A Lifetime Promise

Chapter 54

Xiao Shun bowed before retreating the tea room, leaving the two figures alone inside.

"So... You are 3rd prince's older sister from the same mother?"

"Yes, that's right." Qiang Jieyou replied.

Lin Xinglan nodded in understatement, "I see."

When she looked at the gentle smile showing on Qiang Jieyou's face, she felt awkward. Having no clue what to say to break the awkwardness, she stiffly smiled back. Fortunately, Qiang Jieyou didn't make things difficult for Lin Xinglan and began to talk.

"Not only do you look healthy, you also look very beautiful." Examining Lin Xinglan, her smile became wider, "En, it is nice to be young."

Being praised by a princess, Lin Xinglan's cheeks became red. She flusteredly thanked the princess and soon enough, their conversation became smooth and relaxed. Lin Xinglan never thought it would be such a pleasure to interact with a princess. She admitted that she thought princesses were spoiled brats only because she read so many novels that always included such kind of princesses, so much that it was impossible for her to think otherwise unless seeing it with her own eyes.

"As you can see with my weak appearance, I am ill. My health is very poor and it has been like this since the day I was born. Because of that, I have almost always never went out of my place. Rarely do I meet my family. I have heard a lot of things from third younger brother though, so despite being isolated, I am not ignorant of things happening outside." Qiang Jieyou took a sip from her tea cup and continued, "I have heard of you, and fourth younger brother."

Getting to know about Qiang Jieyou, Lin Xinglan felt sorry for her as it must had not been an easy life for her. Qiang Jieyou was a refined woman, and Lin Xinglan admired her, but that admiration only lasted until Qiang Jieyou began to talk about Qiang Jingyi and his childhood.

"That fourth brother of mine seemed to be a cute child back then, but he was quite pitiful. It makes me heartbroken to know what he had gone through. How people in the palace treated him, it was cruel. One can assume he still has the awful scars he received from it."

Lin Xinglan's chest tightened at the last sentence, her small hands slowly clenched into fists as she continued to listen to Qiang Jieyou's words.

"Such things, a child should never experience them. I was angry and upset when I heard about the things that happened to that child. Because of his mother's low status, he was treated such way and he never received love from anyone. No one there for him when he needed help. How I wish he would have a better childhood, that he would have been loved, just like how his siblings were being loved. Unfortunately, the cruelty never stopped."

Qiang Jieyou heaved a sigh, she moved her gaze to the window and watched the birds flapping their wings, "I really pity him. I can never imagine his pain and sufferings." Turning her head, she lowered her eyes towards the table, "He is a sad child."

"Is that so? You were aware of this mistreatment? What do you think of him?" Trying to be calm, Lin Xinglan did her best to ask Qiang Jieyou questions.

"He is my younger brother, I care about him. He's good and talented, it is a pity for him to be born from a low status concubine. Unfortunately, time cannot be rewinded."

Lin Xinglan clenched her jaw during the moment, she has already had enough hearing the first prince badmouthing Qiang Jingyi and now she had to hear about this. She slammed her fist on the table, making the tea set slightly jolt. Although Qiang Jieyou calmly lifted her head, her eyes showed that she was surprised over Lin Xinglan's abrupt action.

She fiercely looked at the person in front of her with distaste, and dropped her formality, "Pity here, pity that... Just stop. Angry? Upset? If you truly care about Jingyi, you would have done something all way back when he was a child. But did you? You didn't, right? You just sat back and did nothing despite knowing what he was experiencing. And you dare to say you were upset and angry...?" Lin Xinglan snorted, "You have no rights, nor do you deserve to pity him!"