⚠️ Trigger Warning ⚠️
Abuse, Blood
Kuang Lu came in with a soft pale blue hanfu adorned with silver shimmers draped neatly over her forearm.
Her eyes moved over the weak immortal resting peacefully in the emperor's bed with muffled curiosity.
This had happened to her before, but this time it was for someone else instead of herself.
Run Yu was once again scrambling to help someone he loved, pushing her to the sidelines.
She couldn't wrap her mind around it all.
Initially Mei Xiu was just a servant who was supposed to learn about the heavenly realm and how things worked.
Kind of like Jin Mi.
Then she was supposed to just fade in with the others or leave when the emperor became too much- or- something... anything but what she had achieved thus far.
Kind of like Jin Mi.
Within just a few days she had left her mark on not only everyone across the many realms, but also the Emperor's heart.
Just like Jin Mi.
The tiger immortal had managed to do everything Kuang Lu had wanted to- exactly how that previous bitch had.
She won Run Yu's affection.
She gets to take care of Run Yu and he allows her to because she's special to him.
She's managed to wrap him around her fingers to the point that he was abandoning his duties just to help her get better.
Where was his heart when she needed it?
Why couldn't she free him from Jin Mi's charm when the grape fairy had moved on with his brother?
Why couldn't she save him from his depression?
Why couldn't she reunite the realms and restore the heavenly realm for him?
All of these raging and roaring emotions were gnawing away at her genuine admiration and leaving her bare and boiling with envy.
Was Mei Xiu her friend or foe?
Part of her wanted to watch the immortal spit up blood and die before Run Yu returned... the other part would never forgive herself when she saw Run Yu fall apart if she killed Mei Xiu.
With a tired sigh she pressed her lips into a line before approaching the immortal.
Her next course of action pertaining this dilemma would need time to process.
She could either move on or carve her way in.
"Mei Xiu."
Cold brown eyes opened slowly to meet Kuang Lu's.
Suppressing the urge to end her was growing difficult.
Look at how weak she is.
A tired but warm smile pushed away the immortal's demented thoughts as the black tiger immortal carefully sat up.
"Good morning Kuang Lu." She whispered.
How could she harm a hair on her head?
"Ah- um- good morning." She glanced down at the clothes draped over her arm. "This is for you." Kuang Lu held them out wearily. "I figured this hue of blue would look nice on you."
That wasn't true.
She had grabbed the color that she thought would be the most unflattering.
"Thank you. I'm sorry that I have to bother you with helping me." She sighed as she carefully got up and grabbed the dress. "I don't like being a burden, so you don't have to do too much."
"The emperor asked me to."
"Still. It's not like I'm the empress or anything."
That hit something dark within the immortal.
The empress?
She thinks she's anything close to being an empress?
Is that her goal?
Is that why she's being so kind to Run Yu?
She really is trying to steal him away!
I can't let her.
How could I let her?!?
Pale white knuckles curled at the thought as soft pink nails dug into her own palms.
Kuang Lu smiled as she let her sleeves hide her blood-drawn rage.
"Do you want to be the empress?" She tilted her head with feigned curiosity. "Do you really think Run Yu will make you his bride?"
Mei Xiu blinked at the questions, clearly sensing the growing tension as she worked quickly to get dressed, keeping her back to the immortal before her.
"I don't know the emperor well enough to think that foolishly."
That caused Kuang Lu to freeze up and blink. "Foolishly?"
"Why would I marry him so suddenly?"
"Why would you not? You two are always all over one another."
"So? We're only curious about each other. There's still so much to learn before I can do anything drastic."
"Says the woman who sat on a roof in the mortal realm under heavenly rain until her primordial spirit was damaged."
That caused Mei Xiu to freeze for a moment before she finished getting dressed.
She turned around after putting her long chunky twists up into an elegant ponytail wrapped with a silver cord at the base.
"Are you being rash with me because you love him?"
Kuang Lu bit her tongue with regret before frowning.
"You don't know anything at all."
"I don't?" Mei Xiu tilted her head. "I can't help but wonder why you'd think that."
"..."
"I can tell when a woman is in love with a man who's in love with someone else."
Kuang Lu arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"They're great at being passive aggressive and disguising their malice with false innocence." The immortal crossed her arms. "It's really pathetic, if you ask me."
"Well, nobody asked."
"Then allow me to offer you some advice."
Kuang Lu was silent as the black tiger immortal approached her, swaying her hips gracefully with each stride.
Somehow the immortal had managed to pull off the look.
She seemed angelic and frail like a melting snowflake, dying in the spring sun.
"If you're going to be a bitch, act like it."
"..."
"If you hate me, prove it."
"..."
"Don't play games behind the scene trying to take me out, because I will be the best enemy you've ever had."
Kuang Lu looked away for a moment before refocusing on the woman before her. "You'll have to stoop low to win his heart." She smiled.
"I don't have to do anything."
"Or so you think." She whispered as she pulled out a dagger that was hidden in her hair.
Run Yu was staring off into the distance at a familiar hut that contained a family he rarely visited.
He had been running around trying to find someone to help him heal Mei Xiu, and everyone pointed him to the one person who hated him more than he hated himself.
Xu Feng.
The emperor's footsteps were heavy as he made his way through the river in front of the home that held his brother.
He didn't know how he was going to approach this entire situation.
He didn't even know how he'd get the opportunity to knock on the front door without facing his brother's wrath.
Should he start with a- 'Hey...I know you're still angry from the peach blossom party...?' or maybe 'Hey. I know you hate me and my partner, but I need your help-'.
No.
He probably wouldn't be able to get anything out past the first five words before he would be brutally attacked.
That's just how things were most of the time.
He deserved it, but he couldn't help but fear the abuse.
"Shū fù!" (叔父: younger brother uncle)
Run Yu's head snapped up to see a young boy running towards him with a bucket of fish and a fishing rod in tow.
"Oh- Tang Yue-" He stiffened as a soft giggle sounded from behind him as his nephew rushed forward to hug him.
"How are you?!" Run Yu's attention was yanked away from the soft giggle as the laughing boy before him gently tugged on his robes after tossing his stuff to the ground. "Are you here to eat roasted fish with us?"
"I-I'm well- um-where is your father-"
"TANG YUE! GET AWAY FROM HIM-"
Run Yu paled as he noticed Jin Mi and Xu Feng walking not too far behind the young boy.
Hence, the giggle he heard moments prior.
"Xu Feng- No-" Jin Mi tried to grab her husband, but he was already racing forward.
Before the emperor could react, he was on the ground clutching his nose as hot blood dampened his milky white skin.
"You've got some nerve!"
"I'm not here to fight!"
"Then why are you here!?!"
"I need your help." Run Yu coughed as he carefully sat up. "Xiu'er damaged her primordial spirit... and-"
Xu Feng had kicked him in the mouth with strength that was barely restrained. "YOU THINK I WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THAT BITCH-"
"STOP IT!"
The emperor was startled by the amount of blood gushing from his mouth.
His hands were shaking as he gently touched his bruised and bloody lips.
Fortunately, he hadn't lost any teeth.
He looked up to see Jin Mi restraining her husband with teary eyes. "I-I'm sorry." He breathed out before carefully getting up and lowering his gaze. "Mei."
"..."
"Help Mei."
It took everything to say that, but he had to say something.
He had to help her.
He'd die willingly if it would make a difference.
Jin Mi shook her head as she used all of her strength to hold back her husband.
Tang Yue was hugging his uncle's side with his own tears staining his face.
The boy had always admired how cool, calm, and collected his uncle was in contrast to his father.
Just seeing the two brothers interact like this was disturbing to both him and his mother.
Tang Yue tugged at his uncle's robes. "I-I'll help Shū fù." Big hot tears continued to rain down his wet cheeks. "I-I can help. Please?"
Run Yu shook his head.
Jin Mi shook her head at his decline. "He can help a little. Just take him and go."
Xu Feng's temper was growing like a famished wildfire, yearning to devour anything in its way.
He had been refraining from being too rough with his wife- but to see her handing off their kid to his brother to go help that bitch-
It was too much for him.
Just as Run Yu began to fly away with his nephew holding on to him tight, Xu Feng shoved Jin Mi to the ground and flew after them with fire in his eyes.
"Mom!"
Run Yu's eyes were wide for a moment. "Mi'er-"
His mind cycled through what he could do to make things better as his nephew reached out for his mother who was looking up with tears in her eyes.
Xu Feng seemed unbothered by his own actions as he raced towards their hovering forms.
"Go!" Jin Mi called out. "I'm fine!"
The pair nodded before zipping away with the plans of saving Mei Xiu.
The flight to the heavenly realm was fast and uneventful.
His brother was unable to gain on them as they continued to move at the same pace.
Upon their arrival, Run Yu was tackled out of the sky.
His nephew managed to break free and land gracefully before he ran towards the two men wrestling on the ivory floors.
Tang Yue panicked as he struggled to yank his father off his uncle while the guards guarding the entrance tried their hardest to assist without causing further harm.
Their screams and shouts were so loud that a blood splattered immortal approached the group without a soul noticing.
"Y-Your majesty-?"
Everyone froze as they looked up at the woman splattered with blood.
"What's going on?"
Run yu couldn't even speak if he wanted to as he stared in horror.