Unable to use their magic, it was well after midnight by the time they arrived at the house having walked the whole way.
"Couldn't you have built your house in the forest Mo Yuan?" Puffed Zhe Yan who had never walked so far in his life and the Mortal Realm air being as dense as it was, only made it that much harder for him.
"We're here." Jie said before facing them. Bai Zhens disguise was thick and impenetrable and his energy completely shut down, which he could see he was struggling with, and though he couldn't see Zhe Yan, he could hear him. "Zhe Yan, the Mortals do not like us Immortals remember, keep yourself behind your barrier, but if you must come out, be in disguise and close down your energy, a man with your looks will draw attention." he said brusquely, though the flattery at his good looks was meant to ease the frayed nerves , the man was exceptionally vain, and Mo Yuan ruthlessly pulled out his trump card to still his anger even though he was not at all liking their forced entry into his new life or their home, but having no choice, he led the way up the narrow shell laden path that he and Ai had collected.
"My name is Jie in this form." he added as they reached the house, where they were immediately drawn to the opening of the door.
"Tai, what are you doing out of bed?" Jie asked alarmed, dawn hadn't even broken.
Looking somewhat stunned to see him outside in the dark with a visitor, Tai quickly ducked his head down to greet the visitor before facing Jie. "I always get up this early, the horses need feeding." he reminded him, though to the boy, he seemed to be looking rather guilty having been caught outside in the early hours of the morning.
Turning to Bai Zhen, Jie introduced the two. "My son Tai." he said ignoring the light gasp that came from behind him. "Tai, this is an old friend of mine, Chang Li." he waved towards Bai Zhen who gave him a raised brow as they moved forward to enter the house.
Tai was the only one awake when they entered, but looking around Bai Zhen couldn't help but notice the young girl items that were scattered around the main room. Picking up a very small skirt, he held it up with a frown. "Ai's?" he asked turning towards Jie.
"No, my daughters Meili." he said with a small smile from the kitchen as he prepared tea and light snacks, something that stunned both men. The thought of a domesticated Mo Yuan brought very wide grins to their faces. Then sitting him down, he explained the presence of the children and how he came to be their father.
Picking up the tea, Bai Zhen looked into his cup with another frown before lightly swilling it around the cup beneath his nose. The scent seemed to please him as he took a small sip, before raising his eyes appreciatively in his direction. "Do you cook too?" he asked with a smirk, taking a small bite of the cake which he also seemed to like, throwing the whole thing into his mouth before picking up another.
"Yes, I also launder." he told him with a an even wider smirk gaining a loud snort and a soft chuckle from the thin air beside Bai Zhen.
Quietly among themselves, Jie went through the events that had led him to live among the mortals as Bai Zhen listened in silence, giving him a nod or a frown as the full story unfolded. From the battle with the Golden Lion, to joining a building crew and taking over as their overseer, and to meeting Ai. "She is beautiful." he whispered softly as his story came to an end, and though he could hear the snigger coming from Zhe Yan, he ignored it, he would find out soon enough when Ai awoke.
"So these children were made orphans because of your battle?" Zhe Yan asked, saddened at the thought that so many children had suffered because of their world and the way they often handled situations without a thought to whom they might affect in the process.
"Yes. They have been a part of my life for years and I will remain here to raise them into adulthood. It is the least I can do for them, though their well being will always be with me well after Ai passes. I will continue to visit them and any Grandchildren that may come of their future marriages." he said softly.
"And what of your marriage to my sister Mo Yuan, or does she not factor at all in this little world of yours?" he asked throwing his hands out wide as his anger once again began to rise. And as much as he understood Mo Yuans desire to correct the mistakes of his past, they were not relevant to him, but his sister and her future was.
"I intend to honor the agreement." he said swiftly though annoyed that he would think otherwise. "I myself asked for a second meeting which she agreed to, and I plan to be there in 3 days to meet with her again. I like her, a lot. And though I love Ai dearly, this world is temporary, eventually she will die, and the children will move on without me, I have every intention of returning and fulfilling my obligations." he assured him.
Then seeing the look of astonishment on the boys face, Mo Yuan sighed. "Come now Bai Zhen, how many men have you met that have never had more than one woman in their lives. I may have lived millennia in celibacy, but am no virginal boy, I have had my share of women, but Ai is special, I will remain by her side until her Mortal death which I might add, is a mere few months in our world."
Suddenly the sound of footsteps approaching the closed door that led to the bedchambers drew closer and the door was opened quickly. Stepping into the room yawning and stretching, Meili did not notice the men until her arms were fully stretched out above her head and her gaping mouth had yet to close. Quick as lightening, her arms came down and her mouth clamped shut sniffling back a gasp as the men came into view, both of whom were looking right at her.
"Meili! What are you doing awake?" Jie asked rising quickly thinking perhaps the childs injuries from the day before had woken her.
Pointing towards the window she looked up at Jie with a small smile. "Uhh, its morning." she said smiling as she moved forward to wrap her small arms around his waist, which surprised him after the events from the day before. Jie had thought she might not want to come near him after her fiery effort to kill him, but looking at the child now, it seemed as if the memory of the days events had never happened, her whole demeanor was as it had always been. In fact it seemed very odd to him.
Pulling her into a tight embrace, he smiled down at her before laying a light kiss on the top of her head. "This is a very good friend of mine Meili, his name is Chang Li." he told her before letting her go.
Waiting for the girl to greet their guest, Jie suggested she run outside and bring Tai back for breakfast. "I'll go wake your mother." he said lightly as he gently guided her towards the door.
"She is very beautiful Mo Yuan." Bai Zhen said as she fled the house to collect her brother. "She calls you father?" he asked not missing the reference to his wife as mother.
"Only recently she has begun to call us mother and father, though Tai calls us by our names." he explained, though he secretly wished he would call him father, he would never ask him to, not when he wasn't. "I'm going to wake Ai, she tends to sleep longer than the rest of us." he chuckled lightly as he left his guest waiting for their return.
"So what do you think so far ZhenZhen?" Zhe Yan whispered softly next to him.
"I'm of two minds. I can understand why he would choose to want to help clean up his own mess, but to actually marry this mortal? I don't know." he whispered back as the sound of approaching footsteps moved closer to them.
"Ai, this is a very good friend of mine, he has come to visit." he said softly, in a tone that was not missed by either Bai Zhen or Zhe Yan. A tone that clearly showed the deep love he held for this woman and one neither had ever seen him display as he gently guided her forward with a wide smile, something else they were not used to seeing.
Moving forward with a shy smile, Ai bowed politely before raising her head to look at the man who had kept her husband from their bed all night long. She had woken in the middle of the night to find Jie had gone. She too had lain awake for thinking over the days events and what had unfolded when they had returned, though her emotions were far too high to formulate any rational thoughts, instead she had cried herself back to sleep.
No sooner had she raised her head, than Bai Zhen suddenly jerked forward as a hand clamped down hard on his arm. Coughing lightly and rising up to loosen the grip that was tightening by the second, he quickly greeted the small woman in front of him while stomping his foot down where he thought Zhe Yans foot would be, gaining a light gasp in return which he immediately covered up with another small cough. Though looking at the woman in front of him, he couldn't understand Zhe Yans reaction. Yes she was very beautiful, but compared to Bai Qian she was a mere maiden, nowhere near as lovely as his sister.
But he politely greeted her warmly as the children came flying into the room hungry and excited that they had a guest, something out of the ordinary, because their lives were very private and guests rarely visited, though Jies old crew did drop by from time to time which was always exciting.
Feeling a rough tug on his arm which he took to mean he should leave them to their morning, Bai Zhen ignored it, as he took in the small family before him. How could he be angry with such a lovely sight? he thought to himself. Mo Yuan did seem happy and the woman and his adopted children obviously loved him deeply.
"Will you join us for breakfast." Ai asked him shyly, something Zhe Yan was having a hard time comprehending as he suddenly flopped down on the small seat as quietly as he could. Not only could he see through all of their disguises, but Bai Qians whole demeanor went against everything he knew about her and the strong urge to burst into laughter at the ridiculous situation before him, had him covering his mouth with both hands trying his very best to hold it in.
"I would love to." he said lightly as Meili led him to the small table to sit down, before moving to the kitchen to assist Ai with the preparations, , porridge, scrambled eggs and lightly toasted bread with freshly squeezed orange juice and tea to wash it all down. And that had Zhe Yan up in an instant as he watched the most laziest and incompetent woman when it came to boiling a simple pot of water, cook breakfast with ease and skill.
But even more amazing was the gusto in which Bai Zhen ate the food, something he would not have done, had he not enjoyed it, guest or not. "Oh, you are in trouble now Xiao Wu." he said quietly to himself as the situation these two had found themselves in began to really sink in.
The conversation was light and informative as Bai Zhen learned about Tais interest in the horses and Meilis artistic abilities as well as Ais delightful explanation that she loved spending her time in their vast garden or in the township visiting her friends or taking long walks on the beach nearby. Bai Zhen found her to be a rather gentle and shy woman, her tone was soft and gentle when she spoke, the complete opposite to his sister, and that had him wondering how compatible Mo Yuan and his sister actually were, if this was the kind of woman that he loved.
The rest of the morning was spent dragging Bai Zhen around their vast home, the gardens that Ai had spent much of her time building up, which also stunned Zhe Yan whose only knowledge of her talents when it came to the earth, was uprooting his wine every chance she got which was something else he would use to bribe her with, then onto the stables to view the horses which Tai took great care of, then having his hand taken forcefully and dragged back to the house by Meili to view her artwork. Though the giant mural of Mo Yuans Dragon form fighting the Golden Lion saddened him as he remember the sad story of this childs past, while admiring Mo Yuans decision to try to heal the pain he had caused.
And as he looked back at Mo Yuan, he could see he was tired, he'd been awake the whole night, and a Mortals body did not have the stamina their Immortal ones did, he needed to sleep. So bringing the visit to an end, and a happy promise to Meili that he would visit again, a child he had taken an instant liking to, he said his farewells, refusing assistance to guide him back to the main township.
"You need to rest Jie, I've kept you long enough." he said lightly but with a look that he would be back and they would talk.
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No sooner were they out of sight and hearing range, than Zhe Yan erupted from his barrier laughing wildly. Falling to his knees on the path, before him he could barely breathe as he tried to bring himself under control. "Oh Zhen Zhen....." he rapsed out breathlessly. "Zhen Zhen..." he croaked pointing back at the house. "Take off the disguise." he gasped heavily still unable to believe what he had just seen.
"You crazy old Phoenix, what's gotten into you?" he asked still smarting from the pain in his arm where had been grabbed roughly. Pulling up the sleeve, his eyes narrowed. "Look what you did, if mother asks why I'm bruised, don't think for one minute I won't tell her you abused me." he berated him sharply as he took in the purple and yellow splotch that was beginning to throb.
Finally getting himself under control, Zhe Yan rose and looked at the young man in front of him. "Zhen Zhen, raise an invisibility barrier and close down your energy, we're going back." He said ignoring the boys attempt to argue. Ensuring that his barrier was thick and impenetrable, he led him quietly back to the house, where they found Jie asleep and the children talking excitedly about their early morning visitor. Moving quietly to the back of house, they found Ai in the garden tending lovingly to her large array of flowers and herbs.
Suddenly, as her face came into view, Bai Zhen stumbled back, grabbing Zhe Yan roughly to keep himself from falling. "Holy shit...."