Huí Guāng Fǎn Zhào - 回光返照

Chapter 3 - Somewhere over the Rainbow

Like waking from a long dream, Gao Guiren opens his eyes only to be blinded by the harsh sun. He blinks quickly before surveying his surroundings. Bodies are strewn all around and the smell of blood overpowers his senses, smoke rises from different areas around him and he hears the sound of the incoming cavalry. Getting his bearings, Guiren moved to leave the battlefield only to find he was still holding onto someone's hand.

It appears that this time Gao Guiren managed to cross over and bring someone with him. Squatting down he pokes one of Jiang Yuming's cheekbones trying to determine if he (JYM) was still dead. Gao Guiren was quickly greeted by a pair of confused hazel eyes.

"If you don't want to die here, get up, and follow me or you can stay here and die.' Guiren stated, walking towards the edge of the battlefield.

They needed to get out of the main battlefield if they wanted to survive, Guiren learned that lesson the hard way once already. He doesn't plan to repeat his mistake and started trekking towards the tree line. Finding cover was important if they wanted to avoid detection by the fighting groups and escape with their lives.

Seeing the cavalry charging in, Guiren in a moment of kindness grabbed onto the hand of Jiang Yuming, who had just stood up. Guiren intends to start running, however, Jiang Yuming seems unaccustomed to his body and found himself tripping over his own feet. It only took him a second to debate before Gao Guiren sweeps the poor kid off his feet and over Guiren's shoulders. They barely rolled into the underbrush of the nearby forest as the charge of both sides collided with one another.

-

If he could have left Jiang Yuming behind, Gao Guiren would have done so without a second thought. The first few days were crucial to gather supplies to ensure their survival and Jiang Yuming was a burden that he wanted to unload as soon as possible. However, the poor child had better luck than anyone Gao Guiren had ever met, giving meaning to the words a son of heaven. No matter how he tried to dump the kid, Jiang Yuming would always find him and even greeted him with a smile like a chick following a mother hen.

In the end, he gave up, it seemed the fates did not want them to part and like all difficult things that came his way, Gao Guiren promptly rationalized it and continued with his life. Part of him wished he could just push the poor sucker off the edge of a cliff. Knowing his luck, Jiang Yuming would make it through and come back and be even more annoying than before like a protagonist and his golden finger. If only that golden finger would be more useful, maybe Gao Guiren would not feel like flinging him off every high vantage point they passed by.

He spent an hour convincing Jiang Yuming that he wasn't going to ditch him again before Gao Guiren was able to leave their camp. If they wanted to survive, both of them needed to blend in and their modern clothing was a giant target. Jiang Yuming had the luxury of having long hair already, it would take a while for Gao Guiren to grow his hair out. It had been a surprise to him that they managed to transmigrate over with their original bodies. Every time he has crossed over before, Gao Guiren managed to take over a body that had just passed away. As he returns from his task of sneaking into the village to steal them some clothes, he contemplates where they are.

Finally returning to their camp, he was greeted with a peculiar sight. Jiang Yuming was roasting what seems to be the rabbit that Gao Guiren caught earlier, however, it was as black as the bottom of a pot. He stood behind Jiang Yuming and reached out to knock him on the back of the head.

"Ren-ge why did you hit me?" Jiang Yuming pouted.

Before Gao Guiren could reply, the stick used to roast the rabbit decided that its life was over and snapped. Their dinner dropped directly into the fire, sending out a cloud of ash and embers.

"Ren-ge, I was wrong." Jiang Yuming let out. He had been entrusted with making dinner tonight after being instructed by Gao Guiren. Now they had no dinner and it was too dark out to hunt for anything else. Jiang Yuming knew that the only person who could help him stay alive was this Ren-ge who transmigrated over with him.

Jiang Yuming was not stupid, and was fully aware of the concept of transmigrating. He also felt that he also handled the news of his death in the real world quite well. Even so, Jiang Yuming was born a second-generation young master and was very much lacking in the practice of many things. To start with, he was incapable of grooming himself properly, after all he had people employed to deal with just his wardrobe everyday. After falling in the underbrush and running for their lives, Jiang Yuming looked like a wild child, with leaves and twigs tangled in his hair.

Only after Ren-ge promised that he would help groom Jiang Yuming's hair every day did he agree to keep it long. Now that Ren-ge returned with clothes, another issue popped up. Jiang Yuming, who was used to the convenience and ease of modern clothing, found that the clothes given to him had too many straps and layers. In the end he could only use his face to sell meng and ask Ren-ge for help.

"Ren-ge," Jiang Yuming asked, raising his arms. "Do you think we will be able to go home?"

"I don't know." Gao Guiren answered, "I've never crossed over with another person before, much less with my real body."

"But you were able to return before, didn't you?"

"En, but remember that I was only able to go back after I died in the body I transmigrated to here. Considering you're already dead in our world, do you want to die here too and find out?" he asked Jiang Yuming.

Gao Guiren finished tying the belt and looked up as Jiang Yuming who was shaking his head no, looking wronged. Even though the body had continued to grow to be the age of 21, the mind inside was still 17 when Jiang Yuming passed. His eyes still held a sense of innocence and naivety that most youngsters had before they faced any difficulties in life.

They rearranged themselves so that Gao Guiren could comb and tie up Jiang Yuming's hair.

"So...your parents just asked and you said yes to marrying me?" Jiang Yuming asked.

"En."

"I'm a minor."

"En."

"I was dead."

"En."

"Are you a pervert?"

"No."

"Then why did you get married to me?"

"No reason."

An awkward silence settled over the two of them as Jiang Yuming reevaluated Gao Guiren as if he had grown two heads.

"You can treat it like it never happened after all you didn't really consent to it." Guiren stated.

"Ah, Ren-ge, you are too cruel, to abandon your young wife." Jiang Yuming joked.

A rare smile graced Gao Guiren's face as he replied, "I thought I was your wife, but if you want to be mine, I suppose one must not look a gift horse in the mouth."

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Jiang Yuming realized his family had bought him a ghost bride. Should he be sad that his parents didn't take into consideration his taste, or should he be happy that at least his bride was quite capable.

"Ren-ge, don't worry husband will not wrong you and make lots of money to raise you." Jiang Yuming promised.

A laugh burst forth from Gao Guiren, and he pushed Jiang Yuming who was sitting in front of him forward. "You still smell like milk and you want to raise me, the sun must be rising from the west today."

Once groomed, Jiang Yuming looked like he belonged in this time period. Hazel apricot eyes graced with thick lashes that were full of life stood against his pale skin that had lost its bluish tint. He had a presence even the shabby clothes could not damper.

"Ren-ge, tell me do I look like one of those pretty fairies from those videos going around the internet?"

Gao Guiren could only nod in agreement with this childish fool who was spinning in circles and flapping his sleeves about.