Ping Hai slammed his fists on the table.

He couldn't help but want to take out his temper. "Big brother! Why did you bring her in our shrine?" It was the middle of night, and Ping Hai had saw his older brother bring the young girl inside.

"Ah-Hai." Ping Sha sat across the table. "You don't understand."

No, Ping Hai thought. I understand more than you think.

"Didn't I tell you already that she's dirty? You shouldn't get involved with the beggars and homeless ones on the streets." Ping Hai babbled. "For what reason are you acting good? Just because she knows how to bully some random child, you've taken an interest?"

Ping Sha held a finger to his lips. "Ah-Hai, you're wrong."

Ping Hai wanted to argue more, but hearing his brother's next words had silenced him, "I'm merely playing around. Once we separate, she'll be heartbroken and yearning for more... that is what I'm aiming for. Didn't you say that she was unruly and deserved punishment? I'm doing what you said."

The younger brother slumped forwards.

He didn't know whether to be happy that his older brother didn't have affection for Yi Ran, or to be sad that the young girl he liked was being toyed around.

For the rest of winter, Yi Ran stayed with them.

"Hm? What is this, Ah-Sha?" Yi Ran saw how Ping Sha was holding onto a jade bracelet. Its colour shone of a beautiful cerulean blue, quite translucent and parallel to the sky.

"I'm good at carving." Ping Sha smugly said. "I carved this by myself. Since Winter passed, you'll have to leave us as well. This is my gift to you."

He handed over the jade bracelet.

Yi Ran saw this and goggled at it. She didn't dare to wear it, but she also didn't dare to refuse it. "Come on," Ping Sha was impatient, so he directly helped Yi Ran wear it. The latter could only wear the blue jade bracelet, fondling over it carefully.

Ping Sha smiled. "Yi Ran, you look good in blue."

Upon hearing that, Yi Ran blushed.

In the background, Wei Wuxian sighed. "Ohh, you have such a sweet mouth! Makes me want to punch your teeth out!"

All of a sudden, Ping Sha coughed. His chest heaved, and Yi Ran was alerted. "Ah-Sha? Are you alright?"

Ping Sha wore an ugly expression. "I'm... I'm fine."

He pushed away Yi Ran's arm, then told her, "Anyways, you should get going."

Yi Ran didn't want to, but Ping Sha pushed her towards the entrance of the shrine. Yi Ran had no choice but to leave. She was merely a young girl. She knew nothing of what the outside world has to give.

At that point, Ping Hai was secretly glad. He thought that his older brother had finally given up on the young girl. However, his older brother's health had declined. His skin began to pale, his heart began beating weakly and erratically at times, and he would feel faint.

Ping Hai wanted to bring his older brother to a hospital or clinic. However, his poor family had no money, especially since Ping Sha spent so much money to purchase and carve that jade bracelet...

"You'll for sure get better, older brother." Ping Hai declared.

Ping Sha was laid across the bed, wearing a haggard expression. He smiled. Ping Sha knew that he wouldn't get better. He could already feel his own health deteriorating at a fast pace.

By the bed, Hua Cheng watched with an expressionless face. Nobody knew what he was thinking.

Months passed. Ping Hai had finally earned enough money from the shrine. He pulled at his older brother's arm, which was so skinny that Ping Hai could directly snap it in half. "Brother! We can finally cure you! We'll go in the city and find a doctor for you!"

Ping Sha tiredly lifted his eyes. "Oh."

"Don't 'oh' me!" Ping Hai stated. "Once you get better, you can continue living an easy life-"

"Ping Hai." Normally, his older brother would call him 'Ah-Hai'. This time, it was his full name. This made the younger brother surprised. Ping Sha raised his head, showing a maniacal expression, "You've actually hated me all this time, didn't you?"

Hearing that had stunned Ping Hai on the spot.

He had no idea... that his older brother knew the truth all along.

"I've seen the way you look at me." Ping Sha croaked. "Every time I made that girl happy even though I was just messing around, you had this... terrible aura going on. Whenever I played with the girl's feelings, you made it feel like I was rebelling against the nation..." Ping Sha held a sharp glare in his eyes, "...What exactly... does that bitch mean to you?"

His collar was grabbed at, practically strangling him by the neck. "Don't..."

Ping Hai's eyes were red from anger. "Don't call her a bitch!"

"Ohh..." Ping Sha expressionlessly said. His voice was monotone as he smiled, "It turned out that the dragon wants to become the prince. How laughable."

Ping Hai felt like he was doused in cold water. He'd always been bullying Yi Ran in the background; calling her names, ruining her reputation, and trying to get his older brother to stop paying her any attention... to stop giving her any meaningless affection.

This was why he was the villain here.

And his older brother, who saved Yi Ran from the cold snow with a warm fire... he was the hero.

Ping Hai tripped on the stairs. He ran out of the shrine, with his shoulder-length hair flying past the blowing breeze. He must tell Yi Ran his older brother's plans! He must let Yi Ran know once and for all!

"YI RAN!!!" Outside, Ping Hai yelled out the young girl's name.

He raced against the wind, while his steps grazed against the ground with pinpoint accuracy. "YI RAN!" Ping Hai's heart had thumped wildly against his own chest, only increasing the beats as his feet ran. His clothes brushed past the wind, and he tripped a few times.

However, he continued getting back up.

Ping Hai's throat began to hurt, but he continued yelling. "YI RAN! WHERE ARE YOU!?!"

All of a sudden, he tripped over something, falling forwards. Thankfully, the back of his clothes was caught by someone. "I'm right here." It was Yi Ran who tripped him and caught him as well. "What are you looking for me for?"

The unsettling panic in Ping Hai's throat began to die down.

He sighed, "Yi Ran, I've been looking for you to tell you something important."

Yi Ran let go of his clothes, allowing Ping Hai to stand on the ground. "What is it?" Yi Ran asked. In one of her hands was a stolen pen, and a stolen piece of paper. These few days, Ping Sha had been ignoring her. Yi Ran couldn't figure it out. Ping Sha has always been treating her as if she was the most important person in his life.

Yi Ran was grateful to him. She had stolen jewelry from a rich family and planned to send it to Ping Sha as a gift. However, Ping Sha never responded to her letters.

Yi Ran knew that the mailman managed to mail her letters to the shrine.

So why wasn't Ping Sha replying to her?

"You have to believe me." Ping Hai was exasperated. "My older brother... he isn't to be trusted! Every good thing he did for you was a trick! He is trying to manipulate you and hurt you! He was trying to gain your trust and love... only to hurt you in the end! You have to stop trying to-"

He found himself unable to say a thing.

Yi Ran just blankly stood there. She was expressionless, as if she was unable to process everything down. Ping Hai couldn't help but stop himself.

He didn't want to hurt her... unlike his older brother...

But then, a hollow laugh arose in the corridor. "I see..." Yi Ran's lips had outstretched to a wide smile, "That's why he isn't responding to my letters..." She understood at last. It wasn't that she wasn't trying hard enough. It was just that the other side didn't have the heart to reciprocate.

"Yi Ran..." Ping Hai didn't know how to comfort her. "It's unfortunate, but you don't have to rely on my older brother anymore. I am here. I can help you-"

"Ah-Sha." Yi Ran interrupted. "I always knew Ah-Sha was this kind of person."

Her expression was rock solid, unmoving like she didn't care for anything but Ping Sha in the world. "He's despicable. He is malicious. I knew that from the beginning."

Ping Hai was shocked silly.

It took him quite a while to react. "You knew from the beginning?"

"Yes." Yi Ran's eyebrows were slanted. "From the first day I was taken in your shrine... I heard you and Ah-Sha's conversation. He said..." She reminisced. Ah-Sha said that he was toying around with my feelings, and he also said that he will leave me... to hurt me... Instead of tears, what came out from her eyes was the expression of a person who was numb to everything.

Ping Hai's body shook. "Then why are you..." Why do you continue to chase after him?

Yi Ran knew what he was thinking.

She laughed, "Ping Hai... do you know the difference between you and your brother?" She seemed out of it, as she explained, "Your brother has an evil heart, yet he saved me."

"But his intentions are-" Ping Hai was cut off.

"Forget it," Yi Ran put on a fortified smile. "I've long ago decided to follow Ah-Sha. He saved me, and I've decided to live for him. After all, there is finally something I yearn for." In the past, when she roamed on the streets, nobody cared for her.

Everyone knew that she was a homeless person, who steals and not beg. Yi Ran would fight with her fists, and get beaten back. Every single day, she had to sprawl. She didn't want to live a life where she was tired all the time. She didn't want to get hurt anymore. So when she saw Ping Sha that day, it was like the light had shone in her abyss-like heart.

A path opened up, and she thought, It's so warm... perhaps, I can live for that.

What was warm... wasn't Ping Sha's heart, but his actions. That was irreversible. "So, Ping Hai." Yi Ran chuckled, "You have no chance at all."

The rain began to pour.

Ping Hai stuffed his head in the blankets. What should he do? Was he going to let Yi Ran continue chasing after someone whom she knows won't reciprocate her affection? But then, Ping Hai thought, what does this have to do with me? I merely liked her for one second...

His heart ached when she was down. His heart ached when she was played with-

"Ping Hai, I'm going outside for a while." A familiar voice. Ping Hai scrambled out of his blankets, only to see his older brother with a haggard appearance.

"...where are you going?" Ping Hai was exasperated.

Ping Sha shot him a glance. "Outside."

Hearing that, Ping Hai knew that his brother was going to find Yi Ran. "Why? Why are you still bothering with her?"

"Because I'm going to die soon." Ping Sha smiled. His body was like a skeletal frame at that point. If he'd caught a small cold, he would already be on the verge of death. Thus, his evil heart only wished to torment those surrounding him. Therefore, he was going to torment Yi Ran, even when he'd already sunken in the abyss of death.

Ping Hai let his older brother leave the shrine. He did nothing again.

That night, Ping Sha didn't return.

The next day, there was knocking across the entire village.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!" That voice was familiar. Ping Hai peered his head through the window, and saw a familiar young girl running across the streets. Yi Ran had carried a scrawny young man on her back... on a closer inspection, that young man was his older brother!

"Ma'am, you look kind." Yi Ran pulled on the clothes of a passing by woman. "Would you kindly spare some change? I need... need money for doctor's fee!"

The woman only shrugged her off. "It's none of my business if your boyfriend lives or dies."

This left Yi Ran at a stunned state. Her face was devoid of colour, as she bit her lip. Yi Ran tried the entire village. There was the sound of her desperate cries, and the knocking on several people's doors.

"PLEASE!" Yi Ran was tormented. "Even just one single coin would help..."

She was slapped across the face.

"You stole from my house! You stole from my kids! There's no way I'm going to help such an unfilial child like you!" The house owner was relentless.

Yi Ran wasn't a weakling. She toughened up and argued back, "So what if I did steal from your house and kids? You bunch of rich people all have so much money and yet spend it on useless items, while people out there are dying because they don't have enough! If I didn't steal, would you give me a few coins then? I doubt it! Don't make yourself sound righteous, you guys are nothing but sinners!"

The door was slammed shut.

Yi Ran felt around the young man on her back. Ping Sha's body temperature had begun to dissipate.

She panicked. She'd withdrawn her hatred and bubbling anger. Then, she saw a familiar shrine in the distance.

Ping Hai knew that their eyes met. His heart began to beat erratically from fear and guilt. Should he help? He did save up money to take his older brother to see a doctor... but something inside of him wanted his brother dead.

The window was shut close, and the curtain was drawn.

Therefore, he was going to do nothing again.

Yi Ran felt like her entire body was doused in cold water. She watched how everyone was ruthless to her in this world. Nobody was going to help. The rain began to pour. Yi Ran slightly panicked. She was worried if Ping Sha would get sick from the cold. After all, he could barely move anymore. His body began to deteriorate so badly that he needed her to carry him.

The unrest in Yi Ran's heart had numbed the cold temperature. She couldn't feel the biting frost nor severe cold, as she wiped away her tears.

"We need to get going." Yi Ran bit her bottom lip.

If Square Town won't help her, then she'll go for miles and miles until she finally find someone who is willing to help her.

CoolCool-Aid: Today, we are having a small pop quiz on our morals.

WHAT IS RIGHTEOUS

>>> There are no right or wrong answers

>>> Pick one of the following options

A) To act within the laws

B) To break the laws for salvation (or for another person)

C) The actions of helping someone, even if you don't have good intentions

D) The actions of hurting someone, even if you have good intentions

E) All of the above

F) Comment your answer down below?

CoolCool-Aid: Guys, I'm so happy 😭 This book has over 1,000 comments! Thanks for taking your time to comment your thoughts, comedic and humorous quotes(I see all of you out there), questions, conversations, and etc. I hope we continue to communicate more with one another ❤️