Yue Ling parked her white bmw in front of a giant metal gate. Rolling her window down, she passes her id to a bulky man in military uniform.
"Good afternoon, Xiao."
"Good afternoon, Miss Han."
The man takes Yue Ling’s card and scans it, then he hands it back to her.
From the passenger seat, Ting was dumbfounded at what he is seeing. When the soldier walked up to the car, Ting couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the man’s cold and murderous look. However, the moment he saw Yue Ling, the man’s expression changed into one of respect and admiration..
Han Yue Ling is a famous supermodel, but how is she able to get inside this place that is highly guarded with soldiers?
Yue Ling ignores Ting and continues to drive until they came to another building.
From Ting’s point of view this building is the biggest compare to all the other ones. Without him realizing, Yue Ling had already gotten out of the car. She opens the passenger door to help Ting out of the car.
Ting nods his head and gets out of the car with Yue Ling’s help. He glance at his idol from time to time. He stood at 170cm while Yue Ling stood at 178cm, with her heels on, she is even more taller. Thinking of their height difference, he wish inside to grow taller.
Taking their time, they walk towards a glass door. Ting couldn’t help but wonder more and more where he was. Curious, he leans near Yue Ling and whispers.
"Miss Han... where are we?"
Stopping at the door entrance, Yue Ling turn to look at the boy. Seeing his curious expression as he scans the area, she smiles faintly.
"This is the cemetery, it’s a part of the military base." She opens the door. "Your parent’s are buried here."
Frowning in confusion, Ting looks at Yue Ling, "Military? But neither my family or I have enlisted... how..."
"They are seen as honorable members of China."
Yue Ling reassures Ting. She can’t tell him that it was her yeye’s idea. Ting’s parents may have been ordinary people, but not everyone sees them that way. Ting’s father was like any good father out there, he only wanted to help his only child.
Frozen in place, Ting felt his heart clench tighter as his eyes turn moist again. Looking at the beautiful woman, he chokes on his words.
Yue Ling looks at Ting and she felt sorrow rise inside her heart. She could already feel how he would react. The only thing holding him back was the last bit of hope inside of him...
She slowly shakes her head to answer his question. Ting’s parents were dead when she arrived at the scene. The hospital they were taken to couldn’t keep the bodies in the morgue for more than 72 hours. Sighing inside, she felt regret dawn on her. If she had known, she wouldn’t have left them to the other group.
When her parents passed away, she wasn’t able to see them for the last time. To her, the feeling was the most painful, but then.. it was also a good thing... It allowed her to remember her parents when they were still alive.
Ting lower his head. His mind can’t help but remember the last time he saw his parents alive. They were just an ordinary family and smiling in their home... Why is life so unfair to him? All he wanted to do was go to college and find a good job to help his mom and dad....
As his mind wonder to the past, he didn’t know how, but he was already in another part of the building. He didn’t even realize they had walked through the inside of the building and were outside again.
Yue Ling guided Ting to a charcoal tombstone. On the tombstone held two pictures. One a man and the other a woman. Engraved in beautiful calligraphy were the names, Gu Yiping and Gu JiLian.
Standing in front of the tombstone, Ting’s legs gave up on him as he falls to his knees. He didn’t care about the pain on his right leg. Staring intensely at the pictures of his parents, he lift both his trembling hands and caress the pictures.
Once again, tears flow down his face as his lip begin to tremble.
"Dad.... mom....I’m here to see you..."
He moves his hands from the pictures. Bending forward, he kowtow to his parents.
"I’m sorry.... because of me, you both are ... if I didn’t want to go to a good university, you both would still be here...."
Lifting his head, more tears fell from his eyes as he kowtows a second time.
Lifting his head again, he kowtow a third time, then again and again. Each time, he apologizes to his parents.
After his last kowtow, he didn’t lift his head, but stayed in his position. Yue Ling could see his shoulders trembling as he cries in mourning.
Moving her eyes from the boy’s figure, she looks the the two picture on the tombstone. Slowly, she close her eyes and bow in respect to them.
’No matter what the future holds, I give my words that Ting will not be alone. As long as I am here, no one will harm him.’
As Ting cry in front of his parents tomb, Yue Ling stood quietly at the side. She did not rush him but waited patiently.
After a long while, Ting finally lift his head and wipes away the tears and snot on his face. His expression held no emotion as he stare unblinkingly at his parents tombstone.
"Ting, I know you wanted to see them before they were laid to rest, but..."
Yue Ling spoke as she squat down next to him and she smiles a very faint smile at the boy.
"Sometimes, it’s best to remember how they look when they were alive then when they are gone. No matter how much time pass, they will always be kept close in your heart with the memories you share."