Immortal Mortals

Days of Grovelling.

Running into the main room, Meili threw herself into Jies arms followed by Tai who gave him a quick one handed embrace before moving back to allow Meili her embrace.  "Mother punished me." she suddenly blurted out before throwing her small arms around his shoulders and burying her head into his chest.  Wailing loudly against him, Jie looked up at Tai, who merely shrugged, but the sudden reddening of his cheeks and lowering of his head had Jie wondering what had happened in his absence.

Knowing Ai would never have punished the children without a very good reason, he pushed Meilis wailing body back to look down at her.  "Meili, what did you do to deserve punishment?" he asked softly, brushing the hair back from her face so he could look at her eyes.  No matter how mischievous the child was, her eyes never lied.

"All I did was paint a picture." she cried, but no sooner were the words out of her mouth, than Ai reached down and forced her off him.  'Your punishment just doubled to two weeks Meili." she said in her usual soft voice, but Jie did not miss the sudden flare that flew across her face before she quickly dragged it back in and no matter how hard she cried, this time, Meili was going to learn a very valuable lesson along with Jie.  No one disrespected her again.

But turning her attention back to Jie, she gathered the still sobbing Meili and Tai together before turning to face him.  "Jie, is there something you would like to say to the children?" she asked in her gentle soft voice, but the smirk that followed had Jie suddenly wishing he were somewhere else.  This new Ai, was not to his liking at all.

Remaining on his knees, Jie apologized to the children for his abysmal behavior not only towards them, but their mother and the pure hell he had put them all through for three solid months.  It was enough for now, though learning quickly, Meili looked up at Ai with a questioning glance.  Giving her a nod, Meili flew back into Jies arms as he soothed her while Tai returned to the stables looking somewhat confused.  The whole day had been a mix of contradictions and the sooner he was where he felt he belonged the sooner he could let him wander.  Because he too had noticed the girls looking at him, and one in particular had been on his mind since.

Leaving Jie and Meili and talk quietly among themselves, Ai followed Tai out the stables.  She had an important mission to fulfill and the sooner she started the ball rolling the sooner it would be completed. Walking her horse back to the house, she returned to the main room, to find Meili on the seat staring straight ahead, and Jie in the kitchen preparing dinner.  If there was one thing Jie was good at, it was domestic duties, he did not shirk when it came to household chores being a fantastic cook, he did his fair share.

"Jie." she said softly. 

"Hn." he said as he quickly worked through the vegetables, completely lost in what he was doing.

Keeping her voice at the same tone she addressed him again.  "Please look at me when I am talking to you Jie." she said.

Suddenly the chopping came to a halt as the knife was laid down on the cutting board gently, then turning to face her Jie gave her a small smile.  "Yes Ai?" he asked.

Smirking back at him, Ai could not help but notice the sudden flare of anger beneath his smile, but keeping her voice soft, she continued.  "Please don't worry about dinner for me, I will not be here, but have a bath ready for when I return." she said softly as his eyes suddenly darkened.

But keeping the small smile on his own face he inquired as to whereabouts.

"I'll be out." she said swiftly, before turning and leaving him standing in the kitchen fuming.

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"Alright, we'll take you, but I must warn you, when I left, Xiao Wu was raging at him, so lets give her a few hours before we leave, it will give them a week or two to calm themselves down." Bai Zhen said thoughtfully.  Because knowing his sister, Jie would not be in a good place right now, and being The War God, meant nothing in his Mortal Realm Marriage.