The Inverted Dragon's Scale

A group of young students gathered at the pavilion outside a restaurant, drinking tea, chatting and enjoying the beautiful view of the great lake.

Someone was painting the autumn scenery, on his piece of white paper was the breeze-ruffled loti at the winding garden.

Someone was playing the flute, its sound was mellow and airy, and changed constantly.

Someone was reciting a poem: West Lake is at its best after the season of bloom when petals fall in disarray—-Good words, good words, there is a beautiful scenery before my eyes but I cannot inscribe a poem, I have to keep the words in my mind. It’s regretful, I am poetic and wealthy in knowledge but there is no use for it—-

—–

As the boys were showing off their skills, their gaze wandered over to the northeast corner of the pavilion from time to time.

Sitting there was a girl as beautiful as a flower, and her each and every little movement made their heart beat faster.

She is not Xishi, she’s more beautiful than Xishi.

However, girl, why are your eyes filled with sorrow?

Li Shinian sat in the corner of the pavilion, beside her were a few of her good friends. She is known as the big sister in high school, there is not one girl in her year who does not know her and no one dared to offend her. Whenever she appeared she would be surrounded by people front and behind, she is hundred times more imposing than her ‘trash’ brother. And because of this, many people could not believe Li Muyang is Li Shinian’s brother—–

The girls around her were chatting cheerfully, eating the array of fruits and snacks the male students had ordered for them.

“I think Zhu Jianting is really handsome—-he also paints very well, I heard that the famous painter in Jiangnan Zhu Feihong wants to take him as his apprentice—”

“I like Xu Huawei more, look how charming he is when he plays the flute. If any girl went out with him for a year and listened to him play the flute amidst flowers and under the moonlight and heard his touching words of love, she would definitely be charmed—–”

“Zhao Dafu—-this man, his head is empty and he’s an idiot but his father is a famous wealthy man in Jiangnan City, it is said that they eat goose liver—-”

“Would they not have a fatty liver?” Someone jokingly asked.

“Liu Caicai, you’re really annoying—-”

——

Li Shinian’s lips simply curled into a faint smile as she quietly listened to their conversation, without any intention to join in.

They complimented the boys greatly in front of her, which meant that either they have received benefits from them or they were persuaded by them—–Li Shinian understand more about this tactic than they do. She also taught his brother Li Muyang this tactic, if he wants to capture a girl’s heart, he has to convince her friends first. If all the girl’s friends think you’re good, then the girl would also automatically think you’re good too.

Even if she thinks you’re a pile of crap before, you still should not be a pile of crap forever—–

She knows they had good intentions and there were no other motives. It was just the same as she had given love letters to her idiot brother Li Muyang on behalf of the girls in her class.

Thinking of brother Li Muyang, Li Shinian’s heart felt empty.

They had almost never separated from each other.

She looked after him growing up, this may sound somewhat exaggerated and that idiot brother would be unhappy, however, it really is the truth.

Whenever he could not walk, she supported him.

Whenever he could not eat, she fed him.

When he secretly hid his medication in the corner, she told on him—-

First thing she would do when she leaves the house was shout: “Brother, I’m going out’; the first thing she shouted when she returns home was “Brother, I’m back.”

She had pushed open his bedroom door many times and pushed open the bathroom door countless number of times. When she knew he wrote love letters to a beautiful girl in the school but hid them under the chest box in his room because he did not have the courage to give it to her, Li Shinian ripped the love letters. She thought there was no reason for him to give it out because it would only bring humiliation to him—–She had already found the girl and asked her directly; in that girl’s eyes Li Muyang is just a pile of crap.

She knew he secretly read her teen magazines, some of the magazines she likes to read herself but some magazines were for her brother. After all, he has to grow up and become a man.

When he was here, Li Shinian simply thought he is the air. She breathes it all the time but do not see its importance.

However, now that he is away, Li Shinian came to realise he is the sun. Whenever he is not by her side, the world seemed to be obscured by black clouds and smog.

There is a popular saying in the school: accompanying someone is one of the strongest love confessions.

Li Shinian thought to herself: since she and Li Muyang have been living together for so many years, does that means she is confessing to him every day?

No, no, no, he’s the one confessing to her everyday.

Li Shinian then thought again: fortunately, that idiot guy is her brother, otherwise the other boys would be jealous.

“Sister Shinian—-” Liu Caicai waved her hand in front of Li Shinian’s face, asking: “what’s going on with you?”

“Oh—-I’m fine.” Li Shinian once again was brought out of her daze. Recently, she was often off in another world and only rarely snapped out of her distant, empty distractions.

The summer holidays have started for quite some time now; students are also bored from staying at home all the time. Therefore, the students have organised some autumn outings.

The boys organised this outing, it was obvious they have ulterior motives. They first invited the girl closest to Li Shinian, Liu Caicai, and also other girls, before asking these girls to convince Li Shinian to participate in this outing. Li Shinian could not refuse and had to come with them.

Although she was physically here but her mind has drifted elsewhere. There was nothing her friends around her could do.

“Sister Shinian has been like this all the time lately, is there something on your mind?”

“Must be there’s a boy she likes, girls are easily lost in thought when there’s a boy they like—-Sister Shinian don’t like to talk anymore but before she was lively and cheerful—”

“Sister Shinian, who do you like? Quietly tell us?”

——

Liu Caicai looked at Li Shinian and asked: “Shinian, did you hear us? Which boy do you think is the most handsome?”

“I think they are all handsome——Everyone’s tastes are different, what’s important is that you like him.” Li Shinian said with a smile. How would a question like that pose a problem to her?

“What about you?” Liu Caicai knows of Li Shinian’s craftiness, she refused to let her off so easily. She asked again: “who do you like the most?”

“Me?” Li Shinian’s eyes lit up and her lips curved into a smile. “I like my brother.”

All the girls let out a long sigh.

A girl then said: “Yes, Shinian’s brother is so excellent, it’s hard for her to take notice of other boys?”

“You say, how come not one of us confessed to Li Muyang before? He might be the most valuable diamond in the rough in the world, we have Shinian as our spy, they say those on the waterfront are the ones first to see the rising moon—-”

“Blame Shinian, she has such an amazing brother but she didn’t tell us——-each day when I go to school I would stand at the school gate by the motto stone for a while, ‘journey with wise people’, there is so much philosophy in these words——Two years ago when I visited Li Shinian’s house, I also had dinner with Li Muyang. At that time I already know Li Muyang is not simple, he is a man of few words but he is hardworking—–”

———–

Li Muyang became a school legend.

Those who ignored Li Muyang before, are gathering information about him, wanting to know what kind of guy he is.

Those who bullied him, are coming to Li Shinian to make up for before—–If they do not take the initiative now, what if he comes back on his crane for revenge?

The ones who were most upset were the girls, they had no idea that the charcoal head would break out of his shell and become a dazzling gem, and this precious gem has gone far away and most likely would fall into some other girl’s hand—-

Li Shinian smiled: “You can’t blame me. Back then, didn’t I always said my brother is amazing? But you did not believe me and rolled your eyes—-”

Lui Caicai also smiled: “Who knows what you said was true? When you told us your brother is amazing, we met up and sneaked glances at him—-In the end we were left disappointed.”

Remembering all the funny things before, the girls broke into a loud laughter once again.

Chen Jing’s expression was serious as she looked at Li Shinian, asking: “Honestly Shinian, when will your brother come back?”

“What?” Li Shinian warily stared at her and asked: “what do you want?”

“What can I do? I’m a girl, he’s a boy—–we’ve known each others for so many years, shouldn’t he buy me a cup of tea?”

“Hey, Chen Jing, are you not too thick-skinned? You like him, but you want him to invite you for tea? When Li Muyang comes back, I will live at Li Shinian’s home, and wear sexy clothes in front of him every day—-”

“You might as well be naked—-”

“You go die—–”

——

The girl once again burst into laughter.

“You wolves, I won’t tell you when my brother comes back—-my brother is simple, he would be a sheep around a pack of wolves—–”

“Your brother is a sheep? He is a shepherd—How about let him herd me?”

“——”

On the surface of the lake, in between the lotus leaves.

There were faint ripples, like fish randomly flicking their tails.

In the midst of the water ripples, a tapered head broke the water surface without the slightest sound.

A pair of green eyes stared silently at a girl in the pavilion, even among all the girls, she was still the most dazzling that people could identify at a glance.

It puckered its lips, letting out a faint sound of breathing.

Ordinary people could not hear this noise and only their kind could understand.

Whoosh—

Countless tapered heads emerged, like countless toads floating to the surface.

They remained on the surface of the lake, motionless, and did not make the slightest sound.

Instead quietly waited for their order to attack.

In the pavilion was a group of ugly girls.

Yes, going by the taste of the water spirits, these humans are indeed ugly and intolerable to their eyes.

However, they would be a delicious meal.