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Upon reaching the apartment, the two teenagers and the rest of the guards are quite perplexed. They had thought that their young lady would at least pick a house in the suburb to live. Not in the middle of a busy street.
Yanyi didn't notice the disgusted gaze and opened the gate into the courtyard. She then turned to the guards "The courtyard is going to be turned into your campsite for now. Unpack your stuff and search for a spot to sleep in." She also pointed towards the bathroom of which they would all have to share.
Lixian and Qixiao followed Yanyi upstairs to where yet another door greeted them. Opening it, Yanyi was greeted with Irene's smiling face. She is knitting while being accompanied by Kazuto.
"Yanyi. You're quite early today? Is the preparation for tomorrow done already?" She shakes her head.
"Kazuto could you help and tend to the guards downstairs. Just make sure that they are situated and neat. I don't want to receive noise complaints from the neighbours." Kazuto looked at Irene before nodding.
"Irene, please show Lixian and Qixiao their sleep quarters. I'll…I'll need some rest."
"Sure…" Her eyes didn't leave the girl until she was very well locked in her bedroom. Only then did her eyes point back to where the two siblings were standing.
"Bring your bags. I'll show you to the guest bedroom." They followed her. The guest bedroom is just beside her own and they are equipped with two beds and a private restroom.
Lixian — "Thank you, sister Irene."
Irene — "No problem. Get yourself situated and… if you would. Sister would like to ask you all something? Is that okay?"
Qixiao — "Yeah. I don't see a problem there?"
Irene — "Where's Jingyao? I thought that he would join you both?"
This brings the atmosphere to a tight one. Qixiao rubbed the back of his neck before turning to Lixian. When it comes to something serious like this, Lixian is much more level headed than he is.
"A-Yao. He was…" He let out a big sigh and revealed everything that had happened just this night. From the moment they arrive to Jingyao's sudden disappearance and now to them being here.
Lixian didn't mention about the sudden freeze from his sister. He'd figure that it'd be better to ask that personally.
Irene — "I see… No wonder your sister is… like that."
Qixiao — "Has this ever happened before?"
Irene nodded.
Irene — "When our former homeroom teacher died. She was quite literally silent. At least after everything is done."
Lixian — "Professor Ouwil."
Irene — "The one teacher who never gave up on her."
To describe the surroundings. Let's just say you could hear the winds blowing outside.
"Well, you both get situated. We'll discuss more tomorrow. Sleep tight." Irene closed the door before making her way to the other side of the room where her own bedroom is located.
After she leaves, Lixian begins to unpack his clothes. Qixiao didn't bother with it and lay across one of the beds in the room. Eyes watching the ceiling of the room.
"Hey. Why did Jie freeze just now? In front of the box?" Lixian didn't bother much with his twin's question. From the outside that is. He still answers him.
Lixian — "You mean when she saw the carving on top of the box?"
Qixiao — "Yeah. What's that flower anyway?"
Lixian — "You didn't bother to learn?"
Qixiao — "You love plants more than me! Come on, tell me. We both… we both care for her like she cares for us."
Lixian stopped his unpacking and sat silently on his side of the bed. He had also lost the feeling and energy to unpack. Feeling better to just lay down.
He did however remember back to the moment that occurred every month of Helia. The weather is so perfect that sometimes special herbs would grow out in the back mountain of their estate.
Every year he would drag Yanyi along with him to go hiking. Learning and picking up different kinds of herbs. Needless to say, that was the best moment that he had with her every year.
Though he did remember that there's this one time around 5 to 7 years ago. They had as usual go hiking at the back mountain. That is when they encountered a wild and rare butterfly lily flower.
While Lixian is eager to learn and came close to it, his sister didn't. In fact Yanyi had and I mean this literally, stop moving. Her eyes focussed on the flower but it didn't make an attempt to go near or go away.
Worrying about the condition of her sister, Lixian drags Yanyi away until she is not able to see the flower again. Their little adventure was cut short then.
He did however tell this story to Ariani who revealed to him that long before they had been able to speak and walk, a maid had apparently attempted to poison Yanyi. When she was discovered the doctor found that butterfly lily was used for that poison.
The thing is, Lixian didn't believe a single moment about that story. There's been multiple attempts of poisoning for all of them. But Yanyi had literally built the resistance against them. Most of them. He doubts that a mere poison story could cause that effect.
Did he tell this to Qixiao though?
Nope.
He did however reveal the whole story about their little adventure and Ariani made up the story. He didn't mention his own opinion.
He knows that there exist a couple of people in this world who know Yanyi more than their entire family. Lucky for him one of them happened to sleep just in the room beside them.
'I'll ask her tomorrow.'
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The next morning.
"Arghhh!..." Qixiao gave a big stretch from his own bed. His eyes then wander around the room and find Lixian who is currently getting ready for the day.
Lixian — "Morning, lazy bum."
Qixiao — "Morning, Mr. Complaint."
"Get your ass up. Jie made us breakfast. Don't burden her more than necessary." Lixian put on his coat before walking over to where his twin's bag is and fish out a towel. Throw it on his face squared in.
Qixiao — "Ugh. Can't you be nice for once?"
Lixian — "When you decide to be more disciplined in manners."
He left the room just after.
Lixian looks over at the courtyard where guards are now taking turns to use the restroom and eating their portion of the breakfast. Because there's no servants in this house, all of it was prepared by Yanyi and Irene.
Needless to say they are more than grateful and excited the moment they learn that their young lady had cooked for them. Not everyone can receive such treatment anyway. "They will brag about this for years to come."
Lixian made his way to the living room and was greeted with a flash across his face. It nearly created a scar on his face if he hadn't stopped in his tracks. "Eker! What did Jie say about practicing throwing inside?!"
"Sorry!" Coming running past him was a child around the same height and age of their youngest. He ran over to the other side of the wall where the throwing knife was stuck to the wall.
"You're also the problem. You let him throw knives inside?" His ears perked at the nagging of his Jie. Turning his head to see she is glaring at the person seated at the dining table.
Luyao is sitting with his arms up in surrender. "Sorry. Won't try again." The cold man that he had seen yesterday is nowhere to be seen. He is smiling and laughing from getting scolded. 'Almost like Papa when Mama scolds him.'
That's beside the case. Why are they here in the first place? It's early in the morning?!
Irene, who was bringing the dishes to the dining table, saw Lixian standing squarely at the front door. "Good Morning, Lixian. Have a seat. Breakfast will be ready in about 10 minutes." She implored him before going back to the kitchen to start on the beverage.
"Yanyi! We need the last batch for breakfast! Also another three refills of water downstairs!" Kazuto appears beside Lixian who is slowly making his way to the dining table.
Yanyi pushes the already prepared batch to Kazuto as well as pointing out the last refill of water for the guards downstairs. Kazuto didn't bother with asking and took them downstairs.
'This was a lot to handle.'
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Apparently Qixiao also has the same sentiment. Especially about the two guests that had somehow appeared early in the morning. Not only that, even the little guy who is now sitting on Luyao's lap since there aren't enough chairs for everyone.
"Jie. What are they doing here?" Lixian whispers his concern to Yanyi who is sitting beside him. She is currently busy with feeding the little guy on Luyao's lap. Spoiling the hell out of him.
Yanyi — "Well. It has always been like this. They would come over early in the morning to have breakfast together."
Qixiao — "But isn't that… wrong?"
Yanyi — "Huh?"
Lixian — "What he means is that it isn't inappropriate to invite men who are not married into your household early in the morning. Especially before lunch?"
"What's the fuck are you both so worried about?" Irene, having a much sharper hearing, has heard the entire conversation. She herself doesn't really see the wrongdoings of what they had done.
Irene — "I mean yes by tradition it is inappropriate. But they have always been taking care of us, safety wise, while we are here. I don't think it's wrong to invite them for breakfast."
Lixian & Qixiao — "But-!"
"Besides, Luyao and Yanyi would go to work together while me and Kazuto would discuss matters about our project. It's essentially much more efficient this way." Irene didn't let the two young lads around their complaint. She very much doesn't like how old traditions work.
Yanyi sees the animosity from Irene and shakes her head. "What Irene said is partially correct. Sure it's weird by tradition to invite them but its also mostly for convenience."
Lixian & Qixiao — "Jie-!"
Luyao — "I have some findings about last night if you want to talk about it."
This shut the two boys up for sure. They didn't make another noise and focused on what Luyao was about to say. Yanyi had taken the liberty of putting Eker on her lap this time.
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After their departure from the scene, the forensic team had received the rough result of the blood sample on the scene. The one in the box. Thankfully the blood shows no sign of being human blood. None of them.
This brings fourth some news of which Jingyao was not hurt during the whole transfer process. Does it mean that he is safe during the whole incident? No. But it is far better than nothing. At least they can still search for him.
He also had taken the interview with all the other audience members. None of them mention the existence or the view of the blood. It's as if they aren't able to see the blood at all. Even the ones who sat in the front row.
That is when he decided to take a very close look as to the design of the box. While there is a trapdoor beneath the stage that is connected to the box, there was also another plank of wood situated at the roof of the box.
This means that when Jingyao was lowered to the trapdoor, the other wooden plank was to come down and replace him. Making it appear as if he has gone missing for the show. What he didn't anticipate is that there's yet another piece of wood on the roof.
Low and behold this wood is the one where they discover the blood from. Meaning that during the course of the performance of bringing him back, the wood had fallen and he was not brought up.
In regards to the trapdoor?
It has always been there. Which means that the stage manager of the building chances of being involved is getting thinner and nearly to zero.
Luyao did however check backstage to hopefully find something, anything that points out where the little guy had gone. He didn't find anything backstage , so he then checked the back entrance.
Thank the Auril he had checked them.
While all of the carriage had seemed to not be moved during the whole show, there exists a tire track that appears to be running away from the scene.
Though there is something weird about this tire track.
"Instead of one continuous track, it was in a weird pattern of 2 then 1 then 3. Then there's none. I followed them all the way to the center of the street where there's no more lead." Luyao commented.
"What of the magicians group? Is there something you are able to fish out?" Yanyi asks, while wiping away some crumbs from Eker's face.
He shook his head. "I didn't ask them anything yet. However I did inform them that they'll be brought in to the station for further questioning today."
Yanyi — "Since they are the only ones using the stage, they are still the main suspects until we find another lead."
Luyao — "Yeah. Figure that we'd questioned them together."
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While changing into her normal outfit, a knock came from the door and asked Yanyi the following. "Jie. Can I join you at the station?"
Yanyi — "What for?"
Lixian — "I-I want to see what is the current situation. And you know… maybe I'll be able to help you."
Yanyi — "No. You are to stay here with Qixiao and the guards. Irene will also be staying home so don't go anywhere without my permission."
Lixian — "But-!"
"I said No." Lixian was silent after that firm no. It makes sense anyway. While she is gone she couldn't fathom what would happen to her siblings if things were to go wrong. Though from the look of it, whoever the person is knows that they are here.
"Jie! Jie! Jie!" Yet another young voice entered her room. Eker is tucking on her pants repeatedly.
Yanyi — "What is it, Eker?"
Eker — "Can Eker go and play with the other kids in the orphanage?"
That is when she remembered that they had promised about this playdate for a while. She had thought to bring in Jingyao after picking them up but now she can't.
Yanyi — "Alright. But only after you finish your training. I'll ask Kazuto if he can spare some men to accompany you okay."
Eker — "Okay!"
Yanyi — "And under no circumstances can you go anywhere without them. Even the restroom. Understand?"
Eker — "Understood, Ma'am!"
"Good." She patted his head before going outside and talking with Kazuto about Eker's little trip. They reached an eventual agreement and Yanyi went away to work.
While watching their sister go to work, Qixiao steps down to Eker's level and makes a very daring proposal. "Want to learn some secret away from Xue's little guy?" He nodded in eagerness.
Lixian watch as they both coddle in their little warrior world. He shakes his head before heading to where the living room is. There he saw Irene cleaning the aftermath of the breakfast.
Lixian came closer and decided to help Irene clean the dishes. "Thank you Lixian. I can't fathom the amount of time needed to cover this many dishes."
Lixian — "No problem sister Irene."
They continue with the flow as usual. Lixian clean the dishes while Irene wiped and put them back in place. Near the end of the process, Lixian decided to give his question a shot.
Lixian — "Sister Irene. Can I ask you something?"
Irene — "Sure. What is it?"
"It is about Jie actually. Yesterday… while she looked at the box she became frozen… and I mean not moving?"
Irene — "Is there something wrong about that?"
Lixian — "Well, the thing is, the top of the box has… a butterfly lily carving."
Irene — "Ouh…"
Lixian — "Do you know anything about that?"
Irene outright stays still and silent. She continues to place the dishes back to their place. The surrounding is silent without any form of noise. Just the water running and the plate clinking against each other.
Irene — "I knew something about it. I'll tell you after we finish this."
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