"No matter how old she is, that doesn't change the fact that she is still your little sister," Yang Zi said to Xiaotian's defence again. Hearing Yang Zi defends her two times in a row, Xiaotian could not stop smiling. The way she smiled so broadly made Shiyi stare at her wondering whether the girl was normal.
"Xiaotian, why do you keep smiling to yourself? What is so amusing that you can't stop smiling? Don't tell me you are laughing at your elder brother because he got scolded for your sake?" Shiyi asked curiously. Everyone all shifted their gaze to Xiaotian after Shiyi asked his questions.
"I am smiling because I am happy and I am not happy because my big bro got scolded but I am happy because my big sister defended me. This shows that she is not angry with me," Xiaotian explained herself. She could not still control her smile. The adults all exchanged secret glances when they understood what she meant.
Since the day Yang Zi found out that Xiaofei's family were in fact her family who abandoned her, they haven't really talked things out. Her uncle and his wife had tried to apologise on several occasions but Yang Zi never allowed them to do that and Mrs Yang's sudden death drifted them further apart.
Mrs Yang's death had fuelled Yang Zi's anger towards her uncle and his family. During one of her uncle and his wife's visit to pay condolences, Yang Zi almost pushed her uncle down, had the elderly man not managed to maintain his stance. Since that day, he dared not visit her again. He had planned to visit her again after she got over her loss but he couldn't since Yang Zi disappeared without a trace.
"Xiaotian, I would have said you should visit me more often but I will only neglect you if I said that since I am very busy. These days I barely have time for my baby, it will be unfair to you if I do that. So you will have to wait for me to wrap up this very project I am working on. I promise to take you and my baby out after I conclude my work if it is ok with you," Yang Zi said as she waited for Xiaotian's reply.
Did Zi Er ask whether Tian is cool with going on an outing with her? The Tian I know wouldn't mind skipping school just to go on an outing with her so, she didn't need to ask for her response since I am sure her response will be positive.
Qing Shui thought as she stared at the unusually quiet girl.
"You are free to reject it if you are not cool with my suggestion, I won't get mad at you," Yang Zi said when Xiaotian did not utter a word even after waiting for her reply for over two minutes.
"Reject? Big sister, there are no such words in my dictionary when it comes to going out with you," Xiaotian said, with a huge sense of humour. The others could not help but laugh out loud when they heard Xiaotian's playful words.
"Ok, then, let Mi Er take you to her room. There are plenty of toys and movies in her room. You two can keep yourselves busy with that while we adults talk," Yang Zi said as she patted Xiaotian's hair.
"Sure," Xiaotian said as she stood up with a smile on her face.
"How come you stood up so quickly when it was Zi Er who told you to go upstairs?" Xiaofei asked before Xiaotian and Yang Mi could walk away.
"Because Big sister treats me nicely," Xiaotian said before she and Yang Mi headed upstairs.
Everyone's expression turned serious after the two underaged in their midst had left.
"Zi Er, I am sorry that you had to tolerate her. We did not want to bring her along but she kept insisting and throwing tantrums. Shui Shui and I did not have any other choice but to bring her along with us," Xiaofei apologised in a calm tone.
"I wasn't tolerating her like you might have thought and I also wasn't acting. My feelings were genuine," Yang Zi said seriously.
"After she dared to block my car two years ago, I have thought a lot about what she said...,"
"Zi Er, did I hear you wrongly when you said Tian blocked your car?" Qing Shui asked in shock. Even Xiaofei was surprised to learn about this.
"A few days after mum was buried, Xiaotian, who wanted to block my car, almost got run over by my driver. She was so scared that you would punish her, that is why she asked me to keep our meeting a secret," Yang Zi narrated.
"I have thought a lot about what she said and I have concluded that she is innocent. We shouldn't drag her into our quarrel," Yang Zi said seriously. Her words left everyone surprised. None of them expected Yang Zi to say such words.
"Thank you so much, Zi Er for choosing to spare her from all this. You don't know how happy this has made me. I am sure Xiaotian would have gone wild if you had said this in her presence. She had been yearning to witness this day," Xiaofei said with mixed feelings.
He was both happy and sad. He was sad because he did not know when Yang Zi would be able to say the same thing about his father. Despite feeling sad, he was still content so he wouldn't be greedy and ask for more.
"There is no need to feel emotional. She was innocent in the first place. I was just blinded by my pain, that is why I couldn't think properly," Yang Zi said. She turned to face Feng Shu.
"Feng Shu, call the maids and have them bring wine and glasses," Yang Zi ordered.
"Ok, I will go get the stuff," Feng Shu said, as she stood up to leave.
"Feng Shu, you are not one of my maids so don't you dare bring the things I asked for," Yang Zi threatened fiercely.