A few steps away from them, Qiu Ling gently brushed Jing Yi’s hair aside. Seeing the face that had aged a few years since they had last seen each other he felt a pang in his heart.

"Ah, my love … How could I have missed out on a part of your life again?" He cupped Jing Yi’s cheek and leaned down until their foreheads touched. Ah, he had him back. He finally had him back! "From now on, I won’t let go of you ever again. I’ll hold you tightly."

His breath tickled Jing Yi’s skin and finally awoke him. His eyelids fluttered and he opened his eyes, his heart beating wildly. This warm embrace … wasn’t it Tian’s? He reached up, his fingers tugging into the robe while slightly trembling.

"I thought I would never see you again." He sighed and blinked his eyes only to find himself not in front of the person he had expected. His eyes widened and he blinked again, unable to believe what was happening. "Qiu … Qiu Ling?"

Qiu Ling froze slightly at the doubt in Jing Yi’s voice but he finally nodded happily. Ah, his beloved was probably still a little drowsy. He had barely escaped death, after all!

"It’s me. I’ve come to get you back. I tried everything to open this stupid array and rescue you from the secret realm. Thankfully …" He leaned closer, wanting to kiss Jing Yi on the lips.

The next moment, a hand touched his forehead and made him unable to advance. He blinked. "Jing’er?"

"I …" Jing Yi’s gaze flitted about.

The four years in the secret realm, if they hadn’t been spent in cultivation or daydreams of Tian, then he had tried to imagine this reunion with his other lover. Each time his heart had hurt and his bad conscience seemed to have only grown with time. After all, he knew fully well that Qiu Ling would be waiting for him out there. It felt like he had betrayed him, like he had led him around by the nose even though that had never been his intention.

And now his worst nightmare had come true. He was indeed faced with Qiu Ling and naturally, Qiu Ling was happy to have him back. It was just that … he wasn’t the same anymore. And he couldn’t continue to love him even though being back at his side felt good.

"Qiu Ling."

"What is it? Don’t you feel well? Don’t worry. We can take a break first, then I’ll —"

"No." Jing Yi pressed his hands against Qiu Ling’s chest and pushed. His strength certainly wasn’t enough to move a dragon but his tortured expression coupled with that bit of pressure was enough to raise Qiu Ling’s attention.

"Jing … Jing’er?" He didn’t loosen his grasp and instead even tried to hug him closer. They had just found each other again. Why would his beloved want to get away from him? This couldn’t be!

"Qiu Ling … Let go." For the first time, Jing Yi could actually understand the sentiments of his past life. At this moment, he didn’t dare to look Qiu Ling in the eye. "Please, let me go."

"But …"

"Please!"

The urgency in Jing Yi’s voice made Qiu Ling drop his arms. His beloved stepped back at once, still not even lifting his head.

"Jing’er, why … why are you like this? Did I … Did I do something wrong? Is it because I took such a long time to free you? Are you mad at me because of that?"

Jing Yi pressed his eyes shut. Ah. He wasn’t prepared for this. He wasn’t ready to tell him. Not at all. But he had to.

"Qiu Ling … I’m sorry." He bowed to him, his heart squeezing painfully. Tears gathered in his eyes and he had to force himself to think of Tian, of that warm embrace and those careful touches, the gentle words … He had to stay true to him. He couldn’t betray him with Qiu Ling as much as it hurt to reject Qiu Ling now.

"What do you mean?"

Qiu Ling’s voice quivered, breaking Jing Yi’s heart even more but he didn’t see any other possibility. It was still best to tell him now after they had been apart for some time. It wouldn’t do to lead him on and every minute they spent together now that he knew of Tian would be exactly that: Betraying his real lover and leading on the one he had mistakenly fallen in love with. It was bad enough that all of this had happened.

"I’m sorry for … what happened and for what I’m about to say but there is nothing I can do about that. Qiu Ling." He took a deep breath and looked up at him, meeting his gaze for maybe the last time. At least this much he owed him. "I won’t be able to marry you. I won’t be able to stay with you at all. I … I realized that this … between us was a mistake. We … we just weren’t meant to be."

"No. No that … that’s wrong! We’re clearly meant to be! Heaven —"

"Qiu Ling. Please. I know this is hard to take. It isn’t easy for me to say either. But it’s the truth. We can’t be together anymore. I … I already love somebody else. There’s no room for you anymore. I’m sorry. I really am."

He turned around, not willing to see Qiu Ling’s defeated expression. He hurried over to the only other person he could count on now. "Senior martial brother Yu, if it’s not asking too much of you, could bring me home to the Yun Zou Sect?"

Leng Jin Yu looked at Jing Yi who had his head bowed again and nodded. "Alright. Come here then." He took Jing Yi’s hand, pulled him into his arms and stepped onto his sword. Their figures soared into the sky and sped away toward the Yun Zou Sect.

Qiu Ling still stood there in the Leyuan region in front of the array he had tried to open for so long. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t understand. In his mind, only the voice of his beloved echoed.

We just weren’t meant to be. We can’t be together anymore. I already love somebody else. There’s no room for you anymore.

No room for him anymore … His beloved … loved another man now.

Qiu Ling fell down to the ground, tears streaming down his cheeks. Why? Just one moment of carelessness, just one second too late and he had lost his beloved to another man. This couldn’t be! It mustn’t be! He wouldn’t accept it!

"Ah!"

Qiu Ling clenched his fists and his body shook, almost unable to stay in his human form. He only managed to calm himself down after taking a few deep breaths and looking at the figure of his beloved diminishing in the distance.

He had fallen in love with somebody else? Then he would destroy that love and make sure that Jing He fell in love with him again! He had managed to do so once. He would be able to do it again. There was nobody who could steal his beloved from him. If he had to, he would kill that bastard with his own two hands.