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

61 The Scale in His Heart

While Xin Lan had been freaking out about the supposed death of Xiang Yu, Qiu Ling sat next to his beloved in the High Heavens. His thoughts at this time ... really couldn't be called complicated. To be honest, he wasn't thinking at all. He just sat there quietly, staring at Jing He's face.

The moment Jing He fell, he himself had lost consciousness and it had only been a few hours since he woke up again. Compared to everyone else who had been running around and making decisions for two days in the hope of finding Jing He, it couldn't be said that they had been separated for long. And yet, it seemed to have been forever.

Maybe it was a feeling that came from the depths of his soul. Feeling Jing He's state at that time and not being able to rush to his side to help while knowing that he had to be suffering was difficult. Even without thinking about it consciously, he could only feel like a failure.

Now, things were better. They weren't apart any longer and even though he couldn't do anything for Jing He at this specific moment, he was at least at his side. When Jing He finally opened his eyes, he would be there so he would be the first person he saw. That way, Jing He at least didn't have to doubt his commitment.

Qiu Ling took a deep breath before slowly exhaling and finally turned around to ask Tian for some specifics. As a result ... he found that the room behind him was empty.

"Huh." He really hadn't expected that.

Qiu Ling shook his head and turned back to Jing He. Even though he had wanted to ask for some answers, it was also alright not to get them right now. Or ever, actually. It wasn't like he could expect Tian to tell him whatever he wanted to know. He should probably count himself lucky that the supreme sovereign was willing to help him out at all.

Since those answers couldn't be obtained, he naturally focused on his beloved instead. He gingerly reached out, taking Jing He's hand. He wasn't afraid. No matter what happened, he would never be afraid of Jing He. It was just ... his poor beloved had already suffered so much. He kind of felt like he had to make up for it and be even more gentle. What if his soul still hurt terribly and now he injured his body as well? That couldn't be allowed to happen!

Holding his hands and rubbing those slender fingers with his thumb, Qiu Ling gazed at Jing He's face. He actually looked pretty much exactly the same way he had looked during his trial: Simply lying there as if asleep. The only difference was that he was breathing this time. That was actually quite reassuring.

Ah, of course, there was one more difference that could hardly be ignored: Between Jing He's brows was now a black mark. It was only small and if somebody wasn't aware of what the fallen gods were, they might have assumed it to be a mole at first glance.

Looking at it more closely, he realized that this mark actually differed from the one he had seen on Xiang Yu. The little fallen god's Mark of Wisdom consisted of three lines that gave the impression of actually being one that was thicker in the middle unless you looked closely. Jing He's mark only consisted of a single line though and it wasn't straight but curved. In a way, it resembled a drop of water or maybe a teardrop.

Qiu Ling's brows furrowed when he thought of that and he couldn't help but feel some heartache. In fact, the looks mattered little. The important part was that Jing He had gained this mark because his soul shattered. Something like that ... it really shouldn't have happened to his beloved.

He sighed and leaned down, gently kissing the Mark of Wisdom between his beloved's brows. Jing He likely couldn't feel it in his current state but it was best to get used to it now. Later, they could face this together calmly.

At this time, a portal finally opened behind him and Tian returned from his short trip to the dragon realm. Seeing Qiu Ling's gesture of kissing his lover's forehead despite the changes, he felt that this person was indeed worthy.

He waited until Qiu Ling straightened up again before he stepped forward. "Do you realize why he fell?"

Qiu Ling looked up in surprise. He could have sworn Tian hadn't been there when he just looked but now ... He hastily pulled himself together and nodded. "Isn't it because of our relationship?"

Tian watched his expression and then hummed. "In a sense. But haven't you wondered why it happened now and not earlier or later?"

Qiu Ling's expression turned solemn. "Not much time has passed since it happened so I have to admit that no, I didn't. If you are asking like this though, I would suspect it is related to his trial." He glanced at Jing He's face again before turning back to Tian. "We wanted to get married after he returned but his father did not agree. Before the trial, the circumstances weren't much different but we at least hadn't agreed on a date yet. I suppose ... he might have felt more distraught because of that."

Tian also turned to look at Jing He. "You are not wrong. But at the same time, you are not right either." He raised his hand and pointed at the Mark of Wisdom between Jing He's brows that Qiu Ling had just kissed. "The Mark of Wisdom a fallen god gains will always correspond to the reason for their fall. You have seen Xiang Yu's, haven't you? It is the thorn in his heart that the disappointment in love left there. As for your lover ... this is the scale hidden in his heart upon which he should weigh his options. That is what made him fall."