Note:
Flashbacks and thoughts in italics.
I do not condone or encourage any behaviors in this story. It is simply a fictional story.
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She asked him what would happen when he marries her and the couple crosses the river to heaven.
"You'll become another immortal like me."
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So, it went like this. Loulan entered the scene, murmuring, "I knew it!" She was not alone. In order to preserve herself, she had brought Lahan along. Lahan had brought Lihaku along. And Lahan could only squint his eyes at the others who petered out of the rooms like little ants. Who the hell informed them?
A man loves flaunting his physical prowess, and it's no wonder the fight steered clear of magical powers. Rikuson's body bruised like his ego since Jinshi had no second thoughts before locking horns with his own brother. Despite being used to his gall, Loulan's jaw still dropped to the floor. Surprisingly, Rikuson did manage to land a punch to his brother's gut. That's as far as the damage went. Jinshi thought it was a great improvement. Maomao's best friend had scurried into the room in her pajamas. Lihaku and Lahan stood behind her, hands folded behind their backs. Rikuson had an intuition that something bad was about to happen the moment he made out whose shoes he had seen in Jinshi's room a few days ago.
Maomao.
He put two and two together and lay awake in his bed, petrification weighing down on his chest. Once Loulan stalked the scents and found where Jinshi was headed, she didn't wait a second longer to be the responsible friend she was. Now, no one's going to blame her for making stuff up. She had evidence. Off she went to alarm Lahan. The only person she felt bad for was Maomao. This was unexpected, but she was unaware of the circumstances. Thankfully, she wasn't alone in this bewilderment. The whole area had woken up to the tremors of the unspeakable.
"Lahan, you have no right to interrupt me. You stopped being her brother the moment you exchanged her for wealth."
Lahan looked regal in his traditional robes, his eyes soft and every step he took brimming with grace. Like Jinshi, he had wings. Maomao wasn't an angel like her brother, and angels marrying humans wasn't common practice. His appearance was far from a male version of Maomao, with his specs and fox-like grin. He was a magnet that drew people to him like bees to a beehive. But don't be fooled by his charm; what lay beneath was ugly. Jinshi gritted his teeth.
Lahan was power-hungry, a man too self-absorbed but aware of his flaws. He had left his sister in exchange for prosperity, and it never got easier to forget her existence while he was aware of his sins. He had agreed to make her Rikuson's bride, and as you can see, that did not go very well.
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In a few years, Jinshi was one of the most loved actors of the century. His career was thriving, and he had the charm to be the next best hero after his dad. His long dark hair was called 'celestial nymph's.' His lips were full, sweet like honey. They were perfect, like his teeth and cherry blossom gaze. He looked magical. But what people didn't know was that wings would sprout out of his back every time he wasn't in the company of people, or the halo around his head, which made him glow even when it wasn't visible to people.
Jinshi was an angel—half angel and half human, to be precise. And he had no problem with that fact. His life was smooth, despite the rumors or his nickname "Angel." Because rumors were silly, and nobody took them seriously. Then, one fine day, Jinshi fell in love with a woman who did not reciprocate his feelings, and no matter how much he attempted to charm her, that woman remained a stone that showed no semblance of emotion.
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The lights flickered around, glittering over the dancefloor.
"I wanna dance with somebody," Maomao shivered into the mic. Her red dress ruffled about her frame like a sparrow's feathers. She looked like a butterfly in the middle of the stage. She cooed, and her eyes crinkled as she sang the vocables. The song was sweet. She was the prettiest woman he had ever laid his eyes on.
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That day, Jinshi had a taste of love at first sight.
He misunderstood that Maomao was actually immune to his charms because she knew his identity. Maomao, he surmised, was sent by the gods to test him. She is just another angel!
So he tried to seduce her.
Maomao turned him down repeatedly. She ignored him, told him he was obsessed—which he was—but he never gave up. However, losing his powers to the darkness hadn't been something he saw coming.
Eventually, he stopped using his charms and grew closer to Maomao, who realized that the tension between them went beyond any of his charms. Meanwhile, he was in for a treat. Maomao was only human, after all. They dated for a while and fell in love all over again, and Jinshi got his powers back with the light of love.
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Jinshi wrapped her in the sweater, his sunset smile making her want to live in this moment forever. He ruffled her hair, and they got on his bike, riding through the singing wind, past the foaming waves on the beach. She kissed the sun-kissed skin on his shoulder as his shirt slid lower on his neck. They meandered off the beaten track, and the winding roads stopped all at once. This was a secret spot where the woods were greener, and if you walked further, you'd get to the cliff with large round rocks overlooking aquamarine rivers underneath. There, wing-shaped shadows would be cast on the ground as Jinshi opened his enormous wings.
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She tapped a few pebbles off her path as she skipped over the roots, reaching out to pluck the nutmeg that hung low on the boughs, almost touching the ground. She felt his hand tugging hers, a thumb rubbing her palm, lips pecking her right cheek. The boughs sprayed drops of water on them when she took the nutmeg between her fingers. They made their way towards the boat waiting for them, the sky flowering light for a new dawn above their tired forms. She looked up, and rain came spilling, wetting them. They lay on the boat, limbs entangled as the gentle breeze rustled away. Their hearts were loud. Badum. Badum. Badum. The boat floated slowly, drifting away from the woods into the realm of paradise.
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