The two soon reappeared within the Night Palace. By then, Xiu Xiang had already fainted from blood loss. The demons who saw Wei Xing carrying Xiu Xiang in, quickly looked away to avoid Wei Xing's eyes. They didn't dare to look, knowing fully well that just Wei Xing's eyes alone was enough to turn them into dust.
He leisurely walked through the halls of the Night Palace relishing in the thought of having Xiu Xiang in his arms. He was slowly approaching his quarters when he ran into Bai Qing. Someone must've informed her of his return as she raced up to him. The smile on her face slowly faded away when she saw Xiu Xiang in his arms.
Bai Qing didn't want to believe that Xiu Xiang had indeed return. Hua Jian had once told her that Xiu Xiang would return and she laughed in his face for being in denial. Now she was the one being in denial. She had prayed and hoped that the woman who Wei Xing had gone after wasn't Xiu Xiang, however, one look of Wei Xing's gentle gaze was all that it took to shatter Bai Qing's hopes.
She has never seen such a gentle gaze on Wei Xing's face before and her heart nearly shattered. She had spent so many years trying to gain his affections but all she received was his disdain. What did Xiu Xiang have that she doesn't? Hasn't she devoted her entire being to him even after he had turned into a demon and was shunned by the world? She couldn't understand it.
"My lord, why?" Tears stung her eyes as she stared at the scene before her. When the glistening tears stained her rosy cheeks, it made Bai Qing even more pitiful and alluring but to Wei Xing who only had Xiu Xiang in his eyes, didn't take a second glance at her.
When Wei Xing realized that he was in love with Xiu Xiang, he vowed to only love her this lifetime, so how could he possibly grow affections for the beautiful Bai Qing? He was grateful for her devotion to him but that was as far as his feelings went.
"I already told you once. Don't make me repeat myself," Wei Xing warned. He sidestepped to avoid her and continued down the hall only to stop when he heard Bai Qing's voice.
"You may love her, but does she really love you? Even after she returned, she did not tell you who she was! During her time here, did she once come looking for you? Did she not ignore you and spent all her time on the other side of the palace with Hua Jian?"
Wei Xing's figure stiffened. It was true that she didn't tell him who she was, but there must be a reason why. As for the reason why she didn't come looking for him... didn't she come find him once? Except... he merely watched her spit out blood and left her to Hua Jian to take care of as he took off.
He suddenly remembered Hua Jian's words—
You'll regret this...
Hua Jian had long known who she was and didn't tell him either. Could it be possible? Did she love Hua Jian?
Then he thought about Xiu Xiang who was in the jewelry store of Lotus City. Hadn't she bought a white jade thumb ring? Did she mean to buy that for Hua Jian?
Seeing his resolve being shaken, Bai Qing decided to drive the wedge in deeper. She slowly inched up to him. "Even before this, Hua Jian and Xiu Xiang were extremely close. Even before you came into the picture. Who knows what things the two of them had one together?"
Wei Xing had never fallen so deeply in love before and his jealousy raged. So what if Hua Jian had a head start in vying for Xiu Xiang's affections? He'll steal her affections if he had to.
When Xiu Xiang was thrown off the Cliff of Abyss, his whole being was thrown into chaos. He couldn't understand why until he met her again only to find that he was in love. As someone who was new to love, he was clumsy in the way he expressed himself and pushed Xiu Xiang further away from him. When Xiu Xiang died right in front of his eyes, he wanted to destroy himself along with the world. If it wasn't for Hua Jian who told him that Xiu Xiang was a descendant of the legendary phoenix who could reincarnate, he would have long destroyed the world.
He looked down at Xiu Xiang's peaceful sleeping face, then made a firm decision then and there. Xiu Xiang had returned and was now in his arms. Whoever wanted to take her from him, they would have to get her by stepping over his dead body first.
"Guards!" Wei Xing shouted angrily. Several guards appeared before him. They dropped to one knee with their heads lowered. "Imprison the Night Guards and Hua Jian. If they resist, break their legs."
The guards didn't dare to object and immediately set off to find the Night Guards and Hua Jian.
Just when Bai Qing thought that her words had gotten through to Wei Xing, she was instead baffled by Wei Xing's order. She was about to reach out to touch Wei Xing's shoulder only to grab air when he stepped aside to avoid her touch.
"I will kill whoever tries to get between us. Even if that person is you," Wei Xing said harshly.
Bai Qing's lips trembled as she lowered her outstretched hand. She could only watch silently as Wei Xing left her alone in the corridor.
Once Wei Xing left an order to be undisturbed, he entered his room and slammed the doors shut. He carried Xiu Xiang to the bed and gently placed her in bed. It was far different from the first time he brought her back. When he remembered how he had ungraciously dumped her at Hua Jian's feet, his heart stung. He indeed regretted what he had done. All his actions only pushed her further toward Hua Jian and creating a greater distance between them instead.
He reached out to caress her pale cheeks. She had lost so much weight since the last time he saw her. When he brought her back the first time, she was at death's door and only managed to sustain her life force with his blood. He wanted so much to punch himself over and over for unintentionally hurting her.
"I'm sorry... even if you end up hating me, I will never let you go," he whispered.
After cleaning up her injury and changing her into new clothes, his eyes fell upon her pouch he had set off to the side. He then remembered the jade thumb ring. He untied the pouch and pulled out the jade ring. Glaring at the ring as if the ring itself was Hua Jian, he nearly crushed it into dust only to stop himself when he looked at Xiu Xiang's face.
Frowning slightly, he placed the ring back into the pouch but he didn't return it to Xiu Xiang. He gave one last look at Xiu Xiang then headed straight for the prison.
Hua Jian and the Night Guards were sitting silently within the prison. They didn't know why they had been detained and didn't struggle as they knew they were powerless against Wei Xing. The door creaked loudly within the dank prison.
Wei Xing entered and headed right for Hua Jian's cell.
"You knew who she was, yet you didn't say anything," Wei Xing accused.
Hua Jian had just recently returned from Jade Mountain Range when he was suddenly captured and detained. He thought that Wei Xing was going through another tantrum and he was right.
"So, you finally realized who she is," Hua Jian spat as he wrapped his arms tightly in front of him.
Wei Xing reached out with his hands and Hua Jian instantly felt something grip at his neck. He didn't struggle as he was brought forward. He hanged in midair with his feet dangle a couple inches off the ground.
"Were you trying to keep her to yourself? Don't even think about it! She's mine!" Wei Xing hissed.
"Pfft. I wouldn't want her even if you threw her at me! Have you forgotten, my lord? I'm gay!" Hua Jian choked out.
Something clicked in Wei Xing's mind and he suddenly released his hold on him. Hua Jian landed on his feet gracefully as he lightly massaged his sore neck.
"For someone who claims to love her, it took you long enough to realize who she was," Hua Jian sneered. No matter how irritating Xiu Xiang was in the past, Hua Jian had always been extremely loyal to her, however, as a pure gay, he has never once thought of Xiu Xiang that way. It was almost insulting to think that he would ever love Xiu Xiang. Of course, he would never dare to voice this out. If Xiu Xiang found out that he thought it was an insult to fall in love with her, she would quickly roast him into bits.
When Hua Jian pointed that out, Wei Xing bit his lower lip knowing that he was in the wrong. Even so, he couldn't let things stay as it were. Xiu Xiang had bought Hua Jian a jade ring. He was an amateur when it comes to relationships, but even he knew that when a woman bought a man an expensive piece of jewelry, it meant that she wanted to be courted.
"Even if you are gay, she is in love with you," Wei Xing muttered bitterly.
"Ha?! My lord, are you blind? With what eyes do you see that woman having feelings for me?" Hua Jian exclaimed.
Wei Xing flashed a threatening glare at him and debated on whether he should show him the ring or not. In the end, he didn't. What if Hua Jian actually develops feelings upon seeing it?
No, he wouldn't have it.
Tilting his head up, he looked down at Hua Jian like he was beneath him.
"If you help me destroy her feelings for you, I will release you and the Night Guards," Wei Xing commended.
Destroy what feelings? Hua Jian secretly cried in his heart. This wet behind the ears lord of his frustrated him just as much as his other lord, Xiu Xiang.
"Aiya. I'm telling you. That woman is in love with you... well... I'm sure she is. We just need to find a way to make her admit it." Hua Jian wasn't too sure. After Xiu Xiang saw Wei Xing in bed with Bai Qing, she seemed to have reverted to the time when she was still the Demoness. According to him, all women were the same. Only their true feelings would come out when they were jealous.
Having forgotten that he had come here to fight it out with his rival, hope rose within Wei Xing as he naively nodded. He suddenly looked less like the fearsome demon lord and more like an innocent schoolboy.
"What do I need to do?" he asked.
"Jealousy, my lord. We need to provoke her jealousy. Only then would she admit her feelings," Hua Jian said with a grin.
What the two men didn't know was that they were about to embark on a dangerous thorny path of no return.