Golden Orchids

Chapter 19

Si Yin woke up with a warm feeling enveloping her. She hadn't felt this safe and content for a really long time. 

Si Yin let out a yawn and blinked the drowsiness out of her eyes. A soothing hand brushed against her soft fur.  

Wait…

Hand?

Si Yin woke up immediately and her eyes met the sleeping face of that odd man. His breathing was slow and steady. A tranquil expression on his face. He looked so much like her Shifu it's scary. There were still subtle differences. Si Yin admitted that he was handsome with his long hair tumbling down his shoulder. His clean-shaven jawline was smooth to the touch. 

How in the world did he end up on her bed? Why was he shirtless?

The event of last night appeared in her mind, all the things he did with her mortal form.

If her fox fur could turn a few shades pinker, it did. Si Yin covered her eyes with her paws, how could she let this happen? What if her parents find out? No, her brothers? Wait, how could she face her Shifu next time, knowing that she had been sleeping with his doppelgänger.

The man had woken up from her commotion, he gave her a brilliant smile, his eyes sparkled when he saw her. “Su Su,” he called out.

No, that’s not my name!

He reached out to pet her. Before he could, Si Yin bit his hand. Just because he took liberties with her mortal form, didn’t mean he could with her! He screamed in pain and retreated his hand. 

She jumped out of the bed and on the table. It's no longer safe here with his man around, Si Yin needed to go back home, back to Qing Qiu. Maybe she could find Zhe Yan or her parents, anyone to help her get her powers back. As she was about to leap out of the window, she heard soft sobbing behind her.

Was the man crying?

“Su Su…” he croaked, a single tear streaming down his cheeks.

Yan Zhi once told her that her mortal form fell in love with him. Si Yin didn’t believe it at first. Why would she give her heart out that easily? 

To be honest, Si Yin pitted him. Coming home to find his wife had changed literally and figuratively. If her mortal self fell for him, he couldn't be that bad right?

Si Yin jumped back to the bed. She stared at the bite she gave him. Blood was sipping out of the wound. Maybe she was a bit harsh on him. She licked the injury and watched as the wound mended itself slowly. It stopped bleeding and what's left of it was faint red marks.

Had her magic come back? Si Yin tried to conjure up another spell. Nothing happened. She guessed that all she could do right now were simple healing spells. 

The man stared at her in awe. He gingerly reached out with his other hand. He paused before touching her. Si Yin pressed her head against his palm, savoring as he starched behind her ear.

"You're beautiful," he told her.

She wanted to say: of course, she was. What she did instead was curling up in a ball to hide her blush.

______________________________

Ye Hua had helped Yan Zhi prepared breakfast that morning. They made a couple of bowls of noodles. And a plate of stir-fried pork for Si Yin. 

They set the food down on the table, greeted each other before starting the meal. 

"What happened to your hand?" Yan Zhi asked Ye Hua when she noticed the marks on his skin.