Dusk blanketed the sky with it"s dark robes. On a certain villa"s garden, smoke twirled in billows, the enticing fragrance of roasted meat permeated the air. But the several people who sat at the table did not take notice of the appetising aroma of food. A drastic deviation from the usual. Instead, their backs are alert and their forms were antic.i.p.atory, looking every now and then to the french doors leading to the villa.The Aces fidgeted in their seats, excited at the prospect of seeing the legendary guardians of the underworld. Hong Zhen Yue pestered Qi Xia and Ning Xie Zhi with questions regarding his future opponents...erm...teachers. While Jia Yi Lan busied herself fussing over the table cloth and cutlery. She abused her poor twin, Jia Wei Ren with repeated and unnecessary modifications to the table arrangement. The latter could only helplessly follow her orders, afraid that Jia Yi Lan would blow her top off and claw out his pitiful face. His twin might be gentle most of the times but G.o.d forbid, her violent tendencies were enough to make him pray to all deities he knows.
Xu Lei looked over at Qin Jiran who was still tapping away at his laptop. But it was noticeable that his speed was even more slower than usual. Chen Luo was as usual, buried in his book though there was a slight quivering in his hands.
All the while, Yan Qing Shan was busy grilling meat, suppressing her laughter at the comical state of the grown-up kids with her. Despite their efforts to act low-key, it was rendered null by the obvious anxiety in their actions. A loud ping sounded out from her phone. Yan Qing Shan saw a message from Aki saying that they have arrived and were by the gates already.
"Xie Zhi, will you look after the food for me? Make sure the skewers don"t get burned. The beef also needs to stay for a few minutes more. Don"t eat it secretly or it will be you on the grill." Yan Qing Shan warned the cute glutton who merely pouted as he took over her place.
"I"ll just go out and meet our guests. Stay here and behave yourselves." She said teasingly as she excused herself from the them. With her words, the Aces" calm flew away and left rigid forms in its wake.
"Oi, Qi Xia, do you know what those Guardians look like?" Hong Zhen Yue turned to the profiteer in his side. Qi Xia rolled his eyes, irritated. This guy was too excited at the prospect of new opponents that he hasn"t stopped questioning him. Qi Xia felt that his ears were about to bleed.
"Hong Zhen Yue, you have already asked that to three times. The answer will remain the same. I don"t freaking know, alright? All I know is that they wear masks of the sacred beast they represent. Oh, and if you ask me that one more time and I"ll have Yan Qing Shan pummel you. Just wait and look at them yourself, you maniac." Qi Xia scowled as he chided Hong Zhen Yue. The latter just scoffed at him.
"Will you two stop it already? So childish." Jia Yi Lan reprimanded them, her brows furrowed and her hands in the side of her hips. These men, they seriously need to stop bickering like middle-aged aunties.
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"Well, you can"t really blame him. I"m as curious as he is. Are these guardians all male? Is there a woman among them?" This time it was Xu Lei who turned to the scowling Qi Xia.
"We"ll be seeing them in a few minutes, can"t you people wait that long? Sigh. But if it would make you shut up, fine. All I know is that the guardians are composed of two men and two women. Happy now?" Qi Xia helplessly replied and slumped to his chair with an exasperated expression.
After a few more agonizing moments, the Aces heard the sound of several footsteps walking towards the garden rang out. The door revealed four figures within it.
Eight pairs of eyes flew to the people who have just arrived. A tall, elegant silver-haired man followed by three women. One was voluptuous and sultry beauty. The other was as immaculate as a celestial maiden. And there was also cute lolita in a bunny onesie.
With chest heaving in excitement, the Aces stood to meet the four retainers of Izanami; Seiryu, Genbu, Byakko, and Suzaku.
"Everyone, meet my brothers and sisters." Yan Qing Shan smilingly stood between the two groups and introduced her guests to the almost blubbering fans in the person of the Aces, obviously trying to maintain a sliver of pretend dignity in front of her. Nevertheless, their ramrod backs were a dead giveaway.
An exception to these was Ning Xie Zhi who was busy flipping the meat at the grill. Though his eyes did wander around to the people who have arrived, what he was more concerned about was the fact that there were three women in the Guardians.
Was their information faulty? Why was there three women? Aren"t the Guardians composed of two men and two women?
Ning Xie Zhi"s eyes fell onto the tall, celestial-like woman in the group. His brows furrowed. The woman was undoubtedly beautiful. But there was something about him that Ning Xie Zhi found fishy.
"Heh. So that"s it... The Guardians sure are a strange bunch."
Ning Xie Zhi thought, not realizing that his eyes lingered far too long on the tall "woman"s" face. When he came to, he saw a fleeting mischievous smile within "her" thin, lovely lips. His jaw dropped when the "woman" gave him a naughty wink.