14 Coaxing an abandoned child

Birds chirping as the sun peeked out from the horizon.

In a certain room within the dormitories, a young girl was pacing back and forth.

Meng Xun had dark circles as a result of worrying over Zhi all night long. Zhi was nowhere to be found even after she ran a lap around the city. Not even the cats and the dogs knew her whereabouts...

The boisterous festive city subsided as people was wasted with wine and others normally went back home to get their sleep as the time reached midnight. They still had their jobs and works to be done to support their livelihood the day after. The night then entered a stillness of quiet peace. Except for a person who could not find her peace of mind.

Being low in juice, Meng Xun settled to go back to report to her Master and asked for her help. Her Master was a Great Deity who could solve cases especially missing incidents. Her intelligence especially shone during the four years they were together at the border. If it were her Master, she definitely could track Zhi, in spite of the kidnapper's hundred ways of erasing their existence, or miles away they had gone, or tucking away the captured into someplace thoroughly hidden.

Were not her own body was found safe and sound despite the fact that she was ditched into the depth of an abyss?

But before she was able to do so, her Master was urgently summoned by the general. And had not returned...

"What is the matter with the general? Did he went overboard with his wife on their first night!?"

"My matter is more urgent, ah! Sister Zhi... please be safe!"

Black figure as dusky as charcoal dropped in through the window. That creature wore a thick robe with elegant embroidery of roses with black threads. The hands were even hidden away with a pair of black gloves. A wooden mask fully concealing the face was designed simply deep brown in color. Where the eyes should have been, no holes were punctured. Long lustrous feather extensions reached its feet, which was geared with a medium high heeled boots.

The out-of-her-mind Meng Xun stared in bewilderment at the intruder. Her head was muddled enough to not think straight but she knew very well than to scream on top of her lungs. A sense of familiarity sunk in but never arose back.

It was until, a recognizable voice came from the figure.

"Meng Xun, it's Zhi."

And all hell broke lose, hmm, not so much other than Meng Xun let out an agonized wail and bawled her eyes out.

The scene left Zhi helpless, not knowing how to calm Meng Xun down. She was already here, no? She did not appear with the heavily bandaged body of hers, no?

Observing Meng Xun's state of mind and body, Zhi was burdened with the guilt boulder. She took the still crying Meng Xun by the waist and gently led her towards the bed. "Don't cry anymore, sister, here, let me help you to the bed..."

Meng Xun just meekly followed Zhi, although she was speaking some incoherent words, her body was exhausted to put out resistance. Meng Xun had lots of things to inquire Zhi but the moment her body was laid down the bed, all her energy dissipated and when Zhi covered her with quilt, warmness spread all over her.

Her hands would not stop grasping Zhi's tightly though, just that one moment of lax, Meng Xun lost Zhi for an entire night.

"Sister Meng Xun, Zhi is fine now. Can't you feel the warmth of my hands? I am here with you already."

Zhi continued to coax as calmly as possible the fragile looking sister in front of her. She had also laid down on the bed with her. When she said that, Zhi had took off her mask and gloves. Additionally, she put their hands within the lines of their vision.

Seeing another pair of hands interlocking with her own, Meng Xun gradually loosened up her grasp, her eyes were still wet but now, a smile had came.

"You're a kind girl, sister. You have worked hard. Now that I am here, there is nothing to worry about anymore..."

Zhi whispered in such a small voice lulled Meng Xun into sleep like a lullaby. She then stroke Meng Xun's head in such a gentle manner that eased the frown lines on her forehead.

"You're a kind girl..."

Zhi did not stopped her whisperings until Meng Xun's eyes finally shut and a slow and steady breathing came from her.

Mayhap the comfort of hearing her own hypnotizing voice (and Meng Xun's steady breathing) and being in a common space, before long, Zhi too had succumbed to a deep slumber.

Two pair of sisters, not tied by blood, who were separated the night before, had found peace within each other's existence...

...

Let's not ask where Zhi had learnt such coaxing and whispering skills, okay?