A Love Written In The Stars

"The ashes of a shattered past hide secrets that I must uncover—Mei."

———

Mei walked along the path to the home of her family's former workers in Héng Village. She needed to learn more about what had happened on the day her family was murdered, and this was her best chance.

As she approached the first house, she heard the sound of children playing inside. She knocked on the wooden door and waited.

An elderly woman opened the door, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of Mei.

"Why if it isn't little Meiying! We thought we'd never see your smiling face again," she exclaimed, stepping aside to let Mei enter.

Stepping inside, Mei was enveloped in warm greetings by other family members who had also known her family for many years. They ushered her to a sitting area near the fire and pressed a hot cup of tea into her hands.

As they settled in, Mei asked how they had fared over the years. With saddened eyes cast downward, the elderly woman replied, "Your father was a kind master who treated us all like family."

The others nodded solemnly, agreeing with her.

"He was generous with bonuses for our work and always ensured we were paid well and had enough to eat."

Mei felt tears well up in her eyes and swallowed hard against the lump in her throat, reminded of how deeply everyone had loved her father. In that moment, she knew she was in the right place—someone here might hold a clue that could help her uncover who was behind the tragedy.

"Your mother was also a blessing, always thinking of others. Even in her last days, her only worry was making sure we could still celebrate the Lunar New Year with family."

"I remember her persuading your father to grant us the holiday a week in advance so we could all travel to be with our families. Such a small gesture of kindness, yet it meant the world to all of us."

The others murmured in agreements, sharing warm smiles at the memory.

"Your father worked us to the bone but was also there with an encouraging word if one of us was struggling." One man spoke up. "I will never forget his generosity and compassion."

Mei's eyes shone with unshed tears as she was reminded of how selfless they were. It was clear they had left behind nothing but goodwill - which made the circumstances around their death all the more perplexing.

The elderly woman sighed, "There was one shadow over your father in his later years - his relationship with his brother soured."

Hearing this, Mei sat up straight.

"He had felt sidelined for many years as your grandfather groomed your father to one day run the business. This caused much bitterness and resentment that only festered with time."

One of the workers spoke up tentatively, "We did not witness that terrible night, as your father had graciously given us the week off in advance as always. But the rumors and stories that reached us afterward were terrible—it seemed trained fighters had broken in at night, overpowering the guards and...leaving none alive."

Mei drew a shaky breath, piecing together the image in her mind. Her uncle's envy at being overlooked, combined with her father's rising wealth and influence, could have fueled the betrayal. It pained her to think that the tragedy might have stemmed not from an outside enemy but from family politics and greed.

Her thoughts shifted to the ruins of her family's manor; perhaps evidence remained that could reveal the true perpetrator. Without wasting another moment, Mei politely excused herself, thanked them for sharing their memories, and bowed respectfully to the workers before departing. She then made her way back, slowly and thoughtfully, toward her family's manor.

When she arrived, Mei paused outside, gathering her courage. Finally, she stepped inside and began searching each room with care and focus.

In her father's study, she found letters and documents that had clearly been rifled through, scattered carelessly across the charred remains of his desk. Some were partially burned parchments, edges blackened and curling from the flames. A few pages held cryptic symbols and coded passages, suggesting messages meant to stay hidden. Among them were torn family records, their ink faded but still legible enough to reveal connections to powerful figures.

In her father's library, Mei touched the spines of old books, remembering the quiet afternoons they had spent reading together. His study reminded her of the times he worked late into the night, only to greet her with a warm smile the next morning.

Her mother's gardens brought back memories of helping to care for the flowers and herbs. The kitchen was filled with the legacy of family recipes and cherished meals made together.

Even in their private rooms, Mei could still feel faint traces of laughter and love.

Overcome by nostalgia and grief, Mei broke down in tears. She thought of her father teaching her in the garden, her mother weaving flowers into her sister's hair, and the jokes and laughter they shared around the dinner table with her sister Hui Fen, her brother Xu, and Xiao. Her heart felt as if it would burst.

Sobs shook her body as waves of grief, anger, and deep loneliness overwhelmed her. Though the gentle breeze seemed to whisper memories of happier times, every empty corner of the estate only heightened her feeling of abandonment.

Holding the medallion she found in the ruins, Mei cried for everything she had lost and for the unfinished conversations that would forever haunt her. She cried until her tears finally ran dry.

The rest of the day, she moved slowly through each room, unable to leave until she had relived every last memory.

Night fell as she sat in the courtyard where they used to dine under the stars, now only illuminated by the pale glow of distant fireflies. Though her search yielded no new evidence, wandering the manor had afforded her this bittersweet farewell to reclaim treasured memories before confronting her bleak future alone.

Exhausted, Mei dragged herself to her old room and collapsed onto the bed. As she lay among faded memories, her fingers brushed against some loose floorboards. Curious, she pried them open, revealing a hidden space that had been concealed for years.

Inside, she found scrolls and records in her father's handwriting. The first scroll contained intercepted letters between her uncle and traders, arranging deals for luxury goods in exchange for inflated tax payments. Another document detailed large funds from a royal construction project, funneled into hidden accounts through fake contracts.

A gasp escaped her as everything started to make sense—her uncle and others must have been involved in embezzlement and money laundering for years. They must have been desperate to cover up their crimes. Perhaps her family had been silenced to keep them from uncovering this corruption.

Among the documents, Mei found a collection of ancient scrolls that triggered a distant memory. As a young child, she had once discovered these very scrolls hidden in her father's study.

She unrolled one, revealing illustrations of fighting techniques that had once seemed beyond her imagination. The graceful figures on the scrolls flowed between stances, attacking with fists, feet, and enchanted weapons. One weapon, a beautifully designed dagger, stood out to her—the very same dagger she had carried with her for years. She had spent hours studying these scrolls, captivated by their mysterious author, who had sparked her journey into martial arts and a life dedicated to mastering her body and mind.

But when her father had caught her with the scrolls, he quickly took them away, asking her to promise she'd never speak of what she had seen.

Mei carefully gathered all the records and scrolls, tucking them securely into her bag. While the evidence clearly implicated her targets, it still lacked enough details for her to act on.

She would carefully look more into them at a later time.