While one couple was happy, another one wasn't. Xin Lan was still standing in his room in the dragon king's palace, blankly staring ahead.
If you told your fiance that it was time to visit their family and get married and, as a result, said fiance let go of your present, apologized, and then ran away, what did that mean? Generally, it could be presumed that it would mean that they did not think it was the right time to get married. Or, worse than that, they were of the opinion that marrying you was out of the question in general.
Xin Lan took a shaky breath, bent down, and picked up the earring. Holding it in his hand, he closed his eyes. He had actually put in quite a lot of effort for this boy if he may say so himself. Even though he always treated his lovers nicely, none of it could ever compare to what he had done for Hua Lin Yu. He had actually really been looking forward to their life together as well. And now … Now, Hua Lin Yu did not want to marry him at all.
He opened his eyes once again and looked at the earring, thinking of all the time he had spent on just this alone. First, coming up with an idea of what to do without making it seem as if he was just replicating what he had done for Jinde, deciding on a design that would fit Hua Lin Yu and that he felt he might like, secretly gathering the ingredients, and then slowly, bit by bit, forging the item itself.
It had been supposed to be a symbol of their love. He had held onto it until he felt the time was right, until he thought they were about to become a real couple. But now … He exhaled and put it into his spatial ring.
Maybe it was stupid to hold onto it but he still hoped that Hua Lin Yu would change his mind. Maybe then, he could forget about this initial reaction and give it to him again. It wouldn't be as special as he had hoped for but there were other memories they could make.
Yes, he just had to somehow make things work out between them and get past this. Xin Lan pondered for a moment and then turned around, walking out of the room and going to the one next door. He knocked on the wood, his expression still blank.
Hua Lin Rong was currently sitting inside and meditating. When he heard a knock, he stopped though, opened his eyes, and then went over to open. Seeing Xin Lan on the other side, he raised his brows. "Xin Lan. Were you going somewhere?"
Xin Lan glanced at the room behind him. "Did Xiao Yu not come by here?" He actually didn't need to ask. He could already see that he wasn't here. And most likely, he wouldn't just come here either. After all, that would be the first place he would look for him.
Hua Lin Rong was a little startled. "No, why? Did something happen?"
Xin Lan gave a faint hum that could have meant anything and then turned away. "If he comes here, tell me." He went back to his own room, stepped into the garden, and sat down at the side of the lake. Staring at the water, he couldn't help but clench his fists.
Three years. He had spent three years with him to fulfill the promise he had given Hua Lin Yu's father. And just when he had thought that things were looking up, something like this happened.
What now? Never mind his own feelings, if he wasn't Hua Lin Yu's lover, then what would become of him? Would he really die? Would his soul really be obliterated? That was what he had sworn after all. And Tian definitely wouldn't let him off lightly. That guy hated him.
Xin Lan took a deep breath, forced himself to relax his hands, and then rubbed his face. No, it wasn't over yet. There were still some possibilities. For one, he didn't know if the engagement was really off the table completely. Maybe Hua Lin Yu had just gotten cold feet because this came so suddenly. Maybe he just needed a bit of time.
And if that wasn't the case … Well, either he would win him back and make him reconsider or he'd have to try and see how far the oath could be bent. After all, he had been his lover for a while. They might not have gotten married and they might not even have spent a night together but that didn't change that they had officially been engaged. Maybe that would already be enough?
Well, it was worth a try to go and ask Tian about it. But first, he would try to get Hua Lin Yu back. After all, this wasn't only about that oath anymore. No, this was more than that. He wanted him back. That was what he himself wanted.
Xin Lan took another deep breath and then tried to think through what he should do. First of all, he should probably give Hua Lin Yu some time to calm down. After that, he needed to have a talk with him. Maybe there was a simple explanation for what had happened. He could only find out if he talked with him.
And anyway, since quite some time ago they had agreed that they needed to speak about things if there was a problem. He should just do the same this time. It would make Hua Lin Yu feel more secure. And with that, it would also remind him of how they had grown together as a couple. He definitely wouldn't just throw things away.