Chapter 9, Reason

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Extra Conversation 

Tengfei was trying his best to not laugh from what he just heard from Lihua who has a red face from embarrassment right now.

She then yells "It's not funny at all!"

As a reply, Tengfei straightened his face and said seriously "At the center of the world." Which then he started laughing madly.

"Shut up!, SHUT UP! I meant to say 'At the middle area between all continents' So please stop fussing about one silly mistake!" Lihua yelled angrily.

A quiet sound remains in the room after she spoked, but then, Tengfei again repeats "At the center of the world." to Her.

Which ended up with him having a red swollen cheek later on.

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Back to the story

Currently both Lihua and Tengfei were making their way through the market street.

In Lihua's mind, she was feeling really bored to the point of frequently looking at jewelries on stalls.

Which after a while made her ask him "Is it true that you really have money with you?"

Tengfei looked at her with one eye opened before replying. "Obviously not." Nonchalantly.

Lihua stopped walking before he does the same which then in a slow quiet tone, Lihua asked him "Then... why the hell are we here."

Tengfei looks at her as he shows number two with his hands before saying "One, you forced me out with you. Two, I'm gonna get more money anyhow." 

"Of course by stealing right?" She asked with killing intent.

He rolled his eyes before saying "Duh, what other way is there." 

Tengfei then looked around before halting his eyes on a fat person who looks extremely wealthy.

By wealthy, I mean someone that's almost literally asking for someone to steal from him.

Lihua looked towards where he's looking before sighing and asking "Him, right?"

Though he didn't say anything any instead shook his head.

"Then who?" She asked again.

This caused him to be angry from her constant nagging and told her "Shoosh! For crying out loud!"

Suddenly as they're watching the fat man move by, a certain person walked past that man which caught Tengfei's attention and drove him to move towards him.

Immediately when Tengfei was close enough, he snatched a pouch not from the rich person but from individual who passed by him.

He then walked towards Lihua while checking what is inside it before asking her to move to the side paths so that they can't be a nuisance to the passing crowd.

Lihua was puzzled from what he accomplished and so she questioned him "Instead of that rich fat guy, you stole from someone else? why?"

Tengfei showed a grin before saying "Killing two birds with one stone. I simply snatched the pouch from a thief who stole the rich man."

She felt astonished from what he said before saying with a smile. "Quite the skill you got there for a mere bra thief."

He made a 'tch' noise before pulling out silver coins and was about to hand it over to her, but instead, he asked a question. "I really wonder, why didn't you leave us and fend off yourself when you had the chance."

Lihua was surprised by his sudden question before replying back. "Even if I did leave you guys, what the hell am I gonna do by myself. At least I can use you people to earn me some money to survive and believe me, I really do want to leave and go back to my past glory."

"Fare enough reason, but don't think anything will go your way as long as I'm here." He said before smilling.

Lihua blew off her bangs before replying back "Yeah, yeah, just give me the money."

Tengfei tossed each coin randomly which caused her to panic and catch each one mid air, but not all of it were caught.

She hssed at him before picking up the money on the ground.

"I really despise you." Lihua told him.

"Don't complain, it's free money." He replied before smiling.

Lihua picked up all the cons before replying back "I still wonder why couldn't you steal earlier and prevent me from sweeping damn floors, and please stop with those creepy smiles."

"Well you don't see rich people everywhere in this place usually. Well about the smiles, I do what I like to do." Answered Tengfei before having a narcissistic smile.

Lihua looked at him with furrowed eyebrows before stating. "I swear, I really don't get you at all. Like as to how your goal is to find my sister, and so what you'll do after that? Ask her in hand for marriage?" She then surveys him before continuing. "You can always dream but don't mistake it for reality."

Tengfei remained quiet for a moment after hearing her before replying back with complex expression. "...If that is not my purpose, then where should I go? I'm homeless, without parents, no knowledge of my birthplace and so there is no other option but at least to let me meet your sister to just simply give my gratitude." Tengfei then sighs before continuing but this time closer to her. "I know you're a cunning one and so I can pretty much guess that you know why I'm in need of money."

Lihua nodded before saying to him "I kinda... overheard it."

"So that means you pretty much now get get why I work hard. Travel expenses cost a lot if you consider food, medicines and more." Tengfei said to her before looking up to the sky and continued "This is the only thing that keeps me motivated and allow me to walk forward."

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Lihua then says to him "...You're a weird person do you know? Firstly if I were in your shoes in the beginning, I'd be making the life of the princess, who tormented me for years, incredibly bad. But instead... you treated me almost normally." She then moved nearer then asked straight to his face. "See how weird it sounds? I really want to know your schemes for me and for what purpose."

Tengfei was leaning slightly backwards due to how to close she was before replying back "Honestly, I would have left you back there."

She backs away a little before twirling her hair."Then what reason caused you to take me along?" Lihua asked.

When she asked that, he became silent for a while before replying back "It's because your sister asked me to take care of you."

This caused her to have mixed feelings as to what he said. She then thought to herself 'Sis Ling did care for me? But.. I thought..'

Lihua then shook her head before asking him. "That doesn't answer as to why you treat me differently this past days."

As a reply, Tengfei averted his eyes from hers before scratching the back of his head then finally saying after a long wait. "..Well, it's kinda fun with you around. I always thought that you were a spoiled cunt, but I guess knowing you more shows me on how life could not be bland with having an interesting conversation once for a while. Don't get me wrong I still hate you though."

Lihua stared at him blankly before revealing a hidden smile before saying. "You truly are weird."

"Not as weird as the reason for your grudge towards me at least." He replied back.

His words fall down on Lihua like lightning before she replies back. "And what you know about it?"

"Like as to how your grudge bear fruit due to how I replaced you in your family before." Tengfei walked towards Lihua who had an emotionless expression before continuing." Which then further develops to pure hatred when everyone else forgets about you except for your mother, am I right?"

His words caused Lihua to laugh a bit before seriously saying. "If that was really my only reason for purely hating you then that would look childish of me. Even if it's half the truth, but unfortunately my hate... has a really deeper meaning to it. Not to you only, but everyone else in my family... even my fake Mother." Her voice then became quieter to the point of no one else hearing but she still continued. 'No one.. wanted me to be born, they all wanted for me to be a boy, even my presence and achievements were overshadowed by my sister.'

She then looked at him before saying "Maybe my hate for you was unreasonable, repulsive and no meaning... but I didn't know where to unleash the hatred of my horrible spectral life."

"So you decided choose me... but why?" Tengfei asked her sincerely.

Lihua remained silent for a while before saying "It is because of jealousy..." She then lightly kicked a pebble into a small puddle before continuing. "No one... After that incident... treated me nicely except for my sister you know? But ever since you appeared.. she didn't gave any time for me to play or even talk with her. She was the only one that treated me nicely, and as for my 'fake' mother, her personality was always cold towards me until I managed to breakthrough the 1st wind cultivation which then changed her attitude."

"..." Tengfei remained silent.

Lihua then sadly looked at a wilting flower on the side of a window before saying. "Though it sounds foolish to anyone for this reason... but my sister was someone I looked up to the most.

When she didn't even notice my presence anymore, I couldn't bare with it. So at the time sister Ling left... I decided to torment the one she cared most and that was you." Lihua looked at him straight to the eyes before continuing. "In the past I would cry every night and even have nightmares constantly and... sometimes I would even question myself for as to why I was too mean to you and everyone to the point of cursing my very own existence."

Her body trembled before stating "I hate it.. I really hate that feeling but I could do nothing but succumb to it and become who I am currently. No one likes me and the people who do are all fake to the point of disgusting me." She then laughed bitterly before saying. "Even I hate my very own parents. My father left me with his third wife and I don't know what happened to my real mother. All of the 'I care for my fake mother and father' is a lie I tell myself everyday. Just to trick myself that everything is fine. Every dream about them was nightmare that agonizes me... but all those fake caring is still.. something I'm desperate enough to want."

Lihua then said finally to Tengfei "Are you happy now? You get to know the truth about me?"

He was quiet for a moment before getting closer and then started patting her head.

This caused Lihua to over react and back away while looking at him with a terrified look.

"What is your motive!?" She questioned him loudly.

Tengfei laughed before replying back "Nothing, it's just I finally get to know you and for some reason I feel complete sympathy towards your pitiful life."

Lihua stared blankly at him before stating. "Do you know, you sound completely sarcastic? So this is your new way of making fun of me!"

Tengfei smiled as a reply before saying. "Your story is sad and all but don't forget if it weren't for your sister, I would have left you there after beating you up~" 

Though he says that, in reality he feels quite mixed in feelings as to what is the correct way to react when someone tells him their sad past.

"You..." She angrily looks at him before making 'hmph' noise and turning towards a vendor stall though she clearly knows that Tenfei had gotten affected by her words before.

But before Lihua could gone close to the stall, she heard Tengfei speaking to another female.

She looked behind for pure curiosity and found a much more beautiful girl than her talking to him.

Her face blanked for a sec before immediately dashing to his side... For some damn reason.

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Thank you for reading!