"BY THE way, why are you still here? Shouldn't you go back to where you came from?"
Lily gave the lizard lounging on her couch a languid look.
After the incident a few days ago, Tianrui had been taken by their father to stay in the Main Courtyard with them.
He was so heartbroken after learning what kind of person Concubine Su truly was that he no longer wanted to see or even speak to her.
Concubine Su, on the other hand, had been smashing every glass in her room. She had finally lost control when Lord Pei refused to see her despite her repeated requests.
The punishment had also been forgotten because of the incident, much to Lily's satisfaction.
Her father hadn't disturbed her even once.
So, she remained in her room, enjoying a well-deserved rest.
But the lizard was still here...
"I can't leave," it said.
"Why?"
The lizard gave her a cautious look before replying tentatively, "I'm contracted with you, so I can't leave your side."
"Contracted?" Lily asked in confusion. "What does that mean?"
The lizard let out a sigh of relief before explaining vaguely, "I have to stay with you wherever you go. Plus, I have to make sure you don't die. The only thing I can do for now to make sure the world doesn't do something foolish again is to protect you from death."
He was a very responsible lizard.
A lizard as responsible as him deserved to own all the treasures in the world.
"You know I'll eventually die of old age, right?"
She wasn't immortal.
"I know," the lizard replied. "But if you die of old age, maybe the world will finally accept your death."
"..." said Lily.
Its reasoning sounded foolish.
Yet...
It made sense at the same time.
Knock. Knock.
"Seventh Young Miss," Butler Chen's voice came from outside, "Concubine Qin wishes to see you."
Lily left the lizard behind and opened the door. She was greeted by Butler Chen and a dejected-looking Tianrui.
"What does Concubine Qin want with me?"
"The Soul Core Test will be held three days from now," Butler Chen said with a smile. "Concubine Qin wishes to see you and Sixth Young Master to make sure everything is prepared on your side."
Lily glanced at Tianrui before casually saying, "That's true. With Concubine Su in her current state, she probably isn't thinking about Sixth Brother's Soul Core Test."
"..." said Tianrui.
He was already feeling down, yet this sister of his still found a way to jab him in the heart.
He didn't know whether to dislike her even more or thank her for supporting him a few days ago.
Tianli gave people very complicated feelings.
In the end, he merely harrumphed.
"What is there to prepare, anyway?" Lily muttered.
Nevertheless, she followed Tianrui and Butler Chen to Concubine Qin's courtyard.
The courtyard was located in the northernmost part of the estate, so it took them several minutes to arrive.
The servants were disciplined and orderly. No one was gossiping, and every servant was busy with their own task.
They would pause only long enough to greet the three before returning to work.
When they reached the receiving room, Butler Chen stopped.
"Young Miss. Sixth Young Master. Please go inside."
After the two children entered, Butler Chen quietly left.
Concubine Qin was currently managing the household. If he remained, it would seem as though the Lord did not trust her to handle affairs on her own.
"It has been a while since I last saw the two of you," A cold, composed voice greeted them the moment they entered. "Have a seat."
Lily and Tianrui obeyed.
Tianrui didn't know how to interact with this woman. He only knew that she was currently acting as the mistress of the household and that she was strict.
Looking at her now...
She truly looked the part.
"What should we prepare, Concubine Qin?" Lily asked. She genuinely didn't know. Wasn't showing up enough?
Without answering immediately, Concubine Qin gave a slight signal.
One of her maidservants stepped forward carrying two neatly folded outfits.
"These are the clothes the two of you will wear during the Soul Core Test."
Her sharp gaze settled on Lily.
Lily looked at the outfits. They were far more elegant than anything she normally wore.
She was about to refuse when Concubine Qin spoke first.
"You will undergo the Soul Core Test before the representatives of the other clans as well," Her voice remained calm, yet firm, "I do not concern myself with how you conduct yourself during the Council Assembly. However, before the other clans, you are not merely Pei Tianli. You are the Young Heir of the Pei Clan. You will present yourself accordingly."
"Can I refuse?"
"No."
The answer came without the slightest hesitation.
Ignoring Lily's disappointed expression, Concubine Qin turned to Tianrui.
"The same applies to Sixth Young Master. You represent the Pei Clan as much as your sister does. Your words, appearance, and conduct reflect upon the family. So you will conduct yourselves according to proper etiquette."
Tianrui immediately nodded.
His entire posture reflected obedience.
"Just the clothes?" Lily asked.
"For the next two days, the two of you will report to my courtyard. You will learn the etiquette expected of members of the Pei Clan before the ceremony. I do not tolerate tardiness. Understood?"
"There is etiquette too?" Lily muttered, sounding thoroughly troubled.
Why couldn't they simply take the test and be done with it?
Concubine Qin ignored the complaint entirely.
She continued giving instructions as though Lily had never spoken.
Only after she had finished explaining every arrangement did she dismiss the two children.
"Are the mothers in this estate truly like that?" Tianrui mumbled.
The two had left the courtyard and were now on their way back to the Main Courtyard.
"What do you mean?" Lily asked.
"They're all so cold. It's like they don't care about us," Tianrui complained bitterly.
Lily raised an eyebrow but didn't look at him.
"Concubine Su is not a good mother," she said, "but Concubine Qin is."
"How could you say that?" Tianrui protested. "Look at the way she looked at us. Look at how she treated us."
"Then how do you think Concubine Qin should treat us?" Lily asked, genuinely confused.
"...That..."
He didn't know.
He only knew he was tired of being treated coldly and looked at with disappointment.
"You are not her child," Lily said. "You can't expect Concubine Qin to treat us like her own children simply because she's acting as the mistress of the household."
"Shouldn't she?" Tianrui asked, though uncertainty lingered in his voice.
Lily sighed and stopped walking before turning to face him.
"Sixth Brother," she said, "Concubine Qin is the acting mistress of the household. Her first responsibility is to make sure everything is in order. She treats us as children of the Pei Family, and I think that's already fair. She has children of her own. She cannot love us the same way she loves them. Otherwise, it would be unfair to First Brother and Second Sister."
"I know that..." Tianrui lowered his head. "But why did our own mother treat us like that?" His eyes gradually reddened. "Why couldn't I receive the same love from my own mother?"
He sniffed and quickly wiped away the tears gathering in his eyes.
"Because your mother's a jerk."
"..."
He suddenly wanted to be alone.
"Besides," Lily continued as she resumed walking, "if you don't have a loving mother, why not rely on your loving father instead? He may not be perfect, but he treats all of his children fairly."
"He treats you differently!" Tianrui accused as he hurried to catch up with her.
"Do not compare yourself with the heir," Lily replied calmly. "You'll only make yourself jealous."
"Tianli!"
Concubine Qin quietly watched the two children disappear into the distance.
"Concubine Qin?" Nanny Lin called softly as she looked at her mistress.
The two of them had overheard the siblings' conversation while on their way to report something to Lord Pei.
"Let's go," Concubine Qin said.
She turned and continued toward the Main Courtyard.
She felt sorry for Tianrui.
But Lily was right. She could not treat them the way she treated her own children. Not today. Not even in the future.
Years ago, whenever Lord Pei was occupied with important matters, she had been entrusted with taking care of Lily.
She had fulfilled that responsibility accordingly.
She made sure Lily was fed, clothed, and properly cared for.
She never mistreated her.
But...
She had never treated Lily as her own daughter either.
Before Lily was born, she had competed with the other concubines for the position of heir for her own children.
As the mother of the eldest son, her ambitions had once been great.
Then Lord Pei married his main wife.
When he declared their unborn child the future heir, the struggle within the household gradually came to an end.
The endless competition disappeared.
In its place remained only silence.
Lily's existence had ended their ambitions.
At first, Concubine Qin couldn't accept it.
After all, Lily had obtained the position simply because she was born to the main wife.
No matter how calm she appeared, she couldn't bring herself to like that fact.
Even so...
A proper mistress placed the household before herself.
So she performed her duties without complaint.
She taught Lily etiquette.
She taught her discipline.
She taught her everything a future mistress of the Pei Clan needed to know.
As the years passed...
Concubine Qin gradually understood why Lord Pei had never once considered changing the heir.
Lily possessed a remarkably clear mind.
She did not hold grudges over trivial matters.
She knew the difference between right and wrong.
More importantly...
She always knew what she wanted, yet she never endangered others to obtain it.
Lily possessed the qualities of an exceptional clan head.
Concubine Qin understood that so well... that she hated it.
The children she had raised herself... could not compare to the child who had grown up without a mother.
It was such an irony.