Meng Yao was at home with Jia Yi. Jia Yi was shelling and eating sunflower seeds when Meng Yao came over and took the bowl from him and placed it on the floor. Then Meng Yao sat down, placing his head on Jia Yi's lap where the bowl had been.

"Jiajia, I feel neglected," he declared with a pronounced pout.

Jia Yi looked down at his husband's handsome face while chewing and swallowing the sunflower seed still in his hand.

"Hmm?"

"I'm so busy with work that I don't even have time for you!" Meng Yao complained.

"We spend time together at work every day," Jia Yi pointed out calmly.

Meng Yao hugged Jia Yi's waist and increased his pouting.

"It's still not enough time with you. Besides, we're both busy at work. I need some attention!"

Jia Yi nodded before taking another sunflower seed and eating it. He had grown accustomed to Meng Yao's dramatic behavior but he had to admit that the two of them hadn't spent much quality time as a couple since coming to the Capital. He smiled gently and brushed Meng Yao's face with his fingertips.

"Do you want to go out today?" He suggested. He didn't realize his lips had curved up in an indulgent smile.

Meng Yao smiled back and then rubbed his face in Jia Yi's stomach.

"It's been a while since went out... Okay, let's go out!" His voice was muffled by Jia Yi's abdomen and the vibration of his voice tickled Jia Yi. He grinned widely when Jia Yi started at the sensation and pushed his face away indignantly.

The two quickly changed into their outerwear and left for the market, holding each other's hand.

At the market, Meng Yao stopped by a jewelry cart. He noticed a pretty hairpin with bird carvings on the end.

"It's nice. Do you like it, Jiajia?"

Jia Yi took it, studying it closely, before nodding with a bit of a shy smile. Meng Yao threw some coins to the merchant and put the hairpin in Jia Yi's hair, grazing Jia Yi's lips with a fleeting kiss when he was done. The two then walked on, hand in hand.

A few steps later, Jia Yi noticed people gathering around an artist off to one side. The two of them moved through the crowd and saw a man creating a painting which caught Meng Yao's eye. The old man was telling what was obviously an old, and often repeated, tale.

"Yes, I met him before - tall with silky, black hair that had one silver streak through it. He had the appearance of a noble man, considerate and caring," the man's eyes stared at nothing as he reminisced. "He stopped near me as I lay on that bloody ground, unsure if I was even still alive and in a gentle voice - still hoarse from yelling commands during the battle - he said to me, "You've worked really hard haven't you, sir? You've earned your rest." I felt at that moment that it was the right time to die, but I live on just to repay his kindness," the old man finished.

Shortly after he finished speaking, the man put down his brush. Meng Yao stared at the painting. It was beautiful, even though it was clearly depicting a scene of battle. At one end of the battlefield was a red sky and from the red clouds emerged a pair of hands, reaching out to the fallen at the edge of the battle. Somehow the old man had managed to convey kindness in those hands and the glowing red of the clouds the hands emerged from spoke of hope in the midst of desperation. The chaos and brutality of the ongoing battle contrasted with the fallen bodies and the reaching hands of compassion.

"It really says a lot," Meng Yao said after staring at the painting for a while.

"I'm glad you can see it. The Minister was like a god to many of us. His passing was a terrible loss for our people," the man replied.

"The Minister...?"

"Ah yes, Minister Liang. During his years as a minister for this country we were in a desperate situation. Besides the war with our neighboring country, we were also desperately poor. We had few resources and that's why we were attacked in the first place. But the Minister was able to throw the other army into chaos by working as a double agent, which let us defeat them and win the war, and then he returned to the Capital and helped us grow as an economic power by recognizing resources we didn't know we had, like "lye"," the man said smiled at Meng Yao and continued, "You're a foreigner, right? You must be very well liked! People here symbolize silver hair as lucky because of the Minister's silver lock."

Meng Yao felt a little odd that these people worshipped the Minister the way they did but he couldn't really blame them since they owed Minister Liang a lot. It was clear that Minister Liang was a koi fish, not just for this country, but he had also made Meng Yao's life easier. No one regarded him as a freak because of his silver hair or foreign origin.

"Jia Yi, let's go buy that painting."

Jia Yi nodded agreeably then blushed as his stomach growled.

"Yao, I'm hungry," he told his husband.

"Of course! Of course! Let's stop by our old friend, Mr. Ye's place. We can even have a drink with him as well," Meng Yao quickly suggested.

Jia Yi liked that idea so after buying the painting and some supplies, the two soon sat in the corner of Mr. Ye's restaurant in the Capital. Meng Yao grinned with delight when Mr. Ye sat down with them.

"Old fox, I see your business is flourishing," Meng Yao teased the man.

"Yes, it's astounding. I even heard some news about a young fox's restaurant that's quite popular too," Mr. Ye teased back.

"You flatter me... wine, please," Meng Yao added to the waiter.

Soon the wine was served and Mr. Ye and Meng Yao drank happily and chatted together.

"Jiajia, are you sure you don't want any?" Meng Yao asked his wife.

Jia Yi simply shook his head "no" and continued to eat his food quietly.

"Jiajia, you're really something else," Meng Yao told his wife indulgently. Mr. Ye soon took his leave and Meng Yao leaned against Jia Yi's shoulder as he continued drinking his wine.