Si Ming knew Ruo Yin had stormed back to the Demon Clan, but knew better than stopping her. He only tod Zhan Luo than Ruo Yin wanted to go back to her parent's house for a couple of days. Zhan Luo, though visibly irritated, didn't press Si Ming for further details and simply returned to Kunlun Mountain.
"Honestly, when are these two going to realize they've both fallen for each other?" Si Ming muttered to himself as he watched Zhan Luo leave.
--------------------
Several days passed, but Ruo Yin still hadn't returned. Instead, one day, Si Ming showed up at Kunlun Mountain.
Zhan Luo was in his study, trying to read when he sensed the presence of an immortal. The only two deities who could enter Kunlun Mountain without invitation were Si Ming and Ruo Yin, so Zhan Luo assumed it was his wife. He jumped up from his seat and rushed to the door.
"Ruo Yin! Why did you leave in such a hurry?" Zhan Luo called out, his voice a mixture of concern and frustration, expecting the immortal to be his wife.
"Uh... sorry, my friend. Wrong deity," Si Ming said, holding up both hands in a defensive gesture to keep Zhan Luo from hugging him.
"Si Ming? What are you doing here?" Zhan Luo blinked, then grew more agitated. "What did you say to Ruo Yin? Why would she spend so many days in a place she detested so much? She has no business there!"
Si Ming noticed how tired his friend looked, as though he hadn't slept in days. It was clear that Zhan Luo was in emotional turmoil, and Si Ming knew he needed to help him realize the truth about his feelings for Ruo Yin.
"First of all," Si Ming said with a smirk, "this isn't the way to greet your only friend."
"Second, I didn't say anything to your wife. She saw things with her own eyes and came to her own conclusions. Maybe you should ask yourself what you didn't say to her," Si Ming added, raising an eyebrow.
"What? You're not making any sense, Si Ming," Zhan Luo snapped.
"I'm making perfect sense! You two are just so dense!" Si Ming shouted in frustration.
"Dense? On what?" Zhan Luo asked, confused.
"Could you at least invite me to sit down before we have this conversation? It's going to be a long one," Si Ming said, exasperated.
"Fine. Come in, Ruo Yin left some pastries behind," Zhan Luo replied, though his tone remained tense.
"If you want my help getting your wife back, you better not give me those poisonous pastries," Si Ming joked.
"Weren't you the one who said they were tasty?" Zhan Luo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Please. I don't need to be a genius to figure out that you also told her the same thing. Or at the very least, you didn't warn her that those pastries could be used as a weapon," Si Ming said, shaking his head.
"Fine. Just tea then," Zhan Luo muttered, setting the pastries aside.
Once seated in Zhan Luo's study and the tea served, Zhan Luo spoke again. "So, what did Ruo Yin see when we were at the Sky Clan?"
"First of all," Si Ming asked, his tone suddenly serious, "have you slept at all since Ruo Yin went back to the Demon Clan?"
"No," Zhan Luo replied, his voice flat.
Si Ming knew his friend was being defensive. He pressed on. "Why not?"
"None of your business," Zhan Luo snapped, his annoyance clear.
"Is it Ruo Yin's business then?" Si Ming shot back, fighting the urge to hit his friend and tell him how dense he was.
"NOT your business, or anyone else's! If you're not going to help, then please leave," Zhan Luo growled, clearly at his breaking point.
"Fine. I'm leaving, just like Ruo Yin did," Si Ming said with a smirk, standing up.
That was the last straw. Zhan Luo grabbed Si Ming by the collar and pulled him close, fury in his eyes. "You know what happened with my wife. You better speak now, or I'll go tell the Sky Emperor to experiment with you for a lifetime in the Mortal Realm."
Si Ming realized his plan wasn't working—Zhan Luo wasn't even thinking straight anymore. To save his own immortal life, he decided to tell the truth.
"Fine! I surrender!" Si Ming said, raising his hands in defeat.
"The truth is, Ruo Yin saw you all mushy with Xia Mei—well, more like Xia Mei was all mushy with you. It made Ruo Yin start having doubts. She asked me who Xia Mei was, so I told her about her background."
"So, it's your fault Ruo Yin left?" Zhan Luo asked, ready to throw his friend into the deepest pit.
"No! For Heaven's sake, you're really dumb!" Si Ming retorted. "Ruo Yin was not heading back to the Demon Clan because she missed being in her parent's house! She left cause she thought she was interfering between you and Xia Mei being together!"
Zhan Luo fell silent, processing what Si Ming had said.
"As you know already, Ruo Yin grew up being compared and judged by the Demon Lord's court. She has a weak perspective of herself even if she shows to others otherwise."
Zhan Luo was stunned into silence. "So, Ruo Yin ran back to the Demon Clan because she thought she was interfering with my non-existent relationship with Xia Mei?"
"Yes!" Si Ming said, shaking his head. "She ran back because she's in love with you, and you've been losing sleep because you're in love with her!"
"I'm not in love with Ruo Yin," Zhan Luo said stubbornly.
"Zhan Luo..." Si Ming said with a serious look. "Over the years, many goddesses have tried to get close to you, but you've never paid them any attention. You've always kept them at arm's length. But with Ruo Yin, you act differently. You don't put up your walls with her. I don't know why you decided to marry her, but right now, you've fallen for her. It may have started fake, but it's real now."
Zhan Luo was silent for a long time, struggling to process his feelings. He had always treated Ruo Yin differently, but now, hearing Si Ming's words, he realized how much he cared for her. He even missed her terrible cooking and sarcastic remarks.
Si Ming waited patiently for his friend to come to his senses.
"I think you're right, Si Ming," Zhan Luo said slowly. "But what if I told you I owe her a debt—almost as heavy as a life debt?"
"What have you done?" Si Ming asked, concerned.
Zhan Luo then explained what happened five thousand years ago and how he had erased Ruo Yin's memories of the incident.
"See? I knew you two were fated to be together," Si Ming said with a grin. "And I didn't even need to consult the Immortal Fate Book."
"This is no time for jokes," Zhan Luo said, his voice serious. "Ruo Yin already thinks I love someone else. And if she knew the truth about what I did, she would truly hate me. What am I going to do to get her back?"
Si Ming saw the desperation in his friend's eyes—something he had never seen before. As the War Deity, Zhan Luo always had a backup plan, but now it seemed like he was truly lost.
Si Ming patted Zhan Luo on the back, standing up. "My friend, the truth is always the best option. You did what her parents thought was best for her. She will understand. Now, go to the Demon Clan and bring back your wife—who is also my friend!"
With that, Si Ming left, leaving Zhan Luo with his thoughts and the truth of his feelings.