A Fated Reunion Among the Stars [Jing Yuan x F!Reader]

Chapter 8

The previous encounter had me rattled. Who was that man, exactly? What does he have to do with me or Jing Yuan? Have we met before? All these thoughts have never left my mind. But there is one thing I should be aware of; Blade's battle prowess. He could've killed Jing Yuan, and he doesn't die immediately after being impaled. In fact, he still had the strength to stand up. Just what is he, exactly? The scene kept on replaying in my head, not stopping anytime sooner...

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Alright... I'm done." I state, taking a few steps back to observe my work. His nicely bandaged arm somewhat gives me the feeling of satisfactory. A sense of pride for being able to take care of him. Though what makes such an eyesore is his torn, bloodied clothes.

He smiles at me sweetly, his face lighting up in joy, gently swinging his injured arm back and forth. "I already feel better thanks to you."

"Of course, it's the least I could do for you.." My voice trails off as I remember the questions I have in mind. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask about a few things after this whole... Incident." As though he's been expecting it, he leans his cheek against the back of his hand. "I can tell. You can ask anything you'd like." After hearing his confirmation, I pull a chair for myself and settle down. "Ah, you don't need to answer if you don't want to. I'm not gonna force you." He simply nods at me, waiting for my questions to come. Reorganizing my thoughts, I decide to start it with, "You know Blade, do you? My intuition tells me that you've known each other for long enough." He closes his eyes for a brief moment before answering.

"I do know him." His sentence stops short. An undiscernable expression falls on his face. I tilt my head quizzically, waiting for him to elaborate further. "It's.. complicated. We were once well acquainted." He ends with a heavy sigh. Those words are left lingering at the back of my mind. One stands out the most, 'Were? What ever happened to that?'

"Well acquainted? Then, what was that all about?" I ask, frowning slightly, reminded of today's event. As I look intently at him, a somewhat bitter smile spreads across his face. "Oh, it was nothing. It was none other than a..." He pauses a bit, searching for the right term. "Friendly duel." He smiles nonchalantly, brushing it off with a shrug.

.....

I'm speechless.

"Jing Yuan.. W-what.." I stammer, failing miserably to construct an eligible sentence.  Recovering from shock, my tone becomes more stern. "I'm serious, really. What happened?" Upon hearing my sudden change of tone, he straightens up in his chair, his previous smile gone. This time, his gaze lies elsewhere. "Our history is quite the complicated one. To put it simply, we decided to pursue our own... Paths." It's obvious that he wishes not to explain further, so I don't press him for more answers. But deep inside, I know that there's more to it than what meets the eye. "I see." 'Just how many secrets do you need to conceal? You're already mysterious enough as it is now.'  Moving past from it, I ask about something else. "How are you feeling now, then?" He raises his eyebrows slightly, expecting it to be another question about his past. "Oh? Why, I'm fine, Y/n. You needn't worry so much about me, you know..." He lets out an amused chuckle, although he really appreciates the concern. "If you don't have anything to ask," He gets up from the chair before he continues, "I'll go clean myself up first." Before leaving, his lips curve up as he lifts up his hand, patting my head a few times. '...!'  "Come on now, don't frown so much, you'll grow wrinkles." He snickers before he leaves. Left dumbfounded, I still find myself unable to move an inch. Although admittedly, it felt nice when he patted me. It leaves a strange feeling of yearning for more...

While he's busy at the back, I jot in the mysterious coordinates once again and prepare for the jumpspace. I sigh in relief, glad that there isn't anymore intervention. Before activating it, I turn away from the screen to make sure Jing Yuan is seated. He sits on a chair next to me with a slight twinkle in his golden pupils, still wearing his worn-out clothes. Seeing that we're all set, I activate the jumpspace sequence. 3... 2.. 1. I feel my back pressing firmer against the chair. Traveling at the speed of light, the stars quickly turn into a blur, enveloping the ship. It's a sight to behold, for it resembles thousands of shooting stars. Glancing to my right side, I see a reflection of them in his eyes. His beauty captivating me more than the view. Unfortunately, the jumpspace always ends after a short time. I snap out of it, focusing on what's ahead. Instead of a planet, a spacecraft presents itself with its astonishing enormity. It's a fleet as big as a planet, I dare say. The viridescent color and the white colored patterns resembling clouds on it don't fail to make me enamored. Not able to keep my curiosity inside, I ask, "Jing Yuan, what is this place?" He looks at me with a smirk, "Welcome to the Xian Zhou Luo Fu, Y/n." My eyes still glued on the view, in awe of the flagship, he then adds, "This is my home."

'Home...'

"I can take it from here, Y/n. We have to access through the Jade Gate." I give him a nod as I steer the ship closer. An automated voice speaks, "Welcome to the Xian Zhou Luo Fu's Jade Gate. Please await transfer... Please await transfer... Access granted."

Slowly, the gate opens inwards, the hustles and bustles on the streets clear as day. A group of smartly dressed people comes out of a building, chatting and joking around. Looking above, restaurants and various shops are nicely scattered throughout the road. "Magnificent, yes?" He takes in the breathtaking view, amazed as well. "Ah, we should park the ship in Starkiff Haven." He says, tearing his gaze apart from the window. 'Starkiff Haven? Sounds badass...'

[Time Skip]

.

.

.

After having the ship parked, he took me to look around the Xian Zhou Luo Fu. For some reason, he brings me to relatively well hidden roads instead of those commonly used ones. But brushing that aside, I let him lead the way. There are many stalls around, be it selling books, street food, or drinks. In the center stands an admirable structure with intricate designs on it. I had just found out its name, the Palace of Astrum. During the whole walk, he would explain a summarized version of Luo Fu's history along with some other main locations. Such as the General's office, the Divination Commission, and the Stargazer Navalia. In the span of a day, I've already learned a lot about this place. Soon enough, the sky starts to darken, signaling that night is falling. Realizing that fatigue is catching up on me, I let out a soft yawn as we walk through a narrow road. He turns to me upon hearing it, smiling warmly under the dim light. "Tired already?" I nod while rubbing my eyes, letting out another yawn. He then points across the road, showing me a cozy looking inn. "Come on, let's go stay there for the night." He grabs my hand gently, his warmth slowly spreading up to my wrist. Opening the door, the cooler air instantly hits me after a long, tiring day. "Two rooms for one night." He speaks to the receptionist. The receptionist gives him two keys and the room numbers. "Hey.. Come on now, don't fall asleep just yet." He pulls me along the hallways, and we both take the elevator towards the seventh floor. Yawn... "Hoho.. You really are tired. We're here already. Here's your key. Our rooms are just right across, just come if you need anything, okay?" He says as he hands the key to me. I wordlessly nod at him, my hand still in his. He sighs, gripping it tighter. "Hm.. You feel a little cold. Y/n, go have a rest. You're too tired already." His thumb grazes over my knuckles. A caring expression spreads across his face. "Hehe.. Still not letting go?~" Realization dawns on me; I've been holding his hand the whole time. "O-oh, I didn't realize- Maybe you're right, I should really sleep now." I quickly reply to him. He gives my hand one last squeeze before he goes into his room. "Alright, good night, Y/n. Have a good dream."

Clack.

I sigh as I run through my hair. What was I even thinking? God knows how long I've been holding his hand. Though admittedly, it felt warm and comfortable...

[Jing Yuan's POV]

Even with her out of sight, her adorable behavior still lingers in my mind. I walk towards the bathroom to wash up. Observing my bandaged arm once more, it reminds me of her various reactions. How she was worried and upset, how she was glad and gleeful. 'How cute.'  A few moments after cleaning myself up, I put on some new clothes and tidy my hair a bit. It's almost about time to meet her.

[End of Jing Yuan's POV ???]