A-li
Bai Qian~
I wish I could wipe this goofy smile off my face, the corners of my lips stretched wide. I’m probably looking foolish, my eyes openly admiring them, but encountering the legendary immortal brothers, Mo Yuan and Ye Hua, is a rare event.
Not that I get out often. I’ve never gotten a glimpse of them until now. That doesn’t mean I haven’t heard women fawning over them. And now, standing here in their presence, I finally understand what all the rave was about.
The identical twin sons of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother are disgustingly handsome, their features so perfectly chiseled it’s almost unreal. Their sharp jawlines and piercing eyes seem to captivate everyone around them. Yes, I understand why women carry on.
Their tall and commanding presence exudes an air of power and authority, making it hard to look away. Having four brothers is wonderful, but does nothing to help me in such situations when I should turn on my female mystique.
I’m unsure how to act ladylike, and vacant smiling is unflattering. Their intimidating nature is compounded by their attractiveness. I’m dwarfed by their presence; my pounding heart underscores my insignificance.
I’m so nervous my mouth has gone dry. I try to speak, but the words get caught in my throat. I feel a surge of self-consciousness, aware of every imperfection and flaw in my appearance. I wish I would have paid more attention to my appearance today.
“Xiao Wu! Do you know what time it is? It’s morning! Day drinking and early boozing isn’t something you should be proud of, because it shows you’re an alcoholic!” Zhe Yan scolds me, making me feel more self conscious than I already do.
I can’t believe he called me a drunk in front of Heavenly Father’s sons.
It is so embarrassing! I could kill Zhe Yan. I’m overcome by the heat. I’m sure I’ve blushed crimson in the last few seconds; I don’t need a mirror to tell. I’m too embarrassed to speak properly, so I just mumble.
I mumble under my breath, which only makes me look more foolish until it dawns on me I failed to greet them properly. I round my arms in a feeble attempt to show respect. “Forgive me, High God Mo Yuan, God of War and Master of Kunlun Mountain. High God Ye Hua, Heavenly Lord of Nine Heavens. I don’t get out often, so my social skills are lacking.”
My mouth goes dry again when I remember Zhe Yan calling me a drunk. “By the way, I’m not truly an alcoholic and I would NEVER drink wine now! It’s still the morning, I’m a proper and decent woman. Zhe Yan is sometimes a bit TOO excessively playful and exaggerates. He lies.”
I desperately try to salvage my reputation and distance myself from the label of an alcoholic. I feel the need to defend myself in front of High God Mo Yuan and High God Ye Hua, as their opinion of me for reasons unknown matters.
I’m annoyed. I pinch Zhe Yan forcefully and he yelps loudly. This meeting is so awkward. I can’t leave fast enough. I bid everyone a hasty farewell before informing Zhe Yan of my rendezvous with my lover. Then I disappear.
Mo Yuan~
We are both dazed, but I know my younger twin has been holding his breath the entire time. I steady him when Ye Hua stumbled forwards.
His voice reveals his deep love for her still. Ye Hua whispers, “How could she become even more beautiful? How is that possible? She seems so happy and carefree. Her dress, hair and her style have changed. Qian Qian has grown more sophisticated, refined and elegant over the years. When did she wear her hair up like that?”
Zhe Yan casually reveals smiling proudly. “Yes, she grows more beautiful every year. Xiao Wu started to wear her hair in that lovely fashion after we erased her memories. She refuses to let her hair grow out fully and purposely keeps it shorter.”
“Xiao Wu has bloomed more, but the fascinating part is her mind now like a child. Innocent, clean and pure because she doesn’t have a single memory of suffrage, pain or trauma in her life.”
Zhe Yan’s words bring tranquility to my heart. I pat Ye Hua’s back and reaffirm what we all know. “Then we did the right thing. We certainly did.”
Nostalgia overcomes me, and I share. “A-Qian reminds me of how she was when she first came to Kunlun Mountain. She was a child then, and she is again.”
I raise my glass and say, “Let’s have that last drink now because I think it might taste sweeter.”
“Who’s her lover, Zhe Yan? You never mentioned that she had a lover.” Ye Hua asks while still looking wistfully in the direction where she had vanished.
Zhe Yan chuckled and explained, “In the mortal realm, Xiao Wu enjoys watching plays with either tea or wine, depending on her mood. She calls this time alone her ‘lover’ to avoid sounding pathetic by admitting she watches plays alone as an old maid. As we hoped, she has become silly, and that’s exactly what we wanted for her.”
Bai Qian~
“My money was stolen, and I’m the victim! I was the victim of a mugging!” As the young man was dragged from the tea house, he yelled.
The tea house owner, aided by a vigorous man, dragged the young man out by his collar. Apparently, a young immortal attempted a stealthy, unpaid exit. With unrestrained amusement, Bai Qian openly laughed at the spectacle.
The young immortal was a High God by his aura, but he wasn’t even 50,000 years old. There was only one boy his age that was a High God. It was Crown Prince A-Li. High God Ye Hua’s only child and heir.
Bai Qian nonchalantly gave the proprietor a large pearl, saying, “That should settle the young man’s tab.”
She turned her attention to her play. She heard him arrogantly say, “Thank you. I’ll pay you back as soon as possible, QQ.” She spun around and gasped at his audacity.
“Did you call QQ?! It’s Gugu to you, young immortal. How do you know who I am?”
The young immortal pushed his long silky loose hair back off his broad shoulders, sighed and helped himself to a seat at her table. He then grabbed the bottle of wine and poured himself a cup without asking permission.
With pride, he declared, “Your aura reveals you as the OLD QQ of Qingqiu. I’m Crow…”
Bai Qian quickly interrupted him, finishing his sentence with, “You are High God A-Li. Crown Prince of Nine Heavens. Your identity is not a secret to me.”
In a loud, feigned fright, A-Li gasped, “QQ, have you been following me?! How do you know who I am? I am fully aware of my extreme good looks, so I’m giving you a head up to prevent heartbreak later on.”
Bai Qian tried to grab the wine bottle, but A-Li filled her cup before she could. She asked, “Do I seem like a perverted pedophile to you, child?” Bai Qian recognized A-Li as the Crown Prince because his pendant had his name engraved on it.
A-Li grabbed the gold locket and caressed it gently. It seemed to bring him comfort, making him look younger. Bai Qian casually asked, “Does that jewelry really contain strands of your late mother’s hair?”
He was still lovingly stroking the pendant when A-Li replied, “Yes, it’s accurate. It holds her hair, and it’s my good luck charm. It brings me luck.”
His voice deepened suddenly, giving him a more mature sound, causing her to examine him more closely. A-Li possessed considerable handsomeness as a young man. His face had both strong and delicate features. For some strange reason, he vaguely reminded her of Bai Zhen.
He sensed her staring at him and said. “QQ, stop staring at me. I mean you’re pretty and all, but you’re as ancient as Donghua Dijun.”
Horrified and insulted, Bai Qian exclaimed, “I’m nowhere near Donghua Dijun’s age, you idiot! I didn’t invite you to sit down, so go about your business.”
Ignoring her, A-Li said in a relaxed manner, “QQ, watch the play. If there’s one thing I hate; it’s when ignorant people yap during the show and ruin it for others!”
She was so shocked by his rude comment that she couldn’t speak. He had come to her table, calling her names and silencing her. Despite this, Crown Prince A-Li was remarkably engaging and delightful.