22 Improvements

While Ye was busy in his own head, Mei Hua was still talking to Jin.

"You…" She looked at Jin in astonishment. "Why didn't you say anything earlier? What if I'd tried to force you off the mountain? I might have accidentally killed you and who knows what else!"

"Didn't you promise to stay with Ye?"

"Well, yes but—"

"Then why would you leave the mountain?" Jin looked at her fearfully, remembering what Ye had said. He'd implied that she might leave a second time, regardless of her promise. His grip on her hand tightened, almost painfully.

Mei Hua stroked the tightly gripping hand to try and get Jin to calm down, while she gave a little sigh. "Jin, I don't plan on leaving. My intention is to stay. But I can't predict the future. Perhaps something will happen that forces me to leave."

"No!" He denied her words vehemently, pulling her into him and caging her with his arms. "MeiMei, no matter what, you can't leave! I won't let you! You have to stay!"

Mei Hua's eyes narrowed. There was definitely an unhealthy possessiveness in him. She'd not allow him to indulge in it with her.

"Don't repeat the mistake of the past, Jin." She said sharply. "You drove away your sister with your jealousy and possessiveness. The Emperor did something similar. He ended up alone. Is that what you want? To be alone forever?"

She felt him jolt and then whimper, his voice this time pleading, "I'm sorry. I won't force you. I didn't mean it. I… just… Please don't leave me, MeiMei, please don't go. I'll be good, I'll listen to everything you say. Please stay… please… please stay…"

Hearing his timid voice she huffed, knowing she was being too soft, and gently swatted one of the hands encircling her. "You silly man, who said I was leaving? I only said I could be forced to. Didn't we just have an earthquake? I was almost flattened by a boulder! Do you want me to stay even if I'm going to die?"

"That's right!" Ye spoke up, giving Jin a knowing stare. "You want her to stay on the mountains even if it kills her? Keep her trapped until she dies? Is that how you treat people you care about?"

Jin shook his head hurriedly. "No, no… if it's dangerous, she should leave. Of course she should leave then."

Ye narrowed his eyes. "Naturally things like earthquakes and forest fires and blizzards and things are so rare, MeiMei doesn't need to worry about them. Aren't I right… Jin?"

"Eh… but blizzards are really common…" Mei Hua objected.

"Now, now MeiMei." Ye hopped over and patted her cheek. "I'm sure with you taking care of Jin, the Emperor would never THINK of letting their be such bad weather like that ever again."

Mei Hua raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Is Jin really that important?"

"Of. Course. He. Is." Ye said with a smirk.

"The… the Emperor likes me." Jin added awkwardly.

"If he's going to change the weather just for you, he really must." Mei Hua muttered, still trapped in Jin's arms and feeling like life was a little unfair. She was on the mountains for years and never got this kind of special treatment! "I suppose that works out for us all then. If I never have to deal with another blizzard my whole life, I'll be happy."

"Then the Emperor definitely won't let there be any blizzards." Jin murmured quietly, rubbing the top of her head with his face. He'd never let anything on the mountain harm her, not a natural disaster or a wild animal. As long as he existed, she would be safe. She would stay—

No, that wasn't quite right. He wanted her to stay, but there was something else: More than anything, he didn't want her to hurt. When he thought of protecting her, making her laugh, the chronic pain in his soul lessened and he felt… happy. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt happy.

"Jin?" Mei Hua, on the other hand, was thinking that his goopey face had just been rubbed into her hair.

"Hm?"

"You can let go of me now."

"Ah." He immediately opened his arms.

Mei Hua slid out of his embrace, straightening her clothes and despairing for her hair.

"What does your sister look like?" She asked calmly, as if he hadn't just embraced her and gotten snot on the top of her hair.

"Look like?"

"Yes, and her name, I'll need that too. I've mentioned the two towns to the east and west of here, right? But actually there are a lot more than that. I saw a map for the west side. Lots of towns are to the west. I think the east might be the same too. It'd be really easy to put a reward, with a picture, for your sister. We're not trying to drag her back, just get in contact with her. I'd like to think she'd be alright with that at least."

Hearing this, Jin's brow wrinkled.

"She was very beautiful…"

"And?"

"…she did have a name."

Mei Hua gave him an exasperated look. "I need more than that to go on."

"I… I don't actually remember…" He said in a small voice. The truth was, his Sister had mentioned a name, but he'd disliked that she'd gained a human name and so he purposefully forgot it. As for her appearance, she'd looked human which had annoyed him so he'd paid no mind to it. He only remembered her when she was a pure, untainted spirit, and there was no way to describe that to a human.

This surprised Mei Hua. "Didn't you almost kill people for her? How could you not remember?"

Jin shifted slightly before lying smoothly, "I died. When I died, a lot of what I knew before… I forgot."

"Oh. Oh! How could I—!?" She smacked her forehead, feeling stupid. "You were resurrected! You couldn't even talk when we met. Sorry Jin, that was thoughtless of me."

"It's alright." He smiled.

At his smile, Mei Hua relaxed. It was only then that she realized she'd been worried. Even if it was from a well-earned guilty conscience, seeing someone sob with such anguish made her feel distressed.

And Jin… he was so very like a child. When he'd been revived, he'd been reduced to a simpleton and had to relearn everything. That he'd even gotten to the point where he understood where he'd gone wrong and wanted to repent of it, she was proud and relieved. Some day his internal age might actually match his external age!

"Hey, Jin, let's get you cleaned up, alright? I think it might be a sin for a good-looking face like yours to be such a disaster." She joked, stood up, and offered her hand to him.

He took it and she pulled him up in one easy motion. Despite their size difference, Mei Hua had a lot of raw strength from her training. It was easy to lift him.

They went over to the never ending fountain and Jin washed his face in it's cold water. While he was doing that she touched the top of her head to check the damage. To her relief, simply combing her fingers through her hair was enough to shake everything out. By the time she was done, so was Jin. His eyes were still swollen, but he cleared the snot and salt from his tears off his face.

"Good job. Now you're looking like yourself." She gave him a pat on the back. "Jin, look… I don't know how we'll find your sister. But don't give up hope. As long as you're both alive, there's a chance you'll meet again. Until then.. Until then, let's work to improve!"

"Improve?"

"Yep! If your sister comes back, and your behavior is the same as before, she won't want to be around you. So. You need to become the kind of man who won't make your sister run away again." She patted her chest confidently. "I'll teach you how to be that kind of man. So just follow my guidance."

"Follow mine too!" Ye piped up excitedly from Mei Hua's shoulder. "I've watched humans for a long time. I know what qualities women look for in men."

Mei Hua tilted her head slightly, puzzled. "Uh, it's not like he needs to romance his sister, Ye."

"That's true, but the qualities overlap." He winked cutely. "Being a respectable man isn't just for romance, it's good for family too. I mean, whether it's a sibling or a spouse, who wants a thick headed bad tempered man in the family? Being a gentleman helps in both cases."

Mei Hua gave him a doubtful side-squint. "…why are you being so helpful all the sudden?"

"Excuse me?" Ye said, mock offended. "I'm always helpful!"

She gave him a very doubtful snort.

Holding a little hand over his heart, he looked up to the ceiling, as if deeply wounded.

Mei Hua snickered at his performance before clearing her throat and seriously advising Jin, "Yes… well… you can listen to Ye too but… do so with reservations."