Who Was In The Wrong?
Who the hell does Xiao think she is, thinking she's the only one capable of having a harem?
What Yanmei was fighting for was equality, does Xiao think that she's some kind of protagonist or something?
When Yanmei told Xiao she was willing to share her with Lin, why couldn't Yanmei partake in others? And how did Xiao recommend they remedy the situation? By fighting!? Was Xiao planning on subjugating her like the hunters after a spirit beasts's soul core?
Just thinking about it was getting Yanmei livid, that she unconsciously broke the ink brush in her hand.
"Boss Yanmei, are you alright?" Chen, the assistant, worried at the pissed off state that her boss was in while Yanmei sat on her desk as if reminiscing about someone that greatly wronged her.
"I am fine, Chen." Yanmei quickly composed herself, a livid person isn't that pleasurable to interact with, one must always maintain a calm facade when doing business. What Yanmei needed to do for now, was rid Xiao from her mind. So that when she would render the final judgment for their relationship, she will do so with an unclouded mind.
"If you say so. There is a cultivator, willing to trade in his goods. Shall I let him in?" Chen asked for permission.
"Go ahead, bring him to me" Yanmei answered calmly, watching her assistant leave her office. Yes, all she needed was to not think of Xiao for the meantime. Yanmei breathed in deep, and exhaled as if she was exhaling all thoughts of her lover. Today was going to be Xiao free.
Soon the door opened to reveal a middle aged cultivator wearing plain a white robe while carrying a box.
"Greetings, what is it that you wish to trade in today?" With the snap of a finger, Yanmei changed from calm to jubilant. A smile all for business.
The man returned the smile in kind, opening the box in front of Yanmei.
"Ice Walrus tusks." In his hand, the man brandished a glistening tusk made out of pure concentrated ice qi. "Beasts from the northern icy plains, if you know an ice cultivator, this would greatly enhance the output of their ice qi once broken into a pill…what's wrong, madam?" The man was worried, for the owner of the establishment didn't look quite pleased with what he was planning to trade. Her jubilant smile from earlier had turned upside down. Did the man slight her somehow?
"No, nothing is wrong. For that entire box, I'll give you 300 spirit stones. Take it or leave it" Yanmei curtly answered, she didn't even negotiate with the man, for all she wanted was to get the ice tusks out of her sight.
+++
After Fang Xuan's speech from earlier, night had now fallen. Xiao was trying to enjoy a cup of tea while sitting at the sect's garden gazebo. The only thing preventing her from enjoying the lovely night ambience was the thought of Yanmei and their spat.
With her mask laid on the table, Xiao casually sipped the earthy but sweet drink, questioning her master right after.
"Who was in the wrong, Master?"
In Zhen's spectral eyes, they both had a point. What Yanmei seeked was the freedom, the security it brought to be as liberated as Xiao, to not be chained down as her partner was off gallivanting with others. Xiao's, on the other hand, was the innate desire to not share your partner with another, even in the face of your partners sharing you.
"Does it matter? The real question you should be thinking about, is how are you going to mend what you have with Yanmei? Are you fighting to be right, or are you fighting to fix things? If you both will not change your stance, then you both will drift apart. What you both need is to compromise, meet halfway."
Compromise. Xiao took another sip of her tea as she stared into the pond, reflecting the starry sky, thinking on what compromise she should whip out in order to salvage their relationship.
Suddenly, the woman in question had arrived, jumping down on her flying sword, Yanmei made her way into the seat opposite to Xiao's.
A somber tension lingered in the air as Xiao avoided Yanmei's gaze.
"I brought mooncakes." Yanmei laid the small box on the table. Oddly enough, this reminded Yanmei of their second meeting, when she couldn't make heads or tails of Xiao and her master. Despite Yanmei being wary of Xiao, who knew that they would end up in each other's arms? The memory put a bitter smile on Yanmei's lips.
With a stare as cold as her qi element, Xiao asked, "Is that the sole reason for your visit? To bring mooncakes?"
After such an impertinent tone, you would think that Xiao was trying to prolong their fight, but it was a guise, Xiao sincerely hoped for Yanmei to say otherwise.Fortunately for her, Yanmei recognized it for what it was, the thorns of a prideful heart.
"I came here because I couldn't stop thinking about you, about us…" Yanmei confessed. A confession that immediately tugged at Xiao's heart, making Xiao attentive to the fox woman pouring her feelings out. The fox realized that something had to give, if it wasn't her or Xiao, then it would be their relationship. "...do you still love me, Xiao?"
Xiao could tell Yanmei yes, that Yanmei was constantly on her mind, and that she doesn't want for them to separate. But Xiao would rather show it.
Xiao stood and yanked Yanmei's cheongsam, pulling Yanmei in for an aggressive kiss. When Yanmei realized the answer to her question, her hands caressed the side of Xiao's face as she closed her eyes, reveling in the union of their lips.
Moments later, they separated and peered into each other's eyes. At that moment they both knew, they both treated the other too precious to separate from. They still had to tackle the root cause of their fight, lest they fight about it again, but for now they both want to celebrate making up.
Both wearing hearty smiles, Xiao grabbed Yanmei by wrist and dragged the fox woman, Yanmei let herself get strung along as they both are about to show the depths of their love for each other.