"Where am I?"
"You are sleeping." said a male voice behind her.
But when she turned her head, there was nobody behind her. Then, she started inspecting her surroundings, but strangely the world around her looked like a vivid painting. Beautiful, yet not real.
She was standing at the foot of some mountain surrounded by forest. Near the entrance to that forest was a small villa surrounded by a wooden wall.
"Am I really sleeping?"
"Yes, you are." said the same male voice once again behind her.
She quickly turned around but there was nobody behind.
"Who are you?"
"Wrong question."
"Wrong question? What do you mean?"
But no answer followed.
"If I am sleeping, then I can leave by feeling some pain, right?"
"You can. After all, you entered this place out of your volition, so exiting it is also up to you."
"Entered? I just fell asleep. I don't remember entering anywhere! What is this place?"
"The Temple of miracles."
"What?"
But once more no answer followed.
"You said it is a temple. Why do people enter this place and who are they praying to?"
"Reasons for entering are myriad, things to pray to are infinite. But again, you are asking the wrong questions."
The girl was a little bit confused by this situation. Her mind felt blank, her thoughts were slow, which was probably why she was able to easily ignore the fact of how strange this whole situation is. Yet somehow her brain was working at its maximum capacity, analyzing questions and answers, looking for the most optimum response.
"Wrong question... wrong... question..." girl was mumbling for quite some time.
It's a temple and here people pray to get something. Reasons, as well as things to asks, vary. And also the word 'Miracle' in the name of this place.
Is it possible that people ask for the impossible here? Then what is the correct question?
"People pray for many things, but how do they know if this temple's god is capable of providing help to them?"
"They don't know, but they have no other options. It is one of the reasons they stumble upon this place. Yet, once again... you are asking the wrong questions."
After these words, something clicked into her mind, and she felt that she knows the correct question.
She looked straight at the top of the mountain and asked:
"Why did I come here?"
And suddenly the world around her blurred and she appeared right in front of the gates of the small house.
*Screech*
Gates started slowly opening up.
"Greetings seeker! Now enter the gates but be informed... Everything granted here has a price."
And so she entered.
***
Lin An and his partner were slowly moving through the massive Beijing. From time to time, he was looking at the young miss of the house Xie, making sure she is okay.
It was good that she was able to sleep. Tough times are coming to the Xie family. With their patriarch beeing close to dead and the only heir being a young girl with little experience all major families will try to make a move on this family.
*Sigh*
A tired sigh came from his partner.
"Listen, An. What do you think will happen now?"
"No idea, Cheng."
"I mean, will the patriarch be okay?"
That reminded Lin An, that Cheng wasn't present in the ward. Everyone only heard that patriarch has lost his consciousness during work, but nobody knew the details. That's another problem. Information can't be kept hidden forever. Enemies of the family, who know about the family head's weakness may strike while he is alive.
Actually... they may even make sure he won't recover.
"Don't blabber too much. But increase the security of all direct family members and make sure everyone is ready for anything."
A period of silence followed the speech. After a few minutes of silent driving, his partner finally asked, or rather stated:
"It's that bad, huh... Listen, An. This family is strong, but without a leader, there will be no one to uphold its status."
"Young miss is..."
"Exactly, An." interrupted his partner, "Is young. Too young even. Nobody will perceive her seriously. She will be seen as a young and beautiful maiden, but not as a leader of a major clan."
Although he was telling truth, it nonetheless angered Lin An.
"Listen here..."
But the sudden voice of the Xie Lan didn't let him finish.
"An!"
Her voice although sounded the same as before, there was some new power in it, that compelled everyone to listen.
"Young miss, you woke up? This..."
"Turn the car! We are going back to the hospital."
"But..."
Xie Lan mercilessly interrupted him and with a quiet voice full of confidence said:
"That's an order."
"Yes, young miss."
This time, Lin An didn't even think of arguing back, after hearing it's an order. It was as if she became a general leading an army and he was just a small soldier, who must obey the order.
It wasn't compelling force in her voice anymore, but true dominance.
Lin An seriously looked into the mirror of back vision seeing the young miss sitting there. And indeed, it wasn't a thoughtless girl anymore, but a true master of the family.
"I will save my father!"
'She is not just a pretty face, but a fierce tigress, who will become the greatest leader of the Xie family.' with reignited vigor thought Lin An.
***
A few hours later, Xie Lan finally reached the hospital, but this time she was a different person. Confidently she marched into the lobby and requested for her father to be discharged, expecting no objections.
Although appaled by her wish, both bodyguards still decided to keep their mouths shut. They felt the change in the person leading them and change wasn't small, so they decided to put their trust into her. Trust that she knows what she is doing.
After all, it is possible that she conceived up a plan to save her father, knowing she finished one of the best universities abroad.
After that, the group went up to the ward and upon entering, young miss said:
"Mother!"
"Lan'er? Didn't I tell you to go home?! Why..."
"I know how to save father, but we have no time to waste. Time is short. Men prepare father for trasportation."
"You..."
Elders sitting in the ward were shocked by her statement. She wanted to move a dying person around like some bag.
"Young lady, think about what you are doing. The Patriach is..."
"Quiet!"
Nothing can be said when an ultimate order is given. Everyone present in this room felt as if the very air was pressuring them into submission. True domination.
Xie Lan raised her hand and slowly clenched it into a fist.
"While father is incapable of leading, I am the active master of this clan! My word is the law!"
"Yes, matriarch!"
Under all the pressure and awe from young miss's performance, nobody noticed a new beautiful ring with a masterfully faceted ruby on her middle finger.
***
Somewhere at the top of the Baihua Mountain, a young man was meditating. But suddenly he opened his eyes, smiled and quietly whispered:
"Time is close. Let the plan begin."