Chapter 15
"Prime Minister Qi, we will trouble you to replace us in welcoming the Mongol's envoys while we go see how our imperial sister feels." Although he sounded lofty, he had the capital to be an arrogant tyrant since he sat at the peak of Mist Empire's hierarchy. Hence, he had no qualm neglecting the Yuan envoys.
He flung back his sleeves, then turned around lightly to chase after Zhou Min. He didn't allow anyone to follow him, leaving behind the festive performances in the hall. As soon as he went out, he used his martial arts and leapt several times in the direction Zhou Min went.
Right when Zhou Min left the garden, her footsteps came to a halt. She looked at the man coming toward her, she gawked in terror. It was inconceivable he could be here. Wasn't he still in the banquet hall when she left?
Lan Ziyu leisurely approached her. His low voice resounded as he was near her. "Qing Ge should have told you that if you dare to hide from me again, the consequences will be dire. I guess you must have forgotten ~"
Zhou Min shivered. She turned and tried to escape, but her brother had swiftly captured her waist, holding her tightly in his embrace, as he rushed to his sleeping quarters. Zhou Min kept shouting in her mind for 484.
"Host, you were the one courting dead. For the time being, I have to go offline. Please take great care of your body in the meantime~" 484 shamelessly sneered at her, hitting her when she was down. It made her feel so depressed. She refused to admit she was so scared by Lan Ziyu's actions in the banquet hall that she forgot all about his stern warnings.
It seemed like the system calculation for her basic status wasn't wrong – her IQ is too low. (◞‸◟)
On their way, Zhou Min struggled until her little face was sweating, but it was all in vain. Lan Ziyu speeded up. Strangely, there was no shadow of anyone along their way as if everyone had suddenly vanished.
Finally, he arrived at his sleeping chambers and rushed to put her down, then he proceeded to strip her off her white clothes until her bared body was revealed to his eyes.
"My good Imperial Sister, there is only the two of us now." His eyes glinted as he leered at her well-endowed body.
"Im-imperial Brother, no… we can't-" She looked at him all flustered, then turned and ran to the door, but as soon her small hands touched the vermilion frame, a bigger hand grabbed her and she was pressed to the door by another body.
"Imperial Brother, I am your little sister! What do you want to do? Do you know what you are doing is wrong?" Zhou Min was restrained by Lan Ziyu's powerful hand, and her breast was squashed on the vermilion doorframe. From her back, she could feel a hot breath and a chuckle.
"What am I doing? I thought you already know – I'm going to fuck you of course. I will do you to death!" He vigorously turned her to face him. An indolent and sinister smile stretched across his face. "I believe you saw how I killed that woman we called Mother in Clear Jade Hall, so you should know that I never care about the view of the others – I am who I am!"
"What? I saw you kill our Mother?" Zhou Min was stunned by his words. What do you mean by witnessing? When did she see that?
Despite how many times she dug through Lan Min's memories, she had no recollection of such an event. As he observed her expression quickly changing from astonishment to doubt, his eyebrows rose, giving him a dangerous expression. "What are you thinking?"
"I should be the one asking you what are you thinking?! When did I see you killed Mother Queen? How come I didn't know about that? Are you trying to frame me? I don't want you to throw me that hot potato. I saw nothing, and I know nothing!" She vehemently denied grievously.
After combing through Lan Min's memories, Zhou Min learned the original body's mother was far from being virtuous. She was an ambitious woman who didn't have any guilt in killing her spouse, her son or even her daughter. She met her ends at Lan Ziyu's hands when she was about to put in action her murder plan. The rest was as Lan Ziyu said.
However, Lan Min was learned about that matter at the moment of her death from the mouth of the female protagonist. Zhou Min knew about the story behind because she had investigated the male lead in order to find the reason for his aversion to Lan Min. However, she didn't know the real reason until now.
In Lan Min's memories, her mother could only be described as a very selfish woman who only knows herself. There was no goodwill garnered from Zhou Min. Instead, she was more curious about the relationship between that pair of siblings. Before Lan Min reached the age of 11, their relationship was incredibly good – eating, living and even playing together.
At that time, Lan Min had a big brother who cherished and spoiled her, a father who doted on her and a mother who treated her well although it was all pretense. Hence, she had a fortunate childhood. Yet, after the age of 11, her Mother Queen and Imperial Father passed away. Her big brother ascended the throne, and since then, they became estranged. She tried to find him several times but was obstructed by Eunuch Tai.
Later on, her life turned upside down, and they continued to grow further apart until she ultimately died under the hand of the female protagonist who wanted to curry favor with the male lead. Her ending was quite sad. Although she didn't mention her real wish, Zhou Min felt since Lan Min liked her brother that much, she might wish to solve the misunderstanding between them or at least find the cause for the fragmentation of her once beautiful family, and why her only brother drifted away from her.
After hearing Lan Ziyu's confession, Zhou Min suddenly smiled, then laughed and finally sobbed. "You… You thought that I saw you kill Mother, that is why you ignored me all those years?!"
She sobbed in a charming tone like a mermaid luring unsuspected sailors. Her beautiful and ethereal appearance was akin to a celestial maiden descending from Heaven. Her glistened on her face. She appeared so weak, so helpless as if the world had forsaken her. Her pitiful appearance made Lan Ziyu's heart ached.
He had sworn to protect her and did so until that fateful day when she witnessed him killing their mother. Since then, she started to avoid him, and everything was no longer the same.
Her avoidance left him disappointed. Therefore, he started to alienated her and treated her coldly.
After observing her ignorant appearance, it appeared there were mysteries to be solved.
"On that day, the person outside of the courtyard wasn't you?" He stared at her dangerously. If you dare to lie, I will slap you to death. Zhou Min felt even more wronged by his warning gaze. In fact, it might not be her who felt that way. It could be the remnants of Lan Min's feelings, or perhaps because Zhou Min took over Lan Min, and only one entity could exist; Zhou Min might have merged with Lan Min, and they were now one person.
"Do you know how my life was all those years?! Bastard!" Since she was sandwiched between the door and Lan Ziyu, she couldn't break free and plummeted him with her small fists to vent the grievances in her heart.
Lan Ziyu pulled up her hands and suppressed them above her head. However, it didn't stop her from twisting and turning recklessly. "You-" He didn't know what to say. His desire was eroding his reason.