Chapter Twenty Two - Mistaken Forgiveness

  Nie Ruyi

  Coming home from rigorous exercise to find out people were settled in her sitting room was a bit off-putting. Nie Ruyi had hoped to at least bathe before anybody saw her post-workout… She took a deep breath, “Thank you, A’Rong, for the heads up. Is there a way into my bedroom other thant he window, so that I can get changed before I see them?”

  Sun Xirong nodded, taking her mistress through the servants’ corridors, and into her mistress’ room. “I’ve already delivered snacks to them, Nie-Xiaojie, so you have some time to prepare. Sect Heir Liang is in a foul mood, and Sect Heir Lao is with her. Liang-Gongzi is there as well.”

  The little maid indicated a bowl of water, and then began working on the ties for Nie Ruyi’s work-out clothes. Thankfully, the work out clothes were a little closer to something like a gi that might be worn in a modern day martial arts class. She had to wear a vest-like robe over the top of it, because of course, but at least she didn’t have to try and do martial arts practice in a long-skirted hanfu with dangly bits in her hair. The beginners classes she was part of were meant to be bare bones, and the children wouldn’t have been impressed with it anyway.

  “Can you put my hair up, A’Rong, all the way? That way it won’t look sweaty and gross.” Plus, she was thirty four years old, and from what she’d seen in this world anyone who looked as old as she did wore their hair all the way up. She thought it had something to do with being married? But honestly she just wanted the sweaty heat of it off the back of her neck. As A’Rong brushed through and twisted her hair into a thick bun, Nie Ruyi swiped along her arms and armpits with a damp rag, and then applied some of the scented oils that A’Rong had purchased using Nie Ruyi’s money on her wrists, armpits and neck. She didn’t know what the scent was, some kind of flower, but it was pretty enough and it would hopefully disguise some of the sweat-scent from her. What kind of world didn’t have showers?!

  “Sunflower yellow or hibiscus pink, Nie-Xiaojie?” A’Rong asked, having finished with the bun and now moving on to adding accessories. Nie Ruyi considered, partial herself to pinks and purples, but weighing which was more childish, yellow or pink.

  “Pink, A’Rong.” She answered, and didn’t watch as Sun Xirong littered her hair with pins in the shape of flowers. Silk-flower making was apparently a hobby that high-class maids had in this world, and so Sun Xirong was learning it, and she’d since been dressing Nie Ruyi up in them as often as possible. Her hair did indeed look like a riot of Hibiscus now. With that, Sun Xirong went to the dresser holding Nie Ruyi’s clothes and pulled out a pale-pink ruqun, which she began wrapping around her mistress’ waist. Tying it above Nie Ruyi’s breasts, she decorated it with dark-magenta ties and then draped a beautiful dusty-pink over-robe over Nie Ruyi’s bare shoulders. It was just the right amount of warm-but-not-hot and Nie Ruyi smiled thankfully.

  “Remember, you are Nie-Xiaojie, but she is a sect-heir.” Sun Xirong said, worry lending to her biting her own lips as she applied Nie Ruyi’s makeup. “You must be deferential and humble. She has nobility to back her up. Take your cues from Sect Heir Lao, okay?”

  Nie Ruyi nodded minutely, thankful that Sun Xirong had gotten over being humble and avoidant around her. She’d hated it, honestly, and Sun Xirong knew so much more about this world than she did. She was an invaluable resource, even if all she knew was how to survive as a mortal servant. The black charcoal drawn across her eyelash line tickled, cold and wet. She took a calming breath to try and clear her thoughts.

  Then, once she was ready, a small red huadian drawn on her forehead, she stepped through the bedroom door and into the sitting room.

  “Nie Ruyi.” Lao Xiaojun stated, nodding his head. Nie Ruyi took a moment to bob a curtsey-ish bow, her hands pressed against her diaphragm as if to hold her lungs in. Then, she took her seat next to him, and across the table from Liang Lanlan and Liang Zilin. The two disciples of another sect watched her with two very different looks. Liang Zilin’s eyes roamed her features and then turned back to the snacks on the table. Liang Lanlan’s, however, burned up and down her body and with a huff, she lifted her hands. Cupping them into the traditional salute, her sleeves held back by the table and only just-barely not dipping into the cookies and jellies served, she bowed.

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  There must’ve been something insulting about the bow, because Lao Xiaojun’s face clouded, and Nie Ruyi wasn’t sure what degree it was disrespectful by, so she didn’t call her out on it. The girl looked like a teenager, so it was only natural she’d be upset at being made to bow to a stranger.

  “This Liang Lanlan apologizes to Nie Ruyi for her little prank.” The girl spent less than five seconds in the bow, and her apology was rushed. “This Sect Heir hopes that Nie Ruyi will suffer no permanent ill-effects, and per our sects’ agreement, has brought this as compensation.”

  Liang Zilin took out a parcel of what sounded like metal coins and set it on the tray helpfully offered by Sun Xirong. Nie Ruyi’s eyes followed it, wondering how much it was. But she knew from holidays with her own family that it was incredibly rude to open and count money in front of the person giving it. So she smiled warmly, “Of course, you are forgiven. It’s hard for teenagers to control themselves, and so pranks are to be expected.”

  Liang Lanlan’s face turned crimson, her head drawing back as if she’d been struck. “I am no teenager!” She cried, “Lanlan-I-This sect Heir is past her hairpin ceremony by more than ten years! How wretched you are, to call this Liang Lanlan a child!”

  Now it was Nie Ruyi’s turn to feel slapped. So, this gi-woman in front of her had chosen to do something so thoughtless and dangerous as a full grown adult?! Nie Ruyi felt a sudden twist in her thoughts. She’d been so intent on forgiving a child for a mistake that she hadn’t considered how she would feel if it was an adult who had done this thing to her. That had injured and left her to die.

  “You’re a grown woman, and yet you chose to play such a cruel prank? Chose to lead a mortal to an almost-certain death and leave them there? How irresponsible can you be?!” Nie Ruyi declared, frowning. “I had thought you a child, and so was willing to forgive what was most likely an ill-thought out attempt at getting attention. But this was no childish misbehavior, this was an adult acting on murderous impulse!”

  “How dare you!” Liang Lanlan huffed, crossing her arms. “This Sect Heir comes here to give reparations and even deigns to apologize, and now you’re lecturing like this, as if you have any importance!”

  Lao Xiaojun stiffened at Nie Ruyi’s side and it was obvious by the way Liang Lanlan’s eyes darted to him and her smirk turned smug that she expected him to chime in with her. Nie Ruyi cut in before he could open his mouth.

  “I don’t give a damn about your world’s propriety!” Nie Ruyi snapped, despite that she actually quite did. She wanted to fit in, but this was a bit much. Asking her to be deferential to someone who had tried to murder her was a bit much. “Liang Lanlan, you are either incapable of foresight and therefore a child, or you are capable of it and therefore attempted to murder me. I accept your apology and reparations on behalf of my sect, but I personally do not believe you mean them in the slightest, and to be honest, I do not care to be in the same room as you. I sincerely hope our paths never cross again, and you can get out of my rooms right this instant.”

  “Nothing more than a dog dressed up as a man, you think you can talk to me like that!” Liang Lanlan stood, her chair snapping back onto the floor with a loud crack. Lao Xiaojun jumped to his feet too, eyes blazing.

  “Think before you act, Liang Lanlan.” He warned, his hand curling into fists that sent his leather bindings creaking. Nie Ruyi felt a shiver of something go up and down her back at the sight and sound.

  “Alright, that’s quite enough!” Liang Zilin cried, standing too, and taking his sister’s shoulder. “It’s best for Lanlan-Meimei and I to head out now.” He murmured into her ear, obviously trying to coax her away.

  “Good riddance!” Nie Ruyi spat, crossing her arms in an entirely too American gesture.

  The noise Liang Lanlan made was one hundred percent pissed-off-teenager growls, as she was herded out of the sitting room by her brother. Nie Ruyi was shaking by the end of it, and glared at the door frame.

  And then, like a traitor, Lao Xiaojun turned that gaze on her, brow drawn down in frustration.

  Mini Character List -

  Nie Ruyi - Our protagonist. 34 year old american woman - Done taking this spoiled woman's shit.

  Lao Xiaojun - Lao Minghui's little brother and Sect Heir. Really hates being in the middle like this, and hates that he agrees with Nie Ruyi about this.

  Cai Bingtian - Disciple of Severing Firefly Sect. Still Mr. Does-Not-Appear-In-This-Chapter

  Lao Minghui - Sect Leader of the Severing Firefly Sect. A sweet older sister type. Deeply regretting everything, but most especially talking with this asshole.

  Song Fengling - Nie Ruyi's little assistant. also not appearing in this chapter

  Liang Zilin - Disciple of Furtive Jade Sect. Elder brother of Liang Lanlan. Okay, time to seperate the girls or they be fighting even more.

  Liang Lanlan - Sect Heir of Furtive Jade Sect. Little sister of Liang Lanlan. Very in love with Cai Bingtian. How DARE this little shit talk to her like that!

  Missy - No changes, still enjoying sunbeams. Even if all these loud people are now in Missy's area.

  The Green Egg - Not forgotten. Currently lives wrapped in blankets on Nie Ruyi's bedside table.

  Goober & Izzy - Sedimentary Sludge Hounds who now live in Nie Ruyi's canopy of her bed. They find it very comfortable there.

  Sun Xirong - Nie Ruyi's maid, a fifteen year old mortal girl. She really needs to help her mistress understand what deferential means, because that was not it, nie-xiaojie!