Affectionate Dream ✔

Chapter 14

Even if he failed, the existence of this affectionate dream couldn't be denied.

Nobody could deny it, and that will never change. Fate, it seemed, was another thing that could not be changed, despite the most earnest and desperate wishes of a person.

It was as if Qingti would see all the events that had previously occurred play out in front of his eyes again as they happened for the second time. Him entering the place where Lingbi stone was discovered by Nie Chuyin, the start of the self-destruction of the royal tomb signified by the crumbling rock, and the stab straight through his chest by the demon knife, in the exact same spot as the first time. Only this time, Qingti held Xiaojiu's shoulders tighter, with all the strength he had left, but most importantly, with affection.

"I was too greedy," Qingti thought, "to think that I could have her forever. Time... It can be reversed. I can change things. But fate will only let me run so far it seems. I couldn't stop this from happening, even to the very end."

As another tear fell down his cheek, a turquoise glow surrounded him. This didn't happen last time... Startled, Qingti looked down, and could see his hand dissolving into turquoise particles. Right, although everything played out the same in the end, this time he was an immortal. This stab through his chest was not his demise, however, it seemed the dream finally met its close. As the turquoise particles crawled up to his waist, he closed his eyes in earnest prayer that when he truly woke up, he wouldn't forget everything that happened here, in his second chance with Xiaojiu. The turquoise glow filled his vision even, and it felt blinding.

When it faded, Qingti found himself looking down on his favourite cliff spot, with Xiaojiu standing on the edge of the cliff and crying.

"The one I loved was not you... it was actually Qingti," she exclaimed, looking at Xuanren with tears in her eyes. As he was now aware that Xuanren was the mortal version of Dijun, he couldn't help but feel Xiaojiu's heartbreak, having to lie in the face of the man she truly loved and break his heart. Qingti knew what just came out of her mouth was a lie, but deep down, after all that had happened, some part of him wanted to believe her. Time could be turned back, events could be changed, but one thing that he couldn't change was Xiaojiu's love for Dijun.

At long last, Qingti opened his eyes. The familiar sight of the perfectly white ceiling embossed with intricate patterns greeted him. As he directed his gaze forward, he saw the familiar golden pillars, and the familiar white walls of the room. Sitting up, he looked down to check that he was also wearing his familiar turquoise robe. The familiar bright turquoise colour met his eyes as he undid the tie around his waist and checked for a stab wound through his chest. He touched the spot where it should've been, but it was nowhere to be found. "It really was all a dream...I guess," he thought to himself. As he sat there in a daze, still touching his old wound spot, a voice suddenly came from around the corner.

"Aye Qingti, are you finally awa- oh..."

The Third Prince stopped mid-sentence as he rounded the corner and saw Qingti half-dressed on his bed. Startled by the presence of someone else, Qingti hastily pulled his robes back over his chest, not having time to properly redress.

"Well there's nobody else here so I couldn't have interrupted anything... But anyways Qingti! You're finally awake this time! You've been sleeping for ages, I've come and checked many times now." Qingti smiled awkwardly and nodded at the Third Prince's remark. It really has been a long time, hasn't it?

"Time will lessen your wounds," the Third Prince told him over a game of chess, "and don't worry, you have all the time in the world now."

Qingti told him everything. Though he wanted to cry, no tears came out. Time...could it really heal everything? And if it could, with everything that has happened and that has been felt, how long would that take? As Third Prince said these words that Qingti didn't quite believe, Qingti put down the conclusive black chess piece, defeating Third Prince for the fifth time in a row.

"Don't be so sure about that," Qingti replied, as the Third Prince wore a look of disbelief on his face. His mouth moved, but no sound came out of it.

After Qingti came, many in the Sky Kingdom were amused that finally, someone other than Dijun could beat the Third Prince at chess. In fact, he might even be able to compete with Dijun, and not just in chess: swordsmanship, martial arts, and perhaps also being one of the two best looking male deities in the Six Oceans and Eight Deserts.

The best way to forget something was with another thing. The Third Prince told Qingti that in the Six Oceans and Eight Deserts, there were many others he could fall in love with. The thing was, he still only had his eyes on Xiaojiu, and felt reluctant to let her go. Forgetting all the past memories was probably the best solution for him, but even if he could forget it all in the blink of an eye, he wasn't sure he'd want to. Forgetting the past would mean forgetting all the moments he and Xiaojiu spent together, all the ecstatic moments when she liked his gifts, and all the sweet moments they shared. Recalling them was bittersweet, and Qingti wished time would rewind to those happy times and stay there forever. He opened his hand and forced out a turquoise plume. He could visit the past through his magical powers, but just like Aryana's Dream, it didn't affect the real world. Nobody remembered what happened there except him. It was all but an affectionate dream. The only thing was, did these affectionate dreams help him, or did they only hurt him more?