Memories

While searching through the memories, Ling Hong fell into a trance as several scenes began playing in front of him.

He saw a baby, barely a year old crying near a trash can as a middle-aged lady walked by and found the tiny basket with a yelp of surprise. She took the baby to a building and cared for him like a mother. Years passed by as the child grew up into a healthy handsome boy with jet black hair and eyes of deep silver.

The boy learnt that he was in a orphanage called 'New Hope Orphanage' and was found by the director, called Mother Ma by all children because she loved each and every child as if they were her on. Later he was found to have good talent in academics because he had a great memory, so everyone at the orphanage forced him to go to school.

School life was not very pleasant for him as everyone ostracized him due to his status as an orphan, but he cared none for it as him only aim was to get a good job with his high grades at school so that he could provide for the brothers and sisters at the orphanage. He even passed the High School Entrance Exams one year earlier than his classmates with his excellent skills, earning the jealousy of many.

However, everything went sideways when one day he got into a car accident trying to save a little boy. From then onwards he could not recollect what he learnt and write at the same time, as he would get a splitting headache whenever he tried. His grades fell and many gloated over his misfortune including some teachers. However the principal was a kind man and valued Ling Hong as a student very much, he even invited a doctor from Number 1 Hospital to check on his condition.

All was in vain as there was found to be no cure. Ling Hong felt bad for disappointing everyone, especially his family at the orphanage so he withdrew voluntarily from school and quietly left the orphanage after leaving a note. He travelled through cities for the remaining part of the year, doing odd jobs to make money for the future.

One day, he fell of a cliff while passing through a small forest near Yanjing and fell into the river. He was carried by the stream till he ended up at the riverside where Grandma Chen and Hua Meimei usually cam to pick herbs. Grandma Chen took him in as her grandson and he began living with them as family. Few months later, Grandma Chen was able to cure his brain condition using traditional medicine and acupuncture techniques. With his excellent memory working again, he started teaching Meimei about topics covered in school while learning medicine from Grandma Chen. The little family of three lived a happy life. Unfortunately, Grandma Chen died 3 years later due to old age when Ling Hong was only 18. Her only request was to take Meimei to the city so that she would have a better life.

So a year after her death, after Meimei had enough education rivalling that of a Junior High graduate, Ling Hong brought her to Yanjing to show around. Little Mei was excited with all the wonderful things she had seen but they were soon confronted by gangsters who wanted to snatch her away due to her beauty. Ling Hong somehow managed to escape but was shot by one of the gangsters so he limped all the way to the hospital before collapsing.

Having gone through the memories, Ling Hong was about to wake himself up when suddenly the scenery changed. He was shocked because the place before him was his own home – in his past life. Confused at the memory that shouldn't exist, he was about to leave when he caught sight of a familiar figure in the corner of the room – his sister, who looked haggard as if she had been crying for a long time.

He suddenly understood – this was something that happened after he died in the previous world!

As he watched, he saw his sister mumbling in a coarse voice "…brother why did you leave me? I only did it because they said they'll kill you, so I was afraid I'll lose you. Now I don't have anything to live for, so let me pay my apology with my life. If there is a next life, I would still want to be your sister." Saying this she detonated her life force, following her brother.

In the hospital room Ling Hong's body jumped up from the bed, his body drenched in sweat. Tears began flowing from his eyes as he realized everything that had happened was because he was too powerless to protect his sister, and also him being too kind on vicious people that aimed to hurt him.

Looking at Little Mei peacefully sleeping near him, he vowed to himself that he would gain enough power to protect his sister in this lifetime and would never show mercy to enemies. The memory of his sister committing suicide still fresh in his mind, he resolved his heart once again.

Unbeknownst to him Ling Yue's soul also crossed over to Earth before entering the body of a dead teenage girl which resulted in her waking up in the middle of her funeral ceremony, frightening everyone present.