MSLP IV

My Sassy Little Princess

Chapter 4: Lu Family’s Jade Pendant

Jiang Yingyue stared at the large house… no… mansion in front of her. Though the architecture appeared slightly worn down with chipped paint and stains on the gate, the house had a sense of grandeur that just could not be described.

She wondered just how splendid the mansion would have appeared if she had seen the building just a few years back.

Turning to her mother with a soft smile, she squeezed her mother’s hand gently. During their nighttime routine, her mother would always regale her with stories of her father jumping across the walls to meet her mother during the middle of the night. Now that she saw just how tall those walls were, she was a little amused.

Pulling on her mother’s skirt, Jiang Yingyue whispered, “Where those the walls father jumped over!?!” she was a little excited. Her father truly was so strong! Especially since the walls were so big. So for him to do it so effortlessly, Jiang Yingyue felt as though she had yet another reason to idolize her father.

“One day I’m going to jump over those walls!” she exclaimed excitedly.

Her mother frowned, “To meet a boy?” she shook her head as a small smile made it’s ways onto her lips. “Once I show you my room, I’ll show you the secret door that I used to meet up with your father. That way you wouldn’t have to jump over walls,” she gently pinched Jiang Yingyue’s cheek as her daughter rolled her eyes.

Swatting Xu Suyin’s hand away, Jiang Yingyue pursed her lips, “Not to meet a boy, mother! I’ll do it to make more money!!”

Jiang Yingyue never considered or even fancied the idea of falling in love. She’d always wanted to clear her father’s name, and in her little mind, the best way for her to do that was to earn money. The more money she could earn, the more she would be able to pay that money to the King so he could pardon her father and absolve all the crimes that were associated to the Jiang family.

As for what she would do after she finished her goals…

Well, she never thought about what she would do after that.

Probably settle down in a nice little cottage at the outskirts of the town and become a little like her angry Granny Fang.

“That’s all you want to do?” her mother teased. “What will you do with all that money?”

A few years ago, while she was accompanying her Granny Fang to gather herbs, she learned about the power of money. No matter how many people whispered about her origins, they seemingly became quiet the second Granny Fang waved some money in front of their faces.

Knowing she could never be as kind and beautiful as her mother, Jiang Yingyue decided her life goal was just to make money in whatever way she could.

“Buy father’s innocence!” she announced with a smile. “I want to make so much money the king will just forgive father of everything!”

Xu Suyin’s smile wavered for a slight second as she glanced down at the ground. Granny Fang had told her of Jiang Yingyue’s ambitions a few days back. At the time, she laughed it off, thinking it was just a fleeting child’s dream. But now, looking at the sincerity in her daughter’s eyes, she couldn’t help but become saddened.

Even if Jiang Yingyue wasn’t aware of it, Xu Suyin knew better.

Her husband, Jiang Donghai, would always be known as the war criminal, and nothing would change that.

Blinking away the sorrow, Xu Suyin’s index finger brushed her daughter’s cheek, “And what do you plan on doing after that?” she whispered.

Though the rumors suggested otherwise, Xu Suyin wanted to be as upfront and truthful as she could so Jiang Yingyue would have a positive opinion of her father. In their house, there was no such thing as fairy tales or speaking of gossip. If Jiang Yingyue wasn’t learning about the arts and music, she would hear stories of Jiang Donghai.

Xu Suyin believed that would be for the best for Jiang Yingyue. So she would never grow to be ashamed of her father for any reason.

But now… Xu Suyin wished she could’ve allowed Jiang Yingyue to have a freer childhood. Jiang Yingyue should never have taken on the responsibility of clearing her father’s name. That was never Xu Suyin’s intentions.

“I never thought about that,” Jiang Yingyue shrugged her shoulders.

Biting the bottom of her lip, she thought back to all the other children playing house in their village. Whenever she played the game, the others always forced her to be the servant. But if she were to think about it, one day, she would marry a man for herself and have a baby to take care of.

Nodding her head, “I guess one day I’ll get married to some boy.”

Her nose wrinkled as she thought of all smelly boys in her village. They always made fun of her for wearing flowers in her hair, and for having eyes that were too big.

Glancing up at her mother, innocently, she asked, “Do you think someday a boy would like me as much as father loved you?”

It wasn’t too often Jiang Yingyue thought of love herself. She was content just to be at her mother’s side. She was happy helping out her Granny Fang whenever she could. And she knew her purpose in life was to clear her father’s name… but beyond that? She was a little scared.

Before her mother could say her words of wisdom, her uncle sneered as he came into view behind them, “Already thinking about love at such a young age?” just as Jiang Yingyue resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

This strange man really doesn’t know how to enjoy the small things in life!

She partially hid behind her mother’s skirts, gently grabbing onto the fabric as she poked her head out. “Don’t worry mister,” she announced. “I would never like someone as stinky faced as you!” she stuck her tongue out in a childish manner.

Xu Zihao’s eyes narrowed, “You!” he seethed as he rushed forward, attempting to grab onto the little girl’s hand. “Come back here!” he raced after her as she squealed and ran past the gates, entering the Xu family household for the first time.

Despite being a small girl, she was quite nimble, making twists and turns when Xu Zihao least expected it. Eventually, his fingers were able to grasp onto Jiang Yingyue’s bicep. He pulled her towards him as she giggled. Picking her up, he couldn’t help but curl his lips upward.

There was something special about the little girl. Even though she didn’t dress up or fashionably braid her hair like the other girls in the capital, her gleaming eyes and infectious happiness made heads turn.

“Now tell me,” he murmured with a stern tone, “do I still have a stinky face?” his eyes softened as he gently pushed the light brown hair that was matted to Jiang Yingyue’s forehead.

When Jiang Yingyue was silent, Xu Zihao poked her belly, prodding her for an answer. She immediately squirmed from his grip as she started laughing. Nodding her head, she announced, “Mmm… you do have a stinky face!”

Xu Zihao’s eyes widened as he gently let go of her. But, before she could fall out of his hands, he caught her, “Are you sure?”

Her hands grabbed onto his robes. Her soft giggles just became louder as he continued to play with her, “Mister has a stinky tofu face!” she announced.

Xu Suyin was just a few steps behind them, smiling at the uncle-niece pair. It was the first time they were acting sweet with each other, and for the first time, she had hope her family would eventually grow to love her daughter the best they could.

“Xu Zihao!” a shrill cry was heard across the yard as Xu Zihao stiffened.

His fingers stopped ticking Jiang Yingyue as he took a deep breath. Turning, he glanced straight ahead at the Xu family’s matriarch, his mother—Song Liqin.

Though her husband, Xu Weizhe, passed away nearly a decade ago, she still maintained a sense of timeless beauty. Her jade black hair, a quality all the Xu children inherited, was pristinely braided back, held by a single strong green jade pin. Her svelte figure enhanced her purple robes, giving her a sense of ethereal beauty and making her seem as though she was almost ten to fifteen years younger than she actually was.

Swallowing, Xu Zihao gently set Jiang Yingyue onto the ground. Her fingers continued to hold her uncle’s robes as she curiously glanced up.

“Mother,” he bowed down as Jiang Yingyue continued to blink, glancing at her uncle, then to the new woman, and then to her mother who had also bowed down.

When Jiang Yingyue turned back to the woman, her dark eyes were trained upon Jiang Yingyue. Though her expression was grim, Jiang Yingyue’s eyes couldn’t help but brighten.

She had always believed her mother was beautiful. But, this woman, if it was even possible, appeared even more beautiful.

“Zi-er,” the woman’s eyes wordlessly passed Jiang Yingyue. “Bring Suyin in. As for that girl,” silence enshrouded the yard as the woman’s lips curled upwards in a disgusted sneer, “Leave her outside—,”

Jiang Yingyue’s nose scrunched up. Her mother always spoke endlessly about Jiang Donghai, but, once the topic of her family came up, she became strangely silent. When she asked Granny Fang, the old woman had just silently mumbled the Xu family had not been as supportive as they should have been.

She never understood how that could be possible, especially since she could never hate someone she called family.

But, so far, it seemed as though everyone was judging her, family or strangers.

“Mother!” Xu Suyin stood up with anger. “She is my daughter!”

When Jiang Yingyue turned to face her mother, she noticed how red Xu Suyin’s entire face had gotten. Her hands were even clenched at her side. Every time, without fail, she is surprised her sweet, innocent mother could manage to have such an expression on her face.

Xu Suyin’s brows came together as she stood her ground, surprising herself a little. The last time she had been so defiant was when she was just a young girl hoping she could marry the man of her dreams.

“She is your daughter,” Song Liqin’s eyes narrowed. “Not mine.”

Just a few years back, her defiant daughter did everything she could to make her case about marrying the poor merchant boy, Jiang Donghai. She had screamed how she was no longer a child… that it was her life, and she should have the power to make whatever decision it was that pleased her.

Song Liqin hoped her daughter was just having a rebellious phase. After that boy went to war, she hoped Xu Suyin would just fall in love with another boy in the capital.

But, she was mindlessly stubborn. Refusing to eat, refusing to step out of her room, even threatening to kill herself.

“I strongly remember how you claimed you would never inconvenience the Xu family after marrying that… street rat,” Song Liqin’s lips curled in disgust. “But, it seems like you did everything you could to trouble the Xu family.” Her eyes darkened as she stared at Xu Suyin, “I lost my husband because of your actions. If you had never run away…,” her voice cracked for a single moment as Xu Suyin stared at the ground, melancholically.

“How could you expect me to raise that street rat’s daughter after all of this?”

Xu Suyin didn’t have the words to retort back to her mother. There were many regrets she had in her life. But never once did she think her actions would have led to devastating consequences for her family.

“I…I’m—,” Xu Suyin was about to apologize to her mother, but her daughter interrupted.

“My father is not a street rat,” Jiang Yingyue bit the bottom of her lip as her hands formed into fists.

Song Liqin’s gaze on her daughter was broken for a split second as she turned to the little girl. Though she detested every little bit of that girl’s existence, she couldn’t help but notice just how similar that girl was to that… rat. From her light colored hair to her big, wide eyes.

“What did you say?” Song Liqin’s tone dropped a few octaves as a brief chill passed through the yard.

“I said my father is not a street rat,” Jiang Yingyue took a step forward, ignoring how her uncle was attempting to pull her back. “Take those words and apologize!”

“Apologize?” Song Liqin scoffed as she crossed her arms. “Why should I apologize when I’m speaking nothing more than the truth?”

Jiang Yingyue’s jaw clenched tightly. A few years ago, when she first went to school, the other kids would make fun of her father in a similar manner. In the beginning, she would just ignore those words. But the children became even more relentless. Doing whatever they could to illicit a reaction.

Once she started pushing them in response, they finally shut up. Sure, she was kicked out of school, but those kids stopped, and that was all she needed.

Her brown eyes seemed hollow, “So you don’t need to apologize if you’re saying the truth?” her voice was level-headed despite all the anger that was simmering deep within her.

Xu Zihao glanced down at the young girl, his thumb brushed across her small palm, silently questioning her what she was doing.

As far as his memory could serve, the Xu children never questioned their parents for any reason. The only exception was Xu Suyin fighting to marry Jiang Donghai. It was an absolute spectacle in the house, and now, with Jiang Yingyue’s stance, Xu Zihao couldn’t help but wonder which calamity would strike the Xu household now.

Song Liqin, not knowing what Jiang Yingyue would say next, nodded her head in affirmation, “Of course, if you speak the truth, there is no need for apologies.”

“Good,” Jiang Yingyue gritted her teeth. “Because if we are speaking the truth, then you are just a big snake!! You care about nothing but yourself!!”

Despite hearing all those stories about her father, Jiang Yingyue knew very little about her mother’s family. Every time the topic about the Xu family was brought up, her mother would go strangely quiet. In the beginning, she thought something bad happened to them, but Granny Fang quietly explained that the Xu family was dismissive of her father.

She hoped over the years, they would learn to forgive and forget… especially since all parents taught such principles to their children. But, instead of forgiving and forgetting, the old woman sustained her vendetta and hatred against Jiang Donghai.

“Even after my mother ran away for years, you only wanted her to come back now. Why?” Jiang Yingyue taunted, not paying attention to the crisp silence that passed through the yard. Even the servants in the back had their mouths dropped open with her words. But, the little girl continued with rage, “It must be because you needed my mother for something! What do you want her to do?”

Song Liqin’s knuckles turned white as her glare deepened. Even when Xu Suyin ran away, no one had criticized her this badly to her face. Whatever opinions the townsfolk had, they whispered it when she was out of their vicinity. But this little girl? She was squabbling about with no filter or understanding of where she was.

“Do you want her to become your slave?” Jiang Yingyue’s voice turned sharp and high-pitched. “Because I know you have bad intentions because you are nothing more than a snake!!” she screamed.

Out of all the people to break the silence, she never expected it would be her mother… her demure, calm, and sweet mother to respond first.

“Jiang Yingyue!” Xu Suyin’s voice carried through the yard as she grabbed onto her daughter’s shoulder. Her dark eyes were wide with anger, “Apologize now!”

Jiang Yingyue’s anger was broken for a moment as fear swelled at the bottom of her stomach. She had never seen her mother’s anger directed at her… ever. But, even though she was scared, she couldn’t help but remember all of the lessons her mother imparted to her over the years. She couldn’t let this old woman just insult her father like this… it would be an insult to the Jiang family!

Jiang Yingyue bit her lip, “No! She wanted the truth,” her eyes turned to Song Liqin, the anger completely visible to all. “And I gave it to her!”

“Jiang Yingyue,” Xu Suyin took a deep breath, “A-apologize, now,” her fingernails dug into Jiang Yingyue’s shoulder.

For a second, Jiang Yingyue’s resolve wavered, an apology was just at the tip of her tongue. But, from the corner of her vision, she noticed Song Liqin’s smug expression as her anger swelled ten-fold. Taking a deep breath, Jiang Yingyue’s jaw clenched, “Why should I apologize to that snak—?”

A sharp slap echoed across the yard.

Xu Suyin’s eyes widened with horror when she realized just what she had done. She immediately retracted her hand as she swallowed, “Y-Yue—,”

“You hit me,” Jiang Yingyue’s voice was soft as tears swelled in her eyes. Regardless of all the naughty things she had done in the past, her mother never raised her hand against her. Even when she was suspended from school… Xu Suyin actually appreciated her for standing up for her father.

Xu Suyin bent down on her knees, coming to eye level with Jiang Yingyue, “Yue-er,” her fingers reached towards Jiang Yingyue’s swollen cheek. “I’m so sorry,” her vision became slightly blurry, “I didn’t mean to hit you… I… I just couldn’t let you disrespect my mother like that.” Xu Suyin held onto her daughter’s hands and softly asked, “Can you please apologize to your grandmother?”

Jiang Yingyue stared at her mother with absolute shock.

She glanced down at her hands and noticed how tightly her mother was squeezing her fingers.

A few years ago, her mother had told her respect was something that needed to be earned.

“Disrespect?” Jiang Yingyue echoed. She slowly slid her hands out of her mother’s tight grip, “Didn’t you say I should pay someone back with the amount of respect they give me?”

This grandmother—no, this old, bigoted, ancient woman was the one who started the entire fight. Instead of ignoring Jiang Yingyue, or pretending to hate her at moments and tolerate her in other moments, this old woman decided to insult Jiang Donghai as soon as Jiang Yingyue stepped into the Xu pavilion. To worsen the wound, the old woman refused to apologize and had the audacity to appear smug when she knew Jiang Yingyue was being forced to apologize.

With such an attitude, Jiang Yingyue refused to give this woman any attention. She wanted to rub as much salt—or even more—just so the old woman could learn her manners.

“Other people are different and my mother is different,” Xu Suyin’s voice was soft yet stern. “Yue-er, she is your grandmother. She would never intentionally hurt us—,”

“Well she did hurt me!” Jiang Yingyue screamed. “She called my father a street rat again and again! Why do you think she isn’t doing this on purpose?!?” when she turned to entrance, Song Liqin’s lips curled upwards in a sneer. Anger simmered deep within her, threatening to burst yet again, “I—,”

Xu Suyin held onto her daughter’s hand, taking a deep, steady breath, “Jiang Yingyue,” as much as she didn’t like her mother for equating Jiang Donghai to a street rat, Xu Suyin knew that she didn’t have the grounds to argue with her mother. As such, she didn’t want her daughter to become hurt for any reason.

“I want you to sit in the carriage and wait for me,” her words were steady as Jiang Yingyue’s eyes slowly widened. When her daughter opened her mouth to say a few words, Xu Suyin shook her head, “Don’t argue with me, Yue-er. We’ll talk about this afterwards.”

Xu Suyin intended on telling Jiang Yingyue everything, just so her daughter wouldn’t repeat the same mistake in the future. Unfortunately, in her daughter’s eyes, she felt as though she was betrayed by her own mother.

“I hate you,” Jiang Yingyue whispered as tears welled into her eyes.

All these years, Jiang Yingyue believed Xu Suyin would always be her pillar of hope. Even if the entire world hated her, her mother would never be able to hate her. But, in just a few days, since meeting Xu Zihao, Xu Suyin changed in more ways than one.

Her fiery spirit was hollowed out, leaving only a melancholy and pathetic version of her mother.

She no longer dared to fight for her husband and that absolutely terrified Jiang Yingyue. If she let Song Liqin’s words pass today, would there be a day when her mother would readily give her up to marry another influential man?

Xu Suyin’s heart clenched as she heard the acerbic words from her daughter. She turned around, hoping her ears were playing tricks on her, “W-what did you say?”

Jiang Yingyue’s red eyes burned through her, “I. Hate. You!” she huffed before she turned around, stomping out of the Xu family house.

MLSP III

My Sassy Little Princess

Chapter 3: “You are not welcome in the Xu family!”

Jiang Yingyue cocked her head to the side as she observed the handsome man in front of her.

Since they began their journey to the capital, this man had all sorts of expressions on his face. Knitted brows, scowls, exasperated rolling of the eyes. All those expressions, of course, worsened whenever his dark eyes landed upon Jiang Yingyue.

So, being the cheeky child she was, every now and then, when she knew her mother was not watching her, she would make funny faces at the stranger in the carriage. And of course, because she was quite “evil,” she enjoyed every single one of her “uncle’s” expressions.

As she leaned back into her seat, watching the trees roll past them, she wondered what other tricks she could play without her mother suspecting a single thing.

“What talents do you have, little girl?”

Her uncle’s drawling voice was irritating to say in the least. She didn’t know what type of plan he had, but, she made a mental note to not let this stranger “win” against her.

Her brows knit together, “Hmm… what do you mean by that?”

Her uncle glanced away from her, staring outside, “My son, Xiao Jun, is a master at wielding a sword. His dream is to lead a battalion himself, while my daughter, Pang-er, is known for her painting skills.”

Her mother’s back straightened, “I-Is it the twins?” her voice was soft. Back when she had left, she had known about the birth of the twins, but her brother and sister-in-law were still trying on deciding the names for the dragon and phoenix pair.

Xu Zihao turned as he nodded his head solemnly, “Xu Junzi is my son, and Xu Pangfua is my daughter.”

A few years ago, Xu Suyin made a pact with her elder brothers, Zihao and Zemin. Regardless of who they married, the three of them would forever be close and friendly with one another. They never wanted to become the kind of siblings who fought for inheritance rights. Rather, they wanted to create an environment where even their children could be close.

Had Xu Suyin remained in the capital, she would’ve ensured Jiang Yingyue was close to all her cousins by bringing her to the Xu house as often as she could.

Xu Suyin held onto her daughter tightly as her daughter stared up at her, “What are the twins like?” Though she would be meeting them shortly, Xu Suyin wanted to know everything she could about her family so she could make amends with them.

Jiang Yingyue turned to her uncle curiously. After living in the village for years, she learned about the “city” folk through the rumors that streamed through the snack shops. Those folks always had “spicier” and “exciting” lives compared to her. Filled with debauchery, scandals, and drama!

Those stories were so much more exciting compared to the novels her grandmother read because they were actually of real people.

If Xu Junzi or Xu Pangfua lead such interesting lives, Jiang Yingyue would’ve begged her mother to allow her to stay in the capital. Just so she could be entertained with the drama that was playing out, of course!

Xu Zihao’s eyes narrowed as he saw the excitement in Jiang Yingyue’s brown eyes. Though she was just a child, he felt very, very wary of her. Before coming to meet his sister, he did a small inquiry, collecting everything he could about Xu Suyin and her troublesome daughter… and well… she was a handful. A handful that he had no desire to handle.

“They are normal children,” he decided he would settle on those words as he had no understanding of what Jiang Yingyue would do if she knew anymore.

His friends warned him to ignore his sister and her daughter. Villagers, according to them, were lawless who didn’t know the rules of etiquette. His children and Xu Zemin’s children would be at loss if Jiang Yingyue acted up.

Jiang Yingyue’s brow raised with dissatisfaction as she heard those words.

“That’s it?” she asked as her nose crinkled.

Though she knew not everyone was like He Lifen, the unfavored concubine who rose the ranks and stole the emperor’s heart, she was hoping Xu Pangfua or Xu Junzi had drama in their lives.

Perhaps they fought with the royal children? Perhaps they have forbidden crushes? Perhaps they have hidden talents?

“Why do you sound so disappointed my children are normal?” Xu Zihao’s glare deepened.

Though he was often busy with his work, he deeply loved and cared for his children. His daughter was the apple of his eyes, and his son was the reason he could hold his head up high. Through all the misfortunes the family faced, Pang-er and Xiao Jun were the best gifts he could’ve ever received.

“Well, when mister asked me if I had any talents, I thought that your children were people that would bring this kingdom pride!” Jiang Yingyue had a smug smile as she crossed her arms, “Guess I’m just like your children, mister.” She ignored her mother’s fingernails digging deep into her hand. Leaning in closer, she whispered, “Average.”

Xu Zihao’s brow twitched, “At least my Pang-er paints and my Xiao Jun is a master at the sword. What is your talent?”

“Jiang Yingyue,” her mother whispered, slightly shaking her head.

Xu Suyin spoiled the little girl from the time she was a baby. She pledged she would “double” her love for her daughter since Jiang Donghai wasn’t alive to shower her with his love. As such, there were moments were Jiang Yingyue ran into trouble.

“Let me speak mother,” she whispered. “Mister wants to know what my talent is,” with a dramatic sigh, she leaned into her mother’s chest and hugged her. “My talent is being spoiled and cute!”

“That’s not a talent,” her uncle’s voice dripped with mockery.

Biting her lower lip, Jiang Yingyue frowned, “Of course it’s a talent! Let me see you acting cute!” It was her absolute favorite argument to bring up whenever her grandmother complained she was being too willful.

Xu Zihao stared at the little girl.

It was almost unnerving for him to see such a girl that looked so much like Jiang Donghai and nothing like his sister. Had she had the stereotypical Xu dark eyes and dark hair, he could’ve persuaded his mother to let Jiang Yingyue stay. But, his mother certainly wouldn’t be able to handle a girl who looked so much like the man who took Xu Suyin away from them.

“I don’t need to act cute. Unlike you who has no talent,” Xu Suyin’s face fell as she glanced into her lap, “I can use my brain to solve anything.”

Jiang Yingyue slowly pulled away from her mother’s embrace as she jumped down from her seat. Climbing onto the spot next to her uncle, she sat down and looked at him with a playful grin, “Really mister? You can use your brain to solve anything?”

Xu Zihao snorted as he glanced away, “Of course. I lead the crime department in the capital. I wouldn’t have achieved all that success if it hadn’t been for my intelligence.”

Realizing the opportunity before her, Jiang Yingyue inched closer to her uncle, “Do you want to play a game, mister?” she cheerfully asked.

Whenever she was annoyed by her grandmother, she would play games with her as well. Initially, her grandmother always won. But, as she made more and more bets with the shrewd woman, she began to learn the importance of being sly and coy… and once she had those talents, she began to win their bets.

This man who was so full of himself, could not possibly expect her games.

“I have no interest–,”

“Yue-er,” her mother softly whispered as she motioned for her daughter to come back to her side. As much as she loved and respected her brother, she cared for her daughter even more.

“I promise to leave and go back to my village if I lose this game,” Jiang Yingyue’s small hand held onto her uncle’s smallest finger as she ignored her mother. She pushed the bangs that covered her eyes, “Otherwise the Sanxing gods will burn me to crisp!” she promised though she didn’t believe in the power of those dormant deities.

Xu Zihao thought about the types of “games” Jiang Yingyue would suggest. Though he wasn’t aware of the games villagers played, Pang-er taught him about many of the games young girls played. Occasionally, she would plead him to play along with her, so he developed decent proficiency with most child games.

Also, because they were still in a carriage, the number of games Jiang Yingyue could suggest were quite limited.

“Alright, I agree. What game are you suggesting?”

“A simple game,” she turned to her mother with a smile. Usually her mother would return her smile with an even more beautiful smile, but this time, her mother just seemed worried. Pointing to her mother, she turned to her uncle, “Whoever can make mother smile first wins.”

When Xu Zihao’s face turned sour, Jiang Yingyue raised her brow, almost as a challenge, “What? Didn’t mister just tell me he is smart? He doesn’t know how to make his own sister smile?”

“You’re her daughter,” he pointed out. The second he saw Pang-er or Xiao Jun, he would automatically get a vibrant smile on his face. Those children were so well-behaved and cultured–very much unlike Jiang Yingyue! “Of course, she would smile.”

“Well you’re her brother,” Jiang Yingyue pointed out. “Mister,” she poked his thigh, “I know it’s dumb for me to try and make you win, but you could just talk about your childhood with her.”

Xu Zihao stared at the little girl distastefully.

He did share a warm relationship with Xu Suyin. Him, Xu Suyin, and Xu Zemin always met up to have a warm cup of tea as they shared everything that happened during their day. And in their childhood, they were always up to naughty things, hiding things from their parents, and purposefully playing around in the mud just to be chided by their mother.

But, that was in the past.

After she left them and refused to contact them, all those sweet childhood memories turned bitter. Even if he cared and loved for her, it seemed as though she didn’t care or love him or the Xu family.

“There’s nothing in our childhood that was remotely peaceful or happy,” he turned away from her, choosing instead to look out the window. When he noticed the flinch the Xu Suyin had, he felt a little bit more at peace. It was good to know that Xu Suyin was slowly realizing her mistakes.

“Nothing?” Jiang Yingyue’s eyes widened as she turned to her mother. “This is why I always tell you that you are a boring person!”

Xu Suyin was always so principled with everything she did. She would always wear neat, tidy clothes. Would always make sure she was prim and proper. She even spoke with such grace that you couldn’t help but wonder if she was a secret, lost princess.

Her personality clashed with the loud and bold Jiang Yingyue.

Xu Zihao quickly turned to her, “Boring? If anything, your mother is a model and principled citizen of the empire. More people should be like her,” his lip curled in disgust, “Unlike you who knows no manners!”

“Xu Zihao,” her mother’s voice was stern.

Out of respect for everything that happened to her family because of her actions, Xu Suyin remained quiet as best she could. Even when she noticed Xu Zihao’s dislike for her daughter, she remained silent because she couldn’t force him to like her Jiang Yingyue. But, deep down, she still hoped her brother wouldn’t bully her daughter.

Xu Suyin stood and reached for Jiang Yingyue, quickly pulling the young child to her side, “You can show your anger on me in whatever way you wish, but I will not tolerate you to speak ill of my daughter,” she cupped her daughter’s face as her innocent, wide eyes looked up at her. Softening her stance slightly, she turned to her brother, “I won’t discredit any of the misfortunes that fell on the Xu family after I left, but that doesn’t mean my daughter and I lived easy lives either.”

“Regardless of how difficult your life was with that monster of a child,” Jiang Yingyue flinched slightly as the baritone of her uncle’s voice heightened, “you didn’t think to write to us even once?”

She was quite used to hearing those words, so it didn’t impact her greatly. But, her mother, who didn’t hear such words, became angered. Xu Suyin’s fists clenched as Jiang Yingyue pulled gently on her mother’s skirts to distract her.

“Using all those resources you had, you didn’t think to write to me? You didn’t think that if you could’ve saved my husband, our family would be in a much better place?”

Jiang Yingyue was shocked to see her mother raise her voice to such amplitude. Even in the few instances where her mother was angry with her, Xu Suyin would speak calmly with a level voice. It… terrified her. She buried her face into her mother’s legs and bit her lower lip as tightly as she could once she felt the growing lump in her throat.

“You really think your husband could have been saved after such a crime?” Xu Zihao’s face turned red with anger. “Why has it always been that man over your entire family? Where did we limit you? In what way did we prevent you from having the best of the best? Why couldn’t you have married the man father asked you to marry?”

Xu Zihao was quiet years ago when Jiang Yingyue asked to marry Jiang Donghai. Though he knew the young merchant’s boy had no social standing to marry such an influential girl, he stayed silent seeing the calm love in his sister’s eyes. But, perhaps if he had said something then history would have changed and his father would still be alive.

“Xu Zihao, you married the woman of your dreams, why couldn’t I marry the man of mine?”

It was the same argument she had years back when Xu Zemin asked her why she was so adamant about marrying Jiang Donghai despite their father’s distaste for the boy. After hearing those words, both brothers calmed down and said they would do their best to coax their father. Unfortunately, he was adamant about his desires just as Xu Suyin was adamant about her own.

“Because, the woman of my dreams didn’t cause the Xu family to break apart! Father and mother both loved my wife and were willing to bless us for marriage. But you! Despite everything everyone said, you continued to act accordingly to your selfish desires. Have you ever thought about apologizing even once!?!”

Xu Zihao was in absolute shock. For many years after his sister escaped, he always thought about the words he would say to her when they crossed paths again. As angry as he was, he always tried to see the good. He knew his sister was being forced to marry a man she didn’t love. He knew his sister was coping from losing the man of her dreams. He knew everything the Xu family owed her for not stepping up for her when she needed it most.

But, he also knew how his family had fallen out of favor. After his father’s death, the emperor did everything he could to somewhat preserve the Xu family name. But, other noblemen did their best to smear the fallen Xu family.

He had hoped silence would be enough to stop the rumors, but when he saw his daughter crying because she was excluded from a friend group or because she was treated poorly, bitterness grew and grew.

He always believed Xu Suyin was, above all, the young girl he grew up with. So, his heart couldn’t bear to blame his sister for all their problems. Instead, every time the Xu family faced any sort of misfortune, he blamed it on the man who caused it all.

Jiang Donghai.

But, the moment he laid eyes upon Jiang Yingyue, his anger swelled to extreme proportions. Right in front of him was the living and breathing representation of the man who caused his family harm.

Even though he knew it was wrong to blame a child, his conscience felt happy whenever he associated Jiang Yingyue to the devil or the monsters.

“Why do you think I would apologize to you after you shamelessly taunted my daughter?”

The one mistake Xu Suyin made years prior was not being able to do everything she could to support Jiang Donghai. The second her husband had been arrested, she was prevented from leaving the Xu family house. But, had she escaped to beg the emperor for forgiveness, perhaps her daughter would know of a love a father could provide. It was why the second her daughter was born, Xu Suyin promised to protect her daughter at all costs.

“If you had just–,”

Jiang Yingyue let out soft cries, doing her best to distract her mother and uncle from tearing apart each other. The game she suggested was supposed to have diffused the tension between the two. Not make it worse! If she had known just how bad the argument would be, she never would have suggested such a game!

Xu Suyin immediately softened as she bent down to be eye level to her daughter, “Yue-er,” she softly whispered as she gently kissed her daughter’s cheek. “I’m sorry that I frightened you. I promise I won’t–,”

Xu Zihao’s eyes softened as well. Though he disliked the mere existence of Jiang Yingyue, he wasn’t that heartless of a man to still be strict and angry in front of a crying child. Though his arm reached out to the little girl, he stood there awkwardly, lost as to what to say in the situation.

“I’m not frightened,” Jiang Yingyue sobbed as her fist wiped away a few of her tears, “I’m just… hungry!”

Xu Zihao raised a brow as his mouth opened slightly.

Even Xu Suyin seemed slightly taken aback, “H-hungry?”

Jiang Yingyue nodded her head, “Granny Fang forgot to feed me this morning!” she silently whispered an apology to her grandmother in her heart. On the contrary, her grandmother made her a hearty meal and packed her quite a few snacks for the trip. But, she was hoping her mother would catch along and end the debate.

Luckily, her mother nodded her head, “My little Yue-er,” she whispered before quickly pulling the girl into a warm embrace. “I’m sorry, do you want any snacks right now?”

Jiang Yingyue shook her head as she muttered, “Food.”

Understanding what the little child wanted, Xu Zihao turned to the coachman and whispered directions as to take a detour. When he sat back in his seat, he noticed how his sister’s soft eyes were focused on the sleeping young girl.

In just a matter of seconds, despite the air in the carriage being charged with animosity, the Xu siblings decided to partake in a stalemate in their argument. Whatever words were left to be said would be told when there wasn’t a child present.

---

“You know, my mother said if you frown for that long, your nose will rot and fall off your head,” Jiang Yingyue leaned closer to the angry man in front of her. “I don’t know about you, mister, but you would look really bad without a nose,” she whispered with an emphasis.

They had managed to stop at an inn that had a restaurant.

After waking up the sleepy Jiang Yingyue, Xu Suyin left the uncle and niece pair with wary eyes. If it weren’t for Xu Zihao shouting that he could handle taking care of a child, Xu Suyin might have dragged Jiang Yingyue to the bathroom as well.

“You have no right to tell me what expression I can have or not have,” Xu Zihao grit his teeth as he glanced at the teacup on the table.

Jiang Yingyue sighed as she twisted a strand of hair along her finger, “Why are you so adamant about bringing us to the capital if you hate us?”

At first, she believed her uncle just had a few emotions he needed to let out in the world. Granny Fang had told her about the dangers of keeping certain emotions to yourself, so Jiang Yingyue did her best to be truthful with how she was feeling at the moment. When her uncle came just two days prior, she thought the pain behind his dark eyes was just… transitory.

But seeing the way he burst and her mother burst, she knew it was anything but short-lived. Those two had many misunderstandings… deep misunderstandings that needed to be solved sooner, otherwise they would spiral down a dark path.

“I only ever intended to bring your mother,” Xu Zihao gulped the entire tea in the cup, ignoring the burning sting the tea left at the back of his throat. “If you hadn’t slid your way into the carriage, this fight between me and your mother would’ve never happened.”

Jiang Yingyue’s brown eyes stared at Xu Zihao, hoping she could see the least bit of a hint that he was joking. She could handle hate from outsiders… but Xu Zihao, a man who is supposed to be her uncle… it was not something she was prepared for.

“You are not welcome in the Xu family!” he announced as he poured himself another cup of tea.

Tears welled in Jiang Yingyue’s eyes, “W-why?”

Xu Zihao stared at the young girl.

The sharp nose, big brown eyes, and never ending pout… it all reminded him of that person. Instead of just leaving the Xu family, that man left his own seed to taunt the Xu family some more.

“Ask your father that question.”

MLSP II

My Sassy Little Princess

Chapter 2: Return to the Capital

---

The man standing in front of their house had a domineering countenance to him. He was a tall man, his golden coronet only further adding to his height, with broad shoulders. His black hanfu robes had rich, heavy golden embroidery, and a sword rested right by his waist. If it weren’t for his stoic, unperturbed face, Jiang Yingyue was tempted to run up to him and ask him where he bought his clothing.

Xu Suyin’s fingers curled around Jiang Yingyue’s little fingers as she swallowed down her absolute shock.

Xu Zihao… it’s been a while since I’ve seen you last.

Her eldest brother… the last time she had seen him was when he arrived at the Jiang family home with an imperial decree to search the house for evidence of Jiang Donghai’s sins. No matter how hard she cried, begging her brother to help let her husband go, he simply ignored her and continued the search.

The last words he had said to her right before he left the house were, “You really did marry a traitor.”

She closed her eyes, trying to collect her thoughts as Jiang Yingyue cocked her head to the side, doing her best to read the imperial characters written on the man’s hanfu.

“Justice will prevail,” she murmured softly under her breath. As she glanced up, she noticed a dark, green jade pendant hanging at his waist with the character, “Xu” on it.

As she glanced up at the man, she offered the best smile she could, making sure to show off her dimples. Unfortunately, for some odd reason, the man’s nose curled upwards as his lips formed a sneer. Her eyes slightly widened.

The last time she faced such ridicule was when the village folk laughed and mocked her for being a traitor’s daughter. Now that she and her family have shown their worth, most of the village only showed their support for her.

Not wanting to let the man get the last word, Jiang Yingyue puffed her cheeks and stuck out her tongue to express her deepest disgust for the man. And luckily for her, it seemed to have worked since the man seemed absolutely taken aback with her actions.

Xu Suyin opened her eyes and immediately glanced down at Jiang Yingyue who had an innocent expression painted on her face. With a soft smile, she kneeled down on the ground, running her fingers through her daughter’s soft, silky hair, “Yue-er,” she murmured, “why don’t you go out to play while I speak to this mister.”

Jiang Yingyue turned her head to glance at the man. He was from the capital, no doubt. Her Granny Fang told her that her mother used to live in the capital before. Since the man had a jade pendant with the character ‘Xu’ on it, and his handsome features seemed to resemble that of her mother’s, she had an inkling this man was related to her.

Knowing that much, she knew her mother would be relatively safe. So, she turned and nodded her head with her dimpled grin before gently skipping away. Worst comes to worst, she would just munch on her steamed sesame buns right outside of the window.

Once Xu Suyin saw her daughter disappear, she turned around to face her eldest brother, Xu Zihao, head of the criminal investigations committee. Before she married Jiang Donghai, Xu Zihao was the one who coddled and loved her the most. He was the one to do his best to convince their father before their father refused to listen anymore.

Yet, despite all the memories they shared together… their final memory of each other was left on a bitter note. The same brother who loved her the most was the one to carry out the final execution orders.

“How have you been, Zihao-ge,” Xu Suyin asked. Though her voice was soft and melodious, there was a trace of distance that was held between them. Almost as if the former relationship between them could never be returned to what it once was.

Her brother simply grunted.

“W-what about mother, father, and Zemin-ge?” there was a slight quiver in her voice.

In all her inquiries about her family and Lanying, she never once had straight answers. Xu Zihao rose the ranks of the criminal investigations committee over the years, quickly becoming one of the king’s most trusted men due to his deep sense of justice. Xu Zemin, meanwhile, was a well-respected imperial physician. But, she knew nothing about her father, mother, or Lanying.

Her brother snorted as he turned away from her, “You still dare to ask after everything you’ve done?”

A wave of shame washed through her. As angry as she was at her brother for carrying out the execution orders, she couldn’t help but reflect on her own mistakes. Despite knowing she should never fall in love with a man who was underneath her station, Xu Suyin was the one to purposefully lead Jiang Donghai on, hoping he would love her back. Despite knowing most men don’t return from war victorious, Xu Suyin was the one to actively encourage his enrollment into the military. And despite knowing running away from her wedding with Chang Shunyuan would cause her family disgrace, she still chose to follow her own selfish path.

While she was far away, relatively safe from the ridicule under Granny Fang’s protection, her family was left center stage at the capital where the mockery and ridicule knew no bounds.

“I-I’m sorry, Zihao-ge,” Xu Suyin glanced down at the ground. “B-but I was just trying to–,”

“You were selfish,” he bit out. “A selfish little good for nothing swine who thought nothing of the consequences.” He turned to her, his dark eyes drilling into hers, filled with pure madness and rage. Taking large steps forward, he seethed, “You died the moment you chose that… t-third rate trash over us,” his eyes glistened with tears as his voice cracked.

Xu Zihao’s cold fingers gently wrapped around her neck. As he gently applied pressure, his arm trembled… as if he wanted to do anything but this, “Y-you are a curse to the Xu family.”

He quickly let go of his hand on her neck as he pulled out a handkerchief with the letter “Hao” printed on it. Wiping his fingers, he cleared his throat, “Those were father’s final words about you.”

Tears fell from Xu Suyin’s eyes as the worst possible reality she envisioned came to light, “F-father?” her voice was croaky.

“He died,” Xu Zihao flatly said as his eyes seemed to have gone off at a distant place. “After you ran away, Xiao Min was beaten for purposely hiding the truth from us.”

Xu Suyin’s eyebrow raised, confused. As far as she knew, only Lanying and her knew of the plan–,

“Did you really expect to run away without any of our help?” Xu Zihao raised his brow with disbelief. “Lanying came to Xiao Min the night before the wedding, asking if it would be alright for her to take your place.” Xu Suyin’s eyes widened with horror as she realized the gravity of her brother’s actions.

“Xiao Min changed the guards while you and Lanying were switching places,” Xu Zihao whispered. “And then when you ran away, Xiao Min distracted everyone with incorrect leads.” Xu Zihao turned to her with his blank eyes, “Chang Shunyuan made sure to publicly humiliate our family in front of the imperial court. Father lost his position as Prime Minister,” Xu Suyin’s face was filled with tears, “And Xiao Min’s engagement with his childhood sweetheart was broken.”

“B-brother–,” before Xu Suyin could interrupt, Xu Zihao continued.

“After punishing Xiao Min, father locked himself into his study,” Xu Zihao’s voice began to crack as a single tear rolled down his right cheek. “Mother found that he had hung himself the following morning,” his voice was empty… as if he still hadn’t come to terms with the truth of what happened. “Mother had to live through the taunts of giving birth to a traitor for a daughter. She became a shell of the person who she used to be.”

Xu Suyin fell to the ground as an uncontrolled sense of sorrow filled her. Whenever Granny Fang came back, she would have a hint of melancholy in her eyes, but she would say the same thing, “Everyone in fine.”

She had always hoped the fine was just that. That her family was living comfortably, and she had taken all the hardships away from them when she left the house. She had hoped that her parents and brothers were living a better life than her. B-but if she had known….

Xu Suyin cried out as a heavy emotion filled her heart.

“There’s no reason for you to cry now,” her brother’s dry voice filled the air as Xu Suyin glanced up. His eyes carried a sense of emptiness, and suddenly, Xu Suyin was able to see how aged her brother was.

The last time she’d seen him, his eyes were so hopeful for the future. His wife had just given birth to a pair of phoenix twins. He had just received his first promotion at his work place.

Now, what remained of her brother…

“Y-you can’t change the past no matter how hard you try,” Xu Zihao gritted his teeth. “You made your own decisions while father made his. But,” his eyes landed on her, “If you really want to atone for your sins… come back to the capital with me.”

It had been almost nine years since she’s left the place she formerly thought was her home. The friends she made left her the second they found out her husband was jailed. The servants who worked for her scorned her for marrying a traitor. The only friend she had, Lanying, sacrificed herself for Xu Suyin’s happiness.

“Mother is ill… and Xiao Min thinks these may be her last few days.”

---

“Granny Fang…,” Jiang Yingyue murmured as she stared out of the window, looking at the pale moon shining in the nighttime sky. A gentle breeze flew into the room, tussling her hair. “Is it possible to hate family?”

The man who had come to their house earlier today… Xu Zihao was her maternal uncle. As much as she despised him for almost choking her mother and making her cry uncontrollably… she also… pitied him.

Her mother vaguely mentioned that her paternal family passed away before her birth and that her maternal family lived in a far, far land away from them. Despite living far away from her birth family, her Granny Fang was all she needed in life.

Granny Fang had strictly disciplined her as a matriarch, she coddled her during her birthdays, and she took care of her like a baby every night, brushing her hair and telling her a story right before bed.

“Why is my little Yue-er so curious?” Granny Fang muttered as she drove the comb through Jiang Yingyue’s silky hair. She had pulled out all the small flowers embedded within Jiang Yingyue’s braids. “Is it about your uncle?” she whispered softly.

Jiang Yingyue nodded her head, “En,” she whispered. “U-uncle Zihao mentioned that grandfather hated mother…” her brown doe-like eyes widened as she turned around with a slight pout. “D-does that mean one day mother will hate me?”

Her mother was the only blood relative she had in this world. The only person in the entire world who refused to yell or discipline her. As such, Jiang Yingyue couldn’t fathom her mother ever hating her like grandfather had hated her mother.

“Why do grown-ups hate so easily?” she murmured. In her life, it was mostly the adults who were wary of her. The children were always fine… until the adults pushed their viewpoints onto them. “Why are they so confusing? Telling kids to love… but then also to hate others?”

Her grandmother sighed as she loosely tied on a green ribbon, “Yue-er, you remember the time we played house together?”

Jiang Yingyue nodded as a small, smug smile formed on her lips. Her grandmother was pulled into the game after her mother became busy. Instead of acting as an actual grandmother, she had forced her grandmother to play the role of a baby, making sure to hand her grandmother baby accessories to make the experience more realistic. As payback, Granny Fang tried to humiliate Jiang Yingyue by dressing her up as a baby boy. But, Jiang Yingyue embraced her Granny’s efforts.

“Well, you remember how both of us set our own rules?”

Jiang Yingyue nodded her head.

“Well adults are the same. Everyone has their own rules when playing the game of life. But sometimes it can be difficult for everyone to come together.”

“But why?” she never had a problem when it came to listening and following other players’ rules. “I always listen to other people, why can’t adults do the same.”

“Because sometimes they don’t want their turn to be over,” Granny Fang muttered. “Or they don’t accept other peoples’ rules.” When Jiang Yingyue tried to turn her head around, Granny Fang gently held her shoulder and began to tie loose braids. “Just like we argue sometimes, adults argue too.”

Jiang Yingyue stood and turned around, facing her grandmother, “Yeah, but isn’t it just easy to just apologize and start all over again?”

Granny Fang’s lips curled upwards in a knowing smirk, as if she was purposely hiding a secret from Jiang Yingyue, “That’s the secret to being an adult,” she whispered while tapping on Jiang Yingyue’s nose. “Adults meet someone called ‘Ego’ who prevents them from apologizing and getting along with each other.”

Jiang Yingyue’s nose wrinkled as a frown formed on her face, “‘Ego’ sounds dumb. Why do adults listen to that person?”

“It’s an adult thing,” Granny Fang laughed as she pulled Jiang Yingyue into her arms. No matter how annoying the young girl was, Granny Fang’s favorite pastime was being able to hug her granddaughter every night before bed. Considering this may be the last time she’s able to hug her cute granddaughter, she wants to hold the young girl a little bit longer.

“Well, when I’m an adult, I won’t listen to that ‘Ego’ person,” Jiang Yingyue pouted. “Especially because that person was responsible for making my mother cry today,” her lower lip quivered in uneasiness. For some reason, she had a strange feeling in her chest telling her this won’t be the last time this ‘Ego’ person would win.

“Isn’t my little Yue-er the cutest,” Granny Fang coddled as she pinched Jiang Yingyue’s cheek.

In response, Jiang Yingyue rolled her eyes and swatted Granny Fang’s hand, “I’m not a baby! I’m eight years old!!!” she quickly went under the bed covers to ensure that her grandmother couldn’t tickle her. But, it seemed that this trick didn’t work, because her grandmother was able to bring the smile back on her face as her grandmother’s fingers tickled her arms.

Once Jiang Yingyue’s eyes were fully closed and her breathing eased, Granny Fang leaned forward, whispering, “I’ll miss you my little Yue-er. Promise me you will never forget this old grandmother once you go to the capital.”

Jiang Yingyue groaned as she moved in her sleep. Sleepily reaching for Granny Fang’s hand, she grumbled, “I… I won’t forget you. You’re my one and only grandmother.” She brought Granny Fang’s hand up to her lips and gently kissed her grandmother’s fingers. A sleepy smile adorned her face as she brought the hand over to her cheek, “Besides, I promised you that I would always annoy you!” she nuzzled into the hand as Granny Fang looked after her small, cute granddaughter.

---

“Don’t forget to write to me,” Jiang Yingyue pouted as she hugged her grandmother’s waist. “I didn’t spend all those hours being yelled at by you and mother just for you to ignore me now!”

Granny Fang rolled her eyes at her granddaughter’s dramatics. She picked up a white wildflower and carefully added it into her granddaughter’s messy braid. Instead of sitting down properly, Jiang Yingyue decided she would be clingy today, especially since the mother-daughter pair were leaving for the capital.

“What if I am busy with my errands?” Granny Fang took a comb and attempted to section off another portion of her hair. She wanted Jiang Yingyue to look at least moderately presentable. Though the Xu family weren’t as prominent as before back when the patriarch was still the Prime Minister, they were still a known family to society.

Jiang Yingyue looked up at her grandmother. Even though her braids were falling apart, there was a sense of adorableness in the girl.

“I’ll haunt you in your dreams!” her cheeks puffed out with absolute indignance and shock. As if she couldn’t believe her grandmother would abandon her in such a manner.

Granny Fang smirked as she leaned down, “Really?” she placed a soft kiss on her granddaughter’s forehead. “Well, I think it would be wonderful to be haunted by such a cute ghost,” she began to laugh as Jiang Yingyue’s eyes became glossy.

“No!” she puffed out. “Granny Fang has to write!!” she grabbed onto grandmother’s legs.

“Okay, okay,” she gently leaned down, wiping Jiang Yingyue’s tears. “Granny Fang promises to write to you while you are in the capital,” Jiang Yingyue’s eyes became bright as a dimpled smile reappeared on her face. “But, I want you to also send me some gifts,” when Jiang Yingyue raised her brow, her grandmother shrugged her shoulders, “What can I say? This old shrew her loves expensive gifts.”

“But I don’t have the money,” she softly mentioned. She had re-invested all her money into the shipping routes yet again, so other than being able to buy a few small trinkets, she couldn’t get her grandmother anything expensive. “And besides, when do you have time to use all those expensive things? All you ever do is sit in your lab and create potions!” she answered back a little indignantly.

The last time she had gifted her grandmother a porcelain tea set hoping she would have good use with it while brewing a few of her potions. But, instead of using her gift, or even setting her gift as a paperweight, her grandmother tossed it into a cabinet where dust is probably collecting on it. Since then, she had been gifting her grandmother supplies for her many potions as they at least had some utility.

“Not those things,” her grandmother grinned evilly as she smacked the back of Jiang Yingyue’s head with a comb. “There’s a special writer in the capital, one that writes palace romances,” her eyes went off to a faraway distance. “I just finished reading a particularly good face slapping novel where empress is able to overcome all of the concubines’ plots, but I still have yet to read the final book in the series!” her grandmother frowned. “So, if you really want to be a good granddaughter, buy me the limited, exclusive end to this!”

Jiang Yingyue pressed her lips together. Her grandmother… her “precious” grandmother was willing to push her to the sidelines for a book?

“Fine,” she seethed. “But you better promise me at least three letters a day!”

“Great, here’s the first book. If you are bored in your travels, make sure to read it!”

Her grandmother offered a crude book that almost seemed as though it was on the verge of falling apart. On the front cover of the book was an ever cruder portrait of a man embracing a woman as they are engaged in a kiss.

“I’m a child!” she retracted her fingers the second she saw the cover for the book. If her mother were to catch her reading such nonsense, she would be punished severely!

Her grandmother raised her brow, “That’s not what you claimed yesterday.” She glanced down and ripped the cover. “Regardless find this person,” she pointed to the elegant imperial characters that spelled out, “Ba Wang.” “And get me the final installment! Otherwise, this grandmother of yours will adopt a new child and give her all the love and presents.”

Jiang Yingyue scoffed as she put the book into her small bag, “Your presents are all terrible. Only I would cherish them,” she muttered under her breath.

Her grandmother pulled her into a hug, “Go, my Yue-er,” Jiang Yingyue sighed dramatically as she hugged her grandmother back. “I promise to write you at least one letter every day. Three is pushing it though.”

Jiang Yingyue smiled as she hugged her grandmother back heartily. She glanced up slowly, “Ne, Granny Fang, I have a question.” When her grandmother’s attention was on her, she frowned, “What happens when I kiss a boy?”

Her grandmother’s eyes sparkled with delight, “Oh does my little Yue-er like someone?” she began to chortle with laughter as she attempted to reach for Jiang Yingyue’s soft cheeks.

The young girl stepped away with horror as she placed her palms over her cheeks for protection, “N-no! I would never! Some of the other girls said if we kiss a boy, they would turn into a frog… is this story about frogs?!?” Jiang Yingyue’s eyes brightened at the thought of reading a fantasy novel. Her grandmother’s stories always contained magic, but no matter how hard she begged, the old woman would only tell her a story a day and no more.

Granny Fang’s eyes lit up with mischief, “Well… a kiss doesn’t turn a man into a boy… but, a kiss does turn a kind man into an evil one.”

“What if you kiss him again? Does it turn him good again?”

“What do you think?”

Jiang Yingyue frowned, thinking about her grandmother’s questions. When they made potions together, her grandmother often encouraged her to critically think and experiment… and based on the rules she had learned through potions… “I think it would make him good again.” The few times she had seen men be kissed, they would look extremely happy. “Is that the right answer?”

“I’ll let you figure it out yourself, Yue-er,” her grandmother winked before she went to speak with Xu Suyin who was busy packing last minute items for the trip.

Jiang Yingyue frowned as she held her bag close to her. With a slow sigh, she headed towards the carriage where her tall uncle was. He leaned against the carriage with his eyes closed. Though he appeared to be the same age as many of her friends’ fathers, her uncle appeared unusually young… like her mother.

As she stood outside of the carriage, she glanced up at the man, suddenly unsure of what she should be calling him. As soon as the conversation with her mother finished, he left just as quickly as he came. And now, he returned with his small entourage.

“Mm… Mister Xu?” she said unsure of herself. She didn’t know if this man would appreciate her calling him uncle… especially when it seemed as though he was in pain whenever her mother called him brother. “C-could you move to the side so I could get into the carriage?”

Xu Zihao opened one of his eyes… pure black just like her mother’s eyes. He appraised her for a moment before he stared off into the distance, “Kid, I think it’s best if you don’t come.” He left it at that without clarifying, leaving Jiang Yingyue to feel slightly angered.

“Why not?”

Xu Zihao sighed as he adjusted his hanfu. Today, he wore a purple colored hanfu with exquisite silver embroidery. Yesterday’s hanfu brought about an aura of intrigue and mystery, while today’s hanfu made him seem slightly more approachable.

Bending down on one knee, he was eye level to Jiang Yingyue, “Listen kid-,”

“Jiang Yingyue,” she repeated, hiding the annoyance that was trapped away inside her. If there was anything she did not like, it was being referred to as anything but her name. She was not a cursed child, she was not a traitor’s child, and she certainly wasn’t just a kid. She is Jiang Yingyue…

Her uncle stopped his words as he stared at her. A faraway look approached his face for a split second before he frowned, “Like father like daughter,” he muttered under his breath. Clearing his throat, his jaw clenched, “If you think I’m a villain,” he paused as he entered into a heated staring contest with Jiang Yingyue, “then you are right,” he snarled. “Stay here if you know what’s best for you.”

“I can handle anything,” she smiled. She was able to change many of the villager’s opinions of her, so she was confident she would be able to do the same with the Xu family.

“The capital is nothing like the village,” his words were solemn. “The bullying, the plots, the vengeance. Even I have a hard time facing those conspiracies. If you know-,”

“Well, if you have such a hard time, don’t worry. I’m here to help you out!” Jiang Yingyue announced happily. Before her uncle could get in another word, she decided to put her grandmother’s words to the test. Leaning forward, she whispered, “You said you were evil, weren’t you? Well, let me fix that for you!” she kissed his cheek softly as she pulled him into a hug.

Xu Zihao’s eyes widened as he felt the little girl in his embrace.

A long, long time ago… Jiang Donghai was the same. Surprising him at all times. Though that man didn’t kiss anyone, he did hug people. When Xu Zihao was facing one of his lowest moments… Jiang Donghai was the one to cheer him up. It was the first time he questioned his father’s words about Jiang Donghai not being the right fit for their family.

And now…

His face fell as he patted Jiang Yingyue’s head.

When Jiang Donghai was introduced to the family, the Xu family was still enjoying their power and privileges. But now everything changed… even if Jiang Yingyue was the sweetest little girl… she wouldn’t be able to handle the Xu family now.

MSLP I

My Sassy Little Princess

Chapter 1: Xu Suyin’s Little Heiress

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Jiang Donghai…

It was the name that was on Xu Suyin’s every breath.

Jiang Donghai…

It was the very name of the man that the townsfolk labelled as ‘traitor.’

Jiang Donghai…

It was the name of the man she both hated… and respected. Because of that one name, she, her mother, and her grandmother Fang had to frequently move. Because of that name, she was frequently taunted and bullied by other townsfolk.

While other young girls were able to sit onto of their father’s shoulders with happiness, she could only wonder if her father would do the same with her.

Before she went to school, she would always look up to her father with absolute admiration and respect. Her mother, Xu Suyin, made it seem as though her father was the most valiant, handsome man in the entire world. He was a man who only knew how to love and nothing else. He was a man who was patriotic and would do anything for the kingdom. And, according to Xu Siyan, he was a man who would shower his daughter with more love than she could ever imagine.

It was enough to hook her childhood self.

Every time, she would excitedly ask her mother to tell her another story about her father. To tell her about the escapades both of them had during their youth.

Every time they visit the temple with the Sanxing deities, her wish would always been the same.

“I wish I could meet my father!”

Her obsession for her father knew no bounds. Instead of grabbing a single incense stick for each of the deities, she would grab thirty incense sticks–as if lighting more incense sticks would help the Sanxing deities to recognize her wish. The sweets that they would offer would always have extra sweetness just so the Sanxing deities recognized how important her wish was.

But then, she went to school.

For the first time, she heard conflicting information about her father. They said he was a traitor. They said he was a bad man. They said he deserved his shameful death.

It confused her, startled her even.

She genuinely wondered who had the “proper” account of Jiang Donghai.

The diaries her mother stored away in her little trunk held to the truth her mother had told her. The old letters her father wrote seemed to be a stark contrast to what was written in the historical accounts. He only ever spoke about helping other people.

Even the large sum of money he won after returning victorious from battle was returned to the people… he married her mother without a cent of dowry. Instead, he was the one to save up and gift her mother a luxurious palanquin which she rode to their wedding. He was the one to buy all of her mother’s clothes after the wedding.

“Yue-er,” her mother whispered softly.

The young girl turned to her mother, her heart slowly melting as she saw her mother’s sweet, heart-warming smile. Despite being a very good-looking woman, Xu Suyin refused to marry again. Instead, she continued to live with Granny Fang, helping her collect herbs for Granny Fang’s prescriptions, and then spending the evening teaching Jiang Yingyue about poetry, music, and civics.

Even though Jiang Yingyue lived frugally, she was poised and elegant.

“Yes, mother,” she smiled while showing off her dimple.

When she was much, much younger, her mother used to tickle her and quickly steal a kiss whenever the dimple appeared, so Jiang Yingyue made sure to smile as much as she could in front of her mother.

“Remember to make a wish,” her mother handed her the incense sticks.

After Jiang Donghai’s death, Xu Suyin was at loss as to how she would continue living in this world. But, the moment she met Jiang Yingyue, she was finally at peace.

Jiang Yingyue took the incense sticks as she turned the sticks in a clockwise manner for three times. As she gracefully bowed down, her pinky finger quivered slightly.

Xu Suyin did her best to hide her smile.

Her naughty little daughter was so much like Jiang Donghai.

Her lover never believed in the deities. Every time she brought him over to a temple, he would roll his eyes and tell her the old, statues had as much power as a stone you would find on the road. Yet, despite all his grumblings, he would go to the temples with her and perform all the rites and rituals.

But, when it came time for him to make a wish, he would just scoff at the deities and tell them he doesn’t believe in a single one of them.

When Xu Suyin found out what he had been doing, she was absolutely aghast with horror. For her, the deities meant everything. They supported and helped her through her toughest times. For Jiang Donghai to blatantly disrespect her family like that crushed her.

She stopped talking to Jiang Donghai for almost a month.

But now, all those squabbles seemed silly to her.

As she saw her daughter’s quivering pinky finger, she bowed down before the Sanxing deities.

I apologize for my daughter’s words, but you must find her thoughts similar to my husband’s. After all, his pinky quivered in the same manner whenever he listed out reasons for why you were not real.

Xu Suyin smiled as she thought back to her daughter’s smile.

Jiang Yingyue was the splitting image of the young boy she fell in love with. From her basic mannerisms to the way she styled herself everyday.

There’s nothing more I wish in this life than my daughter’s happiness. You have already granted me the greatest blessing by giving me Jiang Yingyue. Please don’t be hurt by her thoughts. The next time I come to the temple, I’ll be sure to offer more sweets.

While Xu Suyin was busy praying, Jiang Yingyue was scoffing at all the Sanxing deities.

My poor mother actually thinks you will help her. How unfortunate she is…

Jiang Yingyue opened her eyes, eyeing the platter of sweets her mother had made just a few moments before. She glanced to the side, making sure her mother was fully immersed in her prayers.

Since all of your are just carved out stones, there’s no need for any of you to really eat some food, right? One day, when I really meet my father, I’ll shave my head!

She knew the wish was impossible for those stone statues to fulfill, so with a Cheshire cat grin, she carefully reached out for the green bean cake on the platter.

Xu Suyin opened one of her eyes with a smirk as she saw her daughter’s little fingers stained with the crumbs of the green bean cake. Ever since she caught onto her daughter stealing some of the sweets on the platter, Xu Suyin ensured there was more food. That way, Jiang Yingyue could eat to her heart’s content, and the deities could still get their offerings.

“Yue-er,” Xu Suyin teased.

Jiang Yingyue’s body became stiff as she quickly swallowed whatever was left in her mouth. Gently clearing her throat, she muttered, “Y-yes mother?” she put her hands behind her dress as she wiped her fingertips against the soft material. Before her mother washed her clothes, she would just have to take back the clothing and wash the stains off herself.

“Should we go back home?”

Jiang Yingyue’s wide eyes glanced up at her mother, wondering if she was able to recognize what had just transpired. Luckily, Xu Suyin just stared at her lovingly. With a bubbly smile, Jiang Yingyue attached herself onto Xu Suyin’s thigh, “Yes!” she puffed out with happiness.

She never liked being in the temple, so she was looking forward to going back home and “lovingly” bothering her Granny Fang. That old woman never liked her much, but that made Jiang Yingyue even more attached to her grandmother.

She already had plans of all the mischievous things she would do today to annoy her cranky grandmother.

“After you spend time with Granny Fang, we need to sit down and review your sewing techniques, alright?” Xu Suyin gently ran her fingers through Jiang Yingyue’s silky hair.

Though she knew it would be difficult for her daughter to marry as a first wife with her father’s reputation, Xu Suyin genuinely hoped Jiang Yingyue would marry a nice, humble man who could love her sincerely. She taught her daughter everything she knew, and luckily for her, Jiang Yingyue was able to soak up all her teachings within moments.

Even though she was only eight years old, she was precocious and willing to learn. Just two years back, Granny Fang had been telling her how eager Jiang Yingyue was in learning how to manage account books and business. Now, her sweet daughter was doing all she could to take the burden off Granny Fang’s shoulders by helping to sit at the clinic.

“Jiang Yingyue, I know you are still young, but, I think we should go out into the market to buy you some new clothes,” Xu Suyin gently whispered.

Though her child was very much still a baby, it would be important for her to dress well. Especially since she’ll have to start looking into eligible families for her daughter to marry into in just four short years.

“Alright, mother,” Jiang Yingyue nodded, not knowing what her mother was planning.

As they walked through the streets, Jiang Yingyue couldn’t help but admire all the candied treats and bean pastries that were being sold. Though she just had a green bean cake, her mouth couldn’t help but water as she saw the steam rising from the sesame buns. Her fingers grasped onto her mother’s hand as a soft grumble erupted in her stomach.

No, Jiang Yingyue…

Xu Suyin raised her brow. With a shake of her head, she pulled Jiang Yingyue over to a stall that had hair accessories, “Since we’ll be buying you a few new dresses, why don’t we look into buying your some trinkets?”

Xu Suyin picked up a silver hairpin with simple flowery designs and beadwork. Though it was simple, it contrasted well in Jiang Yingyue’s hair. The pink flowers brought out the faint blush on her child’s face, and for a split second, she saw an image of her former maid Lanying. Lanying had also liked similar styles of hairpins.

Her smile wavered for a brief second.

After escaping the capital, she was too scared to inquire about Lanying’s health herself. If her family were to catch onto her, they might drag her back home and hurt her daughter as a form of retribution. So, she could only obtain details through Granny Fang whenever she ventured into the capital.

The last she heard, Lanying fully established herself in the Chang family household after she gave birth to Chang Shunyuan’s first born son. Though she was a servant, she rose up, above all the concubines, and with Chang Shunyuan’s protection, she had been living a safe and comfortable life.

But, Lanying also was homebound, never appearing before society despite being the official Chang madam. Rumors claimed it was because she was very sick or because she died giving childbirth.

“Do you not like the hairpin, mother?” Jiang Yingyue asked softly as she peered up at her mother. She had witnessed how pleased her mother was with the hairpin, but immediately after, a wave of distraught passed through her. Jiang Yingyue gently took her mother’s hand and squeezed it, “Mother, I think father would also love this hairpin as well,” she knew her mother well enough. If Xu Suyin wasn’t thinking about her, she was thinking about Jiang Donghai.

Xu Suyin shook her head as she placed the blush hairpin on the stand. She turned to the stall owner, “Could we possibly see hairpins that are green in color?”

The stall owner nodded his head.

Though Xu Suyin and her daughter had a hard time adjusting in the town due to all the rumors, the townsfolk slowly began to accept them after seeing Xu Suyin’s kindness and Jiang Yingyue’s naughtiness. At times, there would still be bullying. But, it was nothing Xu Suyin or Jiang Yingyue couldn’t handle themselves.

The stall owner pulled out a display box of green colored hairpins as Jiang Yingyue stared at them with wide eyes.

Patting her daughter’s head gently, Xu Suyin leaned down to whisper, “You keep looking at the hairpins, okay? Mother will be back after taking care of a few things.”

Jiang Yingyue nodded her head distractedly. She glanced up at the stall owner showing off her cute smile, “Could I see this hairpin?” she pointed to a hairpin with green jade in the shape of small flowers.

There was gold embellishment on it, giving the hairpin a luxurious appearance. But, what really caught her eye was the crescent moon shaped white jade overlying the golden green flowers. Pink jade, in the shape of crystals, dangled off the flowers, creating a youthful appearance.

“Wow,” Jiang Yingyue muttered as she held the hairpin in her hands. Though her name was Yue-er, it was the perfect present for her mother. Especially since Jiang Yingyue heard her mother’s sobs a few nights ago when the thought of marriage was brought up.

I will always be mother’s beautiful little girl, but, I hope this hairpin reassures you that I will forever be on your side.

Since she learned how to manage the account books, Granny Fang began teaching her how to manage a business. Just before her seventh birthday, her old grandmother had gifted her a couple of coins to invest. And just like the child she is, she invested in the fragrance industry. Every day, whenever she was with her mother collecting herbs for Granny Fang, Jiang Yingyue would collect beautiful, fragrant flowers and sell them to the perfumers in the town.

Though it was just a meager amount, that money was enough for her to buy treats for her family and invest in other modes of income. Her most lucrative source of income was becoming an investor in the transportation industry. The majority of the money she saved in one year was returned to her in a single month! Granny Fang was so proud of her.

“How much is it, Ge?” though she was growing older every day, her voice was still that of a child’s which frustrated her to no end.

Those investors at the transportation meeting all patted her head cutely as she invested in the shipping industry instead of the road networks. Even though they saw her as a child, they clearly were more than greedy to accept payment from a child. If it weren’t for her grandmother banging on the doors and slapping some of the more obtuse member’s heads, she would’ve lost out on all that money!

Jiang Yingyue stood on her toes, doing all she could to appear taller.

“This is twelve silver coins,” the merchant began to sort the hairpins in his box, paying minimal attention to Jiang Yingyue as her lower lip curled out in frustration. He was well aware that the child and the mother couldn’t afford the pin seeing how they’d dressed, but he thought he would humor them nonetheless.

I thought this hairpin would be worth more!

Jiang Yingyue smiled, nonetheless, as she reached into the small velvet pouch her mother had given her on her eighth birthday. Pulling out twelve silver coins, she smiled at the merchant’s aghast expression, “Thank you, Ge!”

Before she could turn around and leave with the hairpin, the merchant’s mouth dropped open, “L-little girl, how could you–?!?”

Jiang Yingyue smirked as she flicked the hair on her shoulder. While her mother believes she is a fast learner, she knew the truth. When dealing with business, it was all about intuition. The roads were built for a long, long time. Investing in new roads being built wouldn’t change the total time it took to transport goods. But investing in the shipping industry, especially since they were so close to the seaports, could drastically change how the kingdom viewed transportation.

It was a huge risk to put all her money… but at the same time, she wasn’t pressed for money like others. If she lost money, it would be okay. She would just have to work harder and harder.

“A-are you the legendary little heiress?” the merchant asked incredulously.

Ever since the original ship set to sail to the capital returned in a record two week’s time, everyone tried their best to invest in the shipping industry. But, investors were steadfast in keeping their pool only limited to the original investors.

What made the townsfolk so surprised and shocked was that “Miss Haiyin” was all but an eight year old young girl. They all thought she was just lucky, but the young girl formed solid income from her investments, and now many madams from prominent families wanted the little miss to join their families.

Jiang Yingyue smiled as she pocketed the hairpin.

Who would have known… the merchant quietly thought as he observed the young girl before him. Just a few years back, she was seen as the traitor’s daughter. But, knowing Granny Fang’s respectable name and Xu Suyin’s kindness, people just pitied her for being her father’s daughter. The silly Jiang Yingyue… she is… much more smart than we’d originally imagined.

“Yue-er!”

Jiang Yingyue turned with a wide smile as she hugged onto her mother’s skirts.

Xu Suyin held onto her daughter’s cheek gently, “Were you able to pick anything for yourself, my Yue-er?”

Jiang Yingyue shook her head, “I think we need to come back tomorrow,” she mentioned with a matter of fact. I hope,” Jiang Yingyue glanced down at the ground sheepishly, “that’s alright for mother. I don’t want to waste any of your time.”

When the merchant curiously peered over in her direction after seeing what he thought was rather terrible acting, Jiang Yingyue glared at him.

Xu Suyin smiled and squeezed her daughter’s soft cheek, not minding how petulant and sticky her daughter was being. She leaned down, “That’s alright my love. But,” Xu Suyin’s eyes sparkled with joy, “if you promise to give me a kiss on the cheek, I might give you a special surprise.”

Jiang Yingyue always loved her mother’s sweet surprises, but more than anything else, she always loved showering her mother in love. Without a second’s delay, she leaned over, packing as much power as she could into kissing her mother’s cheek.

Xu Suyin laughed with glee as she tightly wrapped her arounds around her daughter, relishing in her daughter’s soft warmth.

“What’s the present, mother?!” Jiang Yingyue gleefully asked as she tried to see if her mother had anything hidden behind her arms. Her small little actions tickled Xu Suyin, but Jiang Yingyue was more focused on the prize, “Mother,” she whined.

“Well, why don’t you close your eyes?” Xu Suyin whispered as she slowly watched her daughter close her eyes.

Xu Suyin reached for the paper bag that was hidden in her satchel. The general sounds from the townsfolk going on about their day dampened the sounds of the crinkling. But despite her wanting to hide the surprise, Jiang Yingyue’s eyes opened immediately as the savory flavors emanated to her nose.

“You were supposed to close your eyes!” Xu Suyin puffed out as she gently tapped her daughter’s forehead in frustration.

Jiang Yingyue just hugged her mother’s leg tightly, “Thank you mother!!” she exclaimed multiple times. She didn’t hope for her mother to buy the pastries. Especially since her mother distasted her eating too much street food. But considering how kind her mother was being today, she wondered if something special was going to happen.

“Mother,” Jiang Yingyue softly asked as they were going back home, “Is something special happening?” The dresses, the accessories, the pastries… the more she thought about it, the more she realized that something monumental was happening and that her mother was just hiding it from her temporarily.

Xu Suyin shook her head, “Nothing special is happening.”

Jiang Yingyue frowned, “Then…” she murmured as she thought back to all the celebrations they usually have. It wasn’t her birthday. Her mother’s birthday just passed a few weeks ago, and it certainly wasn’t her grandmother’s birthday since that old woman refused to let them celebrate her special day.

She bit her lower lip, trying to link together all of the things that had been happening since the morning. She was doing well in her studies, so it likely was not related to that. They had already celebrated the victory she had from making those investments, so it wasn’t related to that. Her father’s death anniversary had passed as well…

Her eyes brightened with joy. Though she had been asking for a cat for months now, she didn’t think today would be the day, “Oh, I know! We’re going to be getting–,”

Her mother stopped in her tracks, pulling Jiang Yingyue back. As Jiang Yingyue collided into her mother’s legs, she couldn’t help but look up with worry. Her mother was usually composed. But now, it was as if fear had struck every point of her body.

“Xu Zihao…” she muttered as her eyes glanced down to the ground.

MSLP

My Sassy Little Princess

Prologue: The Fallen Jiang Family

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“Young miss!”

The wide temple doors opened as a streak of lightening fluttered through the dark clouds. The Sanxing [1] deities were bathed in an ominous blue tone for just a split second.

Xu Suyin’s fingers trembled as she tried to hold the incense sticks tightly. She didn’t know how it happened. Just a few days ago, her childhood friend and the love of her life, Jiang Donghai, was happily embracing her after finishing their marital vows.

He was the youngest general of the nation, assuming the position just at the age of seventeen, after returning victoriously from battle. To the empire, he was a menacing tyrant in the battlefield, but to her, he’ll always be the young boy with milk behind his ears.

Xu Suyin’s eyelashes fluttered as tears swelled up in her eyes.

Jiang Donghai… my love…

She could still remember how his pinky finger reached out to hers as their vows were taking place. She still remembered the way his eyes lit up with pure, unbridled joy as he lifted the red veil from her head in their boudoir. And, she could still remember his shy smiles as he leaned down to kiss and love her through the night.

Someone as sweet as him would not be able to plot against the emperor.

Xu Suyin’s maid ran over to her in quick strides as Xu Suyin stared up at the Sanxing deities.

Fuxing, Luxing, and Shouxing, I beg of you, please let my husband pass this trial without any hardship. Please bless him with a life full of prosperity and happiness.

As she spun the incense sticks clockwise, a strong wave of gust entered the temple.

“Young Miss, the Young Master was convicted of his crime.”

The incense sticks were blown out by the wind as Xu Suyin dropped the sticks with disbelief. Crystalline tears rolled down her cheeks as she fell to the ground in disbelief, “D-Donghai!!” she whispered as she broke out into sobs.

She could still remember the moment he confessed to her. Back then, their days were filled with tranquility and the innocence of their youth. They didn’t know or care about the social order or about their parents’ professions. They just loved each other and that was it.

If she wasn’t the Prime Minister’s only daughter, they could have married without any sort of interference. But, the moment Jiang Donghai asked for her hand in marriage, he was brutally kicked out of her home. Her brothers had publicly shamed him for loving someone who was “above” him. Her father made sure Jiang Donghai’s family was crushed so he wouldn’t even dream about her anymore.

Regardless of all the barriers that came in their direction, Jiang Donghai promised to be a man who could marry her righteously.

On her fourteenth birthday, he gave her a jade hairpin and set off to fight in the war.

Her family was relieved. Those who went to war didn’t come back easily. They tried to set her up with other noble sons, but she did her best to ward off the proposals. She really couldn’t imagine a world without her Jiang Donghai.

And just as he promised, Jiang Donghai returned to the empire, holding the beloved scepter of the Western Mo Emperor.

The war that had ravaged the empire for almost twenty years came to a melancholy end in just two years under the leadership of Jiang Donghai. Within just a few months, Jiang Donghai was the most celebrated man across the empire. He was awarded with the highest honors, and at the civilian’s request, he became the General for the empire.

When he returned to the Xu family house, no one could deny him.

Begrudgingly, her father handed her over to him.

She thought no one would be able to separate her from her childhood sweetheart. But on the second day after their wedding, he was forcefully taken out of their abode on grounds of conspiring to overthrow the emperor.

When her father and brothers refused to help her prove her husband’s innocence, she had gone to the palace, kneeling on the ground for hours and hours at end in hopes of meeting the emperor.

Perhaps her prayers were not sincere, because while she was kneeling, she received news of the emperor’s death, and that was when the true madness began.

The last person to visit the emperor was Jiang Donghai, and the sword he typically used was the weapon that was lodged into the emperor’s heart.

“He was framed, Lanying, he was framed!” she clutched onto her maid as she sobbed harder.

The boy who fought for her love would never succumb to any form of greed. He was a man that was loved by the people. All the wealth he gained from the Western Mo Empire was split equally by the civilians. Though the ministers hated him for it, that one action caused the empire to fully support the emperor.

Such a man would never fight for the throne.

“M-miss” her maid cried as she held onto Xu Suyin, “D-don’t be s-shocked… b-but the newly crowned Emperor hung him in front of the palace gates… y-young master’s body is hanging out-outside.”

Xu Suyin’s eyes widened as she felt blackness overcome her.

---

“Wake up you wretched girl!”

Xu Suyin felt chilling cold water envelope her body. Her lips trembled as her eyes fluttered open. Her clothes were much heavier than usual, sticking onto her body while her hair was pinned up tightly.

“F-father,” she managed to tremble as she groaned in pain. Swallowing, she forced herself to sit up, but as she glanced down, her eyes widened in horror.

Her robes were red and embroidered with heavy golden thread.

W-wedding clothes!!

“W-what’s happening,” she tried to swallow down her fear, but she noticed that her throat was choked up.

Since finding out her husband passed away, she tried her best to honor his last rites in secret. She went to the temples and prayed for his soul to find salvation in the afterlife, and for the gods to take her life away as well. Because without Jiang Donghai, there was no life for her to live.

The last memory she had was of her kneeling on the temple grounds, whispering the silent prayers for her husband. After lighting the last incense, her fever took over.

“Your wedding,” her father grated as he pulled on her hand.

Xu Suyin winced with pain as panic filled her. Her small hand rested on her father’s hand as she shook her head, “No, no, no, please father,” she sobbed. “I’m already married to Jiang Donghai. You can’t, it would be against the heavens for me to marry again,” she whispered with desperation.

The first time she donned on wedding clothes, pride and happiness filled her heart. She was finally marrying the man of her dreams, and as such, she made sure every little seam of her dress was perfect. She spent countless hours during the night, hand sewing each and every thread. When Jiang Donghai saw her in the dress, he beamed with pride.

Now, the same dress was being shown to another man.

“You will get married!” her father bellowed.

Xu Suyin’s eyes widened as she cowered in fear. Never before had she ever seen her father’s anger manifest in such a manner. Even when Jiang Donghai appeared at their house the first time to ask for her hand, Xu Weizhe, had just looked blankly ahead. Even when the emperor allowed for the marriage to happen, his lips just twitched imperceptibly as he bowed down.

“As if it weren’t a disgrace for you to marry that low level creature,” her father hissed as his grip on her wrist tightened. “You caused me to become the laughing stock in the cabinet, Xu Suyin,” he inched closer to her as his eyes darkened.

“B-but his majesty was the one to decree–,”

“You have no right to bring up his majesty’s name,” he slapped Xu Suyin’s face as the sound ricocheted the walls. “That bastard overstepped his bounds, and I will not tolerate him to continue! You will get married to the Minister of Revenue–,”

“No!” she shouted with grief.

Before Jiang Donghai returned from war, one of the men her father tried to set her up with was the Minister of Revenue, Chang Shunyuan. He was nearly fifteen years older than her, already having three concubines. His main wife had passed away just a year prior, leaving him with a newborn daughter by the name of Chang Xiaoling, while his three other concubines gave him more daughters.

He desperately wanted to take another wife for a son, so he offered a good, hefty dowry to Xu Weizhe that was hard to refuse. As much as it was below their status for Xu Suyin to marry Chang Shunyuan, everyone in the empire knew Xu Suyin was “damaged” goods. She had married a traitor, so it would be lucky for Xu Suyin to be able to even restart her life.

“You don’t have a right to make the choice,” Xu Weizhe slapped his daughter again, not minding for the bruise that was quickly forming on her cheeks. He tossed her into the wedding carriage and turned to his closest guard, “Xiao Wu, make sure to deliver Little Miss to the wedding hall without any problems,” his eyes narrowed as he glared at the maid.

“If Little Miss is not married, I’ll hang your family first,” he threatened Lanying before he walked away with his robes billowing out.

Lanying’s legs trembled before she fell to the ground. She had grown up with the Young Miss together. Whenever her family fell into hardship, it was the Young Miss who helped. Even the Young Master… he was the sole reason why her brother was getting an education instead of working as a slave. If it weren’t for their kindness, her family wouldn’t be at the place it was at right now.

But, at the same time, she knew better than to cross Xu Weizhe.

Her eyes were glossy as she stepped into the carriage.

On one side was her family and on the other was the young woman who helped her in more ways than one.

If only fate wasn’t so cruel to split the pair of lovers…

“Lanying!!” Xu Suyin threw herself onto her maid’s body. “I don’t want to get married,” it seemed as though all of her worst nightmares were coming true within a span of a few days. As her fingernails dug into Lanying’s back, she announced, “I’m going to kill myself. I won’t be anyone’s bride except Jiang Donghai’s.”

Xu Suyin let go of Lanying and wiped her tears with her sleeve. Ever since her husband’s death three months ago, she knew she had no purpose of living. She could tell her father, brothers, and even mother viewed her as an unwanted burden. But, she ignored all those vicious stares. Until she could properly complete all of Jiang Donghai’s last rites, there was no reason for her to leave so soon.

Though she was not done with her prayers, death was better than becoming another man’s wife.

“You can’t die,” Lanying muttered as her fingernails dug into her palm. Guilt washed over her as she remembered how she blackmailed the physician. Just like her, Jiang Donghai helped the physician at a time of need. So even though Jiang Donghai was marked as a traitor, the physician looked the other way.

“N-not you too,” Xu Suyin’s eyes became glossy as she slumped down in the carriage. She placed her hand over her head as she felt a wave of nausea.

“Young Master would want you to live,” Lanying whispered.

Xu Suyin stared up at her maid with horror. Jiang Donghai was a man full of love. Even when it seemed as though they could never get married, he promised to never marry another woman. Her family sneered at those words, telling her it was just lies to trick her. But she knew he was speaking the truth. This was the same little boy who risked his life to save her from drowning.

She was sure even if his death, Jiang Donghai would tell her to live her life and forget about him. But how could she? He loved her as much as she loved him.

“Especially since you are pregnant with his child.”

Xu Suyin’s eyes widened as she turned to her maid. Jiang Donghai and she only had one night of passion–the night of their wedding. After that, they were thrown into despair with his false accusation and death. She hadn’t even paid attention to her own health during these months, as she worried more about Jiang Donghai’s soul resting in peace.

Her hands slowly rested on her belly.

There was only the slightest bulge… something so small it could easily be missed… but this was the product of her and Jiang Donghai’s love. Her baby was the last remnant of Jiang Donghai in this world, and she better than anyone else knew that she would do everything in her power to protect Jiang Donghai’s last gift for her.

“Lanying–,”

“Miss,” Lanying straightened her back as she turned to Xu Suyin. “My family will always be indebted to you and the young master. I’m sure each and every family member of mine would make the same decision. But, I have a plan,” she turned to Xu Suyin, slightly unsure of herself, “o-only if you agree of course.”

---

“Be careful, Young Miss,” Lanying whispered as she helped Xu Suyin out of the window.

While they were in the carriage, Xu Suyin and Lanying exchanged clothing. After Lanying married Chang Shunyuan, she would help Xu Suyin escape from the backdoor. Afterwards, Lanying would ensure all the lights were extinguished so Chang Shunyuan had no doubt there was a bridal swap. It would give Xu Suyin ample time to escape, even if it put Lanying in direct danger.

“I’m sorry, Lanying,” Xu Suyin whispered as she held onto the window. Lanying and her grew up as best friends, sharing everything they could with each other. After Xu Suyin was engaged to Jiang Donghai, Xu Suyin teased Lanying about finding a man to marry for her.

Yet again, her selfishness won over others’ happiness.

Perhaps that is why all of my prayers are not working, Xu Suyin sadly thought.

Lanying reached out to her master’s hand, “There’s no need to be sorry, Little Miss,” Lanying smiled heartfully. “You were by my side my entire life, supporting me at every junction you could. Young Master helped my brother enroll in school. H-he’s now well known!” tears bubbled in her eyes. These two masters helped her in more ways than one. It was the least she could do.

Xu Suyin smiled as she hugged Lanying, “I’m not Little Miss anymore. You’ve married Chang Shunyuan, Lanying. Now, you can call me Xu Suyin like everyone else.”

Lanying’s eyes widened as she slowly shook her head with a blush, “I could never,” she whispered. She glanced at Xu Suyin and smiled. Pulling out a small red pouch, she placed it into Xu Suyin’s hand, “This should help you, Miss.”

After she found out her miss was pregnant, she traded all her savings into gold so she could help her miss. Now that they had to part ways, this was the last thing she could do for her miss, especially since she had no idea when she would see her miss again.

Xu Suyin stared at the small pouch and shook her head. She placed the pouch in Lanying’s hands, “No,” she smiled softly as she glanced down at her belly. Rubbing it gently, she whispered, “Jiang Donghai did so much to fight for our love. I couldn’t save him in time, but now, he gave me something to live for.”

“You did more than I could have ever imagined, Lanying. I-I won’t ever forget you,” Xu Suyin whispered before she jumped off the ledge. She closed her eyes as she ignored the lump in her throat.

“Jiang Donghai,” she whispered. “I won’t let our baby go through the same misfortune as us.”

---

“Get ready to push, Suyin-ah,” the old grandmother muttered as she took a washcloth to wipe away the sweat that was accumulating on Xu Suyin’s forehead.

Xu Suyin held onto the bedsheets as she shook her head. The pain she was experiencing right now was indescribable. Leaning forward, she tried to grab onto Granny Fang’s arms.

“I-I…,” her eyes shut tightly as her body writhed in another wave of pain.

After leaving Lanying, she struggled to properly hide herself. Despite no one knowing her plan of running away, her father had set up many guards. The first night, she had to hide away in the Chang family’s animal shed, and it wasn’t until Chang Shunyuan stormed through the halls the following morning did she have time to escape through the back door and leave the capital.

After that, she had difficulties finding employment. Her entire life, she lived well beyond her means. Her father had hired every type of help she could possibly ask for. The only activities she had to concern herself for were the womanly teachings of the empire: poetry, art, and music. Unfortunately, that such work was not needed.

“Suyin-ah, think about Donghai,” the old grandmother muttered. “Do your best for him.”

Old Granny Fang came to her like a blessing.

While other civilians steered clear of her because of her pregnant belly and shabby clothing, Granny Fang came up to her, warning her that if she didn’t take care of herself, she would lose the baby.

Xu Suyin refused to believe the grandmother’s words. This was Jiang Donghai’s legacy she was carrying. A baby who had Jiang Donghai as a father would be as strong as him!

But, in the following week, she began to notice some spotting. Her baby kicked less than she hoped for, so she immediately ran to the grandmother to ask her what was wrong.

“It hurts, Granny Fang,” she cried as she clutched onto her belly. She felt a small kick and couldn’t help but smile. “A-Are all babies like this?” Her mother had three children in total, including herself, and she had always boasted about how easy her pregnancies were.

Our baby is just like you, Donghai. Not willing to give up.

“No,” she mentioned with deadpan as she placed her hand on Xu Suyin’s stomach. “Only the most stubborn ones give a tough time,” she smiled as she flicked Xu Suyin’s head.

Despite Granny Fang wanting nothing to do with her, Xu Suyin was persistent about trying to find answers. She kneeled before the woman, she helped with the yardwork in the best she could, she even bought a few supplies for the grandmother with the little money she had.

After two days of this, Granny Fang eventually relented and offered Xu Suyin a place to stay in exchange for help around the house.

Xu Suyin managed to let out a small smile, before she winced in pain, “J-just like Donghai then.”

It had been already fifteen hours now since she first went into labor. As much as she loved her baby, she just wanted the pain to be over.

Another wave of pain came through her as Granny Fang raised her brow. She lifted the blankets and muttered, “Suyin-ah, it’s time. Push in time with your contraction!”

She rolled her head backwards as she nodded her head meekly.

She was twelve years old when she held a newborn baby in her hands. At the time, she was in pure awe at how small the human being was. The mother, though tired, gazed at her baby with absolute pride and love. She didn’t understand how she could do that as the woman screamed for a few hours.

But now that she was in the woman’s position, she understood.

The pain, the excitement, the joy.

After carrying her little baby for the past nine months, it was time for them to meet.

I love you, Jiang Donghai. I love you. My greatest regret in life is that I was unable to love you for longer.

A loud cry rung through the air as Xu Suyin closed her eyes.

A single tear rolled down her face.

“Suyin-ah, it’s a baby girl,” Granny Fang announced as she handed over the wet, sticky, and angry baby to Xu Suyin.

Xu Suyin took the baby into her arms as she began crying, “D-Donghai,” she wailed alongside her baby as she put the young infant to her chest.

“Enough crying!” the old grandmother scowled as she threw a wet towel towards Xu Suyin. “If I had known there would be two babies, I would’ve left you to the wolves!”

Xu Suyin bubbled with laughter as she kissed the top of her daughter’s forehead. Granny Fang walked over, and gently scrubbed her daughter’s face as Xu Suyin looked on with pride.

Though she was just an infant, Xu Suyin was already able to spot the cute features her daughter inherited from her father. She had the same eyes and mouth as her father, and now that she was mad, she was as red as her father as well.

“What do you think?” Granny Fang whispered.

Xu Suyin picked up her daughter’s little hand and brushed her thumb across the little fingers. It was enough to stimulate her daughter into grabbing onto her finger. Excited, Xu Suyin gazed up at Granny Fang, “She grabbed on to me!!”

Granny Fang smiled at Xu Suyin before she took the baby out of her hands, “She’ll do much more than that,” she mentioned while rolling her eyes.

When Xu Suyin first entered her life, she considered the young woman almost as a burden. Granny Fang needed an able bodied assistant, and there was only so much time Xu Suyin could work before she had to rest. But, as much as she wanted Xu Suyin to leave, Granny Fang didn’t have the heart to do something so cruel.

So she begrudgingly allowed the pregnant woman to stay.

Slowly, Xu Suyin entered into her heart, becoming the daughter she never had. The chirpy little girl would always excitedly tell her about the adventures her and her husband had in their childhoods or about how the baby kicked for the millionth time. Whenever she was falling ill, Xu Suyin would go out of her way to take care of her, even if she became more tired.

She didn’t think she would be able to love the baby.

But, as she held the small girl in her hands, she noticed how heavy her heart was. The girl was irritating, yet, she somehow made her happy.

Granny Fang gently poked the baby’s cheek, causing the baby to open her eyes for a brief moment. Swallowing, Granny Fang turned to Xu Suyin handing over the child immediately, “Do you have a name in mind?”

Xu Suyin stared at her little princess adoringly as she slowly nodded her head, “Yes… Yingyue [2],” she whispered.

All the late night conversations she had with her Donghai happened while they were looking into the moon’s reflection in the the riverbed.

“Jiang Yingyue,” Granny Fang muttered as the smile on Xu Suyin’s face grew larger.

I promise to you, Donghai… I will shower our daughter with more love than she can even imagine.

[1] Sanxing (or “Three Stars”) Deities are Fuxing, Luxing, and Shouxing who represent prosperity, status, and longevity respectively.

[2] Yingyue is a name that means “reflection of the moon”

YHRKSL CH 5

Translator’s Note:

Hope you are enjoying this story! The first few chapters establish the scene, but from now on we’ll be seeing more of a romantic comedy between our two leads. Compared to Ye Feiran’s previous works, this definitely is less lawyer/work heavy as there aren’t that many cases to focus on (at least based on the chapters that have been released as of now).

Chapter 5: Didn’t You Say I Was Pretty ‘Good’ at Graduation?

Because the court where Zhao Yanyan worked was close by, the two met at a ramen restaurant during lunch break.

Qi Xi’s internship was already unfavorable, so she vomited all the bitter water that was spilled on her. It’s a pity that Zhao Yanyan was completely immersed in reading her novels that she chose to recommend a novel at the moment.

“The real word is hard. During lunch break, I usually read novels and watch dramas to divert my attention.”

As Zhao Yanyan spoke this, she couldn’t help but recommend one of the most recent novels she was addicted to, “You really must read this, ‘Fengxian‘ it is Ai Xiang’s famous work! It’s a complete dark horse. Even if the writing style isn’t that good, the plot twists are amazing. The characters are 3D, and the most important thing is that the whole concept is grand and well thought out. I feel like the author should be praised. He wrote a fairy tale which such elegance, and he’s male… the female characters in the entire story are shaped so well. He didn’t put down any of the female characters.”

Zhao Yanyan was obviously a fan of Ai Xiang, “The most important thing is the love between Ai Xiang and his wife! He’s a poor boy with only a high school education, while his wife is a rich beauty from a Kochi family. He fell in love with her at first sight, writing love letters every day, pursuing her for 5 years, and finally seeing the sunlight. He and his wife now have a son and daughter.”

Qi Xi doesn’t care about the entertainment industry much, but even she knows the popularity of Fengxian. It has a ongoing TV series, so the original books is also frequently recommended and usually pops up on the hot search.

Zhao Yanyan’s praises didn’t end, “Ai Xiang’s admirable trait is his persistence. Both for love and career. He has written novels in the past 5-6 years even though he had no money in the earlier stages. Now that Fengxian exploded, his career is booming, and the film and television copyright have sold for astronomical prices. I heard the transaction price is 20 million!”

As she said this, she suddenly felt regretful, “Why didn’t I write novels in college? Maybe if I persisted in writing, I would also be rich and financially independent. There’s no future in studying law anyway…”

Qi Xi wasn’t moved by the words, “Then you have to have a wife like him, from a good family background. You should love and tolerate him. If you’re willing to let your husband write for 5-6 years without any income, or if you choose to write without any income, how do you plan on surviving? Will you eat the Northwest Wind?”

Zhao Yanyan glared at her, “Don’t you have a single romantic cell in your body? Love and marriage is a give and take. Ai Xiang is now finally relying on his own efforts, and his wife is living the life of extreme fortune. Even after so many years, he still insists on chasing his wife and writing love letters to her on Weibo everyday.”

Qi Xi curled her lips, “I only care if he gives the 20 million to his wife. What’s so touching about writing a love letter? If Gu Yan is willing to forgive me, let alone some dumb confession letter, I would give in to him every day. Wait, if he gives me 10 million, I will marry him on spot!”

Qi Xi’s words were hilariously spoke in depression, but she didn’t expect that soon after saying those words, she would hear the sound of someone choking and coughing in the opposite compartment.

The cough was bad enough that even the nearby waiters were alarmed, “Sir, are you alright?”

The man coughed for a while before Qi Xi heard the chilling voice, “I’m fine. Thank you.”

…

Shit… it turned out to be Gu Yan!!

Zhao Yanyan heard him as well and silently looked at Qi Xi who was gradually losing hope.

At this moment, Qi Xi didn’t believe she was struck with just a simple stroke of bad luck…

Fortunately, Gu Yan didn’t even bother to care for her. He just finished eating the noodles, paid the bill, and left, leaving Qi Xi in a state of despair. She was unable to swallow in her embarrassment, suddenly realizing the importance of being prudent in her words and deeds.

But as long as you have thick skin, life will go on. Especially as long as there is work to fill the time. People won’t have the time to think about such a mess!

After lunch, Qi Xi returned to the office to meet her first client since beginning work.

To be precise, it was Gu Xuehan’s client, but Gu Xuehan called Qi Xi and Gu Yan for the case.

Getting in touch with the clients and cases slowly was a method most senior lawyers used to get interns comfortable. First, they would start auditing, and then they would usually cooperate with recordings and interviews. There was no real pressure; however, as time passed, interns gradually had more presence in the case. This all served to smoothen the transition into when they would be full-fledged lawyers.

This time Gu Xuehan’s client was named Chen Xiang. She was a woman with gentle looks and long hair, appearing to be 27 or 28 years old, and well-dressed. It appeared as though she and Gu Xuehan knew each other for a long time. As soon as they met, she smiled and waved.

Gu Xuehan, as a capable lawyer, quickly started business, “What’s wrong, sister Xiang? What can we help with?”

“It’s my husband’s film and television contract dispute,” Chen Xiang took out a copy of the contract from her bad. She prepared several copies and handed one to each person present in the room, “This is the film and television copyright authorization for his new series.”

Film and television copyright licensing issues? It sounds interesting…

As soon as Qi Xi picked up the contract, her interest deepened.

This is the same film and television copyright contract that Zhao Yanyan was speaking about.

So… the gentle and elegant Chen Xiang in front of me is the wife of Ai Xiang?

Chen Xiang smile, “My husband signed this contract when this novel first was serialized. At the time, ‘Fengxian‘ had not yet aired, so the price for the exclusive rights was low. But now that Fengxian is aired, there was been a huge increase in the quotation price. We wanted to know if the old contract could be invalidated.”

Didn’t the serialized novel sell for 20 million? Is that a normal amount?

It was only after Qi Xi turned the contract did she find out the true price, “5 million? Wasn’t it publicized that the rights were sold for 20 million?”

Seeing Qi Xi’s surprise, Gu Xuehan calmly explained, “The copyright price for television and film contracts is usually a trade secret. Sometimes they hype the actual price. Writers are willing to publicize higher prices to improve their market worth. Some film companies even falsify purchase prices to be able to resell the project at a higher price or to increase production costs. So, there is usually some buffer with the reported price and the actual price.”

Chen Xiang nodded, “Yes, but some companies have already bid 20 million for my husband’s new book.”

Gu Xuehan raised her brow, “So you want to terminate your contract? Do you think the previous sale of 5 million was sold at a loss? Did the other party breach the contract?”

Chen Xiang had some embarrassment, “There is no breach of contract. But we have calculated the losses. If we breach the contract, according to the contract, in addition to returning the copyright fee, we would also have to pay 20% of the film and television contract as liquidated damages. We can afford it, but the film and television company is unwilling to terminate the contract.”

So it the Chen Xiang and her husband who wanted to breach the contact.

After the termination, they would have to return 5 million, and 20% of liquidated damages means they would have to cover another 1 million. After signing a new contract worth 20 million, they would have made a net profit of 14 million.

Gu Xuehan nodded, “I understand. I will speak to the company on your behalf. You can rest assured. We will help you solve the termination under the best circumstances. Because the film and television copyrights are under your husband’s name, we will need to get his signature since this will be a case between the company and him.”

Chen Xiang looked relieved, “That’s good. My husband is on a business trip this week, so you should prepare an electronic contract in the meanwhile. I will print it out, have it signed, and sent back to you… In terms of the company… let’s say they are difficult to communicate with. So, I think it’s better you have professionals deal with this.”

She appeared apologetic, “I’m sorry. I have to pick up my children. Please feel free to contact me in the future for anything.”

As soon as Chen Xiang left, Gu Xuehan handed over the communication duties to Qi Xi and Gu Yan, “This case is very simple. You two can intervene, and then we will talk.”

As soon as Gu Xuehan left, Qi Xi looked at Gu Yan, “So are you going to do it, or me?”

“You do it,” Gu Yan said concisely, unwilling to give her any further attention, “I have other cases on hand.”

“But…” Qi Xi was a little nervous. “T-this is entirely because Chen Xiang mentioned the company wasn’t too good to talk to, that they won’t abide by the contract to make more money. H-how can I start the conversation. If I do this, I’ll be in for a scolding, and I’m afraid that my phone will be spammed in the future…”

“That’s your business.”

Gu Yan dropped these words and went back to sit in his seat as if he didn’t want to talk to her anymore.

Qi Xi had no choice but to bite the bullet and call.

Sure enough, as soon as she mentioned ‘termination’ the other party began scolding her, and Qi Xi finally understood why Chen Xiang was willing to pay a lawyer’s fee for something as simple as a contract termination. It’s because the other party was rude…

“Didn’t you beg in the beginning? You said you were in a hurry to get the money to make a down payment for your house. You still haven’t handed in your draft, so it stands to reason that you haven’t fulfilled your contractual obligations, so I should’ve contacted you first. Five million, you bought your house. Now home prices have risen, and you just became lucky with the broadcast of Fengxian. So you complain and want to sell the contract to someone else.”

Chen Xiang obviously tried to communicate with the company before, but as soon as Qi Xi mentioned she was Ai Xiang’s lawyer, the person in charge of the company exploded and lashed out all his anger onto Qi Xi, “While talking to you, I found the most advanced team in the industry to take over this project. Ai Xiang’s name exploded because of us. But, your vision is still shallow that you want to terminate your contract with us. Are you thinking of refunding the 5 million to make millions more? Do you think you can send me away? For the past 6 months you’ve been playing us like a monkey. You think now everything will be all good for you? We don’t agree to terminate the contract, you fucking stupid female lawyer!”

Qi Xi couldn’t endure the other party’s roar in the beginning, but when he started badmouthing and swearing at her, she couldn’t hold it anymore.

As a newcomer, she had always grown up in a well-ordered environment filled with etiquette. She always believed being a lawyer was a decent job. Such humiliation was something she was unused to.

She wanted to hold back, but the sourness spread across her body, and her eyes began to gloss over with tears.

Perhaps the mans roars and insults were loud, probably everyone in Qi Xi’s vicinity heard his words. Yet, they all were probably used to it as they were busy with their own business.

On the other end of the phone, the other party was still furious. Just when Qi Xi was lost on what she wanted to do, Gu Yan who had previously ignored her, stretched out his hand towards her. His handsome brows were slightly wrinkled as he succinctly said, “Bring it here.”

Seeing that she was stunned and didn’t respond, Gu Yan glared at her and took the landline away from her.

“Since the contract stipulates the liability for the breach of contract and our client is willing to assume responsibility, legally speaking, it is clear. Do you think your 1 million in liquidated damages is a small number? When the lawyer you hired signed the contract, you were only able to write down 20%, but now you’re saying that 1 million is not enough. Our client still needs to bear the liability for direct and indirect losses. According to the contract, we only need to pay 20%.”

Gu Yan’s appearance was cool and collected, “You should know to keep professional contracts, otherwise there would be legal risks. You should bear the consequences for hiring a lawyer who is not professional enough to allow you to sign such a risky contract. As for the project, you said you already started the production. That is something you should speak to the client with. It is pointless to entangle the lawyers in this issue.

“Finally, it’s best to keep your mouth clean in the future. If you abuse and personally attack my colleague in the future, I will record it and defend my colleague’s rights.”

After Gu Yan finished speaking, he bit out one last sentence, “Tomorrow, 10:30 in the morning. Jinghe Law Firm. Please attend on time, and everyone will negotiate the compensation amicably.”

He finished saying those words in a single swoop before hanging the phone without waiting for the other party’s response.

Qi Xi was stunned, “This is it?”

Gu Yan looked at her with a stern face, “Otherwise?”

“What if you’ve angered the other party and they don’t come tomorrow?”

“He will come,” Gu Yan pursed his lips. “If he is unwilling to cooperate with cancellation procedures, the project would become riddled with lawsuits. It wouldn’t develop smoothly anymore. After all, Ai Xiang has a lot of fans, and their impact is also quite strong. Surprisingly, he has a good media company, and this has helped his media presence. Now, not only will the company face the fans’ ire, but they will also not get the fans’ help. In the end, even if the company loses 6 million now, it would take a few years to get back the losses in reputation since they will be going through the long court process. No matter how unwilling, he will understand the benefit to come.”

Qi Xi’s heart was filled with a little confusion, with some discomfort, she said, “Well… I just didn’t expect that lawyers would be scolded like this…”

“It is precisely because the client is unwilling to face and negotiate this that we have to serve as the intermediaries. Being scolded by the opposition is a part of the day to day duties. Otherwise, why else would we be earning a lawyer’s fee?”

After Gu Yan finished, he glanced at Qi Xi, “And aren’t you good at scolding? You did a good job at the graduation ceremony. Why didn’t you say a word when he was scolding you?”

“…”

After Gu Yan said this, Qi Xi’s embarrassment came back, but she didn’t want to care about her grievances at the moment, “It was an accident. It was an accident! I’m sorry, Gu Yan. I’m sorry. Thank you this time. You are a good person for standing up to me.”

As soon as the words fell, Gu Yan did not seem too happy, “Who was standing up for you? He scolded you so loudly that I couldn’t pay attention to this case file. Don’t be so thankful.”

After he finished, he glanced at Qi Xi’s arm, “You crossed the line. Stay away from me.”

Okay, got it.

Qi Xi immediately followed suit and moved her chair to the side, as far from Gu Yan as she could.

She swore to never violate Gu Yan’s “air space” again.

Author’s Note: Gu Yan is really gentle. I promise. Don’t get too angry yet.

Translator’s Note: Currently have read up to Chapter 38, and I agree with the author. Gu Yan is the typical black belly ML, and when you see how he “courts” Qi Xi, you can’t help but laugh at his misfortune. Qi Xi is probably the most dense female protagonist there is, quite funny!

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter

YHRKSL CH 4

Translator’s Note:

Still toying around with the official schedule, but as of now, I hope to publish a chapter every Sunday and Thursday (Or Tuesday/Friday). Also, most chapters will be posted in their full length unless they are too long (i.e., Chapter 12 will most likely be post as a split chapter because it has 12,603 words!)

Chapter 4: I’m here to join this family, not tear it apart

“You said that Gu Yan and I could repair our relationship?”

After the lunch, on the first day of joining the job, Qi Xi basically spent the rest of her time dealing with the files and formalities. That night, she returned to her small, shared apartment with Zhao Yanyan.

Since she was angry at her family over the Columbia Law issue, Qi Xi was determined to break away from her parents’ protection and live on her own means. Because Zhao Yanyan was working at a competing law firm nearby, when Zhao Yanyan was looking for a roommate, Qi Xi immediately decided to take up on the offer.

“It’s impossible,” Zhao Yanyan still had sympathy written over her face. “Don’t you realize that Gu Yan is the type who doesn’t talk much? Now he’s talking ruthlessly. Saying it’s impossible for you to be friends. I think you should invest yourself in the drama. Why don’t you focus on your boss? It’s okay to have an ambivalent relationship with your colleagues, just flatter your boss.”

Qi Xi wanted to cry to the sky, the boss is Gu Yan’s sister, and she was perhaps more difficult to manage than Gu Yan himself.

After coming back from lunch, Qi Xi learned the true meaning of “Goddess” from her colleagues. They didn’t call her “Goddess” because of her personality. She simply had the appearance of a “Goddess” but the temperament of a devil.

“She must have told you that she wants to handpick her own interns before choosing new full-time colleagues? Nope, actually, it’s because other trainee lawyers in the firm refuse to join her team. Though Lawyer Gu earns a lot of money, she works overtime, and young people can’t stand that.”

“Before you, she actually recruited other newcomers to the team. After a few days, they applied for a transfer to be with another team.”

“Her energy is beyond the reach of ordinary people. When a newcomer first entered the company, she was gentle and tender, but now she’s boiled and shriveled up after spending only a week with Lawyer Gu. Meanwhile, Lawyer Gu became more radiant. Maybe it’s genetics. Her brother recently entered the company, and after spending a lot of time with her, he still looks good. Do they have some sort of secret to stay so good looking?”

“Qi Xi, don’t worry, you’re beautiful. It might take you a while to turn shriveled and dry.”

Getting this type of comfort is worse than getting no comfort at all!

While repeating the story, Qi Xi looked at Zhao Yanyan in tears, “In short, even if I can’t get along with this team, I can’t be transferred because the other lawyers are full.”

Because Qi Xi was determined to go abroad, it was too late for Qi Xi to look for a job and submit her resume. Most firms were filled, and it was only through sheer luck she was able to pick up the leaks from competing firms to pick up the offer in this company.

After listening to Qi Xi’s words, Zhao Yanyan could only pat Qi Xi’s shoulder, “Sister, there’s nothing to say, just my condolences.”

“…”

“But that’s the case anyway. You might as well be cheeky and have a good relationship with Gu Yan. Gu Yan just entered the industry and is not as treacherous as his sister. Anyway, since you both were classmates for the past 4 years, you should think of friendship! Do what you can. Buy some small gifts for him. Care for him when he is in trouble. Over time, you can repair your relationship.”

That being said, there was a problem.

Though she was classmates with Gu Yan, she knew next to nothing about him except that he was first in every competition and exam.

“I don’t know what his hobbies are or what he likes…”

Zhao Yanyan was still firm as steel, “You’re stupid. You have to have something in common. You can ask his friends or roommates! If it doesn’t work, go to the school forum. Do you have how many people at school were obsessed with him? There were even students from other schools who used to squat down in front of our school to see him. Those girls created an organization called, “Caring for Gu Yan Association.” Why don’t you join that?

“They are all-powerful. They have all sorts of information about him, and even compiled a book called, “The Complete Book of Gu Yan (Gu Yan Daquan)” which includes all of Gu Yan’s hobbies and interests. Occasionally they even update his weekend plans. You would know everything about him, and after being in the organization for one week, you would learn everything about him with your skills!”

There’s such an organization!

When Qi Xi was swiping through the forum, it was as though a whole new world opened for her.

But…

She was dumbfounded when she realized, “The organization asks questions!”

Zhao Yanyan looked indifferent, “Yes, my friend, you don’t seem to know how to function in the real world despite studying in college for 4 years. Some groups ask questions to verify your interest. Most of the questions would be basic things about Gu Yan.”

Zhao Yanyan was right. Though there were 100 questions, the questions covered Gu Yan’s height, weight, and even size of his ears and earlobes. Even the position of the red mole on his neck!

“It’s better for you to do your homework first and then answer the questions. Otherwise you would get too many questions wrong and wouldn’t even be able to be accepted into the group.”

Qi Xi, eager to mend her relationship with Gu Yan, didn’t pay much attention to Zhao Yanyan’s words. Luckily, even if she didn’t know the answer to the first question, she answered instinctively. But perhaps, because she was Gu Yan’s classmate, she received the invitation to join immediately after answering the question.

As soon as she was approved by the group, she went straight to the homepage, asking where she could download Gu Yan Daquan.

As soon as she posted those words, the group owner jumped to share a link with Qi Xi.

There is truly good in this world! Although Gu Yan himself was a difficult person to deal with, his fanbase had a gentle little angel.

“We welcome people who are familiar with and are attracted to Gu Yan, but we hate the kind of people who know nothing about Gu Yan. Who just want to know and fall in love with him because of his face. Not only do we not welcome those kind of people, but we will also strike hard to teach the other part how to respect Gu Yan!”

Yes, yes, yes! Unexpectedly his fans were quite positive, and Qi Xi felt the same way.

She was grateful, and immersed in the joy of being “saved,” quickly downloaded the Gu Yan Daquan from the online disk to study it.

I have to say, the book is beautifully done! It contained a large number of Gu Yan’s pictures, most of which were street shots instead of that taken by professionals. Some of the photos were even blurry, but they still did not ruin Gu Yan’s appearance.

Although Qi Xi has been with Gu Yan for a long time, she never paid close attention to his face. Now when looking at the photos carefully, she realized that he truly was a handsome man.

The more she looked over the basic information, the more she was ashamed of herself. She had answered at least 80% of the questions wrong. For example, Gu Yan’s height was 187 cm instead of 185 cm as she thought. His eyes were a brown color instead of the pure black she thought.

Fortunately I told them I was Gu Yan’s classmate, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to join the group!

Anyway, with Gu Yan Daquan in her hands, she digested the material eagerly and recited all of Gu Yan’s preferences as if she was reciting knowledge points before an exam.

“His favorite foods are coriander, shiitake mushrooms, and soy products. He likes rice the most, but doesn’t like pasta. He likes sweets and sugar in all his dishes but doesn’t eat spicy foods. He likes chocolate the most and doesn’t like drinking milk. His favorite color is pink, and his least favorite color is black. Favorite fruit is durian, and favorite music is heavy metal rock. He doesn’t like playing sports, but his favorite activity is reading quietly in the library. He likes modern architecture and doesn’t like the outdoors or nature. He especially hates sunbathing. He thinks the meaning of life is not about the road, but rather the fruits of labor. He loves collecting trophies and medals, and he wishes to win each participation.”

The more she read, the more shocked she became. Gu Yan’s preferences are like this? Guess I really don’t know Gu Yan that well… in fact, I don’t know Gu Yan at all!

No wonder Gu Yan was always competing with me for first place… even if we can’t get along between the winning and losing, we could still cherish each other!

Looking at it, Qi Xi found an excellent place to start, “It will be Gu Yan’s birthday in 3 days! I should take advantage of this and give him a gift to show my natural goodness!”

Zhao Yanyan nodded, “Actually, it’s easy to have a good relationship with him. Do what you can. Whatever Gu Yan likes, give it to him. Now that you have Gu Yan Daquan, follow what’s written!”

Now that there’s internal and external friction between them with the graduation speech and the relationship at work, if Qi Xi was unable to flatter Gu Yan, Gu Yan could lead to her ruin. His revenge might be so strong that she wouldn’t be able to hold her head in Rongshi in the future.

Just thinking about the potential consequences, Qi Xi broke out into a cold sweat.

She should do what she first intended to. Immediately racking her brains, she thought about the birthday present she could buy for Gu Yan.

Would it be too expensive to buy? Firstly, she has no money, and second, she can’t appear too eager. What about if it was cheaper? She worried a cheaper present would appear insincere.

“You can buy a present that combines his hobbies and interests. Maybe buy a creative present? It’s best to customize, and after he receives it, he won’t forget,” Zhao Yanyan suggested enthusiastically which browsing through her social media, “And it’s best because it shows the sincerity of your apology.”

Qi Xi thought about it for a long time, but she couldn’t come up with anything until she typed the words, ‘Creative Birthday Gift’ into the Taobao search box. A few things caught her eye.

Jewelry, creative customization, unique and memorable, and show the sincerity of your apology…and it’s in the shape of the medallion, just like what Gu Yan likes!

That’s it!

She decided to place an order with happiness, and even paid extra for express shipping.

But I’m afraid this creative gift would be too little. After all, it didn’t cost much… In the suggested posts in the search engine, she saw an advertisement for a men’s tie. Clicking into to it, Qi Xi simply chose one and paid for the tie as well.

The medallion and tie arrived just in time for Gu Yan’s birthday.

When Qi Xi placed the gift on Gu Yan’s desk, it caused him to be surprised.

He frowned, looking away from the file he was working on, glancing up at Qi Xi cautiously, “What’s this?”

“Gift for you! Gu Yan, happy birthday!”

Sure enough, everyone liked receiving gifts, Gu Yan included.

He was stunned when he heard this, the chilling expression on his face disappeared and showed an expression of relief. He glanced at Qi Xi before turning to look at the package on the desk. His voice softened, “You know when my birthday is?”

“Yes,” she said with a little desperation. “Don’t worry, I will definitely celebrate your birthday every year from now on. We all graduated from the same school. Just like you are my family, your sister is also my family!”

Qi Xi hinted, “Although I wronged you before, I hope you know that I want to be a part of your family as well. I don’t want to break the family… if there’s a fight in the family, and I did something wrong, I should be given a chance to correct it, don’t you think?”

Gu Yan looked at the gift on the desk, thoughtfully. It was as if he was seriously considering the possibility of forgiving Qi Xi.

“Open it up and take a look! The gift was customized according to your preferences, and it also represents my heart for you!”

Though he was asked to unpack the gift, Gu Yan naturally hesitated. He looked away and calmly said, “No need, I’ll unpack it when I get home.” He was about to put Qi Xi’s gift under the table, but as soon as he lifted it, he was a little surprised, “What did you buy that is so heavy?”

“Friendship and family is heavy, this heavy weight represents my heavy heart!”

“There’s no need to buy expensive things,” though his tone was unfriendly, Qi Xi felt as though his attitude eased a little.

With honesty, she said, “It’s not expensive!”

It really wasn’t expensive. I only spent 70 yuan and had free shipping! The medallion was not as expensive as the tie!

“Open it up and look!”

Gu Yan, perhaps annoyed by her, pursed his lips with a glare. He began to unwrap the gift, when the gold colored medallion was in full view, Gu Yan saw the engraved characters… his eyes and expression were completely frozen in shock.

He raised his head, tone full of shock, “What is this?”

“Don’t you like collecting medals? You also like creative and modern designs instead of conventional designs. So, wouldn’t like something like this? You can hang this up like a medal!”

Gu Yan was probably pleasantly surprised at her words. Instead of saying something to her, he stared at the words on the stainless steel and his whole body seemed to become paralyzed.

Following his gaze, Qi Xi turned to the striking words on the medallion.

Sturdy friendship is always with you like stainless steel!

Happy Birthday, Gu Yan!

—From Qi Xi who sincerely apologizes

Though there were only a few words written on the stainless steel, Qi Xi was sincere. She had a hand-painted a cake and a villain asking for forgiveness and gave it to the merchant to engrave it into the stainless steel with the engraving.

In the other box was the pure, pink tie.

“I drew this picture myself!” Qi Xi said enthusiastically, “As for the tie, I also picked out a style and color that I think you will like!”

“…”

Probably faced with this surprise, Gu Yan suddenly lost his language. He was stunned for a long time before looking at Qi Xi, “Why do you think this color is my favorite?”

Because Gu Yan Daquan said so!

It was rare for a man to like pink, if Qi Xi were being honest. But who isn’t like a princess at heart? Gu Yan was probably surprised she knew his secret likes.

Qi Xi’s smile deepened, hiding her secret, “Because the you in my heart likes pink very much!”

Although he liked pink, Gu Yan was never seen wearing any pink before. I’m afraid he has to sequester his likes because of the world. Now that I’ve supported him like this, he must feel moved.

Understanding of each other… isn’t this the best grounds for friendship?

The man stared at the words on the stainless steel, his words a little harsh, “Do you think you and I can have a solid friendship?”

“Can’t you?” Qi Xi said cautiously. “It’s okay even if our friendship is a little weaker….”

Qi Xi thought Gu Yan was too perfunctory. The man answered her with two decisive words.

“Can not.”

Gu Yan turned away from her, shoving her gift under the desk, as if he didn’t want to think about it any longer.

It’s okay if we can’t be friends! If you can’t be a friend, then don’t. We could just have a cordial relationship instead. Qi Xi feels that she still needs to work harder to integrate into this “family.” Otherwise, the Gu siblings would tear her apart left and right. Is this what it feels like? To be surrounded by enemies in all directions.

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter

YHRKSL CH 3

Translator’s Note:

Though it has a slow start, you will eventually fall in love with the main characters for their simplistic charm. One of the reasons while I enjoy this novel so much is that you fully understand why and how Qi Xi fell in love with Gu Yan (and through the process, you also see her self-pride as well). Hope you are enjoying the story! Do let me know how I am doing in terms of translating the project!

Chapter 3: “Qi Xi, I can never be friends with you.”

Qi Xi and Gu Yan’s eyes met briefly, like a strange tranquility on the eve of a major battle between two enemies.

Qi Xi showed a friendly smile to Gu Yan, and Gu Yan’s handsome face sank almost immediately.

Gu Xuehan hadn’t realize the strange atmosphere, and she still had some emotion from before, “Gu Yan, since Qi Xi is also your classmate, don’t hide it. You have suffered a huge grievance. I didn’t ask you to do this, but resolutely unwilling to sue the other party? What is the matter with you? If you don’t protect your own rights, how could you protect others’ rights as a lawyer? Qi Xi, don’t you think so?”

How could Qi Xi say yes? She looked at Gu Yan with a smile and said, “Well, Gu Yan is a generous and tolerant person who could steer a boat in the prime minister’s presence. Because of this, I actually admired Gu Yan very much during college. Gu Yan’s generosity is what I would like to model after…”

Gu Xuehan frowned, “You can endure such a thing, Gu Yan?”

Ignoring Gu Yan’s cold gaze, Qi Xi pretended to be calm, “Yes Lawyer Gu, I think that although lawyers should be good at offence, they should also learn to yield. I am merciful and my Lord is generous. To be forgiven and to forgive others as he says.”

Gu Xuehan was a little surprised, “You are a devout Buddhist despite being so young?”

Qi Xi was about to clasp her hands together to shout for love and peace. She nodded solemnly, “Yes, I believe in Buddhism. It’s good for your health and mentality, and that makes it easier for you to succeed in the future.”

Gu Xuehan shrugged, “I don’t know what’s happening with you young people. But I’m not that kind of person. A man should be revengeful and strong. As far as I am concerned, even if I owe fifty cents, I have to work hard to get back fifty dollars in a lawsuit.”

“Qi Xi, you don’t have to worry about it. Say the name of the female classmate boldly! I will meet her.”

You’re doing it right now…

Fortunately, a customer call interrupted Gu Xuehan’s questioning. She quickly waved Qi Xi and Gu Yan out of her office.

Gu Yan walked in front of her with a cold face. He didn’t pay attention to Qi Xi’s appearance, so Qi Xi had no choice but to take initiative to attack and grab at Gu Yan’s hand.

“Gu Yan, let’s just let this past go away as simply as the wind…,” Qi Xi looked at Gu Yan eagerly. “Your kindness… I will repay you in the next life by being a bull and a horse. We’ve been classmates in the past 4 years and now will be colleagues in the future. There should be no ongoing feuds. I am willing to bear the crime I committed against you…”

Gu Yan looked at Qi Xi, “How are you planning on bearing it?”

Qi Xi pitifully said, “I am willing to make financial compensations. I will hand over the bulk of my monthly salary. I only need to set aside some money for living expenses.

“The letter from Zhang Jia Liang was too confusing! If you don’t believe me, read it! If you were me, you would misunderstand, too,” Qi Xi said as she pulled up a picture of the damn confession letter on her phone.

Qi Xi decided to push some of the blame onto Gu Yan, “Zhang Jia Liang ended the letter in this way, and you took the initiative to deliver the love letter. Wouldn’t it be easy for me to misunderstand? If you didn’t send the love letter on behalf of him, such a thing wouldn’t have happened. Something’s going on….”

Qi Xi’s suggestion was very clear. Though it was her fault to slander his name, she also wanted to make it clear that Gu Yan was a little negligent when running errands for Zhang Jia Liang.

Gu Yan pursed his lips with an ugly expression, “If I knew he had a love letter hidden in your LSAT book, I would never have handed you the book on his behalf.”

“So you see, you and I are actually Zhang Jia Liang’s victims!”

Very good, very good! First transfer the blame. Everyone will scold Zhang Jia Liang, and then the distance between us will be shortened!

Looking at Gu Yan’s expression, Qi Xi continued, “Actually, I always felt there was no one in the world with a better character than you…”

Gu Yan glanced at Qi Xi’s cellphone with a cold face, and his expression darkened further, “If you believe in my character so much, why did you believe that I wrote that letter? Even if I confess, would I write such a disgusting thing? With words that are so ugly?”

He glanced at Qi Xi, “And you believe in Buddhism? Since when did you believe in it? In the past, when the photography club tried to burn incense for an activity, didn’t you report the club for believing in superstitions?”

“…” Gu Yan is not from that club, how did he know?!

Qi Xi firmly maintained a smile on his face as if she couldn’t stand it any longer, “I just practice Buddhism, but I practice it very religiously.”

“Religiously?”

Qi Xi nodded, “Yes, very pious.”

Gu Yan glanced at Qi Xi without a smile, “Okay, my sister said yesterday that a newbie was coming today. She wanted us to go and have lunch together, so let me go and tell her to pick a vegetarian restaurant. You can’t eat meat.”

“…”

Qi Xi couldn’t control her expression this time. Her facial features were twisted together, “Gu Yan, you should know, humans have evolved to the top of the food chain, isn’t it just to eat meat? I just thought about it, Gu Xuehan told us that a combination of meat and vegetables is part of having a healthy diet. In order to have a healthy body to work for your sister, I decided to let go of my obsession and still eat meat.”

Gu Yan stared at her coldly, “You are so considerate.”

“I know I deserve to die based on what happened before, and that it is all my fault, but it was mainly because I accidentally overheard you and some girl that day. When that girl confessed to you, you rejected her and I heard you say that you wanted to confess to a girl you liked. So my misunderstanding deepened,” Qi Xi cautiously said, “So… did you succeed in your confession afterwards?”

Qi Xi regretted even mentioning the words because Gu Yan’s expression darkened further. The man gave her a stern expression before gnashing out a, “No.”

Qi Xi felt extremely regretful about the stupid question. She didn’t have to think about it. After giving such a passionate speech at the graduation ceremony, who would dare to agree to Gu Yan’s confession?

This not only ruined Gu Yan’s reputation, but it also ruined his marriage!

The feud between Gu Yan and her was not so easy to solve.

Gu Yan pursed his lips, “Qi Xi, work is not about reminiscing the past. I’m very busy, so please don’t waste my time. Find your own desk and stay away from me.”

Gu Yan dropped these words and walked to his desk with a cold expression.

Soon, Qi Xi walked towards Gu Yan, one step at a time.

Gu Yan looked uncomfortable, “I told you not to follow me.”

Qi Xi sneered before sitting down right next to him, “The only empty seat is the one next to you. HR arranged for me to sit here.”

Because a lot of new people were recruited to the company recently, space was quite tight. The last few desks and chairs purchased by the company were relatively compact. There were no partitions between the workstations, and if you moved just a little, you would bump into your deskmate.

The distance between Qi Xi and Gu Yan was similar to the distance shared between students using the same table in school. Her voice was a little dry and weak, “I’m sorry. I can only stay this far from you at most. I’ll pay attention, and once there is another vacancy, I’ll move out immediately to get out of your sight.”

Gu Yan grimaced, looking as though he had a little trouble breathing, but he didn’t say anything. He just pursed his lips before looking down at his dossier.

Although they were classmates for 4 years, Qi Xi never sat so close to Gu Yan before. She was close enough to observe Gu Yan’s profile closely.

The incandescent light in the office area hit his face whilst passing through his fine hair. It was just common office ceiling lighting, but it gave Qi Xi an illusion that Gu Yan was being illuminated by a thousand beams of light.

His facial features were sharp and handsome even if his temperament was serious and cold. His eyes were charming as well. Occasionally when he looked up at people with his slightly raised eyes… he was able to hook them elusively.

Hook is probably not the right word to use, but after Qi Xi observed Gu Yan some more, she realized she had no better words to describe his eyes. Though he was a recent graduate of Rongda Law School, his face and brain were his real accomplishments.

Although her heart was bitter, Qi Xi had to recognize Gu Yan’s strengths. Why couldn’t she succeed in surpassing Gu Yan?

If you want to be a star, you should stop staring at Gu Yan in the office. In the future, when you walk in the legal circle, you should have one less competitor.

“Let’s go! Let’s eat.”

Fortunately, it was finally noon. Gu Xuehan ended the call and took Qi Xi and Gu Yan to a nearby Huai Yang restaurant with a good ambiance.

After leaving work, Gu Xuehan was a little less stiff and she returned to her usual elegance. She slowly introduced Qi Xi to the situation at the company, “In short, this is the situation. You have passed all your judicial exams, so the first year in the firm will be your certified internship period. You can officially practice independently after this period ends. I usually take commercial cases, but as a trainee lawyer, I encourage you to pick up every case you can, even civil cases. I will also help you.”

Gu Xuehan smiled, “After all, you have just graduated, so you may still be confused. In fact, you may not known which subdivision interests you, so you have to do all kinds of cases before you finally choose. Just as lawyers, interns can also handle small cases. Compared with commercial cases, civil cases handle life-related disputes. They are closer to reality, and you may be able to connect with the disputes which makes it easy to get started with.”

When she said this, she glanced at Qi Xi, “Gu Yan joined the company before you, and you are also classmates. In short, if you have any questions in the future, you can ask him.”

Qi Xi smiled, “Okay, thank you Lawyer Gu. I will learn from Gu Yan! He has always been my role model since we were in school. He was always number 1, and I always follow him. As second place, it really seemed as though Gu Yan was guiding me forward!”

It’s a pity that Qi Xi’s words were destined to be a one-man show. Gu Yan was drinking his tea coolly on the side, and he had no plans to save her face.

Even Gu Xuehan couldn’t bear to see this. Unfortunately, just as she was about to take Gu Yan’s name, Gu Yan’s phone rang.

The man pursed his lips and stood up, “It’s a call from a client who consulted out law firm’s business before. I’ll answer it.”

As soon as Gu Yan left, Gu Xuehan showed an uncomfortable expression. She looked over at Qi Xi, “Don’t pay attention to him. It may be because he was slandered recently, and your words may have stimulated him. That’s why he looked so bored.”

Why do you have to go back to this topic again?!?!

Compared to Gu Yan, it seemed as though Gu Yan’s sister was more difficult to handle. After all, Gu Yan didn’t take any action over the matter, but Gu Xuehan seemed to want to solve the matter at hand.

Gu Xuehan continued to chase after information, “So, who is that girl? Can the video be found?”

Qi Xi suppressed the urge to run away, and pretended to calmly explain, “Actually, when the girl at the graduation ceremony was speaking, I happened to be in the toilet. When I came back, she was already finished speaking. Later, I saw that the video was deleted. So, I really don’t know what happened.”

“Wasn’t the speech quite long? You didn’t hear it? You were in the toilet the entire time?”

Qi Xi resisted the urge to collapse, “I was constipated all day.”

Gu Xuehan was probably also taken aback by Qi Xi’s answer. After a moment, she removed the snowflake in front of Qi Xi and replaced it with a large pot of a vegetable salad, “Lawyers always lead a sedentary life, yet you chose this profession. You’re still young. Pay more attention to your body. You should be a vegetarian for today’s meal.”

“…”

Unexpectedly, with her own efforts, Qi Xi finally succeeded in becoming a vegetarian.

Gu Xuehan ordered a few more vegetarian dishes, and then furrowed her brows, moving back to the topic of work, “The overall atmosphere in the company is nice. Gu Yan may be a more cold than usual, but I will try to speak to him. Though, he actually is quite rebellious.”

Gu Yan, rebellious?

Since when was Gu Yan rebellious? Are all top rankers rebellious?

Seeing Qi Xi’s doubt, Gu Xuehan shrugged, “When I first became a partner, I persuaded him to join the company after graduation, but he wanted to study in the US afterwards. So, I respected his decision. But after applying to such a good school, he turned around and told me that he wasn’t planning on going abroad, that he preferred to work in the company. I wondered how such a stable person could make such an impulsive decision. That too, regarding his career. So, I figured it’s just him rebelling.”

Listening to this, Qi Xi also was puzzled, especially seeing that Gu Yan’s family conditions are not as bad as hers. His sister had a good income, and she seemed to respect and support him. He would not have stopped him decision to study abroad because of financial problems.

A little curious, Qi Xi asked, “What school did Gu Yan get the offer from? Was he planning on getting a JD or an LLM?”

“JD at Columbia Law.”

What kind of evil is this? Gu Yan was originally going to Columbia University to study for a JD?

Luckily I didn’t go. Otherwise, he would’ve beaten me for another three years in a foreign country after he beat be for four years here.

She wasn’t able to rejoice for long. Qi Xi suddenly remembered that Gu Yan didn’t go, and that the two of them ended up in the same law firm in the same team.

Since Shengyu, He Shengliang?**

It was a fucking sad story.

“He doesn’t seem to care about others lately, so don’t worry about it. He really seems to be in the decline recently. He said if things go well, he would introduce his girlfriend in a few days, but now it has changed,” Gu Xuehan said sadly. “Maybe he was dumped, and after being slandered, it caused him to go through a huge personality change.”

Qi Xi felt it was her fault for Gu Yan’s failure to confess and have no love in his life. He might have lost all interest in everything as a result of this, maybe even holding himself responsible for everything.

Without even talking more, she realized that this was sadder than just being dumped.

Qi Xi felt guilty, so she took the initiative to say, “Lawyer Gu, do your best to arrange any type of work for me. I will do more! Let Gu Yan relax to be able to sort his emotions a little more.”

Gu Xuehan pursed her lips, “You just need to find the girl who slandered him as soon as possible. Let him vent his anger at any rate. It’s not good for him to hold it all day.”

“…”

Qi Xi’s guilt disappeared without a trace, and her expression became very stiff. Fortunately at this time, Gu Yan finally answered the phone and turned back. Gu Xuehan also turned the topic back to work as she spoke to Qi Xi and Gu Yan, giving them some tips as newcomers.

The lunch did not last long because Gu Xuehan was very busy with another case in another district in the afternoon. She briefly explained, and didn’t even have the time to eat dessert. So, she paid the order and left, leaving only Qi Xi and Gu Yan at the table.

Gu Yan was still ignoring herself, but Qi Xi wanted to let go of the past, so she took the initiative to find a common topic with a warm face, “You also applied to Columbia Law for a JD? Me too…”

As a result, before Qi Xi could finish her words, Gu Yan interrupted her with an abnormal outburst, “Who told you?”

“Your sister,” Qi Xi said curiously. “What happened with you? I decided to work because my family didn’t support me, and I didn’t have the money to study abroad. Why did you give up the offer? It’s a pity.”

Gu Yan frowned, obviously not wanting to discuss the issue further, “I suddenly didn’t want to go.”

Can you be so willful?

But it’s not a big deal, Qi Xi’s only concern is, “Then you see, we’ll be colleagues in the future, or perhaps partners of a team. I admit my mistakes from the past, but I hope in the future you will give me the chance to make up for it. Could we still be friends?”

In the end, she didn’t know what happened. Gu Yan’s expression could only be previously described as indifference, but now looking at him, he gnashed his teeth in a complicated manner.

“Qi Xi, I can never be friends with you.”

After Gu Yan finished speaking, he stood up with a cold face.

I still haven’t finished dessert yet…

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Translator’s Note:

**”Since Shengyu, He Shengliang?”

A phrase used in the “The Romance of Three Kingdoms” text that can be translated loosely as, “Since God gave birth to me, Zhou Yu, why did he give birth to Zhuge Liang?” The phrase essentially means, “Why did you [God] create a person who’s talent is much better than me? Who can suppress me in all aspects. Can’t I achieve something?”

Qi Xi laments how Gu Yan has won every battle they had ever fought.

Author’s Note: LLM is Master of Laws where the schooling system is shorter. Typically 1-2 years. It’s gold-plated endeavor for overseas students, and you need a law degree to apply. Generally, this degree is the less taken path for US students.

YHRKSL CH 2

Translator’s Note: Full respect to translators! The first chapter took approximately 3 hours to fully translate. Most time consuming part is to figure out what the MTL is trying to convey without trying to add my own thoughts. Updates will be slow (huge word of warning) as I am a student.

Also, I’m a medical student, not a law student. So the translation for the law heavy cases will be rough. Apologies before hand!

As for the new jjwxc guidelines about translations, no fear! This will not be password protected. I just enjoyed the story and wanted to share it with as many people as I could. If you are enjoying the story, please try and support the author!

Chapter 2: It’s not that enemies don’t get together and take a walk on Huangquan Road

Qi Xi couldn’t remember how the graduation ceremony ended on such pins and needles. The following night, after graduating and leaving the school, she was still a bit dazed about what happened.

Zhao Yanyan sat across from Qi Xi. As well as being her friend and classmate, she was also Qi Xi’s roommate. She always believed in the ‘mean.’ As such, her grades will always remain in the middle and upper-middle. She is competitive, but she still chose to take the civil service exam without pomp. Now that she successfully finished, she was just waiting for graduation before beginning her new job at court.

As a result, despite Qi Xi’s passionate speech, there was no sadness in the meal between them. Rather, Zhao Yanyan was excited.

“Qi Xi, I saw a link for the video of your speech at the graduation ceremony!”

Qi Xi drank her juice reluctantly, “Where’s the link? Send it to me.”

“Are you going to report the post again so the video is deleted?”

“What else can I do? Wait for Gu Yan to sue me for infringing and slandering his reputation?” Qi Xi’s head hurt when she thought of the mess. “My brain slipped into the waters, and it is my mistake for speaking on an impulse. I am willing to remedy all the costs, take responsibility and make amends.”

In fact, Qi Xi wanted to apologize to Gu Yan after the incident, but who knew Gu Yan would disappear after the graduation ceremony? She couldn’t find him, so she could only apologize to him on WeChat.

Because she wasn’t able to get Gu Yan’s WeChat, she found Zhang Jia Liang, the initiator of it all, on WeChat in anger. As a result, when questioned, Zhang Jia Liang, the stranger man, had a somewhat reasonable answer.

“Why should Gu Yan bring the confession letter to you? Because I’m shy and introverted! I have liked you for a long time, and I am afraid to confess. I am afraid that if I look at you one more time, my heart will be beaten. I saw the LSAT book you forgot in the library, and immediately, I thought of expressing my emotions in a romantic and and classical way. I wrote the letter, and because Gu Yan happened to pass by, I had him bring it to you. It’s like that in the movies, right? If boys and girls communicated directly, it wouldn’t be romantic. There’s always a middleman to help communicate.

“As for the signature, I’m a rather humorous person. In order to make you feel as though you are riding a rollercoaster, I thought of joking with you. You would be lost when you see that Gu Yan confesses to you, and after turning the letter and seeing my name, you would be lost in ecstasy!”

Ecstasy your foot! The devil would like you! Even liking Gu Yan is better than liking a freak like you!

Looking back on it now, Qi Xi still feels that she is out of breath.

Zhao Yanyan patted Qi Xi’s head sympathetically, “To be honest, Gu Yan didn’t reply because you are already very disciplined. If you were an ordinary person, he might’ve beaten you!”

“He wouldn’t beat me,” Qi Xi said with lingering fear. “Isn’t he a Muay Thai practitioner? One single punch, even if he isn’t using all his strength, would cause a second degree injury. It’s enough to be sentenced for intentional injury on another, and it would be a criminal case. Even if you want to be a lawyer in the future, your license would be revoked.”

…

But even after saying that, Qi Xi also knew that Gu Yan’s self-cultivation was surprisingly good.

Although she posted an official apology statement letter on the school forum and Weibo, she made up a rumor to refute the original speech, her work was still fruitless. Both methods didn’t cause much heat…

She really committed an unforgiveable death penalty against Gu Yan. Gu Yan can do whatever he wants. It is reasonable even if she is prosecuted. And Qi Xi is willing to bear all legal consequences.

However, Gu Yan didn’t do anything. He didn’t accept the apology, and he didn’t scold her. He didn’t prosecute her, and he didn’t even take the initiative to clarify those rumors.

But how can I face Gu Yan in the future?

Apart from not seeing him ever again in the future, Qi Xi had no better plan.

She definitely fell to the extreme and to the absolute rock-bottom with the plan, but it was also the method in which she would be extremely peaceful.

She took another sip of her juice in distress when an email reminder came on her phone.

Ding.

Qi Xi glanced reluctantly at the header message of “Congratulations.” The subject of the email caused a sudden adrenaline rush to her heart.

This is an acceptance letter from Columbia University Law School!

After Qi Xi’s trembling hands finally clicked on the email to confirm the content, she couldn’t help but jump from the chair.

“Zhao Yanyan, I was accepted into Columbia Law School for my JD!”

Only law school students know the prestige of Columbia Law School. Zhao Yanyan’s eyes brightened immediately, “Oh my god, Qi Xi! You are too fierce! Let me tell you, your LSAT score is very high! As high as the sky. Your GPA is also high, and you have passed the domestic judicial exams. You must do it! Columbia University! You can go to New York!”

When ranking American law schools, in addition to Harvard, Yale, Stanford Law Schools, Columbia Law is also no less. At Harvard/Yale/Stanford, it is uncommon to see fresh graduates with no relevant legal work/experience be admitted. Therefore, Qi Xi thought it best to apply to Columbia.

And when she went to the US, she wouldn’t have to face Gu Yan. After all, in a prior employment survey they filled out, Qi Xi remembered that Gu Yan filled out he would directly enter a law firm post graduation.

It’s just that when Qi Xi came home with a bright vision for her future to tell her father the shocking good news, she did not get congratulations or praise.

Qi Rui Ming was not only unhappy, but also furious, “Didn’t you agree to take the civil service exam after graduation? You secretly took the LSAT? Secretly applied to school?”

“But dad….”

“Didn’t you promise me that you would find a stable 9-to-5 job in the civil service? I know that the civil service exam is tough, but Dad doesn’t necessarily want you to work in public security law. If you don’t pass the exam, I am here. Knowing people in Rongshi Daily, it’s not a problem to have you be the editor of the legal publication department. It’s usually very easy. You just review and review, and wait for the public exam next year to try again.”

It’s the same old words again.

Qi Xi suppressed the discomfort in her heart and argued with reason, “But I want to be a lawyer. If I can graduate from Columbia Law with a JD, whether I work in the US or in China, I will be more competitive in the law firm. Even if my income will not be high, and I will be poor, in terms of employment, I could have better choices.”

Qi Rui Ming didn’t give Qi Xi a chance to finish her speech, so he interrupted her again, this time with a bit more sincerity in his voice, “Xi Xi, you are a girl, girls don’t have to be so tired, take it easy, find a stable and decent 9-to-5 job, find a better person to marry in the future, and in the future, help the next generation as a housewife. Look at your mother, just like you and me, she graduated from Rongda Law School. Isn’t her life easy and happy? What’s wrong with it?

Qi Rui Ming frowned, “As for being a lawyer, that’s what boys do. Do you know how stressful working in a law firm is? I am a veteran lawyer, and I really don’t want you to be so tired. Look at the top partners in the law firm. How many of them are women? Becoming a lawyer is not as easy as you think. You also need to socialize and drink. You need to make connections. Look at how busy your father is. As a girl, do you want to live this kind of life?”

He persuasively said, “You are still young, once you become a lawyer, you will do one thing and hate another thing. Not to mention, women themselves are worse than men in terms of legal logical thinking. See for yourself, you have finished your undergraduate law education. Since beginning, when did you ever surpass Gu Yan in your class? Wasn’t he always number 1? If it’s like this in school, it will only be worse when you enter society and the workplace.

“There are a lot of excellent male lawyers out there, more than what you met in school. Your character is too competitive and hard. Once you enter the law firm, your mentality will only worsen. With your temperament, the future of your marriage will not be too happy. I’m speaking for your own good.”

Qi Rui Ming played hard and soft, before finally bringing out what he wanted to express.

“Anyway, if you’re going to America, I won’t pay.”

At the beginning, her father clearly stated that as long as she was admitted to Columbia Law School, he would pay for her education.

“But dad, you said at the time—,” 

“First, girls don’t need so much education. Your bachelor’s degree is enough. Second, I don’t have that much money. School tuition in America is high, and the cost of living in New York is also high. You know dad doesn’t have much money. Lawyers don’t make as much money as you think. It’s not easy for me, and I still have case materials to prepare late at night.”

Qi Rui Ming’s attitude was very firm. After finishing speaking, he glanced angrily towards Qi Xi’s mother, Xi Win, who was on the side, “You take care of your daughter! Girls are so ignorant!”

Qi Xi finally understood.

In fact, from the beginning it seemed Qi Rui Ming never planned on paying for her education in the US. He agreed because he felt she would not apply for Columbia Law…

I can…

Even though her father was not a successful lawyer, he was a partner in a small law firm. There was no problem in terms of income for him to support her education. She is an only child, too, so there are no other siblings for them to spend money on.

Qi Xi’s heart was full of grievances and discomfort. As soon as her father left, she turned to her mother to complain, “He just looks down on girls. If I were a son who was accepted into Columbia Law, he would send me to America even if he had to break pots and sell the iron…”

Xi Wen’s voice was gentle and helpless, “Xi Xi, don’t trouble your father. He’s also under a lot of work pressure. It’s useless to blame me. If I had a job, your father wouldn’t be so tired and you would have money for your studies. But your father’s words make sense. It’s a blessing for girls to be safe and secure.”

Qi Xi slammed the door and threw herself on the bed, not wanting to listen to the clichés from her parents. 

Most of the top law schools in the US are private schools with expensive tuition. International students like Qi Xi should be thankful to be admitted. How could they expect any scholarships? And they couldn’t apply for student loans like American students.

Her father’s attitude made Qi Xi completely give up… her JD dream was about to be dashed.

“So you received such a good offer, but you can’t go?”

Qi Xi stayed at home for two weeks before finally reluctantly accepting this painful reality. She asked Zhao Yanyan to come out for dinner.

Facing Zhao Yanyan’s question, Qi Xi nodded listlessly, “If you don’t have money, you have no right to speak.”

“Then what do you want to do? Go to the editorial department of the legal publication arranged by your father?”

“I won’t go,” Q Xi’s face was indomitable. She was a person who refused to admit defeat. “I urgently submitted by resume, and now I received an offer from a competing firm. Anyway, I can’t follow my dad’s wishes. He doesn’t like me as a lawyer, and I just want to be a lawyer. I received an offer from Columbia Law right after my undergraduate studies. With two years of work, I will have a better resume, and I might apply to a better school. Earn money for yourself.”

Zhao Yanyan still looked on with admiration, “Qi Xi, you are very hateful you know? It’s either an offer from Columbia Law or an offer from a co-op institute. In your world, it’s like buying a bunch of spring onions when going out. You really are able to do what you want.”

The job offer is from a very good company in Rongshi. The competition is quite fierce, and being hired by a co-op is also good news. But Qi Xi still couldn’t help but feel anxious, “Will Gu Yan also be in this company?”

“No, no, don’t worry,” Zhao Yanyan lowered her voice, saying, “As per the latest news, I heard that Gu Yan suddenly decided to go to the US for further studies. He doesn’t plan to work in the country. You also planned to go to America before, but I was afraid that you would be under further stress, so I didn’t tell you at the time.”

Qi Xi felt a little guilty, “Is it because I slandered his name during the graduation ceremony? Is he so sad that he plans to leave the country?”

“No, he changed his mind about going abroad before the graduation.”

Ah, such a good thing?!?

Qi Xi’s gloomy heart suddenly became warmer as the clouds escaped, revealing the sun. “God is helping me, too! Now, he’s going to the US while I stay in the country. In the future, our well water won’t be mixed into the river water, and we won’t have to see each other again in this lifetime!”

Although she was envious of Gu Yan going abroad for higher studies, Qi Xi quickly cheered up.

After all, she committed a monstrous crime against Gu Yan, and this creditor traveling far and wide was not a bad thing at all.

With this relief, Qi Xi soon went to the company to report.

“Because you applied for the job late, even though your resume is otherwise excellent in all aspects I will have to assign you to one of our newer female partners, Gu Xuehan since the senior most partners have full teams. Gu Xuehan was recently promoted as partner.”

The HR member explained to Qi Xi as she visited the firm, “But Partner Gu is very young and energetic. She’s the youngest member to be promoted as partner, and has just newly formed her team. You can follow along and work hard as you will be the core member of her team in the future. Partner Gu will catch up with you later to chat.”

Qi Xi checked Gu Xuehan’s information on the Internet. She is also a top student who graduated from Rongda Law School. Said to have risen with unparalleled speed as partner, she is both beautiful and capable. At first glance, she is a strong woman who is resolute, and the income she generated in the first year has already topped the annual revenue stream in the company. Several legal circles are very optimistic about her, thinking she may be the strongest rising star in the industry, both in terms of competition and cooperation.

“I see that in many forums, Lawyer Gu is known as the New Generation Goddess in the legal world,” Qi Xi said with a smile, “If I can work with her, I will definitely learn a lot of new things.”

She wasn’t sure if the atmosphere in the company was serious, but her compliment made the other colleagues in the personnel administration stunned, “That’s right, following her you will definitely learn a lot.”

“Come in!”

Following the words from her colleagues, Qi Xi tidied up her appearance, and before she had the time to think about it, she finally walked into Gu Xuehan’s office in a state of apprehension and nervousness.

The she saw the strong visual impact… Gu Xuehan looked even better in person compared to the photos on the law firm’s official website, wearing a high-end suit. She looked indifferent and elegant. She doesn’t know if it’s because she naturally favored Gu Xuehan, but Qi Xi felt as though she saw some familiar shadows in Gu Xuehan’s eyebrows, and this made her feel naturally closer to Gu Xuehan.

It’s no wonder she is called ‘Goddess’ Gu Xuehan. Qi Xi feels that her appearance and temperament is nothing less than that of ‘Goddess.’

Seeing Qi Xi’s face, Gu Xuehan was also a little surprised. She smiled, “It seems like my team is the most visually appealing in the company. Qi Xi, welcome to the company!”

Qi Xi involuntarily sat up straighter. She was still somewhat nervous as she entered the company straight from school.

“Although I have a lot of work, my goal is to have a small, yet skilled team. Previously, most of the projects were completed by a group of lawyers without having a formal mentor. This time, I want to set up a team with two newcomers. Beside you, the other newcomer is a boy, my younger brother. But you can rest assure, I will never show favoritism when it comes to business or money distribution.

So my future colleague is the boss’s younger brother? It’s time to have a good relationship.

Qi Xi was thinking about how to get close with her future colleague, when she heard Gu Xuehan continue.

“My brother and you should be classmates. Both of you are graduates of Rongda Law School this year.”

Being classmates is good. She has a good relationship with all her male classmates in the class with the exception of Zhang Jia Liang and Gu Yan. But Zhang Jia Liang had returned to his hometown to work and Gu Yan had gone abroad.

Was it Gu Xuehan’s younger brother or perhaps cousin? If the surname is Gu, maybe it is Gu Cheng or Gu Yimin?

She shared a good relationship with both of them. They were at least normal classmates without any bad blood spilled between them.

Qi Xi calmed down as she thought about working with her old classmates. She is now confident that her future career life would be brilliant and filled with happiness.

“In the first few days, you should get used to assisting and helping out with small tasks, and then after warming up, you can start with small cases. My brother went to court to file a case. When he comes back, I invite you to a simple welcome meal with him.”

Gu Xuehan took a sip of water and then looked at Qi Xi with elegance, “I have something I want to ask you about your warm-up case.”

Qi Xi stood up immediately, “I don’t mind, just say it!”

“You don’t need to be nervous, it’s just a personal matter,” Gu Xuehan smiled, “Since you and my brother are in the same school, do you know who slandered him at the graduation ceremony?”

…

Qi Xi was stunned.

Is this what I think it means?

She stared at Gu Xuehan, feeling as though she needed to be rescued soon.

Gu Xuehan lowered her head and took a sip of water. She didn’t notice Qi Xi’s stiffness. Her voice was cold, “As a sister and lawyer, I must defend my brother’s rights.”

When Gu Xuehan said this, she glanced at Qi Xi again, her red lips slightly parted, “Forgot to mention, my brother is Gu Yan, your future teammate. Are you familiar with him?”

“…” Qi Xi was sure that she could declare her mission as an absolute failure. It was best to just pull her out and cremate her directly.

Gu Yan? Shouldn’t Gu Yan be abroad?

Before Qi Xi could digest her emotions, she heard the elegant and cold Gu Xuehan indifferently say, “Now, go and find out the name, ID number, and contact number of this girl.”

“This is the first job I give to you, so complete it well with due diligence. I heard many people watched a video recording of the speech at the time, but when I tried to find it, someone reported the video and had it deleted. You are responsible for finding the video as a part of collecting the evidence.”

Gu Xuehan had a straight forward and decisive personality. She quickly explained her first assignment, “This is your first case. Consider it a warm up.”

“…” Qi Xi didn’t know what to do except force a smile on her face.

It was at this moment the door to the office was pushed open. A face she never hoped to see again reappeared in front of her at the door…

“The case has been filed. The other party involved in the dispute said the meeting in the afternoon needs to be rescheduled.”

“Gu Yan, you came just in time. Let me introduce you to another member on the team. She’s your classmate, Qi Xi.”

“…”

Qi Xi’s heart wanted to cry.

At this moment, she really… If not for us enemies of being together, I would have taken a walk on Huangquan Road.

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter

Author’s Note: JD means Juris Doctor or Doctor of Law in the US. You need to complete an undergraduate degree (can be with an unrelated major) before you apply to law school because there is no law undergraduate program in the US. For international students, this means they would apply to law school only after completing their undergraduate degree. You can apply after graduation. The schooling system is generally 3 years, and according to the Study Abroad Center of the Ministry of Education (in China), the JD is equivalent to getting a master’s degree after returning to China.

YHRKSL CH 1

Translator’s Note:

Hello! Came across this novel as I absolutely love Ye Feiran’s work. Though I am not a native speaker of Chinese, I thought of using MTL (with a few edits to help with the flow) to bring this wonderful story. It’s currently on-going; however, as with most of Ye Feiran’s work, it should be completed in the next 1-2 months! 

Please let me know if there are any edits/things I translated incorrectly, and I will fix them! Enjoy this story!

Chapter 1: Gu Yan, you have the right to have a crush, but to confess like this is a crime!

The scorching sun in June was like a fire, and there was a loud cicada chirping from the tress outside the gymnasium window. Qi Xi sat backstage, feeling a mixture of nervousness, melancholy, and daze.

The graduation ceremony is about to begin, and soon, she would speak as Rongda Law School’s most outstanding graduate representative.

Her four-year law school stint was coming to an end, and truly speaking, as the most beautiful and top-student of law school, Qi Xi’s university life could only be described as “smooth sailing.” The only thing that caused her dissatisfaction was her unpleasant rival, Gu Yan.

As her classmate for the past 4 years, Gu Yan stole countless opportunities and awards from Qi Xi. 

Over the 4 years, Qi Xi, who obsessively studied like a hermit, was still unable to score higher than Gu Yan on any exam… not even once.

Gu Yan was always number 1, and she was always number 2.

Sometimes, she lost by only a few points, but who remembers second place?

Perhaps the most unacceptable thing for Qi Xi was that Gu Yan won almost effortlessly each time. Unlike Qi Xi who gave up all entertainment and social interaction, this man participated in everything. Law school activities, whether it was a debate or competition, basketball game, moot court, or legal aid.

He brightly shined on every stage, earning the attention and praise of girls with his impeccable face and figure… polluting Qi Xi’s space with his constant spiritual presence.

He was a master of time… perfect in almost all fields, defeating her with ease while she struggled.

Knowing she tried her best and still lost to Gu Yan made Qi Xi frustrated, and as time passed, her frustration turned to anger.

She understood that Gu Yan had done nothing wrong. The two of them didn’t even interact as much, but she couldn’t help but hate him over the years.

However, instead of Gu Yan, she was selected as the outstanding representative to speak on behalf of the graduates.

Feeling a rush of pleasure as though she won a city, Qi Xi silently recited her speech again. But as she thought about it, she called her father, Qi Rui Ming.

“Dad, where have you been? The graduation ceremony will begin later…”

Just before she finished speaking, Qi Rui Ming interrupted her, “What’s the matter? Dad still has to go to intermediate city court. I have to be there right away…”

Dad really forgot!

Qi Xi collapsed a little, “Dad, today is my graduation ceremony, you said you would come! As the student representative, I will be in—,”

Qi Rui Ming, on the other end of the phone line, obviously did not take this matter seriously. He interrupted Qi Xi, casually coaxing, “Xi Xi, Dad is too busy. My client’s court trial can’t be delayed. Not to mention so many of your classmates came from distant places. Not many parents would have come to the graduation ceremony. You can find someone to take a photo, and then you can send it to me. Let’s not talk about it anymore. Will hang up.”

Qi Rui Ming didn’t even give Qi Xi a chance to finish her sentence and just hung up the call in his usual manner.

Indeed, there are very few parents who came today for the graduation ceremony, but the honor of being student speaker at a graduation ceremony was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

And Qi Rui Ming hung up on her like usual… She stared at the speech in her hands, feeling a little irritable.

Although this speech was originally drafted by Qi Xi, it was revised 3-4 times by her counselor, and thus, it long lost the essence of what Qi Xi originally wanted to say.

It was soulless and righteous.

But, in order to be able to speak on stage, Qi Xi accepted all these changes.

But now, as she practices reciting the last paragraph of the speech, she noticed some incoherence. And her dissatisfaction deepened, especially after her father hung up on her.

Noticing it was getting late, Qi Xi stood, wanting to find her counselor to discuss whether they could add a paragraph to make the transition smoother.

Qi Xi found the counselor backstage, chatting with a teacher from the Academic Affairs Office. His back was facing her.

“Time flies do fast! Another class is about to graduate. Who will speak at this year’s graduation ceremony?”

“It’s Qi Xi.”

“Qi Xi? The second place? Why didn’t you find Gu Yan? Isn’t he better?”

When she heard they were talking about her, Qi Xi’s froze. She was always curious about the reason the counselor found her, initially thinking she was more hardworking and tenacious as a student.

Unexpectedly, Qi Xi found otherwise—

“Gu Yan is better, handsome, stable, and there are many girls in law school. His speech would have been positively received by the audience. But what can be done? He is unwilling to cooperate with the revision of the speech, saying that if he was to speak, it must be completely respecting his wishes. He didn’t accept his speech to be revised.”

The teacher at the Academic Affairs Office laughed, “No way, boys are more individualistic. The stronger their personality, the stronger their ability. Although girls are very obedient, they have no ability to innovate or lead others.”

The counselor couldn’t help but sigh, “Actually, at such a big event like a graduation ceremony, boys’ mentality is more stable. Qi Xi is a girl. I’m worried and nervous that I will be played.”

Soon after, the counselor’s tone became relaxed, “But, she’s a girl. Qi Xi is very obedient. She changed everything I asked for. I revised the final draft several times, and even asked her to practice reciting it in advance. Normally, there would be no problems, but the chiefs of the academy are coming today, so nothing can go wrong.”

The two quickly chatted about something else, but Qi Xi had cold hands and feet, not listening to a single word soon after.

Instead of looking for the counselor, she held the speech in her hand, walking backstage in silence.

It turned out that she received the outstanding student speaker recognition because Gu Yan didn’t want it himself.

Gu Yan, Gu Yan, Gu Yan is everywhere! Everyone likes Gu Yan!

Even on her way to the gym to practice rehearsing some more, Qi Xi accidentally came across a scene of a girl confessing to Gu Yan.

“Sorry, I don’t like you. I already have someone I like. I’m planning on confessing to her today, so you have no chance.”

The girl had confessed despite being nervous. She humbly asked Gu Yan for a chance, but Gu Yan replied with such indifference. He hadn’t seen Qi Xi, but after refusing the girl, he turned around and left. Polite yet distant. Not giving the girl any chance to hope for more.

How can such a ruthless man be liked by others? Someone who spoke with such stinkiness. Do he deserve to be liked by others?

At this moment, combined with knowing she had picked up Gu Yan’s leftovers as student speaker, Qi Xi’s anger towards Gu Yan almost reached it’s peak.

She sincerely hoped the girl Gu Yan planned to confess to would ruthlessly reject him!

“Qi Xi.”

Because Qi Xi was busy scolding Gu Yan internally, the moment she heard his voice, she became startled.

She raised her head slowly, and indeed, it was Gu Yan standing before her.

Truly speaking, Gu Yan’s looks were one in a thousand. Tall stature, excellent proportions, the image of sunshine and fresh grass no matter where he is. Even now, he is bathed in the fine sunlight which passed through the gymnasium ceiling. In the midst of the light and shadows, she could see his face. A unique mixture of innocence and maturity. It was no accident indeed. He was a handsome man.

If he smiled, surely, many girls would go weak.

Even if she hadn’t paid much attention to it before, she knew that Gu Yan was photographed many times before while shopping outside. In law school, he could be misunderstood as a thief of hearts. A crime worthy of being sent to the police!

Qi Xi’s heart jumped nervously as Gu Yan’s lips pursed lightly. She glared at him with a bit of sternness, “What’s the matter?”

Gu Yan opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn’t say anything. He paused and gave Qi Xi the object in his hand, “Your book.”

Qi Xi looked at it and saw that it was her LSAT question book.

“You forgot it in the library.”

After Gu Yan finished speaking, he glanced at Qi Xi, who placed the book down, before turning away.

Baffled, Qi Xi had mixed emotions. The LSAT preparatory book represented the countless days and nights she studied in the library.

The counselor’s words made her confused again. Subconsciously opening the book, a letter fell out.

“To my favorite Qi Xi Baby,”

The title of the letter was quite shocking for Qi Xi.

This is… is this a love letter?

Gu Yan had handed this book to her and earlier he mentioned he was planning on confessing today, so…

 It turns out the stinky man liked me? Gu Yan actually likes me? This love letter is for ME?

Qi Xi was absolutely confused.

Her heart was beating violently as she recalled Gu Yan’s face and figure. It was hard to imagine such a cold person writing such a disgusting letter and giving it to Qi Xi Baby…

Here comes the biggest problem… do I want to accept someone who calls me Qi Xi baby? Or should I refuse? After all, Gu Yan and I have many old and new wounds between us that can’t be explained…

But… but his face and figure are also really good. He places first every time so his IQ should be very strong. Why don’t you go undercover? Accept him and then master all the barbarian skills he used to place first?

Qi Xi opened the love letter amidst confusion and tension… and then, her face blackened.

“My little baby, I fell in love with you first sight, thinking about you day and night, but I was too afraid to confess. Now that I am about to graduate, I decided to be brave and confess to you. I love you. I love you so much that I can’t sleep. All I think about is you. I go through the clouds and rain as you dance through my dreams.

“My darling, I think you must be interested in me, otherwise you wouldn’t seduce me by wearing clothes that are tight-fitting, showing off your figure. When you move in front of me, I see your chest, waist, ass… I can’t walk! All these images in my dreams! You make people haggard. I can’t sleep well, I feel empty as if I am about to be hollowed out.

“So you committed a crime against me. And I, with all my love, sentence you to life imprisonment with me! I don’t want to be hollowed out by sleepless nights in the future. I want you to hollow me out instead, every night of the future!”

Qi Xi couldn’t believe her eyes.

Is this a love letter? More like sexual harassment! Absolutely disgusting too!

When did I seduce you? The “tight-fitting” clothes she wore was a dance suit, designed to highlight her curves. But, she never danced and twisted her body in front of Gu Yan alone! I was forced to participate in the Mid-Autumn Academy Ball! It’s a normal artistic performance in front of the whole academy!

Qi Xi stared at the final signature of this love letter—

The two big characters “Gu Yan” shiningly brightly in front of her, declaring that what she saw was not a dream.

I expected Gu Yan to be a cold and serious person. I didn’t expect him to be so filthy on the inside! This person is simply harmful trash!

Qi Xi decided she would not involve herself with the harmful Gu Yan. She placed the letter in the book.

Taking a deep breath, Qi Xi finally made up her mind. She handed the LSAT book to her good friend Zhao Yanyan, who happened to pass by, and changed the speech to look similar to the speech revised by the counselor. After many paper balls where thrown into the trash, she was ready.

She hoped to show everyone that girls don’t have stage fright, that they don’t always obey. Girls have their own thoughts and free will. Girls are not accessories of any man… not the “obedient, well-behaved, and docile” stereotypical puppet.

“Today, before the commencement speech, I received a love letter which made me change the speech that was already finalized. On spot, I want to tell you about the prejudice against women in this society and the power women should have to fight against it!”

It was a bold rebellion, but also a temporary play of anger. Regardless, Qi Xi never felt so confident. She was no longer the second ranker but her true self. Though a little nervous in the beginning, once she began, Qi Xi spoke more smoothly, full of energy.

“The proportion of girls in law school has always been much higher than that of boys. But why do most people still think boys are more likely to succeed? How many of our undergraduate, master, and doctoral students have stayed in school afterwards? Even the law school itself unknowingly practices employment discrimination! When recruiting, men are given priority, and men who stay in school and teach are given priority. Society needs women! But it oppresses and disrespects women.

“I hope all law school graduates, men and women, can fight for gender equality. So please, for every man, if you like a girl, it’s best to pursue her with respect. Non-verbal harassment and objectification should not be allowed.”

At this moment, thousands of eyes are focused on Qi Xi, but her face is solemn. Even though the counselor’s face was white and light-headed, Qi Xi didn’t care.

The only thing she cares about is the initiator of it all. Gu Yan.

He stared at her intently, though the one to be blamed for such a reckless action, he had no guilt or shame on his face.

Considering the grievances she faced in the past 4 years… the repression of not being recognized, the resentment of being labelled and suppressed, the humiliation of receiving such an obscene confession, Qi Xi’s blood boiled.

Most girls in the audience were also emotionally charged. The atmosphere of the graduation ceremony was white-hot.

As if she couldn’t help it, she turned to stare at Gu Yan, and with a hearty and passionate exclamation, she finally pushed towards the end of her climatic speech. Like a burst of flames, she announced:

“Gu Yan, you have the right to have a crush, but it’s an absolute crime to confess like this!

“I hope you remember that I am someone you can’t catch up with in your lifetime. Girls in law school are never the ones you can harass!”

Gu Yan, today, I will tear off your beastly skin!

Qi Xi’s words were like a drop of water dripping into a scalding oil pan. There was immediate uproar in the scene. Sure enough, all eyes turned to Gu Yan. Qi Xi stood on stage, waiting for Gu Yan to run off in panic and flee.

But he didn’t.

Gu Yan simply frowned, face darkening as his lips were tightly pressed together. He didn’t say a word, didn’t do anything, just stared at Qi Xi on stage.

What? Didn’t you wrong me? You had the guts to give me the letter but don’t have the guts to admit it?

Qi Xi calmly bowed and thanked the audience amidst the chaotic scene. She walked off the stage gracefully and generously.

Under the stage, Zhao Yanyan looked at Qi Xi with a desperate expression of “You’re Done For!“

Qi Xi felt good regardless. As she sat next to Zhao Yanyan, she unscrewed the bottlecap to her mineral water, taking a sip, “Aren’t you happy Zhao Yanyan? We have all graduated. Even if the college leaders and counselors are not happy, what can I do? This is the only time I rebelled in my adolescence. Speak truthfully! It’s no big deal.”

Zhao Yanyan still held the LSAT book that Qi Xi had given her previously, “Qi Xi, have you read the love letter?”

“Of course.”

“Turn it over and look at the back.”

Qi Xi was a little surprised, “There’s more in the back?”

Wasn’t the signature in the front? Could it be that Gu Yan still had a few more unfinished words? Did he write a few more monologues in the back, further tarnishing himself.

Qi Xi felt refreshed as she just finished delivering such an important speech. Flipping the love letter to the back, she discovered the terrible truth.

This love letter is truly unfinished…

Because soon after the disgusting confession with Gu Yan’s name, was the words, “roommate Zhang Jia Ling.” So combined, the signature was: Gu Yan’s roommate Zhang Jia Ling.

The letter was not written by Gu Yan.

It was written by Gu Yan’s roommate Zhang Jia Ling!

She had just insulted the wrong person with passion!

Why didn’t I think about turning the letter over and looking at it?

Qi Xi felt suffocated in an instant. As if she was choked by her terrible fate, she slowly turned around and looked back at Gu Yan who was sitting not far behind her.

Sure enough, Gu Yan ignored the inquiring eyes of many others, his eyes passing through the crowd as he stared at her.

His face was still fair and handsome, but now the body was surrounded by a black aura like the old black mountain demon.

At this moment, Qi Xi felt his eyes were dark and forehead swollen.

Zhao Yanyan added the fuel to the fire, “You are finished, Qi Xi, you are really finished! This is a bloody feud that cannot be shared…”

Qi Xi also knew she was finished.

Thinking about going out for breakfast this morning, she had passed a fortune teller who cheated her of her money. Using many different technical terms as he told her that she was going to have a disaster in the near future as if she was cursed. The crack pot was really right.

She wanted to buy a standing ticket to outer space right now so she could escape Earth this moment.

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