Beautiful sceneries

 Heyaa,I decided to show you some scenic pictures I took during vacationnn!

Nan Jing Road , Shang Hai

Sunlight upon maple trees in  Hang Zhou

The sunnn

An old tree near Ling Yin Temple, Hang Zhou

More of these trees

Rock carved Buddha statues

Ancient living room in Li Fu,Tian Tai

 Hallways

More trees

This. Lonely. Bench

Ling Yin Temple

Threads of Jades

Prologue

One gold , two feathers...
Three destinies bound
Dragon and phoenix side by side
What is behind the dark shadows?
Never let go of the our grasps
 The curtain of fate wheel has arisen...
 
Yuan Residence

"So you are telling me this silly dragon-shaped jade of mine has a pair... And whoever is holding it right now is going to be my wife?"
A young man was sipping his cup of tea,looking all annoyed. His carbon black eyes and long hair staring so deeply at his fair and beautiful mother.
"Silly?",his mother muttered softly."That is a proof of promise. An old inn owner saved your dad's life and we are indebted to him forever. It is only fair to give his daughter a marriage to you,my son"
"So the old man fell to the cliff an another old man saved him,then I have to marry his daughter? Great ,that makes so much sense!",he grunted while slowly leaning back onto his wooden chair.
"Feng Er, you are an adult now.Almost twenty ! Time to act like an adult, I shall hear no objections!",with that last statement ,she stood up gracefully and signalled the servants to escort her out.
Xie Feng could only chuckle in irony , his mother had never changed. Graceful yet powerful , no man could ever object to her. He stared at the dragon jade on his palm , which girl is so lucky to be the wife of an only son of a grand palace minister just because his dad saved that minister's life?

Guan Inn

"I DO NOT WANT TO!".
Vases shattered , it was a riot. Inn workers were all running back and forth cleaning up the mess , some trying to calm the lady and some calling for help.
A young man with his hair tied as a bun rushed into the room,"WHAT is the meaning of this?!".
There he saw a young woman, her hair and clothes in a mess, her room even more of a mess...It was...a chaos. Her pretty face stained with tears and her eyes full of anger.
"Brother!",she shouted,"What is the meaning of this?!"
The man confused , he averted his gaze to his mother who was sitting nearby ,looking all powerless. Her black long hair not even tied and she looked so exhausted,"I have given up trying to talk to Xiao Yue... You go talk to her".
".....Xiau Yu--"
"I do not want to marry so soon! I am only fifteen! And just because of a jade?!"
"Sister,listen to me... This arrangement has been made when you were a tiny lass of five. Our father saved Minister Yuan ,so he gracefully rewarded our family with this marriage"
"He could have given us land or gold!"
"...But his life worths more than that ,so he decided to give you his son and his granchildren"
"Grandchildren...UUURGHHH. I am not ready! This is so unfair!!!!"
Her mother slowly stood and held her hands,
"Your father's last wishes was to see you marry a fine man, dear..."
Yue grumbled. She knew that , she knew...She just wasn't ready...




Somewhere under the moonlight ,embraced by the thickness of bamboo forest...
A man with long golden hair and silver eyes chuckled
He played his flute with a mysterious melody,
"The time has come",he muttered...



TO BE CONTINUED..




A/N:
Hi! Soo I was on vacation to China recently and visiting Hang Zhou has inspired me so badly and now I'm sooo in love with ancient Chinese stories ufufufu. No wonder Hang Zhou is said to be the West Heaven , such beauty to behold!

AAANYYWAYYY I decided to make chapters ,do you think I should continue? Comment below~

What Do You Want for Christmas?

I love Christmas time.
I love how colourful lights flicker everywhere I go , I like the jinggling beats heard every single step , I like those supermarket workers dressing up as Santa or Rudolph .
Bûche de Noël , Strawberry shortcake with Christmas decorations , gingerbreadmen ,candies...
It's like ,you can feel joy fluttering in the air and it makes you happy too.
There is also a calming and melancholy side of Christmas...
When you see those Holy Crosses ; angel statues ; golden , red and white poinsettias ; churchbells...
Sleep in heavenly peace... ,a gentle song is being played.
Everywhere we go , tons of things are on sale. Today too , I ended up buying a lot.
My little daughter is stuffing her face with donuts while I'm just sipping my latte.
"Mommy",she muttered with that innocent face.
"Yes ,darling?"
"It's daddy's birthday soon!"
My husband 's birthday is on Christmas Eve ,and for my five-year-old girl ,it is something very big.
"But daddy's at UK right now,remember? He said he would try his best to finish his job and come home . He is very busy"
There , that pout again . Little Chloe is pouting .
"Daddy is always busy . No time for us"
"Chloe, he is making money to pay for our food and your school fee. Good kids don't talk bad about their parents,remember?"
"But I miss him so much and I want to celebrate his birthday"
"He is trying his best to come home. We will bake daddy a cake and if he can't make it ,we will eat it together,okay?"
"......"
"What do you want for Christmas gift,dear?"
"I don't need dolls or cakes,mom"
She suddenly tears up,"I want daddy..."
I miss him too, I really do. But he is a doctor and he is on an intensive training
"Daddy is a hero that saves sick people,remember? He wants to save them so that they can all celebrate Christmas too"
"What about us?"
"We are healthy,so..."
"I will get sick too because I miss daddy too much!"
Chloe is now crying hard , I can only hug her to console... "Sssh ssh. Mommy will talk to daddy ,okay? Big girls don't cry.. Mommy will buy you that Christmas edition of Babameow dolls you collect"


***

Chloe finally falls asleep. I switch my laptop on and connects to Skype. After moments , I finally see the face of my husband. He looks...exhausted and messy. I can see dark circles below his eyes.
"Hey"
"Hey"
"Chloe?"
"Asleep. Pouted all day ,saying she misses you too much she will get sick soon"
He chuckles, "That cutie pie"
"Her choice for Christmas gift is you. She wants to celebrate your birthday and Christmas together"
"...I'm not sure I can go home before that... We have a very urgent patient"
I'm starting to get flustered , I do understand he is busy...
I know it is his job... I get it ,he is saving lives...
But...
"...Darling, please...Please don't cry...Please understand my job"
I can't help it
"I...miss you..."
"I miss you too... Please don't cry... I begged the head of hospital,you know... But he only lets me off work on 24th and 25th, I can't travel back and forth in two days..."
I don't know anymore what to say to Chloe...
"I'm sorry ,dear...I'm so sorry"
God,please...Grant my daughter's wish....
And mine too...

***

Ahh , the sweet scent of cookie doughs...
Chloe and I are baking Christmas cookies together .I hope she doesn't notice my swollen eyes ,she is enjoying herself shaping those cookies .
I know my husband is busy. Even before we got married , he has always been busy... The only times we can chat and talk our hearts out were late nights or some rare holidays... In a year ,we went on dates only several times.
My girl friends told me to find another available man who has more time , but I loved him and I still do even until now.
It's him that I love. The calm stare he gave when you are miserable and tell him your problems ,his scent of chocolates (his bodyspray smells like one,really), the way he said "It's okay ,I'm here... Talk to me" when I called him late at night crying , his small attentions , his mature way of thinking , his hardworking self... I miss him so damn much.
"Mom, the cookie boys are done!"
I force a smile and decorate those gingerbreadmen with my daughter.

***

A week to Christmas.... Chloe hasn't said anything but I know she misses her dad.
I caught her secretly staring at his pictures and found a letter inside her red sock.
"Dear Santa,
I have been a good kid this year. I help mommy with chores , do homework , feed cats and finish my food.
Please bring daddy home with your sleigh? Pleaaseee?
Chloe"
I wish I could grant that wish , I really wish so...
Maybe I'd cheer her up by bringing her to an amusement park... She's silently watching cartoon in the living room. I dig out brochures of amusemen parks from my drawers when the door bell rings.
Who could it be? I sure hope it is not another pesky salesman offering useless products.
I open the door, it's a man in blue uniform.
"Ma'am,package for you"
Delivery? From whom? I see the sender's name : Elliot Smiths.
My husband? I wonder what this is... I sign and thank the deliveryman .
Chloe seems to be interested -after helping me carry the small light delivery package , she puts it on the sofa and keeps staring at it.
I close the door and join her on that sofa and slowly unwrap the small box.
"Mommy,what are these two tickets for?"
I smile , my eyes watering up. He sent us a box of cute little UK map and...
"Chloe , pack up your stuff. We are going to go meet daddy!"
God is good, all the time.



Christmas is a day where families gather and celebrate the day ,remembering the birth of Jesus Christ. We exchange gifts ; some may want iPhone , iPad , laptop or other things but sometimes...To be happy , you don't necessarily need gifts. Being together with the people you love is already a truly precious gift . Family is not always those with blood relations ,remember those who are always there for you too-they are your family too.

Let us welcome the grace of Christmas with joy and love!

You're Not Alone

Dedicated to all people who are sad because of being bullied , encountering failure , lonely or simply need encouragement:
The following illustration is fictional ,any resemblances to real life occurences are purely coincidental:

"        "Have you ever felt so sad that you can't even manage show it on your face?",I typed into my phone screen. Yeah ,call me an ettention-seeking prissy bitch or anything to that effect -I'd rather shout it out than keeping this inside of me now. The thing about deep sadness is ,it slowly kills.
You're so sad but no tears come rolling down your cheeks ,you end up staring at the white walls and waste hours for literally nothing.....Until you hit the breaking point. It feels like your walls have shattered ,and all your joints are pulled. You just want to curl into a ball and cry ,or even scream,loudly. Anything to keep your sanity. Heartbeat somehow picks up its pace ,and it feels like a strong hand is squeezing your heart from inside. It hurts , it really does. That is how it feels when your dreams have been killed , sharp pain...

I'm never enough. Not pretty enough , not clever enough , not strong enough ,not confident or reliable enough. I can see disappointment in my father and mother's eyes when they see me , I wish they had a son instead of me because at least he'd be able to inherit their business. What am I anyway ,a good-for-nothing crybaby who lives in dreams . "Wake up" "Your stupid dreams won't give even a penny for your life" "You want to work according to your dreams? Good luck at living a poor life" "Stupid weakling" "Do whatever you want ,I don't care".... Yes ,they often tell me those things.

The thing is ,it's not like I've never thought of it. I know , I know life's a cruel and full of obstacles and I am trying to make a living too. I tried ,searching for job opportunities ,learning about this family business and others...but that dream won't die.It's like a cancer patient who is in coma but refuses to give up and keeps living. I hate me . Everybody calls me a weakling , stupid , fat , useless , crybaby , not hardworking enough.... I hate me...I hate me... The tears won't even stop now.

I scroll the timeline of my Instagram pic. Old friends , new friends... Those who used to be important in my life until they suddenly cruelly left me... Those who have even forgotten about me... Those who pained me so deeply... Those who mocked me. Nobody loves me.Why am I even alive? I am good for nothing... Sometimes I'd get really sick and when I close my eyes ,I thought to myself "Is this the end?" but then I wake up again feeling refreshed. God ,is this the form of Your love? I fear I lack strength.

My phone beeps .Slowly , I reach for it and open the screen
"What happened?"
"Nothing"
"Liar"
...I fear when people try to push through my walls because they might one day shatter me from inside... But right now I just want to cry and talk to somebody...

An hour passed...
A reply .
"The thing is... Life must be appreciated ,God has His own reasons for everything. Put your trust and Him and wait. You might not have a perfect life ,but at the best you have us who care about you. You're not ugly , it just takes the right man to see. Parents get angry because they want a better life for you. Sure ,they don't understand you at all but remember that you don't really understand why they think that way too.Everyone has ever cried ,dear -everyone has dark times when they just want to die but does that make everyone a weakling? Life is full of sorrow , find happiness in darkest corners of this life. You are important to me"

I cry out....And then wipe my tears and drop that "blade" stabbing my heart from the inside. Yes , life is hard but it does go on. No matter how alone you are , there are actual people reaching out for you. Everybody needs somebody .Life'd kill that dream , but stand up and protect your heart. People will always talk bad about you or try to bring you down , but that is because they themselves are not happy and need to talk badly behind so that they can feel good about themselves. Nobody is truly weak , sometimes people just need somebody , shoulders to rest on , a warm hug and people to tell them "I am here for you . I care"- God,thank you for sending me these angels who care about me.Yes ,I am a loved person  "

A/N:
People nowadays often don't realize they are bullying others verbally ,you might be teasing or mocking just for fun but it is not funny ,you might be advising with anger but that would hurt feelings. Stop judging if you know nothing.If you keep labelling an individual with a certain trait ,sooner or later he/she will believe that. If one believes life will never get better ,it will never.

Whoever reading this , you are perfect from top to the bottom. God created each of us with different plans , so let us walk this path together and do not give up. If there is anybody around you feeling so alone,sad and need a hug , reach an arm for them and help them. Failure means another try ,so let's keep going together. There will be times when you cry again in the future , but remember that....
You    are     not     alone.

The Abandoned Gifts

It's the usual morning ,with smell of bacon and coffee. Two cups , two plates , everything as a pair. I don't exactly know what is different , but something seems off. Everything looks the same , but something feels strange . I slowly walk towards the dining table , a cup of coffee in each hand -walking towards her. She knows I'm approaching her , yet she says nothing. Slowly ,I put the cups on the table and sit down . She still says nothing , doesn't even touch her food.
"Sweetie , are you still angry?"
No answer.
"Please tell me how I can ever make up for my mistakes"
Still no answer.
I've known her for years , she will never talk to me when she's still angry . I sigh ,and slowly start munching my bacon. She's been this way for days now , I tried apologizing and apologizing but she still stands firm with her silent treatment .Maybe I should grab her a bouquet of lilies or her favorite cakes on my way back after work today. Suddenly,she stands up and walks back to her room , breakfast still untouched.
I know exactly why she's angry ,it's all my fault , I didn't even remember her birthday days ago. To make things worse , I scolded her on her birthday just because she accidentally spilled some coffee on my office files. I shouldn't have let anger get the best of me , I could always reprint those silly papers anyway. I'm always busy and I understand she feels neglected...
It's another day at the office , full of endless tasks assigned to me by the boss . Kevin the office staff timidly asked,"Sir , are you...okay? Are you really ready for this?". I guess my face looks really exhausted right now to have a staff asking this. "I am fine , thank you. Today I plan to leave office earlier to buy some...gifts for my lover. Do you know of any good thing to give?". He makes that sad face I fail to grasp , then forces a smile.
On my way back , I decided to grab some of her favorite cupcakes .I told the pastry guy to write "For Sheila ,With Love" and he just nods. I feel like he's real quiet these days ,even though he used to be so talkative-perhaps he is having some life problems right now. I shouldn't be prying on others' business. I go back home , just to find the house in total darkness.
Sheila's out ,she's not home . I slowly sigh when I pass by her room door. A teddy bear , a box of perfumes and some tiny trinkets I got her as an apology...Nothing has moved from the positions I left them on. She really is angry this time , isn't she? I place the box of cupcakes beside those ignored gifts.

This has been going on and on for days ,Sheila still ignores me and my ignored gifts are piling up in front of her room. I sit on the couch ,feeling depressed. I tried talking to her ,but she won't even say a word or look at me. I feel so lonely... She rarely goes outside now , she just locks herself in her room. I can't help it , I feel like I want to cry.

I don't even leave my house anymore these days ,I wish she'd come out of her room...

It's 7 AM in the morning , I hear loud knocks on my front door. Lazily , I open the door. It's my mom and some...men in lab coat. Doctors? Her face is stained with tears , she runs towards me and embraces me
"What has happened to you ,son? Everyone's been so worried... You don't go out these days!",she is almost hysterical.
Why does everyone look at me with such sorrow in their eyes? What's wrong?
The men in lab coat tell me to sit on the couch and they sit in front of me. With their calm voice , they speak, "Are you in a depression?"
"Yes"
"Why?"
"Sheila...My lover...She's been locking herself in her room ,refuses to talk or eat..."
The doctors look at each other ,then glance at the pile of gifts in front of her room door .Mom is crying now.
One of the doctors slowly grab my hands , his expression pained. He slowly speaks,"Son... Let it go. She's not here anymore. She's gone".


Yes , I remember now .Days ago , she was angry with me and refused to talk to me. I bought her gifts and waited for her to come home........ She never did.
All I received was a call from her crying sister saying,"She's gone"
Car crash , just like that - I've lost everything.
I couldn't accept it...I keep replaying memories of our last day together.
I wish I'd spent more time with her , remember her special days... If only I wasn't so focused on my ambitions and realize what is truly important.
I'm sorry
I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry

Ever Thought of This?

Have you ever thought of this?
The flow of life goes on and on the same way
The gears that keep us alive turn again and again
Each and everyday seems same but they are actually different days
Sometimes it's like P!nk's song,
"You gotta get up and try and try and try"
Life drags everyone down , nevertheless we still stand
Sometimes it becomes "Fancy" lyrics
There is technically no highway from LA to Tokyo
Still , we sing along cluelessly or just for fun
Sometimes it's like Usher's song
Moving mountains indeed is impossible
Maybe our life is dull
Maybe it is boring
Maybe it is full of pain , sorrow , laughter
But if we pay attention to little things ,life is indeed beautiful
See those sparks' in kids' eyes?
See how blue the sky is?
See how small plants grow between grey cracks of the wall?
Maybe you think you are sad and lonely
But trust me , you are not the only one
Try stepping out of your little sanctuary
And you will see that it's not only you
Our eyes will look into yours
Our ears will listen to your words
Each words containing emotions
Ours arms will be there to embrace you
Life might be a huge mess right now
But this too will pass
Take my hand and let us walk this path together
Whatever happens , happens.
Have a nice day!