3 The painful memories III

"Young miss, please eat. XI Lao begged you." Xi Lao sobbed.

She felt weak and useless. Her young miss was living like a ghost after that incident. She was bedridden for how long, Xi Lao couldn't remember. However, sometimes, her young miss would be awake. Her eyes opened but it was an empty stare. She was lying on her bed looking aimlessly. Her eyes that once executed the aura of a formidable lady was now replaced by the look of a person who lost all hope.

Liu Heng, why did you leave me? What am I supposed to do? Why must I live on? There's no meaning to be alive without you by my side. Please, take me away with you. This world is too painful. It is a curse to me.

Tears rolled down to her cheek. Upon seeing the sight of her young miss crying, Xi Lao sobbed even more.

"Yu er.." two figures walked in the room. Xi Lao stood up and bowed.

"Mister and madam, please, Xi Lao is afraid. Young miss... she... she... hasn't eaten anything for days. Xi Lao doesn't know what to do."

Mister and Madam Fu comforted the crying attendant. "Xi Lao, please don't cry. We have talked about this before that we must live happily to show. That will encourage the young miss to live again" Madam Fu spoke. She sat at the edge of the bed and held Fu Ya's hand.

"Ya er, how are you, my dear? Oh! mother brought good news, the yellow flower has started blooming. How about watching the rest of them blooms together?" she gently spoke while caressing her daughter's pale face.

"Ya er, how about riding the horse together? You always love riding the horse with father, right?" mister Fu whose standing next to his wife said with a solemn voice.

Xi Lao watched the two leaders of the Fu clan. She felt devastated. She saw this similar scene every day, but her young miss wouldn't show any response. She was awake but that's it... she had changed. For the worst.

After receiving no responses from their one and only daughter, the two married couple looked at each other. Madam Fu couldn't hold her tears and looked away. Her eyes were red as she was trying to hold her tears. Mister Fu who couldn't stand watching his wife crying suddenly felt a tinge of anger.

"Ya er, our Fu clan is in danger. Please wake up. Your brother has died from an assassination. My one and the only successor is you, Ya er. Please. The imperial families also..."

"Stop it!" madam Fu screamed. "Please, don't put more burden on her."

"Then what will happen to us? To the Fu clan? I'm not putting extra burden. It is her responsibility. Do you want your daughter to die? Like what happened to Fu Zheng!?" Mister Fu sternly glanced at his wife. He continued "I am also sad of Ya er's condition, but we'll soon be dead if this continues. We need her to wake up and face the world."

Madam Fu helplessly looked at his husband, unable to refute. She understood the Fu household more than anyone. Now, that those dangers were everywhere, she knew, the Fu clan would soon be gone. Still, she wished that her daughter would know none of this.

"Xi Lao, please continue looking after Ya er." The married couple walked out of the room hesitantly. Xi Lao nodded but worries were planted in her heart. The conversation she heard just now was shocking news. For an unknown time, she stood there when suddenly "Xi Lao, wa..wat..waterr" a weak voice.

Xi Lao was startled. "Young..young miss. You are awake." Xi Lao cried and jumped to reach her young miss's hands to help her up. She immediately poured the water to a cup and held them close to her young miss lips.

"Xi Lao help me up. Something has happened outside." Fu Ya tried to climb down from her bed, but her weak body couldn't support her. Xi Lao, although confused by her young miss remark, rushed to help.

"Young miss, slowly, slowly," she said, happiness could be detected from her gentle voice. As they reached the door, a bang sound was heard and the door was opened wide. A guard rushed inside.

"young... young miss... you are awake." The guard stuttered, his eyes were wide opened as if seeing a ghost. "You! What happened? Barging in just like that. Do you want to be punished!" Xi Lao sternly reprimanded the guard.

"No! I'm here to bring the young miss away. We need to run, there are many assassins in the residence now." The guard urgently explained and turned around ready to guard the young miss against unknown danger.

Xi Lao was panicking. She looked at her young miss by her side however, she was nowhere to be found. "No! young miss... don't' go there!" Xi Lao screamed and chased her young miss who was running towards the main hall of the Fu clan. The guard chased after them while cursing in his heart at his stupidity to let the young miss ran just like that.

Fu Ya ran and ran but she felt her body weakened. From the distance she saw people fighting, Her father and mother were battling against the massive attacks from the intruders. "Mother! Father!" Fu Ya screamed, however, an intruder noticed her presence and swiftly change his discourse to attack her. Fu Ya watched as the intruder rushed to her with killing intent. The pointed area of his sword was aiming at her chest. In the nick of time, she managed to dodge it causing the sword to miss and slashed her left shoulder. Blood was dripping. Fu Ya's weakened body was now unable to counter any more attacks. Madam Fu was running to her aid but failed to stop the intruder from injuring her daughter.

"You dare!" she screamed and pointed the sword to the neck of the intruder. Soon, the intruder's head was rolling on the ground.

"Ya er, Ya er, my daughter. Why are you here?!" Madam Fu hugged her daughter. The guard encircled them to prevent the intruder from attacking.

"Mother... sorry... sorry." Fu Ya cried and cried. She felt disappointed. She was stupid to awake only when danger was truly knocking the Fu's door.

"Madam, young miss suddenly woke up and urged Xi Lao to bring her outside." Xi Lao who was breathing hard explained. She blamed herself for her inability to properly care for her young miss. "Stop dallying! We need to escape! Let's go!" Mister Fu interrupted them as he lifted her daughter and urged madam Fu and Xi Lao to follow suit. Madam Fu nodded and instructed the guard to cover for them. However, not long after leaving the Fu residence, they were stopped by a chariot. A man slowly stepped down from the chariot.

"Now, now... The Fu, last man standing." The sinister voice came from the man who was now standing on the ground. Mister Fu's face was red as he saw the person standing a few meters ahead. That was the enemy of the Fu clan.

"Prince Bai, please let us go." Mister Fu said as he stepped forward shielding her wife and her daughter.

"Let you go? Why should I? everyone knew your clan' evil deeds. Oh...well, well, well...look who's here. The awaken young miss Fu... hmm... now, isn't it a waste to just let you go? Well, how about this. Give me your daughter and I'll let the rest of you go. It's a fair deal right?" Prince Bai was playing with his bow as he spoke. Fu Ya forced herself to stand. She recognized the man's voice,

"Prince Bai, why are you stopping us? Our Fu clan was raided by assassins. Please, help us to..." she tried to finish her sentence, but an arrow flew out and stabbed her chest. She screamed as the red blood dripped from both her chest and her mouth. "Fu Ya!" Madam Fu screamed. She rushed forward to kill the man shooting the arrow. Mister Fu tried to stop his wife but he was too late. Her wife was the next victim of the shooting arrow.

"Mother!" Fu Ya screamed. Her eyes in agony.

"Prince Bai, you...you killed my wife. I'll kill you!" Mister Fu went berserk. He ran amok and aimlessly swing his sword. His chaos mind impeded his sword ability.

"Prince Bai, you evil creature! I must kill you today!" He screamed.

Prince Bai laughed eerily. "Kill me? Were you able to?"

with a sidestep, the man was able to avoid the chaotic swordplay from Mister Fu. His movement was swift, soon, mister Fu exhausted himself. Prince Bai took that opportunity to strike a fatal blow to his chest.

"Fa...Father!" Fu Ya screamed. She was stunned and shocked by everything that had happened. She crawled trying to reach both his parents. She looked around, Xi Lao and all the guards were now dead. She was alone. Truly alone. Exhausting all her energy, she crawled forward but a tall figure was blocking her way. She looked up and a look of disgust appeared on her face.

"Fu Ya, the one who instigated the death of Prince of Dai will now be executed." Fu Ya, who tried to reach to her parents, stopped midway. Instigated... death... Prince... Liu Heng.

"What... what are you saying?"

"Humph... feigning ignorance would not free you from your crime. You killed my brother and I am here to execute the punishment. Die!" Fu Ya definitely heard the last sentence. She froze.

"No... I..." she tried to refute but a surge of pain churning in her stomach. A knife was stabbed to her stomach. She coughed and blood sprayed out from her mouth. Liu Heng, I did not... it wasn't me. She closed her eyes.

Suddenly, a familiar hand cupped her chin. She opened her eyes. She blinked, unable to stand the shock, she whispered "Liu...Liu Heng? You are alive? How?" the man cupping her chin was the man who caused her great grievance. The man he loved. The man who promised to marry her. The man called Liu Heng.

"Ya er, I'm really sorry. I'm not dead yet. You see, I fake my death because that's what the emperor wanted. The Fu clan is rising in power. Well, the imperial families are afraid that the Fu clan will usurp the throne. That's why we made a plan to send the Fus to their downfall." The man laughed as he forcefully smacked Fu Ya's face to the ground. Then, he stood up and send a kick to her rib cage. She coughed more blood.

Despite the pain, she gathered her energy to speak "Liu Heng, I loved you and this is what you give me? Why? Why? You knew I would do anything for you."

Feeling disgusted, Prince Bai who was watching rebutted "Hey woman, stopped dreaming! My brother never loved you. What nonsense!" He delivered another kick directly hitting Fu Ya's face. Due to that, Fu Ya was barely able to breathe.

Chuckling, Liu Heng said "I appreciate your kind loving heart but honestly, I hated the fact that you are much better than me in many aspects. Hahaha... now that I can get rid of you. I was truly happy. Fu Ya, please don't blame me. You deserved this. Now, please die peacefully." As he finished his sentences, he swung his sword and stabbed her already wounded chest. The strike opened a hole in Fu Ya's chest. Deep regret and hatred appeared in her eyes.

"Liu Heng, in my next life. I...I will kill you." And with that, she breathed her last breath.