Unyielding Hands

The second eldest of the Ji family yawned loudly in his room as the bright sun greeted him. The chirping birds outside his window were able to make him smile, as such, he began forcing himself to walk to the bathroom and wash his face for breakfast and start his day in a good mood.

Once he was outside, he could hear Gu Man's voice giving orders to some of their servants. He was waiting down the stairs, most probably waiting for him and his twin who was always last to wake up among the siblings.

"Good morning, Young Master" Gu Man warmly greeted when he saw him descending the stairs.

"Good Morning, Uncle" he politely answered back before another yawn escaped his mouth. Ji Cao Shi gently wiped the tears forming in his eyes due to his extreme yawning and lingered his eyes downstairs. His brows immediately rose in curiosity when he only saw Ji Xuejin on the table enjoying his breakfast. "Where's Ah Li?"

Gu Man smiled at his question. Ji Li Zhao was always an early bird and today was no exception. The only difference is that he's spending his morning doing something he prioritizes more than breakfast. "I believe he's still in his room"

Ji Cao Shi looked behind him and was about to fetch their little brother when his eyes caught his own face walking out of another room. "Oi, Bao Shi"

His twin who was still rubbing his eyes and trying his best to fully wake himself raised his head and looked at him directly in the eye. "Go fetch, Ah Li. He's still in his room"

"That's odd. He's usually the first one to wake up" he muttered enough for his twin who was still stuck in the middle of the stairway to hear.

Without any more complain, he redirected his route and slowly walked towards his little brother's room. He softly knocked on the door and was bewildered to see a small gap enough for his feet to fit in. Curious and a little bit alarmed, he pushed open the door and went inside to check on Ji Li Zhao.

"Ah Li?"

His call wasn't loud enough to catch Ji Li Zhao's attention but what he was doing was enough to garner his. A crease had formed in Ji Li Zhao's forehead, evidence that he was giving all of his attention to the painting spread on the floor.

He honestly didn't want to disturb him after looking at his focus, but he wasn't willing to let his curiosity kill him either. So instead of leaving and acting as a good brother, he tiptoed to take a closer look at what he was doing.

Once he was close enough, he saw Ji Li Zhao gently placing glazing on the painting and an embossed golden frame was situated near him. This was enough for him to know what he was trying to do. He was personally framing an artwork that he did.

A smile blossomed in his face at the thought of his brother pouring his everything on this painting…a very familiar-looking painting. Last time, he saw his drawing book and among the drawings, there is this one, a painting of two children sitting down on an orchid-filled tree.

[So he was doing it in preparation for this? How diligent]

He remained silent the whole duration and carefully traced all of his little brother's actions. Once he was done, he finally released a comment. "That's beautiful. Is that you and Wei Wei?"

"Brother?!" Ji Li Zhao called out in shock. It took him a good few seconds before he regained his composure and raised his brows at him. "When did you come in?"

Ji Bao Shi flashed him a huge smile before extending his hands to ruffle his hair. "A few minutes ago. You were so focused that you didn't notice me"

"How many days did you do this? This is so intricate and the colors are perfectly blended" he asked as he drew closer to the painting and carefully inspected it. He always knew that his brother is talented but it was too advance for a child his age.

For such intricate details and gentle brush strokes, it must have at least taken him half a month. However, his answer was far from what he expected.

"7 days" Ji Li Zhao answered honestly as he stood up and picked up the painting. He smoothed his blue polo shirt and tightly grasped the painting in his hands.

Despite his small figure, he looked mature and could already be called a big boy. Such thoughts left a bitter-sweet sensation in Ji Bao Shi. It was nice that he was growing up well, but the thought of him growing too fast and possibly leaving the nest before they knew it quite pained him.

To conceal these complicated thoughts, he walked behind him and smoothed the creases on the back of his shirt before taking a peek at the painting once more. That's when he noticed the little bird perched on the branch of the tree and seemingly observing the two lovebirds beneath the shade of the tree.

"I know this is you and Wei Wei. But what's this bird doing here?"

Ji Li Zhao traced his line of sight. "Oh, that's Little Panda"

"Little Panda?"

He nodded his head with an annoyed look on his face. The bird was getting cheekier than ever. "He's the annoying bird we befriended. Wei Wei named him that because she likes Panda and he's oddly colored like one"

"I see" he muttered before patting him in the back. "You're going to see her and give this?"

Ji Li Zhao nodded his head in reply before looking at the painting with a melancholic look on his face. He wasn't ready to leave yet but he knew, he can't prolong his stay or his father would get angry at him. He didn't want that. "We'll be leaving tomorrow so we decided to meet"

"Come eat breakfast first before you go" Ji Bao Shi offered as they started walking out the door. He looked down the stairs and saw his twin brother patiently waiting below it with a grumpy look on his face which was probably the after-effects of waking up earlier than normal.

"It's okay. Wei Wei promised to bring food" he politely declined before flashing a smile to his other older brother who had now taken notice of their presence. The latter smiled back at him but gave a glare to his twin who took his time waking up their little one.

"Okay" he conceded before ruffling Ji Li Zhao's hair. Unlike Ji Cao Shi who would always slap his hands away if he starts stretching out his hands, Ji Li Zhao enjoyed it and even chuckled fondly at this. "Return here for lunch. They prepared a feast for you"

Once Ji Li Zhao nodded his head in understanding, he then allowed him to walk past Ji Cao Shi without getting any form of interrogation. Once out of their line of sight, Ji Cao Shi immediately poked his side and looked at him seriously. "Where is he going?"

"To meet the little fairy" he answered, a smile etched on his face. A smile that Ji Cao Shi knew wouldn't fade till afternoon.

Deciding it wasn't best to stay with him in close proximity now that he has such a smile on his face, Ji Cao Shi hurriedly left his side and returned to the dining table. Once settled back on his seat, he glanced at his younger brother and informed him of great news. "Xuejin, auntie sent a few jewels for you. She said you can do as you please with it"

"Thank her for me" Xuejin answered with a grateful smile on his face. He had always received fine jewelry from other family members and he was always grateful to them. But meeting them and thanking them personally is still an unsolved issue to him.

As usual, his brothers accepted his wishes and would always pass along the message in his stead. Once Ji Cao Shi accepted his request, they began eating again.

But it didn't take long for their peaceful breakfast to be disturbed when the second eldest noticed someone picking his vegetables and placing them on the side of his plate. Ji Cao Shi who was seated opposite to him immediately called out his attention by kicking his feet underneath the table.

"Ow!" he yelped before glaring at his brother who already had his eyebrows raised like a sassy little madame.

"Stop being picky and eat your vegetables. Even Xuejin and Ah Li eat theirs" he said, his voice sterner than ever.

Ji Bao Shi who had his plan foiled clicked his tongue in annoyance and carefully…and extremely slowly forked a carrot and placed it on his mouth. He chewed on it rather harshly with his face contorting in each bite. Once it became small and soft enough to pass his esophagus, he immediately gulped it down and chugged down a whole cup of water to take away the aftertaste left in his palate.

His twin rolled his eyes at his drama while their younger one chuckled. He could never get used to this.

There was still a whole bunch of vegetables left on his plate. In order to escape from his harsh breakfast, he glanced out the window and thought that their little brother was rather lucky when he decided to skip breakfast.

"I hope he enjoys his time with her. Who knows when they will meet again"

Ji Cao Shi followed his gaze but he promptly returned it to his twin. As expected, he was beginning to hide the vegetables on a table napkin. Irked, he kicked him once more and glared at him for wasting food. "Stop diverting our attention. Eat it"

With his brother's hawkeye directed at him and monitoring his every action, he decided to give up because he knew all his plans to not eat vegetables would become futile. He surrendered to his fate and began eating the vegetables he had always dreaded.

Meanwhile, Ji Li Zhao was humming to the lullaby Wei Yan taught him recently. She was casually singing it to him one time when he asked if he could take a nap for a while. Her voice was enchanting and the lyrics captivated him even more. He eventually found out that it was the Xing Family lullaby and everyone in their family knew about it.

Her angelic voice and the serene look she had on her face while she was singing the lullaby to him suddenly flashed in his mind. Promptly, he glanced at the painting he was holding and began imagining the face she will display when she sees it. He had prepared it for a long time and wished nothing but for her to display a happy smile on her face as she accepts it.

When he was drawing near their meeting place, he diverted his attention to the huge tree sitting in the plain terrain and saw a peculiar sight. Four boys surrounded the tree and above them was none other than Hou Wei Yan with a sour look displayed on her face.

"Who are they?" he muttered to himself as he hastened his steps. Luckily, the boys began walking away. They must have been intimidated by Hou Wei Yan.

This thought made him chuckle at how brave she is despite such small stature. His ecstatic thoughts, however, were replaced with a worried one when he saw the tallest among the boys picking up a stone and turning towards his lady's direction.

His eyes went big and his grip on the painting loosened. "Wei Wei!"

The stone has been thrown and he knew it had hit Wei Yan. He ran at full speed, even tumbling down when he was unable to notice the stone on the path. However, the thought of not catching her in time made him neglect the pain in his leg. He raced forward and tried his very best to numb the pain.

All in order to catch her. There was nothing in his mind but to catch her in time.

"WEI WEI!!!" he yelled out as he braced himself and jumped with his back on the ground in order to catch her. He felt immediate pain on his back but nothing mattered more than the lady he finally secured in his arms.

The creases in her forehead indicated the pain she was in so he gently reached out his hand and caressed it. When he saw the blood dripping down the side of her head, he immediately lost control of himself. Anger and regret overruled his system.

He tightly hugged her body and carried her in his arms. Once he was up, he glared at the children who caused this to happen to his most precious friend―to his treasured lady.

The children who felt his burning glare immediately left the scene. But it was already too late, for their faces were already engraved in his mind and he was sure to make them pay for their actions.

As soon as they left, he diverted his attention on Hou Wei Yan who was groaning in his arms. His cold glare soothed and was replaced with a worried and anxious gaze. "Wei Wei?! Hey, Wei Wei?!"

The little lady in his arms merely groaned but she didn't open her eyes which raised his anxiousness. He hurriedly ran, with her tightly secured in his arms. "Hang in there, Wei Wei. I'm taking you home…I'm taking you home"

Blood began dripping from his wounded leg and the pain in his back intensified with every step that he took. The agonizing, stabbing pain of his wound was all that kept him conscious. For a moment he focused on the pain, honing in on every sensation. Where it came from, how badly it hurt and how badly he wanted it to stop.

He took a deep breath and shifted his focus, determined to swallow the pain and keep going. There was no way he could give in to the pain, there was no way he'd ever give up and allow Hou Wei Yan to be in deeper trouble.

So he pressed forward, every movement adding to the barrage of pain, but he kept going no matter what. "Hold on, Wei Wei. I'll bring you home…we'll arrive at your house soon so hang on"

Soft moans and grunts suddenly escaped her mouth. The cruel and sickening pain was too much for her that she began opening her eyes. Her once bright eyes were dull and lifeless. "B-Bro...Z-Zhao"

"Wei Wei?! I'm bringing you home, we're near so hang in there okay?" he anxiously said, his sweat continuously dripping from his forehead.

Although the pain was making her senses numb, his dark hair and incandescent gray eyes were still clear to her. She flashed him a smile and reached out her hands to his frowning face. "Y-You c-c-ca-me"

"I'm sorry I'm late" he said as he allowed himself to cry. He could no longer contain the swirling emotions inside him―fear, anxiousness, guilt, and sadness. "Hang in there. Stop talking and conserve your energy"

She bit her lower lip to suppress the pain she was feeling. She's unsure how things would turn out once her family learns of what happened, so she needed to give him his present before everything turns chaotic.

Her tiny hands fumbled in her pocket. Once she felt the oval-shaped locket, she immediately took it out. Her movements didn't go unnoticed under scrutinizing gaze. "Wei Wei?"

She reaches out her hand and allowed him to see the locket. Due to her blood-tainted hand, the golden locket now had blood all over it. However, he could still see the embossed L&W entwined to one another which serves as the brand of the locket. "G-g-gift"

She had prepared a gift for him―just like he did for her. These gifts were supposed to be their way to convey their feelings and yet he ruined it.

The thought of their missed chance being his fault and the injury she had to take for him made him cry out hysterically. His unsuppressed cries pained her so she gently caressed his cheeks to soothe him.

Ji Li Zhao who now had terrifying thoughts in his mind nudges her hand and allowed her to comfort him with her warmth. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Wei Wei"

She places the locket on the pocket of his shirt and leaned closer to his chest―closer to his beating heart. "W-when…I-I w-wake up, I-I'll te-tell them…I-I'll ma-marry y-you…n-no o-one e-e-else"

Ji Li Zhao was stunned at her words. "B-bro Zhao…i-is Wei Wei's…o-only…g-g-groom"

"Yes. You're my bride. You'll be my one and only wife, I'll make sure of it" he replied as he continued walking closer to the Xing Family Villa. His tears still flowing freely in his face. "So hang in there, okay? I need you there to propose, so hang on"

Hou Wei Yan nodded at this as she flashed him a smile. She wanted to be free someday and she knew―he's the one who will whisk her away from her family. "I-in the..f-future…ta-take me…a-away"

"I will. I will do everything you say…so please…don't sleep" he said, his desperate cries intensifying as the lady in his grasp began closing her eyes. "Don't sleep. Stay with me"

"Wei Wei!" he yelled out loudly as Hou Wei Yan gave him a smile before totally closing her eyes. He was already howling in grief as the sickening feeling in his guts intensified. Begging for her to wake up and crying at the same time, he continued on, until the villa came in his line of sight.

"Help! Help! Wei Wei is..." Ji Li Zhao loudly called out as he ran from the forest to their garden. The servants who were around all looked his way and they displayed utter shock at the bloody sight in front of them.

While they were approaching, his knees suddenly gave out but he still secured him in his arms. He desperately called out to her and caressed her cheeks with his tears continuously landing on her face. "Wei Wei? We're here, Wei Wei! Wake up!"

Zhu He who was checking the garden was the first to arrive in their position. His usually composed demeanor now broken as he saw the state she was in.

"Call the Madame! NOW!" he ordered sternly as he scooped her in his arms. His lips were quivering from anxiousness as he began checking for her pulse. It was weak―they don't have that much time.

"Young miss…shit…call the hospital and prepare the car" Zhu He yelled out before standing up, now with Hou Wei Yan secured in his arms. The servants hurriedly scurried to do as they were told.

In the midst of the chaos, his attention shifted to Ji Li Zhao who was frozen in his spot. "Are you hurt?"

He hurriedly shook his head in reply before he looked up, his usually bright eyes now lifeless and plunged in misery. "Only Wei Wei"

"What's wro---Oh my god! Wei Yan!" Hou Mei Yi called out of nowhere. She raced towards them and Zhu He transferred their young lady in her arms without question.

"Wei Wei? Baby, wake up" she cried out as she nudges the now unmoving body of Hou Wei Yan. "My baby…mommy's here…wake up"

One of their anxious servants came running towards them. "Madame! The car is ready!"

Knowing fully well that her daughter is not in a good condition, she wasted no time and hurriedly ran towards their car. Zhu He intended to leave with them but remembered that Ji Li Zhao was still in their territory and so does Xing Gengxin.

He turned to one of the servants he trusted and made sure he was in the right state of mind to follow his orders. "Bring Master Ji home!"

"I want to go. Let me go with you!" Ji Li Zhao suddenly yelled out causing Zhu He to stop from his tracks.

"You can't, young master" he muttered before he looked back at him. His voice now stern and giving him a look that there is no room for negotiation. "This is for your own good"

Zhu He immediately left and the servant who was assigned to tend on the shaken boy hurriedly contacted Butler Gu Man. Ji Li Zhao glances at the leaving car and allowed himself to cry once more as he desperately called out her name. "Wei Wei"