22 A Storm Is Coming (2/2)
Just at that moment, they heard Ying Yue's animated voice complimenting her sister, a large smile glued to her face.
Yi Ren blinked, accompanying the girl's actions from where her small frame sat, on a stool at the edge of the stage, with a curious look.
”I've heard rumors about how your sister's changed since the accident, but I didn't quite believe it... Until I saw her earlier today” he commented eventually ”She is not the same anymore.”
Fei Hong tensed, his heart beat rising furiously.
”She is confused.” he answered shortly, hands closed in tight fists ”The trauma took most of her memories. She... She just needs some time to adjust.”
”This is not quite right, though, is it?” the other retorted with a knowing glint on his eyes, finally turning back to Fei Hong ”You know... There was a rumor I heard when I was on the mountains... They say the Luan Bird was sighted a few weeks ago near the South Mountains”.
Fei Hong felt his body go completely cold, all blood running from his face as Yi Ren's words registered into his numb mind and a slow, burning fear started spreading through his veins, gripping his heart like a tourniquet.
”Impossible”. He mumbled ”It's been over a thousand years... You can't...” his feverish eyes locked with Daoist Master's ”Surely you cannot mean...”.
”Death”. he agreed cryptically, a worried expression crossing over his face ”There is a storm coming, Fei Hong... One that is much grater than the Zao Kingdom. One that we have to pray we will be able to survive”.
Fei Hong's mind started spinning out of control, his thoughts racing each other as he tried to make sense of what he had heard. The Luan Bird, an omen of death – but, first and foremost, a sign of great change – had been sighted over the South Mountains... One of the biggest symbols of the Nam Region, bordering the Zao Kingdom's farthest side. If the legends were true, if these signs really did mark the moment of the Vermillion Bird's rising, then...
He froze, his mind finally connecting the dots.
”You told him” he said, his voice hardening as he stared at Yi Ren ”You told General He about this, didn't you? That is why he came back” Fei Hong whispered desperately, crossing the few steps between them until there was barely a hair strand left between their faces ”You... What exactly did you say? What is it that he expects to find here, Yi Ren?”
The atmosphere between them tensed, the air sparkling with electricity as their eyes locked in a battle of wills. Fe Hong's breath became faster, until he was almost gasping from air in front of Yi Ren. They were fire and ice. Two elements made not to be mixed together. And yet... How powerful could it really be if they finally collided? How much...
”Ah! L-Look at the time! We-We really need to get going!” Ying Yue's exclamation sounded like the crash of a thunder, instantly shattering the tension on the air and releasing her brother, who retreated a few stumbling steps as quickly as he could manage.
”Qing Shan... Eh, I mean, Jie Jie! Let's go, let's go! Look! Fei Hong is already waiting for us! Fei Hong!” She called, waving at his direction with one hand while, with the other, she dragged her stunned elder sister from inside the Tea House – without even acknowledging the confused shop-owner.
”Fei Hong!” she called again, forcing a smile ”Fei Hong! We are here!”.
Caught off guard by the alien behavior of his sister, Fei Hong could just watch as both of them exited the shop on a fast pace, stopping a few steps away from him slightly out of breath.
Ying Yue, in particular, seemed in the verge of a nervous meltdown.
”Ah Ying, what is it?” he asked worriedly, rushing to her side as he grabbed her by the shoulders ”Did something happen to you...?” his eyes hardened ”Did anyone...”
”Ah... Ehm... N-no, we are fine” she mumbled, a bit too fast for his taste. His eyes thinned into a slit ”I'm fine... I'm really fine” she tried assuring him, forcing a colorless smile on her faec ”Just Oh-So-Ready to go home, you know?!” the girl laughed, a shivering, nervous sound.
Fei Hong frowned, trying to make sense of her deathly-white face and weird behavior. It was like something had scared her half to death, but... He looked once more at the Tea House. It was difficult imagining something that could have this kind of effect on her coming from there. His eyes slowly rested on Tong Zhi Ruo's furious eyes.
Unless...
”Ah Ying...” he begun seriously ”Are you sure nothing happened to you?” looking up, his eyes met Qing Shan's slightly confused ones ”to both of you?”
”Sure! One hundred percent! Just...” she breathed deeply, trying to control the shaking on her hands ”Just... Please, let's go home” all the while, Sam was trying her best not to look back at the Tea House, where she could still feel Zhi Ruo's eyes burning holes on her back.
Fei Hong still studied her for a few seconds before nodding silently, turning to call for their carriage to be brought around. As he was busying himself, Sam felt a new wave of panic beginning to built, the implicit threat on Zhi Ruo's words echoing on her head like a mantra, until there was no strength left on her limbs...
”By the way” she said suddenly, trying to distract her mind”Who was that guy talking to you just know? I seem to remember him from somewhere...”
”Who...?” Fei Hong turned once more, finally remembering Yi Ren's presence, but as usual, he was already nowhere to be seen, just like vanishing on thin air ”Ah, he was just an old friend of mine... No need to worry yourself about it.”
Sam just nodded, sighing deeply as she slowly walking to the side, stopping besides a very fidgety Ah Mei as she considered everything that had happened on that day: from her weird meeting with General He, to the scene on the street with Crown Prince, and now this facade on the Tea House...It didn't matter the way she looked at it, or how she tried justifying what happened with her complete ignorance about most things on this place, the picture was still not good.
”This time... I really screwed up, didn't I?” she mumbled to the girl, watching as her siblings discussed in hushed tones.
”Miss! Please watch your language! You can't say things like that!!” the younger one screeched, looking on the verge of collapsing ”What if anyone hears you, then what can we do?!”
”They would probably end up agreeing with me, anyway” she tried joking, just to sigh deeply at Ah Mei furrowed brows ”Forget it... it was a bad joke. I'm sorry.”
”Miss” Ah Mei begun slowly, looking at her with a tentative smile ”Eldest miss and young master love you very much... Everything will end up well, miss, you will see.”
Sam smiled back at the girl, giving her a small, tight squeeze. At that point, she could really only hope for the best...
Finally, the carriage was brought to the front of the shop – just before Zhi Ruo managed to extricate herself from what was left of the ”best-whishers and congratulators” crowd. Ying Yue could barely contain a sigh of relief as she grabbed at Fei Hong's helping hand and embarked on the wooden, uncomfortable carriage.
Through most of the way, no-one said anything, just letting the slow roll of the wheels and the feeling of the shaking, irregular road bumping the three of them against each other. On the outside, Ah Mei and Ye Qi, sat at the edge of the carriage's front, exchanged a nervous, worried look. Even the horses looked to be somewhat unease with the silence.
Eventually, when they had finally managed to navigate the crowded streets and get out of the market zone, Sam sighed, her eyes opening for the first time to look at her siblings.
”It was her, wasn't it?” She whispered in the silence of the carriage ”Tong Zhi Ruo? She was behind what happened to me… That's why you didn't want me to go out alone.”
The other two exchanged a heavy look, as if none of them had enough energy to breach the subject at that moment. Finally, Qing Shan leant forward, her hands extending to hold Sam's smaller ones on a reassuring grip.
”Yue'er, Tong Zhi Ruo is Prime Minister's daughter and Royal Concubine Gao's niece” she answered with an uneasy tone ”Please, don't say this kind of things lightly again.”
Sam frowned, looking from one to the other.
”But… But she said clearly that...”
”Just let it go” Qing Shan continued, giving her hands a squeeze ”Some things... It is better to just forget about them.”
”Besides” Fei Hong added suddenly from his pace at her side, jaw setting in a hard line ”We are yet to find any clue concerning the accident. Even though it was no secret you two had a difficult relationship, from that to her doing anything against you...” he sighed, looking older than his years as he gazed without seeing out of the window.
”About what really happened to you on that day... I suppose we can only guess.”
___________________
The second part of ”What Happened to Ying Yue” continues on the next chapter!
N/A: The Luan Bird and Vermillion Bird were first mentioned on Chapter 5.