*FEATURED* Ao is a wrathful, ravenous former god trapped in a human body and sentenced to roam the Inner Empire for all eternity.
Eternity is rather dull, until she meets a green-eyed prince and his friends.
The prince offers her a deal; help him a...
爭風吃醋 Zhēng fēng chī cù Fight the wind and eat vinegar. Contend for the affections of a man or woman.
Time passed. One evening, I was in my rooms admiring the autumn colors appearing on the trees outside my window when Ermi came in, arms full of books.
At first, I was afraid she had come to study, but when she set the books down with a loud 'ooof' on my table I caught sight of the spines and realized it was all of her romance novels.
"Is it alright if I keep these here Ao-jie? Exams are approaching, and I don't want any distractions."
I was laid out on my bed, and lazily I raised one hand and signaled my consent.
Ermi came and sat on the edge of the bed beside me. "Have you started on our final essay for Sho Sensei's class? It's due at the end of next week."
Lazily, I shook my head. I had paid little attention in the kitsune's class. I had no idea what the topic was for our assigned essay, let alone how I should go about writing such a thing.
I hated words. I would simply not do it.
"I can't decide if I want to focus on the theme of love or revenge in Red Brushe's poems," Ermi said with a sigh, as though the choice had been keeping her up at night.
I snorted. Yes, there was no way I was spending my time, unlimited though it was, on such a thing.
Ermi stretched out on the bed beside me. "What are you doing?" she asked.
I gestured to the window. "Watching the leaves change."
Ermi frowned. "You can't actually see them change colors, can you?"
I smiled. "If you keep very still."
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There was a pause, while Ermi contemplated the leaves. But her contemplation did not last long.
"Ao-jie, may I ask you a question?" I nodded. "Are you and my brother lovers?"
I snorted in surprise, not so much at the question, but as the matter of fact way Ermi asked it. The timid girl I had met a few months ago would never have been so bold.
"What makes you ask that?" I said.
"He keeps coming to my courtyard. He pretends like he's there to see me, but really I know he's hoping to run into you. He never used to visit me before."
I laughed. "Perhaps he has just become a more attentive brother."
"Perhaps," said Ermi, but I sensed there was more she wanted to ask. "Ao-jie, can I ask another—"
