Qian Lan finally wakes up from her slumber when the sun rays from her bedroom poke in. Qian Lan groans in pain as she stretches her aching body.
"Ugh, I feel like I swam a marathon or something."
Still half asleep she sits up and scratches her stomach while yawning. Just as she was about to walk out of bed, the head maid comes knocking on her door.
"Knock Knock."
"My lady, excuse me for coming in suddenly."
"Ew, why are you calling me lady now? Using my first name is fine."
"I can't do that. My lord has decided to accept you as his soon to be bride."
"What? Why?! What's with the change of heart?!"
"I don't know. What did my lord and you talk about last night?"
Qian Lan pauses as she wonders about how she ended back in her bed after knocking out inside the pavilion.
"Wait, how did I end up in bed?"
"What are you saying? Of course, my lord carried you to bed."
"Tsk! I don't know what that man is planning but I won't fall so easily just because he has a nice face!"
The head maid laughs out loud after hearing Qian Lan complain about the water god. Qian Lan puffs up her cheeks in frustration and walks out of her bed and onto her brown center table. She pours herself a cup of tea and asks the maid why she was visiting so early.
"What's with the sudden visit?"
"The water god is asking for an audience today. I'm here to help you get ready."
"I don't want to see him."
"You don't have a choice, my lady. Please cooperate or you'll put me in a tough spot too."
"Ugh! Fine!"
Feeling like a brat lately, Qian Lan finally sucks in her pride and agrees. Standing still as the head maid undressed her and helped her into a new hanfu.
"Oh, that's a pretty hanfu."
"My lord chose it."
"Never mind, I take that back."
"Pfff, I believe my lord and you will get along just fine. Give it some time."
"I don't know about that…."
"Well, just between the two of us. I think you're a much better match to my lord than his first wife."
The head maid dresses Qian Lan into a dark blue hanfu with peacock embroidered onto the front and back hem of the dress. Smiling in satisfaction she motions for Qian Lan to sit at her makeup table as she fixes her hair and makeup.
"What makes you say that?"
"I was here two hundred years ago when the first wife was brought into the palace. She was quiet, distance and stayed away from everyone. She refused to be anywhere near the water god. One random day, out of nowhere she finally caved in and shared the bedroom with the water god, but she asked for one of his eyes in return. The water god thought nothing of it and did as she wanted. To this day he blames himself for her death."
"But it wasn't his fault."
"He gave her the ability to return to earth. When you look at it that way, it's hard to say he had nothing to do with it."
"I guess…."
Qian Lan goes quiet as the head maid finished up her hair. As she moved onto doing Qian Lan's makeup; Qian Lan grabs hold of the brush.
"Let me do it myself again."
"As you wish."
Qian Lan adds a light tint of red lipstick to her lips and draws in eyeliner and eyebrows for herself before smiling in satisfaction. Taking a deep breath, Qian Lan places the brush back down onto her makeup table and stands up to face the head maid.
"Alright, let's go."
Qian Lan follows after the head maid who took her outside and towards the front gate of the palace. Qian Lan watched as the head maid stopped and motioned for her to continue on without her.
"My lord is waiting near the lake."
"Alright…."
Qian Lan waited until the guards opened the gates. Qian Lan sighs and walks through the gate and peeks down from where she was standing. To her surprise the water god was really waiting and sitting on a large silver table with an empty chair next to him. Taking her time, Qian Lan slowly walks down from the large bridge and heads towards the large rocks. All of a sudden, Qian Lan could hear a whisper.
"You're taking too long."
The water god grew impatient and whips out his index finger; using water he drags Qian Lan to where he was sitting. Qian Lan remained silent as she was worried the water god would drop her if she made him angry. Once Qian Lan was finally next the water god, she waited five minutes before snapping.
"Are you going to let me down or not?"
Qian Lan pouts as the water god finally releases Qian Lan from the air; dropping her a good two feet.
"Ah, my bad."
"You little liar!"
Qian Lan holds back her fist from clubbing the water god for being rough with her. She quickly stands up and pats the dirt off her dress. With her arms crossed, Qian Lan glared at the water god.
"Don't stare at me so passionately. Take a seat."
"Passionately?! Are you crazy?! I'm mad!"
"Ah, is that what woman from your time do? You glare at the people you dislike?"
"Ugh! I can't deal with you! I'm going back if you're just going to make me angry on purpose!"
Qian Lan walks off as the water god chuckles at her behavior. Using his index finger, he carries Qian Lan and seats her onto the chair next to him.
"Don't be so quick to leave. We have a lot to talk about."
Just as the water god was about to ask Qian Lan a question; her stomach growled like never before.
"Growls."
"What was that?"
Qian Lan blushes after seeing the water god shocked to hear such a beastly sound coming out from her. Although she was mad, Qian Lan sucked in her pride again and grabs a bean bun from the bowl in front of her and stuffs her face.
"Pfff Ha Ha! How unladylike."
"Hah? I don't care, say what you will. What did you want to talk about?"
The water god stops smiling and stares at Qian Lan who was still stuffing her face.
"What happened last night?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your room was flooded and in the middle of everything I saw you floating as that bracelet glowed. What did you do?"
Qian Lan stops chewing and blanks out. She stares into the ground before turning back to face the water god.
"I think I met Chenguang last night."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I don't know how to explain it, but I was under the lake and standing next to a white casket. I met a woman who claimed she was Chenguang."
The water god couldn't believe what he was hearing. For the past two hundred years he's never seen her so why would Qian Lan see her.
"So…she refuses to show herself to me…."
"Huh?"
"Tell me, woman. What did she say?"
"First of, my name is Qian Lan. Not woman, and also, she didn't say much as I couldn't stay too long. I overstayed and nearly died. I don't think I want to go through that again."
The water god quickly stands up and looks to Qian Lan who was still eating.
"Come with me."
"What?"
The water god grabs Qian Lan's hand and fly's her towards the lake. Without any warning the water god submerges them into the lake. Qian Lan watched as they got lower and lower and soon, just like in her dreams Qian Lan was standing in front of the casket.
The water god motions for Qian Lan to breathe as she was going to fine as long as she held onto his hand. Qian Lan panics as she remembers nearly dying last night and refuses to breath.
"Qian Lan! Calm down and breath!"
"...."
Qian Lan flails her hands as she tries to break away from the water gods hold to return to the surface for air. Unable to hold her breath anymore, Qian Lan nearly loses consciousness until the water god panicked and kissed her to wake her up.
Rather than mad, Qian Lan was left in shock as the beautiful man in front of her pulled away from her face.
"Have you calmed down?"
Qian Lan was too embarrassed to reply. Before she realized it, she was really breathing under water just fine.
"Now, look. Was this what you saw?"
"Ye…yes."
A beautiful white casket that was carved from the thousand-year willow tree was floating in front of Qian Lan and the water god. Unsure why, Qian Lan had an urge to see if the person laying in there was really Chenguang; she drags the water god with her as she swam closer. Slowly peeking into the casket, Qian Lan knew it was no doubt the same person she saw in her out of the body experience.
"That's her alright. There's no mistake."
Qian Lan watched as the water god stared tenderly at the body of Chenguang before caressing her cheek. In that moment, Qian Lan couldn't even understand why she felt like she was just stabbed by reality.
"Let's go back. I don't want to be here anymore."
The water god whips his hand out and within a second, Qian Lan and the water god were already out of the lake and at the palace entrance.
"I think that's enough for today."
The water god leaves Qian Lan at the palace entrance and quickly disappears.
"You…stupid old man…that was my first kiss."