Li Jia poured tea while two girls sat in silence.
"Li Jia, please leave us."
"Yes, second young miss."
XieRong sipped her tea leisurely, her eyes closed and her stance relaxed.
"Tell me what you have to say fast. I don’t want to spend more time with you than I have to. I’m only here because grandfather ordered me to."
"Elder sister, why do hate me and my younger sister?"
RuiLing glared at XieRong.
"Don’t call me ’elder sister’! I hate you, and I hate your sister as you both are the only black stains on our golden reputation, because your mother spoiled the Guo family name!"
"No, elder sister, you and I, both know that is just an excuse. This time tell me the real reason as to why you don’t like us."
RuiLing bit her lip and turned her head away stubbornly.
XieRong let out a deep breath.
"It’s because me and my sister are taking away all of the attention that previously belonged to elder sister, isn’t it? Elder sister can’t bear that the children of a woman who ran away with another man are receiving more attention than elder sister, are living in the same house as elder sister."
RuiLing still refused to say anything.
"And the reason elder sister does not want to say it out loud is because elder sister doesn’t want to admit it. Elder sister is too proud and stubborn to admit it, just like grandfather."
"If you know, then why did you ask? And don’t call me elder sister!"
"Because I thought if elder sister said it out loud it would make elder sister feel better."
"Is this why you dragged me here? To humiliate me?"
"No, elder sister, I didn’t bring elder sister here to humiliate elder sister, I brought elder sister here to share two stories."
"Why would you bring me here to tell stories? I’m no child!"
XieRong laughed.
"Believe me, they are no stories for children. They are my mother’s story and mine up until I entered the Guo Residence, but before I share them with elder sister, elder sister must give me her blood oath to keep this a secret until I say otherwise. Are you still interested?"
RuiLing thought for a while before she nodded her head, biting her finger to draw blood as XieRong did the same. She was curious to know what was important enough that would require her to make a blood bond.
"I, Guo RuiLing, sign this blood oath with Guo XieRong to not reveal this secret until the mentioned party says so otherwise."
XieRong began to tell her cousin about everything she, her sister and her mother had gone through in the Fa Residence. She left the details of her journey to the Guo Residence, choosing only to describe the pain she had gone through during her treatment and the frequent nightmares she had about her mother’s death before she learned to meditate.
"So tell me, elder sister, even if my mother had run away with another man after going through all what she had, would she have been wrong?"
RuiLing looked down with tears in her eyes. She didn’t have a answer. She knew it would have been wrong to run away, but at the same time, she felt that she would have definitely run away in her aunt’s situation. Besides, her aunt hadn’t run away, she was murdered.
"I won’t force elder sister to like us or even talk to us if elder sister decides not to after this. Frankly speaking, I don’t really care how elder sister feels. I decided to talk to you because first asked me to, otherwise I wouldn’t have even considered telling elder sister anything of what I have told elder sister. Elder sister reminds me too much of Fa MeiLien. So, I will not ask much. Elder sister can hate me as long as elder sister doesn’t get in my way."
XieRong stood up to leave.
"The Old General’s stubbornness and pride made him lose his daughter, elder sister. Don’t follow in his footsteps. Otherwise, it won’t be long before elder sister loses something precious as well. I know elder sister has led a sheltered and happy life, and because of it elder sister doesn’t know what the world out there is really like. It’s not all black and white as the books say. People are shaped to do things according to the circumstances that life gives them."
XieRong closed the door behind her saying, "I’ll be leaving to go see the city by the hour of the horse (11.00 to 13.00), elder sister can choose to join me if you wish."
When she found her uncle, he was sitting to the side with her elder brother in her elder brother’s courtyard.
"Who won?" she asked, as she approached them.
She could already tell who had won even as she asked.
There her brother was looking as cool as a breeze, while her uncle sat, sweating buckets.
"If I told you it was your brother who won, will you ask him to teach you instead of me?"
"Being a good fighter doesn’t necessarily mean someone is a good teacher. I would first like to learn from you, and once I have surpassed uncle, I will learn from elder brother if he doesn’t mind."
"Of course I don’t mind teaching my new little sister," her brother replied, kindly.
XieRong smiled back at him without any emotion.
"Uncle, why don’t you go change while I get to know elder brother?"
Her uncle left them thinking what a good relationship they already had. Once he was far away she said,
"Drop the act, elder brother, you know I won’t be falling for it, not when I know elder brother is that scary crown prince’s friend."
"Why do you hurt me so, little sister? Here I thought I was very convincing."
XieRong smiled. This time it was because she was extremely amused.
"So this is what you’re really like: a black bellied fox."
"Now, now little sister, is that what you call your elder brother?"
"Hmm... I won’t treat you like an elder brother until you have proven yourself to me that you are capable of being an elder brother to me."
"And tell me why would I want to prove myself to you, miss BaiHua?"
"Because I’m useful?"
Her elder brother smiled.
"You really are amusing. Tell me, how did your poison get cured? And how on Earth did you get the second prince’s tablet?"
"Like I told aunt and uncle, a kind travelling medicine practitioner, who we met in the forest and helped, cured us. Also, why would I reveal all my secrets to you when I haven’t even to Aunt and Uncle? Besides, I didn’t come to simply chat. I want to know whether you have already told he crown prince about my real identity and if he has accepted my offer."
Guo Qiang didn’t believe his sister’s story one bit, but he had no ways of confirming that the story was false so he let it go.
"What does little sister think?"
"I think you share a brothers’ bond with him and he already knows. That crown prince is too careful to let loose a double edged sword like you without binding you to him first. But, I honestly have no idea as to whether he accepted my offer. I am but a seven year old girl with no cultivation. But tell him this, I will get rid of the Fa family and the second prince with or without his help, I don’t care if he chooses to refuse my offer as long as he doesn’t get in my way."
Guo Qiang saw the hatred buried deep within the girl’s eyes as she spoke.
"The Crown Prince asked me to tell you that he can’t form an alliance with you, however if his plans do converge with yours at some point, he agrees to help you."
"Can’t or won’t?" She asked, remembering the crown prince’s words.
Guo Qiang laughed.
"He says he won’t form an alliance with you, unless you agree to a blood bond."
XieRong smiled.
"No, I’ll accept his previous offer. I don’t want to form any kind of bond, other than a distant alliance, with someone so scary. I would like to keep as far away as possible from him."
"Wise choice, if I say so myself. Aren’t you going to ask me to help you?"
"No. You’ve already given your loyalty to the crown prince. However, I’ll ask you to prove yourself and be my elder brother as you are, with no fake masks and no fake smiles. They absolutely disgust me. Do you want to?"
Guo Qiang put his hand on his new little cousin sister’s head and smiled a true smile.
"We’ll see."
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