Peace of heart

"What to think of her? Isn't she just an illegitimate daughter, what can she possibly have to have my attention?" His deep voice, void of any emotion rang out in the silent side hall. Hiding behind the bush near the hall window, her breath stilled at that. The man next to him said with a frown, " Aren't you being too rude." He turned to look at the man, grunted, " Does it matter? She has nothing to do with after I get back at the Duke." and turned to leave. The man was displeased with his behaviour, wanted to say something but sighed and also turned to leave. As the silence ensued, the girl came out from behind the bush seething in anger. With a slightly flushed face, arrogantly pointed her chin in that direction, she retorted, " What she possibly have doesn't need a blind person's attention like you! Hmmph. Am I right Xiao... Jie?" The girl paused in between, realising the subject of those men's topic was right beside her and had heard those unpleasant words about her. The girl turned her head, saw her Xiao Jie staring blankly inside the side hall where those men were just standing, worriedly in a hurried manner she reached out to shake her shoulders. She said in an anxious voice, " Xiao Jie don't scare me. You don't have to take his words seriously. You have us who know your worth. You are alright? Right? Are you listening to me Xiao Jie?" Ye Wan's voice almost choked up by the end, on the verge of crying she thought to herself, 'Why does her Xiao Jie have to meet such a man who played with her feeling just to achieve something?" Being shaken like a rattle, she woke up from her trance, despite her heavy heart seeing Ye Wan's worry-filled eyes tinged with slight redness, she smiled and reached out to hold her hand on her shoulder, said, " Wan Wan, relax. I am alright! " Ye Wan hearing this sized her Xiao Jie's face, seeing her blank eyes now void of any emotion yet smiling as if nothing affected her, she realised she had screwed up big this time, She shouldn't have listened to her elder sister and brought her Xiao Jie here. Not knowing Ye Wan's exact thought, Su Xin said to comfort her, " Wan Wan what he said might be hurtful but was true and if the truth is going to hurt me then it means I hadn't accepted my truth. Which I had done a long ago." She glanced inside the side hall, took a deep breath as she looked at Ye Wan, saying, " Let's go back or else Tài hòu might get upset with us." she grabbed her hands and pulled her toward Longevity Palace. ---- Su Xin, the daughter of Lady Su Yao, the legendary martial arts master and a swordswoman, the founder of Zhixin Pavillion who was also the benefactress of the royal family. She was trained to take over her mother's position but to let her mother rest in peace, she had to accept her other identity as an illegitimate daughter of the Duke to pay the debt her mother owned. To let her mother rest in peace. As an illegitimate daughter whose existence was not acknowledged by the Duke, her presence in Duke's estates was not even compared to the shadows. Years seem to pass in the blink of an eye and before she could complete her task, she met him, the person who connects her to her childhood, bringing joy and some light back to her life which she seemed to have lost after her mother's death. But life mocked her again shaking the peace of her heart. --- The cover is taken from Pinterest. Thanks to the artist.