Lin Jian looked at his daughter who was now lying in bed. Her breathing had stabilized. When she had fainted inside the cave, her Qi was flowing erratically insider her meridians as if it was not in her control. Lin Jian was worried she might have suffered from Qi deviation. But after he spent some effort to calm her raging Qi, it all went back to normal, even though she still showed no signs of waking up.
"Sigh…" sighed Lin Jian and started walking towards the place where Hao Ming was treating Xiao Yan.
This was previously Hao Ming's personal courtyard. She had called upon all those people who knew even a bit of healing arts in Fallen Star City. She had spared no effort, and he knew even he could never hope to compare to his Young Master's place in Hao Ming's heart.
When he arrived, he saw Xiao Yan peacefully lying in the bed. Although his face looked pale, he should be out of danger. Hao Ming was sitting next to him gently rubbing his hair lost in thought. Mother's Love is truly a precious thing. And Xiao Yan was lucky enough to receive it from two people. His Mother Hao Ling and his aunt Hao Ming. Both loved him unconditionally, even Lin Jian felt jealous of it sometimes. Hao Ming noticed him enter but didn't turn to look at him.
"Ming'er, how is Young Master?"
"When he was expelling the poison out because our daughter attacked, his Yang Qi went out of control creating a massive backlash. He feared that I would get injured and took it all by himself. If it had been a little bit stronger, his spirit would have shattered and he would have died. But still, he took it all willingly," tears started welling up in her eyes, but she managed to hold it in.
"…" he knew this aunt and nephew pair cared a lot about each other. He treated her like his mother and she too loved him like her son.
"Husband, how many times have we become the reason for his misery?"
Lin Jian felt his insides hurt when he heard Hao Ming's question. He felt as if massive mountain crushing his heart. He wanted to say something, no words came out. He knew he owed his Young Master way too much.
"Tomorrow, I will take him back to the Clan," said Hao Ming.
"Why?"
"I heard Yan'er loves our daughter?" she smiled and asked.
"Yes, but now …"
"I can tell Yan'er still loves her. He is just disappointed in her. You know the ladies who are trying to get his heart right? Our daughter can neither compare to them in talent nor in background. But her only advantage is Yan'er loves her with all his heart. In that aspect, only Xing'er can compare to her. Can you not guess what will happen if those people learn about it? We would have to rely on Yan'er again. Husband, our daughter is not ready to be with him and neither are we."
"What should we do?"
"Motivation, that's what Xue'er lacks at the moment. I will bring Yan'er back to the Clan, you look after Xue'er. She doesn't know a thing about Yan'er right? Tell her everything, let her know the gap between them. Also, if she wants to see him again, then tell her I will bring him to watch the next Four Great Academy Competition. If she couldn't even attend the Competition, it's better they never meet again."
"Are you sure? There is not much time left before the next Competition," Lin Jian was worried, he felt just the pressure alone will crush her spirit.
"No, we don't have much time. Once Xiao and Long Clans start to fight, the others would use this opportunity to offer marriage alliances. Knowing Yan'er, he would mostly agree to it for the sake of his family. If things do happen like that, it would be difficult for them to get together again. Even if Xue'er manages to marry him later, she would never be able to lead a happy life," said Hao Ming, "Most of those girls pursuing Yan'er will be attending the Competition this time, if she can hold her ground against them, then she will have the ability to openly express her love for him."
"I understand, but won't you at least give me a hug before you leave?"
Hao Ming smiled. She got up from the bed and led him to their bedroom holding his hands. [You know what happened after, I guess 😊]
…
After a few hours of intense workout, Lin Jian and Hao Ming were both hugging each other under the blanket.
"Do you really not want to see Xue'er before you leave?"
"If I do see her heartbroken, my resolve to take Yan'er away would definitely crumble. I would rather become a bad mother if it's for her future," said Hao Ming. Although she never truly expressed it, she truly loved her daughter otherwise she wouldn't have taken all the Yin poison into her body, even at the risk of dying.
"Don't say that I know how massive your love for her is, I would never let her hate you."
"Husband, promise me you will not reveal the real reason why we are doing this to her, at least not before she is strong enough," said Hao Ming seriously.
"Okay"
…
Xue'er was sleeping, her face contorted as if in great pain. In her dream, the scene of Xiao Yan looking at her with eyes filled with disappointment and throwing up blood on her face kept repeating countless times as if in an infinite loop. Every time she saw him hurt, she would feel tremendous pain in her heart like countless blades piercing it.
After an unknown number of times, the dream shattered like glass fragments and fell.
She found herself in a place filled with darkness. There were scenes playing on holographic screen all around her. When Xiao Yan's blood fell on her, it seemed to have triggered something from the deepest part of her soul. She could tell these were all memories, she didn't know if it belonged to her or not, but she felt an intense longing to know more. She lifted her hand and touched the nearest screen and a scene appeared in her mind. She was looking at a huge flaming throne and, on that throne, sat a figure, it was a man surrounded by a divine glow. He had a well-built physique, but his face was obscured as if she was not worthy to witness his magnificence yet. Just by standing here, she could tell the man was way too strong.
"Big…brother…Yan" she didn't know why she called him that, but it just came out of her lips on its own.
The man on the throne as if heard her calling him, he opened his eyes. Those eyes that contained infinite love and filled with apology towards her. She didn't know why intense longing gripped her heart, she wanted nothing but to jump into his arms and cry out all her grievances.
But fate was sometimes too cruel. Just as he opened his eyes, overwhelming pressure enveloped her, and the image faded away.
"Noooo!!" she cried out loud and woke up.
Without caring for anything she charged out of her room, 'Big brother Yan, I have to see Big brother Yan!' that was the only thought left in her. She even forgot she had injured him.
She searched the whole mansion but couldn't find him. Then the memories of her hurting him slowly started to come back. How she had wrongly accused and attacked him. The guilt mixed with longing she now felt was too much for her to handle.
She just stood there facing upwards, 'Big brother Yan, can you forgive Xue'er? Even if you don't love me anymore, can I just see your face one more time?'
"What are you doing here? You were injured, your body …" Lin Jian was speaking when Xue'er hugged him and started sobbing.
"Dad, *sob*… *sob* I messed up, I want to see Big brother Yan, just one more time," she looked towards his eyes.
"You can't. Not anymore," said Lin Jian sighing.
His words were sounded like bombs exploding in Xue'er's mind. "I can't see him? Why? Why can't I see him? Where is he? Did he leave? No, he was injured how could you let him leave in such a condition?" Xue'er became hysterical.
"He didn't leave on his own, your mother took him back to his family,"
"Why? Why would she take him away from me?" she truly couldn't understand why her own mother would try to separate them.
"Do you still need to ask after what you did to him?" asked Lin Jian. He had spoiled this daughter of his. Now, he thought he should give her some advice so that things like this won't repeat.
Xue'er lowered her head. Her face was still covered in tears. She truly loved Xiao Yan from the bottom of her heart, but she had jumped into conclusion before even giving him a chance to explain. After learning the truth and especially seeing that memory, the love and longing in her heart had reached unprecedented heights, but it was during such a time, she couldn't even see his face, let alone apologize.
"Your Mother is right, he has suffered enough because of us," lamented Lin Jian.
"Dad, what are you talking about?"
"Do you know who he is? Do you know how much he has done for us? Each time he helped us, it has ended up with him suffering," said Lin Jian lowering his head.
"Who is he?"