Chapter 72

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The flute lesson was a bit of a mess. Lian couldn’t concentrate properly during the afternoon class with Danmuchi, and ended up getting scolded by him.

Although Danmuchi knew why Lian was acting this way, he didn’t scold her too harshly.

‘I’m fine now, so why is Uncle still…’

It was the same in her previous life.

Until the very end, Danmuchi Xianwu couldn’t shake off his inner demons.

She knew that, but it still hurt to see how people’s hearts couldn’t be controlled as they wished.

“...Hey, I learned something new recently.”

Lian, who had been lying on the bed, lifted her head at the voice from the side. Huailun, who had been playing with a small feather decoration with the cat Bai Lian, said it casually.

Lian realized that Huailun was trying to divert her attention out of concern.

“Huh? Something new? What did you learn from whom?”

“There’s an Uncle Chao Yi at the Finance Hall.”

Lian sighed briefly. Chao Yi, who handled the miscellaneous tasks for the Finance Hall’s head, Xue Guanxi, was probably around twenty years old.

‘He’s not really at the age to be called “uncle”...’

“What did you learn from him? Did you learn something like an abacus?”

“...No.”

Huailun answered somewhat reluctantly, noticing Lian’s overly enthusiastic tone.

“Oh, really? I just thought it might be useful to learn the abacus. I heard that Chao Yi at the Finance Hall is so good with the abacus that Xue Guanxi brought him in. They say he’s almost a god, a god.”

Lian mimicked the motion of flicking her fingers.

“So, I thought that even if you only have that skill, it might be useful in a pinch.”

“...”

“Why are you so quiet?”

Huailun, who had been watching Lian, let out a deep sigh and ran her fingers through her hair, looking very serious.

Then she said heavily,

“Do you treat every new servant as if you’re raising a child?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You don’t even scold them when they act arrogantly?”

“Who says I do that just because they’re my younger siblings?”

“You’re not really my younger sister.”

“I’m hurt, you know...”

“Stop joking around.”

“I’m not joking. Why do you suddenly say you’re not my real sister?”

“Well, are we related by blood? Or do you know whose child I am?”

“Do you have to be related by blood to be family? If we decide to be family, then we are. Then, would our mother and father be strangers? Our mother was an orphan and wasn’t related by blood to our father.”

“If we were related by blood, we couldn’t even get married! That’s a different case!”

“Or... Ah!”

Lian, who had been speaking, suddenly stood up as if she had realized something.

Her eyes sparkled as if stars were about to spill out.

“Do you want to join the Danmu family? If so, great! I’m all for it.”

“This... What are you talking about? Where did you go with this?”

“You said you’re not really family. Then let’s be real family. Huailun is pretty, but Danmuchi is also fine. I don’t just want to say we’re family...”

“Ah! No! No!”

Lian rushed out of the room halfway.

The door burst open, and the fragrance of the golden osmanthus in the garden rushed in. Zheng Ying, who was guarding the side gate of the courtyard, turned to look with a puzzled expression.

“It’s nothing! Not a sister, but a young master, come back in, please!”

Huailun, who looked almost faint, made Lian calm down and return inside.

Huailun, shocked, closed the door with trembling hands and wiped her face with both hands.

“Where were you planning to run to...?”

“To Mother.”

“What were you going to say to her?”

“You’re going to be adopted...”

“Ah!”

“Why are you screaming?”

“Really, don’t do it.”

“Why not?”

Lian looked at Huailun with a completely puzzled expression.

“Even if our family was a bit down, we’ve made a lot of money now, and you know that. Our younger sister is kind, and Mother isn’t the type to discriminate. And if we’re being honest, even if Mother discriminates, it’s still better for you to do this.”

Lian spoke in a tone as if she were a merchant trying to sell something. Huailun was taken aback.

“I’m really going to die.”

“I’m doing this for your own good. Do you understand?”

“I know, I know...”

“I don’t care if you’re Huailun or Jinhuailun... Well, Jinhuailun is a bit much. But whether you’re Xianhuailun or Zhuhuailun, it doesn’t matter... People will treat you better if they know you’re Danmuchi.”

“I know. I understand everything you’re saying.”

“But why do you dislike it so much!”

“It’s not up to you whether a cow drinks water or not. It’s the cow’s choice.”

“Why doesn’t the cow want to drink water? Huh?”

“Maybe it’s not thirsty.”

“I really don’t understand...”

“Just because it’s good for you doesn’t mean it’s good for everyone else.”

Lian lay down on the table.

“Then why did you suddenly bring up this strange topic?”

“To tell you exactly not to do this!”

“What do you mean by ‘this’?”

“Picking up every pitiful child you see on the street and raising them like your own children!”

“I don’t pick them up.”

“I did!”

“You’re different...”

Huailun suddenly looked as if she couldn’t breathe and stared at Lian.

Lian, feeling uneasy, said,

“I actually...”

“...”

“I can see talented children. I can recognize it.”

“What...? What do you mean?”

“You have talent. Really. I can tell.”

“So, you brought me because I have talent? Talent for what?”

“You have talent for martial arts. Really. A lot.”

Huailun jumped up and pulled at her hair.

“Then why do you just leave me alone instead of making me learn martial arts?”

“Well, you said you didn’t want to. Why make you do something you don’t want to do?”

“So, you keep asking if I want to learn martial arts, and now you’re suggesting I try something else?”

“Exactly. Through diverse explorations, you can find a future that suits you...”

“This doesn’t work.”

“What doesn’t?”

A deep fatigue, like that of a seasoned adult, appeared on Huailun’s young face. She sighed.

“Giving out random things and showing interest ruins children’s habits.”

“You were already a bit ruined when I met you, so it’s fine.”

“Not me! Not me!”

“Who else?”

“Not me. If you’re going to hire more servants in the future, don’t treat them so well.”

“I know I treat you well. I thought you didn’t know.”

“It doesn’t seem like it now. Please, just listen to me.”

“I’m listening. And I’ve said a thousand times, I won’t do that.”

“Ah, yes. You said you brought me because I have talent. Then don’t bring anyone who isn’t more talented than me.”

“What?”

Lian frowned.

‘Is there anyone with the talent to become the successor of the Majian Sect?’

“What? So, I’ll be your only servant for life?”

“...No... Well, no, but anyway, I’ll learn the pipa, the seven-stringed zither, and the abacus.”

“...Really?”

“Just the basics of martial arts, and you have to teach me yourself.”

“Huh? My grandfather or uncle would be better at teaching you...”

Huailun shook her head, showing a strong dislike, so Lian didn’t push it.

“Alright, alright. But what did you learn from Chao Yi?”

“...”

“...”

Huailun, looking somewhat dejected, slumped her shoulders.

“Why are you so down again?”

“I don’t know. I can’t control my feelings.”

“People’s feelings are often like that.”

Huailun, still slumped, lit a candle and moved her hands in front of a screen, creating a somewhat listless bird shadow.

“Oh... You learned this? No, you should have come to me to learn this!”

“Huh?”

“I’ll show you. Watch closely.”

Then, Lian’s magnificent shadow play began. A barking dog turned into a word, which then turned into a goat.

“What is this?”

Lian brought her hands together, touching her index fingers and extending only one thumb.

“A teapot!”

“Oh...”

Until then, Huailun had been somewhat indifferent, but as Lian showed a bird perched on a torch, a running rabbit, a gracefully moving swan, a deer with large antlers, and a crawling snail, her eyes widened.

“How is it?”

“Wow. This is really something. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Of course. It’s an advanced skill that requires spatial perception and reasoning. Where else would you see this?”

Lian laughed and made a teapot with her hands, pretending to pour it.

“Have a cup, Young Master Lian~!”

“Yes, yes. I’ll drink it well.”

“You need to make a cup shape to catch it.”

“Ah, I see.”

“If you don’t drink it quickly, the teapot will turn into a bird and fly away!”

“Are you from Sichuan? Why are you so impatient?”

“Sichuan is where my former fiancé is from. Ah, it flew away! It flew away. Now, Lian, there’s no tea.”

“You called me Young Master a moment ago. You had a fiancé?”

“Do you want to be Young Master? Then adoption...”

“No, no, no! Forget it. I don’t want to be Young Master, so don’t do that.”