One Lifetime Is Never Enough

1.16 Blood Lunar (2)

She sat alone at a stone table, her head still tilting upwards to admire the two red moons. Suddenly, her peripheral vision noticed a figure sitting across table. YuLan was surprised to realize that she actually had not sensed the person's arrival until he had sat right across her.

It was Ji SongLi.

"It seems that the Young Master is getting stealthier." YuLan thought.

Propping his chin on his hands and leaning against the stone table, he also had his eyes on the two red moons.

"Is it past midnight, already?"

After all, no one was supposed to leave the inner chambers or buildings before midnight. She was not one to believe in superstition, thus she had ignored the warnings and ventured out herself.

"I sneaked out," Ji SongLi said, noticing the silent inquiry of her gaze. He focused on her more, finally noticing her warm breaths forming balls of cloud, faintly visible in the darkness of the night . He frowned and walked towards where she sat, before untying the thick hooded cloak he was wearing.

YuLan's shoulders moved to avoid Ji SongLi who wanted to put his cloak on her, but he seemed to be faster and pressed her shoulders down in place. Her brows furrowed in slight discomfort while he tied the cloak around her neck, ensuring the hooded part to thoroughly cover the top of her head. Satisfied after she was bundled in the thick cloak, he half-leaned on the stone table, now very close to where she was sitting.

"Do you know the legend of the twin red moons?" Ji SongLi asked.

YuLan shook her head. Tightening her grip on the hood to keep her ears warm, she peeked at the youth; at least Ji SongLi did not seem bothered with the cold despite having given his cloak to her. The cloak felt warm and comforting.

"There is a deity that has always been envious of the Moon God residing in the higher realms," he started. "They both live in separate worlds, but sometimes these two worlds get so close to each other, causing a rift to appear. During this time, this deity can sneak into the same realm where the Moon God resides."

"Yep, definitely not the same China I know." YuLan was astonished.

"Although the Moon God is one of the higher gods and the deity is normally not his equal, when this rift appears, the Moon God will be at his weakest. The night sky will be as dark as a black ink and the Moon God will bleed red due to the disturbance the rift causes. The deity always takes this chance to resemble the Moon God's being then try to steal his physical body."

"As humans who have always been blessed by moonlight, we try to assist the Moon God to elude the deity. We hang red lanterns to confuse the deity so he wouldn't find the Moon God's real body, and we lit incenses so the smell would distract him."

YuLan stared at the two moons, absorbing what she had just heard.

"Those red lanterns do resemble the round red moon... ."

He continued, "During these moments, no mortals should be seen from the sky, lest the deity noticed our intervention which may cause the Moon God's demise."

YuLan turned her gaze to SongLi, "Then why is Young Master here?"

"Obviously I don't believe in old wives' tales," his lips were curled lightly, "and from the look of it, neither do you."

"Well, that's because I came from yet another world it seems," YuLan amusedly thought, "where there's flying metal birds in the sky and steel vehicles on ground that must seem as amazing as your Moon God.... . "

"Then I assume this.... 'rift' will close at midnight?" YuLan asked.

"Correct. When new day comes, the two different worlds' link will once again be severed and the Moon God will once again be safe from the deity's evil clutches. At least until the next rift occurs."

YuLan, "How often does this happen?"

Ji SongLi was silent at this, seemingly lost in thought, "Well, the last one happened when I was not even born yet. Father said the last blood moons appeared just over fifteen years ago, when the Crown Prince was born" He paused as he tried to remember further, "Before that, it was roughly ten years. There doesn't seem to be set intervals of the phenomenon. But the Imperial astrologers could always predict and tell the citizens exactly when the twin blood moons would appear. This year it just happened to be the New Year's Eve."

YuLan nodded in understanding. It seemed that the gloomy atmosphere, with the incenses and red lanterns, was not to celebrate New Year's Eve, but more for this twin blood lunar occurrence.

They both fell in silence for a while with their own thoughts, time passed gradually in the stillness of the night. Then the smaller red moons gradually became dimmer in its color and presence, until finally disappearing behind the dark blanket of the sky.

Ji SongLi muttered, "The deity has left. Once again, the Moon God is safe."

There was a trace of ridicule in his tone that YuLan could not miss. She understood that Ji SongLi did not believe in the superstition as well. However, what had caught her her attention was, Ji SongLi seemed to have become more animated in his speech, more expressive ever since their last encounter about the flower bud about week ago.

"Come to think of it, tonight is the first time I see him smile a little."

Ever since she laid eyes on the young boy, Ji SongLi looked as though he had the weight of the whole world on his shoulders. But now, it seemed that he had started to embrace his burden as part of himself and no longer treated it as so.

In the sky, the bigger moon gradually turned color into pale blue, its usual color normally seen at night. YuLan blinked and could not help but think that the phenomenon was quite miraculous.

"Midnight has passed," Ji SongLi smiled at her. Both of them soon noticed the excited voices from inside the buildings, even from beyond the residence walls, where the common streets were. Everyone seemed to have been hanging on a thread waiting for the unlucky twin red moons to pass and were now genuinely delighted to start the New Year.

Soon, she could hear the sounds of firecrackers and people shouting on the street exclaiming their New Year's greetings to whoever would hear them in the middle of the night. The stark contrast of atmosphere made YuLan chuckle in amusement, until she noticed Ji SongLi's eyes fixated on her.

"YuLan... ," he said, a trace of anxiety in his soft voice, "I have a couple of favors to ask of you."

YuLan gave him an encouraging smile, and that eased his furrowing brows.

"I'd like it if you don't call me 'Young Master' anymore," Ji SongLi gave her a soft nervous smile. YuLan thought this youth actually looked adorable.

"Ji LanBai and Ji SongLi definitely have good genes," she thought.

"Call me SongLi-ge... ," Ji SongLi prompted. Yet, when he saw the girl's lips quirked slightly, he quickly added, "Or just SongLi will do!"

Ji SongLi was a bit at a lost. Was it not reasonable to request YuLan to call him 'gege'? After all, he was older. Yet, why did the other party did not seem too pleased? There was even a trace of irony in her smile.

Finally, YuLan herself welcomed his request with open arms. Calling a teenager who was more than half her old soul's age 'gege' would be more difficult than calling him 'Young Master'. After all, she could treat the 'Young Master' title the same as calling her boss. Still, calling him by his direct name would be much better. She would not have any reservation when Ji SongLi himself had requested so.

Giving a bright smile, she nodded.

Feeling encouraged, Ji SongLi's own smile blossomed. This time YuLan quickly averted her gaze away. This boy's smile was truly dangerous! Especially when she swore she could saw just the faintest blush on his cheeks. Why did she feel like she was the one who was embarrassed!

With his voice suddenly as soft as a whisper, YuLan had to strain her ears hard to catch what he said next,

"My birthday is the tenth day of summer. Do you mind making me something? Just like what you have given to my sister." Then he added hastily, "Though preferably less sweet.