Her whispering was like the small ringing of a triangle. Unbeknownst to her, the Bai family was one of well-trained martial artists, naturally, they heard her.
Madame Ting's eyes widened hearing this. "...I was thoughtless with my words right now wasn't I, sister? Did I offend you?"
Lady Fei Fei just smiled.
"It's alright, I'm used to it. I was just thinking you were probably exaggerating, this apprentice of yours is quite thoughtful. How did you know?" A question directed towards her.
"Well, I am also a younger sister so I am also used to it. I just thought, for Madame Ting to finally reunite with her younger sister and say such a thing, might hurt Lady Fei's feelings." Qing Anna explained.
"Are you comparing me to that barbarian?" Madame Ting's smile faded, her head whipped around as she asked.
"Madame Ting is an older sister, it's in the nature of an older sister to be mean to the younger one even if you have the of best intentions."
"She speaks the truth!" Lady Fei agreed immediately. "Sister you've always been so harsh to me!"
"I've truly gotten old, to think I'd see the day one of the young and old would gang up on me..."
Qing Anna bowed in apology, she didn't mean to make her master lose face, she just wanted to keep her head. How many light novels had she read of crazy women in power eliminating those of lower class from fits of jealousy?
Madame Ting waved her away.
Dinner was peaceful.
Afterward, Madame Ting left Qing Anna in her room to go discuss the details of the mission.
There was a certain air over dinner. Qing Anna had heard prior to their arrival from Madame Ting that they were rescuing someone. But Madame Ting was completely unbothered. Why exactly? She couldn't imagine a mother that'd be happy when one of her children could possibly be facing mortal peril. Or perhaps the person they needed to rescue wasn't a family member at all?
Restless, she needed to hear the rest from Madame Ting, according to the village head, the forest she disappeared in was a dangerous place. She sat outside their room in an inner courtyard and waited.
As she spaced out she felt a presence but heard no footsteps. She looked in time to see the person named Hongyi from before.
Qing Anna who had been sitting quickly cleared the way and stood.
From his expression he didn't seem to have noticed her, he seemed to be preoccupied with his own thoughts.
Qing Anna decided to lower her head until he passed, that way to anyone who sees she wouldn't be accused as being disrespectful. She longed to leave this town, her neck was starting to hurt from having to bow so much. When it was just the two of them, she didn't need to act out such formalities.
"Is Aunt inside?" Unexpectedly that person ended up stopping right in front of her.
She lifted her head.
"No, sir."
"Where did she go?"
"To meet with the village chief."
That person smirked.
"Should you be giving away information about your master's whereabouts so easily?" His expression was condescending.
It was such a different persona from earlier today that she nearly forgot herself. Her eyes widened as she slowly spoke. "Then should I take it that you and the rest of master's in-laws mean her harm?"
". . ." Hongyi opened his mouth as if to retort something only to be interrupted.
"He means to teach you that you shouldn't give out information voluntarily to strangers." Madame Ting returned at that moment.
"But Sir Hongyi is not a stranger?" Qing Anna wrinkled her brows in confusion.
Madame Ting seemed amused as she approached the two.
"That's a good question, are you a stranger to me, Hongyi?"
Qing Anna looked from Hongyi to Madame Ting. What is it? What was happening?
"It's the other way around," Hongyi said.
Madame Ting raised a brow. "Oh? Is it now?"
"Are you a stranger to this family, dearest Aunt?" Hongyi's gaze was sharp.
Madame Ting's smile stretched, she slowly approached Hongyi, her arm slowly lifting.
"The moment one leaves the house and starts a new life with her husband, sisters become estranged from each other. Such that is fate. But raising a child is different, if there ever comes a day you fail to recognize the person that saved you, clothed and raised you with the purest of intentions in their heart that you survive and grow into a good, strong man... then I don't know. Perhaps starting from that day on, it's the child that will find themselves the stranger. Will you be able to recognize yourself?" She caressed the lad's face as she asked him this.
It was an intimate scene that didn't feel like a simple nephew-aunt relationship.
When he didn't answer she nodded. "Live how you were raised, boy."
Hongyi was scowling, as the two gazed into each other's eyes, the air didn't feel romantic in the slightest but slightly somber, like a long-lost baby reuniting with their mother.
Madame Ting withdrew her hand quickly from Sir Hongyi's face as if it was a hot surface.
"Stop looking for a reason to abandon ship. To begin with, I'm unrelated to this family, so just do as you please."
". . ." Hongyi's eyes glistened with moisture as he studied her. "You... should be careful when you go into the forest... Aunt." His gaze fell on Qing Anna. "How confident are you that this child will be enough to protect you?"
"I was lying earlier. A master should protect her apprentice, an apprentice should learn from her master. Although I'm confident that even if something goes wrong, the barbarian inside my apprentice will assist us."
A question sign hung over Hongyi's head. An exclamation sign over Qing Anna's.
"Do you have so little faith in me that you want to rely on her? Isn't this exercise for me to gain experience?!" Qing Anna felt belittled.
Madame Ting opened her mouth then closed it. "I didn't mean it like that, why must you be so sensitive?!" She whacked her on the shoulder. "I'm telling you now, Qing Anna you should pay less attention to the specifics."
Qing Anna: Hmph! * ^ * (pouting)
Qing Anna flopped forward to bow before heading back into the room.
Madame Ting called after her. "Why must you think of it like that? There's nothing wrong with thinking of it as having a safety net!"
Bai Hongyi was left outside still with an even larger question sign hovering over his head. He walked away holding the back of his neck.