Once upon a Christmas eve (1)

The winter air was refreshingly cold. It made the tip of Ben Zi's nose a cherry red. He shivered despite his thick jacket.

"ACHHOOO!" he sneezed.

"I think you're sick." Ray Xi commented as she walked beside him.

"ACHOOO ACHOO ACHOOO!" Ben Zi sneezed several more times.

"Yeah you definitely have a cold, maybe you should just go home." Qui Ten added.

"I am not going home!" Ben Zi said obstinately. "It is freaking Christmas eve. I am not going to lay sick in my bed, alone, on an international holiday."

"Yeah but it's cold and we might be queing for hours. You're gonna get more sick and you already have a fever Ben Zi" Ray Xi said with a concerned expression.

"I won't get more sick!" Ben Zi growled stubbornly.

"Yeah yeah okay whatever. Don't go crying to us tomorrow." Ray Xi rolled her eyes, Qui Ten giggled.

The trio were walking along a busy street in Chaoyang, heading to a popular winter market where the sale of a new, highly anticipated, console would be held.

"Oh isn't that the guy!" Ray Xi exclaimed.

"Huh what guy?" Ben Zi looked around curiously.

"Over there." Ray Xi pointed, "The guy you thought had supernatural powers, the one you gave your number to but he never called you back."

Ben Zi's eyes widened as he saw Mao Lu walking ahead of them on the busy street. He looked even more handsome then when Ben Zi had last saw him.

"I told you he does have supernatural powers. He denied it but I know what I saw." Ben Zi said excitedly.

"Are you still going on about that?" Ray rolled her eyes, "It's not funny anymore Ben, rather than studying for exams you've been researching all this supernatural stuff. And you've been going on and on about it all the time. Don't you think you're getting a little obsessive?"

"I am not getting obsessive. I'm just curious. I want to know what's out there. And that guy right there is the answer. He has powers." Ben Zi said determinedly as he began running in Mao Lu's direction.

"Hey Ben Zi wait up!" Qui Ten yelled

Ray Xi sighed, "He's gonna do something stupid."

They ran after him.

…..

Mao Lu was a bright pink as he walked side by side with Chàng Bo. Having their arms looped like this as they walked down the busy street was making Mao Lu's heart beat like crazy. It felt like they were a couple on a date. "Could they be called a couple? They were soon to be married or companioned for eternity, so they could count as a couple right?" Mao Lu's brain was racing with all kinds of thoughts as they strolled leisurely up the busy street.

As they walked they got all kinds of stares. Some kind, some curious, and some rude. Mao Lu could hear the mutters, "Whao who are they, they're both so handsome?"

"Look their arms are linked."

"Maybe they're brothers."

"They don't look alike though."

"Maybe they're like…"

"Omg!"

"Gross"

"Wow so brave."

Mao Lu heard a variety of comments as they walked down the busy street that was filled with last minute Christmas shoppers.

Before, all this attention would have made him nervous, upset and even sick. But now he barely noticed it. It didn't bother him. All he could think about was how Chàng Bo's pace matched his pace, and how his arm was against his arm, and how his steps matched his steps.

"These people are rather nosy, do they have nothing else to gossip about other than two strangers walking down the street? And so what if our arms are linked, is it even their business." Chàng Bo muttered angrily. "If they were practitioners in my Realm I would have crippled one of them by now, these mortals know no respect."

Even though Chàng Bo didn't have Sense of the Realm like Mao Lu did, Chàng Bo was at the Dao stage. He could easily perceive and hear about 10 kilometers around him. At first he wasn't bothered by the gossip around them but as minutes passed he was starting to get irritated.

Mao Lu patted Chàng Bo's shoulder gently. "Don't mind them, it doesn't matter."

Chàng Bo paused and then a teasing smile came over his face, "Look at you consoling me. Is this another attempt to make me fall madly in love with you?"

Mao Lu looked back at him with a mutually teasing expression, "Is it working?"

Chàng Bo yet again didn't answer that question, his smile just expanded. His heart stirred.

Chàng Bo was finding Mao Lu more and more attractive with each second they spent together.

"It's not that I'm falling for him." Thought Chàng Bo, "It's just that he's very entertaining, pleasant to look at and we match well together. I just enjoy his company." was how he justified the warm feeling inside his chest.

The pleasant atmosphere between the two was disrupted as Ben Zi ran up to them. He panted a bit before shouting "Mao Lu! It's you right!"

Chàng Bo raised both brows in surprise. "Who is this?" he wondered.

"Ben Zi!", Ray Xi and Qui Ten caught up to him. They stared at Mao Lu and Chàng Bo awkwardly.

"You remember me right? I'm Ben Zi. We met at that speed dating event. I was the one that saw you using your powers." Ben Zi said excitedly.

Chàng Bo raised an eyebrow, "Speed dating event?"

Mao Lu's face went red and he felt flustered, "It's nothing important."

Ben Zi noticed Chàng Bo, he couldn't help but gasp a bit. He had never seen someone so handsome in his life. Ben Zi helplessly stared at him with wide eyes. Chàng Bo was like a flawless jade statue. And those blue eyes.

Ben Zi felt immediately inferior in comparison. "Wow life is unfair. People this good looking exist."

"Ben Zi, right? What a coincidence." Mao Lu said with a forced smile. "It's been ages. What do you want?"

"Oh eerrrr." Ben Zi blushed a little as he looked at Mao Lu, "I just wanted to say hi since I saw you. And… you never called me when I gave you my number."

Mao Lu felt a bit awkward when Ben Zi said that, "Sorry about that. I just…well you were going on about supernatural stuff and I thought it was a bit weird..."

"Weird. Huh. You're still denying it? I know what I saw. You disappeared into dust. You have supernatural powers. But don't worry your secret's safe with me." Ben Zi proclaimed.

Mao Lu's brow twitched, this guy was irritating, "There is nothing to deny and there is no secret. I'd like it if you stopped accusing me of strange things. I don't even know you that well. We only met once or twice coincidentally. I found it funny at first but it's a bit rude don't you think?"

Ben Zi gaped, how could this guy blatantly deny it, right to his face.

"I know what I saw! It's not like I'm going to tell anyone your secret why are you denyin-OWwwwwww!!! "

Ray Xi and Qui Ten both smacked the back of Ben Zi's head at the same time.

"I'm sorry about my friend. He's been really weird lately. For some reason he's convinced that you have supernatural powers and he doesn't know how to be polite to strangers." Ray Xi apologised.

"Yeah we're really sorry about him." Qui Ten and Ray Xi pushed Ben's head down and made him bow in apology.

"Oh you don't have to do that. It's fine." Mao Lu felt flustered. Ben Zi wasn't wrong but it wasn't like Mao Lu could admit it. He wasn't going to reveal his secret to a stranger.

Ben Zi pulled away from his friends, "Don't apologise for me. This guy has powers I swear. I know what I saw."

"Ben Zi just let it go. Don't you think your crazy ramblings are becoming a bit much."

"I thought you said you believed me Ray!?" Ben Zi yelled.

"I wanted to believe you because you're my best friend, but now you're causing trouble for this guy! And you're acting crazy. Can we just enjoy our Christmas eve without disturbing people."

"Yeah can't you see we are disturbing something." Qui Ten pointed at Chàng Bo and Mao Lu, who still had their arms linked together.

Ben Zi also glanced at them. "Were they a couple?" he wondered. He felt jealousy burn inside of him. "Who is this guy?" he glared at Chàng Bo.

Chàng Bo stared back at Ben Zi in amusement. "Are you glaring at me?"

"Maybe?" Ben Zi hissed.

"That's enough we're leaving. I'm so sorry." Ray Xi said as she grabbed Ben Zi's arm, Qui Ten grabbed his other arm and they dragged him away.

"What the hell guys!!!?"

"You're obviously not thinking straight, you need to cool off." Ray Xi said as they walked off with him.

Mao Lu and Chàng Bo stared blankly as they watched the trio disappear.

"What was that about? That little annoying Mortal was funny." Chàng Bo sniggered.

Mao Lu sighed, "It's a long story. I barely know him seriously."

Chàng Bo raised an eyebrow, "He seems to like you."

"And what gave you that idea."

"Well he was challenging me with his eyes, his aura was oozing jealousy."

Mao Lu was surprised, "Really, and how did that make you feel?"

"How did what make me feel? " Chàng Bo tilted his head in confusion.

"How does it feel that another man likes me, does it make you jealous?" Mao Lu asked, his voice a bit shaky, his eyes a bit hopeful.

"I felt amused. That puny Mortal dared to even like you. He obviously doesn't know how high the Heavens are. Why would I be jealous over someone like him?"

Mao Lu rolled his eyes and sighed, "That wasn't the answer I was looking for." He started walking ahead of Chàng Bo.

Chàng Bo blinked in confusion. "Huh, what did I say wrong? Mao Lu!?" he jogged after him.

…..

"What the hell! That was freaking embarrassing. Why would you guys just drag me away like that!?" Ben Zi shouted as Ray and Qui dropped him at the end of the high street.

"Because you were being embarrassing. You were shouting at that Mao guy and screaming in the middle of the street about him having powers. That was embarrassing." Ray Xi said sternly, "What the hell was that Ben?"

"So now I'm the bad guy. I'm the person that's in the wrong. When that guy lied to my face and made me seem crazy. He does have powers!!!!" Ben screamed.

"You know what Ben, I'm not putting up with this crap today. This Christmas eve I was going to have a nice date with Qui Ten but I decided we'd spend it with you instead since you've been so lonely and acting so weird lately. But you know what, you can just spend this Christmas eve alone muttering strange things and harassing honest strangers. Call me when your nervous breakdown is over."

Ray Xi grabbed Qui Ten's hand and marched with her away. Leaving Ben Zi alone standing at the corner of the street.

"Wow just wow." Ben muttered as he watched them leave.

He kicked a nearby trash can. He was so annoyed right now.

"You shouldn't kick public bins like that." A voice said.

Ben Zi swivelled around, 360 degrees, on his heel, eyes darting back and forth.

"Who?"

There was a large crowd of Christmas shoppers and tourists walking the streets but none had stopped to talk to him.

He scratched his head in confusion.

"Am I just hearing things?"

He turned around and jumped back in surprise. There was an old man standing in front of him. He had a creepy cold smile.

He stared intently at Ben Zi.

"Ummmm do I know you?" Ben felt a strange chill spread across his skin.

"This man is weird."As he thought this he felt his mind overcome with thoughts that weren't his own.

"I need to find the Gatekeeper."

"I need to get rid of him."

"I need to grow."

Ben Zi's clear eyes became cloudy, his expression became cold. In juxtaposition the old man's face became confused, his eyes becoming clear.

"Huh… Am I in Chaoyang, when did I get here?" The old man scratched the back of his head and wandered off absentmindedly.

The Irregularity smiled to itself. "Ohh this one knows the Gatekeeper." It laughed as it skipped down the busy street in Ben Zi's body.