After the warm feast at the noodle stall, Princess Xiaoyun — or Xiaoxi, as her family affectionately called her — stood up, bowed low, and pressed her palms together like a monk.
"Sir, you have saved a starving soul! I shall remember your kindness till the day my grandchildren's grandchildren sneeze!"
The stallkeeper nearly dropped his bowl, laughing, as Xiaoxi skipped away with her hands on her belly, humming happily.
---
The city was buzzing with life. Merchants shouted their prices, silk ribbons fluttered in the air, children ran with wooden toys, and the smell of fried buns mixed with roasted chestnuts made Xiaoxi's nose twitch.
Then she saw them — a small group of children playing in the open square. Their laughter was like little bells, and Xiaoxi's eyes sparkled.
"Ohhh! Small humans!" she whispered dramatically to herself. "They look like me… but shorter… and louder."
She floated toward them as if she were sneaking up on rare animals.
"Hello, little friends!" she finally chirped, clasping her hands together sweetly. "Do you know where I can see the most beautiful sunset?"
The children blinked at her, surprised by her fancy robes and flowery way of talking. But one boy quickly pointed toward the west.
"At the lake nearby. The sunset is always beautiful there."
Xiaoxi gasped like he had just revealed a royal secret.
"The LAKE! A mirror of the heavens!" She took two steps forward dramatically, then suddenly spun back with wild eyes.
"But wait, wait, wait! When does it set? How many hours? Minutes? Seconds?!"
The children exchanged puzzled glances. Finally, a girl giggled, "At least 2–3 hours from now."
"WHAT?!" Xiaoxi slapped her forehead as if struck by lightning. "The sun is mocking me! It makes me wait like a boring statue!"
The children burst out laughing at her exaggerated despair. Then Xiaoxi snapped her fingers like a general.
"Well then, there is only one solution. May I… play with you until His Majesty, the Sun, arrives?"
---
The kids looked at each other. No adult had ever asked them that before. Usually, grown-ups only told them to "study more" or "play less."
One boy grinned. "Play with us? Of course! But… you're not too old?"
Xiaoxi puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms.
"Old?! How dare you! I am young, strong, and extremely… extremely… clumsy."
The kids laughed, and she bowed deeply.
"Call me Sister Xiaoxi! Princess Xiaoyun is too long. It sounds like a boring history book."
The children cheered. "Sister Xiaoxi it is!"
And so, the chaos began.
They played Jianzi (shuttlecock kicking), where Xiaoxi kicked once, twice… and then fell flat on the third attempt, laughing so hard that everyone else toppled over too.
They rolled wooden hoops down the street, racing each other. Xiaoxi pushed hers so fast it rolled right into a fruit stall, and she bowed apologetically as the children giggled.
Then they tried Touhu (pitch-pot), tossing sticks into a narrow jar. Xiaoxi missed every single time but cheered as if she had won a grand prize, making the children laugh until their bellies hurt.
Hours slipped away like minutes. For a while, Xiaoxi completely forgot about the sunset. She only remembered laughter, dusty feet, and the joy of being called Sister Xiaoxi.
Three hours passed in a blur of games, laughter, and dramatic Xiaoxi-fails. By the time the children's parents called them home, everyone's cheeks were red from laughing too much.
"Come play again, Sister Xiaoxi!" the kids yelled, still giggling.
Xiaoxi waved like a queen leaving her court.
"Of course, my loyal little citizens! Next time, I promise… I will lose again with even more style."
With that, she skipped toward the lake, finally remembering the sunset.