For the past two weeks, Ye An returned to the underground lake daily to watch Xi Chen from the bank. Every day, she would wake up at first light, grab whatever was available from the kitchens, usually plain steamed buns, and sit by the lake in the dark, not even bothering to light any of the torches on the wall and choosing to shroud herself in darkness instead. 

It was the same today.

"I see that you're here again." 

Ye An started. It was the head monk. She hadn't seen him since the day he brought her around the grounds. The head monk swept the folds of his yellow robes underneath him in a graceful motion and sat by Ye An. He peered at the half-eaten steamed bun on her hand. "I heard from the cooks that all you've eaten for the past two weeks were steamed buns. And ones without any fillings at that."

"Well, that isn't true." Ye An croaked her protest. Her voice came out sounding like the rusty creak of an old wheel. Besides the barely uttered thank yous to the cooks each morning, Ye An hasn't spoken much. "I think I had mushroom skewers sometime last week."

The head monk smiled kindly. "Ah. Those are one of my favorites. The spices on them are delightful. Did you enjoy it?"

"I guess." Ye An blurted without much thought, her eyes reverted back to Xi Chen who was floating serenely in the distance. To be completely honest, she didn't really remember nor care how it tasted. These days, Ye An was merely eating to sustain her body.

The head monk followed Ye An's gaze. "I heard from Yu Lan that you knew that man."

Ye An turned towards the head monk questioningly. "Yu Lan?"

"Ah. You haven't introduced each other? The elderly lady who tended to you." The head monk explained. "Come to think of it. I haven't even asked for your name and you've been here for half a month. What is your name?"

Ye An hesitated for a moment before muttering, "An. My name is An." The barely uttered name echoed in the vastness of the still cave.

The head monk wasn't a fool. The wrinkles framing his knowing eyes and curving around his smile were proof of his years of living and therefore honing his instincts. He knew that wasn't really Ye An's name. Or at least not entirely. The head monk could push for more, even ask for her surname but he decided against it. "Well. That's a nice name. It means peace, isn't it?"

Ye An nodded quietly, no longer focusing on the head monk. She continued watching Xi Chen, his peaceful figure a contrast to the convoluted mess in her mind as a memory bloomed through the misty fog in her mind. 

The memory of Governess Hsu speaking to her about the meaning behind her name was still vivid and fresh in Ye An's mind like the scene had just happened yesterday. But she was swiftly reminded that the governess no longer walked the human realm. Following that train of thought, Ye An's mind also went to the late Empress Mother and to Ah Lin. Ah Lin, who didn't deserve the gruesome death that met him. Ye An closed her eyes tight as if the physical barrier of her eyelids could keep the images out of her mind. The fact that both Governess Hsu and Ah Lin didn't have a proper funeral weighed heavy on Ye An's heart. Ye An grabbed at the clothes at the bottom of her chest where she felt her heart had sunk.

The head monk's wise eyes didn't miss the anguish in Ye An's movements, but he also knew that Ye An wasn't ready to talk about it. "Well, An. As much as I'd like to leave you in peace, there's actually a reason I came by today."

The head monk's statement piqued Ye An's interest enough that she turned to look at the head monk again. "What is it?"

"Do you know how to read and write?" The head monk asked simply.

Puzzled, Ye An answered. "Yes. Indeed, I do."

The head monk smiled warmly. "Then, why don't you follow me? I could use your help."

It took some convincing on the head monk's part but Ye An eventually relented. Apparently, the teacher fell sick and Ye An was to be the substitute. She followed the head monk to the school they had passed by together two weeks ago. In fact, she had been passing by this building every day since then on her way to visit Xi Chen.

Before they even stepped into the compounds of the school, Ye An could already hear the delighted and playful shrieks of small children.

The head monk chuckled. "They must be having fun thinking that they won't be studying today."

"In that case, it might be best to leave them alone." Ye An started to turn away, already stepping back towards the cave where Xi Chen was.

The head monk waved a hand and shook his head. "Hush! There's no such thing. Although I do not condemn play time, in fact, I encourage the children to take breaks in between lessons to play, this is also a crucial time to develop their young minds. These kids are already isolated from the rest of the world. They must at least have some form of basic education. So that when and if they decide to leave this temple, they could survive out there."

"That's- very kind of you." And not to mention, far-sighted. In a way, Ye An had grown up in isolation as well. For her, even though her scheduled lessons felt like a chore, they were a window to the outside world that she wouldn't have been privy to.

"Well, this place wasn't meant for commoners to live indefinitely. People need to meet other people. They need to interact. Not live in isolation." The head monk explained. "And if the young monks would like to go out for their voyage to learn about the world before coming back to settle into their roles in the temple, it is best if we could equip them with some common knowledge of the current society before they step out of the temple doors. Come, let's enter the school."

Ye An took a deep breath and stepped into the school. To call it a school was an over-exaggeration as it was only comprised of a small hut with seven children, one of them a young monk, scattered around its compounds.

"Oh! You're that lady!" The boy who was at Ye An's window a couple of weeks ago came bounding towards them while he pointed at Ye An.

"Kang, did I not say pointing is impolite?" The head monk shook his head. Although it was obvious that he was reprimanding the boy, his tone was warm and kind.

The boy quickly put his hand down. A small pout slowly forming at his mouth as he looked to his feet. "I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to be impolite."

Ye An smiled her first real smile since coming here. She ruffled Kang's hair affectionately. "It's alright, I know you didn't mean it."

The head monk smiled. "Well then, children. As Teacher Ruliang is not well today, Teacher An here is kind enough to be the substitute teacher for the day."

There were a lot of disappointed awws and ahhs among the children who were crestfallen that their teacher's absence didn't mean total freedom in playtime.

Ye An cracked a smile again at the children's honest reactions before she slipped into the role of a substitute teacher. "Hello children, my name is An, you could call me Teacher An. Nice to meet you and I hope that you will take good care of me."

The children, Ye An later found out, were aged between eight to twelve with varying degrees of adeptness. Surprisingly, she managed to fit into the teacher role like a fish in water. Ye An instinctively knew the kind of exercises and guidance each child needed to advance in their education. For the younger children, she focused on reading and writing. As for the older children, she taught them idioms, similes, and even a little bit of philosophy and Confucianism.

By the end of the day, Ye An had children offering her to join their families for dinner as they were leaving. But she politely refused all of the invitations. When the children were gone, Ye An started arranging the brushes and parchment when the head monk reappeared.

"It seems like the children took a liking to you, I bumped into some of the children on the way here and they told me that you've refused to join them for dinner."

Ye An merely shrugged. "They're just fascinated by someone new. Anyways, they will have their teacher back tomorrow and we probably won't even see each other that much anyway."

"Oh." The head monk said. "About that.. Teacher Ruliang is having a bad case of cold and he might be bedridden for at least a few days. I keep telling that old barrel of a man to wear more layers but he just wouldn't listen. At least Yu Lan, his wife, is taking care of him. His stubbornness is just too much sometimes." The head monk shook his head as he said that but his eyes shone fondly. It seemed to Ye An that Teacher Ruliang must be his close friend.

"I didn't know Teacher Ruliang was Auntie Yu Lan's husband." Remembering how Auntie Yu Lan was when her husband came to pick her up at Ye An's hut, Ye An said, "They seemed really happy together when I saw them."

A soft smile formed on the head monk's lips. "They are the happiest couple I've had the fortune to meet in my 70 years of life. Anyways, I'm afraid that I will be imposing on you a little longer to continue being the substitute teacher until Teacher Ruliang is nursed back to health."

"I-" Even though she would very much like to help to repay the head monk's kindness, Ye An couldn't help but hesitate. A few days or even more of not being able to prioritize visiting Xi Chen? Absolutely not.

The head monk held up a hand. "Wait. Before you reject my proposition, you're free to start the lessons later in the day after your daily visits to the cave."

Ye An swallowed her rejection. "I guess- I guess that's alright then. I'll do it. I'll be the substitute teacher until Teacher Ruliang is cured.

The smile on the head monk's face was jubilant. "That's good to hear. The children would be happy to see you again tomorrow."

Little pinpricks of warmth dotted Ye An's heart at the thought of the children.

"Actually, why don't you join me for morning prayers at the temple tomorrow before you head to the cave?"

Ye An started to refuse but the head monk was quicker. "Just entertain this old monk for once. We'll just be a level above the cave. You could go straight down after our prayers."

Ye An mulled over it. "I guess it wouldn't hurt."

The head monk's eyes crinkled in his smile. "I'll take that as a yes then."

+* Thanks for reading! Please vote, comment, and follow if you like the story!*+

Writer's note: I have been in the longest rut 😭😭😭 but I will keep on writing 💪💪💪 20 more chapters to go yeehaw

And here's a treat for keeping up with such an inconsistent writer lol:

Was just playing around with the AI filter on TikTok and this is how I imagined Ye An when she's around the Temple of Ninety-Nine Blessings! 

Stay tuned for another pic of Ye An as the crown prince in the next chapter hehe :D