The moon was unbelievably bright and big in the sky that night. Xueyao would have loved the view if he hadn't spent the whole day refusing to talk or even look at her. They sat together on her swing her Master specifically made for her to sit on every night on the beautiful open space balcony of Temperance hall so she could bathe in moonlight as much as she wanted.
Not only did his silence make her feel guilty but stupid for letting him know she still remembered every single thing about her past life and she was not willing to let go no matter what. She silently munched on the bowl of fruits she had cut into weird shapes—-it wasn't her fault her master spoiled her in not knowing how to do the simplest stuff in the kitchen and wondered if he would care for a bite.
He stared down at the dragon beside him when she offered the bowl of fruits in her arms to him to eat. He saw how adorable she was trying to get as much into her mouth as once and swallowed it all. And he wondered if she was also gluttonous.
He only rolled his eyes, looked away, rejecting her kindness. It made him feel bad that he was being cold and insensitive to her once again. But he could not ignore the fact that she could risk drawing a lot of divine punishments on her soon for being that immortal who still had her head buried deeply in her past life.
He sighed out when he noticed that his rejection made her stop eating and the long, sad face she had been pulling since…
''Why don't you want to let go?'' He managed to ask her without losing his mind as his gaze remained hard on the ridiculous sight of the moon.
Xueyao didn't know what to tell him. The right answer to give him. This reminded her of her past experiences when her master and her other bullies would ask her the same question and she would not know how to make them all understand how difficult it was to let go of a terrible life like that.
Her silence only added fuel to his rising anger.
''Don't you know that you are teasing being destroyed by eighty-one heavenly strikes if you don't follow the rules of ascension?''
Xueyao closed her eyes as it became all too overwhelming for her.
''Why is it so hard for you to let go?!'' He suddenly stood up from the swing and Xueyao's eyes widened when he towered before her—blocking her sight of the moon. His arms crossed before him and he looked determined never to get out of her sight until she told what he wanted to hear.
His anger stilled when her pretty eyes slowly began to glisten and under the faint shadows of the moonlight he could see how reddened her cheeks were as she fought not breaking down completely before him. He softened the more when her grip around the edges of the bowl of fruit hardened enough to shatter the bowl into unbreakable pieces. Her tears rolled down her cheeks and into the bowl on her lap as her eyes never left his towering figure.
He sighed out deeply this time as the girl watched as he lowered himself on one knee before her and faintly used one of his thumbs to wipe the tears streaming down her face.
''I…don't want to but…at the same time I have been left with no other choice but to. I have nothing here except the painful memories to remind me that I am not even supposed to be living again if not for someone that saved me.'' She sobbed out to him as the slightly warm look on his handsome face encouraged her to be real to him.
''Who?'' He asked not really interested about her tragic past but so that she would keep talking to him, feel so much better enough to stop crying he didn't mind hearing more. ''Who was the one that saved you?''
He saw the pain she felt when that was the one person she could remember and not recognize in her miserable past life.
''I don't know,'' She cried out and the ancient dragon thought of doing something else and quickly stopped her from crying. For some weird reasons, he felt awfully too sympathetic towards this dragon.
He rose to his full height once again before her as he watched her break down completely like a baby dragon.
And what could cheer up a sobbing child more than…
She watched as the golden heavenly writings curved at the side of his neck and left arms glowed to life and the one on his arms began to give the illusion of movement. It was so beautiful to see him and she was completely mesmerized when he stretched forth his hands towards the space before them with his hands closed.
''Create.'' He said, like the cool breeze of the morning. She watched as those strange heavenly writings carved beautifully on him responded to his one word command. His hands stretched forth and turned to keep both sides of his elbows sideways as he could view the back of his clenched fists. Xueyao sat at the edge of her seat now, curious to see what would manifest from him. He saw how she had stopped crying now from the corner of his eyes.
''Form…''
''Manifest…''
The wind suddenly gathered around them, cooling their nerves as he released what she had never seen before. It sparkled so brightly in her eyes that she leapt from her seat, the bowl of fruits falling from her lap as she did so.
They flowed from his hold like autumn leaves drifting in the wind—but they were not leaves. They shone brighter than the light of the fireflies—-yet, they weren't fireflies. They seemed to light up the whole place—-her whole world. And Xueyao was deeply captivated at the same time overwhelmed by their new existence.
She followed its movements happily around, excited to wait for the right moment to feel if it was indeed real or her brain was playing tricks on her.
The immortal black dragon stood with his arms crossed as he watched her play around with what he had just made for her in boredom. He saw how it deeply fascinated her and he couldn't believe he just created an extra burden for him just to make her this happy.
But there was something unique in the way she smiled, played around with it that found a small room in his stone cold heart. He had never seen an immortal this happy or grateful for what he brought into existence like this before.
And he couldn't deny how she looked somewhat magical, pure and bright from where he stood.
When he saw she finally caught one of them in her closed palms, he slowly began to approach her and said beside her happy form, ''What would you like to call it?''
The girl turned to him, confused. And the ancient dragon decided to explain it clearer to her.
''You are the very first to witness its creation. So, you name it. I am not interested.'' He dismissed, looking elsewhere. Xueyao couldn't help the smile that curved her lips at his behavior. She couldn't believe she was the first to witness the birth of this beautiful and precious creation of him and she racked her brain for the best name to give it. She was so grateful to know he was willing to go to these lengths to cheer her up. She had always secretly known he wasn't as bad and indifferent as he poses before everyone.
He was secretly good and kind.
And the thought of it resonated so many beautiful feelings in her that she couldn't describe.
''Thank you,'' She suddenly whispered that to him and he stared down at her in confusion.
What have I…
But that gorgeous smile on her face and for some other unknown reasons he found pathetic, he wanted to be able to see it on her everyday.
He slowly turned away from her and left to return inside without responding.
She stared at the life cradled between her palms and wondered what name to give it. She was the one that named the mystery; Sheng Chong. And she wanted this to be unique as well.
''Ah, yes. Shan Yin.'' She nodded in satisfaction and at the meaning the name holds. She freed it and waved as they all left to explore the universe their creator had made. Though it was not the best name in the world to give them, it was a name she was pleased with.
Xueyao remained on the open space balcony much longer and thought.
Maybe going through tribulations together to save this world wouldn't be a terrible idea after all.