The butler placed the dishes and silently left. Whist on the side, Bao's eyes lingered o his downcast face. 'There was no expression I his eyes. Maybe he really does not feel for me as I do,' Bao thought, massaging the bridge of his nose. A raging headache is what remained as he stood next to his child.
"Mister, may I ask where am I at? Because....it does not look like a hospital," she whispered hesitantly.
"Oh, you are at my home. We admitted you in K-hospital. After the doctors assured us that you were safe, we moved you here. I heard you lived alone with your child, that's why..." Bao glanced up at her through his lashes.
Gillian sighed and nodded. "Sorry for the inconvenience. I—I don't have anyone... I never expected such a thing to happen....." she said with tears in her eyes. Little Sheng hugged her close and patted her back softly. "My child is all I've got. To think I almost died....I feel so guilty," she cried, hugging her on back.
Sheng stood up on the bed and hugged her head to his little tummy. "Mommy, don't cry! I will always be there for you," he cried, kissing her forehead.
"Yes, that's all I need, baby, that's all I need." She whispered, borrowing her head on his chest. She breathed in the baby scent of his son and all of a sudden sneezed. "achoo....achooo,"
"Are you okay? Are you feeling sick again?" Bao said anxiously from the side.
"No—achoo, I'm feeling-achoo- fine. Oh my god, why is my nose so itchy?" she said wiping her nose rapidly. Glancing down, she noticed some little wisps red hair on her son's shirt. "Why is there- achoo- hair on your shirt? Oh right, I- achoo- think that puppy's hair stuck to- achoo- your shirt," she said removing the wisps of hair off his shirt. She patted the bed as well, but the hair was impossible to get rid of.
"Is there a problem?" Bao whispered, sitting on the corner of the bed.
Gillian laughed awkwardly. "The thing is-achoo- I'm allergic to animal fur-achoo- I really should not have hugged that pup," she whispered guiltily. Glancing down at her frowning little sheng she patted his shirt clean again. "Little sheng really likes puppies, but because of my allergy we could not buy one,"
Meanwhile, Little sheng frowned hard. 'I forgot mom is allergic. Ahh, how could I?' he thought, mentally berating himself.
On the other hand Bao was bewildered. 'Shit, if I really had told the truth about sheng's transformation it would have gone really bad thankfully I listened to master,' he thought wiping his sweat away. "Well...I'll let you enjoy your meal in peace," he whispered and left the room.
"Wait...." sheng rushed after him. Outside the door, he hugged his father's thigh. "Daddy, are you angry that I lied?"
"Hmm...little sheng should not lie to hers. Especially to your daddy," Bao whispered, lifting him up in his embrace.
Sheng guiltily glanced down. "But it was for a reason....daddy, you should not get too close to mommy,"
"Oh my god, my baby hates me now," Bao dramatically said rocking the little son in his rams.
Sheng chuckled out loud, looping his hands around his neck. "NO! I love you...it's because I love you that I don't want you to get close to mum," "besides, I think someone else owns your heart. Don't give false hope to my mother," he gestured for his father to let him down. He jumped down from his hands and threw him a look and walked away.
"W—what are you talking about? Wait, I don't have anyone else in my heart," Bao shouted after him.
"See, even a child could notice," Long whispered all of a sudden. "I see you are thinking about a particular flower demon..."
"NO!! I—I don't have anyone else in my heart,"
"Denying it is not helping your situation," Long pointed to the butler who stood frozen in the hallway with a tray of coffee in hand.
"Please excuse me!," The butler awkwardly said and rushed away.
"Ziyu...wait," Bao rushed after him.
Long sighed, watching this. "Being in love is tough, but being in denial is even worse," he shook his head and walked away just like that kid.
Meanwhile, the butler felt His master rushed after him. But before he could reach him, the butler banged the door close after him. His trembling hand could not hold the tray anymore, the cups clattered to the ground, shattering into million pieces. Just like his glass heart. 'I really should not have hoped for more. I should not have....I knew that I will end up in disappointment,' he thought, wiping the stray tear away.
"Ziyuan...open the door." His master shouted from out the door. Shaking his head, the butler refused. 'I don't want you to see me such a disgraceful state master...I don't,' he glanced out. Through the door he could imagine the disgusted expression his master might donned on and shuddered. "Master.....give me some time. I think I'm sick," he whispered, cupping his aching chest.
"Sick!! Come out Zi, let me take a look. Please come out," Bao pleaded from outside.
Only silence followed after.
Bao impatiently knocked again and again, but did not get any response. For a second he even contemplated breaking the door down, but stopped himself. "Ziyu.....ziyu...I—I.... can you listen to your master... please come out let me see your face," he whispered leaning helplessly against the door.
The door opened all of a sudden tipping him off balance. He tripped forward and gripped onto the butler's shoulders, trying to regain his balance. "Ziyu, you....did you cry?" he whispered anxiously, watching his red swollen eyes. He hesitantly touched his forehead. But Ziyuan leaned away from his hands. "It's okay, master," he said with his head down. His jet black hair dropped down his face, hiding his eyes. He shrugged his master's hands and held him up straight. "Why were you leaning on the door, master? It's dangerous,"
"ziyu..." Bao whispered softly, parting his hair. He leaned down and peered into his red eyes. "Why were you crying ziyu, tell me?" he said gently.
But the flower demon shuddered. He stepped back a few steps, softly panting under his breath.
"Ziyu, are you running away again?" Bao stepped into the door and closed the door after him. "why did you step back, ziyu? Are you scared of me? Or...." he caged his little butler to the door and leaned his face closer, "are you aroused by me?"
The butler hid his trembling hands behind his back. Glancing up, he whispered, "Neither Master. I don't fear you or....the other thing," he mumbled. 'But I love you...' he thought, peering into his master's charming eyes. "M—master, I have work," he mumbled awkwardly, tapping the arms caging him.
Bao glanced down at his clear eyes and sighed. "go..." watching him leave, he could not help but sigh again. 'He cried. Doesn't that mean he likes me as well? No! I think I made it much worse. But.....there is still hope.....'
Taking a deep breath, he patted his pounding heart. "This time it's going to work. I will win him over,"
Days went by, and Gillian was healthy enough to leave. With a heavy heart, he waved his son as they both drove away. "I will miss him," he whispered. "Butler! I have a brilliant idea," he shouted all of a sudden.
"Why don't we employ Sheng's mother in one of our companies? This way I would have a reason to visit them as often as possible. And also I can train sheng with his spiritual energy. This is a win- win," Bao exclaimed in glee. He held the butler I his arms and jumped around. The butler, on the other hand, hid his red face subtly. "We shall," he replied back.
And so the fox's ploy worked. Sheng's mother was employed in one of the marketing agencies. She had ample amount of rest time to get well, and she joined the work force. To make it convenient to meet sheng, Bao introduced a new free schooling and facility for his company's employees.
This worked out perfectly. Both Bao and the butler, ziyuan were able to meet sheng and train him as well.
Xia and Long stayed in this modern world for almost three months until the relationship of Bao and Butler solidified. After which Bao personally led them to the spatial portal.
"It is not easy to open this portal but.....since you said that master's father is looking from the other side then he will help us open it from the other side," Bao said glancing at the nervous looking Xia.
Long hugged Xia close and whispered softly in his ears, "don't fret dear, your meeting will work out fine,"
"I know but....I'm meting my father for the first time..No, I'm meeting him for the third time..Oh no, what to do," he whispered biting his lips anxiously.
Meanwhile, Bao had summoned his weapon, a heavy red bow. Its sleek red body curved inwards to form a perfect arch. But there were no arrows for it.
Bao drew the drawstring; his spiritual energy collected in his finders, forming a small red arrow and shot it up the sky. The small portal opened, swallowed up the arrow. "It's done, now we have to wait for your father to notice master," he said with a smirk.
"Hmm," Xia nodded. He hugged Bao and whispered, "thank you for being my friend Bao. I could not ask for anyone better. I'm happy I met you,"
Bao chuckled, wiping the tears leaking out of his eyes. "Master. It is 'I' who is lucky,"
Next Xia hugged the butler close and whispered softly to his ear, "Take good care of him for me,"
The butler nodded.
All of a sudden, the portal opened with a hand stretching out from the other side.. Xia and Long jumped through the hole without any hesitation, leaving behind a tearful Bao and a smirking butler.