Ch 2:
Mo Yuan
“SuSu.” Mo Yuan repeated her name silently before he asked, “How long have you lived here?”
Susu didn’t fear this man, perhaps it was his striking resemblance to Ye Hua her husband. She answered his question without hesitation. “Many years,” SuSu replied still staring at Mo Yuan unconvinced. She added softly, “You look very much like my husband, Ye Hua.”
Mo Yuan looked at the unlit thatched hut and felt pity for this mortal. She would age and die quickly. Her life would end in two immortal months at the most. Mo Yuan wasn’t in the place to judge his twin’s choices. His only concern was his little Seventeen.
SuSu stared at Mo Yuan for a long time before she asked, “May I?” looking at Mo Yuan’s hand.
Mo Yuan nodded as SuSu grabbed his hand with both her hands, held it to her nose and closed her eyes. She held his hand and inhaled deeply. It wasn’t Ye Hue’s scent. SuSu opened her eyes and released Mo Yuan’s hand before saying, “You are not Ye Hua.” SuSu slowly turned her back to Mo Yuan and walked towards her solitary home.
Mo Yuan suddenly understood Ye Hua’s attraction to this mortal. Mo Yuan couldn’t put his finger on it but this mortal was strangely intriguing. She knew Ye Hua’s scent from another man. Mo Yuan felt an unexplainable stirring within yet his concern was Seventeen and this mortal held a clue to his Seventeen’s disappearance. Finding Seventeen was Mo Yuan’s only priority.
As SuSu walked away, when Mo Yuan asked, “May I come to see you again?”
SuSu smiled and nodded her head, ‘yes’ before walking into her dark hut.
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SuSu
SuSu walked into her lonely hut and calmed her heart from the man resembled Ye Hua. Her heart ached and she doubted Ye Hua again. She was slowly losing faith in her husband and struggled not to cry. This was when she heard Ye Hua’s voice from the copper mirror. SuSu thought a child would keep Ye Hua from leaving her again. She asked for a child and felt relieved to hear Ye Hua’s voice sounding joyful. Ye Hua’s voice made her forget all her doubts and SuSu returned to anxiously awaiting his return.
After a year, Ye Hua suddenly reappeared.
He was cooking the kitchen as if he’d never left. SuSu’s eyes tears uncontrollably. She didn’t think he would return to her. During dinner, Ye Hua told her he’d be leaving again. SuSu had enough. She told him that they needed to stay together. She couldn’t stand the separation any longer. To her surprised Ye Hua agreed to take her with him.
During their night of their reunion, Ye Hua made love to her constantly. His releases filled SuSu and reminded her that she belonged to him.
In the morning they left for an unknown destination. SuSu didn’t ask any questions and Ye Hua didn’t offer any answers. She was happy just to be with him. He took her to a land of immortal beings. Ye Hua acted as if he was an immortal himself while SuSu struggled to find her bearings. In the evening, Ye Hua took SuSu to a heavenly place called Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms. She tasted delicious sweet peach wine and watched peace blossoms fall from trees like rain
While together in the magical land, SuSu fell sick. Ye Hua quickly called for the doctor, and they discovered SuSu was carrying Ye Hua’s child. After a day, Ye Hua magically returned her back to their home at Junji Mountain. He swore this would be his last time to leave her and promised he would return before the birth of their child.
SuSu trusted Ye Hua. He told her not to leave the woods and warned SuSu about his family finding her. Ye Hua said it would be easier since she was carrying his child. SuSu didn’t understand but she complied to Ye Hua’s advice. Ye Hua pressed his forehead to hers and vanished like morning mist.
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Ye Hua
Ye Hua’s plan needed to be flawless. His death had to be unquestionable. Ye Hua knew this would be his only chance to walk away from his title as Crown Prince and live simply as SuSu’s husband. Now that there was a child between them, all Ye Hua wanted was to be by her side. His love and want to be with SuSu became Ye Hua’s only wish.
Since the Mermaid War was unavoidable, Ye Hua decided this use it in his favor. Mo Yuan, God of War, was still too weak for battle due to his long slumber, Ye Hua knew he would be leading his own troops into combat. With the help of his third Uncle Lian Song, Ye Hua would stage his death after defeating the Mermaid King. This would be Ye Hua’s last act as Crown Prince to repay Heavenly Lord for all the effort that he’d put towards Ye Hua’s upbringing.
Ye Hua needed to discuss his strategic plan for attack with Mo Yuan even though he wasn’t personally involved. As God Of War, Mo Yuan’s advice and experience were still the most respected and valuable. When Ye Hua arrived at Kunlun Mountain, Mo Yuan was sitting silently with his eyes closed on his teaching platform. A gentle breeze blew and brought more tranquility to the already quiet Kunlun Mountain.
Mo Yuan sensed Ye Hua’s presence and slowly opened his eyes. After greeting Mo Yuan, Ye Hua started to discuss his plans for attack while Mo Yuan nodded slightly in agreement. Mo Yuan had confidence in his twin’s plan of action so Mo Yuan decided to turn their conversation towards something Mo Yuan was more interested in.
“Ye Hua, do you know a mortal woman named SuSu?” Mo Yuan asked softly.
Ye Hua suddenly stopped talking and his eyes briefly flashed a look of fear before turning back to his well-practiced gaze that revealed nothing.
“SuSu? High God Mo Yuan, I rarely visit the mortal realm. A mortal woman named SuSu? I can’t recall.” Ye Hua answered back.
“She is a mortal woman who lives at the foot of Mount Junji. She refers to you as her husband. I don’t care to know about your private life. The mortal has something that belongs to my disciple.”
Ye Hua recovered from his shock of Mo Yuan mentioning SuSu’s name and replied, “Oh, the mortal by Mount Junji. I bestowed my grace to her for saving my life. I was injured after my combat with the Scarlet Golden Lion. Oh, yes. I recall seeing the Jade Purity Fan during my short time in her home.”
Mo Yuan asked, “Do you know how SuSu acquired the fan?”
Ye Hua answered, “No. My time with her brief and we barely spoke.”
“Did you see anyone else? I’m searching for my disciple Si Yin,” said Mo Yuan.
“No. I saw nobody but perhaps your disciple left the fan with the mortal for safe keeping.” Ye Hua replied.
Mo Yuan never considered that Si Yin would have left the fan with the mortal purposely. If that was the case, Si Yin might return to retrieve it. Mo Yuan needed to visit SuSu again and ask if she’d seen Si Yin. Mo Yuan felt foolish for not having asked SuSu anything about Si Yin when he met her. Mo Yuan stood up and said, “I never considered that. I must return to Mount Junji. Ye Hua, I have full faith in you and your leadership skills. I wish you a quick victory and we will talk again after you’ve returned.”
Ye Hua bowed and realized if Mo Yuan knew about SuSu, there was a strong chance she could be discovered by someone more malicious. Ye Hua needed to be quick and hasten his death to protect her.
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SuSu
SuSu laid in bed and thought of their time in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. She faithfully believed in Ye Hue’s vows. Ye Hua told SuSu that he’d plant ten miles of peach blossoms for her and she believed him. SuSu imagined being surrounded by peach blossoms. SuSu could still remember lingering sweet blossoms scent from her visit to the magical place. SuSu held on to his promises and believed Ye Hua. She wanted his words to be the truth.
The night she heard sounds coming from the copper mirror, the rain was beating down on her thatched hut fiercely, she woke to voices calling Ye Hua’s name in panic. SuSu got up and ran into the forest and slipped on the little bridge by her home. She looked up and saw a frightening force that looked back at her with disgust.
Later, SuSu learned this was Ye Hua’s grandfather, Heavenly Lord of Celestial Heaven.
SuSu’s ordeal left her dumbfounded. She was at Mount Junji one minutes and somewhere unknown the next. She was questioned and SuSu didn’t know what to say. SuSu asked how she knows Ye Hua. She knew nothing. Who was the Crown Prince? SuSu only asked about her husband Ye Hua the father of her child. SuSu soon discovered her husband’s name was something unmentionable.
Thrown, she was left in a desolate and dusty place. Those around SuSu treated her as if she was meaningless. SuSu suffered while the child inside her endured her pain in unison. The child’s fear shook throughout SuSu’s body in protest and caused her pain.
SuSu lost track of the days in her imprisonment. She refused to eat. The day the fire consumed her miserable living quarters, SuSu secretly felt relieved before passing out. She would finally be freed, dead or alive. Her will to live had vanished. Susu believed her husband to be dead. Since Ye Hua was dead, she would follow him.
When SuSu finally saw Ye Hua, he was not the husband that she knew. This Ye Hua was cold, emotionless and indifferent. He was not the man who once held her tenderly and made love to her throughout their days. He was frigid and a stranger. SuSu’s heart froze at the tone of his cold chilling voice. He was not the Ye Hua that she’d grown to love and trust. This Ye Hua only mirrored her husband’s appearance, nothing more. This imposter wasn’t her love. SuSu refused to believe.
Later, Ye Hua came, and apologized and held her when SuSu was alone. He was worried about the scar on her arm from the crimson fire. SuSu expressed concern for Ye Hua’s new injury. SuSu saw her loving husband for a moment before watching him transform before her eyes. SuSu’s fear and confusion clouded her mind. SuSu never thought she’d want her solitude at the base of Junji Mountain. Living alone in silence was heaven compared to this hell called Celestial Heaven.
SuSu recalled Ye Hua telling her to be wary and to keep herself distant from others. Ye Hua also told her that he needed to act coldly in front of others to protect her. SuSu finally understood why Ye Hua had been so reluctant to mention his family; their love was something forbidden. Ye Hua was the Crown Prince of Celestial Heaven and she a lowly mortal. Being a mortal was something shameful. Ye Hua failed to explain why he came into her life and why he’d chose a love that wasn’t celebrated or looked upon favorably. This was the beginning of the countless questions, SuSu would ask herself during her three lonely, miserable years in Celestial Heaven.
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Ye Hua
Ye Hua wanted to be with SuSu constantly. She was all he thought about. Ye Hua forced himself to stay busy with official duties to avoid suspicions from Heavenly Grandfather. If Ye Hua pretended he didn’t care about SuSu and hid his emotions, Ye Hua could keep SuSu alive. Ye Hua kept his distance but watched her through his copper mirror. Ye Hua ached when he saw her suffer severe morning sickness. He could do nothing but watch from a distance.
Some nights, he was unable to control himself and secretly watched her sleep. She was so beautiful. Ye Hua wanted to hold her, touch her, and make love to SuSu yet he could do nothing. All he could do was watch when she was alone and his time brief. SuSu was the mother of his child and she grew more beautiful with every passing day. SuSu was his one and only love.
As time went by, SuSu began the victim of Heavenly Grandfather’s hateful deeds and Su Jin became Heavenly Grandfather’s evil assistant. SuSu outnumbered, unpowered, and an outcast endured one injustice after another. She became a nuisance, Heavenly Grandfather felt compelled to rid from Ye Hua’s life. SuSu stood in the way of Ye Hua and Bai Qian’s marriage in Heavenly Grandfather’s eyes. SuSu, a mortal carrying Ye Hua’s child was evidence of Ye Hua’s infidelity and their union went against Celestial laws.
Ye Hua brought SuSu a trusted servant to care for her. Nai Nai was the only one who showed kindness and served SuSu faithfully. Nai Nai became SuSu’s only companion since Ye Hua stayed away. One day away from SuSu felt like a month for Ye Hua. He couldn’t stop loving her and instead, Ye Hua’s love for SuSu only grew from their distance. Distance made his heart grow fonder. As Ye Hua’s love continued to grow, SuSu became more distant. Her trust in Ye Hua slowly began to dissipate. Ye Hua’s performance of indifference was so believable, that SuSu began to believe his false acting also. SuSu thought Ye Hua no longer loved her.
The rare times Ye Hua saw SuSu in person, she shied away from his touch. SuSu told Ye Hua, he should go handle his official work and said she was tired. SuSu was always tired both due to her pregnancy but this was her way of telling Ye Hua she didn’t want him near. SuSu trust in Ye Hua was gone.
The day Ye Hua left to settle the rebellion in the North, Ye Hua came to say goodbye. SuSu refused to allow Ye Hua to touch her, jerked away from him and avoided any physical contact. SuSu didn’t make eye-contact so she failed to see the hurt in Ye Hua’s eyes. She fully believed Ye Hua’s love was gone and her love for him was starting to fade. Susu had waited years for him in the mortal realm and now he was leaving again. Ye Hua broke his promise when he said the last time apart would be their last separation.
Months of silence went by before Ye Hua heard SuSu’s voice. She asked if Ye Hua’s marriage vows were still valid. SuSu told Ye Hua about their unborn child who was growing rapidly during his absence. Ye Hua cried silently listening to SuSu’s voice. SuSu said she felt their baby kicking inside her. Ye Hua heard hope in SuSu’s voice. She’d decided to get Ye Hua another chance to be the husband he promised to be and said she would wait for him again.
When Ye Hua returned after defeating the rebels in the North. Heavenly Grandfather gave Su Jin to Ye Hua as his side consort. Su Jin was forced on Ye Hua. He knew there was more behind this act than him simply gaining a side consort. Ye Hua would have never predicted the horrible act that would follow. Ye Hua forced to do something unthinkable, cruel and barbaric to the one he loved most, SuSu.
to be continued…………