CHAPTER 56: HURT

It was the look a seasoned warrior gave when faced with a squirming novice. Calm, steady, and unmovable.

Yuanying froze.

"...you..." she whispered. "Why are you looking at me like that...?"

"Because you’re noisy," Huaijin replied simply. "Let me bandage you."

Yuanying swallowed, cheeks flushing from embarrassment and irritation.

But she didn’t move away this time.

She let Huaijin gently clean her scraped palms with disinfectant. She winced once but didn’t cry again.

Huaijin blew softly on the sting afterward, a small gesture that somehow made Yuanying blink rapidly.

This six-year-old was treating her like a child.

"...I don’t need you to take care of me," Yuanying muttered stubbornly. "We’re not even close."

"We’re cousins," Huaijin replied.

"So what?!" Yuanying burst out. "You came out of nowhere! You suddenly appeared and started... started taking everything—!"

Her voice cracked.

Tears filled her eyes again.

This time, she tried desperately to wipe them before anyone could see, as if her tears were a crime.

Huaijin didn’t comment. She simply dabbed the next wound clean and wrapped the tiny bandage around Yuanying’s wrist.

"You’re so annoying," Yuanying choked out. "Why are you always calm? Why do the adults like you? Why does Song Jue look at you? Why does Grandfather think you’re so... so precious...?"

Her breathing hitched.

Huaijin paused for a moment, glancing up.

"...you think I wanted that?" Huaijin asked, genuinely confused. "I didn’t do anything."

"Yes, you did!" Yuanying insisted. "You exist!"

Huaijin froze.

For a split second, she didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh.

Existence was a crime for some people. She understood that better than anyone.

Yuanying continued through trembling lips:

"I used to be the only granddaughter... the only girl... everyone spoiled me... Everyone said the Chi family would one day be mine... Song Jue always smiled at me... I... I thought..."

Her voice crumbled into something painfully small.

"...I thought I had a perfect life."

Huaijin felt a strange tightness in her chest, not pity, but recognition.

Because behind Yuanying’s arrogance was insecurity.

Behind her rudeness was fear.

Behind her hostility was the deep, desperate longing of a child who felt her world slipping away.

"...and then you came," Yuanying whispered, staring at her bandaged palms. "You’re cuter than me. Gentler. Smarter. Everyone likes you. Grandfather held you the day you arrived and smiled. Even the teachers praise you. And Song Jue... he looks at you and doesn’t look at me anymore."

She sucked in a trembling breath.

"And I hate it. I hate you for it. Even though I know it’s not your fault."

Finally, her true feelings spilled out.

Not malice, not hatred, she was just hurt.

Really hurt.

A child’s heart was breaking because the world she thought was hers no longer was.

She was breaking so much with insecurity just because of Huaijin’s presence, even though they are cousins. Then what would she feel like when Liang Lingzhi returns to the family and claims her position?

Huaijin sat quietly for a long moment before closing the first-aid box.

Then she hopped off her stool, walked around Yuanying, and gently pressed a small, cool hand on the older girl’s shoulder.

"You’re eight," Huaijin said softly. "You think everything you see now will stay the same forever. But life doesn’t work like that."

Yuanying sniffed hard. "Don’t talk like an adult."

"I’m not," Huaijin lied without blinking. "But I also don’t want to fight with you."

Yuanying looked up sharply.

"Then why do you glare at me like you’re scolding me all the time?!"

"Because you glare at me first."

"That’s because you keep stealing Song Jue’s attention!"

Huaijin blinked once, twice, then she sighed.

"Cousin Yuanying," she began slowly, rubbing her tiny forehead, "why would I steal that blockhead Song Jue’s attention? I don’t like him."

"You say that now! But I saw the way you talked to him! And he smiled at you earlier!"

"He smiles like that at everyone."

"That’s not true!"

"Okay, fine. He smiles like that at everyone except you."

Yuanying: "..."

Yuanying’s jaw dropped.

Her face turned bright red.

"You—! You—! You’re doing that on purpose!"

"Mm." Huaijin nodded calmly. "You were being unreasonable."

"You— you brat!"

"You’re two years older than me. Act like it."

Yuanying gaped at her words. The audacity!

But Huaijin only crossed her arms and continued:

"And besides, why would I like Song Jue?"

Yuanying wiped her nose on her sleeve and glared suspiciously.

"...because he’s handsome."

"He’s eight."

"...he’s still handsome."

"He looks like a baby tofu block."

Yuanying choked on her breath.

Huaijin continued mercilessly:

"He’s short."

"So are you!"

"He has a baby face."

"So do you!"

"He’s clingy."

"So— okay, that’s actually true, but still—!"

Huaijin waved her small hand dismissively.

"And most importantly... Song Jue is going to be a future Playboy!"

Yuanying’s eyes widened. "What— how would you know that?!"

"I can tell."

"From what?!"

"The way he looked at every dance performance earlier."

Yuanying froze.

Her lips trembled in shock. "N-no... he wouldn’t..."

"Yes, he would."

"No!"

"Yes."

"He’s only eight!"

"Didn’t you just say so?"

Yuanying’s whole body shook.

She looked like she had been hit by a tiny lightning bolt of despair.

Huaijin gently patted her head like pacifying a distressed kitten.

"Don’t worry," she said. "He’s childish now. He’ll be even more childish later."

"...that doesn’t help at all!"

"It helps me."

"Why would it help you?!"

"Because it proves I have good taste."

Yuanying blinked, confused.

Huaijin continued with a prim nod:

"I prefer mature men."

Yuanying’s brain went blank.

The eight-year-old stared at the six-year-old.

Then she slowly lifted a trembling hand and poked Huaijin’s forehead.

"...are you really six?"

"Mm."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm."

"You talk weird..."

"I talk normally."

"No, you don’t..."

"I do."

"No— you—!"

Huaijin pressed another band-aid on Yuanying’s forearm.

"Don’t be angry anymore."

Yuanying’s lips wobbled.

"...why?"

"Because you look cuter when you’re not crying."

Yuanying’s entire face flushed red again.

"I—I don’t need your praise!"