Pei Ye then saw that beneath the large pile was a piece of paper that no one noticed.
"This...this..." Pei Ye was bewildered, "Twenty taels?"
Qu Xin took his hand, opened it, placed the silver and the prescription inside, and closed it. Then she looked up and saw the trembling eyes of the young man.
She analyzed for a moment and judged this look to be one of gratitude, then thought again, bowed her head, and picked a small white flower from among the blossoms.
She stood on tiptoe and placed it in Pei Ye's hair.
"Qu Xin..."
"You must live well." Qu Xin's voice was calm, "Go on."
She pushed the young man out the door, then closed the gate of the courtyard.
Pei Ye looked at the heavy weight in his hand, feeling as if he were in a dream.
He turned his head to look at the black cat on his shoulder and held the silver to its mouth: "You take a bite."
The black cat turned its green eyes away.
Pei Ye bit it himself; it was real.
