Lingling.
"It's a pretty name." Lanying praised. It made Lingling smile like lights shining down multiple prisms of reflections on a crystal.
"Lanying is a pretty name too. I wonder where you got it from~"
". . .I heard my mother gave me the name. . ."
Lingling froze. She observed the black-haired girl's expression when she mentioned her mother in silence. Was it painful to say that?
"I apologize if it's too much to say."
"N-No, it's not like that." Lanying shook her head immediately. "It's just that I've never met my birth mother. . .the mother who's been raising me is just a Second Madam and never really cared for me truly. I've heard that my birth mother died for eloping with her lover after she had me, so it felt like to me that I was just the product of failure who just tried everything to succeed to become an Empress so I could be treated with worthy respect."
Lingling fluttered her silky white eyelashes double time. "Yeah, that 'father' of yours doesn't deserve respect though. What if your mother was forced to marry him from the way he treats you? Because you were the result of the failing relationship. . .he might have treated you nothing more than just a useful tool." As the white-haired woman hates to admit, she wouldn't like it when people slander people wrongly.
"Hah, if it was in the past I would have obeyed without thoughts at all. . . .but he wouldn't have gotten too far in life since the Second and Third Missies played an execution on their parents. The Yin Family won't survive that long when it happens."
If the notorious couple can't survive from their twin daughters the second time around, then she can't help them because she no longer had ties with the Yin Family.
"It's a good thing that Xingxing was able to get you out from that toxic married couple since now you can finally see the world with your own eyes and learn many different varieties of life. And speaking of which it's about time to let you meet your inner spirit."
Lingling dragged Lanying's hand throughout the crystal meadow, without any flower stained or broken by their footsteps.
My inner spirit? How many things do I not know? Or how many things that was supposed to happen if she was able to get out from the control of the Black Tortoise Sect earlier?
The white-haired woman dragged her into a crystal cave that shone brightly without darkness. Inside the heart of the tunnel revealed many colored crystals poking out of the walls, yet it wasn't as sharp as Lanying thought.
Then she felt a familiar presence, too familiar. Like a part of herself is finally home.
"Lanying, you once wondered why Yang Le never seemed to meet you ever since the wedding day. He never even tried to meet you in the wedding night too."
The delicate blue-eyed girl looked to the side. As much she could avoid remembering her embarrassing times being blinded in love with that monstrous mutt, it's true that she wondered why before.
"It's because this Blue Rose hidden inside the treasure vault was protecting you from him whenever he thought of killing you, so he could receive your powers when you passed on. It was because of this artifact that you were able to survive until the day of your rebirth."
"How foolish." Lanying softly says, gripping her knuckles. "How foolish of me. You were protecting me all along in the palace. I shouldn't have been so foolishly in love to not be able to find you sooner. I've never thought of accepting my mother's artifact gifted as a wedding gift from the Emperor since I didn't think well of her. . .so all this time I've would've changed earlier if I had accepted the Blue Rose and met you sooner. . .but I decided to not cross our fates."
Lingling took her hands and pat them reassuringly, smiling softly. "You're here now, that's all it matters. . .but I wasn't the only one who protected you." She gently taps the floor of the cave, which revealed a translucent, large creature like a slithering snake in the light abyss.
Blue eyes stared back at Lanying, making her feel more familiarity with the creature. It's name echoed in her heart and mind, and she was sure there's a destiny for her to complete.
"Your guardian, the Azure Dragon."