Reborn Daughter: The Young Lady Wants to Make a Trouble

Li Xueyue hadn’t heard of any emissaries or diplomats from Han coming to Wuyi. She could safely assume that Yu Zhen did give her more time. She was grateful for his response. It allowed her to spend more time with the twins, even if it was only for a short period of time.

"The house used to be full of screams and laughter." Li Xueyue exclaimed loudly.

Li Xueyue misses the days when her twins didn't have to work. Before she moved to Beijing, the twins had been at home with her.

Whether it was practicing sword with Wenmin or reading with Chenyang, she enjoyed everything she did with him. There was also a special archery training day, and the three of them enjoyed the sport with laughter.

"Those were the days..." She trailed off.

Li Xueyue took a sip of tea and sighed softly. It was raining today, and she should stay in her room. But the drizzle was refreshing, and she wanted to experience it herself.

Li Xueyue especially likes to be in the pavilion, the air is moist yet soft. Rain drops from the round roof of the pavilion, and the flowers fall due to the weight of the collected raindrops.

"Why are you hiding from me?"

Li Xueyue frowned. Well, the peaceful afternoon passed like this. She raised her head and shifted her attention from the book on her lap to the woman standing next to the pillar of the stone pavilion. Vines climbed around the large pillars supporting the dome.

"They told me to stay away from you," Li Xueyue said, turning a page of a book. "I guess I did a terrible job at that."

Li Minghua wondered if Li Xueyue was acting to show everyone how hardworking she was. Otherwise, why would this young woman be reading in an open-air pavilion? Wasn't Li Xueyue afraid that her book would get wet?

"You are so quiet today." Li Xueyue said again. She took a bite of the rice cake and drank a sip of tea. The snacks and tea were prepared by the Duchess, so she had to finish them all.

It wasn’t until the tea mixed with the rice cake in her mouth that Li Xueyue realized how strange the tea tasted. When consumed together, the flavors clashed. The tea was strong and spicy, but sweet at the same time. She wondered what was in it.

"I heard you talk about your father's materialistic love." Li Minghua began to speak. She continued to stare at Li Xueyue, and her nimble fingers turned another page. Everything Li Xueyue did was so elegant.

Li Minghua thought her behavior was strange. Wasn't Bai Xueyue abused at home? Where did she learn such manners?

Li Minghua's eyes lingered on the flowers behind Li Xueyue. Could it be that the second prince lied? Everything Minghua knew about Xueyue came from the second prince.

Li Minghua had a feeling of fear and awe. He was an elusive man. It had been several days.

Wang Jing should have been notified of her absence the day she ran away, but he hadn’t contacted her. Couldn’t he? Or had he stopped caring about her? She shuddered at the thought of his silent anger.

The Second Prince is a very possessive person, especially when it comes to his friends. Once they are familiar with each other, he will do everything he can to keep them close - even if they don't want to be friends anymore.

“What are you looking at?” Li Xueyue asked calmly. She felt no need to be afraid of Li Minghua. Every argument initiated by this girl failed. “I hope she learns her lesson.”

"Why are you so nice to me?" Li Minghua asked. "It's creepy and suspicious. I heard you're kind to everyone you know, even the servants. Do you think that makes you a saint?"

Li Xueyue raised an eyebrow. Her eyes stayed fixed on the book. It was about different herbs found in Hanjian. Some might be poisonous, and some might be medicinal.

"In high society, words are our weapons. The thicker the mask, the stronger our power. Not everyone can wear their emotions on their sleeves," Li Xueyue responded.

"I learned this the hard way," she said, looking up at Minghua. "You should do the same."

Li Minghua was stunned by her words. She had never thought about it this way. She came from a prominent family, and every word she said could be forgiven. There would always be someone willing to protect her from harm.

Li Minghua can't hold back her tongue. She always says whatever comes to her mind. She prides herself on having no filter. It's better to tell the truth than to lie outright.

"To be honest, I don't understand what you mean." Li Minghua said. "You have a father and a mother, and the protection of the twins, why do you have to be so cautious all the time?"

"I don't want to suffer the same fate as you." Li Xueyue said lightly.

Li Minghua was immediately angered by her words. "What does that mean?"

"Your actions and attitude earned you the hatred of a powerful enemy, the Queen, and as a result, you were burned at the stake and reduced to slavery. Such a fate is heartbreaking, especially when you could have soared higher."

Li Minghua frowned. "You like to talk in a high-pitched tone. This is hilarious, coming from someone who lives a life worse than that of a servant."

Li Xueyue shook her head. "It is because of this kind of life that I am grateful for everything I have today."

"Oh, you mean life with the Bai family?"

Li Xueyue nodded. "My past shapes my future. Every mistake is a lesson."

She stared into the half-empty cup. She saw her own clear reflection. "I used to be exactly like you. I said whatever came to my mind, especially the truth, but look where that got me. Even though I never lied, I got a good beating."

Li Minghua was deeply touched by her words. They lived completely opposite lives. One lived a luxurious life, the other lived a hard life, but Li Xueyue overcame the difficulties.

Li Minghua realized that she had no excuse for her life. Everything was handed to her, but she didn't know how to use it to her advantage. She had so much, but it was abused.

Guilt threatened her life. It ate at her conscience. She looked away, her shoulders drooping. Why on earth did she hate Li Xueyue again? Was it because she had been told that Li Xueyue was her replacement?

Was it because Li Xueyue was deeply loved by the Li family at that time that Li Minghua paid the price for his mistakes?

Is it because the Li family’s attention has been distracted?

Is it because Wen Jinkai fell in love with her?

Is it because the seemingly misplaced fragments actually form a complete picture?

Li Minghua couldn't tell what the question was, but deep down... she knew the answer.

"Mom made a lot of snacks," Li Xueyue said at last. She felt that the long silence between them was too suffocating. It made it difficult for her to read the book.

"I can't finish it, why don't you do it with me?" Li Xueyue suggested.

Li Minghua hugged the pillar with her body. She had too much regret that she didn’t sit down with Li Xueyue. “I’m older than her, but why is she so much more mature than me?” She could have continued to tear me apart…”

Li Xueyue raised an eyebrow. "This doesn't mean I will forgive you for everything you said and did to me. One day I will let you back, or maybe not. It all depends on our relationship from now on."

"I..." Li Minghua lowered his voice. "I just..."

Li Xueyue looked up from the book and took a sip of tea. What's so hard to say? She had never seen Minghua so timid. It reminded her of a child who tried hard to admit his mistakes.

"It's just... uh, Second Prince..." Li Minghua stuttered.

Li Xueyue raised her eyebrows.

Lee Myung-hwa stared at the floor. “I’m still torn about the lack of protection my family gave me. I’m angry that they found someone else while I was languishing in the palace. I worked hard to keep them safe, but they still lived their own lives in happiness.”

"I don't think this is necessarily true." Li Xueyue whispered. "I heard that after you disappeared, Mom was depressed for several days."

"real…?"

Li Xueyue nodded. "When my mother wasn't crying, she was just staring out the window unconsciously. Her body was there, but her soul and heart were not."

"But why would she—"

"Your disappearance completely devastated her. Everyone copes differently. Dad, he held it all in to prevent the family from getting even more upset."

Li Xueyue turned her gaze to Li Minghua. "The twins must have been hurt too. Their reactions were different. Even Chenyang missed you very much. Sometimes he would suddenly hug me and beg me not to leave his side. He was very afraid of losing me because he had already lost someone."Sister."

Seeing the rain running down Li Minghua’s face, Li Xueyue opened her lips. She almost let her in again, but stopped again. Those were not raindrops. They were tears.