[sleepy eiycee: I’ll start referring to Raine as Xuiying from this point.]
As days pass by, Raine at least knows that she has indeed transmigrated and is now a young lady named Qi Xiuying. She is now the second lady of a well-known family of merchants in the capital of the Feng empire. Today, her mother Xi Hui is accompanying her while embroidering. She felt loved as she heard her mother talk of their past, although those belong to the original owner of her current body.
She started to feel nervous as she heard a series of hurried but steady steps and felt another person enter her room. Hearing no movements from her mother, she realized that it is someone whom their family trusted it was then she felt at ease.
“Mother…” a voice of a confident young man reached her ears. Based on how he calls her mother, then he is the brother she hears from her mother’s stories. She cannot relate the young man to someone who is full of mischiefs as his voice sounded confident and mature.
“Ming’er, where’s your father?” since the incident Xi Hui started to get anxious whenever she doesn't know the location of any of their family members.
“Father is currently dealing with something important. How is she doing?”
“Physician Li said that she was recovering well and might wake up one of these days.” a faint smile and joy evident in her eyes. She is excited to see her child’s doe-like eyes and the smile that never failed to melt their hearts.
“Ming’er… You and your father are hiding something from me.”
“Mother…” Qi Ming helpless sighed, in his mind was all the warnings his father gave him before going home.
“I know you two so well, please do not deny it, especially if it is related to our family. I have every right to know the truth.” Xi Hui sternly stated while looking at her son's handsome face.
“…” Qi Ming was speechless; he has seen the changes in her mother's disposition from being soft spoken to being a strong woman after what happened to his sister.
“You do not have any plan to tell me? Fine, I will move out of the house and will bring your sister with me. We won’t return until both of you tell…”
She heard Qi Ming sighing with defeat before telling Xi Hui that all evidence led them to the first branch of their clan.
Xi Hui’s expression changed from disbelief, to disappointment and lastly anger while hearing the contents of the letters they have recovered and some testimonies they have gathered. They have a good relationship with the first branch of the clan. Her daughter has a sisterly bond to her cousin, Qi Fan. That was why she never suspected that they were involved in the same incident because Qi Fan was also injured. The investigation done by the clan resulted in showing that few of the ruffians who escaped from prison have targeted everyone who has gone to the temple that day.
Unfortunately, the first group of people that passed by are with royal dark guards whom the ruffians did not dare attack resulting for them to move their target to the second group which was where her daughter is.
Now knowing some gist of what happened, she started to fear how deep the first branch had hidden their claws. According to what they have heard, most of the elite guards assigned that day concentrated protecting their own young miss, Qi Fan. Leaving the newly trained and two elite guards to protect Xiuying. She thought the guards did that since their loyalty is to their master. The patriarch has given the surviving guards whipped for a hundred before releasing them from serving the clan as a punishment for failing to protect their second young miss, Qi Xiuying.
With the evidence her husband and son found, she doubts whether those loyal guards are still alive. She closed her eyes to calm her emotion before opening them again and looking at her son’s expression, she knows that Qi Chen has reprimanded Qi Ming to avenge his sister. Xi Hui knows how her husband thinks, and she agrees with him. Their daughter is still recovering so all plans to get back at them and bring justice to their family will have to wait. They just need to prepare everything and secretly make troubles so that the clan and first branch will be busy and won’t suspect anything.
Xiuying still has her eyes closed; she keeps on trying to open it but fails. She wants at least to see what her new family looks like. Her father, despite being busy, always visits and stays with her at night. Hearing what her mother and brother discussed, she knows they are waiting for her to recover fully before getting back what the first branch owes their family. Qi Chen tells her all the plans he has for their family, he is already executing his plan to separate their family from the clan.
She wants to wake up to lessen the worries of her family, fearing that if she does not wake up soon, she can’t help them if something bad happened. Having a new family, she does not realize that she is slowly letting go of her past.
As always, Xiuying starts her day hearing the greeting of her maid, Xue; she remembers that her voice was the first one she heard when she regained her consciousness. The young maid always tells her gossip like how one of the trusted maids of the First Madam has climbed the bed of her master’s husband and is now the newly favored concubine of the first branch’s master. How the same person has requested for new furnishing in her courtyard after receiving the old ones while crying to the First Master how the First Madam made them suffer. She knows that it is one of the moves her father made to the clan for them to have troubles and be busy while their family is preparing what was needed to separate.
Based on what she has heard, most of the money in the clan is from the businesses of her father. It looks like her father is the cash-cow of the clan. Despite this fact the first branch still plotted against her, which puzzled her knowing that they should keep the good relationship between their families.
While she was listening to her maid’s endless gossip, she heard the door open and two pairs of footsteps slowly approaching her bed. Her maid Xue suddenly stops talking but continues combing her long hair. She can feel fear and anger from the body beside her thus she can assume that the newcomers are someone from the first branch.
“How is my cousin?” If Xiuying did not feel her maid’s reaction and heard from her new family what happened to the original owner of her body, she will assume that the person who gently asked this question is someone who truly cares for her. She can feel how Xue’s stiffness relaxes a bit as the maid breathes deeply to calm down herself before answering the visitor’s question. “Young Miss is doing well, First Young Miss Qi Fan.” Xue upon hearing the newcomer's question stood up and bowed to the young lady who spoke, as a greeting before answering respectfully like the emotions Xiuying felt from the maid earlier were just an illusion. Xiuying felt the newcomer reach out to her and gently caress her hair as if afraid to hurt Xiuying. The smell coming from the lady makes anyone relax, however she noticed the light scent of Jasmine flowers which is one of scents that can arouse any man who is physically close to the young lady. Hearing the name her maid called the newcomer, Xiuying’s mouth
The months pass by with her family visiting her daily and Qi Fan together with the first and third branch of the Qi clan going in and out of her courtyard every other day. Xiuying continues to try to open her eyes to at least lessen the worries of her new family. Xiuying found strength to open her eyes, seeing the familiar ceiling the fear of knowing she is back to her hell can be seen in her eyes and a chilling feeling penetrates from her skin down to her bones. She hastily tries to jump out of the bed but fails to do so as her body feels heavy like a barbell. As she tries to lift herself up she notices that she is wearing the same simple hospital gown that she hated so much. The gown doesn’t cover her gorgeous body as the fabric drapes around her body so well that it only leaves little to hide it from one’s imagination. Xiuying frantically runs to the corner of the room after trying to open all french styled windows despite knowing that it is locked, her hope lessening by seconds.
Hack...hack...hack… Xiuying coughs as she opens her eyes however she can’t see anything but only feels being hugged by a pair of strong arms and hard chest hinders her eyesight. She tries to get up and remove the arms hugging her but the person wakes up due to her movements. “Ying-er? Daughter?” Qi Chen's hoarse voice reached her ears and it seems he is in pain. “Fa-father?” As her oriole like voice is heard she can feel droplets pour onto her back realizing it isn’t raining but the father she only heard during her coma who is always strong and determined is now crying silently while hugging her more tightly. “I thought we would lose you… I thought I coul
Qi Ming was waiting in the dining hall and seeing his father coming back he immediately got up from his seat before sitting again after Qi Chen went to his seat. “Is Ying-er awake, Father?” Not hearing his father talk, Qi Ming immediately asks as he is still worried about his sister. “Yes, she’ll come here with your mother.” Hearing a sigh from his father after answering he guessed that his mother will be sleeping with his sister again tonight. He subconsciously chuckles, earning a glare from Qi Chen. Qi Ming uncomfortably coughs hiding his embarrassment from being caught. “Physician Li will arrive this afternoon as we requested, Father. Are you still worried about any sequelae that my sister might suffer in the future?”
***Xiuying/ Raine's POV*** I ordered Xue to take the child to the nearest inn and help her clean up. I watch Xue'er preparing the bath with the help of one of inn's servants while the little girl blankly stares at me. I just let her be and sit on the chair near the window and look outside I can't help but recall when I hugged the child earlier after all I was once like her... Headmistress where are we going? an eight year old girl asked as their orphanage's headmistress hastily held her hand and walk through the busy street. The little girl looks back worriedly at the direction where they came from, there are times when she almost stumbles but the headmistress just held her hand and walk. She didn't hear any answer from the headmistress and only hears her choking up her sobs as they walk. When they arrived in front of a big house she stopped and look at the child's face. "Little Raine...our..our orphanage will be closed if we don't do what they want..." "Ummm
It is the day of the family's annual meeting. I have heard from mother that according to the spies planted by father in first uncle's courtyard the old patriach and first uncle plans to announce the change of Long's eldest son's fiance to my cousin Qi Fan. I really don't care about them but since the former Xiuying died because of them I'd gladly and slowly play them. I'm excited as it will be today that father plans to execute our plan to separate our family, they really don't deserve father's efforts in flourishing businesses. Xue and Hua helped me prepare and I just let them choose whatever dress and accessories to wear, it was tiring even though I only need to stand or sit as they help me. They wake me up earlier than the usual just to bath, dress and fixed my hair. I noticed that they even added more rose petals and rose essence than the usual in my bath.
As we walk towards the main hall they passed the garden Xiuying noticed something in the pavilion. She hurriedly whispered something to her father and that she won't attend the banquet, he was about to object and narrowed his eyes as if he see right through her. Xiuyung smiled at him mischievously though Qi Chen didn't know what's going on in her daughter's mind he nodded. Noticing that her daughter went to a different direction, "The banquet will start soon where is she going?" Xi Hui asks her husband. "She'll just catch up don't worry too much." Xi Hui nodded after hearing Qi Chen's reply and the couple started to walk again towards the main hall. Once Xiuying got her father's permission she urge Xue'er to go the kitchen so they could eat and afterwards take a walk in the garden while waiting for meeting to start, She simply don't want to mingle with her cousins and their families. Most of the servants are shocked to see their third young miss enter
Xiuying cries as she run and 'bumped' to few servants in the main hall's pathway. Some of the servants who are aware of the affair between the Long clan's eldest young master and their second young miss can only sigh inwardly and throw pity looks to Xiuying. All of them have the same thought as they saw the place where their third young miss came from, that is where the two couple are staying instead of attending the banquet. After few minutes they see Xue run after her young miss with worry in her eyes and thought that she is sad for Xiuying if only they knew that Xue is currently worrying how to fix her young miss' ruined dress as it was personally ordered to be made by their Third Madam, Xiuying's mother. Meanwhile in the main hall seven people are discussing the current year issues and plans of the clan while their servants are serving drinks and snacks. "Cousin I heard that your new business is doing well and since your only son is always travelling why