ChunHua woke up to the sensation of a hot humid breath blowing down her neck. Images of shadows in a dark and scary place and nauseating sensations overwhelmed her.
ChunHua spun around sharply and backed away from the source at the same time. She fell onto the floor with a loud thud. However, it was not far enough. She continued to back off while shrieking, "Don't touch me! No! Go away! I don't want this!" Her back hit the wall but she continued to push, as if wanting to go through it. She was all ready to bite when she felt herself get restrained in someone's embrace.
"It's mummy! It's mummy! Mummy's here! It's okay! You're okay!"
ChunHua stopped herself just before her teeth penetrated through the skin of her mother's arm. She panted heavily as she slowly withdrew her head. Her mother filled most of her vision. Behind her mother, everyone else stood frozen by the door. Xiao Tang stood on ChunHua's bed, whining, and looking at her with sad eyes. As much as she felt sorry towards Xiao Tang, relief consumed her instead. Tears came pouring down her face as she returned to reality. "Mama... Mama...!"
WeiSheng continued to stare at ChunHua unblinking. He had been horrified by the look of genuine horror on his little sister's face. A look he never expected or wanted to appear on her cute little face. /Why? How? We've always protected her from scary and bad things. How can she have a nightmare this bad?/
Slowly, he came to the realisation that there could only be one person who could affect her this much. /Bai. Qiao!/
He clenched his fists so hard that the veins on his arms popped out and throbbed. He felt pumped up and ready to fight. However, a firm hand held onto his forearm.
"Don't jump to conclusions. Let's see what your sister says. Okay?" His father's deep voice made its way through WeiSheng's blinding anger.
When WeiSheng still looked ready to kill, his father continued. "No one wants this. Just remember your promise to her. Remember it."
His father's firm but gentle voice gradually calmed the raging storm in his heart. Finally, he noticed the extent of his father's silent rage. His eyes burned with a fierce fire like his own. His jaw was clenched so hard that the veins at his forehead protruded out. Yet, his father still looked entirely in control.
WeiSheng hung his head low. /I still have much to learn./
Some time later, after ChunHua had calmed down, she broke the ice by apologising for scaring and worrying everyone.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Her mother very gently asked.
Knowing that it was something that happened before she died once, she knew that she could only talk about it like it was a dream. However, she did not want to worry them with the details. "It's okay. I just dreamt that I was surrounded by monsters and was unable to escape from their clutches..." She clenched her hands tighter as she slowly got pulled back into her memories. Quickly, she shook her head then smiled. "I'm glad I woke up."
Although she smiled, everyone could see how pale she looked, the slight tremble of her lower lip, and the cold sweat she was covered in. Suddenly, WeiSheng exclaimed a lot louder than usual, "Little sister! Remember, you have nothing to fear! Because you have big brother around!" He pounded his chest like a proud gorilla.
His mother slapped his arm lightly. "You and your ego. Does she not also have us?"
"Looks like our boy has forgotten about his parents." His father commented with an eyebrow raised.
WeSheng scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.
ChunHua burst out giggling. The scene warmed her and filled her with love. "Thank you." She said with teary eyes.
Everyone smiled back at her warmly.
"So what was it that you wanted to tell us? Do you need our help with something?" Her father got the subject started.
ChunHua glanced around briefly before meeting her father's gaze. Although it was very subtle, her father caught her message.
"Ah Mei."
"Yes!" Her shoulders jumped. She was clearly not expecting to be called at such a tense moment. She had been carefully staying behind everyone to observe the situation with keen eyes, like a spectator.
/No doubt to report it to a certain someone./ ChunHua thought once she had calmed down.
"Please make us all some tea and snacks to chat over."
"On it!" She scampered her way out like a thief who got caught red handed.
"Is it something to do with Ah Mei?" Her mother asked in a low voice.
Wei Sheng's eyes grew larger in realisation. "So that's what that was..." He softly exclaimed.
"Well... Sort of... It's about Bai Qiao." She fell silent, expecting WeiSheng to cause a spectacle about bludgeoning Bai Qiao to death.
However, he merely sat there with a deep frown on his forehead, waiting for her to carry on. "Go on." He urged her impatiently.
"Oh. I- Um. It's just- Um. I'm finally noticing the things you've been warning me about him." She tripped over her words a little. She had been all prepared to calm WeiSheng down. The maturity her brother showed at this moment threw her off, but it also gave her security. Gradually, she found her words and revealed BaiQiao's cunning deeds.
"So... Ya. That's it. I'm no longer in love with him. But I do want to have my revenge."
Her family initially had to fight with themselves to stay quiet and listen to the end without interrupting ChunHua. However, so much was revealed that even if they could speak now, they remained speechless.
"I just knew something wasn't right with Ah Mei." WeiSheng finally grumbled. "I never liked her."
"You mean he's been treating you so carelessly?"
"And he takes everything you've given him for granted?"
"All that money. All that effort."
"And you've been covering for him-"
"Because you refused to confirm our beliefs?"
Her parents fired questions after questions while completing each other's sentences.
Each time, ChunHua nodded to reaffirm everything.
"God f-"
"Damn it." Her mother cut her father off.
"What do you plan to do now?" Her father continued.
"Torture him? Bleed him dry? Frame him? Let me in, I'll gladly help!" WeiSheng was practically jumping in his seat.
Just then, a soft knock came from the closed door. WeiSheng rushed to the door, opened it slightly, and took the metal serving tray from Ah Mei's hands. "Little sis is finally asleep. Go do your chores. We'll stay with her in case anything happens again."
Ah Mei nodded and left the scene. She lightly scoffed when she thought WeiSheng was no longer looking. "She's really the spoilt princess of this doomed family." She mumbled under her breath.
Unbeknownst to her, WeiSheng was observing her through the crack of the door. For the first time, he bothered to pay attention to her instead of his little sister. His grip on the tray tightened. The edges cut a little into his skin.
"WeiSheng?"
"What's wrong?"
When he did not respond to his parents' prompts, ChunHua spoke. "Big brother?"
WeiSheng looked at ChunHua straight in the eyes. A silent rage burned in them. "Let's keep Ah Mei. I'll give her hell. Even if she wants to leave, we won't let her." Hearing the mean things she had said to ChunHua from ChunHua was an entirely different experience from listening to it first-hand.
"No!" ChunHua exclaimed in a hushed tone.
"Why?!" WeiSheng placed the tray on the bed on his way to her. He grabbed her shoulders a tad roughly. "What are you waiting for? Are you scared? Are you-"
"I won't be satisfied with just that!" ChunHua gripped his forearms tightly.
"It's not enough to see them suffer so easily. I want to take pleasure in their ignorant state. They'll think they have the upper hand when really it's us who has it."
ChunHua's eyes grew wider and glowed with vengeance as she continued to speak.
"We'll prepare everything in the background. Throw them little inconveniences. Watch them struggle. And when they think they have won, we turn the tables on them. Only then do we make their lives a living hell."
WeiSheng loosened his grip and took a step back from ChunHua.
"Once they have a taste of the heaven they sought, their fall will be even more painful. Watch them grimace and burn in the hell they deserve to be in! I'm already making plans. I just need your cooperation."
Everyone stared at her in stunned silence. Their image of a happy sheltered little princess got shattered in that moment.
"You're willing to take their insults for that?" WeiSheng gasped breathlessly.
"For the end result? Yes. Anytime."
Their parents knew then that their daughter would grow to be more successful than any of them there. She showed the mental fortitude required for it.
"Our baby girl..."
Her parents apologised with tears rolling off their face as they very gently gathered her in their embrace.
"We're so sorry..."
"Sorry for failing to protect you..."
ChunHua's stiff body gradually relaxed. Her anger melted away in their arms, but her resolve stayed. She closed her eyes. Teardrops glistened on her eyelashes. "No. I've been blind. Thank you for your love and support, but I'm happy with the way I am now."
WeiSheng hung his head. He raised his arms slightly and looked at it with some disdain. He felt useless. He failed to protect her and now he could not plan as far ahead as she did. He could do nothing but watch on.
Suddenly, his hands were grasped by littler ones. He looked up and stared into the eyes of his darling little sister.
"Big brother, if not for you, or mama and papa, I won't have the resolve I have right now. You've taught me a lot too. Thank you for always having my back, big brother." She smiled brightly with watery eyes.
He pulled ChunHua into a tight hug. "Yes... Big brother will always have your back. ...Thank you."