Gu Yuan was also scared out of his wits. He took a big stride forward, wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me back. Our figures spun and landed in the peach blossom grove amidst the rain of peach blossoms.
The scene was simply enchanting. Although I couldn't see myself, I could already imagine how beautiful it was just now.
It was as if a peach blossom fairy had descended to the mortal world.
Gu Yuan held my waist like this, and I maintained the backbend posture. My old waist really couldn't take it anymore.
Finally, I plopped down on the ground. It was truly like a celestial being descending, but landing on my butt first.
Seeing my embarrassing state, Gu Yuan burst out laughing. He was almost clutching his stomach.
"Look at yourself now, little cat."
I picked up the petals in my hand and threw them at Gu Yuan. Then I huffed off to the brook to check my face.
"My goodness! How could I be so dirty?" I couldn't help but exclaim.
My hair was as messy as a hen with ruffled feathers. My face was covered in black ash, streaked here and there, as if I had just crawled out of a coal mine. It was really terrifying.
However, I didn't even know how long I had been walking around with this painted face. These two guys didn't even tell me my face was so dirty.
Just now I was dreaming that I was a peach blossom fairy descending to the mortal world. Now it would be more appropriate to say I was a famine - fleeing fairy.
"Gu Yuan, you're really a super - duper big bad guy." I turned around angrily. Gu Yuan's face was already close to mine. A gentle kiss landed on my lips.
I instinctively lowered my head. My heart was pounding like crazy. It felt as if my first kiss had been taken. My face instantly turned as red as an apple.
"You're so annoying." I pounded his chest hard.
He lovingly wiped my face, then took out a handkerchief and carefully cleaned the dirt off my face bit by bit. His movements were extremely gentle.
This made my heart, which had just calmed down a bit, flutter again.
"Alright, it's indecent to look so disheveled." Gu Yuan said dotingly.
I thought to myself that I looked disheveled because of him. Then I wrinkled my nose at him and turned to look at the water.
At this moment, my face was as clean as before. My hair was no longer messy. What was more eye - catching was the peach blossom on my temple. Gu Yuan must have put it there while cleaning my face.
The pink - gradient petals set against my face didn't overshadow my beauty. Instead, they made me look elegant, refined, and beautiful.
Seeing myself like this, I felt so embarrassed. I turned to look at Gu Yuan again. His affectionate gaze and handsome face made my heart skip a beat.
"What are you looking at? It's not like you haven't seen me before."
Gu Yuan pursed his lips and said gently, "I could never get tired of looking at you for a lifetime."
"Then I'll let you look at me for a lifetime. Let's see if you'll get bored when I'm full of wrinkles." I stepped forward and hugged his waist, gently swaying his body. Then I brought my face close to his eyes for him to look at.
Gu Yuan hugged me, smiling indulgently. It seemed that as long as I was by his side, he had the whole world.
"Come on, you two. If you keep being so lovey - dovey, the peach blossoms will be too shy to stay on the branches."
Jun He was really a spoilsport. I heaved a heavy sigh, pouted at Gu Yuan, and then let go of him. I said to Jun He, "Let's go. It's time to go back."
"Don't you still have something important to do? Why are you leaving?" Jun He put his hands behind his back and said to Gu Yuan and me.
We both turned around and looked at Jun He.
"Do you want to leave?" I seemed to have seen Jun He's intention. I had already sensed his dissatisfaction with the Heavenly Emperor in the Purple Star Palace.
Now, although he had avenged his mother, it was only half - done. The real enemy in his heart was none other than the current Heavenly Emperor.
"I have no choice. I will never recognize the enemy as my father. So I must leave."
Gu Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his cold eyes fixed on Jun He. "Are you going to look for the dragon scales?"
Jun He didn't evade the question. He raised his head and said, "Yes... You two should leave with me too. If you want to be the Heavenly Emperor in the future, I'll support you."
Gu Yuan lowered his eyes slightly, took a deep breath, and said, "Go... No one will dare to stop you."
Hearing Gu Yuan's words, Jun He was completely stunned. This was an open act of rebellion. Instead of stopping him, Gu Yuan even told him that he would pave the way for him.
What was he up to?
"Can I take Lan Lan with me?" This guy was really pushing his luck.
But when Jun He said this, my heart was in turmoil. After all, Gu Yuan had pushed me to Jun He more than once.
Gu Yuan glanced at me sideways and said seriously to Jun He, "She's my woman. How could she go with you?"
Hearing Gu Yuan say that I was his woman, I couldn't help but curl the corners of my mouth. I was overjoyed inside.
Seeing my expression, Jun He looked at me with disappointment. "Look at you. You're really embarrassing the people of the Netherworld."
This time, I didn't retort. "Although there's no wine to send you off, I still hope you'll take good care of yourself."
Who said there was no wine? I have some right here. With that, Jun He gently swept his hand over the stone table beside him. A pot of clear wine and three wine cups appeared.
He picked up the wine pot and filled the three cups. Then he picked up one and said, "After this cup of wine, we'll go our separate ways. I hope we'll all still be alive after this struggle."
After saying that, he raised the cup in his hand and downed it in one gulp.
Gu Yuan and I also picked up our cups and drank them all in one go, looking at Jun He.
Jun He gave us a sly smile, then turned into a puff of black smoke and disappeared into the peach blossom grove.
Watching his fading figure, I felt an inexplicable sadness in my heart. My former friend had now become an enemy on a different side.
Gu Yuan saw the conflict in my heart. "Do you regret it?"
"To be honest, I do regret it a bit."
Gu Yuan pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. "But it's too late to regret now, because he's already far away."
I buried my head in his chest and took a deep breath. The sandalwood scent on him was really so alluring that I didn't want to leave.
"Is what you said true?" I asked Gu Yuan softly.
Gu Yuan seemed not to understand what I meant. He lifted me out of his arms.
"What do you mean by 'is it true'?"
"Did your father never see you when you went to find him when you were a child?" I pouted and looked at Gu Yuan with heartache in my eyes.
Gu Yuan rubbed my head, thinking my heartache was unnecessary. "Yes, from childhood to adulthood, he never even hugged me, let alone met me."
"You're so pitiful. You're so handsome. There are so many people who would love to hug you, but he didn't even want to. There must be only one reason."
Gu Yuan tilted his head. He didn't know what strange idea was going through my mischievous little head.