WangXian Forever Book 9: The Flower Demon

Chapter 46 Truth

Li XiWang thinks about her answer first. She gets the feeling that each word will count, and she can't mess this up.

That's why she sticks to the truth.

"My parents love each other very much."

"A couple of cutsleaves? Pah!" The Flower Demon scoffs, rolling her eyes.

It's this action which makes Li XiWang extremely angry. Whether it's because her Uncle Cheng does it more than a healthy amount, or just because of how disrespectful it is, she's not sure.

But her anger fuels her next words.

"SO WHAT? SO WHAT IF THEY ARE?" She struggles to control herself, breathing in as deeply as she can. "Love is love, and bodies don't matter. If you think it makes any difference, then you're stupid!"

The Flower Demon is so shocked, she just stares back at Li XiWang.

Belatedly, Li XiWang realises how precarious her own situation is, and not only hers, but Rumi and DaErduo too. She must be more careful…because provoking this awful person will not bode well.

And then, the Flower Demon throws back her head and… laughs.

It sounds better than the previous ones, this one is far more genuine and real. She laughs hard for a few minutes, and then wipes away at her red eyes with a bent finger. Her talons are long and curved; Li XiWang thinks she could do some serious damage to herself with the simple task of trying to remove an eyelash…

"Alright….you got me. Tell me more about…your parents." This time, she looks as if she's actually listening.

Li XiWang ignores her heart; it's beating so fast that she's scared it's going to give out pretty soon. Her hands are clammy and she's nervous…but she's going to give this her best shot.

"My Father Zhan spent a long time waiting for Father Wei. He died…and now that I think about it, you can't call it waiting for him…because he had no idea that Father Wei was coming back. But now that they're together…and maybe because they already separated once, they treasure every minute they spend together.

"It's not even the big gestures, because they've saved each other so many times…but I think you can see love in the little things. Like when Father Wei sewed all those little bunnies on the corners of their sheets. I asked him once about them, because when their bed is made, they are hidden under the mattress. And he said that since Father Zhan does the laundry, when he sees them, he will know. And guess what?" Li XiWang didn't wait for the Flower Demon to answer. "My Father Wei isn't even good at stitching; his fingertips were riddled with tiny pricks from how many times he hurt himself doing something that might not even be noticed.

"And then, a few days later, I went to retrieve a forgotten book and I saw Father Zhan just standing in the middle of the room and letting his fingers touch the threads, tracing the ears of the bunnies. Do you know, they have a special smile exclusively for each other? And this part, I don't even know how, but they seem to know what the other wants, or needs.

"They're just there, and it means the most to each other. They are always connected… always touching each other, as if by not doing so, they are missing a part of themselves. I already know…they can't live without each other." Li XiWang sighs. "That's what love is. When the other person is more important than yourself, but by looking after yourself, that alone is an act of pure love. For them."

The Flower Demon is staring into the distance.

Her eyes are glazed over and she's lost in thought.

"I can see love when my Father Zhan makes sure my Father Wei eats properly, every day. It might seem something silly and inconsequential, something ordinary, right?…but if you knew my Father Wei, you'd understand. Most of the time, he forgets to do important stuff, important things for his own health and wellbeing. By reminding him to eat…and to drink, my Father is making sure my other father is well. It matters.

"And my Father Wei knows how hard my Father Zhan works. So when he tells him to take a break, it's because he cares too much. He makes sure Father Zhan looks after himself too. Together, they balance each other out." Li XiWang thinks about her parents, the way they are with each other. "I think they feel safe with each other. It's the way…they look at each other."

"I was like you, once." The Flower Demon says, not looking at anything in particular. "I believed in love. I thought it would save me…I thought it was the best thing in the world that could happen to me. But it turned out to be my greatest mistake."

"What do you mean?" Li XiWang could feel goosebumps along her arms…maybe they were finally going to get some answers now, straight from the horse's mouth, as it were.

The Flower Demon sighs.

She stopped crying ages ago.

Only one time did she let herself mourn for what could have been.

And then…she got angry.

That fiery passion turned into something far more creative and productive than those stupid tears.

Everything that had happened to her, it had helped to shape her, mould her into what she had become today.

She was strong, she was powerful, and she would achieve her goal.