Ling Qiaolian couldn't believe her eyes when she noticed whose hand had obstructed her. The blade that had slightly cut through the flesh of Ru's neck was now being held in Ru's hand. No matter how Ling Qiaolian tried to pull it, she couldn't escape from Ru's vice-like grip. Even when the blade of the sword was clearly hurting her hand, Ru didn't flinch. The blade dripped in her blood but she didn't let go.
When Ru lifted her eyes, Ling Qiaolian was left startled. Her eyes were limpid without any shadow of helplessness or pain. In fact, her eyes looked so serene that it made people's heart shudder with fear.
Ling Qiaolian looked and noticed that Rong had straightened up as well with a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips as well. He also didn't seem like the person who seemed devastated to see his sister earlier.
The poised and elegant demeanor of both of them made Ling Qiaolian involuntarily think of Xia Xue.
Ru slowly stood up on her feet without wavering. And while doing so, her hand still didn't let go of the sword. Ling Qiaolian couldn't wrap her head around this situation at all. She was certain that Ru lost a lot of blood because of the wound she received from Xiao Zhiren. And not to forget that the dagger he used to stab her was laced with the deadliest poison. Also, the white gas Ru inhaled earlier was mixed with a drug that could destroy one's mental resistance and make them aggressive.
Because of that very drug, Ling Qiaolian was inciting Ru. She wanted Ru to lose control of her senses. But the situation didn't look like it was turning into her favor. How come Ru seemed even more clear-headed now?
She pulled a knife and tried to strike Ru where she had already been stabbed. But before she could even touch, Ru's other hand gripped her wrist. Ling Qiaolian's face contorted in pain but she held back her cries as the knife fell on the floor with a 'clang'.
"Feeling confused?" Ru whispered in a low voice that had a hint of mockery. "You must be wondering how come I'm standing on my own?"
"How?" Ling Qiaolian gritted out.
"Well, before I tell you that let me clear a misconception about myself..." Ru's voice was languid and free of any trouble. She really didn't seem like the person whose one hand was gripping a sword's blade while the other was gripping the wrist of her attacker. "Papa always said, when the enemy is at your door, don't look for someone to save you. Stand up and save yourself." Ru's eyes dulled a little as her gaze wandered towards Xiao Zhiren who was frozen still. With a strange smile she went on, "Young Master Ru never learned to hide behind anyone. And I never shied away from courting my own death either."
Ru's hold on Ling Qiaolian's wrist tightened to the point that it felt like the bones were about to be broken. And it took a minute before the bones did crack and she dropped her sword to hold her other hand that was experiencing an excruciating pain of being crushed.
Ru's leg lifted as she kicked her shins to make her drop on her floor on her knees. And as she did, Ru picked up her sword while her foot pressed on the same hand that she crushed earlier.
"AH!"
Ling Qiaolian couldn't hold back her scream. She wanted to move but before she could, Ru had already used a hand-chop to paralyze her body.
Ru's eyes were carefully examining the sword in her hand as she went on, "Now let my brother clear another misconception of yours." She looked at Rong who nodded.
"You might have felt victorious thinking that our mother died in that fire she started herself to protect herself but you're wrong." Ling Qiaolian furrowed her brows. "For a member of Xia Clan, finding a way to deal with a cheap drug has never been a big deal. So, before your loyal dog could do anything, she had chopped him into pieces with her hands before setting the room on fire to fool you. And you fell for it!"
"Impossible!" Ling Qiaolian screamed. "She died that night. In that fire!"
Rong took a deep breath and shook his head in disappointment. "She indeed died that night but the person who killed her wasn't you. Or that fire! She died exactly how she wanted to."
Ling Qiaolian's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. She always felt a sense of joy thinking of how she drove Xia Xue to the madness that the woman burned herself.
Ru took over as she stared into Ling Qiaolian's eyes and smirked, "My brother often used Xia Xue as a bad example of someone who did everything is love to teach me how dreadful love can be."
"Not like you learned it," Rong muttered bitterly.
Ru chose to ignore him sulking at the side as she went on, "That night, Xia Xue was the one who killed all of your loyal dogs. She was the one who made you suffer such a huge loss that you had to look for schemes like infiltrating other clans to build up your forces all over again. In fact, even after killing everyone, she was unscathed."
"Then how did she die?" Ling Qiaolian asked.
"That stupid woman died in her husband's arms. The wedding vow was 'Till death do us part.' She took it a bit far. She couldn't bear to part even at death so she followed Ximen Xi even in death as well. By choosing to save her kids, she became a brave mother. By dying in her husband's arms, she proved her love." Ru was also shaking her head as she repeated all that she had heard in all those years.
Even though Ru didn't know that Ximen Xi and Xia Xue were her real parents, she had heard stories. It was inevitable that nobody would talk about them. Especially, when she was repeatedly warned by her brother Rong to never follow the path of Xia Xue.
But until this day, Ru was unable to tell whether what Xia Xue chose to do that night was her foolishness, or was that the test of true love one had to give? Once she firmly believed it was foolishness. Because of the way she was raised, Xia Xue's actions did seem foolish to her. But now... She again looked at Xiao Zhiren and lowered her eyes... Now she wasn't very sure anymore.