I had no idea how the situation could lead to this. My head was hurting so much. The air inside felt prickly, I felt a sudden urge to curl up and shut my eyes. So, I exhaled heavily, took a moment out on the beach to get some fresh air.
Baba took Jie Moshu to the corner side of the restaurant. Although he said he needed a moment with the guy who wanted his daughter's hand in marriage, he must've had a bunch of questions in his head, waiting to unleash them. Looking at Jie Moshu's sophisticated gentleman attitude, I shouldn't be worrying too much. My detective instinct told me that Baba would even come to seek personal questions. How many girls he had dated before? Did he have a stable job, a house, or a car? Or maybe, he would even dig about Jie Moshu's ex-wife—Yuhua.
Yuhua. Huayu. Well, it kind of rhymes.
Speaking of which, did he agree to help me because of her?
That explained everything. Honestly, I would care less about it. I mean, the thing between us wasn't really like we were dating or whatsoever. We only lived under one roof together because of one condition. He knew a cure for my disease. He knew the pain that I felt, and there was a cure for it.
Baba didn't say that I couldn't go swimming anymore nor the doctor. Swimming wasn't only a sport, it was my youth, my sweat, and pain. I didn't want to get my hopes up... too much. Still, I was brimming with anticipation when Jie Moshu prompted the idea. I began to dream again.
Walking along the beach, I spotted a swing. I sat on it and started swinging. I didn't know who built it, but I felt grateful to whoever that person was.
"Arrgghh!" I groaned with a big effort. It felt not enough, maybe one more time. "Arrghhh!"
Ah! That felt much more—"Mama, what are you doing?"
My heart stopped. I nearly fell from the swing. Under the tree, I spun around and found Axiang watching not far from me. He took me by surprise as though I was caught red-handed for venting my feelings all out. He must've picked up my mood swift because he caught my eyes with a confused frown.
"Ha-ha." I tried to laugh it off, as my hand tightened on the swing rope. "Nothing... um... just practice my vocals."
I mean, what could a five-year-old child possibly know.
"What a unique way to do so," he nodded seriously as his eyes gleamed in astonishment. He then followed to groan, or you could say a bellow. Only a moment later, his face started to wrinkle, as if he was in deep thought. He looked up to me, asking innocently, "Mama, my throat hurts. Does it always feel that way?"
Heavens. Do you see it? You see? It was ashamed that Jie Moshu didn't see what had just happened. I would be a bad mother, a very bad example.
"Um... I think that method isn't that good for you, maybe you can try it when you're older enough," I smiled awkwardly. Axiang's inherent pureness was getting a few dings on my conscience, especially after I had taught him something like an inferent "singing lesson".
"But I'm old enough, I'm 500 years old."
... Er... What?
His overconfidence in his speech sounded as loud as a clap of thunder in my head. Suddenly, I felt stupider than I ever had in my entire life. If what we had been a logical conversation, then this supposed to be the other way around. I should've called him "forefather" and he called me "great-granddaughter".
An awkward moment seized us. But it gave me a fair amount of time for studying him up close. With his wavy black hair, pale skin, and dark brown eyes, my mind kept looming on Jie Moshu's, even though he didn't have that glittering crimson red—but more towards greenish-blue. For a moment, I thought he resembled his father.
Axiang cocked his head as if he could read my mind. "You think that Axiang looked like Father, don't you? All the people in Sky Realm said so, too," I thought I read sadness in his dark eyes, "that's why Mama called me Xiang. It was because we just look alike."
Ah, the ex-wife, his mother. Careful not to touch the boy's wounds. I alerted myself.
"Axiang had always fantasized about how you'd looked like, or how you talked. Father always said that one day you'd return. He said that we're going to be a family again." He smiled at me, showing off his little teeth. "Mama, you just don't remember us, do you?"
I pressed my lips. Apparently, it wasn't my place to answer that, especially when I wasn't initially his real mother. What distressed me the most, something I said might break the little boy's heart. This could leave a bad impact on his growth later on. No, no. I couldn't take up the responsibility.
"Well, time can answer that. I'm learning about you, too." I gave him my friendliest smile.
"Really?"
I nodded. The smile on my face was getting a bit stiff.
He flustered, dropped his gaze as he was burying his one foot after another on the sand afraid to look up as if he was afraid to look at me. "Then, Mama... can I... can I hold your hand?"
"Sure, thing." I initiatively held up his hand. It was something as simple as that, the boy's eyes gleamed. He smiled with the biggest, widest smile than I'd ever seen on him.
"Mama, you'll promise never to leave us again, right?"
My chest tightened. Although he was just a little boy— claiming to be a 500 years old forefather—but his gaze was far more matured than what he looked like. Still, it felt really cruel to break his little heart. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. In my heart, I crossed my fingers, "I promise."
"Really? Pinky swear." He took his other empty hand and made the gestures for me to do it with him.
It was surprisingly quiet as I made a pinky swear with our thumbs sealed. The cool breeze blew, the tides brushed back and forth, all while the sun was up high as we made our little-white-lie-promise. A grip of Axiang's little hand made me realize that I'd lost track of time. I wondered if Foodville was filled with customers.
"Okay, let's get back now. Your father must've been worried." I held his hand, as we were about to walk, I stopped and glanced around. Given a moment ago it was still bright noon, but the sunny sky abruptly darkened, turning into pale gray with cloud covered. I cocked my head to the side, the air felt like rain, and muttered out, "It's going to rain."
Axiang shrugged. Unless I was mistaken, it felt like rain, but I could see the denial in Axiang. I noticed his gaze fell blankly on far the beach. As I followed him, my eyes caught a glimpse of a pair of arms extended wildly, pressing down the water surface over and over again. Those movements... I couldn't be wrong, it was calling for help! Someone was drowning!
For a moment, my mind went blank—utterly, completely blank. There was nothing but shock—growing fear. Then, the moment passed, my mind started grinding again, and all I could think about was saving that person.
Axiang's skin was naturally pale, but this seemed paler than usual. I quickly bent over, trying to awkwardly calm him first by patting his shoulders. Immediately, my heart hardened as I wondered how to help that drowning person. I couldn't afford to panic. Not now.
"Get to the restaurant, and find some help," as I spoke, the wind blew stronger and the air became colder. There wasn't much time to waste.
"What about you Mama? Where are you going?" He stared at me, his face pinched in worry.
I could feel his hand growing to hold me even tighter than before, and I shivered all the same. But this was an emergency, we were talking about people's lives at stake. Instead, I plastered with a smile on my face.
"Trust me. I can count on you, right?"
Axiang slowly nodded. Giving one rest-assuring smile, I patted his shoulder once again. I forced my hand to let go of his hand and turned away from him.
I didn't look back as I was running towards the water. My legs halted when I was at the line between sand and water. Fear and unease flickered inside me. But I trust Axiang, he would get help right on time. Gods wouldn't allow that SIPE attacks me in the middle of rescuing, right?
I closed my eyes and breathed—in and out, in and out... The hell with that!
When my brain screaming out for air, I had already found myself jumping into the water.