Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume 12, Part 2)

243 A Creepy Experience

Jing He lowered his head further and his hair slipped over his shoulders, hanging down like a silky curtain. He hesitated for a moment longer but then raised his hand. His fingers trembled but he forced himself to continue until his fingertips touched the Mark of Wisdom between his brows.

Nothing seemed to change and for a moment, he wondered if he might have misunderstood something. Maybe the Mark of Wisdom couldn't be used just by touching it? How did it work?

Before he could think further, there was a whisper directly in his mind that answered his question. 'The Mark of Wisdom can be used by simply touching it and asking your questions.'

Jing He shook and retracted his hand, clinging to Qiu Ling at once. That whisper in his mind sounded like no one he knew. In fact, he couldn't even have said what it sounded like. It seemed to have no distinguishable features but it was still loud and clear in his mind.

Qiu Ling suddenly felt his beloved trembling in his arms. He hugged him tightly and looked down, kissing the top of his head. Clearly, his reassurance just now hadn't had much effect. He thought about what they had talked about before. Jing He had said that he would ask Tian but his expression had been a little odd. Maybe he didn't like that idea? He had said that he wasn't scared though ...

He couldn't figure it out for the moment but no matter what, the important part was being there for him. He gently rubbed Jing He's back and gave a soft hum. "It's alright. I'm here with you. Just hold onto me." Yes, as long as they faced all of this together, it would be alright. "I know I can't do much right now but ... I will listen and I will tell you my opinion. I won't force you to do anything though. They are all your decisions. I won't complain no matter what the outcome is."

Naturally, this didn't just concern Jing He asking Tian about whether or not the abilities of the fallen gods would be a suitable sacrifice. Even when it came to the bigger question of what to do with his life ... he would still let him decide.

Qiu Ling leaned down and tightly wrapped his arms around Jing He, his expression lost. He seldom thought about it but there was a certain chance that Jing He wouldn't choose him. Between himself and the Heavenly Emperor, the latter was more unreasonable. Going against him was bound to have negative consequences and Jing He might not be willing to bear those. On the other hand, he wouldn't give him grief for his decision so Jing He might feel safe deciding against him. That ... was indeed a possibility.

He closed his eyes, trying not to think too much. He had to trust that Jing He's love for him was strong enough to overcome the fear of his father. Yes, surely, his beloved wouldn't just abandon him. After everything they had been through ... that would simply be too cruel.

He took a faint breath, trying not to let Jing He notice how uneasy he felt when thinking about all of this, and continued to stroke his back instead. Even if Jing He didn't choose him for whatever reason ... he indeed had to accept it. It would kill him but he had to do it. Since he loved him, he had to be content with whatever was best for Jing He. And maybe ... maybe that would be a life without him.

His beloved wasn't a dragon so he didn't suffer from the same curse as he did. He could fall in love again if things didn't work out between them. Even though he had engraved his soul, Tian himself had apparently helped him to heal the damage that had done and later, his soul had shattered. When it became one someday in the future, who knew if the engraving would still be left? Maybe it would have healed the same way the cracks in Jing He's soul would have by that time. It was possible. Then, there really would be nothing that could bind them forever. This was a possibility he had to keep in mind until Jing He made his final decision.

While Qiu Ling started to worry, Jing He actually calmed down. That whisper in his mind had been creepy, yes, but it wasn't dangerous. And while lying in Qiu Ling's arms, the impact wasn't as big as it would have been if he had been alone. At this moment, he truly felt thankful that he had stayed and attempted to use the Mark of Wisdom while here.

He took a deep breath and leaned back a little, looking up at Qiu Ling's expression. He still seemed worried, probably because he hadn't gotten a response. Jing He forced himself to give a faint smile, even though he was still uneasy. "It's nothing. I just remembered that Tian reminded me that I can simply use the Mark of Wisdom to inquire about such things. I didn't do it before because I didn't think of it. This would be a good moment though. That way, we don't have to wait to find the answer. It's just ... it makes me feel a little uncomfortable."

Qiu Ling felt relieved when Jing He explained. So that was what this had been about. "Well, you don't have to do it immediately. How long can you stay this time? You ... you didn't get in trouble with Tian the last time you came, did you?"

Jing He shook his head. "No, no trouble. Although he did remind me that it is better to solve my issues on my own. This is about our future though."

Qiu Ling nodded even though he couldn't help but think about how this future might not be spent together. Well, he should probably see Jing He's words as a sign that even if there was no guarantee that he would be picked, the likelihood of that was higher than Jing He picking his father's side. Now, he could only hope that that Spring of Fate wouldn't give Jing He any other ideas.