17 Lunar New Year (III)

It's written in the snow,

The things I don't want to show,

It was like the plow,

It was hard to forget the flow.

***

THE YEAR 1904, a century away from the present time.

"You did not know me? I am the Crown Prince, Li Lei Jie," he introduced himself with emotionless eyes as Althea shot up a glimpse towards him. She widened her eyes as the Prince furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head to one side. He pursed his lips as he got puzzled on why his destined queen, Fang Ying Yue, was bothered and didn't know his name.

"Your Highness, I am sorry for the inconvenience that I had been made, but could you tell why you did not remember me?" Li Lei Jie, the proclaimed Crown Prince, and just lighten up a bit on Althea's head after he scrutinized the face under the moonlight. She gasped as she furrowed her eyebrows and didn't know what to do. She swallowed as she shook her head and the Crown Prince was just as puzzled as she was.

"Your Highness...?" Li Lei Jie repeated again but Althea turned her heel around, hearing the sound of the cymbals that were resonating in front of the hall, probably because of the ceremony that was going on to start soon. She heard the voice once again, calling her names that she doesn't hear about in the past hours, and ran over the corner. She bumped into everyone and quickly apologized.

Her mind was stuffed, she doesn't know what to think anymore. She ran once again to the outside, where Qing Long and she had been, but she didn't notice him waiting at the entrance of the square. She looked everywhere, and she pursed her lips as she was a bit disappointed.

Li Lei Jie sprinted up too, following his destined queen, and he saw the woman at the entrance. He called out, "Ying Yue!"

Althea heard it once again but she just ran over the corner to hide. She went inside an abandoned house, the darkness creeping up in every corner, no signs of light can be seen even in the holes. She ran inside as fast as she could and closed the dilapidated door. Li Lei Jie reached the entrance and looked everywhere.

He scanned the faces that came inside, but he had been swarmed with countless greetings from the peasants. He ignored the lot, and rapidly ran over straight, neglecting the wrecked house. Althea covered her mouth as she furrowed her eyebrows and looked up.

She could not see anything. She was trapped in a hell where she could not find any step away from it. She just closed her eyes and endured the pungent smell that was all over the area. She closed her eyes and heard the loud sounds of the music by the square.

"Grandma, I am alone here," Althea whispered in a pleading voice, she doesn't seem to know why she was calling her grandmother at that time. The tears brimmed in her eyes as she was remembered what happened to her.

The disqualification she experienced from that writing competition she wanted to win, the bejeweled box that her grandmother had been cherishing since her teenage years, how she destroyed it and decided to abandon it with the legend her grandmother always talked about. How she fell down the river after she threw it. Althea's mind was full of situations she had a hard time stepping away from.

Earlier, when she tripped on the lawn and confused about why she was there, how the families disappeared, Althea met a guy in robes. She swallowed as she shot up her eyes open and only Qing Long could know where she was. She looked up and felt a sudden urge to find him, but widened her eyes when she saw someone holding candlelight close to his chest.

Qing Long's headdress had been removed from his head, his robes were still silky even in the darkness, and his face was free from any emotions. Althea propped up her elbows by her knees and she did not know what to do. She swallowed as Qing Long slowly tilted up the corners of his lips while asking, "Why are you here? It's dark in here, we should come out inside. The Lunar New Year will begin."

Qing Long's voice was so gentle, the tone was different from the legend that Althea knew. She swallowed as she couldn't move. Qing Long sighed as he crouched down a little, place the candlelight in accordance with their faces, and looked up at Althea.

"I'll tell you everything when Lunar New Year ends tomorrow," Qing Long whispered as Althea was still confused about what she will do. She just stayed there, her knees had been tucked, and Qing Long was still thinking of a way to persuade Althea.

"Althea---"

"So that's why you kidnap me?" Althea asked as Qing Long was startled by her sudden question. He furrowed his eyebrows and motioned for her to continue it. Althea swallowed as she looked at Qing Long with innocent eyes and pursed her lips.

"That's why... you kidnap me... and... you hid me in the cave a little while," Althea nodded as if she understood what was happening. Qing Long clenched his jaw while Althea was looking at the ground with her fixated gaze.

"Who is Fang Ying Yue? Hmm?" Althea asked in a soft voice while Qing Long stared up at her. He was not sure if he could say it directly but he thought that it might help her a bit.

"Who is her?! Answer me!" Althea shrieked as Qing Long looked down while licking his lips. He shook his head as Althea removed her hands from her knees and knelt down closely to Qing Long. He was breathing in a fast way and he did not know what to do. He swallowed as he was forced to say it. Her eyes were searching into him.

"It's you. Fang Ying Yue, the youngest daughter of the Fang Clan, and the destined queen of the Crown Prince, Li Lei Jie."