His Rui

Chapter 75 – Lantern Festival

"Rui, what are you doing there?"

General Li shouted in panic and anger.

The young girl who was sitting on the high wall turned around to look at her father. Her small chubby face was wrinkled and her lips had a pout.

Seeing her father, she pouted more and turned around again to look at the ground in confusion.

'How could she get down from the wall now?'

General Li could only sigh exasperatedly and press down his anger. With a gentle tone, he coaxed his daughter

"Rui, come down okay? You will fall from there and it will hurt very badly."

Hearing her father's words, Li Rui really felt afraid as she looked down on the ground. However, she didn't turn around immediately and continued to sit on the wall. Swaying her legs, she said in a low voice.

"Rui will not come down. No one loves Rui here. Rui will go somewhere else to live by herself."

As she said this, she could not help but pity herself.

Behind her, General Li said immediately

"No one loves Rui? How can it be possible? Rui is my most precious child. Come down child and Father will tell you how much I love you."

The last sentence General Li said with greeted teeth.

But Li Rui was intelligent enough to deny her father's words.

"No, Father doesn't love Rui. Father was standing there silently when Mother was scolding me. Mother also doesn't love Rui."

"Young Miss…"

"Rui…"

Rui turned around a little and saw her mother and maids looking at her with worried eyes. She glanced away from her mother because she was still angry.

"Only Li Zhan, Li Hua and Li Mei love Li Rui."

General Li rolled his eyes at his daughter's words. While Yi Jie eyes were filled with tears and she said

"Rui, Mother is sorry. Mother will not scold you again, okay? Come down now."

As soon as Li Rui heard her mother's choked voice, she turned around and looked at her father with fear. Sure enough, her father was glaring at her.

She forcefully avoided her father's eyes and continued. After all, she had not achieved what she wanted yet.

"Mother will never scold me again?"

Yi Jei immediately nodded her head.

"Mother will also not stop Rui from going to the Lantern Festival?"

There was a moment of hesitation but soon Yi Jie nodded her head.

Finally getting what she wanted, Li Rui smiled widely. Her white teeth shone amidst her soft pink lips. She didn't dare to try anything new and come down with the help of ladder.

Li Hua and Li Mei helped her fearing that she will fall down tripping on her dress.

As her legs touched the ground, she ran to her mother and hugged her waist.

"Mother loves Rui and Rui also loves Mother."

Yi Jie was really horrified after the maids told her that her daughter was missing. She remembered the last time when Li Rui had run away from the Manor after she had scolded her and instantly regretted losing her calm with Li Rui.

Now seeing her daughter again, she didn't dare to scold her. She hugged her tightly in her arms till General Li took her away from her.

Holding her daughter's little hand in his own, General Li looked at his wangfei warmly and said

"Weren't you going to visit your Father and Mother today? Go"

He looked down at his daughter and said smilingly

"I'll handle her."

But Li Rui seemed to see something else in her father's smile. She struggled to free her little hand from her father but her efforts were in vain.

Yi Jie was hesitating to leave Li Rui alone but General Li persuaded her and hence she left from there.

General Li looked down at her daughter who avoided his eyes.

"So you wish to go to Lantern Festival, huh?"

Little Li Rui twisted the hem of her dress with one hand as she looked down on the ground.

"Father, that …Rui …that …Ahhh"

Her words were interrupted when she was suddenly picked up by her father.

"You little brat…pretending in front of your mother ….."

"Father….hahaha…F..father ..no….Rui…hahaha…sorry"

General Li held her with one hand and tickled her with his other till she apologized.

"Li Zhan…help…hahaha…."

Behind them, the three maids smiled seeing this.

The melodious sound of her laughter echoed as General Li walked to his daughter's courtyard. 

——————-

The whole Imperial City was decorated. A red Lantern hung at every house and shop.

Dressed in a pink-colored dress, Li Rui looked at the crowd in front of herself. When her clean black eyes fell on the stall of 'Tanghulu' they brightened and she raised her foot to run towards the stall.

However, her steps were made to halt when her arm was grabbed by someone from behind.

"Rui, this is why Mother doesn't allow you to come outside."

Little Li Rui stuck out her tongue. Her hairpin tinkled as she turned her head to look at her elder brother, Li Diu apologetically.

If her mother came to know about this, then she can't even dream of stepping outside of Li Manor again.

"Elder Brother will not tell Mother, right?"

Thirteen-year-old Li Diu was already used to see his younger sister's pretense so he didn't sway no matter how cute faces she made and said mercilessly

"Depends on your behavior."

Saying this, he turned around and strictly asked the maids to not remove their eyes from her. While Li Rui made faces behind his brother's back.

As she walked to the stall of Tanghulu with others, Li Rui looked at the group of soldiers walking with them with dissatisfaction.

'What is the need of so many soldiers? She was here to enjoy the festival but her father sent soldiers as if she was going for a war.'

As she thought this, she tried to mimic the way the soldier was walking. Keeping her back straight, she put one hand on her waist copying the way the soldiers placed their swords. Raising her chin a bit high, she walked with the soldiers.

The soldiers saw this and could not control their laughter.

Seeing them laughing at herself, Li Rui didn't feel offended. Instead, she giggled with them. Amidst her giggles, she glanced sideways and her laughter stopped short when she saw the boy walking beside her didn't smile at all.

She grabbed the sleeve of the boy and asked with a smile.

"Elder Brother Junjie, why are you not laughing?"

'Was she not funny enough?'

Yi Junjie just glanced at her and then looked at her hand on his sleeve. He didn't say anything and continued walking with no expression on his face.

Li Rui frowned. A few months ago, her mother and Aunt Yi had told her and Huiqing Jiejie that the boy was her elder brother from now on.

Li Rui was very excited to have a new brother but this elder brother never smiles.

He doesn't even talk to her. However, she comforted herself that this time he didn't try to free his sleeve from her hand.

Although small, this was also progress, right?

She felt happy at her achievement and her happiness increased when she saw the stall of Tanghulu in front of herself.

The owner of the stall had placed a few chairs and tables for the customers.

Sitting on the chair, Li Rui ate her Tanghulu happily looking at the passing people. Her one hand still held Yi Junjie's sleeve who sat beside her with a nonchalant face.

"It would have been greater if Qingqing Jiejie had also come with us."

Yi Junjie glanced at her sideways saw her sad face. He moved his gaze away and said in a low voice.

"You can come with her next time."

Li Rui felt alright hearing these words and her mood was bright again but she didn't notice that this was the first time Yi Junjie had talked to her.

At this moment, a few people suddenly ran inside the shed covering the chairs and tables. The soldiers tried to make a circle around the table to protect Li Diu, Li Rui, and Yi Junjie.

"Ahh…"

One soldier bumped into Li Rui making the Tanghulu in her hand fall on the floor. Li Rui looked at the fallen stick with a pout. She raised her head to search for the stall owner so that she can buy other Tanghulu.

Soon after, the chaos inside the shed calmed down. But at this moment, a running horse was seen in the wide street.

The horse was running blindly and seemed to be out of control.

"I'm here to take care of these two. We will be alright. Go and control the horse unless someone dies."

Liu Diu said the soldiers.

The soldiers nodded and except one, others went to the street to control the running horse.

The people inside the shed gasped suddenly.

Li Diu curiously looked outside. On the street road, he saw a girl was standing in the way of a horse. However, this was not what made him panic.

It was the small figure dressed in pink that was running towards that girl.

Li Diu swiftly turned his head to look around the round table silently hoping that whatever he was thinking was wrong.

When he didn't found the person he was looking for, he stood up abruptly and ran outside the shed.

But till the time, he reached there the figure had already rushed in front of the horse and he could only scream in panic and fear.

"Rui"