Seeking Warmth

Dream Heights

Wang Yu Yan and Wen Mei were sitting in the hall, watching T.V. when Wen Mei's phone ranged.

Eyes still on the T.V., Wen Mei picked up the phone and as soon as she did this, a loud voice came, which left Wen Mei in shock.

"Brat, What took you so long to pick up the phone huh? Are you lazing around again? If you have so much time, come visit her. Have you forgotten that your father and mother exist?" said Madam Wen.

Distancing the phone from her ears, Wen Mei's eyebrow twitched, and in an irritated voice she said, "Mother, I can listen to you. You don't need to shout on the phone!"

"Brat, are you shouting on me?" asked Madam Wen her voice full of suspicion.

"N-No, mother! H-How can I shout at you?" said Wen Mei as she became Alert of the danger coming.

'With your mouth' mouthed Wang Yu Yan as she gestured towards her mouth.

Seeing this, Wen Mei couldn't control laughter and some of her giggles reached to the other side of the phone.

"Are you by chance laughing on me?" asked Madam Wen. Listening to this, Wang Yu Yan laughed lightly.

"N-No" answered Wen Mei who gestured to Wang Yu Yan to stop laughing.

"Hmm, Nevermind. You both should visit us tomorrow. It's been days since I talked to you both" said Madam Wen.

"You met me yesterday, and you also talk to Yan Yan almost everyday in the hospital," said Wen Mei with a plain voice.

"S-So what? You both are coming tomorrow to the Mansion. That's final. Hmph!" said Madam Wen furiously as she abruptly disconnected the call.

"B-But-" Wen Mei wanted to say something, but when she realized the call was disconnected she sighed.

Putting her phone down, she said, "Yan Yan, mother wants us to visit her tomorrow."

Wang Yu Yan raised an eyebrow, but after a moment she said, "Hmm, ok" nodding her head.

Wen Mei sighed, and probably wanted to complain, but was interrupted by a phone call.

Seeing the caller ID, Wen Mei said, "Oh, It's from work" as she excused herself and went to attend the call.

Seeing that she was now alone, Wang Yu Yan sighed and looked up to the ceiling.

"Looks like it's time" she mumbled.

....

The next day

Madam Wen and Wen Peng were sitting in the hall,sipping tea. Outside they looked calm and elegant and inside only they knew how nervous and tensed they were.

"Madam, Young Miss Su has arrived." said a servant as he came into the hall.

After a moment, Wang Yu Yan entered the hall.

Seeing her, Madam Wen and Wen Peng kept their tea cups.

"Oh, Yan Yan. You are here. Come here sit beside me" said Madam Wen.

"Good morning, Uncle Wen, Aunt Wen" said Wang Yu Yan as she took a seat as instructed by Madam Wen.

"Good Morning Yu Yan. Is Mei not coming?" Wen Peng asked.

"No, Uncle Wen. She had some important things to attend." answered Wang Yu Yan.

Wen Peng nodded.

"Oh, Yan Yan. We want to talk to you in my room" said Madam Wen with hesitation.

"Sure" said Wang Yu Yan as she followed Wen Mei and Wen Peng to their room.

On entering the room, Madam Wen shut the door, and asked Wang Yu Yan to take a seat.

"Yan Yan, there is something you need to know. But first I want you to see this." said Madam Wen as she handed Wang Yu Yan some photos.

These were the same pictures that Madam Wen cried about when she found the truth about her friend.

In short they were the pictures of Feng Mian and Madam Wen in their teenage.

As Wang Yu Yan was handed over the pictures, she saw it carefully.

It was her mother. And she was as beautiful as always, she had the always 'good to go' smile on her face which could make anyone's day bright.

She looked young and fresh, just like a flower who had just come out from it's bud.

Beside her was Madam Wen, who looked the same as ever, but was younger than now.

Wang Yu Yan did not say anything. Or to be exact she did not know what to say as she was engrossed in the photo in front of her.

Seeing her silence, Madam Wen frowned and she had expected it.

"She is your mother, isn't she?" said Madam Wen as she gazed on Wang Yu Yan and then on Wen Peng.

Wen Peng gestured to Madam Wen to give Wang Yu Yan some time. Nodding Madam Wen sighed silently.

"She is my mother" said Wang Yu Yan with a feeble voice as a tear landed on the photo.

But she had to control her tears.

"The one beside her is me." Madam Wen said.

On hearing this, Wang Yu Yan looked up, directly into the eyes of Madam Wen.

In those eyes which were looking up to her, Madam Wen could see the pain in them. Those black and brown eyes were similar to Feng Mian.

In those eyes, pain was clear along with the need for comfort.

Madam Wen could not find any way to console Wang Yu Yan, apparently she herself had not recovered from the surprise.

Wen Peng, who was witnessing this, expected this. And he was not wrong when he said that Wang Yu Yan will be the one to experience the most pain.

And this was the starting. He knew that she was strong but sometimes only being strong does not help.

Sometimes, it's better to have someone and cry in front of the person, instead of storing it all inside.

But for Wang Yu Yan who had lived for so long hiding it, it will not be easy to let go of this habit of hers.

And if this continues, Wen Peng was worried that her walls will grow so strong and so tall , that it would be impossible for someone to break it.

"I will wait outside," said Wen Peng as he left the room, not wanting to disturb them.

Madam Wen continued, "Your mother and I have been friends since little. It was until she left her house, our friendship perished and I had never seen her since then.

When I first saw you, you looked like her, but I dismissed the thought quickly. Then one day I saw you visiting the cemetery. Unknowingly, I followed you to the cemetery, there I got to know that the friend's call I have been waiting for so long, it won't ever come."

Madam Wen stopped, she was too teary to continue speaking.

A teardrop fell through her eyes.

Wipping them she said, "Seeing Mian's grave, I couldn't believe my eyes. After some time I figured out that Feng Mian married Wang Fang. And you were the Wang Family's daughter.

Your Uncle knew about you being the daughter of Wang Family. It seemed like he knew your father and your father told him about you.

About the rumors of the Wang Family, I and your uncle don't believe it. We know that you won't do anything like this.

I don't know how you will think of me after this.

Honestly, I want to ask you what happened to Mian and the Wang Family. But I won't force you. If you think you shouldn't tell us feel free to do so.

One thing you should know, which is that the Wen Family supports you."

Wang Yu Yan though knew all this, it still felt new to her. So new and so heartbreaking that she could not hold back her tears.

Madam Wen, upon seeing that she was silent, felt that it's her time to leave Wang Yu Yan alone.

So, she turned around to leave.

No sooner did she take a step forward, than Madam Wen felt that someone help her hand.

She turned back, only to see Wang Yu Yan's hand holding her and her eyes were on the photo.

As she looked up, Madam Wen could see the tears in her eyes, so much that they were flowing.

That's when Madam Wen felt like her heart was pierced by needles.

She couldn't help herself and hugged Wang Yu Yan into a motherly hug.

Yes, the all time strong Wang Yu Yan was crying. The cold hearted girl, who did not show her emotions in front of others was crying.

After more than ten years, anyone had mentioned her past and her family. Someone assured her that she was not alone.

Her mother who died at an early age, her father who was killed and she who was deemed as a murderer.

All the pain of these years came out.

The nights that she had survived alone, the mornings that she had gotten only to see an empty house, the meals she ate but as if she was forced.

All these memories were played in her mind.

One must be surprised, but Madam Wen was not.

How can you not expect someone to not cry when her painful wounds were pressed?

How can you expect someone to keep living on, when all the hopes to live have vanished?

How?

These thoughts, forced Madam Wen's tears too

Soon two people were seen crying. They both soothed each other.

One seeked the warmth that she had lost many years ago, so another seeked the happiness of getting someone back in another form.

Yes, for Madam Wen, Wang Yu Yan was another Feng Mian, who had come back in Madam Wen's life.

For Wang Yu Yan, it felt like she had got a mother's warmth again.

Wen Peng who was outside the door, listened to all the conversation and apparently felt the emotions, also had tears in his eyes.

"She is as the same as you, Fang" said Wen Peng as he wipped his tears.