Third POV

"Isn't this nice?" Miao said with a smile, looking between her daughter and husband. "We are finally bonding as a family."

Mudan shoved a piece of fish into her mouth and barely looked their way, her eyes on the water as the boat swayed on the Red River. Yei's face creased in irritation, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Young Master Kanade packed in lots of fruit and snacks for us. I think this will be nice for us to unwind and relax," Miao said again into the silence, hoping this time she would not be ignored.

"I thought it would only be us," Yei said with a grumble. "Why am I not surprised?"

Miao frowned at his sour tone. She turned to Mudan to make sure the girl had not gotten the wrong idea from her father's cold words. Eleven year old Mudan was zoned out on the water, quiet as a mouse.

"I thought since Mudan has been training so hard that it would be nice if she had a break..." Miao muttered. She thought she was doing a good thing, but no one else was putting in effort.

"What makes you think she needs a break?" Yei rose an eyebrow. "Have you seen her training? The last thing she needs is a break. Her Zen is weak, her Airwielding is faulty and her weaponry is poor. She only excels in waving around a stick, which is hardly an achievement."

Mudan's hearing chimed in then, yet she lacked the courage to counter her father.

She knew he was wrong. He just wasn't happy with anything. Nothing she did anyway.

Miao clamped her lips tightly, irritated with the negativity Yei brought onto the boat trip. She wanted this to be a peaceful day with her family, and of course he was the one to ruin it.

"Maybe if you stopped comparing her to Shen and Kai, you'd realize that she is not all that bad in what she does," she retorted. "I enjoy watching her train. She can even show us a trick now, can't you, my flower?"

Mudan stiffened, remembering the punishment her father gave her just yesterday. She had accidently sent a Zen blast into his window and was met with cuts all over her arms. But she didn't want to alarm her mother, not wanting to cause yet another fight between them.

"U-Uh a trick?" Mudan blinked dumbly. "W-What kind of trick?"

Miao smiled gently. "Show your father the trick you showed me. With the little wind balls."

Yei grit his teeth. He was right there and Miao still found it to make it all about Mudan. He realized if they were alone on the water, she would never treat him like this.

"Uh, okay," Mudan lifted her palm and summoned ghostly wind, solidifying little particles until balls formed on her hand. They swirled, becoming so fast that a tiny typhoon spun on her palm. Mudan squashed it abruptly, feeling the strands of her hair waving out of control.

Miao clapped exaggeratedly, grinning broadly. "Wow! Isn't that adorable?" She turned to Yei. "Look what your daughter can do!"

Yei rolled his eyes. "I don't see how that is useful in a fight."

The small smile that appeared on Mudan's face vanished at his words. She'd probably die before he ever said he was proud of her.

"It's fine, Mudan, I enjoyed it," Miao tried to comfort her, seeing how Mudan's face sunk. Her eyes zoomed in on the bottom of the boat, where droplets of blood were at Mudan's feet.

"Huh? What happened?" She gasped. "Are you bleeding?!"

Mudan realized too late that she failed to hide her injured arm. Her mother stole her limb without warning, pulling her sleeve up. Hot stings burned her arm, and Miao finally saw the cuts her father dished out.

"Wh-Who did this to you?" Miao asked, her anger at bay. "I'll have them punished severely. Was it Kai? I swear I'll beat that boy-"

"It was me," Yei said suddenly, narrowing his eyes at her threateningly. "Will you still punish me? I think this trip is punishing enough."

Miao's mood was about to tank. She felt her anger coming on, but once she realized it was him, the feelings diluted.

"You?" She frowned as though she were about to cry. "Why would you do this to her? She's not a piece of paper!"

"She was being disobedient," he deadpanned, then glared. "Are you raising your voice at me?"

"N-No, it's just-"

"It was my fault," Mudan said suddenly, trying to give an easy smile to Yei. He did not falter. "Father was right to punish me, mother. There's no need to fight, I completely deserved it."

"No you don't," Miao said softly, touching her face. "Your father could have simply spoken to you. You're a good girl, you always listen. He didn't have to do this to you."

She turned to him with a glare. "I want to get off this boat. You've ruined our family trip."

"Me?" Yei burst out in anger. His hand gripped both sides of the boat so they would not do anything impulsive. "You are blaming me and not your brat?"

"Please don't fight," Mudan tried to say, feeling it coming. They were going to destroy each other and she'd be to blame once again. "It really wasn't that bad. It really was my fault."

"I don't care, I want to get off this boat," Miao insisted, her glare hardening towards Yei.

"Fine," he gritted out. "But don't you ever make me do something like this ever again! If you want to go on your family trips, go by yourself! Since your only family is Mudan!"

"I asked you so many times to not hit her and this is what you do behind my back! Stop playing the victim!"

"Fine! If you won't let me hit her I just won't speak to her! You want her to grow up an undisciplined brat? Go ahead! Raise your child by yourself!"

Tears brimmed in the corners of Mudan's eyes. She pressed her hands to her ears as their screaming increased in volume, every word sharper than the last.