Chapter 3: Reunion at the Old Place

Whenever his younger sister coughed, Xiao Ru would be reminded of the true culprit, Xiao Yi.

His eyes glinted with coldness as he spoke in a hard, icy voice, "Xiao Yi, look at your elder sister. Because of you, her health has never recovered. Yet you show not a hint of remorse. Shamelessness aside, you don't even show the slightest gratitude."

After speaking, he took Xiao Qiang's hands in his, heart aching, "Sister, you're so frail. How can you not take better care of yourself?"

Xiao Yi found the scene almost laughable, but simply looked at the siblings coldly.

Seeing her indifferent, unrepentant attitude, Xiao Ru felt his chest tighten with rage and raised his hand to strike.

Xiao Yi closed her eyes immediately. She'd known since childhood the strength behind Xiao Ru's hand, and there was no way she could dodge him. If she were to resist, her face would surely swell from the blow.

The clan leader hurriedly reached out to block Xiao Ru's arm. "Ah, don't. No violence, no violence."

Then he nudged his son with his elbow, signaling him to hold back.

The clan matriarch also tried to smooth things over, laughing lightly, "Son, she's not only your father and my adopted daughter, she's also your sister. How can you strike or scold her at will? Qiang, take your sister back to her room."

Xiao Qiang nodded gently and, without waiting for any protest, slipped her arm through Xiao Yi's, speaking affectionately, "Sister, you haven't been back in a long time, have you? Let me show you around the house and the room I've decorated for you."

Xiao Yi wanted to shake off Xiao Qiang's arm, but seeing Xiao Ru's stormy expression—ready to duel at the slightest word of refusal—she realized that sometimes it was best to avoid creating more trouble. So she let Xiao Qiang lead her away.

...

The residence of the white fox clan leader had undergone considerable renovations in the two years since Xiao Yi had last seen it.

Most notably, the garden was now filled with plum trees.

Glancing around, Xiao Yi saw nothing but plum blossoms—red, white, yellow, green... every variety imaginable.

Noticing her gaze, Xiao Qiang smiled, "Do you like these plum blossoms, sister? Don't they go perfectly with the snow?"

Like them?

She couldn't avoid them fast enough.

Xiao Yi stared coldly at Xiao Qiang. "At a glance, they're ordinary. On closer inspection, the abundance of colors only makes them gaudy and vulgar."

Xiao Qiang's flawless face froze for a moment, and a glint of malice finally flickered in her eyes.

So the mask finally cracked?

Two years ago, she had been taken in by this innocent face of Xiao Qiang, which had made her lower her guard entirely.

Now, seeing the mask fracture, Xiao Yi felt a surge of satisfaction.

Xiao Qiu, hearing the adopted daughter disparage her mistress so, couldn't help but protest, "What do you know? These plum trees were planted by order of the clan leader and his wife especially for the young mistress. The young master himself praised them when he heard."

Waiting for Xiao Qiu to finish, Xiao Qiang feigned anger, "Sister's just come home. Why must you say so much? Stay here and keep watch. Don’t upset my sister and ruin our bond."

Xiao Qiu pouted, shooting a resentful glance at Xiao Yi.

All because of this adopted daughter. The young mistress never showed her displeasure before, but today, thanks to her, she had already fallen out of favor twice.

Xiao Qiu stayed put, while Xiao Qiang led Xiao Yi further along the stone path.

Ahead lay the pavilion at the heart of the lake.

Returning to this familiar place, Xiao Yi was suddenly flooded with old memories. She slowed, unwilling to go on.

She watched Xiao Qiang warily, body tense. "Why have you brought me here?"

Xiao Qiang raised an eyebrow, her true colors emerging. "Sister, why do you think I brought you here?"

Xiao Yi remained silent, sensing Xiao Qiang's ill intentions and unwilling to fall into her trap.

At times like this, saying nothing at all and feigning ignorance was the wisest course.

Letting go of Xiao Yi's hand, Xiao Qiang walked over to the water's edge and taunted, "Sister, are you still afraid of water? Tell me, if I were to fall in again, how do you think our brother would react to you?"

Just at the gates, Xiao Qiang had seen everything clearly.

If brother had truly meant to strike, how could he have missed? And now that their parents were older, how could their strength compare to his? The only reason their father managed to block that blow was because brother had already pulled back.

Biting her lip, Xiao Qiang thought: after working so hard to gain everything she had, how could she let Xiao Yi, the cuckoo in the nest, take it all back?

She decided to gamble once more.

With a shrill scream, Xiao Qiang spun and leapt into the lake.

Faced with a scene nearly identical to two years ago, Xiao Yi hesitated at the shore.

To save or not to save?

She glanced at the iron weight chained to her right foot. Jumping in would be suicide.

In that brief moment of indecision, the clan leader and his wife, Xiao Ru, and Xiao Qiu all rushed over.

Xiao Ru arrived first, appearing in his white fox form.

From afar, he saw Xiao Qiang with her head half submerged, waving her arms desperately.

Xiao Yi, meanwhile, stood by the water, hands folded, coldly watching.

So she really was this heartless—he finally caught her red-handed in the act of harming her elder sister.

Before diving in, he landed a kick on Xiao Yi's back.

She felt a sudden gust, turned to see Xiao Xuan's eyes burning with hatred, and in the next instant, was kicked into the lake.

Though not as frigid as the borderlands, the lake here was still icy cold.

The moment she plunged in, she cramped from the cold.

Her chest tightened from lack of air. Instinctively, she opened her mouth to breathe, only to swallow more lake water.

Struggling to open her eyes, she glimpsed a white shape moving through the water.

Was it coming to save her?

No. The white shape, having retrieved something, began to swim away.

How foolish to hope—kicked in by Xiao Xuan himself, who would risk rescuing her?

Bubbles rose around her. Xiao Yi felt her nose freeze and her eyes sting.

With the iron ball chained to her ankle, she struggled briefly before her mind clouded and she sank deeper.

Time passed—so long that Xiao Yi thought her end had come—when suddenly a sharp pain struck the back of her neck.

She jolted awake, wanting to see who had bitten her, but couldn't turn her head. She glimpsed only a blurred figure with jet-black fur.

Black?

Besides gratitude, Xiao Yi felt only confusion.

After two years away, since when had someone in the clan grown black fur? And such a large beast—certainly not a young fox born in the last two years.

Who was it?

As she puzzled, she was dragged from the water.

The moment she tasted fresh air and solid ground, she coughed up lake water, looked up, and met a pair of gray eyes.