Kai's mouth open and close like a fish out of water, not knowing what to say. Can't believe that he has been finally caught. He sat frozen on the bed, as Qing yuan's words echoes loudly throughout his head. His mouth became dry, and he feels like he could die any minute now.
How did he find out, what did I do wrong? Was all that Kai could think. Is Qing yuan going to tell the king and queen? Is he going to get banished or excequited for trechory? What is he going to do when they ask about Li Jen, and what is his parents going to do when the guards goes knocking down their door? Tears started to form in Kai's eyes, and he had to swallow down the huge lump and the bile that raise up into his throat.
Qing yuan on the other hand was loving every minute of Kai's freak out session. But he wasn't quite satisfied at himself for making him being in the state that he is right now. At the back of his mind, he is scolding himself right now for hurting Kai. He can see the visible tears at the corner of his eyes, and how pale he suddenly become. And also the anguish, and panic that showed discomfort on the face that didn't belong to him.
"H-how d-did y-you..figured it out?" Kai silently ask, the tears finally started to fall and he wish that the ground could just open and swollow him. Where are the Elementealist when you need them?
Qing yuan chuckled, and Kai had to admit that, that is the most humor he had ever heard come out of his mouth. He must be enjoying this as much as how Kai is dreading it. And as he thought, that little prospecting brat is basically basking in Kai's self pity. Kai whimper when he saw the smug smile spread across Shui's lips.
"This." He held up the string that the jade is attached to, and showed it to Kai. "This jade is what helped me mostly to find out that you weren't Li Jen."
Kai stomach dropped, and he can hear his heart beat echoing inside his head. 'How could I be so stupid? I should had said yes. But, what if he had ask me about it? I don't know what it is, I only know that it is a white jade.' What is the meaning behind that?" Kai had ask out loud.
Qing yuan smiled as he trace his finger against the smooth surface of the jade. Even though Li Jen has to place of intimate affection in his heart, he still cherish the jade and the promise that he made.
"When Li Jen and I were younger, I came here with my family for a conference. One night Li Jen and I were out in the garden trying to catch fireflies, when she gave me this jade. She said it was a symbol of our love when we got older. And that I should promise to keep it with me forever." Qing yuan paused and looked over at Kai, and sure enough he had his head hanging low. While he twaddled with his fingers nervously. "So, I figured that if you were Li Jen, you would remember the jade and the promise that we made."
"H-how can I be so stupid?" Kai cried to himself. "Of course that jade meant something, and here I thought it was about the fire."
Qing yuan chuckled lightly, even though that wasn't the real Li Jen sitting on the bed in front of him. He had developed some form of attraction towards him, but he can't let go of what he did unpunished. What he did was beyond any common crimes, he impersonated the princess and deceived a lot of people. But on second thought, if Kai is Li Jen. Where is the real princess Li Jen? Is Kai working for Woo, and they had done something to her? All that thought ran through Qing yuan's mind, but based on Kai's aura. He has a gentle soul, and Qing yuan honestly doesn't think that he is capable of doing something like that.
"You are not stupid," He said, causing Kai to look up at him under long lashes wet from tears. "The people around you are stupid, they should have realized that you were the real Li Jen. They are looking at appearance, but not deep inside your soul. At first I was a bit stupid myself, but as a Prospector, I was taught to look deep within. The way you act, are not the same as Li Jen. You might have similar looks and attributes, but your auras are different."
"So you knew all along?" Kai mumbled, wiping the snot from his nose.
"I had always figured that something was wrong with you, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I started studying you, but it was when the person that tried to kill you. He said something to me, and everything started to come to me. The way you behave with that nice cook that always visit you in secret sometimes, and the way you always ask her about how Kai is doing to throw them off your track. And how you are eager to learn things that Li Jen already knows, and how I saw your aura a while ago." Qing yuan stopped talking, remembering the beautiful colour of purple, but a vast blazing orange, red and yellow waiting to burst through. But it was suppressing by something. Could it be that, no, it can't be. Qing yuan shook his head. "It's beautiful." He muttered.
Kai look over at him, confusion written on his face. "What is?"
"Your aura, it's beautiful." Kai started blushing, and Qing yuan couldn't help but reaching out and gently caress his reddening cheek.
They lock eyes, not saying anything and just basking in the comfortable silence. Admiring each other, and enjoying the warm feeling they are getting from each other's company. Qing yuan desperately wanted to see what Kai looked like underneath all that belongs to Li Jen. But he couldn't let his personal feelings get in the way of his cultivation duties. As a Prospector, he is supposed to enforce the right and punished the wrong. And in this case, the wrong is Kai.