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

78 A Vile Ploy

Li Yin felt as if he had been doused with cold water. No, in fact, this didn't even begin to describe his current feelings. Since the moment he heard for the first time that there might be a chance for Leng Lu to turn back into a trueborn god, he had been excited about the possibility this meant to them. But now, when he actually told his lover ... the person in question wasn't interested? More than that, he even seemed offended at the idea that he would think he might want to do so?

Li Yin didn't know what to say. The joyful expression from before turned into a blank stare and the hand that had still been holding onto Leng Lu's waist fell down listlessly. So much for the dream of leading a normal life. It seemed that ... there would never be a chance to have that.

While Li Yin tried to come to terms with his dreams being crushed, Leng Lu's expression darkened further and further. He grabbed his lover by the shoulder and shook him, his brows tightly furrowed. "What did they say to you?" He didn't believe that all of this could be a coincidence. Suddenly calling Li Yin over and then telling him something like this ... maybe all of this was another plan to separate them!

Li Yin lowered his eyelids and sighed again but this time, it wasn't in relief but just in utter exhaustion. "Forget it if you aren't interested." He didn't try to argue. He simply reached up and brushed Leng Lu's hand off his shoulder, walking over to his desk and sitting down. He stared at the documents that had been sent over from the Southern Heaven earlier today and that hadn't been processed yet but he couldn't bring himself to pick up the brush and deal with them.

What did it matter?

Honestly, what had he been working so hard for all these years? Yes, he wanted to leave his mark on history but ... what about the rest? Was that really all there was supposed to be in his life? Shouldn't there be ... more?

Leng Lu stood on the spot, his expression still wavering between worry and fury. In the end, he followed Li Yin over to the desk and leaned down, his hands clamping the armrests of the chair. "Can't you see that they are trying to separate us? It's all a ploy!"

Li Yin took a deep breath and tried to stabilize his mood. "You're being paranoid again. It's just about the crown prince. It had originally nothing to do with us. I just thought ... things might be easier that way."

Leng Lu furrowed his brows. "How could that be? Except for Tian, who is stronger than me now? Only this way can I protect you and Ru Zhen! Otherwise, who knows what they will do?"

Li Yin nodded. It wasn't that he didn't understand where Leng Lu was coming from but this was no way to live. "Aren't you tired though? We always have to hide our relationship. How long can it really survive this?" So far, they had made it work but ... he also wasn't sure how long this could last.

Leng Lu stared at him more deeply. "Are you breaking up with me?" He thought back on the whole conversation just now and felt more and more that somebody was executing a sinister plan to split the two of them up. Otherwise, why would Li Yin suddenly be called away and told things that would drive a wedge between them? This was all too coincidental!

Li Yin shook his head, leaned forward, and put his arms around Leng Lu's neck. "I am not. I never will. I just ... I am just a bit tired. I would like to be able to live openly with you. I also know it's impossible as long as you are a fallen god so I couldn't help but think how different it would be if you could become a trueborn god again. I'd just like to experience that freedom with you. Not just for a short vacation far away from any other living soul but every day ... just like we once were."

Leng Lu was somewhat appeased when he heard his lover speaking of plans regarding their spending time together. Yes, this was how it should be. They shouldn't be apart. They should be together. Always.

He reached out and hugged Li Yin back, his tumultuous heart slowly calming down. As long as he was here to prevent anyone from causing issues in their relationship, it would be alright. Anyway, he was a fallen god. He could keep a close eye on everything. He could bring Li Yin and Ru Zhen away at a moment's notice if something really happened. He didn't need to worry. Unless Tian himself got involved, there was no risk to Li Yin and their son.

He finally gave a faint hum after feeling reassured again, his hands rubbing Li Yin's back. "I will stay with you every day. Even if they don't see, it's enough as long as we are together, isn't it?"

Li Yin glanced up at the ceiling. The constant separations and Leng Lu only appearing whenever he felt like it were also one of the many issues they had. So this ... it could probably be called an improvement? Well, it still wasn't the life he imagined but he would take a small step forward. "Let's find a place to spend the night together?"

It was too risky in the palace or anywhere in the capital city really but right now, he really wanted to spend time with Leng Lu. Maybe after some time passed, they could even discuss this again. While he couldn't force the issue, he at least wanted to have that conversation. Otherwise, he would always ask himself what could have been. Of course, just from Leng Lu's original reaction and what he had said so far, he could also see that it was unlikely for his lover to give in or even soften his stance.