The Ice Demoness Loves

Chapter 16: Punishment

A little girl around nine years old, dressed in light pink robes was smiling as she played with a beautiful doll dressed in a similar light pink dress.

The doll looked new and expensive, with beautiful long hair decorated with small ornaments. It sat and leaned against a tree to hide from the blaring sun.

The girl was squatting next to it as she mixed the brown food she created on a large lotus leaf, swirling it a few times, and carried it towards the doll.

"Let's eat! I made lots of food today!" She grinned and used a stick to try and scoop some onto the doll's wooden plate. Just as she lifted her stick, the brown goo fell from the stick and stuck onto the doll's dress, staining it a darker color.

"Oh no!" She quickly threw the stick away and grabbed the doll, quickly wiping the dirt away. But it only worsened the smear, spreading it into an obvious stain and leaving the evidence on her already dirty hands. With a panicked face and after pacing back and forth like a distressed baby monkey, she grabbed the doll and ran inside.

"What are you doing?" She heard another young girl's voice and froze just as she was about to reach her destination. Quick footsteps approached and she looked up at the older girl, dressed in white in front of her.

When she opened her mouth, out came an extremely quiet and squeaky voice, "Sister LiJing. I just wanted to return the doll..."

Wu LiJing's eyes widened when her eyes landed on the beautiful doll, with robes that were now stained an ugly color, like a mark of ink on an empty white paper. Her eyes reddened and she grabbed her doll back, pushing QiaoHua in the process. "Why were you playing with her?! Didn't I tell you to leave her alone?!"

Wu QiaoHua's eyes became wet, and she started to sob as she stumbled back, frightened from the loud shout. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"You have other dolls to play with, why couldn't you have just left this one alone?! Do you know how much I care about her?!" LiJing's tears were dripping to the ground as she shouted.

"What's going on here?" A pretty woman with straight brows and gentle eyes, dressed in a peach color quickly rushed over after hearing the cries of the children.

"I-I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!" QiaoHua cried loudly.

With a few glances here and there, the woman could guess what happened. She bent down and gently rubbed both of their faces with a soft handkerchief. "Now, now. Stop crying both of you."

"Mother, look at what she did to my doll. I told her so many times not to touch her!" Wu LiJing cried, pointing to the dress the doll wore.

Her mother sighed and patted her head. "Jing'er, I know you are sad. But you should forgive your cousin since you are the older one. Didn't Hua'er apologize already?" Her tone was soft as she tried to soothe her daughter's emotions. (a/n: adding 'er to the end of a name is an endearing way of calling someone, usually older addressing the younger)

LiJing bit her lips and lowered her head. "But you gave it to me for my ninth birthday..."

QiaoHua was hiccupping and LiJing's mother gently carried QiaoHua into her arms, patting her back as the girl hugged her back.

"Jing'er, wait here."

LiJing stared at her mother's back, feeling an ache in her heart.

QiaoHua caught LiJing's expression and she suddenly looked at the ground, feeling a little guilt in her heart. She was brought into the bedroom the girls shared and her auntie soothed her gently until she calmed down.

"Your cousin is just angry because she cares a lot for the doll. Try to make it up to her next time, alright?"

QiaoHua nodded and rubbed her eyes as she ate the grapes that her auntie prepared for her. Then she was left alone to enjoy her snack as she sat and heard voices travel through the door that was barely audible.