Chapter 557: Destined to be Alone

There was a swift shuffling sound inside, the chair bumped against the floor as if someone had stood up abruptly. Ji Lingxi asked in a trembling voice, "Who is it?"

"It's me," Yun Yang answered.

The door opened with a creak.

Ji Lingxi's slim figure appeared by the door, her eyes watched Yun Yang, filled with sorrow and fatigue, as well as an increasingly familiar feeling of fright and loss. Meeting her gaze, Yun Yang felt his heart clench.

Recalling the young lady he had met in Tiantang City back then, how triumphant and youthful she was, yet she had become a mere shadow of her true self.

It had only been slightly more than a year.

First, her family had gifted her away like a chess piece, basically selling her; so that she could successfully escape her ill fate. She had also received the shocking news of her brother's death whom she had been searching for all this time.

Then Sister Lan, who had kept her company, left without bidding goodbye after knowing about her brother's death. To put it nicely, it was not known where she had gone to; truthfully, the biggest possibility was that the lady had followed her older brother to the Nine Springs.

Right now, she was the only one left, alone in this big, big world!

It was an indescribably cruel fate that Ji Lingxi was forced to experience.

Now she was staying in the Residence of Yun. She liked Yun Yang, everyone knew this. Staying in the Residence of Yun was essentially staying in her crush's home; it was something good. However, this ultimately didn't matter at all as she was staying here without any title.

Even when she liked him, even when she refused to marry another man who was not him, their relationship was never confirmed. To be under one's roof was nothing better than a rootless duckweed! Yet if she were to leave the Residence of Yun now, in spite of the world being so big, where could she possibly go?

Ji Lingxi felt tragic. She really was all alone!

A year ago, she was a girl blessed by heaven, her status was higher than the clouds. Even the Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter Family would never dare to act brass in front of her. A year later, she became an orphan, all alone without anyone to depend on!

What a stark contrast!

Honestly, Yun Yang thought Ji Lingxi was impressively strong-willed, for her not to break down and go completely crazy yet, considering all she had been through. It was due to this that he was crestfallen as well as feeling his heart ache just looking at the sense of fright and loss in Ji Lingxi's eyes.

The Eighth brother Supreme Wind's will was to let him take care of his young sister - but had he done it?

Sister Lan's will asked for him to take good care of Ji Lingxi too - but had he done it?

Other than putting all his attention into searching for Sister-in-law Yue recently, Yun Yang had mostly ignored Ji Lingxi's feelings. His eighth brother and sister-in-law had entrusted Ji Lingxi to his care in vain. He should be damned!

"Lingxi..." Yun Yang spoke softly, "You've suffered..."

His words were spoken in a plain voice, but moisture seeped from Ji Lingxi's eyes once she heard him, tears were almost falling down her cheeks.

If she had to ask herself honestly, had she suffered? She had! So much so that Ji Lingxi thought she had yet to wake up from a nightmare. If she could choose, she would rather wipe these two years out of her life. Every step she took was blocked, every moment was filled with calamity, and there was hardly any peace...

"It's nothing." Ji Ling sobbed lightly before smiling. "These events are destined - my destiny. And I have to accept it!"

"Accept your destiny..." Yun Yang repeated slowly and said, "One's life can hardly be smooth flowing all the time. Don't be too sad, don't feel too lost. You must remember, we can still depend on each other in this world. No matter what it is, you can depend on me. As long as I'm still here, your rock is still here!"

Ji Lingxi's eyes sparkled. Raising her head, her glistening eyes rested on Yun Yang's face with varying emotions.

Depend on each other? Was he hinting at something?

Just as she was musing, Yun Yang continued earnestly, "Eighth brother is no longer here but I'm eighth brother's brother. In other words, I'm your older brother! Your biological brother! And you're my younger sister!"

Yun Yang was speaking almost like he was making an oath, trying his best to provide Ji Lingxi with a sense of security; he spoke sincerely, "Whatever may come, you have me!"

"Don't you worry!"

Your sister? Ji Lingxi's shy gaze froze instantly, her face that had just begun to blush paled instead. Her lips quivered before she spoke coldly, "Young Master Yun's an aristocrat while Ji Lingxi is but a commoner. Not only are our statuses as different as heaven and earth, I'm also like a withering willow with an ugly face. I don't have the fortune and lavish hope to have a brother like Young Master Yun, I'm unworthy of such a connection."

Yun Yang replied urgently, "Lingxi, what are you talking about? Are you doubting the relationship between your brother and I? We're brothers who share life and death! If he wants my head, I'd cut it for him without hesitation! You are my eighth brother's only sister. I would be worthy of being called his brother if I didn't take care of you."

The more Yun Yang spoke, the icier Ji Lingxi's expression turned. She answered as if she was mocking him, "Young Master Yun, I see that you treasure this sentiment so much. This lady feels immensely proud that I'm so loved!"

"Maybe not to others but to you, younger sister... I..." Yun Yang started.

"I don't want to be your younger sister." Ji Lingxi lowered her head and uttered what was really on her mind, feeling butterflies in her stomach.

"Don't want to...? No way!" Yun Yang replied in shock, "Your brother's already asked me ... You are your brother's sister, so you're my sister! There's no doubt about this!"

Before he continued, Ji Lingxi's flustered cheeks turned pale again; she cut him off coldly, gritting her teeth, "I only have one older brother in this lifetime."

She picked up her gaze, staring straight at Yun Yang with determination and stubbornness, her voice rang clear, "I, Ji Lingxi, will never call anyone else elder brother in this life of mine. There will be no exception!"

Yun Yang looked dejected when he heard her. He could not figure out why Ji Lingxi was reacting so violently to a title, a simple address. He tried to salvage what was left of the situation. "Umm... you don't have to call me older brother. It's fine. Eighth brother calls me younger brother - if you don't want to call me elder brother, you can... you can call me younger brother too."

Ji Lingxi was thoroughly infuriated. She stood up directly and said in anger, "Are you done? I don't want to have any other elder brother or younger brother. They can all go and die!"

She was so furious that her voice was uncontrollably shrill and her choice of words became increasingly chaotic.

Yun Yang grew more confused and awkward, he had no idea how he had offended her. The youth asked, lost, "Then - then... what do you plan to call me?"

He was thinking, "You can't call me uncle or old sir! The generation will run askew! If you did call me those, I dare not agree to them. Otherwise, my eighth brother will wallop me when I finally meet him. Taking your advantage means taking eighth brother's advantage. Eighth brother's advantage is not to be taken so easily!"

It should be mentioned at this point that a certain someone's IQ and EQ in certain areas was absolutely ghastly, so much so that it was worse than an idiot's. If Ji Lingfeng were really here, he would not even argue with that certain someone; he would just beat him up straight away!

"What do I want to call you? You have the gall to ask?" Ji Lingxi thought to herself when she listened to the ridiculous question, crying out a low growl, "I'm calling you a log! A dummy! Can I? Can I?! Ahhh!"

Yun Yang sighed and replied in a soft voice, "That's... alright... Up to you, as long as you're happy. I can respond to whatever you call me. You're my younger sister, who am I to indulge if not you."

He felt helpless, thinking that his eighth brother's younger sister had a really weird temper; she was fine just now but suddenly she became angry.

He thought to himself, "Fine, as long as you're happy. I won't argue with you!"

She thought to herself, "Younger sister... why are you so relentless in making me a younger sister!"

Ji Lingxi was choking with anger. For a moment, she saw stars spinning before eyes; a kind of shocked state kept surging through her as if she was about to break down. How could such a log exist in this world? The world was truly filled with all sorts of wonders! Yet how was it that she had met one such wonder and even liked him!

He dared to call himself the Nine Supremes' think tank with such a brain?

Ji Lingxi spat loathingly, "I'm sure of one thing today. My brother's died pretty wrongfully!"

Yun Yang sighed, his tone pained as he answered, "Yeah... Thinking of it now, it's really wrongful. We've gone through so many battles together for the Empire of Yutang back then but there were still so many traitors. If it weren't for those bastards, the elder brothers wouldn't..."

Before he finished, Ji Lingxi stood up with a swoosh. Her face was as icy as a winter's frost, a murderous glare glinted in her eyes. "Young Master Yun, do you have any other business with me?"

She was actually beginning to chase her guest out now.

To be honest, she would probably start beating someone up if she did not chase him away. She really could not take it anymore.