Chapter 20 Lovesick
"Xin- No. Qiao, I'm in love with you." Lin Chung professed, and Qiao gave a stunned and uncomfortable response, "I want to be there for you and protect you. I want to spend the rest of my time as a member of Big Green with you and even beyond that." He held her delicate hands, "I love you."
She pulled way immediately, "Lin Chung, you know I can't. I will never love a man."
"I'm nothing like High Roller, and you know that. Give me a chance, Qiao. I will never hurt you in any way." Lin Chung reasoned, but Qiao remained quiet, actually taking it into consideration. The warrior himself felt so allured by Qiao's beauty, and leaned in for a kiss.
Qiao panicked and pushed him back, "Never!" She spoke with distrust, "You're just like High Roller. You see my beauty and nothing else!" She turned to leave.
"Qiao!" Lin Chung called out and grabbed her wrist before she was out of range.
Almost immediately, she turned back and slapped him hard across the face. The impact was so loud, it echoed in the room, "Don't ever touch me again." She snarled.
He held his red, stinging cheek, "Qiao, please." Lin Chung almost begged, but she turned abruptly and stormed back to her room, "Qiao! I see past your beauty. I see YOU, Qiao. YOU!" She ignored him and Lin Chung was left rejected and heartbroken, "Damn you, High Roller." He cursed, and retreated to his room, enraged and disheartened.
Qiao returned to her room and slammed the door shut. She sat in front of her vanity and laid her head on the flat surface. Sima Cao appeared in her mirror.
He loves you… Why do you continue to detest him?...
"I don't hate him. I just can't fall in love. Not now, not ever." She explained, "I can't accept men into my heart."
You know he is nothing like High Roller… I know he will be good to you… He is kind and compassionate… He is strong and virtuous…
"I know that, but he's not for me. He deserves a real woman, not someone like me." She sighed.
Do you love him?...
"No, and I never will." She answered, "I only see him as a good friend." She then thought about it, "Maybe, I rejected him too harshly. I'll go apologize to him tomorrow."
Qiao, please do me one favor…
"Anything." She perked up and faced him in the mirror.
I will not be here to watch over you for the rest of your life… I beg you, Qiao, to embrace your womanhood and put behind what High Roller did to you…
She felt sick, "Why can't you stay with me?" she asked.
I asked the Lord of the Heavens to grant me the ability to return to flesh… However, I will be reborn as Niang's son and I might not be the same…
"Sima…" Qiao's voiced cracked with grief, "What am I going to do without you?"
You must remain strong and compassionate… You must let go of your past and aspire for the future… You must embrace who you really are: A warrior, a princess, a woman… These are all I ask from you before I leave…
"How long till you leave?" she asked touching the mirror. Sima Cao placed his hand where Qiao's hand was at.
Less than a month… I love you, Qiao… I want you to be happy…
"I'll do it all for you, Sima." She smiled, "I'll be Qiao just for you… brother." She drifted to sleep after feeling a gentle hand on her head caress her to sleep.
The next morning began normally. Qiao's sisters were escorted back to the hidden castle by a few members of the Tank Army and breakfast with First Squad was typical. The only difference was that Lin Chung and Qiao were not there to eat with the rest of the members of First Squad.
"Hey, have you seen either of them earlier?" Mighty Ray asked Mystique Sonia.
"I was hoping you did. What about you, Jumpy?" she asked the Rabbit King.
He shook his head, "Do you think we should look for them?"
The pale woman began to think, "Well, Lin Chung and Xin were the last ones to go to bed." she then sprung up an answer, "Maybe, they… Oh my god, that is so cute!"
Mighty Ray took a bite out of his bun, "What are you talking about now, Sonia?" he spewed out a bit of the crumbs from the bun.
"I bet Lin Chung and Xin fell in love last night and they're just spending breakfast alone together." She giggled.
The man in red grinned widely, "Oh, that Lin Chung. It's about time, too!"
The three giggled with one another but stopped when Qiao walked in, glancing around as if she was looking for something. What mostly caused them to stop giggling was that she did not dress as her alter ego, Prince Liang Xin. Her qipao was red like her princess gown and splits on both sides of her legs which revealed her toned yet slender legs. Her breasts, though small, were noticeable through her top and the upper part chest was covered by a red, floral decorated piece of clothing. Her hair was let down and it was nearly touching the ground. She wore light make-up: cherry blossom lips and light, rose eye shadow. When the princess saw her comrades, she seemed a bit disappointed.
"Have you guys seen Lin Chung?" she asked with a sorrowful look, "I have to talk to him."
The three looked at each other with puzzled expressions and then Mighty Ray spoke, "He's not in his room?"
Qiao shook her head, "I knocked, but he didn't answer, so I assumed he wasn't inside."
Mystique Sonia rubbed her lips, "We'll find him for you. You just eat your breakfast now, okay?"
She took a deep breath, "Okay. Thanks." She smiled.
Once the three finished their breakfast they got up and walked out of the briefing room.
"I don't think they're in love, Mystique Sonia." Jumpy whispered to her.
She sighed, "I don't know what went wrong with them. They seem to go so well together. Let's go check Lin Chung's room first, then the bamboo forest." She then smiled widely, "Did you guys see how pretty Xin looked in her red qipao?"
Jumpy giggled, and nodded in agreement with Mystique Sonia.
"Oh yeah! Red looks great on her and it's my favorite color." the man in red grinned, "You know, if things don't go well with her and Lin Chung, I think I might ask her to go out with me." He laughed, "If anyone is a good husband, it's me."
Mystique Sonia angrily responded, "She won't go out with you. She has much better taste." She sounded very jealous.
Mighty Ray grinned, "You're so jealous! If you like me so much, then just say so."
"What?" the pale woman spoke with disgust yet with denial, "My heart belongs to Yaksha. At least he respects me." Yaksha folded his arms in agreement to Mystique Sonia.
"I'm just kidding." Mighty Ray laughed.
Jumpy watched them bicker at each other, but it was very obvious to the Rabbit King that the two really liked each other. He was one hundred percent sure that the two were absolutely head over heels for each other.
When the three arrived at Lin Chung's room, they were shocked and dumbfounded at what they found. His walls were covered with drawings of Qiao, while being dressed as Xin. Most were drawings of her happy and smiling, but there were occasional sadness, anger, boredom, intrigued, and all other emotions. On one of his canvasses, they saw an unfinished painting of Qiao in her princess gown that she used to deceive High Roller.
Mighty Ray shuddered, "Now I know why she's so creeped-out by him."
"Wow. A lot of guys in Big Green just send me gifts, but Lin Chung made his whole room a shrine for her." Mystique Sonia glanced around in awe.
Jumpy felt a bit disturbed, "Lin Chung isn't here. Let's go check the bamboo forest now."
The other two quickly agreed and raced out of Big Green towards Lin Chung's favorite place to meditate in.
When they arrived, he was not out in the open standing above the growing bamboo shoots. They suspected the worst and checked the hole he dug six years ago when he was humiliated by Camel King. There he was, moping.
"Lin Chung, there you are. Come back to Big Green." The pale woman called out to the warrior.
"Leave me alone. I am unworthy as a man." He replied and then sulked, "Qiao will never see me as a man to love and therefore I do not deserve to gaze upon her nor rear my worthless presence around her."
Mighty Ray wanted to laugh, "He got rejected!" he whispered, "Holy crap, he got rejected!" He then received a slap from Yaksha.
"Lin Chung, Xin said she wanted to talk to you. Will you at least come back to Big Green for that?" Jumpy asked.
The warrior perked up and leaped out of the hole, "She really wants to talk to me? Did she look angry?" he asked.
"She was looking for you. She seemed really sad." Mystique Sonia explained, "Come on. Let's all go back." She smiled.
Lin Chung raced off, leaving behind his three team mates. Mighty Ray hollered out, "Lin Chung! Wait up!"