148 It was never a choice

Li Dai Yu could feel someone's eyes on her back. The Fae gate is so close that she could feel it. The air is vibrating with exuberant magic. However, the souls are getting stuck in a net of golden rays before they could reach the energy pool around the Fae gate. She turns around and looks at the faraway building. On top of the building, a woman and a man are watching them. Though she can't see their faces clearly, she could tell that the man is not human.

"She's the moon guardian," Fu Sheng says to her. After coming to this city, he found out the existence of the guardians. He wonders why the moon guardian hid the truth for so long.

"The moon guardian?" She is surprised to hear that. "Are there others?"

She has read about them in the books from Aiken's library. The guardians are born when the world needs them. The four horsemen of the apocalypse have already been looming over the world -- the continuous silent wars in the past several years, the evil energy that affected the converts and turned them into soulless creatures, the insatiable hunger among the dead, and the countless deaths and destruction of souls.

Just like that, there are rumoured to be four guardians -- sun, moon, blood, soul. During the apocalypse, they were supposed to fight the evils and protect the world. However, that didn't happen.

"Fu Mian is the blood guardian." Fu Sheng has known for a long time that the purpose of Fu Mian's birth was to exterminate the converts. However, he found out the identities of the guardians after meeting the moon guardian. The others might not know it either.  "You have already met the sun guardian."

"Who?" Li Dai Yu doesn't remember meeting any other guardian. She didn't even know that Fu Mian is a guardian.

"Sung Na-Mi." Fu Sheng exhales. Since the guardians have appeared, what does it mean for the world? His child is the youngest one. 

"Her?" She remembers that girl from Huang Qiuyan's memories. "Isn't she Klyn's true mate?"

"What?" He knits his brows, shocked by her revelation. "Whose true mate?"

"Klyn's." She laughs. He didn't notice it either. "Jin mentioned it after you were gone."

"Why him?" He rubs the space between his brows. Sung Na-Mi doesn't know that she's a sun guardian. Whereabouts of soul guardian are unknown at the moment. The four guardians have a significant purpose. "She's not only heavenly blessed immortal, but a sun guardian too."

If there are guardians in this world, it's good then. She shrugs and walks beside Fu Sheng. She wonders how Xiao Chun Dan will react if he hears about the guardians.

All of a sudden, she feels a sharp pain in her head. Li Dai Yu freezes on the spot. What's this? When did she wake up? There's not enough time. She realizes what went wrong. Her face contorts in pain, resisting Huang Qiuyan from taking over.

She pushes Fu Sheng away and gasps, clutching her chest. "You betrayed me."

He's been seducing her, occupying her thoughts, taking care of her, and putting her to sleep in his arms. All of that is a lie. It was all a distraction.

"I didn't betray you," Fu Sheng tells her with a quiet voice. For a while, he has felt that something has changed. He didn't say anything because he didn't want Li Dai Yu to notice. 

"Then…" Her lips quiver. "You never chose me."

"It was never a choice." Fu Sheng sighs. "Li Dai Yu, you are Huang Qiuyan."

"I am not her." Her nails dig into her palms. The words escape through her lips before she could stop them. "You never loved me."

"Li Dai Yu, how can I not love you when you are a part of her? I love all the pieces of her." He takes a deep breath. "How long are you to be this way? It's time for you to become whole."

Is she always going to be Huang Qiuyan's shadow? She won't disappear. It will be Huang Qiuyan who should disappear. She sneers at him. "Thank you for doing this to me. My heart wavered for a moment. My eyes are open now."

"Li Dai Yu." He takes a step toward her. "Give in to her. There's no point in fighting."

If she makes it there in time, she can suppress Huang Qiuyan again. This time, she will bury her so deep that Huang Qiuyan would never be able to wake up ever again. "Well, you did keep your promise."

"Come here." He takes slow steps toward her, afraid that she would sprint toward the Fae gate and do something that might harm her. "Li Dai Yu, don't do something rash."

She measures her options. Huang Qiuyan is fighting her vehemently. If she loses now, the moment will be lost. 

***

He has heard of the sound coming from the tree. Huang Qiuyan is awake, fighting to come out. Huang Wei Yi is also in there, encouraging his sister. Xiao Chun Dan wraps a piece of clothes around Fu Mian's finger. "You are brave, my niece."

"Uncle Dan, is it mommy?" She looks at the tree. The sounds of cracking are coming out from the tree. She's not scared at all. 

"Yes." His trick is working. His host did put her life in danger for Fu Mian before. Xiao Chun Dan smirks at her, "Fu Mian, I am smart, right?"

"Uncle Dan, you are the smartest uncle." Fu Mian grins at him. "When will you give me the gift that you promised me?"

"Soon." He strokes her head. "After she comes out..."

He blinks his eyes when Fu Mian suddenly disappears from the spot. He looks up at the sky. "No… she found out already."

***

All of a sudden, Fu Mian finds herself in the air. She turns her head a little and sees her mother standing in the distance. What is happening? Squeezing her eyes shut, sets out a high-pitched scream when she realizes that she's falling.  

Fu Sheng runs toward Fu Mian before he could even think. He catches her in his arms and clutches her to his chest. "Are you hurt, my child?"

"Daddy, where did mommy go?" Fu Mian looks in the direction where Li Dai Yu was standing a moment ago.

He puts her down on the ground and looks toward the woman on the top of the building. She gives him a nod. Fu Sheng turns to Fu Mian. "Mian'er, daddy has to go after your mother. Daddy's friend will come and take care of you until Uncle Aiken can come and get you."

"I will wait for you, Daddy." She gives him a nod with a determined look in her eyes. "Bring Mommy back with you."

He kisses her forehead. "Be a good girl while we are gone."