Preparations

After giving it much thought Su Li realised that though she had seen countless dramas and read innumerable novels where the main characters used various schemes and methods to exact their revenge and had thought herself to be knowledgeable in this regards but the sad reality was that she didn't even know where to start from or what to do.

Reading or watching those tricks was vastly different from when a person needed to apply them in the real world.

After much head scratching and racking her brains she came upon a method which she felt was neither too hard not too soft and would simultaneously help her teach Yu Yan a lesson.

The added benefit was that she wouldn't have to do anything because she was already familiar with the other person's jealousy towards her.

Without doubt, Yu Yan wouldn't be able to stop herself from making mischief and it would also show a bit of her shrewd and conniving nature to Yu Jian as well so that he wouldn't be swindled by her pure, pitiful girl act somewhere far down the road.

On the fifth day of her leave, while the three of them were having a family dinner Su Li suddenly realised that the father-daughter duo wasn't being as lovey dovey as before.

Su Li herself had been immersed in her own world these past days and hadn't paid much attention to them so she hadn't noticed any difference but if one observed them closely, it was visible that their father-daughter relation and interaction wasn't as smooth sailing as either one of them would have liked.

Yu Yan seemed a bit skittish whereas Yu Jian behaved as if he didn't notice the strange behaviour and was the same as usual but there was a slight furrow in his brows whenever he glanced at his younger daughter.

Actually, Su Li didn't know but the self-blaming act that Yu Yan had prepared for her father had backfired quite spectacularly in her own face. After she had been sent back to her room that day Yu Yan had been afraid that maybe someone had caught on to her or her father had some inkling of what she had done behind his back.

If it was only that, Yu Yan could have portrayed an image of a rebellious child who was angry at the world for being abandoned at birth by her parents and was jealous of the legitimate child who had the world on their fingertips.

Yu Yan was more than eighty per cent sure that though it would somewhat affect her image in front of father the situation would be salvageable. Except the situation was so out of her reach that she hadn't even entertained the thought that it would be irreversible.

She had waited for a summons to the study to be reprimanded but at about ten o'clock at night she had heard her father knocking on her door and asking whether she was still awake or had fallen asleep. She had said she was wide awake and asked him to come inside.

Yu Yan hadn't thought that he would say such cruel words to her. Father had looked at her with a ferocious gaze and told her that though nothing had happened to his first - born child it was an untouchable topic from now onwards in the house.

He had talked at length with her and intimidated her by telling her that if he ever heard her trying to even hint at it to anybody else in the residence or outside he wouldn't take into account their blood - ties and without fail just make sure that she'll regret even thinking about it.

Father also told her that he understood that she might feel jealous or even some unwillingness towards Yu Yue but it would never be her turn to speak regarding any of the heir - apparent's affairs. He said he would behave as if he didn't understand her inner thoughts.

He also informed her with a sardonic smile on his face that he would gladly provide her all the wealth she wanted in the world if she ever encountered any kind of encumbrance outside he would be there for her and even help her hide her tail in case of a sticky situation. Nevertheless, Yu Yan herself shouldn't try to play any dirty tricks on the family members.

He hammered into her the fact that he knew she was smart enough to realise what he meant but only because she had brains didn't mean everybody else was an idiot.

Finally, he told her that though what happened that day wasn't any of her faults and he had never blamed her, she should learn to live well and proper.

He told her that this new world though looked glamorous and glittered but behind that, there were countless dirty things. While she might be busy playing tricks for momentary gains but if during the process she offended someone she should have avoided, no one would even be able to find her bones and ashes.

Till now Yu Yan hadn't understood if he was alluding that Yu Yue was someone she couldn't and shouldn't offend or if it was a general blanket warning for the outsiders.

Since then she had been feeling unsettled and uneasy. Already her relationship with Yu Yue was almost akin to freezing and now even father was distant. For the first time in her life, she felt uncertain about her future.

Earlier when Yu Yan was at the orphanage no matter what she had desired - a person, an item or even a small plaything, she had been able to get it all. It seemed that all of that was just like the junior league and now she had entered the big boy leagues but the rules were too different that everything was getting far out her reach quickly.

Yu Yan was brought out of her thoughts by Yu Yue asking their father for some kind of a glass lamp. Yu Yan was bewildered hearing about it. In this time and age with all the money, they could ever need and spend why was the legitimate heir asking her father about a glass lamp. It was inconceivable to her. Anyhow she paid attention to their talk.

Yu Yue looked at father and said with a sombre look and a soft voice, "I would like to have the Wisteria lamp brought out of the storage. I want to put it in my room."

When Yu Jian heard his daughter's words he was shocked. It wasn't so much that the heir was asking if they could display a lamp in their room. It was the fact that the three of them husband, wife and child had won the lamp in an auction just a few days prior to his wife's demise.

It was the last outing they had as a complete family unit before they were parted for forever. At that time his daughter was a mere ten-year-old child. After his wife's death, Yueyue had cried herself to exhaustion many times while looking at that lamp.

Yueyue used to just keep on staring at it without blinking for long periods of time and her tears would flow non stop without her knowledge but it was as if she couldn't bring herself to touch the lamp.

As if by touching it, the sad parting would become too real for her. In those days Yu Jian had been afraid that looking at the lamp and crying continuously would have an adverse effect on Yueyue's health so he had somehow coaxed her into agreeing to keep the lamp in the storage so as to preserve it as well as keep it away from her eyes.

His daughter had only agreed to the arrangement after getting a verbal promise from him that if she wanted to see the lamp again at any point of time he wouldn't forbid her and would give in to her. Afterwards, Yueyue had never talked about the lamp as if it was taboo and talking about it would open up a dam and flood both of them with sad memories.

It had happened so long ago but right now looking at Yueyue Yu Jian could see faint unease of reminding him of their sad past but also a stubborn, unyielding look in her eyes that said that she was prepared for the long haul if he refused her.

It seemed his daughter was more badly influenced by what had happened in the last months than what she was willing to portray to anybody. Heaving a sigh to himself he agreed.

"I'll ask Zixi to take it out of the storage room and give it to you. Whatever you want to do with it is your own prerogative. I won't interfere with your decision. After all, is said and done it had been bought at that time because you found it pretty to look at." Yu Jian had readily agreed to Yueyue's request.

Moments later Yu Jian felt his appetite deplete but he didn't want to make his daughter worry that the past memories were affecting him so he still sat with the both of them until dessert and then left for his room.