CHAPTER 2
Xiao Xu:
The image of a youthful girl dancing at the banks of a river cascaded my mind. She was embellished with a golden hair pin that looked so elegant against her long, and gleaming dark hair. Her body was covered with a passionate red hanfu dress, embroidered with threads of flowers. As her hand moved, so did the red scarfs. The see through fabric exposed her soft abdomen. The contrast of the red against her pale skin made her more desirable. There was a special forehead marking (huadian) which had the pattern of a lotus, painted on the girl's face that radiated the entire atmosphere. What was I thinking just now? While crossing the bridge to the Buddhist temple I had a strange vision that I could not have explained.
Ling hun:
As I pleaded for pity, the boy, wearing a black silk mask to not reveal his face, mercilessly stabbed my forehead with his sharpened sword. The pink lotus patterned forehead marking (huadian) was stained with my dark red blood. He left me to die at the side of what seemed like a river. Was I day dreaming just now? What was that morbid thought I experienced? The strangest thing is that the girl looked exactly like me and her forehead marking resembled the birthmark I have on my forehead. The birthmark represents how someone died in their last life. Was that thought a vision of how I died in the past?
Crossing the bridge to the Buddhist temple, it began to rain. The crystalline rain drops dropped in the pond's water, creating a ripple effect. The piebald koi fishes with colors ranging from red, orange and black painted a hopeful future. My mind was too occupied with that dark thought to even acknowledge I was drenched. It is said that the rain is a sign of heaven's cry. If even heaven has troubled times then why us mortals try to be perfect?
I managed to retrieve my mind, as I looked behind me, there stood a boy. His white shirt was fully soaked, it wrapped around his toned and lean body as if it was another layer of his skin. His black strands of hair sparkled with the diamonds of the rain and his face was somewhat angelic. I felt like I was gravitating towards him.
Xiao Xu:
The rain started to subside itself. I entered the golden threshold of the temple. The smell of incense pervaded the air. The sound of tuning bowls awakened my mind from that vision I had. I sat down and I sincerely prayed. " I Xiao Xu Sai, a 21 year old boy, has lost both of his parents. I have an unforeseen and dim future ahead. I struggle with frugal needs such as finding a proper home. I have this empty feeling lingering inside of me. Sometimes I feel I am just existing but there is no purpose to me."
I bowed to the statue of Buddha and I exited the temple.
Ling hun:
I entered the temple that was filled with sweet aromas and the reverberating noises of tuning bowls and prayed with all my heart. "I Ling hun Hong, an 18 year old girl, is alone. I am forced to have a certain beauty standard in order to secure my job. I agree, I could have anything I want. I am wealthy, I have a "hot" boyfriend, and I have millions of people cheering my name. None of these things can conquer the feeling of emptiness inside of me. I am yearning to find what is missing in my life. I am willing to do whatever it takes to find it."