Seventeen’s words affected Mo Yuan profoundly. Not only was Mo Yuan unable to finish his marriage proposal, but she was also leaving Kunlun Mountain.
Mo Yuan’s little Seventeen was leaving him.
Seventeen no longer wanted him and was leaving to marry someone else. Mo Yuan felt numb inside. How could things have changed so quickly? Mo Yuan never considered that his careless words would cause such a strong reaction in Si Yin.
What had happened at Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms to change Seventeen so drastically and why was she suddenly meeting Li Jing again? Had Si Yin forgiven Li Jing and accepted him back or was she now in love with Ye Hua and planning to marry him?
Mo Yuan felt a level of desperation; he’d never experienced before. What could he do or say to Seventeen to change her mind about him? What would it take for Seventeen to believe his feelings for her were now sincere and concrete? Mo Yuan wished he could turn back time. He would go back to the night when she asked about what kind of woman he wanted to marry. Mo Yuan would have also used a sobering spell the night she came to his bed and seduced her. No, he would have gone further back and married her 20,000 years ago when Ye Hua was just a child.
Mo Yuan made one last attempt move her heart. He went to the lotus pond and started to play Si Yin’s favorite song on his zither. Since her room was close to the pond, the music had the similar effect to a siren’s call, and she always came to him when she heard Mo Yuan play. Mo Yuan finished the song, but she did not come. He continued to play for another hour, but Seventeen did not come out of her room. Mo Yuan sighed deeply and considered barging into her room and confessing his feelings to her. He would make love to her and make her love him again, but pride held him back.
If Mo Yuan was candid with himself, it wasn’t pride that held him back but fear that she would reject him again.
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Si Yin heard Mo Yuan playing his zither by the lotus pond. She tried not to cry, but tears filled her eyes and fell down her face. The music made her heart waver, and she wanted to go to her Shifu as she’d done in the past. Si Yin dropped to the floor and cried silently. Why couldn’t Mo Yuan just love her? If he had barged into her room now and confessed his love for her, she would have given herself to him. She would have offered her body to him in hopes he would make love to her and make her his.
Si Yin wiped the tears from her face and finished packing. Si Yin would no longer be a bother to Shifu. She would return to Qing Qiu and wait for him to come to her and if he didn’t, then she would marry Ye Hua knowing that he would never touch her. She would be Ye Hua’s lonely virgin Heavenly Empress for eternity.
Si Yin then remembered Li Jing’s request and decided to take a trip to the mortal realm, before completely leaving Kunlun. Si Yin knew she was just prolonging her departure from Mo Yuan, but she wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet.
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Li Jing’s eyes lit up when he saw A-Yin. He didn’t think she would come. He couldn’t hide his delight. “A-Yin,” he whispered.
Li Jing walked towards her and held her hand. A-Yin didn’t pull away and allowed Li Jing to lead her to their table. Li Jing was too excited to notice the sad and defeated expression on her face. He continued to hold her hand while caressing her fingers with his other hand. Si Yin didn’t pull away. She wasn’t even aware he was holding her hand. Li Jing moved his chair closer to her and stared at her face starry-eyed.
“A-Yin, I’m so happy you can to meet me. I’ve missed you so much, ” Li Jing said while caressing her cheek.
Si Yin didn’t respond. She lost in thought. Her body was with Li Jing, but her mind was still in Kunlun Mountain.
While Si Yin pretended to listen to the mortal story, Li Jing was professing his love and his desires to be with her. She barely heard a word he said. Li Jing confused her silence for acceptance and pulled her by the hand. They left the tea house, and Li Jing pulled Si Yin into a darkened alley. Li Jing stopped, pushed Si Yin against a wall and kissed her. Li Jing’s actions brought Si Yin out of her mental fog. She pushed him away. Li Jing pushed her back and held A-Yin’s arms above her head. He was stronger than her, but she kicked him in the shin. Li Jing used his body to push Si Yin’s body against the wall and continued to kiss her face and neck. Si Yin wasn’t strong enough to hold him off as Li Jing continued his attack.
Suddenly, a slender hand firmly grabbed Li Jing by the wrist and pulled him roughly off Si Yin. Li Jing angrily turned around and saw a figure in all black from head to toe. His identity concealed by the darkness of the night until he stepped closer to Li Jing.
It was Crown Prince Ye Hua holding his wrist.
Ye Hua emotionless pushed Li Jing back with force. Ye Hua’s expression conveyed nothing, but his deep eyes darkened to the color of onyx with anger, after looking at Si Yin still pressed against the brick wall. Ye Hua’s dragon robe swished from his swift movement as Ye Hua stepped in front of Si Yin protectively.
Li Jing got over his shock and bowed to Ye Hua. “Crown Prince Ye Hua, you seem to have misunderstood. A-Yin and I were doing what lovers do,” Li Jing said and smiled lovingly at A-Yin.
Ye Hua looked at Si Yin who was straightening his clothes, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and glaring at Li Jing with fury. Ye Hua turned back to Li Jing and took a step towards Li Jing. Ye Hua’s gaze intensified and silently challenged Li Jing.
“That’s not the way it appeared Ghost Lord Li Jing,” Ye Hua said in his soft voice as he looked back at Si Yin again Ye Hua’s eyes was contradictory to his tone of voice.
“Si Yin is not your lover,” Ye Hua stated as he took a threatening step towards Li Jing. Ye Hua stood inches from Li Jing’s face and corrected Li Jing’s misconception by saying,
“Si Yin is my lover, and he belongs to me.”
To be continued……….