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I cherish every moment spent with my dearly beloved A-Ling, doubly so since he had to become the youngest sect leader in known history and he became solemn with the responsibilities weighing him down and busy with the duties filling up his days. Whenever we had the chance to be together, it was either at the gaudy Jinlintai or the austere Yunshen Buzhichu and then we had to keep to Jin or Lan customs. I certainly appreciated that I didn’t have to marry into either sects because as much as I hold the disciples of both sects close to my heart, less so the rules that they and their spouses should adhere to. Standing in such intimate closeness, looking at him with such adoring gaze, touching him so would have given rise to rumours in Jinlintai and would have been against the rules in Yunshen Buzhichu.
“Son! I hear we will host the visitors for the night! Can you consult me on an issue before we settle them?” my father approached us with a concerned frown on his all-knowing face.
“I will take my leave then, Ouyang zongzhu, Ouyang xiong.” A-Ling bowed to use both with grace and left with purposeful strides befitting of his status. He was eager tof urther investigate the curse that trapped him and his disciples whom for his concern was in the area as recently he picked up the harmful habit of feeling responsible for every evil demon’s wrongdoing’s. I would have to make sure that evening that he would find peaceful rest and appreciate the forced vacation.
With a sigh, I turned back to my waiting father.
“How can I assist you, father?”
“Son, did you give orders to host Jin zongzhu in your own quarters?”
“Of course, father. I would be remiss as his beloved if I wasn’t making sure personally that he is comfortable.”
“You lack the foresight thirty-five years of marriage gives me and now it tells me you are doing something unwise.”
“Everyone is unwise when in love.” I agreed.
“In love? Is that true?”
Upon that, I hurried to assure my father with the most beautiful flowers of my heart that my feelings for A-Ling were true. For anyone, especially someone as close to me and important as my father is, to think them for anything less than they were, was an unbearable thought to me.
“Why didn’t you say something? I will break the engagement this minute!” My all too practical father’s words betrayed the passion with which he always hurried to make his son’s happiness certain, hearing them made something warm bloom in my chest. Despite that, I couldn’t stand the thought of my engagement to YiYi broken.
“Father, but I wish to marry Lan Jingyi!” I exclaimed with the same passionate feelings strengthening my words.
“If this is because I said that the alliance is beneficial, never worry about that!” My love for my father felt overflowing in that moment, I couldn’t help but hug him.
“Father, it means the world to me that you care about my happiness so much! But I love A-Yi and wish him to be my consort and I can’t wish a greater romance in my life than A-Ling!”
My father hugged me back with the emotion he wasn’t fit to express with words but always did with his actions. My father was wise beyond his long years and hard-won experience but he never could show the poetry of his heart.
“If that is so, I won’t break off the engagement but are you sure your...romance won’t hurt your marriage or your marriage won’t hurt Jin zongzhu?”
“Oh no, A-Ling is very excited about the wedding! You know how he took it upon himself to help organise the feast! He loves us both very much!”
“I thought that was a gesture from him as the leader of the greater sect we are allied to.” my father murmured to himself contemplatively before his eyes widen in surprise as he realises something else. “What do you mean he loves you both? Do you mean...him and the young Lan gongzi?
“Oh, you hardly see two people more in love!” I said wistfully as I marvelled at the wonderful love between my beloveds! Just as A_Ling was excited about the wedding, I was excited about every moment of their relationship.
“But noone is as disrespectful with Jin zongzhu as Lan Jingyi is. He still calls him guniang.”
“That’s just how they flirt. A-Ling needs to not be taken seriously just as badly as he needs to be properly appreciated and lovingly pampered.” I nodded sagely, for if love makes the youth unwise it also makes them very wise indeed.
“You would be the appreciation and pampering in that sentence?”
My fathr knew me well but he didn’t know my beloveds as well yet.
“I try, but noone is as good in that as A-Yuan is.”
“A-Yuan?”
“You know Lan Sizhui. Indeed, I would be ashamed of myself to stand before him if he knew that I neglected his fiancée when we hosted him.”
“So that young Lan gongzi doesn’t mind your romance either?”
“But A-Yuan is the most gentle soul who you can meet! How would he mind the great romance between his beloveds?”
“Right, right. I should have figured. I see that I need to adjust how I treat Jin zongzhu and...what did you say, Lan Sizhui?”
I knew that my heart grew each time to make space for my beloved as I was sure in the knowledge that my father’s will accept them in his heart, too! I couldn’t be happier that night when at the joyful feast, my father turned to A-Ling with renewed interest, as he turned to everything that was important to his son.