*Flashback Continued*
Ru had immediately taken a dislike to the person she had bumped into. Even though he looked really handsome but the sole fact that she found a gun in his possession left a very bad impression on her.
"Watch where you're going," she said harshly as she pulled away from him.
However, that person was still staring at her face. Somehow, those dazed eyes were looking at her green ones with curiosity and with a frown. Something in those green sparkling eyes was pulling him towards her. He didn't know what it was but that invisible power was strong. And somehow very familiar as well. He just couldn't recall when or where he had felt this before.
"Sorry," he muttered seeing the distaste in her eyes. His heart felt a prick when he noticed that dislike in her eyes. He had turned to leave and even walked to the end of the road when he suddenly realized that the gun that he had under his jacket was now gone.
He tried to recall what happened when his eyes widened realizing that he had only come in contact with a single person who had just bumped into him. He turned around and ran back to where he left her but she was nowhere to be found now. He frantically looked around to look for her but couldn't. She vanished into thin air making him feel apprehensive.
Suddenly, a pebble hit his head and he looked towards the alley where it came from. There she stood leaning against the wall dangling his gun in her hand with a smirk. "Looking for this?"
He ran towards her to take it from her when she got his neck into a deadlock before slamming him on the cold concrete ground. He groaned in pain, "What are you playing at?"
Ru shrugged her shoulders, "Nothing. I just don't trust a man who keeps a gun in the crowd of innocent and ordinary people."
His brows knitted slightly as he replied, "I have it for my own protection."
"I don't believe that," announced Ru without any hesitation. She couldn't tell herself why she chose to pull this stunt. He, carrying a gun had nothing to do with her, and yet, on instinct, she chose to stealthily take his gun.
"Aren't you being too nosy?" he retorted while trying to stand up. His bones were aching badly because of the tactic she used on him. He still couldn't believe that he actually lost from her and that too from a very young girl. The young girl before him was Ru, who finally changed out of her male attire before looking for trouble.
"Maybe I am," she replied and leaned really close to his face, "So what?"
His breath hitched because of how close they were. He really didn't know why but he was finding her presence overwhelming. It was weighing down on him.
"Give me back my gun," he demanded trying to avoid her eyes that seemed like whirlpools pulling him in.
"I can, but first you tell me what this is?" she showed another parcel which made his eyes widen is a surprise. She looked through the content of the parcel and spoke, "Target: Ji Yifeng... Interesting..." she said to herself as she read the other details before adding, "Killing a member of Five Great Clans. Do you even realize the consequences?" He frowned at her words while she went on, "Not only Ji Family even the rest of the clans would start hunting for your life. And trust me, those clans are not as simple as you think. You won't be able to hide from them."
"That is my concern," he said harshly.
Ru furrowed her brows at him and added, "Okay then I'd like to know the reason why you want to kill him." It wasn't like she was really interested but according to her father, as a member of Xia clan, it was their duty to protect the other clans when they needed protection. And she, being the next successor of her father's legacy had to follow those rules.
When he didn't reply, in a blink of an eye, Ru was standing right behind him as she pinned two silver needles at the side of his head and spoke softly, "Don't make me repeat myself."
All of a sudden, as if a huge burden was lifted off of his mind as his eyes cleared up and he stared at Ru's green eyes with fascination now. "My father betrayed his wife and chose another. He betrayed me and my brother. And everyone took his side. He still managed to inherit the Clan Head's position when he doesn't even deserve it. I need to kill him to show my grandparents that they made a mistake by throwing my mother out."
Ru scowled at his words, "Ji Yifeng is your father?" He nodded. "What's your name then?"
"Xiao Zhiren..." he answered.
Ru indifferent gaze looked at his face again before looking at the photo of Ji Yifeng in her hand, "Hmm... You do have similarities but why is your last name Xiao instead of Ji?"
"Because they don't even want to acknowledge my existence along with my mother," scoffed Xiao Zhiren.
Ru scratched her head in confusion. This seemed really strange to her. She had never come across something like this before. Her clan was way simple. Well, actually it was more complicated but Ru found her people's ways to be simple because she was used to it. Besides, there was no such thing as trickery and deceit or power struggle. That's why this was all so foreign to her.
"And killing him is gonna get you the acknowledgment that you desire?" she retorted curiously. "I mean if your father is dead, there is no way anyone is gonna acknowledge you or your mother. If anything, you'd be labeled as the unfilial son who took his father's life in the desire to seek power. How pathetic does that sound!"
Xiao Zhiren was stunned by her words. Indeed, her words were hitting the mark. The brain that had only been listening to what his mother taught him was finally listening to someone talking rationally. Ru carefully pulled out her silver needles and put them back.
"My father says, instead of seizing someone else's power make yourself the strongest one. Because once you're strong, those who shoved you down would be left with nothing but remorse and defeat. While you'd have the choice to not forgive them for what they did to you."
She threw the gun and the parcel back at him as she added, "You can either choose to let your anger define your downfall or use that anger as a way to rise to the top. I'm sure your father would be really suffering when he realizes that he lost a treasure." Saying that she turned to leave and shouted over her shoulder, "Lose that gun though. Next time, I won't be kind enough to leave a word of advice." She was far now when her voice resonated through the empty alley, "Seek strength, revenge is already a lost game."
Just like that, she was lost in the dark alley leaving a very confused Xiao Zhiren. His head was hurting badly. Whenever he tried to think about what she said, it would hurt. As if her words were contradicting with his roots.
Ru didn't even realize how these few words of hers started the battle that she was just about to face now...
*Flashback to be Continued*