The Important Things – Part II
Lao Wang and the sisters watched as the pair rounded into a corner and disappear into the house.
"This scene seems familiar." Feimei said, recalling the day Syaoran had come home.
"Leave them be. I'm sure they'll sort things out." Fuutie replied. "Anyway, what was that about? You wanted to talk to Mother?"
"Ah, well…" Lao Wang replied. "What she wanted to talk about with Xiao Lang is part of what I wanted to talk about with your mother."
"Heh, I thought you just wanted to visit us." Fanren said with mock dejection. "What is it?"
Lao Wang rubbed Fanren's head. "Of course I wanted to see you girls as well. As for what I want to talk about, I think I'd better speak to your mother first before I say anything to you girls- Ah, just in time."
Lao Wang turned to the direction of the other entrance of the house. A moment later, she entered the house.
"I'm home."
"Welcome back." The sisters replied in unison.
Yelan turned towards the voice of her daughters and quickly smiled. Then, she turned towards the man standing next to her and the smile just as quickly faded.
"Hello!" He greeted with an overly cheerful wave.
"I see you're already here." Yelan said coldly. "Good, we can talk right away them."
"As cold as ever." Lao Wang replied in mock exasperation. "And here I thought I would get a warm greeting from my cute little sister after so long."
Yelan bit her lip slightly to keep her annoyance from being visible. "I don't want to waste time on unnecessary pleasantries. Let's go."
"Right." He turned towards the sisters. "Sorry girls, playtime's over. I have to attend to 'grown-up business' now." he said while making mock hesitation at going with their mother. This earned a chuckle from the girls.
"If you're done joking around with my daughters, perhaps we can actually talk." Yelan spoke with not a little impatience.
"Okay, okay." Lao Wang replied nonchalantly, but he made sure to follow behind his sister. They stayed silent, with Lao Wang following behind her carrying a red box, as they walked to the guest room where Wei had already prepared tea for both of them to drink.
"Wei!" Lao Wang immediately yelled, his eyes were immediately set on the old man. He rushed forward ahead of Yelan to greet the old man. Seeing them both, the old butler immediately approached them and bowed.
"Mistress Yelan, the servants had notified me you're back." Wei turned to the man next to her. "Master Lao, it's been a while since you've visited."
"Stiff as ever, Wei! How are you?! You look like you've barely aged!" Lao Wang asked as he gave the old butler a firm but gentle hug.
Wei laughed as they parted the hug. "You flatter me too much, Master Lao. The grey hairs have certainly taken over me, but otherwise I'm fine, thank you. More importantly, you seem well. It's good to see you after all this time."
"Well, the lady of the house doesn't seem to think so." Lao Wang said, giving a cheeky eye to the object for his teasing behind him. Yelan stayed silent, not wanting to dignify his joke with a response.
"I see you haven't lost your playful nature." Wei commented.
Lao Wang grinned. "We are who we are."
"Thank you for the tea, Wei." Yelan cut in.
"Of course, Mistress. If you'll both excuse me, I have to tend to my duties. Do call me or tell a servant if you need anything." Wei bowed again and left the room with a tray in hand.
"He's still quite spry for a man his age." Lao Wang commented as both of them took a seat. "I wonder if I'll be as healthy when I'm that old."
"He knows how to take care of himself, and I provide him with whatever he needs." Yelan stated simply.
"Don't suppose you'll do the same to me when I'm older."
"You have a wife and daughter who to help you during your old age. If they're not willing to take care of you by that time, then the fault would yours."
"That's harsh, Little Sister, but fair." He turned his attention to the red box. "Here. Speaking of the wife, Mei An made some crackers. They're perfect with tea, if you want to eat them right now." He put the box on the table and made to open it before Yelan stopped him.
"Another time, thank you. Give her my thanks." She replied.
"Fair enough." Lao Wang poured himself a cup of tea. "So what's up with you?"
Yelan, who was in the middle of pouring one herself, canceled the action and set her cup down on the table abruptly. "Do you find it amusing to be insufferable?"
"Whoa, I didn't mean to upset you." Lao Wang replied with not a hint of alarm in his voice. "What did I do wrong?"
"You know I hate pointless chatter." Yelan replied sternly.
"Calm down. I was just thinking I could catch up. It's been a while since we last saw each other."
Yelan gritted her teeth. "You may joke around, Brother, but I know you're not ignorant. You already know what happened. It's why you're here."
"True." Lao Wang nodded as he took a sip of tea. "But one could argue that is why it's especially important to catch up, especially if such a difficult thing happened to one's only remaining blood relative." He looked at her and smiled, but there was an undercurrent of concern that Yelan was able to pick up.
She relaxed her shoulders and sighed. "You're right, I apologize. I shouldn't be acting so rudely, especially since I'm the one who asked for your help."
"Not because I'm your brother?" Lao Wang replied jokingly. "I'm kidding, and you don't have to apologize. It's not every day that you get demoted and your child is injured; anyone would be irritable in your position."
"That is no excuse for behaving rudely. I apologize."
"Don't worry about it." Lao Wang insisted. "So how are you?"
"I'm okay for the most part. Xiao Lang is okay now, so my worries are slightly alleviated. As for my demotion, I've never particularly cared for my position within the Clan anyway. It is admittedly a strange feeling to have held that responsibility for so long and now finally not have to do it anymore, but it's more of a burden that has been lifted from me. Now, I can dedicate my time to the things and people who are important to me."
"Yes, your family. I noticed that your daughters do seem somewhat… different today. So are you, for that matter. You all seem a little bit more cheerful, dare I say… happier?" he finished with an open ended air.
"Are you implying that neither of those things applied to us before?" Yelan pressed.
Lao Wang chuckled. The sudden shift in her voice and emphasis in her words may work to rattle others, but he had known Yelan long enough to know when she's pressing someone to intimidate them or when she's truly angered, the latter of which he was dreading even now. "Of course not," he replied with a laugh, "but something does feel different. You're all a lot more… lighter, like the air has somewhat cleared between all of you, if that makes any sense."
"Facing adversity pushes people closer together." she explained stoically. "We were all very worried when Xiao Lang was injured. I suppose that is what you're sensing, but nothing has changed. Our bonds have always been strong."
Lao Wang chuckled. Even after all these years, she still carries the stubborn, fiery young girl she was long ago. "Yeah, that's true."
Yelan took her cup and drank to stifle the smile that was trying to form in her face. Despite what she had just said, she couldn't deny that there was a difference in how they interacted with each other within these past two days. It seemed like they had collectively overcome a hurdle they didn't know but was always there, and came out stronger and more unified as a result, more connected. It reminded her of the years they lived before her husband's death and though it wasn't exactly the same as those days, it didn't need to be. Perhaps after this they can be happy under new terms.
Such thoughts would have to wait, however. Now, she had to protect that family. Yelan sat the cup back down. "Anyways, I've fulfilled your need for idle chatter, so let's tend to the real matter." Her voice shifted to a more serious tone. "Were your contacts able to find out anything?"
Lao Wang smiled at his sister's brunt attitude but sat himself properly. He knew all too well when she was serious, especially when concerning her family.
Yelan knew Lao Wang had deeper roots in the Li Clan than she did, having fostered connections within it during all the years she was in exile. He had been close to the Elders due to his proximity with their father during the time of the latter's employment as one of them and had come to know some people within a close proximity to the Elders' themselves, one of whom had even helped Yelan secure an audience with the Elders the days before. The day after she had rescued Syaoran and brought him home, she had asked him to keep his ears on the ground. In turn, he had asked each of them for any information. They had then given him their accounts, which he had combined to piece together a concise version of events.
"The Elders had an emergency meeting yesterday. For now, their main priority is damage control. The real details of what they're calling the 'Hong Kong Incident' are not to be publicized or spread Instead, the official story that they're going to enforce is that Fang Zhi had reprimanded Xiao Lang for inciting a fight and Xiao Lang responded with force, which forced Fang Zhi to take "disciplinary action". Since this was an act of aggression towards an appointed official of the Clan, the story is that you accepted punishment on Xiao Lang's behalf and had your rank as Head Sorcerer stripped. Therefore, the Hong Kong branch of the Clan in the meantime is to be under the direct supervision of the Elders until a suitable replacement is appointed. The official statement will come out today, so the changes will come into effect immediately."
Yelan processed the information that she had just heard. "So they're going to use my demotion as a front to directly impose their presence here in Hong Kong. They know I won't be able to say anything against them otherwise to protect Xiao Lang."
Lao Wang nodded. "By imposing their presence in Hong Kong, they will also be able to send their agents directly here. They already know that there were many witnesses to the incident, so they need to move as fast as possible to contain the spread of the truth. It's inevitable that there will be more of their eyes and ears in the months to come here."
"On the other hand," he continued, "it might please you to know that bastard Fang Zhi did not escape their wrath. Details on this one are vague since the meeting was more focused on containing the incident but my friends tell me there was mention of the agent that disobeyed orders and there is some sort of suspension or possible demotion involved. Either way, there's some heavy punishment and if I remember that rat, he's not going to take kindly to it."
Yelan scoffed. "Fang Zhi is only a pawn. What they do with him does not matter to me in anyway." Her mind flashed back to the sight of her son lying injured and how she had wanted to incinerate him to ash right in that moment. Truth be told, she wanted to be the one inflicting the punishment on him.
"Perhaps, but this does show that the Elders are definitely shaken. This whole thing has backfired on them more than they care to admit. Their own agent had acted beyond their orders and managed to create distance between them and Xiao Lang. It's likely they're aware now that Xiao Lang knows about the history between you and them, especially since Fang Zhi was also intertwined in it. This should caution them against sending any more agents to interfere directly with Xiao Lang and fueling his distrust towards them. Added to that, their current priority is covering up the incident right now. Judging from both what you told me and what I've heard, it was a huge spectacle. They're going to be busy this month alone trying to silence every word or whisper of the incident, which is almost impossible given the number of witnesses already. Like it or not, they're going to have to wait until this whole thing dies down."
"But that won't stop them." Yelan rebutted. "Regardless of Fang Zhi's failure, this incident does prove that Xiao Lang indeed has the capability to use his magic to it's fullest extent. That promise of power and their persistence in clinging to vague prophecies only makes Xiao Lang all the more valuable in their eyes. Right now, they are forced to wait, but they will try to make a move on Xiao Lang again, more likely sooner than later. Patience is not a virtue in those who are used to getting what they want."
"Rash actions rarely result in a desirable outcome." Lao Wang pointed out. "Besides, things are different; Xiao Lang knows better now. He will not allow himself to be used as an unwitting pawn."
"That's why I'm worried. From here on he will be actively resisting them and that will only further spur their efforts. The Elders sending their agents here is not just for the sake of silencing the truth about what happened in the training grounds; they also want to keep an eye on Xiao Lang and his growth."
She clenched her fist. "They will always try to get to him, and all the more so when they find out what he intends to do. I… don't want that, for him to get hurt again, but I am powerless to stop it. I hate that feeling… being powerless.", With effort, she relaxed herself and took a drink, trying not to think about the sight of his son laying unconscious again and the old wounds it threatened to lead her into.
"You know it's well within your power to not allow him to go in the first place. The Elders are one thing, but you're his mother. He listens to you." Lao Wang reminded.
Yelan shook her head. "I know my son, Brother, and I know you do too. He won't give up his wish even if I were to say no."
"And what do you think of it?"
Yelan went silent for a moment before replying. "I haven't given him a direct answer, and a lot of things happened which haven't given me a lot of time to think over his request. I've only been able to think about it these past two days."
She looked out the window to the blue sky. "I recognize that whatever their bond may be now, she is still his friend, and she has influenced him positively. I wouldn't want to rob him of something that's beneficial to him. However, it's also clear that she has reciprocated his feelings even if she hasn't confirmed it. Their bond will grow; that much is certain."
"Are you against that?"
Yelan stayed silent for a moment, mulling over her thoughts. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't empathize with him, but he is still young, even younger than I was when I made a decision similar to him. I know our circumstances aren't similar, but he will face the same problems I have ahead, but even that may be the least of it. Even now, he's so focused on earning the Clan's approval that I don't think he realizes the full implications of what it means to stay with her yet."
"What do you mean?" Lao Wang asked.
"Sakura Kinomoto." Yelan answered. "Her power is far beyond what any of us anticipated, and it has only grown since she became the master of the Clow Cards. Time will tell, but it's not unlikely that her powers will continue to grow as she learns how to use them. Power like that will inevitably turn eyes in the magical world towards her."
"You think people will come for her?"
"I know someone eventually will. The magic world revolves around power; it won't be blind to the sudden appearance of a powerful mage, especially someone so young. The only reason the Li Clan hasn't tried to reach out to her is because the Elders are too prideful to recognize that she's a potential ally. They would rather rely on someone from within their ranks than an outsider lest they show weakness, but others won't be so shortsighted. They will try to manipulate her or use her to their own gains regardless of the harm it may cause her. If I were to grant Xiao Lang's wish, it would mean he would have to face them as well."
"If that were to happen, surely the combined strength of the both of them could drive them away. Even if Xiao Lang isn't there, then the Guardians of the Clow Cards would also protect their Mistress."
Yelan turned abruptly to her brother, slightly taking him aback. "Do you think it will be some amateur magician that will come for them? Power that strong will only draw those who can utilize that power in itself. That means that person will have strength that rivals hers. That iswho Xiao Lang would be facing if he were beside her. His grasp on his own power is right now rudimentary at best and he's struggled constantly against opponents stronger than he is. What happens when someone stronger than The Moon Guardian or Fang Zhi comes along? Someone who's willing to do whatever it takes to get to her, even if it means ending his life?"
"Calm down, Yelan." Lao Wang pleaded. "Even for you this is a bit much. I understand your point, but getting paranoid over things which hasn't happened yet isn't helping things. As of now, no one is aware of the Clow Cards or it's new Master but the Li Clan, and even that's only limited to a handful of people."
Yelan took a deep breath and sat back, but her face remained in unease.
"I'm not so sure."
The heaviness in his sister's voice alerted Lao Wang immediately. "What is it?"
"I've thought about it the last two days and something doesn't add up. The appearance of the Clow Cards should have been a huge event for the magical world, yet even until now not even a whisper has been heard about them within it. Even after we found their location and sent Xiao Lang there, no one else came to intercept him. Even when magical disturbances started appearing around Tomoeda, there was no mention of it within the worldwide magic community."
"Yelan, Xiao Lang was dispatched secretly to Tomoeda and information about his mission was kept closely guarded. The Elders did their part to keep everything quiet, and so did you for that matter."
"I know that, but this goes beyond Xiao Lang. The resurfacing of the Clow Cards itself released a lot of magical energy that should have been easily detected, especially magic as unique as Clow Reed's. But no one detected it, not even the Clan. We only barely picked up on the presence of the released cards because Xiao Lang's prophecy had the Clan actively search harder for artifacts relating to Clow Reed, and that was only after Sakura Kinomoto had started recapturing the Cards for a few weeks."
"Are you saying us finding the Clow Cards was purely by luck?"
"I'm questioning whether we were ever supposed to find them in the first place. Clow Reed's diary mentioned that he had supposedly engineered events so that Clow Cards would be placed on Sakura Kinomoto's hands, but he is dead. Even so, all magical energies resulting from the Clow Cards had been masked in order to facilitate her capture of the Cards."
"It could be a spell." Lao Wang offered. "One Clow Reed left behind in order to facilitate her in capturing the Cards."
Yelan shook her head. "I've thought of that. Remote spells like that will wane over time, even for someone on the level of Clow Reed. Even if that were true, Xiao Lang's presence was not accounted for in Clow Reed's prediction. Spells like that are rigid; they can only either affect specific targets or within a specific range. It would also only account for the people the caster accounted for, which would be the Cards, the Guardians, and Sakura Kinomoto. However, Xiao Lang's energy was also concealed. That meant whoever it was had to account for and mask Xiao Lang's energy as well."
"So you're saying someone actively hid their presence from the world?" Lao Wang scratched his head. "Yelan, this is a bit too far-fetched. I mean, for someone to mask the presence of Xiao Lang, the Clow Cards, the Guardians and Sakura Kinomoto as well, they would have to be a very powerful mage on par with Clow Reed. You said it yourself; the magical world revolves around power, it would know first if someone like that existed. Even considering that this person kept himself hidden, why would they want to give Sakura Kinomoto power over the Cards when they could just as easily take it for themselves?"
"What if the target was never the Clow Cards, but Sakura Kinomoto herself?" Yelan offered. "After the Final Judgment there was a series of magical disturbances supposedly orchestrated by Clow Reed to hone Sakura Kinomoto's mastery over the Cards. By that time, the Elder had minimized their efforts to conceal Xiao Lang's presence due to the loss of the Cards. I was the only one who kept my ears open in case someone picked up something about Xiao Lang or the Clow Cards. However, no one noticed Xiao Lang or Sakura Kinomoto's presence or even the numerous magical anomalies within the town. Both of them are skilled for their age, but I doubt two children could contain these events so seamlessly unless someone had helped conceal them behind the curtain."
"You think someone other than Clow Reed would set all this up to empower her?"
"I don't know, but it's all too well-planned. The Clow Cards appearing, the magical disturbances somehow tailored to seal Sakura Kinomoto's influence over them, and the fact that it was all mostly contained within the town of Tomoeda, it all just seems too planned. Even if Clow Reed had set this up long ago, the events wouldn't be this controlled without someone actively present in the scene to adjust it to the present situation.
"Hmmm…" Lao Wang rubbed his chin, his stubble feeling rough in his fingers. "That's quite the theory, though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little convinced. However, I do see a flaw with your theory."
His answer intrigued her. "And that is?"
"You assume this mysterious person is covering up the Clow Cards for nefarious purposes, but from what you've told me the opposite seems to be true. This person somehow seems intent on protecting Sakura Kinomoto instead."
Yelan scoffed. "And what reason would they have for that?"
"I don't know. Perhaps this person is an agent of Clow Reed or maybe it's some other reason. What I do know is that he or she had plenty of chances to strike Sakura Kinomoto or any of her allies when their power was still weak if the intent had been to harm. When Xiao Lang came along, they could've also easily had him out of the picture but they didn't and even extended their protection towards Xiao Lang. Even after Xiao Lang left, they could easily attack her if the intent was to wait until she was at her strongest but they haven't or at least not that I've heard of; Meiling would definitely tell me if something like that happened. At the very least, they don't seem intent on harming her."
"Perhaps," she conceded, "or perhaps they're still biding their time. People are rarely so selfless especially when power is involved."
"Maybe the reason you're restless is because there is a possibility someone slipped past you." he offered.
"And is that a flaw on my part? When it comes to the safety off my family, any unknown is a potential risk." she stated defiantly.
"I understand that, but worrying yourself to the point of obsession isn't going to help either. Let's consider the present. Whatever may have happened in Tomoeda, Xiao Lang made it back here safely. Right now, neither Xiao Lang nor Sakura Kinomoto is under an evident threat. Both of them are also capable of defending themselves and have allies near them, so there's no reason for you to be so worried about this mysterious player. Besides, Xiao Lang isn't going to Japan yet, unless you've made up your mind to allow him to go already, that is."
"I told you, I haven't. I need more time to think about it, and Xiao Lang doesn't need to have the burden of waiting for my decision on his mind now. All he needs right now is rest. When I've made up my mind, we'll talk."
"Fair enough." Lao Wang replied while nodding, "What would you say though, if he said he wanted to, let's say, visit her?"
Yelan looked curiously at her brother. "That is… acceptable, I suppose, when the time allows it, although he hasn't brought up anything like that to me."
"Technically speaking, a time like this on summer break would be ideal for him to visit her, right?" he suggested.
"Yes, it might be." Yelan agreed, her eyes leering suspiciously at her brother, "but like I said, he hasn't brought up any of that to me."
"Of course." Lao Wang replied. "But what if someone were to invite him to go there? Would you say anything?"
Yelan didn't reply and her expression remained stoic, which told Lao Wang she was angry. He swallowed nervously. That hadn't exactly been a tactful way of slipping in the idea of Syaoran going to Japan, but he knew that she would detect any roundabout attempts to do so anyway and she was going to be angry at him anyways. That, however, didn't mean he wasn't fearful of her response.
"Yelan?" he piqued slowly. In response, she inhaled deeply and slowly and exhaled with the same speed. She kept looking ahead, not at him, which made him think that she wanted to ignore him.
That was, until he sensed the magical energy coming from beside him.
Instinctively, Lao Wang turned to the source, where his cup of tea was lying on the table. It's surface had begun to swirl, and the magical energy was gathering rapidly in it. Without a second thought, he erected a barrier between him and the cup. Half a second later, a long snake leapt out from it, made out of the liquid inside. The tea-snake jumped at the barrier and gave a single powerful strike, which made the barrier shake and made him grunt in response.
"What did you do?" Yelan asked, her voice pressing on him. Meanwhile, the snake remained idle on the front of the barrier. It hissed aggressively, as if at the slightest chance it would bite into his face, which perhaps was true.
"Please do understand." Lao Wang appealed as his eyes kept track on the creature in front of him. "Meiling wanted to take Xiao Lang away from all the Clan because she saw it was pressuring him, so she arranged a get-together with their mutual friend in Tomoeda. She did try to contact you, but you were away in Beijing trying to negotiate with the Elders. The window to go to Japan was already closing, so I decided to allow her to buy the tickets."
Yelan glared daggers at him. "This is the second time you've done this. I told you the last time anything that involves Xiao Lang must go through me first."
"I understand that-"
"No, you don't." she cut off. Yelan abruptly stood up from her chair in rage and looked down at her brother. "You may have your own way of parenting, but anything that involves my family is notfor you to decide. It's more enraging because you already know this; of course you do, we've had this discussion before. You know, but you do not understand, so don't you dare say otherwise to me."
Lao Wang looked up at his sister, staring at him with a burning gaze, and sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. I should've passed this through you first, regardless of what you were doing at the time. But with things the way they are already, can you at least hear me out?" He let down the barrier between him and Yelan snake and put down his hands on his legs. "Please?"
Yelan recognized the gesture of surrender. Part of her wanted to just let the snake bite him in the nose so that he'd at least learn his lesson, but she knew she had to be an adult about this. It was amazing how hard he often made that for her.
"Fine." She waved her hand and the snake retreated back into the cup, becoming the harmless liquid it was before. "Now talk." she commanded as she sat back down.
Lao Wang breathed a sigh of relief. "Anyways, as I was saying, Meiling was desperate because she couldn't reach you and the tickets wouldn't be available for long since summer was coming. I thought about postponing it to a later date, but she insisted it was important for Xiao Lang and so-"
"So you caved in to her demands like the last time." Yelan shook her head in exasperation. "You spoil that girl too much." She stated both as a matter of fact and a reproach.
Lao Wang chuckled. "Well, she is my only child."
"All the more reason not to spoil her." she countered. "If you keep giving her what she asks for, it would let her form bad habits later in life."
"I admit I've been guilty of that in the past," he conceded, "but that's not why I let her buy the tickets."
Lao Wang took a sip of tea and looked out the window, where the sun was moving closer to the horizon, signaling dusk was approaching. "You know, I never really told you why I agreed to send Meiling to Tomoeda, didn't you?"
Yelan looked at him, puzzled. "You told me it was because she kept asking you to let her go."
"Yeah, that is true." he looked down now, his face smiling yet somewhat solemn. "It wasn't like I instantly gave her my permission, though. I didn't actually agree at first. In fact, I was actually against it. I thought that having separation from Xiao Lang would do well for her even if she would be sad initially, at least that's what I thought."
He stood up from the chair and approached the window, his eyes tracking the passing clouds in the sky.
"Ever since Meiling was born, Mei An and I always knew she would be subject to discrimination within the Clan. You know well enough how tough it can be to raise a child without the affinity for magic in the Clan."
Yelan nodded, looking back on her own experiences with her daughters.
"To her credit, she grew up to be a strong child, something I'll forever be proud of her for. However, she was still a child nonetheless and like a child, she sought to belong. Mei An and I love her for who she is and she knew that, but somewhere in her heart she still felt that disconnect between her and her surroundings. However, there was one person in the Clan who showed her compassion, who despite carrying high respect in the Clan, recognized her instead of dismissing her, who despite treating her as an annoyance, saw her like an actual human being rather than an afterthought and, well… you know where I'm going with this."
She nodded again, though Lao Wang still couldn't see it since his back was turned to her.
"In any case, I quickly became aware of her feelings, mostly because she was very vocal about her promise to marry Xiao Lang," he chuckled, "and while I recognized it's futility and the eventual hurt such feelings will cause, I didn't discourage it. After all, feelings come and go at that age, and if her crush for Xiao Lang would be the crutch to help her cope with the Clan then it would benefit her until at least she was ready to stand on her own."
"But then, the Clow Cards reappeared and Xiao Lang suddenly had to go to Japan for an extended period. I knew she would take it badly. Still, I hoped that this would be the catalyst she needed to finally let go of her feelings, but I hadn't grasped the nature of those feelings. I simply thought of them as a way to find belonging in the Clan, and while it may have started out that way, that wasn't the case any longer. She loved Xiao Lang for who he was, and when that was gone, all that was left was the Clan's prejudice. She became quiet, withdrawn, unresponsive, her appetite fell, her grades slipped. I knew the cause, but I thought I still thought it was just her emotions getting the better of her and she just had to accept it. So, when she started to ask me about Xiao Lang and eventually to go see him, I disagreed and maintained that she had to accept the fact that he was in Japan. I know, right? Me? Being a hardline parent? I can hear you holding in your laughter. "
Yelan didn't laugh but smiled a little. It was admittedly a novel concept.
"However, Mei An - bless that woman - recognized her feelings for what it was, and brought it up to me. I didn't agree to it immediately, but as time went by and Meiling continued to regress, I knew that she would not last long as things were, so I agreed to let her go under the condition that she not neglect her studies and got good marks. As for how to get her there, well, I couldn't risk you or the Elders finding out and cancelling the plan, so I had her secretly enrolled and applied before neither of you could do anything about it. And by the Gods, you both surely gave me hell for it, especially the Elders."
"Lao Wang," Yelan cut in, "I admit some of this is new to me, but I don't see how this is relevant to our current situation."
"Humor me." Lao Wang replied, turning his head to look at her. "I am getting to my point, I promise."
She paused for a moment, and then sighed. "Fine, carry on."
Satisfied with her response, Lao Wang continued. "Well as you know, things didn't go the way she wanted. The day she went back after her second visit to Xiao Lang she spent days keeping to herself. I knew something was wrong but I didn't know what it was until one day she came to me and just said bluntly, "Xiao Lang found someone that he loves, so our engagement is cancelled." She didn't cry, didn't get angry, and even though she was sad she said it calmly. I… was surprised. I'd never thought I'd see my daughter who was once so influenced by her emotions say something so emotionally devastating to her without losing herself. I always knew that her feelings for Xiao Lang could never end in a good outcome, and perhaps she did too, but she faced that truth head-on with such strength of heart that it shocked me, and I'm proud of her for it."
He turned to face Yelan, a wide smile plastered on his face. "So imagine my surprise when she comes to me a few months later and asked me to allow her and Xiao Lang to go to Tomoeda to get Xiao Lang to meet Sakura Kinomoto and work things out with her, and she'd already arranged for it with their mutual friend… well, I couldn't say no, not after she showed me just how much she's changed in such a short time. This isn't a call for sympathy, I'm still at fault for not consulting with you first, but at least I hope you'd understand where I'm coming from."
Yelan looked at her brother and thought about his words for a moment before replying. "Why did you tell me all this then? You didn't tell me about Meiling's problems when you apologized for enrolling her in Tomoeda. In fact, I don't think you've ever shared this much with me before."
"Hmmm…." Lao Wang mused. "Perhaps it's because you've changed as well."
Yelan eyed him curiously.
"Come on, it's pretty obvious to anyone who knows you. It's not just you, either. Your daughters have changed and Xiao Lang has changed. I don't know what catalyzed this, whether it's Sakura Kinomoto, the Clow Cards or Clow Reed's convoluted machinations, but I do know you've all changed, and I have a feeling this isn't the end. I feel like a wind of change is coming, and what we're seeing is only the first few gusts.
He took a deep breath. "So I have to change as well. In the past, I've always somewhat held back on telling you about my problems because I didn't want to trouble you with them and because I had honestly thought you would not care either way, but I don't want that. I know we haven't had the best relationship through the years, but I've always been aware of your problems and helped when I can, and now I want you to know about mine, not because I want you to return the favor mind you, but because… well, you're the only family I have left other than my own, and it'd be kind of sad to not be able to talk to your own sister, wouldn't it?" he finished.
The room was silent for a moment. Neither of them said a word. Yelan realized the ball was on her to continue the conversation, however, so she took another sip of tea before she resumed.
"That was a rather convoluted way saying you want us to get along."
Lao Wang laughed. "Well, I didn't really rehearse that, and I'm still kind of cautious of how you'd react even now."
The admission brought a pang of guilt in her. "I've…never been good with expressing myself, so I can and do come off as cold and I apologize for that. Still, I've never taken our family ties for granted, nor everything you've done to help me. I hope you know that."
Lao Wang smiled and nodded. "I know."
Yelan cleared her throat to dissolve the one-sided tension. "Anyways, it's starting to get late. I'd hate to be keeping you or Meiling. Let's go meet the children."
"Ah, so you've made a decision then?" asked Lao Wang.
She nodded. "I have."
As they made it to the front of the house, Yelan could hear spirited conversations turn to hushed whispers as their children recognized their nearing presence. As they came into view, she looked at all of waiting with gleaming eyes. This included the four sisters, who looked as full with anticipation as their brother and cousin in front of them.
"Judging by your reactions, I guess all of you have been informed of the situation."
They all nodded in unison.
"Good, then I won't have to repeat myself." She turned to Meiling. "Meiling, I recognize that you did what you did with good intent, but anything that concerns Xiao Lang also concerns me. I grant that you've made attempts to reach me, which failed because I was away, but it still does not absolve you from making decisions without consulting those involved. In the future, such actions will not be taken lightly by me."
"Yes, Aunt Yelan." Meiling nodded, her head bowed down in shame.
"Still, I recognize that your father also shares the blame for allowing your actions despite knowing better," she said as she looked accusingly at Lao wang behind her. Lao Wang for his part looked away and whistled humorously. "And though your methods were wrong, you had Xiao Lang's wellbeing in mind. As it is currently, it may also benefit Xiao Lang to have some distance from the Clan environment. Therefore, I allow Xiao Lang to go with you to Tomoeda."
With those words, Meiling's expression immediately brightened. "Thank you, Aunt Yelan!" she exclaimed as she bowed with gratitude.
Syaoran's expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief. "Really?! Is it fine?!"
Yelan looked at her son and smiled. "We'll have a lot to discuss in the future, but for now there's no harm in a little visit. It's summer, after all. Why not spend it with a few friends?"
Syaoran bowed at her vigorously. "Thank you, Mother!" He was elated and grateful beyond measure, so much that he didn't see the four pairs of hands about to pull him behind until it was too late. With a sudden jerk, he found himself in the grasp of his sisters once again.
"Yeay!" Feimei cheered.
"We're so happy for you!" Fanren echoed.
"Little Brother's going to meet his love!" Shiefa exclaimed.
"Stop it!" Syaoran protested, struggling against their grasp.
"Girls, stop it!" Fuutie suddenly declared. All four of them looked at her in shock.
"This is not the time to get carried away." she reprimanded. At her reproach, the other three began to loosen their grip on Syaoran. He felt relief as they did, but just as he was about to break free, Fuutie continued.
"No, this is the time to be giving Xiao Lang love advice so he doesn't mess things up!" she passionately declared.
'No.' Syaoran thought as his heart sank.
"YES!" shouted all three sisters in unison. Immediately, their grip on Syaoran retightened.
"To the library!" Fuutie commanded as she headed inside the house. The other three followed with a resisting Syaoran in their grasp.
"Make sure all of you aren't late for dinner!" Yelan reminded them. In response, a faint echo of the girls saying 'Yes, Mother!' came from the hallway.
"I wanna come too!" Meiling said as she started to go after them, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"We can't do that, Meiling. Your mother's waiting for us." Lao Wang reminded.
"Aw, come on." Meiling pleaded.
"It's already late, Meiling."
"Fine." She replied begrudgingly, but offered no further resistance.
With his daughter placated, Lao Wang turned to Yelan. "Well, that's my cue to leave. Give my regards to the children and Wei."
"I will."
"Bye, Yelan." He turned to Meiling. "Come on, let's go."
"Okay, Dad." Meiling complied. She headed first out the door. Lao wang followed behind her, but was stopped before he fully exited the house when Yelan called him.
"Brother."
He turned around to see Yelan look at him, her face serious but not harsh.
"Thank you… for your help, and everything else."
He paused a little, slightly surprised, before giving her a friendly smirk. "Don't mention it. We're family after all."
"Yes." she echoed, before giving him a smile of her own. "That we are."
"I'll see you later, Yelan."
"Goodbye, Brother."
With their goodbyes said, Lao Wang turned and approached Meiling who was waiting for her. Yelan watched as both of them made their way to their car until they drove to the horizon. Her attention then focused on the horizon, where the first streaks of red had only just begun to taint the sky. A gust of wind blew past her. It reminded of her brother's words, and she whispered to no one in particular.
"The first gusts of change…"