章節 23: Woman in portrait.
"That girl," Yin Xia watched her sister run inside with her mud-covered shoes and then bowed her head to Mister Bo as she grimaced. " I am sorry about her, she just turned eighteen and she is far too immature."
" It will be better if you teach her how to be more mature then," replied Mister Bo with a stern look as he watched Yin Zhu take her shoes off as she promised right outside the house and then she even turned around and pointed at those shoes as if telling her that she has held the end of her bargain. " Immaturity will lead her to her early grave, you know how everything works here."
He turned to the pale-looking Yin Xia and sighed. " I know that you do not wish your sister to lose her innocence, I will admit that she is likeable even though she is a bit cheeky but if she does not lose that attitude of her, she will be losing her life instead of her naivety. I hope you will choose the right option, Miss Yin Xia."
" I understand, I will take your advice," Yin Xia bit her lips, she took one last glance at the spot where Yin Zhu left her shoes and then shook her head. Just why exactly was their father so lenient with Yin Zhu, for her to grow up this free-minded, she will have to blame their father.
….
Yin Zhu took a deep breath as she knocked on the door that was left open by the guard. When she glanced around the room with a fire burning in the fireplace with many cushions and armchairs filling the space as multiple blind cats meowed inside the room, she was half expecting her sister's word to come false and for a fussy old woman to come out.
But instead, the woman who answered her knock was gentle-looking, she has long sleek black hair with some streaks of white and her eyes were red as she looked at Yin Zhu with a smile. " You must be the famous Yin Zhu, right? I have heard your father boast so much about you. You look just as cute as he said that you were."
Yin Zhu didn't know what to say about this, she smiled awkwardly at Madam Huo and said, " Thanks, I guess?"
" Oh you are honest," Madam Huo chuckled as she stepped aside and then allowed Yin Zhu to enter. " Please come inside, we will have a small chat while having tea."
Yin Zhu didn't understand why the woman was treating her so cordially but the weather was cold and she didn't dislike the idea of drinking some nice hot tea. So, she agreed and then walked inside the small living room of Madam Huo which was filled with so many warm colours that it was a high contrast with the gloomy palace outside.
Her eyes grazed over the many portraits that the woman had on her wall and every picture only had three men, all of them looking beautiful as a work of art but at the same time, the artist seemed to have caught the dangerous air around the three men perfectly.
Sitting between these three men, Madam Huo looked like a big-hearted, kind mama cat surrounded by three predators all ranging higher and higher in rank.
" Would you like some sugar cubes?" asked Madam Huo as she placed the tray containing the teapot and two cups on the small circular table surrounded by four chairs and comfortable cushions.
" Oh yes, pleased thank you," Yin Zhu turned her attention from the three men but then her eyes fell on one old portrait that was hanging on the corner of the wall. It was the portrait of a beautiful woman, her blonde hair was tied in a slick bun with some strands let loose to curl around her face, and her bright red eyes were sharper than any Alpha, Yin Zhu has ever seen but that wasn't what that stopped her from moving her gaze away.
It was her heart.
It was beating so loudly that it seemed to be clawing out of her chest, and that wasn't because of seeing such a beautiful woman for the first time. No, it was terror…raw..unadulterated fear was coursing in her veins.
Run.
Run.
RUN! YIN ZHU RUN!
" Ah!" Yin Zhu clasped her head as another wave of sharp pain shot through her head. She swooned on the spot but then someone caught her arm and held her straight when Yin Zhu's vision cleared she was looking at the concerned-looking Madam Huo who was helping her up on her feet.
" Are you okay dear?" She asked kindly as she looked at Yin Zhu's pale face, she frowned when she noticed how clammy Yin Zhu was and added, " If you are not feeling good then you can start work from tomorrow on, there is no need for you to rush."
" No, I am all right," she was indeed all right but her heart wasn't. She glanced at the portrait of the woman again and then licked her lips before she turned to look at Madam Huo and asked, " Who is this woman in the portrait?"
She was half expecting Madam Huo to scold her like Yin Xia but she was so overwhelmed by the sudden pain in her heart and head that she couldn't stop herself from asking. But the old woman only smiled sadly and said, " She is my late mistress, the mother of the three young masters. She passed away quite a few years ago but every time I look at this portrait I feel like she will start speaking any moment …but why are you asking about her? Did you meet her when she was alive?"
" No," replied Yin Zhu ignoring her thudding heart. " I have never seen this woman in my entire life."
And she was being honest, there was no way a small girl from the slums would ever meet the madam of the Situ family.
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