A mess!

Books and diaries lying all over the floor. Among scattered books, someone is sitting, desperately flipping pages of books after books, sometimes looking up at the shelves and sighing when they can’t find their desired book. They go back to flipping pages of the books scattered on the floor, and again looks up and their eyes starts to shine, the corners of the lips lifting up, “found it!” Tai Taeyang exclaims with joy.

Tai Taeyang found one of them and wonders how many volumes are there in general. In no time he found quite some of the books. He decided to count the found books, “1 2 3 6 7 5 9 11 15 16 18 19. Wow so I found many of them now let’s see which are missing. 4 8 10 12 13 14 17 20. I think there are 20 volumes in general.” He continues, “I have to ask father”.

Having finish counting Tai Taeyang walks towards General Hall, the official room or the front house where all the officials work. Tai Taeyang bows, “father, may I enter?” Tai Ruo, the Second Master, “Oh Ming you started your searching?” “Yes, father I’ve already found most of them” Tai Taeyang replies to his father “father I am here to ask a question”. Tai Ruo asks him to continue with his question.

“How many volumes are there in general?” Tai Taeyang.

“20 volumes” Second Master, Tai Ruo.

“Thank you, father, then I will take my leave” Tai Taeyang, about to turn back “Ming, I heard Lan’s back” Tai Ruo interrupts his leave.

“Yes father. I have met him in the library. He is changed.” Tai Taeyang comments.

Tai Ruo, smiles softly, “hm, you behave well with him.” “Yes, father I will.”

Tai Taeyang bows and leaves.

Lotus pond.

Lan and Tai Tai playing in the lotus pond, picking freshly bloomed, lotuses blushing in pink and red.

Tai Taeyang enters the lotus pond, with a cool face he asks Tai Tai, “Tai Tai what are you doing?”

Instead of Tai Tai, Lan replies, “ohh brother Taeyang, come here we are watching snakes in the lotus pond.”

“WHAT SNAKES?” now Tai Taeyang totally lost his cool, he hurriedly runs to Tai Tai and pulls him out of the pond, “Tai Tai, come back they can be dangerous” he pants. “it’s okay Ming, they are far away from us.” Tai Tai replies, looking at Tai Taeyang with a soft gaze. “Still. You too Lan, don’t go too close.” “They can bite you.” Tai Taeyang being his stubborn self. Lan’s hearts warm up by Tai Taeyang’s sudden caring, he laughed it off and says, “its okay for me. I learnt how to tackle snakes.” “Then it’s nice” Tai Tai suggests, “Then Lan go deep into the pond and bring back some lotuses, we are having lotus leaf rice.” Tai Taeyang’s mouth starts watering.

Tai Taeyang and Tai Tai sitting, next to each other, waiting for Lan to get back with some lotuses. “I wonder why Lan came back after so many years.” Tai Tai sighs. “Me too.” Tai Taeyang wonders too, “by the way how did you know its Lan, on seeing him after so long.” Tai Taeyang curious. Tai Tai, “he told the guards at the gate, and I was so happened to pass by that area.” He continues, “you know, even after all these years, Lan didn’t forget me. He recognized me so fast, I was taken aback at first.” Tai Taeyang hums, “at first I thought he is some intruders from The Darks, pretending to be…” Tai Taeyang gets cut by Lan’s intrusion. “Okay I am back, what are you two talking about? Hehehe” he boasts, “about me? About me?” “hihi”.

The lotus pond seemed to have regain its lively-ness, with the intrusion of this familiar boy.

“Of course, not” Tai Taeyang shoots Lan out of his fairytale. “And hands off him” as Lan had his arm wrapped around Tai Tai’s shoulders. “Ughh you are so annoying and overprotective” Lan scrunches his nose. Tai Tai, so gentle, he doesn’t even have the strength to stop these two, but has much more experience of how to change topics, with a nice smile, “it’s okay, see, Lan brought so many lotuses, let’s go cook lotus leaf rice. It will be so much fun.” But Tai Taeyang didn’t look satisfied. He makes an obvious sound of ‘huh’. Lan looks at him and sticks out his tongue at Tai Taeyang.

“Hehe, I will cut the lotuses, you know Tai Tai, I know a great technique to cut and wash lotuses quickly. I will teach you too.” Lan, excited.

Tai Taeyang falls behind, as he walks, he looks at his childhood friend Lan and his partner Tai Tai, getting along just like the way they did in the childhood. A cheerful bond of friendship, it brought tears to his eyes.