Ao Chi - Part 8

Actually, Ao Chi and I first got acquainted in a hostile atmosphere of tit-for-tat.

At the first encounter, he was still the obstinate and unruly evil dragon who brought disaster to the human world due to his love for mischief, and I was still the ignorant and willful young tree demon who had just taken human form and stayed at Zimiao's side. I mocked him for being ugly, and he insulted me for being stupid. We had an irreconcilable antagonistic relationship from the beginning. Back then, he could slap me without the slightest tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex, and I returned the favor with equal respect. Our gazes clashed in the air and almost sparked a fire. He said I was the first woman to dare lay hands on him and wanted me to spend the rest of my life repaying that slap.

Life is mysterious, and I didn't anticipate that his harsh words would come true. In the very long years that followed, after the man I once thought unforgettable disappeared, the only one who stayed by my side was indeed Ao Chi. Despite his words of disdain, he pulled me back from the brink of death time and time again, and repaired my broken soul in his own way. While he often scolded me, he also taught me various useful spells and the essence of cultivation. To be fair, Ao Chi deserves the most credit for my current thousand-year cultivation. He is my teacher, my friend, my enemy – our relationship is a complex mix, but we just can't cross that final line.

In everyone else's eyes, we should be a couple. However, in my heart, I have always denied it, resisted it. This undefined relationship spanned between him and me, transcending countless centuries.

I don't know when it started, but every year Ao Chi would follow the human custom and give me an engagement ring, saying that one day I would honestly put it on. The various rings accumulated in a basket, but I have never worn any of them.

Yet, Ao Chi persisted in this habit. His personality seems never to have changed, and he always only heeds to his own wishes and determination, never caring whether I like it or not. The arrogance and pride engraved in his bones, I believe, are due to his naturally noble status.

Yes, that's right. Ao Chi is not an "evil dragon" genuinely regarded as a monster. He is described as "evil" only because his actions are too out of line and his character is too stubborn. He is the legitimate grandson of the Dragon King of the East China Sea. He is of royal lineage and turns up his nose at the whole world. And the East China Sea Dragon Clan is not only adept in water and fire, but also in subduing monsters and fiends. Guardians of one side, their distinguished status is not inferior to that of Buddha and gods. Ao Chi could have roamed freely across the skies, enjoying boundless freedom, but meeting me, an insignificant tree demon, halted his footsteps.

It must have been thousands of years, and I've lost count of how long we've been together. When something becomes a habit, even forgetting becomes a habit. In these thousands of years, we've had countless disputes and maintained a long-standing stance of not giving in to each other. However, how can I deny that we have always been dependent on each other.

We often dislike someone because they are too similar to us.

We also like someone for the same reason.

But there are some things I can never bring myself to say. And neither can he.

I still remember that night when I was organizing my wardrobe and found that I was missing a dress — the green robe that I had carefully kept in a brocade box.

That was the first piece of clothing Zimiao gave me when I first appeared in this world in human form.

Even though so much time has passed, every thread in that dress still carries the titbits of yesterday, the indelible memories, both sorrowful and beautiful.

In fact, I have no other intention but to preserve a keepsake related to an old friend. For me, Zimiao is someone I cannot forget until I die. But today, my reminiscing of him has nothing to do with love or hate. Without Zimiao, there would be no me. Without Zimiao, Shaluo would still be that lonely tree growing on the peak of Mount Fulong, accompanied only by solitude and without even a name. He is my most precious memory, and I am grateful to him.

Losing that robe felt like losing the past; my life suddenly became incomplete. That's how it felt at the time.

I searched like a madwoman, almost tearing the house apart, but I couldn't find it. It wasn't until Ao Chi returned that he casually mentioned buying me a bunch of new clothes. Finding the wardrobe space insufficient, he decided to get rid of all those old clothes for me, including the brocade box.

He always thinks he knows best, and always enjoys making decisions for me in this way.

Suppressing the rage that was about to burst from my chest, I kept a cold face and told him to go and get it back for me.

He said, just throw it away. It's just an old and worn out piece of clothing. It's a hassle to keep it around. Why bother looking for it!

I repeated myself, asking him to go and find it for me. When I said those words, the expression in my eyes was the same as the first time we had a direct conflict thousands of years ago.

He was stunned, then simply sat down on the sofa, shrugged helplessly, and indifferently said, it's just a piece of garbage. I forgot where I threw it. Maybe in the trash can downstairs, but the garbage truck just came by. How about you go look for it yourself?

Garbage!

His words and actions finally completely angered me.

We started arguing, and all kinds of words that could jab the other side's weak points erupted from the mouths of two people who never gave in to each other.

He mocked me for being unable to forget my old love, calling it utmost stupidity to keep treasuring the remnant of a man who had been dead for so long.

I insulted him for being just a hot-headed man, shallow in knowledge, ignorant of feelings and respect, showing no progress over the years.

From the perspective of astrology, I am a Sagittarius born in the harsh winter, while he is a Leo born in the peak of summer; both are fire signs with violent tempers, and clashes between us were like lightning and volcanoes.

In the end, he pointed at my nose and scolded: You just can't forget that man!

It turns out, that's how he always saw me in his heart.

My heart suddenly froze.

It's a waste that he has been by my side for so many years. Those days of being together morning and night really have been in vain.

He has never truly understood me.

When I'm truly angry, I'm surprisingly the calmest.

After a brief silence, I looked squarely into his eyes, reminiscent of the scene from a thousand years ago when we first clashed. With the calmest voice, I said to him — You disgust me.

Clearly, he remembered that scene from the past as well, and remembered my honest, indifferent gaze at that time.

"Get out." I turned and went back to my bedroom. Before closing the door, I added without looking back, "I don't want to see you again. Ever."

As the door closed, I heard no response from him, and I didn't want to hear any.

I detest being misunderstood by opinionated people. I don't mind if others don't understand me, but how can you not understand me!

The result of this conflict was my secret tears and his disappearance without a trace for twenty years.

I rarely cry, and he had never been away from me for more than forty-eight hours. Yet, due to this quarrel that seemed utterly childish later, we embarked on two parallel lines that could never intersect again.

For supernatural beings like demons, twenty years is just a blink of an eye. However, in the twenty years since I lost Ao Chi, each day and each month has felt like a slow-motion scene from a movie to me.

Having calmed down, I'm somewhat upset about my conduct that day. After all, his protection and companionship, his genuine care for me, really should not have been entirely negated by a piece of clothing.

I tried many ways to find him, but I couldn't find him. It's like he evaporated.

I'm so angry. Why did you take my words so much to heart this time? I told you to leave, and you really left, going away so far that I can't see you.

All that Ao Chi left behind, aside from a wardrobe full of clothes and a basket of diamond rings, was this pure-gold dragon pattern amulet.

I remember the day of the quarrel; I was so angry that I tore off the string of the amulet and threw it out the window.

Unexpectedly, when I woke up the next day, this thing was securely fastened around my left wrist.

No matter how many times I threw it away, it would always come back.

It must be one of Ao Chi's cheap tricks. Somehow, he imbued this amulet with a spell. I have no choice but to let it jingle on my wrist.

Now, I understand his intention in giving me this thing.

He once said that he was most afraid of me, an idiot, being eaten by some other supernatural being when he wasn't around, which would truly be so humiliating!

I believed that with my thousands of years of cultivation, I can be regarded as an expert among supernatural beings no matter how one looks at it, and there are almost no species that can threaten my safety, so his worries will not come true. I never anticipated that, even now, it would still be Ao Chi using a different way to save me, this "idiot."

Realizing this, tears welled up in my eyes.

Cangtong Kai and Xuan were puzzled by my loss of composure, clueless about who my momentary distraction was for. Xuan extended his cat paw and waved it in front of my eyes, snapping me out of my inattentiveness.

"I need to make a quick trip to Unceasing," I rubbed my eyes and stood up abruptly.

"What can you do by going? If it's to gather information, someone is already on it." Cangtong Kai glanced out the window, "He should be back soon."

Soon, a black butterfly with dark blue patterns on its beautiful wings gracefully landed on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I can't do anything to break the curse for you. If they hadn't told me, I wouldn't have recognized you at all," the butterfly said to me helplessly, "You're really unlucky, ending up like this."

Who could this butterfly be if not Ku Yue?

"You're here..." I suddenly didn't know what to say.

"I told you, that woman has tampered all around the house. Look, all outgoing calls are 'out of coverage area,'" the butterfly continued.

"No wonder I couldn't reach her on the phone, and whenever I went to find her at Unceasing, she was never at the store."

"The one in Unceasing now isn't her!"

"That's not completely true. At least, the human form is still hers."

"We should skin that woman!"

"Then wouldn't she become your kind?"

"Bone demons don't have such trash who use tricks like these to harm people! Don't drag us into this!"

A tall man with a loud voice, fully covered like a mummy in a long windbreaker, a hat, sunglasses, and a mask, walked in from the door. Following him was another tall and slender figure, with striking lake-blue hair.

"Hey, you're awake?" Jiu Jue walked over and sat next to me. Ignoring my surprised expression, he casually touched my forehead, "Hmm, no fever. You, little tree demon, never fail to keep me on edge."

His simple actions, familiar tone, and expression that showed no trace of alienation or discomfort, suddenly reassured my heart and soul that had been adrift without a sense of belonging.

"I'm telling you, you don't need to worry, tree demon. That woman who stole your skin won't be arrogant for too long!" Gu Wuming took off his sunglasses and slammed the table. Those two pitch-black human skull eyes were spewing out nothing but righteous fury. His temper was still as forceful as ever.

"You guys..." I tried my best to be as calm and composed as before, but seeing these guys around me, my nose tingled. The gratitude and relief that had been circulating in my heart slowly boiled my blood.

I knew it. I won't be alone.

"She's actually about to cry..." Cangtong Kai looked at me in astonishment and whispered, "Before, she always had that annoying, cunning smile on her face."

"She looks nice like this..." Xuan tilted his head and looked at me. "At least it's more like a normal person with emotions."

The others expressed their agreement one after another.

"You guys..." I quickly wiped my eyes and seized the opportunity to punch Jiu Jue, who was closest to me, out of embarrassment. I angrily threatened, "Mock me again, and I'll chop you all up!"

"Right now, you don't have a bit of spiritual power and can only chop people with a kitchen knife. Shameful!" Jiu Jue never hesitated to be sharp-tongued in front of me, but before I flipped out, he changed the subject and said to everyone, "Have any of you considered that the more people passively recognize Shaluo, the fewer actively recognize her, and the lower the chance of breaking her curse."

As soon as he said this, everyone fell into shocked silence.

I suddenly thought of something and asked them, "How did all of you coincidentally show up at my side? Although you're all customers of Unceasing, you don't know each other. Plus, you said that Musheng has been tampered with, so none of my information could be passed on." I looked at Cangtong Kai and Xuan, asking, "You were the first to know my identity. What happened during the time I was unconscious?"

Cangtong Kai emphatically shook his head, "It wasn't us who informed them. We don't know any of these chaotic companions of yours!"

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Wuming punched him, then twisted his ear, saying, "Little cat demon, everyone here is your elder, so watch your words!"

Ku Yue flapped his wings, shaking out a festive red envelope from the void, and said, "We received this."

Jiu Jue and Gu Wuming also took out the same thing.

I opened the envelope, and to my surprise, it contained a wedding invitation.

Why a wedding invitation? I unfolded the card emitting a sweet fragrance and read the words engraved in red line by line.

I didn't see anything else; all I saw was—

Groom: Ao Chi / Bride: Shaluo sincerely invite

What a dazzling few words!

I'm getting married, and I don't even know it.

Of course, that's not the most important part. What matters is the person I'm "marrying" — Ao Chi!

This name was enough to let emotions triumph over reason at the moment.

The wedding time and location specified on the invitation is for tomorrow night, midnight, at the foot of Mount Fulong, East China Sea Villa.

At the bottom, there was a small note — Guests are requested to arrive at "Musheng," No. 179 XX Street, XX City at noon the day before the wedding. Reception by: Cangtong Kai / Xuan.

"I swear, we're all quite annoyed by this," Cangtong Kai said. "You're the one getting married, and Xuan and I somehow became the receptionists. These guys came to Musheng one by one at noon, bombarding us with questions left and right. After exchanging a few words we realized we had been played by someone unknown."

The development of events became more and more unexpected. I involuntarily recalled The Devil card I flipped that day.

Perhaps the devil who has never shown its face is indeed approaching us, not just us, but the entire world we inhabit, step by step.

I looked at the darkening sky outside the window and witnessed that hallucinatory scene again. The dark undercurrents, even denser than before, aggressively consumed the remaining light. They refused to give up, showing insatiable greed.

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