I've Been There Before (Grace and Caden)

It was late at night. Memory Inn had already gone to sleep.

The night of the Erhai Lake was very quiet.

Daytime was still fuming hot. But at night, the wind arrived.

A vague black shadow headed towards one of the doors of Memory Inn. There was a wooden door that was hardly ever opened. Even workers who had worked at Memory Inn for ages had not seen this door open. There was a rustling noise, as a key was inserted into the hole, "click". The wooden door opened and the person at the door stood motionlessly for a while, before lifting her foot to go in.

She was the owner of Memory Inn.

She was good-tempered, easy-going and kind-hearted manager in the eyes of everyone around.

But at this moment, people who were familiar with her would certainly find it unbelievable. The mild-tempered boss in everyone's eyes had an indifferent look; her eyes hid grief that cannot be concealed. Desperate looks, grieving eyes, and heavy feet... "I came to see you." A coarse voice slowly sounded.

But there was no one else in the house but her.

Lifting her foot, she walked inside Memory Inn. This might be the place she was most familiar with. Not her own room, but here.

With no lights on, she groped forward into the darkness. She felt assured that every single thing here was too familiar to her.

Moving forward, she unexpectedly touched the edge of a table. After fumbling for a while longer, she felt an object, 'snap'. At that moment, the fire lit up; her hand was holding up a lit matchstick. After her hands trembled inscrutably, she decided to light up two scented candles instead.

"Do you remember that day, the fire? So many people were all outside watching. Maybe the fire is too big. Maybe I'm not good with people. You were the only one who charged in... why are you such a fool..."

The candle was lit as the match went out. She took the incense from the offering table and gathered it to light them up from the candle. She then inserted it slowly into the incense burner. Everything was done slowly. Looking up, she stared at the picture before her. "It's that time of year again when the Ghost Festival arrives and the Fengdu City Gate (the ghost gate, rumoured to be the only way for deceased people to pass down to Earth) opens, will you come and visit me, Leona?"

In the photo on the table, Leona smiled brightly. The woman sat silently in front of the table, looking at the photo in front of her. She certainly did not have a photo of Leona, nor her ashes. The photo was painted based on her own memories, by a stray painter who passed by Erhai Lake on a trip.

Obviously, she was smiling so brightly.

The woman squeezed the palm of her hand hard... how unwilling.

"Separated by the life and death... Leona, would you come to see me?" The woman's nose was sore, "Before I came to Erhai Lake, I was able to dream of you from time to time. How come I've fulfilled your dream of Erhai Lake, but you won't come back to my dream?" The woman said as her eyes turned moist, "Leona, if you don't appear in my dreams again, I'm about to forget your face."

She didn't say that she was lonely, but she was desperately lonely.

She missed Leona, but Leona never appeared in her dreams again.

Carol was good, but she couldn't enter her heart.

She said she wanted to live each day well, just like what she and Leona said when she was in that cage. Leona wanted to look at the sky, the sea and the clouds, leisurely and serene every day.

She was very serious according to the life that Leona wanted. Living each and every day lying on the recliner, tasting tea while looking at the sky to enjoy the scenery... but it was hard to breathe.

She squatted down with the paper money she prepared earlier. Twisting it one by one and dropping it into the fireplace while talking to Leona as if Leona had never died and was right beside her.

"You don't have a family. I am your family over there... Never again be so unlucky to meet a friend like me who will get you into trouble."

After the paper money burned out, the woman stood up slowly. Standing after squatting for long hours, her legs were so numb that she was about to fall backwards.

Before she could react, she knew in her heart that this was definitely a hard fall.

Her body that was about to tilt and fall to the ground when a force at her waist held her in place.

"Be careful."

The woman subconsciously looked towards the back and saw the person, her face changed: "When did you come?" She looked to the doorway out of the corner of her eye, clearly remembering that she closed the door when she came in. She stared at the person behind him, how much did he... see and hear?

The person looked innocent: "I couldn't sleep, so I came down to take a walk. Just walked over here when I saw a bright light coming from inside. So, I just stood at the door to look inside, just to see you tilting backwards after standing for a moment..." He looked again at the firepit on the floor that was still burning, "It's late, and you're... burning paper?"

The woman pursed her lips and didn't speak.

"Is it a family member?" He quirked an eyebrow... Who is Leona?

He subconscious looked at the table. He could not see the person in the photo when he was standing at the door.

The woman intentionally went to block his sight, but it was helpless as she was obviously shorter than him.

Even though it was mostly covered, he could still see it.

A woman?

"I hear you call her Leona ...is she your relative?"

He asked tentatively.

The woman's face changed, "Does Mr Lo like to pry into other people's private affairs?"

Leona was the one linking to her past and present. Even though she wanted to forget that past, that person, that love, it was still real.

Kern Lo quickly stretched out his hands and held it up, "Ok, it's my bad. Boss, do you have any food?"

Late at night in S City, a storm was coming at the James's Family villa.

In his trembling hands, Payne held three reports which he had been looking at for most of the day. His forehead was still dripping with sweat. He was incredulous and even frightened.

Suddenly, Payne stood up and raised his stride towards the bedroom of Jafar and Deirdre. He hurriedly ran over, leaving behind the sound his rapid footsteps in the corridor. Knock knock knock!

The rapid knocking sound annoyed Jafar, who was just about to fall asleep in the bedroom. His face was impatient, "Who is it?"

"Dad, open the door, it's me."

When Jafar heard that it was Payne, his expression slightly changed. Deirdre, who was already lying down on the side, woke up: "Payne, your father is already asleep. Let's talk about it tomorrow during the day." However, the man at the door would not go away.

"Dad, open the door first. It's very important."

Jafar gave Deirdre a push: "Go open the door."

Deirdre had no choice but to get up and put on a housecoat as she walked to the door, still a little upset.

"Payne, it is so late..." she said while opening the door.

As soon as the door opened, their son at the door. He rushed in like a gust of wind, causing Deirdre's housecoat to be knocked down to the ground: "Eh, this child ..."

"Dad, you know where sister is, don't you!" As soon as Payne entered, he hurriedly questioned Jafar.

The atmosphere was abruptly cold.

Jafar sank, "When did you have a sister."

"Grace, it's Grace!"

"There's no such person as Grace in our family. Do not ever mention this backstabbing daughter again. It's late, go back to bed."

"Dad! I've been diagnosed with leukaemia! Neither you nor mother was a good match!" Three reports, one of it was his leukaemia diagnosis report; the other two was from his parents' regular annual check-up examinations last week. He obtained it from the doctor after he knew that he was diagnosed with leukaemia to see if his parents' reports could match his.