Love In The Forbidden City (Completed)

Chapter XXV - Ruo Lan's Passing (Revised)

I blinked my tears away as I saw Ruo Lan lying in her bed. All colours were drained away from her face. Her chest rose up and down in an uneven tempo.

She smiled, but the shine in her eyes faltered. "I dreamed of Mother," Ruo Lan said, lying in the silk blanket.

"I dreamed of her too," I replied, forcing a smile. When someone said that they dreamed about someone who had passed away, it meant that they were about to leave the world. I didn't want Ruo Lan to bear the thought that she was dying.  

"You are lying. How would you know it was Mother when you have never seen her before? You were only an infant when Mother passed away."

"Mother isn't prejudiced and she's not supposed to love you more than she loves me. If she appeared in your dream, she can show up in mine too."

She smiled plainly. "Come and sleep next to me."

She looked like an angel when she smiled. I would miss her if she... No, that wouldn't happen.

Ruo Man stretched out her hand, caressing away my woe. "I have a lot of things to tell you."

I climbed up into her bed, and she continued, "Do you still remember the Wall of Northwest?" I nodded. She held my hand and said, "After passing the wall, we will see Beijing. I had never liked going to Beijing because the route was filled with Sparsifolia plants. The yellow flowers had curvy petals and long stamens tipped with knobby anthers, and they always tore my gown. But I could not deny that the wall looked magnificent in Winter."

"And the dates they sell there are horrible. The grapes aren't delicious as well. The skin is too thick, unlike the grapes in our homeland. Hmm, they melt instantly in your mouth like watery chocolate." I closed my eyes, remembering the fragrance of the fruit, but who knew, the stubborn tears that I tried so hard to restrain, fell, spoiling the sweet moment.

Ruo Lan patted the back of my hand. "Ruo Xi, I feel much happier now because I know I will meet Mother and Qing Shan soon." Her voice became weaker.

My eyes grew wider. "Qing Shan? The General?"

"He refused to teach me horse riding initially. He complained that I would never be able to withstand pain. If it wasn't for my status, I could never win my way to be his disciple. I was brought up to be strong and I never wanted to relent to anyone, but I did not know why, whenever I saw him, I could only obey his commands."

"I'm sure he wouldn't tease you so badly, looking at your beautiful face."

"He laughed at my lousy skill every day, but the angrier I became, the happier he was. He said I used to be a woman who followed all the etiquette and that made me look like a puppet. He said I looked like a lively maiden when I got irritated."

I couldn't find any words to reply to her. The anticipation she wore on her face was similar to a woman waiting for the return of her lover from afar. Rising from her bed slowly, she began to dress up, wearing a contented smile that I hadn't seen for years. She put on the attire which she used to wear when we went to watch the horse race. Her steps staggered.

"Sister, why don't you lie down longer?"

She shook her head. After applying lipstick and put on her favourite green Jade dangling earrings, she pointed to a tableful of hair clasps. "Ruo Xi, which do you think is nicer?"

I picked up a green and blue hair clasp. "This complements your earrings."

A wide grin spread on her face. "These earrings were gifted by Qing Shan. I am sure he will be delighted to see me wearing them." She urged me to put the hair clasp in her hair.