Fate's promise

Chapter 5: The unbearable lightness of being

Present timeline

The evening spent in Mo Yuan's presence, where he indulged her and played every song she asked for, is still vivid. But she's been unable to understand why thinking about that time makes her feel light, an unbearable lightness of being. But the heaviness that stops her from going to Kunlun breaks this spell. "If I can't go to Kunlun then I'll have to bring Kunlun to me." This thought propels her and she soon finds herself in the library of Taichen Palace. Kunlun has its own section, a vast collection of scrolls in a space big enough to fit all of Qing Qui and still have room. The moments turn into hours. Searching for any piece of information about him in Di Jun's library has made her sleepy, so she curls up on the divan Di Jun had put in for her in a cozy place hidden from view. As she falls asleep, she unconsciously massages the scar over her heart – a scar that ached more each day – yet she couldn't place the feelings it brought with it. Bai Qian's last thoughts as she fell asleep were, "Don't let go."

The slight scent of sandalwood slowly brought her to wakefulness. "I know this scent," she murmured as she shook off the last wisps of sleep. "I know this scent." Rising off her divan, she adjusted her gown, checked herself in a magicked-up mirror, and then rushed after the scent, following its trail towards an area of Taichen she's not been to before. As she rounded a bend, a towering peach blossom tree in the centre of a sunflower field stopped her breath as surely as it has stopped her in her tracks.

The slight breeze makes a shower of blossoms every now and again. Bai Qian stood mesmerized, yet wistful. "How did I not know this was here? Zhe Yan, you've got some explaining to do," she whispers, assuming that the seed for this magnificent tree must have come from him. The breeze brings with it the scent of the sandalwood, bringing Bai Qian back into herself and reminding her why she'd found herself standing in front of this picturesque scene. Talking another blissful look before she follows the wisp of sandalwood, Bai Qian walks deeper into Taichen Palace unhurriedly. She can feel something in the air shifting around her, calling out to her fox gifts. It's this yearning that now makes her take her time, so she can savour whatever feeling this was. She is so lost to this feeling that takes a long while for the sound of a zither rippling through the air to reach her. "Zhe Yan!"

She's running now, excited to see Zhe Yan play – it's been a long while since she'd heard this particular song. She stops short when she notices that her family mostly fill the space – her parents, Zhen Zhen, Feng Jui – and there's Di Jun. Her heart skips, beating louder than the Bell of Kunlun that let the world know that he had returned.

His back is to her and he is in a deep discussion with Di Jun. It feels like deja vu. Zhen Zhen notices her and pulls her down next to him before Mo Yuan can sense her presence and become aware of her. Wrapping her in a shield, he tells Bai Qian to hush and keep herself hidden behind him. Di Jun's voice barely carries but Mo Yuan's quiet, rich tones fill the room, resonating with the air itself – he is more animated and more at ease then she has ever seen him and it is in entirely enthralling. His agile mind and sharp debating skills set her heart racing faster. Her mother joins in, with a response that gives both Di Jun and him pause. Zhe Yan chips in but the real discussion is between Di Jun and Mo Yuan. Straining to hear through Zhen Zhen's shield, BQ realises that they are debating the history, fated connections and other possibilities existing within the Rock of Names.

Di Jun is adamant that once removed any Fate that existed between two people is erased permanently. Mo Yuan, listening intently to his brother, nods calmly, which Bai Qian notices has brought tears to Feng Jui's eyes. "I am unwilling to concede that there may be any whose fate may be so changed. Such an implacable act cannot change its reason for being. Its essence remains inviolable. And so, its fate cannot be changed. It is an immovable object," Di Ju is saying. A teary-eyed Feng Jui sneaks a peek at him, this High God who is as inscrutable and impassive as the rock from which he sprung.