Hong Liu eyes widen in shock when she reached Ren's hut and went to its backyard, all the cups she made disappear. She runs to the storeroom where she kept all the one she completed there was not even a single one, there was only one left. The one that was perfectly beautiful and was left by the old lady that day. Hong Liu frowned in confusion and then run to Ren who was enjoying tea on his porch while Yi Tai visits Bai Changxi, Hong Liu left them alone because whenever they get together they talk all kind of things she doesn't understand when those two childhood best friends meet. Hong Liu felt like her ears will bleed beside they were talking about her aunt's recent lively love life that is just salt to her own wounds, so the only thing she can do is make teacups. It's been two days since The First Lord had taken the gold dust pearl and she has been more anxious than ever, did the spell he wanted to cast worked? Is he fine? Or he lost some of his powers as well? Whenever she is alone she can't help but think about it.
"Where are they?" she asked slamming her hand on the tea table and looking straight at Ren, Ren put his tea down.
"What?" He asked.
"My Red Lily Tea Cups! They were there on your porch last time I left them and now every each one of them is gone, even the storeroom is empty," She said.
"I have no idea," Ren blinked.
Hong Liu narrowed her eyes sceptical.
"Trust me, I know you work so hard into it, I would never throw them out if you didn't want too," Ren said, granted he was itching to do it. They were hideous but seeing Dong Hai and Hong Liu the other day he have some idea why Hong Liu was so obsessed with the red lily teacups. Turn out the Little Lotus was just pretending that it doesn't matter and she understands that Dong Hai was unreachable while making teacups for him.
"Then where are they gone! Did they just disappeared in thin air?" Hong Liu huff and sat down with her knees up, resting her elbow with one red lily cup in hand that was left and she didn't make it. Ren chuckled looking at her pose she was sitting like Dong Hai all she needs is a cold look and her head rested on her other hand, instead, she was frowning in annoyance.
"What? what are you laughing at? This is a serious matter,"
If she didn't look so animated he might have taken it seriously. He clears his throat.
"I know, I know but I don't know, Why don't you go and ask Tai-Tai?"
"I come here so I don't have to listen to my aunts gushing about their love life and how my aunt has forgiven the crown prince and thinking about a wedding date, she even took off the barrier over east lands that I got so troubled for," Hong Liu huffed.
"Are you not happy for your aunt?"
"Of course I am, I just...." Hong Liu groaned and close her eyes, she wishes she stop thinking about him just for a second after she told him
"You just what..." He asked.
"I told him, I love him," She said.
"You what?" Ren eyes widen.
"I confessed to him, that I am in love with him," She said again.
"What did he said?"
"Nothing, not that I expected anything else. Ren, it is exactly like you have warned me, he would never feel that way about me, would he?" She put the cup down on the table and rested her elbow on it.
"Xiao Liu, Whatever he does he does for the three realms, he is not the man but a shadow that is holding a lot of responsibility. Pursuing him will only hurt you," Ren said.
"You telling me this hurts me more, You know him since the prehistoric time, you and grandfather fought with him. There might be something? Did he never like anybody before? How could someone be just above any desires?"
"Xiao Liu, there is no point in this conversation. I can only advice you to leave it, no matter what and how much you water an iron tree, it will be fruitless," Ren said kindly. Even Ren was not sure what say to her, some calamities are inevitable.
Dong Hai opened his eyes from his meditative state in Silver River he was in the floating in the mid-air for last two days binding his cultivation with help gold dust pearl. He can sense it the Ghost emperor was weakened marginally now he got time, time to find a way to destroy him. He returned to the Ocean Of Bliss Palace headed straight for his private lotus pond but the moment he stepped to its courtyard. His eyes landed on the girl in the red robe, resting her head on the railing of the pond. The red trail of her robed was laid down to the steps of the pond while her raven hairs were touching the marble ground as she stares on the red lotuses. If there was just the moon light here? Dong Hai thought.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.