Dong Hai walk towards and stand in front of her while she almost laying by the pond. Hong Liu eyes travel from the hem of his blue rob to his face, her vision was little burly but she could recognize the blue robe and snow-white hairs and he seems so tall from the ground, like a tower over her. Whoa! She feels dizzy staring so high up, her elbow was resting on the lower railing keeping her just torso up while the rest of her body was laid down on the ground.
"First Lord?" She narrowed her eyes with uncertainty.
Dong Hai nodded.
"Oh," Hong Liu look back at the lotuses.
"You didn't answer me what are you doing here?" He asked.
"Me....I...." She slurred and frowned she was having a hard time remembering why she is here? She remembers drinking after talking to Ren and then she went to her favourite hill to see the stars she looks up but the sky is so bright? she thought. She had forgotten in her state that Nine heavens have eternal days, there is no night here. It took her a good few minutes to realize that she was in The Ocean of Bliss Palace
"I....can't remember but these lotuses look....beautiful" She grins widely while her eyes wobbler over.
"Are you inebriated?"
"Uhhhh....a... a....tiny little bit," She brings her thumb and index finger together. Looking at her condition she might not understand what he is saying.
"I will tell someone to take you back your home,"
"Don't," She pouted, pulling on the hems of his robes, he looked down at her raising his eyebrow and bind his hand on his back, looking ancient and imposing.
"I don't want to go home, Father scolded me and Gu Gu and Aunt Tai are just too happy to be around and my lily teacups are gone," She whined. Dong Hai just look at her with a neutral expression. His non-existence reaction made Hong Liu screwed her face in a whiney animated expression as she whimpered and she rested her chin on the white railing of the lotus pond with her arms dangling over it.
"I know, you have no compassion for me but can't you see how much I love you and you are just standing there like a rock, unmoving. Don't be such a bumpkin!"
Bumpkin? A throaty chuckled left Dong Hai as he tries his best to not feel the amusement at her adorable display. He breath composing his expression.
"Stand up," He said, his voice firm.
She looks up.
"Why? I want to stay here!" She protests. Dong Hai grab her by the elbow and pulled her on her feet, she wobbles. She felt her head spun and then it crashed on his chest.
"Do I annoy you that much? That you are going to throw me out," She asked. Dong Hai made stand straight, she looks down trying to stand up straight.
"Come with me," He tried to pull her over.
"First Lord," She wobbles barely managing to stand straight, Dong Hai made sure she didn't fall as he looks at her in question.
"Tell me honestly, why don't you like me?" She met his eyes.
"I thought you promise me you won't ask anything in return?" He raised his eyebrow.
"I am not telling you to love me back, I am just asking why don't you? They are two completely different things,"
"Aren't you smart when you are drunk?" He looks away from her.
"Answer me!" She stomps her foot.
"There is no point, you are wasting your time on an old man like me," He answers letting out a sigh.
"You are not that old," She said.
"Really? Your grandfather learns to swing a sword in front of me," He raised his eyebrow in challenge.
Hong Liu frown, thinking then how old he is? Her grandfather with his starting to get grey hair and beard and wrinkles under his eyes seem so ancient to her but she knows her grandfather fought last two final battels of chaos with the First Lord, that makes him old as time.
"Oh, so you don't like me because I am too young for you," She said.
Dong Hai let go of her and turn away.
"Go Back," He said. Hong Liu sigh, he started to talk in cold again, why he is always cold to me?
"I won't if you don't want to see me and I am such an inconvenience. You don't have to see me, I will go back tomorrow, I am too tired to fly and I will just be here by the pond and won't disturb your all almighty," She sulks and sat back resting her chin in the pond.
Dong Hai turn back to look at her unable to hold his amusement. Did she just tell me to leave my own private pond? He shook his head. He touches her shoulder.
"I won't go, I won't go and I won't go!"
Dong Hai seeing no way out, grabbed her by the elbow and Hong Liu yelp by just a sheer force, he made her get up and then pull her on his back. Instinctively, Hong Liu wraps her legs around him and arms around his neck, her head spun from his quick moment and her chin hit his shoulder as she pouts. Dong Hai carried her on his back. The bells on Hong Liu's waist chimed.
"Do I really annoy you this much that you are going to throw me out yourself?"
Dong Hai said nothing to that.
"First Lord, say something, do I? Even after I saved you in the eternal garden of creation? Am I a still an inconvenience?"
He kept walking with his normal unhurried phase, Hong Liu had no idea where they were going. Hong Liu's mind wanders remembering what happened at the Garden of Eternal Creation and after how much she was worried.
"Did it work?" She asked.
"What?" He asked.
"The gold dust pearl,"
"Yes," He answered.
"So the Ghost Emperor is trapped now?"
"Yes"
"Does that mean you are going to be fine?"
"Yes,"
"Why do you always speak in one word?"
"I don't like talking,"
"Why don't you like talking?"
"It's a waste of time,"
"Why do you think its a waste of time?"
He didn't answer instead he opened the door of the guest room she used to stay in three years ago, When Hong Liu left she left the flowers, leaves and all the decoration that reminds her of the home but they were dieing when she left as Dong Hai carried her inside, surprisingly every flower, every leave was lively and fragrant. He made her unwrapped her legs from his waist then her arms from his neck and made her sit on the bed.
"Don't think too much, sleep," He said. Hong Liu look around the familiar surrounding.
"You are not throwing me out?"
"Does wine makes you blind?" He raised his eyebrow.
She shook her head and she let out a heavy sigh. First Lord confuses her so much, sometimes he is fine with her being around, sometimes he is not, sometimes he is so cold and sometimes he is caring what she was supposed to think of him?
"I don't understand you," She frowned.
"You don't have too,"
"But I want to," She protests.
"No need," He turns to walk away. Hong Liu pulled on his sleeve, he turns and looks at her blankly.
"Why can't you see how much I like you? Three years I haven't seen you and I even try to seek you but I missed you so much, " She looks up at him with a pout.
"You don't have to repeat it, I know. I understand you," Dong Hai said. Hong Liu huffed and stand up on the bed.
"No, You hear me but don't understand me," Hong Liu let out a sad sigh, shaking her head.
"What do you mean? what else I was supposed to understand?"
Hong Liu smiled and pulled him close, she circles her arms around his neck. Standing up in bed Hong Liu had come to Dong Hai's hight, their noses were just a touch away., Dong Hai's hands were clutch behind his back as his cold black stone eyes met her dark warm big ones, a soft smile speared on her red lips, the smile was so soft that it tenderness had magnified the warmth of her eyes and Dong Hai just breath once and stopped to just stare.
"I love you, that means I care about you, I want to be by your side when you are about to do something risky so I could protect you, I want you to rely on me if something goes wrong. I want to see you smile and try to stop everything that can hurt you, I want to become the reason that you are happy because I don't why and I still couldn't understand but you make me happy, just seeing you makes me feel good, so you see until the end of days I want to make you happy. I know you are the former master of the universe and I might be sometime incapable of it but I want to try, Do you understand now?" Hong Liu chuckled at the last of her speech and tab her index finger on the side of Dong Hai's nose. Dong Hai blink at the gesture. Hong Liu eyes started to drop, her head fall on his shoulder while Dong Hai just stare blankly at the space, the icy shadow on edge of his face softens a little, his black eyes lose the texture of coldness but his thin lips became thinner thinking about her words.
'You can't do that. I won't let you,' Dong Hai thought