33. 'Horror'

*Qin Shan POV

After Song Meng and I decided to meet up, the rest of the day seemed to go by at a snails pace. I had so many questions bubbling up inside me and could not wait to give him a proper interrogation.

At last it was third class and my hands were just figety. To take my mind off of Song Meng, I work on filling in the last minute details of the art piece. It has really started to come alive with the vibrant flowers and the jade white building. I wish I could live in that world, one with so much beauty that nothing could go wrong.

I concentrate on filling in each flower petal and before I know it, half of the class is finished. I turn around and look behind me only to see Song Meng sitting there and smirking at me.

"How long have you been there?" My voice sounds shaky even to myself. He just chuckles and before I can get too charmed by his appearance, I pull him out of the classroom and towards the gazebo.

When we arrive I commence with my interrogation.

"Why can't Wu He and Huan be together? What taboo is there?" Song Meng looks vaguely guilty and I stop the speed of my questions, despite there being about a million of them.

"The Court." Is all he says and I search my mind. The name sounds unfamiliar and isn't the court like a judgement system?

"What is the Court?" I press and I can tell that my voice is anxious. There is a slow chill making its way up from my bones. I feel it and can't suppress it.

Song Meng pulls me in front of him and as gently as he can states

"The Court is something I never want you to be exposed to. The Court has already ruined your past. I will not let it ruin your future." What the heck? Suddenly all the puzzle piece start clicking together in my head. That day when I lamented about my past to Song Meng...how he got almost as emotional as me.

"What do you mean?" I don't want to know the truth but if my intuition is right, then-

"Yes. They were the ones responsible for your parents death." My legs and arms turn to jelly and Song Meng quickly pulls me against his chest. I can hear his heart beating quickly but the tears are already in my eyes.

Horror. Pain. Every emotion that I have tried to bottle up is coming up like a raging storm and I am powerless to stop it.

Song Meng tightens his grip on me

"I will protect you. I will always do my best to make sure you are safe. I'm sorry that you had to find out what the Court is in this way." He sounds regretful but my questioning is not over.

"How do you know about the court? Why did they-they kill my parents?" My voice sounds pathetically weak but Song Meng still answer me gently.

"The Court is an organization - no - a dictatorship of so called "mythical creatures." The reason why Wu He and Huan - why you and I shouldn't really be together is because if they find out a human knows, they will go to great lengths to make sure they are silenced." I freeze and start to tremble. But I trust Song Meng. I think that he will always try to do his best to be near me. He has already helped me in so many ways.

"Please don't leave me." I whisper to his shirt and he pulls me back, staring incredulously at me.

"What are you talking about? I will never leave you...In fact" his voice drops "I was worried about losing you to this horrible truth."

I blink the tears out of my eyes and cup his face.

"You will never lose me as long as you tell me the truth." My voice is weirdly stable and I stop breathing. We both do before he pulls my chin up and brings his lips to mine. It is sudden, but I don't care. I don't pull away from him.

"Then I will never lie to you. I want to be with you forever Qin Shan." Song Meng looks dead serious and I awkwardly grasp his forearm. I meet his sharp eyes and look away.

"Okay." I exhale "Let's get through this together Mr. Boyfriend."

Song Meng gives me another incredulous look but takes my hand. We stand there in silence but the silence brings more feelings, more emotions then talking ever could.

The air around us seems warm despite the cold temperatures, as if the gazebo is protection against the cold wind. I lean my head on Song Meng

"Are you in the Court?" I have to press. Though I am determined never to leave Song Meng, I need to know how far the trust goes between us. He hesitates for a second

"I was until 10 years ago." His response allows no further questions and so I do not ask him anything else. 10 years ago was far before my parents passed. He couldn't have done anything to them, nor prevented the attack. I feel at ease knowing this little detail

"Okay." I softly reply. In my peripheral vision, I see him stealing a glance at me. His face seems pained and it makes my heart melt a little bit.

"Thank you for staying by me, Qin Shan." He says gently and I nestle my head into his shirt.

"Just having you is enough." I murmur and he stiffens. Then he pulls me close to him.

My life has just turned upside down for what feels like the 20th time this year. I know that, now, I have another person to trust. It is funny how fate puts people into your life who you never thought would help you flourish or grow. I am so too lucky to have been given one of those people, and, I never want to let him go.