His Rui

When they were back in the shed, Yi Junjie glanced at Li Rui once from up to down. When he found out that she was not injured anywhere, he took back his gaze and continued to look at nothing.

After reaching the shed, Li Diu decided to leave for Li Manor. No one said anything on the way. Sitting inside the carriage, Li Rui glanced at his brother from time to time but lowered her head instantly when she found him looking at her with narrowed eyes.

Yi Junjie saw her like this and a small smile emerged on his lips. He could not help but remember the time he had smiled before.

It was when he was practicing a sword fight with his father. That day, he had won against his father.

It still felt surreal that he had lost the two most important people in his life.

His Mother and Father. 

On the other side, Li Rui was trying to gather her courage to open her mouth. She wanted to ask her brother not to tell Father and Mother about whatever happened. But seeing his brother's face her courage flew out of the carriage's window.

Leave it. She will do something after they reached the Manor.

But things turned out different from her expectations. As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, she saw her father standing at the Manor's entrance glaring at her angrily.

By her side, Li Diu wanted to run away somewhere.

"How did I forget those soldiers? They must have told Father beforehand."

The little Li Rui smiled nervously when she heard her brother's words as she looked at her father. But her father didn't seem to like her smile at all.

She looked at her elder brother who nodded his head seeing her gaze on himself. It was a sign.

So she held her brother's sleeves and both of them turned around to run as fast as their legs allowed them.

Behind them, General Li laughed angrily seeing this.

While Li Diu and Li Rui suddenly halted amidst their running away mission.

The brother and sister looked at each other and then at the soldiers standing in a horizontal line in front of them.

Looking around they tried to find anyway but were blocked by soldiers.

"What? Tired?"

Both of them turned around and gulped in fear looking at their father.

"My dear children come in your father's arms. Father missed you so much."

The words were sweet but the face that General Li used to say them even the soldiers felt cold sweat running behind their back.

When Li Diu and Li Rui didn't step ahead, General Li sneered and stepped forward. Before they could run away again, he held them by their collars and dragged them inside the Manor.

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"Ahhh… my hands…"

Li Rui rubbed her wrist with her left hand.

When she looked down at the number of times she had written whatever her father gave her, her hands hurt more.

She was yet to write the same thing ten times.

"Young Miss, should I help you and write instead of you?"

Li Mei who was grinding the ink by Li Rui's side said with a concerned expression on her face. Although she was just a slave, she knew how to read and write.

Li Rui's eyes brightened and she immediately left the chair and made Li Mei sit on it.

"Just five times."

She waved her small five fingers in front of Li Mei.

"Write five times and give it to me back. I will write the rest by myself."

Li Mei had said that she would write in her miss' place but now she thought something and panicked.

"Miss, what if General Li found out that this servant helped you."

She was not worried about herself but about her miss. What if General Li found out and punished Miss more severely. Then instead of helping her Miss, she would only trouble her Miss more.

Li Rui's forehead knitted for a second and then she said to Li Mei.

"Write a few words for me."

Li Mei obeyed and wrote a few words on an extra rice paper. 

Looking at the written words for a whole minute, Li Rui bit her lips and then picked the brush.

Li Mei gasped when she looked at the words written on the paper. The words written by her miss looked exactly the same as she wrote them.

  "I will handle Father. Li Mei….please help me.."

Li Mei could not resist anymore and picked the brush to write on the paper.

Standing outside the room, Li Hua frowned looking at this scene.

"Li Mei is too gullible and carefree. Miss might think that she can fool General Li but Li Mei should know the truth."

Li Zhan chuckled at Li Hua's words.

"Let her be. In the end, she is just trying to help young Miss."

But Li Hua was not satisfied with these words and Li Zhan continued

"Why are you so serious? You can also act silly and carefree like her. As long as I am here with you, you can do anything you want until it is for young Miss. Both of you protect Young Miss and I will protect both of you."

Li Hua smile softly at these words. She looked at Li Zhan and asked

"And who will protect you?"

Li Zhan chuckled again and patted her forehead.

"Among the three of us, I am the elder one. So it is my duty to protect both of you. I don't need any protection."

Li Hua rubbed her forehead softly and her lips still had a small smile on them.

The three of them had entered the Li Manor together. In Li Zhan, Li Mei and Li Hua had found an elder sister, a mother, and a family.

Young Miss was their first priority. 

Protecting the Miss was their responsibility but amidst all these, they had to protect themselves also. After all, they can protect Miss only when they are alive.

That's what Li Zhan had told them. That's what the two girls had engraved in their minds and hearts.

(*Please read the author's note)*