In a spur of emotions, Ru said in surprise, "You can recognize me?"
Grandmaster Wang smiled softly as his elderly face wrinkled up even more. "Just because our young master Ru has green eyes now doesn't mean this old man won't recognize him." He took a brief pause to observe the way she kept her head down and added, "If my memory serves me right, young master Ru was taught to keep his head high. When did you learn the bad habit of avoiding your eyes like a thief?"
Ru bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Are you really sure that I'm your young master Ru?"
"Mm… There is no doubt about it!" he answered without hesitation. "I can see that your jawline has turned sharper as you have grown up now. Also, you have grown taller. Your cheeks have turned hollow. But what pushed you to remove your identification mark?"
Ru chewed the inside of her mouth before replying, "That stupid mole was a dead give away of my identity. So, I used a way to conceal it."
"Have you been having fun outside? After all, it's been long since you started playing dead for everyone." Listening to his blunt insinuations, Ru felt embarrassed.
"Do you think I wanted to play dead?" She raised her head to stare into his eyes. "I had to play dead since I had no courage to face my grandfather with these green eyes."
"Follow me," he didn't comment about her outburst and took her towards a small wooden pavilion on the back of the bamboo cabin. As they both sat opposite each other. Grandmaster Wang brewed some tea as he said, "There are two people who had yet to give up on you." Ru was startled a bit as he went on, "Old Master clearly stated that no one is allowed to declare his favorite grandson Ru as dead until he sees your dead body with his own eyes."
Ru's heart shook a bit. She knew her grandfather's nature better than anyone. He was the most ruthless one and yet he was the one who doted on her the most as well. He was the one who raised her. Therefore, he was the most familiar with her as well. There was no way that her grandfather would accept the fact that she'd really died just because someone said it.
"Your little brother is the second one." Ru lifted her eyes in surprise. "Second young master is still looking for you. Last time when I saw him, he said, 'He is my elder brother who I have looked up to my entire life. There is no way my brother can die so easily. I know he'd fight till his last breath just to survive.' And when I asked him to give up, wanna hear what he said?" Ru unknowingly nodded her head. "That brat said, 'My brother gave me a promise that he'll come back just for me. And my brother can give his life but he can never go back on his words.'" There was a slight smile on his elderly face as he recalled those words.
Ru felt her chest constricting as she heard those words. Sure enough that rice cake of hers was stubborn just like herself. She shook her head thinking, 'You little rascal, you always forgot your lessons but now you can still remember my promise? You really are my brother.'
"Grandfather would be disappointed if he saw me like this," Ru said softly as if all the answers he sought were clustered in that one sentence.
Ture enough, that one sentence really explained everything for Grandmaster Wang. The young child he raised was someone who was indifferent even about death. The young master Ru, in his memory, would never let his emotions control his actions.
He could still remember the time her first pet died...
*Flashback*
"Grandfather!" Two elderly men were playing a game of chess when a childlike voice bellowed and in walked young master Ru with a furious look. "Grandfather, look at this stupid snake." She pushed the blue snake in her hand towards her grandfather.
"What's wrong with our young master's Xiao Hong?" Grandmaster Wang asked in amusement.
"Grandmaster, this stupid snake died. Useless fellow! Who am I going play with if he's gonna play dead now?" Grandmaster Wang and her grandfather were taken aback by her words. Everyone in the clan knew her attachment with her first pet. And now, she was acting as if it was some random snake.
"Young master Ru, are you upset that your Xiao Hong died?" Grandmaster Wang asked cautiously.
The young Ru scoffed out. "Why would I be upset? I just find it troublesome that now I'll have to look for a new pet to play with." She threw the dead snake on the floor and turned to leave with a huff.
"Young master Ru!" Her grandfather's intimidating voice halted her steps.
"Yes, grandfather." She replied in a humble manner or more like obsequious manner which she only showed before her grandfather.
"Bury the body of your snake." The domineering voice made her scowl.
"Why?" she whined.
"There is some respect you should give to the dead. No matter what, you had spent five years with your snake. Give him a proper goodbye." As she picked up the body of the snake, she heard, "Also, after the burial, pack your bags. You're going to Jingshen Monastery with Xiu Ying."
Ru's eyes widened in shock as she asked, "Why?"
"To learn that death is not something you can joke about."
*End of Flashback*
'Old master did his best to protect you and yet, fate had played its game.' Grandmaster Wang shook his head lightly as he sighed. "Silly child! Your grandfather can be disappointed with the world but you had been an exception in his life. Old master would really be over the moon to know that you're alive."
"I know he won't say anything but I'll lose the courage to face myself if I went back defeated."
These words were enough to convince Grandmaster Wang since he had seen how she had only been taught how to win in life. There was a huge ego in her that won't allow her to back off.
"Stubbornness runs in the blood. I can't even do anything about that." He muttered to himself. "I'll only tell the old master that you're alive. You can rest assured about the other things."
Ru cupped her hands and bowed her head saying, "Thank you, Grandmaster!"
Grandmaster Wang Xiu Ying waved her off wearily.
"Oh, why did you let that man inside? You have a rule that you won't see visitors during seclusion." Ru didn't forget the part that he made her lose a bet.
Grandmaster chuckled at her expressions and pulled out the emblem that Xiao Zhi Ren had brought with him. He extended his hand to let Ru take a look.
She took the gold emblem in her hand and her eyes widened. "It's the golden emblem of 'The FireBenders' Tower."
"And if he holds this emblem, that means that young man is the core member of 'The FireBenders' Tower. I had to let him in." Ru scrunched up her face, woefully.
"I thought you did it to make me lose the bet," Ru muttered to herself.
"I'm flattered to see your trust in me." Ru pressed her lips together at his sarcastic remark.
Recalling something, she straightened up, poured tea in his cup and raised her cup saying, "Let me toast a cup of tea to show my gratitude."
Grandmaster Wang furrowed his brows in confusion. "What could possibly our young master Ru be grateful for?"
Drinking the cup of tea, she stated, "My dearest Yingying," Grandmaster Wang glared at her for addressing him so cordially.
"Young master Ru!" His voice raised a bit making Ru stifle her laughter.
"Fine... I won't call you Yingying. Geez! You're still not fun at all." Sighing heavily, she added, "On a serious note, Grandmaster, this young master of yours is immensely grateful for having you in his life. You and I, both are familiar with my displeasure regarding my stay here at Jingshen." Obviously, he knew that she hated spending time in Jingshen. After all, she made sure to let everyone know of her displeasure by burning down whatever that got in her way.
While he was reminiscing, she continued, "I hated it when you used to lock me up in the room to copy those ancient medicinal scriptures. But when I had no hope of walking ever again, it was your teachings that brought me back to my feet. Thank you for being strict with me!"
Grandmaster Wang couldn't help but feel touched. Why? It was the first time young master Ru actually said something nice without being the jerk that 'he' was. He didn't even realize it when tears had made their way to his eyes.
But before he could bask in these nice comments, her poisonous tongue ruined the mood by saying, "But don't think I'll ever forgive you for shaving my head. That is one debt I will collect at any cost!" She was still traumatized by the experience when he shaved her head full of shoulder-length hair. Her hair was her pride and that cruel old man trampled on that pride ruthlessly.
Grandmaster Wang flicked the space between her brows and said, "As expected, you can never be the nice person. No matter what you just have to spoil the moment by using that thorny tongue of yours."
Ru smiled goofily as if he was giving her the highest degree of praises. She raised up from the cushioned seat and her face turned back to wear the mask of impassiveness. "Grandmaster, I've might be brutally torn down by this world. But I'm still the same person who grew up before your eyes."
It was true that in all these years, a lot of things changed around her. But one thing that she couldn't change was herself.
Although staring at her reflection she had asked a million times:
"Mirror mirror on the wall,
Have I really fallen apart?"
But deep down she knew, she didn't.
If the fact that she had fallen was true then the fact that she was yet to fall apart was also true!