Xie Yuansheng had been getting weird dreams lately. All his dreams were so jumbled up that he didn"t know what was right or what was wrong. He used to find himself chasing a three-year-old girl, Yini all the time. She was so naughty that she would trample the mud castles that he used to build all the time because he wouldn"t pay attention to her. "Shengu, you are bad!" After ruining the mud castles, she would run away and he would chase her to scold her.
Sometimes she would just fall in mud and dirty her dresses. He would give her a bath and make her wear fresh dress. One day, she gave him her hand to hold and as soon as he curled his hand around hers, she pulled her hand away whispering we will continue this later. He ran after her to find her. He shouted her name but she disappeared in the fog that surrounded him always.
He wanted to get out of that fog so much that he would run towards it but after sometime, he would get scared and run back to his safe haven, a quiet and dark place to slumber. He missed Yini. He would shout her name. She would come to him and he used to cuddle her. Who was that little baby? Was that his daughter? He loved her. He loved her beyond words. He could do anything for her. So that day when she pulled her hand away from him, he ran after her to catch her. He ran fast even if it meant running through the fog. He wanted to follow her wherever she went. He had to follow her.
"Yini!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Come back!" He ran with sweat running down his spine out of fear in that fog. "There is no one else other than you. Please come back. I am a good cook and I will make good dishes for you baby." His forehead was sweaty and his breath was short now. He chased her through the fog, determined to go beyond it this time, and suddenly his eyes opened! He was panting and was thirsty. Where was Yini? Where was he? He turned his face around in the darkness. He felt someone beside him, a woman. He looked at her and couldn"t see her face properly in the night. Who was she and why was she sleeping with him? Distancing himself from her, he removed his blanket quietly and tried to stand up.
Why was he finding it so difficult to stand? Slowly he got up and walked to the table where water was kept. He drank a gla.s.s and then walked towards the exit, holding the wall to balance himself. When he opened the door, he found many men outside. They all looked at him as if they had seen a ghost. He ignored their stares and started to walk slowly outside that place to find his Yini. Gradually he made his way to the garden of the hospital with the help of two kind men who volunteered to help him.
The dark outside was lit with a million stars and as he walked through the garden, he looked above, mesmerized by them. His Yini was just like them, a beautiful, bright, s.h.i.+ny star. He had to find her…
As he was thinking about her, he felt a warm hug from behind. Though he loved the feel of it, he removed those dainty hands and turned to look at the woman who had the courage to hug a stranger like this. He looked at her as she stared at him intently. What was it with people staring at him?
"Xie Yuansheng, you are awake!" she said.
He couldn"t understand who she was referring to. He was Shengu. "I am Shengu," he clarified.
The lady in front of his stared at him for a long time as if she had seen a ghost. He mustered the courage to ask her, "Who are you?" But she continued to stare without answering. "I am sorry, but who are you?" he asked again after a short pause.
The lady was crying and he felt like wiping her tears. Why?
She wiped her tears much to his relief and said, "I am Feng Xinying. Nice to meet you Shengu," she replied, as she extended her hand to shake with his.
"Why are you out in the garden at this time, Shengu?" she asked tenderly with a sweet smile on her rosy lips. She was beautiful.
"I have come to find someone, Miss," he replied. Though she was lovely, his Yini was better.
She took out her shawl and made him wear it. Why was she taking so much care of him? "Why are you coming after me?" he asked.
"Oh! I thought that you are Xie Yuansheng. He is my husband," she replied.
He felt sorry for her. She missed her husband so much and perhaps she thought he was her husband. He chuckled inside at his charm. He nodded.
"Whom are you finding?" she asked.
He could see her skin getting lined with goose b.u.mps in the chill of the night. She was standing in a thin muslin nightdress. He opened the shawl that she gave him and made her wear it. He looked at her pet.i.te face and said, "I have come to find a small three-year old girl, Yini. She just ran away from me…"
He noticed that the expressions of Feng Xinying"s face became softer as she clutched the shawl. Mesmerized by her, he felt like stroking those cheeks. What was wrong with him? He smacked himself out of that.
Feng Xinying smiled beatifically and said, "Let"s go inside and talk about it. I have a lot of people who can help you find her."
He found it unbelievable. Why would this lady help him?
As if she had read his mind, she said, "Well, the truth is that it seems that a lot of people were after your life. You were shot at and currently you are under my protection. So don"t worry, come inside and I will explain to you all the details."
"Shot at? Why? I am a simple chef. I am Chef Shengu! Why would anyone want to kill me?" he lamented feeling utterly confused. There was so much information to process that he panicked.