Chapter Eighty-Nine: Sisters Reunited

When An Yi saw the beautiful woman and her companions in the inn, she was not surprised. Her right hand lightly touched the gold bracelet on her left wrist; the sedative was enough to knock them out again. If they persisted in their pursuit, next time, it would not be a sedative—it would be poison.

“My name is Li Ruoxian, and this is my third son, Cheng Ruizhi. Miss, may I have a word with you?” The beautiful woman was courteous, introducing herself without hesitation.

“If you want to fight, let’s take it outside. Don’t damage the innkeeper’s property.” An Yi was suspicious of Li Ruoxian’s sudden change in attitude.

“I’m not here to fight; I have something to say to you,” Li Ruoxian said, waving her hand.

“Then speak,” An Yi replied coldly.

Li Ruoxian glanced around. “There are too many people here. Let’s talk in private.”

“There’s nothing I can’t say before others.”

“Mother, let me do the talking.” Cheng Ruizhi stepped forward. “A plan in mind, common fruit trees, returning home in fine clothes.”

These were three unrelated idioms. An Yi was puzzled, gazing at Cheng Ruizhi’s clear, bright eyes with a slight frown. What was he trying to convey?

Cheng Ruizhi smiled at her.

A plan in mind.

Common fruit trees.

Returning home in fine clothes.

An Yi repeated them silently, then smiled lightly. The first characters of each idiom formed “Ji Fan Yi”—her master’s name. Her gaze shifted. “You know her?”

“She is my mother’s master,” Cheng Ruizhi replied gently.

An Yi looked at Li Ruoxian. “Dare to come with me to my room alone?”

“Why not?” Li Ruoxian raised her brows slightly.

The two went into the room. An Yi asked directly, “How can you prove you are Ji Fanyi’s disciple?”

Li Ruoxian took off the jade pendant from her neck and handed it to An Yi.

Seeing the strangely shaped pendant, An Yi knew Li Ruoxian was not lying. She accepted it and saw the character “Two” carved on it. She sighed inwardly; this arrogant, overbearing woman whom she found so disagreeable turned out to be her senior sister. What a twisted fate! Clearly, this woman already knew her identity and had come to acknowledge their kinship. Well, better to recognize family than to stir up trouble. She returned the pendant, then resignedly took off the jade pendant from her own neck and handed it over.

“Nineteenth junior sister, I offended you earlier. Second senior sister offers her apologies. Please forgive me this once and don’t take it to heart.” Li Ruoxian returned the pendant, curtsied, and apologized.

An Yi pulled at the corner of her lips. “I was the one who was rude. Second senior sister, please don’t hold it against me.”

“Our first meeting as sisters, we only become closer after a little tussle. Let’s skip the pleasantries. Nineteenth junior sister, what is your name? May I ask?” Li Ruoxian smiled.

“An Yi,” An Yi paused. “In the martial world, I go by Luo Nineteen.”

“Luo Nineteen?” Li Ruoxian’s eyes brightened. “Luo is your mother’s surname?”

An Yi’s gaze flickered. “Yes.”

Li Ruoxian covered her mouth and laughed merrily.

An Yi was confused. What was so amusing?

Li Ruoxian winked, feigning mystery. “Nineteenth junior sister, do you know what name I use in the martial world?”

An Yi shook her head; how could she know?

“Wang Two. My mother’s surname is Wang. Our eldest sister is Lu One, fourth junior sister is Li Four, twelfth is Zhou Twelve, thirteenth is Zhao Thirteen, fourteenth is Li Fourteen, you are Luo Nineteen. The others, I haven’t met, so I don’t know if they also chose names according to their order in the sect.”

An Yi laughed as well; it was a remarkable coincidence.

“Nineteenth junior sister, where are you heading?”

“Just traveling around.” An Yi was still wary of Li Ruoxian.

“Will you go to the sword tournament at Lake Tai in September?”

“Such a grand event in the martial world—I’d surely go if I have the chance, to broaden my horizons.” An Yi had no intention of attending the tournament at Lake Tai; she only wanted to go to the capital to seek vengeance.

“It’s not just about broadening your horizons—you might meet your true love. I met my husband at the tournament.” Li Ruoxian smiled with a spring in her eyes.

An Yi hadn’t expected Li Ruoxian to be so forthright. She lowered her gaze and smiled softly.

“A man must marry, a woman must wed. Don’t be shy. The most important thing for a girl is to find a suitable husband. There are countless men, good and bad. You must learn to find gold among the sand…” Li Ruoxian was forty-two this year, old enough to be An Yi’s mother. Thanks to Ji Fanyi, they were now equals, but when faced with her junior sister, who was about the same age as her son, Li Ruoxian unconsciously treated her as a daughter or niece. Having no daughters herself, she couldn’t resist sharing her experience in finding a good man.

“Second senior sister, we’ve been chatting in this room for so long—shouldn’t we go out?” Li Ruoxian’s words were endless, and An Yi frowned as she listened. Her father in her previous life was vile and shameless; in this life, cruel and heartless. She had no interest in marriage, so she interrupted Li Ruoxian.

“Oh dear, I lost track of time while talking.” Li Ruoxian glanced out the window. “Come, let’s go to a restaurant for dinner.”

They came out of the room. Cheng Ruizhi was calmly drinking tea, with several attendants behind him, looking worried. Seeing Li Ruoxian emerge unharmed, they relaxed.

Li Ruoxian said to Cheng Ruizhi and the attendants, “This is my nineteenth junior sister.”

Cheng Ruizhi stood and bowed. “Ruizhi greets Nineteenth Aunt.”

“Greetings, Miss Nineteen,” the attendants also bowed.

“Ruizhi, don’t call her Nineteenth Aunt. People might think my junior sister is a man. Call her Aunt Nineteen,” Li Ruoxian said.

Cheng Ruizhi smiled and obediently changed his address. “Aunt Nineteen.”

An Yi wasn’t sure how to address him and smiled awkwardly, nodding.

At Li Ruoxian’s insistence, the group went to the city’s largest restaurant for dinner.

The restaurant was bustling, and it was mealtime. The private rooms were all taken; in the main hall, only three tables remained. Their group occupied two.

Li Ruoxian ordered a table full of dishes and asked the waiter for a pot of wine.

“Second senior sister, I don’t drink,” An Yi covered her cup with her hand.

“Just a little; this wine won’t make you drunk,” Li Ruoxian smiled.

An Yi smiled apologetically. “I get drunk easily. It’s improper for a young lady to drink too much.”

“That’s true.” Li Ruoxian did not insist.

“If Aunt Nineteen doesn’t like wine, let’s have a pot of good tea.” Cheng Ruizhi waved for the waiter. “Bring a pot of Maojian.”

Soon, the waiter brought hot tea.

“Aunt Nineteen, I can’t drink wine, so I’ll toast you with tea instead.” Cheng Ruizhi raised his cup with both hands. “Aunt Nineteen, please.”

An Yi picked up her cup politely. “Mr. Cheng, please.”

“Don’t call him Mr. Cheng; he’s your junior nephew. Call him Ruizhi,” Li Ruoxian laughed.

“Ruizhi, please.” The name “Ruizhi” felt too intimate for An Yi to say, so after a moment’s hesitation, she called him by his name.

Li Ruoxian’s arrogance and bullying were reserved for outsiders; now, facing An Yi, she was gentle, caring, and amiable, making An Yi deeply suspect that the radiant lady before her was not the same fierce woman who, just hours before, had threatened her life.

Dinner lasted half an hour, and when they left the restaurant, night had already fallen.

“Nineteenth junior sister, don’t return to that small inn. Come with me. I’ve booked a courtyard with six rooms,” Li Ruoxian held An Yi’s hand, refusing to let her go.

Li Ruoxian was born into wealth and never stayed in the kind of modest inn An Yi chose. She always stayed in the city’s largest, most luxurious inn with a private courtyard, costing three silver taels a day.

“Second senior sister, I already paid. It would be wasteful not to use it,” An Yi smiled.

“It’s just a few coins—let it be wasted,” Li Ruoxian was generous.

“Master’s teachings—I dare not forget. Money that shouldn’t be wasted must not be wasted.”

Li Ruoxian was surprised. “When did Master care so much about material things?”

An Yi smiled bashfully. “You know Master’s temperament—she acts according to her mood. Today she cares, tomorrow she doesn’t.”

Li Ruoxian covered her mouth and laughed. “That’s true.”

An Yi parted ways with Li Ruoxian and returned to the inn to rest.

The next morning, after washing up, An Yi stepped out of the inn and saw Qiao Zhu approaching with a food box.

“Good morning, Miss Nineteen. I pay my respects,” Qiao Zhu curtsied. “Madam sent me to bring you breakfast.”

“Thank you,” An Yi reached for the box.

Qiao Zhu did not hand it over. “Miss Nineteen, let me serve you breakfast.”

“No need. Go back and thank your mistress for me.”

Qiao Zhu handed over the box. “Madam asked me to tell you, please come to lunch at noon.”

An Yi hesitated. “I’ll be there on time.”

“Then I take my leave,” Qiao Zhu bowed, stepped back, and left.

An Yi returned to her room with the food box. She had intended to say goodbye to Li Ruoxian and continue her journey, but now had to stay another day.

Li Ruoxian had come to Zhengzhou because she’d heard of a famous doctor, hoping he could treat Cheng Ruizhi.

The doctor took Cheng Ruizhi’s pulse and, shaking his head, said, “Pale face, bluish lips, weak yang pulse, wiry yin, chest pain and tightness—extreme deficiency—short and rapid, heart pain and vexation…”

Li Ruoxian watched the doctor’s moving lips intently, hoping he would say the illness could be cured. But after reciting a long passage from medical texts, the doctor finally concluded, “This illness, I am powerless to cure.”

Cheng Ruizhi remained calm, used to hearing such words.

Li Ruoxian erupted in anger, pointing to the door. “Throw him out! What kind of useless doctor is this!”

“Mother,” Cheng Ruizhi smiled slightly. “The old doctor spoke honestly. Don’t be angry. Qiao Zhen, pay him and see him out.”

“Yes, young master.” Qiao Zhen grabbed the medicine chest and the old doctor by the collar, “escorting” him out.

“Ruizhi, don’t listen to these quacks. I will find a great doctor and cure you,” Li Ruoxian said, her anger fading as she held his hand.

“I never listen to them. I only listen to you, Mother,” Cheng Ruizhi smiled.

Li Ruoxian looked at her son’s cheerful face, her heart aching as if cut by a knife. If only she could take his place.

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