When I was five years old, people told me that I was unlucky, because I was born by an ex-Daemon. I have never known my birth mother, but apparently, she used to be a chief of maids at the Imperial Palace.
A few years after the mass purification that happened way before I was even born, my birth mother regained her memories and had gotten married. However, her weakened state as well as her shortened lifespan – that is common amongst ex-Daemons – had killed her right after giving birth to me.
Therefore, apparently, that was why I am unlucky. Especially because children born from ex-Daemons after their purification, tend to never live long.
But I think I am actually very lucky. I do not know what I have missed, so why would I think I am as unfortunate as people had told me I am supposed to be? For me, my current life is wonderful.
And children born from ex-Daemons tend to never live long. However, although children born from ex-Daemons often do not step into adulthood, I have just celebrated my twenty-fifth birthday.
Ah, I know that it is not because I possess some miraculous innate constitution or obtain any treasure to train my cultivation. If anything, it is the opposite. Children born from ex-Daemons can never be cultivators.
However, I have a miracle that is even better than cultivation.
This miracle is named 'Ji YuLan'.
Ever since I was able to see and recognize people, Ji YuLan has always been by my side. She is also the one who has taken me to this beautiful place called 'Chun Ping Gu sect'. Even Princess Cao Lu – one of the three monarchs that govern the world – hails from Chun Ping Gu sect. Even Princess Cao Lu treated Ji YuLan with respect.
And this Ji YuLan, has always been nice to me, a mere orphan that no one would want otherwise. She was the one who gave me my name, and I love my name very much. When I was small, before I knew about my birth mother, I used to think of Ji YuLan as my Mother. However, as time went by, I quickly realized that although I caught up to her in height, stature, and womanly figure, she has always remained the same.
Therefore, in my teen years, I adamantly requested that I wanted to begin calling her as 'jie-jie.'
I still remember her expression then. Surprise was written all over her face, but soon she smiled at me and nodded,
["Of course, that is only proper."]
I thought she had said something else after that, but in my delight and jumping up and down, I am sure I have misheard.
["After all, you have indeed called me jie-jie before... ."] is what I thought she said. But her voice was soft, as if she was absent-minded. YuLan-jie has been doing that a lot lately. Therefore, I ignored it as it did not make sense. After all, what and when did she mean with 'before'?
Those years of my youth were beautiful times. I could run, I could jump up and down, I could explore the many hills and peaks around Ping sect. As long as I did not get too close to Yin lake and the Pagoda – apparently the pure energy could shorten my already unfortunate life – I was free to go anywhere else my feet would allow. Sometimes, YuLan-jie would take me on her sword to fly around.
I know that is no longer possible, but constantly resting like this is not too bad either. For the past couple of years, I have mostly been confined to bed. I feel lethargic all the time, and sleep has become longer and longer.
Princess Cao Lu had said to YuLan-jie before, ["It's already miraculous for her to last as long as she has. Your constant transfer of energy definitely contributed to the prolonged lifespan, but she has lived a far better life than other ex-Daemons' children. Other children live their lives in constant pain. I think you've done enough, Matriarch."]
YuLan-jie had replied,, ["Sect Leader Cao Lu, if you know what I know... . She deserves a much, much happier life."]
But I think, I could not be happier than how I am now.
YuLan-jie has just entered my room. Well, it's her room really, but she has graciously let me stay in her room ever since I started sleeping a lot. Her scent ... comforts me.
"How is my dear sister?" She flashes me that beautiful smile of hers, and I am always happy when she refers me as her sister.
See? How can I be so fortunate?
I merely blink my eyes at her, unable to mutter a single word. It has been too tedious, too tiring, even to merely speak. But I smile instead. After all, YuLan-jie loves my smile.
"Ready for another story?" She just sits by the bed, tucking the blankets closer under my chin. I fidget a little, but I don't hate her attentiveness, despite feeling the stuffiness. I feel like a wrapped dumpling. Nevertheless, I smile in response, as I am totally eager for her to start.
She then holds my hand, and starts to speak. Have I mentioned that I love her stories?
Ever since she started telling me her stories to help me sleep – not that I ever need help sleeping – the tales are always different. She has a lot of stories to tell, and I love the vividness of the characters in her stories.
From a little fawn that grows up and falls in love with a young vice-general; A female wolf that falls in love with a warrior;
A flower spirit that falls in love with a sky deity.
In the beginning, I was so stressed because all her stories ended up with deaths for the two main characters. I remember crying but I guess it could not be helped, how can something more sprout between a deer and a human, or a flowering tree and a deity?
Still, I continue to listen to her stories in the days after, wishing that one day, she would tell me a wonderful story with a happy ending.
Then she started to tell stories about two people in love. There was one story I did not quite understand, as she described about a wondrous place that I doubt even existed. Such is the power of YuLan-jie's imagination. That world apparently has metal carriages that could run as fast as an Enlightened; the towns and cities have tall stone buildings; a metal bird that could carry hundreds of people to fly in the sky.
Imagine that! I think it's so much more convenient than a flying sword.
And in the story, the characters she narrated about were more or less addicted to a concoction called 'kohee'? 'Kophie'? 'Coffee'? Ah~... . It's so hard to pronounce.
Anyway, I thought since the story was her first story about humans, I thought it would have a happy ending.
Imagine my chagrin when the young woman in that story ended up dead after the flying metal bird fell from the sky.
.... .
I guess flying swords are still better after all.
The story after that was about a little housemaid and a General's son. The little housemaid turned out to be a long lost daughter of a tribal Princess, and against all odds they were finally together. I was so delighted when YuLan-jie described how the tribal Princess kissed her General in front of the officials, her love rival, and even the Emperor and Empress themselves.
Oh dear deities, I had butterflies when I listened to that part. It was as if I actually spectated the very scene of Jing YuLan kissing her Ji SongLi.
YuLan-jie even sang to me the songs she narrated in the story. She would play her guqin for me – the guqin that for some reason, is named after the General's son in that story.
Now that I think about it, YuLan-jie also named the tribal Princess as YuLan. But the tribal Princess in the story is Bai YuLan, not Ji YuLan.
Mhmmm... . Bai YuLan also has a very nice ring to it. It is a bit similar to my own name.
Yulan-jie must like orchids very much. I mean, for that story, she even named the General's son's sister after my name. Sometimes I think, YuLan-jie lacks creativeness, doesn't she?
Anyway, I was cheering for the story's YuLan and SongLi... .
... .
Until once again, they died.
What's wrong with this jie-jie of mine?? Why does she always kill the characters in her story?
I was so aggrieved then, and because at the time, I could still speak a bit, I asked her when will she ever tell me a story with a happy ending?
Ah anyway, the story she is telling me right now is a story about the General's son's sister. Apparently, she has her own love story as well.
"I know you want a happy ending," Yulan-jie smiled at me and patted my hand, "But Bai YuLan really died in the end, and I cannot change the ending to that."
I swear that she has tears in those deep brown eyes, but those tears never fall. I have never seen her cry,
"Do you know that not every story must have a happy ending?" She sighed in a voice that is so full of resignation and fatigue. I wish I still have my strength to give her a hug, to tell her that everything will be alright. Then as if the sadness never came to her, she smiles,
"However, I'm sure you would love this story I will tell."
My eyes brighten.
The General's son's sister had a fiancé – the Third Royal Prince.
Hmmm... . I hardly know any boys or men, even until this day. In Ping sect, there are mostly women. I mean, I get to see Princess Cao Lu's two brothers whenever they visit YuLan-jie or Princess Cao Lu, or Uncle Lu Bing... . And I have seen Wu Shan Sect Leader Shen Wei, as well as Hui Lin Sect Leader Ao Xiang. Everyone of them is good-looking, no doubt about that.
But in this story YuLan-jie is telling me about, I think the Third Royal Prince sounds more charming than all of them.
"The Third Prince Zhang GuoFu married his fiancée and they lived happily ever after."
Hmmm... . After all those deaths YuLan-jie has told in her other stories, this kind of happy ending... is a bit anticlimactic... . Somehow, I am not satisfied.
But, it would be good if I can meet someone just like the Third Prince... .
YuLan-jie just sighed. There is sadness as she is looking at me with her beautiful brown orbs,
"Do you know? Ever since I found you, I began to believe that the universe is working beyond my ability to comprehend. Ever since I found you, I have been trying to find GuoFu as well. I thought, somewhere, at some place in the world, he would be here."
"After all, you are here."
"But I could not find him. Is this because of malice? Is this because of something else? An unknown factor that has caused untameable knots in peoples' threads of fate? Do you know, that your bright thread of soul should have granted you a long happy life? Just like the beautiful young woman that I have just told you about in my story, who was married to the Third Prince?"
Ah... there's pity in her eyes, similar to the one people used to give me whenever they said that I was unfortunate.
"But your threads, despite bright, are thin and brittle. That is definitely because of malice, that much I know... ." She sighed again, "Perhaps, your fated one should have been born as well, but couldn't be born because of malice as well? I guess I will never know."
Ah, but YuLan-jie... who is my fated one?
Anyway, I am so sleepy. If that Third Prince in her story became my fated one in my upcoming dream, that would be great.
I close my heavy eyes. I just want to sleep... . Sleep a long ... long dream... . I can only hear the soft melody of qin, and YuLan-jie's mesmerizing voice,
["Say, what is wealth, what is prosperity?"]
Exactly. I cannot be luckier than how I already am. I don't need wealth, nor prosperity of a Royal Princess. YuLan-jie is everything I have ever known, and with her singing me to sleep, I cannot ask for anything more.
["Just wishing to be eternal, like the universe."]
["Being close to my lover, Loving that person, loving that person."]
["May we always be together forever... ."]
YuLan-jie... . I am going to sleep now. If I ever wake up, I hope you will be there. But if I don't, that is okay too. I know I am the most fortunate person in the world, to have known you. This is my happy end.
For my supposed fated one, I will just dream of him. But if I could choose, I would like my fated one to be that Third Prince Zhang GuoFu... a kind, patient man who will never be mad at my childish whims.
YuLan-jie's voice is really faint now,
"Rest peacefully. I hope the next time we meet; I will be able to tell you more stories and look after you better."
"My china doll, my beautiful white orchid. Thank you for being born once again."
Mhmm... . I don't know what she is talking about. But in my ideal dream, apart from my fated one, I would like YuLan-jie to be there as well. We would be playing guqin together, feeding the fish together, eat delicious food, and will forever...
...
... be...
... sisters... .
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Runexi's notes:
Lalalalalala... don't kill me because of this short chapter of YuLan and her reincarnated china doll (youknowwho). But as she has said, she has lived a happy life.
*smiles innocently*