The Inconceivable Flame: A Fallen Angel's Disguise

Noticing his brother’s strange look, Xiao Zhi-Yuan introduced them, "Big Bear, that’s Oniisan and Oniisan, this is my brother. Xiao Zhi-Ren."

Xiao Zhi-Ren knitted his brows as he said, "I didn’t think I’d see Mr. Xie again, on the same day at that too."

"Well, that’s the beauty of life. It’s unexpectedly beautiful with its surprises." Ru answered looking into his eyes.

"Eh? You both met earlier today?" Xiao Zhi-Yuan asked with curiosity.

"Yeah! We did. You don’t need to know." Xiao Zhi-Ren didn’t explain anything to his brother and asked instead, "Did you ditch school again? How are you becoming so irresponsible? There are only 3 months before the University Entrance Exams. How are you gonna pass that?"

"And whose fault is that I’m lacking behind?" Xiao Zhi-Yuan challenged back. "Ha? Who told you to bring me to China in the middle of the semester?"

"Well, I always thought my brother is a genius and he’ll be able to catch up with other people with his achievements." Xiao Zhi-Ren put all the blame back on his younger brother for being irresponsible.

"Oh, big bear, I was a genius but Chinese Literature and English Literature are so opposite of each other. How am I supposed to learn Chinese Literature in such a short time? I barely can talk in Mandarine much less learn literature in it." Xiao Zhi-Yuan argued back.

Seeing them banter like this, Ru chuckled softly and both brothers turned to look at her. "Is it funny, Mr. Xie?" Xiao Zhi-Ren asked incredulously.

"No... Not really! Seeing his hate towards Chinese Literature reminded me of my old self. Gosh! I used to hate Literature’s guts with a searing passion." While Xiao Zhi-Ren was surprised to hear that, Xiao Zhi-Yuan’s eyes had brightened up.

But both didn’t realize that Ru’s mind had wandered off to an old memory.

*Flashback*

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"Young master Ru, it has been already a week and you still haven’t been able to learn ’The Classic of Poetry’[1]?" An aged voice bellowed making the young Ru wince.

"Old master Song, this young master needs a few more days," Ru spoke in her childlike voice as she was kneeling before her Literature master.

"Humph! Young master Ru, if you’re going to take these many days to just learn ’The Classic of Poetry’ then how are we going to complete the rest of classic books? You still have ’The Analects of Confucius’ to master." Old master Song reprimanded her badly as she listened with her head down in respect.

"What is happening here?" Hearing her grandfather’s intimidating voice, Ru immediately turned to him.

"Grandfather," seeing her grandfather’s narrowed eyes, she coughed and started again, "Old clan Patriarch, old master Song is not showing mercy for this young master. This young master is only 8 years old and old master Song is making this young master more pitiful with all these books." She was speaking as if she had been really wronged.

"Young master Ru, go back to your courtyard and kneel on the washboard until I say so otherwise." Ru was startled to hear her grandfather’s words.

"What did this young master do wrong now?" She asked in exasperation.

"Young master Ru, you’re the next head of the clan. And it doesn’t suit for a clan head to call himself pitiful." Hearing this explanation from Old master Song, Ru could only swallow her anger and go to execute her punishment.

*Flashback End*

Thinking of how she had to kneel on the washboard for 8 hours made her cringe at the memory. Let’s be honest here, it’s not pleasant seeing your knees bleed from kneeling.

When she noticed both brothers eyes on herself, she smiled saying, "But now I don’t hate it. I learned my lesson. Since I had to master all the Five Classics and Four Books in Classical Language."

Xiao Zhi-Ren was astounded at her words. ’All the Classics? That’s a huge thing!’

"You must have learned poetry then as well. Care to share?" Xiao Zhi-Ren didn’t know why he wanted to test the young ’man’ before him but he did.

"Hmm... Poetry?" Ru tapped her chin with her index finger as she pondered for a minute before speaking, "I’ll read out a stanza written by Su Tungpo back in Song Dynasty."

’The moon rounds the red mansion

Stoops to silk-pad doors

Shines upon the sleepless

Bearing no grudge

Why does the moon tend to be full when people are apart?’

Xiao Zhi-Ren had always been a fan of poetry and he certainly had heard the stanza that Ru read out but he still couldn’t help but have a feeling that hearing the same stanza from Ru was like discovering its meaning all over again.

"Do you write yourself as well Oniisan?" Xiao Zhi-Yuan asked excitedly.

Ru scratched the back of her head awkwardly as she answered, "Well, I try to. But my best friend used to always complain about my bad rhyming senses."

"Why don’t you read out something. It can’t be that bad," Xiao Zhi-Yuan tugged at her sleeve making feel pressured.

"So, here it is:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Come back home

Before I kill you!" Three handsome people in the living shared an awkward moment of silence before bouts of laughter were heard around. Ru didn’t remember the last time she laughed along with someone but today, she did. Even if it was for a small moment, she felt happy.

"That... That was unique!" Xiao Zhi-Ren remarked trying hard to muffle his laugh.

"You don’t have to be polite about it. I know it sucked." Ru answered nonchalantly.

"As I thought, Oniisan sure is peculiar and I love that about you." Xiao Zhi-Yuan announced. "But I think Oniisan is hiding his real talent."

Ru gave him a quizzical look and Xiao Zhi-Yuan smiled in return. "Just hire a tutor for him or just choose foreign literature for the test. What’s so difficult about that?" Ru suggested as she turned to Xiao Zhi-Ren.

"I think, I should!" Xiao Zhi-Ren replied solemnly.

"I should get going now," Ru turned to leave when she heard Xiao Zhi-Yuan’s voice.

"Oniisan can stay for the night. It’s quite late now."

Ru whipped her body to look at him saying, "Don’t worry about me. I live on the top floor of the building."

Although she didn’t live there, she was planning on staying there for the night. It would give her a way to decide what to do with her apartment.

"Oh, then I can visit Oniisan whenever I want," Xiao Zhi-Yuan was glad about his outcome. He waved his hand saying goodbye to Ru before turning back towards his room.

"I guess we’ll see each other again, Mr. Xiao." Ru smiled mysteriously at Xiao Zhi-Ren before leaving his apartment.

She took the private elevator to her own triplex apartment at the top. Earlier, she planned on telling Xiao Zhi-Ren about Xiao Zhi-Yuan’s injury but seeing the brother’s loving banter, she couldn’t bring herself to do so.

She entered the apartment and found it exactly as Jie once designed its interior. Nothing was changed. But she had the urge to leave this place. Every single thing was hand-picked by her best friend, Jie and now, she didn’t feel comfortable in the company of these things.

She roamed around in the dramatic and unforgettable black marble hallway. The interior seemed to echo the beach tones of the landscape. She stood before the glass walls of the living room looking over the vast green land. The living room didn’t have much furniture but it had neutral natural tones giving it a sophisticated feeling.

She dialed a number and said, "I need some changes to be done in my apartment. It’s convenient to stay here for a while. Its closer to the office anyway." She had decided to fight with her uneasy feelings and stay at the same place which made her uncomfortable. That was her way of fighting with own herself.

[1] "The Classic of Poetry": It’s one of the five classics in ancient Chinese language. It was written in the Song Dynasty.