Chapter 1
*Wah
*WahWahWah...
"Here she is!"
Father Qin cried to his wife when he saw the nurse carry the baby over to them. The tone from his voice was already enough for everyone to know that they are over the moon to be parents. Before the thought of becoming parents was nothing more than a dream. After being married for thirty years, they have been trying to conceive, but with no luck. So when they heard the news they were beyond happy. Father Qin even went to the temple, and gave ninety-nine bows to every gods and goddesses. In the end he was sent to the hospital because his knees wouldn't stop bleeding.
When the nurse brought their daughter in, she was crying so loud. It was as if she wasn't ready to come out into the world. As for Father Qin and Mother Qin, they were also crying because they could finally see their little girl.
"Qin Lan"
Mother Qin held onto her Qin Lan while Father Qin watched their interaction. The smile on both of their faces, and the affectionation from their eyes was emitting such a beautiful mood that even the nurse could help, but be pulled along.
She has seen many parents, but never saw such couples like this. They were already in their forties. A bit old to be parents. But the love they show for their newborn is no less than those parents younger than them.
Yet, the loving atmosphere was filled with Qin Lan cries. She has been crying non-stop ever since the nurse took her for a small bath.
Mother Qin wiped Qin Lan's eyes, and gently rubbed her soft cheek. " Qin Lan, it's mommy, and daddy."
*Wah Wah Wah
" Qin Lan, daddy, and mommy are here. My sweet girl, don't cry," said Father Qin
*Wah
*Wah Wah Wah
' Qin Lan don't cry, mommy and daddy are here'
'Qin Lan'
Qin Lan stared at the picture of her parents and her that was taken soon after she was born. Time went by so fast that it was already time for her to meet her parents. After living a very fulfilling life filled with love, Qin Lan was more than happy to enter the next life if there is such a thing.
" Mother"
"Hmm?"
Qin Lan slowly looked up to her adopted daughter. Her eyesights has been getting worse day by day and it was hard to see who is who.
"Mother"
" Feng Mien, did you know that mother soothes me for hours before I could stop crying. I was such a fussy baby then, haha."
Qin Lan held the picture closer to her face. She could make out three hazy figures, mom, dad, and her. She gently smooths the picture that was a bit wrinkle up.
" R-read this to me, Feng Mien."
Qin Lan turned the picture to the backside. On the back were some words that were difficult for her to read. She gave the picture to her daughter.
Feng Mien took the picture from her mother and read the back, " Qin Lan, born in the year of the dragon. A beautiful heaven treasure, and a bundle of joy for her parents. Our treasure! Mommy and daddy love you!"
Feng Mien choked a bit from reading. Her eyes tear at the beautiful message. Her mother was truly loved.
Qin Lan listened as she lay on the bed. Her eyes trembled as tears fell. Ah, she really misses her parents. Will her parents be waiting for when her time is up?
"M-mother used to joke around with me about my birthmark. When she first saw it, she thought I had been marked by the gods. A child blessed by the gods and goddesses."
Qin Lan raised her hand for her daughter to hold.
" Mother said that when I meet someone with the same birthmark as me, that person is my soulmate. Haha, Feng Mien can you b-believe t-hat?"
Qin Lan laughed. Her mother sometimes joked with her when she found out about the sun-shaped birthmark on her back. There was never a day gone by that her mother wouldn't ask her if she had found the guy with the same birthmark as her. Everytime her answer was always a no. There's no way she was going to come upon a guy with no shirt on and have the same birthmark as her? And even if there were, the chance of that is impossible!
" Mother, is that why you did not get married? Were you waiting for this person?"
" Haha, n-no. I don't believe in such things."
" Then why mother?"
'Why didn't you fall in love, or get married?'
Qin Lan gave Feng Mien one long look. Her eyes begin to close as she tries to stay awake to get one last look of her daughter. That question that Feng Mien asked, Qin Lan didn't know either. And like she said, she does not believe in something like that. Yet sometimes she would look around in case there really was one who had the same birthmark as her. However, after all these years, and all these time there was no one like that. It's not that she really wants to find that supposed soulmate of hers, but she just wants to humor herself.
But she wouldn't lie if she said she was trying her best to find a boyfriend. It may be due to her mother's remarks about her birthmark that made her loveless or maybe she has never found anyone that she can connect to. And after her parents passed away, her life turned bleak and lifeless. She was very lonely.
"Mother?"
Qin Lan gave a small sighs as she close her eyes, " Thank you"
"Mother!?"
Qin Lan took her last breath. She thanked Feng Mien for giving her a life with purpose. She was able to move past the loneliness and depression because of her. She began her life full of joy and happiness, and even though she fell into a deep hole. At the end of her life she went with a peaceful smile on her face.
'Thank you'
"QIN LAN!"
"QIN LAN"
"QIN LAN!!QIN LAN!!"
Qin Lan heard someone calling her loudly. She slowly opened her eyes, but a bright light made her close them back. ' Am I in heaven?'
Again she opened her eyes this time using her hand to block the light. Qin Lan looked up and saw the blue sky, and the light coming from the sun.
"QIN LAN!"
Qin Lan heard the voice calling her name again. She slowly looked at where she was. Her legs wobbled as she looked with shock. She was laying on top of a mountain cliff. She was so close to the edge that when she saw the long way down the cliff she almost took a dive due to her unsteady body.
'Is heaven supposed to be this dangerous!'
"Qin Lan!"
Qin Lan listened to the voice again. Which was coming closer and closer to her. It sounded to be coming from behind her. Qin Lan turned around, and what she saw made her pale in terror.
Behind her lay a bloody battlefield filled with corpses. Some of which were being scavenged by ravens. There were weapons of all kinds, swords, arrows , spears, and axes that were scattered on the grounds. Some of the corpses were pierced with them while others seemed to be burned. And the pool of blood on the ground was still fresh and flowing down the mountains, and seeping through the ground.
"Hell."
The first thing that came to her was that she didn't die, and went to heaven. But instead was sent to hell.
Qin Lan's whole body shook as she covered herself from throwing up. ' I,I didn't do anything wrong. Why was I sent here!?'
In her whole life she has never hurt, lied, cheated, or stolen from anyone, so why was she sent to such a hellish place! What did she do wrong!
"Qin Lan!"
Qin Lan looked up while still covering her mouth. And not far from where she was standing, she could slowly make out a person riding a horse toward her. She narrowed her eyes and watched as that person came closer. What she saw was a person in armor with a red cloak riding a brown horse. And as the person was making his way toward her, he kept waving his hand hysterically at her as he called her name.
Qin Lan took a step back, but the edge of the cliff stopped her from going any further. She watched with fear as the person calling her came closer.
"Qin Lan, are you hurt anywhere?!" The man who was calling her name got down from his horse and in a hurry ran up to her with fear of his own.
Qin Lan watches the emotion on his face, " Who are you?"
" Qin Lan ah, you forgot about me? Mother said we should remember each other's name and face."
'Mother?'
" Remember each other's faces. Who are you?!"
Qin Lan stared at him. Her face slightly turned away from his intense glare. He was looking at her with such profound relief as if he was over the moon in finding her safe and sound.
" Me? I am your husband! We just got married yesterday. Don't you remember?"
Qin Lan blinked with a blank stare.
" Qin Lan, you don't remember me?"
"Wife?"
With so much going on, Qin Lan feels her head hurt. She continued to give her said husband a blank stare before she passed out with shock.
'WIFE!'