LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS

In the rows of red lanterns arranged to lead them to the lake, Xing stood with her clothes glittering as if she was wearing the night sky. The blue in her robes were hidden by the cloak and only the purple in the bottom of her skirt was visible from the mid-length cloak.

"Prince Jin tore the sky to wear as a dress for his Consort", some woman in the crowd said in a loud voice although that wasn"t her intention and it was a surprised reaction on her part.

Everyone surrounding had a awe-struck expression seeing the couple looking so made for each other with their matching outfit and all the women were filled with jealousy and the men could not take their eyes off Xing.

Chenglei, proud as he was, didn"t like everyone"s attention on his wife although that"s why he arranged all this. Turnes out, he was more narrow-minded than he believed himself to be.

He stood in front of Xing covering her from others and pulled her hood over and through the snow-white fur gently floating in the cold winter breeze, her face peeked out and it was more alluring than the moon that hung high in the sky.

"Ah", he sighed and smoke came out of his mouth because of the low temperature.

"As always", his hands traced her cheek gently.

"What?", Xing could see Chenglei seemed to be in discomfort and asked. Her pretty little face seemed worried as her eyebrows furrowed. Her blushed cheek reddened a bit more and in the red lantern lights, it looked like blood would be squeezed out of her soft cheeks.

Why is his heart beating this fast? She wondered as she placed his hand over his heart.

" As always... You are my sun in the morning and my moon in the night. You brighten up my life, JiaXing", he whispered in her ears. By now Lin Mubai already started to get the crowd dissipate as people started to gather looking at the divine looking couple standing together in an intimate manner.

Xing stood there dumbfounded as her eyes swirled with various emotions. These words, he has said these words before too and he is repeating everything now without even remembering her.

Did he suddenly remember me and playing games with me? She wondered. But it is likely impossible. The moment he remembered, he wouldn"t have held back and hugged her close and apologised for hurting her in the past three and a half years.

And he"d have called me, "Xing" !

None of that happened and he still doesn"t remember me. Oh, Xing! You"ve decided to not think about the past and here you are...! Just be happy he is by your side and he is your husband after everything you"ve been through! Xing comforted herself.

"I love you", she said and the ethereal man by her side holding her hand and waking by her side, didn"t hear it as usual and a sigh escaped Xing"s mouth unintentionally.

When will this end?

Xing and Chenglei reached the pavilion by the lake where the Emperor was brought in a sedan. Both of them joined the Emperor and the moment Ah Xuan saw Xing, he didn"t hold back and came to her, tightly holding her free hand.

Xing looked around and saw Consort Jiang standing farther away and it seemed like she preferred to stay away from the spotlight unlike the other women in the harem wearing bright colours and makeup trying to get the attention of the Emperor. In that crowd of bright coloured wild flowers, she looked like a beautiful Orchid - elegant and refined and above all the rest.

"If I were a man", Xing thought, "I"d have kept her close to me just to look at her" .

Xing sighed and looked at the Emperor who seemed to have read her thoughts and he shook his head. He expected shed say something to him about Consort Jiang but seeing her willfully swallowing her words, he was surprised.

He walked towards the couple and stood on the right hand side of Xing. That"s when Xing realised her left hand is inside Chenglei"s right hand as it would be always in the past.

Standing in the pavilion ,above everyone else, Xing rembered the day of the coronation where she was standing in between the brothers like this and that day she was in great distress to be known as the wife of someone else.

But today... Today she is ecstatic beyond words. She is standing beside the man she always dreamt to be with, as his wife. Unconsciously her grip on his hand tightened and her lips curved to a smile at him and he returned the same smile.

"I should be kneeling before you, Mingxia! You are the one who is responsible for the peace in our Kingdom now. Allow me", the Emperor walked towards her and Xing hurriedly stopped him.

"If you kneel before me, everything I tried hard for will be ruined. What excuse will you be giving to those who are watching us now, for kneeling in front of me?", she spoke in a slightly rebuking tone and Ah Xuan by her side, listened to it all.

No one will talk to his father in this tone and only Auntie Xing does. And father doesn"t mind either.

Auntie Xing must be powerful than daddy!

The Emperor looked deeply at her and sighed.

Mingxia! She adamantly refused for her name to be written in the chronicles book. There are only mentions of the divine ruler who lived in the inner palace as the Empress. Nothing more was written and her achievements too were omitted from being recorded.

All she wants is to stand by my brother"s side! What a waste!

"You look more extravagant than me. And I am the Emperor", the Emperor commented as he scrutinised her.

Even though his brother forgot her, he is treated her as she deserves. That is the only good take from all this.

"Auntie Xing is beautiful", Ah Xuan gave his two cents.

"You are the most adorable one! And why aren"t you in bed yet? ", Xing pinched his bun like cheeks and he rubbed his reddened cheek pouting.

"He has his duties as the Crown Prince", the Emperor was the one who answered her.

"Duties? This young?", Xing mumbled.

Poor boy! He is just three years old and he has to shoulder this much responsibilities. No wonder those who grow up here get screwed up.

"He"s fine with it, see..", Chenglei saw the sadness in her face and pointed at Ah Xuan.

This woman worries needlessly! He sighed.

"I"ll support my Imperial Father!", the boy said with determination and Xing could see his big eyes s.h.i.+ning.

" Good boy", Xing bent and picked up the boy since she wanted to give him a hug.

Poor little child has to mature this early!

"Did you lose weight?", she asked the boy who is now grown a bit but he was easier to carry.

"Brother fed him like a pig and with him leaving the kingdom the past months, he naturally lost weight", the Emperor popped a roasted chestnut in his mouth and said in a jovial tone.

"Look at this fool! Calling his own son a pig! You don"t deserve him", Chenglei retributed.

Xing who was in the middle sat in the chair meant for her with little Xuan in her lap leaving those two brothers to act silly.

"Ah Xuan, do you like the Pure Consort? Is she nice to you?", she asked peeling him a roasted chestnut while she poured herself some wine.

She was really excited about this new development in the Emperor"s life and she wanted to know more. She was fine for some months and this happened?

From what Ah Xuan said, Xing could gather that the Pure Consort does have a good temperament.

Xing felt itchy to meddle but she controlled herself from involving in this issue.

And just then the gongs for the New Year rang signifying the arrival of the New Year and Chenglei came and sat beside her, pus.h.i.+ng Ah Xuan to his father.

"Go stand beside your father", he mercilessly slapped the chubby boy"s bottom and he ran towards his father rubbing his back obediently without talking back.

For some reason, Xing found that boy"s behaviours too mature and it kind of pulled the strings in her heart.

I was wandering around the mountains eating whatever, covered in dust and spent time around animals and G.o.ds not listening to my mother. But, Ah Xuan never get to be a child!

"Wifey, Happy birthday", Chenglei held Xing"s hand and slipped a jade bane in her hand. Xing who has extensive knowledge about Jade now, could say that bangle could buy a city.

With her eyes focused on Chenglei, Xing forgot everything for a moment. His hair was all pinned up in the silver coronet and his snow white robes combined with the purple cloak, made him look more handsome than ever.

Just then... The sound of firecrackers was heard followed by the colourful display in the skies.

The red light of the firecracker reflected on Chenglei and Xing turned to see the little sparks of colourful dust spread in the sky.

"Amazing.! ", Xing said. The firecrackers were amazing, the man by her side, even more so.

"There are millions of stars in the sky and a million stars in your dress but in my heart, there is only one star and that is you, JiaXing!"

Chenglei"s magnetic voice rolled from his throat as if a jaguar was roaring, near Xing"s ears.

Wow!

Xing felt a chill crawling through her skin throughout her entire body and it was wasn"t and torturous at the same time. She turned to look at the man sitting by her side. Only his green eyes were swirling with various emotions by then.
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Xing felt her hood falling down as a big hand pulled it down and with his hand in the back of her head, he leaned and kissed her in front of the entire officials.

Xing felt embarra.s.sed by his sudden action of intimacy in public and she looked to the front to see, the Emperor standing right in front of them and so no one would have seen the kiss.

"You!", Xing pointed her finger at him and all he did was give a proud smirk. He was so proud of it.

"Watch the fireworks! I arranged this year"s fireworks display just for you", he smiled.

"I love you, Chenglei", she said holding his hand, "This is my best birthday ever"

"Don"t worry, each year this husband of yours will celebrate it grandly", he had a proud look in his face that had no doubts or reservations about making promises for the future.

Xing by now had actually started to accept the fact that he must love her even though he haven"t confessed her, yet. Even when they got married she was a little but skeptical of his intentions. But now, she was sure he must have a special place for her in his heart. No man would bother himself this much for a woman he doesn"t love.

"Watch", he gently held her chin and turned her head to look at the displays but Xing turned her face to lok at him. He tried a couple more times and he lost patience.

"Hubby!", she supported her cheeks in her hands with her elbows resting on her knees, "I"d rater watch you! You are more amusing", she giggled and Chenglei pursed his lips and turned to look at the side.

She knew he was blus.h.i.+ng and he doesn"t want her to know.

As the two of them were openly flirting with each other, Xing suddenly felt a chilling darkness around her.

The portals to the other realms, in the palace, were acting weirdly and darkness seeped through them widely spreading to all the three realms and it felt serious.

What is going on?

Xing felt the crown of her head go numb and she stood up and Chenglei saw her getting startled and wrapped his arms around her and patted her back to calm her down.

"Thousand years have ended and the G.o.ds" promises of protecting their descendants for thousand years are fulfilled. I guess now, we are on our own", Xing said. She knew that"s why the strength of the portals are getting weaker and it is short-circuiting.

The G.o.ds chose her as the divine ruler to support the ones with the Lu blood since they promised to protect them for thousand years. And now there are enough Lu blooded people alive and their line won"t disappear. She has finished her duties too.

Chenglei vaguely got what she meant and patted her back.

"Does this mean the duties of the Divine Ruler is over too?", he asked.

"Now would be the time we need her more than ever!", Priestess Zhu waked towards them.

"F*ck off! Deal your problems yourself", Xing didn"t hols back from showing her disdain to the idea that the kingdom still needs her.

" Ohhhh! Salty!", Priestess Zhu smiled and didn"t speak any further.

Xing excused herself and went to the front to see the fireworks display when the priestess followed her.

"You see back then, the Emperor asked me to predict something about his brother using his star. Back then I said that he has no star. I was wrong", she said and she smirked seeing Xing invested in her story.

" Actually, his star didn"t disappear like I thought previously. You see the bright golden Tiger star?", she pointed at the sky and Xing followed her fingers and found the star she mentioned.

"His wolf star merged with your tiger star that day he was supposed to die. You two cannot be separated by anyone, even G.o.ds because, your crossed stars are merged to one now. You two are one. No matter what you two cannot get rid of each other. Whether it is for good or bad!" ,she added.

How is that a bad thing? Xing thought. That"s all I have ever wanted!

So that is the reason we met each other when we were supposed to be separated and even now, we shouldn"t be married and consummated our marriage.

So I changed the fate and the stars?

Xing sighed.

If so...

Why can"t I get the trials to be over?