The Zhenguo Great General's Mansion
The servants in the general's mansion were extraordinarily busy today, with people coming and going in a flurry.
Today, the General's wife was in labor!
At the entrance, the wife of the Yuan Dynasty's foremost Marshal of Army and Cavalry, the Zhenguo General Nan Xiaoming, was giving birth.
How imposing the mighty general was on the battlefield, yet now, due to his wife's labor, he paced back and forth at the door in his anxiety.
Beside him, in a place not easily seen, there seemed to be another person… Ah, is that Gu Yin? His body appeared transparent; no one could see him.
He watched the delivery room, seemingly anticipating something…
Suddenly, the cry of a newborn baby broke the tense atmosphere of the general's mansion, and the taut nerves of everyone present finally relaxed.
"She's born! The madam has given birth, it's a girl," a servant hurried out.
Nan Xiaoming could no longer contain himself and rushed into the delivery room. Although servants tried to stop him, Nan Xiaoming paid them no mind.
"Madam!" Nan Xiaoming walked directly to Madam Nan and sat beside her. Madam Nan had just given birth and was severely depleted.
"Thank you, my dear. It's a girl, our daughter. You've worked hard," Nan Xiaoming said, reaching out to wipe the sweat from Madam Nan's face, his expression full of tenderness.
"Why has the General come in? This place isn't tidied yet, and… I must look terrible right now…" Madam Nan spoke, looking at Nan Xiaoming.
"How could that be? My dear, you are always the most beautiful, no matter the time," Nan Xiaoming said to Madam Nan.
Madam Nan gave a faint smile.
"The child… has the General seen our daughter?" Madam Nan looked to the side. The midwife brought the baby over, wrinkled and small, her eyes not yet open.
"General, doesn't she resemble you a lot?" Madam Nan asked.
"I'm rough-featured, she looks more like you, my dear. Look how tender and pink she is…" Nan Xiaoming’s heart melted as he gazed at the tiny bundle in his arms.
"General, would you like to give her a name?" Madam Nan asked.
"Your name contains the sound 'yin', so shall we call her Nan Yin? How about Yin'er?" Nan Xiaoming asked her.
"Alright… Yin'er…" Madam Nan spoke her name, her face filled with gentleness.
Yin'er… His Yin'er… Gu Yin stood by, watching the little girl, his eyes filled with starlight.
The Great General Nan was blessed with a daughter, and the Emperor bestowed gifts of congratulation. In early June, the general's mansion held a banquet to entertain guests, and today was the hundredth-day celebration of the Nan family's daughter.
Little Nan Yin was placed on a velvet rug, with various items laid out before her. Little Nan Yin, faced with the dazzling array of objects, seemed overwhelmed.
Gu Yin watched her from the side, utterly charmed by the little girl. He walked up to Nan Yin and squatted down.
"Yin'er…" he called her name. Nan Yin, as if sensing him, looked towards Gu Yin. Gu Yin smiled, a gentle smile.
"Yin'er can see me, can't she?" Gu Yin reached out to stroke Nan Yin's head, smiling happily.
"Madam, look, Yin'er knows what day it is today, she's smiling so happily," Nan Xiaoming said to Madam Nan.
"Yin'er has always been a cheerful girl," Madam Nan said. Her daughter, she thought, always smiled at the air; she would surely grow up to be a happy young lady.
Nan Yin reached out to grasp something in the air. She was playfully tugging at Gu Yin's hand. Gu Yin extended his hand. It was strange; others couldn't see him, but this little girl could. Not only could she see him, but she could also touch him.
"Yin'er is choosing her fate. Is she trying to choose a husband for herself by holding onto me like this?" Gu Yin teased her.
Nan Yin seemed to understand, giggling merrily, which delighted everyone.
Gu Yin's heart softened further. He pulled her into a tight embrace. Nan Yin seemed to like him very much, clinging to him.
"What is this little girl doing?" the guests found it amusing. Was she hugging air? Her small hands outstretched, her smile a little silly.
"Alright, come, let's choose the prettiest one, shall we? What does Yin'er like the most among these?" Gu Yin guided Nan Yin to look at the small trinkets on the rug and asked.
"How about a horsewhip? Yin'er loves freedom the most. Riding a horse is always when she is happiest," Gu Yin said.
Nan Yin didn't react. She sat there, gazing at the items before her, unsure what to pick.
"Yin'er, look, see what you like, shall we go pick it up?" Madam Nan and the others were getting impatient. Seeing the little one sitting there without picking anything, they began to coax her.
"Wuwu…" The little one seemed on the verge of tears.
Gu Yin was startled. "What's wrong?" Gu Yin immediately moved to comfort her, but Nan Yin waved her little hands erratically, pulling at Gu Yin's hair.
"Wuwu…" The little one was truly crying now. Madam Nan became very worried and quickly came over, picking Nan Yin up. "What's wrong, Yin'er?" Madam Nan asked, looking at her with concern.
As Madam Nan lifted Nan Yin, a few strands of Gu Yin's hair came with her. Madam Nan looked at the hair in Nan Yin's hand with some confusion. "How did Yin'er get a few strands of hair in her hand?" Madam Nan thought she had accidentally pulled them off. She was about to take the hair away, but Nan Yin clutched it tightly, refusing to let go. If anyone tried to take it, she would cry loudly.
"Alright, alright, Mother won't take it. Mother won't take it." Madam Nan didn't know where it came from, but it was just a few strands of hair. If Nan Yin wanted to hold onto them, she could.
Meanwhile, Gu Yin, standing nearby, saw this scene and suddenly felt a stinging in his eyes.
"...Yin'er, so, this time, are you choosing me?" Gu Yin asked. He reached out to hold Nan Yin's little hand, and Nan Yin immediately brightened. She opened her small arms as if asking for a hug.
Gu Yin smiled. Yin'er… wait for me. I'll come find you soon…
In this choosing ceremony, besides those few strands of hair, Nan Yin later chose only a bouquet of pretty flowers. Gu Yin looked at the result with a complex expression…
Nan Yin, now a one-year-old baby, could already walk. Madam Nan had spread velvet rugs throughout the room, just in case the little Nan Yin fell while walking.
Little Nan Yin held a rattle. Because her walking was still unsteady, the rattle made a loud noise with every step she took. Little Nan Yin seemed curious; as soon as she walked, the rattle would sound, and she would widen her eyes, looking at the rattle in her hand. This was incredibly endearing.
Gu Yin had been squatting opposite little Nan Yin. "Yin'er, come to me, won't you?"
Little Nan Yin's round eyes fixed on Gu Yin's direction. Her entire face was alight with a brilliant smile, her eyes crinkling like two little moons.
"Come… let me hold you, okay?" Gu Yin coaxed her.
Little Nan Yin actually toddled towards him. She was the only one who could see him.
"Ge… ge…" Little Nan Yin made a few unclear syllables. She could already speak a few words, though not very clearly yet.
"Children are truly amusing. They can play so happily all by themselves," Madam Nan remarked to the servant beside her.
"Miss is well-behaved. She rarely cries and is very obedient," the family member beside her replied.
Even when she cried, she would stop almost immediately and then smile happily. It was truly remarkable.
Little Nan Yin had stumbled into Gu Yin's embrace. Gu Yin held her. Nan Yin, seeming a little proud, wanted to hand her toy to Gu Yin.
But how could Gu Yin hold it? The rattle dropped. Little Nan Yin bent down to pick it up, then tried to put it back into Gu Yin's hand.
"Yin Yin, be good. Play with this yourself, okay? I can't hold it," Gu Yin told her.
"Wuwu…" Seeing the rattle fall again, Nan Yin immediately burst into tears.
Madam Nan was frightened and quickly ran over to pick Nan Yin up. "Oh dear, what's wrong with our little Yin Yin?"
"Wuwah…" Little Nan Yin cried loudly. Madam Nan was having trouble comforting her. She picked up the rattle and offered it to Nan Yin. "Yin Yin, is this what you want?"
But little Nan Yin could hear nothing now. Madam Nan had brought the rattle right to her hand, yet she pushed it away.
Gu Yin, watching from the side, also felt a pang of distress. He knew it must be because he had dropped the rattle earlier that his little Yin Yin was crying.
"Yin Yin, be good, don't cry anymore, okay? It's all my fault, blame me. When you can truly see me, I promise I'll hold it properly, okay?" Gu Yin coaxed her.
"Ge… ge…" Nan Yin continued to cry, mumbling incoherently.
"Good girl, Mother is here…" Madam Nan didn't understand what had happened all of a sudden.
Little Nan Yin tried desperately to move towards Gu Yin, but Madam Nan couldn't possibly understand her intention.
Gu Yin seemed to guess what she wanted and squatted down. Seeing this, Nan Yin also tried to get down, and Madam Nan, realizing this, let her down again.
"What is it? Yin Yin?" Madam Nan didn't understand what she was trying to do.
Little Nan Yin went straight to Gu Yin's position and hugged him. Gu Yin, understanding her perfectly, immediately embraced her.
"Wuwu…" Little Nan Yin's crying stopped.
Madam Nan found it strange that little Nan Yin suddenly stopped crying, but she didn't suspect anything. After all, the little one seemed to be like this all the time.
Gu Yin looked at the little girl in his arms, her face streaked with tears, and his heart ached. "Yin Yin, don't cry, let me hug you." Gu Yin held her and gently comforted her.
Nan Yin seemed to understand vaguely. She nestled obediently in Gu Yin's embrace without speaking, instead fiddling with the rattle in her hands.
Gu Yin simply watched. At this moment, little Yin'er made his heart melt completely.
But… I won't be able to stay with you for much longer… Yin'er, if one day you suddenly can't see me anymore, will you be sad? I want you to feel something… because that would prove you care about me, like me, and want to see me. But… I also can't bear to see you unhappy. What should I do?
Gu Yin's eyes were filled with worry. In a while… he would no longer be able to do this.
"Ge… ge…" Little Yin'er held up the rattle in her hand, her face beaming with innocent joy.
Actually, it would be nice if things could always be like this… But… little Nan Yin would grow up too…
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, little Nan Yin was two years old.
Today was her second birthday banquet. Gu Yin had been by Nan Yin's side since early morning. The little girl was still asleep.
"Yin'er… aren't you going to wake up yet?" Gu Yin gently touched her face. Little Nan Yin, as if having a sixth sense, opened her eyes.
"Ah, you're awake?" Gu Yin looked at her gently.
"Ge ge…" Little Nan Yin didn't cry at all. She looked at the person before her with apparent excitement.
"Gege… Yin'er is calling you Gege, isn't she?" Gu Yin said dotingly. He had always known Nan Yin called him Gege.
"Gege…" Nan Yin, perhaps sensing that he understood her, clapped her hands joyfully and kept calling: "Gege…"
"Yes, I'm here… but Yin'er can't call me Gege," Gu Yin told her.
"Gege, Gege…" Nan Yin insisted.
"You can't call me Gege, you should call me… fujun," Gu Yin said deliberately.
Little Nan Yin froze. Fujun? She seemed not to understand… But Gu Yin wouldn't give up so easily. He taught her word by word: "Fujun, Yin'er, say Fujun…" Gu Yin said.
"Fu… Fujun…" Although her pronunciation was not perfectly clear, Gu Yin knew that the little one had just called him Fujun.
"Yes… Yin'er, you're amazing. Fujun is here. Yin'er has already called Fujun. From now on… let me truly be Yin'er's Fujun, alright?" Gu Yin's eyes welled up as he spoke. Fujun… is it really possible?
After a while, Madam Nan sent someone to carry little Nan Yin out. Today was little Nan Yin's second birthday. Nan Yin was dressed like a lucky charm, incredibly cute.
"Yin'er… Fujun has to leave now…" Gu Yin squatted down in front of Nan Yin.
"No… no…" Had Nan Yin understood?
"Be good. Actually, I will always be here, but Yin'er might not be able to see me anymore… Don't cry, okay?" Gu Yin coaxed her.
As he spoke, his body began to fade away.
"Wuwuwuwu, no… wuwu, hug, hug…" Nan Yin's little mouth quivered, and she started to cry.
She had been fine just moments ago, what was happening now? Those present were greatly alarmed and went to comfort her, but little Nan Yin struggled. Seeing Gu Yin about to disappear, she tried to hold him back with her cries.
"Wuwu… hug, hug…" Nan Yin opened her hands towards him, wanting him to hold her. But Gu Yin's outstretched hand slowly vanished completely. In just a moment, Gu Yin was gone.
"Wuwuwu, want, want…" Little Nan Yin cried inconsolably. No matter how others tried to comfort her, they couldn't.
Gone… is Gu Yin really gone? He said he would always be here, but little Yin'er just couldn't see him anymore…
Yes… it was just that little Nan Yin couldn't see him anymore. Gu Yin was actually always there. In the days that followed, Gu Yin was like an observer, standing by, watching Nan Yin grow up.
He had always accompanied her. Nan Yin was like a little princess, and he was her devoted little guard. Just being there was enough for Gu Yin.
Nan Yin was still very young. When she was little, those memories seemed to slowly fade, but… Gu Yin recalled them every day, because that period was the happiest time of his life…
It’s alright. In a few more years, he would be able to stand before his Yin'er openly. When these times overlapped, he could return to his original body and set everything back on its rightful course…
Yin'er, wait for me a little longer, okay?