In the dim, gentle light, Ivy Shen was crying and apologizing over and over. If she hadn’t been born, maybe—even if things got tough—her mother would have sent her out too, right?
But fate just had to mess things up: Ivy was born as well. And because her egg was so tiny, her mother sent her away, leaving her healthy big sister behind to take all the pain.
But now, Ivy had grown strong, while the sister who’d seemed so healthy at first was left battered and scarred like this.
“Sis, I’m so sorry! I made you suffer!” Ivy hung her head like a kid who’d done something wrong, crying so helplessly it could break anyone’s heart.
But faced with Ivy’s tears, the woman just stared blankly and gave a silly grin. “Food… food…”
“Sis, don’t you recognize me?” Ivy looked up at her goofy, dazed sister, guilt eating her alive.
“Food, hehe, food food!” The woman ducked her head, picked up a steamed bun, and handed it to Ivy, giggling: “Eat, eat, eat food, eat food!” Then she grabbed another bun and stuffed it into her own mouth, gobbling like she hadn’t eaten in ages.
Seeing this, Ivy took a deep breath and managed a tiny smile. She pulled out a small vial from her clothes, poured a drop into her palm, and rubbed it by her ear. This was the special solvent Butterfly Rogue had given her. Normally, you could just tug at a disguise mask to reveal your real face, but that’s the basic stuff—Butterfly Rogue’s skills came straight from a legendary master of disguise.
Without the right solvent, you could never peel off this kind of mask. That’s exactly why it was invented: to prevent people from ripping off simple disguises too easily.
Butterfly Rogue once told her that, by pure luck, he’d swiped a totally unremarkable little item—only to have a seemingly ordinary middle-aged man take an interest in it.
"Sister?" The woman repeated the word softly, her heart pounding in shock. Could it be—could she really be the lost little sister from the Serpent Realm the Shadow Guard spoke of?
"I’m so sorry, Sister. It’s all my fault you suffered so much... I’m sorry!" The next second, Ivy Shen couldn’t hold back anymore and flung herself into her sister’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Blood is thicker than water—even after all these years apart, the bond of family still tugged at their sensitive hearts.
"Mother made me promise to find you, to protect you. I’m sorry I was late... I’m sorry you had to suffer..." Ivy clung to her sister’s frail body, her heart aching. Ever since she was little, Mother told her: it was Sister who traded her own life so Ivy could be reborn. As long as Sister lived, Ivy had to do everything to save her and make up for all she’d lost.
"Little sister..." The woman’s lips trembled, and for the first time in years, her eyes reddened with tears. In the next moment, she hugged Ivy tightly, holding her as she cried.
"I’m so sorry, it’s all because of me, you..." Ivy lifted her head and looked at the terrible wounds on her sister’s tail. Her heart twisted painfully. With shaking hands, she reached out to touch the mangled tail—everywhere she touched, she felt jagged scars, deep grooves as if it had been hacked apart. Ivy couldn’t even imagine the torture her sister had endured.
"It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt anymore," the woman said with a bittersweet smile, gently squeezing Ivy’s hand to comfort her.
"Liar! How could all those wounds not hurt? What—what did they do to you?" Ivy’s voice shook violently, her fists clenching in anger and grief.
"She was jealous because Mother once had Father’s love," the woman said, turning her hand over to hold Ivy’s.
"Was it Empress Wendy Cao? Was she the one who hurt you?" Ivy demanded, her voice trembling with rage.
"Maybe... she was just pitiful too. She truly loved Father, but his heart was always with his kingdom—until he met our mother. Only then did he learn what real love was. I guess she must have been driven mad by jealousy." The woman’s smile was still tinged with bitterness.
"She got what she deserved! That woman’s heart was always full of ambition. Even if Mother hadn’t appeared, she never would’ve truly loved Father. When Mother met him, he was already poisoned—and it was that woman who did it!" Ivy spat out the words, her hatred clear.
The woman froze for a moment, stunned. She had never known the whole twisted story—so there was even more to it than she’d imagined.
Hadn’t she always said she loved Father?
Back then, Father hadn’t even met Mother yet... So why—why would she do that?
The woman let out a bitter laugh. Had she just been too naïve? Or maybe there were things in this world she’d never understand, no matter how hard she tried.
"Sister..." Ivy called softly, her voice trembling with emotion.
"It’s really okay. I don’t hurt anymore, I promise. I’m so much better now." The woman smiled at Ivy, her eyes shining with contentment. "I have a little sister now—he didn’t lie to me, I really have a sister! All these years, I kept myself alive just for the chance to see you one day."
"Sister..."
"Will you tell me Mother’s story—and yours?" the woman asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
Ivy hesitated for a second, then nodded. She took a deep breath and began, "Our mother... She was the last empress of the Soaring Phoenix Realm. After the fall of our homeland, she never stopped searching for you. Every night, she would sit by the window and whisper your name, over and over, as if she could call you back with her longing."
The woman’s eyes widened. "I have a name? What did she call me?"
Ivy smiled through her tears. "She called you Lacey Shen—Shen Lianxi. Our mother said your name means ‘to pity and cherish.’ She never forgot you. Not for a single day."
"Lacey Shen... Shen Lianxi..." The woman repeated it softly, her lips trembling. She tried out the name again, as if afraid it would vanish if she spoke too loudly. Then, for the first time, she smiled—a real, bright, tearful smile. "It’s beautiful. I really have a name... and a family."
"I’m sorry for everything you’ve suffered because of me," Ivy choked out, her guilt plain in her voice.
But Lacey just shook her head and wiped Ivy’s tears away. "Silly girl, why would I blame you?" she said, her own voice thick with tenderness.
She hesitated, then added, "The Shadow Guard did try to rescue me once. They died because of Empress Wendy Cao. Their leader... he was the master of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning. Before he died, he told his disciple to pass on a message: that I had to stay alive, because my sister would come for me one day."
Ivy’s heart clenched. That must have been the mysterious Shadow Guard mobilization she’d heard about years ago—the one that ended with their leader vanishing without a trace.
In that moment, the bond between the two sisters became unbreakable. Ivy’s determination hardened: she would protect Lacey Shen, no matter the cost. And one day, she would make Empress Wendy Cao and every one of their enemies pay.
The two of them sat together, clinging to each other and crying quietly, as if trying to make up for all the lost years in a single embrace.