Kunlun Mountain Part 4 - The Return

Chapter 6 - Strengthening the Ties

The Orchid Valleys.

Catching her in his open arms, Gaogui smiled down at the shock on her face.  "Mo Yuan?" she whispered up at him tearfully.

Smiling down at her with his fathers soft tender eyes, her own blurred behind the rain of tears that were now pouring down her face.  "No Mother.  It is Ye Hua." he answered softly before helping her back onto her feet.

Having remained where he was, Ye Hua had learned in the short time since he had been there, not only his origins and heritage, but also who he was to Mo Yuan, Bai Qian and Gaogui.  So understanding how his appearance would cause stress, he instead watched on with the same tender eyes and waited for her to call him forward.

It was so disconcerting, it took Bai Qian several minutes to pull herself together.  Is this how you will be when he finally does awaken? she berated herself once she became aware that both men were waiting for her.  One who was her son and one who was not, but had always thought of him as such.

Throwing one hand out towards him, she forced the tears back, but no matter how how she tried, she could not stop the tremble which was raging through her body.

"Ye Hua, come here." she called softly to him, which instantly put a soft smile on his face.  The same eyes, and the same smile, she thought trembling as he moved closer.

Even the way he walked was the same.  With his hands still firmly clasped behind his back and his head held high, he closed the gap at the same slow pace.  Every cell in her body was raging through her at that moment, and though she knew he was not Mo Yuan, she could not contain the hope that this was just a sick joke, one little boys pull on their parents.

Feeling the soft hand on her shoulder tighten, Gaogui supported her as Ye Huas hand took hold of her own.  "Gu Gu." he said softly.

It was all she needed to hear.  It was not the same voice.  And now that he was much closer to her, she realized, it was not exactly the same face.  There were slight difference.  And the most obvious were his eyes.  She held a crystal clear image of Mo Yuans eyes in her mind, and the eyes that were looking back at her, were set a little further away than his eyes.  And then there was his hair.  

Ye Huas hair was much darker, more coarser and a lot thicker. His facial expression too were much different, though she put this down to his upbringing.  And though Mo Yuan had the ability to close down his emotions and thoughts in order to maintain a stoic and impassive expression,  his ability to show every emotion in one single glare was what drew her to his eyes, however, Ye Hua did not have this ability.  His expressions played out one after the other, rather than all at once.

Having put her mind at ease that he was indeed the child she had never forgotten, her arms enveloped his waist.  Feeling his jolt, she drew him in tighter.  "Ye Hua..." she sighed softly as his own arms came up.

It had been so long since anyone had held him, he felt like crying, but he held himself together.  This was a woman he remembered with fondness and love, and though there had been times when he wondered why she had never visited him, he had quickly buried the thoughts that only caused him pain.  Instead he held onto the knowledge that he would meet her again, and now that he knew of his relationship to Mo Yuan and Gaogui, he now had complete understanding as to where she had been all those years.

And so a reunion took place.  They laughed, she cried and as the day wore on, both Bai Qian and Gaogui watched as Ye Hua let go, little by little, until the boy they had once known returned to them.

Their first full day was one of stories of their lives, the people who filled them and their dreams and hopes for the future.  Not once did the reason why they had been gathered together pass their lips, they allowed only each precious second to bond, because they all instinctively knew they were going to need each other.