As Mo Yuan revealed, Bai Qian quietly went on highly secretive mortal trial. Ye Hua heard from Uncle Lian Song that she’d specially designed it and the details were extremely guarded.
Apparently, nobody knew anything, not even Star Lord Si Ming but thankfully Ye Hua was aware of her orders, thanks to his older brother Mo Yuan.
He waited for twenty days because mortal Bai Qian was now 20 years old. Ye Hua first saw her beautiful face in town coming back from the temple. She diligently went daily for morning prayer. Subsequently, after carefully and covertly watching her for weeks, he decided it was time to set up an ‘accidental’ meeting.
His plan was somewhat ingenuously simple. Ye Hua would purposely drop his sword or his coin purse right before she walked past him. Naturally, she would stop out of courtesy and pick it up for him, since Xiao Wu was an extraordinarily polite person. Either way, it was an entirely unexpected moment to introduce himself to her. Snickering inwardly, he considered his approach very quaint and even romantic at least in his mind.
Per Ye Hua’s plans, he casually allowed his sword and coin purse to drop right in her walking path. He held his breathing in eager anticipation when she momentarily paused. He waited with baited breathe but Xiao Wu disinterestedly, and quietly stepped over his sword and money just kept walking. How entirely unexpected and unfortunate. His first attempt was a complete failure.
Ye Hua’s second proposed unexpected meeting would be at the temple since she went every morning diligently. He merely needed to be there at the same time to ‘accidentally’ run into her, but he went for two weeks straight and never saw her once.
Xiao Wu suddenly stopped coming to the temple altogether and she changed her routine quite suddenly. Considerably peculiar as if she was on to his scheme.
After not seeing her in town for days, Ye Hua went to the hut on Mount Junji. It was silent indoors so he covertly peeked inside. Suddenly he felt the sharp edge of a very sharpened blade against his neck. Soundlessly she moved like a mastered assassin, and he didn’t hear her even with his immortal fine tuned earshot.
“Who are you and why do you keep lurking around me?” Xiao Wu’s voice sounded husky and low standing firmly behind Ye Hua.
She startled him and it took him a few moment before Ye Hua gathered his voice and softly replied, “I’m not a weird person here to harm you. I’ve merely lost my way while on a walk.”
She snorted and aloofly retorted, “This far from town? It’s hard to find this place let alone get lost out here.”
Pulling the blade from his neck, Xiao Wu slowly came around and gave Ye Hua a scrutinizing visual once-over. Her gaze was icy cold, piercing and her luscious lips pursed into a tight line, dressed in an everyday colored simple attire.
“Crown Prince, this shabby home is beneath someone wealthy as yourself, so go back to your palace and have your pretty slaves serve you. There are dangerous things out in these woods so be careful on your way out.” Xiao Wu’s tone was cold and indifferent.
“How do you know I’m wealthy?” Ye Hua asked slightly amused because they’d had this conversation but in reverse.
She arrogantly replied, “Your sword is metal I’ve yet to see and I’ve seen every metal in the world. So if it’s that rare, it’s expensive.”
Xiao Wu turned her back to Ye Hua and started to walk inside the hut, but tossed out offhandedly without turning around, “A wealthy prince such as yourself has no business being out here. Leave now and be careful of the bandits and thieves on your way out.”
Unexpectedly she spun back with both hands up, made her fingers wiggle to express her fake fear, shivered and taunted, “Be careful of all the virgin ghosts in the woods. They love to seduce little pretty flower crown princes such as yourself.”
“Are you saying that you think I’m handsome?” Asked Ye Hua with his charming little smile that used to make Xiao Wu go crazy.
Snorting out loud, she mockingly laughed and replied, “No! I’m saying that you look girly! As pretty as a pansy. It’s rather unfortunate. Quite a pity actually because you would make a beautiful woman. Bye, Pansy Prince!”
Such a cruel twist of fate. Ye Hua tasted the bitterness of karma. He was experiencing everything he did and said to Xiao Wu during his mortal trial. He realized she’d with clear intent and reason; she’d created and designed a circumstance to give him a taste of his own medicine purposely.
In his immortal life, Ye Hua had been called many things by women but effeminate, Pansy-like and girly were traits he’d never heard. He realized mortal Xiao Wu might be more challenging than he’d anticipated, so he turned to the one man…the playboy of Nine Heavens and his third uncle Prince Lian Song.
His third uncle appeared amused by Ye Hua’s unexpected question. He suggested three different options and Ye Hua smiled sneakily because the last idea was perfect. Yes, he decided to go with a ‘pity play’.
One morning, he appeared bleeding profusely on her steps. Ye Hua moaned and groaned from his pain. Mortal Bai Qian came running out frightfully from her cottage. How flustered she looked to see so much blood. She ran into her home while he smiled happily feeling proud of his ingenious plan. She returned with a basin of clean water and a towel.
Kneeling close to Ye Hua by the steps with unshed tears, she whispered anxiously, “I’m not sure if I can help you. Your wounds are deep and I only care for small animals.”
She dampened the cloth, moved in gingerly as if to wipe his wound. The expression on her face was one of profound concern that Ye Hua wondered if he overdid it.
She whispered, “Stay still, let me help you with your wound. You must be a General to hold in your cries of pain. You’re the strongest man I’ve ever met in my life.”
She came closer, however, instead of cleaning his injury, she roughly hurled the wet towel at him.
Glared down, Xiao Wu mockingly said, “Is that what you expected me to say?” It’s obvious that your injuries are self-inflicted. Pansy Prince, is this what you do for fun?”
Grabbing her prayer beads to leave, Xiao Wu casually advised, “Have your wealthy parents take you to a doctor because I’m sure there’s medication for your mental ailment. I’m leaving so pull yourself together and get out before I return or, Pansy Prince, you’ll have new wounds you’ll have to treat.”
To Ye Hua’s shock and surprise, Xiao Wu left without a moment’s hesitation, mumbled something about him being in need of mental help, and whistled a little tune before vanishing into the woods. He realized this mortal was not the Xiao Wu he knew. This mortal version of Xiao Wu is heartless, cold and so utterly desirable that it made him insane with lust. It was slightly strange how much she aroused him. Granted, it had been a while since they were last intimate, but for weeks he’d wanted and thought about Xiao Wu in a sexual way nonstop.
He told himself; Xiao Wu was well worth all his struggles and Ye Hua began his one month long waiting period at the front steps as she’d once done for him.
================
Bai Qian was silently sitting in the woods watching Ye Hua wait all day at the steps of her hut. He was consistent and left flowers, love letters and trinkets just like a lovesick young man. She smirked and giggled under her breath.
“Bai Qian, how is your fake ‘mortal trial’ going?” Mo Yuan asked as he noiselessly appeared out of nowhere and sat beside her in the dense forest.
Bai Qian rounded her arms and bowed at High God Mo Yuan. In her laps, a pile of loquats which she’d been nibbling on watching the entertaining show.
Smiling Mo Yuan nonchalantly asked, “So, how many weeks has he been waiting so far? And Ye Hua still believes you’re a mortal woman?”
“Yes, High God Mo Yuan. Your spell was successful and Ye Hua thinks I’m a mortal. Today is the end of his second week of waiting at my door. It shouldn’t be this enjoyable but I’m having a fantastic time being on this side of the relationship.” Bai Qian openly confessed.
Mo Yuan lightly chuckled witnessing Bai Qian and Ye Hua’s silly love game. He’d used a spell to conceal her immortality and came up with this concept to lift some of the resentment from her heart. It was a simple solution. Making him endure as she’d done in the past. Mo Yuan felt like a parent dividing candy into equal portions to two children.
He asked, “After two more weeks of making Ye Hua wait and then what?”
“I’m going to cast a massively potent Nine-tailed Fox enchantment spell, specially designed for sexual arousal and bewitch him. I’ve already used a couple on him but nothing like the one I’m going to hit him with soon.” Bai Qian boasted proudly.
Mo Yuan blushed. The younger generation immortals were much more forward than in his times. Women would have never discussed such intimate matter openly.
Lightly clearing his throat, Mo Yuan inquired slightly embarrassed, “So, perhaps I’ll be getting another nephew or niece sometime soon? I didn’t know you were willing to forgive Ye Hua so quickly.”
“Oh, no! You misunderstand, High God Mo Yuan. If you recall, I didn’t have an orgasm for eight months and neither will he! The spell of arousal is what I consider ‘interest’ on the outstanding debts he owes me.” Bai Qian snickered mischievously.
Mo Yuan’s eyes widen in surprise as he studied her innocent face because she was vindictive and scary, using Nine-tailed Fox sexual spells so freely. Never had he felt such profound sympathy as he did now for Ye Hua. The next eight months were going to be hellish for a young man his age.
In the far distance, Ye Hua was now drawing hearts into the dirt with the tip of his sword in her front yard.
Snickering Bai Qian said, “Watching Ye Hua from this perspective feels like a dream even though I know that I’m awake.”
“Perhaps a Qīngxǐng Mèng a lucid dream. Enjoy yourself and I’m not taking sides because Ye Hua is my brother but just as a fellow man, eight months is a bit harsh. Even more so under a Nine-tailed Fox spell. That’s slightly evil.” Said Mo Yuan.
She snorted and retorted, “Exactly! Very sinister!”
Bai Qian giggled most amused and snickered under her breath while nonchalantly eating fruit.
Mo Yuan reminded himself never to anger Bai Qian. He silently stood, affectionately patted her head and vanished back into the woods. Leaving her who was still giggling alone to return to viewing Ye Hua, pining for her as she’d once done for him.
To be continued…..