Return of the 13th Zodiac

18: Desire for Vengeance

Shu Yue stared at the silver hairpin in her hand as she sat at her dressing table. It was seven inches long, and at the head of it was a beautifully carved plum blossom with a red tassel. Her chest and throat tightened when she remembered her dream, sharp and vivid in her mind. This hairpin was supposed to be Wu Lanqi's gift for Chen Xue's upcoming eighth birthday. But because of the tragedy that occurred, she never got the chance. Wu Lanqi ended up giving the hairpin to Shu Yue on her seventh birthday instead.

It was the most precious gift Shu Yue ever had. And she'd been wearing it since the day she got it.

But after having that dream, Shu Yue couldn't bring herself to wear it. She felt guilty. This hairpin originally belonged to Chen Xue, and Shu Yue was the reason she was no longer with them. She didn't deserve this precious hairpin.

Xue...

She tightened her fist, squeezing the hairpin. Just as she thought of putting it in the box, a knock came at her door.

"Yue'er, are you awake?" Wu Lanqi asked.

"Yes, mother. I'm already up," Shu Yue responded and placed the hairpin on the table. She looked at herself in the mirror as Wu Lanqi opened the door and entered inside.

Wu Lanqi wore a light pink robe with peony patterns, and she had a silver jasmine hairpin tucked in her bun. She looked gentle and beautiful. If Chen Xue were still alive, she would have been as lovely as her mother.

"How are you feeling?" Wu Lanqi asked with a soft smile and gentle eyes as she walked toward her.

Shu Yue's heart skipped a beat. Does she know?

According to Xiao Ran, she only groaned in her sleep, and no one else awoke except him. As a half-fox spirit, Xiao Ran had much more sensitive hearing than humans. Which was why he heard her discomfort despite the distance between their rooms.

Knowing mother, she should have gone to my room to check if she heard me.

"Xiao Ran told me," Wu Lanqi said in a quiet voice as if she heard her unvoiced question.

Shu Yue stiffened.

"Not voluntarily," Wu Lanqi added immediately. "I saw him leave your room with a worried face and a guqin. I know something is up when he plays the guqin for you. When I asked him, he told me you had an unpleasant dream."

"Oh, I see". Shu Yue forced a smile. "Don't worry, mother, I'm fine now."

Wu Lanqi smiled as she looked at Shu Yue in the mirror. Shu Yue could see in Wu Lanqi's eyes that she had more to say. Maybe she wanted to ask her about her dream. But she didn't, which Shu Yue appreciated.

"Yue'er," Wu Lanqi uttered softly. "I'm your mother. You can tell me anything. But it's perfectly all right if you don't want to. Just remember that I'll always be here for you."

Warmth filled Shu Yue's chest. She smiled. "Thank you, mother." There was a long moment of silence before she spoke again. "I dreamt about that day."

She need not say more. Wu Lanqi immediately understood what she was talking about. Shu Yue watched the woman's reaction in the mirror. Wu Lanqi fell silent for a second, her expression touched with faint grief. Guilt gnawed on Shu Yue's insides. Wu Lanqi treated her like a real daughter, yet here she was keeping things from her. But there was no way she would tell her what she really saw in her dream, or how she lost control and stabbed Chen Xue with her own sword.

Shu Yue already lost Chen Xue, and she thought she had lost Wu Lanqi too because of that tragedy. She couldn't lose her now just because of a dream. She didn't want to lose her.