The Dead Groom's Bride

The Circle of life

Her fists curled into ball heaving heavy panting breaths, Ling Ling began pounding her fists on Junjie's chest.

"It's all your fault, it's all your fault, you shouldn't have done that!" She was left in tears. How could he have been so insensitive? Why can't he just listen?

Junjie dropped the plate from his hand. Surprised. She was…different, Ling Ling has no regards to his position as a prince.

She has no fear, no respect, a peasant.

He grabbed her arms as he held her steady, preventing her from hitting him more. He looked at her teary eyes.

"Do you not understand? I'm trying to prevent you from disappearing!"

"No, you fed me your food, that meant I'm stuck here in the spirit world forever."

Junjie narrowed his eyes. "You either get stuck here or you vanish entirely. Once you die here, that'll be your final death, Ling Ling. Get that in your mind."

He wiped her tears while Ling Ling's lips quivered.

"You…you were there too." Ling Ling murmured silently in her unsteady voice.

"Me?"

"You were trying to save me from dying there too. Both in the future and in the past."

Junjie let go of her arms, "yes, you're adamant about me being your personal stalker."

"Who are you?" She asked lifting her gaze to him. She stared at Junjie deeply in his eyes searching for answers to questions now rising at her.

"My name is Junjie." He answered softly. "I don't know what else to tell you."

Junjie tried to wipe her wet cheeks again but Ling Ling backed away, not allowing him to touch her.

"You shouldn't do that, I'm engaged to someone else."

"Ah, that explains the dress." Murmured Junjie smiling. "Where is this lucky man?"

"Somewhere hundreds of years from now."

Junjie sighed as he entertained her crazy talk again. "He came from the future too?"

"I need to get back to him." Said Ling Ling.

"Then let me help you get back to him. But you got to promise me that you'll try to stay alive. I cannot help you if you are dead."

She nodded.

Junjie reached for her hand, his thumb brushed against the beads of her bracelet. Junjie admired it. "You know, this bracelet belongs to my mother. My father gave it to her, it was supposed to protect her when he couldn't be around."

Ling Ling tried to peel it off again, but something in its power glued the bracelet to her.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't get it off."

"No, it's yours. It's supposed to work that way. The magic binds it to you." He loosened another breath and held her hand tenderly.

Junjie is just as lost at what's happening. Just as bewitched as she is even though he had a better hold of himself, unlike  Ling Ling who's all over the place.

"Look, I don't know what's happening and I don't know what brought you here. I'm trying to figure things out as much as you are.

Ten years is a long time from now, a hundred years is a long time from now and you said you came from a place a few hundred from now."

"Yes." Murmured Ling Ling lost at what Junjie's trying to say.

"That's at least a few lifetimes for humans like you. You could reincarnate over and over. Unlike me, I'm over two hundred years old and I'm still very young compared to spirits like me. I will last another thousand years."

He lifted his elegant eyebrows, keen eyes focused on her.

"Are you sure you want to wait that long for your fiance?"

Ling Ling pressed her lips in silence.

"Do you have feelings for this man, or are you just obligated because of the betrothal?"

Ling Ling closed her eyes without saying anything.

Junjie smiled, "a few hundred years of living with me before you even get to him again."

Ling Ling's eyes widened as she finally understood what Junjie was trying to say. Her heart skipped a beat and looked at Junjie with understanding.

"You came to the past knowing who I am. And you said I showed up in your life knowing who you are, but you came here with my most cherished jewel and from the sound of your story, I willingly gave it to you." His voice plunged into heartbreaking softness. "I seem to care deeply enough for you."

Her eyes dropped, the flow of information was too much and she was having a hard time wrapping her mind around it.

It made sense now, how the future Junjie had been so adamant about following her around, not letting her out of his sight. How he spoke to her yearningly the first time they met. How easy it was for him to tease her with kisses and talk to her as though he'd know her all his life.

"J-junjie…" She moaned quietly.

Junjie picked up her hand and brushed his tender lips on her knuckles. "It's okay Ling Ling, we have a few hundred years to get to know each other."