Mai Qi was there when I reached home. She had been staying with me for so long that even my maids had gotten used to her.
She was sitting on the sofa in the living room with her tablet, looking for information to write her thesis. The table was filled with snacks and fruit tea. I reached over to grab an egg roll. I took a bite and the crumbs fell to the ground.
Mai Qi reached out to hit me. “Look at what you did. Sister Xiao Yu is going to have so much trouble cleaning up. How can you create so much mess at your age?”
I shoved the egg roll into my mouth and helped Mai Qi clean up. Xiao Yu immediately came to stop us and swiftly cleaned the crumbs away.
Mai Qi smiled, “Sister Xiao Yu, your egg rolls are delicious!”
Xiao Yu smiled and walked away.
I sat down beside Mai Qi and leaned on her. I sighed, “Princess, you’ve changed. You don’t act like a princess anymore. You are more like a sister to me. We fight and make up almost every day.”
Mai Qi sighed. “Nanxing, I don’t feel like leaving after I’m here. When I’m not here, I want to be here. I never felt like this when I was at home.”
I chuckled, “Then this can be your new home. There are too few people in the house anyway. It’s too quiet. If we’re actual sisters, do you think we’ll grow up fighting or caring for each other?”
Mai Qi sighed, “How can Nanyang not appreciate a good sister like you?”
The mention of Nanyang reminded me. “Gu Yan committed suicide, do you know that?”
“What?” Mai Qi almost jumped up from the couch.
I pressed her back down and continued to lean on her. “Don’t worry, she didn’t die. Ye Qian saved her. In fact, Ye Qian came to persuade me to give up Jing Tian earlier on Gu Yan’s behalf.” I said concisely.
“Why should you? Then you should commit suicide too and I’ll save you!” Mai Qi said firmly.
I laughed. “Why should I? Furthermore, Jing Tian didn’t betray me, so why would I commit suicide?”
“Wait, you will kill yourself if Jing Tian betrays you?” Mai Qi stared at me with her round eyes.
I shook my head. “No, because Jing Tian will never betray me!” When I said, ‘no’, I could sense Mai Qi sigh in relief but when she heard the rest of the sentence, she rolled her eyes at me.
I commented, “You had a similar reaction as Ye Qian. Are you going to persuade me that all men are useless and we have to rely on ourselves too? She has even made a list of pros and cons for me.”
Mai Qi looked at me seriously, “You won’t give up love for all that, right?”
I glanced at her. “As expected, my dear princess chose love over bread.”
Mai Qi didn’t speak. I sat up to look at her. “What’s wrong?”
Mai Qi lowered her head to study the steam of the teas on the table. “Nanxing, I believe happiness is very important. If Jing Tian can make you happy, you should follow him, no matter how powerless and poor you might end up.
“But if you believe power and money are more important, then you shouldn’t concern yourself with happiness. You can’t have the cake and eat it. For example, my mother has chosen power and status so she has severed her chance to ever gain happiness. That is her choice so she can’t blame anyone.”
This was the first time I heard Mai Qi being so down and depressed.
“Mai Qi, is everything alright? Did someone bully you?” I noticed something was wrong with her mood.
Mai Qi was always proud and in high spirits, she had never been so negative before.
