Her Memories

Pei Nan and Yu Mei took the chance to escape through the back while everyone was trying to put the fire out.

They had almost reached the top of the valley's slope when a man spotted them. "INTRUDERS!" The guy loudly shouted out to the whole crowd. All the men looked towards them and charged forward. "GET THEM!" They all shouted in unison.

Pei Nan gripped tightly onto Yu Mei's hand. "Run. And don't let go."

Then the two of them charged further into the slope of the valley. All of a sudden, they heard a loud explosion coming behind them. Then white smoke started to fog. And all they could hear was the coughing of the men behind them.

"What's going on?" She asked in the middle of running.

"Your master!"

"My shifu?" Yu Mei didn't feel at ease knowing her master was stuck in the valley by himself. He felt her hesitation. "Don't worry about him. We planned on meeting down the slope of this valley. If he doesn't come within the next 10 minutes, I'll go back for him. I won't allow anyone to harm your master."

When they got down the bottom of the slope, two horses were waiting for them. He helped Yu Mei onto the horse while he held the rein.

They heard another smoke bomb go off from the distance. Yu Mei didn't know if she should feel relieved or not after hearing the noise. It meant that her master was being chased. She wanted to go back. Just as she was about to protest, her master's figure emerged from the white smoke.

"Shifu!" She called out to him.

Pei Nan ran towards the man who was starting to slow down. He grabbed Old Man Wu's arm.

"Uncle. Quick, we have to go." He helped aid the man towards the horse. Pei Nan helped Old Man Wu onto the horse before he quickly returned to Yu Mei's side.

Before he could get on, in the corner of his eyes, he saw a man emerge from the smokes.

Master Huang.

"Go!" Pei Nan told Old Man Wu.

Then he proceeded to get on the horse.

*Whoosh* *Thwap*

The moment Pei Nan sat on the horse; an arrow had pierced the left side of Yu Mei's back. Her body jerked from the pain. She hissed.

"Pan Yu Mei!" He shouted her name before turning to look back at the man who had shot the arrow. As soon as he got her to safety, he would come for the man's head. He would not let this man go even if he had to search for eternity.

"I'm okay. Go!" She assured him.

Pei Nan pulled the rein forward and the horse charged forward.

Master Huang watched with burning fury. "Damn it!" He shouted.

***

Pei Nan did not stop until he was sure they were safe. Their horses came to a stop near the river and he helped her down. Her face was pale.

"Stand the pain a little longer. We'll be home soon." She leaned the front of her body on his.

Old Man Wu knelt down next to her too. "Ju Ming! Ju Ming! You'll be okay. Don't sleep on me now." He worriedly told her.

She weakly smiled at him. "I won't. You know how stubborn of a person I am. This won't kill me."

"I know." Old Man Wu gently spoke. His girl was the most stubborn person he knew. There was no way this injury was going to kill her. He just knew it.

Pei Nan lightly grabbed her arm. "I need to break the arrow. This is going to hurt. Bear with me, okay?"

"En." She nodded.

Old Man Wu held onto her hand. "If it hurts, just squeeze my hand."

Yu Mei grit her teeth and the moment she heard the arrow snap, she sighed and closed her eyes.

***Dream***

The room was familiar. It was her room. She was back at her pavilion within the palace. Pan Yu Mei was sitting in front of her low mahogany table. She didn't look too pleased with whatever she was staring directly at.

Standing in front of her was Pei Nan. He had that same repulsed and stern expression like the first time she met him.

The two was in a standoff. Both their eyes locked to one another.

Then Pei Nan threw a small porcelain jar the size of a woman's palm into her lap. "Consort Pan." He called her name with no feelings.

Yu Mei picked up the bottle on her lap.

"You are the cruelest woman I have ever met. Whether you take the arsenic in that bottle or not, I do not care." Then he turned to leave.

He was cold. Ruthless. And cruel.***

A loud gasp escaped Yu Mei's lips when she woke up. Her forehead was covered in beads of sweat.

"Pan Yu Mei?" She softly called out her name. To be specific, she called the real Pan Yu Mei. The dream she had...was it really just a dream?

No. It felt too real to be just a dream. It was as if she had suddenly gained a small snippet of the real Pan Yu Mei's memory.

Before she could analyze what she had just saw, her master came to her. Only then did she realize she was not in the valley anymore. Pink walls and wood floors surrounded her.

"Ju Ming~" Old Man Wu helped Yu Mei sit up. His eyes were red and puffy. He had been crying for days.

"How long have I been out?"

"Ju Ming~ it's been four days." He deeply sighed. Thankful that his Ju Ming was alright.

He reached out for her hand. "Ju Ming~ I thought I had lost you again. I was so afraid. What would I tell your parents up in heaven when I meet them if I had truly lost you once more."

"How can I die that easily. I am Ju Ming. The stubborn girl you raised." She smiled faintly.

"Even now you have time to play." He knocked her forehead lightly.

Old Man Wu only left after making sure she had taken her medicine. He raised her. And knew well she had a strong dislike for medicine.

Yu Mei waved her master goodbye and then closed her eyes. She tried to recall what happened these days she was passed out.

She vaguely recalled Pei Nan's voice. He had been sitting next to her bedside. For how long? She did not know. She could only faintly remember him holding her hand and apologizing over and over. Even in her deep sleep, her heart was touched by his words. [I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I am a fool. A fool who can't even protect his own wife. I do not deserve you.]

The moment her eyes opened once more, there was nothing but sheer confusion. The Pei Nan besides her these last few days and the Pei Nan in her dream…they were completely different. A cold draft engulfed her entire body. A shocking thought came to her. Did he have something to do with the original Pan Yu Mei's death?

Who exactly was Prince Nan...