My only true love

—Oh, Qingchen... —The graceful madam sighed as she approached where her son is. She looked at him from head to toe as smile, admiring the great man he had become—. You look so handsome, my little boy...

—More handsome than ever? I'm always pretty~

—More! More! Definitely more! —His older sister supports by hugging him suddenly—. My dear brother-in-law is very, very lucky to have little Xiao as a partner. A-Qing is the most beautiful in the world!

—Jiejie! Hahahaha! Stop! My face is not that thick. Now I feel shy!

—Pff, why?? Is only the truth. —Now, his older brother intervenes, joining to the hug.

—Gege!

—Meiyu, Wangyi. You're messing up your little brother, leave him, leave him!

The pair of older siblings obeyed. They just admired from afar how beautiful their dear didi is today. Oh, dear... He's too young yet!

But soon... he will be married!

They are happy for him but, at the same time, sad. The baby of the family goes away from home and he looks so happy... His face shining with a big smile on his lips when he saw to...

—Ah! Brother-in law!

The future husband of their little brother had arrived in the room to take him.

—Yewan!

—A–Chen... —Smiles immediately to see him.

Before goes with his groom, Song Yewan greets his mother-in-law and siblings-in-law respectfully. Then he goes to his lover and, gently taking his little doll face, pecks his soft lips tenderly. His heart is too excited, too happy to see who would be his future husband in the white suit, so much so that he did not wait for another second to show him his deep love with a sincere kiss.

—How can you be so lovely? —Song Yewan asks him when they are leaving the room.

—Hmmm... I don't know~. Why are you so handsome?

—That is the only way I get your attention, right?

—A–Zhen! —The face of Xiao Qingchen turns in red. He hugs him to hide his shame and happiness in the ample chest of his groom.

They both laugh.

—It's today... 

—It's today.

Today is their wedding.

It was difficult, but now they are here.

They found again, they meet again, they fell in love with each other again...

The pains were not deep, nor were the roads unbearable in this new opportunity; the irrepressible joy of finally fulfilling the dream of twenty-five lives decorates the faces of both showing themselves in the form of a sweet smile. A faint, excited blush colors their cheeks and a great glow illuminates the tender gaze they devote to their destined partner.

They admire the beauty of the other: seeing him look so good in that wedding suit, their faces cannot help but burn more or their heart stops racing.

One wearing black, another one in white; they remember the past and the old days. Everything looks so perfect.

Looking around, one realizes that this place is the ideal setting for the wedding: it is natural, spacious, clean, and bright; a largely clear sky can be seen just by looking up. The clearing of tender green grass today is decorated by white furniture, clothes, and ornaments like a cloud in summer; beautiful flowers of various colors dance with the wind along with the long dresses of the other flowers invited to the pleasant event.

More guests arrive; they smile and congratulate the grooms by handing out their gifts and good wishes. An energetic young woman receives them in their name and runs from side to side. At the end of this work, she decides to go play with her friends, taking care that everything is in order. Her parents watch her lovingly: after much effort, they achieve to find her too.

Really... this is a lovely life. The one they longed to achieve.

Good place, good food, a good day. The endless week of rains even stopped a few days before this event. Now a great sun is shining and a gentle breeze is blowing.

Everyone is comfortable: those who feel cold are in the warmth of the sun, and those who feel warm have a place in the shade offered by the generous bamboos of the great forest that surrounds the area.

Laughter, happy conversations are heard and no one does not smile.

The ceremony will begin soon. Everything is like a dream.

From a secluded point, the couple observes the place with great emotion filling their breasts. Mute, they hold hands, look at each other gently, and take a moment to bring their lips together before returning to the others.

The memories of different pasts appear like a film in their minds: in many, their hair is longer and their clothes very strange, but in all, they kissed with sincere love.

Same place, same people, different times.

Do you think this place was chosen just because it is beautiful? No, it really was not just because of that.

Actually, Song Yewan and Xiao Qingchen chose it because...

—It's going to start! Everyone to their places, please!

Because it was here... where their story began.

It happened many centuries ago. Both were the result of a whim of the Universe, who, eager for a great love story, created their souls from the same star, and endowed them with a special thread of destiny. This thread had the quality of not fading until the reincarnation cycle was over. It could break, get tangled, or someone else cut it, but as long as the other exists and is willing to unit its parts back together, then it would not go away. That also means that in all their lives they would search for each other, carried by their half thread that yearns to find their equal.

And so, Universe organized the world and the years to fulfill everything that is planned for the first meeting of this destined couple. Universe did not want mistakes, Universe did not want time-outs; he wanted this moment to be perfect and romantic so that it is not easily carried away by oblivion and always transcends in the memory of all their reincarnations.

Because... What could be more beautiful than falling in love at first sight? Just "the only love of his life" could overcome it, but... What if these two ideas mix?

From this, they were born.

Their souls were thrown into the world and, without mercy, their first life was covered with sorrows from childhood. Poverty, abandonment, hunger, and cold, did not stop until someone rescued them from all.

Immortals took the little boy they found under their wing and raised them to become cultivators of the righteous path. The oldest being instructed on a mountain, the youngest in a temple; although separated, both learned from anchorite teachers, who wanted all their disciples to follow the same lifestyle.

But, for this destined pair, it was not suitable... Such a path is so lonely! Naturally, they would be reluctant to follow it.

The years went by.

They enjoyed the summers, they bundled up in the winters; they played with the leaves that fell in autumn and painted the spring landscapes. The heavens watched them grow and become stronger and more skilled; they are no longer little children.

An adolescent love seemed good to the Universe.

When the right age arrived, the time was carefully prepared: from the precise moment in which these boys began to feel that passionate curiosity sprout in their chests (the one that incited them to know the world beyond what their teachers allowed them); to the sudden late-night urge to want to sneak out of their homes to the nearest town... even just a few hours.

And so, using the darkness brought by midnight with the moon hidden behind the clouds, they slipped through the pavilions. They hid in the shadows and depended on the dim light offered by the stars to see their way, trying their best not to be discovered by their elders.

There is a world out there that called them strongly to travel it.

They were so near to achieving it. The exit a few more meters ...!

And-! They do not succeed.

Someone much taller than them holds them by the neck of their robe from behind. These fearless teens sweat cold. They know who it is.

Now they are finished, ruined! His shifu is definitely angry to find him in this situation! Being about to break the main rule (do not go down to the mortal world). What audacity! Not only is the coming of a great punishment feared, but of an expulsion! It has happened before. Other elder brothers and sisters met such an end.

So... how dare to imagine that the same would not happen to him?!

Hunched in a place like little kittens being carried by the necks by their mother, they were carried back while being reprimanded for leaving so late.

...

Huh?

Far from punishing them with exile for being about to break an important rule, they only scolded them for escaping so late and interrupting the teacher's sleep. They returned them to their rooms and, after wrapping them up well, told them to find them in the main hall in three hours.

But, first, to sleep properly!

Ha, as if they could.

After the agreed time, they got up from their beds to go to meet their teacher. These immortals —as if they were aware of the desire of the Universe— allowed their respective students to leave, and even granted them a couple of qiankun bags filled with everything necessary for their journey. After a long talk, the only condition imposed on them was to promise a safe and prompt return.

—Good luck. —They wished.

...

Truly, is this real?

None of those fifteen-year-old guys expected such a reaction. It is amazing! How do to find a logical reason for the permission granted? When thinking about it, they can only imagine that in the decision of their respectable master, the desire was hidden to make them know the darkness of which they always told them that kept the world... To make them reject it and never want to leave the sect again!

It was most likely. They cannot think of anything else. Anyway, whatever the real reason, it would not stop them now.

After properly thanking his shifu, they both left their homes excitedly with the dawn; one keeping the joy in his heart and the other showing it without holding back. Cultivator robes fluttering in the wind, their hearts were also carried away by its softness and the spectacular sense of freedom.

When was the last time they were on the streets of a town? It was so long ago that they no longer remember it clearly. It has been more than ten years since his shifu rescued him from these to provide him with everything a young child wants and needs: delicious food, a soft bed, cute toys, good studies, and... a great family.

After the abandonment of their biological parents, these children had found in people with whom they did not share blood, more affection and love than their relatives ever offered them. Who would imagine?

This is why they promise to return.

Despite wanting to spend the rest of their days discovering the world, they plan to abandon neither their shijies nor shixiongs, least of all their shifu, who lovingly cared for everyone like a good exemplary father.

Fu, fu...

How to imagine that they would soon doubt this decision? So determined that they seemed to be its...

The half-moon that appeared on their first night away from home, little by little became more round with the passing of the days and adventures they had. At the beginning of the tenth morning, accompanied again by the sun, both arrived "coincidentally" in the same town.

It is not yet the planned time for them to meet, but, since they arrived at the place, it seemed impossible to avoid a premature crossroads. They are like magnets that were attracted from afar: they constantly were in the same spaces, such as a large restaurant or a small shop. This is a large commercial town. So, how-?!

Being both so close to touching, a glance, or a casual shock, Universe was more and more desperate. It was hardly able to separate them from a possible meeting! Because of this, the gods decided to intervene. Wanting to help him with his wish, some descended disguised as mere mortals to prevent even the quickest meeting of glances.

These deities also wished to be spectators of the upcoming performance, but ...

Ahhh! So hard! Children, understand! This is not the time yet!

One soul felt the other close, causing the person to start looking for it unconsciously. None of the boys understood why they felt so excited at times and a bit down at others when they walked away from certain places carried by a lot of people.

Hours passed, evening fell. Those guys left the town at different times without having seen the face or even the shadow of the other. Gods could finally allow themselves to sigh of relief and return to their posts.

Now it is just a matter of being patient.