Part One

"Mama, Mama, this way!" an excited voice called out in the distance, followed by the energetic run of a small boy. His cheeks were full of life, red as a poppy, with a large grin decorating his soft features.

"Hurry, hurry!" he whined whilst dashing back towards his waddling mother. He could not tear his eyes away from her, even for a minute. She reminded him of the protagonists in lovely stories read at bedtime.

Her long hair was woven into a bun, beautiful hairpins dangling from it. The sunlight shone upon her shoulders, radiating her in ways he could not imagine. She was practically glowing from the pregnancy, it was too difficult to ignore.

"Now, now, Chenjiang, your mother can only walk so fast," Yu Zhen chided. He could not fathom his young son, no more than the age of six, was this energetic. He could not imagine a child could smile so brightly in his presence.