The next morning, the two men found themselves half-naked on the bed, and Ping'an was not by their side. They opened their eyes and realized that they were facing each other. The situation is embarrass and awkward. The two half-naked men feel embarrassed waking up in the same bed without their lover, causing the two men to avoid eye contact with each other. The two men turned to the door, and they saw two wooden basins with two towels neatly placed on either side. The men's neatly folded clothes were on the table.
Guo Baiyu got up first and dressed himself. He washed his face.
Then, Zhao Renshu dressed himself washed his face.
Zhao Renshu, "What a mess?" He stared at the bed. "I think we need a new bed sheet."
Guo Baiyu and Zhao Renshu looked at the bed sheet on the floor that stained with blood and their body fluids.
Guo Baiyu, "I think we drank too much last night."
Zhao Renshu nodded.
The two men walked out of the room and met the bright morning sun. They saw Ping'an in the kitchen. They smell the food. They walked to the kitchen, and both of them sat on wooden benches. They keep quiet.
Ping'an walked out of the kitchen, holding two bowls of tea, "I heard Old Lu said that drinking green tea would help hang-over." She put the two bowls of tea on the table.
The two men grabbed their tea and drank quietly. Ping'an walked back to the kitchen and returned with food. The two men started eating, and then they realized that Ping'an was still standing holding her bowl of rice.
Guo Baiyu looked, "Why are you not sitting?"
Ping'an, "It's okay. You two sit down."
Zhao Renshu, "Who eats while standing up. Sit down and eat. It's more comfortable."
Ping'an, "Really, I'm fine."
Zhao Renshu stood up, "Then I might as well stand up eating with you."
Ping'an, "You continue to sit down and eat. The truth." She paused for a moment. "To be honest, I can't sit anyway."
The two men choked on their food. They coughed several times. They suddenly realized why she could not sit.
Zhao Renshu sat back down and started eating. The three people did not say a word while eating, which made the situation felt awkwardly uncomfortable.
Zhao Renshu broke the silence, "Oh, by the way. I am going to tattoo the protection spell on both of you." He swallowed down his food. "How about today?"
Guo Baiyu, "I am fine with it."
Zhao Renshu, "And you." He turned to Ping'an.
Ping'an, "Alright."
After breakfast, Guo Baiyu took off his robe. Zhao Renshu began to clean Guo Baiyu's white flawless left chest. Zhao Renshu, put all his tools on the table. Ping'an stood next to Guo Baiyu left, Zhao Renshu dipped the fine needles into the ink and began to tattoo the protection spell on Guo Baiyu.
Zhao Renshu, "These are special inks mixed with dead man's blood left by my late master. He said that the combination of this ink and the spell is more powerful." He dipped the sharp needle into the ink and continued tattooing. He asked, "Are you okay?"
Guo Baiyu nodded.
Zhao Renshu continued tattooing the words. After about ten characters, Guo Baiyu began to sweat.
Guo Baiyu asked, "It usually burns like this?"
Zhao Renshu, "Ordinary tattoos, not really." He continued. "With this special Ink, it does burn more."
Three hours later, Zhao Renshu completed tattooing the protection spell on Guo Baiyu's left shoulder. Zhao Renshu spent the same amount of time tattooing the same protection spell on Ping'an's left chest.
Zhao Renshu, "It should heal in two days."
Guo Baiyu, "I am leaving tomorrow. I am going home."
Ping'an's heart was filled with the sadness that Guo Baiyu was about to leave.
Guo Baiyu, "Ping'an, do you want to come with me?"
Ping'an, "I put in a lot of thought. I will not go with you. I am a servant growing up. I don't want to take my last breath as a servant. I will stay here with Renshu and learn all the crafty spells he has to offer, so I can defend myself in the future."
Guo Baiyu, "Okay." His heart ached very badly, but he accepted her decision.
Seeing the sadness in Guo Baiyu's eyes. Ping'an smiled and said, "You always know where to find us. If we happen to come to your hometown, we will visit you."
Guo Baiyu gave her a faint smile.
Zhao Renshu, "We will send you out tomorrow morning." He smiled at Guo Baiyu.
That night, Ping'an couldn't sleep. The feeling that tomorrow she will part from Guo Baiyu is excruciating. She walked to the door and opened. From a distance, she see Guo Baiyu still sitting at the dining table. She walked towards him.
She sat next to him, "Can't sleep?"
Guo Baiyu, "Yes."
Ping'an, "Me too."
They clearly saw each other's faces in the light of the full moon. Ping'an's heart trembled when she look at Guo Baiyu handsome feature with his silky long black hair. Ping'an studied every little detail on his face and remembered it in her heart, because he will belong to someone else after their separation tomorrow.
Guo Baiyu turned to face Ping'an, "I really want you to go with me, but I also accept your decision."
Ping'an, "Thank you. I...." She cleared her throat. "I will never forget you."
Guo Baiyu looked sad, "I envy Renshu. At least he can be with the one he loves."
Ping'an agreed, "Me too."
Guo Baiyu, "I am not like him. My mother is my father's third wife. His first wife could not get pregnant. His second wife had four daughters. My father later married my mother. After she gave birth to me, she fell ill and died. My mother died when I was five years old. Shortly after the death of my mother, my father married his fourth wife and she gave birth to three sons. Then his second wife also gave birth to a son. His first wife in her forties became pregnant and give birth to a son. Everyone in this household is always at each other's throats. Everyone wants to strive to be the top of my father living will."
Ping'an saw sadness in his eyes.
Guo Baiyu continued, "When I grew up I came to realize that there are only two ways to live in this house. One is not to fight for it and be treated badly. The other is to fight for it."
Ping'an, "Since then, you have choose to fight for it."
Guo Baiyu smiled, "Maybe I was too ambitious at the time. I don't want to be better than anyone in the house. If I want to fight for this, I want to be the best out of all the Guo." He chuckled. "I have endured all kinds of hard work in order to acquire my skills. I have always maintained finishing in first place of of class. You know..." He stared deeply at Ping'an. "My entire life since I could remember, I feel that I am missing something. That something is very important in my life, but not too long ago.... I found it."
Ping'an comforted, "Don't carry the world on your back." She gave him smile. "I learned this from Renshu. I always think that my life is not worthy, but not too long ago I also found my encouragements. You and Renshu are my encouragements to continue fighting for a better life. You gave me strength and Renshu gave me courage, so I am not afraid to face the future knowing that you two will always support me."
Guo Baiyu stretched out his hand and hugged her in his arms, "When I looked at you on that dirt road, I knew I was looking at what I had been looking for my entire life."
Ping'an is speechless.
Guo Baiyu, "I like you since the first day we met." He whispered softly in her ear. "You will always hold a special place in my heart forever. No matter where you are or who you are with. My feeling for you will never change." He kissed her on the cheek.
Ping'an could not find anything to say in return. She just smiled and nodded at him.
Guo Baiyu released her from his embrace, "Good night." He walked to the Renshu's bedroom.
Guo Baiyu didn't come to bed, so Zhao Renshu walked to the door to look for him, but when he walked past the window he saw Ping'an approaching where Guo Baiyu was sitting.
He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but suddenly he saw Guo Baiyu pulled Ping'an into his embrace. Guo Baiyu hold Ping'an for a long time. Then he kissed her on the cheek and walked to the bedroom door. Zhao Renshu quickly jumped back to bed and pretended he was asleep. He heard Guo Baiyu close the door, blow the candle, and sit on the bed. He felt that Guo Baiyu had been staring at him for a long time. Then he heard Guo Baiyu say: "You are a lucky person." Then Guo Baiyu lay beside him.
The next morning, Ping'an, Guo Baiyu, and Zhao Renshu stood on the dirt road at the bottom of the hillside.
Guo Baiyu smiled at Ping'an and Zhao Renshu, "Until next time."
Zhao Renshu, "Don't worry. If we happen to come to Capital City, we will definitely visit you."
Guo Baiyu patted lightly on Zhao Renshu's right shoulder. He stood in front of Ping'an lowered down his head and kissed her on the lips. Zhao Renshu smiled at the lovers.
Guo Baiyu, "No matter how far you send me, we will be separated at the end. Goodbye." He turned around and walked away two from Ping'an and Zhao Renshu. Every step he took, it pierced his heart like a knife. His heart is hurting. It was a heartbreaking farewell.
Zhao Renshu and Ping'an watched Guo Baiyu slowly despair down the mountain path towards Cloud City at the bottom of the mountain.
Zhao Renshu, "So..... What did he say to you last night?"
Ping'an, "He told me about his childhood and growing up."
Zhao Renshu, "Then why he hugged you, if he only telling his life story?"
Ping'an turned around and walked up the mountain path. Zhao Renshu quickly chased after her.
Zhao Renshu refused to let it go, "Why keep secrets from me?"
Ping'an smiled and walked straight forward, without looking back at Zhao Renshu or waiting for him. Then Zhao Renshu ran to her and held her hand. She stopped and turned to face him.
Zhao Renshu was angry, "Why are you keeping secrets from me?"
Ping'an, "What secrets?"
Zhao Renshu, "For example, last night or when you kissed him." He was very upset, with a mad dog face, as if he was ready to bite Ping'an if she chose the wrong word.
Ping'an, "Why are you upset?"
Zhao Renshu, "Um....Um... Why am I upset? I think you know why?" He stared at her angrily.
Ping'an, "There is no secret." She smiled at him.
Zhao Renshu is still angry, "I don't believe it."
Ping'an, "Why aren't you angry when he kisses my lips in front of you? But you were mad about when he kissed me and ours conversation last night?"
Zhao Renshu raised his voice, "It is because I was right there. I saw him kiss you."
Ping'an turned around, "You sound like child." She walked away.
Zhao Renshu shouted, "It's because he promised me, when it come to you, there should be no secret!"
Ping'an turned around and saw that the great hunter feared by criminals and evil was totally unreasonable.
Ping'an, "He just confessed his feelings. He felt that if he don't say it, he would regret it forever."
Zhao Renshu, "What kind of confession?"
Ping'an, "He confessed Since he first met me on that dirt road, he has admitted that he loves me, I will always hold a special place in his heart."
Zhao Renshu was annoyed, "That bastard...He stole my line." He was mad. "What about the kiss?"
Ping'an explained, "Do you remember that black underground water?"
Zhao Renshu, "Yeah... What about it?"
Ping'an, "I don't know how to swim. I was drowning. He gave me air by mouth. When I came to be, he had already blown air into my mouth."
Zhao Renshu became even more angry, "What the hell is this? When I was struggling to save our lives, fighting against the two-headed octopus, you two were making out? Arrrrrg.... Next time I see that bastard, I will punch him on the face." He clenched his two fists hard.
Ping An approached him, put her hand on his face, and then pulled him closer. She kissed his lips.
Zhao Renshu's anger stopped spontaneously. He wrapped his arms around her. Their tongue circling inside each other's mouth. Then, the agreement between Guo Baiyu and Zhao Renshu suddenly appeared in Zhao Renshu's thoughts. He promised Guo Baiyu not to take advantage of Ping'an while she still undecided. He decided to break the sweet kiss.
Zhao Renshu, "I also have a confession."
Ping'an, "What?"
Zhao Renshu embraced Ping'an, "I am not good at making romantic speeches like Baiyu, but what I want to confess is from the bottom of my heart. The first time when you rushed into the door, I had a feeling that I must protect this woman. I don't know why. It is a feeling inside me. I am smiling, because, I knew what I have been searching for all my life is right in front of me." He pecked her on her lips.
Ping'an, "What do you two promise each other?"
Zhao Renshu felt nervous, "On that hill, we agreed that if within three years' time until you choose one of us, we will not be jealous at each other acts towards you. Therefore, the other night, when we...." He felt that she was very embarrassed, so he stopped. Still holding Ping'an he asked, "Are you ready?"
Ping'an was confused, "Ready for what?"
Zhao Renshu smiled at Ping'an, "Are you ready to learn?"
Ping'an joked, "I was born ready." She gave him a big smile.
Zhao Renshu, "Ha... Ha... Ha... That's the spirit, my love."
He gently pinched her left cheek. He held her right hand and the two lovers walked towards their home.