Zhu cursed under his breath in a language Mia did not know. His jaw tightened. He turned to Mia and spoke fast and low. “This is not about sweets. This is a test. You are the test. She has already heard. She is moving faster than I expected”

Mia felt her stomach go cold. “What do I do”

“You stay back here. You do not go to her. You do not let her see you yet. Not tonight” Zhu said firmly. “Lin. You and I will plate. We will send something perfect but we will not send Rain Comfort flavor in any form. Nothing soft. Nothing personal. Nothing that looks like comfort. We will send elegance. Control. Distance. The message is We respect you but we are not yours. Understand”

Lin nodded at once “Understood”

Mia blinked “Do you need help with the cooking. I can”

“No” Zhu snapped then softened his tone a little “No. Not this time. Your hands are not neutral. Your hands are now marked. Anything you touch becomes political. You cannot touch this order. You just sit on that stool and breathe. Do not wander. Do not answer to anyone unless they have direct seal authority. If someone tries to pull you away you start yelling for me like you are on fire. I do not care if that looks messy. Alive and messy is fine. Quiet and missing is not fine”

Mia nodded. Her throat felt dry again. Her palms felt damp against her knees

Lin grabbed a tray and began moving fast with focused energy. “We will send honey citrus peel ribbons with candied ginger. We will send soft pear slices soaked in chilled blossom tea. We will send salted plum flower petals dusted with sugar. Calm. Beautiful. But not warm. Not intimate. Very appropriate. Very controlled. Very Not Yours”

Zhu allowed a tight nod. “Good choice. Work fast. She will not like waiting. She will say it is not about waiting but it is always about waiting. Anyone who makes Consort Lian wait pays for it later”

Lin was already slicing with delicate precision. Zhu handled the ginger strips with the kind of focus Mia only saw when a dish mattered more than pride. She watched them both move together in wordless rhythm and felt something like respect rise in her chest. This kitchen was not just heat and knives. It was strategy. It was survival. It was a battlefield without swords

As they worked Mia sat very still on her stool just like Zhu had ordered. She kept her gaze low. She kept her breathing even. She tried not to picture some elegant powerful woman in silk deciding whether Mia Torres from Los Angeles could live or not

The runner boy shifted from foot to foot waiting for the tray. He kept stealing glances at Mia like he wanted to ask something and was too scared. At last he whispered “Is it true. Are you the Golden Hands girl who made the Emperor smile”

Mia felt her whole body tighten. Lin and Zhu both froze for a split second

Mia chose each word slowly “I only cooked soup. I am just kitchen staff”

Zhu relaxed by one grain of salt. Lin gave a tiny nod behind the boy’s back like Good answer

The boy grinned anyway eyes wide with the thrill of being near a story before it spread to everyone else. “People are saying he spoke with you alone. People are saying he asked your name. People are saying he said your name out loud. That never happens. That means you have protection. That means no one can touch you now. Right”

Mia looked at him and for the first time since she woke up in this world she felt something sharp and cold and angry rise inside her. Not anger at him. Anger at the lie he believed

“No” she said softly “That does not mean no one can touch me. That means more people will try”

The boy blinked then swallowed and said nothing else

Lin finished the tray and covered it with a thin silk cloth. “Deliver this with both hands. Walk steady. Do not tilt. Present it and then leave after one breath. Do not stare. Do not speak unless spoken to. Do not repeat kitchen talk in the consort wing because palace walls carry words and bring them back twisted”

“Yes” the boy said quickly. He bowed and hurried out with the tray

The door closed. The air felt heavier than before

Zhu sank into the stool across from Mia like his bones had finally remembered gravity. He rubbed both hands over his face then dropped them and stared at her with tired eyes. “It has begun”

Mia swallowed “What has begun”

“The part where people either hide you or hunt you” Zhu said simply

Lin sat on the floor beside Mia and leaned against her leg just enough to feel present but not enough to get in the way of movement if danger walked in. Her voice was soft now. No jokes. “Do not be scared. You did something good. You gave someone who rules an empire one moment of peace. People will hate you for that but some will also love you for it. Some will help. I will help. Chef will help. You are not alone here”

Mia stared at the stone floor for a long breath. Her voice came out quiet “I do not want to be a weapon in someone else’s fight”

Lin tilted her head “In the palace you do not get that choice. You can only choose how you carry it”

Mia let those words settle. She thought about her father again. She thought about late nights and the way he sighed when he took that first spoonful. She thought about how sometimes being strong does not mean lifting a blade. Sometimes being strong means keeping your hand steady on the ladle when everyone around you is shaking

She lifted her chin a little

Not in challenge

In decision

“Okay” she said softly “Then I choose to stay alive”

Zhu huffed a tired sound that almost counted as approval “Good. I support that choice”

Lin smiled and bumped her shoulder lightly “See. You are already thinking like palace people. Staying alive is always step one”

Mia nodded. “Step one stay alive. Step two do not get erased. Step three do not fall down the stairs”

“Exactly” Lin said “You learn fast”