Heng Delun, at only 12 years old, was used to girls surrounding him like flies; in fact, he was so spoiled and arrogant that he began to believe it was required of others to do so. He arrived at the Gu household with the intent to marry one of the Gu family daughters– because the family held so much military and cultivation power, the Third Prince knew he needed a marriage to solidify his backing for the title of Crown Prince. As expected, the two young Gu ladies were more than willing to be by his side; for Heng Delun, it was just a matter of which one to pick.
As he was walking with the head of the Gu Household, Elder Gu Ming, he heard yelling and the clashing of blades. As he walked into the courtyard, he could see two children fighting viciously. Their mana aura was strong; he could tell that their cultivation levels were just as high, if not higher, than his own. As he got closer, he realized one of them was a girl. Her eyes were strikingly clear– Heng felt his heart shake at the intensity of them. As she fought, she saw her mana levels fluctuate; for seconds at a time, her qi levels seemed to break the heavens. It would return to normal just as quickly, to the point where it made the spectator think they had imagined it. This was the raw power of the Gu crest.
Eventually, the younger boy of the two was struck in his chest by a qi-directed hit, and he flew back several meters with the force. Gu Xialing ran to catch him, but instead braced his fall as Gu Xuang hit the ground. Gu Xialing caught the majority of the pain upon impact, and she coughed up blood. Gu Xuang was terrified at this sight, beginning to cry as he checked for injuries on his sister.
"Silly boy, Sister isn't hurt." Gu Xuang pouted as Gu Xialing ruffled his hair.
"My shirt is stained with your blood! Little Brother is not silly for worrying." Gu Xialing laughed— her heart is full for the first time since Heng Delun's betrayal was exposed in her previous life. Remembering Heng Delun, her gaze hardened. Almost as if she had sensed him, she heard her Grandfather's voice from behind her.
"This is Gu Xuang, my grandson. And Gu Xialing, the bearer of the Gu crest." Xialing turned around and saw a group of people; royal officials, her family, but most importantly, Heng Delun. Xialing could not suppress the hatred that flared out of her at the sight of him, so she quickly turned back around to gather herself. Xuang watched this all with sadness in his eyes; it was like she had been physically hit by whatever was afflicting her. Xialing turned back around to face the group of people. She saw her Father and Stepmother; they glared at Gu Xialing's sweaty and masculine appearance. Her sisters– Xialing's heart clenched again– were laughing at her, hiding behind the Prince, as if to act shy.
"I apologize for my granddaughter. She might as well not be a woman, so pay no attention to her or my grandson. I will continue to show you our estate." Gu Ming tried to usher the Third Prince's party past the embarrassing sight, but Heng Delun instead began to walk towards the two children in front of him.
"Insolent girl, are you not going to give your greetings to this Prince?" Heng Delun smirked, amused by the girl. He did not catch the clench of her fist or the stiffness in her body.
"My apologies to the Prince. Gu Xialing humbly greets the Third Prince." Xialing bowed to the ground, and kicked Xuang until he was in the same position. Even as Xuang greeted him, Heng Delun did not take his eyes off of Xialing.
"You may get up, and I will excuse the slight against this Prince this one time." Both figures in front of him began to rise, but the Prince could not seem to catch the eye of the girl.
"Third Prince is too kind. Gu Xialing will now excuse her unkempt self so as to not disrespect Third Prince." She stood up and finally looked directly at Heng Delun's face. She could feel the phantom pains in her stomach as she remembered the horrifying sight of her destroyed child at the hands of the young man in front of her. Her face stayed calm and serene, but her eyes were cold. She walked away with the look of a noble, she carried herself so unlike a child would carry themselves. Heng Delun did not know why her eyes did not shine when gazing upon him. He did not know why she did not cling to his side like other girls. He did not know why he felt so possessive of the girl. He did not know why his heart began to beat faster around her.
Gu Xialing released the breath she was holding after she was out of sight from the group. Gu Xuang, who had stayed by her side the entire time, was concerned.
"Xialing-jiejie, has the Third Prince wronged you in any way? I will go back out to take care of him. This brother will set the Third Prince right." Xialing giggled at her little brother's confidence and innocence. Her memory flashed to his bloody and bruised face in her past life, his broken limbs and final moments. She looked at his youthful and untouched face, at her own unscarred body, and inwardly thanked the gods for her second chance.
'Do not worry, Xuang-didi, this sister will keep you safe in this life'.