These two people—one old, one young—had started fighting in secret since day one, regardless of their age. However, the older ginger was still the spicier one. After all, Chu Xiang was just a child that was not even seven. In the past, her small calculations could only be used on Song Wan, but Xia Yixuan was not Song Wan. Of course, she would not be Chu Xiang’s mother—not even her grandmother.
It was all thanks to Chu Jiang sort of protecting her. If not, no one would even know how Chu Xiang would be chased out of the house.
However, Chu Xiang already hated Xia Yixuan, and of course, Xia Yixuan also hated her passionately. Nevertheless, it was also because of Chu Xiang—this calculative child—so Xia Yixuan really did not dare to do much in the Chu family. She just carefully took care of the old granny, Song Wan, to give herself more benefits.
Time always passed hastily like how a white steed flitted past a crack.
The months flew by, and another yearly cycle began.
“Woof… woof…” A big collie ran out of the house. In the end, the floor was too slippery; and he could not slow down in time as his four legs wobbled as if he was skateboarding, causing him to slide all the way in front.
Bang! He hit against the glass window.
At this time, a beautiful hand reached out and touched his head.
“You didn’t hit yourself silly, right?”
“Woof…” The collie licked his owner’s finger in a grievance. His tail still could wag, and he still could recognize people so he did not hit himself silly.
The hand was retracted back, and the person stood up.
She was wearing a long dress that reached her toes, with black and soft shoulder-length hair. She had a perfect, pretty face; her eyes were perpetually wet as if it was covered by mist, making it slightly dark. At this time, the setting sun cast her shadow onto the floor, which showed off her smooth and fair skin and skinny figure.
That woman’s red lips were slightly pointing upwards, and naturally, she had an arc smile with overly-white skin.
This woman was very beautiful… overly beautiful like she was around the age of twenty. However, within the eyelid, a very long time had passed; and perhaps a whole life was already over.
She squatted again and hugged the collie’s head while combing its clean fur.
“Charlie, you seem to have gotten fatter.” Her voice was slightly hoarse and was especially charismatic; it seemed like a sigh, a whisper, or perhaps the pain… of breathing.
“Woof… woof…”
The collie, around half a person’s height, rolled around on the floor. Perhaps he was using his might to show that it was not fat, not fat at all. Master, he was pretty skinny even though he did become slightly fatter recently; he was still a very healthy and fit dog.
The woman hugged the collie’s head again. When she smiled—for some reason, some sort of bitterness was in it.
“Xiaohua, we’re going to register your name.”
Lu Jinrong walked over and squatted in front of the woman. He extended his hand and ruffled Charlie’s head. “Why did you become fat again?”
“Woof…” Charlie was unwilling as he whined in a grievance to his owner.
“Okay.” The woman finally raised her head, and there was a faint smile on her white and flawless face. However, there was always a layer of mystery in between her eyes.
This was her real first day of being Lu Xiaohua.
It had been half a year. Half a year had actually passed. Within this half a year, no one knew how she had survived it. Her face was disfigured, her legs were broken, her voice hoarse, and her stomach and all her organs were hurt thoroughly. No one knew how much medicine she ate and how much surgery she underwent to finally become the current Lu Xiaohua.
Lu Jinrong watched Xia Ruoxin’s five features in a daze. He was thinking if his sister grew up, she must look like that so he did not regret giving her the name ‘Lu Xiaohua’.
The car drove to the Household Registration Department. Inside, there were quite a few people. As their statuses were different, they took a special passageway and did not queue to carry on with the procedures.
After taking the series of materials, filling in the form, and taking pictures; Xia Ruoxin had a new identity in the future. Next time, she was called Lu Xiaohua.
Just that when she was filling up her name, her hand paused. Was she really going to be called ‘little flower[1]’?
However, Lu Jinrong took the pen from her hands and wrote on the paper.
Name, Lu Xiaohua[2]
“Were you really going to write Xiaohua just now?”
Xia Ruoxin just chuckled. She did not really care. Even if she was called ‘little flower’, ‘Xiaohua’ or ‘digest[3]’; it was still something that came out of other people’s mouths.
“This is my sister’s name.” Lu Xiaohua pointed at the three words ‘Lu Xiaohua’ and said. “Xiaohua is the nickname I gave her. Is it easy to remember? When she was born, she was like a little flower that had not grown out. Pitifully, before she got to bloom, she had wilted already.
“So I’ll give you her identity, and you can live on innocently. However, I have a condition.” When he said this, Lu Jinrong’s face darkened; and his dark eyes were filled with all sorts of warning and seriousness.
“As you know, my mom hasn’t been in the right state of mind for a long time. I wish you can live on with my sister’s identity and be filial to her of course. I don’t hope for you to treat her like your biological mother; I just hope that you won’t hurt her.”
“Don’t worry, I know.” Xia Ruoxin placed her hands one on top of another and then on her knees.
Actually, without Lu Jinrong saying, she would also be nice to Mother Lu who she had not met before in her life. It was not for anything but to repay his gratitude and also for a pitiful mother’s motherly love.
She was also a mother. She had also lost her own daughter.
“As for that thing…” Lu Jinrong could not really understand Xia Ruoxin’s silence and had even thought that he was too harsh so he did not continue on with that topic. He said slowly, “I did check what happened during the landslide at the village that year, and many people have indeed died. There were also quite a few missing people, and amongst them, there was a human trafficker who had kidnapped a child that’s also missing.”
Xia Ruoxin raised her hand, and her eyes turned slightly red.
Lu Jinrong extended his hand to pat Xia Ruoxin’s shoulders.
Some words were not said, and he did not continue asking.
Xia Ruoxin’s voice choked in her throat, and it was very hard to bear. Her throat had clearly recovered, but now, she could still feel that burning pain as if it had happened recently.
“Thank you, Brother.” She said flatly with the same slightly hoarse feeling. However, it was not rough but pleasant instead. She rarely said ‘brother’; actually, this should be the first time.
[1] This writing of ‘Xiaohua’ meant ‘little flower’ in Chinese.
[2] This Lu Xiaohua is written differently and had a different pronunciation from the ‘Xiaohua’ which meant ‘little flower’.
[3] The letters used to spell ‘digest’ in Chinese were also ‘Xiaohua’ but with a different pronunciation.
