FULL MOON ■ M.WX

[ 1. a dozen years ago ]

flashback to 12 years ago

It was a dark and stormy night at the town of Lianhua. This old house was located just outside of the town. The rain splattered hard on the old, tattered roof, and the windows were creaking, the gusting wind against it seeming like the hinges were about to break at any second.

This was the place old Grandma Lu found, and she and her pregnant granddaughter Ning Xixi, and Xixi's former maid and best friend Yingxue were staying for the time being. They were running from the soldiers from the General's House, travelling for more than a hundred miles on foot, finally arriving near Lianhua town.

Just a few days ago, Xixi had given birth to a baby girl.

Xixi was a young woman who looked just barely twenty. She was very skinny, yet strong. She has a terrible illness as she is lying on a hard surface as there was no bed. Yet she still showed hope and determination on her face as Yingxue held her hand, already weeping.

"It is not you who should deserve this..." Yingxue tells Xixi, already in tears. Xixi's sickness had been getting worse to the point she had already started coughing out blood. "You were so good to him... how could he——"

Xixi shook her head. "Either I wasn't good enough," Yingxue shakes her head furiously at this, "or he truly has his hardships."

"All of what he says are just excuses to send you away," Yingxue speaks holding Xixi's other hand. "How could he leave you with an unborn child and just leave... just leave like that?"

Xixi forces a smile, and looked to the right, where her new baby lay, asleep. Then, her gaze went to Grandma Lu.

"I'm so sorry I put you through this danger, to both of you."

Grandma Lu tells Xixi, holding her other hand, tears sliding down her old, wrinkling face.

"Let her have her father's surname," Xixi choked out, with a series of heavy coughs following. "Name her... Yan... Ke... Yan... as in beautiful jade..."

With her daughter's name said, again, Xixi smiles weakly and says, "Take care of her for me, won't you?"

"Of course I will..." Yingxue replied, sniffling.

As the time went by, it became more and more difficult for Xixi's breathing. Finally, she spat out a mouthful of blood, and the sound of her breathing grew softer and softer.

Suddenly, the sound of horse steps and swords could be heard, just outside. Someone pounded hard on the broken door, and it almost gave out.

Yingxue gasped. It was good that the baby did not wake up and start crying.

"Go," Xixi urged.

Yingxue's eyes widened. "What? No! Are you crazy?"

"Open up in there!" A loud voice yelled.

"Go," Xixi repeated. "Who they want is me. Take my daughter, take Yan Yan with you, and go."

"I-"

"Don't hesitate, just go, please."

The knocking came again. "Open the door right now, or we will break in!"

"Grandma?" Yingxue picked up Yan Yan and turned to Grandma Lu, who shook her head.

"I've taken care of her since she was born," Grandma Lu tells Yingxue, still holding Xixi's hand, tears sliding down her old, wrinkling face. "I had watched her grow up. I will stay with her until the end."

Yingxue took one last look at Xixi, and left.

The door slammed open. Yingxue just had enough time to slip through the back door.

Soldiers came in and filled the place. They took Grandma Lu hostage and put a sword on her neck.

"Speak!" the lead soldier said to Xixi. "Where is the child."

"She's gone, you won't be able to find her."

The soldier let out a nasty laugh. "Not the lowly infant you produced. The child. The boy."

"Watch what you speak!" Grandma Lu yelled.

With the sound of a sword, Grandma Lu lay on the floor, dead.

Xixi coughed out another mouthful of blood.

The soldier smirked. "Well?"

"You will never know——" The soldier squeezed her throat.

"I... will not... tell... anyone..." Xixi choked out. "You... will... never... find them..."

Finally, the lead soldier ran out of patience and he snapped her neck. Xixi's dead body fell down onto the floor, next to Grandma Lu's.

"Leader Xia!" another soldier gasped. "We were told to keep her alive!"

Leader Xia scoffed.

"She's not going to give us any more information. What is the point of letting her live? So she could heal from her illness, get help and attack at us?"

With that, the soldiers left the place.