The Real Secret Agenda…..
Bai Qian raced until she couldn’t take another step as breathing became difficult and labored. By the time she reached her private chamber in the Hall of Beautiful Youth painfully, her heaving lungs felt as if they were going to either collapse or explode in her chest. And it took many minutes before her heart returned to its even, normal, steady beating pace.
It was out of character for her to flee. She wasn’t the kind of person who usually ran from stressful situations, and she knew better than anyone else that her immediate, unexpected departure probably hurt Ye Hua tremendously. Bai Qian also suspected that he was most likely blaming himself, or perhaps even crying as he regularly did alone.
However, that was her design all along but the real reason Bai Qian ran away was that dangerously close was she to revealing the actual shocking truth. The real hidden agenda. The hushed confessions her heart wanted to express to him, but her brain overcame and forever silenced her.
Now alone in her room, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to remember his touch. Bai Qian gradually crumpled to the floor weakly when a faint voice called out to her from behind.
“Shì Qī?”
It was her Shifu, Mo Yuan, standing in her room and his dark eyes instantly narrowed on her face as he asked in his worried tone of voice, “What happened? Why do you look so defeated? Why are you sitting on the floor?”
“Nothing, I’m fine, Shifu.” Bai Qian swiftly replied while controlling her quivering voice.
She rose and sat on the very edge of her bed, putting forth all her efforts in attempting to appear as relaxed as possible. While Shifu closely studied her for many silent minutes before raising a privacy shield around her room. He came to her, lovingly knelt before her, and held her flushed warm face. He examined her the very same way her father often did when he was worried.
Bai Qian feigned disinterest, purposely hardened her expression, and said, “Shifu, it looks wrong. You are here in my room alone with me. Everyone knows that I’m engaged to Ye Hua and Xiwu Palace is his residence. Someone will recognize your magic and the servants will talk. It seems that’s all they do up here and I don’t want to fuel their gossiping so why don’t you leave.”
“Shì Qī, I’ve missed you.” Mo Yuan’s eyes twinkled as he tenderly kissed her tight, tense lips.
Profoundly she sighed as if annoyed and spoke coldly, “I know you’ve missed me but your longing isn’t a valid excuse for such a dramatic scene. Please, lower your shield and go before anyone notices that you’re here.”
She saw the hurt flash in his gentle gaze from her cool words but Mo Yuan smiled and softly explained, “Heavenly Lord knows I’m here and he’s aware we’re speaking alone. Yes, I’ve missed you tremendously but I’m here for another much more disconcerting reason.”
“Xuan Nu has been busy hiring mercenaries and there is an exorbitant price on your head. It’s a vast bounty because she’s desperate. Both your father and I feel you should return home for your safety.” Mo Yuan sat close beside her and reached out to hold her hands.
Amused by the senselessness of it all, Bai Qian laughed mockingly and scoffed because she couldn’t believe Xuan Nu’s tenacity, “That crazy, crazy witch! Li Jing was 70,000 years ago! She’s the Queen of the Ghost Realm so what’s her problem?”
“Also, guarded is Nine Heavens like a fortress. I’m safest here if anywhere. She’s a known traitor and they would never allow her access.” Bai Qian laughed aloud still utterly entertained by Xuan Xu’s insolence.
“It’s not about Li Jing anymore. She has a dead child. She wants the magical blood from your heart to revive her stillborn. I’d like to talk to Ye Hua so he’s also aware of the dangers of you being here.” Mo Yuan’s mustache tickled the backsides of her hands when he kissed them most lovingly.
The amusement quickly passed as Bai Qian announced mono-toned, even though she knew her message would upset him, “I don’t think you should see Ye Hua just yet because I’ve informed him that you and I are engaged. He knows we’ve been intimate and it was you who deflowered me.”
“As for Xuan Nu wanting my blood, well she’ll have to kill me first before she gets a single drop. And if I’m dead my heart’s blood is useless because its benefits are only effective while the heart still beats. She’s but a lowly fox with a fraction of my power and cultivation. I might enjoy meeting her again so we can finally settle our grievances and take back my face.” Bai Qian clearly pulled her hands back and placed them on her lap.
With the same advice she’d heard for years, Mo Yuan urged, “Shì Qī, stop everything now. Your father and I will officially charge them with crimes against humanity for both Heavenly Lord and SuJin. The law and justice system will overcome. You’ll retrieve your eyes so you can start living again.”
Instantly her face crimsoned as she bolted up and screamed, “This isn’t just about my eyes! Healed are my eyes but I’m not! They must suffer as I did! They must know the agony and desire of death as I did. I won’t cease until I have my vengeance! Shifu, don’t you understand? Theirs wasn’t a crime against humanity but a violation of my heart!”
“They tore apart my heart. Everyone treated me as if I was lower than scum and I don’t need you or my father to protect me! Leave me alone!” Bai Qian shrieked as she violently shook like a leaf, and she sensed the sudden heat radiating from her entire enraged body.
Mo Yuan tried to calm her. He held her trembling body to his and protectively wrapped his arms around her. He tenderly stroked her hair with one hand and steadily patted her back with the other.
Calmly and smoothly as possible, Mo Yuan spoke in his soothing voice, “As your future husband, I do have the right to step in and take control. Please don’t force me to take matters into my own hands, because I will before you become more damaged than you are already. I love you and only want to protect you.”
Roughly pulling back and yanking away from his embrace, Bai Qian hissed, “Our engagement. I’ll cancel it if you dare do anything in my name! I didn’t watch, plan and wait three hundred years for you or anyone else to save me.”
She continued to scream growing more agitated, “If you attempt to do anything, anything at all, I vow that I’ll never see you again! Ever!”
Their battle was heated and explosive. She watched him tightly clench his hands into fists as Mo Yuan stared up at the ceiling. His anger was visible; his cheeks flushed with redness as he struggled to even his accelerated wind. Sharply he breathed in deliberate pants and exhaled so that his cheeks noticeably puffed out. He was focusing and exercising all his efforts to calm himself.
Bai Qian knew the threat to cancel their engagement; Mo Yuan took it into full consideration because he knew it wasn’t a bluff. They both did. They both knew that she would and could walk away from him without a moment’s hesitation. Sadly her unfriendly and indifferent treatment of him only made him more insecure about their connection.
Purposely she’d wedged him between a rock and a hard place. She used the double-edged sword in her hand and Mo Yuan didn’t have any choice but to yield to her.
“Then, at least let me leave a few of your disciple brothers and a couple of your father’s men to watch over you. You should take this matter with Xuan Nu seriously. We’re not talking about Li Jing but her baby. You out of all people knows how it feels to miss your child and lose out on the opportunity to love him as you desired.” Mo Yuan said but then he quickly realized his mistake was bringing up A-Li and reached for her unsuccessfully as she jerked away.
The pain of hearing A-Li’s name caused her to winch but her eyes were aflame with rage as Bai Qian attacked.
She spoke hateful words, “Shifu, you once said you would stay with me regardless of what happened. Well… I almost climax with Ye Hua’s fingers deep inside me. Do you still want to marry a bitch like me? Why don’t you walk away while you still have a chance.”
Mo Yuan was stunned speechless as he stared into her eyes and knew Bai Qian was telling the truth and replied, “I’m not letting you go. I know I’m a fool but I can’t stop loving you. I’ve tried. I truly have but the more I fight it, the more I feel like I’m dying.”
“I’m leaving two of your Kunlun brothers with you. I love you and need you in my life so please be careful.” Mo Yuan quickly hugged her and faked a smile even though she knew he was thoroughly brokenhearted.
Bai Qian demanded, “Take everyone with you! I’m more than capable of protecting myself! I’m not a child and I don’t need security. It will only bring me shame if anyone found out that I was being guarded against Xuan Nu. I’m fine alone!”
He didn’t even turn back but kept walking. Self-shame rose within her as she watched Shifu’s backside as he stepped away sadly, and raised her privacy spell around her. It was heartbreaking and agony for her to continue with her secretive scheme, and Ye Hua didn’t have a clue what a fantastic actress Bai Qian was. Her stellar performance was perfect and flawless for her secret agenda.
Her real secret agenda.
Bai Qian’s actual purpose had nothing to do with her eyes, SuSu, or vengeance. If anything, it was to give Ye Hua and Mo Yuan a common foe and enemy to bring them together as the brothers. Because selfishly she’d grown to love and cherish them both in the same measure.
Mo Yuan, she’d secretly cherished and loved since she was a young woman and after her lost memory as a mortal, she’d grown to love Ye Hua also. Bai Qian accepted Mo Yuan’s marriage proposal because she loved him, and she didn’t cancel her engagement with Ye Hua because she loved him too. She loved both of them equally at different times in her life but then found herself at a complex crossroad, and unable to choose one over the other.
The truth was, initially when Bai Qian returned from her heavenly trial; she’d fully intended on returning to Ye Hua and A-Li. Then she heard they were engaged and was secretly ecstatic. So the actual reason she asked for and pretended to drink Zhe Yan’s amnesia potion was to help Ye Hua unload some of his guilt.
It was for Ye Hua’s benefit because Bai Qian thought if he believed she’d forgotten, then perhaps he too would begin to forgive himself and they could start anew. However, when Mo Yuan woke up just for her; it complicated matters significantly.
On one hand, she had a faithful man who struggled for 70,000 years to piece his shattered soul together to be with her. On the other, she had a devoted man who received three years of soul-shattering lightning punishment, raised their beautiful son alone, yearned for her endlessly, and never took another as his wife. How could she possibly pick one perfect man over the other?
If anything, she was totally unworthy of either man and their everlasting devotion. She wasn’t worth it for their bond as twin brothers to be shredded and tattered. Bai Qian knew better than anyone how precious it was to have a sibling to love and to be loved.
So, she planned to harm both equally and she would forever be the heartless bitch for them to hate. In her strange way, she considered her act a kindness to save their brotherhood. However, she never anticipated neither wouldn’t surrender regardless of how ugly she behaved towards them.
It was a twisted thing but she’d started her plan that just needed to follow through. Eventually, both would get sick of her and leave. Then, she could walk away full of tender and loving memories of being cherished by both Mo Yuan and Ye Hua, while living in isolation for the rest of her life as the unwed High Goddess Bai Qian of Qingqiu.
To be continued…