Once Upon A Star

Yuan Xing was playing GO against Elder Rong in the early morning, who had forced her to come to accompany him on the accounts that he was 'bored'. Seeing that she had nothing to do anyway, she went along with it. So far, it was a 50-50 score, with Elder Rong in the lead.

"Damn brat! You've gotten a bit better from last time…" Elder Rong's loud voice could be heard across the hall.

"Why thank yo--" Yuan Xing began to say.

"Shame you can't beat me though. HAHAHA," he cackled, face filled with smugness. Yuan Xing's lips twitched. Was he really an elder? People always said that Yuan Xing had a poisonous tongue, but no one realized that Elder Rong was just as savage.

Forget it, there were more important matters to attend to. Yuan Xing placed a black stone onto the board and paused. "Gramps, have you ever met…her?"

For a moment, silence filled the room. She hesitated to ask this question because, for one, she never spoke of the woman who gave life to her. Nor did anyone else for that matter. It seemed profane to speak of her. Yuan Xing was reminded of her this morning. Her dream always began with a woman who would hum a lovely tune. Her scent was that of morning dew and fresh jasmine, she would recognize that familiar scent anywhere. It was the scent of a mother.

Elder Rong eyes glazed and it was obvious he was not here but consumed with a past memory. "She was strong. In here," he pointed to his c.h.e.s.t, "just like you. She had so much spirit, and her eyes, the same green eyes that you now seem to have, were open to everything; pain, hatred, love. She didn't shy away from it."

The old lines of his face softened into a melancholic state, "She once said that the life we live now is a pandora box. Everyone has a pandora box, full of our hopes and despairs. We reap what we sow, make bad decisions, mistakes that seem never-ending, over and over, beat ourselves over it, but at the end of the day, there's hope for a better tomorrow, which is why, despite how bad things get, we still choose to live. Regardless of the consequences and how badly you wished you could undo the things you've done; we still need the rain to get a rainbow. You still need to open the box to have that hope, because true happiness is borne of suffering. Your mother understood that more clearly than anyone. Which is why…why…"

"…she did the things she did, I know Gramps. Thanks anyway."

Elder Rong nodded his head. He looked her with an unreadable gleam in his eyes. "Are you still searching for her?"

Yuan Xing pursed her lips. Elder Rong sighed and looked away. "You know there hasn't been any information regarding your mother for 19 years now. Even with all my military connections, I haven't been able to find anything, much less you. But even so, you won't give up?"

She clenched her fists. 19 years. The woman who had given birth to her suddenly disappeared, as if she never existed to begin with. For 19 years there has not been a single clue to trace anything back to her. All for except a name and that's not much to go by. There were countless possibilities to what might've happened but only three were the most logical, the first being that she may have lost her memories, the second being the hardest and my least preferred option....that was she was no longer here. Yuan Xing refused to acknowledge the possibility that her mother might be dead too.

The third possibility was the most likely. Someone must have erased her existence. A powerful someone who had connections to my mother and did not want to let anyone know where she was. If this was true, then whoever this person was is probably related to my mother in some way. However, this makes the search all the more difficult. To be able to destroy any evidence linking to my mother…that person must be at the top of the food chain. What Yuan Xing was more concerned about was the reason why they hid her mother but alas, there was no way of knowing if their intentions were good or not.

Yuan Xing bit her lips and looked determined. "I'll find her, no matter where she is."

Elder Rong hmmed. Before he could respond, someone knocked on the door. "Grandfather, it's me, Yuan Xue."

"HAHA, Yuan Xue, come in, come in! What does this grandson of mine need today?"

Yuan Xue entered the room. He shook his head and smiled dotingly at Yuan Xing, "Little Xing, where have you been? Big brother hasn't seen you in the last few days. Big Brother will worry if he doesn't see his favorite little sister." His handsome countenance revealed a sad expression.

"Brat! What about ME?! Did you forget about your frail Grandfather?! You unfilial grandson! Leave! I suddenly feel sick and don't want to see anyone!" Elder Rong's roar was part petulance and part peeved.

"Alright then, I'll see you later. Little Xing, come with Big Brother."

Elder Rong's face turned red, "You…! Youngsters these days have no respect."

"Gramps, I'll be leaving now with Brother Xue." Yuan Xing turned around to leave in case he decided to turn on her next. An Elder Rong that was in a surly mood was like a child having a tantrum.