Alix sent Sister Bai away so that she could have a private conversation with her daughter.
"Was he rude or violent to you?" She asked.
Liwu sighed. "Violent, no. Rude, yes. And I am beginning to see similarities in him to Shen Weijun. For one, they are both incredibly rude."
Alix chuckled. "Yeah, he is not the sunniest sunflower around. I almost feel sorry because you are going to be stuck with him forever."
Liwu arched her brows and laughed, because it sounded like her mother was telling a bad joke. But the look of seriousness in her mother’s eyes turned the laughter into a shiver. The silence that followed for a few seconds told her it wasn’t a joke at all.
"I know, I never thought it would be him either." Alix shrugged. "I have visited six system hosts with prediction systems in the last ten years. They all said the sa thing when it ca to your marriage, that you would marry at the age of twenty four and it will be the only marriage in your life. I never thought this was how or who you would marry. The wedding was one grand chaotic spectacle. Anyway, you are stuck with grumpy pants. He was supposed to be the fun brother, I guess that is a lie."
"Tch!" Liwu rolled her eyes. "I will not stay in a bad marriage just because soone with a fate prediction system says so. When the three years are up or maybe even before, if I begin plotting his murder, I will get a divorce."
Alix blinked. "Murdering your husband!"
"Mother, the man is insufferable." Liwu replied with a groan. "He thinks every bad thing in the world is my fault. And he keeps making secret phone calls and making signals in the mirror. What is he up to? Besides, you know about the actress, right?"
Alix waved her hand. "Ba! she is nothing but a fleeting fling. I spoke to their grand aunt last night and that lady had so less than pleasant things to say about Manman. Both Weifeng and Weijun are in love with her."
Liwu gasped. "The city master too!" She laughed gleefully. "It serves that arrogant man right. I hope she chooses....." she stopped short. "Fruit it! I was going to say that I hope she chooses Weifeng but I am married to Weifeng. There goes my joy. If she chooses Weijun, he wins."
"You almost make it seem like you and Weijun have a personal feud." Alix almost rolled her eyes.
"He made fun of on TV. He made it personal by calling a bad policewoman." Liwu slapped the mattress. "When I et him, I will not be shy to share my honest opinion of him. I have never heard of a man as irresponsible as him. How could he choose to take a vacation now? So people must be assuming that this is a sign of his disapproval of the alliance."
Alix stood up and then pulled Liwu up as well. "Co on, we should start setting off for your new ho." She hugged her daughter suddenly.
Liwu sunk into her mother’s embrace and pressed her face into her shoulder. Through the years, she was the child that had been hugged the most by her parents. It was as if the hugs were ant to cure her bad luck. But they never did. None the less, they comforted her soul.
"I cannot believe that you have grown so quickly. Only yesterday, you were clinging to my skirts and smiling with just one tooth. You were so cute, so precious. And now.." Alix stopped as if she did not have the strength to go on. "How am I supposed to send you off to a city where you are disliked?"
Liwu clung to her mother, as though she could anchor herself to the ground and nobody would ever make her leave. "I will be fine mom. I am doing the right thing and I will make the people in One city understand us."
Soone cleared their throat and the won separated. They had not noticed Caishen joining them. He stood apart, hands clasped behind his back. He had not cried at the wedding because it was chaos, but now, his throat burned with words he could barely say.
Liwu turned to him, eyes shimring, body trembling. "Dad." She called out.
Caishen stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know that you are our pride, right?" he asked, voice low but firm. "I know that your misfortunes played on your confidence through the years. No amount of love and care we poured into you could overco it. But, we never gave up and we won’t give up now.
Your mother and I love you so much and we are in awe of you for the decision you made. Rember my dear girl, this road you are going to take is not easy, but it is yours. Walk it with dignity. You are a Zhang and a Tai. There is nothing in the world you lack. Don’t allow the Shen’s to walk all over you. Don’t swallow any grievance. If you are wronged, co to and I will avenge you with all my might."
Liwu swallowed hard, and then flung herself into his arms. He embraced her tightly, gripping her shoulders with all the strength he had. It was like he wanted to pour dozens of years of hugs, love and safekeeping into this single hug.
"You’ll always be my toothless little girl," he murmured against her hair. "Even if you stand beside another man, you are my little girl. Be brave, be as arrogant as you wish. You carry my blood and my blessing."
She laughed as he let go, though his palms lingered on her back, reluctant to let go.
"You also carry thirty of my finest bodyguards." He said with a smile.
"And Reaper." Alix added. "Not just him but Majesty too. They will be your eyes and ears in One city."
Liwu rolled her eyes. "Mother, I know you share vision with Majesty. What he sees, you see."
The cat was a creature from her mother’s gaming world. It was shiny orange, fat and immortal. The cat had killed more enemies for the Bureau than any system host alive. On the dark web, it had a hidden identity as the number one assassin in the world. Only a few people knew that the number one assassin was a cat, and not a human or a system host.
Alix chuckled. "Well, since I am not allowed in One city, my cat should go and do so recon for ."
More relatives suddenly poured into the room, stuffing parting gifts into her hands and pinching her cheeks, kissing them or hugging her until she gasped.
It would have been a sad parting if not for two things: Old Tai was crying the loudest and more than half the people in the room were trying to hug a crying Zhang Alix.
One would think she was the one being sent away for the marriage alliance.
After everyone had said what they wished to say, Tai Alix walked to the balcony, stepped up and then plunged down, transforming into an azure blue dragon. She hovered hear the balcony, scales gleaming under the sun.
"Climb aboard." She said to Liwu. "I will take you there myself and leave so scorch marks on their gates. A reminder to One city, that the only dragon in the world shields you."
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