring at him when Zìxìn asked for wine, "Maid, Wine," he ordered while laughing.

ShuîYuê knelt beside him refilling his cup, and he noticed the maid next to him eyeing her 'She's hot,' he thought before grabbing her hand suddenly, Water Master looked up at the General confused and surprised at the same time, Zìxìn pulled her close sniffing her as she flinched back, "Her," he said to the head maid before releasing her hand which was bruised.

ShuîYuê walked back, repulsed as she stood next to Yìfēi; the head maid grabbed her hand, pulling her away. She looked back at Yìfēi scared, who sneaked after them.

Ghost King sighed, 'It seems she's caught Zìxìn's eye,' he thought, slightly worried as the maid wouldn't be able to serve him tea anymore.

It was a rule in the Paradise Manor that whichever maid served Zìxìn in bed wouldn't be allowed to serve Ghost King, Of course, there were some exceptions but usually, after Zìxìn plucked those flowers they were sent to work in the back Manor where wasn't easy work, from difficult cleaning to all sorts of hard works were done by these maids, if Zìxìn did like someone she would be upgraded to work back in the Main hall which consisted of the maids who usually worked in the main and side hall.

ShuîYuê tried to pull her hand back several times as this head maid dragged her somewhere, She brought ShuîYuê to a room and told her to wait inside, Water Master looked around worried until the door opened a maid entered but when she turned around ShuîYuê finally felt relief,
"Yìfēi!"

"Calm down, don't worry," Yìfēi assured, hugging her best friend.

"Why did she drag me here? What's happening?" ShuîYuê asked frantically.

"It's that bastard Zìxìn; you were suspicious about why they hired us so easily, right? It's because of him; he fucks maids as he pleases," Yìfēi muttered; ShuîYuê's eyes widened.

"I won't, I'll kill him," she said gripping Yìfēi's hand.

"Don't worry, I have a plan, Right now the head maid has sent me inside to dress you up nicely, I'll dress you up and then you're supposed to put a veil on your head, no one will be able to tell whether it's you or me, we'll exchange places and then I will deal with him," Yìfēi reassured softly.

"But how will you deal with him? He's mental, and he's very strong when it comes to fighting," ShuîYuê asked, worried.

"Don't worry, I won't fight, nor will I blow up our cover," Yìfēi reassured, her eyes shining determinedly.

"Be careful," ShuîYuê told her as they got ready.

An hour later the head maid knocked on the door, "Is she ready?" She asked from outside.

"Yes," Yìfēi shouted from under the veil, "Don't worry, they have never seen our faces. No one will be able to tell. Go back to our room; don't be afraid," Yìfēi whispered.

"Okay, you too be careful. Signal me if you need help," ShuîYuê whispered, pointing to the bracelet she had enchanted and put on Yìfēi, who nodded from under the veil.

The head maid took Yìfēi away as ShuîYuê walked back to her room. She waited anxiously for an hour before Yìfēi entered the room at midnight; she immediately checked her friend for any injuries; she took a deep breath when she noticed Yìfēi was fine, "What did you do?" She asked hurriedly.

"I am the Wind Master, Of course I am the best," Yìfēi bragged proudly.

"Yeah, okay fine, but what did you do?" ShuîYuê asked once again.

"That's a secret," Yìfēi said putting a finger up to her lips.

________________
A/N: Hey! What do you think Wind Master did? Are you able to guess? Take care and Bye-Bye!!!

Word count:2503