A year ago. Mu Lan's Father remarried a beautiful tempting woman. Her name was Lan Yue. Lan Yue is a beautiful enchanting woman capable of making man lie-low to her. That includes Mu Lan a prideful and aloof young man. Thus, having Lan Yue as a step-mother for a year, Mu Lan feelings for her gradually taken a right-turn. One day, Mu Lan wakes up in the morning and immediately walk towards the kitchen. Only finding her step-mother Lan Yue cooking food for both of them. The moment Lan Yue gives him a smile, Mu Lan immediately decided to confess to her as he hugged him from behind. Will Lan Yue accept his step-son's love? Or Will Mu Lan ended up with earth-shattering rejection? Let's find out..... ***** Chapter Update: Not constant. But expect a four-five chapter minimum.

This is just a short poem explain what it feels like when my mother deadnames me.


They thought they were about to succeed this time, but Guo Dongyue's mother experienced another breakdown, and all their efforts were in vain. Zhang Zian and Guo Dongyue felt so upset and desperate. 
What should they do? Try again from the beginning? 
They looked at each other, waiting for someone to come up with a solution. This thing was supposed to be completed by Guo Dongyue, but he couldn't control his feelings when facing his own mother, so he could only hope Zhang Zian could help him out. 
Zhang Zian sighed, and felt like he had made a promise that was hard for him to keep. He knew too well that his success moments ago was just sheer luck. Guo Dongyue's anticipation made him suffer with great pressure, and he couldn't bear to decline his request. On the other hand, Guo Dongyue's mother reminded him of his own mother. And if his mother was a victim of Alzheimer's disease, he would have hoped that others could extend their helping hands. 
So, he repeated his tricks to see if they would work again. He smiled and said, "I'm a bird enthusiast..." 
"I'm not asking you that." Guo Dongyue's mother's smile froze and she stood up from the sofa and asked him seriously, "I'm asking, how did you get into my house? Who opened the door for you? Get out, or I will call the police!" 
Zhang Zian thought to himself, "Why is she reacting differently every time, what should I do?" 
"Don't! We are nice people." He raised both his hands to show that he didn't mean to do anything evil. 
"Nice people? What kind of nice people would break into others' apartments?" Guo Dongyue's mother raised her voice, "Are you leaving or not? I will scream for help!" 
Aunt Bai heard the noise and hastily came out from the kitchen to stop her. "My elder sister-in-law, please don't scream, they are not strangers." 
Guo Dongyue's mother stared at Aunt Bai for a few seconds before she recognized her, "Yan Zi?" 
Aunt Bai smiled bitterly and nodded. "In this building, only you will call me by that name." 
"Yan Zi, who are they? Your friends?" Guo Dongyue's mother pointed to Zhang Zian and Guo Dongyue. Aunt Bai was not as flexible as Zhang Zian, and she didn't know how to respond. Aunt Bai was planning to tell her that Guo Dongyue was her son and Zhang Zian was his friend, but then again, they would be trapped in an endless circle, where Guo Dongyue's mother would never believe that Guo Dongyue who was in front of her was her own son. 
She bit the bullet and said, "Yes, they're my friends." 
"What do they do? Why are you bringing them into my house?" Guo Dongyue's mother kept asking. 
"Well..." Aunt Bai still didn't know how to respond. Seeing that Zhang Zian was pointing to the birdcage, she understood what he meant and said, "Elder sister-in-law, they're here to see your parrots." 
"My parrots?" Guo Dongyue's mother also noticed the birdcage, and before anyone knew what was happening, she had taken away the birdcage from Guo Dongyue, held it in her arms like her baby, and scolded them severely, "How dare you steal my parrots? I'm definitely calling the police." 
None of them knew how to respond, all they could do was stand there awkwardly and look at each other... The only option was to wait for her next round of breakdown. But when would that happen? Guo Dongyue's mother probably was too angry, so she fiercely criticized Guo Dongyue and Zhang Zian and cursed them. She really had mistaken them for thieves. 
Zhang Zian was the last one who entered the house, and he left the door unlocked. With a creaking sound, the door was pushed open gently, and a golden claw stepped into the house, followed by another claw. Fina came into the house with its poker face, carrying a few pieces of paper in its mouth. 
Zhang Zian was surprised to see Fina with paper in its mouth—why on earth would the germophobic Fina do that? Those papers must be the purchasing certificates of the originally-issued stocks of some big companies!
Fina's presence was so eye-catching that even Guo Dongyue's mother stopped her clamor and looked at it surprisingly. After a few seconds, she said, "Whose cat is that?" 
"It's mine, I brought it here," said Zhang Zian who was winking at Fina, as if asking what Fina was carrying in its mouth. 
Fina just ignored him. 
Guo Dongyue's mother got angrier: "You brought a cat into my house? You want it to eat my parrots?" 
Zhang Zian didn't bother to explain, because he knew it would be fruitless. 
He could only wait until she had lost this fragment of memory and started another conversation. It was like pushing the "Save/Load"  button when playing a game—though the analogy sounded funny, the reality was a true tragedy. 
"Get out! Get your cats out of my house!" She held the birdcage more tightly. Because of her sharp noise, the two red-headed lovebirds were scared and retreated to the corner in the birdcage and stayed close to each other. 
Guo Dongyue closed his eyes painfully. His mother was an intellectual who was wise and polite, and would never say something so rude. Alzheimer's disease had changed her personality. 
Zhang Zian was afraid that the scene would get ugly. From his understanding of Fina, if someone yelled at its and told its to get out, Fina would definitely be furious. He was also intending to leave the house. And just in case, he stood between Fina and Guo Dongyue's mother, worrying that his cat might attack her out of rage. 
To his surprise, Fina didn't seem angry. It just opened its mouth calmly and let the papers fall onto the ground. And then it glanced at Guo Dongyue's mother, swung its tail, and left the house like nothing happened. 
Zhang Zian bent down to pick up the papers, only to find that they were just some kid's doodles, which looked like picture diaries. 
The first picture showed a little boy who was holding a flower and running back home, and underneath the picture were scrawled some characters: Today is Mom's birthday. 
Zhang Zian flipped to the second picture, in a house, a woman in a dress was sitting by the table, holding that flower in her hand, and the words underneath the picture were: Mom is very happy, and she says I am a good boy. 
Probably because the kid was too little, a few misspellings were found. 
Zhang Zian flipped to the third picture, where the little boy was standing straight in front of the woman, and an oval dialogue box was drawn beside his mouth, Within the dialog box was a poem, "Threads adeptly brandished by a loving mother, sewed into garments for a son so soon to depart..." 
The words under the picture were: Our teacher asked us to recite this poem when it's Mom's birthday. Happy birthday Mom! 
The lines drawn and words written by crayon had been blurred and could barely be recognized. Those were pictures drawn a long time ago. 
Zhang Zian watched the three pieces of paper several times and then gave them to Guo Dongyue, "Was it this poem? When you were at the kindergarten on the street corner, did your teacher also ask you to read this poem to your mother at her birthday?" 
Guo Dongyue took over the paper and observed them a couple times. His lips were moving gently as he read the characters on the pictures silently. When he heard Zhang Zian read that poem to Little Celery at the pet shop, he felt like some memory buried deep inside his heart was touched upon. But the memory had been slept on for so long, like garments that were forgotten at the bottom of a closet. Even when he did retrieve the memory ultimately, like those garments, it would be full of wrinkles and could not recover what it looked like originally. When he was at the pet shop, he was in a rush to find the parrots, and he had no time to contemplate the poem, so he missed the chance to recover his memory of this poem. 
Fortunately, the Goddess of Fate had given him a second chance, by sending the golden cat as its messenger to fetch the pictures for him. The doodles drawn by some kid at the kindergarten had helped him recollect his childhood memory, just like the wrinkle of the garments had been ironed flat. Yes, he also recited that poem to his mother at her birthday. He remembered that he was little and didn't know there was anything special about that poem. He remembered that he felt shy reciting the poem in front of his mother. When he finished reciting that poem, his mother embraced him in her arms, but he pushed her away shyly and ran away from his mother. 
While Guo Dongyue was immersed in his memory, Zhang Zian had quietly left the house, and squatted on the passageway outside with Fina. They stared at the doodles drawn by children on the wall and neither of them talked. 
A moment later, Snowy Lionet's inpatient yelling came from downstairs, "Meow! Meow! Your Majesty, is everything okay?" 
"I'm coming down." Fina responded in the appropriate volume and then made its way downstairs. 
When it was about to step down, Zhang Zian spoke up, "Sparkling things?" 
Fina didn't say anything; it kept walking down with its reserved manner. 
It was Fina Paris XIII, the guardian of the kingdom of Eternity. it didn't have to explain its mind to ordinary people. 


1. Download a suspicious game
2. Catch a few magical pets as partners
3. Go through interesting daily routines and lead the pet shop to a whole new level

It's been one week since Furiad and Louis take off the Human World and also, our lives are getting back to normal. But now, no one knows my pregnancy except my twin brother, Jinwoo, and my mother. 
About my mother, I keep trying to fix my relationship with her and she doesn't want to talk with me. I almost gave up but no, she is my mother now and I will do everything to fix our relationship. 
Now, I'm in school to finish the last semester, and since I have so many lessons to catch up on. And one problem I have is Fiona. 
Fiona is a pain in my ass. She keeps bothering me every time we cross our path, she's going to ruin my day which really pisses me off. And I try to avoid her but she keeps pestering me. 
I'm lucky that Chleo, Jinwoo, and Jungmin are always here to protect me and mostly, the babies inside my belly. Although, Chleo doesn't know about that. I don't know if I'm going to tell her about my pregnancy. 
I snap into reality when a grasp around my shoulder, shaking my body. I glance at it and see Chleo, who's cocking her head, confused. 
"Feaubry, you've been spaced out since the time we came here to the coffee shop. Are you okay?" She then asks. 
My mouth releases a deep, heavy sigh and fiddles the straw of my juice. Then, I place my spoon beside my plate and leans my back at the backrest of my chair. 
"I'm fine. I'm just a bit drowsy and also, dizzy. I feel like I'm going to throw up." I reply. 
And as I glance at her, her eyes wide while staring at me. My head cocks on the side, confused about her reaction. She sits beside me and leans closer to me. Her hands touch my forehead to check my temperature.
"You don't have a fever…. Oh my gosh, are you… pregnant?" 
I blink multiple times while my sweat spreads all over my forehead when hearing her uttered words. I don't know when she gets that idea. 
"W-what?" 
"Don't 'what' me, Feaubry. I'm asking you… Are you pregnant, or not?" 
I bite my lips, striving to stop my tears to fall through my cheeks but I can't. It's like voluntarily wanting to fall because of my hormones inside my body. 
"I'm sorry, Chleo if I need to hide this from you. I don't know what to do…" I murmur as my tears keep falling through my cheeks. 
She caresses my back, calming me. Then, she pulls me closer to her and hugs me. "It is going to be okay, Feaubry. As I said, I'm here for you and protect you." 
I loosen the hug and wipe all my tears through my cheeks. She laughs at me and ruffles my hair. 
"You don't have to hide it from me. I'm going to take care of you while you are here. Anyway, I have good news from you." She says. 
"What is it?" I ask in a very exciting voice. 
I think I'm going to love her news since she told me that it's good news but at the same time, I'm nervous. 
"My parents told me that I can come with you to Korea for a vacation!" She then exclaims while swaying her body. 
My eyes glimmer when she can come with me to Korea. I mean, we have so many things to do in Korea. And we are going to have some fun.
"Really? It's great. We will visit many places there and… Wait I can't ride any extreme rides so it's going to be sad for me." 
"Yes, you can't. You are pregnant. Omo, my best friend is pregnant. I don't know why I'm not mad when you didn't tell me about that but I'm so happy for you." I just smile at her and hug her from the side.
After eating our food at the coffee shop, we stroll closer to the parking lot and step inside her car. Hence, she starts the engine and drives back to our campus. 
Thereafter, we step out of the car and straight to the hallway. I stand in front of my locker and slowly, I open it. A letter flies out of my locker which startles me. 
My eyes gaze at the letter on the floor but I just shrug and pet the letter. Then, I unfold the letter and see a despairing letter from an unknown persona. It's not a letter but a poem that comes from nowhere. 
'I will not trust you
Nor, I long to stay in your warm embrace. 
Your hands are quicker than hers for a melee.
Yet my legs are longer to run away from you.'
What does it mean? I mean, someone wants to leave behind but who is it? 
And why does someone give me a poem like this. 
It could be someone else and I perceive that it is not a coincidence. I wish I knew who gave this poem. 
"Feaubry, let's go. Sir. Says are waiting for us." Chleo says.
Hurriedly, I place it inside my bag and clasp my things before closing my locker. I stroll beside Chleo yet my mind is in the poem. 
I want to know who gave that poem and I will strangle that unknown persona into death. 
As we stroll inside the room, a foot blocks my way but since I can sense the danger, I prevent myself from stumbling on the floor. And then, a more eraser just flies in my direction but I just dodge it and continue to walk to my seat. 
My eyes gaze at Fiona, who keeps laughing with her friends, and all of a sudden, a thick liquid hurls all over my body from above. They all laugh at me while Chleo strives to help me. I just smile at her and shake my head. 
I clutch my hands, lightly I lift my left hand towards Fiona. She abruptly struggles to breathe and her face begins to pale. "Help me!" She tries to talk but I clutch my right hand hard. 
And when seeing her struggling, I unfasten my grasp so she could breathe normally. Then, I stroll closer to her, smiling. I lean towards her direction while wiping the thick liquid out of my body. 
"W-what are you doing? Leave me alone! You monster!" She exclaims while striving to be taken aback. 
I just laugh when I discern her scaredness. "Why are you walking away? I'm not done with you b*tch. I just want you to feel the liquid all over my body. Chleo, hand her down." I instruct Chleo. She responds with a nod and walks closer to Fiona.
Fiona, on the other hand, screams on top of her lungs when Chleo wraps her arms around Fiona. I wipe all the liquid that I can collect from my body. And she keeps struggling and screaming. 
I yank her hair and murmur, "Did I tell you that leave me alone, or I will f*cking makes your life miserable. And now, you give me an option to ruin your school days. You don't know what I am capable of so better shut the f*ck up or I will strangle you to death. Understood!" 
"Y-yes." 
I sign Chleo to shove her away. She responds with a nod and pushes her away which stumbles her from the floor. Then, my eyes gaze at her friends, who are very scared and couldn't look into my eyes. 
"Listen up, you scumbags. If you can't leave me alone and my friends, I will swear that I could make one of your lives miserable. Are we clear?!" I assert but no one gives me any response which pisses me off. 
"I ask, are we clear!?" 
"Yes!" The students inside the room retort. 
"Good, now, clean all that up or I will tell to the principal what did b*tch do to the room. Chleo let's go." 
I leave the room without looking at them. I walk inside the restroom where all the athletes use when they need to take a shower. 
"Chleo, can you call Flynn to grab me some clothes?" 
"Okay, I'll be right back." She mumbles before leaving the restroom. 
I begin to remove all my clothes before I step inside the shower room. I start cleaning my body and remove the thick liquid all over my body. Luckily, I bring my small bottle of shampoo and soap in case of emergency. 
Afterward, Chleo brings me some clothes and towels. So, I grab the towel and dry my body and begin to wear the clothes. Then, I walk out of the restroom, where Chleo and Flynn wait for my arrival. I just smile at them. 
"Do you want to go home? And also, grab some flowers and favorite food for mom. Today it's her birthday." Flynn says. 
I just respond with a nod. 
"Do you want to come?" I ask Chleo. 
"Of course."
"Let's go home!" 


[WARNING: Some chapters contained mature content.]

In the Kingdom of Heaven, falling in love with a human is forbidden as it is against the laws of the realm above. Yet, a high-ranking and most trusted angel named Araqiel fell in love with a human named Feaubry, who was claimed to be the daughter of an exiled prince and an angel.

When the head had heard of the act that was against their rules, he then exiled Araqiel and threw him on earth as punishment.

All of a sudden, however, an agreement of becoming a Demon Prince was given to him in order to protect her little princess.

Will they meet again—or will they perhaps have their love bloom again like a risen flower as if born from the ashes?

Little did Araqiel know, however, that the little damsel that he loved had the goal of leading him to his demise!

Will Feaubry wrap him around her fingers and betray him? Or will Araqiel find this out?

~•~•~•~•~

Volume 1: De Mémoire D'Homme

A simple girl who lives in Korea couldn't recall her memories from ten years ago. She felt like some part of her life had gone missing. Upon moving to a secluded, rural town located in the woods, she met a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes. The moment she laid her eyes on him, it's as if they had a deep connection with each other, though she couldn't comprehend why.

Does this get something to do with her lost memories ten years ago?

Volume 2: Corps Êt Ame

A man named Denvir had stolen the most important element inside the human body. One of his victims was a girl named Feaubry and on her 21st birthday, her fate is destined to change. 

In order for her to restore her dying body, she needs to find her missing soul.

Will she be able to find her missing piece when the man who had stolen it from her is already dead?

Or...

Will she accept her fate of her possible death at any given moment?

Volume 3: Ma Douce Petite Revance

Feaubry wanted to got back to Korea with the guys to have a normal life and leave the past in the province, Oregon. But little did she know that a man with a mask will come to her in order to get the man’s figure for revenge—by using her.


The photo is not mine

"Hien Lixue!" Someone called out. "Hien Lixue" The person called out again.

Sighing, I stood up from the chair I was sitting in and left the book open to where u stop reading. "Yes father?" I said walked towards the corridor where my father was.

He looked at me and smiled. My father was the only person who took time to admire his daughter.

Since my mother, his first wife, died while giving birth to me, I was the only thing that reminded him of her.

"We are having guests tonight and you know what that means" he says as we walk along side each other and towards our section of the compound. 

My father, Chen Jian was a very well respected official of the imperial city. He was even close to the previous emperor and was like a personal friend to him. He was the 3rd master of the Chen compound after my grandfather and uncle.

My father never liked showing me off. He thought as my beauty was too 'rare' and a gem like me needed to 'choose' for myself, he kept me hidden. 

I did go outside and had freedom, as long as there was a veil covering my face and that my bodyguards were always around me.

"Yes dad, I'll go change and wear my veil" I sighed as I bowed to my father. I walked towards my area of the sector. 

The Chen compound had four sectors, the Yueji sector where my grandparents and 4 dozen servants stayed, the Mudan sector where my uncle, aunt and cousins stayed with 2 dozen servants, the Pugongying sector where my step mother and step-siblings stayed with a 2 dozen servants and the Lianhua sector where my father and I lived with 3 dozen servents and 6 guards.

I walked towards the bath room, where I met with 2 servants. It seems as they already got the message from my father. 

The maids closed the door and I undressed behind the silk curtains, easing myself into the warm bath. It was scented with cherry blossom pedals. I enhaled the smell and relaxed my mind. 

I finished bathing and dried myself. I put on a purple hanfu, which showed my pale shoulders and brought out my violet coloured eyes. My eyes weren't from any of my parents, but from a very powerful monk who gave me eyesight when I was blind.

My grandmother went to the temple one day, and asked the heavens to give me eyesight when my third week passed and I still could not see. 

Luckily, a man approached her and asked her to lead him directly to me. She was startled at first, but saw how he was dressed and guided him to me. 

Hence, I was giving eyesight through this man. 

But with these eyes come difficult. It's hard for me, because I can see things that will happen or may have happened, but never the full story.

I am always woken up from my sleep because of these dreams that came with these eyes. 

They say we can never cheat death, but I have many times before. I never told my father about this because it will make security ten times worse than it is now.

I covered my face with the veil proved by the servants. My hair was left loose, while pins pushed it back so it wasn't a mess. I sat by the window and looked at the sun setting.

It left the sky purple, just like the colour of my hanfu, but much more darker. As I gazed at it, I heard my father call for me. I stood up and walked towards him.

"It's time. You look lovely" he said as we walked towards the dinning hall. "Hien Lixue thanks father for the compliment" I said, bowing slightly. 

We arrived there and I bowed down before my grandparents. "Hien Lixue greets grandmother Chen and grandfather Chen" I said while kneeling. "Come child, let your grandmother see your precious face" she said.

My grandparents where very involved with my rising. My grandmother was like a mother to me, teaching me the ways of a lady and also making sure that I was proper. She taught my how to dance, sing, play instruments and paint. 

My grandfather taught me the art of combat, sword fighting, archery and horse riding. Even when my father would protest, I always went hunting with them and Wei ge-ge.

Chen Wei was my eldest cousin on my uncle's side. He was like an older brother to me and never left me alone. He was a soldier in the army but was here at home helping with the family business.

I didn't notice my step family was also there. Chen Ho Fu and Chen Liu Mei and their mother , Fa Ting.

They never liked me from the start, since all my father's attention was constantly on me. They have tried to get his attention multiple of times, but never succeeded. 

My uncle and aunt, Chen Dingxiang and Liu Yuehai. They were the best, like second parents, they treated me like a second child. They would always take me with them (with my father's permission and my bodyguards following) and I would have fun with my ge-ge. 

A servant entered the dining hall. " The Han family has arrived" she said, before bowing and opening the door. 

In walked two people. I felt my father shift and heard his voice greeting our guests. " General Han, what a great honour to have you here today" he said, being his cheerful self.

"Its always a great honour being in the presence of one of the most well respected offcial" the man replied. His voice made out that he could be around his mid 30s or so. "I see you have brought your family. Please all, come in and take a seat" my father replied.

"Elders of Chen family, its a plesure to see you all doing well" a womans voice said. "Dear, you have grown so much. How have you been?" my grandmother asked the female voice. 

"I have been doing well" she replies. I felt my fathers presence return to my side and the dinner began. 

As everyone engaged in there own conversations, a certain conversation caught my ear.

"Old friend, may I asked" General Han asked. "Who is this elegant lady by your side?" he asked, guessing as he referred to me. " This is my daughter. My oldest child" he replied. "Well, its an honour to meet her, but why does she have a veil over her face?" he asked.

"My child, as you know is Wa Zhi Ruo, my previous wife's only child. With this and that she has an extremely sensitive eyesight, she mostly can not see people. So to prevent any more damage towards her eyes, she wears a veil over he face at all times" he lied smoothly.

The only reason I actually wear a veil is because of my 'rare' beauty and because of my eyes. He did not want people to see such 'goddess' like beauty. 

To be honest, I see myself as an average beauty, but everyone claims I have beauty that can be compared to a goddess, just like my mothers beauty but more intense due to my eyes. 

"Oh dear, will she be alright?" Lady Han asked. 

"I will be well" I replied softly, while sipping on tea. 

"Her voice is lovely" General Han said to my father. "She's my treasure and the last gift from Zhi Ruo" he replied softly, a hint of sorrow in his voice. I heard my step mother scoff lowly, not wanting anyone to hear her.

The dinner ended and we all walked to the living room.

I sat by my fathers side and kept quiet. "Well, is there any entertainment that could be...." I tuned down the general and looked outside. The sky was partly indigo, a very beautiful shade to say.

"Hien Lixue, would you like to do something?" my father asked, pulling me out the trance.

I cleared my voice and thought of a poem I once wrote: 

               Beauty that is portrayed in many ways
               Material, jewellery and beauty of a person
               But why can't people realise there is beauty everywhere?
               In the forests, in water, in the sky and in the night
               We search the whole world for beautiful things,
               But why can we realise its in front of us rights now
               The sky.... Indigo 
               A shade that symbolizes both peace and jealous
               A beautiful sight indeed

I ended my poem and heard clapping. "Your daughter truly has a gift" General Han commented, his voice filled with astonishment and admiration. "She is indeed a gem" Lady Han said as well.

"She is of course my daughter after all" my dad said with a little pride in his voice causing my grandparents and my aunt, uncle, cousin and the Hans to laugh at his slight humour. 

And to say the least I was glad my step family had not commented negatively towards my poem.

Memorized by her looks, you could tell she was not like the others... Her delicate body danced under the light of the moon, her fierce eyes burned with passion and detemination. Men looked at her, while women envied her... but the eyes of one man glared into her eyes like looking into her soul. Who was she? No one knew her.
______________________________________________________________

Like his name, Zhou Weisheng was greatness indeed. Having inherited the title as Emperor from his father and being one of the fearless warriors, the Zhou dynasty had been a success. All but one thing left: a heir. Countless women threw themselves at the feet of the Emperor, wanting to be the Empress. He never even took a second glance or looked back.

Chen Hien Lixue, one would call her a free spirit. Her mother had died at childbirth, leaving her with her father and step mother. Her father adored her more that his other children, making the step-mother abusive towards her. Her only friends were her grandparents and her cousin. With her ability to see things before they happen and her beauty like a goddess, made her father keep her in secret.
 
This is a journey where one finds her place on the earth and another paves a pathway to her.

When Qing Chen and Feng Xuan went home, they did not waste time and got started with the tattoos and the clues. Qing Lok had been home since the afternoon and already passed a bunch of paper for Qing Chen to look at.
Feng Xuan was more than surprised that when she got in the door, she found Liu Meilien walking down the stairs.
"Oh my god!" she exclaimed and went in to hug the other girl. "You're here!"
Liu Meilien nodded but there was a look on uncertainty in her eyes as she turned to greet Qing Chen. "Thank you for letting me stay."
"No worries at all," Qing Chen replied to her as if they had known each other forever. "If we devide the estates, this would be Lok's." He smiled. "You might as well get familiar as early as now. Dinner?"
They all followed him to the dining area. Liu Meilien clutched Feng Xuan's arm. "I don't know what I'm doing here. I'm so nervous!"
"Why are you nervous?" Feng Xuan chuckled. "They are nice boys."
"But what about… what about the eldest brother?"
"Oh, Wuming! You're nervous because of him? He's a ray of sunshine! You'll absolutely love him. He acts like he's the youngest of the three of them."
Liu Meilien squeezed Feng Xuan. "I'm really scared."
Feng Xuan heard the horror in her voice she stopped walking and faced her step-sister. "Do you want to go home?"
"I don't think so. I'm just feeling a little jittery I guess. New house and all that."
Feng Xuan sent her a reassuring smile. "You might be scared with the things that you would see around this house. But I assure you, there's no place safer. Okay?"
Liu Meilien forced her lips to spread. At least it was a smile. "Okay. And you're going to be here, right?"
"I'm not going anywhere."
**
It was a short dinner, none of them barely got anything in their stomachs in their excitement to get right back into action.
Qing Lok passed a collated folder to his brother and flipped its pages, pointing on the picture of his tattoo. "Okay, so one of them," he gestured to the team, "suggested that there is another layer in your tattoo. These," he pointed to the frame of the tattoo, "is glass and that the cracks on it, could actually be a map."
Qing Lok turned to a new page, which featured a rough draft of the isolated layer of the cracks. Then he flipped to another page. At the top, it said "trial #1". The next page said "trial #2".
"We're still trying to make up patterns and see if we get a match somewhere," Qing Lok said. "But it could take days. There are endless possibilities. But I'll switch the teams to make sure that we're working around the clock until we find something."
Qing Chen took a closer look at the picture of his tattoo. How come he never saw those cracks before? They were so thin. And who would've thought that…
Then he saw something. "You're right, this is glass."
"What?" Qing Lok said and huddled to his brother.
"I think, this painting is giving you a view of the person from the inside of a house, I guess? This is glass," he pointed to the cracks. "Then… we see the mountains, then the patch of water. Do you see it?"
Qing Lok took the picture. "You're right. But what's the rose doing in the middle?"
"I think the rose is INSIDE the room." Qing Chen pinched the bridge of his nose. "I cannot believe Mother painted something like this. Of all the times she painted with color, she decided to make this one black and red."
Qing Chen turned to the team. "Who figured this was glass?"
A small lady from the corner of the room, raised her hand without looking back, her fingers a blur on top of the keyboard. 
"If you are right," Qing Chen said, "I'd be more than happy to feed your family for life."
"Thank you, sir," said the girl like she was not at all impressed.
Qing Chen turned to Qing Lok with a shocked look on his face.
Qing Lok grimaced. "She could get a little moody. But really smart."
Qing Chen turned to the other pages and found a new page where the "trial #n" stopped. "What's this?"
"Right," Qing Lok said, gesturing to the rose. "Kind of a stretch but rose means Valentines, right? I mean, no better occasion. Our good old friend, Edgar Allan Poe, has a poem titled just that." He flicked to the next paper. "Here's the copy of it."
Qing Chen read the poem. 
For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,
Brightly expressive as the twins of Leda, 
Shall find her own sweet name, that nestling lies
Upon the page, enwrapped from every reader.
Search narrowly the lines!- they hold a treasure
Divine- a talisman- an amulet
That must be worn at heart. Search well the measure-
The words- the syllables! Do not forget
The trivialest point, or you may lose your labor
And yet there is in this no Gordian knot
"Search narrowly the lines they hold a treasure," he repeated. "Was she talking about the map or what? El Dorado is also about finding gold—which is treasure and then this poem also beckons you to search for something. Should we establish that she was really trying to make us find something?"
Qing Chen turned to Feng Xuan and it chipped her heart because he looked so helpless. She knew that he wanted to find the answers, but looking at him feeling miserable at what they were about to find, made her doubt if she made the right decision on supporting his decision of finding his mother.
Feng Xuan nodded as an answer to his question. She had the brains but she had no clue on who their Mother was. She didn't know how her mind worked.
Qing Chen turned to Qing Lok again. "Are you sure we're really reading into things in the correct order?"
"If it doesn't make sense then we'll try again. Try and try until we tire ourselves and quit, right?"
Qing Chen ran a hand on his tired face. He smiled at his brother. "At least, we could say that we did everything in the end. Now, tell me more about this poem."
"That's not the only peculiar thing in this poem," Qing Lok said and took a highlighter. "It's actually hides a name. EAP wrote this for a married woman he fancied or something like that. He hid her name here. That's the treasure he's talking about. 
"See this? The first letter in the first sentence is F. Then the second letter on the second sentence is R. If you continue doing this for the rest of the poem, you'll end up with Frances Sargent Osgood."
Qing Chen groaned. "You have got to be fcking kidding me."
Qing Lok looked ashen. "I think Mother is trying to make us find names."
"The question is: whose names?"


This message is to let you know that we're coming for you.

Yours truly,

The Mafia's Rose
— 

After her mother’s death, Feng Xuan was sent overseas to continue her studies and was under strict instructions to never come home.

Feng Xuan had always known she was going to marry someone she did not love. That was why she was not surprised that when her father finally allowed her to come back, she was off to be married immediately.

Upon marrying the handsome, somewhat brooding but caring, Qing Chen, a hotelier and the new mafia boss on the side, Feng Xuan started to realize that she might not be the woman whom she thought she was.

There was only one condition that allowed Qing Chen to marry Feng Xuan: he is to keep her protected from the world, and from herself.

****

This is a story about a woman who uncovers the long buried details about her life, the society, the world, and her mother’s untimely death. Along the way, she discovers who she really is; smart, ruthless, cunning, and powerful.

****

WARNINGS: (If you comment anything about this, I will direct you to read these AGAIN)
1. This is a slow-paced story, because of this ROMANCE CAME LATE FOR THE LEADS. I'm saying this again, LATE. There's a huge reason behind this, if you will be patient you'd get there. 
2. Male Lead is weak AT FIRST. As this story is slow-paced, character development took a while. 
3. Female Lead will start to reawaken around Chapter 80 and ML will rise into his full potential shortly afterwards--once you start reading you'll know why it took this long. 
4. This book is not just about the romance part, it is also has a lot of mystery and later on, action in it.

English is not my first language. Please do not hesitate to comment corrections regarding spelling and grammar. Thank you!

This is an original story.
The picture on the cover is not mine. Credits to the real owner.


Update schedule: One chapter a day.

"...we therefore commit her body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, looking for that blessed hope when the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first."
Never once had I ever attended a funeral, before, and yet, in the past week I had managed to attend two. How did that even make sense? You go through life blissfully with no worries and life comes to humble you in a brutal manner. The only trauma I had ever experienced in my life was my aunt Cara doing a cough fart on my bed when she came over for Christmas. These things don't happen around here, least of all to me. 
Her coffin began to lower itself before each of her family members poured dirt on it. There wasn't much of them. Just her grandmother, aunt and little brother. Her mother wasn't able to roll herself to the coffin, so she asked her sister to do it for her. I didn't cry, just yet, because I felt as if I wasn't allowed to. I wasn't going to be hypocrite like the rest of them. We were the reason she was down there... all of us.
I heard sniffles beside me and turned to face a red nosed, Amirah holding a Kleenex close to her face. I bet she felt guilty; as she should. My throat started to clog up, as the coffin lowered itself out of sight. She's in there. Dead and alone. What's happening to her right now? What was she seeing? I had the same picture of her in my mind. A time we went to Brighton for a school trip and went ToyVoyaging. That was the last time I saw her happy... genuine happiness. I could tell because she let her gum show when smiled, she didn't like doing that because she was insecure with how dark they were. I wish I told her how beautiful she was. I know we gassed each other up here and there, but I should've told her more. Because she was and she had a lot of people telling her she wasn't.
I don't like this. I don't like not talking but you're not allowed to speak during a funeral. It's finishing soon anyway. I just wanted to go home. Some of her things were still at mine. I wanted to get to them before I had to give it away to her family. "Kiyara, do you wanna go home  or do you want to go to the wake, afterwards?" My mother had asked. Finally, we can speak. 
"I wanna go home, please." As soon as I had uttered those words, Amirah shot a look up at me and sent glares through my soul. "How could you go home at a time like this? We were her best friends, we should stay with her for a while. Please don't leave me, Kiyara. I need you." Her eyes started to soften as she had reached out her hand towards me. For the first time in my life, I stared down at Amirah and said nothing, before I began to walk ahead of my mother. My mother didn't question it, although I could tell she was shocked. "I just can't be here."
"It's okay, you don't have to explain yourself to me." As I got in the passenger seat, I stared out the window and watched the boys in our school hang around a nearby tree. They hung their heads as they kicked the grass below them. One of the boys had caught my stare and held it. I wondered what was going on past that messy black hair. This week couldn't have been easy for him. I wouldn't be surprised if we wounded up attending his funeral next. 
"Do you wanna stop by the KFC drive-thru, honey?" My mother asked, politely as we neared closer to our home. "Or shall we just have the leftovers from two days ago? Or I can cook you a-."
"I don't get it, mum. I know her, she wouldn't do this. She's not the type." I blurted out, ignoring her question. 
"Baby, no one is the type until they are. It's okay to be confused this time."
"Please, don't play shrink. It doesn't suit you."
"Well, what do you want me to say, Kiyara?"
"How about we start with what you're thinking."  My mother took a deep breath and kept her eyes on the road, before she opened her mouth once more. "Well, I'm a bit shaken up and I feel extremely guilty because she spent her last days staying with us and I just want to know what drove her, to do what she did, while she was staying under my roof. I can't understand how I didn't see the signs." I turned to my mother to watch tears streaming down her chin and tiny drops land on her top lip. I figured she would feel the same guilt as me. How were we even suppose to go back home whilst carrying that weight around?  
"Did you see her mum?" I asked, causing my mum to nod. "I know I shouldn't say this but, I wish we were attending her funeral instead."
"Me too." My mother said, to my surprise, as her eyes were still glued on the road.  
"I honestly don't know what to think or feel right now, I don't think it's hit me. I'm never gonna see her again. Mum, I'm never gonna see her again. Eight years I've known that girl and now I'm never gonna see her again. I should've known something was up. The way she was suddenly acting up and would snap at everything,  the way she went missing that time for like two weeks and just showed up out of the blue and she looked so different and all that time she spent with that girl that no one knew. I didn't see her in the funeral."
"You talking about the red headed girl?" My body cut through the air as I turned and nodded. "The one that was dressed really classy and elegant?" I nodded again. "The one that had an umbrella open and it wasn't even raining?"
"Mum, get to the point!" I said, desperately, snapping at her. 
"Oh, yeah, she was there. All the way in the back, behind the boys." 
"What- I- mum, why didn't you tell me?" I asked, stuttering in disbelief. How did I not see her? 
"Was I suppose to?" She asked, as we neared towards our driveway. 
"Yes, she the whole reason we attended that funeral, I know it."
"Kiyara-."
"No, mum seriously. She completely changed after meeting that girl. I saw a different and more nastier side to my best friend that I hadn't seen in the eight years that I had known her. And, now she's gone and that girl had the audacity to show up at her funeral."
"What would you have done if I told you?"
"I would've-."
"You would've... what?" I stayed silent because she was right. I wouldn't have done anything. Causing a scene at a funeral? I'm not in some movie to be getting away with that shit. As my mother parked the car, I took a long look at the house in front of me. Am I actually about to walk in this house, right now?
My mother dropped the keys at the stand, as I closed the door behind us. "I feel dirty." She said taking off her coat and hanging it on the stand. "Why don't you pack her things up before her family gets here. They're gonna come straight after the wake." Nodding I headed up stairs and opened my room. The first thing my eyes had landed on was her black duffle bag she came with. I don't think I want to go through her things, in all honesty. I think I just want process this whole week because it really came out of nowhere. I still don't get why she did it. I mean I get she was changing but I know her, deep down something doesn't-
A rustling came from underneath me, as I leaned in my pillow. Getting up, I moved my pillow away to find a yellow envelope that had my name on it. It's from her. 
I can't believe I hadn't thought of a note. Of course, she wrote a note. Any chance to write something. Picking up the envelope I noticed how heavy it was. I think this was the only time I was glad to read her hefty writing. I wish I had appreciated it more. 
Running downstairs, I found my mother on the couch talking on the phone. "Yeah, we just got home. Oh- she came downstairs-."
"Mum, get off the phone."
"It's your dad." She said taking the phone off her ear and gesturing toward me. 
"I'll speak to him later, this is urgent."
"What?"
"Look." I said, holding up the letter to watch eyes turn wide. 
"Okay, bye." She hastily said, hanging up. "Is it from her?"
"No, it's from Madeline McCann." 
"Just, open it."
"I don't want to, that's why I came down here. You open it." I felt buzz on butt and picked up my phone from my back pocket to find Amirah calling me. I let it ring and pushed the envelope towards my mum. "It has your name on it, I can't read it."
"And, when has that ever stopped you? Hello? My diary."
"Yeah, your diary in year four and I'm sorry for reading about how you had cabbage for lunch. Top secret, CIA, confidential information."
"Mum, please open it." Taking the envelope from me, with defeat, she teared it up. "Be a bit more respectful." She shot a glare up at me, causing me to put my hands up in defence. Taking the letters out she examined them. "I think these are poems. She still writes- wrote poems?" Snatching the paper from my mum, I searched inside the envelope to see if there was  anything else. "That's all she left me? Poems?" 
"Well, there are loads of pages here, there must be a note in here somewhere. Wait, this poem is in red." She said holding up the paper.
"Okay, what's that suppose to mean?" I shrugged, causing my mother to do the same. 
"I don't know, it must mean something."
"This isn't CSI, mother."
"Well, you're the one that came down here all dramatic only to give some poems."
"I thought it was a note. I thought she was gonna explain everything. I thought it was a goodbye." My mother placed the poems on the couch and got up to rest her arm around my shoulder. "Maybe there is a goodbye in one of these. She probably knew how confused you would be and is showing you a side to her that you didn't see, so you could make sense of everything."
"She could walk me step by step through what she did and I still wouldn't understand it." I had said in a low-toned voice. 
"I know, baby. But, at least now you have a piece of her soul that no one else has access to and you keep it for the rest of your life." 


Staying up that night, I spent the time going through her poems. Her aunt came in the afternoon to take her duffleI bag and some of those that she had left in the wash. My phone was switched off besides me since Amirah kept blowing it up. The only thing I had on my mind was being closer to her. It was weird, reading these poems. It didn't seem like her. Normally when people read something from their loved ones, they feel their presence around them. Like they're still around. But reading these gave me an eerie feeling of hollow and emptiness. These weren't her words but it was definitely her handwriting. I mean, I knew she wrote poems and I had read about 2 or 3 but none of them were this deep. 
"Hey, can I come in?" My mother said, knocking and popping her head through the door. 
"Of course." She propped herself besides me, on my bed, as she started to pick up the papers next to her. "So, how's the search for clues going?"
"Eight years of friendship, mum. Eight years I watched her grow up with me and I didn't know her. Not to sound dramatic, but this seems like a stranger. Sure, it's her handwriting but the words... it doesn't sound like her." None of this made sense. The things she was talking about. One poem was a conversation between a flower and the sunset. Like, what is that suppose to mean? They were all so random. Maybe, they had a context I didn't know about. 
"I didn't know she was such a romantic." My mother had said, holding a poem in her hand, that read 'The tale of the sky and the ground'. "How come you didn't tell me she had a man?"
"She was never in a relationship. She would've told me." I said shaking my head in disbelief. But then, I thought to myself. Would she have told me?  "Well, she definitely had it bad." My mother had stated, still reading the poem. 
"I read that poem, it's about the sky and the ground and, like, pollution and shit. It's, like, about climate change and how humans have corrupted the world. I think, when she's talking about the sky she's referring to, like, God." I said, trying my hardest to decipher her words. "There's no way that poem is about love. Where did you get her being in love from?"
"It's definitely about love. Here, let me read it again. 'Carelessly, we walk around, not caring about the tale of the sky and the ground. They were created together you see-."
"Oh, then it must not be God since it was created and-."
"Don't interrupt me." My mother snapped, before she continued reading. "'Carelessly, they walk around, not caring about the tale of the sky and the ground. They were created together, you see, in bliss and harmony. The birds, who were their friends, would pass down messages, without the use of a pen. The sky and the ground would often meet with a crowd that she sent from the clouds. But, things had changed through time, with the birth of mankind. With their inventions that kept the ground bound, and with their pollution, they covered the stars that once comforted the ground. The sky often cries in pain, but their destruction still remains. How silly they were to go down this path. Oh, son of Adam, aren't you scared of the Sky's wrath'. Not only is this about love but, I think it's a threat."
I continued to go through the poems to see if any stood out and I find the poem with the red ink once more. Reading it, I gasped in disbelief, as I shot up from my position. "No way!"
"What? You scared me." My mother breathed, holding her hand on her chest. 
"Mum, this is the song we wrote when we were eleven, during our trip, when you and aunt Camilla took us to Marrakech." I informed her, as she looked at the page I was holding. 
"I told you the red poem meant something." 
"But, you don't understand it doesn't make sense. We attached this to the toy that we were voyaging. Oh, I'm in idiot." I exclaimed, looking at it again. " She re-wrote it. How did she remember it?" 
"Aw, read it."
"Oh, God, prepare to cringe. 'Goodbye toy, I'll miss you, but you must go and sail into the deep blue. Sail on, taking our secret with you, for someone else to grab and cling on to. You'll see things we can't even fathom. You'll go on adventures that we can only imagine. You'll swim with fishes and go to countries that are in our wishes. Oh, how jealous we are of you. Say hi, for us, to the people of Timbuktu. I hope this isn't goodbye and we meet again. But, for now it is. So long, my friend'." Before I knew it, I began to cry and I couldn't stop. My mother, sat up from her comfortable position and held me tight as I cried and cried. "We were so free and innocent. I remember, we quickly finished this so we could go back to our room and watch the new Wizards of Waverly Place episode. Mum, she was my best friend. She was my sister. How could I abandon her when she needed me the most? How could I side with her enemies?" I continued to cry, as I remembered how fun that trip was. No worries. No responsibilities. No deaths. My heart yearned for those days, as it started to pang in my chest. The guilt in gut felt like it was going to rip me open.  "I think this is my note. She wrote it again for me. This is her goodbye."
I held it to my chest and cried even more. "Why don't you put it somewhere safe. You know how you misplace things sometimes. You won't forgive yourself if you lose this."
"I'll put it in my treasure chest." I said, getting up and wiping my tears. 
"Oh yeah, I forgot about your treasure chest draw. You still keep things in there?" 
"It's just easier to keep things in there just incase, so I don't lose it." Opening my cupboard, I unlocked my drawer with the key that was in between my clothes. Opening it, I folded up the poem and was about to put it in until I saw a note with my name on it. "Mum, a note." My mother got up from my bed and sat on her knees next to me. "This one is a bit heavy too."
"If it's another set of poems, I am going to scream." Tearing it up, I unfolded the letter and began to read out loud.



Kiyara! Oh my God, I can't believe your dumb ass actually found this. I thank your mother because I know she probably found this and not you. You're probably so confused but I'm here to explain everything. Sorry for leaving without saying goodbye. I'm sorry if my hand writing is messy, I only have a couple of hours left and I have to write this you. Do not show anyone this letter, except aunt Phaedra. First of all, Kiyara stop feeling guilty. You had every right to be mad at me, I was acting up and you weren't having it. As you shouldn't. I love you so much and know that if I was angry with you I wouldn't be writing this letter to you right now. I had to slip this in your treasure cupboard or box thingy because I couldn't risk anyone else finding this. Oh gosh, I've confused you even more. I waffle so much. Anyway, you deserve to know the truth about everything and you will...

"I fell in love, but, this is not a love story. I killed someone, but, I'm not a murderer. I was found hung but I did not kill myself. Not everything is as it seems in my life."

Novis Tempus was living a normal life: making people laugh, having loads of friends and maintaining average grades. But, all of that changed the minute she made the mistake of allowing herself to fall for Abraham Dilectus. But, this could be fine since everyone believes he has feelings for her too? However, she's not too convinced.

When she befriends a woman outside of her school, she soon finds out there are easier ways in life to get everything you want. But, easy doesn't always mean right. 

TW//: This novel contains serious topics such as: Depression; Anxiety; Suicide; Abuse; Eating Disorders, Gory imagery; dark humour

If you are someone who is triggered easily, please, do not read this book as I will be partially speaking of my own experience and it won't be easy.

Toby Damon was surprised to see the nickname "Knowing A Person". It was not a person's name at all. It was like a random combination of three words, with no meaning at all. People usually gave their nicknames some meaning, didn't they?
Before he could think much about it, the chess game began. Toby was playing the white pieces and could move first. He clicked a pawn and moved a step.
A black piece responded.
After a little bit of play, Toby Damon noticed something was wrong.
This feeling, déjà vu! The sensation made his forehead sweat.
It took more than half an hour to finish the game. Toby Damon tried his best. Finally, the system showed: checkmate.
Toby Damon's white pieces were lost. The black pieces had won!
The black pieces, moving weirdly and with strange tactics, seemed to be moved by an eye that saw through everything…the idea had arrived in Toby's mind when he started to play, and it only grew stronger.
It was the chess programming he had encountered at Mr. Pearson's house.
He was enraged.
Toby picked up his phone and called Grey Cooper, "I'm sorry, I'm not going to be a consultant for you! No matter how much money you offer, I just don't agree!"
Grey Cooper was confused, "We had a deal, right? Why have you changed your mind so soon?"
It hadn't even been an hour, and it seemed he had just changed his mind at will. He was so unreliable.
"You said you wouldn't use any chess programming for the tournament, didn't you? I just logged in with my account and played an account called 'Knowing A Man, ' which is chess programming, right? I know it's true, so what else can you say?" Toby said angrily.
"I will figure out this whole thing, Mr. Damon. Don't worry. I'll speak to the host." Grey replied and hung up the phone. He was disappointed in Toby Damon. He wouldn't have gone to him had he known that he would be so tricky.
Still, he called Albert Pearson, "Albert. That chess player, Toby Damon, said that you'd used chess programming to create a fake player. Is that true? I thought the tournament hadn't started yet."
Albert grunted, "Are you an idiot? Why would I do that? Toby Damon… Is he the chess player who played with me last time? Why does he always say his opponent is chess programming when he loses the game? Is he a bad loser? If he loses when he plays with a person face to face, does he say the person is a robot? No… Now the question is, why did you go to him?"
"I just wanted to help you out. It seems that Toby Damon enjoys undeserved fame. He has no skill at all. Forget it. I was going to help you get him as a famous competitor. But I didn't expect him to be so useless." Grey Cooper sighed, "He said that there's an account called 'Knowing A Person,' and he claims this is just a computer. Isn't that funny? I guess it's just a player more skilled at chess."
Albert Pearson was surprised, "What did you say the name of the account was? 'Knowing A Person'?"
"Yeah, it's a weird name, right? Just look at these three words, it really is like a name randomly chosen by a machine, isn't it? I wonder why the player chose it, and it doesn't make any sense."
Albert Pearson was silent for a while and, then, slowly said, "Longing for a person for such a long time. Missing a person for such a long time. But she can only tell her feelings to the moon above the lake. Knowing a person for such a long time."
Grey laughed, "Oh, I see. I've never heard this poem before. Is that chess player a genius? He has such a weird name, and it's actually a literary reference. I think this guy might win the championship. Who is he, I wonder? Does he have a ranking? No. People with rankings wouldn't play for just three thousand dollars. It would be beneath their dignity."
Something occurred to him and before Grey Cooper finished talking, Albert had hung up the phone, turned on the computer, and entered the game interface.
He searched, and sure enough, there was a user named "Knowing A Person". They were currently offline.
He sighed. Maybe it was just his foolish hope. How could she…
He had seen her autopsy report. He had seen her cremated. Maybe he just missed her so much that he would connect everything with her.
Even though he knew that no matter how much he missed her, she wouldn't show up again. He still couldn't help…
Albert Pearson hadn't known the origin of Sophia's name at first. He had read lots of books, but he couldn't remember everything he saw like Sophia Green. He could only remember some of the famous poems he had learned by heart.
Once, he asked casually, "Ms. Green. Was your name given to you by your mother?"
Sophia was doing an experiment. When she heard his words, she replied, "Yes. My mother liked classic literature. So she just picked a name from a poem for me."
"Classic literature?" Albert Pearson thought about it, "I can't think of any poem it might come from. It seems my knowledge isn't really up to scratch."
Sophia Green laughed, "Your knowledge is excellent, Pearson. You don't have to be too modest. It's an unusual poem. People usually haven't heard of it unless they're really into poetry. It's called "The Eternal Love". There is a section in it: 'Longing for a person for such a long time. Missing a person for such a long time. But she can only tell her feelings to the moon above the lake. Knowing a person for such a long time.' Actually, I don't really like this poem. It's too sad, right?"
Albert Pearson also smiled, "I think it's a good name and a good story. Is your brother's name also from your mother?"
Sophia shook her head, "No. My mother had difficult labor when she gave birth to him. She never got the chance to name him. My father gave him his name, and he just picked one at random. Speaking of that, you have a good name. Pearson. I can see that your parents expect a lot from you!"
The connotations of Albert Pearson's name were easy to understand, brilliance, and intelligence. Those were what many parents expected from their children, and Albert knew just how much his parents expected of him.
***
After the game, Sophia was tired. It had not been easy at all. She had just entered the game casually; she hadn't expected it would be such a battle. Interestingly, the way her opponent played was similar to someone she had played with before.
Maybe it was just a common way of playing chess.
Sophia was even less confident than before. If her opponent for the tournament was better than this one, she would probably lose. It seemed likely that there would be someone better than them.
She had thought she might get an Excellence Award, but now, it seemed unlikely.
While thinking, she heard the door open. She turned off the computer, went to the living room, and saw Kate had come back.

COMPLETED

For nearly 30 years of existence, she had been in a wheelchair, suffering from polio since childhood. While her freedom of movement had been diminished, the activity her brain had outstripped everyone. Unable to join in the rough of other children, she had spent all her lifetime reading, which gave her exceptional knowledge. 

She accomplished many outstanding achievements across several fields and became a famous Science Professor. Her life changed forever when she was caught in a suspicious fire in her lab. Rebirth occurred and when she comes back to life, she finds she is now in the body of another Sophia Green, a teenage high school bully.

Meanwhile, Albert Pearson, the first heir of the richest family around the country who hid his true identity becoming an assistant of Sophia Green has gone crazy after hearing the news of Sophia's death. 

He went back to his family and took advantage of his status to keep searching for the truth of that fire.

And one day he met a teenage girl whose name was Sophia Green...

Fate changes between them as they are seeking the truth behind her death! Could he recognize Sophia and confess his feelings?






Special Note: If you are looking for a sweet contemporary-romance genre, this novel doesn't have that kind of plot. Most plots of my novel talk about mystery, suspense, and a slice of life. Often FL starts a slow pace of development, from weak to strong.

Cover Created by: Weilan

The core principle of poetry was the usage of level and oblique tones.
As long as the same principle applied, Xu Qian's nine years of education from the future would give him an edge.
Xu Xinnian glanced at Xu Qian and raised his chin. "A bird in the sky, a worm on the ground, the bird swooped down, the worm flew up."
Xu Lingyue covered her mouth as she giggled. Xu Qian glared at her and she looked down, her cheeks pink.
'I want to punch him for spitting such poison…' Xu Qian gritted his teeth. The poem was written by the host when he was ten years old. That year, his aunt's father had come to teach the children the basics of literature.
The topic of poetry was touched upon and thus the ridiculous poem was born.
Li Ru said mockingly, "Ningyan, not that I want to look down on you but the Xu family only birthed one scholar and that is Little Nian. You and your uncle's penmanship can be equated to a squiggly worm. You want to craft a poem when you can't produce a legible writing?"
She pursed her lips and rolled her eyes as a noblewoman would.
Xu Pingzhi coughed awkwardly. "Ningyan, let's not interfere with the scholar's affairs. Today is an off day, let's train in the courtyard."
His words were a discouragement to Xu Qian, effectively telling him to stay out of the scholar's business lest he embarrassed his uncle.
Xu Qian said nonchalantly, "Thousand miles of yellow clouds darken the day."
His aunt rolled her eyes and ate her porridge.
His uncle wiped away the stains on his youngest daughter's lips.
Xu Xinnian frowned. A single sentence was not poetry but he was surprised Xu Qian could come up with such a proper seven-character sentence[1].
"The north wind stirs the geese and snow."
The line evoked a strong imagery in Xu Xinnian's mind. He was stunned.
Xu Lingyue raised her head. Her soulful eyes were transfixed on her cousin.
Xu Qian picked up his bowl of porridge and kept his lips sealed.
"What's the continuation?" Xu Xinnian asked. This was akin to a storyteller stopping at the climax of the story, a cliffhanger for everyone at the teahouse. Tune in for the next episode to know more.
It was incredibly frustrating.
"I don't know how to compose poems." Xu Qian threw a fleeting look at his aunt. She was a dignified woman with no intentions of apologizing.
Li Ru's animated eyes widened as she turned to Xu Xinnian and asked, "Is the poem good?"
Xu Lingyue replied softly, "It has an artistic flair to it." 
She had limited access to education but she could tell the poem was superb.
Xu Pingzhi was surprised by his children's responses. He turned to look at Xu Qian with a glint of hope and expectation in his eye.
Xu Qian chewed on his breadstick and effortlessly recited the last two lines of the poem. "Fear not a journey of loneliness, for you are not a stranger to the realm."
The chopsticks in Xu Xinnian's hand fell onto the table.
He repeated the lines and felt himself being enchanted by the poem's meaning.
Xu Lingyue shuddered as goosebumps appeared on the back of her hand.
Xu Pingzhi bit his lip and said, "Man, the poem gave me the chills."
Li Ru was in concordance with her husband but a part of her still disapproved of Xu Qian.
Poetry could elicit a reaction even in those outside the craft. One did not need to know about the level and oblique tones to appreciate the beauty of a poem that had been passed on for centuries.
Xu Qian understood their wonderment as he was once similarly taken aback by the rich poetry that filled his language textbook.
"Thousand miles of yellow clouds darken the day. The north wind stirs the geese and snow. Fear not a journey of loneliness, for you are not a stranger to the realm."
Xu Xinnian rose from his seat as a red blush colored his cheeks. The color made the handsome young man look charming.
The poem was exceptional!
Although poetry was not his strong suit, as a scholar, one was inclined to drink and wax poetic with other scholars. Good poetry would get them hammering a beat and rhythm as they sang passionately.
"Wh-When did you learn to compose poems?" Xu Xinnian stared at Xu Qian with bright, curious eyes.
Xu Qian chuckled and said, "I never said I couldn't. The poem from ten years ago cannot represent my skills today. I've always had talent for poetry but I never showcased it."
"So Ningyan was scholar material. If I had known, I would have sent you to study and Cijiu to martial arts lessons," Xu Pingzhi said with a grin.
His wife was unhappy with the situation but could not think of any smart retorts.
'No, if that had happened, none of us would have succeeded in life.' Xu Qian knew the host was a horrible student who would rather do hard labor.
Xu Xinnian also had no talent for martial arts. He was a delicate and frail boy who would not be able to handle the strenuous physical training that occasionally even involved weapons.
"Well, Ningyan wrote this poem. Cijiu, I'm sure you'll come up with your own. Copying is not a scholar's way," Xu Pingzhi said.
Xu Xinnian let out a huff, annoyed that his father thought he would plagiarize. He turned to Xu Qian and said, "Can I borrow your poem? I will name you as the poet."
'More like the plagiarizer.' Xu Qian nodded. "Go on, show it off."
A scholar's work had to be witnessed and acknowledged by others.
Xu Qian had intended for Xu Xinnian to use the poem to impress the Confucian elder. He cared not about who gets the writing credits.
Xu Qian was not a scholar so the poem was not useful to him. It was also why he did not use his literature knowledge for the past month.
His working environment was not suited for poetry.
He spent his day with a bunch of sword-wielding, gun-toting constables. Reciting poems to them was useless, he might as well teach them to sing 'The Lasso Boy'.
"The title of the poem?" Xu Xinnian asked.
Xu Qian froze. He had forgotten the title. "This poem is from my heart and has no name. Just speak it as such."
…
When breakfast was over, Xu Xinnian came out from the backyard with his father's favorite horse and rushed off for the farewell. Uncle and nephew engaged in sparring in the courtyard.
"Good. Your moves have improved. The next step would be Qi training. Qi requires the heavens and earth to interact for its birth." Xu Pingzhi took the towel offered by the servant and wiped his sweat. "Besides a herbal bath, you'll have to find someone with seventh-rank divinity to open Heaven's Gate. Else, you will never be able to unlock your Qi."
Divinity was the seventh rank in the path of a martial artist.
Xu Qian wiped his forehead and asked, "Uncle, what are you saying?"
"After the Battle of Shanhai Pass, my sacrifice and merit earned me a favor from the army's expert who opened the Heaven's Gate, allowing me to enter the realm of Qi. A year after the battle, I had Xinnian," Xu Pingzhi sighed. "The world today is peaceful, hence there'll be less chance for you to prove your worth. How will you achieve Qi training? Will you not marry and build a family? Ningyan, I'm getting old. My only wish is to see you married with children, only then will I be able to face your late father."
"One step at a time, uncle," Xu Qian replied half-heartedly.
Other than earning merit and proving his worth, money was also a viable option.
The herbs and the expert could be bought with money.
The imperial courts had strict control over the numbers of martial artists as they could use their skills for crime. The laws dictate the seventh-ranked divinity experts were not allowed to open the Heaven's Gate for any random person. They had to report to the courts even if they were doing it for their son.
However, the moral fabric of Dafeng was thin at that time. Corruption was rampant among the officials and the imperial courts' power wanes with each passing day. While no one dared to break the law in broad daylight, several experts offered their services in the black market.
Xu Qian just had to make enough money—the silvers would be equivalent to a meritorious deed.
Otherwise, he would forever be stuck in the refinement state while his penis wilted away.
His aunt brought her daughters over. They stood under the roof of the corridor. "The sun is out today, why don't you take Lingyin and Lingyue out to the markets?"
Xu Pingzhi frowned. "I have something on."
"Isn't today a rest day?"
"I'm meeting some colleagues soon. How about Ningyan take them out?"
The daughters of families with a literary reputation were closely guarded and not allowed to roam as they pleased.
The Xu family was a martial arts family, therefore the sisters' upbringing was not as strict.
Xu Qian turned around and met the clear and bright eyes of his teenage cousin. Appearance-wise, Xu Lingyue had surpassed her mother and more. She chewed her lip and looked away shyly.
He nodded and said, "I have nothing on anyways."
'I once brought a 16-year-old girl out shopping in my previous life. I was in my prime at the age of 18. Of course, the girl in my memories is not comparable to Xu Lingyue.'
[1] A seven-character quatrain is a form of poetry.


Once a police academy graduate—Xu Qian, woke up and found himself in jail. He was to be banished to the borderlands in three days...
Stuck in this inhumane society, his initial goal was just to be a rich man and pass his days in relative safety.
…
Many years later, Xu Qian recalled the events of the past. His enemies and friends were dead, there was nothing of them left but bones.
The rolling Yangtze River flows east as the waves wash away the heroes. 
Success or failure, wrong or right; matters little, it might?
The lush mountains remain while the sun sets every night.


The air whooshed around my legs as my feet dangled in the air, creating a sense of helpless dependency, almost like I could be dropped to the ground at any given moment.


Although his grasp was polite, he held me solidly, not even shaking. I was nestled within a cocoon of red, his sleeves blending into one with the dancing flames and creating a pocket of warmth.


Yet, there still was that inkling of doubt. He was a stranger, after all, and one that didn't want me as wife at that. If he dropped me now, the marriage he desperately wanted to break would be over.


Was I slipping? Was he letting me slowly slide downwards? With every slight movement he made, my heart would do an entire somersault.


I would fall onto a pile of coal, and their before-low flames would engulf me whole. I gulped, my hands slightly tremoring as I held the fan outwards.


"I'm jumping now," he muttered softly under his breath, presumably seeing my hesitation. "If you're scared, put one arm around me." His harsh Northern accent blended into the shrieking crowds, and their shrill cries drowned out whatever other instructions he said.


From behind the fan, my eyes went wide. Surely, one arm was enough to support the fan, but the thought of voluntarily putting my arm around a man was lewd.


"Hurry!" The crowd cheered him on, a thousand voices merging into one.


No, I couldn't make him think of me as weak and hesitant. Taking a deep breath, I snaked my right arm around his back, my face flushed from feeling his tense muscles underneath the red cloth.


I slightly buried my face and the fan into his chest, finding the position much more comfortable. In case he let me fall, if I maintained such a posture, I would be able to immediately jump onto my feet.


His arms tightened around me, and I reflexively strengthened my grasp on his back.


He jumped.


Thump.


Thump.


Thump.


With one ear unintentionally pressing against his chest, I could no longer tell whether the pounding heartbeat was mine or his. Amidst the commotion, all I seemed to hear were its rhythmic pounding.


Not until my feet were set softly onto the ground did I realize that we were already over the coal pit. Quickly, I put two hands on the fan handle once more, trying to mask my embarrassment. Poise and elegance. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that I was the face of Liang.


We were the ones with culture, not these pretending barbarians who treated rituals as a coarse display of power. I would show this Prince of Jin that he was not the only one whose alternate name was formality.


"Now enter the main hall, where the couples shall not long stall!"


I walked beside him, unknowing of when to stop. Although I had practiced before back at Princess Leping's manor and memorized each step, I was unfamiliar with the Prince of Jin's place. Each time I extended my foot outward, I feared that I had stepped out of line.


With peripheral vision, seeing the adjacent red marker stop, as did I.


In front of me, I could make out two hazy shapes in the distance. It must have been the Sui emperor and empress.


Thump.


Thump.


This time, I was sure the sound was mine, a clear reminder of what was at stake.
"Let's hear the poem!" An unknown boyish voice cheered, soon corrected by who I presumed to be the empress for his lack of manners.


"A'Mo, what poem did you prepare for the bride?" She in turn asked.


There was a pause. "Father Emperor and Mother Empress, the poem is titled 'Jiangling Girl's Song,' a tribute to my beloved consort's homeland," His deep voice rang throughout the room, an exact replica of the musician's, and I shuddered at the thought.


"Rain fell from the Heavens above, and water swept under the bridge. Stumbling across the girl's ribbon undone, it knotted two hearts into one."


To read the poem was one thing. To hear him recite it was a whole other world. His voice was rough but strangely soothing, telling of a poetic promise that I found myself more inclined than ever to believing. For a moment, it brought me back to the coursing streams and prose-filled home that I had known and missed. A sudden pang of yearning hit me, harder than ever since I arrived here.


"Good poem. Good poem. What does the bride think?" A man asked. I, of course, nodded, the golden hairpins atop my hairdo bobbing slightly.
Of course, how could I let myself forget. No, this never was a union of two people.
The room erupted into cheers, not at all like the solemn attitude for official rituals such as a wedding back at home.


The emperor and emperor must have given their consent, and the court servant immediately screamed. "Bow to the emperor and empress!"


I dipped into a formal curtsy, going lower than the groom and holding my stance for a moment longer.


"Rise!"


"Now bow between the groom and bride!"


Breathe.


I turned to face the Prince of Jin, and he did the same. We must have been standing as if a mirror and its reflection, and much to my relief, I had not taken a single step further than he.


After this moment now, there would be no turning back, whether it be for me or him. A thousand thoughts flooded into my mind, some that had plagued me for days and others that spontaneously erupted.


I would be bound to this barbaric land as its wife, forever destined to be the ghost of a foreign country even in death. And he would be forced to bid goodbye to the promise of power a high-ranked Sui official's daughter could offer, taking instead a "princess" of a mere weak vassal land to be his sworn bride.


Seeing his hazy shadow, for a split second, the notion that we were shadows of one another crossed my mind.


We were but shadow puppets playing our assigned roles as the invisible strings tugged on our backs. For the reunification, he sacrificed his political career and me my freedom. But I suppose, as the second son, he was bound to be an inattentive duke anyway. And born a curse, I never enjoyed supposed life even as a commoner.


Perhaps, this was for the better.


There would be no backing away now. A smile crossed my painted lips, a genuine one as I had come to peace with my decision.


At least, singing a duet on a stage is less frightening than being a soloist.


As he too bowed down, from behind the fan, I snuck a glance.

“Whoever marries the princess will become emperor.” A twist of fate brought them together. 

Born a curse, she was cast away from the royal family. But when the kingdom needed an alliance with the Northern barbarians, she was the one to marry. 

As the second son, he had no right to become heir. Yet in the face of war and politics, he was always the first to fight for the country. 

To her, he was a barbarian. To him, she was a pawn. But under the guise of the prophecy, they pretended to be the most affectionate couple. In front of others, they were the ever-flirting Prince and Princess Consort of Jin. But behind closed doors, they plotted for their own means. 

Was it really all no more than an act? Or was there a bit of truth to their fabricated devotion? 

They were unwilling puppets, each trying to break free from the invisible strings of fate. Only, when the stage finally fell, it was to chaos. In the end, she no longer knew if her tears were for him or the irony of it all.

_____

Excerpt:

He finally stopped in front of me.

“Can I trust you?”

Subconsciously, something inside me willed me to nod. Perhaps it was the knowledge that I was to be bound to him until death. Or maybe it was the awareness of how this marriage was much more than a simple union between two people.

He moved slowly, waiting for another nod of my approval before closing the gap further.

“You’re a smart one, somehow seeing through most of my guises.” He reached out and gently caressed my cheeks. “True love doesn’t exist in the royal family, but it seems as if we are the perfect match for partnership.”

He leaned in as if to kiss me, instead stopping short at eye level.

“Help me put on my act.”

_____

Crocodile Tears: Insincere expressions of sorrow.

_____

Cover: Manipulated by Photoshop but all photo credits to their original artists on Pinterest

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