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Chapter 16 – Sowing The Seeds Of Conflict

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Author: Cherish the World Original Source: SFACG
Translator: raltzero English Source: Re:Library

As I gazed at Fang Thirteen, I thought to myself ‘frankly, I do resent you for failing to meet my expectations’.

Even if I were to use my third leg to think, I now knew that Fang Lita indeed was the person behind inciting contradiction between West-Resisting City’s immigrants and Sky Star City’s local residents through Luo Chou, trying to use this as a pretext to weaken his sister’s prestige. The result was that he just ended worse off after attempting the motion and with his temperament, how could he just leave the matter at that? This time, Fang Thirteen still placed more power casually into Fang Lita’s hands, wasn’t this sort of outcome something that was already bound to happen?

I shook my head and purposefully said:

“It’s not your fault. Of course……it also isn’t sir City Lord’s fault. He’s only urgently thinking of doing what’s best for Sky Star City.”

Hearing me speak like this, Fang Thirteen felt even guiltier in her heart. She used both of her hands to grip mine as she responded:

“This event is A’ta being too excessive, I will properly discipline him. You should first take care of your injuries, don’t worry, the doctor said that you’re already out of danger. All you need to do is recuperate properly and you’ll very quickly get better.”

After speaking up until this point, Fang Thirteen let out a slightly sigh before quietly murmuring:

“Fortunately you’re fine, otherwise I would simply……not know what to do.”

I didn’t reply.

Fang Thirteen suddenly questioned:

“Jade, do you hate A’ta?”

It’s finally come!

I let my mood ferment for a bit, then adopted a melancholic appearance and sorrowfully replied:

“Don’t speak any further, young lady Thirteen. This event is my fault as well. If not for me exposing this matter under a public place with numerous people, sir City Lord wouldn’t have had such an angry attitude. It’s just that at the time, when I witnessed a fellow countryman who’d come with me from West-Resisting City cut a sorry figure as he grieved and suffered lying on the ground, I truly was unable to ignore it all……please understand, young lady Thirteen. I request young lady Thirteen to pass onto the City Lord that I, Jade, don’t hate him as a result of all this and hope that he won’t bear grudges against me.”

Fang Thirteen let out another sigh of relief, then hastily responded:

“No problem. He’s not the type to bear grudges. It was originally his mistake.”

I nodded:

“That’s for the best.”

Both of us fell into silence for a moment.

The atmosphere became awkward for a while with Fang Thirteen likely still feeling remorseful and me having no easy-to-talk-about topics. Just like this, we sat for a spell before Fang Thirteen remarked:

“I’ll help you reapply the medicine.”

I glanced at her suspiciously while thinking to myself ‘can you even see? How will you help me reapply the medicine?’ and also directly refusing her with speech:

“No need, I can do it myself.”

Fang Thirteen responded with a bit of stubbornness:

“It’s okay, I can do it. The doctor said that it’s best if you don’t even move a finger.”

“Don’t even move a finger??”

I couldn’t help but chuckle and quip:

“Then how will I eat, drink, and use the restroom?”

Fang Thirteen giggled in response:

“I can take care of you. It’s me who has been taking care of you until now, so I roughly……know what I should do.”

You were taking care of me?? Let’s first not mention how a blind and crippled person like you was able to take care of me, just going to the bathroom and letting you help me isn’t appropriate!

I couldn’t help but roast in my mind. Fang Thirteen also seemed to have reacted at this time since her face reddened and she lowered her head without speaking further.

I hastily said:

“There’s no need to worry about me. Didn’t the doctor say that I’ll get well? That means I’ll definitely be fine. The situation within the city walls right now isn’t too peaceful with Abyss City and West-Resisting City’s armies waiting to act at any moment. Sky Star City can’t do without you at this crucial time. If I still make you take care of me in a time like this, my conscience will be burdened. Don’t worry, a bad person like me will live for a thousand years, I’m fine.”

Fang Thirteen pulled on my hand and proposed:

“I’ll leave Tila to take care of you.”

I shook my head:

“Tila has followed you for so long, so she’s used to taking care of you; you can’t do without her taking care of you, can you? There’s really no need, I’ll be fine.”

Fang Thirteen opened her mouth, but no words came out because she didn’t know what to say.

She, besides having me by her side, only had Tila left.

If she left Tila here to attend to me, would Fang Thirteen be able to live a normal life by herself? The answer was that she definitely wouldn’t, so this thing couldn’t be discussed from the beginning. Fang Thirteen went silent for a moment before she spoke with a hoarse voice:

“I’m going out.”

She grabbed onto the wheelchair’s wheels and pushed forward one by one, making the wheelchair slowly change direction, and left the room.

Is there truly a person in this world who loves others more than they love themselves? Fang Thirteen is a rare instance of one of those people. Her temperament towards her younger brother was one of spoiling him bad and even though she suffered many hardships, she didn’t think much of it. Rather, she would feel that it was just a part of repaying her debt of gratitude and that it was something she ought to do. But if we change the point of view and think for a bit, we’ll realize that if it wasn’t for her bearing hardships, instead causing Fang Lita to make the people by her side——such as me or Tila——bear hardships, how would she feel about that?

She naturally wouldn’t have a falling out with her little brother just because of that, but she would gain a clearer understanding about the current status quo.

For example, let’s say that I didn’t suffer any injuries. Fang Thirteen would feel that having plain tea and simple food every day was fine and would even think that everything was fine as long as she had Tila by her side. But now that something bad happened and there wasn’t enough manpower for her to use, it would be hard for her to not think: aiyah, if only I had a few more maids by my side, if only I had a few more bodyguards.

Afterwards?

She would think: why is there only Tila by my side, how come I don’t even have a single loyal and reliable bodyguard?

The thoughts would slowly creep forth and it would be hard for her to not feel dissatisfied.

I’ve always been in the belief that people aren’t like plants, that people have seven emotions and six desires. Fang Lita placed his sister in house arrest because he had a voracious desire for authority. But what about Fang Thirteen? She was filled with love towards her younger brother, but this didn’t represent that she didn’t have other thoughts. It’s just that she would forcibly drown them out before those thoughts even arose.

There’s nothing in this world that can’t be dug out, it’s just that the person trying to do so hasn’t reached a certain standard.

After a while passed, I heard whispers coming from outside the door:

“Sister Thirteen, why bother seeking for sir City Lord, does he seem like the type of person to answer positively? I’m not trying to badmouth him, but sister Thirteen, there’s always been just me by your side. But I’ve always been a clumsy person and unable to help you much. It’s very difficult for other people to help you, sir City Lord actually……”

“Don’t speak any further. Tila……you know I don’t like hearing these.”

“Mm……sorry.”

Fang Thirteen pushed open the door, then pushed on the wheelchair’s wheels and slowly moved herself to the bed.

She groped around on the bed for a while until she found my hand and gripped it as she whispered:

“Don’t worry. I came to an agreement with Tila, every day, she……will come and help me out a few times a day. In the rest of the time, she will be staying with you here. Just set your mind to recuperating and getting better a bit quicker, this way I can also feel relieved a bit earlier.”

She was still smiling, but I could see that there was an unspeakable bitterness and pain hidden within the smile.

I had a rough idea of what had just happened, but there was no need to reveal it, so I accepted without batting an eyelid.

Fang Thirteen finally beamed with joy as if that bad mood of hers had been cast off. She reached out to lightly grope around and undid my buttons while saying:

“I’ll help you reapply the medicine. I’ll also be inspecting the state of the injury while I’m at it, otherwise I won’t feel very relieved……”



 


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