[Guo Jia]
I walked calmly with the village elder, as we chatted casually. She seemed relieved to be out of the cells for a minute as I allowed her to sit with me in the base. The normal precautions taken since I know there are guards around and obviously she can't exactly be fast enough to hurt me. So I thought it would be a harmless action.
We drank tea and sat on the ground. As I looked up at her from my cup.
"So will you be continuing your story?"
Her eyes fluttered up to me as she smiled into her cup. "I did promise, didn't I?"
I nod as I chuckle and place my cup down softly. She follows suit and lets out a deep breath.
"We had a lovely life together. We ran a business together. It wasn't too successful but it was our shop."
I nodded and crossed my legs casually. As I listened intently to the elder. Her eyes looked off longingly as she remembered something that can be perceived as a very distant past.
"When I had gotten pregnant he had gotten ill." Her voice became softer, and I sat up straight. The cue was all too clear and I had to get ready to hear something….hard.
"I worked...day and night. Taking care of him and the store...and...our child. But...he died only mere days after our baby boy was born." She looked down into her tea, the liquid reflecting her emotional face back to her.
The pain in my chest slightly worsened, and I let go of a small cough to alleviate some of the pressure.
"But...I had our son. Our precious one. He was a smart boy, a great boy."
I nod, not pushing her to tell me too much further. As I wait patiently, my finger tracing the rim of the bamboo cup. She sips the tea and releases a sigh.
"But even he hadn't stayed with me for long."
My eyebrows raised, curiosity twitching on my lips but my clever mask keeps the reaction subtle. I place the tea down.
"I see."
[Xu Shu]
I had walked with my horse into the base, slowly looking around as the soldiers bowed to me. One had taken my horse to the stables and the base captain approached me.
"My Lord, What brings you here? I was never told of any visitation."
I give a slight wave and lowered my hood, looking the captain straight on.
"Actually I wanted to visit a couple of prisoners you have captive here."
The base captain seemed shocked when I had declared my reasoning here. He had looked back at a couple of more soldiers who whispered about the situation. I adjust my gauntlets and look at the men.
"Would that be a problem?"
The captain shook his head hurriedly and offered to escort me to the dungeon. As I followed him I had begun to prepare for this meeting. This will not start well, or easy.
But it's something that needs to be done.
The door creaked open and We walked down the stair well. It was empty except for 2 cells. They were diagonal from each other. I had looked right and there Mei sat, quietly her toes just wiggling as if to entertain herself. And to the left I saw Lu Shan, who had heard our footsteps and looked up to see me.
His chains rattled intensely as he furiously tried to lunge at me. That's when Mei looked up. She saw me and her eyes had widened, and her body had froze. I had gave her a small smile, even though it hurt to see the small girl who I had come to love chained in a cell.
Turning to the captain, I had said, "You can go, now. I want to speak with them alone."
He bows and quickly exits after being spooked at how Lu Shan had slammed his fist to the ground.
"You had the damn balls to come back here after all ya had done!" like usually, his tone was thunderous. I made my way to his cell, kneeling before it and looking at him dead on. As soon as I was close enough he lunged forward reach out from the cell and grabbing my collar.
He yanked me roughy, my face and arm hitting the metal bars as I wince from the impact. But my eyes stayed on his, the way he gripped my jacket put pressure on the sword wound, but I bit back the pain.
"Lu Shan." My voice was steady, as much confidence as I can muster.
He glared at me, fiery eyes enveloping me in their rage. I continue-
"I understand. What I did..was unforgivable. Like I had taken advantage of your kindness. Of Lu Huang and Jiang Ping's kindness."
"Nah," he started, " Ya DID take advantage of their kindness!" He repeatedly slammed me against the bars. I surprisingly took it in stride, but I wrapped my fingers around a bar to help keep my composure.
"I….left you and Mei. And ran away from the problem, from the grief. Then went and found happiness in another place. Without even writing to you."
Lu Shan's hands twitched, anger boiling over as I continued my spiel.
"But...I didn't come here to fight you again. I came here to reconci-"
Suddenly his hand left my chest and grasp my throat, my airway shutting off before I could blink. A choked noise was all I could muster as I still held onto the bar. My other hand clawing at his forearm.
"Ya think that after all this time, a few sweet words can fix this!?" His fingers clawed into my throat, I struggle harder as choking sounds leave me as I attempt to be free of his death grip.
"Ya know, " He looks down, his grip still strong on my throat, "I was pissed at you back when it had happened too. My brother and his wife died. They, who had a beautiful family and a great future ahead, had graciously given you a spot in their home-" He looks up,his face fighting the tears.
"While he never even mentioned me to my own niece!"
It all began to come together for me now. Lu Shan does hate that I left, he does hate that I seemingly just ran away from the responsibility and from Mei, a little girl who needed me at the time. But he's envious.
That his brother and his wife took in me- a random stranger- before they even took in their own brother. They turned him away, didn't even let Lu Mei know she even had an uncle. And then like a coward, I had seemingly thrown all that away, without a second thought.
As I was choking, and drool poured from my mouth at the audible attempts to breathe. I lowered my hands, accepting this. Accepting and letting Lu Shan take whatever measure he needed to feel better. He took a wavered shaky breath-
"Ya left Mei! She cried for days after ya left, ya know that? She kept accidentally saying ShuShu instead of ShuShan, ya know that?! She joined Liu Bei's forces this young, ta find YOU! Did ya know tha-"
"STOP IT!"
Mei's voice had echoed along the stone walls. Lu Shan had looked at her, I would've turned too if I could breathe.
"Let him go." She ordered.
"But, Mei baby, he-"
"LET HIM GO!" She demanded!
He pushed me away, as I fell onto my back and cough as air returned to my lungs. I let out a few more coughs as Mei crawls up to the bars of her cell. I turn and look at her, surprised that she had screamed at her uncle so fiercely.
"Mei-" my voice trailed off.
She looked down, as if unsure of herself, but she looks up again at me. A small pale hand reaches out for me, and for a split second I could see toddler Mei, reaching up and demanding to be carried-loved.
"Shu...Shu" Her voice was hesitant but the words carried a large weight to them. I gulped down all the pain and emotion that it brought me to here that nickname again.
"You don't have to force yourself to call me that Mei." I make my way to her, hearing Lu Shan's angry struggling from his rattling chains.
"Lu Shan is right. I had left you. Alone. To suffer and grieve." I looked at her as her eyes seem to roam a little before she looks at me back in my eyes.
"Why?" It was simple question but my mouth was so overwhelmed by all the answers that came to mind,
My mouth opened and closed numerous times before I let out a sigh.
"I was a coward. Before even going to the village I had brought so much ruin and pain wherever I went. And I didn't want the same pain to befall you." I look down, but look back up at her, determined to be earnest and honest with her.
"But I never wanted this either. I never wanted it to become like this."
Mei looks down and her grip on the bars lessen, more like she's just barely holding on.
"Xu Shu?"
I make a noise of response.
"I…..I don't know how I feel." She seems to be locked in a battle with herself.
"I want to be mad, I want to be as angry as ShuShan. But-" Her voice trails off as a small emotional gasp comes from her, I see tears fall from her cheeks and I can only look at her, as my heart beats faster.
"I can't. Why can't I? You betrayed me, ShuShan goes on and on about it. How you hurt me, how you've done something irreversible. And it's true...so why?" she looks up at me, eyes pouring with tears, their brown color clouded by emotion.
"Why can't I hate you?!" She choked out amidst the sniffles and coughs. I said nothing.
"Answer me!" she demanded. I couldn't.
Hesitantly, I reached up and run my fingers through her hair. Affectionately I had petted her, as she only began to wail. Her cries turning violent as she leans into me as much as she can with the metal bars between us. I held her, without a word, even though there are so many that I want to say.
I'm sorry, Lu Mei. I never wanted this to become of your family. I would've stayed home that day and prevented the attack. Maybe If I never went there your parents would be alive. Perhaps I shouldn't have taken their offer to live with them. Maybe If I wasn't in Xinye. I'm sorry, that I got hit by that trap and was unable to save anyone. I'm sorry that I left you. I'm sorry, Lu Mei. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-
One of my hands goes into the pocket and pulls out the red tattered ribbon. I use my finger to gently tie it into her hair.
She seemed to be spooked, It was a loose tie to the ribbon sat in a small bow and the ends hung down to her mid back. I bring it up in front to her face as she snaps back to see the old item.
"This...This is-"
I nod, "And that's not all." I reach in the pocket once more and hook the chain around her neck. It hangs loosely and I look a her, as her now red puffy eyes look back up to me, astonished.
"You deserve these items more than me. This was all I could salvage though, sorry that it took me so long."
Mei's eyes widened, as I gently rub her cheek with my knuckles. My smile was soft, full of emotion.
"ShuSh-"
"MILORD!"
The dungeon doors slam open as we all look up to the opening, a messenger runs down in a hurry.
I stand, quickly noticing the messenger's rush. "What is it?"
He stops in front of me and pants but looks to me.
"L-lord Guo Jia, h-has been injured in a base to the west!"
My eyes opened wide, upon hearing the realization.
FengXiao? Injured?!
"Lord Jia Xu is already on his way over there, he demanded a message reaches you as well!"
"Ready my horse! I'll be heading there immediately!"
The messenger salutes me and runs off to do my order. I look back to Mei who looks at me with shock. I kneel back down to her and affectionately rub her cheek again.
"I'll come see you again, ok? I'll get you out of this cell."
She seems to not know what to say at first so she simply nods in reply. I quickly nod back and run out of the dungeon. I whistle as my horse quickly rushes to me, leaving the messenger to fall.
I leap onto it and turn west. "HYAH"
As the horse begins to speedily rush west, thought's flooded my mind.
Had the base been in too much disarray? Is he alright? The injury can't be bad! FengXiao is strong! He's amazing so he couldn't be dead! He can't be! He can't be!
FengXiao I'm coming! Please be okay!
[A/N] HI HO HI HO IT'S OFF TO ANGST WE GO! (JK) but Hi Again! Hope you're having a great day! And sorry that it took so long to churn this chapter out! But Here ya go! What happened to Guo Jia? You'll find out! And AWWW Xu Shu Reconciling with Mei and (Not so much) Lu Shan. I'm sorry if some of you find the Lu Shan and Lu Mei drama boring or uninteresting but still I like to write complicated scenarios and characters ^^. ANYWAY! I hope you had a lovely Valentine's and I also hope you enjoyed this chapter!
See you next chapter!