Disclaimer: I do not own love like the galaxy nor any of its characters.
Walking around a street lost, Shoushang was not scared as this had happened a few times before. Her Aunt had felt like she was in the way causing trouble, and told her that she was to think of her wrong doings as she sat outside her homes door. So she had looked at the door and went for a walk, not caring if she made it back to what was suppose to be her home.
Up ahead, Shoushang saw a woman looking lost herself and calling out for her older brother. Walking up to her, Shoushang asked if she was alright. When the woman finally looked down to her, Shoushang's head tilted a little and waited for an answer.
"My older brother is missing, he was suppose to be in his office, but he's missing."
"Maybe I can help you look"
"You will, thank you. What is your name?"
"My names Cheng Shoushang, what's yours and your brother's?"
"Huo Junhua, older brother's name is Huo Chong. You really will help me?"
With a nod Shoushang reached out and took Junhua's hand, and started to walk in a direction that she said he may be. They looked around the different rooms in Junhua's home, but still did not find who they were looking for. It was when they were an hour into their search that a man who was around the same age as Junhua, found them making their way back to where Huo Chong's office was. Stopping Junhua called out to him, waving him over to ask if he had seen her brother. To which he said that he was out for the day on errands, then asked who their little visiter was. Introducing herself to the new man, she excepted when he asked if she would like to have a drink and a snack.
That was how Cheng Shoushang found herself encountering how sick Huo Junhua really was, when she saw for the first time her new adult friend have a brake down, saying that her brother was dead, that he had been killed. Frightened Shoushang hid in a corner, and stayed there until Cu You returned back to her and asked if she was ok.
"Don't be scared, Junhua did not mean to scare you"
"Why did she start yelling, I didn't mean to make her yell"
"It was not you child that she was yelling at. Its just Junhua is sick"
"Why?"
"Ten years ago, Junhua saw her whole clan die, along with her older brother, who she loved deeply. And now when she remembers that he is gone, she can't contain her grief and she has a episode like you saw."
"So she's sad?"
"Very, so much so, she has a hard time remembering how old she is and who people are. So she did not mean to scare you my child."
"Can I help her."
"That is very kind of you child, but no."
"How about her friends, can they help?"
"The only people who come here now are my self and her son, all others are to frightened to come"
Shoushang looked down to the floor in deep thoughts as only a child of ten could do, then gave a detour and nod. Saying that she would be Madam Huo's friend and asked if it would be ok for her to come visit again. With a charmed smile, Cu You agreed that she could come when ever she wanted, so long as she understood that it may not be a good time for madam Huo to have visitors. So that was how Shoushang found herself spending time with one of the last members of the Huo clan. Of course always without her Grandmother and Aunts knowledge, which was tricky at times. It would be four months before she finally met madam Huo's son, Ling Buyi. He was a sixteen year old young man, who she spotted starring at her in wonder while she was trying to carry a plate of tea cakes she had managed to buy with some money her uncle given her when she asked.
"Who are you?"
"Ling Buyi, and who are you, why are you here?"
"A-ah, I'm Cheng Shoushang, I brought some cakes for madam Huo, are you really Madam Huo's son?"
Getting an unblinking nod in response, she asked if he wanted to see his mom and have a cake with them before walking towards the garden she was determined to get to without dropping everything. When he asked if she wanted help, she shook her head, determined to do everything herself. Behind her, an enamored Ling Buyi felt a small amused smile come to his lips and quietly fallowed this interesting girl while wondering how she came to be in his mothers residence.
"Shoushang, come here, come here. I was wondering if you would visit today"
Hearing his mothers voice sound so clear and void of the madness that had clingged to her for the past ten years. Ling Buyi turned the corner and watched as his mother bent down to give the girl a hug in appreciation of her gift of food. Off to the side of the hugging duo, his mother's admirer stood with a large smile while they talked, then spotted him at the same time as his mother when he started to make his way to them.
"A'Li, your here, it's been so long. Come Shoushang brought tea cakes, join us."
When he reached them and took a seat, he thanked Shoushang when she gave him one then promptly popped a piece of the one in her hand into her mouth. He listened as his mother and the little girl talked, finding her retorts to be witty and intelligent. As he waited for his mothers madness to take hold again, he found himself to become more relaxed as time when on and nothing happened. During that time, Ling Buyi found he kept wanting to stare at the bright and intelligent girl beside him who seemed to light up the room. It would be three hours later when Shoushang excused herself to leave, saying that she had to get back home before her grandmother and aunt noticed that she was missing and conveyed that she wished she would stay.
Watching her walk down the street with Cu You beside him, he finally asked the older man about what it was that had been happening within his mothers home walls.
"Little young lady found herself lost about four months ago and bumped into Junhua. And from there she has been nothing but a blessing. Junhua has had more clear minded days in the last four months, then the ten years she started to become sick."
"She comes often then"
"She is able to visit once a week, having to sneak out of her home from the sounds of it. I believe it is not a happy place for her, with her parents fighting in the wars and her jealous Aunt from what I can tell. It's such a shame really, she is such a smart girl."
"Is she being abused?"
"Neglected from the sounds of it, from what I understand"
When Shoushang finally walked around the street bend and out of their sight, they turned back into his mothers home so he could spend more time with her until her madness returned, which would be the next morning.
The next time shoushang and Ling Buyi met would be once again at his mothers home, in the midst of Shoushang explaining a contraption she had come up with, he could tell right away that his mother was not clear in her mind, but seemed to be calm and enjoying herself with Shoushang carefully drawing her idea onto some paper. Once again he introduced himself to his mother in his customary greeting, however this time she only saw Ling Yi and attacked.
Shoushang moved out of the way as Cu You helped get his mother away from him, and stayed quiet as his mother was led away screaming. Taking a breath he then turned to her and asked if she was alright and was surprised when she said she was ok because his mother could not help it because she was sick. It was after this second meeting that the two found themselves creating a friendship and left Ling Buyi hoping to see Shoushang all the more often.
It was when Ling Buyi turned eighteen, that he was promoted to the rank of general. He was on his way to tell his mother he was to leave the capital when Shoushang waved to him as she skipped through the door of his mother's house with her hands grabbing at her skirt to keep herself from tripping.
"Zishang, your here!"
"Mm, are you leaving?"
"Yep, my father and mother are supposed to be returning tonight, so I couldn't stay long. I heard from Cu You your a general now."
"I am, I have been ordered to go to the south to help General Li."
"Oh,…you'll be careful right?"
"I will"
"You promise"
"I promise, you should go if you don't want to miss your parents homecoming"
"You promise you wont get hurt"
"Promise"
"Ok, I'll see you when you get back"
And like that she was gone, and casement his feelings for her from that moment on. For no one was left of his family that was alive or sane enough to worry about his safety or if he could be hurt. Motioning to one of his black guards, he ordered him to watch out for Shoushang while she made her way home and to make sure she was safe.
Not hearing any commotion happening in his mother's home, he took the stairs at a steady pace and made his way to where he believed she would be. Smelling the incenses of the ancestors Hall, Ling Buyi opened the doors and made his way in to sit by his mothers side. Telling her about his orders to go to the south to give aid, as well as his beginning of investigation to the fall Gu city and the death of their clan.
Leaving his mother's house three hours later, Ling Buyi met the soldier he had sent to watch over Shoushang and told him to report what he had witnessed. Hearing that she climbed up a latter to get back into her home made him smile, finding her antics to be amusing. Climbing onto his horse, he and the men he brought with him made their way to the training camp to assemble for departure.
That night, Shoushang's parents would not return, sending instead a letter and a small gift with no word to a possible homecoming. And in a month, Shoushang would be 'found' conspiring to cause harm to her Aunt and would be sent to her father's old village by her grandmother to reflect on her wrong doings. Where she would be kept for the next three months, until her grandmother would remember she was still there.
