Three days passed but the medicine took immediate effect and healed Hong Liu there was no sign of even a scar on her back, colour return on her face. Ren and Yi Tai both sigh in relief as they saw this.
"Well, this silly little girl gave us a scare," Yi Tai stroke Hong Liu's hair.
"We all spoil her that's why she dares to do anything, thanks to the First Lord she doesn't have to endure the pain of recovery," Ren said.
"Thanks to the First Lord indeed, you know I have been thinking about it how come he went for all this trouble?" Yi Tai asked
"Don't ask me, I can't tell you, let's leave to let her rest. She will wake up by tomorrow now," Ren said. Yi Tai and Ren leave Hong Liu's room hand in hand.
Hong Liu blink as she opens her eyes, she turns over still blinking, no thought comes to her except the fact that her muscles protest as she moves, She sighs curling herself more in a blanket. Her hooded eyes stare at the wooden wall blankly, the sun beamed down go her face as a peach blossom come soaring, with a warm breeze, her eyes followed the petal as it landed on her outstretched palm. She frowns unable to gather her thoughts. What happened? she thought. The fog in her mind slowly and her sense became clear, she can feel warm breath the heat of the sunrise, the softness of the petal in her hand and the memories hit her, the goblet of blood fire. Getting stab, First Lord healed her but then...she told him about his feeling and what he said...
'Is that all?'
Hong Liu turns to face ceiling I am in Ren's but, she thought. She remembers going limb in Aunt Tai's arms. She sighs, she thought she was healed but she was wrong about that too. There is no point thinking about him anymore, he is not the one to have desires or I am not the one who can awake them. She got up feeling soreness on her back but rest of it seems to find as she looks down on her hands and moves her ankles.
She walks out of the room looking around in the logging area there was no one she moves to the porch, there they were. Aunt Tai and Ren sipping tea under the three. She steps down the porch and walks to them slowly.
"Ah! Look who is back in the realm of the living!" Ren greeted her.
Yi Tai lookup as Hong Liu come to them with her face still down, she sat beside her wrapping her arms around her seeking comfort, a sad sigh left Hong Liu.
"Does it still hurt?" Yi Tai asked concern at her still down mood.
"Not the back, " Hong Liu answered.
Ren title his head assessing her.
"Xiao Liu, how did you get injured?" Ren asked.
"I was so so foolish, I went to goblet of blood fire, the Ghost Emperor tries to pull me in it and the end when manage to escape, he stapped me with a demon horn, " She said with her tone sad, leaning into Yi Tai's shoulder, her eyes downcast with sadness.
"Why did you go there?! Don't you know? Your wings attract demonic energies," Yi Tai exaggerated.
Hong Liu looks up at her as she pressed her lips in guilt.
"I am sorry, I was...I thought..." tears welled up in Hong Liu big dark eyes.
"Tai Tai, let the little girl go now, she already injured and learned her lesson, " Ren tries to pacify his wife.
"No, I want to know why she did go there?" Yi Tai insists.
"I...did it to help him turn out it doesn't matter what I do he would never like me back and I just became an inconvenience," Hong Liu let out another sad sigh.
Her last words made both Ren and Yi Tai look at her.
"You like someone?" Ren asked. When she did grow up to like someone and she got injured for him, huh? Ren poured himself more tea and sipped, thoughtfully.
"I can't believe it you all did this for a man," Yi Tai exclaimed.
Hong Liu lean away form Yi Tai and started drawing circles on the tea table.
"I didn't do it impress him or anything, I just he helped me so much I wish to do something for him," Hong Liu protest Yi Tai.
"Who is he?" Yi Tai asked.
"And what does he have to do with the matter of goblet of blood fire?" Ren asked. There is only one person who still has responsibility for that but it couldn't be? She must have met someone else in Nine Heavens.
"Umm..." She looks down at the table not meeting their eyes.
"I like the First Lord," She stated. A very strange nervousness climbed on her neck as she said it.
Ren spat on his tea, coughing. Yi Tai looked at her shocked out of her wits.
"First Lord Dong Hai?" Yi Tai asked to make sure.
Hong Liu pressed her lips and nodded, she doesn't felt this shy to tell Hua Shen. Why does its feel so nerve-wracking now?
"Do you know who you are? You are the princess of Green Forest, the most ancient kingdom it was here even before the Nine Heavens, say the words and men will fall on your feet. Why on three realms do you have to fall for him? That old rock? Do you know how old he is?" Yi Tai exaggerated.
"He is not that old," Hong Liu murmured, rubbing the back of her neck and her ears turn red.
"No, he is ancient, so ancient that nobody knows when he was born! The fact is he saw three generations of Heavenly King rule over the realms, excluding the years that he ruled,"
Hong Liu looks at Ren for help, who was studying her more intently.
"Nevermind, Did you stop to see that he has a stone for a heart!" Aiyaa! Why she so against the First Lord? Hong Liu thought.
Hong Liu just close her eyes, she was so tired of people saying he is a stone, rock, ice he doesn't feel anything and Ming Zhu said 'you have collided with rock your highness' is this all he is? Either he is the First Lord an all almighty god, the one who keep the balance between good and evil or he is an unfeeling and unmoved mountain. Hong Liu refuses to believe it. Ren looks at Hong Liu's sadden expression.
"It fine, Tai Tai. Listen, Xiao Liu, its nothing about age or him, it just a futile effort. He had lived so long that he is not capable of those desires anymore, He has...learned to above it a long time ago" Ren took her hand in his and tab it reassuring. Ren looks at his wife and indicates her to tone it down
"Yes, don't pursue him. It for your own good," Yi Tai said softly.
"It doesn't matter, I understand he has no feelings for me. I won't go after him," Hong Liu agreed and shook her sadness off. She has better things to do.
"Leave all of this! Tell me first, what had happed with Gu Gu while I was gone and how much danger I am in?" Her cheering tone return as she pours herself a cup of tea.