76 Volume 3: Part 2 Second Chances (1/2)

Hearing her name, the name she could finally remember, Mei Hua felt an uncontrollable sense of joy stir in her heart. The one who said her name, a tall man with long white hair, walked up to her. Putting his large hands on her face, he started to weep. Even though she was startled, she didn't dare move seeing how upset he was.

”You're awake… you're awake… I waited so long… so long.. How could you kick me out like that? Do you know how I've suffered?” His hoarse emotional words caused her to blink. The face was different, but the voice was the same.

”Mister Light?”

The man nodded with a wobbly smile, ”En.”

”Ah…. so this is what you look like on the outside. It's good you were here, otherwise, how could I have found you? You look so different! See how expressive you are!” She reached out and touched his teary wet face. When she felt the warmth of his skin, which was nothing like his excessively hot skin in her world, her brows furrowed.

”Oh, you feel different… like someone I, ah… I remember… you… my husband… his name was... Jin…” She started blinking furiously as her mind began to clear. ”You're Jin… Jin!”

Her whole face lit up and she jumped into his arms, hugging him enthusiastically. He laughed, lifting her up so that her feet dangled in the air.

”Jin! I told you I'd get rid of the poison, didn't I?” She leaned back slightly in his returned embrace. ”See how quickly I accomplished it! It would have taken twice as long with your method, aren't you glad? Aren't you impressed?”

Seeing her self-satisfied expression, he could only nod with a look of exasperation on his face.

”What's with that look?!” She pinched his cheek and scolded. ”Surely you won't hold the our seperation against me? It wasn't even that long! And now we can be together forever and ever! If you're upset all that time, won't it be a waste? Be happy!”

”En, yes, I am happy.” Seeing her raised eyebrow, he hurriedly responded, ”Truly, I am happy. And I won't hold anything against you. Except maybe myself.”

She burst out in laughter at his comment and kissed his forehead. Feeling pleased, she asked, ”Will you sing my praises for doing so well in getting rid of the poison?”

”If that's what you want, of course.”

There was a expectant pause and then, ”Well, go ahead.”

”Eh?”

”Sing for me.”

”EH?! You want me to actually sing? I don't know how to sing!” His eyes widened and he set her down, albeit gently. He'd always been tone deaf, even as a spirit. He absolutely couldn't carry a tune to save his life!

”M-Mother, I will sing for you.”

The boys, now young men, had been totally ignored by the couple. Even so, they'd crowded around and listened eagerly to every word their Mother spoke. Her words were like music no matter what she said, a voice they'd not heard for many years. At the mention of singing, Lu Shao couldn't stay silent anymore and butt into the conversation.

”Oh?” Mei Hua turned to him curiously. ”Who are you? Why do you call me Mother?”

The young man was willowy in appearance, with two thin braids on either side of his head, keeping his long hair out of his face. Of the four men there, he was the second shortest, with very pale skin, narrow phoenix eyes, and a handsome but youthful appearance.

The young man's face crumpled in sorrow. He was instantly heartbroken at the thought that he'd been forgotten.

”MeiMei, don't tell me you forgot your own son?” The green haired man spoke up hastily, patting Lu Shao on the shoulder as he did and pushing him closer to Mei Hua. ”I know Lu Shao has grown up, but how could you be so cold as to forget such a good boy?”

Mei Hua's eyebrows crinkled together at the green haired man's comment. As she thought, the petals swirled higher and higher above her, until they reached far over head and vanished out of sight. The piercing blue brightness of her eyes dimmed and for a moment she looked just like her old self.

”Lu Shao… ah, my son… yes.. I have sons…” She cocked her head. ”This is Lu Shao?”

She stepped away from Jin towards the young man. Carefully she examined his face again. When she got to his right eye, which was half blue and half gold, her mouth fell open and she covered it in surprise.

”Oh! Lu Shao, my baby… It really is you!” This time she reached out and embraced him wholeheartedly.

The young man sobbed and hugged her back. The last time he'd felt her embrace had been when he was six years old. So many years had passed since then, that some part of him had given up ever feeling her touch again.

”Don't cry Little Lu, don't cry. I'm here, I'm here.” She soothed her youngest son, a perplexed expression on her face. When her gaze fell on the other two men, she spoke hesitantly, ”Yan Li, Shi Ji?”

It could not be helped that she wasn't sure. Her twins boys' body took after Jin, so they were very tall and when they were younger, a tad too slender for her comfort. But she had always thought, somewhat apologetically, that they took after her in the face. Which is to say, they were more ordinary than strikingly handsome in appearance. Of course that had been when she'd last seen them.

Shi Ji at least looked more like himself, or at least a mature adult version. His narrow face had filled out, making him look a little more like his Father and the hair he'd once kept cut short, had grown well past his shoulders. His height was similar to Jin's, and therefore he naturally towered over everyone. But his eyes were like her's, friendly and open, and his body was more slender than Jin's, making him less intimidating.

Yan Li however… what could she even say? Though there was a passing resemblance, the older twin had changed to a point that it was hard to call them 'twins'. He was the same height as Shi Ji, but double the width, and he was the embodiment of muscle. His skin was darkly tanned, and his hair was sun-bleached two shades lighter than his siblings. Not only that, it was clear he put little thought into his appearance, for his hair was cut raggedly and put in a sloppy high ponytail. If not for his eyes, which were exactly the same as Shi Ji's, she'd not haveknown it was Yan Li at all.

Both her sons grinned and immediately wrapped their arms around her. Yan Li was the last and lifted the whole group up, guffawing in good humor. When he dropped them to the ground, they wobbled and fell into a heap on top of each other. All of them bursting into laughter at once, Mei's eyes glowing blue brightly once again.

Jin frowned. ”What are you three doing? Mei just woke up, don't rough house with her.”

”Sorry~!” Came a three chorus reply that didn't sound the slightest bit apologetic. Even so, they untangled themselves and helped their Mother back up.

Once she was standing, she looked at the four of them confusedly. ”I really don't understand. Jin, why is your hair white and where did your tan go? Why is Lu Shao big now? Yan Li… what on earth happened to you… You don't even look related to Shi Ji anymore… Actually, why are my sons all grown up suddenly? Ah, Shan Hui isn't here either—wait, who are you?”