Disclaimer: Credit to Mo Xiang Tong Xiu for creating such wonderfully frustrating characters... particularly the one whose good deeds often have unintended consequences...
The cover art is not mine, it belongs to the artist piyoriizle (unsure about her social media, found the photo on Pinterest).
Another night, just as lively as the last and as always, Mu Qing is working late.
The Jade Teahouse pulses with warmth, illuminating the drizzly street outside. The light and sounds within are a calm beacon for passersby, who peer inside. The next thing they know, they're at a table with an exorbitant menu in hand.
The endless stream of customers tests Mu Qing's patience as he moves from table to table, between the kitchen and the main hall. A glance at the clock. Twenty minutes to nine, until closing time.
He was supposed to visit his mom in the hospital today, but he ended up working extra hours because of the sudden crowd. He bought a gift for her too. Maybe he can make it if he runs.
"Is this cake lactose-free?" a customer asks.
He keeps a calm facade, relenting from his usual eyerolls. The food here is expensive, he's never tried anything himself, but its affluent charm draws people in like moths to a flame. Strangely, they each seem dumber than the last.
"Probably not," he says, unable to help the snap in his voice. The customer reddens, shyly looking away.
The next table seats a man in white, traditional garb. Strapped to his back is a rice hat, still wet from the rain. His humble attire stands out woefully in the elitist crowd, a chattering mass dressed in a colorful, subtly intricate fashion. In comparison, this man appears rather poor though he doesn't seem aware of it himself, smiling gently as he orders, "Gyokuro tea, please."
As Mu Qing turns, his eyes snag on a familiar face. An older man, ogling the female waitresses... again. This happens regularly, though not all customers have the gall to make return visits, nor to take photos.
Xiao Ming, one of several investors of the Jade Teahouse. Being its main backer, his wealth has helped the teahouse gain a lot of popularity. Although that also means losing him would bankrupt the business. Which means he gets a free pass for pretty much everything, including harassment.
But photos? This is too much.
Mu Qing steps forward, blood burning, though he hesitates.
Last time when Xiao Ming was harassing the waitresses, he stepped in, much to everyone's relief. Except his manager. Mu Qing was taken to the back and scolded for disrespect, lecturing "the customer is always right" and to "mind your own business", the usual bullshit. It wasn't the first scolding he ever received from the manager. Since then, he'd been keeping a close eye on Mu Qing.
Gritting his teeth, he turns away.
FLASH!
His body moves faster than his mind, his fist colliding with something hard. Suddenly there's a man pinned against the table. Xiao Ming, specifically. A few feet away is the wretched phone, open to lewd photos.
Naturally, this causes quite the disturbance. Xiao Ming is sent away from the teahouse, and as for Mu Qing...
Outside in the rain, he sighs, eyes rolling skyward.
As expected.
What he wouldn't expect though, is to be approached by the poor man from earlier, given a choice that would forever change his life.
Xie Lian is quickly growing tired of Feng Xin's attitude.
Or rather, his lack of one.
The young prodigy has lately been lackluster in training. As the future patriarch of the Xin clan, much is expected from him, but his indifference leaves much to be desired. Although he has mastered archery, swordplay, and quanfa, he remains unmotivated not just in fighting, but everything around him. Even with women, he scares them with such mean eyes! Something must be done.
He ducks under an eave, grateful for the rice hat that saved him from the rain. He had hoped a walk would help him find a solution to this dilemma, but who know it would be like this? If gods do exist, they must be very angry to punish him so, what with Feng Xin and now this poor weather.
Just then, he notices the soft light behind him. A charming restaurant bursting with sound and color. Inside are many people, their laughter audible even through the walls. How lovely, a café of sorts?
A smiling woman greets him upon entering, looking over his humble attire with a critical eye. "Welcome to the Jade Teahouse! The hostess there will receive you."
He gets a similarly captious welcome from the hostess, though when he gives his name, she straightens up. Sometimes, name-dropping can be a blessing.
It's not long afterwards that he is seated, staring at a very expensive menu. He considers leaving, though his growling stomach reminds him just how long his walk was. The beverages are significantly cheaper than the food, so he orders tea.
As he waits, he wracks his head for a solution to Feng Xin. There are many skilled fighters in the Xin clan but he's bested them all. He must be bored, hence his arrogance. In the long run though, if he stops training, he won't improve at all. He may even be surpassed by those below him now. Yet, Feng Xin seems to believe he'll always be on top. Ironically, this is the root of the problem— a man who has everything has nothing.
A slamming crash wakes him from his thoughts. The server who took his order is pinning another customer down against the table. On the ground is a flip-phone, open to lewd photos up women's skirts. Heat rushes to his face, his eyes darting away. How shameful.
He looks again to the server, who has stepped away now. His face is dark, though he says nothing as the customer shouts at him. Someone else rushes onto the scene, bowing and apologizing profusely— the manager, most likely. Compliments to the server for his courage, though he's sure to get a scolding later. Possibly even fired.
Just then, it clicks.
The solution.
His heart pounds with the sudden revelation, beating like a drum as an idea takes form. Yes, he thinks, this will work. It has to work.
Author's Note
Hey, hope you're enjoying my story! Just a heads-up, Mu Qing undergoes a lot of character development but no worries, he meets Feng Xin very soon...
I also want to explain a bit about the Xin Clan. It's a famous martial arts clan, mainly comprised of family but they also accept talented people from outside the family. It's split into three different branches:
Shè Dào — Archery
Jiàn Dào — Sword fighting
Quanfa — Chinese martial arts (boxing)
You may better know quanfa as kung fu. All clan members learn the basics of quanfa as a foundation but each gets to choose their discipline at 12 yrs. And yes, archery is technically a martial art!
The top fighters in each branch are known as the three réncái and they represent Xin Clan's strength. They are Feng Xin, Xie Lian, and Pei Ming. Or, the Sun, the Lotus, and the Moon. The réncái, though belonging to different branches, are skilled in all three disciplines.
Small disclaimer, I'm not Chinese or have ever been to China myself, so if there are any mistakes, please tell me so in the comments. Thanks.
Alright, that's all! Thanks for reading :)