Chasing the Fleeting Flower

7: Touchable stars

A/n: This is a new chapter that wasn't in the unedited version! everything has shifted down by one ╰(*'︶'*)╯♡

Xin Hong is younger than his sister, Xin Huamei, while she is around the same age as Xin Rui, with only a difference of a few days. Starting at a very young age, his sister had told him many horrible stories about Rui. Hong never bothered to find out if it was true, because everything his sister says is the truth.

Everyday, she would scheme against Rui, and Hong would coincidentally be passing by when Rui retaliates. Xin Hong grew very protective of his sister and acted as a witness to Rui's aggressiveness towards her younger siblings. As a result, their father grew more dissatisfied with Rui's behavior.

The Xin family were indeed blessed with good looks. The three children of Xin Dao are the prime examples of angels descending from the heavens. While Rui has the aura of a confident lady with a dazzling smile, Huamei has the grace and gentleness behind her modest smile. Xin Hong stood as tall as a bamboo, elegant yet unyielding.

However, Madam Lin was still a concubine before she took the title as the main wife. Her background differs from the previous madam, Han Muzhang, like heaven and earth. Muzhang was born in a noble family, taught with proper etiquettes and manners. She carried herself like royalty, her hands fragile like jade yet face hard as stone. She had an aspiring future, but she fell in love with the young master of the Xin family, Xin Dao. At that time, he was a very kind yet charismatic man. It wasn't until he encountered a misfortune in an imperial case, that things started to fall apart.

Like mother, like daughter. Muzhang and Rui shares the same resemblance in appearance and personalities. As for Huamei, she can never have the air of a true blood-born noble. Her imitation of nobility, nevertheless, succeeds—as long as Rui isn't in the picture. Huamei surpasses Rui in almost everything—singing, painting, musicality, dancing, embroidering, physical appearances—everything, except her background. Because Madam Lin was picked up from an entertainment house.

Though Rui knows that she lacks the feminine curves, she is still growing. She's only sixteen, and has yet to reach her fullest potentials. Her natural playfulness buried her golden status, leaving her in the shadows behind her younger siblings. She didn't mind. The constant pressure to be perfect and the burden to meet every expectations were simply too heavy to deal with. Rui didn't want to draw too much attention to herself anyway, because Cai Zhi's eyes is enough.

"Hong." Huamei called out with a gentle voice. It was as if she had sung a lullaby just by speaking.

She stepped into Xin Hong's study room. Her jet black hair swayed as she walked and her black, cool eyes drifted towards the young man sitting at his desk.

Hong looked up from the book he was holding in his hands and wordlessly stood up to meet his sister half-way. His piercing gaze were just as cold, but they glimmered with warmth when he spotted his sister. The two shared so much physical similarities that they could pass as twins.

"Jie-jie." He acknowledged with deep respect and admiration.

"Come sit with me," she smiled dotingly and sat down on the hand-carved jade seat. Her personal maid held her miss' hand to carefully sit her down, while the other servant beside her immediately poured two cups of warm tea for her young miss and master. He did as he was told, and took a seat across from her.

"Still no news on Xin Rui?" she casually asked. He shook his head. She drank in her smile with her tea in delight, "Good. Keep it that way."

Hong questioned, "Jie-jie, what if she's still alive and hiding somewhere? We want to completely eradicate her before she have the chance to touch us."

She laughed dryly, "As if. After what she did? Father is so angry that he threatens to remove her from the family records. She's useless anyway. If she can't be traded in for marriage, what is the point?"

He slightly frowned, "Then, is Jie-jie going to be traded in for marriage as well?"

Huamei's eyes frosted over with a layer of ice, "Of course not. I have my plans. There's no way I'm letting Father sell me off like he did to Xin Rui. I plan to marry up the status ladder with honor and dignity. Mother will help me."

Hong nodded his head firmly, "Hong will also help Jie-jie."

Huamei smiled gently and pinched her brother's cheek, "You. When it's your time to marry, your main wife has to be someone noble and suitable. Don't embarrass our family like that Xin Rui."

"Hong will do as Jie-jie says."

She sat back with satisfaction and sneered, "The Cai's family young master is pretty good. That selfish Xin Rui always hog him and follow him around like a dog, not letting him see anyone."

"If Cai Zhi saw Jie-jie, he would definitely ask Father for your hand."

Obviously, HuaMei was very happy with her brother's compliment, but her modesty rejected his statement to protect her graceful demeanor, "Don't speak like that, Hong. We are a humble family. We should be kind to Xin Rui."

Xin Hong chuckled at his sister's sarcasm. Such words can be said with a sweet, gentle voice.

"Even so, Father would not like it. We are from the left faction, while the Cai family claimed to be neutral. Everyone knows that they're secretly supporting an individual. Father would prefer to stay away from the Cai. Who knows if they're working for the right faction?" Hong warned his sister.

"I know. But if he were to ask for my hand, Father cannot say no. After all, his family have their toes dipped in both imperial scholars and military matters."

"That's why Jie-jie needs to stay away from his sight. He has a lot of power backing him up."

"En," She quietly hummed as she added, "but wouldn't it be...fascinating, to see how Xin Rui would react if the man she loved married another woman?"

"She would be devastated; indeed, what a sight."

Like a guzheng's reflection in a mirror, their black hearts synchronize in harmony. Neither of them have ever considered Rui to be equal to them, much less a sister.

In a blink of an eye, many months have already passed. Rui spent her seventeenth birthday with Yu Jian.

One night, he took her out to a large empty field. Looking up, millions of stars scattered across the moonless sky. It was the new moon.

"Rui-er." He called in the silence. Without the moonlight's guidance, she blindly reached out for his voice. Her hand suddenly felt the grasp of his hand. It was warm, somewhat callus, and larger than hers. Nevertheless, she felt safe when he held her hand.

Slowly, he walked her through the field, and one by one, fireflies lit up like tiny stars floating from the ground. Rui watched in awe, and she ran across the field, lighting every inch with her own glow. She spun back around and let out a giggle.

Their gazes met, and for a second she almost saw her future with him reflected in his eyes. She quickly turned away from him and hid the blush on her face. How could such thoughts appear?

Rui continued to bask in the light, until the fireflies merged with the stars in the sky.