Prologue

Song Meiying sat quietly by her grandmother's sick bed as the elderly lady slowly drank water from a silver cup. The lights of her room dim and a drip was attached to the back of her left palm.

Grandma Liu turned slightly to shakily keep the cup on the bedside table but Song Meiying beat her to it, swiftly taking it from her and setting it on the table beside her.

With a small sigh, Grandma Liu rested her head on the wall behind her, eyes closed. Song Meiying stayed quiet.

"My little tiger," Grandma Liu spoke up, slowly turning her head to Song Meiying. It was an endearment she'd had for her for the longest time due to how stubborn and playful Song Meiying was as a child and it stuck.

"Grandmother." Song Meiying said softly, the current condition of her grandmother saddening her but she tried hard to stay strong.

"You promise you'll do what I ask?" Grandma Liu gazed softly at her, almost pleadingly, so much that Song Meiying couldn't bring herself to protest.

"Yes grandmother."

Grandma Liu turned forward, gazing into the distance.

"I promised your mother that I would take care of you, make sure you got married to a good person." Grandma Liu sighed happily like a happy thought flashed by her mind. "Now I don't know how much time I have left in this world..."

Song Meiying was quick to interject, her strong facade cracking as her voice broke a little as she spoke. "Don't say that, grandmother! You'll live a hundred more years."

Grandma Liu smiled sadly as she nodded slowly. "Sure, I will. I will."

"Grandma!" A sob escaped Song Meiying as she called out her grandma informally, tears trailing her porcelain face now.

Reaching out to cup her cheeks, Grandma Liu smiled amidst the younger's sobs. "Be happy, little tiger. Be happy."