"I"m in here and I don"t have much good impression about your family. How could I be of help?", Xing asked dryly . She cannot give any promises to her. She do want to end the Ran family. If Weici asks for her freedom, she could give her that. Other than that, if she pleads for her family she had no intention of helping her." My father along with that snake is planning to burn the city tomorrow night. We"ll be leaving the city before evening and will return on new year for the formation of a new reign", Weici said plainly with no emotion.
Xing felt a chill pa.s.s through her entire body. What the....
" A new reign? With whom as the Emperor?", she asked and Weici shook her head meaning that she didn"t know.
Are they going to make s.h.i.+hong the Emperor? Or a new dynasty with the Ran family as the Imperial family?
"Why are you telling me this?", Xing asked. She believed her as she already knew that Ran family is leaving. But burning the entire city? How will they do it in this winter?
"My second sister...", Weici"s throat closed as tears dropped from her eyes, "She... She was... My fourth brother witnessed her being.... Because some plan failed.... That snake... It was supposed to be me", she wept and Xing sat beside her and patted her back. So it was as she had suspected.
"After she was returned... She was battered and was barely alive... , she was scratching herself saying she"s dirty... We could not help her... "Fire cleanses" she said and set herself on fire... I witnessed everything...",she was sobbing and Xing"s eyes clouded. No woman should suffer through this!
" Why is your father helping him still? ", Xing asked.
Weici smiled wryly, " Women aren"t worth that much. My father, he"d send me to him if that snake wishes for it! Apparently he is promised a high position in the new court... Not everyone"s lucky as you, Consort Huang ", she chuckled and tears were dropping from her eyes.
"Mingxia is fine", Xing said but her hands became numbingly cold hearing her reply. Was I really that lucky? For seventeen years, I grew up without a father, most people think I am beautiful even though I am not... Was I just lucky to lead an ordinary, safe life? And father, he won"t trade me for anything, I know that for sure. Was I just lucky my mother chose him? Not only father, I have a whole bunch of people around me who genuinely love me. I must be lucky right? That"s why I must protect them.
And Shengli, the one who did the most for me! I must bring him back! I cannot just sit and watch anymore!
"Why are you telling me all this?", Xing asked after Weici composed herself a bit.
" I won"t ask for my family"s pardon or I won"t ask to spare my father"s life as they all deserve it. But can you atleast spare the life of one male member of our family?", she knelt in front of her.
"What?", Xing got alerted, " Why do you think that I"m out to get your family? Do.. "
"They are scared of you!", she interjected Xing and her eyes were filled with tears, "Even that snake, I heard him saying you"ll be the end of our family. He uses my father because he knows you are dangerous to face by himself. My father does not understand this.. He is blinded by greed.. ", she started sobbing.
"In this game your father and the snake you mention are forcing me to play, if I lose, will a single member of my family be spared?", Xing asked looking at Ran Weici sternly.
Xing never wanted any of this, she was forced to play this game. Wherever she goes s.h.i.+hong comes in front of her and now he has Shengli with him! Also there is no a.s.surance that she will succeed. If she fails, even the G.o.ds cannot save her family.
"I understand", she wiped her tears, "I knew you"d answer like this and it is only fair. But can I brazenly ask you another thing? "
Xing sighed and nodded and she continued, "If... If by some means my family doesn"t leave the city tomorrow and back away from the plans the snake made, will you then spare my family?",
Xing tried to interject her but she continued, "If my father confesses his wrongdoings and surrenders... Will you spare their lives?"
Xing looked at the pretty girl who is a year older than her brother kneeling and pleading for her family and she cannot say she didn"t feel bad about it. Also she seemed to have come to a decision but why does it seem like it is not good?
" Those are big "Ifs" . And Miss Ran is thinking too highly of me. I"m no judge or persecuter. The final decision would be the Emperor"s if what you said happened ", Xing pursed her lips.
"You are a protector. You are a Huang. You protect your own. I understand that", she smiled dryly and stood up.
"How are you going to convince your father?", Xing asked. For some reason she could not hate her but she felt there is something really wrong with her.
"I have my ways.. It has a very low possibility of success but still I have to try. I"ll have to try and protect my family too", she had an empty smile that made Xing"s heart skip a beat.
She is going to bargain with her life!
"Miss Ran", Xing held her hand, "You don"t have to do this. I can help you get away from them. Please don"t. They are not worth it", she pleaded.
Weici had a peaceful smile on her, "Consort Huang, why is that you don"t hate me even though you hate my family?", she changed her topic.
"It"s odd, may be because you resemble my mother a bit.. Your forehead and your eyes.. a little..?", Xing shrugged.
Weici snorted thinking about the Autumn festival seven years back when she met Huang AoTian for the first time. She was hiding her face with a fan and was walking with her friends when he appeared in front of her with an exhilarating smile and said "I"ve found you, at last! ". She was surprised to see that handsome man whose name she didn"t know back then, talking to her and lowered her fan when his smile entirely vanished and his eyes had a deep rooted sorrow as if all his hope and happiness were plucked out of him. He then apologised profusely as he had mistaken her for someone else and left.
She wanted to see that smile in his face once more!
She later found out about him but everytime she appeared before him, he looked at her with a cold expression and never once did anything remotely favourable to her. If she fell, he"d walk around her, if she begged him, he"d act as if he was deaf, if she stood naked in front of him, he still looked at her with the same cold expression as if she was a block of wood and threw teacups at her and shouted profanities at her.
He never loved her... No... He Didn"t even like her remotely or thought of her as a woman! For him, she was a woman he mistook for a second as the one woman who is still ruling his heart.
Weici let out a mocking snort, "I just wanted to see his smile once more!", she muttered inside her mouth and Xing heard it. Xing knew she was talking about her father and she very well could see the look of utter disappointment in her face.
Ran Weici left after once more reminding her to spare her family if her father confesses. Xing"s advise to not hurt herself went over her head.
Xing didn"t feel good about leaving her like that and decided to talk to her father to take her in, even though she knew her father won"t agree and probably get angry at her.
Huh! Why am I so gullible about love? Xing chided herself but she could not help it.