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“But my brother’s just a baby!”

The Water God demanded a sacrifice. And the one he’d chosen as his ‘bride’ was none other than Shi Wudu’s infant brother.

“He has been chosen,” the priest explained. “But the Water God has no taste for infants; in ten years, he’ll demand his bride.”

“Ten years…” Shi Wudu repeated thoughtfully.

There would be no escaping this. Even with a ten year reprieve, they couldn’t run, couldn’t hide. The kingdom existed only as long as the Water God was appeased—now that the bride had been chosen, the palace would have people watching them. And even if they could flee from their mortal watchers, the Water God had marked his bride and would be able to find him anywhere. The child was now his.

But because the kingdom existed if the Water God was appeased, the family of the sacrifice would receive royal favor; Shi Wudu’s life would be one of riches and ease and all he had to do was throw his brother into the ocean.

Could he sacrifice his little brother?

No.

But could he sacrifice someone else?

He had ten years to find a perfect substitute.

Ten years was an impossibly short deadline to find another baby boy “Xuan” and switch Qingxuan’s fate. However, thanks to his position bestowed as a family member of the Water Bride, Shi Wudu had an entire library of records at his disposal.

And if anyone could find a substitute, wreck that child’s family to orphan him (assuming his family wasn’t willing to sell him outright or he wasn’t orphaned already), and investigate enough questionable ancient rituals and forbidden historical rites to be able to successfully switch the sacrifice with the Water God none the wiser…it was Shi Wudu.

Though it had been nearly a hundred years since the last demand for a Water Bride, there were gods of all kinds who constantly had to be appeased: Rain, Wind, Earth, so on and so forth. As a result, there were plenty of old records detailing magical experiments conducted to switch the bride mark with another child who matched.

Of course all of this was blasphemous and kept hidden, supposedly not even written at all. But it was only a matter of knowing where to look, who to ask, and the persistence to find it.

He would defy fate, if that’s what it took. He would carve out happiness for them with his own two hands—he could be irredeemably bloodied and wicked as long as Qingxuan was kept pure and bright.

Shi Wudu would make a place for them in the world, a glorious place filled with riches and luxury. The only way for the many sacrifices to be justified was if their lives were enviable and perfect so Shi Wudu would stop at nothing to make it so.

Because all of the love in Shi Wudu’s heart belonged to one person and that was Shi Qingxuan.

The last decade had been devoted entirely to this moment; the grey skies and chill in the air were far more suited to a funeral than a “wedding.” Even the ocean seemed unusually dark and cold, waves rolling with an almost sinister impatience.

Shi Wudu didn’t look away as the child sunk into the water, greedily lapped at by the waves. The child didn’t cry or wail as Shi Wudu had expected—instead he glared murderously with his sharp black eyes, as if he could spear Shi Wudu to death with his gaze alone.

Though he didn’t cry, he did tremble, jaw visibly quite painfully clenched as he shivered uncontrollably. Whether that was from his own fury and helplessness, the biting cold of the water, or the eerie feeling of the water invading, caressing, and devouring him—Shi Wudu didn’t know and didn’t particularly care.

Finally, the child was pulled under and the waves stilled.

Shi Wudu looked out at the sea for another moment but he felt no remorse, no guilt.

Rather, he turned around and went home, his step light and a satisfied smile on his lips.

The families of the Water Bride were bestowed with safe voyages and supernatural blessings from the sea with no indication of resentment or vengeance from the sacrificed “bride” herself. The records were divided and unsure as to why this was so but there were a few theories:

1. The Water God was grateful and blessed his “in laws” while the bride was simply a prisoner—her resentment was meaningless in her cage;
2. The Water God didn’t marry the brides in the human sense but rather ate them. So the bride’s resentment toward the family that sacrificed them would be dissolved in the Water God’s stomach;
3. The act of wedding the Water God erased the mind of the brides, leaving them no memory of their pasts or families. All they knew was him;
4. The Water God was actually a loving, doting husband who gave the brides lives filled with riches and adoration, so why would the brides feel resentment for their old families? Wouldn’t they feel grateful to be given in marriage to such a glorious husband?

Shi Wudu always snorted at that last one whenever he heard it or came across it in texts. If it was such a desirable “marriage” then why would the king need to award prestige and position to families of the sacrifices?

His guess was somewhere between option two and three.

It didn’t matter now, he supposed. The whole affair was long over with and now Shi Wudu was a peerlessly successful merchant with a fleet of ships, traversing the rivers and seas as if the current followed his every whim and command, earning him the nickname the Water Master (and sometimes Water Tyrant, when people thought he couldn’t hear)—

And Qingxuan was safe.

It hadn’t been easy. The sleepless nights of research and perpetual scouring of records was only the beginning. Once Shi Wudu had found a replacement, he couldn’t just steal the kid. Thankfully, the family wasn’t all that well off so it only took bit of cunning and resources to plunge them further into poverty and despair. Still, they were good people (despite the rumors Shi Wudu so calculatingly cultivated) so they didn’t even consider selling off their kids—but with a few contrived charges here and some bad luck there, well. The outcome was fairly predictable. The parents could either be locked up indefinitely or die…or both.

The kids just so happened to disappear in the shuffle, no one knowing what to do with them. And with the stigma from the parents having wretched luck and being alleged criminals, no friends or relatives would come forward to claim or even ask about them.

The little maid of the family caught the eye of one of Shi Wudu’s helpers, a middling official who had just enough power to bury the family’s case under mountains of paperwork, ensuring they would never again see the light of day. Since the little girl needed to be dealt with anyway Shi Wudu didn’t think much of using her as a reward. However, the man ended up being a little too rough with his new toy and killed her. Greedy for more, the official hinted at blackmail if Shi Wudu didn’t use his skills to find him more girls…

Shi Wudu didn’t fear a god, why would he bow to the threats of some piss-ant official? A dead accomplice was a silent accomplice so Shi Wudu was happy to deal with that particular loose end once and for all.

It even helped perpetuate the rumor that anyone who had anything to do with that poor He family would end up cursed—if the official who only barely touched the paper of their plea ended up dead, then no one was safe! Everyone seemed to agree that it would be best to just look the other way, not ask too many questions, and pretend the whole household had never existed.

By the time Shi Wudu had all of that nonsense wrapped up, he checked on the child he’d hidden away. Though famished and filthy, he was alive.

The baby girl clutched in his arms was not.

“You said to keep him alive,” the jailer had said defensively. “You didn’t say anything about the toddler.”

“True,” Shi Wudu said, eyeing the disgusting, too-skinny little boy in the cell as if appraising a pig for slaughter. Perhaps that wasn’t fair; a pig would’ve been treated much better. “No point in wasting money feeding both when I only need the one.” He smiled at the guard, pretending not to notice the man’s reflexive shiver. “You’ve done well.”

“T-thank you, sir,” the guard stuttered.

Shi Wudu tossed him a hefty coin as a tip, hoping the man wouldn’t have spent it and still have it on him by the time Shi Wudu killed him too—

“Brother!” Qingxuan’s voice snapped Shi Wudu out of his reverie and the salty ocean air filled his lungs, clearing his mind.

No, it hadn’t been easy, but it had been worth it.

Shi Qingxuan flitted over, feet so light on the ship’s deck it looked like dancing, long, dark hair tousled in the sea breeze.

Even now Shi Wudu couldn’t help but smile just a little at Qingxuan’s feminine mannerisms. It couldn’t be helped, he told himself; Qingxuan had essentially been raised as a girl—transformed into one, once Shi Wudu found the right spells. He’d done it out of sheer necessity; all of the work, murder, and sacrifice would have been pointless if they’d been found out because the original male Shi Qingxuan was just out traipsing around.

So for all the world knew, the boy child Xuan-er had been sacrificed to the Water God and now Shi Wudu sailed the seas with his beloved little sister.

The only people who could say any different would be their parents and they were long dead, whether from natural causes or—

“Brother, didn’t you hear the lookout? There are signs of a shipwreck ahead!”

“A shipwreck?” Shi Wudu echoed. Truthfully, he’d been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t heard the lookout. But it didn’t matter; he was the Water Master, whatever had destroyed the ship wouldn’t dare confront him. “You hardly need to worry—”

“What if there are survivors?” Shi Qingxuan interrupted, already peering over the railing though there was nothing yet to see. “We have to save them!”

Shi Wudu winced, then smiled softly to himself. Of course Qingxuan was too caring and altruistic; Shi Wudu had specifically raised her that way, kept her innocent and sweet, oblivious to the wickedness in the world. So while this naive consideration was at times frustrating, it was also endearing.

“Brother!” Shi Qingxuan exclaimed, pointing excitedly. “I see one! Hurry!”

“Qingxuan, what if the survivor is a pirate or a prisoner or violent slave—”

“Hold on!” Shi Qingxuan hollered to the man weakly clinging to wreckage. “Just hold on, okay! We’ll save you, I promise!”

Shi Wudu grit his teeth. Maybe it wasn’t that endearing after all.

“Is he dead?” Shi Qingxuan asked, eyes wide with concern as the man slid limply to the deck. “He’s not breathing. I’ll blow in some air—”

“The hell you will,” Shi Wudu snapped, yanking Shi Qingxuan by the collar before she could seal her lips over this random stranger’s dirty mouth.

“But—” Shi Qingxuan protested.

Just then, the waterlogged man coughed, weakly at first, then again, spitting up water. He took a heaving breath, though his eyes remained closed.

At a moment of inattention from Shi Wudu, Shi Qingxuan escaped his grasp and knelt beside her rescue, quickly pressing her ear to the man’s chest. The heartbeat was slow and very faint, but it was there. Shi Qingxuan let out a sigh of relief.

“Hurry,” she commanded a couple of the sailors who had hauled the man out of the water. “Let’s get him to a cabin, get him dried off and maybe he can swallow some medicine…”

The sailors were used to following Shi Qingxuan’s command as if it was Shi Wudu’s so one wasted no time slinging the unconscious man over his shoulder and hauling him to a small, unoccupied cabin. He gave Shi Qingxuan a nod as he came out of the room, leaving Shi Qingxuan to her own devices.

However, Shi Qingxuan had barely managed to make it through the doorway before Shi Wudu caught up, sputtering and red in the face.

“Qingxuan! It’s not appropriate for a young lady to be in private quarters with a man! Especially not a random, nameless one—”

“Brother, it’s fine!” Shi Qingxuan promised, a hint of sing-song then shut the door in his face. “Besides, I won’t be a lady,” she whispered to herself. She rubbed the pearl earring piercing her earlobe and in a blink, turned from a beautiful young woman to a bright young man.

Then this “bright young man” stuck out his tongue at his incensed older brother, oblivious on the other side of the door.

“What kind of medicine even is there for drowning?” Shi Qingxuan wondered aloud, at a bit of a loss despite the nonchalance he’d shown his brother just moments before. “Though you were in the freezing ocean so we need to warm you up, guard against fever…oh, do you have any injuries?”

Shi Qingxuan continued talking to himself as he started undressing his charge, completely oblivious to the fact his brother would probably have a stroke if he knew.

“Get you out of these cold, wet clothes,” Shi Qingxuan whispered, trying to wrestle the clothes off as gently as possible. Even if his brother hadn’t thrown out that “not appropriate for a young lady” comment, Shi Qingxuan still would’ve changed into his male form for the additional muscle and height for leverage. Manipulating a grown man’s dead weight was much easier if Qingxuan was a man himself. “Oh you poor thing, you’re freezing, you’re practically blue—hang in there, okay!”

Shi Qingxuan rubbed vigorously at the man’s arms, trying to get some color back into him. His torso was mottled with bruises and a few cuts, but thankfully nothing too deep. Still, he’d put some ointment on him when he got the chance, just in case.

“Alright, pants, pants, let’s get you out of those and warm you up…”

He Xuan had wanted his human form to be absolutely flawless, impeccably convincing. As he drifted on the edge of consciousness back when they hauled him in and he coughed up water on the deck he realized maybe he’d done a little too good of a job.

…Because he’d actually blacked out for a moment and now woke to a beautiful young man yanking his waterlogged pants down to his ankles, his eyes flickering a little too obviously to He Xuan’s crot—

“What are you doing?” He Xuan choked out weakly.

The young man startled, hands up in surrender and blushing profusely.

“You’re awake!” the beautiful man started chattering immediately. “How do you feel? Does it hurt anywhere? Oh, I’m not—don’t look at me like that, I wasn’t doing anything naughty! You are soaked to the bone, I had to get you out of those clothes for you own good, I didn’t see anything, I swear—though, I mean, we’re both guys here, it’s not like it’s anything, um, big—er, different! Not like it’s anything different from what I’ve seen a thousand times before—not that I saw anything!”

He Xuan had overdone it with his transformation and this too-convincing mortal body; all he wanted to do was hibernate. There were so many things he needed to do now that he was here but his brain was still obnoxiously fuzzy. Maybe if he could sleep, just a little, he’d recover some of his strength and be able to think straight…

It was mere seconds before the young man’s incessant voice lulled him back to sleep.

“You’re awake!”

The words were the same but the speaker was not.

For a moment He Xuan didn’t say anything and didn’t move other than his eyes roaming the room, trying to put everything together. This looked like the same cabin he’d woken in before; though honestly there were probably several identical cabins on this ship and He Xuan had hardly paid enough attention earlier.

But next to him was not the same person.

“How do you feel?” a young woman asked him. “You were moaning in your sleep so I thought you’d wake up soon—I have some porridge here if you think you can eat..?”

He Xuan was starving.

With a nod, he started to sit up—

“Oh, here, let me help you, don’t get up too fast—” He Xuan startled at the warmth of the young woman’s hands on his shoulders and she paused uncertainly. “Did that hurt? Are you still injured somewhere?”

“Qingxuan! I told you to get me the second he woke up!” That arrogant, authoritative voice was one He Xuan would never forget and a second later its owner strode into the cabin.

He Xuan had burned that face into his mind, spent every day filled with hate, memorizing it perfectly so when the time came, there would be no escape. Still, for all of his planning and fantasizing about his revenge, the moment He Xuan saw him, he froze.

Shi Wudu!

“Brother, you’re scaring him!” the young woman admonished. She reassuringly rubbed He Xuan’s back as she whispered, “Are you alright?”

“He’s fine,” Shi Wudu said tersely, looking down at He Xuan.

That cold, detached gaze was the same it had been all those years ago and He Xuan allowed himself a shiver. Whether from fear, rage, or something else, it didn’t matter—his goal now was to appear helpless and non-threatening. Allowing Shi Wudu to see that slight tremble would only making his acting more convincing.

“It’s alright. He seems like a big meanie but his bark is worse than his bite.”

Ah, right—such a show of vulnerability would make it that much easier to win over Shi Wudu’s younger sister, which would be necessary for He Xuan to gather information for his plan—

Wait. ‘Qingxuan’?

“Who are you and where are you from?” Shi Wudu asked bluntly. “Qingxuan, get your hand off him; he might be rabid.”

“Brother!” Shi Qingxuan said, blatantly refusing to remove her hand and even going so far as to give He Xuan’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “The poor guy just woke up and you’re already asking him a million questions and treating him like a criminal—”

“Because he very well might be a criminal!”

“And if he is, he’s going to just tell you?” Shi Qingxuan pointed out. “Besides, even if he is a bad guy—which I know he isn’t—”

“How?” Shi Wudu snapped. “How could you possibly know that?”

Shi Qingxuan ignored the question. “He got battered around in the ocean and had a horrible fever and has been asleep for days, he’s too weak to do anything even if he wanted to.”

Shi Wudu scoffed, the closest thing to admitting that Shi Qingxuan may have a point. “So just nurse him back to health without knowing who he is or why he’s here, let him get his strength back so then he can do something violent? That’s brilliant, isn’t it!”

“‘Why he’s here’? He’s here because we pulled him out of the ocean!”

“Because you insisted we pull him out of the ocean!” Shi Wudu yelled. “What I mean is how he got in the ocean in the first place—”

“Thank you,” He Xuan finally interrupted, looking at Shi Qingxuan, trying to figure out who she was, why she felt so familiar, wondering if she could actually be “Xuan-er” and was just in disguise. But no matter how he stared he couldn’t see any sort of flaw or evidence of a mask. “I would’ve drowned if you hadn’t saved me.”

Shi Qingxuan’s face lit up and for a terrifying second He Xuan almost thought she was going to hug him.

“Of course!” Shi Qingxuan chirped happily. “It was the right thing—”

Shi Wudu interrupted with a snort. “I’m still not sure that leaving you to drown wasn’t the better option.”

“I’m not a criminal,” He Xuan said, daring to make eye contact with Shi Wudu for only a second before glancing away. He didn’t know if he could truly keep the hatred from his eyes so he focused on Shi Qingxuan, already knowing she was a soft touch and planning to use that to his advantage.

Besides, she was much more pleasant to look at for multiple reasons.

“See, I told you he wasn’t,” Shi Qingxuan said triumphantly.

“You also said that’s what he’d say even if he was a criminal,” Shi Wudu pointed out.

“I know it won’t do any good to say, but I’m really not,” He Xuan insisted. “I was a hand on the merchant vessel Shovel—”

Shi Qingxuan couldn’t help a little giggle. “What kind of name for a ship is that?”

“A stupid one,” Shi Wudu answered. “But also a memorable one.” He eyes narrowed. “I’m familiar with the name. Go on.”

“It was a fairly routine trip, until we were on our way back and we…we were attacked by…” He Xuan paused, putting on a show of trying to even out his ragged breathing at the terrifying memory. “Ship-Sinking Black Water.”

Shi Qingxuan patted his hand in reassurance, eyes full of compassion.

Meanwhile, Shi Wudu barked a laugh.

“Brother!” Shi Qingxuan scolded, appalled at his insensitivity.

“Black Water? Ha! Let him come; I won’t piss my pants or fall apart like your lousy captain. I fear neither pirates nor gods. Some bumpkin pirate thinks he can challenge me? Just try it.” Shi Wudu sneered arrogantly. He glanced down at He Xuan, blatantly unimpressed at this weak sailor, the sole survivor from a gutless ship. “Worthless,” he muttered, leaving without another word.

“Don’t listen to him, he doesn’t mean it,” Shi Qingxuan assured He Xuan. “Now, before he came blustering in here, you said you were hungry, right?” Without waiting for confirmation, Shi Qingxuan spooned up the porridge and held it to He Xuan’s mouth, trying to coax him by gently pushing the spoon against his lips.

“I can feed myself!” He Xuan said, his fluster not entirely an act.

“Don’t be a tough guy, now! You’re still shaking—if you try to eat like that, you’ll spill it all over!” Shi Qingxuan reasoned. Then she smiled sweetly. “Besides, I’ve always wanted to do this for someone. Let me do it this once?”

Begrudgingly, He Xuan opened his mouth and tried to think of anything besides the fact he was being spoonfed by Shi Wudu’s little sister.

“Does it taste alright?” Shi Qingxuan asked. Apparently the question was rhetorical because she didn’t wait for an answer before continuing on. “You might have heard my brother yelling my name but I should probably introduce myself formally. I’m Shi Qingxuan.”

He Xuan stared for a moment, his chest tight with uncertainty and his head full of so many questions as he looked at her.

Oh well. He had time; he’d peel away all her secrets until he was satisfied.

Shi Qingxuan gasped. “Don’t tell me you have amnesia and don’t remember your name?”

He Xuan barely resisted rolling his eyes. How was someone this airheaded and guileless related to that calculating, conniving piece of shit Shi Wudu?

“Ming Yi,” He Xuan said. “My name is Ming Yi.”

Since He Xuan wasn’t exactly human and most of his injuries had been a calculated sham, it really only took a couple days of rest for him to recover completely. Still, such rapid healing would seem suspicious even to someone as dimwitted as “Dr. Qingxuan” so He Xuan used a few tricks and a bit of magic to make things more believable.

His oblivious “doctor” was happy to buy it; she seemed almost too thrilled to nurse him back to health. He Xuan didn’t get it—the more he learned about Shi Qingxuan, the more he couldn’t believe she shared the same blood with Shi Wudu. Sure, she was kind of a twit, but she was genuinely nice.

Too nice, really; He Xuan hadn’t been treated kindly in so long the feeling was so unfamiliar that it was actually somewhat uncomfortable.

But regardless of how “nice” Shi Qingxuan was or whether or not she stayed by his side, even when he faked sleep for hours, that wasn’t the point! If she insisted on glueing herself to him like this, then he couldn’t pass up this opportunity—he couldn’t appear too eager, of course, but here was the person who knew the most about Shi Wudu second only to Shi Wudu himself. She had information that He Xuan desperately needed.

…And he needed to know how much of the past Shi Qingxuan “knew.” Just because she acted cute and sweet didn’t mean she was innocent.

He Xuan had spent years marinating in his hatred and desire for revenge—he had to make sure his plan was perfect and that everyone involved was punished to his satisfaction.

However, He Xuan didn’t account for Shi Qingxuan’s love of gabbing and the power of a captive audience. It didn’t take long before he knew almost more than he wanted to about the Shi family.

Shi Qingxuan adored her older brother even if she would readily admit he could be kind of an overbearing ass sometimes (but she insisted he was really just a sweetheart deep down!). Being considerably older, Shi Wudu was both her brother and her father—and her mother too, since their parents had died in a freak accident shortly after Qingxuan turned ten. She had no one else in the world besides her beloved brother, who devoted his life to raising her.

That also included raising her in the lap of luxury, apparently. Though her memories were a bit fuzzy, her childhood was pretty well off but things got a bit rocky for a couple years after the loss of their parents. However, Shi Wudu had a nose for making money and it wasn’t long before he had a fleet of ships and they were soon several times wealthier than they had been before.

No, Shi Qingxuan didn’t know exactly how he did it—he just told her to not worry about it and big brother would take care of everything.

He Xuan barely repressed a disgusted sneer. Yeah, he knew better than anyone just how good Shi Wudu was at “taking care of everything.”

But underneath it all, one thing became abundantly clear: unless Shi Qingxuan was one hell of an actress (and He Xuan seriously doubted that), she was utterly, completely ignorant of the despicable things her brother had done. Not once in all the days of effusive chatter and spilling of her life story did Shi Qingxuan mention the Water God.

Nor did she mention her other brother, the one fated to be the Water God’s bride.

…So where was Xuan-er?

He Xuan had a few suspicions and theories but he had to be careful when it came to finally testing them. While it was tempting to ask Shi Qingxuan a couple seemingly innocuous questions and gauge her likely open-book reaction, He Xuan wanted to see Shi Wudu’s reaction at the same time. And since the siblings were obviously close there was a good chance that if He Xuan brought it up with Shi Qingxuan, she would let something slip to her brother and give him time to prepare.

No, for this to work He Xuan had to catch them both completely off guard.

So he bided his time. After recovering, he begged to stay on as a hand—he had plenty of experience sailing, even if Shi Wudu hadn’t been impressed with his former employer. But he made sure to emphasize that he had no other prospects, no family, nowhere to go…

And soon Shi Qingxuan was teary-eyed, pleading right next to him for her brother the Water Master to let him join the crew.

As a sailor, He Xuan very carefully performed somewhere above mediocre but below too competent. While he didn’t want to get booted off the ship at the next port he also didn’t want to stand out and make enemies with other crew members—or attract too much of Shi Wudu’s attention.

It could be said that the key to effective reconnaissance was blending into the background and going unnoticed as much as possible. And that was entirely what He Xuan planned on doing; he just hadn’t accounted for the overly affectionate barnacle that was Shi Qingxuan.

He’d assumed—incorrectly, apparently—that once he recovered and joined the crew, then their social status, rank, and the Water Tyrant would ensure they no longer had anything to do with each other.

Shi Qingxuan wasn’t having it.

Being the precious younger sister of the Water Tyrant, nothing on the ship was off-limits to Shi Qingxuan…but Shi Qingxuan was definitely off-limits to everyone on the ship. From a few stories the other sailors shared, there had been one or two fools who dared…but before they could even lay a hand on her, they were caught by Shi Wudu and their short, painfully-ended lives served as a warning for all the other sailors, present and future.

“’Sides, she’s not so much a girl as a goddess!” one of the longtime hands boasted to He Xuan. “The Ol’ Water Tyrant may rule the waves with force of will but without her we’d be nothin’—she’s the one who is our luck!”

He Xuan wasn’t so sure about Shi Wudu “ruling the waves” but now was not the time.

“Oh?” he asked. “How so?”

“You don’t know?” another sailor asked incredulously, visibly eager to fill him in. “They say you never have to worry about the wind blowing your way if she’s on board. They don’t call her Lady Wind Master for nothin’!”

Well, whatever. This Lady Wind Master, untouchable goddess worshipped in the sailors’ quarters, had befriended He Xuan whether he liked it or not and showed no indication of getting bored with him any time soon.

Listening to Shi Qingxuan talk about her life, it was fairly obvious that she idolized her brother. So many times he’d assuaged her fears and kept her complacent with the single line:

“Don’t worry, big brother will take care of everything.”

Shi Qingxuan had lived her life clinging to this mantra. All she had to do was be good, listen, and do what he said and big brother would take care of everything.

“So why now, after all this time, did you pick this plain, unimpressive, no-name so-called sailor as the thing you refuse to give up on?!” Shi Wudu boomed.

“Plain? Unimpressive? No-name so-called—?! Brother, are you even listening to yourself!”

Shi Qingxuan was grossly offended on He Xuan’s behalf. “Plain?” she nearly screeched, as if that was somehow the worst of the insults. “He’s beautiful, what are you even looking at—”

“He’s a nobody! If you want a pet, I’ll buy you one! I’d prefer animal but we can look at humans too—”

“A pet?” Shi Qingxuan cut him off. “Ming Yi isn’t my pet, he’s my friend! My best friend—”

“Qingxuan, do not say another word, brother can’t take it,” Shi Wudu warned.

He Xuan carefully schooled his expression; it wouldn’t do to interrupt this delicious family quarrel with such a satisfied smile on his lips. He was still a bit perplexed and conflicted at being labeled a “best friend” but that was secondary to the joy of causing Shi Wudu so much strife.

“Excuse me, sorry to interrupt…” He Xuan said, not actually sorry at all.

“Ming Yi!” Shi Qingxuan exclaimed, grabbing his face with one delicate hand. “See, brother! Look at him! Plain?!”

“Qingxuan,” Shi Wudu gritted out, vein on his forehead throbbing. “Friends or not, it’s not appropriate to touch him so casually—”

“Best friends,” Shi Qingxuan insisted, though she did release He Xuan’s face after an eye roll and pouty sigh.

“Did you need something?” Shi Wudu asked curtly.

“His name is Ming Yi!”

Shi Wudu let out a disgruntled sigh as if it was taking all the willpower he had not to choke them both on the spot. “Did you need something, Ming Yi?”

“Oh, the navigator asked me to see if you’d see him when you had a chance, no hurry—”

Eyes narrowed, Shi Wudu looked at He Xuan, blatantly wondering what Qingxuan saw in such a fool. “You sought me out just for that? If he’s the one with a question, why didn’t he come find me—”

“Well, honestly, I wanted to speak with you a moment myself,” He Xuan admitted meekly. “You see, I have a question and it’s been bothering me for a while. I didn’t know if I should ask, but—”

“Then don’t.”

He Xuan visibly deflated. “Y-yes, I suppose you’re right, sorry for bothering you—”

“What’s your question?” Shi Qingxuan asked, almost as if on cue. “If it’s been bothering you so, it’s best to just get it out.” She smiled sweetly. “I know you wouldn’t bring it up unless it was something important.”

“Well,” He Xuan began, not wanting to appear too eager but also not wanting to stammer about until Shi Wudu got fed up and left. “You see, my memory is still a bit cloudy from when you first rescued me—thank you for that, by the way—”

“Of course, what are friends for?” Shi Qingxuan beamed happily.

He Xuan wasn’t entirely sure that made sense since they were complete strangers at the time but Shi Qingxuan never let logic get in the way of things.

“And?” Shi Wudu prompted impatiently.

“I just…I swore that the first time I woke up, I saw a young man taking care of me. But I haven’t seen him since. Is there anyone like that on this ship?”

He Xuan had guessed that Shi Qingxuan was a horrible actress and he was proven right: she paled and completely froze up.

Shi Wudu was slightly better but still couldn’t help the reflexive press of his lips together and slight flare of his nostrils as he spared a fleeting glance at Shi Qingxuan.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Shi Wudu said, trying too hard to sound calm and convincing. He actually huffed a little laugh. “I know you know that I tried to keep my sister from spending so much time with you but in spite of my wishes she—and no one else—was with you the entire time.”

“T-that’s right!” Shi Qingxuan hurried to chime in. “It was me the whole time! I’m the only one who took care of you—” Hit with sudden inspiration, she puffed out her chest indignantly, hands on her hips. “What, are you dare saying a beautiful, delicate maiden like myself looks like a man?!”

Their reactions and this little performance of theirs was absolutely fascinating, sending He Xuan’s thoughts spinning almost out of control. But he still had his part to play in this farce so he did the best he could to appear attacked and unsure.

“No, I would never…I know I was a bit out of it but he was so stunningly handsome that I couldn’t forget…at least I’m pretty sure…”

Shi Qingxuan’s lips wobbled, fighting a proud smile at being “stunningly handsome” (which of course was why He Xuan had cast that bait) before glowering dramatically.

“This is how you treat your savior, by insulting her looks? Ming Yi!” Shi Qingxuan scolded, a little too over-the-top. “Besides, just think about what you’re saying—if this person was so stunning and gorgeous, well. Of course it was me! Have you seen anyone on this ship more beautiful than I am?”

He Xuan was extremely aware of the ominous aura radiating off of Shi Wudu; there was no correct answer He Xuan could give to that question.

“Most beautiful and the most humble,” Shi Wudu said, a teasing smile on his lips for Shi Qingxuan now that he was satisfied He Xuan had been put in his place. “Qingxuan, are you sure you want to keep a best friend who can’t tell the difference between a man and a young lady?”

“This and that are totally different things,” Shi Qingxuan said haughtily. She looped her arm around He Xuan’s. “I’m hungry; have you eaten?” Per usual she didn’t wait for a response before tugging him along. “The cook was going to make my favorite today, let’s go!”

Shi Qingxuan waited until they were seated, ensuring He Xuan had a heaping portion and his cheeks full before she started giggling.

“Oh, Ming Yi, you think you’re quite an actor but I see through you.”

He Xuan choked on his food, suppressing his panic while he coughed. “What?”

“Hehe. You really think I didn’t notice?” Shi Qingxuan grinned, eyes twinkling mischievously. “You’re totally different around me than around my brother.”

He Xuan nearly heaved a sigh of relief. So that’s what she meant. And okay, he probably should have been a bit more conscientious of that, but it was nowhere near what he’d been afraid of.

“You get around him and you act all shy and weak and a bit dumb,” Shi Qingxuan mused. “But when you’re around me, you…” She grinned again, outright smug.

“I’m what?” He Xuan asked, genuinely a little nervous.

“When you’re around me, you’re yourself,” Shi Qingxuan answered, immensely satisfied. She slid closer, bumping their shoulders together, her face way too close as she whispered conspiratorially, “It’s fine. Keep up the act in front of my brother—it makes me feels special that only I know the real Ming Yi.”

For some reason, He Xuan didn’t feel all that hungry anymore. But all he could do was shove another spoonful in his mouth anyway.

After the whole exquisitely odd interaction when he’d asked about the mystery man, He Xuan had some investigating to do—specifically about Shi Qingxuan. But now that his hunch was all but confirmed, for some reason it didn’t seem all that urgent to solve that last piece of the puzzle. He Xuan didn’t want to rush things, after all; he’d spent so much time building up to this that he had to be meticulous. It wouldn’t do to hurry things and make a mistake when he was so close to the end, right?

So with the excuse of reconnaissance, months passed with He Xuan serving as a sailor, employed by his worst enemy.

Then one day the peaceful monotony—er, undercover intelligence gathering mission was interrupted by none other than a ship from the king’s navy, flagging them down demanding permission to board.

Shi Wudu appeared annoyed but confident as ever; He Xuan thought he might throw a fit at the navy’s interference. But not only did he seem perfectly collected, he actually smiled when he saw just who hopped onto the deck.

“Well, if it isn’t General Pei! I guess you’re still alive,” Shi Wudu said wryly. “Between the perpetual war and perpetual women, I assumed you died a long time ago.”

“Oh, one or the other will probably do me in one of these days, but not quite yet,” Pei Ming laughed. “Look who else—”

“Ling Wen?” Shi Wudu interrupted, stealing Pei Ming’s thunder. “What are you doing out here in the middle of the ocean?”

“It’s because I’m trying to get out of the middle of the ocean that we flagged you down,” Ling Wen said dryly. “Do you mind if we hitch a ride?”

“He’s chronicling my courageous exploits for the king,” Pei Ming gloated.

“I prefer to to think of it as cataloguing unnecessary expenditures to justify cutting your budget in the future.”

Shi Wudu laughed. “Come on, come on, you’re both welcome. …I can submit a reimbursement request to His Majesty for your travel, right?”

“Greedy old tyrant,” Pei Ming muttered. “Both of you.”

He Xuan watched from a distance, idly eavesdropping as the necessary cargo and a couple of assistants were brought aboard. Shi Wudu always seemed so aloof; the only person he ever smiled at was Shi Qingxuan and even that seemed rare. So to see him all pompous and chummy turned He Xuan’s stomach.

Due to some typical scheming bullshit that He Xuan didn’t care much about, the navy needed to continue on while Pei Ming made a surprise detour courtesy of Shi Wudu’s next stop at port. Shi Wudu would trade his goods and get richer, Ling Wen would make his way to the king with secret information, and Pei Ming would backtrack and deal with unsuspecting traitors (and probably bed a couple girls along the way).

None of this had anything to do with He Xuan, other than it meant disembarking and spending a night or two at an inn instead of on the ship. But Shi Qingxuan was a different story.

For some reason He Xuan couldn’t figure out at all, Shi Qingxuan was a bundle of nervous excitement, babbling incoherently to herself as she dragged He Xuan along to one of the inn’s private dining rooms where the three tumors were sharing a last meal before parting.

“You’re not getting any younger, don’t waste your good looks,” Pei Ming was saying to Shi Wudu. “Don’t you want a wife or two?”

“Have you gone senile so soon?” Ling Wen said idly. “You know plenty well the Water Tyrant loves three things: power, money, and his little sister. There’s no room in his heart for a wife.”

“There doesn’t have to be room in his heart, just room in his bed,” Pei Ming said with an easy smile, taking a swig of his wine.

Ling Wen huffed a nonplussed laugh. “Why did I know you were going to say that?”

“You’re no younger than I, Old Pei. Yet I haven’t received your wedding invitation,” Shi Wudu pointed out with a smirk.

“That’s because you and I have the opposite problem: you may not love any woman but I love too many. Well,” Pei Ming corrected, “I think it’s just the right amount but the girls never seem to think so…anyway, marriage isn’t for me. I’m happy to just feast, fight, and fu—ahem, flirt till I die, no strings attached.”

Ling Wen shook his head and Shi Wudu just snorted. “Never change, General.”

After taking a drink, Shi Wudu finally turned to Shi Qingxuan, doing his best to ignore He Xuan entirely.

“Yes, Qingxuan, what is it?”

“I want to go out.”

Shi Wudu’s face immediately darkened and he opened his mouth to start on a diatribe that Shi Qingxuan had apparently heard dozens of times before, because she had already cut him off:

“No excuses to keep me cooped up here! I promise I’ll be safe, what are you fussing about? I’ll take Ming Yi, he can be my bodyguard. It’ll be fine, he’ll protect me—won’t you, Ming Yi?”

Shi Wudu paled and Pei Ming burst out laughing.

“Ol’ Water Master doesn’t know which is worse now; he’d almost rather you go alone than with a man,” Pei Ming drawled. He turned to Shi Wudu with an obnoxious grin. “Now, now, don’t you be jealous, Water Tyrant—no man in his right mind would steal Qingxuan away. Even if he did, he’d get tired of her yapping and bring her back.”

Shi Qingxuan bristled indignantly. “Excuse me, General, what are you saying? Any man should consider himself lucky to snag me! But anyway, brother, that’s not what’s going on here at all, don’t be silly. Ming Yi isn’t like that, he’s just…Ming Yi.” In some misguided idea of demonstrating how non-threatening her bodyguard was, Shi Qingxuan hugged both arms around one of He Xuan’s. “He’s my best friend!”

Pei Ming’s eyes went from Shi Qingxuan’s boobs squished against He Xuan’s arm up to He Xuan’s perfectly impassive, almost nauseated face and laughed again.

“It’s fine,” Pei Ming said, waving them off. “Go do your shopping, Qingxuan, have fun.”

“Pei Ming!” Shi Wudu snapped, actually slamming his palm against the table, incensed that Pei Ming would take it upon himself to give Qingxuan permission.

“It’s fine,” Pei Ming said again. “Trust me.” He flashed a grin. “As a man who always has ulterior motives myself, I can tell: this Ming Yi of hers has none.”

Shi Qingxuan was so eager and excited to get to leave the inn and explore the city that He Xuan almost found himself smiling multiple times. Almost. He knew all too well that Shi Qingxuan was silly and flighty every day but he’d had no idea it could get worse.

Her eyes were bright and the grin never left her face as she flitted around the market, dragging He Xuan along to every stall and store.

Finally she calmed down enough—or something caught her eye long enough—that Shi Qingxuan stopped in front of a food stall and took out her money to buy a delicious smelling meat skewer.

“Here,” she said, holding it up to He Xuan’s mouth, going so far as to rub it against his lips with a giggle. It reminded He Xuan of when they first met and Shi Qingxuan had insisted on feeding him, that spoon of porridge against his lips.

But that was then and this was now and He Xuan clenched his jaw and refused to open his mouth. Of course the more he refused to open up, the more she cajoled, and the more she cajoled, the more he refused, until finally he snapped at her and she used the opportunity to shove the meat in his mouth.

“Good, huh?” Shi Qingxuan grinned, very unladylike as she bit the next piece off for herself.

He Xuan grunted noncommittally, licking his lips as he stared at the smear of sauce at the corner of Shi Qingxuan’s mouth. “Buy another.”

“Two more skewers, please!” Shi Qingxuan cheerily ordered.

“Ah, this isn’t how it’s supposed to be at all! Miss, you can do better—instead of spoiling him, find a man that’ll spoil you instead!” the stall owner said, looking sympathetically at Shi Qingxuan as he handed her the skewers, which she immediately passed to He Xuan without looking.

“But I like this one!” she told the stall owner with a wink and a smile, threading her arm around He Xuan’s.

The stall owner just shook his head with a sigh and watched them go off, arm in arm.

“I’m starting to think that you didn’t bring me as a bodyguard but rather a packhorse,” He Xuan commented after a while. “And so you’d have someone to eat all the food you buy but can’t finish.”

“Ming Yi, you’re focusing on the wrong thing,” Shi Qingxuan said.

“Oh? Then what should I be focusing on?”

“That was the fourth shop in a row that thinks you’re my lover!” Shi Qingxuan said, a bit exasperated.

He Xuan nearly choked on the word lover.

“You eat too fast, slow down,” Shi Qingxuan admonished, giving He Xuan’s back an ineffective pat. But he was choking in surprise and not on food so it really didn’t matter if it was ineffective. “I don’t actually care what people think but why are so many people glaring?”

It took a second for He Xuan to decide if Shi Qingxuan was being facetious or if she really was that sheltered and oblivious.

“Because if we are lov—” He Xuan cleared his throat, unable to even say it. “If they think we’re a couple—especially an unmarried couple—then it’s probably inappropriate for us to be out and about like this, unchaperoned and with you clinging to me like you do.”

“I don’t cling!” Shi Qingxuan protested with a little pout, jiggling He Xuan’s arm currently wrapped up by her own.

He Xuan didn’t bother arguing and just sighed heavily instead.

“So if we pretend to be married then it would be okay?” Shi Qingxuan asked hopefully.

“No,” He Xuan said immediately.

“Why not?”

“Just…just trust me. There are so many reasons why that is not a good idea and won’t work.” He Xuan’s pride and self-respect being one of the major ones.

“Hmm…” Shi Qingxuan pondered for a second. “Then I wonder if we could…”

Without warning, Shi Qingxuan’s fingertips caressed He Xuan’s earlobe, startling him with the intimacy of the touch and the casual familiarity.

“Oh good, your ears are pierced.” Shi Qingxuan flashed a mischievous grin. “This’ll be fun, come on.”

Dainty hand clamped not-so-daintily around He Xuan’s wrist, Shi Qingxuan dragged him into an alley. If Shi Qingxuan didn’t like the glares before, then she really wouldn’t like the looks people were giving them now.

“I’m not all that concerned about my own reputation but a lady like yourself might have more care about physically dragging a man into a dark alley,” He Xuan said flatly.

Shi Qingxuan gave a dismissive wave with the hand that wasn’t currently locked around He Xuan’s wrist. “Oh, don’t be so self-conscious; they probably just think we’re looking for a place to pee.”

“That’s any better?!”

“It’ll be fine,” Shi Qingxuan assured him in the least reassuring tone of voice possible. With a quick glance to make sure they were out of sight, she reached up and removed one of her pearl earrings. Before He Xuan could finish asking “What are you doing?!” she had secured it to his earlobe.

“It’s magic,” she whispered, a twinkle in her eye. “Now just touch it, give it a little rub.” She guided He Xuan’s hand a bit unnecessarily to the earring, completely oblivious to the innuendo she was spouting; He Xuan was thankful she at least waited until they were hidden and out of earshot for whatever this was. “And all you have to do is think the incantation, ‘Lady Wind Master is divinely gifted, Lady Wind Master is funny and carefree, Lady Wind Master is kind and righteous, Lady Wind Master is aged sweet sixteen.’”

He Xuan didn’t particularly want to think that but he couldn’t help it and that was all the magic needed—

Shi Qingxuan gasped. “Ming Yi, you’re beautiful! I mean, you’re a handsome man so it makes sense but—” She stopped mid-sentence, eyes going from comically wide to narrowed suspiciously. “Why are your boobs so big?”

“…What?” He Xuan choked out in an unfamiliar feminine voice, still a bit off-kilter from his split-second transformation, only now looking down at his impressive cleavage and who chose this outfit anyway..?

“That’s not fair!” Shi Qingxuan pouted, grabby hands immediately going in for a squeeze.

“What are you doing?” He Xuan hissed, slapping her hands away.

“What’s the big deal?” Shi Qingxuan sulked. “You can squeeze mine if you want. …Though why you’d want to bother with mine, when yours are so nice…” she trailed off with a dejected sigh, covetously eyeing He Xuan’s new endowments. Something suddenly occurred to her and she mumbled, “Ah. That’s why you’re so big,” with a sulky glare.

“I don’t want to squeeze anyone’s!” He Xuan said. “And what about this is supposed to be fun?”

“Oh!” Shi Qingxuan clapped her hands together in delight. “That’s right—now we can really go shopping!” She looped her arm through He Xuan’s, a habit whether He Xuan was a man or woman, apparently. “We can get friendship rings, and necklaces, and bracelets, and hairpins—oh, Ming Yi, you will let me do your hair, won’t you? And makeup!”

He Xuan opened ‘her’ mouth to say absolutely not but thought better of it.

“On one condition.”

“Yes?” Shi Qingxuan asked eagerly.

“These earrings work both ways, right?” He Xuan asked, despite already being almost certain.

“Mm! To change back, just change the incantation to ‘Lord Wind Master.’”

“Then I’ll do all those silly things you want—”

Shi Qingxuan gasped indignantly. “They aren’t silly!”

“—and play along being a girl, if later you switch and go have some fun being a man with me.”

Shi Qingxuan fought a smile, very unsuccessfully. “Oh alright,” she said, pretending to be inconvenienced. “I suppose I can do that.”

It didn’t take long for He Xuan to think maybe he’d gotten the bad end of the bargain.

If Shi Qingxuan was a shopping menace before, she was even worse now with a “girlfriend” by her side. It was fortunate for Shi Qingxuan that the Water Tyrant made money hand over fist because she spent it like…well, water. At the rate she was going, they’d have to pay a porter to haul her stacks of purchases back to the inn for them.

Shi Qingxuan pored seriously over a display of hair sticks, as if she needed any more. The one in her hair now had been purchased a few shops prior and the one in Ming Yi’s about an hour ago—a “must have” first purchase after He Xuan’s transformation.

“Look at this, Ming Yi. Isn’t it beautiful?” Shi Qingxuan held out a men’s hair stick, silver and engraved with cresting waves. “It reminds me of the moonlight at sea.” She looked at the shopkeeper. “I’ll take it.”

He Xuan thought it was a little ridiculous that Shi Qingxuan was buying a present for her brother with her brother’s money…but with how obsessed Shi Wudu was with his little sister, he’d no doubt be over the moon.

“Um, miss…” the shopkeeper fumbled nervously. “I’m sure you are aware, but that is a man’s hair accessory..?”

“It’s for her bro—” He Xuan began.

“It’s for my sweetheart,” Shi Qingxuan said haughtily.

“Ah, yes, yes, of course!” the shopkeeper said.

He Xuan watched as the shopkeeper wrapped the hair stick up and Shi Qingxuan forked over money from that seemingly infinite purse.

I know Shi Qingxuan doesn’t have a sweetheart. So if not for Shi Wudu then…could she be buying it for her male form?!

“Alright, I think we’ve bought all the clothes and jewelry we need…” Shi Qingxuan grinned, eyes sparkling in anticipation. “Time for makeup!”

The woman running the cosmetics shop was a savvy businesswoman and knew an easy mark when she saw one—they’d barely stepped through the door before Shi Qingxuan was showered with compliments about her glossy hair, big, beautiful eyes, and flawless pale skin.

Shi Qingxuan’s vanity could bankrupt a small nation.

…As could her generosity, since He Xuan realized all too late that the stack of cosmetics rapidly piling up were all intended for him.

He Xuan lost track of all the crap that had been smeared on, wiped off, dabbed, scrubbed, painted, and smooshed all over his face. He was honestly afraid to look in the mirror; he must look like an actual clown by now.

Shi Qingxuan finished intently painting some sort of color on He Xuan’s lips with a tiny brush and sat back to check her work.

Shi Qingxuan just stared.

He Xuan’s heart sank; Shi Qingxuan was never quiet so this couldn’t be good. He must really look like a hideous, gaudy monster. Not that he cared since he wasn’t really a woman in the first place, but still—

Then Shi Qingxuan kissed him.

They stared at each other; Shi Qingxuan seemed to actually be the more startled of the two for some reason.

It had been a quick little thing, just a tiny, impulsive peck. Barely enough to be called a kiss at all, really.

…Except for the evidence on Shi Qingxuan’s lip, a smear of color that didn’t belong.

“What—” He Xuan cleared his throat and tried again. “What was that for?”

Shi Qingxuan opened her mouth to answer but it still took her a second of stammering to get herself together.

“Well, you know…actually, I don’t…I just…” She scrunched up her face and closed her eyes in embarrassment. “Ming Yi! You were just so damn beautiful I couldn’t help myself, okay!”

He Xuan shouldn’t find that funny, shouldn’t think it was a little adorable, but he did.

Shi Qingxuan’s eyes were still stubbornly shut when He Xuan curled a couple fingertips under her chin. Soft lips parted under He Xuan’s thumb as he gently swiped off that errant smear of color.

For some reason, it wasn’t until Shi Qingxuan’s eyes fluttered open that He Xuan released her chin.

“Ming Yi..?” Shi Qingxuan asked uncertainly, her gaze still slightly hazy.

He Xuan started to explain but his throat was suddenly too dry. He silently held up his thumb with the crimson lip paint on it instead.

It took Shi Qingxuan a second but she finally put it all together—she wasn’t being seduced, she was being tidied up.

“My lady, I also have this nice rouge to give that pale skin of yours an enticing glow—” The shopkeeper came out of the back, arms full. She took a look at Shi Qingxuan and frowned. “Did you already put some on? Your cheeks look quite pink…”

“It’s fine,” Shi Qingxuan said haughtily, pointedly ignoring He Xuan’s amused smirk. “We have other engagements to get to and have to go; this will be plenty.”

“This was our pressing engagement?” He Xuan asked wryly as they sat down in a private room on the top floor of a restaurant. The night view was enthralling with all of the lanterns lighting up the bustling streets below. “More food?”

“I’ll have you know this is considered the best restaurant in the city and this room was quite expensive!”

“Do you even know the meaning of expensive?” He Xuan muttered. “Best restaurant or not, how are you even still hungry?”

“I like watching you eat.”

He Xuan’s head jerked from idly looking out over the city to stare at Shi Qingxuan in confusion. Ever since his transformation into this female body, it seemed like the already too-comfortable Shi Qingxuan had somehow gotten even more comfortable. She was doing and saying things way too impulsively!

“I mean…I want to treat you,” Shi Qingxuan said. “And I know you don’t really care about jewelry and accessories or even nice clothes. The only time you ever look actually kind of happy about things is when you’re eating something you like. S-so while we were shopping today, I asked around for the best place with the most delicious food because that’s the best way I could think to repay you.”

Stunned to silence, all He Xuan could do was nervously fiddle with his little cup of wine. It was his hand, he controlled it, but those delicate, feminine fingers with their carefully painted crimson nails seemed so alien, so surreal.

But even that wasn’t as surreal as whatever it was he was feeling right now.

“Ming Yi…thanks for doing this today, playing along. I had a lot of fun.”

He Xuan snorted and took a sip of his wine. “Wish I could say the same.”

But there was no bite to the remark and Shi Qingxuan knew it. With a little smile, she put her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her palm as they gazed out over the lights of the city.

“I’ve spent most of my life at sea now,” Shi Qingxuan said, her voice calmer, more relaxed than usual. He Xuan could blame it on the fatigue of running around shopping all day and the alcohol with dinner but he knew that wasn’t truly the case. This was the voice of someone sharing something aloud for the very first time. “And even when we stopped at ports, I was very rarely allowed to go off the ship and if so, never allowed out of the inn. My brother is…”

A scumbag? A murderer? Despicable? Worse than garbage?

“Overprotective?” He Xuan supplied.

Shi Qingxuan smiled, almost a little sad. “He’s never said as much but I think there’s something out there that he’s afraid of. And my brother has never been afraid of anything so naturally, that scared me too. But his ship is his own little world, nice and controlled. He knows who is on it, why, and when; it’s entirely his domain. As long as we’re on it, we’re safe.”

But as long as I’m on it, you’re not.

They were nearly back to the inn before He Xuan reminded Shi Qingxuan of something very important.

“I can’t just go walking in like this,” He Xuan said, gesturing to his apparently very attractive female body.

“Oh!” Shi Qingxuan said sheepishly. Then her hand to flew to her mouth. “Oh!! Oh no, I promised you I’d switch…”

“It’s alright,” He Xuan said, actually surprising himself. Getting to see Shi Qingxuan’s male form was the whole point of the deal—why did he feel almost relieved that it was delayed? “We can always do it next time.”

Shi Qingxuan—a bit drowsy and more than a bit drunk just a moment ago—lit up, eyes bright and clear. “Next time?” She clutched He Xuan’s hands in her excitement. “Ming Yi, you mean it? We can do this again?”

“Well, I mean—”

He Xuan didn’t get to stammer out what the hell he meant before Shi Qingxuan flung herself at him, hugging him around the neck.

“Ming Yi,” Shi Qingxuan lightly slurred, that brief burst of sobriety a moment ago apparently quite temporary. She hugged He Xuan tighter, giving He Xuan no choice but to press their bodies together or else she’d choke him to death, and nuzzled the crook of his neck with a giggle. “Ming Yi, I finally get to feel your boobs.”

He Xuan assumed they’d stay one more night at the inn but quickly found out he’d assumed incorrectly. They’d nearly gotten caught—He Xuan had just barely changed back from a being a woman (and just barely barely wiped Shi Qingxuan’s lip color off his neck from when she’d hugged him) when Shi Wudu stormed out of the inn and nearly barreled right into them.

After a split second of visible relief at their return (well, at Shi Qingxuan’s return; He Xuan knew Shi Wudu didn’t care one whit if he left and never came back) he immediately launched into a tirade so chaotic that He Xuan honestly didn’t catch all of it. The gist was all of Shi Qingxuan’s purchases that she’d sent via porter had already been loaded onto the ship and the only thing left was them. Shi Wudu insisted they had to leave immediately.

He Xuan expected to catch the brunt of his ire, being a man and Shi Qingxuan’s designated “bodyguard” but oddly enough, most of the bellowing was directed at Shi Qingxuan for being late, being irresponsible, being too relaxed, being careless, being drunk…

In short, being Shi Qingxuan.

Due to the sudden departure, He Xuan was put to work and it was hours later when he finally returned to his cabin. But when he did, he immediately recognized the neatly-wrapped package waiting on his bed.

He didn’t need to unwrap it to know that inside was that silver hair stick, engraved with waves.

“It reminds me of the moonlight at sea,” Shi Qingxuan had said.

A bit puzzled, He Xuan opened the note resting on top of the package.

To my best friend Ming Yi—

The moment I saw this, it made me think of you.

Thank you for being my “sweetheart” today.

—Your best friend Shi Qingxuan

After Shi Wudu’s freak out at the last port, He Xuan figured it would be a very long time before Shi Qingxuan was allowed off the ship again (and an even longer time before she was allowed to venture into town). But apparently Pei Ming and Ling Wen had involved Shi Wudu in something that superseded even Shi Wudu’s paranoid overprotectiveness. Port calls became unusually frequent and Shi Wudu increasingly preoccupied.

And since nothing had actually happened during their last foray, a precedent had been set—and Shi Qingxuan used that to her full advantage. It didn’t take long before Shi Wudu realized that arguing with Shi Qingxuan trying to keep her on the ship took up way more time than he had to spare. It wasn’t the ideal solution, but letting her go out with a bodyguard (with a very firm curfew) was ultimately more efficient than wasting time with her near-tantrums.

The sooner he gave in and let her go, the sooner he could tend to his business.

One of Shi Qingxuan’s very first purchases afterward was a pair of pearl earrings.

“This way you can keep one of the magic ones and change at a moment’s notice so brother doesn’t find out we’re playing around,” Shi Qingxuan explained, oblivious to her innuendo as she took it upon herself to thread the beautiful but very normal earring through He Xuan’s earlobe.

“Are you sure this is alright?” He Xuan asked, trying not to pay attention to Shi Qingxuan’s fingertips lingering a little too long on his ear. “The original one has to be incredibly valuable; don’t you need it back?”

“It’s because it’s incredibly valuable that I want to share it with you!” Shi Qingxuan chirped. She stepped back and looked at her handiwork, absolutely delighted. “Now it’s our little secret!”

In the ensuing weeks it was as if Shi Qingxuan was determined to make up for her sheltered life at sea and experience everything city life had to offer at every port. Her brother had given her an inch and she’d be stupid not to take a mile; she had no idea how long his business would keep him sufficiently preoccupied before he’d tighten the reins again.

Fortunately for He Xuan, after Shi Qingxuan’s initial spending spree her purchases slowed down.

Well, when it came to goods, anyway. When it came to food…

“Your friend eats so well!” the proprietor marveled, smile faltering only briefly at the impressive pile of empty plates.

Maybe a smidge drunk from swapping food for liquor, Shi Qingxuan smiled lazily, her chin propped in her hand as she watched He Xuan daintily dab at perfect lips as if he hadn’t just eaten his weight in food.

“Isn’t it great?” Shi Qingxuan said. “Watching Ming Yi eat is my favorite thing.”

The proprietor chuckled awkwardly and set down a dessert on the house then left them to it.

Sometimes He Xuan kept his male form on their outings but more often than not, he used the pearl earring to transform into a woman. Shi Qingxuan had suddenly become much more concerned about “propriety” than ever before; He Xuan was nearly certain that it had less to do with propriety and more with Shi Qingxuan enjoying dressing him up and doing ridiculous things.

Regardless, whether He Xuan was a man or woman, it seemed like Shi Qingxuan was constantly coaxing him to eat. Be it skewers, chopsticks, or Shi Qingxuan’s own dainty fingers—something was always pressing “just one bite” to He Xuan’s lips.

“You don’t need to buy so much food,” He Xuan had tried to argue.

“If I can’t buy things you have to at least let me buy food,” Shi Qingxuan countered. “Why, are you full?”

“…Yes,” He Xuan lied.

“Liar,” Shi Qingxuan said with a grin, looping their arms together and pulling He Xuan to the next food stall.

In one of the rare moments between shopping and eating, Shi Qingxuan dragged He Xuan to a grassy park. The open space had a smattering of children; anyone older had something better to do than sit and stare at grass. But for Shi Qingxuan who had spent so much of her life on a ship, the grass was fresh and intriguing. Since He Xuan had remained in his male form, if anyone had happened to see them they probably looked like two beautiful young people on a date.

He Xuan tried not to think about that. But he especially tried not to think about how that misconception didn’t really bother him much anymore.

“They look like they’re having fun,” Shi Qingxuan said, watching a small group of boys a ways off playing with a kite.

“Mm,” He Xuan hummed noncommittally.

“Should we ask if we can play with them?”

He Xuan didn’t give her the satisfaction of a response.

Whether or not she had even been serious was rendered moot only a moment later; a collective yelp went up from the boys as their kite got stuck in a tree and refused to budge.

“Oh no!” Shi Qingxuan was already on her feet, tugging on He Xuan’s wrist to urge him up. “Come on, we have to help!”

“What? Why?”

“Don’t cry,” Shi Qingxuan said as she ran over, ignoring He Xuan’s questions.

“I’m not crying!” sniffled one of the boys, on the verge of tears.

“I’ll climb up and get it down for you,” Shi Qingxuan promised, giving the large tree a pat for good measure.

“You?” several of the boys yelped incredulously.

“You’ll what?” He Xuan joined them. “Don’t you dare, you’ll fall—”

But of course Shi Qingxuan didn’t listen. And while she actually clambered up fairly well, even managing to retrieve the kite to everyone’s surprise, she barely started climbing back down when—

She slipped.

On edge the entire time, He Xuan had anticipated this very thing and caught Shi Qingxuan effortlessly. Ignoring the awed gasps of the boys, He Xuan opened his mouth to start berating Shi Qingxuan for her carelessness, for not listening to him—

But Shi Qingxuan started laughing before He Xuan could make a sound. “Oh, Ming Yi! You should see your face!”

“What is wrong with you!” He Xuan hissed. “You fall from such a height and the first thing you do is laugh—”

“But I wasn’t scared at all. I knew you’d catch me.” Shi Qingxuan grinned impishly.

“I should dump you on the ground,” He Xuan gruffed.

“Aw, Ming Yi, don’t be mad.” Shi Qingxuan gave He Xuan a little peck on the cheek, ignoring the boys’ groans and exaggerated fake puking sounds.

It means nothing.

“Don’t you ‘ew gross’ and ‘blech’ me, or I’ll kiss you too!” Shi Qingxuan warned.

See. It means nothing, He Xuan told himself as he gently set Shi Qingxuan down.

“Besides, I got your kite!” Shi Qingxuan raised the kite triumphantly before handing it to the boy.

The boy cheered, then his face fell as he looked over his kite. “It’s broken!” He looked at his friends, his bottom lip trembling.

“It’s not broken,” He Xuan interrupted before any tears could fall. “I mean, I…I think I can fix it.”

“You can?” the kids asked hopefully.

“Really? You can fix it?” Shi Qingxuan asked, eyes wider and more hopeful than anyone else’s.

He Xuan tried not to smile at Shi Qingxuan’s ridiculous expression, instead glancing away with a huff. “Yeah, I can. Just give me a minute; I have to go get some things to repair it.”

Hours later, the boys and their repaired kite were long gone, but Shi Qingxuan couldn’t let it go. “I still can’t believe you fixed it. You caught me falling out of a tree, you fixed a kite…you would’ve been such a great big brother!” Shi Qingxuan chirped.

“I was.” He Xuan didn’t know why he said it, didn’t know what momentary insanity had come over him for the admission to escape his lips. “A big brother. …Not a great one, though.”

“Why do you say that?” Shi Qingxuan asked, eyes full of concern. “Ming Yi, why would you say that? What happened?”

Maybe He Xuan wanted to see if there was a glimmer of recognition as he told his story, still desperately searching for some evidence that Shi Qingxuan had known. Maybe the genuine concern in Shi Qingxuan’s eyes caught him off guard and his past spilled over his tongue. Maybe he had just held it in for too long and in a moment of weakness, poured out the tragic story no one had ever cared to hear.

Or maybe He Xuan really had just finally gone crazy.

Crazy or not, he wasn’t so stupid as to tell the real story. Even though the words felt like they ran free of their own volition, things were suitably abbreviated and edited. Of course no mention was made of Shi Wudu or of the Water God—just that He Xuan’s family had been the victim of a crooked official “in our little town you’ve never heard of”, his parents driven to death, their beloved maid sold off, and his one and only little sister dying of starvation in his arms.

“Ming Yi!” Shi Qingxuan sniffled, tears pouring freely down her face by the time He Xuan had finished his story. “I am so sorry! That’s so…I’m so sorry!”

“Why?” He Xuan asked. Despite the heavy tale he’d kept secret so long—or perhaps because of it, having finally released it, he felt lighter—something about Shi Qingxuan’s splotchy, tear-streaked face and puffy red nose struck He Xuan as stupidly funny. “It’s not your—”

“It’s not your fault” he’d been about to say.

It’s not your fault?!

He Xuan, you really have gone insane.

“Because you’re my best friend—your pain hurts me too!” Shi Qingxuan blubbered. “And even if that wasn’t the case, even if you were a total stranger…no one deserves to go through such tragedy!”

“It all happened a long time ago; it’s in the past,” He Xuan said, as if he hadn’t relived that pain every day of his life, held it close, hurting himself over and over to sharpen his will for revenge.

“Still…” Shi Qingxuan sniffled. “Oh, Ming Yi! I’ll be your family, okay?” she wailed, flinging herself at He Xuan.

“You don’t get to just decide that on your own!” He Xuan bristled, trying very unsuccessfully to pry a clingy Shi Qingxuan off him. Instead, Shi Qingxuan hugged him all the tighter and buried her face against his chest. “Don’t you wipe your snot on my clothes!”

Yet for all his bluster, somehow He Xuan found his arms around Shi Qingxuan's shoulders, holding her and comforting her as she cried at his misfortune. And even though he found it absolutely ludicrous, he couldn't quite bring himself to move his arms and push her away.

"Oh, Ming Yi, I'm so glad you're you," Shi Qingxuan sighed sometime later, most of her crying done. However, she didn't move away; instead, apparently comfortable in He Xuan's arms, she actually nuzzled in closer, her face fitting perfectly in the crook of He Xuan's neck.

He Xuan snorted. I'm not me, though.

"Why do you say that?" he asked. He really shouldn't let her get away with clinging and snuggling into him like this, he should push her away. He really should.

"Because I was thinking, if...if my brother had watched me die, held me as I died in his arms..." Shi Qingxuan paused and He Xuan was afraid she might start crying again. "I'm afraid it would've broken him. He would've gone crazy. Destroying the whole world wouldn't have been enough for him."

He Xuan froze, deadly cold.

Shi Qingxuan must've subconsciously noticed, tightening her arms around him and giving a little shiver herself.

"So I'm glad you're you," Shi Qingxuan said. "That instead of destroying the world and yourself for vengeance, you're here, alive, with me." She pulled back enough to beam up at him, eyes still glistening with tears. "My Ming Yi."

That night back on the ship, He Xuan kept hearing her words over and over in his head, worming their way into his brain, piercing his heart.

'Your Ming Yi' isn't destroying the world and himself for vengeance.

But I'm not Ming Yi.

Yet for all of his devotion to vengeance and destroying Shi Wudu, He Xuan always stopped short of the last piece of the puzzle, the definitive answer he needed (despite what he already knew in his heart) before he could act further. The final step all depended on Shi Qingxuan's male form—and Shi Qingxuan had promised to show him, so why hadn't He Xuan asked to see it?

In all this time, why hadn't he asked?

He might never have, might have just let it fall by the wayside, expected Shi Qingxuan to forget their little promise and leave it at that.

...Except Shi Qingxuan brought it up herself one day when they were out and about, quite anticlimactically, as if it was just a silly little thing of no consequence.

“How come you’ve never asked me to do that thing?" Shi Qingxuan asked idly. Then her eyes lit up mischievously. "Are you afraid I’ll be even more beautiful as a man? Oooh, are you jealous, Ming Yi?”

Before He Xuan could deny it, before he could suggest they wait, put it off once again—

Shi Qingxuan transformed, playful smirk on his lips.

To no one's surprise, there stood the same beautiful young man that had helped nurse He Xuan back to health, the one Shi Wudu and Shi Qingxuan vehemently denied existed. His male form was a bit taller, a little broader—though still slender and radiating an air of grace. His eyes were sparkling and bright like the clear spring sky, his smile shining like the morning sun.

No, this wasn’t Shi Qingxuan’s “male” form—

It was his true form.

Overwhelmed in more ways that one, He Xuan had no words.

“Well, Ming Yi, what do you think? Stunningly handsome, right?” Shi Qingxuan gloated smugly.

Triumph bubbled up in He Xuan’s chest, a bizarre mix of exhilaration at being correct and a strange sense of near-disbelief that after all this time, he finally had proof.

Of course it’s you, I knew it was you, it had to be you!

Of course it’s you, I knew it was you, why did it have to be you?

“Mm,” He Xuan said, barely above a whisper, his search finally over, elation roaring through his veins even as his heart shattered. “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Shi Qingxuan’s transformation was hardly surprising; rather, it simply confirmed what He Xuan had known in the deepest, darkest corners of his heart. If only he’d asked Shi Qingxuan to change to his male form sooner—

…Then what? What difference would it have made if he’d seen this months ago? It wasn’t like he was attachedto Shi Qingxuan. All of those outings at various towns, the presents, the food, the dancing, the strolls, the—

No. None of that mattered. It’s not like He Xuan enjoyed any of that, not like those were actual fond memories, not like Shi Qingxuan had won him over. It had simply been an act. The entire time. Of course it had, it could be no other way. He was always prepared for this outcome, from the moment he’d learned the secret of the pearl earrings—maybe even from the moment he woke up to find Shi Qingxuan as a man undressing him.

It would even explain why, all this time, He Xuan had felt so comfortab—no, nonchalant around Shi Qingxuan even as a woman. All the casual, clingy touching, the little kisses, the makeup, the general nonsense—deep down, He Xuan had never truly seen or treated Shi Qingxuan as a woman, so why would any of that rattle him? He’d known in his bones that underneath that magical veneer, it was just a man next to him all this time.

…That said, for some reason after seeing Shi Qingxuan as a man, He Xuan was overwhelmed at the strangest times, with the strangest feelings. At the most random moments, vivid, confusing urges crashed over him—

The all-consuming desire to see Shi Qingxuan’s usually innocent, clear eyes rendered red-rimmed and hazy, brimming with tears. The obsession to feel Shi Qingxuan’s pale skin, flushed and dewy with sweat, blisteringly hot against He Xuan’s ever-frigid touch. The satisfaction of hearing that sweet voice pleading and begging from a throat raspy from panted breath and mindless whimpers.

The need to ravish, to taste, to devour—

To spend hours taking Qingxuan apart with torturous, exquisite care—

And yet…He Xuan didn’t actually want to hurt him.

It really made no sense at all.

He Xuan was no rookie actor; he continued to look placid and uninteresting day after day. Everyone around him carried on as they usually did, completely clueless as to the turbulent thoughts threatening to burst to the surface.

He Xuan wondered if now was the time to leave. He had his proof, he didn’t need to investigate any longer. It would be nothing for him to simply slip over the side of the ship into the water and follow stealthily, attacking when it suited him. He no longer needed to stay here, stay close, and keep pretending.

But the only thought more terrifying than staying close to Shi Qingxuan was not being near him at all.

Logically, Shi Wudu was deserving of revenge while Shi Qingxuan was completely ignorant. But the thought of letting Shi Qingxuan go free and never seeing him again was just as uncomfortable. It was inconceivable.

He Xuan was truly going mad.

Needless to say, He Xuan’s revenge was set in stone and Shi Qingxuan was nothing more than a pawn, a target this whole time.

So He Xuan didn’t care to think too hard about why he was out on the town with his ‘target’ yet again this evening. He’d made up plenty of excuses to himself—once Shi Wudu’s business was done and they were no longer making such frequent port calls, once everyone was trapped back aboard the ship, then he’d finally…

And in the meantime, he’d coaxed (not that it had taken a lot of coaxing) Shi Qingxuan into transforming into his male form when they were out and about. He joked that “I must really be the most beautiful thing that Ming Yi has ever seen!” not knowing how close it was to the truth and why. Not knowing that part of the reason He Xuan asked this of him was to try and decipher and destroy these disgusting feeli—

With every glance He Xuan reminded himself that this was the man whose fate he’d suffered. This was the person who benefited from He Xuan’s tragedy. This was the man who lived because He Xuan had died.

The only ‘feeling’ that could exist between them was hatred.

He Xuan looked at the fan in his hand as he walked quickly back to the restaurant where they’d been having dinner, then tucked it into his sleeve with a resigned shake of his head. He hadn’t been moved by Shi Qingxuan’s desperate yearning and wanted to make him happy—no way! It certainly had nothing to do with feelings or liking at all; it was simply that Shi Qingxuan had gifted him that hairpin (that he didn’t even want!) after their first outing and He Xuan refused to owe him anything.

He Xuan didn’t stop to think that, once everything was all over, Shi Qingxuan would rather die than cherish a gift from ‘Ming Yi.’

Instead he just thought it was a rare opportunity that he could actually buy Shi Qingxuan something before he bought it for himself.

Shi Wudu had threatened to forbid any more outings if Shi Qingxuan brought one more thing back to the ship. It was probably only a matter of time before he caught on to Shi Qingxuan's extravagant food expenditures.

And for the most part, after that initial spending spree, Shi Qingxuan seemed relatively content with just splurging on food. But for some reason that fan had caught his eye and he just couldn’t live without it.

He Xuan tried to dissuade him from stopping, he was better off not even looking at it. But in typical Shi Qingxuan fashion, he had to just look…just hold it…

The shopkeeper could smell money and handed the fan over “for a look” with glee.

“Ming Yi, just look at it. It’s beautiful. It suits me so well!” Shi Qingxuan gushed, turning it this way and that, snapping it open and giving He Xuan what was presumably supposed to be a sultry look from behind it. “How can you not see it was simply made for me?”

“Just like all the others you own, I’m sure. You hardly need yet another fan—” He Xuan tried to remind him.

“I do too need it!” Shi Qingxuan insisted. Bottom lip still slightly jutted in a pout, gently closed it and reluctantly returned it to the shopkeeper with a sigh.

He Xuan rolled his eyes at Shi Qingxuan’s theatrics but wavered all the same.

“Your brother spoils you; he’d probably make an exception for something like this, wouldn’t he?” He Xuan asked. “Just pout at him like you’re doing right now—“

“I’m not pouting,” Shi Qingxuan said, pouting. Then he shook his head and sighed. “I know when I can get away with pushing and when I can’t; he was serious this time.” Then he looked at He Xuan and grinned brightly. “Being able to walk around like this with you and buy delicious things to eat is far more valuable to me. I’m not going to risk that over a fan. …Even a really, really beautiful one that I want really, really badly…”

He Xuan snorted. “Best quit looking at it then, before you talk yourself into it after all.”

Shi Qingxuan laughed, taking He Xuan by the hand, his overly-touchy nature maybe even somehow worse now that he was in his true form. “Then let’s go eat something tasty to take my mind off it, hmm?”

And they had. Shi Qingxuan was apparently compensating for not spending on his fan by spending extra on dinner…or the alcohol accompanying dinner, to be accurate. So while Shi Qingxuan was a little tipsy, He Xuan muttered some sort of flimsy excuse and ducked out quickly to buy that fan…the one Shi Qingxuan simply had to have because it was “made for him.”

He Xuan had actually kind of forgotten he'd transformed into a woman to get a better deal on the fan (he wasn't cheap, he was savvy) until he was rudely accosted on the street in front of the restaurant where Shi Qingxuan was waiting. Every time before they'd always traveled as a pair and He Xuan figured he gave off a threatening aura regardless of form so it never occurred to him that someone might actually...grab him.

He Xuan immediately smacked the man's hand away and was content to leave it at that—

"Who are you to smack me, bitch?" the man growled, his open palm swinging toward He Xuan's face—

Until wine—and the heavy wine jug—came tumbling from the balcony overhead, crashing onto the man's head and knocking him right out.

“Oops,” Shi Qingxuan said, his innocent little shrug belied by the smirk curving his lips. Apparently this wasn’t the now-unconscious man’s first such transgression; a cheer went up from several of the nearby patrons and passers-by.

“What is all this commotion?” a sharp, very familiar voice cut through the din and Shi Qingxuan’s little smirk fell right off his face. Panicked, he glanced at He Xuan, still down below on the street—

He Xuan had just managed to duck out of sight to transform back into his male form when he heard Shi Wudu bellow, “Qingxuan!”

He Xuan knew then that while he’d had time to transform back, Shi Qingxuan had not. They’d been found out.

In the mere moments that it took He Xuan to change, Shi Wudu had already stormed up to the balcony dining room and trapped Shi Qingxuan. Not knowing exactly why, He Xuan raced up after.

“What have you done?” Shi Wudu boomed, hands clawed into Shi Qingxuan’s shoulders, shaking him. “What have you done?!”

Shi Qingxuan stared back, on the verge of tears, unable to get a word out and wincing in pain as Shi Wudu tightened his grip.

“It’s not his fault, he did it for me—” He Xuan interrupted.

It was the worst possible thing He Xuan could've said.

Shi Wudu’s head whipped around, glaring daggers through eyes bloodshot with fury and panic. This miscreant had tainted his baby sister, this wicked beast seduced innocent Qingxuan into listening to him instead of her older brother, coaxed her into acting against Shi Wudu’s wishes—

He was the cause. Everything had started to go wrong from the moment they’d hauled this poison in human skin out of the sea. From that moment, his precious Qingxuan had been tainted—

No. No, nothing could taint Qingxuan; Shi Wudu had made sure of it. Qingxuan was pure. If nothing else in the world was, Qingxuan was.

But this garbage, this seducer, this toxic trash had to be dealt with before any more damage could be done.

“I should've never fished that bastard out of the water—I should've never let you off the ship! I won't make the same mistakes twice. Change back,” Shi Wudu ordered. “Stop messing around; this isn’t you. It’s not you, it’s never been you, this isn’t who you are. Change back.”

Trembling at this unfamiliar sight of his brother, Shi Qingxuan quickly rubbed his earring and recited the spell under his breath, inaudible. Once changed, she looked up at her brother with fearful eyes, waiting for his next eruption.

“We’re leaving,” Shi Wudu announced coldly, barely keeping it together. He patted Shi Qingxuan's slender shoulder then stroked her delicate face. "Just you and me.”

Terrified, Shi Qingxuan barely suppressed the urge to shudder in disgust at Shi Wudu’s touch. For the first time in her life, she didn’t know the man in front of her that was supposed to be her brother.

“Brother, why?” Shi Qingxuan finally managed to ask, voice weak and quivering. Her only thought was to calm him down, try to reason with him. “You’re making too big of a deal over this, no one knows—“

“He knows!” Shi Wudu roared, pointing one livid hand at He Xuan. “That’s more than enough! You leave me no choice—thanks to this little escapade of yours, you will never set foot off that ship again.”

“Ming Yi!” Shi Qingxuan nearly sobbed, somehow wrenching free of Shi Wudu’s clutches and throwing herself into He Xuan’s arms. “Ming Yi, save me!”

“Qingxuan,” Shi Wudu said ominously. “Look around. You are not the one who needs saved; he is.”

By this time, dozens of Shi Wudu’s ship hands and a few cronies that He Xuan didn’t actually recognize had flooded the small private room. There were likely more waiting outside the door and below on the street.

He Xuan nearly huffed a laugh; all this time he’d planned on using Shi Qingxuan as a hostage against Shi Wudu—how had Shi Wudu managed to turn him into a hostage to force Shi Qingxuan?

“You wouldn’t…” Shi Qingxuan said shakily, still clinging desperately to He Xuan.

“If you leave with me, he can leave once we’re gone. However, if you insist on clinging to him like that…” Shi Wudu’s lip twitched in a disgusted sneer. “What will it be?” He opened his arms, a terrifying smile on his face. “Come now, Qingxuan. Come to brother.”

“Y-you promise you won’t hurt him?”

The moment Shi Qingxuan asked the question, Shi Wudu knew he had won.

He smiled benevolently yet it was enough to send chills down anyone’s spine. “Of course! You’re hurting brother’s feelings—do you think I’m some monster?” he asked oh-so-sweetly, as if he hadn’t just implicitly threatened to kill He Xuan moments before.

With one last look at He Xuan—pleading, apologetic, yearning—Shi Qingxuan’s hands fell from where they clutched at his clothes and she slowly, resignedly walked into her brother’s outstretched arms.

“That’s a good girl,” Shi Wudu purred into her ear, petting her hair.

Shi Qingxuan tried to pull back, suddenly uncomfortable. “Okay, you promised. Now let me see you let him go—“

Shi Wudu gave her neck a little chop and she fell limply into his arms, unconscious. Looking at his henchmen, he jerked his head toward the surrounded He Xuan.

The last words He Xuan heard as the assault began were, “Bash his head in and throw him in the bay.”

The corner of He Xuan’s lips curled in a cruel smile.

After coming to, the fear and shock had mostly worn off, leaving Shi Qingxuan more angry than anything. He’d used the earring to immediately transform back as an act of rebellion. A million scenarios ran through his head of things he should have said, should have done, should have tried differently to reason with his brother and keep from being separated from Ming Yi.

The more he thought about it, wasn’t Shi Wudu’s outburst and threats a horrible overreaction?!

“What’s the big deal?” Shi Qingxuan argued. “I’ve been a girl for how long? Whoever was looking for us has to be dead by now or at least moved on!”

“No!” Shi Wudu said. “It’s never safe! You can’t—”

“You never said I’d have to be a girl forever!” Shi Qingxuan wailed. “When I was little, you said, ‘one year. One more year.’ For how many years was it just ‘one more year’? Am I supposed to just hide my whole life?”

“And what’s wrong with that! If it means you’re alive!”

“Alive only if I’m a girl and only if I’m on this stupid boat!” Shi Qingxuan countered. “Is that really being alive at all?”

“You didn’t think it was so awful before! It wasn’t until that trash showed up and started giving you ideas—“

“Ideas like what? Ideas like it was okay for me to be myself?” Shi Qingxuan interrupted. “He liked me for who I truly am—no matter what I am. Unlike you, brother, who only likes me as a girl.”

Shi Wudu clenched his jaw. “It’s not about like or dislike,” he said through gritted teeth. “It’s about keeping you safe and alive. Which can only be done if you continue to live as a girl—live being the key word. So change back.”

“No.”

“Qingxuan. Enough of this nonsense. Change back.”

“No!”

“Change back now!” Shi Wudu demanded, reaching himself for Qingxuan’s pearl earrings, intending to somehow activate them by force—

“Where are they?” Shi Wudu asked, hand frozen where he’d brushed Qingxuan’s hair aside, exposing naked earlobes. “Where are they? Get them now—“

“I threw them in the ocean,” Shi Qingxuan said. And he had—though it had pained him to part with it, he’d thrown the fake in as well, not wanting any evidence that could further incriminate Ming Yi and draw even more of Shi Wudu’s ire. “This is me now, brother. I can’t change back, I can’t be a girl no matter how much you want me to.”

Shi Wudu clenched his fist, refusing to give in to base impulse and hit Qingxuan. He would never dream of hitting his sweet little sister…though this person in front of him now, this man…

No. This was still Qingxuan, even if her form and attitude was nearly unrecognizable at the moment. Qingxuan was a girl, after all; it wouldn’t be right to slap her pretty face.

“It’s alright,” Shi Wudu mumbled, as much to himself as anyone. “It’s fine—they were rare and extremely expensive, but I can get another pair…” And once you transform into my Qingxuan, I’ll take them and keep them and you’ll be safe. You’ll never be tempted to change into a man again, you’ll be safe with brother forever.

“I won’t change back!”

Shi Wudu just looked coolly at Shi Qingxuan.

“Then you won’t be leaving this cabin. Ever again.”

“Brother!”

“I will keep you safe one way or another. Since you didn’t like my way, now you can try yours.”

And with that he shut the cabin door firmly behind him.

Shi Qingxuan refused to speak to Shi Wudu for weeks. Initially Shi Wudu was annoyed but Qingxuan’s reaction wasn’t entirely outside the realm of expectation. After all, he was no stranger to her tantrums; they evaporated moments after they occurred. Now that she’d yelled at him and thrown her fit, she’d get over it and go back to being her bright and sunny self. Qingxuan was too breezy and easy-going for her to stay mad or stubborn about anything for long.

Which was why Shi Wudu didn’t expect Qingxuan’s silence to evolve into an actual hunger strike.

So he was at his wit’s end when he barged into Qingxuan’s cabin and she was still lying there listless, refusing to eat.

“What are you doing? Are you mad about last time? Once we get you new earrings, you’ll feel better. You love pretty things, right? But you have to eat first—“

“I don’t want earrings, I want Ming Yi,” Shi Qingxuan said stubbornly. “I won’t eat until you bring him to me.”

“Qingxuan!” Shi Wudu barked. “Pull yourself together! Acting this way over some worthless garbage man?”

“Don’t you say that about my best friend!” Shi Qingxuan said, blowing up with weeks of fermented righteous anger. “And I’m acting this way because you chased him off! And that’s if you…if you didn’t…” Over the years Shi Qingxuan had heard whispers and rumors when a sailor went missing but he’d never believed them; his dear brother couldn’t—wouldn’t actually kill someone. Right? Even if he made threats, he wouldn’t really…

But Shi Qingxuan remembered all too clearly exactly how his brother had looked at them—at Ming Yi—that day. His eyes had been wild, livid…

Murderous.

“If I didn’t what?” Shi Wudu snapped.

“If you didn’t…if chasing him off was all you did…” Shi Qingxuan mumbled weakly.

“What are you saying? Out with it, Qingxuan! Are you really suggesting your brother is a murderer?”

“N-no…”

“Quit being so childish and open your eyes! You ran to him—“ The memory caused bile to surge in Shi Wudu’s throat; it took everything he had to choke out the words. “And clung to him and begged him and did he even say a word in your defense? Did he even act like he cared? No!

“He stood there like the coward he is and shook in his boots! And once he started blubbering out his confession he couldn’t get away fast enough—be glad you weren’t awake to hear it! I thought I was doing you a favor, getting you out of there so you didn’t have to witness something so ugly but maybe I should’ve let you see what a piece of absolute trash that Ming Yi was! Had you hear for yourself that he was just using you because you were naive and generous! He didn’t care about you at all, don’t waste another tear on that worthless beast!”

“Yes, you should have had me hear it! See it for myself! Why was I unconscious, hmm?”

“How would I know! Maybe you fainted from the shock of it all, or maybe he’d drugged you—I told you he admitted to sinister motives!”

“Ming Yi would never!” Shi Qingxuan insisted.

“Seriously, the way you’re acting and carrying on, it’s as if he wasn’t your so-called friend but your—” Shi Wudu stopped short; he couldn’t bear to say the word “lover” out loud.

“My what?” Shi Qingxuan asked, confused.

Shi Wudu just glared at him.

“That man was a trickster, scum of the earth. Don’t spare him another thought. Forget about him and we’ll go back to the way things were, pretend this never happened.”

With that, Shi Wudu left, not waiting for Shi Qingxuan’s agreement.

But back when Shi Qingxuan had regained consciousness—knowing damn well it wasn’t from fainting or drugging—he’d found that beautiful fan tucked into his sleeve. Ming Yi must’ve smuggled it in at the last minute when Shi Qingxuan was in his arms, before they were forced apart.

Every day, Shi Qingxuan looked at that fan, its very existence beautifully and boldly contradicting his brother’s lies.

Would someone using him, someone who didn’t even like him, someone who wanted to leave…give him this?

Shi Qingxuan clutched that fan to his chest, feeling lost and lonely in a way he’d never experienced before.

“Ming Yi…” he whispered, tears rolling down his face.

Where are you?

I want to see you.

I miss you.

The wind whipped viciously, snapping the sails and the sailors’ clothes alike as they scrambled around the ship, bracing for the storm, the intermittent flashes of lightning the only light in the increasingly black sky. In all their years under the Water Tyrant, they’d never had to fear the sea—the Water Tyrant and Wind Master protected them.

Aboard this ship, they’d never seen such turbulent weather and hungry waves.

…Waves that, for the first time, the Water Tyrant couldn’t control.

They were life-long sailors; in their bones they knew there was no surviving a storm like this.

Only a god could save them now.

The dark clouds and pelting rain made it hard to see further than one’s own nose, but with a violent streak of lightning, several of the sailors cried out:

“A ship!”

“A ship’s right on us!”

“Pirates?”

“What mad pirates would attack in this?”

“The ship’s black!”

“Everything’s black—you’re seeing things!”

“No, the ship was black, I swear—“

“It’s Ship-Sinking Black Water!”

The waves wouldn’t listen to him and now his sailors were out of control as well; Shi Wudu had had enough:

“Nonsense!” he snapped irritably, somehow his voice carrying over the storm. “You’re seeing things! Quit letting a little storm scare you into hallucinating! Even if there was a ship out there—even if it was that coward Black Water, he’s still just a man on the sea, equal to all others in a storm like this!”

The lightning cracked again, the perfect exclamation mark lingering just long enough to outline the ominous jet-black ship next to them. The sailors erupted into terrified mayhem.

“It’s Black Water!”

“Ship-Sinking Black Water!”

“He’s here!”

“Ship-Sinking Black Water is coming for us!”

“Then let him come!” Shi Wudu roared.

As if in answer, a giant wave rolled over the ship, destroying the mast with a thunderous crash and washing men overboard, their cries lost in the howling wind. Wave after wave rebelled against Shi Wudu’s power, battering the ship and sending the sailors to the depths. When the sea finally calmed with the tense air of a temporary reprieve, Shi Wudu stood on the deck, completely alone.

The black ship remained next to him, unscathed.

“Ship-Sinking Black Water…” Shi Wudu murmured thoughtfully.

“You told me to come, so here I am.”

Shi Wudu had only blinked and there, before him, was a person who looked like Ming Yi, sounded like Ming Yi…yet didn’t quite look or sound like him at all. Gone was the stammering, the insecurity, the subservience, the downward glances.

Instead this man was confident and calculating, a killer whose glance was nothing but hate.

“If you want something done right you have to do it yourself. Should’ve ordered them to cut you to pieces before dumping you in the bay,” Shi Wudu muttered under his breath. Then with a derisive sneer, “You sure have a knack for getting fished out of the water.”

“You should know,” He Xuan said coldly. “Since you’ve thrown me in twice now.”

Shi Wudu frowned warily. “Twice..?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten. Even if it was years ago, do you throw so many children into the sea you really can’t keep track?”

“Brother..?” Shi Qingxuan asked uncertainly. “What does he mean? Did you really—”

Shi Wudu whipped around, caught off guard. How long Qingxuan had been standing there, how much had she heard?

“Qingxuan!” Shi Wudu barked. “Go back to your cabin, it’s not safe—”

“What, you don’t want your precious little brother to hear how many times you’ve tried to have me killed, how you murdered my family, the heinous things you’ve done to change his fate—” He Xuan took a step closer, then another.

“That’s enough!” Shi Wudu cut him off, not wanting Qingxuan to hear anymore, not wanting Black Water to get any nearer to Qingxuan. “Enough, Ming Yi!”

“‘Ming Yi’?” He Xuan scoffed, then his expression grew terrifyingly icy. “You called the wrong name.”

He was no longer Ming Yi, no longer even Ship-Sinking Black Water. The closer he got, the more he sharpened.

Glossy black hair spilled over his shoulders as his ears swept up into points. His skin was deathly, ghostly pale and his fingernails grew into black claws. Even his canine teeth became genuine fangs, peeking out when bloodless lips curled into a chilling smirk tinged with insanity.

The non-threatening Ming Yi had vanished completely, replaced by a creature otherworldly and undeniably deadly.

All Shi Qingxuan could do was stare—he was bone-chillingly terrifying yet heart-achingly beautiful.

Then He Xuan’s eyes flickered past Shi Wudu to Shi Qingxuan. It was supposed to only be a glance but it lasted a second too long.

“Ming Yi” may have vanished but Shi Qingxuan would recognize those eyes anywhere:

Black yet bright, like moonlight at sea.

Shi Qingxuan opened his mouth to say something but no sound would come—

Instead I know you thundered through his veins and nearly crushed his heart with every heartbeat.

I know you.

I know you.

I know you!

He Xuan stopped an arm’s length in front of Shi Wudu who still ineffectively attempted to shield Shi Qingxuan behind him.

“It can’t be…that little brat I threw in the sea…are you really He Xuan?”

“You call yourself the Water Master but I am the Water God. Do you really think you can win against me?” He Xuan asked, his voice the eerie calm before the storm.

“I already have,” Shi Wudu gloated, eyes bright with madness. “This is the face, the life of a winner. My sister and I have lived in wealth and comfort for years, doing as we pleased. Eating the finest food, wearing the finest clothes, bathing in riches and sailing the world, free and happy. While you have been chained to…” Shi Wudu sneered mockingly. “Your husband, that ugly monster for years, festering in humiliation and fear and rage—don’t tell me, did you somehow manage to kill him and take his place?”

Shi Wudu wasn’t actually waiting for an answer. Instead he grinned cruelly and said with perfect, agonizing clarity:

“Do I really think I can win against you? Isn’t it obvious? I won the moment I threw you in the ocean.”

“Brother!” Shi Qingxuan choked out, nearly as terrified of his brother, so mad and cruel as to be unrecognizable, as he was of He Xuan. He turned to He Xuan, pleas spilling out of his mouth, “He doesn’t mean it! Don’t…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I would’ve never—I didn’t know—”

“Is that an excuse?” He Xuan cut him off. “‘You would never’? ‘You didn’t know’? He knew and he did. He hunted down my family, framed and killed my parents. Gave our maid away to a sick old lecher who used her as a plaything until she died. Starved my little sister until she…until she…”

He Xuan gritted his teeth but he didn’t need to say the rest. Shi Qingxuan remembered that one evening when ‘Ming Yi’ had uncharacteristically shared some of his past, had spoken of horrific, unfair tragedies and—

…his one and only little sister dying of starvation in his arms.

Not only were his stories true but they were so many times worse then Shi Qingxuan had ever imagined.

Shi Qingxuan hated himself in that moment; in the face of all this, when it was all his fault, how could he even dare to say “I’m sorry”?

Shi Wudu, however, had no such problem.

“What do you even want? God or not, what can you even do to me that would even compare to my years of victory? Kill me?” Shi Wudu scoffed. “Would that amount to anything? Even if you tortured me, flayed me alive, that’s what, hours? Days, maybe? Compared to the death of your family and years of your suffering?”

Waves of hatred poured from He Xuan, freezing him to the bone.

Because Shi Wudu was right.

What could He Xuan possibly do that would slake his decades-long torment? What was there that would truly count as revenge?

Shi Wudu laughed maniacally. Seeing the hesitation in He Xuan’s eyes, he babbled on:

“Perhaps you dreamed of the day I’d confess my sins, admit to my crimes and demand I face justice? What ‘justice’?” he spat. “Countless people could have stood up for your family but they didn’t. And you expect those worthless pieces of garbage to bring me to justice? When any one of them would have done exactly what I did? And that’s if they wouldn’t have thrown their own sibling in the water, sacrificing them to the Water God, already dreaming of riches! You think any of them would dare to judge me?”

“Will you please stop!” Shi Qingxuan cried, tugging at his brother’s arm, trying desperately to get his attention, to derail him from furthering his own doom. “Sacrifice..? Water God..? What are you even talking about! Brother, what are you saying?”

“Take my fame and fortune,” Shi Wudu dared madly, ignoring Shi Qingxuan’s questions. “I’ve already gorged myself on it and had my fill. Rip off my legs, my arms, gouge out my eyes—I will kill myself and escape your grasp and you will be left with nothing. You claim to be a god? You’re a pitiful beast, trapped by hate and nothing you can do will ever free you. That is all you will ever be. You will have nothing while I had everything.”

He Xuan’s hand flashed out, gripping around Shi Wudu’s throat, which only elicited a mad cackle.

“Do it! I dare you! Kill me, so what! I will have won and you will be left with nothing but hate. There is nothing you can do to me now, I have won!”

“Brother, stop!” Shi Qingxuan wailed. “This is wrong! How can you say these things? My brother’s gone crazy, don’t listen, please—he’s sorry, I’m sorry, we’re so very sorry, I know it’s not enough but…please…”

Hand still tight around Shi Wudu’s throat, He Xuan just stared at Shi Qingxuan and an eerie calm came over him.

There was one thing that Shi Wudu held precious. One thing he had risked everything for, one thing it would break him to lose.

Shi Wudu was too far gone; if He Xuan demanded Shi Qingxuan kill his brother, Shi Wudu would likely go with a smile.

But if Shi Wudu had to kill his brother with his own hands…

Or better yet: Shi Wudu had gloated that he’d withstand any torture…but could he withstand watching his precious brother tortured slowly before his eyes?

After all, Shi Wudu had said there was nothing He Xuan could do.

But if he just got a little creative, that wasn’t exactly correct.

And yet the moment he’d thought of it, He Xuan knew deep down it was impossible. Perhaps if he’d thought of it before, if he’d committed to it before coming to the surface, if he hadn’t befriended Shi Qingxuan to investigate so thoroughly and if he didn’t know the truth…

But he’d gotten too close.

He Xuan closed his eyes, defeated.

Yes, breaking Shi Qingxuan in front of Shi Wudu would probably be the only thing that could truly hurt the Water Tyrant.

But it would hurt He Xuan even more.

With a last tempting squeeze around Shi Wudu’s throat, He Xuan let go and Shi Wudu slumped down to the storm-ravaged deck, wheezing.

“No!” Shi Wudu barked hoarsely, seeing the direction of He Xuan’s glance and realizing he was no longer the target. “Qingxuan is innocent!”

“Innocent?” He Xuan echoed, voice smooth and terrifyingly icy. “He’s the entire reason for this whole thing!”

“She’s innocent!” Shi Wudu insisted. “She knew nothing—”

“Then that makes him ignorant, not innocent!” He Xuan boomed. “So what, just because he didn’t know, that makes it alright? Then it’s fine that he’s lived a carefree life at the expense of me and my family, because he didn’t know? Just because he’s oblivious doesn’t mean my family didn’t die because of him! Just because he’s blissfully unaware doesn’t change the fact I was sacrificed as the Water Bride in his place!”

“You’re wrong—” Shi Wudu protested.

“You’re right,” Shi Qingxuan said at the same time.

Shi Qingxuan stood, panic-glazed eyes suddenly clearing. He may not understand everything but he could piece together enough. His voice was little more than a whisper, damaged from all the sobbing and wailing, but they could still hear him, clear as day:

“I know how to make this right.”

“Qingxuan?” Shi Wudu said, all of his earlier bluster rapidly vanishing. “Qingxuan, what are you doing? Qingxuan!”

“I may not have personally killed them, I may not have even known but…you did what you did because of me. It’s my fault. I know how to make this right.”

“It’s not your fault!” Shi Wudu insisted, voice harsh and raspy from his throat being half-crushed by He Xuan. “You didn’t do anything! I did! It’s my fault! Those people didn’t die for you, they died because I killed them! Qingxuan! You don’t owe him anything, you’re innocent! You don’t need to make it right, I’m the one that did everything!”

Shi Wudu’s increasingly frantic rambling fell on deaf ears as Shi Qingxuan walked slowly but surely toward the broken deck railing. Even He Xuan hardly listened, entranced by Shi Qingxuan’s elegant march to the edge.

On the ship’s deck, his feet had always danced, light as the wind.

Even now, bare feet bleeding over splintered wood, weighed down by the truth, Shi Qingxuan walked, beautiful and light, as if the wind would whisk him away at any moment.

He Xuan stared, perfectly still, afraid that the slightest movement would shatter the dream-like vision.

For the tiniest moment, he’d had an idea. A wish. A want. When he’d realized he was trapped in his own hate and misery, that Shi Wudu alone was untouchable, that his only weakness was Shi Qingxuan…

For the briefest second, He Xuan had wondered, “What if..? What if Qingxuan chose m—”

But no sooner had he dared start to think it than he sealed it away. He’d infiltrated their lives and witnessed firsthand how much Shi Qingxuan loved his brother—there was no way he would leave him of his own volition.

Especially when Shi Qingxuan knew he was the one thing Shi Wudu couldn’t bear to lose.

So this—whatever this was—slow, resolute stride taking Shi Qingxuan closer, closer, to the edge, the drop to oblivion—

Shi Qingxuan turned to face them, only the balls of his feet on the deck, his heels not even touching solid wood, hovering over the infinite sea. With a tear-stained face framed by wind-tangled hair he smiled beautifully.

“Goodbye, brother,” he said.

Then he jumped backwards, arms outstretched, beaming.

“QINGXUAN!” Shi Wudu’s voice was a hideous rasp, destroyed by He Xuan’s grip and his own manic rambling, but that one word tore through the rising storm. Eyes bulging in terror and disbelief, Shi Wudu clambered like a wounded animal toward the edge, slipping on the bloody trail left behind from Shi Qingxuan’s feet, until he gripped the edge with his fingers, digging into the wood until his fingernails broke and his fingers bled.

Completely lost, he stared at the churning waves down below, looking for any sign of Qingxuan in the waves.

There was none.

Only now remembering he was not alone, he turned, waiting for the attack from He Xuan, welcoming it—

But He Xuan—the unassuming Ming Yi, the infamous pirate Ship-Sinking Black Water, the mighty Water God—had vanished.

All of the strength in Shi Wudu’s body gave out and he sprawled on the wrecked ship’s deck in a wretched heap. Empty and utterly alone, all he could do was lie there.

For the first time in his life, he didn’t know what to do.

Qingxuan was gone.

Shi Qingxuan braced himself for the freezing water.

But instead he felt…warm.

Warm arms embracing him, warm lips on his, warm air breathing life into his lungs—

After the briefest surprise, Shi Qingxuan smiled—he must be dead and dreaming. After all, for months Shi Qingxuan had clung to the man every which way but Ming Y—He Xuan had never once felt warm.

Well, if he was dead and dreaming anyway, he might as well enjoy it. Shi Qingxuan twined his arms around this imaginary He Xuan’s neck, pulling him closer, pressing their bodies together. His illusionary He Xuan even played along, fervently deepening the kiss.

Shi Qingxuan let out an appreciative hum in spite of himself—his imagination really was too good!

Then his imaginary He Xuan betrayed him and slowly broke off the kiss, keeping just enough distance even though Shi Qingxuan tilted his head, chasing his lips to continue.

“Are you insane?” He Xuan asked, their lips brushing and his near-growl reverberating through Shi Qingxuan’s body.

“Imagination, rude!” Shi Qingxuan pouted, opening his eyes.

…to He Xuan’s otherworldly but beautiful face, incredibly close, one eyebrow raised.

“…Imagination?” He Xuan asked.

“It’s you? Really?” Shi Qingxuan asked skeptically. Maybe his imagination was truly so good that it even mimicked He Xuan’s reliable skepticism. But should he really have a body if he was dead? And should He Xuan really have a body if he was just an illusion?

Frowning seriously, Shi Qingxuan combed his fingers through He Xuan’s jet black hair, exposing those slightly pointed ears, still pierced with the pearl earrings Shi Qingxuan had given him. He couldn’t resist tracing the points with a fingertip, then trailing downward along He Xuan’s jaw until he cupped his pale face. As if in a trance, Shi Qingxuan brushed his thumb across pale lips.

He Xuan had tolerated all this fondling surprisingly well right up until Shi Qingxuan’s thumb dipped between his lips to poke rudely against his fangs—he gave him a light nip in warning.

“Ouch!” Shi Qingxuan said, looking at his thumb, not bleeding but with a definite imprint. But if he could feel (a little) pain, and if an illusion could bite, then—

“It’s really you!” he blurted, eyes wide in surprise.

“If you didn’t know it was me, then who exactly were you kissing so enthusiastically?” He Xuan asked.

“Well, you, of course! I just thought it was my…you know, it doesn’t matter.”

“You thought it was ‘Ming Yi’?” He Xuan asked.

“No!” Shi Qingxuan blurted. “I mean, I know that’s not really your name, but to me, you’re…you’re still you, no matter what version.”

“This is who I am,” He Xuan said bluntly. Then his eyes narrowed uncertainly. “Aren’t you afraid of me like this?”

Shi Qingxuan grinned brightly, as if he found the question endearingly amusing. Then, with a slightly mischievous twinkle in his eye, he said, “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

He Xuan barely resisted the urge to flick Shi Qingxuan’s forehead.

“So if…if you’re not Ming Yi, what do I call you? Ship-Sinking Black Water? Mr. Black Water? Water God? H-h-…”

For a second, He Xuan unnecessarily held his breath, anticipating the word husband.

“…H-He Xuan?”

“He Xuan is fine,” He Xuan said, annoyed at himself for feeling even the tiniest bit disappointed.

“Then, He Xuan…” Shi Qingxuan said, oblivious to the fact that hearing his true name from Shi Qingxuan’s lips sent tingling over He Xuan’s skin. “Where are we? Didn’t I jump into the ocean? Why is this…not water?”

“We’re in my undersea palace,” He Xuan explained. “Under the previous owner it was called the Nether Water Manor but since I took over as Water God, it’s now known as Black Water Demon Lair.”

“Since you took over…” Shi Qingxuan repeated, thinking of what he’d overheard in the earlier chaos that already seemed oddly distant. “Is it true, what broth—what he said? About you having a husba…being married?”

He Xuan snorted derisively. Then something occurred to him:

“Wait. So you jumped into the ocean without knowing anything?”

“I knew enough!” Shi Qingxuan said. “I’m here, aren’t I? And you’re here! Isn’t that enough? And besides…how could I know anything when…when no one ever told me. I only know something awful happened to you and that broth—he did it—for me?—but I don’t know why.” Shi Qingxuan’s bottom lip trembled a little. “So…so please don’t be mad at me because I don’t know. How could I, when no one told me?”

“Of course no one would tell you,” He Xuan said, voice barely above a whisper. “Of course he wouldn’t tell you—why would he, when he did everything in his power to keep you from knowing the truth?”

Shi Qingxuan looked up at him expectantly—resolutely. So He Xuan gave him the most basic yet sufficient explanation of their tangled, twisted fates and the mark of the Water Bride.

He was even more succinct in his explanation of how, after years of soul-crushing servitude, he managed to slay the cruel Water God and take his place.

Shi Qingxuan paled at the story and He Xuan huffed a sardonic laugh. He started to say “So now it’s your turn to kill me and take my place” when he quite belatedly realized the odd roles of their situation and was about to mentally deny any such possibility that Shi Qingxuan could still be the Water Bride when—

“So all of broth—his efforts were for nothing: I’m back to being the Water Bride again,” Shi Qingxuan said lightly.

“That’s nonsense—“ He Xuan sputtered. But it was too late.

Shi Qingxuan bowed ceremoniously then took He Xuan’s hands and gazed up at him with a gentle smile.

“Your bride has finally arrived.”

He Xuan couldn’t help an incredulous huff of a laugh. “All that work he did to try and save you and at the end, you jumped in the ocean to sacrifice yourself to save your brother anyway.”

Shi Qingxuan looked at him, head canted slightly. “Even with all of the horrible, unforgivable things he did, I will still miss my brother. But if you think he’s why I jumped, you’re wrong.”

“Oh?”

“The one I wanted to save was you.”

With a smile, Shi Qingxuan cupped He Xuan’s face, then rose on his tiptoes to brush a tender kiss to He Xuan’s lips.

“Your Water Bride Shi Qingxuan is here. I’m sorry I’m so late, husband.”

He Xuan opened his mouth, was going to tell Shi Qingxuan that he was being ridiculous, that jumping into the sea wasn’t enough, couldn’t fix anything. That he didn’t want a stupid bride, he wanted revenge. That Shi Qingxuan leaving behind a brother was nothing compared to He Xuan losing his family. It was too little, too late; it was insulting; it was pointless, futile, infuriating.

But if all those years ago Shi Wudu had just accepted their fate and sacrificed little Xuan-er to the sea at the age of ten…

They would’ve never met. Shi Qingxuan would’ve been abused, broken, and eventually consumed by the Water God and He Xuan would’ve probably ended up as a relatively insignificant government official, married to the family’s maid. Their paths would’ve never crossed, they would’ve never known the other even existed.

But now? After everything that had happened, all those twists and turns of fate..?

Shi Qingxuan was once again (still?) the bride of the Water God.

…Only now the Water God was He Xuan.

“You’re right on time,” He Xuan said, kissing him fiercely.