Chapter 7 - Send-Off (2/2)

As the girl listened, one side her mouth peaked a little in a small smirk, Lei Xing noticed this and narrowed her eyes.

...Well, that's interestingly suspicious...but not interested...

Lei Xing grabbed the money purse Xiao Ting was holding, opened it and there were about 2 silver ingots left in it with some coins, she closed and held it out in front of the girl, ”...here.” The girl took and said her thanks with a gleam in her eyes.

”There is some more money...this should be enough to last you for at least 6 months if you manage it well, I don't need anyone to serve me and as I said you don't need to repay me...so take this, work hard and look for a job, I am sure there are many places that will be willing to hire if you are willing to work hard...you should also consider joining an acting troupe, I am sure you will be very popular...” The girl looked up at Lei Xing with wide eyes as she spoke.

”I wish you good luck in your endeavors.” Lei Xing finished turned and left, pulling Xiao Ting with her. The girl watched them leaving and clutched the purse in her hand tightly.

After they were out of the area, Xiao Ting asked, ”Jiejie, why didn't you just keep her? It won't matter if there's one more maid in the house.”

”I don't need her, so why should I keep her here?”

”...but it's so sad...” Xiao Ting mumbled.

”and so I gave her more money to help her. That money is enough to last her a couple of months, as long as she's not being lavish.”

”but it won't have mattered if she stayed...you should have...”

”...Xiao Ting just because you help someone, does not mean they then become your responsibility to care for. Everyone is individually responsible for their own lives...and I assure you, since she grew up on the street, she is a lot smarter than you and can carve a path to ensure her survival in the future...everything is not always as it seems...people are not as simple as they present, you don't want to invite unnecessary trouble into your life...” Lei Xing explained.

...even though I could be wrong, which I doubt...but either way, I am not obligated to keep her at my side simply because I saved her...

***

That night the family gathered together to have a farewell dinner for Lei Xing, even though Lei Xing had been trying to avoid the family the last month, she did not have the heart to turn down this gathering, understanding their heart as parents. This is the first time she is seeing all the family members gathered together since the time she was bedridden with the illness after transmigrating. Her father and brother were often busy and came home late quite a lot, sometimes Lei Yong stayed at the barracks as well. So they were all gathered together this evening, sat down for a lavish warm family meal.

”Xing er' you have to be mindful when in the palace...you cannot speak or behave rashly.” The father advised.

”Yes, you have to be cordial and don't keep malice with anyone...my daughter has to live within the palace walls, who knows when I will be able to see my daughter again.” The mother lamented, with tear filled eyes.

”Don't worry mother, Jiejie will be ba-”

Lei Xing cut her off promptly while sending Xiao Ting eye signals to shut it. ”I will behave well and be very mindful while in the palace, and mother we will still have a chance to meet in the near future, it's not like the palace is in a different country.”

...I am not in the mood of explaining myself or receiving a lecture right now...

”Xing er' the emperor is a good man, he is worthy of entrusting yourself to...”Lei Yong, the brother said, smiling at Lei Xing as if to reassure her.

...who cares if he is a good man, I'm not interested in a professional philanderer...

Lei Yong continued, ”...even though he is the emperor today, he has not had an easy life, so be more understanding in your actions.”

...who in the palace has had an easy life...

After several rounds of advice and lamentation at the impending separation, the dinner ended on a happy note and they all went back to their rooms to go to sleep as they had to wake up early in the morning to spend some time with her before sending her off.

That night Lei Xing was having some trouble sleeping, she tossed and turned until she couldn't stand it anymore and got up, as she walked across the room she saw her reflection in the body length mirror by the wall and walked towards it and stood in front of the mirror. Since she transmigrated she has been avoiding looking at her own reflection and spared it no more than a glance. This night, she really looked at the person she now was, a vibrant and beautiful girl, she had a good height and with a great slim figure with smooth jade-like clear skin, a small oval shaped face with a small dainty nose, the only similarity Lei Xing could see between this face and her past face were the bright peach blossom shaped eyes...looking at her eyes, made Lei Xing feel comforted...there is a saying that the eyes are the window to the soul...seeing those familiar set of eyes, made Lei Xing feel that she was still herself.

...I don't know why I didn't want to look at you...maybe, deep inside I was trying to deny the reality of your death and my current strange existence...You are beautiful and I feel aggrieved on your behalf that your life ended at your peak moment...

...My situation is somewhat similar, even though I am here now, It is the reality that I had died, right at the peak of my life too, I had just graduated law school, was on my to success, I was going to buy a house when I finished the cruise, buy a house, get a job and finally start on my path to being a successful businesswoman...but for me to die in such a stupid way, by falling overboard, I feel so annoyed whenever I think about it...well, it's not like it was my fault, the ship jerked...so maybe, I should blame the crew or the captain...or maybe whatever caused the ship to jerk...whatever, it won't change anything anyway...

...Xiao Ting had mentioned that you wanted to enter the palace and had been studying so hard to ensure you get chosen, but I have no interest in the palace life...I apologize as I cannot live the life you wished for yourself...do not hate me too much for ruining your dream...

...but in place of you, I will take care of this body you have maintained so well...

...More importantly, I will do my utmost to take care of the loving family you have left behind, you have my word...

Lei Xing bowed her back, in a deep bow in front of the mirror, then straightened up and looked at her reflection for a while and then went back to bed and tried to get some sleep.

...Tomorrow is going to be an annoying day...

****

In a lavish study room somewhere else, a man dressed in black approached another man who was seated looking over a book, with an elbow on the table, with the hand supporting his head.

”Did you find her?” the seating man asked raising his head slightly to glance at the man who just came in and then went back to looking at the book in his other hand. It was the 'refined scholar' Lei Xing had met earlier

”Yes, she is the defense minister's eldest daughter Lei Xing.”

”Minister Lei, huh? No wonder, she has the same annoying tendencies as her father.”

...but at least, even her father knows to be cordial...this girl...

”What about him? being in the defense minister's manor complicates things...that old man is too stubborn.”

”He's... not there anymore.” the man standing hesitantly said, bowing his head and cold sweating.

”Oh? did he escape?”

”No...she released them.”

”Hmm...so where is he now?”

The man standing went on his knees, ”Forgive me, this servant was useless and lost him.”

”Lost him?” He said in an ice-cold voice, it was evident he was restraining his anger. Then he stood up and slowly approached the kneeling man, ”with your skills, how could you lose someone who was already heavily injured?”

The kneeling man kowtowed, hitting his head hard on the ground, ”He had help! he wasn't alone...that man seemed to an expert and was able to sense my presence tailing them and created a scene by throwing silver on the ground and people scrambled to grab the money and fights broke out and...and they escaped during the chaos...I really could not expect it! I will be sure to find them! Please give me another chance...”

...what the hell is going on lately? first, some little girl chastises me and now this...Is the world really against me?...if that is the case, then no one should blame me for turning my back against the world later on...