Zuo Qiu Bai, Director General of the Federal Supreme Court, had ordered Zong Li to released Feng Lin because the evidence was too weak, but Feng Lin refused to come out until Zong Li 'properly apologized' her.
Feng Lin suddenly sat next to Lorraine and told her that she had a gift for her.
Zong Li gloomily went out on the stage, dropped his napkin, threw his coat a way, unbuttoned his cufflinks, pulled up his sleeves, and suddenly stood on tiptoe, raised his hand, and posed like a swan. Afterwards, he spun around and began a solo dance.
Lorraine was so startled that she couldn't close her mouth. My God! What was it today? Chen Sha smiled and Zong Li danced.
Feng Lin whistled loudly.
Amidst the awkward silence, Chu Mo suddenly stood up and said to Chen Sha, "My hands are itchy, how about you?"
Chen Sha followed behind him and sat down at the piano. Chu Mo picked up the violin. After the violin played a prelude, the piano added in, matched with Zong Li dance steps and made everything less awkward.
Bai Li Cang boringly bumped his fist and mumbled, "Haven't played for many years. My hands are really a little itchy."
He rushed over, picked up drumsticks and beat the drums. Zuo Qiu Bai picked up cello. Zi Yan took off his jacket and began to dance with Zong Li.
Lorraine leaned on the chair and looked at them quietly.
In order to ease Zong Li's grudge against Feng Lin, Chu Mo was nosy meddling in their business. Chu Mo was like Chen Sha's brother, he did not hesitate at all to help out. Bai Li Cang thought of former day's friendship and joined for fun. Zuo Qiu Bai should also be for Feng Lin that he specially dragged Zi Yan out to dance. Zi Yan seemed to be cold-hearted and bad-mouthed, but was willing to be a dancer, danced with Zong Li.
Shao Han deeply moved and said to Consul: "I didn't expect the six dukes to have such a good relationship. Our brothers and sisters who are related by blood are... Sigh!"
Feng Lin kept drinking without saying a word. Suddenly, she nauseated and ran towards the bathroom.
Lorraine smiled apologetically to Shao Han and hurried chase after Feng Lin.
Feng Lin rushed into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and kept pouring water on her face.
Lorraine noticed that she didn't really want to throw up, but rather wanted to cover up something else. She helped her closed the door, and left quietly.
.
.
.
Lorraine was at the terrace when Feng Lin came back, leaned over her and put one hand on her shoulder: "What is the secret you are hiding?"
Lorraine froze.
Feng Lin smiled and whispered, "You must have a secret. I also have a secret."
She picked up the wine glass and pointed at consul distant away: "He is not the only one wearing mask. We are all wearing masks. "
Lorraine breathed a sigh of relief.
Feng Lin tilted her head to look at Consul: "It's strange! Why is he here?"
Lorraine looked up to the sky and was speechless. They arrived earlier than you! Sister, where did your eyes go?
Feng Lin muttered: "He wears that ghost mask, can neither eat nor drink, but he normally never attends such banquets!"
Lorraine pointed to Princess Shao Han and Prince Ye Jie, maybe in order to welcome them.
Feng Lin sneered disdainfully: "What are they? Even the crown prince of Al Empire is here. Only each of us greet them is already good enough. Where does Consul have to personally greet them?"
Just when Lorraine thought that she wouldn't speak, Feng Lin piped up "You may not believe this but when I was a child, Zong Li, Zi Yan, Zuo Qiu Bai, Bai Li Cang and I were a clique. Chu Mo and Chen Sha, they were not like us orphans! Because they had parents, they had everything they wanted. They could afford to be mischievous and lazy but we could not. The old dukes would only raise the brightest and best. We had to be faultless to stay with them."
The human fertility rate was dismal and it was even harder for mutants to procreate, not every mutant could have healthy offspring so the childless dukes would often choose to adopt many children and by the process of elimination, choose the best to be their heir.
"Without even lifting a finger, Chen Sha inherited his duke title whereas it felt like an endless trial for us. We were full of resentment and often took it out on Chen Sha. Back then Chen Sha was like you …" Feng Lin pointed at Lorraine and burped "… a mute. He was easily bullied and just like a dumb fool, he never retaliated. As long as we didn't hurt his face, the adults wouldn't find traces of our crime. Zi Yan was the mastermind while Zong Li, Bai Li Cang and I were his henchmen. Chu Mo though was so annoying. It was as if he was Chen Sha's guardian angel. He would often rush to his aid in the nick of time."
Feng Lin downed more alcohol and squinted her eyes as she tried to tease her own memory "So annoying, really too annoying!"
Lorraine stole a glance at Chen Sha. She simply could not picture him as the victim. However, it did tally with the facts Consul had told her, that after his parent's fatal accident, he lost his ability to speak and refused to interact with anyone.
"Let me tell you a secret" Feng Lin tossed her cup and wrapped her hands around Lorraine's neck "I. Like. Chu Mo."
Lorraine was utterly speechless. Wasn't that an open secret? Whether others knew it or not, she already knew it anyway.
Feng Lin kept blabbering about how she felt for Chu Mo and their childhood. There was once they rehearse for a performance to show to Consul in New Year, but she was injured. Zong Li didn't want everyone's efforts to be wasted and took her place in the dance at the last moment.
Feng Lin's tears fell. Each teardrop soaked Lorraine's clothes. She slept in Lorraine's arms.
Lorraine carried up Feng Lin and sent her to her room.
.
.
.
After Feng Lin rested well on the bed, Lorraine went out to see Chen Sha was waiting at the door.
"Do you have time?"
Did she look busy now?
"I want to talk to you."
Chen Sha turned on his personal terminal, and showed her a document. "This is the information sent to me by Consul. He said that you and Ye Jie might be in good relationship and have me pay more attention and don't neglect him. The information may be insufficient. It is best to discuss with you and listen to your opinions."
Compared with Princess Lorraine, Princess Shao Han was a real princess. She was the daughter of Al Emperor. It was said that among the thirty-something brothers and sisters, she cared about Princess Lorraine the most.
Ye Jie was the only son of the previous emperor who was the elder brother of the current emperor.
Princess Lorraine's father and Ye Jie's father were cousins and had taken Ye Jie to their responsibility after his father and mother died.
When Ye Jie was ten and Lorraine was seven, Lorraine's father died. Lorraine's mother was not from Al Empire, and it was rumored that she had bad background with strange personality. After her husband death, the relationship between her and the royal family became tenser. She moved away to the most remote Lan Yin planet with her two children.
Lorraine was not yet an adult and her mother died, Al Emperor took two children back in his care. But Ye Jie was so misbehaved, caused several disasters, and ran away from military.
"Is there anything I need to pay attention to?" Chen Sha asked.
Lorraine shook her head, saying no.
"I'm not easy to bully." Chen Sha said abruptly.
Huh? Lorraine looked at the screen that was loaded with Prince Ye Jie's and Princess Lorraine's biodata. What did that have to do with being easy to bully?
"Feng Lin is wrong."
"…"
Lorraine smacked her forehead in exasperation, how could she have forgotten that mutants with level 3A strength had enhanced senses?
"Consul and I heard it. I'm not too sure about others. It depends on what their ability is."
Lorraine mouthed silently: Chu Mo?
"His ability is not superhearing."
Lorraine breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't need to fear Feng Lin's wrath!
"When I was 6, my parents were involved in a fatal accident. Because of the psychological trauma, I had expressive aphasia. I was not a dumb fool like Feng Lin described, I just chose to withdraw myself from the world."
Lorraine was mystified. Of course she knew that Chen Sha was not a dumb fool, it was such an obvious fact so she could not understand why Chen Sha had to point it out matter-of-factly. This was completely unlike him.
"5 years later, I made a full recovery and beat Zi Yan to a pulp. They never dared antagonize me again." Chen Sha summarized it neatly in the familiar sentence "I am not easy to bully."
Lorraine couldn't decide what to make of it and how best to react. Was he seeking affirmation like a child? The psychological trauma must have truly been severe. Although she was a doctor, she was not a psychologist.
After considering all her options, she decided to pat his head in comfort.
Her hand had yet to land on his head when Chen Sha grabbed it. He remarked coldly "You missed my point completely. If you don't understand, don't act like you do."
Lorraine smiled awkwardly and withdrew her hand.
Chen Sha nodded at the biodata "Ever since you heard your sister and brother are coming to pay a visit, you've been very tense."
Lorraine wrote quickly: It's been so many years. It's only natural to be anxious.
Chen Sha studied her carefully "… almost as if you were scared."
Lorraine laughed drily as she wrote: How can that be? They're my siblings, what am I afraid of?
Chen She continued to stare at her and Lorraine found that she could not bring herself to maintain her facade. Surely it was his beastly instincts that contributed to his keen acumen.
Chen Sha continued "No matter what you might have gone through in the past, you're now in the Odin Federation. You're mine. I'm not an easy target so you don't have to fear them. If you don't want to meet them, chase them off! If there is any vengeance you seek, you can also take it out on them physically. Isn't the point of building up your strength to rough others up when the situation calls for it?"
Lorraine suddenly felt an urge to cry so she quickly turned her head away.
Chen Sha treated her as if she were the real Princess Lorraine, thinking that she was often bullied by Shao Han and Ye Jie after her parents died when she was young. He kept emphasizing how he was not an easy victim to encourage her to voice her displeasure if she wanted. If she needed support, he would also be there to back her up.
But … she was not the real Princess Lorraine!
Chen Sha stood up "If you don't want to see them, then don't. Have an early rest."