"Ah, Ren... Let go..."

"Please... I'm sorry... I didn't..."

"Renshu... I didn't know... you hate candy..."

"Aaahh... Hurts.. can't breathe..."

Caihong struggled, trying to free herself from Renshu's steel-like grasp on her throat. Her windpipe felt like it was being crushed and she was sure, if this continued, she would be left with a sore throat for days.

It didn't take her long to realise that Renshu was familiar with knives and daggers if one considered his speed and strength of the attack.

A dagger had a shorter blade, thus requiring agility of feet and precision and strength of the arms, to secure a fatal hit.
On the other hand, a sword had a much longer blade, able to skewer vital organs with ease, and required accuracy and arm strength to attack and block. The feet aren't used that much, as compared to a dagger or knife, where you need to circle the enemy to both dodge and hit.

Even as Caihong made a mental note to ask him to teach her when he got better, Renshu tightened the grip, making her go blue in the face and sending all coherent thoughts flying out of her head.

' This is getting tough.'

"I said it, didn't I? I SAID THAT I WILL BE GOOD!!!"

"Ughh Renshu..."

On the other hand, amid all her thoughts, Caihong had taken too long to realise that he wasn't going to let go anytime soon. After all, this is exactly what he had wanted to do to those brutes back then, but had failed, because he hadn't been able to match up to them all at once, and besides, he wasn't carrying any weapons on him. Now that she had unintentionally unleashed his anger, she was the one who must deal with the fiend. And quickly.

' I need to do something... But what?'

His scarlet gaze seemed to bore into her soul, and it was only after some time that she could muster up the courage to look into his eyes.

Her eyes widened, and she moved her hands from his grasp which at once tightened up in a bone-crushing grip and slapped him on two acupressure points, one on his chest, and the other on his back.

Blood splattered onto her face and the front of her yellow robes. Immediately, the stranglehold on her neck loosened, and his hands slipped down to her shoulders. She watched; the hazel eyes trained on her seemed to clear up from the haze.

They stood there for some time, both panting for air and leaning on each other for support.

"Renshu!" A shout came from outside the door. Both the kids turned to look. It was a horrified Li Liang.

Just then, Renshu's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed, bringing Caihong down with him.

Li Liang rushed into the room and grabbed a tumbler of water.
"Why are you two bleeding from your mouths??" he asked, panicking, as he sprinkled water on the boy's forehead, trying to revive him. "What happened here?"

Caihong touched the sticky, metal-scented liquid on her chin, which was now running down her neck. "This," she rasped out. " This is not my blood. I'm not bleeding."

The older man swiftly picked up his unconscious grandson into his arms and placed him back on the bed. Caihong, in the meanwhile, had caught her breath and handed him a washcloth. He tenderly began to wipe the blood, as if he was scared that if he rubbed a bit harshly, his boy would break.

"There's blood on you too, Caihong," he said and turned his gaze away.

"Ah, don't mind me, these are clothes from last night. I haven't had my bath yet."

"Do you mind if I..."

"Of course not, you're his grandfather. Please go ahead."

Li Liang nodded, and picking up Renshu, he held him against his chest, the way he used to do when he was a baby. He trudged out of the room.

Caihong quickly entered the bathtub and dunked herself into the warm water. She sat there, underwater, trying to figure out what to do next.

When she came out, she found Anbai sitting on the bed. As soon as she entered, Anbai stood up and asked in a whisper, "Where's he?"

"With his grandfather."

"Oh."

'Thank God, Jie hasn't seen the droplets of blood on the floor yet.'

Right then, Anbai's eyes decided to take a stroll around the whole area.

Caihong quickly snapped her fingers behind her back. An illusionary glamour was cast on the floor, creating an invisibility shield. As a result, Anbai's casual gaze couldn't see beyond it.

"This room... smells funny."

"Oh really, Jie?"

"Hmmm, light up the incense burner. Looks like you have run out of incense. Get some more for your room when you're done, okay?"

' Incense!!'

"Alright, Jiejie."

Anbai grinned and patted her head, before leaving the room.

"Phew!" Caihong let out a breath that she had been holding. She didn't dare bring in a maid, so she dragged in a pail of water and a cloth and mopped the floor. She stood up and checked for any other stray drops of blood, before going to wash her clothes.

******

"Renshu, do you want something to eat? Aren't you hungry?"

Renshu who had just woken up from his stupor, sat unmoving on the bed, staring at the bedsheet that was being crumpled under his fingers. His features were drawn, but nothing could be discerned from his blank, empty face.

"Renshu, baby, please talk to me, please talk to Grandpa..."

Li Liang sucked in a breath, biting down hard on the inside of his lips hard enough to draw blood, in a useless attempt to hold back boiling tears.

"Renshu..." He extended his hand to caress Renshu's soft, glossy hair.

His heart bled. Guilt and despair seeped like wine into his bloodstream. And after some time, he couldn't even bear to look at the barren expression plastered on his grandson's countenance.

Li Liang bundled the boy into his strong arms. Renshu just stared at the bedpost blankly, his arms hanging limply to his sides. He felt numb, too numb to notice the slight trembling of his beloved grandfather's torso.

Caihong was standing as quiet as a ghost beside the door. Something in her heart prevented her from watching the scene unfolding in the room, so she could only wait. She stood outside, fiddling with the ring on her finger, tracing the runes that had been engraved on it.

"Caihong?" a hoarse voice called.

"I'm sorry, I'm leaving," she replied. A sharp pang suddenly bit at her heart, as she turned to leave.

"Caihong, please come in."

She halted in her steps. As her feet were going to touch the threshold, she paused again, as if unsure whether to enter.

Li Liang drew a chair next to the bed and gestured for her to enter and sit.

"Good morning, Grandpa."

"Good morning, Caihong."

On hearing her voice, Renshu finally peeked at her.

Caihong, feeling a new pair of eyes on her, looked in his direction and gave him a warm smile. A smile that made her eyes turn into pretty crescents.
"Good morning, Renshu!"

However, Renshu turned away at a neck cracking speed, as if he was terrified at having being caught staring.

She sat down slowly on the chair, with a leisurely sway of her hips, showing no signs of leaving, but not making any moves either.

He kept peeping at her from beneath his thick, long, moist eyelashes. She was still smiling, waiting for him to do something.

In the meanwhile, Li Liang got up to put away the cake of ink, and the scroll of parchment on which he had been writing.

Caihong, though holding a patient smile, was on pins and needles.

' He almost killed me a while back.
How will he react now?'

As if in answer, the red bruises on her neck left by Renshu's fingers, twinged.

' I'm sitting here right in front of him as if nothing had happened.
What are you going to do, Ren?
You're not shivering anymore. Does that mean you aren't angry anymore?'

She absent-mindedly lifted her hand to massage her neck.

'Will you shove me away?
Will you yell at me again?
I am not going to exaggerate, but you looked as scary as Mom when she's mad at me. Should I include Grandma as well?
No, you looked scarier than either of them-'

Feeling a soft warmth on her hand which had been resting on the covers, she tore her gaze away from his face. She was taken aback.
It was his slender hand, resting on hers. As she looked, she felt a gentle, featherlight squeeze, maybe, just maybe in an apology for what had occurred earlier.

She glanced at him and then at his hand holding hers again and again. She couldn't believe her eyes.

' Does this mean-'

"Renshu, will you please be my friend?"

Of course, Renshu neither answered nor looked at her in the eye. But at the same time, he did not put up his extra vigilant guard before her and snatch his hand away, as if something had burnt him.

Caihong waited with bated breath, for him to move his hand away and shrink to the wall, or do anything to get out of her reach. But to her ecstasy, he did neither.

' Does this mean-'

She placed her right hand gingerly over his and watched his reaction closely. He just shifted a bit on the sheets, regarded her once with his large, hazel, almond-shaped eyes, and then glanced at her hands sandwiching his. But neither fear nor disgust nor rage painted his countenance. He did not pull away.

Her heart danced merrily and she flashed him a beatific grin.

' If his silence is an affirmation, then so be it.'

" Umm, Renshu," Caihong began. "Can- Do you want to come with me and choose incense for my room?"