The Storm of Jealousy part 2

As Yang Mi lay on the ground, her body wracked with fear and confusion, Sun Jin's tirade continued. "You think you can steal him from me?" she spat, pacing around Yang Mi like a predator circling its prey. "I've waited for centuries! And you, a mortal, think you can take my place? Bai Jue belongs to me!"

But before she could land another blow, the room's door slammed open with such force that the windows rattled. Bai Jue stood in the doorway, his face a mask of fury. His presence filled the room with an intense, cold energy, the very air freezing as his rage boiled over.

The journey back from the South Sea had left Bai Jue feeling heavy, his thoughts burdened by the foreboding events beneath the ocean's surface. He had barely set foot in his mansion when a different kind of storm, one far more personal, began to stir. As he approached the mansion, he heard the frantic voices of servants, the sound of doors slamming, and an all-too-familiar voice echoing in the corridors.

Bai Jue quickened his pace, his heart racing as he made his way to the main bedroom. The scene that greeted him was one of utter chaos.

Inside, Sun Jin, his once sweet but now dangerously possessive adopted sister, stood in the middle of the room. Her face was twisted with anger and jealousy, her elegant gown disheveled from the physical confrontation. Da Yi, his loyal eunuch, lay on the floor nursing a fresh red mark on his face from Sun Jin's slap. Across the room, Yang Mi, his newlywed wife, sat on the edge of the bed, pale and trembling, clutching a blanket around her bare body. Her face was streaked with tears, and her disheveled hair fell in soft waves around her, making her look even more vulnerable.

Sun Jin's shrill voice filled the room as she screamed at Yang Mi, her jealousy boiling over. "You don't deserve him! How could someone like you, a mere mortal, ever think you're worthy of Bai Jue?!" Her words dripped with venom, each one aimed like a dagger at Yang Mi's heart.

Yang Mi, bewildered and scared, barely managed to whisper, "Who… who are you? Why are you doing this?"

"Who am I?" Sun Jin's eyes flared dangerously. "I am the one who truly loves him! Not you!" She stepped closer, but Tan Qi quickly stepped between them, standing protectively in front of Yang Mi.

"Lady Sun Jin, please stop this!" Tan Qi implored, her voice steady despite the fear evident in her eyes. "This is madness! Lord Bai Jue has chosen Lady Yang Mi as his wife. You must accept it."

"Accept it?!" Sun Jin's voice grew shrill, her anger intensifying. "I've loved him long before this mortal ever knew his name! I've waited, I've served him, I've done everything to prove myself! And now, I'm supposed to stand aside and watch him fall for someone so beneath him?!"

She raised her hand to strike Yang Mi again, but Bai Jue's voice cut through the chaos like a blade. "Enough!"

The room fell deathly silent. Sun Jin froze, her hand still raised, and turned slowly to face Bai Jue, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and disbelief. The fury radiating from Bai Jue was palpable, his presence commanding the room as if the very air around him had chilled.

"Bai Jue..." Sun Jin's voice trembled as she took a step toward him, her face softening, pleading. "She doesn't belong here. She's not one of us. You know that I—"

"I said enough!" Bai Jue's tone was ice-cold, his expression hard as stone. He moved past her, his gaze never leaving Yang Mi, who still sat huddled on the bed, clearly shaken by the violent encounter.

Sun Jin turned slowly, her eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and fear. "Bai Jue..."

"Enough!" His voice thundered through the room, the sound of it making Sun Jin freeze in place.

He stepped into the room, his gaze sweeping over the chaos. Yang Mi lay crumpled on the floor, her face red and bruised, while Da Yi, his most trusted servant, was bleeding against the wall. His chest tightened in fury at the sight of Sun Jin standing there, her hand still raised to strike.

"Bai Jue, I—" Sun Jin began, her voice softening as she tried to approach him. But Bai Jue cut her off with a sharp gesture.

"You've crossed a line, Sun Jin," he said coldly, his voice trembling with barely contained anger. He moved past her, going straight to Yang Mi, kneeling beside her. He gently helped her sit up, his heart aching at the sight of her tear-streaked face.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered to her, his touch gentle as he cradled her in his arms.

Sun Jin watched, her heart breaking at the sight. "But I love you!" she cried, desperation creeping into her voice. "How can you choose her, a mortal, over me?"

Bai Jue's gaze was ice-cold as he turned to her. "This isn't love, Sun Jin. This is madness. What you've done today is unforgivable."

"But she doesn't belong here!" Sun Jin screamed, her voice breaking. "She's not one of us! I've been with you for so long, I've loved you for so long!"

Bai Jue's eyes narrowed. "She is my wife. And that is all that matters."

As he reached Yang Mi, he gently cupped her face in his hands, his thumb brushing away the tears that still clung to her lashes. "Are you hurt?" His voice softened instantly when he spoke to her, filled with concern.

Yang Mi shook her head, though her trembling hands betrayed the fear and confusion she still felt. "I... I don't understand what's happening," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"You don't need to," Bai Jue replied, his voice gentle but resolute. "I'll take care of it."

Behind him, Sun Jin's anger flared again. "Take care of it? What about me, Bai Jue? What about everything we've been through? You promised me—"

Bai Jue turned to face her, his expression unreadable but his voice filled with finality. "I never promised you anything, Sun Jin."

"But I love you!" she cried, her voice breaking as tears filled her eyes. "I've loved you for so long! How can you do this to me? How can you marry her, a mortal, when I've always been by your side?"

Bai Jue's eyes hardened. "What you feel is not love, Sun Jin. It's obsession. And it's dangerous."

Sun Jin's heart shattered at his words. She took a step back, shaking her head in disbelief. "No… no, you can't mean that. You can't possibly choose her over me!"

"I've chosen Yang Mi as my wife, and that will never change," Bai Jue said, his tone unwavering. "She is my priority now. She is my family."

Tears streamed down Sun Jin's face as she stared at Bai Jue, unable to comprehend the rejection. "But I thought… I thought you cared about me," she whispered, her voice broken.

Bai Jue sighed, his expression softening just slightly. "I do care about you, Sun Jin. But not in the way you want me to. You are my sister in the Heaven Realm, nothing more."

The weight of his words crushed her. Sun Jin's knees buckled, and Lan Er rushed to her side, supporting her as she nearly collapsed. "No... no..." Sun Jin muttered under her breath, her eyes wide with shock.

Sun Jin's face twisted with disbelief, her body trembling as her world shattered around her. "No... no, this isn't right..."

Without another word, Bai Jue turned to Da Yi. "Take Sun Jin back to the Heaven Realm. She is not to return here."

Da Yi, despite his injuries, struggled to his feet and moved toward Sun Jin. Lan Er, her own face pale, helped guide her stunned mistress out of the room. Sun Jin didn't fight. She didn't scream. She simply stared ahead, her heart broken, her mind unable to comprehend the rejection she had just faced.

As they left, her final words echoed softly in the hallway: "You'll regret this, Bai Jue..."

With Sun Jin gone, the mansion felt eerily silent. Bai Jue pulled Yang Mi close, his heart heavy with guilt and pain. He kissed her forehead softly, vowing silently that he would protect her from whatever storms lay ahead.