The Love That Remains

Fang Aisa opens her eyes . All the cores have been absorbed by her . Her body has changed with each absorption . Her skin has an ethereal glow . Her eyes are dark and enchanting . Her long dark hair is darker and silky . She realizes that her clothes have been burned away because of the changes . The mark of the contract is gone too . She is finally free from the contract .

"Sung Jun . " She looks out of the window . It"s daytime . How long has it been? She grabs a pair of clothes from the cupboard and walks out . Instead of her husband, she finds an anxious w.a.n.g Mei .

"w.a.n.g Mei?" Fang Aisa is glad to see her childhood friend .

"Fang Aisa, we don"t have time . " w.a.n.g Mei grabs her hand . "Why did you take so long? The groom is waiting for hours at the altar . All the guests are going to die from hunger . Let"s get you ready . "

Fang Aisa is surprised . "What?"

"Ais.h.!.+" w.a.n.g Mei drags her along with her . She kicks open the room . Ms . Sung and Fang Aisa"s stepmother are talking inside . There is a beautiful white dress waiting for the bride . "Aunty Sung, we don"t have time . Let"s start . "

"Fang Aisa . " Ms . Sung gives her a hug . "I am so glad to finally see you . "

Fang Aisa hugs her back . "I have missed you, Mother . "

Her stepmother hesitantly asks her, "Is it alright if I help you prepare for the wedding?"

Fang Aisa smiles at her . Though they don"t have a close relations.h.i.+p, they don"t have a bad relations.h.i.+p either . This must be the first time when they talked . Fang Aisa doesn"t want to think about the past . She has gone through a lot . She has forgiven her father and her family . They had their reasons for doing what they did . She is not ready to accept her as her mother, but she doesn"t want to push someone away either .

"Sure . "

***

Everyone"s eyes are on the groom . They have come here on very short notice . It"s more like they have been abducted from their homes . The supernatural creatures and humans are sitting together . Fang Aisa"s cla.s.smates are there . Her old gang mates are also there . The people she has met and befriended in her both lives are there . Though some of them do not recognize her, still they have been forced to come .

"Sung Jun is so handsome . " A female ex-cla.s.smate sighs .

"If Fang Aisa was not there, I could have been his bride . " The ex-cla.s.s president grumbles .

"Keep dreaming . " Another woman rolls her eyes .

"I am curious . " A man from Fang Aisa"s high school stares at the altar . "Did she become more beautiful or uglier?"

"Uglier . " The ex cla.s.s-president slaps the back of his head . "Do you still have a crush on her?"

"Of course, I don"t . " The man s.h.i.+fts in his seat . "I am just curious . "

"The bride is here!" Someone exclaims . All the eyes turn to the bride who is walking alongside her father . Fang Qi and Fang Aisa are grinning ear to ear . Fang Aisa is dressed in a long white dress . Her hair is tied beautifully . She looks like an otherworldly being . Untouchable . Unreachable . Beautiful beyond words .

"I didn"t think that I would lose you to him right after you come back," Fang Qi whispers to Fang Aisa as they walk toward Sung Jun . "I want to spend some time with you . There is so much to do . "

"Who is stopping you?" Fang Aisa chuckles . "Father, is there a rule that we can"t spend time together after I get married?"

"Then, I won"t go back home and stay here with my daughter . "

"You can"t do that . You have to work until Fang Rui becomes an adult . " Fang Aisa can imagine Sung Jun"s reaction if that happens . "I will visit you regularly . "

"Someone else will raise him . " Fang Qi suggests . "I say, you ditch this wedding and come with me . "

"If I do that, Sung Jun will become your enemy . "

"You prefer him over me . " Fang Qi sighs . Sung Jun can hear everything because of his strong hearing . He sends a chilling glare to Fang Qi . Fang Qi clears his throat when he notices his eyes that promises nothing good .

"Fine, I will adjust . I want a lot of grandchildren . "

Fang Aisa laughs . "Deal . "

She finally looks at Sung Jun . Sung Jun"s heart skips a beat when her dark eyes meet his eyes . With each step, the gap between them is disappearing . They can finally start their ordinary life together .

It has been worth it .