It's easier to let his grandmother read the letters and decide which ones for now, Wei Ying can read. Unfortunately, the book has to be taken apart in order to successfully laminate and preserve each precious piece of it, and Wei Ying insists on doing the same to the cover, front and back.
That's when they discover a four digit number written on the inside cover, in the corner: 1997.
Wei Ying takes a picture of it, even though it's easy to remember.
"Is that a date? Or something else?" He murmurs to himself, as Baoshan Sanren passes him the first of the letters. "It's my birth year."
Baoshan Sanren nods absent-mindedly, motioning towards the page in his hand.
Wei Ying sighs and focuses on what he's supposed to be reading.
YingYing,
I'm making a solid decision not to be sad anymore, at least in these pages. I don't want you to be grieving, or always being sad when you think of me.
We're gonna be happy!
Wei Ying sniffs, quickly blinking back tears because he knows how hard it must have been for his mother to write even that much down. He is sitting down at his grandmother's desk, while she's standing next to him, her arm already around his shoulders. She gives him a squeeze and returns to her task.
Wei Ying turns back to the letter:
YingYing, you're only five so you might forget this, but today, your father brought home a present for you. It's a bamboo flute and while you clearly love it, I think it's the worst idea he's ever had! My head hurts and I'm either going to break that thing in half or burn it!
But how can I, when you look so happy making that racket?
Seeing you with it however, it has given me an idea. And reminded me of a forgotten dream... so maybe this was the way it's supposed to happen.
We're going to visit my friend today. She has two little boys who might like to play with you, because the younger one seems to be around your age. They're both sweet boys, though she says that her youngest is a little too serious? But I think, one look at your lovely smile and they will fall in love with you immediately!
Wei Ying gasped, looking around for Lan Zhan, who was already making his way towards him from the sofa.
"Lan Zhan! She's definitely writing about you and XiChen-Ge!" Wei Ying makes grabby hands at him. He gets up, pushes Lan Zhan down to sit on his chair and then plonks himself down in Lan Zhan's lap. "There! This is so much better!" He declares, and smiles when Lan Zhan wraps his arms around him, to stop him falling off.
Wei Ying settles himself so he's leaning against Lan Zhan, trusting him to keep them both balanced and upright. Then they continue reading.
Today, your father and I had a scare. I swear he was supposed to be watching you, and he thought I was keeping an eye on you, but you were nowhere to be seen. And then, we heard you playing. We followed the music (??!!) outside, to the back garden, and discovered that since the door was locked, you had crawled out of the cat flap, and when we found you, you were playing a concert for your audience, which turned out to be a nest of spiders.
To their credit, they were listening quite avidly. (There's no way to prove the spiders were deaf...just saying!)
The last time you went missing, you had dug under the fence with our neighbour after watching their cat do it, and when we found you, you were covered in soil and playing with their four bunnies.
I hope you never lose your sense of adventure,
Mama.
Wei Ying thinks about those days.
He has no recollection of these events, no memories to tell him if it happened or not, but his mother thought it was a good idea to remember these moments. Maybe he was too young to remember, and perhaps he had forgotten because of the difficulties he'd suffered through afterwards, things that had happened in the Foster homes he had lived in, and then later, with the Jiangs.
By his mother recording these little bubbles of sweetness, their times together as a family, it filled in the gaps of that mysterious time in his head. For however short a time, Wei Ying had his parents and they loved him very much. There was a value in these preserved memories, and it did not matter one bit if Wei Ying could not recall them.
The hand on his waist tightens, and Wei Ying turns to Lan Zhan, smiling at him.
It's an unspoken question lurking in those golden eyes, shifting particles like quicksand. Lan Zhan doesn't have to say the words; Wei Ying nods his head quietly to say that he is alright.
And he is.
Reading these letters from his mother is an emotional roller coaster for sure, but it's also very much necessary. Wei Ying is content to do it like this, with his family. Otherwise, he might have given in to his curiosity and then had to deal with it by himself. He picks up the next one on the pile and swaps it out for the one in his hand.
For now, he is going to read them, as many as he can cope with, until his mind refuses to accept more. Then he's going to allow himself the time to process each one before reading any more. It sounds like a good plan.
A-Ying, my darling baby boy,
I have seen some things and I know that your life isn't going to be easy. But please, please know that it won't be hard for too long, hopefully.
My mother used to tell me a story when I was little. I remember having trouble falling asleep one night, and I went to her room. She swept me up into her bed and kissed my forehead, and somehow, that made everything a little better. She asked me if there was anything bothering me, and I told her the truth: that day, she had sent me into Yiling for an errand, and on the way back, I saw lots of little children.
They didn't seem to have any parents, or anyone to look after them, and I saw them fighting for a single steamed bun. I had a little money in my pocket and bought them some food, but it wasn't enough. My question to my mother was this: how is it that one child will grow up in a happy family, free from all worldly worries, and another kid would grow up on the streets, lucky to get a bite to eat and survive another day.
My mother thought about this, how unfair life was. How could the Universe still be functioning under such unequal terms? How could it justify this terrible imbalance?
She told me that before we are born, we are asked a question by the Universe. It is not possible that any single person is all good, or all bad. And because all human beings are a mix of these two powerful energies, they have to pay back for the bad stuff, and enjoy good things for the goodness they have shared with the world.
The question that the Universe asks is this: would you like to suffer in the beginning of your life, when you are most likely to forget it, or would you like to suffer at the end, just before you pass and finish that life? Either way, the suffering happens when we are at our most vulnerable, because it is trying to teach us something.
It is easy to forget that suffering is only one side of the coin, and we must not focus on only that part.
There are so many happy things to learn about, too. Many joyous experiences to have in our lives, and I sincerely believe that they far outweigh anything we must endure. If it helps, then remember that everything is transient. Your father and I call it the five minute rule.
Talking to someone you don't like? It's okay, it will only last five minutes.
Washing the dishes? Only five minutes. And so on.
Hope is the only thing we have, hope is our lifeline, our reason to get up every single day and get on with our lives.
Please, dear child, never give up.
I am showering you with every single blessing I can find, both in books and the ones in my heart.
I hope when you find the one you love, you will be able to remember something of my thoughts and do your best. Live your life to the best of your ability, and everything else will slot into place by itself, because I believe in you.
All my love,
Mama.
Wei Ying looks up to find Baoshan Sanren gripping the edge of the table, her knuckles white with the force she was using. She is staring off into the distance, no doubt remembering this very incident, all those years ago.
Wei Ying stands up, patting Lan Zhan's shoulder as he moves behind his grandmother and hugs her from behind.
Sometimes, words are not necessary.
***********
Two, it turns out, is Wei Ying's limit.
To give him a change of scene, they all retire to the library below. The boxes that Wei Ying had begun translating were still there, ready for them to continue, and they worked in a companionable quiet, only interrupted by Wei Ying speaking softly, and occasional questions from the other two.
And then, Wei Ying gasps.
The other two look up sharply at him, wanting to know what was wrong, but Wei Ying is excited...?
"A-Ying?" Baoshan Sanren leans forward, at the same time that Lan Zhan scoots over next to him.
"I found out something important, or rather, I found out the connection between the person the Wens were looking for and ... well, and me. Listen to this, grandma!" Wei Ying reads aloud so they both can understand it. "The Necromancer is one who will be able to control the dead, essentially, all vampires through the singular connection of wielding the HeartStone with the keys. I have been working on different music scores in order to tie Chenqing to the task, and I believe it will work. How well, remains to be seen." Wei Ying sighs, and reads the next part. "A-Ren has been particularly clingy these days, and I fear she has seen something, or she is scared of something, but she refuses to talk about it. Perhaps I should teach her something of what I'm doing, just so that she can be prepared. But it is too great a burden to place upon the shoulders of one so young."
"F4keSt0ries told us they were looking for someone whose name began with 'N'." Lan Zhan remembers.
"The clues about Chenqing and the HeartStone, plus the keys, they're all pointing at you!" Baoshan Sanren jumps up from the floor and comes to sit next to him.
Wei Ying smiles at her grunt of frustration, because the document in his hand is still encoded, and she can't make sense of it, and also, he doesn't think he'll ever tire of seeing her agility. Her body might be hundreds of years old, but she behaves like a teenager sometimes.
"I mean, I kind of suspected it, but this just makes it more real," Wei Ying murmurs, turning back to the paper in his hands.
Baoshan Sanren tugs him closer, giving him a side hug. Her lips rest at his temple and she sighs.
"At least we know for sure now. Otherwise, it could have been anyone, even if they didn't have the keys and the rest of it. I was always scared that the failsafes your grandfather created would fall into the wrong hands and all of his efforts would have been for nothing," she whispered, closing her eyes.
"Worse than that, if that had happened, they could have beaten us. I had to actively release you both, and the others on our side. In fact, it's been one miracle after another. If Uncle Chen hadn't found me, if we hadn't met you, all of it. This whole weekend could have ended up far worse than our worst nightmares." Wei Ying hugs her back.
"You're right. But at least, and thankfully this way, we have an advantage over the other vampires. Not that we're gonna use it!" She adds quickly, seeing the look on his face.
"What are you talking about?" Wei Ying looks uncomfortable immediately.
"I just meant, it's no secret about your abilities. So many vampires saw you control them, so many of them would have spread the word. That will give us a political advantage tomorrow night, at the meeting with the Network. They're already on our side, so I don't expect any resistance, but loyalties have never been that high among the newly turned. No offence," she mutters, glancing at Lan Zhan. "It's a point in our favour, that's all."
"None taken," he replies, dryly.
Wei Ying giggles, taking his hand and kissing the back of it. He doesn't let go, either. "You're so funny, my love."
Baoshan Sanren checks her watch, and then she texts someone on her phone.
She goes back to the piles of carefully arranged papers and just like that, they return to working.
Half an hour later, Xiao XingChen comes to join them, bringing bags of takeout.
Wei Ying is happy to see him again, because he was looking forward to chatting with his uncle. He stopped Xiao XingChen leaving, glancing at his grandmother before saying what was on his mind.
"Uncle, is...how is Song Lan? Is he okay?"
Xiao XingChen perches on the armrest of the couch opposite the one Wei Ying is sitting upon, and looks at his own hands.
Baoshan Sanren reaches up from the floor where she's sitting to squeeze his arm.
"As well as can be expected. He's staying here for now, where our doctors can keep an eye on him." Xiao XingChen replies after a while.
"It may take time, but he is definitely going to get better!" Wei Ying insists. "That many years being kept in limbo, of course he's going to be confused. The only thing we can do is be there for him when he needs us." He shivers, trying not to think about that part.
He has his own traumas to lay to rest, and until then, empathising won't help anyone for now.
"Hmm. I'm going to sit with him now." Xiao XingChen stands up as if to leave.
"Take a couple of books with you," Baoshan Sanren offers. "It might help keep his mind off the worst things."
Xiao XingChen hums his acquiescence, standing up to peruse the shelves she's pointing at. After glancing at many titles, he decides on three and bows before he leaves.
"Grandmother, I was wondering what had happened to that Jin guy, you know, the one I kind of lost it with, in the interrogation room." Wei Ying blushes hard, not making eye contact with her.
"Jin ZiXun? We gave him back to Wen Qing. He can be her problem now." Baoshan Sanren giggles, the sound uplifting and happy. "I shouldn't laugh, I know. But really, when one is unqualified to cook, then that one should stay out of the kitchen, wouldn't you agree?" She says dismissively, cheerfully.
"But...he's alright?" Wei Ying felt guilty, and then hated feeling guilty about it.
"A-Ying, do not worry about that filth. He was able to walk out of here, and I think that was far too generous of me as it is. You have nothing to worry about." Her voice softens at the last part. "What I'm more interested in is, what did Wen Qing have to say in her own defence? You saw her yesterday?"
"Yeah. I asked her about everything." Wei Ying puts down the container of noodles, having lost his appetite suddenly.
Lan Zhan frowns. It is not exactly directed at Baoshan Sanren, but he dislikes the fact that the topic of conversation made Wei Ying stop eating.
But she's not letting up.
"And? Do you believe her?"
"I want to," Wei Ying surprises himself. He had been fully prepared to say yes, but that's not what came out of his mouth. "Huh..."
"See? Even if you're pushing away your instincts, your subconscious won't let you. Personally, I don't trust her at all, but if she wants to play this game, then I'm more than ready."
There's a flicker of something in her eyes that makes Wei Ying shiver.
He's reminded of her power, how formidable she is and can be, her prowess at simply surviving. She hasn't lasted this long by being complacent.
"Don't worry, A-Ying, I'll keep an eye on her. You don't have to do anything, and if she steps out of line, I'll deal with it. For now, let her think she's pulled the wool over our eyes," she adds, reaching over the papers in front of her to pat his knee.
"Thank you, grandmother." Wei Ying rubs the back of his neck uncomfortably.
She tuts sharply. "No need for that. We're family, and I'll protect you." She smiles at Lan Zhan's answering growl. "Whether you need me to or not."
"I get it, I really do. I know I want to trust her, because of our past. But that's not the same thing as truly being able to. If she hadn't endangered my children, I could have forgiven her, but I can't accept it. And the worst thing is, if she ever tried to justify it by telling me that she knew what she was doing, still doesn't give her the right. I'm on the fence, and it's way up here." He raises his left hand high above his head.
"Good boy. Just keep your wits about you around her, that's all."
"She's promised to destroy everything about the Elixir of Life," Wei Ying says, looking at his hands.
"But you don't believe her?"
"Well...I'd rather destroy it myself, do you know what I mean? Because it's one thing to say she will, and another to actually do it. This way, I'd know for sure. I'm scared that the scientist part of her will take over and she might end up pursuing it. If that's the case, JingYi will never be safe from her, or any other vampire. Word could spread, and he might be in constant danger."
Baoshan Sanren studies him.
The torment in his silver eyes, so beautifully like the daughter she's lost, makes her want to grab Wen Qing and shake the answers out of her, and not in a good way. Thinking about her daughter brings her mind back to that morning and reading the message from her.
She had forgotten that incident, but her daughter had not, and in a few seconds, she was transported back to that night. That conversation, and her deep wish to remove the suffering in A-Ren's eyes, maybe that's where this deep-seated need had grown from, to look after every child that had no one else. To provide shelter for all orphans, to give them a safe place to grow and develop into who they were meant to be.
To protect them from the ugly side of the Universe.
That protection, the need to do it, extended out of herself to encompass all the lost souls that flocked to her, including this young man, so closely related to herself.
"Then, there's a way we can do it but it will expose how we feel about her," Baoshan Sanren finally says, after thinking about it.
"How?" Wei Ying demands, on board even before he's heard her plan.
"If we're gonna do it, it has to be now. When she's preoccupied with the meeting tomorrow night, our people have to go in and check, remove everything pertaining to the Elixir."
"And the moment she finds out, she'll know that we don't trust her." Wei Ying concludes.
"Yep." Baoshan Sanren appraises him, proud of him as a parent.
She knows how difficult it is to internally remove trust from a person. But she also knows that if it came to it, Wei Ying would choose his children over that, every single time.
"We don't know if Wen Rouhan was hiding everything to do with your grandfather, elsewhere." Lan Zhan says, squeezing their hands. "If she's the director now, then she ought to know everything, right?"
"You're worried that she won't give us everything of my grandfather's things, even after promising it." Wei Ying shouldn't be surprised that it came out like a statement, not a question... because in his heart of hearts, he has already made up his mind about Wen Qing.
"Mn."
"Then we have to make the meeting go on as long as possible, to give our teams time to search the place properly." She taps her nose, thoughtfully.
Lan Zhan almost smiles at the familiarity of the gesture. Wei Ying always does the same thing when faced with a puzzle.
"Teams?" Wei Ying asks her. He's realising that if he thought it was over, the whole ordeal with the Wens, that actually, it couldn't be further from the truth.
"Yep. One team to search the treasury, one team to search Wen Rouhan's offices, and one to do a sweep. I reckon Wen Zhong might be a hoarder too, in which case, if he was hiding anything from his brother, it would be there, in that last level. We'll have to get A-Yu involved, too. He was already going to cover the meeting, this just means having more tabs open," she snickers.
***************
When it's time to pick up the children from school, they ride up together in the elevator.
Mo XuanYu is waiting for them when the doors open, and he listens to Baoshan Sanren as she gives him a run down on what is going to happen tomorrow night. He's vibrating with excitement by the time she finishes explaining about his role.
And then her gaze narrows at him.
"Did you eat breakfast? Lunch?" She growls menacingly at him.
Mo XuanYu steps back in alarm. "Breakfast, yes! Lunch? I'm going to!"
"You better get to the canteen and eat something, now! I mean it, or else I'm pulling you off the detail tomorrow!" She threatens him.
"Okay, okay! Sheesh!" He exclaims loudly, holding up his palms towards her.
She turns around and stomps into her office, slamming her door and muttering under breath how ungrateful children could be, and how much he was going to regret it, if he didn't listen to her.
They can still hear her through the thick doors, even though she must be sitting at her desk by now.
Mo XuanYu shoots Wei Ying a cheeky grin. He points with his thumb towards the door that's still shaking after its ordeal with an irate vampiress, and says, "the trouble with her is the noise!"
"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," Wei Ying replies, without thinking.
But then he realises what just happened.
As he lifts his eyes from the door to Mo XuanYu, he sees the same understanding grow in his eyes, the same realisation as it dawns on both of them at the same time.
There's only one person Wei Ying has traded movie quotes with, all this time. Only one person who loves them just as much as him, and who willingly used them in an encrypted chat:
F4keSt0ries.