Spring Winds

"Big Sister! Look at what I can do!" A little girl in red jumped the figure of a woman in white.

Ugh.

This new girl was the child that Big Sister He had brought to grandfather recently. I'm not sure why, but Grandfather took an immediate liking to her and made her his disciple. In other words, she would be my junior.

"Ah! Our A-Ran is so smart!" Big Sister He praised as her eyes turned into gentle crescents as she gave the little brat a warm smile. Sometimes I wonder if Big Sister He is too kind for her good.

"Aha, of course, I am," she gloated and hugged Big Sister He's legs. Ever since she joined our martial hall, she's been extremely sticky to Big Sister He and would follow her around like a little tail. A very annoying one at that.

This brat would continuously run around like a wild child and cause all sorts of mischief. From playing small pranks on the elder members to getting into fights with some of the other children.

All that it seems she can do is play and get into trouble.

However, the worst part was that she would get minimal punishment for what she did. She would break the rules and go on with her day lazing around, not doing anything productive. And the worst part was that they praised her for her mischief. Like "Ah, there goes A-Ran such a lively child," or "A-Ran is truly the light of Ye Zhan Martial Hall."

Somehow within a few months, she was able to use her fox-like charm to get everyone wrapped around her finger.

Whenever I attempt the same shenanigans as her, instead of praises, all I receive are scolding about how I need to be a 'proper' lady. It makes me wonder if she is the young miss of Ye Zhan Martial Hall or me.

"Hmph! Mastering a basic formation in a week, how is that any good," I muttered and stormed my way out of the room. She just got here, how could she of pick up all of this stuff so quickly? It took me at least a month until I've completely mastered the basic formation!

This attitude would persist for the next few months.

"Oh, A-Ran is are as great as Young Miss Wan!"

"Haha, A-Ran is truly the star of Ye Zhan, isn't she."

"No wonder Master Wan took in this girl. She's a genius!"

Then I snapped.

"What makes you so great, huh? You're just another beggar that got picked up from the streets!" I screamed and cried all of my pent up anger at the brat. She just sat there, looking at me quietly on the floor, holding her face where I slapped her. "Your family probably doesn't even want you, or why else would you be here!"

"Senior Sister Wan…" Zhu Na Ran called out quietly; however, no tears shed from her large eyes.

Her voice snapped me out of my rage, as tears poured out and blurred my vision as I sobbed by resentment and envy. "It's not fair…" I cried before running away to my secret hideout.

"It's not fair…" I cried as I sat on the tiled roof. Currently, I overlooked the city in my favorite spot, the top of the local pagoda that towered over the town of red lanterns.

Grandfather told me not to go here as I potentially slip off and fall to my doom. I doubt that it would happen, as I've played up here many times and have yet to fall.

Plus, it was quiet up here.

Unlike down there, in the streets, the quiet was a dangerous thing as if it was too soft, it was terrible. But up here, it was tranquil peaceful — no one but me and the sky above overlooking the city and surrounding forest.

The red glow, accompanied by the dark blue of the night, seemed nice together.

"Red, huh," I mumbled hoarsely. Why does red make me think of that brat? Though, the color is oddly fitting of her name…

Wait!

I'm supposed to hate her! She's the one who brought up all of this suffering to me anyway. Why am I thinking about what color looks good on her!

I must be so deep in thought since I didn't notice that someone was calling out to me.

"Senior Sister Wan!"

"Ah?" I turned around so quickly that I began to slide off the slatted tile. "Ahh-" I let out a small scream before a hand caught my forearm as my upper body leaned back over the ledge. "Wah!" Turning my head, I can see how far the drop is from here. My vision began to blur the longer I stare at the distance.

"You dummy! Why would you look down!"

"Huh?" Turning back to where the handheld onto me, I see it was attached to a kid in red. "Zhu Na Ran!?! What are you doing here?" Why is she trying to save me after what I did to her? Shouldn't she hate me?

"Are you going to ask me that question while hanging off the pagoda?" Her face strained as she attempted to pull me back to safety, her body gradually began to lean closer, and she reached out to one of the poles for support. "Try pulling yourself up towards me, okay?"

I tried reaching my other hand out to her, but I began to slip even more; Zhu Na Ran's fingers digging deeper into the flesh of my arm. It hurt, but it was nothing in comparison to my possible doom down below. "I-I can't," I stuttered in fear.

"You can," Zhu Na Ran's face strained even more. "I know you can!"

My lips trembled as I took another go at it. Using all of the strength I had, I propelled as far forwards as I could. Before I could fall off, another hand reached out and yanked me towards them.

"Oof!" Landing back into the landing, the two of us collapsed into the ground, side by side. Neither of us took the incentive to speak first.

"How did you find me?" I asked quietly as both of us looked up at the orient ceiling.

"Eh?" She turned to her side to face towards me. A small smirk danced across her face. "I just followed you. Do you realize how many steps are in this pagoda? I didn't feel like taking the stairs, so I climbed."

"What!" My body sprang into an upright position. "What if you fell off?"

"Ah~" She mused, "So Senior Sister Wan does care about this small junior."

A red cloud covered my face, and I turned away from her teasing smile. "S-so, what if I do? It's going to be my fault anyway if something happened to you!" Turning back, I faced her smiling face. "A-and, then if something did happen, Big Sister He and Grandfather would be sad. S-so don't get it twisted! I only care because it concerns the ones I care about!"

"Hmm," she hummed. "Same goes for here. But, I would understand why you hate me," she said as she laid back down on her back. "I won't want some random kid that came from nowhere to steal my family's attention away from me either."

"Oh," I mumbled guiltily. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. And I didn't mean for it to escalate into hitting you either. And thanks for saving me, too."

"It's no problem," she smiled. "Let's call it even."

"Fine," I shrugged and laid back down next to her.

"Aww, you two reconciled," an adoring voice called out. However, the soothing voice only sent alarms ringing in my head.

"Eh? Big Sister He," I looked over to the stairs. Standing there was Big Sister He with a terrifying smile on her face.

"You two think you can just run off like that?" She asked calmly before she quickly yanked both of us and threw us into her shoulders like potato sacks. Wait! Big Sister He, stop! I don't want your punishments!

Zhu Na Ran and I seemed to have shared the same sentiment as she also began to struggle. "Wait! Let's talk through this, Big Sister! No need to get mad!"

"This sucks! This punishment is all your fault," I cried out in injustice. Face strained; I tried to pull my arms up directly in front of me. As punishment, Big Sister He made both of us do horse stance while holding buckets of water while she lectured us on cooperation and safety. Then Grandfather came in and gave a similar lecture as well! In total, we've been here for about an hour, and we must do this for another hour as well!

"Haha, yes, yes, this is my fault," that brat laughed. Though Zhu Na Ran struggled with maintaining her posture for the past hour, she still laughed it off and instead was just cracking jokes this whole time. She was even the one that fought the hardest!

"Can you take this seriously for once!"

"Yes, yes, whatever you say, Senior Sister Wan."

---

"That fool," the streets of the city were as busy as usual; however, the hustle and bustle still couldn't penetrate peace from atop the pagoda. I can't help but shake my head whenever I think of that fateful day. How could she have acted that stupid at that age?

"Young Miss, I'm sorry to inform you, but we could not find your junior anywhere in the city," a voice called out from behind me. "Do you wish for us to continue the search?"

"It's fine," I waved off the guard. "Someone is already looking for her." That brat's new senior sister.

She's almost as foolish as that brat.

When I offered to give her some insight on Zhu Na Ran's past, to show her that the brat is not what she seems, she brushed me off. And quote her, she said, "If I want to be of Zhu Na Ran's future, I must accept her past. I believe when is ready to tell me, she will."

"What a fool." Where do you find such foolish seniors, Zhu Na Ran?