Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume 12, Part 1)

56 Not the Future He Imagined

Qiu Ling stared at Tian in a daze but then pulled himself together just a moment later. He inclined his head, wondering if now was the moment to bow or kneel down instead. "Tian."

The other person looked at him, his expression still the same as usual. He didn't say anything in response to his greeting as if he hadn't heard or ... as if he was waiting for something.

Qiu Ling glanced at his expression but wasn't sure what to make of it. He hesitated for a moment but then thinking of Tian had helped him and Jing He before, he simply put his doubts away and explained himself. "I am looking for my beloved." He didn't explain more, feeling that the supreme sovereign probably knew already.

Tian hummed in return. "You were quite fast."

Qiu Ling wasn't sure what to make of either this encounter or those words. Seeing as Tian's attitude toward him had seemed good in the past though, he finally reacted truthfully. "I don't dare to delay if it is about him. So ... he is here?" He couldn't see into the room past Tian and the folding screen but he felt that this should be the case.

This palace looked exactly the same as the one in the Nine Heavens so it seemed to be different from the rest of the city. One way or another, this place seemed to have been added later, most likely in the past two days. That was to say that Tian should indeed have been the one who rescued Jing He and brought him here. He truly owed him his thanks.

Tian indeed nodded but didn't step aside. He simply remained in front of the screen and looked at Qiu Ling as if waiting for something.

Qiu Ling was in a hurry to see Jing He but he didn't dare to be rude to the supreme sovereign either. Since he didn't move, it seemed like he didn't want him to enter. Thinking for a bit, Qiu Ling cleared his throat and mentioned his previous thoughts. "I heard that somebody took him away at the time he fell. I presume that should have been you. Thank you for that. He ... probably would not have survived otherwise."

His brows furrowed when he thought of this again. The guards at Jing He's palace were familiar with him and also wouldn't want to see him suffer but a fallen god was a fallen god. Who would be willing to take the risk? Unless it was your lover or a family member or maybe a very good friend, the chances were slim they wouldn't take the opportunity to nip the problem in the bud while you were still unconscious. So without Tian's help, Jing He would indeed already be ...

He gulped, his hands once again clenching into fists. At that time, he hadn't been there to protect Jing He. Instead, because their souls were bound, he had collapsed as well, only waking up two days later. If not for this help from outside, his beloved would have been lost. That ... was truly difficult to accept.

Tian watched his expression change and finally gave another hum. "It was me but there is no need for thanks. I did it of my own volition."

Qiu Ling inclined his head but didn't know what else to say. Could he ... finally see his beloved now? When Tian still didn't move, he could only twitch his lips and ask about him. "So ... how is he?"

"Still unconscious." This time, Tian finally seemed to react a little even though his expression stayed the same as usual. He stepped forward, bridging the gap between the two of them. "You know he has become a fallen god."

Qiu Ling nodded. Naturally, he couldn't say for sure but the pain that had echoed in his own soul at that time ... he couldn't imagine anything else.

"I hope that you are also aware of just what kind of change that means. In the future, he will not be accepted by others. For the rest of his life, he will have to hide away, unable to appear in front of those he once knew."

Qiu Ling's expression had been serious all along but now, the last bit of nervousness faded and he only looked solemn. "I know. But ... it can't be changed, can it? Since this is the case, then so be it. I am willing to bear it with him as long as it means being together."

Of course, he also had some regrets. He had imagined a future where they could be together and raise a child, where they would have a good relationship with his mother-in-law and maybe even that Heavenly Emperor with his stinky temper. Of course, Jinde and Leng Jin Yu and their future child should have been part of that future as well.

Now, he realized that this would most likely not work out. Even though Xiang Yu was able to come out and live close to them, that was in part due to his own character. He didn't necessarily think that there was anything wrong with him. He just thought everybody else was at fault for treating fallen gods with such prejudice. But Jing He ... he couldn't be like that. He would never be able to accept himself for who he was now. That much he was already certain of.

Tian lowered his gaze and then turned, looking at the screen behind him that still covered the inner rooms of the palace from sight. "You truly love him deeply."

Qiu Ling nodded without any hesitation. "More than my own life. If I could have spared him from this fate, I would have but I failed to do so. Now, everything that is left is to accompany him through this. Naturally, I am willing." He fell quiet for a moment but then cleared his throat, asking the question that had been burning inside of him since the moment he stepped through the gate. "This ... may I see him?"

Tian raised his hand and motioned inside as if he had never meant to keep him back.

Qiu Ling wasn't sure what to make of it. He didn't bother to think about it either. He simply rushed past him, into the main room, and then past the open door into the bedroom. Just like when he went on the trial, Jing He was lying on the bed, his figure still. The only difference was that his chest moved slightly, proving that — even if it was shattered now — there was a soul in this body and he would soon wake up.

Qiu Ling sat down at his side and carefully gathered his beloved into his arms, his fingers brushing over the silky hair while he kissed his forehead, directly above the dark mark between his eyebrows. "I finally found you. Since it's like this, you better wake up soon. Otherwise, I will be really worried."