The MC forgot the plot

一 SIXTEENTH 一

十六 Meng Jia Min and He Lu Feng

The mansion has begun to enter a new battle, maids' and stewards' feet don't touch the ground as they busied to make preparations for the incoming guests.

He Lu Feng and Governor He of the Zhang province.

A visit to the prime minister for an exchange of their love for calligraphy but anyone with a clear mind knew that it was just for the two families to further develop their relationship with each other.

It was nothing to her and the matter of searching for a 'husband' is now in its planning stage and only the execution awaits. Meng Jia Yi presents Meng Jia Rui with a magic trick in passing, watching this boy not much older than twelve looks so deep in thinking made her want to laugh.

They were sitting down on the garden with the delicately carved slab of stone as their table, the peach blossoms raining like waterfalls with the pleasant wind and the orioles singing cheerfully in the branches.

"I can't think of it, third sister, tell me!"

With his lips pursed and his doe, innocent eyes looking at her, she couldn't help but think he was a dog acting cute to attract someone to adopt it.

"Can't, you have to tell me how you fell" she emphasized the last word and that made Meng Jia Rui's eyes shake before it stills.

A child is still a child, no matter how it acts like an adult it would still show its tail.

"I told you already third sister, I fell on the ground because I didn't see a stone when I ran away from the maids" he patiently answers and she admires him for him sticking out with his alibi.

"You know if you lie King Yama would punish you, besides, your third sister doesn't want someone lying to her"

She may be making a mountain out of a molehill in this situation but she has seen a lot of children suffering from bullying in school; they couldn't able to tell it to their parents for fear of being told that they're too clumsy or was being problematic.

"I'm not lying!" His voice rose and was shaky at the end but he still sticks to his belief.

"It's alright when you're ready, to tell the truth, you can come to me. Third sister will not tell anyone about it, your secrets safe with me"

She rubbed the trembling child's back and was about to stand up to call for XiXi when her sleeve was pulled down.

"Third sister...wuwuwu... A'Rui is bad... he will be t-taken to King Ya...Yama...wuwuwu"

She wiped the hot tears falling like beads into his reddish eyes with her thumb. Whispers of comfort fell on her lips, one that she never realized she would do in the past, comforting a child.

"Alright, our family's A'Rui is not bad, he will not be taken by King Yama. Third sister will protect you, alright?"

She felt her nod and patted his back to relieve him of his crying, it's as if all the patience she has left in her soul has been given to him; a younger brother she never had.

It was after his body stopped trembling and he begins to calm down that she finally asked the same question.

"So, how did you fall again?"

His eyes looked back and forth between me and the maids so I let them out of the garden. It was now me and him, my hands on his back to remind him that I won't leave him. Lips that were once tight-lipped have now opened up; with his soft and hesitant voice he recalled that painful day— one of his many days.