2.2

Li Dongmei went even as far as to steal a ginseng from her father's study and make it into a nourishing soup for Si Qianfan.

Who knew before Si Qianfan woke up, news of her parents' death came, and Li Dongmei left quickly, leaving her cousin Li Dailu behind to look after Si Qianfan.

Who knew, once she left, Si Qianfan woke up and mistook Li Dailu for his savior. Li Dailu didn't correct Si Qianfan's mistake and took all the credit for herself.

Si Qianfan promised to come and take her back. When the time came to fulfill his promise to his savior, he met Li Dongmei. Si Qianfan was taken aback by her divine beauty and a plan quickly formed in his mind to use her to approach the young master of Chongmei Villa.

What Si Qianfan didn't know was he was pushing his real savior into the fire pit.

Wei Ying leaned against an intricately crafted pillar and eavesdropped on the two.

"Cousin, do you know how your parents died?" asked Li Dailu gently.

Wei Ying snorted internally. Why did villains liked to talk about their evil deeds to the heros? What was the point?

Li Dailu was really brainless to talk about this matter, especially in this large sect with secret guards everywhere and walls having ears.

It seems Si Qianfan's pampering really got into her head, and she could no longer discern things clearly.

Si Qianfan banned anyone other than him and Si Yu from visiting this place. But Li Dailu didn't care and came here. Did she seriously think no one is here guarding Li Dongmei from doing something stupid like running away or hurting herself?

Li Dailu's arrogance born from pampering seriously clouded her judgement of the current situation.

"Y-you, what- what do you mean? Didn't my parents die in an accident?" Li Dongmei's voice was weak and filled with forbearance.

Li Dailu touched her hair and smiled, "Well, it's not wrong to say they died in an accident. Only, the accident was planned by my father." Li Dailu's voice was filled with joy. She was enjoying torturing Li Dongmei, this good cousin of hers.

"Uncle always acted like he was giving us alms, always showing off in front of us and rubbing his wealth into our faces, as if afraid no one will know he is doing well. It's seriously disgusting. So hateful. Aunt was no better. Always donned beautifully and giving us only the thing she deemed unworthy. Li Dongmei, do you know how much your family humiliated us with your act of compassion and familial support?"

Li Dailu's expression twisted as she spoke, "It was sickening but we still have to smile and act full of gratitude."

Li Dailu's voice was suppressed and filled with hate as she recalled those days. But quickly, her face beamed, and her tone lightened as she looked at the pale and weak Li Dongmei on the bed whose eyes were wide open in fright, "Well, it seems I have to thank father for his genius idea. If he did not convince uncle to take the road near the cliff, then you all would still be riding on our heads and acting all high and mighty."

Li Dongmei's lips trembled, and her chest heaved up and down. Words logged in her throat, refusing to go out.

Li Dailu didn't seem to have enough of Li Dongmei's wretched appearance as she added with a joyful clap of her hands, a smile playing at her small pink lips, "Do you know what happened to your brother? It seems you haven't seen him in a while, have you?"

Li Dongmei's body stiffened, and a very bad premonition rose in her heart as she clutched the covers for some sort of respite and support.

"After Big Brother Si cast you aside, Elder Jun who had eyes on your brother all along brought him to his side," Li Dailu didn't wet Li Dongmei's appetite as she quickly informed her, "Even I feel pity for you brother. To be at the end of Elder Jun's interest, no one would be able to take it."

With a look of realization, Li Dailu mumbled, "Right, you don't know who Elder Jun is, right? Let me tell you, Elder Jun is very keen on making human skin. I bet someone is already wearing your brother's face and touring free-"

Li Dailu's words were interrupted by Li Dongmei's loud cries and breathing. Li Dongmei let out a pained howl, like an injured mother beast, as she mumbled, "No, no, no, no, this can't be right. This is impossible. My brother is alive. Si Qianfan won't treat me like this. He won't do this to me."

Li Dongmei tried standing up from the bed, however, her weak body betrayed her and she fell over, overturning the basin nearby with her.

Li Dailu watched with cold eyes her cousin's pitiful struggle. Her lips curled up in a sadistic smile. The beautiful, divine, well-mannered Li Dongmei also had such a day.

Li Dailu was about to say something when the door was pushed open with a loud bang.

Wei Ying shot Li Dailu a cold menacing look before helping the struggling Li Dongmei up. Wei Ying took a medicine bottle from the medicine box she brought over with her, opened the lid of the bottle with her teeth and put it under Li Dongmei's nose.

"Miss Li Dailu, you should leave now." Wei Ying put the slumped Li Dongmei on bed and covered her with a blanket.

"Miss Si, I-" Li Dailu's face was bad. She didn't know how much this woman heard. She had to think of something quickly to shut this woman up.

"Miss Dailu, your presence is not needed here." Wei Ying's voice cooled down and she looked at Li Dailu with faint eyes.

Li Dailu humph-ed and gave Wei Ying a look that promised trouble as she left with a swing of her sleeve, never turning back to look even once.

Wei Ying watched as the door slammed shut before turning to look at the silently crying Li Dongmei. Wei Ying pursed her lips and sat silently, letting the woman cry away her grief.

Wei Ying could understand what Li Dongmei was going through now. After all, she also lost her family and many of her friends and loved ones during the apocalypse.

Wei Ying watched too much death and grieving during the last days that she felt quite numb overtime. She lived her life almost methodically and monotonously, in isolation as a way to deal with her grief.

The fact that Li Dongmei could cry now was good. It was better to let out some emotions out in the open rather than to suppress them and bottle them up inside your chest. Suppressing feelings wasn't good in the long run and could make daily life as dysfunctional as it could be.

"What have I done wrong to deserve this?" asked Li Dongmei between sobs.

Wei Ying listened quietly on the side, opting for silence in this situation. What Li Dongmei needed now was not someone to console. She needed a good listener to hear her.

Li Dongmei suddenly chuckled, her mouth pursing into a bitter smile as the light in her eyes dimmed, "I always thought uncle and aunt were good people. They took me and my brother in during our time of loss and took care of us to the best of their ability. Now I realize they must have felt some guilt and were compensating us for their wrongdoings. They had never treated us harshly or demanded we work or anything, I've always been grateful for that. but who knew, who knew the same people that treated us like their own children, the people I respected and was grateful to were the same people who-" Li Dongmei let out a silent cry and covered her face with her hands.

"My little brother, Shu'er, he never wanted to come with me to this place but I forced him to. I trusted Si Qianfan easily. But Shu'er- I am so sorry Shu'er, your older sister have failed you. I am the one who caused your death. I am a sinner." Li Dongmei hammered at her chest in grief, tears spilling down her cheeks in large droplets.

Wei Ying lit a calming incense. Li Dongmei slept after a while.

With a sigh, Wei Ying looked around the delicately decorated room and at the beautifully embroidered red screen and fell silent.

The devil sect was not a good place. Everyone in it was more evil than the other. Only Li Dongmei and her brother Li Dongshu could be considered the only good people in it. But both of them didn't have a good end. Li Dongshu got killed without a complete corpse and his sister became a walking corpse shared by three men.

On the other hand, Si Qianfan and his sect thrived by having a relationship with the court and the right way.