Lan Yibo was practicing archery with Lan Ziyi in the backyard of his pavilion. Lan Yuning taught him archery and now Ziyi was observing him.
"Yes." Yibo said excitedly as he hit the red mark.
"Yiyi is so good." Ziyi said with a proud smile and Yibo grinned.
Suddenly, some people dressed black attacked them. Yibo and Ziyi panicked.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking us?" Ziyi asked while trying to protect Yibo.
The attackers didn't answer. They attacked both of Yibo and Ziyi who tried their best to defend themselves. But soon they were surrendered by the attackers.
"What do you want?" Yibo asked while panting heavily as he was very tired.
"To see, how much you have improved." Lan Shishi said and all turned to her.
Shishi was sitting on the roof of Yibo's bedchamber. She was observed everything from there. She sent some of her guards to examining Yibo.
"Mother." Yibo said with ulter shocked.
"Furan." Ziyi said with wide open eyes.
"Master." The attackers said and bowed to Shishi.
"You have done good." Shishi said as she came down from the roof and stood beside Yibo.
"You can go now." Shishi said to the attackers.
"Okay, Master." The attackers said and left from there. Then Shishi turned to Yibo.
"It's just five minutes and you are this tired." Shishi said and Yibo lowered his head.
"Mother knew everything." Yibo said in a low voice.
"Of course, I know everything. Do you really think you can hide anything from me?" Shishi asked while raising her eyebrow.
"Did baba tell you?" Yibo asked curiously.
"Yuning didn't tell me anything." Shishi said.
"Then how did you know?" Yibo asked while cutely titling his head.
"I am the Furan of Cloud Recesses. Nothing can escape my eyes." Shishi said.
"If you know everything why did you do that?" Ziyi asked.
"What do you mean?" Shishi asked.
"You know that Yibo was weak. Although he is just learning self defense but he is tend to get tired. Didn't you see how he was panting? What if something happened to him?" Ziyi asked and Shishi's face turned cold.
"I know Yibo's health condition very well. I know his limits, that's why I told my gourds to not attack any of you physically. They had five minutes to surrender you two and they did." Shishi said and glanced at Yibo. Then she again faced Ziyi.
"Do you really think that Yibo was panting because he was tired?" Shishi asked Ziyi.
"Of course." Ziyi said and Shishi chuckled.
"You are wrong. Yibo was practicing martial arts for more than a year. It's not possible for him to be tired in five minutes." Shishi said.
"Then why was he was heaving breathing problem, Furan?" Ziyi asked.
"Because Yibo panicked." Shishi said.
"Panicked?" Ziyi asked and Shishi nodded her head.
Shishi turned to Yibo and held his hand. Then she took him to the pavilion and sat on a chair. Yibo sat beside her and Ziyi sat beside him.
"Didn't you panic?" Shishi asked and Yibo nodded his head.
"They were six men and they were attacking us. I was scared and panicked because I know I can't defeat them." Yibo said and lowered his head.
"Yibo, look at me." Shishi said and Yibo looked at her.
"Physical strength is not everything. As long as you have sharp brain, you can defeat them easily." Shishi said.
"How?" Yibo asked while staring at Shishi with curious eyes.
"I taught you how and you forget it?" Yuning said as he came there and sat beside Shishi.
"Baba." Yibo greeted Yuning happily and Yuning smiled.
"Master Lan." Ziyi greeted and Yuning nodded his head.
"What are you doing here?" Shishi asked.
"I heard what you did? That's why I come to check on Yibo." Yuning said and Shishi nodded her head. Then both of them turned to Yibo.
"As I was saying. You could easily defeat them if you used our family signal." Shishi said.
"If you lit the signal I gave you, then within a minute, all the guards of Cloud Recesses would come to rescue you. You just need to defend your just two minutes and you could easily win." Yuning said.
"I understand." Yibo said while nodding his head.
"Ziyi, pack your things." Shishi said to Ziyi who became confused.
"Why?" Ziyi asked and Yibo stared at Shishi curiously.
"You are moving out of Clouds Recesses." Shishi said and Ziyi and Yibo became shocked.
"Mother, don't send mama anywhere. I can't live without here." Yibo said with teary eyes.
"You are also going with her." Shishi said without any expression on her face.
"Mama, are you kicking us out for not defeating the attackers? If so, then I promise to practice hard and act smartly. I promise, I won't disappoint you. Please don't kick us out. I can't live without you too." Yibo said while tears were rolling down from his eyes.
"Shishi, don't scare them." Yuning said and pulled Yibo on his lap.
"Don't cry. Mama was just scaring you." Yuning said softly while wiping Yibo's tears.
"You mama is sending you and Ziyi mama on a mountain where you will get treatment." Yuning said and Yibo shook his head.
"I don't want to go. I don't." Yibo said and started crying.
"Bobo, it's for your good. If you stayed there a few years, you will be a lot better." Shishi said but Yibo shook his head.
"I don't want to go away from you and baba. I didn't want to get better." Yibo said while crying and Yuning sighed.
"You are not going away from us. We will go to visit you." Yuning said but Yibo still shook his head.
"Yibo, you will get treatment there. When you will stay there, Baba will go to you and stayed a few days with you. You would teach you archery. When baba will return, I will go to visit you. I will also train you like I train Kuan and Lulu. Don't you want me to train you?" Shishi asked and Yibo nodded his head.
"So, go with Ziyi mama. I promise, we will take turns to visit you and train you." Yuning said while wiping Yibo's tears.
"Mama, promise?" Yibo asked Shishi with hopeful eyes.
"Promise." Shishi said and kissed Yibo's forehead.
"May I ask, where are you sending us?" Ziyi asked.
"It's Dafan Mountain." Shishi said.
"Dafan Mountain? I have heard about it before. If I am right then it's a hidden mountain were many good healers stays. My mother was from there. Unfortunately, she passed away when I was a teenager and couldn't tell me the address of the mountain. If I have known where the mountain was then I would go there for treatment." Ziyi said.
"You are right. It's a hidden mountain. I recently found it's location. I talked to Emperor Yang and he made necessary arrangements." Shishi said.
"Go, pack your things. We will travel after lunch." Yuning said to Ziyi who nodded her head.
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Two years later
Two years passed since Yibo started to stay at Dafan Mountain. He was currently ten years old and his health condition improved a lot. He became more smart and cheerful than before.
As Yuning and Shishi promised, they took turned to visit Yibo and trained him. Yibo was learning archery and whip. As he had weak body, it was difficult for him to use sword for hours.
Yibo was learning martial arts for self defense that's why Shishi chose whip and bow which would consume less energy. These were also suitable for Yibo.
Yibo was also learning medicine from the healers of Dafan Mountain. He would help them to collect herbs in his free time.
Yibo continued to practice music with Ziyi's guarding. Whenever Yuning came, he would supervise Yibo's skill in playing qin and fluet.
It two years, along with Yibo; Yuning, Shishi and Ziyi's life changed. Yibo and Shishi became close. Although they didn't talk much but they have a tatic understanding between them.
Ziyi took treatment from the healer and could get pregnant. When everyone got to new about her pregnancy, they were surprised. Ziyi's family was very happy about it.
But Yuning wasn't happy at all. He never planned to cheat on Shishi and sleep with Ziyi. He and Ziyi had a friendly relation and nothing more than that. But he didn't know how that happened.
One day, Yuning came to mountain to visit Yibo. It was happened to Ziyi's birthday. The healers were celebrating it with foods and drinks. Yuning remembered that he had a few drinks but not more to get him drunk. He didn't know why he felt heavily drunk. He didn't clearly remember what happened that night. When he woke up next morning, he was shocked when he realized that he slept with Ziyi when he was heavily drunk.
Yuning was very heartbroken. Ziyi tried to comfort him saying that it wasn't his fault. It's because of the effect of alcohol. Still Yuning felt guilty. He bowed to only love Shishi and now he cheated on her.
Yuning returned to Cloud Recesses and kneeled in front of Shishi. He confessed everything and waited for a punishment which never came.
Shishi was hurt when she heard what happened. She prepared for it when she made Yuning marry Ziyi. But Yuning was also loyal to her. She understood that situation and she was sure that Ziyi did something. Although it's hurt, she forgave both Yuning and Ziyi as she took it as a punishment of her foolish decision.
Yuning was more hurt when Shishi forgave him saying that she was prepared for it. She even comforted him saying that it wasn't his fault.
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Dafan Mountain
Yuning was sitting with a baby on his arm. The baby was his and Ziyi's child. Ziyi gave birth to a healthy boy a week ago. Yuning and Shishi came to visit her for it.
Ziyi was staring at Yuning who seemed to lost in his thoughts. She could guess what was bothering him. Still she gathered some courage to talk to him.
"Does Furan Shishi still mad about my pregnancy? If that then I can talk to her." Ziyi said and Yuning came out of his thoughts.
"No need. She is not mad at me or anyone." Yuning said.
"Then what is bothering you?" Ziyi asked and Yuning sighed.
"Shishi seems to ignoring me." Yuning said.
"I don't think so. If she wants to ignore you, she didn't come here with you." Ziyi said and Yuning nodded his head.
"Why do you seem distraught? You got what you want. You must be happy, right?" Yuning asked as he was noticing from past few days that Ziyi seemed to be distraught.
"What do you mean?" Ziyi asked nervously and Yuning chuckled bitterly.
"Lan Ziyi, do you really think I don't know your trick? Do you really think that I don't know that you set me up?" Yuning said coldly.
At first, Yuning really thought that he made a drunken mistake but when Ziyi got pregnant, he became sure that Ziyi set him up.
"I am sorry. I regret it." Ziyi said but Yuning didn't believe her.
"Take good care of him. I noticed that you are not taking care of him. I found him crying a few times in front of you and you don't seem to care about him." Yuning said and gave the baby to Ziyi.
"I am sorry." Ziyi said as she carefully hold the baby.
"Take care." Yuning said and left from there.
As soon as Yuning left the room, tears started to roll down from Ziyi's eyes. She didn't like the turn of events. She didn't plan it. Why life didn't go the way she want?
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Yuning entered inside a room where he and Shishi were staying. He found Shishi was looking for something on a desk. He approached her and hugged her from behind.
"Why are you ignoring me, Furan?" Yuning asked as he buried his face on Shishi's neck and Shishi sighed.
"I am not ignoring you." Shishi said and Yuning turned her to face him.
"Don't lie, Shishi. I know you are hurting. I am sorry for hurting you." Yuning said while caressing Shishi's cheek.
"It's not your fault, Yuning. I told you many times, don't blame yourself for it." Shishi said while cupping Yuning's face.
"Then please don't ignore me." Yuning said and hugged Shishi tightly.
"I don't want to ignore you, Yuning. But I can't help. Please give me sometime to accept the fact that someone else bore a child for you." Shishi said while hugging Yuning tightly.
"As you wish." Yuning said.
"I love you, Yuning." Shishi said while a drop of tear roll down from her eye.
"I love you too, Shishi. I really love you." Yuning said and kissed Shishi's hair.
To be continued...........
- RK Riya
2024-04-20