Tantai Jin pulled up his boots and sighed as he finished putting on his clothes. He walked over towards the bed, where Li Susu lay sleeping, and sat beside her, taking care to be gentle so as not to wake her. He pulled up the covers more snugly around her, and chuckled softly as she sleepily fought against his attempt to move her blanket, causing a lock of her hair to fall across her face. He tucked that stray lock of hair behind her ear, touching her cheek gently, and watched Li Susu smile softly at his touch.

He didn't expect to have this one night with Li Susu, but once he did, when he saw that look in her eyes, he surrendered himself like Mingye surrendered himself to Sangjiu on the eve of the battle between the gods and the devil. Just as Mingye took what Sangjiu gave, he received what Li Susu offered, but he gave just as much, and more.

He kissed her with the fervor of a passionate lover and the desperation of a drowning man. He inhaled the scent of acacia flowers, her scent, on every inch of her skin until it clung onto his skin and on his soul. He held her tight, as if she were the most precious jewel that he, a jealous treasure hunter, swore to keep deep within his vaults. He gave her his life, his soul, his heart, over and over, until he lay beside her, exhausted with his sacrifice, but at the same time blissful in knowing she held every part of him in her safekeeping.

He tasted the purity and the bitterness of her tears as they fell down her face. He felt her hands hold him close to her, her nails digging into and scratching at his back, a welcome pain stoking the fire in his heart further. He felt her lips on his lips, on his neck, on his chest, on every part of him that hurt for her. Her eyes pulled him in deeper, closer, harder, until he felt the very fire inside her heart. His name on her lips sounded like the most beautiful melody that the heavens could conjure, and that not even the gods could possibly create such soul-stirring music. She let him into her, and he felt warm, safe, and loved, as if he was not the Devil God that she hated, and she was not the goddess who can destroy him.

He watched her sleep, and reveled at the serenity of her dreams. "At least, for now, you can sleep peacefully," Tantai Jin whispered softly. Then he turned somber, and a slight twinge of sorrow creased his forehead. "Because what I'm going to do next will be extremely cruel to you."

He suddenly thought back at their wedding 500 years ago. With the power of World Overturning Jade, Ye Xiwu, nay, Li Susu formed the Soul-slaying Nails as she took care of him, treated him well, and made him care for her. She stabbed the nails in his heart, knowing of the strings of affection that had grown in him because of her. Later, when the nails failed to completely destroy the evil bone, she grew a divine essence, knowing that she had to sacrifice her mortal life to exchange the divine essence for his evil bone.

He now understood everything. Li Susu, the last immortal who could stand against him, the one who loved this world best, can place her mission first in her heart, to destroy the evil bone and prevent the Devil God from rising again, forsaking him and the heart that he had willingly placed in her hands.

"Don't blame me," he whispered, lightly touching Li Susu's face again because he couldn't help himself. "Five hundred years ago, you pierced the Soul-slaying Nails into my heart with your own hands. This time, I hope that you can be as resolute as you were back then."

He felt Li Susu's cheek press against his finger, as if to pull comfort from his touch as he did from hers. He allowed himself one last smile. "When all this ends," Tantai Jin said quietly, "at least you will still have this dream… for you to think of from time to time."

He watched her sleep, with eyes filled with unfathomable feelings. Then, as the first hints of dawn came, he stood up, and walked away, leaving Li Susu to her dreams.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Devil God returned to the dream Ye Mansion to find Li Susu standing in the pavilion near the frozen lake. Her back was towards him, so he walked towards her to stand beside her.

"Goddess Yuling," he said, his tone cold and emotionless once again, "why are you here?"

Li Susu answered him with a question. "Will you now take me back to the Demon Realm?"

He turned to her to answer her, and was arrested by the tears that were falling silently down her face. "Why are you crying?" he couldn't help but ask, couldn't help but feel alarmed by her silent weeping.

Li Susu looked at the sky. "I suddenly realized," she said, "from the moment I first saw you, until the moment I left you in the Jing Kingdom, it has always been winter." Her lip trembled. "Even here, in your dream, it's still winter."

The Devil God followed Li Susu's gaze towards the sky. The snowflakes drifted down towards the frozen lake, over the spot where Tantai Jin once knelt. He searched his memories. Was it only ever winter that made a mark on my memories?

…"Tantai Jin, look at me," Ye Xiwu said, her fingers tilting his chin up.

…Tantai Jin looked down at the purple coat left on his writing table. "Don't freeze to death," the note on it said.

…The firecrackers fizzled out and died. Ye Xiwu looked at him with a sheepish grin.

…The lightning punishment loomed over the tower where Ye Xiwu stood. Tantai Jin quickly flew up towards her, his mind screaming, Ye Xiwu, don't leave me like Sangjiu did!

The Devil God felt a twinge of regret as he realized that Li Susu was right. Was choosing winter, a cold and mournful season, a subconscious choice or was it merely coincidence?

But there are no coincidences in this world, just tiny pebbles creating ripples into the still waters of fate. More than any other season, it was during in winter that he first felt the stirrings of affection for her. It was winter when he first felt happy because of her, and it was also winter when he lost her.

"It's a shame," he heard Li Susu say. He looked at her, assaulted by the regrets she held deep in her heart, and smiled inwardly.

It isn't, the Devil God thought. You'll understand someday.

He turned away from her and returned to the business at hand. "Goddess Yuling, you don't have time to pity the season. The hour of the wedding has come," he said coldly. He turned to Li Susu at the same time that she turned to him. The tear tracks remained on her face, but the tears already stopped flowing. He took her hand. "Let's go."

He allowed Li Susu a final look at the dream before they both disappeared from it, leaving behind only footsteps to show that they were there.

After a while even their footsteps dissipated as the dream dissolved into a pearl on the palm of the Demon God's hand.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

All the preparations are now complete. Everything is now in their proper place.

Decked in his wedding clothes, in red and black as a homage to the Demon Realm, the Demon God looked ahead dispassionately as the dragon float cruised along the skies, towards the Demon Palace. Beside him, Li Susu materialized, similarly attired in wedding clothes of red, black and gold, with a magnificent headpiece atop her head, a black veil covering her face, and black and red jewelry adorning her ears and wrists.

There were no sentimental veils anymore, no adoring looks exchanged between the couple standing on the dragon float careening towards the Demon Palace. Li Susu stood silent, a pensive goddess looking down from the sky, and beside her, the Demon God, looking just as serene.

Despite their cold appearances, the Demon God surreptitiously watched Li Susu's stoic face, painfully aware of the turmoil of emotions that is hidden by that face, troubled by the glimmer of hope and love still residing deep in her heart.

For her to ascend to godhood, she must cut off all emotions from her heart.

Even those tying her to me.

Despite his wishes, the Devil God held out his hand toward Li Susu. Memories of the wedding 500 years ago resurfaced once more, and he remembered how she refused to hold his hand as they walked up the palace steps. He now knew the meaning behind that refusal.

She refused the devil fetus once. She should –

Li Susu's palm slid neatly into his.

The Devil God's eyelashes hid the glint of emotion that burst as soon as her warm hand held his. He curled his fingers around hers.

They flew out of the dragon float together and materialized at the doorway of the Demon Palace. No friendly faces greeted them happily at the entrance of the palace, no well-wishers showered their path with petals of flowers as they walked. Dancers floated in and out along the aisle, and majestic music echoed out from great trumpets, but this demon wedding was a much somber affair from the mortal wedding 500 years ago.

Though it may end the same way.

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