QingYu: A Wuxia Tale (Going Through Reediting)

Found

Dayu's POV)

Walking in the market, surrounded by locals and visitors, I am finding solace for a while.

But then I will remember Uncle Shu. How he will love to explore this market, buying new ingredients to cook his experimental dishes.

Or how he will enjoy the performances of the street performers in the plaza.

Uncle Shu used to take us, Mei and I, to festivals once or twice but everytime he was the one having more fun than me and my cousin.

"Dayu..." Mei gave me a hot sweet tea. The night is fast approaching. Any minute now and the sun will set again. Signaling another day had been done.

Another day. I survived another day. Nighttime will be different but that's another matter all together.

But as Mei said, all I have to do is survive day by day. This loneliness, this lingering emptiness in my heart, I just have to survive it one day at a time.

But sometimes, it feels so all consuming it can drown me.

The night is the hardest part. Sleeping alone. Alone with my thought. My regrets. My memories.

Memories of him.

Captain Wang.

"Thank you Mei," I said to my cousin who gave me a puzzled look.

"For what?"

"For not letting him near me,"

Mei's face drain in color. His eyes shifted around, not meeting mine.

He thought I didn't saw them. Him and Captain Wang.

When I saw the Captain walking towards me, I almost ran in fright. But Mei stopped him just in time.

My ever alert guard, Mei.

It's been three months of living with just us. Mei will be with me, a constant presence but he leaves me to deal with my sadness alone.

He knows me. Mei is the only person who had been there to witness how my life changes. From losing my parents, to training, getting my revenge and losing our uncle and walking away from the man I love.

Mei saw it all and yet he is staying with me.

I hate that.

Mei should find his happiness. Captain Jiang must be looking for him too.

But my cousin is being stubborn.

"Why are you pushing me away? Dayu ah...I will not leave you alone." He will complain to me.

"You need to be with Captain Jiang," I will counter. "I have eyes and senses, Mei. I know you long for him, or do you deny it?

"No!" Mei will surrender. "But he has to wait..."

"Or find us first," I will tease Mei but he will just give me a hard cold look.

I want him to be happy. As we walk to go back to our house, I thought of that. Mei deserved to be with the person he loves. His loyalty to me is stopping him from finding it.

But as I saw a tall figure walking towards us, I smile. I think everything is about to change for my stubborn cousin.

"Mei," I poke his shoulder and point at a man who stopped and stand in the middle of the empty road aside from us three.