Embers of Love

Chapter 41

    The Heavenly Emperor had his arms half raised as he cautiously approached, showing that he posed no threat to her. He seemed afraid to make any sudden movements. "Get away from the edge. It is dangerous." He stretched a hand out towards Juying, willing her to take it, "Walk towards me, slowly."

    She made no move to approach him. Rather, the tipsy Light Immortal fixed him with a blank stare. "What are you doing here?" she asked in a small voice.

    Runyu stared at the lonely figure whose long, brown hair billowed in the wind. A few strands swept across her face, but she didn't bother brushing them away. It was a wonder how even with messy hair, creased robes and an empty expression, the sight of her still managed to take his breath away. She was so, so beautiful.

    "I should ask you the same thing!" Runyu retorted, feeling the icy whips of wind strike him across his face as he neared the platform.

    "There aren't very many reasons for a person to end up standing on the edge of a very high place," Juying replied in a deadpan tone.

    "Hunao!*" the Heavenly Emperor scolded. There was a raw edge to his voice. Juying couldn't tell if it was shaking out of fury or fear. "Get over here now!"

    Juying stared at him curiously, "Are you afraid that I'm going to jump?"

    His throat closed up. He felt a horrible twisting at the base of his stomach. With his heart slamming against his chest, Runyu fought to keep his voice steady. "You're making a scene. I order you to stop this nonsense at once." He outstretched his trembling hand to her, "Come to me."

    "Has anyone ever told you how confusing you are, your majesty?" Juying asked. "You claim that you want nothing to do with me, yet you come running the moment you hear that I might be in danger. I feel like I'm running in circles trying to figure you out."

    "What do you want from me?" he demanded, taking a desperate step forward. However, when the fire qilin instinctively took a step back to maintain the distance between them, Runyu halted in his tracks, terrified. She was barely a foot away from the edge.

    "Stop pretending like you care about me if you really don't," the Light Immortal replied quietly.

    "I..." was all the dragon spirit was able to choke out. He wanted to scream out that she was wrong, that he cared about her so much it consumed him. He thought about her day and night- from her heart-stopping smiles and the inexhaustible charm of her lovely voice, to the unparalleled happiness she made him feel and the indescribable pain he was in as a result of their separation.

    She had completely and utterly wrecked his world and left him thirsty. The rest of his life was doomed with the inescapable fate of hopelessly longing for what he had lost before he found her. And for that, he hated her. He had to hate her. Because if he didn't force himself to hate her...

    He was afraid that he would only love her.

    Drawing in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and steeled his nerves. Juying was not a stupid girl. Sure, she had a love for theatrics, but she was not one to take extreme and irrational measures.

    "Besides, she loves herself too much to even think of putting herself in mortal peril." Kuanglu's voice echoed in Runyu's head.

    The silver dragon reopened his eyes again with a laser focus, with clarity having returned to his mind. "Go ahead then, jump if you wish. But know that no one will save you," he said coldly.

    Juying faltered, taken aback by his response. A slight frown creased her forehead. "You think I wouldn't do it?" she challenged.

    "Oh, I know you wouldn't," he assuredly stated. "I know you, Juying."