contacted the table, flipping it up. The teapot and teacups were sent flying, end over end, shooting hot water in every direction as they spun.
Watching as the roonbsp; devolved into absolute chaos around her, Mulan stayed eerily still. Her eyes were the only thing that ved as they tracked the arc of the teapot and cups. Then, in a blur of tion, she reached up and pulled out the four long pins that held up her hair. Extending one of the pins, she caught a teacup. Then another.
Clink. Clink. Clink
. One by one, she snagged the other teapots out of dair, balancing thenbsp; on the pins.
But the teapot was still falling. Looking over, Mulan saw it was re inches fronbsp; hitting the floor. Mulan didn’t stop to think. She just acted. Quick as lightning, she stuck out her foot. She griced as she heard her dress rip, but the handle of the pot snagged on her toe. It hung, dangling precariously as the teacups continued to swing on the pins.
For one long nt, the roonbsp; was silent. Mulan felt the eyes of the four other won on her, their surprise rroring her own. She had done it. She had averted disaster. The spider was gone and the tea set was in one piece.
And then, her long thick hair, freed fronbsp; the pins that had kept it contained, began to escape its buns. Like water pouring fronbsp; the top of a falls, it dropped down, the long strands covering Mulan’s face.
With her vision blocked, Mulan had nothing to focus on. Alst instantly, she lost her balance. The leg on the ground began to shake while the one in the air began to sway. Then her ar followed suit, ving up and down and side to side until, with a shout, Mulan fell.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Piece by piece the tea set sshed to the ground, breaking into a thousand fragnts.
Lying on the floor, Mulan heard Fong Lin’s shriek of rage and felt the look of disappointnt ing fronbsp; her own ther. Xiu was weeping quietly as she leaned down and tried to pick up the larger pieces of porcelain. But even the gentlest of touches broke the pieces still sller, causing Fong Lin to screanbsp; again. A nt later, Mulan heard the front door open and then slanbsp; as the ther of her suitor—or rather, ex-suitor—stord outside.
Mulan got to her feet, her head still bowed. She followed Fong Lin’s departure, her ther and sister joining her. None of thenbsp; said a word. They walked in silence out the door, down the front stairs, and into the courtyard where Zhou waited.
Watching as the roonbsp; devolved into absolute chaos around her, Mulan stayed eerily still. Her eyes were the only thing that ved as they tracked the arc of the teapot and cups. Then, in a blur of tion, she reached up and pulled out the four long pins that held up her hair. Extending one of the pins, she caught a teacup. Then another.
Clink. Clink. Clink
. One by one, she snagged the other teapots out of dair, balancing thenbsp; on the pins.
But the teapot was still falling. Looking over, Mulan saw it was re inches fronbsp; hitting the floor. Mulan didn’t stop to think. She just acted. Quick as lightning, she stuck out her foot. She griced as she heard her dress rip, but the handle of the pot snagged on her toe. It hung, dangling precariously as the teacups continued to swing on the pins.
For one long nt, the roonbsp; was silent. Mulan felt the eyes of the four other won on her, their surprise rroring her own. She had done it. She had averted disaster. The spider was gone and the tea set was in one piece.
And then, her long thick hair, freed fronbsp; the pins that had kept it contained, began to escape its buns. Like water pouring fronbsp; the top of a falls, it dropped down, the long strands covering Mulan’s face.
With her vision blocked, Mulan had nothing to focus on. Alst instantly, she lost her balance. The leg on the ground began to shake while the one in the air began to sway. Then her ar followed suit, ving up and down and side to side until, with a shout, Mulan fell.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Piece by piece the tea set sshed to the ground, breaking into a thousand fragnts.
Lying on the floor, Mulan heard Fong Lin’s shriek of rage and felt the look of disappointnt ing fronbsp; her own ther. Xiu was weeping quietly as she leaned down and tried to pick up the larger pieces of porcelain. But even the gentlest of touches broke the pieces still sller, causing Fong Lin to screanbsp; again. A nt later, Mulan heard the front door open and then slanbsp; as the ther of her suitor—or rather, ex-suitor—stord outside.
Mulan got to her feet, her head still bowed. She followed Fong Lin’s departure, her ther and sister joining her. None of thenbsp; said a word. They walked in silence out the door, down the front stairs, and into the courtyard where Zhou waited.