The soil felt moistened beneath her heels cause of the early rain. The air was mixed with the fragrance of plants the night breezes slightly chilled her. There were swooshes by her ears as she walked opposite the directions of the wind and began to climb the wet stairs.

Mei Xing looked around. It was extremely quiet in the cemetery. A gust of wind blew, dripping of raindrops on the leaves could be heard.

At the peak, when she saw a faint silhouette of a standing man with his broad shoulder towards stairs as he stood there gazing the city lights in a far distance her legs took the pace as she hastened on the stairs eager to meet her lover.

It's been more than a decade, Mei Xing was sent abroad for studies and she returned to China a few months ago.

In the evening, Zhang Han messaged her to meet him tonight at the cliff, and now she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

'Please, God! No more surprises.'

From the day she returned, Zhang Han had been giving her surprises almost every day. Candlelight dinners, late-night musical shows and taking her for the outing and giving her gifts was their daily routine. These past few months she was entirely preoccupied with him while spending most of her time with him.

Mei-Xing never imagined, there's a man who loved her more than anyone in this world, he dotes her more than her father, cares for her more than her mother. Since childhood till now, he loved her the most. And all these years staying apart he didn't change a bit.

Sometimes, she wonders how could a person love this deeply? She is everything for him!

Hurriedly, Mei Xing's steps speed up, her heels clicking while hastening and climbing on the stairs. She couldn't wait to see him. Her lips curled, she felt her heart smiling like an idiot.

While in the states for years, Mei-Xing disremembered his promise to marry her when she grows up. At that time she was five and doesn't even know what does marriage means. So it's natural to overlook that. Afterward, she was fully occupied with her exquisitely pact-lifestyle in the states.

But today she felt a bit nervous and a lot giddy because tomorrow her father is going to make the public introduction of Mei Xing to the world. She'll get the recognition of being his daughter and the heiress. It will also be a new beginning of her life, with an official announcement of her marriage and been engage to CEO of the Zhang groups. Tomorrow is a big day for her. After this event, it will be her destination wedding within a month.

Swoosh...

Mei-Xing abruptly stopped. She felt shockwave like something brushed, passed right by her sides. Within that fraction of second, she heard a striking yet faint sound of something hitting a tree trunk like an arrow was hit. She wasn't sure and didn't hear it clearly when the noise caused by the giggling leaves with the strong wind was more intense and noisy.

She stood there like a statue. 'What was that?' She thought to venture about that noise. Too bad she can't see that far away in a dark cloudy night.

Mei-Xing turned while pointedly gazing at her left side where she heard the sound, shortly she turned to take a look in the opposite side. With narrowed eyes, she tried to examine her surroundings discreetly but the trees were dense and dark with the dim street light only on the right side of stairs.

A deep frown befalls on her head. 'Was that...?'

Then the next moment, she shook her head and paused her line of thoughts. 'Whatever! Don't overthink.'

Forget it! Might be some nighty creatures.

Inspecting for a while, Mei Xing took a deep breath before proceeding towards her destination right up at the hill. Her heart began to thump loudly.

Earlier, She wasn't a bit scared while passing through the lonesome cemetery in a remote place then why to be scared of nocturnal animals.

Is Zhang Han wants to scare her as he often chooses the lonesome places to romance but a graveyard? Weirdo!

Nearing towards the man in the dark, she was exhausted while breathing heavily. It's been months she had a run on staircases.

"Z-Zhang Han?" She breathes out his name gently trying to catch her short breaths and slowing the pace. From a distance when she almost saw the man's outline, she felt amiss.

Woosh...!

Inherently, a wind piercing sounds like a bullet traveling with lightning speed. Before Mei Xing could seize the situation. Zooop...a sharp bullet pierced her skull right between her brows.

"Gotcha!" behind the scene, a man with blonde hairs sneered releasing his finger from the trigger of the quietest sniper rifle.

" Wh...?"A throbbing pain engulfed Mei-Xing. Her vision blurred, unfocused. Hot blood overspread on her features dyeing the lovely face of the girl with blood before she could see the man's features. Within a few seconds, a dead body fell on the wet ground with a loud thump!

An evil smirk towed at the corner of his lips, the man been tall and proud turned over to see her fall, under the shadow of a lamppost his eyes shone, thrilled to see her dead. Slowly, he walked towards her dead body as she thumped down heavily. Her eyes were wide open with flash no life. A bullet bored between her thin brows looks like a hole drilled. He crotch down to take a close of her haunting yet beautiful but dead eyes.

"Damn! She was lucky before," the blonde-haired man said after coming out of hiding. A heavy load of a gun on his right shoulder as he said confidently "otherwise, she won't be able to reach the peak, my Lord."

But the person he was speaking to was entirely dazed.

...

Outside the Hospital,

A black Maybach with a high speed rushed through the emergency gate of VIP.

Almost everything was prepared beforehand, possibly the best team of Doctors was gathered who awaits the patient. The car door opened. A specialist nurse rushed forward to support while cautiously handling the bleeding body. Taking to the operation room.

...

Outside the operation theatre, a man stared at the huge white doors that were shut close. He glanced at the red light above the door's crest and his face turned pale with fright.

If anything happens to her...

No!

Meanwhile, inside the operation theatre, a girl's lifeless body lay on the operating table as the Doctor's team working their best to save her life. She had lost a lot of blood but the cut wasn't too deep.

Beep.....beep! The machine gave a warning.

Being warned, the doctors tried to restrain. The waving lifeline on the patient's monitoring system moderately began to stretch flat. Profusely sweating, Doctor's attempted to stabilize the patient but missed.

beeps...........!

Their breaths hitched. In the frightful silent ward, only the endless and eternal beep could be heard.

"DEAD!?" Utterly disappointed, a Doctor called.

Doctors looked at each other and after a few exchanges of the words and checked before confirming with a nod. Dejectedly, they turn to leave while the nurse switched off the focusing light on the dead body and the girl's pale face with a sheet. Whereas, Doctors were removing their gloves and discussing the cause of death in hush tones. At such a moment, suddenly, the dead body jolted and slumped back sucking a long breath. The cloth heaved on her chest and face with her shallow breathing.

Beep, beep,...

Breaking the silence, the patient's monitoring system gained a distinct beeping sound of the patient's heartbeat. The lifeline began to wobble again onscreen. Astonished by hearing the low pulse rate, everyone turned back and hurriedly got back to operate.

Outside the White Door:

"Second Master," bowing her head deeply a lady in her late twenties greeted the young man seated like a statue.

The man turned over his expression dark and he asked in a heavy tone. "How did this happen?" his voice as freezing as his appearance.

Instantly, The Manager's expression changed, she didn't dare to delay to justify herself anymore, " S-Second Master, It was an accident.",

" After the party, as usual, I dropped Li Na to the Villa. Inrush, she forgot her cellphone on the backseat. I noticed when a message came in. I wasn't that far. So to return the phone I went back." the manager felt a huge lump in her throat as the tears flooded.

"But...when I reached the residence none of the servants was there. The doors were also opened. So, I enter and knock her room's door, the door opened slightly a-and I saw..." the lady started to cry while speaking. " I-I j-just saw her back and-and she was holding the gun on her temples. I rushed in to snatch the gun..." She covered the sniffling face filled with catastrophe. "...s-she fought back."

Suicide!

Li Na attempted suicide.

What was she thinking? Does she really wants to die that badly!

"I-I pulled the gun forcefully...To stop her I pushed her. T-then blood... She was bleeding, I-I d-don't know h-how she..." the lady slumped on her knees crying and blaming herself profusely. Only crying.

Lu Junhui waved his hand for the bodyguard to take away the kneeling woman. Taking deep breaths, Lu Junhui wiped off the sweat from his brow as he presses a few buttons on his phone to make a call.

"Li Na. Li Na. This is nonsense! Utter nonsense...Stupid Girl! Idiot. I have to tell, Brother." he said defeatedly. She really made Lu Junhui call his brother for her.

'Even if she survived, surely she'll be dead after this.'

***Weeks later, In the hospital's VIP room on the top floor.

Li Na had been unconscious over a few weeks. Under the supervision of the world's highly proficient neurosurgeon's team, still, there was no major improvement in her condition. She lay on a hospital bed like a lifeless body.

Meanwhile, inside the guest room of the top floor, the ambiance was extremely tense.

The Hospital's director, Head doctor and his team members showing the progress reports of Li Na's condition with no progress. The atmosphere was tensed because of the Lu Empire's King Lu Jianjun's expression were exceptionally freezing.

Sitting on the sofa, Lu Jianjun looked notably furious hearing the reports with the null progress which was expected to be improved. Under tremendous pressure, the head doctor sought to ease the situation.

Suddenly, Lu Jianjun stood up giving goosebumps to everyone as they watched him walk out of the door without a word.

On the left seat, Lu Jun-hui sighed heavily to see his brother leaving. "He doesn't appreciate hearkening to the repeating words and wasting time." Lu Jun-hui turned to chat with the doctor, flashing a smile. The team of men slackened.

Seeing them dejected, Lu Jun-hui felt bad and asked considerately. "You said she'll be awake by now. Then why there is no progress and she is still sleeping like a log?"

"Mr. Lu, we are doing our best. Li Na's brief loss of consciousness is because of oxygen deprivation to the brain, possibly caused due to the overreaction to a certain trigger or shock, and her traumatic brain injury is making it worse. Besides, she was addicted to drugs thus her body is hardly reciprocating to treatment."

"But we suspect soon she'll gain her consciousness, it's just matter of time her brain took for recovering of the traumatic shock." Lu Junhui nodded his head and said before getting up to leave, " Okay. But please make sure, she'll be fine." he shook his hand with the doctor and left.

A couple of days later, in the middle of the night.

Li Na's closed eyes fluttered her whole body trembled as if she is experiencing nerve wrenching pain. Undergoing the torturing pain and suffocation, Li Na gasped heavily for air but her mouth and nose were capped with an oxygen mask.

Her limbs trembled, she needs to hold her splitting headache but something was attached to her wrist restraining any instinctive action. But she had no energy for willing movements.

Struggling, under the faint radiation, she tried hard to open her sealed eyes and after a lot of struggling, her eyes slightly opened before shutting down as she breathed more heavily sucking the limited oxygen provided. The machines began to beep loudly.

Hurriedly, a nurse rushed in towards the bed. She looked at the fluctuating sound of the monitoring system and the girl on the bed. Seeing Li Na grasping for more oxygen, the nurse increased the oxygen level before calling the doctor. A minute later, a doctor came.

Noises of humans around Li Na were oblivious for her when her brain was on the verge of exploding. She didn't even sense the pain of needles piercing her skin. After a while, Li Na's breathing calmed down. Breathing slowly her senses began to disappear. The headache subsides compared to previous but her mind wasn't alert of her surroundings or condition yet. The throbbing pain receded and slowly reformed with mild aching. Drained out of the energy, gradually, Li Na went to sleep like retiring to normal sleep.

Early morning, The whole team of specialist doctors was examing Li Na's latest medial reports. After observing her normal breathing rate, the oxygen mask and non-required life-supporting machines were detached.

"Good, No severe complications!" said a doctor and all sighed in relief.

However, despite her weak health, an old lady, who rushed from overseas and landed early in the morning just to see her dearest granddaughter looked worried and troubled.

Grandma Li sat beside the bed caringly moving hands over Li Na's ash brown hairs. She thanked the divinity like the millionth times for saving this child with no parents.

In the early age of growing, Li Na's mother died while fighting against cancer over a lengthy period. Her father was deeply affected by her mother's demise. He loved her mother truly. And after knowing that he won't be able to survive longer Li Na's father re-married, just to provide his daughter a helping hand to live and grow into an elite lady.

Li Na's step-mother was polite and caring towards her. Thus Li Na fully became dependent on her stepmother. The little girl missed her birth mother but felt fortunate as the new mother loves her the same way.

But Li Na's happiness lasted until her father lived.

Later on, after her father's decease, her step-mother became distant. Her step-mother was not cruel or rough towards her but separated and aloof, detached. Which was more saddening and depressing for that little girl. And on a certain day, her step-mother left Li Na alone without telling.

An eleven-year-old Li Na outlasted alone inside the huge Villa. Li Na was loved yet the period was very short. It struck her psychologically.

Due to Li Na's grandfathers deteriorating health, her grandparents couldn't stay with her all the time nor she asked them to. Li Na tried to be strong and refused to resettle with them abroad nor the old couple could look after her.

Elder Li felt despair and pain she couldn't do anything for her Li Na. Her only grandchild.

With each passing year, gradually, their occasional presence didn't matter to Li Na, it couldn't fill the bottomless void inside her, nothing could. She lived with the fact, there will be people who'll love her but surely they won't stay with her forever.

At present. Someone lightly knocked on the door.

"Madam, Master Lu is waiting for you in the guest room. He's speaking with Doctor and asks if you want to talk with them." The old lady looked over the assistant and then back to her grandchild.

Elder Li nodded and gave a guarded glance towards her granddaughter before motioning the woman behind her to leave the room. A nurse followed behind the old lady pushing the wheelchair with an IV stand out of the room***.

Inside the guest room, a completely displeased Master Lu was roaring over the cellphone.

" What do you mean by NOT available?"

On the other end: " B-Busin..."

Master Lu shouted. " Shut up! You little brat. Don't give me excuses. I don't care about business. Tell him to come back now."

"..."

"Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I understand. I'll immediately convey your message.

"Good boy, now don't let me dial your number again."

"Yes, Father."

"Hmm. Lu Jun-hui don't be like your brother. He's a selfish and arrogant man. He doesn't care for humans he only cared about money and business. Don't be like him."

"But father..."

"No. Be a good man. Now, do as I told you."

Lu Jun-hui went speechless. "..." and the phone line went dead.

Initially, Lu Jun-hui attempted to resolve the upcoming trouble but soon he gave up. Sitting in his office chair idly he swayed left to right. deciding how to convey the message. His brother's work ethics are strict Lu Jianjun doesn't allow nor he tolerates any kind of interruption in his business meeting or trips without his permission.

"~Sigh, of all times, why does this have to happen now." Lu Jun-hui mumbled and smacked his head on the table in frustration.

Grandma Li entered the guest room with a disheartened expression. From the conversation, she understood, who Master Lu was shouting at and why. So she didn't bother to ask.

Master Lu greeted the old lady as she nodded in response.

Lu Jianjun's father wants Li Na to be his daughter-in-law. He liked the quiet and shy girl a lot but Lu Jianjun is not interested in her. So, Master Lu always felt guilty and sad facing Li Na's grandmother.

"When will Li Na woke up again?" Uptight, Elder Li asked the doctors:

The doctor replied: "Last night, Li Na had a PTSD attack. Hopefully, she'll be awake in a day or two. It depends on how she takes that and how strong she is mentally..." Elder Li's expressions darkened instantly bothered about her mental health.

The doctor understood her concern and said. " Not to worry her brain functions were recovering. And her wounds were almost healed, she'll be fine. But..." the doctor went into thoughts.

"But, What?" Master Lu asked anxiously.

" She's mentally unstable. Li Na had been on antidepressants for a long period and now she's deeply addicted to them. After waking up, I think it'll be necessary to keep her under examination or worst in the rehab center for a while. It's strange how her body is dependents and stimulated by drugs. And once she became fully conscious her nervous system will be demanding drugs. It can't be easily controlled or cured through medications."

Elder Li asked: "Can't you suppress it?"

"Madam Li, there are ways to do that, but it can be dangerous to use under Li Na's week condition. I can only suggest to keep her away from drugs and try to keep her happy. We'll conduct a cerebral exam to understand her mental state but we don't know about the drugs she takes. It completely depends on Li Na's response. What if she tries to attempt suicide again? And the next time it could be more disastrous than this. It's all because she is mentally weak and sufferings from the same past again and again. she seems to be avoiding and not wanting to get over her parents' death."

Elder Li seemed to be aware of the happenings altogether she was hesitant to make a decision that could solve the problem without being fatal. Besides that, every therapy was ineffective. The discussion continued for nearly an hour talking over mental issues.

"Doctor, I heard that memories can be erased?" Elder Li asked in general.

"Yes, with advanced science it is possible to erase or cut out the person's memories permanently. The most popular method was the ECT(Electro-Convulsive Therapy) in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. It's used for mentally ill patients. but it could be risky." replied the doctor.

After considering everything, Elder Li looked like she had taken the decision then without hesitating she said, " Then erase Li Na's memories."

Everyone was shocked.

Elder Li knew her granddaughter was suffering from psychotic depression, symptoms such as hallucinations, delusion(false believing), and paranoia; Li Na often wrongly believed that others are trying to harm her.

Sometimes Li Na's mood episodes range from extremes of high energy with an 'up' mood to very low 'depressive' periods. That Li Na used to lock herself for several weeks and then suddenly goes out partying fiercely. It was difficult to suspect her mental state. She looked fine yet completely broken. This was the result of her constant heartbreak from an early age.

She is exactly the person who knows what's wrong with them but doesn't want to be fixed. They drag their broken heart endlessly until it became unbearable and lastly commit suicide.

Looking at the shock and hesitant faces, Elder Li said, "She's my granddaughter and I can make decisions for her. I'm her only family."

"Sorry to interrupt but she is my responsibility." Just then Lu Jianjun's cold voice seized the moment of the decision he walked into the guest room freezing the atmosphere and faces.

Master Lu shocked to see his elder son. Isn't he was aboard? How did he arrive so shortly?

Lu Jianjun had been attending business meetings. In-between his tight schedule, he returned to the country when got reported about Li Na's condition.

Due to the time constraint, Lu Jianjun barely had any time to rest from the long flight. Right after landing, he went straight to the company. After the board meeting, he delayed his schedule to have a short visit to the hospital. The moment Lu Jianjun arrived he heard Elder Li's resolution.

Elder Li frowns to see Lu Jianjun's seriously grave expression as he looked at her.

Seeing this, Master Lu raised his voice to scold his son, " Lu Jianjun, now you feel responsible for her? You didn't come to see her for once, so how could you claim her to be your responsibility. This is how you took care of her when she almost died there."

Lu Jainjun stood in front of Elder Li staring with firm eyes. He only spoke to the old lady, " You know Li Na is not your responsibility anymore but my burden. After all, I paid for her"

Burden? Paid for her?

Everyone was stunned apart from the three people conversing.

'What's going on?' Doctors glance at each other's faces.

"Lu Jianjun, How dare you to say that?"Master Lu fumed.

Master Lu was raged by Lu Jianjun cold words. Elder Li is a renowned and respectable lawyer of her time. She has fought many cases for charity in the past to help poor people. And today his son was accusing her of selling her granddaughter to him. How cheap?

"Lu Jianjun, this is how you talk to elders? Where are your manners?" Lu Jianjun's father bristled.

While Elder Li looked tongue-tied, that was too straight forward. She couldn't deny the fact. Lu Jianjun didn't bother to look at his father no matter what he does or says his father never approved it. His father didn't say a word when this old lady accused him of misleading her juvenile granddaughter with money in the wrong way. And Lu Jianjun has ulterior motives toward Li Na.

After a while, Elder Li responded: "Yes, Li Na might have taken your money but you do not have any legal authority over her."

Lu Jianjun's eyes darkened like a warning. As if saying. 'Don't make me do this!'

He never wanted to hold any authority over anybody but sometimes that's the only way you can deal with some people.

The next second, Lu Jianjun glanced at his assistant, Ethan. When Ethan understood his glance he immediately pulled out the settlement papers. After which he told the Doctor to leave and they left hurriedly.

Elder Li looked over the file and asked: "Lu Jianjun, are you trying to threaten me?"