Authors note
Hi everyone, thank you for checking out my fanfic and hopefully I can get you hooked on it. LOL…the reason for writing this fanfic is because I didn’t really get a closure for the love triangle. Xiao Yao never really got to choose or make it clear on who he wants in the end because they both died, so that kinda bugged me, although I do know who he loves. I do really like both girls but when it comes to who to be with Xiao Yao I really like Ling’er to be with him because they were meant to be, according to the series. So warning to Xiao Yao and Yue Ru fans that there won’t be much romance between them, but I’ll try to be fair to her to some extent because love isn’t really fair. I do hope Yue Ru’s fans will enjoy this fanfic also.
Veevee
Prologue
This is the prologue which takes place right at the end of the series. I hope that didn’t confuse anyone.
Xiao Yao walks endless toward nowhere. Does it even matter now, where he ends up? He had lost everything and everyone… well almost everyone… He looks down at the little baby girl in his arm. The oval shaped face, and the pink lips and her ivory skin only brings him more pain. When would the ache in his heart ease? If it wasn’t for this child he would not have had the courage to survive all alone in this world, but now he can barely bring himself to look at little Yi Ru. Her name brings back the face of that ‘Evil Woman’, the one that had loved him, sacrificed for him, and always by his side. Yi Ru’s face only hurts him more, because all he sees is that innocent girl he had met on the Divine Spirit Island… the one he loves, the one he protected, the one he cried for, the one he would die for, but she was the same one he had lost. Ling’er dying in his arm had felt no heavier than this little baby that he is carrying.
Step by step, where is he now? Step by step, why does everything seem so different? Step by step, no more familiar faces. Step by step, no more annoying girl following him. Step by step, no more proper and well-mannered disciple. Step by step, no more… tapping of the nose…. His eyes tear up and he could barely make out where he was going, for the tears are pouring freely now.
Suddenly he sees a figure from a far. He walked on not really caring. But as his visions recover the figure was too familiar to him.
“# 7…” he whispered then quickly ran over to him. He didn’t even wonder why Jin Yuen was alive, he just wanted to see a familiar face. Closer and closer he gets to the figure and there stood Jin Yuen smiling calmly and staring at Xiao Yao’s running figure. Xiao Yao stops right in from of Jin Yuen and stood there to take in this vision of his friend. A second later he wraps his arms around his best friend and disciple but he felt nothing. He looks at Jin Yuen but somehow he can see through him. Jin Yuen smiles meekly at him.
“Xiao Yao shi fu, I really don’t have much time, but it saddens me to see you so sad. Please don’t be like that, everyone will not want to see you to become like this. Death will come sooner or later, we’ve just took this step a little earlier than you. But we will see you one day soon.” Jin Yuen tries to comfort Xiao Yao.
“Why couldn’t I have died with everyone? Maybe that way I won’t be so unhappy and the heart’s ache will not be so painful.” Xiao Yao said.
“Xiao Yao shi fu, you will not be alone.” Xiao Yao looks up at him with confused look. “All my life, the thing that I love the most, and most treasure is Yue Ru. I have used up all my energy to preserve her body.” Xiao Yao jerks up with life but before he could ask what Jin Yuen meant, his disciple continues. “Her body is in the Bat Cave behind this mountain. Go there and take her home.”
“How can this be? We saw her crushed under those mounts of rocks. How can she still be alive?”
“Well, she’s not really alive…”
“What?”
“But she’s not dead either. Although I had used my energy to save her body, her essence was dispersed into many pieces out into the world. I caught most of them in time and put it back into her body but 10 have escaped. You have to find them, and when all 10 are put back to Yue Ru’s body she will come to life again. But you must do this before her body will dissolve into thin air… like me.” Xiao Yao’s eyes widen as he notice that Jin Yuen seem to get lighter and lighter until he can barely see him anymore. And then his disciple disperses into thin air with a last whisper to Xiao Yao. “Please take care of her, you’re her only reason to live now…”
Chapter 1, Part I The end is only the beginning…of another chapter
It has been six painful years, but it isn’t only Xiao Yao that thinks it is unbearable. Little Yi Ru, although still at a young age, is finding her life to be painful from the beginning. Ever since she could remember things, there has always been a woman that is more important than her to her father. She couldn’t understand it. How could a woman, who’s like practically dead,can hog all her father’s attention like this? Xiao Yao is rarely home since the day he brought Yi Ru and Yue Ru back to his aunt’s inn. Mostly he goes travel around to find Yue Ru’s essence and so far he has found 8. It has taken him six years for eight of the tiny essence that he had used his life to go find. So little Yi Ru had grown up seeing her father go then come back from 6 months to a year later. He would walk into the inn, pat her on the head, then goes into the sleeping woman’s room. Again and again she tries to get his attention. She would always be good and get good grades and do chores and be respectful to elders…etc. But she gets no more than a mere glance now and then. She grew jealous of that sleeping woman. It wasn’t fair, nor did she understand why or where the sleeping woman came from. Sometime she had peered into her room and caught glances of her ghostly pale face but usually great auntie would shoo her away.
Xiao Yao didn’t think much these days. He gets up in the morning, he goes find the essence, he goes to sleep. He knew his aunt took great care for Yi Ru, so he didn’t have to worry much about the little girl. Truth is, he couldn’t bring himself to look at little Yi Ru. She looks exactly like Ling’er, the little girl that he had saved along with her Lao lao ten years before he met her on Divine Spirit Island. He focused his attention nowadays on finding Yue ru’s essence, and when he’s home, he would sit in her room. At time he sat next to her bed, holds her hand in his and talks to her. Talks to her about life, about the queer things he finds when he goes travelling, about how the world is so vast and wonderful that she needed to keep up and wait for him to bring back all her essence. Then he would take her travelling like he had promised her. He really wanted to fulfil his promise to always travel with her, he has owed her so much already, he can’t wrong her anymore.
Little Yi Ru was sitting on the ground playing with a doll her great aunt had made for her when she saw her father walk in. He had been gone for 6 months now, and here he is again, her sorrowful father. She never really knew why her father seems to always be sad… but they weren’t ever close enough for her to find out.
In he walked, barely stopping to pat her lightly on the head and walks straight into Yue Ru’s room. Her great aunt walks out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron asked, “Was that your father?” Little Yi Ru nodded, so she went back into the kitchen.
Little Yi Ru walks quietly to Yue Ru’s door and peers into the room. There her father sat next to the woman, putting her hand into his, his face full of sorrow, regret, caring, etc. She couldn’t help but wonder about her mother. If her father cares so much for this sleeping woman, then what of her own mother? Had he loved her? Had he cared for her? Or is it little Yi Ru was a mistake with some girl he didn’t even like, and all his thoughts, love, and care is just for this sleeping woman, that he can’t even spare a little for his own daughter. Although Yi Ru is only six, she had a very mature mind and understood many things that kids her age wouldn’t even bother to notice. Yi Ru grew jealous of her father’s attention to that lady so she threw down her doll and stormed out into the street. If being good won’t get him to notice her than being bad might. She didn’t care if getting in trouble is the way to get some attention from her father, just as long as he acknowledges her existence. More and more she became a wild kid. Unrestraint from stealing or made fun of others, mean to younger kids, etc. More and more villagers would come to the inn to complain about Xiao Yao’s daughter, but he would act like nothing happened, which made little Yi Ru more angry and out of control. Her great aunt did not know what to do, the father didn’t care and the daughter is so rude and bad nowadays-even she, as the aunt, couldn’t stand her. Sometime she would yell at Xiao Yao to care for his daughter a bit, it’s his fault his daughter is like this now. But yelling at him was like yelling at some that’s deaf.
When a neighbour came to complain about Yi Ru letting his chickens out, Xiao Yao just sat there eating his dinner like nothing had happened. Yi Ru stood there staring at her father, shaken with anger. Who is this heartless man that calls himself her father? She threw down her bowl of rice and stormed out of the inn.
“Yi Ru, child where are you going?” Her great aunt yell out to her, then to Xiao Yao, “Aren’t you going to see how your daughter is?” Xiao Yao kept on eating and didn’t answer for a while.
“She’ll be fine. She just needs some fresh air.” His aunt shook her head and gave up. She stood up, leaving her dinner and walks into her room.
Yi Ru ran and ran. She hated, hated him. How could he be so heartless to his own daughter? She passes houses, restaurants, etc. and ended up near a river. She kneeled down and tries to catch her breath. She did not know how long or far she had run, but nor did she care. She sat there looking out to the river and she thought how unfair it was and how she didn’t like that sleeping woman so much. And soon her head drooped and she fell into a deep sleep, tired from her running.
The night grew deeper and deeper, and still Yi Ru did not come home. Her great aunt was now pacing the inn back and forth with Xiao Yao sitting there, though looking calm, but inside he was starting to get worry. His aunt turns to him yelling about how he could be so calm when his daughter was missing, and on and on she went on yelling at him, but stopped abruptly as he gets up and walks out of the inn, saying he’s going to find her. Xiao Yao’s heart was racing now, the longer he looked and with out finding Yi Ru the more he began to realize how important his daughter was to him. He can’t lose her, he would kill himself if anything happens to her. His worry turns to panic when dawn began to seep through the sky and still no sign of his little Yi Ru.
Chapter 1 Part II
Yi Ru holds herself in her sleep but began to wake up when she could not find warmth. She wonders why she is so cold and where is her blanket? and why does her body ache so much? Opening her eyes suddenly she realizes where she is, or at least that she is not at home. She remembers now, running away from her father and just running and running. But where is she now? Nothing seems familiar, which makes her start to panic. She runs around the forest searching for some familiar path, but it is like going in circles. Then she sees some woodcutters carrying their woods, so she follows them, hoping they would lead her to town. She is too scared to ask them for direction, so just follows them in secret. Luckily they did lead her to a town, but she does not recognize this place. She couldn’t possibly have run that far. Yi Ru walks around to find any familiar faces but this town is much more crowded than the one she lives in and everyone seem to be on the run, so she couldn’t ask anyone. She grew tired and hungry and regretted running away. At a corner she sat with her arms wrap around her knees and cries. She did not know how long she sat there crying but no one seems to notice her which made her lonelier and more lost; she cries harder.
Then there is this wonderful fragrance that makes her stop crying. She looks up to find a lady smiling down at her. All thoughts of being lost and lonely vanish at the sight of this lady. Yi Ru could not believe someone could be so beautiful, or gives off such a fragrance. As she stares at the lady in awe, the lady bends down to her level.
“What’s wrong?” The lady asks warmly as she wipes Yi Ru’s tears with her sleeve. Yi Ru couldn’t speak, she just stares at her. “Are you lost little girl?” Yi Ru nods. “Don’t worry, your family will find you soon.” Yi Ru nods again, her little mouth still gaping at the lady. The lady turns to her maid then turns back to Yi Ru giving her a big piece of candy.
“For you,” She said, and Yi Ru whispers a light thank you and continues to stare at her. The lady pats her on the head, “You can thank me by promising me that you’ll never cry, ok?” Yi Ru nods. “No matter what happens, remember not to cry.” She smiles then gets up, but turns back to Yi Ru and whispers in her ears. “Oh yes, and remember don’t tell anyone you have seen me ok? Or I’ll be in big trouble.” She gives her a wink and smiles. Yi Ru returns her smile.
“It’ll be our little secret.” Then the lady taps Yi Ru’s nose lightly and leaves. Yi Ru smiles and looks at the lady walking away but then she notices her father from a far and quickly hides the candy in her pocket. Xiao Yao runs up to her and grabs her into his arms.
“I’m sorry, Yi Ru. I’m sorry for everything. I’ve been a bad father…” He pulls her out to look at her then grabs her into a big hug again. Yi Ru was stunned, she has never seen her father like this, especially not to her. It seems like today have brought her many surprises; that beautiful lady then this side of her father that she never knew existed.
“Never… I will never wrong you again. I promise…” He looks at her, “Can you forgive me?” They stare at each other; Yi Ru is too shock to say anything so she wraps her little arms around his neck and gives him a tight hug. Xiao Yao closes his eyes and smiles lightly in happiness. He is just relieved to have found her safe and sound. But then he remembers something…
“Little Yi Ru, who was that you’re talking to?” Xiao Yao asks in eager. He could’ve sworn seeing a girl talking to Yi Ru, but did he really see that girl tapping his daughter’s nose? Yi Ru quickly replies she wasn’t talking to anyone, that he must’ve mistaken someone else since this town was so crowded with people everywhere. Xiao Yao knows he couldn’t have mistaken what he saw, but he did not want to push her, he was just glad that he have found her. Everything else… let’s just say was a trick of his mind…
Chapter 2, Part I
Yi Ru couldn’t believe how quickly her father and she could get along. After that incident of running out on him, he has turned around and is a good father. They would do most things together now; Xiao Yao even allowed her to come into Yue Ru’s room with him. She would sit near him and he would tell her stories of her mother, his adventures with this sleeping lady, and stories of his other friends. She begins to understand his pain and regretted having thrown tantrums and humiliated him in front of the villagers. She apologized to him but he said it’s his fault for not knowing how to be a father, and that everything was in the past now; they have a new start.
At times when little Yi Ru was alone, she would sit in her room and look at the candy that that lady had given her. She didn’t dare eat it, because she thought if she did then there was no proof that she had met this lady; that it might have all been a dream. Even if it was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up from it. To her, this lady was like an angel sent from heaven to come down and comfort her when she was so lonely and lost. She often imagined in her mind that this lady was her mother, and that the candy was a gift from her mother. She murmured to herself over and over, “Thank you mommy…” when she thought everyone was asleep, and that she was the only one awake in the night.
But one time Xiao Yao was walking by her room and heard her murmuring so he came up to her door. He was about to see why she was still up but stopped when he heard what she was saying. It pained him that Yi Ru could not grow up to know her mother, but hearing his child murmured these words only make it more painful. He opened the door and saw Yi Ru quickly put something behind her back.
“What are you hiding, little one?” He asked softly. Yi Ru shook her head to say nothing, but Xiao Yao gave her a knowing look and she slowly pulled out the candy from behind, and guiltily looked down. Xiao Yao eyed the candy then bent down to her. “Where’d you get that?” She glanced up at him then looked back down, biting her lower lip. She was struggling about to tell him or not; she did not want their relationship to turn bad again because of this.
“I… a lady gave it to me…” she said slowly, then looked up at him. She was relieved when he did not seemed angry, but just questioning.
“Who’s the lady?” Xiao Yao asked. This made her look down again. This time she will make him mad for sure. “The one that… I lied to you about.” Xiao Yao’s eyes grew slightly bigger; he thought he knew who she was talking about. He grabbed her arms, but not too hard that it would hurt her.
“The one that talked to you before I found you at that corner?” he asked urgently. Yi Ru, thinking he is getting mad, nodded quickly but her freightened look made him let go. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you. But do you know who she is?” Yi Ru shook her head.
“She only told me not to tell anyone that I saw her, or she would get into trouble… or something like that. I’m sorry father, I didn’t mean to lie to you…”
“Shh… it’s ok. Do you remember what she looked like?”
“Yea… like… like… an angel!!!” Yi Ru smiled happily as she pictured that lady in her head. But Xiao Yao grew a bit impatient yet excited at the same time.
“Yi Ru, you need to try and describe her to me.” Xiao Yao urged her as Yi Ru scratched her head. She definitely remembered how the lady looks but didn’t know how to describe her. No words seemed to be able to fit the lady’s description. The questionable look on her face told Xiao Yao that she couldn’t tell him what the lady looked like. This made him disappointed, so his body slumped over and he sat flat on the ground. He stared endlessly at the ground, while deep in thought, and didn’t even noticed that a tear had slipped down his face. Yi Ru did not want to see her father like this but what could she do? She quickly racked her brain for something to do, when she remembered that lady’s words.
“Father, don’t cry,” she said as she wiped his tears. “No matter what happens, remember, don’t cry.” Xiao Yao’s eyes lit up at those words and stared at her speechless. Yi Ru thought of what she could do next, so she smiled then tapped his nose. Xiao Yao’s eyes grew bigger at this gesture and he grabbed her arms again.
“Who taught you to say that?” he asked her a bit roughly. “And show you… you… this…?” He tapped his own nose to indicate what he meant. Yi Ru, a little frightened at his outburst, stuttered a reply.
“It was… was… the same lady that… that… gave me this candy…”
“Really!?!?” Yi Ru quickly nodded. “Do you know what’s her name? Where she lives? Does she know who you are?” On and on he asked her questions of this lady but Yi Ru just shook her head no. Running out of questions, and no answer, Xiao Yao got discouraged and sighed. He turned to Yi Ru and gave her a slight smile. He told her to go to sleep, then tucked her in and sat there watching her fall asleep. When she was sound asleep Xiao yao crept out of her room then walked out of the inn. He walked slowly as he looked up at the night sky with its full moon.
“Ling’er…” he whispered to the moon, “could it be that you’re still alive?…. but…. how is that possible………..?”
Chapter 2, Part II
The following days, Xiao Yao spent many hours out in the streets to try and find Ling’er. He looked in this town and the surrounding towns too but he could not find his wife. Often he asked around if anyone had seen a really pretty girl with small eyes and a round oval-shaped face. He usually got a sarcastic answer like: “Wake up from your dream! Only angels can look that pretty!” or “Sorry, haven’t had the honour to meet an angel.”
Day after day, Xiao Yao walked home late in the night, disappointed, tired, dreary. His health was not helping him either, as he would often have coughing fits. Yi Ru was scared for her father; he sounded like he was dying each time he had a coughing fit. She didn’t want him to be sick then die and leave her. He was her only blood-relative and the closest person to her. She urged him to go see the doctor but he kept saying that he was fine; that his throat was only itching. She didn’t know what she could do for him, so she often went out to the bay and prayed.
“Oh Mighty Heaven, please make my father better,” She was down on her knees in the sand, with closed eyes, praying to the gods. “Please do not give up on his life. Please don’t take him away…” She went on asking them not to take Xiao Yao away and promised them many things in return until she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Yi Ru looked up into the beautiful lady’s face and jumped up onto her feet; her face lit up into a big smile.
“It’s you, Angel jie jie!” Yi Ru cried out to her as the lady bent down to her eye-level.
“Mei mei, you’re looking better than the last time I saw you.” The lady smiled back at her and tapped her on the nose. “Now were you praying that I was dead? Is that why I’ve turned into Angel jie jie now?” The lady teased her. Yi Ru did not get it so she was frantically trying to explain that she only thought the lady was as pretty as an angel would be. The lady laughed a little and said she was only teasing.
“Now, what were you doing though?” She asked as she walked over to a big rock and sat on it. Yi Ru followed her.
“I was praying for the gods not to take my father away.”
“Why? What’s wrong with him?” The lady asked her gently. Yi Ru looked down at the sand sadly.
“He always said he was fine but his coughing is getting worse each day. Sometimes I even hear him coughed through the whole night.” She looked up at the lady, her eyes teared up. “I don’t want him to die….” The lady looked at her for a second then pulled her into her arms.
“Oh honey, you will not lose him. Trust me…” Yi Ru sniffed as tears were spilling down her cheeks. “Now what did you promised me? Not to cry, remember?” The lady wiped Yi Ru’s tears with her fingers. Then with Yi Ru’s face in her hands she slowly lifted it up to her face, as they looked at each other. “Your father will be fine…” the lady said softly. Yi Ru did not know what it was, but just that look in the lady’s eyes made her believed and trusted this person.
“He will always be there for you. Watch you grow up… watch you get married… He will die, and old… old man… with many grandchildren beside his bed surrounding him with love…” Yi Ru nodded to say she understood, and slowly smiled a little, as the lady wiped the last of her tears.
“Now… if you find wishing to the gods is not enough…” the lady continued while she bent down and snatched something off the sand. “Then wishing on this might do the trick.” She opened Yi Ru’s hand and placed a little pebble stone in her palm. Yi Ru eyed the stone a little confused. “Wish on this seed and when it sprout, then your wish will come true.”
“But… it’s a stone. How will it sprout?” The lady laughed a little and closed Yi Ru’s hand around the stone, then enclosed her own hands around Yi Ru’s little hand.
“If you believe in it, it will sprout. So wish real hard and believe in the powers that this little seed can do.” Yi Ru nodded then smiled. “I would never lie to you, now would I?” Yi Ru shook her head then held up her pinky to the lady.
“A woman’s word…” The lady smiled then linked her own pinky to Yi Ru’s.
“A woman’s word.” They laughed together, and Yi Ru put the stone safely in her pocket. She suddenly remembered something.
“Angel jie jie…”
“Now, if we’re going to be friends then you must call me by my name. Call me Xuan Ling. What’s your name?”
“Yi Ru.”
“That’s a pretty name, little Yi Ru.” Xuan Ling tapped Yi Ru’s nose again.
“Xuan Ling jie jie, will you come home with me? My father have been trying to find you.” Xuan Ling grew silent as she thought about it. “I’m sorry Xuan Ling jie jie, I know I promised you not to tell anyone I saw you, but father had saw you walked away so…”
“No, it’s ok. You don’t have to be sorry. But I don’t get why he’s trying to find me if we don’t know each other?”
“He said that… you might be… mother…” Xuan Ling laughed lightly at this.
“That’s not possible little Yi Ru. I’ve never even held a guy’s hand before so how could I have gotten married and had this cute little girl here.” Yi Ru stood up insisting that her father would not lie to her.
“Father said mother and him had always tapped each other’s nose. And you’re doing the same thing to me…”
“Oh honey, this tapping thing is just a habit I’ve had for as long as I can remember. Maybe your mother and I are just a little bit alike…. where is she though?” Yi Ru looked down.
“She’s… dead…”
“Oh… I’m so sorry little Yi Ru.”
“It’s ok… she died when I was little. I never got to meet her.”
“But if she’s gone… then for sure I can’t be the person your father is looking for.” Yi Ru pouted and stomped her foot on the sand.
“Father wouldn’t lie to me!” Xuan Ling looked at her, not knowing what to say or do. How could she be someone else and not know it; could Yi Ru’s mother be so much like herself? “But I want you to be my mother…” Yi Ru whispered. Xuan Ling took the girl into her arms and comforted her.
“I promise you little Yi Ru, that we’ll be the best of friends. And I will care for you like you’re my own daughter. Ok?” Yi Ru hugged her back and whispered into her ear.
“Xie xie…”
Chapter 3, Part I
“Father! Father!” Yi Ru yelled out as she ran into Yue Ru’s room where she found Xiao Yao next to the sleeping woman. She ran up to him and collapsed a little, tired from running, so her father caught her and held her. “Father…” she paused to catch her breath and Xiao Yao patted her back to help her. “Father… I saw her, I saw her!”
“Who?” He was half-listening to her because he was thinking of Yue Ru’s condition before Yi Ru came in. He was getting worried that the 9th essence would not show up and Yu Ru will dissolved into thin air.
“Moth… the lady that gave me the candy, the one you’ve been looking for!” Xiao Yao stood up, snapping out of his own thoughts.
“Where? Where is she now?”
“I don’t know…. I met her down at the bay where I was praying…” Xiao Yao started out the door.
“Ling’er…” he whispered, but Yi Ru tugged at his arm to stop him.
“She’s not there anymore. I had asked her to come, really I did! But she wouldn’t, she said she had to leave…”
“Did… did she say where she lives?”
“No…” Xiao Yao sat back down on the bench. “But… she said you must’ve mistaken her as mother…” Xiao Yao looked at little Yi Ru. “She said she’s Xuan Ling, and that she had never been married…”
“Really?…” Xiao Yao whispered, but more to himself than to his daughter. Yi Ru nodded, and then pulled out her little stone. She held the stone right in front of Xiao Yao.
“Look father… Xuan Ling jie jie gave me this.” Xiao Yao eyed the stone and his eyes lit up, recognizing the symbol of the stone. “She said that if I wished really hard on this seed, then when it sprouts my wish would come true.” She turned to him smiling. “Do you think it will sprout?” Xiao Yao, with shaken hand, took the little stone and looked at it. His eyes started to water as Yi Ru looked at him confused. She looked back at the stone then back to her father wondering what was going on.
“Father?…” She stugged his sleeve. Xiao Yao snapped out of his trance and looked at her.
“Yes?”
“Do you think it will sprout?” Xiao Yao looked back at the stone, turning it around in his fingers.
“Yes it will…” He said to her then went back to his trance-like look, and whispered to himself. “It will sprout… Xiao Yao ge ge will never lie to you…”
Chapter 3, Part II
It was near the end of the year and everyone was busy with decorations and buying goods for the holiday. Yi Ru’s great-auntie had bought many things and decorated the inn. Xiao Yao would help here and there with the heavy things but he mainly had to take care of Yue Ru. These days, she has been looking paler and paler, which made Xiao Yao very worried. He has been waiting on news of the 9th essence from his friends who were getting a lead to where it might be.
On the night of New Year’s Eve Xiao Yao took Yi Ru out to see the festivities. While eating at a crowded restaurant, they saw many people going toward the town center. Yi Ru wanted to see what the excitement was about so they quickly paid for their food and followed the crowd. They heard from others that this groups of girls called “Pearls” are putting up a free show for tonight only. Xiao Yao and Yi Ru quickly found seats then leaving Yi Ru there, Xiao Yao went to buy some candy for them both. As he paid the candy-man Xuan Ling walked pass him, frantically calling to her maid.
“Yu Yan, have you seen my instrument?” Xuan Ling asked, as they both disappeared in the crowd. Xiao Yao stopped in his track as he heard her voice. The candy dropped from his hand has he ran around trying to find her. He kept calling out ‘Ling’er’ but he could not find her anywhere.
“Xuan Ling! Hurry up child, you’re up next!” Mama called out to her as Yu Yan put the last touch up on Xuan Ling’s costume. Xuan Ling took a deep breath and went on stage to perform.
Yi Ru gasped when she saw Xuan Ling, then clapped loudly along with others around her as Xuan Ling begun to sing.
Xiao Yao was still trying to find Ling’er but the crowd was thinning out because everyone wanted to see the show now. Xuan Ling had made quite a name for herself, but she would only perform on holidays or special occasions. So many were curious to see this beauty perform on such a rare opportunity. Xiao Yao gave up after a while and went back to Yi Ru. Yi Ru tugged at his sleeve as he sat down and pointed at Xuan Ling on the stage.
“Father! Father! That’s her! That’s Xuan Ling jie jie!” Xiao Yao’s eyes quickly averted to the stage and onto the beautiful face of Xuan Ling. His lips were partially parted from being stunned at the site of his wife. Time seemed to slow down as he stood up gazing up at Xuan Ling. He couldn’t see nor hear anything beside her and her singing. Many people in the back of him were yelling for him to sit down, but he was deaf to all but her. He grabbed Yi Ru’s hand and pulled her along as he started for the stage. He was stopped by the guards when he tried to go straight up on stage. He couldn’t understand why these people were keeping him from seeing his wife. He needed to see her, talk to her, touch her….
“What do you think you’re doing?” One of the guards asked him as he pushed Xiao Yao away.
“I need to see Ling’er… I NEED to see my wife!!!” Xiao Yao tried again to get past them, but more guards came to stop him.
“Go home you crazy lunatic! There’s no Ling’er here for you to find.” Another guard said.
“She’s my wife!!! Let me see her!” The guards and the people who were near, over hearing the situation, laughed at this.
“You’re really are crazy!” One guard said, laughing in Xiao Yao’s face.
“If she’s your wife, then I’m… I’ll marry a man!” Another guard said as others roared into more laughter. Xiao Yao was trying his hardest to control his temper but he just wanted to punch these guards in the face. He clenched his hands tightly as he held it all in. Yi Ru looked sadly at her father… she didn’t understand why these people were so cruel to him. Xiao Yao tried again to get pass them but this time some guards picked him up and threw him far away.
“Father!!!” Yi Ru cried out as she ran over to him. Xiao Yao scrambled to his feet but his side hurt too much so he ended up crawling on the ground. Yi Ru tried to stop him but he kept on crawling.
“Ling’er… need to see… her….” His coughing started up again, which made Yi Ru more worried. An old man approached them and helped Yi Ru pulled Xiao Yao up onto his feet.
“Young Xia, don’t try again. You are too weak to fight these brutes. Listen to this old man… you can try to find that person later at the Ying House. These girls are staying there for the time being.” Xiao Yao coughed on and on but he had heard the man. He decided to go find later, and would go home now so Yi Ru wouldn’t be more scared for him.
“Xie xie.” Xiao Yao said to the man when he could stop coughing for a second then Yi Ru half-carried her father on their way home. They had to stop many time as Xiao Yao’s coughing got worse and worse. At one point Xiao Yao fell on his knees, putting a hand over his mouth as he coughed up blood. Yi Ru kept calling out to him and asking if he was ok, but she began to cry when she saw the blood dripped from his hand to the ground. She wrapped her arms around him tightly begging him not to die and leave her. Xiao Yao wanted to reassured her that he wouldn’t die… COULDN’T die and leave her but he began to cough harder. His eyes were blurring now because of the tears created from his coughing. He tried his hardest to not blur out his vision of Yi Ru. But as he tried harder to see her, vision got darker and darker, then suddenly he was out. Yi Ru tried to hold onto him as his body fell limply to the ground…
Chapter 3, Part III
It was a bright morning when Xiao Yao woke up and found himself in his room. He looked around wondering how he ended up there when he saw Yi Ru. She was asleep beside his bed. He picked up the little girl and put her into bed. He went out to the inn and found his aunt sitting at a table; deep in thought. As he sat down across from her, she snapped out of her thoughts and turned to look at him.
“How did I get back here?” Xiao Yao asked.
“Yi Ru ran home and told me. I came as quickly as I could…” She paused and looked out the door. “You coughed up so much blood… the doctor…”
“A doctor looked at me?” She nodded then continued.
“He said… there’s no reason for you to be sick. He felt nothing wrong from your pulse… so he does not understand why you’re so sick and coughing up blood…” Xiao Yao was silent. He didn’t know why either about his illness. He did fight many people while he travelled to find Yue Ru’s essences, but he never had more than bruises and small scratches. Nothing that would bring upon this sudden illness.
“We need to find you a better doctor,” his aunt said, her voice full of concern, but Xiao Yao shook his head.
“There’s no need. If this doctor said there’s nothing wrong then I should be fine. Don’t worry…” He patted her hand, and cut her off when she wanted to say something. “I’ll be off again tomorrow. There has been news of the 9th essence.” He stood up. “I will come back soon this time, and I know you’ll take great care for Yi Ru…” His aunt nodded sadly as he walked into Yue Ru’s room. He sat beside her sleeping body and told her that he would be leaving again but will be back soon with the essence. Then he talked to her about the past days, especially what had happened yesterday… that he had found Ling’er…
The next day he went to the Ying House to find Ling’er before he had to go off again. The Ying House was full of people, mainly men, enjoying the food, wine, and the girls. Xiao Yao looked around for her, and girls came up to him asking him to drink with them or come and talk to them.
“Have you seen Ling’er?” He asked each time a girl came up to him, but they shook their head and tried to flirt with him. Xiao Yao just ignored them and kept on finding Ling’er. Mama started to notice that a man was wandering around and not enjoying himself so she came up to him.
“Young sir, shouldn’t you sit down and enjoy some expensive wine. I will call the prettiest girls over and service you. Now, now sit here…” Mama pulled Xiao Yao to a table while waving at some girls to come over. Ling’er? There is no Ling’er here. Now these girls…” Xiao Yao backed up as the girls approached him. “Isn’t he talking about Xuan Ling?” She whispered in Mama’s ear. Xiao Yao has overheard the girl whispering to Mama and recognized the name Xuan Ling.
“Yes! That’s Ling’er! I need to talk to her!” Mama sneered at him. By now she disliked him more and more and was looking at him up and down.
“You…? Wanna see Xuan Ling?” She started to laugh which made the other girls giggled along. “I’m sorry but she doesn’t serve low-class men like you. Go now… unless these girls can assist you, otherwise there’s no Ling’er nor Xuan Ling for you to find.” Mama turned to leave and the girls glanced and pointed at him as they, too, left. Xiao Yao walked slowly out of the Ying House with head down in disappointment.
In the upper level of the Ying House, through a window Xuan Ling had witnessed the whole scene. She was curious why this man was trying to look for her… or wait… was he looking for her or this Ling’er? She remembered that Ling’er was Yi Ru’s mother’s name and figured out that this must be the little girl’s father. Xuan Ling looked at his retreating back and wondered if she really was like the woman he was trying to find.
Xuan Ling was always in her room for most of her life. Mama always treated as the treasure; in a way the title ‘Pearls’ only referred to her among the other girls, because she was the most precious of them all. But Xuan Ling, being naive and innocent never understood that idea and thought of herself as any normal girl. She was very simple-minded and did things that Mama told her too and usually without questions. Mama never let her served men, though they had requested her presence all the time. Xuan Ling was only allowed to perform once in a while, usually on holidays or rare occasions. She was not allowed out to the outer rooms of the Ying House, where the customers came and went, and she was especially not allowed out of the Ying House at all. The ‘Pearls’ girls travelled around with Mama a lot, to different towns and cities to perform for many people. Xuan Ling was usually stuck in the carriage or at their present home at the time. She never really got to see the outside world nor interacted with different people, especially men. But she had a childish and playful behaviours, so she often snuck outside with her maid, but only to see what it was like outside and enjoy the different surroundings. Her maid never really let her talk to others.
Xuan Ling never had to worry about anything. She had the best food presented to her, her clothes always cleaned and ready at anytime she wanted to where them. All her luxury made her simple-minded because she never had to think about those things that are necessity of life… they just all come too easily. It was her maid that did everything for her and took good care of her, and looked out for her.
Chapter 4, Part I
Now that her father had left again, Yi Ru was found sitting next to the window looking out to the streets below. In her lap would be a flowerpot that she had planted the seed in it. Yi Ru took great care for that seed and wished on it everyday. Days went by slowly for little Yi Ru, then the weather started to change and it rained for several days, but Yi Ru still sat next to the window looking out.
“Yi Ru!” Her great-auntie yelled out as she went upstairs to find the little girl. She knew where to find her, so walked straight into the little girl’s room and found her at that exact spot, next to the window. “Aiya, silly girl! Get away from that window, it’s pouring outside,” she went over to her when the little girl didn’t budge. “Have you been sitting here all day again?” She touched Yi Ru but the girl still didn’t move. She turned her around and found her stiff cold. Yi Ru’s body was shaken from the cold and all she could do was hugged herself; she could barely open her eyes to look up at her great-auntie.
“Oh Heavens! You’re so cold!” She picked up Yi Ru and placed her into bed and wrapped her up with the thick blankets. She went over to close the window then went downstairs to make some soup for Yi Ru. After the little girl finished what she could of the food her great-auntie had brought up, she fell asleep instantly. Her great-auntie left to go do some errands then, now that Yi Ru was fine and resting.
It was a couple of hours later that Yi Ru woke up to an empty and quiet inn. She got up and looked around but had to stop because her head started to pound if she moved too quickly. Slowly she got out of bed and walked downstairs. She just wanted to get some water but her body was too weak and kept her from going faster. In the middle of the stairs she felt dizzy and had to sit down right there for a while until her head stopped spinning. Using the wall to support herself, she got up and went downstairs. Beads of sweat were dripping from her face when she reached the table. She collapsed onto the chair and used her strengths to pour herself a cup of tea, but there was none left in the pot. Grown so tired and dehydrated she fell unconscious right on the table.
Outside the rain had ceased and Xuan Ling thought it was the perfect opportunity to sneak out, otherwise when it starts to pour again, it would be a long time till she can go outside again. It had taken her some hours to convince her maid to let her out, so when outside she ran around sniffing the fresh air and spread her arms out wide to take in the sun that have been hidden for many days by the dark clouds. Yu Yan had to run to be able to catch up with her lady as Xuan Ling ran around to look at things. She moved from shop to shop and a fast pace and kept yelling out to Yu Yan to hurry and catch up. Xuan Ling stopped when she saw Yi Ru’s inn. She had remembered its name when the little girl had told her. Her smile grew bigger as she decided to pay a visit to her little friend.
“Yu Yan, I’m going to visit a friend. I’ll meet you back at the Ying House!” She ran off to the inn while her maid looked at her a bit confused. ‘Friend..?’ Yu Yan thought as she turned around to walk back to the Ying House. ‘I didn’t know Lady had any friends…’
TO BE CONTINUED…
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