Reunion and Time Apart

"Call off our feud with the Shen family, you say…and why should I do that?"

Inside the An family's garden, Lin calmly sipped her tea while her eyes failed to veil her contempt at the masked woman in front of her. She had sensed how high her cultivation is, even the bodyguards behind her would fall flat in a matter of seconds. Still, the An family heiress won't let herself be intimidated by this Xiaoyu thug that the Shen family hired.

Xiao wanted to brag about being the cause of their whole conflict, teasing Lin as it demonstrated after all how much Lin was willing to go just to enact revenge for her sake. But Xiao won't be able to with the eyes and ears behind Lin. Xiao decided it was better to get to the meat of it rather than beat around the bush.

"You should because I have news regarding Xiao."

The masked woman's words hit Lin like a speeding cart, catching her by surprise.

Lin stood in outburst, "Tell me, what news!?"

Xiao's gaze immediately went to the prying eyes at Lin's back. A gaze with a clear meaning behind them. So the masked woman would speak but in privacy?

+++

The An family's conference room had the bare necessities to discuss important family matters, a massive rectangular table, hand carved with dragon patterns on its side. The decorations were barebones aside from the lamp on each corner of the room and the An's main family portrait hung at the center. But perhaps the most important feature of all, was that it was soundproof to avoid any leak from family business dealings.

The moment that Xiao stepped inside, Lin closed the twin gates behind them, locking them with a sliding bar.

"You would lock yourself with a total stranger just for a crumb of information about this Xiao? Is she really that important to you?" Xiao took one of the seats as she questioned.

Lin, who wasn't in the mood to be cordial with the masked woman, wanted nothing more than answers and didn't even bother responding. To use the woman's own words, they are total strangers so why should Lin open up about them and Xiao? She went to the table and slammed her hand onto the desk, "What do you know about Xiao!? Answer me!"

"So impatient, you never showed this side to me when we were together."

When we were together? Lin's forehead creased in anger. What the fuck was this woman implying? But before Lin could spew her rage, the woman removed her pristine white mask. Lin gasped, having been hit by a bolt from the blue.

"Xiao, is that really you?"

"Do you know anyone else as pretty and strong?"

Lin smiled, that haughtiness and overflowing confidence, it really is Xiao!

Without hesitation, Lin's hands laid on Xiao's shoulders. Glee and astonishment intertwined within Lin, finding her emotions difficult to voice out, Lin simply let her emotions guide her actions.

A guide that egged on for their lips to meet.

Thus, the still overwhelmed Lin mashed her lips against Xiao, its intensity told how much she had missed the woman who in Lin's eyes had risen from the dead.

But no matter how much Xiao had missed Lin's kiss, she was here to discern if she truly wanted to cut things off with Lin. To tell Lin that she has a lover now and that they should remain nothing more than friends.

Lin separated, for her zeal wasn't reciprocated. Her twin hands grasped the side of Xiao's head, Lin peered into Xiao's eyes, Lin asked, "Is there something wrong, Xiao?"

What Xiao needed to do was clear, stare right back at her, tell Lin about Yanmei and hope that in spite of all, they could still be friends. It was simple, really, all Xiao needed to do was to break Lin's heart. Yet the memories of the times they spent together prevented Xiao from doing so, from their first meeting, their first night, and from their last separation.

Leave Lin, Xiao already has Yanmei. Shouldn't her spirit beast lover be enough?

"Lin, I want to tell you that I…"

"Tell me what, Xiao?"

"...That I've missed you." Screw it. Xiao will throw caution to the wind and make Yanmei and Lin hers, and hers alone. To hell with Yanmei's conditions.

The elation upon hearing Xiao's words made Lin's lips twist into a smile, pulling Xiao into an embrace.

"I've missed you too, Xiao." After the heartfelt embrace, Lin's curiosity took over. While her hands were still on Xiao, Lin asked, "You've got to tell me what happened to you."

+++

After announcing to the Shen family that their feud was now over, the elated Xiao returned to the room where she and Yanmei were staying.

As soon as she entered, she was greeted by Yanmei who laid sideways on the bed, welcoming Xiao with a smile.

What did Xiao decide upon? What path will their relationship tread? Yanmei was curious if Xiao had the courage to let go of Lin, or did Xiao choose the path of having multiple lovers?

"How did your meeting with Yanmei go?"

Her expression serious, Xiao sat on the bed's edge, "It went great. But about what we had discussed last night…"

"What about it?"

"...I decided that I don't want to share you with anyone else. You and Lin will both be mine."

Yanmei can't believe they are having this conversation once again, with disbelief in her tone, Yanmei explained, "You decided? What about my decision then? I don't think you understand, Xiao. If you are free to have your harem, then am I not free to have mine?"

The equality that Yanmei's logic championed did indeed hold water, but what is love if not illogical?

"What I understand is that I love you, can't it be just us and Lin?"

By raising her timbre, Yanmei unleashed her anxieties, "Do you understand how desires work, Xiao? You ask me to bottle everything inside while you're going around catching women with a net as if they're butterflies? I know your type Xiao, it will never be just us and Lin!"

"Then we are at an impasse." Xiao declared.

An awkward silence overtakes them, carefully pondering what words to utter next, fearing for what they had built up until now is about to undone as both of them had differing ideas on what being in a harem should be.

At her wits end, Xiao would settle it the best way that she knows how to, by a physical clash of wills, "Yanmei, fight me."

"Hmph." A wry chuckle escaped from Yanmei's lips as she stood, about to exit the room.

"Where are you going!?"

Right before exiting, Yanmei answered bluntly, "I am not in the mood for a fight. Perhaps it would be better if we spend some time apart. Think things through."