Little Lotus

Huai Li Qi travelled with her mother through the market's streets. Everything was calm until a wagon suddenly rushed up to them, managing to seperate them. They managed to escape each other's sights while her mother grew worried losing sight of her daughter.

Lost and afraid, Huai Li Qi led herself into an alleyway knowing that she was vulnerable. Close to crying, but she still held her wooden sword and flute close to herself. Despite being a fearful eight-year-old, she bravely crept along the alley even though her mind was an adults. Her small body gave a disadvantage if she were in danger. Just as she was about to run back out, she was pulled back. The culprit managed to cover her mouth.

"Don't do anything or else I'll kill you," came the voice of a young teen boy. She then saw the other men in the alley running off towards another direction.

When he released her, she turned around to look at him. He was wearing black clothes and a mask -- covering everything but his bright red eyes. Taking another overall look at him, she confirmed that he was indeed quite young, and she also noticed him clutching a wound on his side. Getting closer to examine it, she noticed it was bleeding lightly, so she opened her bag to retrieve some medicine. After pulling out a small bottle of medicinal powder, she removed his hand, and sprinkled some onto his wound.

"Why are you helping me? You don't even know me," he spoke. Looking up into his eyes, she came to the conclusion that she only helped him because she didn't want to leave the boy wounded. He also seemed to be a bit familiar. When she went back to examine his wound again, she held her bangs to the side-- revealing her mismatched eyes.

"Your eyes. . . What is your name," he questioned. She smiled, but remained focused on her task of making sure enough medicine was applied onto his wound. She opened his palm so that she could give him the medicine bottle. After that, she pointed to her throat and mouth, letting out a little croak of a voice. This was so that he knew she couldn't speak.

She reached into her bag, and pulled out a cloth that had a Lotus stitched upon it. She pointed to it and then herself before handing him the cloth as a gift. This was so he knew what he could call her by the symbol. He reached out to pet her head, looking at her. "Little Lotus, I would ask how you lost your voice, but that would probably be best to explain at a later time," he said. They both then heard her name being called.

"Li Qi! Where are you?!" Her mother yelled out. Huai Li Qi looked down the alleyway to see her mother. She got up quickly, and waved a small goodbye to the boy. She ran over to her mother, who hugged her tightly upon seeing that it was really her. "Don't just run off somewhere! Mother was so worried!" Her mother cried and pulled Huai Li Qi tighter to her. "Mother cannot lose you," her mother said concerningly.

She pulled away slightly from her mother, and held the flute up to her lips -- seeing as this was the only way she could "talk" to her. She played a happy tune, and a big smile appeared on her mother's face. ‘Glad that I watched enough musicians from afar in my old life.’ Huai Li Qi felt quite grateful for that.

"Mother is so happy that she can understand you with your flute. Next time play the flute so that mother can find you," her mother told her. She nodded in response. "Let's go," her mother beckoned, and she grabbed her by the hand to lead her away. She took one last look into the alley to see the boy, of whom was still watching her.

As she walked off, the boy smiled. Saying her name in a low voice, he spoke "Li Qi, I will remember you."

After leaving the marketing village, they travelled for a few more days until they came across another small village. They thought that the village looked suitable, and decided to stay there permanently.

"Li Qi, we're going to stay here from now on. We've travelled far enough away now to find a suitable home," her mother said. Nodding to her in response, they searched through the village for an abandoned home in which they could stay.

After finding a small, run-down place, they started cleaning it and getting the place settled. It took an entire week to get it ready to live in. To make a living, her mother used her creativity to start a small business where she made fine jewelry. Huai Li Qi helped her mother by finding some gold and other materials in the local mining caves nearby. Huai Li Qi enjoyed this time that she spent with her mother.

One day, while her mother and her were walking through the market streets in the village, she met a young boy with common black hair and black colored eyes.

"What's your name," he asked her. She could only smile as her mother spoke up.

"My daughter's name is Li Qi. She is a mute, so please excuse her for not saying anything. What is your name little boy?"

"My name is Hua Jun Jie. My father and mother are the ones managing this village," he said.

(Hua Jun Jie- The village chief's son)

"Well then Jun Jie, I hope that in the future you get along with my Li Qi," her mother said. However, she definitely didn't have any intentions of letting the boy marry her daughter in the future seeing as though she got an odd feeling from looking at him.

He reached out to shake Huai Li Qi's hand and smiled at her. She only smiled back and nodded. A girl then walked up from behind him. "Jun Jie! You promised that we would play together today," the girl yelled at him. She then turned to see Huai Li Qi. "Who are you," she questioned.

"Her name is Li Qi. She is the jewelry designer's daughter," Jun Jie told the girl who was smiling at Huai Li Qi.

"I'm Xu Lin. I'm the famous physician's daughter. It's nice to meet you," she said to them. Huai Li Qi's mother looked down at the little girl called Xu Lin. She noticed that the little girl was rather possessive of Hua Jun Jie. Knowing that the little girl would be a jealous type in the future, she didn't want her daughter to get in between the two of them.

(Xu Lin- Physician's daughter)

"If you'd like, you may both have these couple of jades that I made. They are worth about five silvers. These are free gifts from me," her mother told them. Her mother handed them the pebble jades, and both smiled up at her. After seeing them leaving, Huai Li Qi and her mother waved them both goodbye.

After Huai Li Qi and her mother headed back home, they proceeded to make jewelry of all sorts from the materials they had found. Her mother called out to her, "Li Qi, don't fall for that boy."