After making sure his sister dutifully followed Sun-laoshi for their calligraphy session, Ji SongLi returned to the bamboo groves where he last saw his friends and YuLan. Only a slight trace of amusement graced his lips from their last encounter, his face elegant but still devoid of expression. 

Although he was the official heir to the Tiger Seal, he was always wary of his own standing in the residence. His mother, Second Madame Hai FenChu, was after all originally a concubine. She was only alleviated to the second wife status after Ji LanBai was born and the First Madame could not conceive anymore. Regardless of his seemingly high status, he knew his father put patriarchal inheritance above all. Ji ChanFang was thoroughly a military man and put a man's strength above others. If it was not for the fact that he was the only son, he would not have a place in the family.

As Ji LanBai was a female, she was exempted from this. Adding to her fortune, she was born by Wu JianRui, the only woman in his father's heart.

As a youth that had only started his teen years, Ji SongLi had been very astute ever since he was able to observe people and his surroundings. Wu JianRui had never given Hai Fenchu and himself any trouble. He knew that in fact, Hai Fenchu was treated as though she was of the same standing as Wu JianRui. Despite the fact that Ji ChanFang only treated Hai FenChu platonically, the servants never slighted her as well. 

More over, Ji LanBai truly treated him as an older brother. Yet, Ji SongLi could not help but feel disheartened with his own thoughts. 

He had never, could probably never, truly dote on, guide, or discipline her sister like a normal older brother would. He was always wary to not make mistakes in his conduct, his speech, and behaviour around his own family. This put a distance in his heart from his own father, so he had been trying to keep contact with General Ji to a minimum, which also attributed to his lack of will for martial-art training.

In his years of solitude and keeping to himself, Ji SongLi found more comfort in the four-arts, specially in qin and calligraphy. He was pretty proficient in qi as well. However, as the game symbolized one's aptitude in strategy, a trait usually sought after in the military, he tried to not dabble to much in it.

But a precious jewel would always shine. His immediate friends and the princes were very aware of his talent.

Ever since Bai YuLan saved Ji LanBai, he had been paying more attention and gradually grew to admire the little girl. She was clearly a few years younger than him, but she had displayed more bravery, confidence, intelligence, and she was not the least afraid to show them to her peers and superiors. 

Her way of words and craftiness even put to rest most of Ji LanBai's wilfulness. The two Madames and General Ji of course noticed YuLan's non-maid-like behavior, but they were not the type of people blindly proud of their status. They could see YuLan actually was a positive influence to LanBai. The whole family gradually became accustomed to YuLan's presence around their daughter and themselves.

In fact, himself and the three royal princes and BuFeng were also somewhat baffled. After all, their backgrounds engraved in their bones a subconsciousness for discernment. This little girl seemed harmless, but she was definitely not just a pebble on the side of a street. On one glance she might blend in the background, but upon getting past layers and layers of what she was willing to show, she was... interesting, to say the least.

Ji SongLi was still a bit lost in his own thought, before realizing that he had reached the bamboo groves.

And there was no one there.

His eyebrows furrowed, and he spent a few minutes walking around the different courtyards before he heard some faint voices from the direction of the kitchen.

For a residence as big as the Ji clan, the kitchen was built separately from the main building. It was roughly four minutes brisk walk from the bamboo groves, passing a fish pond that looked quite empty. Most of the fish inside hide behind mosses, lotus leaves, or rocks inside the pond, dormant in the icy cold water.

At the moment, Ji SongLi followed the voices, and sure enough, YuLan and his friends were there. There were no other workers or servants around, it was not yet the time to prepare food for dinner.

However the scene he saw was quite astonishing.

Zhen BuFeng was holding a bamboo device in one of his hands, and a big pewter bowl with the other. He seemed to be concentrating hard, strirring whatever he was stirring inside the bowl using the device.

Ji SongLi recognized the device to be the bamboo item YuLan was tinkering on, earlier at the groves.

However rather than 'stirring', with sweat trickling down BuFeng's forehead and his rapid hand's movement, it looked like he was trying to beat the crap out of the bowl's content.

"Stop!" YuLan commanded. She took the bowl from BuFeng and looked inside the bowl before sighing disappointedly, "Overbeaten, Young Master Zhen."

Her eyes showed slight ire, not bothering to hide it at all when she looked at Zhen BuFeng accusingly, "This servant told you that once you reached snow like consistency and white in color, you should stop."

In fact, she was afraid Zhen BuFeng would break the bamboo whisk if he continued on.

Zhen BuFeng scratched his head and grumbled to himself. The three Princes sat by the side, fanning themselves with their hands, their breaths a bit rapid. It seemed that they had also done the strange exercise as Zhen BuFeng had done, before Ji SongLi arrived.

"Miss Bai... uh... YuLan," Prince Zhang JunLi hesitatingly said. He had started to call YuLan politely ever since the Ji family started showing her their favours – despite the latter's self addressing still as a servant, "I think what you want to do is not possible."

Prince KongJing nodded, "Un. I initially thought it would be interesting. But the four of us have done precisely what you asked us to do. It can't be we have all done it wrong?"

YuLan shifted her gaze at him, "Yes, Your Highnesses have done it wrong. Your movements were too slow and thus it's impossible for the egg whites to reach the intended state of stiffness."

"They put too much importance in their own elegance," YuLan thought, still annoyed.

Zhen BuFeng snorted, "What stiffness...," then quickly shut his mouth upon seeing YuLan quickly looked at him again, sharpness in her limpid eyes.

"Young Master Zhen, on the other hand, was truly too vigorous, so the egg-whites had been overbeaten and lost its stiffness consistency."

Prince Zhang GuoFu chimed in, "Then, can you show us how it's done?"

"This servant would do it herself if I could," YuLan sighed. Her current body was small and weak, her arms looked like twigs. She did not have the energy or strength to whisk the egg whites to stiff peak herself.

Perhaps she should choose another cake to make? But she was very skilled in making sponge cakes in her previous life... .

"Ah, SongLi, you've come!" Zhang GuoFu waved, noticing Ji SongLi's arrival.

"What have Your Highnesses and Zhen BuFeng been doing?" He blinked his eyes in confusion. Four distinguished people being nervous around a little maid was definitely something he had not seen before.

"Why don't you let SongLi try then?" Zhen BuFeng harrumphed and lifted his chin at YuLan.

It seemed that Zhen BuFeng had gotten used to the little girl's attitude and indifference towards their status as well.

Ji SongLi, "Try what?" 

YuLan sighed. She discarded the white foamy liquid from the pewter bowl onto the shrubs, then walked into the kitchen before coming out again. Then she handed the pewter bowl to Ji SongLi.

".....," Ji SongLi sniffed the bowl slightly, "Egg whites?"

"May this servant trouble Young Master Ji to help?" YuLan handed the bamboo whisk to him.

"......," SongLi paused with the bowl and the tool in both of his hands, not quite sure what he needed to do, "How?"

"She wants the egg whites to turn into snow," the Crown Prince pointed his finger towards a snow lump by the fish pond. It had been snowing for the past few nights and the courtyard was covered in patches of frost white.

Ji SongLi's brows furrowed again and he looked hesitatingly at the transparent yellow liquid in the bowl. He was not convinced.

"Young Master Ji needs to quickly beat the egg-whites using this tool," she explained, "Not too slow, but don't overbeat it either. Basically it is done when the egg whites turn into snow-white color and look very smooth."

If Ji SongLi also could not do it, she would just make a heavier type of cake.

Ji SongLi looked at the snow lump, then to the egg whites in the bowl, then to the bamboo whisk. He still had his doubts, but he shrugged slightly and walked towards a small table outside the kitchen. He put the pewter bowl on the table, then started to whisk.

Five people did not dare to say anything, lest it would distract him.

After some amount of time passed, Ji SongLi's hand stopped moving. He looked at inside the bowl, slightly astonished, then walked towards YuLan, "Will this do?"

YuLan also looked inside, her eyes glimmered and her lips quirked up slightly. She took the bowl from him.

Then she tilted the bowl upside down.

All the boys gasped. Ji SongLi got suddenly nervous, feeling sure he had failed and that YuLan was going to discard the now-snow-white mixture.

But to everyone's amazement, nothing came out of the bowl.

YuLan let out a crisp laugh, showing a row of small white teeth. Her eyes that always seemed watery were slightly bent into two big crescent moons. 

Unlike normal females they know, she did not bother to hide her laugh or smile behind her sleeves. But then again, despite being just a maid, this girl was also unlike the poised maids the princes have as well back in their own residences.

Ji SongLi could not help to stare. Her immature high-pitched delighted sound carried a subtle form of enchantment to him and his high profile friends.

Then Ji SongLi froze; YuLan had suddenly embraced him. Her one hand was still holding the bowl, but her other arm enveloped his waist. Her head fell short on his shoulder.

For YuLan, hugging or even kissing cheeks were completely normal as way of greetings or expressing gratitude. Not only her family, she had grown accustomed to the gesture in her professional circle as well in her previous life. It had become habitual. In her excitement, she actually forgot such habit was not necessarily a habit here.

In fact, Ji SongLi's own hands hung by his side, not quite sure where to place them. His eyes were fixed straight at a distance, not quite sure what he was actually looking at. His mind was blank and he stilled his breath. His whole body felt a burning sensation.

Then as quick as that feeling arose, it was gone. YuLan let go of her hold on him, then looked up and gave a smile.

A soft, genuine, most beautiful smile in SongLi's memory.

"SongLi, thank you." 

Then she turned her body to hurriedly walked into the kitchen.

YuLan did not realize as well that she had accidentally call her Young Master's name without title. However, her four words, 'SongLi, thank you,' kept being replayed in Ji SongLi's mind. The five young teenagers stood there like woodblocks.

"Aww~," Crown Prince Zhang KongJing was the first to break the silence, "I should have put more effort. Then SongLi wouldn't be the one who reaped the profit."

Ji SongLi was not sure if the Crown Prince was just joking or being serious.

Then YuLan peeked her head out of the kitchen, "Your Highnesses and Young Masters can leave," she actually waved her hands, shooing them away, "This servant does not need help anymore."

YuLan did not have time to entertain those teens. She still had to actually bake the cake after adding and mixing several more ingredients. Luckily, most of the other ingredients were readily available. She could not find anything resembling a baking powder, but it was not really necessary anyway as the only receptacle she could find to serve as a baking tin was short. Thus the cake did not really need to be tall and the baking powder was not necessary.

She planned to give the cake, her first ever cake in this world, to Ji LanBai during dinner.