Welcome back to part six of this story about long lost, and new found love. We left Murphy and Azra in Egypt on the morning before heading back to China. Murphy had sent out an SOS to the real world asking for help to find Cheng Wang Liang. Two weeks later no one has yet reported seeing him.
I grew so attached to these characters as I found them to be almost real. The story writes itself. Sit back and enjoy this chapter!

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Murphy had accompanied Azra to China. Of course he accompanied her there, he would never let her travel there all by herself. He had nothing to loose you know… so wherever she went.. he went.

Days went by and months passed. Murphy had moved in with Azra in her house in China. Life was pretty calm and good. There was absolutely no movement in Murphy‘s research case. He had no more leads. On the ‘Cheng front’ is was quiet. Too quiet.

– “Guess what happened to me today Murph…”

– “What is it Azra? Look at them big eyes of yours! You look like you‘ve seen a ghost…”

– “Well maybe I did ‘sort of…’ It was all too strange. I was walking along the river this afternoon and then I saw them….”
– ‘Them?’
– “Yeah…, you know…, the ones you described to me, back in Egypt: the Multi Dimensional Chengs.”
Murphy felt his heart missing a beat….

– “I was nailed to the ground and all I could do was just stare at the group of men…. When I saw it was Cheng, I was about to faint !!!!

Like in a dream I walked up to them. I saw him! I saw Cheng! But I saw four of them. He looked… they looked all so young…!

I started to walk to the front door as one of them stopped me… ‘Miss? Excuse me? Where do you think you‘re going?’

I entered the house anyway. There, inside…, there were more of them. It seemed like a bad dream…, it was so surreal!

I talked to them. It was a nightmare. They didn‘t know me! You were right. These men were not my Cheng. Oh Murph…. Azra cried hot tears… and with that, the build up stress inside, left her body; she cried and cried…*sob* They were nice to me, but… but they didn‘t have any memory of me! *sob*

I had to talk to someone. I wanted to talk to someone other than you…. Don‘t ask me why, but I went to see Ho.

‘Don‘t tell me you don‘t know about the Chengs!!!‘ I told him…‘I have NO clue what so ever WHAT to do with these men…, I don‘t know them!!! They don‘t know me! This is a mean trick of this stupid game! They look like Cheng, but they are not!‘ Ho was very honest: -“They ARE Cheng, Azra. What is it about them that makes them NOT your Cheng?”

…Then… all of a sudden…, Azra understood!

A new day had arrived. Murphy went into town. This town where it had all began. Real life was calling on them. Since there was no reason to stay here to look for Cheng, it was time to go back home. Azra had her job to go to in Riverview, and he would follow her anywhere anyway.

Murphy picked up the little box he had ordered from the relic vendor and went to the market to get the ingredients for dinner for their last night here in Shang Simla. He promised Azra he would cook her Murphy‘s Moodies… (secret recipe)

He hiked home. Looking over the Shang Simla valley he wondered how long it would be before they would return here. Azra was his now. They hadn‘t discussed Cheng for over half a year. Not since she had ran into THEM… ‘the Chengs‘. Since that day Azra had changed. She was at peace, balanced and meditated a lot. Nothing more of Cheng…! She had closed the door to that previous life.

Anyway, it was as it was. Besides, if everything went as he had planned it was going to be even longer before they would return here. Mmmm… The Moodies smelled divine. It needed just 15 more minutes. Time he hit the shower first, then they would eat.

Murphy looked around the bedroom where they had spent every single night together since they had moved back to China. He sighed… made the bed and went downstairs.

After dinner, Azra said she never ate anything as good as Murphy‘s Moodies before in her life.
– “Well thank you my pretty lady. Have you packed your stuff already? Need a hand? Or shall I just leave my hand here where it is?“
– “You‘re so funny Murph…. I‘ll go clean up the kitchen, I could probably use your hand there.

– “Az…, baby, I am not going to Riverview tomorrow morning.“
*panic* – “What do you mean you are not going to Riverview tomorrow? What is this all about all of a sudden? I don‘t get it Murph? I thought… well I thought you were coming home with me!“
– “Honey…, YOU are not going to Riverview either. Not yet anyway. We both are going to stay at that lovely Inn we went to before. I booked the Vintage Room for 2 nights….”

The sun had just set when they arrived after a long, long flight. They checked in and after a refreshing shower and a bite to eat, Murphy knew the time had come. Time for his big question. – “Let‘s go outside for a bit Az…, let‘s get some fresh air….”

Murphy embraced her and suddenly dropped down on his knee.

– “He didn‘t say anything, just pulled out the little box he had brought from China and watched as Azra gasped for breath.
– “Oh…, my God…!”
He cleared his throat… *ahem* – “Azra, I wanted to ask you this for a long time now… and I think the moment was never more right than now… Will you marry me?“

– “Omygodomygodomygod… YES!!! squealed Azra.

– “You just made me the happiest man on earth woman!“

They sealed their promise with a long and smoldering kiss.
Life was good.

For maybe half a second Azra‘s mind went back to a time and place in another life. Where she had asked Cheng Wang Liang to marry her. It was from an era in another dimension. Those days were gone now. She had been crying and feeling miserable for the longest time. Crying over the 16 days she spent with someone she didn‘t even really know, who had faded into the background and was nothing more than a pale memory. A stranger…!
And now here was Murphy.

‘Thanks Fred‘ Azra whispered as they went to bed.

And so it happened. Two very happy Sims. Is there more to this story, you might ask me.
Did life have more in store for them from here on?

Will they have kids? Will Azra‘s tree house not be too small to start a family in? Will Murphy get a real job and fulfill his lifetime wish? Will the real Cheng Wang Liang ever show up again?

So many questions! Maybe there is more to tell. It just depends.If this is an important message in Murphy‘s in-box there might be a whole lot more to tell. But if he is just playing a mean computer game here…, I don‘t know…, you tell me!

*To be continued… maybe…*