Ru had figured that she was already doomed. However, there was no harm in prolonging this situation, was there?
"What are you talking about, Xiuying?" Ru replied feigning perfect ignorance as if last night's events had nothing to do with her at all.
Abbott Wang Xiuying stared at her face as he said, "Why do I have to remind Young Master that he can't call me by my name?"
Ru stood up from the stairs and dusted off her clothes while walking down. "If you say so, Yingying." Seeing the look of Abbott Wang Xiuying's face she added, "Don't like it? How about Xiao Ying? No? Ying'er? This won't do as well? Then... Ah-Ying? Come on, choose one already." She turned to look at Steward Shin and asked, "Uncle Shin, don't you think Yingying sounds better?"
Steward Shin was having difficulty in keeping a straight face. Only his Young Master would dare to talk so impudently with Abbott Wang Xiuying. "If Young Master finds it better than how can I say otherwise?"
"Xia Shin!" Abbott Wang Xiuying's voice made Steward Shin take a step back. "Young Master Ru, don't try to shirk away from the responsibility. Why did you bully this young man last night?"
Ru gave a forced smile as she rolled her eyes, 'See, he is a tattletale! I should have left him in the well last night. Goodness is amount to nothing in this cruel world.' But controlling her urges to throw that boy back in the well, she said, "He started it."
"Are you sure about that?" Another question was thrown her way.
"Absolutely!" she replied with resolve. "He messed with my snacks. So, I messed with him. One should not forget that every action brings consequences. If he dared to ruin my food, why wouldn't I dare to touch him?"
"Young Master Ru, did you already do something to him?" Steward Shin asked leaning close to her.
Ru nodded her head and said, "Yup. I threw him in the well." She heard a gasp and looked at the woman standing silently behind the boy. Steward Shin was looking back at her wide-eyed. "But in my defense, I didn't know that he can't swim. I mean look at him, in this wild wicked world, he still doesn't know how to swim. Hence it's proved that I didn't bully him, he gave me the opportunity to do so."
Steward Shin had the urge to give her a round of applause for this reasoning. Young Master Ru and his excuses never get old. They only get amusing. However, others were having different thoughts than him.
"I could have died!" The boy shouted at her.
"Then you should be thanking me instead since I saved your sorry little as..." With a cough, she left her words halfway before continuing again, "Your sorry self! Yes. That's the correct word."
"You!" The boy was hopping mad by now because of her unreasonable self.
"Renren, that's enough." Ru heard a soft voice and looked closely at the woman who spoke up.
"But Mum..."
"No more," she warned and the young boy had to nod his head. "Master Wang, I believe you and I shouldn't get involved in children squabble."
As she spoke, Ru's attention was completely on her face. The woman although beautiful looked very pale. She observed her from head to toe and ran back inside the room. When Ru came back, she had a wooden chair in her hands which she placed down beside the woman and said, "You should sit down. In your condition, it's not healthy to stand for too long."
Abbott Wang Xiuying had a small smile on his lips as he saw her actions while the woman was pleasantly surprised by her. "Young Master Ru, why don't you take lady Xiao's pulse." Abbott Wang Xiuying suggested and Ru nodded.
"May I?" Ru asked for permission as she looked at Xiao Zhi'er.
"You may," she replied while extending her hand towards Ru. Xiao Zhi'er saw Ru scowling and smiled before looking at Steward Shin, "Shin, would you mind taking my Renren back to the room?"
"Sure, Lady Zhi'er," Steward Shin held Xiao Zhiren's hand and took him away.
"Don't mind my words but..." Ru pulled back her fingers from her delicate wrist and said, "Are you out of your mind? Why else would you choose to go along with this pregnancy?" Xiao Zhi'er stayed quiet and allowed Ru to talk. "You are eight months pregnant but you don't look like it at all. Instead of gaining weight, you're losing it. At this rate, both you and the fetus will be in danger during the delivery. But since you're here to meet Grandmaster Wang, I think you are aware of this already. Didn't someone tell you to not go along with this pregnancy?"
"They did. Everyone told me that I should get an abortion but I can't do it." This response from Xiao Zhi'er irked Ru.
"You do realize that even if you survived through this pregnancy, your condition might worsen later on. Not only that, but there are also chances that even with all your efforts, this fetus might die." Ru's words were direct even at that age, she didn't care how her words might hurt others.
"You talk like your father," Xiao Zhi'er replied with a smile. "He also yelled at me when I told him that I'll take my chances with this baby." She rubbed Ru's head and added, "Even your overbearing personality is just alike. No wonder I find you so interesting."
"You're my father's best friend and that's why I'm gonna be honest with you. I don't find your choice to be a wise one. Abandoning your own life for an unborn baby is really ridiculous."
"My baby is a part of me, how can I just abandon him? That's the hardest thing to do for a mother."
"This is not your first child, is it?" Ru asked.
"No, it's my third."
"Then why are you abandoning your two children for the sake of saving the one who has yet to open his eyes in this world?" Ru really couldn't understand this choice.
"Little Ru, the reason why I can't abandon this child is that he has yet to see this world. How can I give up on him?"
Ru didn't stay to chat anymore, she gave a nod to both Xiao Zhi'er and Abbott Wang before turning to leave. She felt like her mind will explode if she stayed any longer.
"Don't mind her words, Ru has been raised as a brutally honest person. Even if she hurt your feelings, she won't even know it herself," Abbott Wang Xiuying spoke up for Ru as he looked at Xiao Zhi'er.
"Master doesn't have to explain anything to me. Zhi'er knows how the Xia Family rules and regulations are like. In fact, I find her to be a breath of fresh air." Xiao Zhi'er spoke with affection in her voice. "I still would like her to be my daughter-in-law."
"You're still not giving up on that? Even when you know that Ru is born with a complicated identity." Abbott Wang Xiuying reminded her.
"Her special identity doesn't really faze me." Xiao Zhi'er replied nonchalantly.
"Don't forget she just tried to kill your son."
"No. She wasn't trying to kill him. She was trying to teach him a lesson and when she realized that he couldn't swim, she was the one who saved him as well. Her presence can at least make my son realize that he can't get everything on a silver platter. Sometimes, he'll have to fight for himself as well."
"Zhi'er, I won't ask you to give up this idea but let me warn you..." Xiao Zhi'er looked at Abbott Wang Xiuying, "Their stars have entwined for longer than you can imagine but they are still apart. And if they are apart that means, the universe doesn't want to see another sad ending."
"Master, keep your riddles to yourself. One day when my Renren really falls for her, I won't listen to you at all." Xiao Zhi'er announced haughtily before leaving him.
Abbott Wang Xiuying shook his head as he whispered, "Ru holds grudges like no other. Zhiren has a heart of gold. They both are born with a lone star. Sigh. This conspiracy of fate is seemingly inevitable. I wonder if it's bounded for another sad story."