Bai Wuyan and Bai Huanhuan arrived to give medicinal soup for Bai Yue Ji's recovery, greeting their grandfather who turned around to see them. The first eldest miss prepared the medicinal soup while the second eldest puts up a convincing façade of actually caring for her youngest sister by holding her hands as gentle as possible. The madam had explained to both of her daughters to make Bai Yue Ji feel "comfortable" as possible, which had implied to make her feel even more sickly so she wouldn't have the strength to go outside anymore.
"Yue Ji, we heard that you fell into the pond so Sister Wuyan and I came here with nourishing soup in hopes of you to recover faster."
It was fortunate that Bai Wuyan was the one holding the medicinal soup. Compared to Bai Huanhuan and their mother's ruthless and cruel personality, she was the one who shared the same traits with their grandfather and knew that they were both scheming to have Bai Yue Ji eliminated so she wouldn't be an obstacle to both Bai Huanhuan and herself. There was a time when she resented the youngest sister because their father never told his daughters that he had sired a child from a courtesan who was the present concubine, Su Ai, when he got drunk once at another official's banquet where she was performing at.
The young Bai Wuyan was upset and felt utterly betrayed by Bai Wenlan's actions, breaking his promise to only wed her mother. Since then she refused to see Bai Yue Ji until her youngest sister had stepped into her courtyard garden when she was four years old in a simple, white dress with pink blossoms. From that time, the young Bai Yue Ji told her that she was a kind sister.
If she didn't meet her on that fateful day, she would've hated her alongside her mother and younger sister.
"Yue Ji, here. Careful, it's hot."
Bai Wuyan carefully puts the soup on the table after gently blowing off the steam a couple times for her, which Bai Yue Ji accepts and drinks the soup without burning her tongue. The second miss's smile was sinister, thrilled to see her later become more sick and eventually not being able to move properly all according to their mother's plans; eventually thwarted by her own older sister.
"Thank you Sister Wuyan, Sister Huanhuan. I'll be okay after a few days of recuperation."
"Get well, Yue Ji. Father's birthday is in two days so Sister Wuyan and I will go back and prepare his gifts and not disturb you and our grandfather. Huanhuan shall leave grandfather and Yue Ji."
"Wuyan shall leave with Huanhuan to prepare for father's birthday. Good day to grandfather and Yue Ji."
"Mm. Your father is a picky person but as long as it's his daughters he won't refuse, so both of you take your time."
"Yes."
The first and second miss leave the courtyard; the cherry blossoms in bloom swaying their branches as they leave. The petals fall inside from the window and onto the table where Bai Yue Ji and her grandfather was, the young lady picking up one of them in her hand.
"Grandfather, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"If I was discovered not to be a descendant of the Bai Family, would you still consider me as your granddaughter?"
Grandfather Bai was perplexed at her words. What made her say such things?
"Ji'er, whether you are a descendant of the Bai Family or come from another family; the relationship we have as grandfather and granddaughter will not change. There are those who have a hard time having an heir that they adopt children to carry on their family name, and there are those who have disciples to carry on their legacies if they choose not to marry. Therefore, it doesn't matter if you end up as my descendant or not. All it matters that in the end, we got along well as grandfather and granddaughter."
Bai Yue Ji grins as soft as the blossom petals; he was truly a wonderful grandfather to have in her fourteen years life of sacrifice, survival, and one of the many people who kept her sane throughout the years that felt as long as the nightly festivals.
Bai Wenlan was also one of the many people who kept her safe from his wife and Bai Huanhuan; without him she would have not been able to withstand more sacrifices for her existence. Now that his birthday was approaching, perhaps it's time to give him the gift she prepared at the start of the year to thank him for his hospitality.
Sooner or later there will be great changes within this family's fate. The foretold dreams she had since little have shaped her to see each life and the world on a different spectrum of meanings, making her apologize for every soul losing their mortal body due to her existence being an obstacle to the legal wife and second young miss. She felt heavy guilt upon the ones who died because of her so she always took the time to send the newly deceased to the Death Temple and burn the servant's contracts to let them be free.
Grandfather told her to not let their deaths be in vain, fueling her to keep surviving and making sure to protect her people as much as she could even if she couldn't save them in the long run. Keep calm and be as serene as the winds in the night, don't let fear get a hold of you to not let you protect the ones you care for; even if that fails.
"Thank you, grandfather. Since father's birthday is in two days, I have already prepared his gift early in the year. So now all I have to think about right now is choosing a bodyguard to protect me."
"Bo Lie will choose a maid with martial arts to protect you so you don't need to worry about it."
"Please tell him that there's no need. I cannot bear to see another maid die before my eyes anymore, grandfather. I would like to choose a capable man who can be like a brother to me as well as a bodyguard. . ."
Bai Yue Ji's trailed off words made the old man sigh deeply with a nod. Indeed there were many maids who sacrificed themselves just to serve his third granddaughter well to the point that he never once seen her cry anymore.
Her sadness was solemnly visible yet the tears have long gone dry. . .
"If that's what you wish for, then I'll go tell Bo Lie."
The third young miss glances at the now cold rice congee melancholically and gentle.