"I'm here, Mei," Chen said softly, her stern demeanor melting into one of tenderness. "You are safe."
Mei looked around the room carefully, then down at her formal business attire. A small frown of distaste slowing formed on her small face.
"These clothes are so tight."
Then as if opting to not dwell on the uncomfortable clothes turned to Master Wen again.
"Can I paint today?"
"Of course." Wen nodded to Tang Mei, who was already grabbing the wooden box of art supplies from a cabinet.
As Mei excitedly accepted the brushes and paper, getting off the chair to settle cross-legged on the floor cushion with natural grace, Master Wen exchanged a worried glance with Zhou Qing.
"The transitions seem to be coming more frequently now," Zhou Qing whispered. "And faster."
Wen nodded gravely.
"Something has disturbed the balance."
She watched as Tang Mei started to paint with swift, sure strokes, her business-like appearance completely changing into this artistic state.
"Both sides are growing stronger. They seem to be seeking integration."
"Tang Lin would hate that," Zhou Qing replied quietly.
"She believes her condition can be managed, not necessarily… resolved."
"Because she is afraid of what a complete memory would bring," Master Wen answered quietly, her eyes brooding .
"But fate may not give her a choice for much longer."
Turning away from Zhou Qing, master Wen looked intently at Tang Mei.
On the paper, the brush in Tang Mei's hand danced swiftly, creating an image of a carved jade ring with complicated patterns.
Behind it shadowy figures seemed to lurk, causing Master Wen to frown deeply.
"What are you painting today, Mei?" she pretended to ask casually.
Tang Mei didn't look up, her brush not hesitating for a second.
"The night of hiding. The night of watching."
Her voice had taken on a dreamy, distant note.
"Through the jade, everything looked green. Even the red."
Master Wen's hand shook slightly as she firmly placed it on Tang Mei's shoulder.
"That's enough painting for today, child. Let's have some tea and your favorite moon cakes instead."
But Tang Mei continued adding stroke after stroke, including one last detail to her painting; a small oblong-shaped object tightly held in one of the shadowy hands.
The object looked distinctly like a handheld mirror, but was not quite.
Master Wen deftly pried open Tang Mei's hand to remove the brush in her grip.
"Don't paint anymore for today, child."
Tang Mei suddenly looked up, the mist in her eyes clearing slightly, as if she was coming out of a trance.
She looked at her own creation, not blinking at all for a while.
There was a mixture of fascination and fear in her eyes.
"Any idea what the things in your painting mean?" Master Wen probed carefully, looking intently to not miss out on any micro reaction on Tang Mei's face.
"I'm not sure of everything," Tang Mei's voice sounded, so soft and gentle it was barely audible.
"But I remember the jade because it just… stood out. It was cold in my hands, but somehow it burned like fire against my skin."
She used the bottom of the brush she had used earlier to trace the outline of the mirror-like object.
She was careful not to smudge the still-wet ink. "They were watching me through it. The eyes were many. The eyes were hidden."
Master Wen threw another concerned glance Zhou Qing's way, who looked confused and afraid.
"Do you know who was watching, Mei?" Master Wen prompted gently, in the hopes of getting answers.
Tang Mei's gaze grew hazy again. "I don't know. But they were looking for something."
Her fingers trembled slightly as she added, "Then they were looking for me. For us."
"Us?" Zhou Qing blurted the question without thinking.
"Me and Lin," Tang Mei whispered. "Way before we were two. When we were one."
Master Wen reached out her weathered hands and covered Tang Mei's with it.
"That's enough for today. Drink your tea now, you'll definitely feel better."
Seeing Tang Mei obediently reach for her teacup, Master Wen quietly and swiftly folded the unique painting and slipped it into her sleeve.
Later when Tang Lin had left with her assistant, she would study it more carefully.
The aim of observing some more was she could look for clues.
Anything at all that might explain the rapidly increasing frequency of transitions between Tang Lin and Tang Mei.
The ancient jade ring with its somewhat crude design and shadowy watchers.
Then there was that mirror-like object that was not quite a mirror.
These were bits and pieces of a past Tang Lin or Tang Mei did not fully remember.
A past that was now threatening to come to light after years of carefully maintained separation.
"Auntie, will Lin be angry that I painted this today?"
From Master Wen's side she heard Tang Mei's quiet voice ask a question.
She was looking up from her tea with worried eyes and had asked suddenly.
Master Wen gave her a full smile and said, "What Lin does not remember cannot trouble her,"
"Now, tell me all about your day. Was there anything you saw on the way here that was interesting?"
Tang Mei started to chatter excitedly about the colorful kites she saw kids playing with in the park.
Meanwhile, Master Wen's mind stayed focused on the painting.
The night of hiding. The night of watching. After all these years, perhaps the past was finally catching up to Tang Lin.
And if her suspicions were anything correct, the jade alongside whoever held a portion would emerge soon.
And whether they were good or bad, soon they would force Tang Lin and Tang Mei to confront that past that they had spent years trying to forget.