"You are worthless! I lend you my men for you to get results, and what did you do!? You get them killed! Why couldn't you have been as bright as your brother? Or maybe that An girl?"
Inside the Shen family's conference room, Rong berated his daughter in front of everyone. Liu clenched her fists while lowering her head in shame. The verbal lashing Liu received was equally as painful, if not more, than being physically flogged. Blood might be thicker than water, but these moments are when Liu wished she could dilute the Shen family lineage flowing in her veins. Then again, belonging to the Shen family, all she had to do was open her mouth to be fed, and raise her hands to be dressed. A lifestyle that now teetered on the brink because of their feud with the An family.
Although Liu cannot use Xiao in her current state, she still had one last trick up her sleeve. One that would salvage the Shen family's hopeless situation.
Liu raised her head, from a grimace to one beaming with pride. It was now time to announce her new connection.
"Fret not, father. I have been acquainted with a rather powerful cultivator, a hidden master! She is more worth than all of our men combined! I mean, she took on the rampaging demonic cultivator that invaded our sect, what's even more amazing is that she killed her!"
Even as Liu championed this masked woman, there was really no one else to verify her claim, leaving the majority of the Shen family and other business partners quite dubious. With her father doubting her the most.
"And where is this hidden master right now? Even if what you are saying is true, you should have done everything you could to persuade her! We need her right fucking now, do you understand me!? You are useless, Liu!"
Imagine a kid who was not only robbed of their favorite toy, but also smashed in front of them. That's how sullen Liu's expression became. The other family member she could get for not validating her claim, but it was her father she wanted to gain the approval of the most.
Liu's eyes were now red, they were dam waiting to overflow. Unable to bear the weight of her father's abuse, the red head ran away from the conference room, away from the gazes that scorned her, judging her to be nothing but deadweight for the Shen family.
"Run away! That's all you are ever good at, if your mother was still alive she would scorn you too!" Rong shouted towards his daughter who, in his eyes, was running away from her responsibility of taking her rightful burden.
Unbelievable, even on her way to her room, her father just needed to have his parting shot.
+++
Liu slammed the door behind her.
"AAAAAAAH!" She screamed to let all of her frustrations out. It wasn't enough. She needed to vent more.
Liu's gaze shifted to the unresponsive Xiao sitting in her bed. Now, pain wasn't the only emotion behind Liu's eyes, they also contained fury as she was about to lambast Xiao. All of this was her fault!
"You worthless bitch…!"
Suddenly, Liu cut herself short as she came to the realization. She was just like her father, the emotional wounds she suffered, she now wanted to inflict to Xiao. So what? Liu MUST punish Xiao. Every bad thing that happened in Liu's life was Xiao's fault.
Liu raised her right hand up high, like she was about to bring down Xiao's karma in the form of a slap.
Then, wasn't it already served? Liu could only imagine the vile things that those demonic cultivators did to her for Xiao to turn unresponsive as a vegetable. Liu shuddered at the memory of what could have happened to her if her masked savior didn't save her. Liu wondered, did Xiao suffer that?
Liu sighed, she would have to postpone Xiao's punishment until she is of sound mind once more, she cannot drill into Xiao how much she hated her if she was nothing but an empty husk. Her raised hand touched the torn state of Xiao's clothes. They might be enemies but if Xiao was going to stay in her presence Liu should at least replace her rags masquerading as clothes.
Before that, Liu deemed it proper to have a relaxing bath first and cleanse yourself before you slip into some new clothes, but however, Xiao was in no such state…
Undoing Xiao's robes, Liu laid Xiao on her wooden tub.
Naturally, since Liu was going to lend Xiao her expensive clothing, her skin should be cleansed from impurities. Meticulously, Liu scrubbed every inch of Xiao's body.
She might hate Xiao, but she had to give it to her for having a nice, blemish-free skin, almost like porcelain. Liu gulped. What the fuck was she doing admiring her skin like that? Is she turning into a…
No. Liu would not accept. She was merely giving credit where credit was due.
After the whole bathroom scene, Liu had just finished drying Xiao's hair.
She then went onto her massive closet.
Up to the side, there were about 30 colorful sleeping robes inside, all of them breathable to ensure a good night's rest. Liu grabbed what struck her as something that would fit Xiao.
It was a black silk robe with a floral design.
Liu's haughtiness bared as she clothed her new roommate, "Rejoice, Xiao! This is an expensive robe tailored for a high class individual such as I, but since I am magnanimous, I will lend it to you."
Donning Xiao with the black robe, Liu took a step back. Her lips instinctively took a smile dure her acute fashion sense. She was right, the robe really did match Xiao.
With Xiao done, it was Liu's turn to freshen up before she went to bed. Liu sat Xiao on a chair as she headed for her personal bathroom.
"I know you're into women, but don't you dare peek!" Liu admonished. She knew she would get no response, but it just felt good having someone to talk to.
As Liu drenched herself in the warm waters, her thoughts drifted to the masked woman that saved her life. She hoped she would drop by soon so she could prove her father wrong, and above all, solve their dispute with the An family.
But after that what would happen to Xiao? Would she stay as an invalid for all her life?
Liu had no idea. For now, Liu would be stuck caring for the woman who was like a doll more than anything.