Chapter 3 Heartache Of The Past

"Old Qi, ho-"

Before Wei Xiaoping could finish what he has to say, Qi Mubai had already fallen on him.

Seeing Qi Mubai that day, his eyes lifeless as he held the newly born Qi Xunmei in his hands, blood all over him and wounds on his body.

Wei Xiaoping would never forget that day when he saw Qi Mubai break down for the very first time in front of him, it broke his heart seeing his sworn brother in that state for days.

Qi Mubai won't eat, won't sleep and won't talk, he would only stare at the distance.

He sometimes whisper his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and his grandson's names as he held baby Qi Xunmei in his arms.

Sometimes he would even wake up like a deranged person in the middle of the night after he woke up from a nightmare, his family being killed in front of him one by one.

Wei Xiaoping had a hard time calming him down and would sometimes get hit by him and it even ended to the point that Qi Mubai had almost killed him if not for Qi Xunmei's crying that made Qi Mubai let go of him to take care of her.

Some servants that he had sent to him even became afraid of him to the point that the mere sight of Qi Mubai would send them running away, even his wife was telling him to send him away but Wei Xiaoping never gave up on him.

He was his brother and he will never give up on his family.

But later on, Wei Xiaoping found out that his efforts were useless.

Qi Mubai had already lost it and won't even listen to him anymore, his tantrums became even more severe to the point that he would destroy anything that he got his hands on, and at that point of time, he also got scared because Qi Mubai had already changed and he could do nothing about it.

Wei Xiaoping could only sigh as he look at the man that was once the man that shine ever so brightly for him, he had fallen so much but even so he did not abandon him and only hope for a miracle to come.

Wei Xiaoping prayed for his brother day and night hoping for him to come back to his mind and after some years a miracle did come in a form of a child.

Qi Xunmei who had turned two years old that year stumbled upon Qi Mubai who was sitting alone in the middle of that deserted house, because of fear Wei Xiaoping separated Qi Xunmei from Qi Mubai thinking that he might end up hurting her because of his outburst.

He and the old mama took care of her until she turned two.

"Grandpa, what are you doing here all alone?" The little Qi Xunmei asked Qi Mubai who was staring at the far distance.

Qi Mubai did not even glance at her as if he was in his own world.

"Grandpa, why is your hair so messy did you not comb your hair?" Little Qi Xunmei asked again albeit moving closer to him.

Still, Qi Mubai did not respond and kept on staring into space.

"Grandpa, ah! Wuwuwuwuwu!"

Qi Xunmei cried loudly when she fell down to the ground and scrape her knees.

Hearing her cry, as if he was in a trance Qi Mubai snap out of his daze and look at Qi Xunmei who was crying on the ground with dirt and sooth all over her.

Qi Mubai moved as fast as lightning and held the crying Qi Xunmei in his arms.

"Little girl, does it hurt?"

"Wuwu! It hurts!" Little Qi Xunmei cried tragically.

"Shhhh.... don't cry anymore, Grandpa will help you."

Qi Mubai made little Qi Xunmei sit on the stone that he was using as a stool a while ago and then he raised her skirt a little up to her knees and saw her injured knee, Qi Mubai blew on her injured knee as he said some magic words. "Pain fly away, up to the mountains far away."

As old as Qi Mubai can be and being deranged at that time, he was still embarrassed to say those childish words.

Suddenly, after Qi Mubai said those words Qi Xunmei stop crying and look at Qi Mubai.

"Does it still hurt?" Qi Mubai asked gently.

"N-No, it does not hurt anymore! Grandpa, you are amazing. Thank you!"

Qi Xunmei beamed her brightest smile at Qi Mubai as he hugged the disheveled grandpa.

And like magic, memories of that year when his family was killed came rushing to Qi Mubai's head.

The granddaughter that he had managed to save and brought to the Wei's and then all the crazy things that he had done, he remembered them all.

Qi Mubai stood up as quick as lightning and ran to Wei Xiaoping's office forgetting about little Qi Xunmei who was dangling on his neck hanging for dear life.

"Wei Xiaoping, where on earth is my granddaughter?!" Qi Mubai loudly yelled at him the very moment he saw him.

Wei Xiaoping was shocked and surprised at the same time when he saw Qi Mubai in front of him and even shouting at him, his thought at that moment was "Is this my last day on Earth?"

But he was immediately woke by reality when he process what Qi Mubai said and then he quickly stood up and went to Qi Mubai.

"Old Qi, are you finally back to your sensible mind?!"

Wei Xiaoping cried as he held Qi Mubai's hand not noticing the dangling accessory Qi Mubai had.

"Old Wei, where is my granddaughter? How is she? I want to see my little treasure, quickly bring me to her!" Qi Mubai demanded.

"Right, your granddaughter...eh? Isn't that your granddaughter?"

Wei Xiaoping pointed at the little dangling accessory on Qi Mubai who was still holding on for dear life, her little radish face had already turned red because of exhaustion.

"Where?" Qi Mubai asked.

He looked at the place where Wei Xiaoping was pointing and saw the white radish with a red face.

"Little treasure?"

"Help me!" Little Qi Xunmei yelled no longer having the strength to hold on.

And that's how the story ends and the rest is history .....