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Chapter Text

Jing Yuan was intertwined with fate.

Fu Xuan knew this when she married him. Of course, everyone on the Xianzhou Loufu was intertwined, but Jing Yuan was different. Eternal. Strong and sturdy and persistent as the prestigious Cloud Knights he guarded. But he was also cocky and annoying and undeniably talented. Fate's fickle force was a foreign concept to him.

Fu Xuan was also talented (and cocky, like Jing Yuan, but she would never admit it), so when she inevitably began to attract suitors, she turned to the General to complain. "There is simply no time for this," she sighed to him one late evening. He was sitting at his desk, attending to (ignoring) his paperwork while Fu Xuan paced around the room. "Yet they cannot see that. They cannot see that my pursuit of the Divine has left me no time for such trivial romance. Why can they not see that?"

Jing Yuan wrote some more on his paperwork, not glancing up. "I'm afraid people like that see nothing but your looks," he added.

"Which is such an insult! Do they not see how hard I have worked, how much time and dedication I have poured into my craft? Is my appearance the only thing they notice?"

This time, Jing Yuan chuckled. "Well, you never let them get close enough to learn anything about you. Perhaps that's why they're only attracted to your looks - they know nothing else about you."

"Then that's what should stop their pursuit!" Fu Xuan yelled. "Or so I thought… but I keep getting handwritten notes with gifts and flowers left on my desk every hour I'm not there."

The scribbling stopped.  "Really?"

"What, you doubt me?"

"Not at all, Lady Fu! You misunderstand me. I just, well… what are they writing to you?"

Fu Xuan smacked him on his arm before he could dodge. He only laughed a deep, hearty laugh at that. "What? I just need to know! What are they writing to the legendary Lady Fu?"

"If it's that important, see for yourself." Fu Xuan pulled one of the notes out of her pocket and threw it on the table without a second thought. She turned the other way as she heard Jing Yuan unravel the wrinkled paper.

And then he burst into laughter. Fu Xuan felt her face grow hot.

"Oh my- what  is  this? Ha ha! I-I didn't think-" Jing Yuan struggled to breathe through his laughter, "Why is it so  crude ! Ha ha! I - wait, wait, wait, what? 'Your  what  shines brighter than the stars you praise?' Ha ha ha! Where do people come up with this?"

Fu Xuan turned back to him, her arms still crossed. "Do you see why I am so disgusted by this now?"

For once, it seemed like the General sympathized with her. He sighed and put the note down. "Yes. I do. In fact, I would be lying if I said I didn't receive similar… interest."

That  got Fu Xuan's attention. "What do you mean, General?"

"I mean that you are not the only one who has been receiving a lot of unwanted suitors recently," he continued. "Don't get me wrong, I always attract admirers-"

Fu Xuan scoffed at that.

"No, waaaiiit, don't get upset with me now," he interrupted. "I was going to say that they have recently become bolder. More forward."

"How so?" Fu Xuan asked, granting him her interest once again.

"They, well, are more… promiscuous? Grotesque?"

"Give me an example."

"Well, a messenger that frequently delivers for me recently started wearing more revealing tops. The last time she visited, she pushed her chest against my desk. She wouldn't stop doing it until I glanced at her… well…"

"Her breasts, General."

"Do you have to say it so crudely?"

"It's not crude, it's accurate," Fu Xuan sighed. She walked closer to the desk and leaned against it, letting herself rest against the mahogany. "So, what do you suggest we do?"

"What  can  we do?" Jing Yuan pleaded. "They're not hurting us. And many of them are anonymous. If we enlist a harassment warning, our suitors might get mad and take it out on others."

"Have you heard about harassment from any other knights?"

"No, thankfully. But I'll ask my council if they have heard any reports."

"As will I," Fu Xuan agreed, "but in the meantime, what other actions could we take? What can we do to make them stop?"

Jing Yuan slumped back in his chair. "Well, perhaps if you showed romantic interest in someone, they would take the hint and stop pursuing you."

"Wha-? How absurd! You say it like I can simply manifest such feelings for someone."

"... Can't you?"

"I cannot."

"Then, can you use the Matrix of Prescience to find the person you want to be with sooner? If you can find them quicker and date them as soon as possible, that may stop your suitors."

"The Matrix of Prescience is not some tool for romance, General," Fu Xuan insisted. "It is a sacred compass, a navigational wonder. And you want me to use it for my own selfish matters?"

"If it will stop your worrying so much, then yes. You have every right to be selfish here.

Fu Xuan felt her cheeks flush in fury and ridicule. How dare he suggest such a vulgar thing, and how dare he insist she do it for the right of security? Of course, Fu Xuan deserved to be selfish here; she knew that.  Anyone  would deserve it if they were in her case. But to use the Matrix of Prescience for such an insignificant matter was senseless. She would find another way to avoid the harassment. She was sure of it.

Jing Yuan's words interrupted her ceaseless thoughts. "You're brooding over it again…"

"I am brooding over nothing, General," she huffed. "Besides, I should not disturb you anymore. You have a lot of work to do, and I have a meeting with the rest of the Divination Commission's Council in an hour. As annoying as this is, we have more dire situations to deal with. "

Jing Yuan glanced at his paper and groaned at Fu Xuan. "Do we have to?"

"Yes, we do! Now quit your whining and finish that paperwork."

"Ugh, fine, fine! Now stop bossing me around!"

-

Jing Yuan's words stuck with Fu Xuan all day.

When she returned to her office after visiting the General, she saw not one, not two, but five different confessions waiting for her at her desk. The flowers stunk up her office with their overwhelming fragrance - she assumed the suitors spritzed perfume on them to make them seem more enchanting to her. Cards, notes, scrolls, and drawings were gathered near the gifts. Some displayed kind, genuine messages that complimented Fu Xuan's beauty and grace. Others were too indecent for her to continue reading. 

As she was reading through the notes, trying to decipher the handwriting of her admirers, one of her attendants walked towards her with a smaller basket. "Some of your suitors left snacks," she muttered, holding the food shyly. "They requested them to stay cold for you…"

"Snacks?" Fu Xuan rasped. "Throw them away now! They might be poisoned!"

"I don't think  anyone  would be bold enough to poison you, Lady Fu Xuan, but I will dispose of them as you wish."

It didn't matter if the food was actually poisoned or not - she couldn't accept  any  of these handouts from her suitors. She wanted them all gone, now and forever. She pinched her nose, groaning. How much longer would this last?

The sun had already set by the time her meeting ended. With the Mara-Struck soldiers and the mysterious Disciples of Sanctus Medicus causing havoc, there was no time to waste on her admirers. She didn't bother to visit her office after the meeting - she lacked the energy to deal with confessions tonight.

Instead, she waited behind and visited the Matrix of Prescience.

There was nowhere else in the entire Luofu that felt as safe as the Matrix of Prescience. To Fu Xuan, it was the very essence of safety. Destiny, fate, doom - they were all intertwined and all certain. The Matrix's sacred power should only be used for the most drastic circumstances. She knew this better than anyone else.

And yet, she could not stop thinking about what it might tell her. Her fingers could not stop itching for the Jade Abacus in her pocket; her third eye would not cease its twitching. She thought it would be so easy to solve, to peek into her future and solve this problem quickly. She knows how to navigate the future better than anyone else. If anyone could do it, it would be her.

So Fu Xuan withdrew her Jade Abacus and stepped to the center of the Matrix.

It would be a small reading, she told herself. Just a tiny one. She would only look forward a week or two, only a little, only ask the Matrix to give her a way to escape this one specific problem, and then she would leave it alone forever. 

The floor glistened lightly. A blue hue glowed from her feet. Her head whirled, her mind fuzzy. She kept her hands out and sturdy. Her desperation became impossible to bear. Just one tiny glimpse into the future was all she needed…

She saw a fraction of the future all at once.

Fu Xuan saw herself adored in a soft glowing light, wearing a gorgeous red Qun Kwa with golden accessories and embroidery. The scarlet silk glistened in the morning like a gentle, burning candle. Fu Xuan blinked at herself - could this be real? She hadn't looked  that  far into the future, yet she was wearing wedding garb! Fu Xuan cleared the misty haze around her illusion, searching for the person kneeling beside her. Who was she exchanging these vows with? Who was she sipping tea with? She stepped closer and closer, searching among the stars for answers…

And then she saw him. The man she was going to marry.

She fled from the Matrix as soon as she caught his gaze. Was it real? Her predictions were never wrong, but surely  this  was not in her fate, right? She reached her fingers to the jewel on her forehead, itching to touch it, to pry for an answer.  Why  would she marry him?

The present reality came back to her. It all made sense. She wanted this issue resolved quickly, but the only person she would ever be willing to resolve the issue with would be  him . He was also facing a similar problem and would likely accept out of convenience.

The gathering seemed small, Fu Xuan thought. It must have been done swiftly, in private. She could organize the affair easily. The rest of the Loufu would fall for it. Fu Xuan was already so close to him, and they often spent time alone. Yes, it was perfect. It was everything she needed it to be. 

The following day, Fu Xuan left her home early and headed straight for her betrothed's office. She burst through his doors and found him exactly where he was yesterday - leaning over his desk with heaps of paperwork he had previously ignored. The pile looked as tall as it was the day before.

The man shot up, startled, and fumbled over his greeting. "La-Lady Fu Xuan? What are - you doing here? Is something wrong?"

"Not at all. In fact, I believe I have found the solution to the dilemma we were discussing earlier."

"You mean the suitors?"

"Yes." Oh, stars, here it was, the embarrassment that came from the future she saw. It was all crashing onto her now, cascading her with the force of a typhoon. Yet the Matrix was always right. She needed to do this. "I know what we must do to deflect our admirers."

"And what is that?"

A lump grew in Fu Xuan's throat. Her heartbeat hastened. She clasped her hands together in front of her, hiding the sweat and trembling skin. He would accept her offer, she knew that, but the thought of actually telling him about their fate still filled her with unwavering dread. She forced herself to stern her gaze, face the man before her with every ounce of false courage, and confess their destiny.

"Jing Yuan, will you marry me?"

-

Fu Xuan was not meant to wear a Qun Kwa. It did not feel right on her. 

Yet here she kneeled, a cup of Bi Luo Chun tea in her hands, quiet and pensive. She swirled the cup around gently to disturb the leaves. It brought a sense of change here since Jing Yuan's rambling voice had grown dull in her ears.

The two had no family to pay their respects to, so their elopement consisted only of prayers to the Aeons for good health and fortune in the presence of their sole witness, Madame Yukong. Fu Xuan had finished her prayers a long time ago. Now, Jing Yuan was only muttering about the past, taking the wedding as seriously as he could. 

And that made Fu Xuan wonder even more - why was Jing Yuan doing all this? This was only a marriage of convenience, after all. They only agreed to wed to fend off suitors in the future. This was not a marriage of love.

Finally, Jing Yuan stopped talking. He turned back to Fu Xuan, the tea still steaming from his hands. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"It is what the Matrix of Prescience has told us. I am prepared to follow my destiny."

So the two drank from their cups of tea, thanked the Aeons once more, and stood proudly, now a married couple. 

-

"You're married?!"

When the news of Fu Xuan's marital status broke out, she expected flocks and flocks of her suitors to flee on the spot. She was prepared for a decline of attendance from her workers or begrudging glances from the men who once looked at her with passion in their eyes. 

What she did not expect, though, was to see Yanqing burst through her office doors half an hour after she arrived. He was startled. Beyond startled, actually. Traumatized. Appalled. Caught in a shock beyond anything he had seen before.

Fu Xuan only nodded and glanced at the paperwork on her desk. "Yes. I am married. What of it?"

"To Jing Yuan."

"Yes."

"To. Jing. Yuan."

"Yes. I am married to Jing Yuan."

He stood at her door for another moment, gaping at her, before whispering, "I'll be right back." He fled as soon as he finished the sentence.

Fu Xuan scoffed. What a strange boy. How Jing Yuan tolerated him, she didn't know, but as long as  she  didn't have someone like that to watch over, she would be alright-

"You're married?!"

Oh. Wait. She  did  have someone like that. She looked up from her desk again and saw Yanqing, now with Qingque at his side.

"Yes, Qingque, I am married."

"To Jing Yuan."

"Yes. To Jing Yuan."

" The  Jing Yuan."

"Oh, for the love of - yes! I am married to Jing Yuan! What of it?"

Qingque blinked. "I didn't even know you two were in love! I didn't know you  could  be in love."

"Are you here for any other reason than to pester me?"

Qinque remained silent, her guilt seeping through her skin.

"And you too, Yanqing, don't you have somewhere else to be, as well?"

"Well, I could go back to Jing Yuan, but… I don't know. It doesn't feel right to talk to him right now, you know? He just got married without inviting me…"

Fu Xuan sighed. This poor boy was ever so hopeless. "Do not take it personally. Jing Yuan and I decided not to involve anyone, since our relationship statuses affect our popularity and reliability with everyone so greatly. We eloped."

"… really?" Yanqing questioned. "I can see how Jing Yuan would want to marry you, but  you  marry  him ? I just, I can't picture that."

He could see how Jing Yuan would want to marry her. What did that mean? But the question was insignificant in the grand scheme of things, so she shoved her curiosities aside. "Jing Yuan and I have been in love for quite some time. We finally decided we were ready to vow our love for eternity. Our marriage will not affect our work, so do not worry about things slowing down in the Divination Commission."

The lies would be enough to keep everyone at bay for now. She had to stick with it, just until the news died down. 

The doors to her office opened again, followed by the thuds of heavy, commanding footsteps. They struck like lightning but rumbled like soft thunder, gently echoing through the room. Fu Xuan smirked. Her new husband had arrived just in time to save her.

Jing Yuan laughed at the sight of his apprentice. "Yanqing, this is where you ran off to? You didn't believe the rumors, so you went to ask Fu Xuan yourself?"

"Oh! General! I didn't know you were following me… but I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure, and if the rumors weren't true, I didn't want to worry you…"

"So if the rumors weren't true, you would want to burden my wife with them instead of me?" Jing Yuan asked as he gestured to Fu Xuan.

"No! Not at all!"

"Then please, leave her be. I can assure you that Fu Xuan and I are fully committed to each other, and when we have a more public celebration of love, we will be sure to include you."

Yanqing smiled suddenly, looking towards Qingque with a spark in his eyes. "Oh, ok! Yeah! I'll bring you presents, too. Really good ones! Perfect ones!"

Qingque scoffed. "I sure as hell won't."

But Fu Xuan remained silent. They had only been married a few days, yet Jing Yuan was fully committed to the role. He seemed affectionate in all the ways Fu Xuan had not considered him to be. No, he did not hold or kiss her around others (and hopefully he never would; Fu Xuan cringed at the thought), but he paid attention to her in ways none of her other suitors had.

Perhaps he would be a good husband. A mighty fine one. He would be a wonderful husband if he married a woman he truly loved. But he did not love Fu Xuan, and Fu Xuan did not love him. 

She had to remind herself of that.

But as the three visitors left her office, she only stayed silent, lingering on the thought. How would Jing Yuan act for a wife he truly loved? How soft would the calluses on his hands, earned from years of combat, become from the touch of love? How sturdy would his hugs and holds be? How soft would his lips be? How divine would his kisses taste?

Fu Xuan only pried her eyes away from her desk when she heard the doors to her office close. They were gone. She was alone.

And for the first time in a long, long while, she slumped in her chair and  sighed.  How pitiful was she?

-

Fu Xuan was no longer "Fu Xuan." She was now "Jing Yuan's wife." Many of the workers at the Divination Commission saw her as only that, now.

Only one week into their marriage, when she was reading from the Matrix's calculations, more of her peers approached her. "Since when were you married to Jing Yuan?"

"Since you decided to pay attention," she remarked. 

"So… should I call you Lady Jing, now?"

The name sent a violent shiver down her spine. "No, no, you should not. Lady Fu is just fine."

She was asked that question again a few hours later. And again the next morning. And again. And again. And again and again until she finally snapped at someone for asking. "Have you not heard?!" she yelled as the innocent asked. "Even though I am married to the General, I am still Lady Fu Xuan. You and everyone else in this formidable commission will address me as much. Understood?!"

It caught up to her eventually. Two weeks into their marriage, she was walking out of the office when she saw Jing Yuan standing before her. He was holding a bouquet of pink peonies. 

Oh, that man - he was simply absurd! But his smile was warm, and the flowers were her favorite color, and for something that was built on lies, the gift felt much too sincere. She approached him cautiously, carefully, like a butterfly hovering over the hungry spider's web. "What is this?"

"An invitation," he answered, "for an official date."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me correctly, my lady. I would like to ask you on an official date, our first date as a married couple." And then he started to walk closer.

Fu Xuan froze. Her limbs locked. Her hands clenched. What was he doing? Why was he coming closer, letting the fragrance of those sweet flowers waft over her? He stood before her proudly, the sun glowing golden on his skin. He leaned down and pressed his lips against Fu Xuan's cheek, mere centimeters away from giving her a kiss. 

"If you want to appear as a real couple," he whispered, "then we should act like one. Your disciples are starting to get suspicious."

Oh.

This was fake.

This was all his facade.

Of course. Of course! He would never  really  act like this with Fu Xuan - of course not! But he was so close, and he smelled like the peonies in his hands, and his voice held the power of distant, rumbling thunder. Without even trying, he could both soothe the anxieties that flooded Fu Xuan's mind and cause a thousand new worries to erupt.

But then the Diviner remembered where she was,  who  she was. She stepped back and stated, "Yes, I suppose that is true. I have been on edge lately. I apologize for that."

"No need," Jing Yuan smiled. "I understand your worries, but this was your idea. And, to be frank with you, it's working marvelously. Nearly all of my suitors have finally stopped pestering me."

Relief washed over Fu Xuan. "As have mine. Now we just wait for our bewildered associates to calm down."

"Until then, it's best to keep our appearances up, no?" Jing Yuan held his hand out. "Allow me to treat you, Lady Fu. We will go wherever you want."

The date went well enough, or, as well as it could go between a stoic calculator and a laidback general. But Fu Xuan could not get that tension out of her shoulders. She could not stop her nervous glances, could not stop her twirling mind. She was thinking a million thoughts at once. Her body and mind were relentless in their anxious pursuit.

But then the date was over, and Jing Yuan was at her home, wishing her goodbye. He gave her the flowers and spoke with her softly. No wonder so many suitors were after him, Fu Xuan thought.

And then, he bid her goodnight with a soft kiss on her cheek. "Even if I do not feel anything romantic for you," he told her, "I still want to be the husband you deserve." 

Fate was intertwined with Jing Yuan. And as Fu Xuan stood alone in her home with the peonies in her hand, she wondered what fate wanted with her. What cruel tricks would it play now? What passionate atrocities would it commit? 

Fu Xuan woke early the next morning, when the stars were still shining, and realized she had fallen in love with her husband. 

Chapter Text

Jing Yuan was intertwined with fate. Fate was going to kill him.

The vision came to Fu Xuan with the strike of lightning. She would get these “hunches” occasionally, a gut feeling telling her that something was off. As a Master Diviner, she would be a fool not to listen to them. But with no direction to follow and no real concerns, she would simply jot down her random anxieties and move on with life. But that didn’t stop the endless pursuit of dread. Now, when she looked into the Matrix of Prescience, the haunting hallucinations would visit her there. She would go to the Matrix looking for navigational routes, but no matter which direction she took or which future she saw, she only saw the flashes of disaster. Destiny would not reveal itself fully to her. Nothing was safe.

She had been married to Jing Yuan for a month now. That didn’t help much, either.

When she was not navigating her internal dread, she stood her ground against those who doubted her marriage with Jing Yuan. Most of her coworkers had settled down, but the slim few just could  not  believe it. She would deliver them a report, or suggest a navigational course, or retrieve something from the archives, and someone would inevitably ask her about her new husband. 

Now was one of those times. Worry was eating its way through her stomach, and work was piling up, but right now, she couldn’t focus on anything but the coworker bombarding her with questions. “Say, are you two planning on living together?” she asked as she followed Fu Xuan back to her office. “I mean, it would be much more convenient to mail both of you things at the same time-”

“No. I’m not interested in living with him.” This was getting unbearable, Fu Xuan thought.

“But he’s your  husband .”

“He is, but we both are very separate people. Our roles are too important to merge into one household. It is best to live apart.”

“Geez, thinking of business, even in your marriage? I’d hate to live like that…”

Jing Yuan had not taken Fu Xuan on a second date, and thank the Aeons. Fu Xuan barely made it through that night. She was tense all through the dinner, tense through their evening stroll, tense when he lightly kissed her cheek - tense through every damn second with him. She never wanted to go through that humiliation again. 

But, oh, how blissful that night was. She could not stop thinking about it, his soothing voice, his gentle demeanor, the whisper of his lips against her skin. Whatever he was doing to her was dangerous. Fu Xuan stilled herself quickly. Their marriage was not bound by love, even when it needed to seem that way. These feelings could not be real. Fu Xuan forbade it.

“We cannot afford to think differently,” she responded after her moment of thought. “As the General of the Cloud Knights and a Master Diviner, our work is too significant to ignore for love… but that is the sacrifice we make for you.”

“Sacrifice?” her disciple asked. “What do you mean by that?”

“Though we are married, we love the Xianzhou Loufu unconditionally, and we love the people on this vessel with all our hearts. We may not seem too affectionate, but that is simply because we focus on our work so much. I promise you, we do-” Oh. Ooh, now this was cruel. What she had to say was cruel. But that was ok. It was necessary to keep her students in ignorant bliss. “We do love each other.”

That seemed to appease her disciple. “Oh! I wasn’t doubting that at all! I was just, well, I wanted to make sure you were happy in your marriage.”

What difference would it make, Fu Xuan wondered. But she only rolled her shoulders back and insisted, “Yes. I am happy. You need not worry for me.”

Fu Xuan returned to her office swiftly, wrote her worries down, and set the world aside. She was only halfway through the workday, and she had exhausted all of her energy already. At this rate, she would need to take some medicine now to prevent the inevitable migraines that would plague her later that evening.

And then the door knocked.  Thud. Thud.

Of course, the door knocked. Of course, someone needed her now agai-

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Oh. Ooh, that was no ordinary knock. The force was too great, too calculated, too-

The Master Diviner straightened herself in her chair. She pulled out a document - something, anything - to examine. She needed to appear busy. “Ye-Yes? Who is it?”  Stuttering?  Why would she stutter, and now of all times?

The door swung open, and in came the one man who could not get off her mind. He was with her every waking moment, even when he wasn’t physically present. It drove Fu Xuan insane.

“Lady Fu,” Jing Yuan greeted, “I hope I did not come at a bad time.”

“Not at all, General,” she answered as she scribbled something on the paper before her. What paper was this again? “I was just in the middle of completing my paperwork before tonight’s final prediction. May I help you with something?”

“Well, I don’t necessarily need your help, but…”

Fu Xuan finally looked up at him. Great Aeons, seeing him now as her husband, had completely changed her view of him. She now noticed the way he would lean all his balance on one side of his body, the way the soft glow of the office reflected in his eyes, the way he would completely unwind when he was around her. His usual furrowed brow was more peaceful when he was with her. She couldn’t fathom why.

“Well,” he finally admits, “I was wondering if you would like to accompany me for lunch. Seeing as we are married, it is only fitting for me to take you to lunch every once in a while.”

Oh, surely the world was playing cruel, cruel jokes on her now. There was probably an Aeon above her right now, laughing away.

“Are you still worried about our image?” Fu Xuan asked. “Rest assured, all of our peers know we are married now, and I have been more lenient on-”

“No, no… er, pardon me for interrupting, my Lady, but this is different.” And then he smiled at her, that sickening, revolting smile that Fu Xuan desperately wanted to watch all the time. “I would genuinely like to go to lunch with you. It’ll be my treat.”

Fu Xuan could not think. Why was he acting like this? What scheme was he plotting? Surely, he had ulterior motives for asking her to do this. He was a General - quick, calculated, cunning…

But one look at his gentle face told Fu Xuan otherwise. Besides, Jing Yuan was too lazy to be cunning. He made that obvious.

“I suppose it is that time… alright, I shall join you. But you will pay, as promised.”

He laughed at that. “Yes, I will pay.”

The two escaped the confines of their workspace and strolled through the Xianzhou’s many markets together. They spoke of unimportant things: an outfit hanging in a shop window, an up-and-coming street performer and her strange antics, a new furniture company worth investing in… But speaking with the General was enlightening in many ways. His life really was so nonchalant that he could afford to waste time on these thoughts, and all Fu Xuan could think about was her hopeless new crush and the endless anxiety. How she envied him.

“What would you like for lunch?” he asked after an eternity of rambling. “I know this restaurant with some delicious Peking duck, though it is a bit formal… oh, I know a newer shop just down the street. Apparently, they have some delicious stir-fry-“

No, none of those sounded appealing. Going on another ‘date’ date sounded like actual hell, and so did eating all those fancy meals. “You know what  really  sounds good, Jing Yuan?”

“Do tell.”

“A steamed bun,” she answered. “Specifically, a steamed pork bun with a bowl of bok choy - a bowl, not a cup - from the Bao Boy push stall.”

Jing Yuan stopped walking instantly. “You want street food?”

“Is that a problem, General?”

“I - well - not at all; I just didn’t take you as the ‘street food’ type of person.”

“Well, that is what I am craving. Are you against my craving?”

Jing Yuan suddenly smirked. Oh, that smirk was devious. “Let’s see how good your favorite street food is.”

The two trekked a long way to the bustling streets of the Loufu, losing themselves among the sounds and smells of the city. The marketplace was alive, breathing and thriving like an actual, proper organism. It did not matter how often she would see it: Fu Xuan would always be fascinated by her home.

She suddenly found the stall. “There,” she urged Jing Yuan, “on the left.”

The two approached the food stall, navigating its way through the crowded customers waiting to order. When it was finally their turn, Fu Xuan hid her face. But that did not help her. The clerk recognized her instantly, “Ah, Lady Fu! Welcome back! Will it be your usual?”

A blush crept up on the Diviner’s face. Jing Yuan turned to her, “Lady Fu? They know your ‘usual’ here?”

“Do not speak of that now, General…”

The two ordered quickly and found a spot to eat it along the streets. Though the marketplace was busy, there was a certain serenity about it that eased Fu Xuan’s thoughts. For the first time in a while, she found some semblance of peace. 

Jing Yuan came back shortly with their food. “Here you are, my Lady,” he stated as he gave her the food. “Enjoy.”

“Thank you- you, er, Jing Yuan, are you sure you will be able to eat all of that?”

“What, this? It’s not too much.”

“Those are five buns, General. And some slaw.”

“Well, I figured I should at least try them all. There were too many fillings not to try. Let’s see… this one has tofu, this one has chicken, this one has vegetables, I think this one has shrimp-”

“You’re not going to be able to eat all that,” Fu Xuan smirked. “I don’t need the Matrix to see that.”

“I will, just to prove you wrong.”

“You will?”

“Absolutely, I will.”

Fu Xuan couldn’t help but giggle. “Alright, let’s see it then.”

True to his word, Jing Yuan ate almost every bun in front of him. Fu Xuan watched in awe as she snacked on the bok choy before her. Great Aeons, this man could eat. It would make sense if he was an active soldier, though. Just what kind of work was he doing?

Jing Yuan got to the final bun, grimacing. “Oh, I should  not  have done this. I really shouldn’t have…”

Fu Xuan giggled more. She had only just finished her bok choy after watching Jing Yuan struggle through bun after bun. “Was it worth it?”

“Uh… debatable… I knew I was hungry, but goodness… and I still have one more to go.”

“You’ve made it this far. Surely you can keep going.” Fu Xuan took the first bite of her bun, letting the flavors of the juicy pork inside meet her tongue. “What is the final bun, anyway?”

Jing Yuan tore open the dough and cringed at the filling. “Pickled vegetables.”

“You don’t like it?”

“No, it’s just…” he set the dumpling down and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I don’t think I can muster the appetite for anything  other  than meat right now.”

Fu Xuan was about to take a second bite of her food, but suddenly, she paused. Watching Jing Yuan choke himself on buns was entertaining enough, but watching him fail in his self-appointed mission was not. She almost felt a little sympathy for him.

Fu Xuan sighed. This man was truly hopeless. She held her party-eaten pork bun in front of Jing Yuan. “We’ll trade.”

“What?”

“You said you could eat five buns, so I will help you do that. I’ll take the vegetables.”

“But you said that was what you were craving.”

‘So what,’  Fu Xuan thought.  ‘At the end of the day, it’s just a bun. At the end of the day, you are satisfied. You are accomplished.’  “I insist, General. Finish what you started.”

Jing Yuan took the bun with his careful hands. “Thank you, Fu Xuan. But you might have just killed me.”

“I doubt that,” Fu Xuan said as she began to eat the vegetable bun.

Jing Yuan did manage to eat the final bun at the cost of his sanity. With five buns finished (and his slaw untouched), he slammed his head against the wooden table and groaned. Fu Xuan could not contain her laughter. He was insane, absolutely insane. It was addicting.

“Are you proud of yourself, General?”

He answered with a slur in his words. “Maybe… maybe not… maybe this was a terrible idea…”

Fu Xuan dug into the pile of napkins in the middle of the table. He had already gone through so many, but it seemed he needed another already. “Here,” she stated, “take it.”

“Thank you,” he answered, reaching out to take it from her.

Their fingers touched for the slightest moment-

The visions spoke again. 

The flash of lightning. The rushing of seas. The touch of static. The smell of salt. The taste of death. Destiny pleaded to Fu Xuan all with the sense of a finger. Jing Yuan was everywhere, all at once, all the time. His commanding voice, his terrified expression, his blood, his-

Fu Xuan blinked suddenly. That was all she could see with the Jade Abacus alone on her person. Was that the future her body feared? Was that the destiny she foresaw?

“Lady Fu?” 

Jing Yuan’s voice broke the rigid silence. Fu Xuan looked at him, begging the world to not show him her fears. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“I… er…” Lying was improper but necessary. There was no reason to hesitate. Fu Xuan spoke again. “I am a little anxious about what the Matrix of Prescience has yet to tell me, but I am alright, General. You need not worry for me.”

“I should always worry about you. You’re my wife.”

What a horrible ache that word caused. What a dreadful feeling this one was. “As a show, Jing Yuan.”

“... yes, as a show.”

This fear was too much to bear. Fu Xuan stood quickly, taking what trash she collected from her lunch. “We must return back now. I am grateful for your company, but we have our duties to return to.”

“If that is what you wish, Lady Fu.”

The rest of their break was silent. There was nothing left to say, or even think, after their time together. The snippets of the future Fu Xuan caught were too daunting. Whatever peace the couple had was broken. Such was the life of a General and Master Diviner. 

Jing Yuan escorted Fu Xuan all the way to her office like a proper gentleman. “Please,” he urged her before leaving, “if there is anything you want to talk about-”

“-There isn’t,” she interrupted him.

Yet he continued, “If there  is , then please tell me. Even if what we have is a deception, I still care for you.”

Fu Xuan could not do that. “I will follow the General’s orders. Now, please do not worry for me.”

Only after one final glance her way did Jing Yuan leave. Fu Xuan stood alone. This pitiful marriage could not drown her. She only did this to stop the advances from suitors, no other reason. How many more times would she need to remind herself before it finally stuck? Frustrated, she only flicked herself on the forehead before returning to her desk.

-

This time, Fu Xuan would get answers.

The Master Diviner stood alone at the Matrix again, her Jade Abacus clutched in her hand. Fate would not escape her this time. It had taunted her too much and given her too many hints. She would see the future it wanted to tell her.

Fu Xuan walked her way to the center of the Matrix. It will listen to her, it will listen to her, it will listen to her… She begged it, pleaded to it, as she ran her fingers through the Jade Abacus.

The second she stepped in the center, two futures spoke to her.

Gold seeped through her vision, her body, her very soul. It burned all in its wake. Fu Xuan blinked through the destruction, waving her hands through the flows of glowing light, and saw one of the truths of the future.

Cold .

She blinked. And blinked again. Yes, what she saw in front of her was as real as day: Jing Yuan’s fallen corpse. Lightning fazed around his body. A large spear was lodged through his stomach. Crimson blood stained his clothes. He was gone.

No, no, this future could not be real. There had to be another way. He couldn’t die, he couldn’t-! She pushed through more waves of gold to see something, anything!

There was blue, this time, and warmth. Humidity. She pushed towards that future, clearing the fog, and saw Jing Yuan standing tall. The sea breathed around him. The birds flew free.

Two futures stood before her: one where Jing Yuan died and one where he survived. 

And that was all the Matrix of Prescience would show her.

-

Fu Xuan tried not to fret over the two futures. 

She and the other Diviners read the Matrix’s predictions and continued their work in a frenzied state. The Mara Struck were wreaking havoc more than usual. Madam Yukong was growing anxious, begging General Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan to do something, anything, to fix the crisis. Each day brought the deaths of more innocent Xianzhou natives. Their souls weighed on Fu Xuan’s shoulders, dragging her further and further down. There was too much to prevent, too much to see, too much to mend…

Eventually, the work caught up to her too much. Jing Yuan called her out of the blue one day, weary and exhausted. It was rare for him to seem so hopeless.

“Please do not worry for me,” he said over the holographic. “I just… need your company.’

Fu Xuan's feelings for the General didn’t help ease her fears. Still, she foolishly pushed her work aside and listened to him. He had captured a prisoner that day. Jing Yuan did not say a word about his crimes. He did not even mention the fugitive’s name. But Fu Xuan could still see his heartache from beyond the holograph. His flickering eyes and tight stance told the story of genuine anguish.

But no matter how many questions Fu Xuan asked, Jing Yuan pushed her away. “Please, do not involve yourself in dangerous matters,” he requested.

“But if I wish to be the General one day, I will need to handle these difficult matters as you do.”

Jing Yuan turned his head to that. He was the most frustrating man alive; Fu Xuan was sure of it. She didn’t know whether courage or audacity brought her the power to speak her next words, but regardless, she reached forward and looked at his holograph, true to her spirit. “If I am to be your  wife , then I will need to help you however I can, the way a dutiful wife would.”

Jing Yuan’s breath hitched at that. He forced his eyes closed, hiding himself from her. “Our marriage is, as you say, a show. Your ‘wifely duties’ don’t exist. We made sure of that the second we drank our tea.”

The world became just a little blurry.

Fu Xuan backed down, feeling the goosebumps crawl on her skin. Her heartbeat swelled in her throat. This was all too much. “Yes, you are right.”

“I have to go now,” he said suddenly. “Please take care of yourself.” Before Fu Xuan could wish him goodbye, he turned the call off and left. His voice lingered with her the rest of the night.

The next few days were full of events. The Mara Struck were still causing issues, but now there were self-appointed ‘Nameless’ aboard the Lofuo, seeking to help with the Stellaron crisis. Fu Xuan could only meet with them a few times - there were far more pressing matters to handle. 

Like the wanted Stellaron Hunter that she now had in captivity.

The woman - Kafka was her name - was relatively easy to find. She appeared shortly after the Nameless did, and they quickly captured her in Jing Yuan’s name. She was awaiting trial now. Fu Xuan met with the trailblazers from beyond the stars: Welt Yang, Stelle, and March 7th, and swiftly moved to interrogate their convict.

Her interrogation proved itself to be useless.

Kafka was only here to see one of the trailblazers. She, along with every other prediction she made or movement she took, was useless. The image of Jing Yuan’s corpse kept flashing in her mind. What would it take for her to avoid that future? What did she need to fight? Fu Xuan left quickly after promising Kafka an audience with the trailblazer, the questions burning her mind.

Returning to her base did not ease her worries, though. By the time Fu Xuan made it back, she had a terrible migraine and an ache in her feet. This day was too much. These  worries  were too much. She rubbed her temples, looking for any relief from the pain.

Right now, all she wanted was Jing Yuan’s company.

No, no, that was foolish, she reminded herself. She only wanted his company because of her feelings for him, that’s all. Fu Xuan couldn’t take advantage of him like this, not when his life was on the line. Oh, but it would be so nice to hear his voice right now. It would put so many of her worries at ease. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and fiddled with his contact, only to shove it right back in her pocket. She pulled it out, pushed it away, pulled it out, pushed it away, dancing with her own confusion. How much longer would she pursue this hopeless charade? Fu Xuan infuriated herself-

Suddenly, Jing Yuan was calling her.

Fu Xuan panicked. She was pressing the green dial before she could properly respond. A light flashed out in her eyes, blinding her, as Jing Yuan’s holograph quickly came into view. 

“Lady Fu, I - Fu! Are you alright? What’s going on?”

Fu Xuan fumbled with her phone, eventually leaning it against a wall to look at him properly. “Nothing! Nothing is wrong at all! I was just caught off guard by your call, that is all.”

“Are you sure? Are your eyes ok?”

“Yes, yes, my eyes are just fine.”

“And… are you ok?”

Fu Xuan blinked away the dancing spots of light. Finally, she could see Jing Yuan’s holograph in front of her. “Of course I am. I am in perfect health. Why would I be anything but ‘ok’?”

“Well, I wanted to check on you after your interrogation with Kafka,” he answered, “but if this is a bad time, I’ll leave you alone.”

“No! No…”  Anything but that.  “I can speak.”

“Oh,” Jing Yuan relaxed a little. “Speak away.”

Fu Xuan forced a laugh. “‘Speak away,’ you say, like it is so easy… where do I even begin with what happened?”

Fu Xuan dove into the elaborate tale of her interrogation with Kafka, as well as her confusion with the Matrix of Prescience and the significance of the Nameless. Jing Yuan shared his own troubles with the prisoner associated with Kafka. Blade was his name: a name as ruthless as the man himself. He also brought up a traitorous group known as the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, the Stellaron's location, and the plan's urgency. Even now, Jing Yuan insisted that there was no one he trusted more to do this than Fu Xuan.

There was a lot to assess, but no reason to hesitate. When asked to draft a plan, Fu Xuan created one effortlessly. “Convening the Cloud Knights is our immediate priority. We must head into the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor, expel the Stellaron spirits, and prevent the Arbor’s resurrection.”

“Mmm, as ever, the Master Diviner’s omniscia provides the fastest solution,” Jing Yuan hummed. “However, sometimes speed is not everything. I have known the Stellaron’s location for a while now, so why have I held back our forces?”

Jing Yuan made a good point. He was never hesitant, despite his lazy demeanor. There was always some sort of trick up his sleeve. But the future’s flimsy path was ever-changing. Fu Xuan would change with it to prevent as much chaos as possible, but that alone could not prevent Jing Yuan’s death.

Perhaps his own cockiness would be the death of him. Perhaps it would be his wittiness. Either way, something could tear him away from Fu Xuan, and no matter how hard she searched, she could not find what it was.

“General.”

He opened his eyes, focusing on her.

“You’re a scoundrel.”

He laughed that same boisterous laugh. “Haha! Pulling up the grass requires removing the roots. The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus have chosen to make their move now, which means the Cloud Knights have the situation under control and the traitors have run out of patience. Now is the time to capture them in all one fell swoop.”

Jing Yuan smiled again, his confidence shining. How much longer would he be able to smile like that?

“You’ve been sitting on that this whole time?” Fu Xuan shouted. “How will you justify the losses if something goes wrong, General!?”

“Please, Lady Fu, I still have forces to deploy. We were in need of extra hands, and the Stellaron Hunters-”

That was enough, Fu Xuan decided. Enough of the Stellaron Hunters, enough of the Disciples, enough of that flashing image of Jing Yuan’s bloody body at the worst of times-!

“I do not care about that!” she yelled out. “I do not care about your audacious mind or the so-called ‘help’ you have received from beyond the stars. I have been sitting idly by, reading that Matrix again and again, over and over, searching for some unknown answer. But all it does is show me more death! All I see are the Cloud Knights falling in battle, their families sobbing, their lives ruined. And then I see you! I see your-”

Her words caught in her throat. No, she could not say that; she couldn’t risk it, she couldn’t…

“... my Lady?”

Jing Yuan was speaking again. Did she dare look at him? She mustered the courage to turn her head up.

She had never seen him so…  worried  before. Fu Xuan froze in shame.

But all Jing Yuan did was cross his arms, step closer, and keep his gaze locked on her. “Is everything alright, Lady Fu?”

Fu Xuan kept her body as rigid as her heart. “Yes, General. Forgive me for lashing out.”

“Lady Fu,” he spoke again. His voice was smooth, like molasses, like sweet sugar dripping down the bottom of his throat, swelling in his heart. He was addictive in every form. “If I am to be your  husband , then I will need to help you however I can, the way a dutiful husband would.”

Aeons, he was horrible. Absolutely awful. The worst General - no, the worst  creature  that had ever existed. How could he be so heartless? How could he be so blind? 

Jing Yuan could die, and if he did, Fu Xuan felt like she would die right there beside him.

“I… have been seeing things.”

“Things?” he whispered. “You never say ‘things’ like that.”

“Oh, things - visions - so to speak. I, Aeons, I cannot think like this…”

“Please, Lady Fu, sit down. Breathe for a moment. I…” his holograph flashed back and forth, “I can be right there if you wait a moment-”

“No, no, Jing Yuan, do not come here. I can handle this.” She followed his orders and sat against the wall she propped the phone on, rubbing her temples harder. 

When she opened her eyes, she saw Jing Yuan’s holograph sitting in front of her. This man was too much. She forced herself to breathe through her nose, taking the cool night air in and filling her lungs with relief. 

“Is this alright?” he asked.

Fu Xuan exhaled from her mouth. “Yes. This is alright. I am alright now.” She could think coherently again,  finally.  “I do not know what has come over me…”

“It’s been a long week,” Jing Yuan stated.

“It’s been a long for both of us. That is no excuse for my behavior.”

“Oh, Fu Xuan,  please  do not beat yourself up like this. You’ll drive me insane.”

If only he knew how he drove Fu Xuan insane… but she decided not to speak on it. “Jing Yuan, I just… Please listen very carefully to me.”

He nodded. “Always.”

Fu Xuan could not tell him the whole truth, she knew that. When it came to divination, knowing every route of the future was beyond dangerous, especially when one had never known the future before. Telling Jing Yuan about his death might influence the future - for better or worse, Fu Xuan did not want to know.

But maybe, just maybe, she could confide in him.

“The Matrix of Prescience is ever reliable with its unreliability,” she said. “It has shown me great things - terrible, but great. I see death wherever I go. I watch our Cloud Knights fall again and again, and I just… it grows exhausting after a while.”

Jing Yuan nodded, sorrow seeping into his eyes. “Yes. It does.”

“I just struggle to find a solution. I struggle to see anything hopeful. I cannot… It feels impossible to help.”

“It does, Lady Fu, it really, really does.” He paused for a long moment, and Fu Xuan reflected on the soldiers long gone with him. “But that’s why we have to keep moving. We have to give them hope.”

Fu Xuan looked up at him again. Even if he was just a holograph, she could still feel his warmth in front of her. She could see his eyes blinking, moving back and forth. She could see his belly slowly rise and fall with his breath. She could see life itself.

Jing Yuan could not die. Not now. Not in this war. He still had so much life to give to give others. Fu Xuan still had so much life to give to  him . 

What an idiot she was. What an absolute idiot.

She was going to keep Jing Yuan alive. She bet all she had on it.

Chapter Text

Jing Yuan was intertwined with fate. Fate was going to kill him. Fu Xuan was going to defy fate.

There was simply no other option than to defy the fate she saw. 

Every waking moment, Fu Xuan forced herself through the countless paths and visions that showed this fate to her. She spent hours meditating, letting the waves of incense waft over her cheeks and forehead, letting the wisdom of the distant worlds reach her third eye. She spent ages with the Matrix of Prescience, walking through destiny after destiny, trying to peer through the hazy clouds of fate, only to emerge more confused than before she entered. She spent forever alone in her office, toying with the Jade Abacus, writing all the paths to the future she saw on countless slips of parchment. 

No matter what she did, it was never enough: fate would not tell her how to avoid this disaster.

Somewhere in her haze, she had been told the truth about the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and the resurrection of the Abundant Ebon Deer. The threat of the Stellaron was growing ever imminent. Her own desires to keep Jing Yuan alive were selfish now - she needed to focus on the well-being of her people first. More and more Cloud Knights were becoming stricken with mara. There was doom and death everywhere she looked.

She stood in the daylight now, basking in the sun's warm glow, letting it revive what little energy she had left. If she closed her eyes and let her thoughts linger long enough, she could find herself tucked in the marketplace of the Loufu, the sounds of chatter rattling through her ears, the taste of bok choy on her lips, the laughter and warmth of a certain general.

"Lady Fu?"

And then she would return to this world, to the present moment, only mere days or hours or even seconds away from Jing Yuan's fated demise. She opened her eyes and turned to the Cloud Knight behind her, her expression as stoic as she could possibly forge it to be. "Yes?"

"The Nameless," the knight answered, "They are here. It would be wise to meet with them."

So it would be, Fu Xuan thought. She pushed her intrusive thoughts aside and turned around. "Bring them to me. I have much to speak about with them."

The Nameless were a strange group of scruffy and eclectic warriors ('warriors', if one could even call them that), but they were also dependable and powerful. They altered the many courses of fate. Fu Xuan did not know how they did it, but if using their assistance would lead to a better outcome, she would take it. They ventured together through the hordes of Disciples and Mara-Struck Individuals, capturing whoever was still stable enough to recover from the disaster and peacefully killing the rest. 

It crushed Fu Xuan's soul to take the lives of those inflicted by mara. There was so little she could do to save them now.

And there was so little she could do to try and save Tingyun.

With the comrades from the stars standing by her side, Fu Xuan watched helplessly as Tingyun's bones cracked in her weak body. Her corpse fell aside, and a true monster arose from the flesh. The source of all destruction was before her very eyes.

And all Fu Xuan could think of was how naive she had been.

How foolish, how foolish! How did she not even  consider  looking into the future of the Nameless and their allies for a hint at what was to come? How could she have not divined this earlier? How could she ignore Tingyun - no, ignore the Cloud Knights, the civilians, the entirety of the Xianzhou, all for one person's life? Nothing was more precious than her home, yet she betrayed it all for a chance to find answers about Jing Yuan's life. How stupid could she be?

Phantylia was her name, a name the Matrix of Prescience didn't bother to tell her earlier. When the Nameless finally defeated the beasts she left behind, she had already vanished to Scalegorge Waterscape. Tingyun's body was nowhere to be found.

Welt, the genius of the Astral Express, seemed to know much about Phantylia and her powers of destruction. "Phantylia revels in watching a corrupted mind eating away its host from the inside out, until the obliteration of both is achieved," he stated with sorrow after the battle. "But there was no indication that Tingyun had been misguided or manipulated. It's possible that the Tingyun we knew wasn't her true self, but an image Phantylia devised to serve her own purposes."

March 7th, a naive archer from the Astral Express, interrupted. "You're saying that the real Tingyun is still…"

Welt paused momentarily, licked his lips, and tapped his fingers against his sleeve. Fu Xuan could recognize his anxiety in an instant. "I'm sorry, I can't say with any certainty where the real Tingyun may be or at what point she was replaced by the imposter. Without knowing where the body vanished to, it'll be tough to get an answer."

Fu Xuan sighed. Her head started to pound with that familiar ache. She pressed her fingers against her temples, massaging the smooth skin. The Stellaron was overgrowing in the Luofu, Tingyun's disappearance, Jing Yuan's undecided fate - everything was happening too quickly.

Fate did not care how quickly its events would play out. Destruction would rain on Fu Xuan's beloved home, whether she was ready for it or not.

"Phantylia is aiming for the Ambrosial Arbor," the diviner claimed. "If she succeeds, the Luofu will be deprived of its roots, making its destruction all too easy. We must stop her."

Fu Xuan led the Nameless to a Starskiff, where they departed to seal the Ambrosial Arbor before Phantylia could taint it. As Welt guided the Starskiff through the skies, Fu Xuan clung to her Jade Abacus and prayed to the distant stars. Her vision was hazy as ever. None of her calculations made any sense. The more she peered, the less she could see - and the less she saw, the more infuriated she became. 

Fu Xuan sighed finally, setting the calculator in her lap. Just how many more Antimatter saboteurs are at large?

"Lady Fu Xuan?"

Fu Xuan blinked, her vision locked onto the eyes of one of the Nameless. Stelle was her name, she believed: a girl who hailed from the stars and assisted with whatever violent endeavor she was needed for. She was hasty and rash, so much like Jing Yuan. 

"May I help you?" Fu Xuan asked. 

Stelle nervously peeked at her ally March, a faint blush painting her cheeks. "Well, I was wondering, where is Jing Yuan? I know he is your husband, but he's also a general of the Cloud Knights. Could he help with this?"

Right. Jing Yuan. The man that consumed Fu Xuan's every thought, breath, semblance of existence… "I've yet to report to him. I have become distracted recently. After Tingyun's demise, I want to see as much of the future as possible and prevent further losses." Jing Yuan's loss, that is, but to no avail. She stood suddenly, clasping her phone in her hand. "Thank you for reminding me, Trailblazer. I will report to him now. If he is smart, he will meet us there as soon as possible."

Fu Xuan stepped to the back of the Starskiff, where the salty sea air flew through her loose strands of hair, and the sun's golden light reflected on her Jade Abacus just so. She dialed Jing Yuan's number with one hand, and with the other, she fiddled with the calculator.

Jing Yuan answered immediately. "Lady Fu? Is something wrong?"

Fu Xuan sighed. "How did you know?"

"You never call me out of the blue like this unless something is wrong."

Aeons, did he know her that well already? "Seems you have your wits about you, General. Let me tell you all that has transpired."

Fu Xuan told him about the many Cloud Knights tainted by mara. She told him of the few she had managed to rescue, and the many more she had left for the mercy of death. She told him of Tingyun's identity and Phantylia's rise. She told him of the great danger threatening the Ambrosial Arbor they both treasured so dearly.

"The Xianzhou Loufu is in grave danger," she whispered to him. "I… I have been trying to read the future all this time, but I cannot see anything. It's like my third eye is protesting my every prediction. I am so sorry for failing, General."

"Fu Xuan," Jing Yuan answered, his voice masked by the phone's connection, "you have nothing to apologize for. You are already sacrificing everything for the sake of the Loufu. You are doing all you can."

But it is not enough. It is never enough.  Fu Xuan flicked one of the beads on the abacus. "You cannot tell me that. You know that I will not rest until this threat is gone, until each and every one of the citizens of the Loufu feel safe again."

"And they will. They will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"... because I am on my way to the Ambrosial Arbor now. I will fix this."

Fu Xuan blinked, and when she opened her eyes, she saw another glimpse of the future. Jing Yuan stood tall in front of the waters touching the sky. His claymore rested on his back. He was prepared for battle.

Fu Xuan blinked again, and she was back in the present. "You are going there? Why? Who are you going with?"

"Right now," he answered, "I am alone."

The future spoke again. Jing Yuan would not be alone. There would be someone else there standing alongside him. A Vidyadhra. Fu Xuan squinted at him; he almost looked like…

And then the vision faded. The Jade Abacus's beads fell. Fu Xuan pricked at them again, adjusting them with every word of their conversation. "What is your plan, General?"

"There is no plan, not right now. But I will assess the situation and figure it out. I will adapt as necessary."

The vision returned. This time, the Trailblazers stood around him, their own weapons in hand. They were ready for battle. They were ready for it the second they stepped on the Xianzhou.

Fu Xuan tilted a bead to the top of her abacus. "How confident are you? What is your backup? Details, Jing Yuan - I need details."

She could sense it now, more transparent than ever before. The seas had risen around then, and the moon reflected in its light. Salt, sand, and stone wafted through the air, clogging her senses. Echoes of the past rushed with the water. Static flew through the air.

There, Fu Xuan stood before her husband, watching him speak to her as confidently as ever. Whatever she would do in that moment would determine their future. 

"Fu Xuan."

Fu Xuan blinked for the final time. "Yes, General?"

"Are you… worried for me?"

Jing Yuan was such a fool. Such a dreadful, miserable, hopeless, beautiful fool. Fu Xuan clutched her phone a little tighter, glaring at the sun's shining light reflected on her abacus. "You are very capable, very adamant in your ways. I know whatever path you take, you will ensure the safety of the Xianzhou."

"I did not ask if you were worried about the Xianzhou," he responded, his voice coarse. "I asked if you were worried for  me ."

Fu Xuan fell silent. Her voice caught in her throat. A thousand words raced through her mind, yet she could not muster the conviction to speak any of them. That familiar ache in her chest returned, drowning her in its captivating agony. She wished to sink in it. She wanted to let it swallow her whole, to let it guide her through the futures that her Jade Abacus would show her, to command her every step and move and thought. 

No. It was not necessarily the hopelessness she wished to drown in, but the man she attached to it that she wanted to lose herself to.  Jing Yuan .

But there was no time to indulge in such lovesick pleasantries. Fu Xuan tilted her chin and gaped at the seas beyond the Starskiff she was flying on. They were as endless as the future she dared to navigate.

"You are cruel to ask that, Jing Yuan," she responded. "Right now, the safety of the Xianzhou Loufu is of utmost importance. As a General, one with more knowledge and power than many ordinary citizens, it would not make sense for me to worry for you."

He stayed silent at that for a long moment. "You do make a point. Focused as always, Lady Fu."

How she hated it when he spoke to her so indifferently.

Fu Xuan finished their conversation quickly, dismissing Jing Yuan and the lingering feelings for him quickly. Silently, she stepped back to the Nameless and sat before them. "I've reported the current situation to the Seat of Divine Foresight."

"And?" Stelle questioned. 

"We have not had much time to speak since our conversation at the Matrix of Prescience. He said he had 'important matters to personally attend to.' The situation stands on the edge of a precipice. We must trust in the General…"

"And… do you trust in him?"

Fu Xuan did, in a sense. She trusted him as much as her mind allowed her to. She feared for his future with whatever remaining energy she had left. 

"Yes. I trust him. I trust he will be alright." What an incredible lie that was.

-

Fear struck her heart the second she laid eyes on Scalegorge Waterscape.

The sandy remains of the Vidyadhara planet came into view slowly, emerging from the fogs with the speed of the slow, lazy moon and the illusive mystery of history long-forgotten. Fu Xuan stood at the edge of the Starskiff, guiding the vessel safely through the endless mist and perilous ruins. Droplets of water fell on her hair and clothes from the clouds around her. A horrible shiver raced down her spine.

Slowly, she guided the Starskiff to land in the waters, then sailed across the salty sea to a patch of sand safe enough to anchor at. She guided the Nameless of the boats and onto the island. She was the last to emerge from the boat's safe exterior. She stepped on a patch of wet sand and trembled from the coolness of the water. Chilled wind rushed on her skin, flowing right through her body. This was a dreadful place, indeed the most bizarre one.

Fu Xuan shook the water off her shoe and trekked up the damp beach. "Make haste," she called to the group of the Nameless. "The longer we dawdle, the more time Phantylia has to prepare for us."

"Seems like she's already had some time to prepare," March 7th interrupted. "Look…"

Fu Xuan turned her gaze ahead, and… yes, March was right. There were already beasts from the Antimatter Legion sprawling over the island. "Slit their throats and leave them to die," Fu Xuan commanded. "We have no time for mercy for those undeserving of it."

The Nameless were swift fighters. They did precisely as Fu Xuan ordered: slaughtering the Legion's demons and leaving their bodies to fade on the sand and stone behind. With each life they claimed, the monsters grew more and more aggravated. How many of the Legion's soldiers were already here, and in such a short time? How much power did Phantylia truly have? 

How could Fu Xuan stop her before it was too late?

There was no time to ponder this. All Fu Xuan could do was use what little magic she had left to fend off the Legion's army. She had already exhausted most of her strength over the last few days. She met the rest of the Nameless at the front of the island, facing against more of the Legion's beasts…

A familiar strike of lightning came soaring through the sky. The Antimatter Legion's small army fell at once.

Fu Xuan flinched at the force, yet the largest wave of relief and devotion washed over her heart. She whirled her head back and - yes, there he was, the man she yearned to see. The man she yearned to keep. The man she yearned to love.

The man whose fate was ever so fragile.

Jing Yuan smiled at her warmly, jutting his claymore into the sand, keeping his eyes locked on hers. The golden glow in his eyes made her shiver. How much longer were they going to shine like that? "Jing Yuan!" she called to him. "Where have you been?"

He chuckled again, that devious chuckle. "Haha, forgive my late arrival, Lady Fu - we are indebted to you and your forces."

Fu Xuan sighed hopelessly. "Phantylia has already been here for some time. The Ambrosial Arbor is her focus. Her strategy was to create civil strife, then let it consume the Xianzhou from within. She wanted to use the Arbor to disseminate the power of the Plagues Author and turn the Loufu into a hell of undying abominations."

"Hmm… that is clear to me now. Please forgive my absence, Lady Fu. I had to retrieve someone first. Friends of the Astral Express, I have brought someone with me whom I think you will be eager to see."

Jing Yuan stepped to the side and allowed his esteemed guest to come into view. He was tall, with hair gliding down his shoulders and back like a waterfall, horns that reached the misty sky, and pointed ears shared by the Vidyadhara. Fu Xuan's knees locked, her breath unsteady. That was the man she saw in her vision of the future.

How much time did she have left?

The Vidyadhara's name was Dan Heng… she thought. She could barely hear him speak. She could barely hear anything. She stepped back, her world nothing but a blur, and faded into the sand around her with an emerging panic. Jing Yuan was going to die. She reached into her pockets and fumbled for the Jade Abacus, but the sensation of the crystal could not tug her out of this horror. Jing Yuan was going to die. There was no use trying to read the future now. It was happening too soon. Jing Yuan was going to die.

Jing Yuan was going to die. Jing Yuan was going to die.

Fu Xuan's husband was going to die.

Fu Xuan recognized where she was - when she was - in an instant. 

Jing Yuan's stance. Tall and strong. The banished Vidyadhara. Meek but ready. The group of trailblazers around them. The Primordial Sea, raging. Salt. Moon. Dragons.

Cold.

If Jing Yuan was going to die, it would be soon. 

Fu Xuan returned to the world slowly. She had to choose the future. She had to follow the path laid before her.

The Vidyadhara Dan Heng parted the seas and revealed the Ambrosial Arbor. It was a beautiful place, really - a tragedy captured in time. Ancient ruins and abandoned temples rested in the sea's mighty waters. They finally had a chance to breathe. 

Choose the future. Choose the future. Pay close attention to every little choice. That's all that mattered to Fu Xuan now. 

Jing Yuan turned to her. "Lady Fu."

Loyal as a dog, she answered, "Here, General."

"Remain here. Lead the Cloud Knights in defense of this passage. We must prevent further incidents."

The words haunted Fu Xuan like a plague. That same image appeared in her mind: Jing Yuan collapsed on the ground, lightning sparking around his flesh, a spear pierced through his body. This was how he was going to die.

There had to be something she could do to stop it. "Jing Yuan… General, are you planning to face Phantylia alone?"

Please say 'no,'  she begged.  Please, to all Aeons alive, please say 'no.'

"I wouldn't say so. I'll be counting on a few 'friends' for support."

Fu Xuan turned back to the Nameless. Even with a Vidyadhara legend on their team, she knew it would not be enough. When would he see that? She bit her tongue and refused to comment on it. 

"The adversary ahead of us is not an Abomination of Abundance. They are a Lord Ravager of the Antimatter Legion. Crossing this line will bring you into the conflict between the Reignbow Arbiter and the Ruin Author. You, my Lady Fu, have a more important duty."

Jing Yuan stepped closer to her, trusting her, peering into every inch and speck that made up Fu Xuan. She swore he could see all of her like this, her fears and woes, her wishes and ambitions, her desire and hopeless amour. 

Was there any grander torture than this?

"Lady Fu," he spoke softly, the way he spoke after he kissed her cheek for the first time, "if I am unable to return, I entrust you with the important task of relaying the full account to the other Xianzhou ships. Can you do-"

Enough. 

This was just… enough.

Fu Xuan would not be losing him now. Not like this. Not after years of standing by his side, years admiring him, years of serving the Xianzhou with him. 

Fu Xuan stepped closer - she was not losing him. The Antimatter Legion would not take him. She took another step. Phantylia would not take him. She grabbed the blue ribbon tying his shirt together. Destruction would not take him.

Fu Xuan closed her eyes, parted her lips, and kissed him.

Fate would not take him.

But then Jing Yuan started to kiss her back, and nothing else mattered. The world faded away.

Jing Yuan's lips were warm. Soft. Slow, dripping against hers like golden honey, filling her with every bit of warmth and life she thought was possible from him. How was Jing Yuan capable of all of this? How could he infuriate her and make her melt at his fingertips with one simple touch?

Fu Xuan parted away slowly, and the universe returned. Yet she watched Jing Yuan flutter his eyes open, the golden glow gazing back into her. His breath remained soft against her lips. Aeons, he was gorgeous. So perpetually, wonderfully gorgeous.

She pressed her forehead against his. "I trust you will be here to re-issue the order in person…" she paused to breathe him in, to witness his life. "But whatever the outcome, I will do as you command and honor the mission."

Jing Yuan leaned into her now, kissing her quickly, softly, with the frailty of a flower. "Spoken like a true general."

-

Fu Xuan watched eternity pass before her.

Somewhere, within the ancient temples and dismantled ruins, within the bounds and bounds of Vidyadhara eggs warm with emergence, within the endless seas of mystery and grief, Jing Yuan was fighting a demon of destruction. He was fighting the very cancer of the universe itself.

And Fu Xuan stood by, waiting for the agony to finally end.

-

He survived.

Jing Yuan survived.

By the time Fu Xuan arrived in the Arbor, Jing Yuan had already collapsed to the ground. His clothes were stained by blood, and his limbs were left twitching and sore, but he was alive. Fresh breath flowed through his lungs, smooth blood ran through his veins. He had survived. Fate spared him. 

Fu Xuan and the Cloud Knights delivered him to the Seat of Divine Foresight, where doctors and healers waited to revive him. They took him aside, keeping him in a private room to prevent contamination. "You have full permission to perform any necessary surgeries or operations you see fit on him," Fu Xuan told them as they escorted him into the operation room. "If it is to keep him alive, do what you must."

The next few hours that passed were miserable. Fu Xuan paced outside his room, unable to do anything to calm her frantic nerves. Every sound, every whisper, every hint of a noise startled her. A door opened - was it Jing Yuan's door? A nurse spoke - did that nurse know of his condition? Something rustled outside the building - had Jing Yuan's powers with lightning returned? Was he still alive? Was he still alive?

Eventually, she settled her nerves enough to return to Jing Yuan's office to fulfill her promise to him. In Jing Yuan's absence, she temporarily took on his responsibilities as the General of the Cloud Knights. It was the least she could do. So she mustered the courage to leave the medical quarters and head to his office, leaving him behind for the professionals to deal with. 

They would make it through. Indeed, as fate has already spared them so much, surely they would make it through. Jing Yuan would wake, and he would continue his duties, and all would be well again. And maybe, just maybe, he would forget about that kiss Fu Xuan had given him before he walked towards his death. 

Fu Xuan opened the doors to his office and-

Oh.

What torture was this?

It smelled like him. It smelled  so  much like him. It smelled like mahogany, like parchment, like clear water and dark earth, like lightning racing through the sky. His office was warm, warm as his skin whenever he stood close to Fu Xuan. There were little sounds everywhere: wind chimes, papers rustling in the breeze, the creaking sounds of floorboards wherever Fu Xuan stepped…

This room was so full of life.

Fu Xuan closed the door behind her and let herself fall to the ground. There was so much life here, endless memories trapped in time, memories that could be stolen any second. Her throat welled up in unbearable pain - how close was she to losing this life? How close was she to losing Jing Yuan? 

It was too much to bear now, all too much. Fu Xuan clasped her hands to her mouth and sobbed into her flesh. 

How close was she to losing her husband?

-

A few more hours passed, and Jing Yuan still had not woken up. But the Nameless were here now, safe and sound. That was a good enough reason to leave this depressing shell of paperwork and death. Anything, at this point, would be a good enough reason.

Fu Xuan strutted to the center of the Seat of Divine Foresight with her chin held high and her tear-stained cheeks dried. She stretched her hands as she walked, feeling her raw flesh bend with pain. Her palms had gone red from the monotonous hours of work. This was dreadful, truly dreadful.

"The Astral Express has braved great evil for the Loufu. Your devotion is evident. After discussions with the Six Charioteers, you are henceforth sworn allies of the Loufu. Within the Loufu's jurisdiction, you are to be treated with the highest standard of diplomatic protocol."

Welt Yang, the oldest and most mature of the Nameless, smiled warmly at her. "On behalf of the Astral Express, I would like to thank you, Master Diviner."

Holding the front of formality was easy enough, when one's reputation depended wholly on it. It was even easier when Fu Xuan had something to formally speak about. Discussing the future of the Loufu, as well as the earlier disaster with Phantylia and the Stellaron Hunters, was all it took to keep the Nameless - and Fu Xuan, respectively, away from the subject of Jing Yuan's health. 

"I'm submitting my written report to the Alliance, and I already have a plan in mind. All of you will feature in the report, but for the sake of Jing Yuan, anything related to Xianzhou internal affairs will have names redacted - I hope you can forgive me."

"There's no need to worry about that; we completely understand," Welt stated. "But if I may ask, is Jing Yuan alright? We have not heard from him since the battle."

Of course, he asked that. Of. Course. “Jing Yuan is resting now. I dare not disturb him. Though I will say he has committed quite a few violations this time around, and I will have to deal with them one by one."

“But, is Jing Yuan-?”

Too much. Fu Xuan still could not take it. "Please take the time to recuperate," she interrupted. "If there's anywhere you would like to visit, feel free to take a look. I must attend some… Cloud Knight matters - farewell for now." 

Fu Xuan stepped away, frantic in her mind, blocking the worried protests from Welt. She needed to return to her husband - no, Jing Yuan, no, the General - any damned title she used for him was too much to bear - she had to return to  the  office and complete her agonizing list of tasks and duties. Nothing else mattered: not rest, not guests, not Phantylia-

"Lady Fu Xuan?"

No. Not even her disciples could matter right now. It was too much, too unbearable, too demanding, too agonizing, too-

"Lady Fu! It's Jing Yuan!"

Jing Yuan.  Jing Yuan.

She whirled her head towards the voice.

"He's awake," the disciple relayed. "He's awake and requesting your presence."

Now, nothing else truly did matter. Jing Yuan was awake. Fu Xuan dropped her formality and ran to the hospital wing, leaving the bewildered disciple behind.

Fu Xuan reached the door in mere minutes. She slid it open, nearly crashing it into the side of the wall, and gazed into the lonely room. Her exhaustion did not matter. Her workload did not matter. No, none of it mattered compared to the man sitting up on the bed, gazing her way.

And then, he smiled that awful, antagonizing, unbearably fuzzy smile. "Nurses, doctors, please leave us," he spoke into the empty space. "I would like to speak with my wife alone." They left as soon as his voice stopped, closing the door behind them.

And there Fu Xuan was, alone with her husband, alive and well. She did not know what to say. She did not know what to do. She did not know anything, really.

"How are you?" he asked. 

"I…" she whispered against the silence. "Why are you… asking that?"

"Because I want to know if you are alright."

Fu Xuan blinked. Blinked again. He was not making a lick of sense. "It does not matter how I am.  You  are the one who risked your life, who nearly perished on the battlefield. You… I cannot, I could not bear the thought of…"

"Lady Fu," he interrupted, "Please, do not leave me unanswered. How are  you ?"

His words tore at her heart. "I am well."

"Are you sure? You look pale. Pale and red. Has something happened?"

"Not since the battle, no. The Nameless are here. They are speaking with our disciples now about… well, about whatever intrigues them. And I have taken your responsibilities in your absence. You need not worry about that."

"Hmm." Jing Yuan lowered his gaze to the white sheets nestled on his lap. "Sit. Please. I wish to speak with you."

"You are speaking with me."

"No. Not like this, Lady Fu. I do not wish for us to talk like a General and an associate. I do not wish to hear your updates like another soldier. I wish for us to  speak ."

Speak. As if they could speak so carelessly. As if any ordinary conversation didn't spark Fu Xuan alive with antsy anticipation, with feelings and daydreams and memories she could not comprehend. She could read the stars over and over again, but Jing Yuan was always a mystery. He was the most alluring mystery alive.

Fu Xuan stepped over, light on her feet, and sat on the bed next to him. "As you wish."

Jing Yuan sighed at her, still smiling. "I apologize for my behavior over the last few days. It has been… difficult to handle my own personal matters, but that does not excuse my absence from my work with the Cloud Knights, especially now that it is on your shoulders."

"No! No," Fu Xuan interrupted. "Please do not worry about it. It is the least I can do for you while you are…"

"I am fine, Lady Fu. Really, I am."

Was he, though? Could anyone be fine after such a disaster had occurred? Fu Xuan gazed at him like artwork, like a masterpiece stored in a museum, searching for the hidden details and histories captured in his body. There were a few light scratches littered on his face, and a few stray bandages remained wrapped along his limbs. His tousled hair fell over his body, roused by sleep. His body was…

"Lady Fu?"

Just like that, Fu Xuan was looking at his eyes again. His very soul looked back. 

"Did you believe I was going to die?"

Die.  That word, those three letters, that one sound, echoed in Fu Xuan's mind endlessly. That word was the source of all her nightmares, the very power behind her chaotic thoughts. 

"Why… would you think that?" she finally asked. 

Jing Yuan turned his eyes down, averting his eyes. "You are a brilliant woman. Aeons, you are probably the most brilliant woman alive. I have never met someone as eloquent and skilled with her craft as you."

Fu Xuan feigned a laugh. "No need for flattery, General."

"It is not flattery. It is the truth. You are the most knowledgeable person I have ever met. Which means you know lots of things that I do not."

A sense of dread pulled at Fu Xuan's shoulders, tugging her posture down. She knew where he was taking this. 

"You have been obsessed with the Matrix of Prescience and that Jade Abacus of yours for days now. You've had more migraines in the past week than you ever had in your entire life. Divination is not the kindest magic to practice, and you have been bullying yourself with it senselessly."

"You do not know what I have witnessed," Fu Xuan interrupted.

"Then enlighten me."

Fury coursed through Fu Xuan's body, burning with the fire of a thousand suns, the suns she read repeatedly to avoid catastrophe. This was how he was acting? This was what he was asking? How dare he! "You do not know for a reason, Jing Yuan. A very, very good reason. The future is unchanging. Frozen in its path. Navigating its infinite courses is something I take very, very seriously. I guard it from you for a reason."

"Did you think telling me would interfere with your efforts?"

"No!" she yelled. "It is the exact opposite! Even if I had told you what was bound to happen, I knew you would rush into danger for the sake of our Cloud Knights, for the Loufu. If I had told you, then I would have sentenced you to death myself."

"So you saw me die?"

Fu Xuan gasped, exhausted. Even when Jing Yuan was safe and sound, this agony was still not over. "Why does it matter? Do you want to hear that you died, Jing Yuan?"

"I want to share your burdens, Lady Fu."

"Well,  I  want you far away from my burdens."

"But Fu Xuan, I do not want you to face these battles alone."

"It does not matter what you want in these scenarios, Jing Yuan. You do not deserve to suffer from the dread caused by  my  visions."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why can't I suffer with you? Why can't I help you?"

"You can't, Jing Yuan. You just can't."

"Fu Xuan, you do not need to protect me."

"I know that, but-"

"Then why? Why insist? Why do you hide this from me?"

"Because I love you!"

…

Silence filled the crowded room.

"... Lady Fu?"

Not a word.

"... my Lady. Please."

Fu Xuan blinked. Looked at him. Gazed into those gorgeous eyes.

"Do you really love me?"

And just like that, with those five words, any power or control Fu Xuan had vanished. "I… do not make me say it."

Jing Yuan leaned forward to her. "Why?"

"Because I cannot bear it, Jing Yuan. I just cannot…"

He slid closer to her. "But I cannot bear you being silent, now that you have spoken. Truth be told, I cannot bear a single moment without you."

"What… do you mean?" she whispered, watching him shuffle closer.

"Is it not obvious?"

No. Maybe. Maybe? What was he saying? What was he doing? "Jing Yuan, you cannot speak in riddles like this."

He laughed again. He finds laughter in anything. It's magical - no,  he  is magical. "Then let me say it for you clearly, so you may never be confused again." Jing Yuan was next to her now, his warmth wafting over her like a gentle incense now. He raised a hand, found a strand of hair lingering on Fu Xuan's cheek, and carefully tucked it behind her ear.

Oh, Aeons.

"I am in love with you, Fu Xuan. I have been falling in love with you since the mere idea of romance came to my mind."

The world stopped.

Nothing else in this galaxy, this entire universe, could mean more to Fu Xuan than his words. There was no touch other than Jing Yuan's hand on her cheek, no sound other than his light breathing, no sight other than his vibrant,  living  body before her.

Nothing - no feeling, emotion, or statement- could begin to describe the warmth and devotion that flooded Fu Xuan.

"Are you… are you telling me the truth?"

Jing Yuan did not hesitate. "I am. You were the first woman I ever dreamed of being with. You are the one I think of when I wake and the one whose company comforts me in my dreams. You are the one I miss the most, the one who drives me forward, the one who brings me out of any strife or turmoil I find myself in and ground me back to reality. It's all you, Fu Xuan. It was always you."

He was too much to handle. Surely his words were an exaggeration, a prolonged monologue he formed from the delusion of his injuries. Yet when Fu Xuan looked at him, when she saw behind the barriers of his flesh and into the deepest parts of his soul, she saw his truth.

"Then… Why did you marry me? If our marriage is loveless, why pursue it?"

"Because there is no one I would rather marry. With or without romance, Fu Xuan, you are the only one I could ever want as my wife."

Slowly, Fu Xuan lifted her own hand up to graze the back of Jing Yuan's. His hands were dry and calloused from his injuries. She should scold him for that later, like a proper wife would scold her husband.

"Can I be your wife?"

"You are my wife."

"No. Not like that. You know what I mean."

Jing Yuan laughed again. "Sorry, forgive me. Perhaps I just want you to say it. Perhaps I like the way you flirt with me."

Fu Xuan scrunched her nose up. "Oh, you are awful. The most awful. You know that, right?"

"Sure, I am awful. I will be 'awful' for as long as you wish, if it ensures you still love me."

"Then keep being 'awful' forever. Keep telling me your jokes, keep binging on bao buns, keep your traditions and hopes and ambitions. Keep it all. Just keep being the man I fell in love with."

Jing Yuan moved his hand to cup Fu Xuan's cheek properly now. Not once did he avert his eyes from hers. He then moved in closer, slowly to not scare her, slowly to admire her.

"Always," he whispered before finally kissing her.

There was nothing about Jing Yuan that Fu Xuan could resist any longer. His lips were lazy against hers, relaxed by his affection, moving with their own accordance. It felt nice, Fu Xuan thought, to have him endlessly trust him with her like this. To let her hold him, to let her see him, to let her kiss him at his most vulnerable. 

For him, it was worth it. Everything was worth it. The stars could burn and die, the planets reduced to ash, the galaxies left as a fuzzy memory - and still, everything Fu Xuan did for him would be worth it.

Fu Xuan sighed and opened her mouth more, kissing him smoothly, touching his gentle lips like a treasure. She kissed him, telling him he was the most precious person alive, the most worthy of her love, the one who deserved this world and all the worlds beyond. Her mind grew fuzzy from the touch of his lips and hands, and she let it. She let herself fall into the endless warmth that was Jing Yuan.

No, their marriage was not perfect. It was far from it. But they were doing better. They had each other, and in the disordered and chaotic paths of fate, perhaps that was all they needed.