Chapter 37
37 Someday I’ll become stronger than Your Highness, and that day I will take my brother back! Part I
“No! I don’t accept it!”
“Yu-er”
“I’ve just returned, I haven’t talked to you yet, and now that brute of a general is taking you away?!”
“Yu-er, don’t call the general that.”
“But I haven’t been with you even for twenty-four hours.”
“What’s ‘hours’?”
“It’s something that I won’t let be taken away from big brother and me.” She tightly hugged her brother’s waist.
Bai He looked at his sister who started throwing tantrums the moment he was notified to return to the border that night. Her slim arms wrapped around his waist in a lock that made it hard to breathe. He could only sigh and turned to ask for help from his mother with his eyes. Although Yue Mei also agreed with her daughter, she had to accept that this was Bai He’s duty.
“Yu-er, release He-er. Your brother has to prepare before going back to the border.”
.....
“No! I’m not letting brother go.”
In her former life, Bai Yu never had a sibling. She was a normal woman who was self-centered because she was an only child. After her mother’s death, she never acted childish in front of anyone else. Sometimes she would go to her grandmother, but it was only a brief moment before having to return to wear the fake smiles for the entertainment industry.
Because of her image as a villainess, she was often looked at with unfriendly eyes in public. Furthermore, she built a high wall in her heart and never revealed that private side of hers to anyone. Even with Li Wenrou, she would rarely do so. Because they were together when she started taking international works, both workload and distance made it hard for them to meet. They would mainly contact through video calls, and that long-distance relationship was another reason why she was cheated on for three full years.
She transmigrated to this life and got to have a mother and brother who dearly loved her, then why did that foul-mouthed man have to steal her brother away from her. She had not even begged her brother to teach her magic yet, and she had already planned that he would be able to help train her to become stronger. Everything was canceled because of that man.
Frustrating!
“Dear brother, can’t you stay? Can’t you stay with Yu-er and mother for a day longer?” When she saw that tantrums would not work against him. Bai Yu let go of him and looked up at him to beg. Her dark eyes were filled with tears.
Bai He took a deep breath, trying not to be swayed by his sister. He slowly and gently consoled her with the voice that could make any other women swoon.
“Dear sister, this is your brother’s duty. I’m the Emperor’s soldier, so I have to-Yu-er...”
A drop of tear fell.
“My dear, darling sister...” Bai He’s heart melted. “...Big brother is so sorry.” The tall figure kneeled in front of his sister before pulling her into a hug. He was trying to explain his duty to her but ended up being distracted by her tears.
“Ugh...But I...hic...don’t want brother to go.”
The sweet voice now turned into a sob. Bai Yu tightly hugged her older brother as she nuzzled into his broad chest. Her tears flowed freely because of her past life’s skill in acting. She hid a subtle smile on her lips...here come the tears, are you still going, brother?!
“Yu-er, you have to restrain yourself.” Her mother came to stroke her hair in an attempt to console her.
Bai Yu shook her head as a refusal to her mother’s words. How could she not notice the look in her mother’s eyes when she saw her brother, it was full of happiness. When her brother was at home, when he was beside her, mother was happiest!
“Brother’s just going to the border, not some faraway place. You can just visit me whenever you want.”
“Is that true?!”
Bai Yu moved away from the warm embrace. Her eyes that were brimming with tears stared straight at her brother.
“I can go to see you?!”
Bai He could not nod. But it was also too late to reject. What did he just say?
“Mother, I can go visit big brother?” Bai Yu turned to ask her mother. Her excitement was overflowing.
She could go to the border?! She could travel far away from here?!
Yue Mei and Bai He’s eyes met. Though she did not want her daughter to risk her safety, she had to nod to confirm her son’s words in order to appease the crying girl. In the blink of an eye, the tear-stained face suddenly bloomed into a wide smile. Yue Mei could only hope that her reserved and obedient daughter would not get an idea and actually go to the dangerous border.
“Mother and brother promised.” Bai Yu quickly wiped away her tears before offering her little finger to her mother and brother. Yue Mei and Bai Yu looked at that finger, puzzled.
“You have to do this when you make a promise.” Bai Yu pried her mother’s and brother’s little fingers and locked them together, before intertwining her own finger on top of them.
“And then the promise is complete!”
The image of three fingers together made Bai Yu beam wider than ever. While Yue Mei and Bai He did not understand the gesture, they also looked at it with a smile.
The three of them looked at the intertwined little fingers, feeling warmth spreading within their hearts.
“Informing first Furen, the commander general has arrived.”
A maid notified them quietly after she saw that the first miss had calmed down. Half a shichen ago, Wangye ordered the first master to prepare to go back to the border. Even though he did not specify the time, no one expected that it would be so soon, and so he had been waiting at the Bai mansion for over one ke.
The first miss had protested since the moment she heard the news, preventing the first master from preparing anything. Yue Mei’s personal maid then had to choose between facing the wrath of their first miss or the general commander.
“Has he been waiting for long?” Bai He frowned.
“It has been almost one ke, master.” 𝙛r𝚎𝐞𝑤𝚎𝗯𝗻𝗼𝐯e𝚕.𝒄𝐨𝓂
“Mother, do you know who the Empress Dowager summoned today?” The lieutenant-general turned to ask his mother who knew almost everything that was happening inside the imperial palace.
“Empress Dowager called Rui Wang a little while after he left the mansion,” Yue Mei told her son.
When Bai He heard the answer, he heaved out a sigh, almost like he was worried about something.
“Then I think I know why Wangye wants to return to the border so soon.”
“Why is it?” Bai Yu immediately clung to her brother’s arm.
Both mother and son were finally able to meet, then why would the son hurry to leave? Did he not miss his mother who had been waiting in the palace?
“It’s none of your business.” Bai He pinched his sister’s nose. She not only clung to him but also unconsciously stretched her neck to move her face closer because of her curiosity.
“Come, mother will help you pack your things.” Yue Mei who had some knowledge of the matters within the palace changed the subject. She signaled the maids to go and prepare the first master’s belongings at his residence, Jiu He building. Right now, everyone was gathered at the first miss’ Jiu Yu building because of her unusual tantrum. She kicked up a huge fuss just because her older brother had to return to the border when she herself just came back.
“Mother and brother will go take care of his things. Yu-er, you go and greet Wangye.”
“Why does it have to be me? There are a lot of people around here.” She was still angry with him. She did not want to see his face at all.
“He suddenly came at a time like this, others are all asleep already. Think about Rui Wang’s personality. He wouldn’t want to wake up everyone in the mansion to go and greet him in a grand welcome. Having such a down-to-earth commander like him is such a blessing for your brother...” Yue Mei said to her daughter in an almost scolding tone when she saw Bai Yu openly pouted. “...And you who keep throwing tantrums instead of going to sleep should go to greet him.”
Her daughter’s ability in covering up her thoughts would always fail when it came to Bai He. This time was no different.
“Yes, mother.” Now that her mother gave her the opportunity, she would then direct her anger storm at Ouyang Feilong. Tch! He thought he could steal her brother just because he was commander general of Da Yang?
“Blessings to Wangye.” She curtsied according to the manner, though at the same time also used a sharp tone toward him.
She already forgot how gentle he was before this. Right now, she only had an anger storm for him.
“It’s you?” The calm voice that was unusually cold made Bai Yu stop.𝗳r𝗲𝙚w𝐞𝚋𝘯𝚘ѵ𝗲l.𝑐om