Green City was called a city, but it was really a village. About fifty small houses stood together, home to around 250 or 300 people. Tall trees and mountains surrounded the village, blocking the sunlight in the morning. The dim light made it hard to see, but the people still woke up early and started their work.

In one of the houses, Ye Kai opened his eyes. He rubbed them and sat up in his big bed, large enough for three people to sleep in. He looked beside him and saw an empty space, but the sheets were wrinkled. Someone had been there. He smiled, got out of bed, and walked to the bathroom.

"I overslept today," Ye Kai said as he took a shower. After drying off, he picked out a black shirt and jeans. He put them on and looked in the mirror. The shirt was loose on his skinny body—too skinny. Since he was born, his body had been weak. The doctor told him he wouldn't live long, probably dying around 23. Now, at 20 years old, he had maybe one or two years left. He wanted to live those years happily.

He brushed his hair, frowning. "Why does it grow so fast? It takes all my body's strength." His hair reached his chin in the front and covered his ears. Every month he cut it short, almost bald, but it always grew back quickly. In the mirror, he saw his average face—black eyes, black hair, and a thin frame that made him look bad. "No girl will ever like me," he sighed.

Then he heard the door open. He turned around. A woman walked in. She was good-looking—not the most beautiful, but to Ye Kai, she was perfect. Her black hair fell down her back, and her black eyes were warm. Some wrinkles near her eyes showed she was older, past her thirties. She wore a tight blue dress that showed her slim figure and full chest. Her pink lips looked soft.

"Kai'er, breakfast is ready. Let's go downstairs," she said with a gentle smile. Her name was Ye Nuan, Ye Kai's mother. She was 37 years old and always kind to him.

"Okay, Mother," Ye Kai said, smiling back.

He loved his mother—not just as a mother, but as a woman too. His weak body kept him inside most of the time. He didn't have friends, and he couldn't become a Martial Artist like his father wanted. Because of that, his father and half-brothers ignored him. He hadn't seen his father in ten years. Sometimes his half-brothers made fun of him, but he didn't care.

In his big family, only his mother and little sister cared about him. His five half-sisters, other stepmothers, and sister-in-law were nice sometimes, but he wasn't close to them. His father had a harem full of beautiful women and talented sons, so he didn't bother with Ye Kai or his mother anymore.

Ye Kai only cared about today. He planned to spend it with his mother and little sister. They lived together in a small house, just the three of them. They ate together and slept together in the big bed. It started when his sister was born. Ye Kai was 6 then, and the family learned his weak body couldn't be fixed. His father got upset with his mother, not him, though Ye Kai didn't know why. Then his mother had a girl, and his father got even angrier. In this kingdom, girls couldn't be Martial Artists. They were seen as useless, only good for marriage to help the family.

After his sister's birth, his father stopped talking to his mother. She moved out of the main house with Ye Kai and the baby. Since then, she spent all her time with them. Ye Kai noticed how much she loved him and his sister. She'd do anything to make them happy.

Sometimes, he thought about her in a different way. He was 16 when he first felt it—something more than a son should feel. One night, he saw her touching herself, saying his name. He knew she felt something too. After his sister was born, she never slept with his father again. Ye Kai thought maybe he had a chance with her. Today, he wanted to stay close to her and see what happened.

"Come on, Kai'er," Ye Nuan said, still smiling. She turned and walked out. Ye Kai followed her downstairs, ready to start the day with the two people he loved most.