Xiong Nuen Zai was silently sipping his wine while watching the other Xiong family members show off their wealth.
In actuality, he did not need to attend this Xiong Anniversary. For years, as a member of Xiong family, he always received an invitation every year to attend the banquet but he never comes.
It was not because of guts but because he despised this kind of gathering. He did not want to watch such people carrying favor for other people then gossip behind their backs. Nor did he want attention or converse with these 'rich people'. Of course, it includes his relatives, the Xiong family.
Since he was young their third branch never achieves great achievements. Their branch was the least branch that received attention from the whole world. It was because they were Xiong that people revered them and they could act mightier than the normal wealthy man.
But aside from the surname Xiong, their thrid branch would just be a 'normal' rich family. That's why he and his sister, Xiong Mai, did not covet any shares from the Xiong empire. Even his elder brother, Xiong Li did not openly greed for it.
Only the second branch who was fighting for death that boldly planning to dominate the entire Xiong empire step by step.
Xiong Nuen Zai glanced at the second branch. He saw his cousins were busying themselves associating with the elders, businessmen, and politicians. In this gathering, they were expanding and tightening their connections. Even his nephews and niece were all the same.
Xiong Nuen Zai shook his head. He wanted to meet her as soon as possible to be out of this place.
He stands up and ready to leave the hall to take a breather when all the people in the hall went silent. He noticed that the people were all looking in the same direction.
He looked as well.
Xiong Neuen Zai remembers her as a small little girl without any expression in her face, childish yet mature. That day, in his first cousin's funeral, he clearly saw that her eyes were confused but calm and unperturbed. He knew no one explained to her what happened. For why she was meeting many people. She probably learned in her parent's funeral that her parents died. Seeing her again made him remember his first encounter with her...
I hate wearing black. It reminds me of the funeral. I don't know how many times I attended the funeral. It was my father's first, then my first brother, second brother, and now my cousin. It was no wonder. Since every day in our lives was a silent battlefield.
I entered the hall and faced the black sea of people. They were conversing with one another, some were pitying my cousin, my niece, but all of them were exchanging cards. It falls at one point, business. Even at the funeral, they would not let it go.
I light incense and offer a prayer to my cousin.
My cousin, you probably even don't know how you die. May your soul find peace and not suffer any more struggles. You will not be in this war of power anymore.
I sat at the back as I don't want to mingle with these people. Arriving at the back, I saw a child with a dazed expression. She was wearing a black dress and her hair was adorned with a ribbon. She was adorable yet her face did not show any emotion aside from being dazed by the crowd in front of her. Of course, I recognized her. She got her mother's eyes and her sharp chin. That was my niece in my first cousin, Xiong Zhi.
I approached her and spoke softly.
"Where are your maids?"
The child looked at me and did not answer. Her gaze was clear and she was guarded. At the same time, she was studying me. With her young age, it was obvious what she was doing. But surely after a couple of years, no one could ever read her mind.
"It's good you know not to speak to strangers. But I'm no stranger. I'm your fourth uncle from the third branch. You can call me uncle Nuen."
Little Xiong Zhi opens her mouth.
"Nice to meet you." Her adorable voice and her no expression was very cute.
I laughed.
"Good manners." I praised her and patted her head. She bowed her head a little and basked in my pat. That's when I realized that this girl was actually soft and like every other eight-year-old child, needs attention.
And too bad, after that day we never have a chance to meet again...
Until just now.
Xiong Nuen Zai becomes fond of Xiong Zhi since that day. She was not like the other Xiong. She was an innocent and pure child that was not tainted by any black heartedness nor full of schemes. She was like a blank white paper. And Xiong Nuen Zai wanted to protect that white blank paper to not be dirtied by anyone. Too bad. He only had a little power. Little power that he was finding it difficult to even protect his own family (son and wife). But he knew that his decision was right. It was better to be distant in the power struggles of the Xiong than to give a little privilege of power but be in danger later.
In the blink of an eye, the child that he once wishes to protect was big now. Her gaze was still clear, calm and unperturbed. But her aura changed. There's a sharpness within. And somehow for some reason, he can sense a beast within her that silently waiting to be unleashed. As she was walking towards him, he could feel the pressure. There was a beast inside of her that any moment can be unleashed but surprisingly it was under control, calm yet raging. Xiong Nuen Zai who was an artist, a painter, a good observer could feel it. His sixth sense was always right. A thought suddenly occurred in his mind. No doubt, this girl would be Big in the future. But how Big he did not know.
This child grew up amazingly.
"Uncle Neuen. It has been long." Xiong Zhi arrived in front of Xiong Nuen Zai. She bowed politely with a sincere smile on her face.
Xiong Nuen Zai was awakened from his daze by Xiong Zhi. Then he becomes glad that Xiong Zhi still remembers him.
"Haha! I am very happy you know my name."
"Of course. I am very much indebted to you, Uncle. Your kindness will never be forgotten by me." Xiong Zhi said wholeheartedly.
Xiong Nuen Zai thought it was because of that day eight years ago. In the remaining days of grieving, Xiong Nuen Zai stayed together with Xiong Zhi. He told him about the existence of her parents and her parent's death. It was a blessing in disguise that Xiong Zhi was not closed to her parents and only knew them by pictures and names. And sometimes in a yearly gathering that she got to meet her so-called parents. So she did not have any lingering feelings towards her parents. It was laughable that she spent the longest time with her parents in this funeral that lasted for days.
Pitying the child, and since he liked Xiong Zhi, he favored her and sincerely treated her well.
But what Xiong Zhi meant was both in lifetimes. In the last lifetime, her Uncle Nuen helped her so much. She knew that his uncle never joined the power struggles and distancing himself as far away as he could from the Xiong. As he did not want to be inflicted by the Xiong's battlefield. But when the hard time came, he unhesitatingly agreed to be Xiong Zhi's guardian even it put his family's safety into danger. Even though Xiong De won at the end to be her guardian, it was still the big effort to save her that she would be forever grateful. She even heard that because of the kidnapping, his sickly son's health deteriorated more and even heard the rumor that her little cousin passed away. But despite that, when the title of Young Miss of Xiong has stripped away from her. Xiong Nuen Zai together with Xiong Mai gathers the loyal elders to oppose it. He and her aunt, Xiong Mai helped her so much that she promised herself that in this lifetime, the kindness they gave would be paid out ten times more.
Uncle, Aunt, Thank you. In this life, I will not disappoint you. I will be stronger and stronger to fight them and keep away from that faith. In this life, let me be the one who will help you.