Spring Winds

"Hmm, satisfied?" Huddled together by the burner, Yao Mei and Wan Li watched the fat snowflakes slowly descend from the inky night sky from beyond their tent door.

"Hah, very much so," Wan Li smiled as she leaned up and gave Yao Mei a lazy peck on the lips, her blanket slowly slipping away to reveal her pale flesh. "I feel like I'm dreaming."

"Well, if this really is a dream, I don't want us to wake up," Yao Mei smiled as she pulled the blanket over Wan Li's shoulder and brought her closer to her as if she wanted them to fuse into one being.

"Hah, you jest." Wan Li muttered out softly as her face became covered in a red flush as Yao Mei started to take some liberties with her body. Flashing Yao Mei a half-hearted glare, she poked at the other girl's cheek.

"Naughty."

"I'm not," Yao Mei gave a lazy grin as her hands continued their venture down Wan Li's covered back. "I'm just showing my love language, that's all."

"Hmph," Wan Li scoffed with a small smile, "Sure, sure. Whatever you say, as long as you don't do this to other people."

"Eh, whatever you say, Honey," Yao Mei teasingly whispered into Wan Li's ear.

"Y-you," Wan Li tried to escape this teasing girl as her face brined brighter; however, Yao Mei's grip was too firm. "To think that this is the same girl who was so innocent to love and affection.

For you to become like this…"

"Hmm, well, what can I say. I've tasted the forbidden fruits, and now it's all I want to eat."

"Y-you, you! Shameless!"

"Haha, only for you, Ah Li," Yao Mei teased as she continued with her lascivious 'attacks.' "Only for you."

"Hah, wait," pushing the bawdy woman away, Wan Li's face burned furiously as she tried to regain her composure. "Y-you, you still didn't put on your ring."

"Hmm?"

Reaching over, Wan Li dug around the discarded clothing to find the ring box. Once she did, she opened up the lid.

Taking Yao Mei's hand, she quickly slipped the jade thumb ring into Yao Mei's left thumb. "There," she smiled as she kissed the ring. "Now you're mine."

"Eh," Yao Mei smiled. "I am yours as long as you are mine."

'Sniff,' Zhu Na Ran honked into her handkerchief, 'To think that I would see this day! Sniff, it's a miracle! (/ω＼)

They're finally together!' ᵉʰᵉʰᵉ(*/∇＼⭒)

---

'Ohh nooo, I really don't want to look, but I wanna know what happens!'

Zhu Na Ran slinked into her chair as she peeked through her fingers with squinted eyes as Yao Mei trekked up her usual path to meet Wan Li. （／_＼）

Unknowing of what would happen in the foreseeable future.

"Ahh, I can't watch!" Zhu Na Ran was still really in from what happened, so she couldn't imagine how Yao Mei would react!

She didn't want to see Yao Mei's crushed face after hearing what happened to Wan Li!

'Aiyah, Heaven is too cruel on these two! (`･/A＼･)

What did they do to deserve such a sad end!?' QAQ

"Who are you?" In place of Wan Li was an unfamiliar young man dressed in plain blue clothes. However, even without the fancy decorum, one could see that his robes' material was expensive.

The young man didn't say anything as he turned to face Yao Mei. "I assume you are 'Yao Mei?'"

"...Who's asking," narrowing her eyes, Yao Mei's hands slowly moved to the handle of her concealed dagger. "And who are you?"

"Hah," the young man scoffed at her movements; his solemn and uncaring expression didn't change. There's no need for that. I'm not here to fight; I'm her messenger."

"Her messenger?" A bad feeling started to bubble up in her heart, as her blood started to run cold.

However, she didn't know the reason for such. "Why would you need to tell me something that she could say herself?"

The young man didn't say anything as he looked away, which only worsened the fear in Yao Mei's heart.

Marching over to him, Yao Mei grabbed him by his robes' collar, uncaring of her callous actions.

"Tell me!

Why isn't Ah Li here?

Is she alright?!

Did something happen to Ah Li-"

"She's dead."

---

"So you left without me," Yao Mei said out loud as she held her lover's ring in the palm of her hand. "I can't believe that you would do such a thing without even saying goodbye first.

Honestly." The ring in her palm still felt warm, as if Wan Li had just recently taken off the ring to place it in her palm.

Even that outcome would've been better than just a stranger telling her the news that her Ah Li wasn't coming back.

"I can't believe this. I wouldn't believe that you're gone."

"Wahhh, Yao Mei," dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief, Zhu Na Ran watched with watery eyes as Yao Mei tried to reel in from the news of Wan Li's passing. "You should've told her sooner!"

"I should've told her sooner," Yao Mei muttered as if she heard Zhu Na Ran's words. "Perhaps then I would have more time with her.

Or perhaps, I shouldn't have told her at all. At least then, I would never need to know such pain of finally tasting happiness before losing it.

I would've been satisfied just being by your side and staying your friend."

However, even though Yao Mei said that, deep down, she knew that the thought of staying Wan Li's best friend would've become unbearable.

"Xiao Min," Tian Wu patted Yao Mei back, as he tried to uplift his comrade. "I know that you're in pain. However, with time, it will go away."

"How will this go away, Brother Wu?

It feels like I'm drowning in a sea of sadness, and each time I go up to breathe, I'm crushed by another wave."

"Sigh," sitting down beside Yao Mei, Tian Wu tried to think of words to say that might comfort his bro; however, none came to mind. But he couldn't bear to see Yao Mei look so lifelessly and listless.

It was as if Yao Mei was a broken puppet, dragged continuously from one place to another through the day.

"Well," rubbing Yao Mei's back once more, he tried to think of some wise words. "If you're drowning in this chaotic sea, don't try to swim.

Try to float instead. At least that will give you some time to think."

"Hmm," Yao Mei let out a small smile. A sad one, yet a smile regardless. "That is terrible drowning advice."

"Hah, well, at least you're smiling."

"Yeah, I suppose."

"I don't pretend to know what you are going through, but just know that I'm here for you. All of us are here for you."

"Em, thank you, Brother Wu."

"Eh, anytime."

---

The horns of a battle sounding through the land of broken bodies and weapons as the two warring sides collided head-on.

It's been a few months since Wan Li's passing, and Yao Mei started to gradually move on from her loss. Since then, Yao Mei devoted herself to ending this terrible war and finding out what had happened to her lover.

It turns out, Wan Li's killer was her own father, Wan Yi Gen.

To say that this name was infamous in both nations was an understatement. This man single-handedly raised his family's prestige within one generation from being a humble merchant to the Ming Xiang's leading general.

Many from both sides of the war praised and feared him for his military prowess.

However, under the radiant sparkle of success, there was a sinister man that laid beneath.

A few years ago, the army faced a shortage in provisions as a vicious drought ravaged the nation. Despite this, the emperor stubbornly refused to surrender to the peace agreement that Xiao Qiang proposed.

Instead, he urged the general to continue waging war on the rival nation.

Being the 'good' general that he is, Wan Yi Gen followed his emperor's orders.

However, the provisions' issue was starting to show cracks in his army, as his soldiers began to slowly desert one by one as his troops began to starve.

Soon, Wan Yi Gen was on the verge of losing the battle, army, and power.

Suddenly, a sinister idea came to mind. Since his men couldn't find meat in the forest, he just had to find meat elsewhere.

Gathering up his concubines and concubine-born children, he locked them in cages and slaughtered them.

Grinding their flesh, bone, and meat into a stew, he managed to feed his army, win the battle, and maintain his power.

From that day one, General Wan Yi Gen gained the name of 'Maneating Asura,' as he notoriously fed his soldiers the flesh of their enemies to gain strength for the next blood bath.

With such a cruel man, it was only a matter of time before he could take his blood lust out on someone.

And that unfortunate victim was her beloved Wan Li.

Clutching the two rings that hung from her neck, the warm jade gave Yao Mei some comfort in this cold world as the hatred in her heart started to boil.

"Soon, Ah Li.

I'll be joining you shortly."

"Captain," a foot soldier called out to her as she sat above on her horse. "Where's your armor?

Did you forget to put it on?"

"Hah, no," Yao Mei sighed as she looked across the field as hundreds clashed in a senseless battle for another one's gain. On the other side sat her lover's killer and father. "I'm tired of armor."

"What?"

Yao Mei didn't bother answering the soldier's question as she suddenly charged into the fray!

Kicking and hacking anyone away who got in her path, Yao Mei cut through the army lines and allowed her allies to divide up their rival's formation.

"Captain Yao is leading the way, charge!" With her allies behind her, the enemies were slowly being pushed back.

Soon enough, arrows started to rain down upon them, but even so, Yao Mei pressed forward. Uncaring of the arrows that sunk into her flesh, Yao Mei continued to power through until she was right in front of the accursed General Wan Yi Gen.

Swinging her blade with the last bits of her consciousness, she brought it down upon the general.

'Ah. I missed.'

The scene panned out to show Yao Mei's lifeless body as she died just before she could strike down Wan Yi Gen.

In the 23rd year of Emperor Wei Yang of Xiao Qiang's reign, Division Captain Yao led her troops 70 meters past enemy lines and secured Xiao Qiang's victory.

Division Captain Yao died shortly after.

In the 25th reign of Emperor Wei Yang's rule, the war between Ming Xiang and Xiao Qiang was officially following the peace alliance marriage between Princess Yang Qi of Ming Xiang to Emperor Wei Yang.

Following Yao Mei and Wan Li's wishes, the couple was buried together in a crypt funded by their friends and family.

Born in two blankets and buried in one.