Starry night

Jiushu did not know what to say.

She had been an outgoing girl, and she led a remarkably healthy school life. She always had friends, never the most popular group in class, neither the least popular. She has never been bullied, neither has she been isolated. However, that also could be due to the fact she did not notice when she had been isolated, she stood back for herself far too strongly when she had been bullied. However, even she knew, bullying among boys is more serious than it will be among girls…

"I am sorry." she said finally.

"It's not your fault." MoQiu answered.

The silence is awkward..

"Why are you so sure I am an outsider?" Mo Qiu asked in a small voice after some time.

'Seriously?'...

"I am not sure you have noticed, but your looks are very macho. With those looks if you do a kicked puppy dog expression, it calls more for a fist in your face than someone feeling bad for you." Jiushu answered easily.

Frankness is probably her worst and best point.

"I was not doing a puppy dog expression." MoQiu insisted.

Jiushu paused for a moment. He sooo was doing a puppy dog expression. However, there is no point refuting such a childish statement. The night is beautiful, it is the first peaceful night she had in awhile. She will concede this time, as there is no point to winning this argument. Silence reigned once again.

"I have been wondering for a while. How old are you? Not here, in our world." Jiushu asked.

"Twenty four. You?"

"Twenty two." Jiushu answered truthfully.

"Did you have a boyfriend?" MoQiu asked.

"No. You?" Jiushu answered conversationally, thanking the gods that the awkwardness is gone.

"No."

"Did you have a girlfriend, or you never had a girlfriend?" Jiushu prodded.

"Never had one." MoQiu answered truthfully.

"Wow.. with this face and body, you did not have a girlfriend. Your constitution must be something else." she quipped.

"I did not have this face and body. I was short and fat."

"However, you went to a good university. There must be blind dates in university, aren't there?"

"Yes, there are. How about you?" MoQiu asked.

Jiushu stopped talking. She knows what he means. Even if you go to a blind date, there is always a guy or girl who is leftover. If that experience repeats for more than ten times, you stop going to blind dates. There is no point to them any more. After that, there will be good samaritans who will arrange blind dates with equally unwanted fellows.

Jiushu made her peace with her being ugly long ago. From the beginning, she has been a 'You Only Live Once' kind of person. There are plenty of pretty girls who made fun of her being ugly. Unfortunately, she took them in stride when it's unintended, she gave back as good as she got when it's malicious. In the first place, she has a razor sharp tongue when she���s angry, so she's usually left alone.

"Ah.. there were blind dates. I was ugly and tall, so they didn't pan out." Jiushu answered truthfully.

"At least you are tall." MoQiu said with jealousy.

"You are tall now." Jiushu answered. She never could bear moping.

"There's that." MoQiu acknowledged.

"You can get any number of girls with this face now, so cheer up." Jiushu encouraged.

"That's quite the following I could get … with a prince and emperor after my family." MoQiu answered.

Jiushu quieted. There's nothing she could say to that.

"What are your plans now?" MoQiu asked after some time.

"Lie low. Raise Xiao Xing to be an upright man." Jiushu answered.

"Do you think it's possible for you to lie low?" MoQiu asked.

"At least for some time. If you haven't noticed, both Xiao Xing and I are officially dead now." Jiushu answered.

"Xiao Xing, I can understand. How did you become dead?" MoQiu asked.

Jiushu sighed and told him the long story from being found in the cave to the time she arranged for corpses at his home. MoQiu became quieter and quieter as the story progressed.

Inside his head, MoQiu is reeling back from the shock. He did not know things such as this amulet could exist at all. Moreover, he seems to have underestimated the eccentric powers of Taoists by far. If a battle array exists that can pull enemies towards it like the amulet jiushu is describing, no matter the teleportation, he will be caught. Worse yet, he could be enslaved for life. He vowed to himself to find out about the skills of Taoists as soon as possible.

"Now, I would like to hear that long story you mentioned in the letter." Jiushu told him.

MoQiu explained all that's happened, including him falling off the cliff, and later arranging for dead bodies to fake their death.

"Thank you. If he was persistent and meticulous enough to burn your house, I think he will definitely send for people to check beneath the cliff." Jiushu agreed.

The silence reigned once more as they both digested the other's story.

"What are your family's plans?" Jiushu asked.

"Father seems to know someone in Gansu who's running a resistance of the sort. We will live in the city for awhile. Then we will move to the imperial capital. Father and mother are both a little unwilling, but I believe the darkest place is under the candle. It will be the safest place." MoQiu said with conviction.

Jiushu did not believe so, but she is not one to judge. To each, their own.

"Then I guess I will say my goodbye at Gansu. " Jiushu told him.

"You are leaving?" MoQiu asked in surprise.

"Yes, Xiao Xing is too young. I myself am not very strong." Jiushu answered.

MoQiu nodded.

"I wonder when we will meet again? I bet you will be travelling all over the country, so will I."

"We will meet again if we have fate. Isn't that how it goes in all the dramas?" Jiushu jokes.

MoQiu smiled in response.

"My mother wanted you to be her daughter-in-law. I'd say we are more star crossed lovers than comrades with fate." MoQiu jokes back.

"Ah.. indeed. A man who can go anywhere in a moment, and the girl who lives in only space he can't get into. Sounds quite like the story of star crossed lovers." Jiushu extended the conversation.

"I always thought those lovers in dramas stupid, you know. If only they decided on a location to meet at, as long as one person waits there faithfully, the other can always get there at some point." MoQiu answered back.

"Indeed." Jiushu agreed.

Silence reigned. It is Jiushu who broke it.

"Teahouse on Mount Tai." She said suddenly.

"What?" MoQiu answered in surprise.

"If we were ever broken up, and we want to meet the other person, we will go to a teahouse on mount Tai to leave a message." Jiushu answered.

"We won't ." MoQiu said with conviction.

"Don't be too sure." Jiushu said lightly.

MoQiu however knew better. He has a mark on her. He could get anywhere she is at as long as he wishes for it.

"What if there is no teahouse on Mount Tai?" MoQiu asked, just to be party pooper.

"Then I will build one." Jiushu said with burning eyes.

'Ah.. the dreamer type' MoQiu thought, but he did not stop the enthusiasm of the girl.

"It will be quite the place." MoQiu said diplomatically.

…

Jiushu engaged in imagining her teahouse. Nobody would be stupid or brave enough to climb all the way to the summit of mount Tai just to visit a tea house. She will open for business every day. Nothing will be coming in save for wind and rain.. She will be directing the cook to keep the water warm in case an unexpected guest arrives, Xiao Xing is practicing calligraphy in a corner. Suddenly, the door opens to reveal a handsome figure… ah.. At last, the lovers meet. Is a good thing to say.. However …

"I just realized.. We are not star crossed lovers. Hell, we are not even normal kinds of lovers. You, do you want to be my lover?" she asked without preamble.

MoQiu smiled at her wryly. This girl has amazing mental recovery ability. Or did she have goldfish memory? She already forgot all about the prince who wanted to kill them, and the emperor who had standing orders to hunt them.

"Early love is prohibited." he said, gesturing to her tent to tell her sleep.

"Sleep early and grow up soon. Then I will be your lover." he said lightly into the wind, long after Jiushu slept.