Limited Time

Due to Zhihao's actions, Meisha had secluded herself in her room since the end of the meal. Unperturbed, the man continued her unfinished concoction with the assistance of Xinran beside him. Despite arriving home late, the woman insisted on working and refused to take a break.

"Did your training go well?" inquired the man with loosely hanging black hair, breaking the silence in the room.

Focused on stirring the liquid in the cauldron, Xinran smiled slightly. Unsure whether to hide or reveal the truth, she admitted, "Well, it's not that smooth, to be honest," without turning around.

Zhihao, sensing something amiss with Xinran, glanced at the woman with her back to him and inquired, "What's wrong?"

"I'm... I am still not competent enough," she chuckled, masking her chaotic and depressed mood. "I was given a month there, and I still didn't learn much."

Zhihao was taken aback by her explanation, turning his face toward her. "One month? And you're going back to where you came from?"

Xinran nodded as she scooped the mixture into the bowl. "I have limited time as I am required to return," she said, forcing a fake smile. "I must prove my worth."

Zhihao's chest tightened; he never expected Xinran to be at the school for such a short time. Typically, the school's education spanned two years, but Xinran had to learn it all in a month.

"All aspects in one month?" Zhihao still questioned in disbelief.

The brunette woman then turned to her mortar, refining the ingredients inside it. "Incredible, right? Thanks for giving me the knowledge of this concoction."

Zhihao continued to watch, his pity for her evident, as the light in her eyes faded. She was exhausted, burdened, and constantly depressed. He didn't know what was transpiring in the court or her kingdom, yet she had to execute all of it immediately and was required to master it.

It's really beyond reason.

"I don't know what to do if I can't make a single elixir," she giggled, though her heart was broken; even her voice couldn't hide it. "I might not be able to match my siblings."

Zhihao knew this was outrageous, yet he couldn't do anything about it. These were the demands of a Royal Noble; surely, this was expected in the bloodlines to maintain dignity and power.

She wanted to prove herself that she was not weak, so the only thing he had to do was support her to achieve that. He then approached Xinran and halted right next to her.

"In that case," he helped her prepare the materials, "I'll do my best to assist you become more than they expected!"

At that moment, their eyes met, locked on each other for a few seconds, until Xinran broke into a wide smile. "Thank you, Zhihao," she wiped away the water from her eyes. "It means a lot to me."

"You, Ms. Chen, and Auntie Meisha are the ones I can trust," she couldn't hold back her emotions, exhausted by it all, letting her tears spill over. "I don't know what to do. I'm so scared if I fail, everything will slip away from me."

"I've tried," attempting to hold back her sobs, she fell before Zhihao, sobbing. "I've tried so hard to be equal, to be loved like the others. I don't want to be differentiated and considered weak!"

Zhihao froze in his spot, completely motionless, with both eyes wide open. He would never have thought that Xinran would show her vulnerable side to him like this. She had never done such a thing in front of him; at least, she tried to hide it, but right now, it's different.

In his emerald eyes, this incident brought flashbacks to him as Mikael when his daughter, Anisa, did the same thing in front of him. It's quite nostalgic for him, and he, as a father, immediately calms her down.

In this situation, too, Zhihao unconsciously stretched both his hands forward, making Xinran, who was aware of it, lift her face. It was about time she knew that the man embraced her with tenderness, giving her warmth as the rain poured down.

Time seemed to stop right then, and Xinran's chest beat so fast, that it almost made it hard to breathe. Zhihao knew he had done a bold and spontaneous thing, choosing to linger there as he whispered, "It's alright, everything will be fine."

The brown-haired woman then cried even more while blushing from being in Zhihao's arms. "We all here will always be with you," added the black-haired man, his figure now resembling Mikael, the old man who cared for his daughter.

Meanwhile, secretly, Jia, who was watching them from behind the door of her room, felt relieved that Xinran could express herself to someone other than herself. Ever since her parents turned their eyes away from her, she felt that she was a nobody and had no value.

The night passed quickly, and the day was replaced by a bright sun. Xinran and Jia had already departed for the school to discuss living arrangements, leaving Zhihao at home with his sister, feeling awkward.

It was unusual for the two of them to be silent, even though both were busy making concoctions, especially Meisha, who was a talkative woman. Zhihao repeatedly looked at his sister, who was shaping a pill, pressing the hardened mixture like dough.

"Sister," Zhihao spoke clumsily, "about last night, I apologize. I knew I shouldn't have brought that up—"

"It's okay."

"Eh?" stunned, Zhihao wondered.

"I forgive you," she responded, still engrossed in her work. "I realize there is no reason to keep you from the vast knowledge of alchemy, including poison."

"But, I can't teach you about it, nor do I want to revisit that aspect," she paused, her breath coming in gasps as the blackish-colored mixture was extremely hard to reshape, requiring more energy. "Therefore, I authorize you to study with Sister Ryusa."

"You mean it?" Zhihao took a step forward, unable to hide his excitement.

"Of course," she moved from in front of the table, stepping closer to her brother. "You are still young; I don't want your talent to go to waste!"

Facing each other inches apart, Meisha caressed his cheeks while giving advice, speaking in a soft voice. "But, be careful. Don't make the same mistake as I have!"

A smile broke out on his face, and he nodded in response. "You can count on me!"

"Good," she beamed in delight, releasing her hands from him. "Now, do those chores, will you?"

"What? Didn't you say you want to do it earlier?" Zhihao protested as she headed for the kitchen.

"Do it, or you won't have a chance to study with Sister Ryusa!" her voice sounded loud when she opened the cabinet.

Sighing, the dark-haired man mumbled, "It seems I didn't have a choice, did I?"