Words were stolen from Wei Ting’s mouth.
She stood in complete silence, her blue eyes widening further and further until it felt as though they might pop, her mind refusing to fully process what she’d just heard.
’Marrying...my sister?’
Her heart pounded so hard against her chest she couldn’t even pinpoint why it felt ready to burst.
Was it because her older sister, Wei Bing, was once again the one being chosen?
Was it because she was losing something to Wei Bing, yet again?
But what exactly was she losing, Wei Ting wondered, drawing in a shaky breath?
Wasn’t she the one who’d wanted to end this engagement in the first place, all to be with Lin Han, the man she loved?
Then why...why did the mere thought of Luo Ming marrying her older sister twist something so deep, so dark inside her that it frightened her, if only for a moment, that such a thought had even crossed her mind?
’Oh, Heavens...what...what did I just think?’ Wei Ting thought in trepidation, heart racing.
Yet the thought was tempting. So tempting she found herself peeking at it inside her own mind like a frightened mouse, wondering what would happen if she gave in.
"Please, can you focus on me?" Luo Ming called out, his voice steady, purposeful, pulling Wei Ting’s attention back to the moment, "Can you help me with this or not?"
Wei Ting looked at him, blinked once, twice, and by the third, her mind fully registered both the situation and his question.
A hot flush of anger bloomed and spread through her chest instantly.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Wei Ting scowled, shoving him away from her.
Luo Ming staggered back a few steps, nearly losing his footing at the unexpected shove. He lifted his head, staring at Wei Ting, whose face had gone dead cold.
He frowned, "What’s wrong with you?"
He genuinely couldn’t understand. Here he was, offering her the chance to be with the man she loved, and this was how she thanked him?
"You actually dare ask what’s wrong with me? Are you serious?" Wei Ting laughed humorlessly, "You think I’ll just let my fiancé marry my own sister?"
"I won’t be your fiancé anymore."
"That changes nothing!" She nearly shouted, body trembling, "People in this kingdom already know about my relationship with you. Even if we cancel the engagement and you go to my sister, they’ll still whisper, still spread rumors."
"Why does that matter?" Luo Ming’s frown deepened, "Will a few whispers kill you?"
"No, but they could easily cost me my sleep. Yours too!"
"Nonsense. I—!"
"Of course! Of fucking course!" Wei Ting snapped, "You, the man, walk away free of blame. But what do you think people will say about me? That you broke the engagement because my older sister was somehow better than me, huh?"
"Not to hurt your feelings, but she is better than you, Wei Ting." Luo Ming replied, "At least, from what I know. And trust me, I know quite a lot."
"My sister is not better than me." she replied through gritted teeth, "and if you think you truly know my sister, you’re an arrogant fool. Because if you actually did, you wouldn’t even want to be near her."
A cold, wounded smile crept onto her face, her heart pounding so hard her ears rang.
"What do you mean by that?" Luo Ming asked, arching an eyebrow.
Wei Ting didn’t answer right away, hesitation now creeping over her.
That information was significant, and no one outside their family knew of it.
Something she wasn’t even supposed to bring up. But watching Luo Ming so ready to abandon her and rush toward her sister sent a sharp, bitter feeling through Wei Ting.
She couldn’t accept it. Not this time.
And for once, Wei Ting wanted to do what she wanted, not what was expected of her.
In that instant, she wanted to shatter the perfect image her older sister had built in Luo Ming’s eyes.
So she smiled, venomous, startled even by the depth of her own jealousy.
But it was too late to take it back.
"My sister has a Soulblade." She said, her voice dropping to a strange whisper, "It’s called Heart Demon. I shouldn’t need to spell out what that means."
Luo Ming’s expression shifted slightly, recalling that detail from the last time he’d checked Wei Bing’s information.
Wei Ting pressed on, emboldened by his reaction.
"But I’ll tell you anyway. It means she’s incapable of feeling anything resembling love. She’s doomed to become a heartless demon, whose only purpose is to kill, and kill, and kill again. Do you really want to marry someone like her? Someone tainted, by who knows what? Someone condemned, forsaken by her own family?"
Luo Ming paused at the last part, "Condemned and forsaken by her own family? What does that mean?"
Wei Ting’s eyes widened slightly, and she snapped her mouth shut. It seemed she hadn’t meant to let that slip.
"Uh, no, nothing. It’s just a way of saying she’s doomed. You’d gain nothing by marrying her. Nothing."
"Do you take me for a fool?" Luo Ming replied, "I know that slip meant something. Tell me what."
"It meant nothing!" Wei Ting said, irritation flaring, growing visibly nervous, glancing around as though afraid someone might overhear, "Just heed my warning! Don’t marry my sister. In fact, we won’t cancel our engagement at all. I’m staying with you, and I’ll marry you. If you dare cancel it, I’ll make your life hell!"
"Your threats won’t work on me, Wei Ting. And I’m definitely canceling it." Luo Ming said, turning to walk deeper into the house, "In fact, I might as well do it now. You love Lin Han, you don’t trust me, and now you refuse to show me even a shred of sincerity by telling me what you meant about her being ’condemned.’ I’ve been patient enough with you."
Those words wounded Wei Ting more than Luo Ming could have guessed. But he couldn’t bring himself to care.
The truth was, Wei Ting was impulsive, but not stupid. And in that moment, she understood.
"You’re manipulating me emotionally to get the truth out of me." She ground out, fists clenching tightly.
Luo Ming stopped, turning to look at her properly, "Is that what you think?"
"Stop treating me like a fool. Are you even using my sister to make me lose my mind? Is this your revenge on me?"
"You’re overthinking this, Wei Ting. I’m doing all of this because I like Wei Bing."
Wei Ting’s body shook, "Why have you changed so much? You...you weren’t like this before!"
"I doubt you have the luxury of dwelling on that. When I speak with your mother, I might just let slip your history with Lin Han. So speak now, or face the consequences later." Luo Ming’s silver eyes glinted, "Well?"
Wei Ting gritted her teeth so hard the sound echoed audibly around them.
She now regretted ever starting this conversation, or making any of this so difficult.
She began cursing herself silently, asking over and over why she couldn’t simply accept that her older sister was better.
That it was only because of her Soulblade that their parents had abandoned Wei Bing and redirected their affection toward her instead.
Why couldn’t she just accept that, rather than uselessly tormenting herself by trying to tear her older sister down?
Wei Ting didn’t know. She didn’t know why she did it, only that she felt compelled to, just to feel like she was worth something.
That she wasn’t inferior to her older sister.
Even if proving that worth meant destroying her sister in the process.
’...oh Heavens, forgive me.’
She thought inwardly, and in that silence, she glanced around, then closed her eyes, listening to her own heartbeat.
She recalled the few times she’d spent with her sister...and Heaven knew there were few. Far too few to count.
Most of them from childhood, their father comparing the two of them constantly, day and night.
With all of that weighing on her, Wei Ting’s trembling lips parted, and the horrific words spilled out:
"My father wants to refine Wei Bing’s heart into a cultivation resource, then use it to break through to the next rank."
Luo Ming’s eyes widened, "You...mean?"
"Yes." Wei Ting nodded, heart clenched like a fist, glancing around fearfully, "She’ll die before she ever becomes the monster she was born to be. For her own good, they say. We need to kill her before she becomes something that kills others, they say. That’s why you can’t marry her. She’s already done for. My sister..."
Wei Ting looked at him, deadly serious, tears streaming down her face.
"...is damned."
—End of Chapter 23—