Since running away, I had always held the opinion that, no matter the day I meet one of the Zhao Family again, it will be too early.
As always, I was right and couldn't even tell anyone that I prophesised it.
Bummer.

Guangzhou was one of the bigger Cities and the Zhao Family owned it and the surrounding territory.
I had… avoided the land as best I could since I fled from it.
I had been there on only two occasions, both on Night-hunts that didn't have anything to do with the Zhao-Family.

This time I was here with Luo Binghe, enjoying the first honey-moon phase of our Relationship while Night-hunting.
At home… Baba hadn't been happy about my choice of partner (or at all, that I had chosen a partner again. I think he would have liked if I just stayed single).
He wasn't happy about his heritage and told him straight out that he wouldn't approve of him.

I knew that his behaviour was born out of worry.
Heavenly Demons were known to be… overenthusiastic whenever they were interested in something.
There had been whole Wars waged because an object of their fascination had been in another's territory.
And they weren't known for their steadfastness, often flitting from one thing to another.

I knew that, but back then, Luo Binghe hadn't and had interpreted Baba's hostile behaviour as a direct challenge.
So I hustled the two of us out of the tension-laden territory of the bamboo-house to the first Night-hunt I got my grabby little hand on, which sadly was in Guangzhou.

At least I had explained Baba's Behaviour to my very possessive half-Demon, which meant he now no longer saw him as an obstacle to my… hand in marriage or some bullshit like that, but instead someone he had to win the approval of.

I don't want to know what he had planned, honestly.
His brain was sometimes more squirrely then I could follow.

'You don't have to come along; you know? I know that you have better senses and that it isn't… pleasant.'
I said to him as I finished setting down our thing in the hotel-room.
The Night-hunt was over and done with, just a few restless Corpses that had terrorised one of the smaller Trade-routes.

'I'm coming. I have to warn everyone off…'
My head snapped around to him and he fell silent at my glare.

'We have talked about this, Luo Binghe.' I said gravely and he swallowed, nodding ashamedly. 'I am not your possession and I will not stray as long as I am in a relationship with you. However, Relationships are built on trust. If you don't trust me not to commit to you, then we can stop it right here and now.'

'No, Shixiong, no, I just… I'm trying, okay? It isn't easy to just… swallow my jealously!'
He threw himself on the bed, petulantly.

'I know. But don't let your instincts and emotions rule you, Binghe.'
My voice was sharp and he nodded, subsiding.

'I'm still coming. I'll… get used to it.'
I smiled at him, put a mask on again, the veil over it and exited our hotel to our next destination: The Red Lamp Pavilion of Guangzhou.

'So that is the reason for the tension here in Guangzhou.' I said, leaning back into Binghe who massaged my shoulder that had tensed up from the information.
Lady Li, the Madam of the Brothel, had not only told us about two other night-hunts where no one of importance had died yet (the reason why it hadn't been reported yet), as well as the succession crises on right now.

My Father, the pig, had died only the year prior, at the proud age of sixty-seven.
My first Brother had succeeded him as planned, but just a week ago he had died of poison, as well as all of his Children.
Because that was not suspicious at all.

My second Brother was… well, I was sure he was autistic.
He had a lot of problems with social Interactions when I still lived there, I was sure he did not get good enough suddenly to politic on a level that would be expected as the Head of the Zhao-Clan.
He was prepared to lead the live of a pampered noble that was never seen, not to become the heir of the Zhao-House.
He also didn't have children: He had had a wife who had died to birth a daughter who died of a fever at two years old.
Poor dear.

In Ancient Magical China, it was important to have heirs, to keep your line strong. If you couldn't, it was seen as your own fault.
The Emperor could easily take your families territories and gave them to another, more 'established' line that produced sons more often.

What a fucking patriarchal society.

My third brother, A-Cheng… He was just like the pig.
He was rude, possessive, greedy and all around awful.
As a Child, he always took away my toys and cried to his Mother when I hit him for it.
He had been the reason for more than one of my banishments to the cold palace.

I had no doubt that he was behind the poisoning: he wasn't smart enough to make it look like they died of natural causes, therefore the obvious poisoning.
I was torn.

'Binghe, should I check up on my second brother?' I asked him, my eyes closed as I enjoyed the massage.

'Why do you want to?' He asked, genuinely curious.

'He was my favourite brother and I always… I always thought that he would have a better time as a farmer than as the second son of the Zhao Family.'

'I think you should. You got along well with him, didn't you? And if he doesn't react favourably, it isn't a problem, no one will connect you to Zhao Shenmi.'

That evening I easily made my way to the inner House and to Zhao Wei's Bedroom.
I had a bad feeling about this.
It was quieter at A-Wei's quarters than anywhere else, no servants anywhere.

That wasn't normal.
He was the per-forma Head of the Zhao Family, he should have been surrounded by servants and sycophants at all times.

I knocked, politely, at the door.
Luo Binghe had stayed at the hotel, pouting, but I wanted to reunite with my brother in private.
It would be difficult to convince him of my existence as it was, no need to bring other people into it.

'Come in!'
I entered and my Brother stood up, drawing a knife from its sheath on his hip.
He looked… good.
He had silver in his hair and together with his beard it made him look older than the 39 years he was.

His robes were neat and I noticed that the fabric that directly touched his skin looked soft.
Good, the servants were still helping out with his sensory issues.

'Who are you and why are you here?' He demanded, but I heard the light shaking of his voice.

'Hi, A-Wei. Long time no see. Do you still remember me, your Meimei Shenmi?'

He looked at me, well at the space between my eyes, and snorted.
'What lie is Third Brother concocting this time? Everyone knows that Zhao Shenmi is long dead.'

'I'm not dead. But I refused to marry an old geezer the pig chose, so I ran away. I… I also changed my gender when it looked like the pig would recognize me and drag me back.'

'A likely story. Do you have anything to convince this Zhao Wei?'

I swallowed, but began to sing softly: 'Good evening, and good night, with roses adorned, with carnations covered, Slip under the covers. Early tomorrow, so God willing, you will wake once again. Early tomorrow, so God willing, you will wake once again.'

It had been one of my first songs I had translated to Chinese.
It was a lullaby I knew from my last life and I had used it to sing my siblings to sleep.
The song was only known in my generation of the Zhao-Family, and I doubted that third Brother, who never liked me, would even remember it.
A-Wei, however, should, since he had been the primary target that I had sung to sleep.

I saw him putting down his dagger.

'That… that… that doesn't have to mean anything. A-Cheng could have heard of it and told you of it. No, do something you only ever did with me.'
He demanded, crossing his arms.
I could see the way his hand trembled.

I smiled sadly.
'A-Wei, calm down. Everything is fine. Why? Because I am here. Now, please tell me five things you can see.'

I took a step forward him and I saw how he pressed his lips together, hiding the trembling.
'Now, A-Wei, tell me of four things you can feel. Good boy. Now, A-Wei, three things you can hear. Yes, very good. Now, A-Wei, two things you can smell. Good. And at last, one thing you can taste.'

When I finished the mantra I had taught him to deal with his anxiety, tears dripped down his face.

'Mimi? You… it is really you?'

'Yes, A-Wei, it is me. Sorry that I am so late.' I wasn't dry eyed either, my voice thick with emotion.

I saw his struggle to deal with the new revelation and instead of a grown-up man I saw toddler A-Wei, not dealing well with the way the fish was prepared, different from the usual.
It had had a different texture and A-Wei had had a full-blown meltdown, not even his Mother could calm him.

I stepped towards him, back then and in the here and now, and slipped a tissue, soft and nice, into his hands, holding one end of it.
He never liked being touched when he wrestled his emotions.

'Repeat after me. Three.'
'Three' He managed after a hiccup.

'Nine.'
'N-Nine'

'Sixteen.'
'Sixteen.'

'Two.'
'T-Two.'

'Five.'
'Five.'

'Ninety-nine.'
'Ninety-nine.'

'Fifty-eight' Slowly, he had calmed down, the tears stopping, fully concentrated of making sense of the numbers.
'Fifty-eight'

'Three.'
'Thr… we already had three.' He frowned, exactly like he did as a child.
'Three, A-Wei.' I said in my no-nonsense tone.
'Fine, Three.'

'Fifty-five.'
'Fifty-five.'

'Seventeen.'
'Seventeen.'

'Calm now?'
'Yes, Mimi.'

He smiled at me. 'I am so glad that you are alive. But, Mimi, you chose the worst time, like always.'

I snickered. 'I know, I know. But, seriously, A-Wei, what is going on here? I gathered that Cheng the Idiot is behind the death of our first Brother, but what is the situation?'

Zhao Wei sat down again and grimaced while I sat down on the other side of the table.
'Third Brother is… he is power-hungry and wants to control the Zhao Family. He has friends in Court and is trying to influence the Emperor to make him the Head of our Family. I've tried to proof that he is behind our First Brother's death, but so far had no success.'

I nodded.

'But that is slow going and I fear… that he is soon impatient enough to kill me as well.'

'That's what I suspected, yes. What is your plan to deal with it?'

He smiled sadly at me. 'I don't have a plan. I will simply be reunited with my dear daughter, Xiao Shenmi.'

'You named your daughter after me?' I asked, touched.

'Yeah. You were the only good thing in my childhood, of course I named my daughter after you.'

I smiled at him. 'I will not permit you dying. It is a little late for you to begin Cultivation, but I am still the Heir of Cang Qiong. Do you want to stay Head of the Zhao Family?'

'Not really. I don't… I am not good with people and I don't care about the family.' He admitted.

'Would you come with me? I'm sure I can find you something to do at the Sect, or if you want, you can simply live in the Town. Whatever you want.'

'It… alright. If you are sure, I will come with you.'

With how dramatic this world is, I should have expected the Assassins coming through the window at that moment.
I hadn't, too focused on my Brother, but I was fast.
Faster than the Assassins, who I managed to knock out easily with my high cultivation level despite my surprise.

'Pack what you need, we will have to travel fast.' I explained to my shocked Brother.
'O-Okay, Mimi.'

As you can see, no relationship is smooth sailing, but LBG and SM are making it work.
And SM finally faced his past in more than the metaphorical sense!
Only two chapters left, y'all, I am exited! ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨