19 Lot more selfish

Plutarch, Year 198 of the Dragon

Yi Lan hummed in a low voice as she peeled off the layer of bloody and dirty robes from her body. Surprisingly, there was a small bathroom attached to her bedroom.

Yi Lan wrinkled her nose on smelling the stink that came from the dark bathroom. It seemed that Yi Meng had done her best to get rid of the smell, but it didn't work. She had kept jasmine flowers in a small jar with water.

Yi Lan sniffed the jasmine eagerly and her scrunched eyebrows relaxed. She had always found the scent of jasmine calming. "But these jasmines seem different from the normal. There's small glitter like lights coming out from it." Yi Lan noted.

"There's a lot I have to find out about this world. It's certainly not simple as my old one." She sighed.

Yi Lan carefully stepped on the slippery tiles of the bathroom and headed towards the bath. The tub was mouldy and the soap looked like it was a year old. Yi Lan clicked her tongue in displeasure. "This way of living is just pathetic. I'll have to find out who was the one responsible for it. I'll have to take care of that pedophile too. Her surname was the same as me, so she must be a relative of Meng." Yi Lan muttered.

She quickly scrubbed off the blood and dirt from her body, grimacing as she touched the soap. Yi Lan's hands lingered on the scars on her back, legs and hands. "She's had it too tough." Yi Lan closed her eyes.

When she opened them, a fire of determination burned in those deep violet eyes.

Yi Lan hurriedly got out of the bath but scowled when she noticed that she still smelled. If it had been in Earth, she wouldn't have cared, but currently Yi Meng's identity was at stake. She could ruin her life but not the one's because of whom she had been able to live a second life.

Yi Lan thought for a while and then pumped her hands on getting an idea. She crushed the jasmine petals and rubbed it against her fair skin. The scent of the jasmine clung to her skin and made Yi Lan feel at peace.

By the time Yi Lan was finished, her whole body smelled like jasmine. Satisfied, she came out of the bathroom and wiped the water off her body.

Yi Lan then searched for some pants and shirts to wear but only found long robes. "What was I even expecting?" Yi Lan grumbled but picked out a lavender coloured hanfu. Yi Meng scarcely got money, so she was only able to buy meagre accessories to satisfy her needs. As a result, most of the clothes she wore were simple.

Yi Lan brushed her long silver hair back and tied it into a bun using a metal hairpin. She wore her shoes and hurried to meet Yoru. Her only objective for agreeing to go with him was to collect information about this world. She had let him be close to her the previous day, but that was because she had been slightly emotionally unstable. Now that she was back to her senses, she planned to increase the distance between them slowly.

She knew that he might have been someone important to Yi Meng, but she was Yi Lan. She didn't have any relation with him,nor was she planning to have. She already had enough of making bonds with anyone. 'In the end the one whose hurt the most is me.' Lan thinks.

She notices Yoru and walks towards him. He greets her with an excited look and drags her to a place slightly far from the royal palace. Lan was amazed to see the huge fair the commoners were holding. There were different kinds of games all over and smell of delicious food wafted over.

Lan's mouth watered as she smelled takoyaki and dumplings. Yoru immediately led her to a stall which had a bow and arrow game.

"Excuse me,how much for one play?" Yoru asks in a polite tone.

"Ten silvers." The stall owner,an old woman with a smile on her wrinkled face,replied.

"Do you want to play?" Yoru asks Yi Lan with sparkling eyes.

Even though Yi Lan had originally not wanted to indulge in useless stuff, she had never been a person who stuck to rules.

As expected she nodded. Yoru picked up the bow and arrow. It seemed as if he had never shot an arrow before. "Have you ever done archery?" Lan asks him,leaning against the stall's wooden beam.

"Never."

Nevertheless, his posture was perfect and his shooting style graceful. He managed to hit a bullseye in his first try.

'Is this what you call a genius?' Lan thought shaking her head.

Yoru got the runner up prize, as he had missed one shot. The prize was a slightly cheap but beautiful bracelet. Yoru took the bracelet and gestured Lan to show her hand.

Puzzled, she brought forward her hand. He tied the bracelet on her wrist, saying "It's a gift for you as well as an apology. I'm sorry for leaving you alone for so many years." His eyes became dull instantly.

"Mmm. It's fine. Don't worry about it." Yi Lan patted his head. She personally hadn't wanted to do this, but Yi Meng's feelings were still lingering deep inside. She had started patting his head like a reflex.

Hidden by his hair, Yoru's face had a small smile, comforted by Lan's hand.

" Looks like it's my turn now." Lan said.

She picked up the bow and arrow and examined it. They weren't expensive but were durable. Yi Lan turned slightly and stretched the bow. The arrow flew with a 'whoosh' towards the target and pierced through the bullseye. The sound of the target board cracking got everyone's attention. Lan coughed in embarrassment. She quickly shot all the arrows. Fortunately, none of them cracked the board any further, but still managed to get stuck on the bullseye.

Yoru gasped in amazement exclaiming, "You're amazing Big Sister! When did you learn to shoot?"

Lan said vaguely "I don't remember."

The old woman laughed when Lan apologized for breaking the target board. She would have given her money, but she didn't have any. Yoru gave the money on her behalf. Lan was uncomfortable, but she didn't have a choice.

Yi Lan got the first prize- a pocket watch. She gave it to Yoru. "Here, a return gift for the bracelet."

Yoru stared at the watch for a few seconds before he gave a dazzling smile to Lan.

"Thank you Big sister. You're the best."

Yi Lan's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't deny that she didn't feel happy. And this time, she was feeling happy of her own accord and not because she felt compelled by Meng's feelings.

"Ara, you both make such a good couple. May the God of Fate bless you." The old woman said with a smile. She hadn't heard Yoru referring to Lan as 'Big Sister' .

Yoru blushed slightly on hearing her words whereas Lan said "No, no. We aren't a couple. He's my younger brother."

"Ah! Such a pity." The old woman replied.

Yoru felt a pang in his heart after hearing Lan. 'Younger brother huh?' He thought sullenly.

He paid for the game and then both of them went to another stall.

By the time, the day ended both were covered with different prizes.

They even ate at many stalls. Yi Lan won the 'Person who ate the most' award in the dumpling stall. The last stall they went to was a ring throwing game stall. Yi Lan's eyes immediately sparkled on seeing the same jasmine flowers she had seen in her bathroom decorated on a hairclip. Many people had tried to get the hairclip, but it was in such a corner that no one was able to put the ring on it.

Lan threw the ring but didn't manage to get the flowers. When she got tired, Yoru took her place and threw the ring. In his first try, he got the jasmine flower hairclip. With a smile, he offered it to Yi Lan. A lot of people gathered around on finding that someone had finally gotten hold of the hairclip.

"You sure you want to give it to me?" Yi Lan asked.

Yoru said in a warm tone "Big Sister is more beautiful than these flowers. When I already have the Big Sister, why would I need them?"

Gracefully, Yoru clipped the hairclip on Lan's hair.

Yoru's words were simple but it hit home for Yi Lan. She had never been treated so gently by anyone but her family. As she touched the hairclip, she smiled for the first time since she came to this world. Her soft pink lips were pulled up, her eyes softened, and her skin glowed underneath the sunlight.

The resulting image of Lan smiling, made all the observers gasp at her beauty. 'She's so beautiful!' A little girl squealed.

Meanwhile, Yoru's face had become deep red in colour. Lan, confused, touched her forehead against his, checking if he had fever. Yoru, feeling overwhelmed became dizzy.

Yi Lan immediately shooed the people away and led Yoru to the shade of a large tree. It was already evening and the sun was setting, making the sky light up in shades of red and orange.

Lan sat down and made Yoru lay his head on her lap. "Wah- Big Sister what are-?!"

"Shhh... Rest for a while, the heat must have got to you." Yi Lan said patting his warm head and brushing back his hair.

Yoru bit his lip, but complied.

They stayed like that for a while.

"Big Sister."

"Yes."

"Do you really not remember me?"

"Mmm. Sorry, but I can't help it."

"....I feel like you've changed."

Yi Lan tensed.

"Is that bad?"

Yoru grasped her wrist and said with a cute smile. "Not at all, in fact I like this Big Sister more than the older one."

"Is that so? I feel like I'm a lot more selfish. Unlike you."

"...I'm pretty selfish too."

"Like how?"

"Like I wish that I could have you all for myself. I never want to let you go, you were the one who gave me the will to live."

Yi Lan's hand stopped brushing his hair. "Say, will you tell me about your past?"

A conflicted look flittered on his face.

"You know what, leave it. I don't want you to remember bad memories." Lan said, feeling guilty.

They were silent once again.

"As early as I remember, I was an orphan. I had some incidents and gradually lost my faith in people. When I was seven, I had had another bad encounter and was sitting on the street feeling lost. I simply watched the people go along with dead eyes. That was when a ten year old girl stopped before me, looking at me with curious eyes. She asked me what I was doing. I didn't reply. She scowled but then took out a warm meatbun from the bag she had on her arm. I almost snatched it out of hunger, only to be stopped by her hitting my head. No snatching, she said sternly. She then fed the bun to me piece by piece. I think that was the day I felt the most at peace. She then asked me with a smile, if I wanted to live with her. I was elated, but I refused. She probably belonged to a rich family and had parents. Unlike me, who was poor and an orphan. She sulked a bit, but then gave me a ring. She told me to sell it and earn some money. She added that she would have given something more precious but this was the only precious thing she had at the moment. I could tell she wasn't lying." Yoru laughed.

" When I asked her why she helped a poor, dirty boy like me, she hit me once again on the head saying 'Idiot, why wouldn't I want to help my younger brother.' Then she patted my forehead and told me that three years later, she would come here again to see if I had been successful or not."

"Against her expectations, I didn't sell the ring. I kept it. She had given me something more precious, the will to live. Three years later, I was once again lying on the same street dejected, when a warm hand touched my forehead. To my surprise, it was the same girl. She gave a smile and said 'Let's go home.'" Yoru laid his arm over his eyes.

"The girl was none other than you Big Sister."

Yi Lan frowned. A memory flitted past her eyes. She could see a dark haired boy kneeling on the street with dead eyes.

'Is this Yi Meng' s memory? But... why does it feel like the one who Yoru is talking about is me?" Lan was feeling troubled.

Noticing her troubled look, Yoru gave a sad smile and said" I'm sorry for troubling you Big Sister. I ne-"

" Don't get it wrong. I was the one who wanted to hear about your past. I don't regret it. Just... One day I hope you'll tell me the whole truth." Lan sighed. She had given up. This cute boy was too cute for her to abandon.

"Thank you Big Sister."

The evening breeze swept past and made the surrounding cool. Yi Lan looked at her lap, only to see Yoru sleeping. She smiled, his peaceful look making her feel satisfied. She kissed his forehead and leaned against the bark of the tree.

Soon enough, the shadows of two figures sleeping under the tree were seen.