Aching Hearts

"You're here to get out of the marriage?" Min Hong interjected her with a candid tone; he didn't even turn to look at her, and simply focused his gaze on the scenic artwork in front of him.

Mei Lin's heart couldn't help but shudder when she heard him; a trace of disbelief appeared on her beautiful as she retreated a couple of steps.

Growing flustered, she stuttered; "Y-you… you already knew?"

"I could tell." It was at this point that Min Hong finally turned to gaze upon her beautiful face.

He shook his head with a sigh before wearing a self-depreciating smile. However, the next words that came out of his mouth took Mei Lin even more by surprise;

"Thank you." He softly said, with a genuine look on his face.

"You're thanking me?" Mei Lin couldn't help but ask, confused.

"Yeah, I'm thanking you. I'm thanking you for not bringing this up in front of my mother. You didn't hurt her old heart, and you also let me save some face; so, yeah I'm thanking you." He added with a smile.

Mei Lin carefully stared at Min Hong. Since they arrived a couple of days ago, she had already learned a lot about Min Hong's situation and what he had been through in the past few years.

She had thought that he would grow furious and snap at her when he learned why she had come, and maybe even go to the extent of wildly cursing at her; but never would she have anticipated that he would give this kind of response.

"I know you're a proud and gifted woman; after all, you are already able to control a Second Rank Savage Beast at such a young age.

As for me, I'm just a normal person. We're from two different worlds, so you're not wrong to want this. There's no need for you to feel bad about it." Min Hong chuckled lightly, following it up with an extremely warm and comforting smile.

However, when Mei Lin saw that smile, it passed a totally different emotional message to her, and her heart couldn't help but ache when she received them.

This young man, practically a boy, had suffered too much misfortune for his age already, and now, here she was, personally personally stabbing him in the heart; an action she knew would leave a deeper wound than the many he was already nursing.

Was this not a little too heartless?

"Give me a couple of days and I'll convince my mother to decline this marriage. I promise you that it won't take too long."

After saying this, Min Hong slowly turned around and walked away. The setting sun illuminated his slim visage.

His back was straight and dignified, but the aura surrounding him was somewhat miserable; compounding that with the bloody backdrop of the setting sun, he seemed like a peerless genius who had just been cursed by jealous gods to forever walk the immortal path in utter loneliness. 

Receiving another bout of emotional message, especially one sent by nature itself, Mei Lin couldn't help but cover her cherry lips in apprehension. Her legs grew weak as she sat on the ground and weep deeply.

Was I right to do this or was I wrong?

The moment Min Hong left, a young woman slowly walked over from behind as she began to softly console Mei Lin.

"Big sis, now that everything's been said, it's already over. This Min Hong really does seem pitiful."

The two maidens stared at Min Hong's lonely visage until he disappeared from their sights.

Upon descending the mountain, Min Hong's mood became increasingly depressed. From the first moment he saw Mei Lin, his heart had fiercely tugged towards, and he would be lying to himself if he said he didn't grow a strong feeling of love and attraction towards her.

Someone like Mei Lin was like a fairy amongst mortals; for a normal guy like himself, it would have been strange if he wasn't attracted to her. Unfortunately, his feelings had been doused by frigid water before they could even surface, not to talk of be projected or confessed.

Min Hong's spirit sense was tyrannically powerful, so he was exceptionally sensitive towards other people's emotions. The moment Mei Lin had shown her capabilities through summoning the Frigid Night Owl, he had already known how things would play out; and none of the signals he got were good.

I've lost love before I could even fall in love…

Min Hong was deeply miserable inside, so madly that he wanted to yell into the heavens. He had suffered through so much repression and injustice, but he had never let any of that break him. However, this time, the break up had truly broken him; so much that he truly felt an urge to weep.

He could tell that Mei Lin was a gentle and kind girl; otherwise, there was no need for her to go about the situation as she had done; she could have directly declined the marriage, regardless of his mother's feelings or old heart.

It wasn't as if he wanted to have the marriage arrangement annulled, but what could he do? He could yell and cry at the heavens all he liked, but what was the point?

Yes, maybe if he had begged her, then the marriage might have gone through, but at that point, it wouldn't even mean anything.

He knew it was better to just let it go. Although his heart was broken and ached terribly, he knew he could endure and mend it.

By the time he got home, the bloody sky had already taken a gentle bluish hue; it was almost as if nature was trying to console him.

Seeing her son arrive, Mrs. Min swiftly rained a barrage of questions on him.

"What did both of you discuss? Did you make any progress? Were your feelings reciprocated? Don't tell me you screwed things up?"

Ignoring his mothers antics, Min Hong swept all her questions under the rug as he asked one of his: 

"Mom, how did Mei Lin and I end up in an arranged marriage, and why didn't you tell me about it?

Hearing this, a surge of pain raced through Mrs. Min's veins; however, she quickly put on a doting expression and answered him.

Apparently, the Min and Mei families were initially on very good terms.

Their fathers were life and death brothers, and back then, they had sworn to each other that; if both their children were males, they would be sworn brothers; if they were both females, they'd be sworn sisters; and if they were male and female, then they would be husband and wife.

Hearing this, Min Hong couldn't help but sigh.

To him, his parent's generation had been happy and carefree, but now that it comes to Mei Lin and himself, all they have is bitterness.

"Mom, I feel I and Mei Lin aren't compatible with each other." Min Hong responded after he had found no other way to lay down the matter.

"What?" Mrs. Min stared at her son in disbelief.

Though she had sensed something wrong, she had felt Min Hong simply did something that pissed Mei Lin off, and thought it was a situation that was still salvageable. However, from what Min Hong just said, it seemed the ship had already sunk.

"Mom, don't get too emotional about it. What I'm saying is that Mei Lin and I aren't compatible; after all…" Min Hong's throat was choked with emotions; he simply couldn't continue.

"No, Fuck that! That's crazy talk! Mei Lin is such a beautiful woman; how is she incompatible with you?" Mrs. Min was so furious she couldn't help but slot in a curse word somewhere.

"Mom, listen to me. Love requires two willing parties; you not only ignored our consent before setting this up for us. This whole thing is arbitrary and was set by two people who were drunk in happiness."

"You! Are you trying to anger me? Cuz if you are, you're really doing a fantastic job!" Mrs. Min didn't even understand her son anymore, or where whatever he was saying was coming from.

She was not only angered, she was also distressed to the point that tears flowed down her face in torrents.

Min Hong was totally distraught, but it wasn't as if he could tell her the truth. All he could do was simply stand there and watch his mother hurl curses everywhere mid-sob.

"Hong'er, tell your mother the truth. Is it Mei Lin who wants to get out of this?"

"How could that be possible? Mei is a gentle and kind maiden. It was me; I feel that this is too sudden and there is no way I can accept such an arrangement." Min Hong firmed his heart as he broke his mom's. If this is the only way for her to let the matter go, then he would gladly bear the guilt.

Seeing her son's expression and the sadness oozing out of his raised voice, Mrs. Min couldn't help but slowly find a seat to support her.

"Say no more, child; it's your mom and dad's fault." She added after barely gathering her emotions together.

Mrs. Min wasn't stupid, and neither was she a novice at love. She naturally knew her son's character, and despite his strong or furious outward appearance, she could tell he was deeply hurting on the inside.

After thinking about it for a moment, she knew that the situation wasn't as simple as he had claimed, so she swiftly hugged hugged him as tears slowly flowed onto his shoulders.

Sensing his mother's hurt, Min Hong couldn't help but heave an inward sigh and console his mother:

"Mom, it's not as bad as you think. I just think we're not suitable for now; nobody said we couldn't get along in the future..." He added with a dry laugh.

"It's all part of my plan. First, I annul this marriage arrangement, and then use my unparalleled skills to get her back, not as a gift, but as a true achievement. Shouldn't this be way things are done?"

"Hmph, what part of that is easy? Mei Lin is a beautiful young maiden; she definitely has a long list of youngsters groveling after her.

Without this marriage contract, not only have you been placed at the back of that long queue, you will also have to show or offer her something those brats haven't shown or offered her already.

As a woman; I can tell you for certainty; women are not easy to please, especially not when they've probably seen better things than what you are offering." Mrs. Min sighed in frustration, but she continued eitherways.

"But you're also right. This kind of thing can't be forced. Since it's your marriage and both of you are yet to reach that age, you still have time, though a very short and uncertain one.

Who knows, some old ghost somewhere might just see her and match her up with the brat of his loins." Mrs. Min was already getting furious at a situation that might not even exist; that's just the extent of her overthinking capabilities.

"Thank you mom." Min Hong could tell, she was already accepting the situation, so he could only chuckle lightly as he hugged her.

Separating from her son, Mrs. Min flipped her mattress over and took out an old wooden case from within which a thin piece of paper lay; then she handed it to Min Hong.

"This is your marriage contract. If you want to get out of it, just destroy it."

Receiving that thin piece of paper however, Min Hong's heart couldn't help but ache once again, TO think the fate between himself and a drop dead beauty actually depended on such a worn ugly piece of paper; It was truly lamentable.

However, Min Hong didn't destroy the paper; after all, that would mean he was indeed the one getting out of the marriage, and such an action; especially after the stunt he just pulled at the sunset mountain, would truly smash and burn his chances to ashes.