In the past whenever second brother had raised his hand against her big brother had always stepped in to shield her and second brother would hold back.
Li Jianhan looked down and held out his hand to Li Chuxin. “Stand up first.” He told himself his youngest sister was only wilful and given to lying. Yet she was the little sister he had watched grow up. He did not believe her nature was truly bad. But she had taken something that was not hers and kept it. That was unfair to Xixi. As her eldest brother he could not indulge her any longer.
Li Chuxin looked at his outstretched hand. She longed to reach out and take it but her voice was steady. “Big brother that chilli pendant is mine. It is not hers.” She had hoped he would see how wronged she was. That he would see the truth.
Li Jianhan kept his tone patient and placating. “Chuxin if you will only give Xixi back her pendant I will forgive you. And I will give you that book you have always wanted the complete collection on architectural design. Have you not always loved that book? Just hand the pendant over to Xixi. It means so very much to her.” He knew how she had saved to buy it how she had loved design since she was small. But Xixi’s health was what mattered most now.
Li Chuxin pulled her hand back. He was offering her the book she had longed for all this time just to please Xixi. She remembered in her past life big brother had given her that book and the very next day Xixi had asked to borrow it. She had cherished it too much to lend it. She knew Xixi cared nothing for architecture and found it tedious. Yet big brother had told her to give it to Xixi. And Xixi had taken it and torn the pages to pieces right in front of her eyes. When she had told big brother he had said it was only a book and it had been an accident. In time she had seen the impatience in his gaze. As if even if it had been deliberate what did it matter? It had been her most precious possession. She had washed her hands before opening it and wiped the pages clean. They had known how much it meant to her. And they had dismissed it so lightly it had broken her heart. She had learned then that the favoured one could do no wrong.
She pushed herself upright. In this life she swore no one would ever hurt her again. She wiped the blood from her lip.
“I have said it plainly. I took nothing from Li Xixi. That pendant is mine and mine alone.”
Li Jianhan saw the unyielding hurt in her eyes and for a moment he wondered if he had misjudged her.
Li Xixi drew a shaky breath. “Little sister it is mine. You only borrowed it and would not return it. I need it back so badly.” She knew what lay inside it. She had to have it back. There was a space within it. Tears spilled over. “I cannot give it up. Anything else I have is yours to take. Only this one thing I cannot yield.” She sank to her knees. “I beg you. Please give it back.” She looked small and pitiable.
Li Jianyong could not bear to see her weep. “Chuxin give it back. It never was yours.” His voice dropped low and harsh. “Do not make me lose my temper.” His heart ached seeing her kneel so humbly. Anger burned hot in his chest. He would teach Chuxin a lesson she would not forget.
Li Jianhan who was always steady knew why the pendant mattered so much. It was Xixi’s life talisman. He stepped toward Chuxin. “She has knelt before you. What more do you want?”
Li Chuxin gave a cold quiet smile. “Did I ask her to kneel? Li Xixi it is mine. You will never have it.”
Li Xixi felt a jolt of panic. In the past whatever she had wanted from Chuxin big brother had only to ask and Chuxin had given it up. She had always taken pleasure in watching Chuxin grieve over things broken in her hands. But today Chuxin stood firm. “I would rather die than be without it.” Xixi sobbed.
Li Jianhan saw no remorse in Chuxin’s face. Disappointment hardened into resolve. He raised his hand and struck her again and again. Five sharp blows in succession. On the fifth Chuxin caught his wrist.
“That is enough.” Her voice was steady. “Five strikes. The first for when you nursed me through fever at four. The second for teaching me to read. The third for teaching me right from wrong.” In her past life she had repaid every debt she owed him. It was she who had sat at the sewing machine through every night to earn his tuition. Eighty yuan each term money the Li family could never have scraped together. She had tended the pigs and the cow and run the home while he studied. And all she earned went to him and then to their second brother.
Li Jianhan saw something unfamiliar and final in her gaze. “What are you saying? Are you casting us off?”
“And why should I not?”
Li Jianyong saw her indifference and his temper snapped. He seized her by the collar and drove his fist hard into her stomach. “Ungrateful wretch. You will not admit fault. You torment sweet innocent Xixi. Now you think you can turn your back on us?”
Pain tore through her. Blood filled her mouth and spilled onto the floor. She found the strength to lift her hand and strike him back. “Do I owe you anything?” She knew her blow was weak but she would not be struck down without a fight.