As the morning sunbeams peeked through the mist, Xi and Ye remained in their usual silent world. Xi was sewing fabric while Ye sat right beside her, helping her sister by organizing the threads and cloth scraps. Words were unnecessary between them; their bond was that deep.
However, that silence was shattered by a knock at the door.
"Who could it be at this hour?" Xi asked in surprise. As Xi moved toward the door, Ye immediately shed her true form, transformed into the shape of a black dog, and retreated to a corner of the house.
When Xi opened the door, standing there was a stranger with a majestic appearance, dressed in a long blue Hanfu. "Is this the home of Chenxi the seamstress?" he asked solemnly. Xi bowed respectfully and invited him inside. As he entered, he looked at Ye, who was lying in the corner, with intense disgust. From the way his nose wrinkled, Xi instantly realized he disliked dogs. Fearing that it might harm her business opportunity, Xi spoke to Ye in a harsh tone, as if chasing away an ordinary animal that knew nothing.
"Go out to the yard!" Those words from Xi felt like a sharp dagger piercing Ye's heart. Although Ye knew Xi was only acting in front of the guest, she felt as if she had been rendered helpless before the whole world. She could not bear that command, issued without even a glance from the sister she loved so much.
Ye slowly lowered her head, walked out of the house, and ran toward the distant forest. In a secluded spot among the trees, she returned to her normal form. She fell to her knees on the earth, pressed her face into the dry leaves, and wept with a heart-wrenching pain.
"Sister... am I a burden to you?" she whispered, sobbing.
At that moment, it felt as if a fierce fire was erupting from within her body. A sharp pain tore through her chest, making her entire frame tremble. She could not control the agony. Along with it, warm, crimson blood flowed like a stream from between her pale lips and onto the ground.
For the first time in her life, she felt a sense of fear regarding her own body. With trembling hands, she washed her face in a nearby cool stream. She looked helplessly at the blood mixing into the water. She lay there by the cool stream, consumed by fear and loneliness.
While Ye was isolated in the forest by grief and terror, a serious conversation took place between Xi and the guest inside the house.
"I am Lan Shu," he said in a calm but powerful voice. "I have heard of your talent. I want to see you serve as our family's private seamstress."
He took a heavy silver ingot from inside his cloak and placed it on the table. Seeing the brilliance of that silver, Xi's eyes widened for a moment. She had never seen such wealth before.
"This is merely an initial payment for your consent," Lan Shu said. Without a second thought, Xi agreed to the proposal immediately. Her mind was filled with images of the comfortable life she could provide for her sister with this money.
"Very well. Your duties begin tomorrow. A woman in our family needs a dress for a high-level celebration taking place in a week. Here is the necessary information and the money for the fabrics." He handed her another bundle of cloth and a document containing instructions.
"Remember... I need this dress within three days."
Three days was a very short time. But the weight of the silver ingot dispelled any fear in Xi's heart. The moment Lan Shu left the house, Xi ran toward the city. She quickly purchased the necessary threads, pearls, and other decorative items and returned home.
Her entire focus was now on the gold threads and fabrics in her hands. Xi began working like a woman possessed. she did not notice the afternoon fading away, nor did she remember that Ye, who had left the house, had not yet returned. Her world was now filled with the sound of silver coins and the rhythm of the sewing machine. She didn't have a moment's rest even to look for where Ye might be.
As the evening darkness enveloped the house, Ye returned from the forest. She tried her absolute best to hide the severe pain in her chest and the scent of blood on her lips from Xi. Even as she entered the house, Xi remained hunched over the sewing machine in deep concentration.
Ye went slowly to her side. She wanted to heal her pain-stricken heart with her sister's warmth. In her true form, she reached out to put her arms around Xi's neck and tried to give her an affectionate kiss on the face.
"Sister! Move aside for a moment..." Xi said peevishly, pushing her away slightly. "Look, these threads are getting tangled. If this work goes wrong, it will be a huge loss for me. This is very important to me."
Ye's arms fell lifelessly to her side. Her heart broke further as she realized that "work" had become more important to Xi than her. Without saying a word, she silently sat on the bed. Due to the exhaustion of her body and the pain in her heart, she drifted into sleep without realizing it.
Long after the night had passed, Xi finished her work for the day. With weary eyes, she looked at Ye on the bed. "Is sister asleep...?" she whispered lovingly. Xi went slowly, covered Ye with a warm cloth, and lay down beside her to sleep. Only in that moment did the old affection linger between them. But Ye did not feel it, for she was already deep in sleep.