Chow Yi Nuo stared at the night sky for sometime. Memories of her previous life were flooding into her mind like how the water crashes into seaside. She simply could not forget the little sweet moments between her and her sister. Why couldn't her sister come with her? Why was fate so cruel towards her? And slowly, a stream of tears started flowing freely on her rosy cheeks. She gasped for air for a while and tried to control herself. But then she caved in. She squatted down with her head facing down and started to cry her eyes out silently. And after sometime, she wiped her face using her handkerchief and stood up. She was ready to face all her fears. Chow Yi Nuo then finally went back to her room together with Zhi Meng Yao. She prepared herself and afterwards retired to sleep.
.........
It was morning, Chow Yi Nuo was woken up by a lively chatter of birds in the trees surrounding Zhong Kexin's abode and by the intermittent crowing of roosters. What a contrast to what she was used to in Yang Hui town. She was always woken up by a rowdy clatter that assailed her ears at dawn: what with drivsrs hooting and reviving their engines noisily, touts shouting themselves hoarse while incessantly banging the body-works of their vehicles. For the first time in her life, she experienced a rare atmosphere of tranquility and serenity she had never known to exist.
Chow Yi Nuo got out of her bed and sleepily dragged herself to the window. When she opened it, bright morning sunlight suddenly flooded the room. A cool fresh breeze swept in and caressed her face soothingly. From a distant, she could hear a bustle of activity within the abode. She could also hear the mooing of the cattle and bleating of sheep not far from Zhong Kexin's abode. But what captivated her the most was the cool natural environment that was created by giant trees that grew in the yards.
Wondering what could have entranced her Miss so much that she kept gazing unblinkingly at a spot outside the house, Zhi Meng Yao too stealthily entered the room and joined her Miss at the window. Standing behind her Miss, Zhi Meng Yao too started staring at the outside world wondering what Zhong Kexin was staring at. Zhong Kexin noticed the features in the front yard that she had not noticed before. The gazebo and the flowers and weeds growing around it. Between the houses stood smaller buildings that were overshadowed by massive yellow trunked acacia trees. Interspersed were olive green hard wood trees whose fragrant foliage filled the air with their aromatic scent. Flights of birds flashed between the trees and the air was alive with their constant motion and cheerful calls.
As Zhong Kexin stared unwaveringly at the environment, a woman's voice called from an adjacent room. "Come out and have your breakfast together in Zhong Guiying's abode." It was Madam Liu's voice. Chow Yi Nuo immediately got back to her senses and as she was about to turn around, her eyes almost popped out of their sockets, she had not noticed that Zhi Meng Yao had been standing behind her all of that time. She almost fell due to the shock but managed to support herself before she actually did.
"You scared the hell out of me. Why didn't you make any noise?" Chow Yi Nuo asked Zhi Meng Yao as she patted her chest.
"Why should I?" Zhi Meng Yao asked seeming confused. Since her Miss was enjoying the peacefulness of the environment, making unnecessary noise is like distracting her.