Fate Begins (缘起) **ON HOLD**

Chapter 19: Fate Intervenes - Part II 🔞

~*~ Di Jun & Li Xiang ~*~

Ding Ding  - "Favor"

Di Jun smiled and reached his hand out to Li Xiang.

"Xiang'er, come here. Let's take a walk together."

She smiled and took Di Jun's hand.

"Dong Hua, where are we off to?" Li Xiang asked excitedly as she pulled his hand to halt his steps and leaned into his arm while gazing into his eyes adoringly.

"It's a surprise," Di Jun said as he turned to her and smiled before pulling her along with him as they made their way to his surprise location.

Li Xiang smiled back and tightened her grip on his hand. She caught up to his steps and grabbed his waist from behind with both hands, and halted his efforts once more. She pulled herself into his back and leaned into him with her cheek tenderly caressing his shoulder blade. She brought her hands to his chest and tightened her hold with her palms placed firmly against his chest.  She continued to hug him from behind and cuddle her face into his back.

Di Jun smiled and held both of her hands firmly against his chest. Her aura enveloped him with all her love and affections, and he received wave after wave of it at close range, upfront and incredibly personal.

"I love you, Dong Hua. You make me happy," Li Xiang said as she tightened her hold and nestled the side of her face into his back contently.

"I love you, Xiang'er," Di Jun replied as he tightened his hold on her hands.

"At the rate we keep stopping, we will never make it to our destination," he chuckled.

He held on firmly to her hand and took more steps forward towards where he had first contemplated the idea of seriously asking her to be his Dihou.

They arrived at the waterfalls where they made their fated bond.  Di Jun halted his steps and turned to pull Li Xiang into his arms. He gazed into her beautiful azure eyes and gently brushed loose strands of hair away from her face.

"Xiang'er, you are glowing," Di Jun said as he stared at her in awe and total adoration.

She smiled and gently caressed his cheek with the tip of her nose.

He chuckled and blushed before taking a deep breath and mustering the courage to begin his proposal.

"I came into existence six hundred thousand years ago. I have been alone all of my immortal life until you happened," he said with heavy sadness.

Li Xiang thinned her lips and held his hands.  She stepped back a bit to look at him with watery doe eyes.

"I cannot imagine my life without you.  My world changed for the better because of you. I don't want to revert to my cold and lonely existence before you. I want to hold your hand and continue down this path Fate created just for us. A one in a billion chance and our love survived the odds and made it in the end. I was destined and fated to be alone. Fate gave us a second chance and brought you back into my life," he said as tears filled his eyes and his voice broke.

"I love you, Xiang'er. I want to take care of you and protect you. I don't want you to worry about anything. You and Liena are officially under my care and protection. It's the only way I can protect you both safely," Di Jun said as he caressed her hands.