Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume 12, Part 2)

334 Some Things Are Simply Fated

There was nothing else left to do at the Palace of Love so after bidding the God of Love goodbye, the group quietly left just as they had come and each of the three pairs made their way through the city to get to the next place they ought to visit for the pre-wedding customs: the River of Forgetfulness.

This river was said to come from the High Heavens where Tian resided and even though it wasn't the Great River any longer that was said to connect every realm in the world, it was still counted as the place closest to him apart from the Tian Shan. Thus, it was naturally included in the pre-wedding customs to pay homage to Tian who everyone believed to be in charge of fate.

Qiu Ling and Jing He were the first of their group to arrive. When they did, they walked up to the riverbank and stood quietly, looking at the water and the thin red thread that could be seen at its bottom.

Jing He lightly furrowed his brows. "It feels odd to come here, now that I have not only met Tian but also gained a deeper understanding of the High Heavens and fate."

Qiu Ling nodded. He had also met Tian before and even though he hadn't been there for most of what had happened after Jing He became a fallen god, his beloved had told him some of it. At the very least when it came to the general idea, he was sure that they had the same understanding now. "Well, even if things aren't exactly as everyone believes them to be, at least for the two of us, it is impossible to deny the impact getting to know Tian had. If not for him ..."

He didn't speak further but Jing He understood: Without Tian, the two of them wouldn't have made it. His soul might have shattered while he was still on his trial, causing complications neither of them could even imagine. Even if they had found a way around that, Qiu Ling would have lost his sanity when he watched his mortal reincarnation die and probably would have died somewhere in the demon realm while trying to seek revenge. Because this was tied to the curse, they couldn't have solved that on their own.

And, well, Tian's help hadn't ended with literally saving their lives: What about telling him what fate had in store for him in regard to the child he would have with Qiu Ling? Or how about telling him more about the fallen gods and even letting him know about the fact that they could be saved? He had also been the one to tell him about the Spring of Fate and bring him there so he could finally see the vision that allowed him to realize the truth.

In short, without Tian, the two of them likely wouldn't have survived and without his continued help, even if they were still alive, they wouldn't have been a couple. So if there was anyone who should honor Tian in the days leading up to their wedding, it was them.

Thinking of this, Jing He nodded. "That is true. I suppose I just ... don't quite know how to deal with us being the only ones who are aware."

Qiu Ling looked at him and pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around him. "Don't worry about it. Knowing or not knowing hurts nobody. Even if it is not Tian who creates fate, it still exists and has some way of ... judging what ought to happen, I suppose. We don't know how that works. In fact, even the Supreme Sovereign himself doesn't know. I think it's better to let everyone continue to believe in what seems easy instead of making them aware of such a big mystery. Life ... might be easier to go through in that case."

Jing He nodded and hugged Qiu Ling back, closing his eyes. He wouldn't say anything either way. Especially because Tian had helped them so much, it seemed wrong to speak of his matters. It was best to keep silent about everything that had happened. At the very least, this should be the case when it came to outsiders. When it was about their closest people like his mother or Jinde, then maybe it was different but he hadn't yet thought about that. So far, he had only told Qiu Ling what had happened.

Qiu Ling gently brushed through his lover's hair and pressed a kiss on top of his head. "You know, in the dragon realm, people don't seem to believe in Tian's involvement in fate as much as they do in the Nine Heavens."

Jing He raised his head, looking at him in doubt. He had always thought that this was an undoubted part of everyone's beliefs. After all, the curse was a reality to them, unlike humans' belief in a possible higher power that could usually only be perceived indirectly. He didn't understand why the dragons wouldn't believe the same as the gods when it came to this.

Qiu Ling smiled. "It's because our curse only affected something that was already there. Falling in love ... it isn't dictated by the curse, just ... limited. We will still fall in love with the person meant for us and we will still be with them. It's just that there is no way to have a do-over if it doesn't work out. And the consequences of missing that love are a lot more dire.

"Still, Tian isn't the one who makes us fall in love. That is our own heart that beats faster at the other person's sight and our soul that calls out to them, telling us that there is absolutely no way this isn't meant to be."

Jing He continued to look at him, feeling as if his fiance was giving yet another rendition of the oath he had just said in front of the Tree of Love. He really ... never forgot to voice his love for him.

Jing He pursed his lips and hesitated but finally craned his neck and gave him a quick kiss. Anyway, they'd be married soon, he should learn to express himself more when it came to this, just as the God of Love had said.