Spring Winds

"Sniff," dabbling her eyes with her tear-soaked handkerchief, Zhu Na Ran could barely see what lay ahead of her as fat drops of water kept pouring out of her eyes.

So much so, that her poor handkerchief could scarcely keep up, only managing to move the water drops on her cheek from place to place.

"Yao Mei, wu wu wu, how could you die like that?! o（ｉAｉ）o

Dying just before avenging Wan Li! (ﾉｎ｀*)

Wahhh! (இAஇ; )

Sniff, sniff," honking into her soaked rag, her sobbing fit continued as the stage curtains closed as the light returned to the room. "This story is so unfair!" (/□＼*)

'How could Wan Li just die in such a cruel manner! And be slaughtered by her own father, no less!

And what was the reason! Whyyyy!? ((o(;△;)o))

And, not only that but why did Yao Mei have to die just seconds before she could avenge Wan Li! (´;A;)

Aiyah Those two girls deserved better than what they went through. They should've been able to be together and grow old with one another!

Not just die in such a tragic manner!' (TT ^ TT)

"Curse the heaven's for separating those two…"

Feeling parched from crying, she reached to take a swig of tea. However, much to her surprise, her hand passed right through the cup!

"What the heck?!" Σ(゜゜)

Her confusion quickly replaced her misery as the food on her table slowly faded away.

"Wahhh!? What is going on!?" ∑('＝';)

As soon as the tea and snacks disappeared, she realised that everything else in the room had returned to its former state of nothingness.

Well, almost everything, as the stage remained in place; the curtains still closed.

'Eh? Is the play still going?

How come the stage is still here?' !?(･_･;?

As if answering her question, the curtains were drawn to reveal a familiar scene.

"Eh? Isn't that the crypt?" (・へ・)?

'That's weird; perhaps this was the exit to leave this place?

Eh, but what if this is a trap?

To keep me in this bizarre dreamworld, forever!?' (Дﾟ≡ﾟДﾟ)

However, it wasn't like she had anywhere else to go. The space around her resumed its blinding blankness, and the stage seemed to be the only exit that she could take.

'I suppose I really have no choice.' Getting up from her seat, she stretched out her sore and tired limbs. As soon as she left her seat, the wooden table and chair vanished in thin air.

Now she really had no choice but to go to the stage.

"Ughhh, I've been sitting down for too long…" (_ _|||)

Nevermind, nevermind.

If this was the only place that she could go, she would go. Plus, she was fairly certain that she could handle herself, or whatever lay on the other side.

'And if something does go wrong, this auntie is fairly certain that Senior Sister would do something about that.'

And if otherwise, then perhaps really was her time to ascend to the next realm. However, she could also imagine that her senior sister would not be too happy about that.

"Heh, if I ever dared to die, I'm sure that Senior Sister would revive me before taking me out herself." (´Ａ｀.

Hopping into the stage, she tried to stick her head through to take a look around.

"It looks like the crypt, but this could just be perfect props.

Oh well!" ╮(╯▽╰)╭

Coming closer to the other side's image, she found its surface wiggled like water; as ripples formed when she touched it.

It was a little cold to the touch, but it gradually became warm.

"Ugh, this feels weird." It didn't quite feel like water as she expected. It was some mixture of a liquid and a solid as it conformed to her hands, yet they weren't wet.

But that being said, she didn't hate it. Perhaps it was the smell of the water as it smelt familiar.

A gentle and comforting fragrance that made her want to drop her guard down.

'Where have I smelt this before?' 「(°ヘ°)

Like a moth drawn to the flame, Zhu Na Ran leaned more into the water, until it consumed her entirely.

—-

"Yawn," snuggling deeper into the squishiness beneath her, Zhu Na Ran couldn't help but feel remarkably refreshed.

'It feels like all my worries and sadness have slid off my back like water on stone.' (*°∀°)=3

After she went through the strange water-like portal, she found herself submerged in a deep and tireless slumber.

For how long, she didn't know, and she was too comfortable to care.

'Ah, what is this material? （*＾＾*)

I should take some back and make a pillow from it.

It's not only soft and squishy, but cool and warm at the same time!' (∗´ v `∗)

Not to mention, it smelt perfect for some reason—a fragrant mixture of lotus flowers and perfumed water.

Perhaps this was a perfumed pillow.

"Ehmm feels good," she sighed as she snuggled her face in deeper. There seemed to be, in fact, two pillows; as she kept sinking in between the crevice of the two.

'Kinda annoying that I need to keep on readjusting my head, but I'm not complaining.' ╮(╯▽╰)╭

As she continued to slumber, she couldn't help but sense that someone else was here with her.

'Hmm, maybe Senior Sister is sleeping nearby?' !?(･_･;?

She tried to use some qi to probe around the small crypt for any other signs of life. However, the only one that she could sense was where she was.

'That's weird… ( ・◇・)?

Why would there be someone under m-

Oh sh*t.' ∑('＝';)

Internally panicking, Zhu Na Ran tried to calm herself down and play it cool.

'If I don't move and just act like I'm still sleeping, then perhaps, Senior Sister won't-'

"Are you going to get off me now," a chilly voice questioned.

Unfortunately for her, she already knew the consequences of her actions whenever her senior sister used that voice on her.

"I'm sorry, Senior Sister!" Quickly removing herself from Ye Lian Hua, Zhu Na Ran kowtowed several times before her senior appease her. Noticing the dark stain on her senior sister's chest, she knew that she wasn't going to get out of this scot-free.

'Wu wu, I truly didn't mean any harm!' (;_;)

"So you know what you did wrong?"

"E-eh…" (T_T)

"So then you know the consequences of such actions, yes?"

"Y-yes…" she pouted as she bowed her head in shame. "T-this junior knows the consequences…

Just… be gentle on the junior… please." Shutting her eyes, she imagines that her senior sister would hit her, since last time this happened. (ﾉｎ｀*)

It wasn't pleasant.

'Anything but the training! No more horse stances and endless sword swings!' ((o(;△;)o))

Plus, she was sure that her senior sister hadn't forgotten her previous offences, and this would only add up to her 'death sentence.' Peeking open one eye, she waited for her senior sister to react in some way.

However, Ye Lian Hua's face remained unchanging as perennial frost before she rose a hand.

'Here it comes.' Turning her face, she braced herself to what was to come. (/□＼*)

However, unexpectedly, all she received a light pinch.

"Eh?" Σ(･o･;)

Grabbing hold of her other cheek, Ye Lian Hua started to pinch her cheek before stretching out her face like dough.

"Ehhh, Senior Sister," Zhu Na Ran whined as her senior sister kept tugging lightly. Her face wasn't made for this!

"You silly girl," letting go of her face, Ye Lian Hua finished off a light flick to her forehead.

"Eh?" Confused, Zhu Na Ran rubbed her sore face; sure that she would get her butt handed to her so after.

However, much to her surprise and delight, her senior didn't go any further than that. "Come on; we can't stay here any longer."

"E-eh, that's it?" Σ(゜゜)

"You want more?"

"N-no, this is good, this is good, hahaha…" (ﾟωﾟ;)

Ye Lian Hua shook her head as she pointed over to the far corner of the crypt. "There's an exit that opened up.

Let's go."

Turning to look, indeed there was. It appeared as if the door had magically appeared in place of a motif that formerly stood there.

'What kind of witchcraft or mechanic is this? Σ(･o･;)

I was fairly certain that I couldn't sense anything change in this room.

Hmm, perhaps I was too distracted by…

Other things…' ( ד○ ד;)

Coughing lightly, Zhu Na Ran tailed after her senior as they walked through the exit, the light at the end of the tunnel slowly coming into view in thin light wisps.

Unknowingly, she found herself reaching for her senior sister's empty hand. Brushing her fingers past the older girl's, she tried to grab hold of Ye Lian Hua's hand.

And surprisingly, her senior sister met the distance.

Ye Lian Hua held her hand without looking back at her as she pulled her along the dark cave in comfortable silence.

Zhu Na Ran expected her senior sister's hand to be cold, but it was surprisingly warm and soft.

Squeezing her senior sister's hand, she felt warmth radiating from the place that connected the two.

Throat growing parched, her neck and ears felt oddly warm as she peeked up to look at her senior sister's back.

And before she knew it, a crescendo of steady beats flooded her ears.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.