64 Reception

Over my room that had been my cage for a lot of years, I was leaning over the windows looking at the pathway, some carriages approaching the clan. The day finally arrived, today the Tè Clan's members were arriving at my Xie Clan and tomorrow would be my wedding with Yuan.

"It's time" I heard from the door.

I looked at myself in my mirror. "Perfect" I had been long prepared by maids to be perfect for the Tè's reception. I was wearing a long pale blue dress with a simple design that went perfect with my hair that was collected into a bum. My face was given a little touch of makeup, making my cheeks rosier and giving me a more lively image, not that much live was left in me.

I left my room and was guided to the drawing-room where I stood in front in front of the elders, preparing to receive the guest. As the future bride, I had to take the host's position, preparing to receive them.

The room was gorgeously decorated for the occasion with rare flowers that represented our clan prepared all around. Moreover, all the clan, young and old, had reunited there to show their goodwill.

I heard the sounds of horses followed by the stop of carriages and knew that they were already here.

The big doors of the mansion opened and the Tè's entourage entered the mansion with a strong aura, commanding revenrence.

Seeing them entering, I knew that my suppositions were correct. They were a prideful and arrogant clan that looked down on everything else. It was especially true about the elders at the back who wore grins as they looked lustfully at the young beautiful ladies from my clan.

That pride and arrogance were especially high at the one leading the entourage, Tè Yuan. He carried a strong aura around him while wearing his unpolluted white suit.

However, rather than him, my view focused more on the three people behind. If I wasn't wrong they should be Yuan's parents and big brother.

The man was big. He had short black hair and dark eyes and was over 2 meters tall with a strong complexion, big muscles could be seen through his black suit, his arm wider than my head. The strength around him was clearly stronger than Yuan, his aura being proud and overbearing, however, he lacked that arrogance that seemed so characteristic of the Tè Clan.

However, the clear one that didn't seem to fit the image was Yuan's mother. She was a fair and beautiful lady with white hair and purple eyes, Yuan clearly taking after her. Her aura was warm and gentle and with her long white purple dress, she carried herself faultlessly with nobility and dignity. She lacked the strength of the others but she seemed to be the one that deserved more respect.

Lastly, the young man behind the parents was a young copy of the father, the same black hair and eyes and the same muscular build. The only difference was his aura that seemed to be less forceful, being calmer and closer to his mother.

"The Xie Clan respectfully greet the Tè Clan" I bowed myself as practiced "We welcome you to our humble abode and we hope you have a pleasant stay as in your home."

The Tè Clan nodded conformed by my manners.

"We had prepared a little party to celebrate your arrival." One elder said "Please enjoy it."

We were all then guided to the dance room that had been perfectly decorated by the occasion, with a group of musicians ready to start the music. There were some tables scattered at the sides and a big table full of food, leaving space at the center to dance.

Light music started to sound and the party started.

I stood still in a side of the room while the Tè members approached me presenting themselves and giving their greetings and their congratulations for the future wedding. In the end this party wasn't anything to have fun, it was an excuse to present each other side, me as the main host being the busiest needing to greet every guest.

Person after person came and I couldn't change the feelings that everyone was the same. The men looking down at me, most of them with lust in their eyes as they checked me while the women were too frightful to say much, making a simple greeting stating their name.

I was sure that these elders would try to take some of the younger girls as they would even try to take me for a night if I wasn't for their young master.

"Hello, I am Tè Huoyi. It's an honor to finally meet you" Huoyi took my hand and kissed it with perfect noble etiquette.

"I'm Xie Lingling, young master" I answered emotionless.

He made a strange face "Don't be so stiff. We will become siblings-in-law shortly. You can call me, brother Huoyi." He smiled "My little brother sure is lucky to have such a beautiful and talented girl as his wife."

"It's my honor to be with master Yuan, brother Huoyi" I answered with my usual tone.

Huoyi seemed to be quite the friendly type, trying to make me smile or had some reaction while giving more conversation. Why would he want something like that?

"It seems that I took too much of your time" He said looking at back, his parent approaching us "Let's see us later."

I nodded at him while he left just as his parents came.

"So you are Lingling" The father mumbled as he looked at me. He had that analytic look in his eyes, but it lacked lust and dominance like other Tè members "You will be a great adding to us." He said nodding "I'm Yuan's father and the head of the Tè Clan, Tè Huoshan. A pleasure."

"Don't make such a look, darling" Yuan's mother next to him said to him "You will frighten the poor girl" She turned towards me "I am Hu Nair, the mother of Yuan. We will become family shortly so don't doubt to call me mother."

"I wouldn't dare to such offense, lady Hu" I answered neutrality.

"Mmmm" Hu Nair frowned as she looked at me. She approached my face and looked attentively to my eyes, her purple eyes piercing over me "I see..." She said thoughtfully before returning to her husband "Could you let us ladies some private time, darling?"

"Of course" Huoshan answered, leaving us alone and quickly being surrounded by some elders from my clan.

"Let's go to a more private place" Nair took out my hand and guided me outside at the terrace. It was a cold day so we were completely alone.

Knowing that she wanted to talk, I guided her to a near bench, both of us sitting on it. Nair took my hands in her hands and looked attentively at me.

"Could I know the reason of this private meeting?" I asked after some time of silence.

"Poor girl" She said with a sad and melancholy tone "You are broken."

I blinked. She had discovered me. With a simple interaction, she had discovered me? My broken self unable to feel, me being a doll?

"How much had you suffered at such young age?" Nair asked perfectly knowing that I wouldn't give any answer "So the Xie Clan is no good. But don't lose yourself, there's always hope" She clenched my hands, warmly caressing them.

"You don't need to worry mother. I was taught accordingly by my clan. I'm prepared to fully serve master Yuan." I answered gaining a sad look from Nair.

"You should think more about yourself and your happiness, little girl" She answered with pity.

Pity? I had received it before and was useless. A momentary feeling to make one feel better. Without having experienced the same, without being a broken being like me, you have no right to understand my feeling.

"You know... In the past, I was like you" Like reading my mind she answered with a sad smile. "A broken being without any hope except death."

It couldn't be possible. The way that she moved and acted, her mental strength, all of it showed a high self-stem, nothing like me or even Biyun who changed next to Haotian.

"I don't remember my parents, never having met them. My first memory is being caged in a cold and wet place no different than an animal." Nair started explaining. "Even now, I can remember the men looking at me if I was nothing, beating me while wearing grins over their faces." She trembled a little.

"But the beatings weren't anything in contrast with the injections. I don't know what they do, but they injected something that would shake all my body, my blood burned, my muscles cried and my bones broke, an insufferable pain crossed over every cell of my body, so strong that I was even unable to fall unconscious."

"Not only the injections, the drinks and foods, all of them causing terrible pain to me. For years that had been my life, not knowing anything else than that cold cage, surprising even that I was still alive. I had long lost all my hope knowing that my life won't change, trying to get rid of even my feelings to be able to resist such torture."

"One day something different happened. Something wrong seemed to happen and I was able to escape that cage. My mind really doubted if I should try to futilely escape or resign myself to my live."

Nair turned to me seriously "If you find an opportunity, take it with all your strength, give it all your all. That was what I decided, with my last resistance, I escaped."

"When I saw the sun for the first time, I started crying. I could hear my captors approaching and knew that I couldn't escape. However, even if I died there, I was happy to gave show my last resistance."

"However, as I was waiting for my fate, being killed or caged again, a light appeared in front of me" Nair said smiling warmly "Huoshan saved me. He killed my captors and rescued me. As I didn't know my family and didn't have a home, he even brought me to his."

"It wasn't long before we fell in love with each other" She smiled. "The Tè Clan is rotten, looking at everyone as mere objects to fulfill their ambitions, always looking down at everyone while feeling superior. Huoshan had been raised by the Tè Clan and had its values greatly integrated in his heart. But like me, he was able to change."

"That love was our salvation. He taught me a lot of things of the world and most importantly, he taught me to feel again, recovering the emotions that I had long forgotten as new experiences came together while I taught him a wider view, not everything was worthless, people were more than numbers where only their value counted."

"Finally, against the Tè's elders opinion, we married, becoming a happy couple and having children"

She finished telling and looked directly at me "I won't lie to you, while I was able to keep my two bigger sons away from the clutches of the clan, Yuan was taken by them. Yuan is a rotten person and the split image of the clan. However, like me and Huoshan, there's always hope, don't give up. Even if it's incredibly difficult, people can change."

She put her arms around me, embracing me "Let's work together. Let's strive to heal Yuan, making him a good man" She broke the hug and warmly smiled "And you. Take any opportunity with your full strength and don't give up your feelings, there's always hope."

She was clearly waiting for an answer, but I really didn't know how to answer her. Like Biyun, the answer seemed to be 'love'. But would I be able to experience it like them, especially when I already had abandoned my feelings? I went beyond them, I became a doll.

Nevertheless, I nodded at Nair. I doubted any opportunity would never become, but let's try taking it. Or at least, help Nair, a partner of mine like Biyun, in her dream to make his son better.

"Thanks" Nair said emotionally.

"Mother" She was preparing to leave when I stopped her "You told before about your two bigger sons. Who is the second one?"

Nair was a little shocked, realizing that it had slipped by accident. Nevertheless, she smiled brightly "Haotian. That's my second son. He is very talented and my pride. He was abandoned by that trash of elders" She spotted angrily "But it gave him the opportunity to escape." She smiled a little melancholically, remembering him "I pray that he is doing well, enjoying living freely in the outside world."

So that was the answer. Haotian was truly part of the Tè Clan but was abandoned by them, leaving them.

"If I could choose, I would prefer you marrying him. You will make a sweet couple" Nair said with a sigh. Then, she smiled and put her index finger over her mouth "Let's keep this a secret between us"

I nodded at her, she doing a last smile and leaving, returning to the dancing room.

'Love'. It seemed that the word had gained more strength.