Little Miss Witch: Revenge of the Tainted Angel

Zheng Yue knocked on her niece's door and found Li Chuntao standing next to the window, looking outside, deep in her thoughts. 

"Chuntao?" She called her name to get her attention. 

Li Chuntao turned her head and gave her aunt a curt nod. 

"Auntie Yue," she greeted the older woman.

Zheng Yue smiled softly as she sauntered towards her niece and held her hands in hers. Li Chuntao's hands were a little cold compared to hers. Just how long did her niece and Shen Zichen stay outside for her to remain cold like this? 

"I still can't believe you're getting married," Zheng Yue told her with a sigh. She and Old Madam Li were ready to give up on Chuntao and Zichen when they heard about their split up. Who would have known that today, the two would surprise the whole Li family with their intention to tie the knot? 

Shen Zichen had gently kissed her forehead and promised to call her in the morning. Zheng Yue tried to convince him to stay for the night because of the snowstorm, but Shen Zichen politely turned down her offer, telling her he would need to inform his parents and family about his impending marriage with Chuntao. He expressed that he wanted it to be done properly.

"Me too, Auntie. This…it still hasn't sunk to me that I'm marrying Brother Zichen," Li Chuntao admitted to her aunt. 

Zheng Yue's hand reached out and pushed the stray strand of hair on her niece's face and tucked it lovingly behind Chuntao's ear. 

"I hope you aren't mad at me for telling him the truth. I'm truly sorry for being the cause of your recent pain, Chuntao," she said. 

When she heard that her niece and Shen Zichen had a huge fight after her meeting with Shen Zichen, Zheng Yue felt extremely guilty. She was afraid that her niece would hate her for what she'd done but Li Yuren assured her that Li Chuntao wouldn't." 

"I can't say I wasn't disappointed, Auntie Yue, but I don't blame you. It's bound to happen sooner or later. There are just some secrets that would come out no matter how one tried to bury it, and my secrets happened to be one of them." 

Zheng Yue led her to the massive bed and sat at the center while Li Chuntao shifted on the sheets and laid her head on her aunt's lap. Her eyes instantly closed as she felt Zheng Yue's gentle fingers stroking her long hair. 

"Ying would be overjoyed if she was here." The older woman murmured, watching as her niece started to doze off. She must have been really exhausted crying and arguing with Shen Zichen earlier, Zheng Yue thought. 

"Hmm?" Li Chuntao asked, keeping her eyes close. 

"Ying has known for a long time that you love Zichen." Zheng Yue told her. Li Chuntao's eyes snapped open at her words. 

"S-she did?" Li Chuntao wasn't expecting to hear it. Did Ying really know about her feelings for Zichen when she hadn't even told her about it? 

"Of course, she did," Zheng Yue chuckled. "You are her beloved little sister after all. Except for your pregnancy, which you and your uncle didn't even bother to tell us, Ying knew about your feelings for Zichen." 

Li Chuntao frowned. Was this why Ying never dared to give Shen Zichen false hope? Did she avoid Shen Zichen to avoid hurting her? 

'Ying, I'm a fool. I shouldn't have kept it from you,' she thought. 

It made sense to her now why Ying had been persistently asking her to come home, even though she had constantly denied Ying under the guise of her studies. 

So many years were wasted because of her cowardice. If she had cleared the misunderstanding years ago, Li Chuntao wouldn't have to suffer terribly. She wouldn't have to endure the loneliness and heartache for years. 

She shut her eyes and sighed dejectedly. So many what-ifs that would be left unanswered. 

"Are you still in disbelief that Shen Zichen truly loves you?" Zheng Yue asked. 

"For so long, Auntie, I thought Zichen loved Ying. For that same reason, I gave way for the two of them." Li Chuntao admitted. She had thought Shen Zichen would finally muster up the courage to confess to Ying. It also never occurred to her that Ying would meet and marry Mu Jianyu later. 

She heard her aunt sighed and continued to rake her hair with her fingers. 

"It's understandable. Zichen might not have realized it sooner, but Ying and I have seen how he acted around you and when you left. When he drops by for a visit, his eyes would always seek the place where you usually take your meals. When he stayed outside, in the garden, with Ying and his sister, Zichen would instinctively look at the direction of your room. Was he trying to look for you? Or was he trying to find remnants of you? These were my questions when I first noticed his habits."

Zheng Yue's voice was low and gentle as if she was reminiscing the memories of the past. 

"Chuntao, did you know? I'm not your Uncle Yuren's first love. So more than anyone else, I think I could understand where you were coming from. It's understandable that you doubt Zichen's love especially if you know he was smitten with another woman before." 

At this, Li Chuntao turned to her side and looked up at her aunt's face. 

"You aren't?" This… she had never thought of this. Now, this was new to her. She and Ying had assumed that Zheng Yue was the first woman their uncle had fallen in love with. 

While she and Ying were the ones responsible for her uncle's marriage with their Aunt Yue, as they took the role of little matchmakers, Li Chuntao didn't know there was another woman before Zheng Yue. How could she even think of it when her Uncle Yuren would always show his undying love for her Auntie Yue at every possible moment? 

Li Yuren wasn't a person who liked to talk much, and she assumed her uncle had his own ways of saying things. How did he manage to convince her Auntie Yue that he loves her? 

"Really?" Li Chuntao asked again which earned a giggle from the older woman. 

"He was in love with her before, even if he refused to admit it himself. But we know, everyone who is close to them knows. His actions and mannerisms told us how much she meant to him, but he wouldn't admit it out loud." Zheng Yue explained. 

Li Chuntao hummed. That sounded like her uncle, yes. 

"Why wouldn't he?" She curiously asked. After all, in terms of looks and charm, Li Chuntao didn't think her Uncle Yuren was lacking anything. 

What could be the reason why he didn't pursue that woman? Even his cold countenance was still able to make women attracted to him. 

"Because she was already a married woman when he met her. She was already someone else's wife when their paths crossed." Zheng Yue said in a gentle tone, as if talking about her husband's first love didn't bother her at all. If it was another woman, Li Chuntao was sure there would still be a hint of bitterness in her voice. 

Li Chuntao couldn't believe what she was hearing.. Her Uncle Yuren had a history like that? Never did she imagine her Uncle Yuren had already fallen for another woman before he met her Auntie Yue.