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Their Sweet Little Secret
“Now that you’ve rested enough, hurry up and let’s get married. I don’t have time to bicker with you for your protection,” Dongfang Qingcang spoke with a firm voice.
Lina’s heart raced, her palms sweating as she looked up at Qingcang. She had never imagined being in this situation, marrying someone she barely knew. Yet, a part of her was grateful for his kindness and protection. She gave him an awkward grin, her mind racing as she struggled to respond. “You know, if you agree not to sleep near me to keep me safe, we won’t need to get married,” she suggested.
Qingcang’s eyes narrowed, his expression hardening as he replied firmly. “No, you need to stay in my sight and within reach,” he declared, his voice ringing with authority.
Lina’s awkward smile faltered, and her feelings of being flattered increased drastically. She thought, ‘So much for privacy. Even so, this guy is helping me stay alive, and the least I could do is to make my protection easier for him.’ She took a deep breath as there was no escape from Qingcang’s watchful gaze. “Okay, I understand,” she replied, her voice soft and resigned. After all, he was the only one who could protect her from the dangers ahead.
Qingcang relaxed a little at Lina’s compliance. He took her hand in his, his touch sending shivers down her spine. “Let’s go,” he said, his voice low and commanding.
Lina’s heart sank like a stone in water as the realization hit her – she had forgotten something essential. She immediately stopped Qingcang in his tracks and said, “Wait.”
Qingcang felt his patience wearing thin, and his jaw clenched tight as he closed his eyes and asked through gritted teeth, “What?”
“I have to make the arrangements,” Lina said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Since this temporary marriage is happening so suddenly, the most I can do is to keep it small, with only the four of us: you, me, and two witnesses.”
Qingcang raised an eyebrow, looking confused, and asked, “A marriage with only four?”
Lina’s heart raced, and she nervously wrung her hands, searching for the right words. “Yes… I want to keep this discreet,” she finally managed to say. “We’re going our separate ways anyway, and I’m quite well-known. I’d rather keep it low-key to avoid any unwanted drama.” Qingcang looked at her blankly, his face giving nothing away. She sighed, feeling frustrated that he did not seem to understand the gravity of the situation. “Yichen got married on the day we met, and people have always wanted us to end up together,” she continued, hoping to make him understand. “So—”
“Let me guess,” Qingcang interrupted, his voice cold and cutting. “You still hope to return to Yichen, even after he allowed his wife to bully you.”
Lina’s eyes widened in shock, and she stared hard at Qingcang. “You!”
Qingcang crossed his arms over his chest. “Hmph. No wonder you’re so secretive about this marriage.”
Lina felt the sting of Qingcang’s words, and her heart sank even further. She had not expected this reaction from him, and the pain was almost too much to bear. She desperately wanted to explain herself and make him understand, but she knew it was too late. Her face twisted in frustration as she bit back the retort at the tip of her tongue. She knew that arguing with him was a futile effort. With a deep breath, she composed herself and finally spoke up, “I’m done with Yichen.”
“What you do or want is your own business,” Qingcang’s response was cold and detached. He noticed the distress etched on Lina’s face when he mentioned Yichen, and her silence gave him an indication that she was agitated. In a softer tone, he relented, “Fine, we won’t tell anybody about this marriage. It’ll be our secret.”
Lina gave a small smile. “It’s just temporary… but thanks.”
Qingcang’s sly smirk curled the corners of his lips as he relished in the thought of returning to his world. No longer bound by the weight of Lina’s life and emotions, he would finally be free to unleash his true self. He savored the idea of not having to restrain himself or be concerned with the consequences of his actions by ridding her of his life.
As Qingcang lost himself in his thoughts, Lina’s voice cut through the silence, startling him back to reality. “So… first, we have to get you a tux and a wedding dress for me.”
Qingcang’s eyebrows shot up as the words jolted him, causing him to cross his arms over his chest. “A tux?” he asked skeptically, as if the mere thought of wearing human clothes was beneath him, even though he had never seen a tuxedo before.
Lina nodded resolutely. “Mhm. That’s right. Want to go shopping? I’ll give you a great tour of this world before you leave soon. What do you say?” Her voice held sweetness, with a smile gracing her lips.
Qingcang stood with his arms crossed, his expression growing increasingly annoyed by the second. The longer he stayed here, the more his patience wore thin. ‘Is this Silly Little Human trying to buy herself time? How long do I have to waste my time on these trivial activities?’ he thought bitterly, exasperatedly sighing. ‘This Silly Little Human should be honored to be protected by me, and even though I agreed to marry her to keep myself alive, she expects more!’
Lina noticed Qingcang’s hesitance and quickly jumped in, her tone becoming more urgent. “Look, we don’t know how to open the portal anyway. No matter how long we think about it, it’s useless. Maybe ideas about the portal will come into our minds as time progresses.” Her voice was high-pitched and frantic as if trying to convince herself as much as she tried to persuade Qingcang. “Besides, we can’t get married dressed like this.”
‘For a secret wedding of only four people, she sure is demanding,’ Qingcang thought, his almond-shaped eyes stabbing into Lina’s as he grew increasingly frustrated. He swiftly grabbed her upper arm, holding it firmly as he glared menacingly at her. “Tell me the truth, Silly Little Human. Are you withholding information and buying yourself time?” His voice was low and dangerous, and his grip on her arm was tight.
“No, Pretty Eyes, I don’t. Now, let me go.” Her eyes, a striking shade of brown, were fixed on his stern expression. She caught him off guard by pulling her arm away from his firm grip and exclaimed, “Let me… go!” Her defiance offended him, and his eyes traveled to her upper arm, where he had been holding her.
Qingcang’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Lina, his voice low and sinister. “You’re getting bolder, Silly Little Human.” He took a step closer to her. “Do you think you can talk to me like that and get away with it?”
Lina did not back down. “Face it! You need me for the portal, and I need you for protection. Instead of biting each other’s heads off, let’s make the best of what we can do now. It’s not as if you’re the only one suffering! If we didn’t need each other, I never would’ve agreed to marry you! I never thought that my first wedding would be a small, temporary, loveless marriage, let alone to a stranger!” With that, she poked Qingcang in the chest, causing his eyes to widen.
‘If there isn’t any portal that I need her to open, I would’ve put her to sleep and locked her up to save myself the headaches that she keeps giving me,’ Qingcang thought as he stood before Lina; his eyes narrowed with a scowl that betrayed his deep frustration. He spoke softly but with an unmistakable tone of evil, “You…” His voice trailed off as if he were trying to contain his anger. He was getting impatient with her unwavering attitude. She remained unfazed, standing her ground with a fierce look in her eyes. Looking down at her, he asked, “Do you still believe in love?” His words dripped with venom as he searched for a reaction from her.
Lina’s response was firm and resolute. “I no longer believe in romantic love,” she replied. Her voice was laced with harshness, and her tone suggested a deep sense of pain. “I agreed to a loveless marriage with you because I don’t think such love exists for me. It’s no longer in my heart, so please don’t bring up this topic again,” she continued.
Lina’s response took Qingcang aback. What made her words even stranger was that she spoke the truth. He did not feel any love from her, not even when she saw Yichen; there was only fear and shame. He had never met anyone who had stopped feeling the emotion of romantic love without any tricks or techniques.
“I stopped feeling that way after Yichen betrayed me, okay?” Lina added, her voice laced with bitterness and pain. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she spoke, and Qingcang could see the hurt and anger in her gaze. He felt the weight of her sadness but quickly pushed it aside.
“Fine, let’s not talk about it,” Qingcang calmly broke the silence between them. There was a hint of weariness in his voice.
Lina took a deep breath and felt a lot better. She sensed Qingcang had become less of a pain since they first met, and she was determined to repay him. “I’m going to make the arrangements. Just be patient with me, alright? I promise that I will help you go home. It’s the least I can do to repay you.”
“You promise to help me? Humans easily get distracted by the material world. Most lack the honor of keeping their promise. And you sincerely want to help me?”
Lina scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She had dealt with her fair share of skeptics but was determined to prove her sincerity. “There are good humans too. Like you, my promises are binding. You’ve helped me a few times when I had no one to rely on. Do you think I haven’t noticed?”
Dongfang Qingcang’s eyes lit up as he quickly looked deeply into Lina’s eyes, searching for any sign of deception, but could only find her gentle soul. She met his gaze with a steady one of her own, her eyes soft and kind.
Lina blinked in surprise at the sudden eye contact. “What are you doing?” She was unsure what to make of Qingcang’s intense scrutiny.
“Silly Little Human, you have some Moon Tribe traits in you.”
Lina was surprised when he heard Qingcang’s response. She furrowed her brows, trying to make sense of his statement. Her mind started racing, ‘The Moon Tribe? Is that a sub-tribe of the fairies? Oh, I see! He’s a Moon Fairy! That explains his dark aura,’ she thought with a small smile.
Qingcang noticed Lina’s reaction and looked at her curiously. “Why are you smiling?”
Lina’s smile broadened as she asked, “Did you just compliment me? You’re of the Moon Tribe, right?”
Qingcang was left speechless by her question and murmured, “Mhm.” He thought, ‘Finally, she knows that I’m not a fai—’ but Lina’s words interrupted his train of thought.
“I didn’t know that you’re a Moon Fairy! That’s my favorite type of fairy! They’re so graceful! In video games, I always choose Moon Fairies because I lov—” Lina was abruptly interrupted by Qingcang’s sudden irritation, and she was taken aback. ‘What’s his problem?’ she thought. Her playful and carefree demeanor turned to confusion and concern as she saw his annoyed, scary face. She could not understand why he was upset by her innocent comment. She thought to herself, ‘What’s wrong with him? Did I say something bad?’
“M-Moon Fairy?” Qingcang stammered, gritting his teeth. To him, it seemed like Lina had a death wish. He thought bitterly, ‘Nevermind… I only have to tolerate her for the time being. Once I bring her into my world and get my ring fixed, I’ll no longer have to feel her emotions.’ In between pauses of irritation, he commanded, “Just… make the arrangements… now…”
“On it, Pretty Eyes!” Lina exclaimed cheekily, blushing at the sudden compliment she got from Qingcang. She looked down at the ground, thinking playfully, ‘Wow! My favorite kind of fairy is with me!’ She grabbed her phone to arrange her secret wedding with her ‘Moon Fairy’.
As Lina started typing on her phone, Qingcang watched her with irritation and confusion. He could not understand why Lina behaved so casually as if they were already friends. ‘Why is she acting like we’re getting married already? She’s so silly.’
All original additions in “The Moon Supreme, Dongfang Qingcang” are copyright © 2022 by Aurora Luxi. All rights reserved.
Aurora Luxi 