Chapter 15: Chapter 15

She counted the days she had spent with the punished Yingshang. She had been in this strange place for just too long. It was the last day that they had to see each other, but he could not get to know this. It would break his heart to know. She had rather he found out later.

It will be okay, she told herself as she stepped out of the bedroom in the red bridal gown, pulling down the veil over her face. It was customary among the mortals that a newly wedded couple would dress in red, although in the immortal realm, a variety of colours made up the different choices the celestials could use in marriage.

Whatever it was, their union was not one recognised by the immortals. Something in Qiwan told her she was fated to Di Qing, although her heart disagreed heavily with her father’s arrangement. Had Yingshang not fallen to the mortal realm or left her, she would have considered becoming that unfilial daughter and running all she could with Yingshang.

Perhaps, since he had created The Fool’s Chase to hide from the Jade Emperor for so long, particularly when he wasn’t in the mood for anything, avoiding the courts that he was supposed to attend to and wreaking havoc among the immortals, he would have found a way to hide from everything.

But now, it was too late. As much as she loved him and wished she could be with him, she just wanted closure. She had tasted the forbidden fruit and sinned in her unholy desire with Yingshang, shared a bed with him, you name it…

She believed in the wheel of retribution. Now, it wasn’t about finding out about why he had disguised himself as Fang Yiqi nor the reason that she had developed immortal amnesia… it was about the future.

There was no future between them. She fathomed she had to live. Every second of living in that place would cost her a part of her immortal lifeforce. She could stay with him, but Honglie probably wouldn’t let her off. There was nowhere they could go without the goddess finding them and claiming what she had promised her.

“What’s wrong?” she heard Yingshang’s charming voice from behind her veil. The god sounded so mellow right now, compared to his allure to her back then as the immature God of Mischief.

“Nothing, I was just tired.” She tried to steady herself as she felt her chest filling up with discomfort. She stepped back and tried to take a deep breath.

First it was her chest, now she was getting dizzy. It seemed she didn’t have long, she sighed to herself in her mind. Better make things clear to him and leave, her inner self said to her. Either way, she had to depart soon. Honglie’s clock was ticking.

Yingshang took her hand in his and led her carefully to the altar that he had set up under the sun in front of them. The sunlight was strikingly hot, irritating her eyes as she rubbed away her tears of pain.

She didn’t feel so well. The Yingshang before her was so gentle that she could not have wished for him another way. He must have suffered a lot in his mortal shell, although he still tempted her when they were alone and he was feeling naughty with her.

Yingshang wore a simple red gown, lacking patterns compared to her elaborate design. He must have made such a tremendous effort to get them made, she lamented. He lit a few sticks of incense, offering them to Qiwan. It was the first step, their obeisance to the heavens like how the mortals did.

It would be over soon, she reminded herself as she strode forward and took the incense from him. The thin material allowed her to see how he stood sincerely and offered another three lit sticks, praying as faithfully as he could.

“I, Yingshang, have been an unfilial son. But all I can wish is, my Lord Father, to forgive me for my sins. Before I realised my feelings for Wen Qiwan, I was the uncontrollable God of Mischief, never willing to admit my wrongdoings. But in return for an eternity with Wan-er, I renounce my immortal self. I want nothing else but to live with her, peacefully as a mortal.”

Behind her veil, Qiwan reeled with shock. He had left her with only a letter expecting her to read it, so how could it be that she was the cause for his major change? He had done all this because of a chance with her?

How was it even possible?

Sensing a wave of displeasure returning to her, Qiwan fought the urge to retch and calmed herself with the immortal technique Tang Jing had taught her.

She heard Yingshang continue, speaking to her, “Wan-er, I don’t want an infinite lifespan or the power I had as the God of Mischief. I gave all these up in return for a chance with you. Because I knew that what hindered us was our lack of fate. I wanted to change that, that’s why I surrendered myself. I changed. All for you…”

His words came to a sudden halt. Qiwan coerced herself to take a few steps closer to him, staggering while trying to make her voice sound as natural as she could. She was still finding it hard to believe that Yingshang had exchanged his comfortable life filled with mischief for a chance with her.

She didn’t know what to say, but accompanied Yingshang in praying to the heavens, followed by a bow to the earth and eventually with each other. She didn’t know how much time she had left, but regardless, she had to walk down this sad path with Yingshang knowing how hurt he would be when he found out.

It felt like forever. She trembled behind her veil, sensing the coldness in her veins. She didn’t have a few hours left. They planted the incense sticks in the small burner on the altar.

“Brother Shang, would you carry me?”

He agreed without a further word, scooping her into his arms with so much tenderness that she thought she would die from guilt.

“I’m tired, Brother Shang.”

She didn’t have the energy to speak more, but what she had to tell him. As he carried her, walking slowly to the shack, Qiwan saw more visions of the past.

Every word that Fang Yiqi had said repeated itself in her memory. This time instead of Fang Yiqi, she saw Yingshang’s visage clearly. Remembering every touch and mischievous smile recorded in her mind, she closed her eyes.

In the dark room, she felt Yingshang slowly removing her veil, before loosening her robes. He took off her outer robes, letting her relax in her inner robes, cool under the massive heat of the tropical season. She lay there for minutes that seemed like hours, until she could find her breath again.

“Let me wash my face for a moment,” Qiwan implored, raising her head from where she had placed it on his shoulder.

He nodded, helping her to her feet so that she could make her way to the bathroom.

“I love you, Brother Shang.”

“I love you too, Wan-er.”

She paused for a second before she said, “I’m sorry. I would love you for an eternity, but we don’t have fate.”

“We do, Wan-er. I made a trade.”

The curtain separated them as she entered the bathroom, pulling it securely around her. Honglie, she beckoned in silence. It’s time. I’m ready to go home.

As if answering to her will, a dark ruby-red cloud of smoke encircled her, taking her in instantaneously. She heard the familiar tone of Honglie’s voice.

“Finally, the fool decides she is willing to leave.”

In a flash, Qiwan vanished, disappearing with the smoke as quickly as it had appeared. When Yingshang entered the bathroom minutes later, she was gone. The ‘why’ that remained on his lips, would never ever have an answer while Yingshang was stuck in his mortal shell.

Until the day he would eventually return to his immortal status, fifty long years that felt like forever. The pain of his heartbreak would continue to plague him, while he struggled to live out the remaining years of his punishment.

Qiwan could only observe his pain from Honglie’s magical mirror as the last of her tears left her face.

“My Lady, I surrender to you, what you wish for.”

Honglie’s eyes sparkled a deep crimson.

“What I want is just your tiny fate with The God of Mischief.”

“I don’t have fate with Brother Shang. Take it, if you will.”

Qiwan got up to go as her vitality returned. The minute her small feet took her out of Honglie’s abode, the goddess erupted in endless laughter.