Chapter 50: Solace.

Qin Qianyu and Grandpa Wú walked slowly to the car.

No one spoke they just walked one step at a time. Qin Qianyu was sandwiched to Grandpa Wú, all he could do was pat her arm and hand reassuringly.

He was actually beside himself. He was trying to fathom what she had experienced for her to become like this.

"What kind of nightmare are you haunted and tormented by my dear girl?"

Grandpa Wú thought to himself as he eyed the timid girl.

The her now almost seemed like a stranger of her former self the Grandpa Wú knew. But then he smiled lightly. He had just scolded her hours before to stop doing adult things and just be a teen.

Now that she was acting like one it made him worry.

Qin Qianyu was glad in her heart that Grandpa Wú's face wasn't included in her dream with the face swapping demon, seeing all of that, both, terrified and angered her at the same time.

Consciously, she was telling herself that it was all a dream. Subconsciously though, it was saying that all those people had the potential to be another Song Zhaoge or Murong Meimei.

All of those men had the potential to harm her both physically and emotionally, just like Song Zhaoge did.

"People change, I did, so why can't they? A friend today could be a Zhaoge or Meimei the next. For good or for worst, how I respond will determine how much pain I'll receive."

Qin Qianyu then looked to Grandpa Wú seated there next to her. His thoughts his own as she smiled.

As terrible a thought it was, she was thinking how wonderful a thing that Grandpa Wú was a victim in her dream and not a "perpetrator" like the others.

These thoughts and more preoccupied the 15 year old's mind.

The pair soon made it back to the studio. Qin Qianyu didn't want to head to her home just yet, she wanted and needed Bai Saan.

She raced from the car and ran straight into the back part of the studio. Bai Saan sensed their presence and bolted from his perch close to the pond and pounced excitedly at Qin Qianyu knocking her the ground.

He jumped all around her, whining, whilst it's head stayed connected to her nudging and rubbing against her.

"Hmph! Why doesn't that smelly cat smell funny!?"

Grandpa Wú humphed. He left Qin Qianyu to find her solace in Bai Saan's fur.

He disappeared to his room to change out of his night clothes and after a quick wash he headed into the kitchen to prepare a meal for them.

40 minutes later, Grandpa Wú went to call Qin Qianyu for a meal, when he got no response he went out to check on her.

Grandpa Wú found Qin Qianyu snuggled into Bai Saan fast asleep.

Bai Saan lifted his head from sensing Grandpa Wú. He soon lowered it after seeing the scowl on the old man's face,

"If you dare move I'll chop your head off and sew it next to your tail!"

The Tiger seemed to understand Grandpa Wú or at least his intentions so he did his very best to not disturb Qin Qianyu's slumber.

A good 8 hours had past when Qin Qianyu finally roused from her sleep.

She stretched out with both arms and legs. This feeling of being refreshed and recharged was broken by Bai Saan's whining.

He felt stiff and sore from not moving the entire day.

"Oh! Saan Saan! I'm so sorry. Here let me make it all better."

Qin Qianyu didn't know animal anatomy, but it had muscles, so it can be manipulated.

She got stuck into it and massaged the tigers taunt and stiff muscles. Neck, shoulders, legs and back, Qin Qianyu done it all.

While she was massaging Saan, her thoughts reverted back to her dream and all the events that had happened within and she confided in the the large beast.

"I woke up this morning in a crappy mood, it even made me cough up blood, it was really scary."

"It was all because of some stupid dream I had! Can you believe that!? . . Although it was stupid it was also scary, very scary, well not as scary as your breath maybe."

"Rwar?"

Bai Saan spoke throatily, Qin Qianyu giggled lightly as she gave the cat an apologetic pet,

"Hehe, kidding, I'm kidding, haha,"

"Who would have thought that a dream would derail me like so and that I'd end up in such a state, you know, emotions are such a pain at times, especially the hurtful ones. Those suck the most, you know what I mean?"

" . . . "

Qin Qianyu thought about everything that's happened since she returned to her teenage self.

A friend became an enemy, and an enemy became a friend. She found a teacher, mentor an overall kind master she can depend on as well as a pet tiger that wanted to eat her when they first met.

She has been schemed against by a school of jealous peers, solved medically intricate issues and problems, been expelled, found out that she'll be a big sister and that Grandpa Wú is extremely ill, she had even fought a gang and got shot.

Now she's gallivanting around the county swinging her arms and legs in underground tournaments for money and buying properties like a mogul.

Qin Qianyu then thought about how all these things combined attributed to the nightmare she had,

"Hey Saan, if we use those fictional novels as a guideline, this is just the beginning for me right? A bump in my journey of self discovery."

Bai Saan yawned making a low whining sound, Qin Qianyu nodded in agreement,

"You're right, this is the real world,"

"Hey Saan, is this my brains way of telling me to slow the heck down?

Bai Saan got off the ground and gave a mighty roar after stretching.

"What's that supposed to mean? Is that a yes? A no? A possibility with a slight chance of snow and hail?"

" . . . "

The roar had alerted Grandpa Wú, he came out as Qin Qianyu was chasing the oversized cat for an answer.

"You look better, did you enjoy your swim? How do you feel?"

"Grandpa! . . Wait! . . What swim?"

Grandpa Wú pointed then gestured. It seemed that Qin Qianyu hadn't noticed the amount of drool that had pooled on her clothing or on Bai Saan.

She wiped her face with a pout and started blaming Bai Saan for being too comfortable.

The trio sat down to a meal after Qin Qianyu washed up. Grandpa Wú had been keeping the meal warm since she came home so it was already and waiting for her.

They shared a hearty meal and Qin Qianyu did feel great. With the much needed rest she just had and the positive energy she was receiving from both Grandpa Wú and Bai Saan, her mind was clearer and her thoughts succinct.

The key she found was balance. It's what she was currently lacking.

She had been juggling multiple identities, her own responsibilities and of those around her.

She had taken on to many burdens, some of them unnecessarily. She had done so all by herself and she then found that although it's good to help out, she had to remember that she's only one woman.

But now, after this experience, Qin Qianyu felt more empowered than ever before.

"So what if I'm just one woman! . . So what if Zhaoge and Meimei are alive and well! It's only temporary anyway. I refuse to let their scummy presence block my own happiness. I deny their existence here and now, I won't let them affect me or those I care about around me!"

Qin Qianyu had conquered the fear that had been with her since she "came back".

The torment of "what if!" The reason she tried to take on many things at once that ultimately led to that dream.

It was a wake up call in a sense for Qin Qianyu. She figured it out just now that she was afraid, afraid of all the what if scenarios that could led her to damnation, and not just her, but the also those around her.

"What if? . . So what! . . But what if? . . So what! . . Even still, what if? . . SO! WHAT!"

"Life is filled with uncertainty, and "what if" would always exist. But that doesn't mean that I have to standby and let it,"

Qin Qianyu decided there and then that if "what if!" Ever raised its ugly head at her that she would deny it! She would kick it! She would punch it, she'll even cure it till it's sick of being healthy.

These were the things she decided to take away from that dream. She didn't have to be fearful of the ghastly "what if!" She'll just go and stomp it down with "So What!".

Qin Qianyu paraphrased all this to Grandpa Wú, leaving out certain details about Song Zhaoge and Murong Meimei and her secret history with them but she told him that they are both a large part of her negative feelings.

Grandpa Wú knew Song Zhaoge, after the incident at the hospital that day, he had him investigated and found him to a snot nosed nobody.

So Grandpa Wú started feeling guilty because he attributed her emotional state and the night terror she had experienced on the results of his testing that day at the hospital.

"Well, I can see your mind is clear now and you seem to have properly reflected on the deeper meaning of your thoughts that came through your dream."

"Mhm, it is and I have. I actually feel silly now, it seems I overreacted and caused you worry for no reason at all. Sorry Grandpa Wú."

"Don't apologise, you're like a baozi! Puffy and filled with more hot air than filling!"

"Heh! Better than stinky tofu like someone I know!"

The pair's bantering went on for the entirety of their meal. It was mellow, relaxing and best of all there was no dramas.

Qin Qianyu like this aspect about Grandpa Wú, he wouldn't explicitly ask or push to know the why's, the when's or the who's, he'd just argue with cheek in his words.

He'd only ask out of concern if need be and give his thoughts.

Qin Qianyu washed up and cleared away the messy dishes and got ready to leave for home.

It was quite late now, no one could tell that she had just slept the day away with a tiger as her bed, pillow and blanket.

When she got home both her parents were fast asleep. She left the gifts she got them on the dining table and headed to her room.

She basked in the familiarity of her surrounds and sighed out happily.

"If this isn't solace then nothing is."

Solace held a different meaning to different people.

For Qin Qianyu it wasn't a place or building but the people that occupied those buildings and places.

She went to sleep happily even after sleeping the day away.

The next morning Qin Qianyu got back to daily routine. An hour later she was done, she showered and entered the kitchen.

She decided to surprise her parents and prepared breakfast for them both.

While Qin Qianyu was nearing the end of her prep work, she heard light steps coming from behind.

"Yu'er? . . What's going on? Did . . Did you wet the bed?"

Qin Qianyu realised that it must have been odd to see her here in the kitchen this early in the morning.

Ouyang Zihan usually got up at this time to get breakfast ready for her husband, she was a little late getting up this morning and was a little surprised to see Qin Qianyu.

"Haha, I'm 15 not 5, I came back last night and was in a happy mood so I decide to carry that through to this morning and make breakfast for you and dad."

"Hoho, what a nice treat, then I won't spoil your hard work . . Unless you want me to help you?"

"Please don't, it's my treat this morning. Go back and rest some more I'll call once it's all done."

Ouyang Zihan nodded and headed back to her room in high spirits. She had also saw the gifts on the table but resisted the urge, she'd wait till Qin Qianyu was ready to hand them out.

Some time later, Qin Qianyu called for her both of her parents to come.

They were both surprised at the sumptuous and fully set table.

"Who . . Who's birthday did I forget?"

Qin Haoran asked warily as he looked at the two women.

"Huh!? . . Dad! Do you perhaps have another family mother and I don't know about?"

Ouyang Zihan laughed and pulled her husband down to take his seat, Ouyang Zihan and Qin Qianyu followed suit thereafter.

The meal was filled with good laughs and good vibes. After the big breakfast the family sat down on the sofa and Qin Qianyu started handing out all the gifts she had brought back from her trip to the capital.

She handed the couple a couple of bags each, they were fashionable clothing from the capital and label perfumes.

There was also a pair of matching watches, a his and hers.

The face of the watches had their birth signs on them made out of exquisite jade and looked very expensive.

All the gifts were, Qin Qianyu had the money to do so now but her only problem now was how to explain that she had more money than they had strands of hair on all three of their heads.

With all the thinking surrounding this, she decided on a "if they don't ask, I won't tell" tactic.

The last gift were bank cards, each one had 20 million on them.

She wanted to start them off low first, then as more things progressed and developed over time she'll give them all their equal share.

Qin Qianyu hesitated for only a moment then stomped that hesitation down with a simple "so what!"

"Mother, Father, these are for the two of you also. Please take them."

"Yu'er? . . This, Is this pocket money? Shouldn't this actually be the other way around? . . Why are our roles reversed?"

Ouyang Zihan muttered out guiltily, Qin Haoran had the same thoughts and expressions as her he wanted to say just that but for some reason the words were stuck in his throat.

"Hehe, it's fine isn't it? Let's think about it this way, you're both amazing and are just getting what you both deserve. And just so you know, this is only the beginning so don't hold back okay."