Jing Yi couldn't help but turn around at the address and the slightly familiar voice. When he saw the man standing in the bamboo grove, his face paled.
The man was wearing a black robe just like Qiu Ling and looking at their stature and that face … they were about eight parts similar.
It couldn't be. No, this didn't make sense. This didn't make any sense.
His fingers curled tighter around the lapel of Qiu Ling's robe but he couldn't help his body from trembling. Looking at the man that probably should have made him feel ecstatic, he only felt dread creep up in him. Over and over again he repeated the same sentence to himself: This didn't make sense.
The man slightly drew his brows together, the gesture uncannily alike to the way Qiu Ling did it. Even the hurt expression in his eyes was almost exactly the same.
"Could it be you don't remember me? It is I, Tian, your lover! Didn't we promise each other to always stay together before you went on your trial? What are you doing now?" His gaze slid to Qiu Ling before returning just as fast, the hurt in his eyes deepening.
Jing Yi stared at him and then looked up at Qiu Ling. His lover looked at him with a pleading gaze.
"Jing'er …"
Jing Yi closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. It didn't make sense. But even if it did … He smiled and cupped Qiu Ling's cheek. "Don't worry. Whoever he is, it won't change anything." He had already decided on Qiu Ling, after all. Whoever this man was he wouldn't care. From now on, there would only be Qiu Ling for him.
Qiu Ling blanked once again. It wouldn't change … anything? Did this mean … Had he just won against himself? Or was that bastard just really bad at impersonating him?
Unfortunately, his beloved already wriggled out of his arms before he could say anything. Qiu Ling hurriedly grabbed his wrist.
"My love!"
Jing Yi turned back to him, still smiling, and squeezed his hand in the hope of reassuring him. "You really don't have to worry. Qiu Ling, I love you. Whatever happened in my last life, I would still love you. I've needed some time to understand but that is the way it is. Nothing will change about that. So let me go to make it clear to him. Even if he was the person I loved back then … he would still need to understand that this is a new life." To make sure Qiu Ling understood, he once again tiptoed and kissed him. This time it was only a short peck though.
He gave him a sweet smile, peeled Qiu Ling's hand off his wrist and turned back to 'Tian'. With a calm gaze, he walked over and only stopped when he was one step away from him.
Looking up close, the differences between the two men were more obvious but they still weren't that big. They might have passed for brothers. At least, he wouldn't have questioned it if Qiu Ling had told him that this was his long-lost sibling he had thought to be dead.
"Jing He." The man smiled happily when Jing Yi left Qiu Ling's side and came over. "So you do remember me."
Jing Yi smiled back. "I don't know who you are."
"I am Tian." The man looked at him worriedly. "You haven't recovered your memories? I am sorry." He furrowed his brows and lowered his head, very much the image of guilt. "I should have found you sooner and made sure you could do so. It's just that … I couldn't find you. I searched all over the Nine Heavens and the demon realm for you but you were nowhere to be found. Who could have known you were in the human realm at the moment? I should have known. I'm sorry. Now you had to wait for so long and you can't even remember."
"I remember very well. And I know that whoever Tian was it isn't you."
The man lifted his gaze, surprise written in his eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Jing Yi shook his head. "I don't know who you are or why you are doing this but however much you might look like Qiu Ling I would still feel the difference. Had you come a week earlier, this might have worked. But I've already found out now. It's not important what I saw in my memories. The only important thing is what I feel in my heart. And it tells me that the man I love is back there. It is Qiu Ling and it will always be Qiu Ling. So you should go back to where you came from."
The man looked at him, seemingly in a daze. Jing Yi turned away but just like Qiu Ling before, the man reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back.
Jing Yi sighed and looked up, ready to tell him off. He wouldn't mind if it was Qiu Ling but he wouldn't accept this from any other person. The smile on the man's lips made him freeze though. Just what was this supposed to mean?
The man smiled even brighter when he looked at him blankly. "It's true what they say about the Son of Heaven. He truly is an intelligent person. Even his reincarnation is, it seems. It's a pity though. You know there is something called being too intelligent for your own good.
"Had you not figured it out, you could have lived a beautiful dream. I would have given you everything you wanted. I would even have pretended to love you so you could feel better about betraying your lover. But you had to go and ruin my plan. In that case … I'm afraid your time in my realm won't be as enjoyable."
Jing Yi frowned and tried to wrest his arm out of the man's grasp. Unfortunately, this person wasn't Qiu Ling and obviously not any kind of Tian either. He didn't care if Jing Yi was hurt. "Let go. I certainly won't follow you to your realm."
"I'm afraid … you won't have a choice." The man pulled him over, right into his arms. With a provocative smile, he glanced at Qiu Ling and then, he disappeared from the spot, taking Jing Yi with him.