JUN LAN

Tossing aside the torn envelope, Jun Lan fiddled with the bunch of letters as she strode towards her room. Be it in any life, she could never understand her brother's penchant for theatrics. Couldn't he communicate like a normal person? Should he go all the way to infuriate her?!

"Tsk! Now what is he playing at?" she mumbled as she opened the first letter.

' Zhu-Zhu!

Let's meet on the day of lantern festival. Didn't you say that you want to see the lights with me? Also, make sure to cook my favourite cakes. Hope you didn't forget your promises!

Make a list of all the things you missed in our past. This life, I will make sure to take you everywhere.'

Jun Lan expected her brother to write some teasing words. Her thoughts were proven wrong, it was as if her mind stopped functioning all of a sudden. She could hear nothing except the loud thumping of her heart. She stared at the letter haltingly and it was only when she found the letter blurry did she raise her hands to touch her face in a daze. Tears trickled down her cheeks like torrents leaving a wet trail on her veil.

Feeling weak she slumped down to the floor and the letters in her hand were crumpled due to her vice like grip. All the buried grievances in her heart burst out at once and the room was filled with her silent sobs. She didn't know for how long she sat like that, a numb feeling which developed in her limbs due to her sitting position now spread to her heart.

Finally her tears stopped and light returned to her vacant eyes. It was as if the last worries in her heart were washed away with the tears.

Good! Now everything was all right! Her elder brother is also like her. Now she would she who would dare to mess with him. He was scary as hell in the past that no one dared to mess with him. Not even Want Xiu could stand against him. But as cruel as fate could be, the man who was as strong as a dragon had his only weakness in the form of a sibling, her. And Wang Xiu did his best in making use of that fact.

No one could even begin to understand the depths of their pain and anger.

Things were different now, and now it would take more than just deception to tear them apart. She and her brother crawled from the depths of hell.

She let out a cheerful laugh as she remembered how he advised her to leave a good impression on the man who delivered the letter. She could feel her brother's sincere feelings, she could discern his concern and love from the letters.

An unbreakable bond was now formed between their hearts and Jun Lan could feel it. Even if the gods descended from the skies, their bond can never be broken.

Taking in a deep breath to calm herself, she opened the other letters curiously.

' I hope that you got the meaning of my letter. If not, praise the retarded brain of yours! '

" Retarded! " Jun Lan's voice sounded incredulous at this point, she wondered if this was how her brother regarded her. Did he think that she was a dumbo?!

She understood that her brother clearly remembered her words, the words of pain and regret. Not only did he remember but he is making sure to fulfill her small wishes. She might be a bit foolish, but that was in the past, ok?!

Huffing and puffing, she lowered her gaze to read the remaining contents of the letter.

' And I remember you asking me why I call you Zhu-Zhu.

When you were born, all the relatives are busily debating that you look mother and some that you look like father.

As curious I am, I rushed into the room only to find the ugliest potato wrapped in a bundle. No matter how hard I observed, I did not understand how such an ugly baby resembled our parents.

Ah! As days passed by, I found that your features improved and that finally you looked close to what pigs look like.

Naturally I named you Zhu-Zhu and irony is that you responded only to that name! Hehe! '

" Such a brat! See if I won't kick you later!" Jun Lan seethed in anger. By this time, she completely forgot that she was crying and all the heavy feelings in her heart disappeared like a wisp of smoke. The only thought in her tiny brain was how to teach a lesson to her narcissist brother! In many ways, Jun Lan was looking forward to this lantern festival.

What she did not know is that Jun Ling expected that she would cry on reading that letter. So, hepurposefully revealed the story behind her name knowing that it would irk her. His tactic completely worked because the little piggy had long stopped crying and was now planing his grand welcome.

____

A peace settled in Jun Lan's heart and the air around her became lively. She was now staying in the Ye family's guest house near the mountains and it goes without saying that the surroundings are highly soothing to eyes. Even the gardens around the house are a treat to the eyes.

The proud plum blossoms, the delicate peach blossoms, the vivid orchids, the elegant lotuses, the enchanting roses and last but not the least, the tantalizing jasmines. Jun Lan took her time in admiring the flowers as she strolled around the pathways in a snail pace.

The rustling sound of the leaves made her stop in her tracks and her eyes surveyed the surroundings vigilantly. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a ball of fluffy black mass- Not a ball, hmm... It seemed like a ball of hair!

Taking care not to make any unnecessary sounds, she traipsed towards the wall. The ball of hair shook for a bit before a pair of hands appeared in her view.

Marking the person as a thief, Jun Lan picked up a thick branch from the ground and tightened her arms around it, as long as it was an intruder she would knock him down.

The person on the other side of the wall hauled himself and leaped from the wall landing a few feet away from her.

Whack!

" Girl! First, your old man kicks me in the butt and now you are stabbing me with that stick!" the familiar complaining voice of the man made Jun Lan's brows twitch.

" Xu. Zian!" she spat out the words " What in the world are you thinking climbing up the walls?! Anyone in the right mind will think that you are a thief!"

" Do you want me to enter from the main gate and suffer another beating from that senile old man? No, thanks!"

" Who are you calling senile?"

" A-Ah! A slip of my tongue. Never mind me!" Xu Zian immediately placated her " Your old man is quite scary!"

" Well, grandfather left the town this morning." Jun Lan felt sorry for Xu Zian. Her old man must have behaved violently to bring out such wariness from him.

" W-what! If I had known that earlier, I would not have stressed myself thinking about the old man all the time."

" Ahem!" Jun Lan was rather curious about one thing " Why did you climb up the wall? I think that such tiny walls are a piece of cake with your cultivation."

" Oh! I climbed for the fun of it. Leaping and soaring in the air everyday bore you with the time."

"..."  Here she was dreaming about the day when she flies in the air and this man pops up at random places saying that all her fantasies are boring. Ah! This must be the legendary difference between the genius and dunce.