The Little Girl In The Ring

“Mom, Dad… why did you chase them away just now?”

After Meng Shan and Ran Jiuyi had departed, Yi Ziling questioned her parents with a trace of suppressed indignation. “Didn’t I already say they are my friends?”

“Xiao Yi, that’s enough. Don’t say another word.”

Bai He’an spoke up first, cutting in: “Big Brother Shan and Sister Ran really did have urgent matters to attend to, so they had to leave early. It had nothing to do with your parents.”

“But…”

“But just now…”

Jiang Yunshu sat down beside Yi Ziling, offering gentle comfort. “Nothing happened just now. Your parents are simply worried about you, that’s all. It’s fine.”

“And what Sister An said is the truth,” Jiang Yunshu added. “Big Brother Shan and Sister Ran have very pressing business—things that only they can handle. That’s why they left early. They didn’t want to tell you because today is your birthday; you should be happy and radiant, not gloomy. So, try to appreciate their hard work.”

How could Yi Ziling not understand the hidden meaning behind her two friends’ persuasion?

She understood perfectly. Meng Shan and Ran Jiuyi had left because they knew their presence would only make everyone uncomfortable. She understood it, she even rationalized it, but she could not accept it.

Meng Shan and Ran Jiuyi were clearly good people. Why couldn’t everyone else see that? Why was it like this? Clearly, they were both…

Sensing the resentment swirling in Yi Ziling’s heart, Bai He’an also sat by her side and whispered, “Today is your birthday. Everyone is here to celebrate you, aren’t they? I understand you might feel a certain way, but for now, just enjoy the moment. That is what everyone wants, isn’t it?”

Yes… that is what Big Brother Shan and Sister Ran wanted. If she made a scene and let the party end on a sour note, she would be failing everything they had done for her.

At that thought, Yi Ziling forced herself to perk up. “Okay, Sister An. I understand.”

In that moment, Yi Ziling suddenly felt as though she had truly grown up—by exactly one year.

“Here, Xiao Yi. Come and try this ring on. This was a gift we picked out specifically for you.”

Yi Ziling’s parents presented a gold ring nestled in a gift box. They had heard the conversation between their daughter and her friends loud and clear. Those words had begun to make them wonder: Had they truly misunderstood Meng Shan and Ran Jiuyi? Had they done something wrong?

However, as parents, even when they realized a mistake, they often refused to admit it out of a desire to save face or maintain their parental authority. Thus, they could only resort to this unreliable method—using a gift to win back her happiness.

“Do I really have to try it?” Yi Ziling hesitated. For some reason, her intuition told her this ring was not simple.

“Xiao Yi, just try it on. It looks very nice.”

“Yeah, give it a go. It’s a gift from your parents, after all.”

With Meng Shan and Ran Jiuyi gone, the rest of the friends gradually restored the boisterous atmosphere. Amidst the noisy chatter, Yi Ziling suppressed her unease and slipped the ring onto her finger.

And then… nothing happened?

At least, that was how it appeared to Yi Ziling and everyone else present. But if Ran Jiuyi had still been there, with her powerful sensory abilities, she would have detected a flicker of strange magic boring into Yi Ziling’s body from the ring the moment it was donned.

Staring at the ring on her hand, Yi Ziling dazed out for a moment. In her trance, she seemed to see a little girl dressed like an ancient wandering knight standing right before her.

“How is it, Xiao Yi? Does it look good?”

Her father’s voice pulled her back to reality. She glanced at the ring again and replied, “It’s beautiful. Fits perfectly, too.”

“That’s great. Now, take it off and put it away safely.”

Yi Ziling hesitated at her father’s words. For some reason, the intuition that had resisted the ring earlier was now telling her it was best to keep it on at all times.

Ultimately choosing to trust her gut, she pressed the ring firmly to ensure it was secure on her finger. “Dad, Mom… can I just keep wearing it?”

“Of course you can.”

Without much thought, her parents agreed. To them, it just meant she liked the ring that much. Moreover, having just wronged her, they didn’t have the heart to demand anything else.

Now, the only “eyesores” left at the party were the gifts sent by Ran Jiuyi and Meng Shan. Everyone’s eyes drifted toward the two packages—one large, one small—sitting on the table.

Before long, Yi Ziling noticed the tension. Without a word, she quietly carried the two gifts into her room and returned to her seat as if nothing had happened.

With that, everyone except the “Three Little Ones” felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted, returning to their cheerful selves. But as for those three? Were they truly happy? No one knew but them.

Late at night, after the party had ended, Yi Ziling tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Her mind was filled with the day’s events.

Earlier that afternoon, she had called Meng Shan and Ran Jiuyi to apologize. During the call, Meng Shan’s words remained etched in her memory:

“There’s no need to apologize, Xiao Yi. We’ve been through enough; you don’t need to get dragged into these things. But why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong, did you?”

“In fact, your parents aren’t ‘wrong’ either. They just want to protect their precious daughter. Your classmates aren’t wrong; it’s natural for them to be suspicious and exclusionary toward us when they don’t know our identities. So, if no one is wrong, why apologize? Simple: our mutual lack of understanding created a misunderstanding. You, believing you have grown up, have started trying to shoulder responsibility for others.”

“That’s good, Xiao Yi. It’s a good thing. Don’t feel sad or like you owe us anything. We aren’t angry. In fact, we’re heartened—because you’ve grown a bit more, haven’t you?”

Despite Meng Shan’s lengthy comfort, Yi Ziling still felt a lingering discomfort in her heart. Looking at the two unopened gift boxes in her room, the ache intensified.

Is this what growing up feels like? she thought. Forcing yourself to do things you don’t want to do, just for the sake of a ‘better’ ending.

To be honest, the feeling was quite loathsome.

Unable to sleep, she crawled out from under the covers and picked up the smaller gift box. Thinking back, today was her birthday, yet she hadn’t opened the gifts from Meng Shan and Ran Jiuyi all day. It really was… a bit much.

With a sigh, she opened the box. A simple, ancient emerald-green jade ring lay quietly inside.

She slipped it onto her right hand; it was a perfect fit. Meng Shan and Ran Jiuyi must have spent a long time picking this out. And yet…

Forget it. It’s late. I shouldn’t think about this anymore. Just go to sleep.

“Aha! Hahahaha! Has my consciousness finally awakened?! Excellent, excellent. That means things aren’t too bad yet!”

Just as Yi Ziling was about to put her worries aside and remove the jade ring, a loud burst of laughter interrupted her.

“Wait, that’s not right. Where did the magic I left behind go? Did it leak out? No, that shouldn’t be possible. Magic doesn’t just vanish naturally…”

Yi Ziling snapped her eyes open. At some point, that “Loli Knight” from earlier was now floating beside her, staring at her with wide eyes.

“Is it you?! Did you absorb all the magic I left behind?!”

“Absorb your magic? What do you mean?” Yi Ziling asked, bewildered. “And… excuse me, little sister, who are you? Why are you here?”

“Still playing dumb, are we? It must be you! You stole my stored magic and won’t admit it!” The Loli Knight looked furious. “And don’t call me ‘little sister’! I’m countless years older than you!”

“Oh… then, Big Sister, what’s your name? How old are you this year?”

“Don’t call me ‘Big Sister’ either! You little brat!”

The Loli Knight seemed completely incensed, yet her angry face was incredibly cute—so cute that Yi Ziling couldn’t help but blurt out: “Big Sister, the way you act spoiled is so adorable.”

“You… you little brat! What did I just say?!”

Being called cute sent the Loli Knight into a total tailspin. She fumed, “Call me ‘Jiejie’ (Elder Sister)! Jiejie! Got it?!”

Yi Ziling blinked rapidly. “But you clearly look smaller than me. Why should I call you ‘Jiejie’?”

“Because my age is vastly greater than yours, little girl!” the Loli Knight huffed. “So hurry up and call me ‘Jiejie,’ you brat!”

“Oh, is that so? Then, Jiejie, how old are you exactly?”

“Hmph, you want to know? Let me tell you, I am… wait,” the Loli Knight corrected herself mid-sentence. “Don’t worry about the specifics! Just know that I am older than you!”

She certainly wasn’t going to tell Yi Ziling that even excluding her time spent as a spirit—counting only her previous life—she was barely over thirty.

Yi Ziling pressed on, “But if you won’t tell me your age, how will I know you’re actually older?”

“Good grief! You brat, do you not understand human speech?! I tell you what to do, you do it! Stop asking so many questions!”

“Okay, okay… Jiejie.” Seeing how genuinely angry the girl was getting, Yi Ziling decided to go along with it. “So, Jiejie, what is your name?”

“My name? Hmph, hmph, hmph… then listen well!”