The Water Sprite

Suspicions

19,995 Years ago.

With her hand wrapped firmly in the crook of his arm, she allowed herself to be led back to the Grand Hall.  Though she could not help but notice many changes since the night she arrived to cause mischief.  Now that she was seeing the mountain in the light of day, the changes he had made were much more noticeable.

Back then, she had seen very little in the way of flowers or trees, but stopping him in mid stride, she had to point out the lovely flowerbeds that were scattered about the entire area.  Where there had only been rock and vine, trees flourished among lush ferns and thick foliage.  

"I remember clearly the night I arrived Mo Yuan.  There were no flowers or trees.  When did you plant them?" she asked smiling brightly at him as she ran towards a bed of roses.  

Taking one into her hand gently, she inhaled scent deeply.  The Immortal world flowers were much more fragrant that the Mortal realm ones and the tones much richer in colour.  The one she was holding was white, but the energy coming off the brilliantly lit petals, was almost blinding when standing so close to it.

"Mo Yuan they are beautiful" she whispered reverently back at him with a smile as bright as the glow of the flower itself.

Reaching her side, Mo Yuan magically removed the bloom.  Its fragrance was just as rich as the fragrance from her hair but they did compliment each other.  Then removing the pin from his own hair, he attached the bloom to hers.

"No.  You are." he said as his soft tender eyes gazed back at her in wonder.

Blushing softly, she looked back at the roses.  She had a little knowledge of gardening thanks to Zhe Yans Peach Tree Grove.  He had taught her how to maintain his trees and even the flowers around the many rock pools.  So she knew how long it would have taken to get them to that degree of fragrance and energy.

"These would have taken thousands of years to grow to this stage Mo Yuan.  When did you plant them exactly? she asked again.

"I didn't.  My Disciples planted them." he said twinkling his eyes down at her.

In fact, her visit to her Water Sprite to bemoan the lack of color and natural flora was the sole reason why he had added them, though he gave the task to his Disciples.  It was a good lesson in horticulture that saw them all take to the new knowledge with enthusiasm.  There were literally flower gardens and trees growing all over his mountain because of her.

But the moment they rounded the corner and the Kunlun Bell came back into view, she suddenly blushed bright red.

"Mo Yuan.  I never apologized to you for what I did that night.  I wrote you a letter, but I should have presented myself properly." she said suddenly releasing him to raise her hands to bow, which he immediately forced her to lower.

"That is in the past Qian Qian.  Yes you wrote a letter and I received it along with your gift." he said smiling at the memory of her sending him her mothers wine bottles to replace his mothers wine bottles.  Bottles he still had in his possession.

"But you never have to raise your hands to bow at me again." he said gently taking her hand and leaving her wondering why.  Though she knew why, he saw them as a couple with a future, and for her, the thought was making her giddy.  That was twice now that he had insinuated there was a future for her, and that was beside him.

 Though, the thought was gone the moment they rounded the corner.  Many other features that had been altered since her last visit came into view.  Some of the rock formations she remembered seeing had been carved into statues of animals and birds and each one was surrounded by lovely lush ferns or mixtures of colourful blooms.