Chapter 154 - Rebirth

Xiong Zhi did not care about any etiquette and rudely held the painting's frame.

It seems like the woman in the painting talked to her. Was it just now? Or was it before?

"Who is she?" Xiong Zhi could only ask this as she was feeling strange.

"That's my grandmother. Her name was Priscilla."

'No way.' 

No. It's actually a common sense if one was to compare Lu Yin Ze features to this woman. However, Xiong Zhi felt that she talked to her before. When she saw the painting, she heard those words. It's a memory.

"Your grandmother..when did she passed away?" Xiong Zhi asked this. Maybe they met in her past life? But no. This woman with unique features and powerful background could not be forgotten by Xiong Zhi easily. 

Then when was it? Or did she just hallucinate about it?

Xiong Zhi was very confident with her memory. She could not forget things easily. If Lu Yin Ze had the same face with this woman, for sure he would trigger memories of this woman that she meets before. 

But it was almost a year now that she was with Lu Yin Ze, and never thought of the woman.

Maybe she was mistaking it?

"Ah. I'm not really sure about it but I heard from my mother it was around when she was just a kid." Lu Yin Ze was not able to meet his grandmother. However, he heard stories a lot about her from his mother and grandfather.

"Is that so.." Xiong Zhi tightly gripped the frame.

It was impossible to meet a dead person or talked to them. Then what was this familiar and strange feeling?

"It's a pity I did not meet her. A lot of people are saying that we look alike so much." Lu Yin Ze started speaking.

Xiong Zhi calmed herself down and distance herself from the painting. However, her eyes could not leave it. The painting was very much alive.

"Your grandmother was a beauty." Xiong Zhi commented.

Lu Yin Ze laughed. Does it mean he was a beauty too?

But Xiong Zhi did not notice it because she was still focused on the painting.

"Can you tell me about your grandmother?" She was really curious about this woman.

"I heard from grandfather that my grandma is from Western Countries. Oh. How about a love story? Grandpa always told me this one story when I was young. Even mother kept telling me the story."

Lu Yin Ze seemed excited to share the love story of his grandpa and grandma.

Xiong Zhi nodded. Anything that she might find familiar.

"Grandpa was a young man back then. There's an event for the businessmen to attend in one of the counties in the West. My grandma was a ritual dancer for that event. It was a typical story of love at first sight. Grandpa said that the competition back then was very difficult since there were so many competitors. But grandpa managed to win at the end. Since grandma had no relatives left in that country, she came with grandpa here in Asia. "

It's just a normal story of a businessman on a business trip who falls in love with a dancer. And the businessman brought the dancer to his home and marry her.

"Grandpa received a lot of criticism back then. Both from the Lu family and the people in his circle. Since he married a woman with an unknown background. You know, the story of a Cinderella marrying the prince was uncultured for the people in high society. But grandpa persevere. He brought the Lu Empire to another height and dominated them so they would shut up. Grandpa even told me that their relationship was a sensational that all major figures in China knew of it. Seeing grandpa telling me the story with a proud face made me think that even he suffered from those times it was a precious moment for him." Lu Yin Ze could still remember his grandfather's face when he was telling the story to him.

[Little Yin, I sacrifice many things at that time. But I did not regret it. Even the moment I have with your grandma was short, it was the most precious time of my life.]

Lu Yin Ze was young back then. He could not understand what was precious in those time of difficulties. But seeing his grandfather happy while telling the story made the young Lu Yin Ze agreed.

[Grandma was probably beautiful for grandpa to bring her home.]

[Of course. Even the people in her country called her witch, she was a beautiful witch.]

[Witch?]

Lu Yin Ze laughed at this memory. He spoke more.

"I remembered grandfather told me once that maybe grandma bewitched her. But if that's the fact, grandpa said that he was willing to be bewitched."

Xiong Zhi just stayed silent. Those stories happened a long time ago. She probably hallucinated it.

"I see. Master Lu love your grandmother too much."

"Yeah. Grandpa said he was not afraid to die because grandma is waiting for her. "

At that moment Lu Yin Ze smiled bitterly.

Xiong Zhi seems to know why.

It was because his grandfather is not willing to rest yet because he was afraid of leaving Lu Yin Ze alone. And Lu Yin Ze was not yet ready to be left alone by his grandfather. His grandfather was the only relative that loves him. He was his only support and his home.

His grandfather could not die yet.

It was a selfish wish from him.

'Sorry, grandpa. Please postpone your meeting with grandma for a while. I still need you to see my future achievement for the Lu empire.'

Lu Yin Ze was silent for a while then cheered up. Since Xiong Zhi would stay here tonight he would be a proper host.

So the two people continue to stroll in the hallway while Lu Yin Ze kept talking about the Lu's family and it's history.

****

The moon was half-smiling towards the city below. The weather was colder than usual.

Xiong Zhi shifted in her bed. She could not sleep. Maybe because it was not her bed and she was not at home. She finally gives up on trying to sleep and sit up. She was wearing a pajama that was borrowed from the Lu Mansion.

This guest room was big and very luxurious. As expected from the Lu Mansion.

She went to the balcony and looked up at the sky. 

Her mind was confused. Her heart was beating loudly and she was feeling strange. She felt like she forgot something that was very important.

She closed her eyes and feel the cold wind.

She shivered when cold wind seeped into her body. She closed the door to the balcony and went back to bed. She just laid there. Unblinking. Maybe she would just wait until morning comes.

Unknowingly, she drifted to sleep.

Maybe it's because she was kept thinking about the woman in the painting that she dreamt of it.

*****

It's cold.

I hug my body as I stared at the darkness around me. 

A moment ago I was in agony. 

But now in this place, one could not feel anything except coldness. One thought could not exist, only calmness. Stillness. 

I know who I am. What I am. What I've done. What I regret. And what I desperately wish.

But in this place, you could not feel any of it. 

Only the feeling of nothingness exists in this place.

I closed my eyes.

I don't know how much time passed. 

What I know was I don't feel cold anymore. Maybe I got used to it. I just stayed my eyes close. Resting. Letting time passed.

Suddenly, a voice from a distance made me open my eyes.

[A pity. Truly a pity.]

A hand hugged me. No. It was like that hand fished me out of the water. I could not see anything but darkness. But the strange feeling of someone holding you was clear.

It was then the darkness around me was replaced by silver threads. So smooth. So silky. 

I looked up. 

And I saw two silver-blue moon in a white sky.

It was so beautiful. 

My senses. My thoughts. They were coming back to me.

I know who I am. What I've done. What I desperately wish.

[Strong soul, wake up]

The sound of thunder echoed loudly. The scene in my eyes changed in a flash.

It was raining. 

A tall man's back was in front of me. Blocking my view.

But I can still look around. There were lavish tombs erected everywhere. Every pots of ashes has a space of two meters square .

He just stands there in the rain. Looking at the tombstone in front of him.

The more I stared at him, the more I found him familiar.

He was mumbling something. But because of the loud pour of the rain, I could not hear what he was saying.

After a while, he went away. It's too bad I can't see his face. But I decided to follow him. Since he was the first person I ever saw.

But then I stopped in my track when my eyes caught of a certain tombstone. 

It was beside the tombstone where the man was standing earlier. 

It was a simple tombstone compared to the other tombstone here. The pot of ashes was dirtied to the point of creating mud to it's pot. But because of the rain, it was washed away slowly.

But that's not what made me shocked, it's because of the name engraved in the stone wall. 

[Xiong Zhi]

It was my own tombstone.

****

Xiong Zhi opened her eyes wide.

A knock came out of the door.

"Young miss. Are you awake? We already prepared your uniform for you."

Xiong Zhi stands up dazedly. Her mind could not process anything. But she walked to the door and opened it. 

Two maids entered. One was carrying her school uniform and brought it to her bed.

The maids didn't leave. And stand beside the bed.

"We will serve young miss."

Xiong Zhi did not speak anything and entered the bathroom.

Her mind was not clear. Actually, she was shocked.

Those memories...

She was already nude when she opened the shower. Her thought was on something else.

Her eyes were wide under the shower. 

She finally remembered what was the important thing she had forgotten. 

Her rebirth.

The reason behind of her rebirth.