Chapter 192 - What About Me

Years. So many moons and time went by in this quiet world. Wang Li and Ying Yue followed what the Jade Emperor said. His husband would come visit him early in the morning as the sun was rising when the Festival arrived. Then, he would leave late in the night.

Yet, when Wang Li was away, Ying Yue went through different stages whenever his lover was no longer with him.

Some days, Ying Yue would stare at the moon and smiled, being reminded of his husband's eyes. Some days, he would cry himself to sleep due to loneliness without his lover. Some days, he would laugh and sigh listening to Wang Li retell stories-some fictitious- through the messenger butterfly.

Other times, he would play his guqin, play their songs as memories flowed through each pluck of the silken strings. Other times, he relived the paintings, the drawings from centuries before and even new ones that his husband had drawn.

"What are you looking at Grandmaster Yue?"

He looked over to see Li Chu bouncing over to him with her brother, Fu Shen. He smiled at them, happy to see their relaxed face and smiles. He turned the paintings toward them to show them what he was looking at.

"Wow! Is that Snow?" The blue haired female awed with a grin.

The siblings looked through the pages and he saw his other students joining. He answered their questions and even painted an image of his husband for them to witness. This led to him teaching his eager students how to paint.

"How does this look, Grandmaster Yue?"

"Am I doing this right, Grandmaster Yue?"

"Grandmaster Yue, can you show me what to do again?"

Laughing softly, Ying Yue helped each student who needed it. This was nice. Demons and ghosts still roamed, but they were not as challenging as before. Then again, it was probably thanks to Mo Chou who had been showing up more often.

Some days, Mo Chou would enter with a scroll, a butterfly, a painting, or all of them for him. Other days, he received nothing but an apology. Sometimes that hurt him, but it only made him send his lover's loyalist three gifts.

"Wow, that is pretty good."

"Ah, I have no talent in art."

"The eyes are too big!"

"Ugh… I quit."

"Fantastic work!"

His heart sighed with contentment as he watched his students chattering with smiles. He looked out of the doors to see his nephew speaking with the tanned skinned man. A grin split across his face and he mentioned Mo Chou had arrived. Every student perked up, ready to receive a gift from his husband.

'Ah, my love, you are spoiling them.'

Outside, Xu Lan was having a hard time keeping his face from reacting, but Mo Chou really made his skin itch and crawl. Why? The navy blue haired male was blinking at him innocently, but his words were… were shameless!

"Lan-er, my beautiful bubblegum, how I thought of kissing you and making you the same color as your hair."

"Mo Chou, what did my uncle gift me," he gritted out with his eye twitching.

"Me, my body," Mo Chou blinked at him and the pinkette flushed lightly.

"Stop playing games," he mumbled.

"Eh? Who said this was a game? It is the truth."

"Mo Chou," he gritted out lowly losing the calm façade he held up.

Before he could continue, his students had ran toward the tanned man. He watched as his uncle's follower turn to them with a bright smile and crinkled purple eyes. He observed the lilt in his tone and the kind words sliding off those mischievous tongue.

What an actor this man was.

"Ah Chou," his blonde uncle smiled at the man and Xu Lan couldn't help the stretch across his lips into a smile. His uncle was always the happiest when Mo Chou was here.

"Ah Yue," Mo Chou finished passing out the candies Wang Li had given him to share, "Hm, you look better and better when I see you. Should I tell my king?"

Ying Yue let out a chuckle with a grin and nodded.

"Tell him, Ah Chou, so he will never forget me."

"He couldn't even if he wanted to, Ying Yue. I have a story that you are going to love," the blue haired man grinned, "Without the students, of course," he finished with a whisper.

The blonde brightened with a slight blush covering the tip of his ears and the loyalist laughed. He handed candies to everyone else: Xu Ling, Han Mo, Nuying, and Li Yun. Looking in his bag, a silver butterfly flew toward Heaven's Chosen and the platinum blonde closed his golden eyes.

Mo Chou smiled softly and waved Li Chu and Fu Shen over.

"My king said it took him a while to get it made, but gifts for you."

He handed Fu Shen a pipa and Li Chu two flutes. She tilted her head with furrowed brows and he sent a soft smile.

"One for Li Hien," he said softly and purple eyes widened before the blue haired female placed it against her chest.

"Ah! Also, this so you can practice. My king is not the strongest in learning music, but he did his best in writing down songs he remembered from his past."

He handed both student the music books handwritten by Wang Li. They clutched it tightly with their mouth dropped and eyes wide. Bowing, they thanked Mo Chou for bringing them gifts from their Master Li and said they will send back a letter.

'This feels good,' he hummed to himself and suddenly saw a hand in front of his face.

"What about me?"

Zhang Xu Lan, little Lan-er, half of Heaven and half of Demon frowned with his hand out waiting for his gift. He looked in his bag and produced a rolled-up scroll and waved it before him. The pinkette's eyes brightened and he reached for the item, but Mo Chou held it back.

"Tsk, tsk, my dear Lan-er," he shook his blue hair, "This is for your uncle."

Ying Yue thanked Mo Chou and looked over to see his nephew stomping his foot.

"But! Where is mine?! Uncle Li wouldn't forget me! He promised me he won't."

"Maybe he got busy," Mo Chou shrugged.

"He didn't forget everyone else."

Xu Lan bent at the waist to look into the bag to find it empty. Not believing his uncle would ever forget him, he shook the bag. It was tugged out of his hold and the back of his hair was gripped. His black eyes stared into purple ones.

"You should not touch what isn't yours, Zhang Xu Lan."

He felt his cheeks warming and his breathing quickening. His eyes were watering, and he felt his heart dropping feeling forgotten. A slice of betrayal of a broken promise from the Ghost King.

"Why don't you give a kiss and I will tell you?"

Mo Chou leaned in and paused seeing the look on the pinkette's face. Black eyes looked away and Mo Chou could see the redness, not of embarrassment, splotchy on pale skin. Letting go of pink hair, he watched as Xu Lan bit his lips and looked down, defeated and upset.

'Did he push too far?'

Reaching into his sleeves, he procured a small bag.

"I was only playing with you, Ah Lan. Do not be upset. My king made sure I kept your gift safe."

Black eyes, watery and reddened looked at him, before looking at the bag. He reached for it and walked away, leaving his uncle's loyal follower behind. Mo Chou watched the pinkette's retreating figure and he looked over to the platinum blonde with his shoulders dropped.

"I hurt him."

"Lan-er is sensitive. I am sure my husband already told you."

"He told me not to tease him too much, but I cannot help it. He is so adorable when I do," he whined and crossed his arms. Sighing he looked back at Heaven's Chosen to see golden eyes staring at him. He quirked his brow and the platinum blonde did the same.

Rolling his eyes, he felt his king's wife placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Be gentle with my nephew, Ah Chou. He misses my husband. Ah Li is the only one who knew what burden he carries. One with Heaven and Demon blood. Please do not tease him when it comes to Wang Li."

"My apologies, Heaven's Chosen."

Mo Chou sighed and rubbed his face with a frown. No wonder the pinkette always got so angry when he teased him. Heading to where the pinkette disappeared to, he saw the redhead narrowing golden eyes at him. He sent an apologetic smile to the cultivator and saw his king's nephew sitting under a blossoming tree.

He sighed and walked over to sit before the pinkette male. Xu Lan did not acknowledge him or even look at him. Black eyes stared at the poured content from the bag. He reached out to touch an item, but the master gripped his wrist tightly.

"I hate you."

He felt those words burned his skin. His wrist was let go and he pulled his arm back. Reaching into his sleeve, he pulled out the letter and placed it on the mat. Black eyes stared at the letter for a moment, before they blinked tiredly at him.

"I apologize, Ah Lan. I do not mean to hurt you."

"Liar," was whispered and Mo Chou sighed deeply.