Liang Zhi opened a letter that had arrived just a while ago. She looked down at the large envelope with hesitation, "Xia Ba... it's here." she said, sitting down on her bed.

Xia Ba entered the room with seriousness plastered over her face and sat down next to her friend, "Open it," she replied, "I didn't expect it to be here so quickly."
"This should be enough evidence to bring to Da Dong Ge, right?" Liang Zhi asked, as she began opening the letter slowly.
"If the DNA in Jiang Yu Yan's blood sample matches the DNA left behind on the scene of our attack and Su Jia Li's, then we can convict her without doubt," Xia Ba uttered, "But..."
"But what?" Liang Zhi exclaimed, "You don't really believe what happened with the truth telling whip, do you?"
Xia Ba remained silent, "Everyone believes in its power, how can we not?" she then spoke.
"This is pure scientific evidence," Liang Zhi replied, almost tearing the sheet of paper out of its envelope. Her eyes quickly skimmed over the words on the letters before her face fell.

"What does it say?" Xia Ba asked.
Liang Zhi gripped the letter tightly, "The DNA doesn't match," she whispered before scrunching it up and throwing it against the wall in frustration. "Why?!" she yelled angrily as tears of frustration began to flood her eyes, "Why doesn't it?!" she questioned. "Because of her, we lost our yi neng... but we won't get our justice because even science isn't on our side!"

Liang Zhi rolled up her sleeve to look at the bandages around her arm, "The doctor says I won't be able to use my arms as freely as before... I've worked so hard on my rehabilitation but I still can't move them as I please. It's all because of that Jiang Yu Yan!" she shrieked through her sobs.
Xia Ba blinked back her tears, "...Liang Zhi.. Maybe we've got the wrong person..." she suggested.
"We saw with our own eyes that it was Jiang Yu Yan, so why isn't it her now?" Liang Zhi yelled, "I hate that girl... I hate her so much..." she whispered, before dropping onto her bed.
Xia Ba hugged her friend tightly, "I know... I know you do..." she mumbled, her hair, "We'll get our revenge..."
 

~*~*~

Yu Yan smiled as she embraced the warmth of Da Dong's family and how loving they were towards each other. She had never felt the feeling of family before but now she was able to experience it's warmth and it made her feel happy to be able to experience such a thing. She didn't want to go home just yet, although she wouldn't admit it, she liked Da Dong's family. His father was different to her own father – he was very respectful and understanding, and his mother was really funny and caring. Yu Yan had never met her mother so didn't know the feeling of a mother's love. But she could feel it radiate off Wang Mama and she had to admit that it was comforting.


Although she was a bit quiet and awkward around them at first, after a while their conversations flowed naturally and Jiang Yu Yan found herself conversing with them. She didn't really say much, but she did try to be less insensitive than she normally was. Of course she did say a rude sentence or two, but she did try and control herself.

"Oh, would you look at the time!" Wang Mama exclaimed as she looked at the clock.
"What's the time?" Yu Yan asked, facing her.
"It's almost 11," Da Dong answered, "It's pretty late."
"I should be going then," Yu Yan replied, "My father will get angry."
"You should go then, but it is a shame you have to go so soon. Our household hasn't been this lively in a while." Wang Papa replied.

"Da Dong will walk you home," Wang Mama said before she popped off to the kitchen.
"Oh there's no need, I can go alone." Yu Yan replied quickly.
"I insist, it's dangerous for a girl to be out so late at night alone." Wang Papa replied.
"I can handle myself, I'm not weak." she answered.
"I know but there have been a large number of yi neng muggings these days, so it's really dangerous for us to be out alone." Wang Papa replied, "Take Da Dong with you, he has nothing to take anyway."
"Wei!" Da Dong exclaimed as he slipped on his jacket. "Dad, don't sacrifice me!" he joked.

"But I'm serious, son." Wang Papa looked at them both, "Ever since our Gold Dimension's Meng Zhu stepped down, the crime rate by yi neng xing zhe's has increased dramatically."
"Tian Hong Guang, right?" Da Dong asked, "But if it's because he's lost his battle points because of Hei Long, can't he just regain them by finding his alternate in another dimension?"
"Apparently, he says he is no longer fit for the role and can no longer lead the dimension so he has stepped down to allow a new meng zhu to take his place." Wang Papa explained.

"So then who's the new Meng Zhu?" Yu Yan asked.
"Currently, the dimension is being run by his most trusted officials who are temporarily taking on his job until they appoint a new Meng Zhu." he answered, "Although we may have won the battle against Hei Long, it has cost us the stability of our dimension. Yi Neng Xing Zhe's are no longer safe and there is no one to control criminal activity. We are in dark times so I hope you kids can look after yourselves well."
Both Yu Yan and Da Dong remained silent as they processed his words.

"Ah, why is the atmosphere so tense all of a sudden?" Wang Mama exclaimed as she re-entered with a basket. She walked over to Yu Yan and placed it in her hands, "Yu Yan," she began, "This is for you. It contains some of my home baked treats, you should take them home and share them with your family!"
"Uh... it's alright Wang Mama," Yu Yan returned the basked but Wang Mama pushed it back to her.
"Please?" She pleaded, "I'm just really happy that Da Dong has a friend that is a girl whom he doesn't run away from."
"Hey, mum, I do have female friends!" Da Dong retorted.
"Please, all you do is hang around men all day! I don't want people thinking that my son likes males!" Wang Mama huffed.
"Mum! You're being too extreme!" Da Dong replied.

Wang Mama smiled before she turned back to Yu Yan, "Jokes aside, Yu Yan, you're welcome to pop by whenever you like. Don't feel shy to give us a ‘hi’, I'll treat you just like Da Dong's sister! I've never had a daughter before so I've never been able to do girly things with Da Dong. But now I have you," she beamed.
Aren't you a bit too happy? Yu Yan said in her head; Just bear it for now, Yu Yan. Just a bit longer. Yu Yan unwillingly took the basket, "Uh...sure...ugh.." she mumbled, shuffling around.

"Sorry about my mum," Da Dong said as the two walked along the riverside, "She's just a bit too overexcited after seeing that we're friends. You don't have to take any of what she said to heart."
Yu Yan trailed behind him slowly, "I never planned to," she grumbled.
"I'm sorry that my mum dragged you to dinner, I know you don't like that type of stuff." Da Dong continued as he kicked around an empty drink can that had been dropped.

Yu Yan sighed, looking up towards the sky. The wind blew through her hair and she sighed once more, "It's cool," she muttered honestly, "I can tolerate your parents," she finished.
"Then I'm glad this evening wasn't too hellish for you." Da Dong turned around to look at her.
Yu Yan sat down on the bench, "Whatever," she huffed, "You can leave now. I'll be fine on my own from here."
"It's okay, my mum will kill me if I don't." Da Dong replied, picking up a pebble and throwing it into the river.
"Just leave me alone okay? I've been around you way too much today, it makes me feel nauseous." she said, leaning her head back on the bench.
Da Dong scoffed with a laugh, "Okay then," he smiled, "You look tired, make sure you rest well."
"I don't care, just leave."
"Alright, see you tomorrow," Da Dong turned to leave, "Bye Bye."

Yu Yan listened to Da Dong's footsteps as he walked away. She sighed as she picked up the basket, thinking deeply. "Is that what a family feeks like?" she muttered quietly as she reflected back on her own so-called family.

~*~*~

A small boy, aged 8, ran into the hospital room. Tears streamed down his face as he knelt Su Jia Li's beside, grasping onto her cold hand tightly. "Lily Jie," he whimpered, hiccupping through his sobs. He called her the English name 'Lily' because the last character of of Su Jia Li's name was 'Li' and when doubled, it was 'Li Li' which sounded like the English flower name 'Lily'. He was a sweet child so nicknamed her after a flower.

Su Jia Li turned her head slowly to look at the child, "Zhi..." she whispered, trying hard to speak through her oxygen mask, "I'm... sorry..." she said, almost lifelessly.
The child, Zhi, cried, "Lily Jie... please don't leave me!" he looked at his older cousin through his clouded eyes.
"I'm... sorry I... c-can't pro...tect you from... your father... you won't be able... to s-stay w-with me... anymore..." she coughed and wheezed through her broken words.
"Don't leave me please, Lily jie!" Zhi begged, holding her hand with both of his. "Don't die!" he cried.

Su Jia Li lifted up her hand, feebly, and brushed her fingers over his tears, "Silly... child..." she tried to show him a weak smile but instead she winced in pain, "Zhi... I hope... you grow up... to b-be... a strong... man... not weak... like... me..." her voice became fainter than a whisper and Zhi stood up with his eyes widened in fear.
"Don't leave me!" Zhi yelled, "If you leave me, I'll have no one!"

Suddenly, a group of nurses and doctors rushed in. Zhi looked at his cousin's heart monitor and noticed that her heart rate was slowing down with each passing second.
"M-make... f-friends.... okay...." Was the last thing he heard his beloved cousin say before his world went completely silent. A long beep from the monitor ripped through his ears, resounding and echoing within his mind.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment and his heart was being pulled apart. "LILY JIE!" he cried out, screaming and yelling as tears flooded his eyes once more. He kicked and pushed the doctors and nurses who tried to get him to calm down and leave the room but he was broken and didn't want to leave his Lily Jie. He collapsed onto the floor, weeping silently. Life was cruel. Life was unfair. How could life do this to him?