The fault of yin and yang

Chapter 12

Although I couldn't see it, I could hear and feel it. The wind grew stronger, but the sea remained as calm as ever, without a single ripple. Perhaps the wind was so strong that it masked the sound of the sea. All I could hear was the whooshing of the wind, but then suddenly it stopped. The silence was so profound that I could even hear my own heartbeat…

"Hiss—", it was the dragon, but there was only that one sound, and then silence returned.

"Ding—" A very faint sound, indistinguishable from anything, followed by an unusually strong, fishy stench, accompanied by a gust of wind that swept over me as if it were passing right before my eyes...

...

"Wei Yang, Zuo Wei Yang—", Lü Hantian's shout woke me up. The light faded, and the stars twinkled in the sky again. The sea returned to its dark blue color. If it weren't for Lü Hantian still being in the water, the mess on the deck, and the faint fishy smell emanating from him, I wouldn't have believed that this had ever happened.

“Come on, hand—” I pulled Lü Hantian up with all my might.

"You're amazing, Weiyang. You took down such a big monster in just a few moves," Lu Hantian's words left me a little confused.

"you say……"

"You just flicked a few talismans and that huge thing was gone! Amazing, amazing!" Lu Hantian said excitedly as he took off his clothes and wrung them out.

"Oh—, of course," since this is the will of Heaven, why should I go against it? Let's just follow his memory.

“However, this talisman…”, Lu Hantian took out the talisman paper that had been soaked into pulp from his waist.

"This talisman is really powerful! If it weren't for it, you would have been killed by that monster long ago. You can only get one every ten years. How could you have broken it? Do you know how valuable it is?" I held the talisman with a mournful expression. Now that everything has returned to normal, I should naturally make some money while I'm at it.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll pay, I'll pay, is 10,000 yuan enough?" Damn it, rich people are rich people. I only wanted 5,000 yuan originally.

"Look," a sliver of light seeped through the horizon once more, this time with a hint of red—it was sunrise.

Sitting on a wrecked boat deck watching the sunrise, with a shirtless man next to me... what a feeling...

...

"Ms. Zuo, thank you. My brother is no longer covered in injuries," Lü Liang said, sitting on the sofa.

“This is my job, you’re too kind. Mr. Lü, please have some water,” I said, handing Lü Liang a glass of water.

I don't know if rich people all like to show off, but this Lü Liang guy was even more outrageous than his brother when he came to my bookstore. Not only did he have a luxury car, but he also brought two bodyguards with him. They were all muscle-bound, looking incredibly awkward in their suits, and they were even wearing sunglasses, like they were in a movie...

People in the Grand Mansion are really different. When Lü Liang saw that his younger brother had stopped fighting with him, he hurriedly brought me a large gift to thank me, acting as if I had saved the Lü family...

Li Guandong's business flourished thanks to the minor celebrity's "help." However, somehow Grandma Li found out about the dinner party Li Guandong and I attended together. She was convinced I had greatly helped Li Guandong's business and insisted I stay at their house for a few days. I was happy to live like a princess in their mansion, but it was tough on Li Guandong, who had to come home on time every day to have dinner with me and keep his grandmother happy. As a result, his grandmother, seeing that Li Guandong was coming home early and canceling his social engagements because of me, practically treated me like her granddaughter-in-law…

Of course, I earned quite a bit from this job; the Lü brothers gave me double pay. Lü Hantian also visits the bookstore from time to time, and he never comes empty-handed. It's time to get a bigger jewelry box again.

What surprised me was that every time Lü Hantian came, he would spend quite a while reading in the religious section, and would often take a few books home. Moreover, because of his presence, sales of women's magazines in my bookstore skyrocketed; girls who asked Professor Wang when he would be coming would occasionally also ask about that man…

(V) Spirit Master Chapter 1: The Prince Returns

It's already December, the weather is getting colder and colder, and occasionally a few snowflakes will fall...

Lü Hantian has decided to sign an unequal treaty with his brother, Lü Liang, in exchange for a sum of money to buy out Lü Hantian's inheritance rights. I feel somewhat indignant about this, but Lü Hantian seems indifferent; he doesn't mind being penniless, and besides, he's not penniless yet. Of course, these are all shady agreements; on the surface, the Lü brothers remain brothers, inseparable.

For a while, Lü Hantian came almost every day, accompanying me to purchase stock, inspect goods, and attach magnetic strips. Occasionally, he would pretend to be a staff member, weaving among the many female college student readers. People would constantly ask him where certain books were, even magazines that were within easy reach. As a result, my not-so-small bookstore was bustling with noise...

Recently, however, Lü Hantian took the money and planned to invest in the company, so he changed his visit to twice a week, and "Weiyang" returned to its usual tranquility.

It seems the prince has been forgotten, and fewer and fewer people are coming to ask him about it.

I should be back in a little over a month...

"Sister Weiyang, why didn't your boyfriend come today? Is his family very rich?" It was Yaoyao, my newly hired cashier, who spoke. Xiaoling is already a junior in college and is a bit overwhelmed.

"Of course I'm rich, and not just any kind of rich, you know..." Before I could finish speaking, Xiaoling, who was coming to relieve me, overheard me and interrupted me.

"Alright, alright, when did Lü Hantian become my boyfriend? We're not a good match." Actually, what I said just now sounded quite nice.

"Not your boyfriend? How could that be? Look at him, every time he comes he brings flowers or gifts, it's obvious he's pursuing you."

"Exactly! Besides, what era are we living in? Marrying someone of equal social standing? How outdated!"

"And look at the way he looks at you..." The two girls got more and more excited as they talked back and forth.

"You two girls, get to work. Yao Yao, go over to Sister Qi and learn how to organize the books," I beckoned to Sister Qi, the saleswoman in the literature section, and pushed Yao Yao over there.

"Yeah, why hasn't Lü Hantian come yet today..." I was thinking to myself. According to his usual habits, he should have arrived long ago. "Maybe he's not coming today..." I was just thinking when Yao Yao's startled cry interrupted me.

What truly interrupted me was Yao Yao and Xiao Ling's overlapping shouts—"Professor Wang..."

"Professor Wang," what a familiar title. I savored the name as I looked up...

"Zuo, Wei, Yang," yes, the voice was all too familiar, and the person was all too familiar.

The prince stood in front of me, carrying a huge hiking backpack.

"He's gotten darker and thinner," I murmured. At that moment, I truly didn't know whether to shake his hand to welcome him, to hug him to express my longing, or perhaps to bite him hard to show my resentment…

"I miss you so much," the prince's actions surprised me. He took a step forward, hugged me tightly, and buried my head in his chest.

My face was pressed against the prince's chest, and even through the thick cotton coat, I could almost hear his heart pounding. His hand rested on my shoulder, brushing against my neck; it was slightly cool, yet radiated boundless warmth, a warmth that flowed into my body like fire, making me feel as if I were a snowflake melting against his chest…

I know Xiaoling and Yaoyao must be staring at us with wide eyes. Although Yaoyao is a year younger than Xiaoling, that doesn't stop her from being a fan of the prince. Yaoyao was one of the girls who came to "Weiyang" back then to ask, "When will Professor Wang be back?" All my previous concerns were shattered at this moment of reunion. I wonder if those little girls will be very disappointed?

"Come on, let's go upstairs," the prince said, pulling me upstairs by the hand before I could even process what was happening. The hand that held mine had long, slender fingers and neatly manicured nails, as if the past few months of travel hadn't added any signs of wear and tear to it.

"You...you still know how to come back," I said, tears streaming down my face before I could finish. In this space where it was just the two of us, I could no longer control my emotions.

Although I didn't want to cry, unfortunately, my tears seemed oblivious to my thoughts, flowing freely. Standing there, I let the prince wipe away my tears with his hand. It felt as if my tears evaporated on my face the moment they touched his hand, warmed by his body heat.

"I'm back"

"I'm back"

"..."

As the prince wiped away my tears, he whispered, "I'm back," as if telling me, and also telling himself, that this time he would never leave again.

“This is an accessory made from antelope bone from Shangri-La, this is a whole yak skull I brought back for you from Tibet, this is also from Tibet, and this, I’m sure you’ll like to eat it,” the prince said, taking things out of his backpack one by one as he introduced them. I took the dried yak he handed me and ate it while listening to his explanations…

"These are perfumes I brought back from Paris, and this champagne," the prince said, taking out a large box. When I opened it, I found a complete set of classic Dior perfumes inside, as well as my usual "J'adore." Holding these perfumes and chewing on some yak jerky, I suddenly felt incredibly happy, so happy that tears welled up in my eyes again.

"This is olive oil I brought back for you from Madrid, and these pieces of jewelry, and this is for your grandmother. I've heard that older people..." The prince excitedly looked up to show me the gifts, but then he noticed my tears and quickly sat down beside me. It would have been better if he hadn't; his presence only made me cry louder. People can't be easily comforted, especially a crying woman. When a woman is crying, the best way is to—leave her aside and let her cry it out.

"The boss's wife is crying so loudly, the employees will laugh if they hear it. Zuo Weiyang, who is not afraid of ghosts, is so fragile today," the prince teased me with a smile while wiping away my tears.

"Then, if you stop crying, I'll show you one last gift. I knew it would be perfect for you the moment I saw it," the prince said helplessly, though his eyes were already red.

I tried my best to stop sobbing and took a big gulp of water before I could finally stop crying.

"Be prepared, this is in Germany..." The prince was interrupted before he could finish speaking.

"Weiyang..." Lu Hantian called my name and pushed open the door.

His arrival caught me off guard. The prince's return had made me almost forget he existed, but the moment he appeared, I suddenly felt a pang of guilt...

(V) Spirit Master Chapter Two: Peach Blossoms in Full Bloom

"Prince? You little rascal, when did you get back?" After a brief pause, Lü Hantian rushed in and excitedly patted the prince on the shoulder.

Although the prince was momentarily stunned when Lü Hantian opened the door and entered with lilies and a gift box, the two of them were already laughing and joking around...

The prince sat on the sofa telling his stories of his journey, while I sat in a chair by the window with a large glass of water. Lü Hantian sat excitedly on my desk, hiding the bouquet of lilies and gift box he had brought behind him.

The awkwardness of that moment seemed to have vanished. In the interaction between the two men, I became an insignificant appendage. Only the occasional glances from the prince and Lü Hantian's frequent and affectionate calls of my name, "Weiyang, Weiyang," gave me a strange sense of guilt. When Lü Hantian looked at me, he deliberately ignored my swollen eyes; when the prince spoke, he deliberately skipped over my name, simply calling out "Ah, ah." They were completely oblivious to the gifts the prince brought back and the flowers Lü Hantian had brought. It was as if they were trying to find their own differences from others while simultaneously ignoring the differences between themselves and the other.

I was so embarrassed that I could only drink water in the sun until they left; they seemed to be waiting for the other to leave first, but in the end they compromised as the sun went down and walked out of my bookstore together.

I only truly felt relieved when they walked out of "Weiyang".

"Sister Weiyang, I'm leaving now," Xiaoling said as she came up to say goodbye after get off work, her eyes full of concern, but I didn't know what to say.

Yao Yao wasn't as reserved as Xiao Ling. When I came downstairs, Yao Yao came over and asked, "Sister, are you alright? Which one are you going to choose?" The child looked at me with concern, and looking at her naturally smiling eyes, I didn't know how to answer. I could only shake my head helplessly.

“Both of them are rich and talented, and so considerate. If it were me, I’d probably be confused too,” Yao Yao said, shaking her head and frowning repeatedly, as if she was really struggling with this problem.

"Professor Wang must have brought you a lot of gifts, right? Sister Xiaoling said your office is piled high with them; Mr. Lü also brought a bouquet of lilies and a gift box when he came..." Yao Yao got more and more excited as she talked, so I could only quietly slip away, otherwise I really didn't know what kind of headache-inducing questions this girl would ask next.

Standing between these two gifts, the relief I had just felt returned, replaced by a strange sense of unease...

As usual, Lü Hantian always brought a bouquet of flowers and a small gift when he came. At first, he would bring expensive jewelry, but later, at my insistence, he switched to bringing small things, sometimes even a stone he picked up on the beach.

Today's gift is a cute little mouse, an apple that is half red and half green, with a leaf in the upper right corner; the fragrance of the oriental lilies is very strong, but it doesn't make me feel uncomfortable.

“Then, if you stop crying, I’ll show you one last gift. I felt it was perfect for you the moment I saw it,” I suddenly remembered the prince’s words. Before I could even take out the last gift, I was interrupted by this awkward situation.

I took out a very thick gift box from the bottom of the backpack. This gift box took up almost a third of the space in the oversized backpack. It wasn't very heavy when I held it in my hands. The snow-white box was tied with a rose-colored ribbon.

"Oh my god!" I couldn't help but whisper as I opened the box.

It was a wedding dress, a simple short wedding dress with a deep V-neck that reached the shoulders, a wide belt that cinched the waist, and a tassel of tiny rhinestones hanging from the belt. The dress had many layers at the hem and was only about ten centimeters above the knee. When worn, it was fluffy and romantic, like a princess's dress...

Wearing this wedding dress and looking at the long veil in my hand, I felt increasingly confused. "What does this mean?" I kept thinking about this question, stroking the veil, but I didn't dare call the prince, afraid he would think I was overthinking things...

"The last gift is perfect for me," I texted the prince. What else could I say?

In the following days, Prince was busy with his work at F University, and Lü Hantian was busy with her own invested company. They could only appear at "Weiyang" for one or two hours each day. However, it was as if they had made an appointment. If Prince came in the morning, Lü Hantian would come in the afternoon, and if Lü Hantian came in the morning, Prince would come in the afternoon. The two of them never met.

When Lü Hantian arrived, he dressed in a suit and acted as my sales assistant; when Wang Zi arrived, he was engrossed in a book. Neither of them spoke to me much, but Lü Hantian was relatively more talkative, though he never mentioned anything about Wang Zi. Wang Zi, on the other hand, though not often spoke, never shied away from mentioning "Lü Hantian." These past few months of wandering hadn't diminished Wang Zi's refined air, but rather added a touch of fortitude and open-mindedness; however, sometimes his composure was so profound that I couldn't quite grasp his character.

Men, small men, big men, any kind is fine, but the problem is when a small man is too small and a big man is too big.

...

"Weiyang, I heard the prince has returned?" Grandma said, putting a piece of pork rib into my bowl.

The old lady's expression was quite amusing. She wanted to ask, but was too embarrassed to ask directly, so she pretended to ask casually. As a result, she looked as funny as a matchmaker in a TV drama.

"Xiaoling? Or Yaoyao?" I know without even thinking that these two girls have big mouths.

"Don't think I'm nagging, but this is about feelings..." The old lady, realizing I had seen through her, simply got straight to the point.

"Oh, Grandma, these ribs are so delicious, so delicious! I want to eat them again tomorrow, but I also want to eat the fish you make tomorrow..." I said exaggeratedly, picking up a rib, trying to change the subject.

"You can eat both kinds of vegetables, but you can't necessarily have both kinds of other things. Sometimes if you don't know what to eat, you might as well go hungry for a few meals, and maybe you'll know what you really want to eat..." It's true that the devil is one foot tall and the righteous are ten feet tall; the old lady changed the subject again.

"Your aunt called today and asked you to come over. She said she has something you might be interested in to show you," Grandma said, putting another slice of lotus root on my plate.

"Did she catch her?" I asked, chewing on a lotus root.

"You two, one big and one small, always neglecting your duties, caught!" After receiving Grandma's confirmation, I was so excited that I wished I could sprout wings and fly over right away...

(V) Spirit Mastery Chapter 3 Spirit Mastery

Looking at the drifting clouds outside the window, a feeling of ease welled up inside, yet it was mixed with a touch of reluctance. Being pampered by two such men is always a blessing. Although neither of them has ever uttered the word "love," anyone could see and feel the ambiguity and care between them.

I entrusted "Weiyang" to Yufei, left a note for the two of them, and then boarded a plane to Y City.

During the two hours on the plane, I kept thinking about how the prince lay lazily on my sofa, and about Lü Hantian's captivating eyes...

“Weiyang…” my aunt called to me from outside the glass door, pulling my uncle along.