Let's Frame It

The scream of Li Chanying from the master's bedroom had overpowered the minimal sounds of keyboard and mouse tandem inside the study room.

Li Nuxie stopped reading as she glanced towards the door; lines have appeared in the middle of her brows. "What is it now?" she mumbled as she remained in her seat.

Not long after, the door opened a little forcefully. Li Chanying's ponytail has almost come undone, with a few strands of hair escaping from it. Her chest was also heaving.

"Xiexie, why do you have this?" Li Chanying asked in between breaths. She raised a folded paper in front of Li Nuxie as she took a step towards her.

"What's that?" Li Nuxie inquired.

Li Chanying waved back and forth the small paper in front of her. "It's a blank check, can't you see?" Her voice sounded agitated. "It fell out when I picked up your bag from the floor. How can you be so careless as to leave your bag lying in random places?"

Realization dawned into Li Nuxie's mind as she remembered the old lady who gave the blank check. She turned her back from Li Chanying and started moving the mouse against the pad.

"Oh, that? A random old lady gave it to me. Why?"

"Random?" Li Chanying's voice went a notch higher. Li Nuxie gave her a sideway glance, an eyebrow raised.

"Why are you so agitated, Ying?" she continued scrolling thru the article. "It's just a blank check. You even have your own."

Li Chanying's eyes went wide after hearing what Li Nuxie has said. "You consider the Old Madam of Xu Family a random person?" The hand that was currently holding the blank check trembled slightly.

With that, Li Nuxie's hand let go of the mouse and faced Li Chanying. "Pardon?" She must have heard wrong.

"This is from Xu Hina, Xiexie. This is her signature," Li Chanying patiently explained as she pointed at the elegant handwriting at the lower portion of the blank check. "How come you have this but you seem unaware of who she is?"

Li Nuxie touched her chin. The old lady was the Xu Family Matriarch? No wonder she acted arrogantly. She was indeed capable. Li Chanying stared at her cousin, trying to read her expression but all she got was a half-shrug and nonchalance.

"I really didn't know that she is Xu's Old Madam. I thought she was just a random old lady who happened to be helpless against her ginger cat," Li Nuxie's shoulders shook before laughter erupted from her lips.

For Li Chanying's part, her jaw dropped when she saw how Li Nuxie's eyes twinkled against the fluorescent in the study room. The last statement of Li Nuxie has taken the strength of her legs. She pulled a chair and sat down.

"Who would have thought that one of the most powerful women in Country C is a mere slave to her cat?" Once again, the laughter reverberated inside the room.

"Xiexie!" Li Chanying's hand flew over Li Nuxie's mouth. Her eyes turned rounder as she looked around looking for witnesses who might have heard Li Nuxie. This further amused Li Nuxie. For one, even though she lived in a middle class community, her house was equipped with anti-bugging device and state-of-the art security. No one can go inside her house without her permission, be it covert or overt.

Li Nuxie's hand grasped her cousin's and took away the blank check from her other hand. "Stop acting as if I have offended the empress."

"She is the empress. You know how she can easily wield her power not only in City S but the whole of Country C."

"Nonsense," Li Nuxie waved her hand in front of her cousin. Don't worry, I did not offend her," she paused. "Or maybe, I did?"

"Li Nuxie! How could you? Do you really want to help Chao-ge in digging a grave for the Li Textile?"

Li Nuxie rolled her eyes before clasping her hands to Li Chanying's arm. "Don't get too affected. I can handle it. Why are you even here anyway?" She asked her cousin in hopes of changing the topic.

"Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do," Li Chanying stared at her; determination can be seen in her eyes. "I need all the details. Now."

"Okay," Li Nuxie gave in. "But first, don't you think we need to frame it?" She pointed towards the blank check near the computer keyboard.

"T-That's kind of absurd," Li Chanying stuttered. She chewed her lips while wringing her hands.

"Come on, I'm not going to put it in an exhibit. No need to be so nervous."

"I can't help it. Every time you do your thing, you always do it big time. How can I not worry if your target turns out to be the Old Madam of Xu Family?" Li Chanying eyed her cousin warily. "I'm still young. I have a fruitful life ahead of me—"

"Well, I'm still younger," Li Nuxie cut her.

Li Chanying stood up. "Hmmmp. I don't know what to do with you. Initially, I want to give you a good luck charm for your dinner later," she shook her head. "Apparently, Grandma needed it more than you do," she headed towards the door.

Li Nuxie chuckled. "You're such a killjoy," she said as she walked behind Li Chanying.

"Who cares? Just get ready for your dinner. I have something for you in the car."

As they strode towards the car, Li Nuxie filled in her cousin about what happened between her and the Old Madam Xu. As expected, Li Chanying was flabbergasted. What will the media say if they learn about the Young Miss of Li Family dangling herself along the railings just to save a cat? As they reached the car, Li Chanying opened the door of her Audi and extended a hand inside, bringing out a plain white paper bag.

"This is a welcome back gift," Li Chanying handed the paper bag to her cousin.

Li Nuxie took a glance inside and from the looks of it; it was a dress with the color of dark emerald. "For tonight's dinner, I guess?"

Li Chanying nodded before lowering herself in the car. "See you when I see you." Li Nuxie waved at her cousin before going back to the house and prepared herself for the dinner with her grandma.