To Love You Again

The night slowly came to an end as the important guests finally left one by one. 

Xiong Mai and Xiong Nuen Zai still have the drowsy Little Ryu with them so they needed to go back earlier.

"Uncle, you can stay here. You can rest here for tonight and just travel in the morning."

Uncle Nuen Zai shook his head.

"I know you are smart so you should understand we can't stay. We will visit you often, don't worry."

"How often? Twice a year?" Xiong Zhi revealed a sad expression.

Little Ryu looked back and forth at Xiong Zhi and his dad.

"Big Sis, don't worry! We will visit again, more than two times. I promise!" Little Ryu raised his little paw as pledge.

Xiong Zhi hugged this adorable boy. The little boy's waxy voice whispered again in her ears.

"Big Bro will accompany you, right? That's why, don't be sad."

Xiong Zhi laughed. Why did this little guy keep on calling that man 'Big Bro'? Were they that close? 

"Zhi'er." Xiong Mai hugged her. 

"You know we can't stay here for more than a day, especially now that you have been announced as the heir. Brother Nuen has very little say in his family. However," Aunt Xiong Mai sighed, holding her hand. "We will always be at your back. If you need help, just call me. You have a very difficult path in front of you. I will lend my power to you as much as I can. Don't forget that."

Moved, Xiong Zhi hugged her Aunt Mai again. To her, in this world, her aunt was the mother figure she have never had.

"Yes, dear aunt. Be careful on your way."

After the third Xiong branch left, the other families started leaving as well.

The Guan family left first since they received a call from home and their presence was needed.

Xiong Zhi bowed to Master Guan.

"Godfather, be careful on your way."

"Of course, we will."

Guan Xixin bowed at her.

"Young Master Xin," Xiong Zhi called out to him. He looked back questioningly.

"Young Master Gurin is a good man. I believe in him. Don't give up."

Guan Xixin looked curiously at her, wondering why she had said that.

But he still replied.

"Thank you, Young Miss Zhi. I believe in him as well."

Xiong Zhi watched his back. The thin young man who looked like he aged ten years older was still clear in her mind.

His words that time was said out of concern.

"Don't trust him. The old man had trusted him and look at what happened to our family. My older brother trusted him, and now you see where he is."

Those lifeless eyes looked empty.

Xiong Zhi watched them leave.

Guan Gao Huan was really cruel. He even started with his own family. And now, he was after the Xiong family.

******

The Lu family was next to leave. Lu Yin Ze just watched and smiled slightly at her, then left without saying any more words. 

Xiong Zhi felt it was strange. But she did not get to think deeper because a pair of hands suddenly took hold of her own while she was lost in her thoughts.

Tang Xinyang suddenly appeared before.

"It's too bad I can't spent more time with you. But watching you from afar made me think that I like you."

''..." Xiong Zhi and Mistress Tang was speechless at the sudden confession.

"I hope we can become friends and sworn sisters," Tang Xinyang added with a grin.

Sigh. The two let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, it was not what they had initially thought.

Tang Xinyang then whispered to her.

"I am not really good with girl stuff. But I heard you and your pretty friend talking about seducing your man by the fountain earlier."

Xiong Zhi's eyes widened. That was her biggest secret, second to her rebirth, which only Song Xuantin knew. Yet now, due to her carelessness, another person came to know of it.

"Umm... You know, I have someone I l-like. But every time I am with him, I end up beating him up."

Xiong Zhi stared at her, her small mouth opening slightly in surprise.

Seeing the look in Xiong Zhi's eyes which seemed to say, 'how could you do that with the man you like', Tang Xinyang hurriedly explained herself.

"N-not that kind of beating! It's, well, bearable beating. He could still move and I just left him with bruises."

Xiong Zhi could not really utter a word. Seriously, what was the difference?

"What are you whispering about? We need to go." Mistress Tang smacked the beautiful Tang Xinyang on the head.

"Ouch! Grandma! I am talking about the possibility of having a male child!"

Xiong Zhi closed her mouth. She totally did not expect that this woman, who looked aloof and handsome in her martial arts uniform, was like this in private. Tang Xinyang has no filter at all on her mouth.

Mistress Tang was shocked at her granddaughter's thunderous words.

"You found a man other Jang Shin?!" 

This time, Xiong Zhi and Tang Xinyang looked together at the old woman in astonishment.

"G-grandma! How did you know I like Jang Shin?!" Tang Xinyang's hair stood up on its end like a cat stepped on its tail. But Xiong Zhi was more taken aback by the sudden information.

She knew Jang Shin. He was Linfeng's best friend.

'Linfeng's best friend and Tang Xinyang are...? Eh?'

'So that means, Tang Xinyang is not a rival?' 

Xiong Zhi was pleasantly surprised.

Then, she became curious. 

Because Jang Shin also came from the butler family that served the Tang's. Would that be acceptable to the Tang family?

Xiong Zhi carefully looked at Mistress Tang. The latter seemed totally clear of her granddaughter's heart but did not appear angry. Mistress Tang looked amused instead.

"Of course. Ever since you were young, that kid is the only one who was always badly beaten up compared to the other boys you played with before. I know you, the more you beat up a person shows how much you favor him well." Of course, when she thrashed them to the point they become disabled, that would be an entirely different matter.

Tang Xinyang blushed. So her grandma knew of her secret little crush for a very long time, so embarrassing! She covered her face shamefully. Really so embarrassing!

"But girl, that move is not effective at all. That kid is now afraid of you," Mistress Tang added while shaking her head.

"Eh? But you said before that the best thing to do in order to make a man submit to you is to hit him until he surrenders. That's why I trained him," Tang Xinyang said with a furrowed brow.

Xiong Zhi: "..." Was it okay for her to hear all this?