Anger and Confusion

First came the confusion. It took a few seconds for the scene of Luqing buried in her lover's sacred garden.

Then the anger. An anger that blinded Xiao, spurring her legs with haste, all in order to hurt the cat spirit beast as fast as she could.

Xiao's furious fist aimed straight for Luqing's head, but the spirit beast caught the full force of Xiao's anger as easily with her hand.

But the rage within Xiao guided her actions, it is a fire that will not subside until it has consumed Luqing. Xiao lowered pushed her body forward, slamming her elbow into Luqing's gut that gave a booming explosion before sending Luqing crashing into the wall. Given how high Luqing's cultivation is, the attack hardly posed any damage but it still chipped at her pride that she was sent flying. Luqing chuckled, looks like she's going to need to get a little 'rough' in order to calm down Xiao.

"I would rather talk about this first, but if you want to throw down then I am more than willing to." Luqing taunted.

Xiao was about to rain her fury onto Luqing until she felt Yanmei's hand on her wrist.

"Let me go, Yanmei, I demand it!" Xiao warned, her gaze sharp as knives.

" What will you do if I don't, Xiao? You're going to hit me too?"

Naturally, Yanmei could fight back, but the thought that Xiao would intentionally cause her lover harm snapped her out of her rage. Morphing Xiao's furious demeanor into one of hurt and anguish.

"Sure, turn this around on me, why don't you? You're the one who cheated!" Xiao snapped her wrist away as she shouted.

Yanmei was perplexed. Yanmei thought Xiao already knew what she was getting into when she entered a relationship with her, apparently not.

It would be best if Yanmei and Xiao ironed this out on their own. Yanmei's attention went to her earlier cohort, "Luqing, can you give us some time alone?"

Not wanting to ruin the new bond she forged with her fellow spirit beast, Luqing clothed herself and left without a word.

"Don't you dare walk out on me, I'm not done with you yet!"

Xiao's anger combusted once more, only for Yanmei to block Xiao's pursuit, calming her down by pressing both of Yanmei's hands in Xiao's cheeks, forcing the two of them to lock eyes.

With a sincere expression, Yanmei reasoned, "Xiao, listen to me. What happened was a moment of weakness, and I apologize, it wasn't my intention to hurt you. But you have to understand that if you are free to seek out Lin the I am free to be with another. Granted I should have consulted you first, but it wasn't Luqing and I's intention to end up in bed, believe me."

"I…I…" Xiao was at a loss for words, she hadn't thought of it like that. Like a tyrant, should Xiao enforce that only HER should have the right for multiple partners? That Yanmei and Lin be bound to her and her alone? Because that was what Xiao's heart was telling, to damn the reason behind Yanmei's argument.

Seeing the struggle in Xiao's eyes, Yanmei offered comfort. Yanmei's lips kissed Xiao, dousing the flames of anger inside Xiao, soothing her emotions. Slowly, Yanmei had moved them and sinked their bodies into the soft bed. Yanmei's tails blanketed Xiao, driving her anxieties at bay, they were still there but for now, Xiao would rather focus on the warmth and gentleness that Yanmei's tails and embrace imparted to her.

Yanmei halted their kiss as she stared straight into Xiao's eyes, brushing Xiao's hair, Yanmei stated, "Do you want us to be exclusive for each other? I can make do with that. But it would mean that you have to stop pursuing Lin, while I would cut my newfound spirit bond with Luqing."

A single soul matched for another, no more no less. That path that Yanmei wanted for them to tread involved multiple. Mortals cling to this for a noble cause, to devote their fleeting life to only one partner and only one alone. But Yanmei and Xiao were immortals, what happens when you have an eternity to spend? The various lovers they would find should be the ultimate spice to avoid things from getting stale. Yanmei can forgo this if Xiao was not willing to embrace the lifestyle.

"I…I need to see Lin for one last time before I make my decision." Xiao answered. Even Xiao was not aware why, only that she must. Was it for a final goodbye? Now Xiao was torn, the thought of leaving Yanmei crossed her mind, but letting go of the fox woman seemed to be an even harder thing to do than letting go of Lin, especially when she was nestled inside of Yanmei's calming tails . Does that mean that she loved Yanmei more? But what about everything that she and Lin shared? The only thing Xiao was sure she wanted was yanmei to…

"Keep holding me" Xiao dove into her lover's chest, reveling in the serenity that her lover's tails offered. Tomorrow Xiao will confront Lin, but for now, she would want nothing more than to remain where she is.

"Then I shall." Yanmei obliged. One of Yanmei's tails brushed Xiao's cheeks. To which Xiao nuzzled against, prompting Yanmei to ask, "You really like my tails, don't you?"

"Why shouldn't I? They're soft and they smell good, and most of all, they are yours."

(They get harder than steel if I will it, Just ask Luqing) is what Yanmei wanted to say but mentioning Luqing after Xiao had now calmed is akin to rekindling a rebuilt house that had previously burnt from a fire. Best to just steer away the conversation from her fellow spirit beast and ask something unrelated, "By the way, have you discovered anything about what happened to your training mannequin?"

"Oh yeah, that! Listen to this…" Thus, Xiao recanted her rather salacious discovery all while cozy in Yanmei's embrace. How Liuming was playing dress up with it, how the redhead spoke with it, and the most ridiculous of it all, how the mannequin dominated her and she just let it.

"Wow…" Was all Yanmei could say after what Xiao told her. She mutually wished alongside Xiao this Liuming's demise, but learning that the target of her affection was nothing but a doll is downright cruel. "So is that your revenge? To reveal to her that she had fallen for a mannequin?"

"No, I have something far better in store for her."

"I don't like that ominous tone in your voice, Xiao. This Liuming has serious issues she needs to work with if she would bond with something inanimate. I am not telling you how to conduct your revenge, only that you think this through."

Now that Xiao had thought about it, the mannequin and Liuming's situation is indeed odd, how did that come about? If she asked Liuming, would she tell? Maybe she could investigate a little more before serving Liuming her judgment.