Hu Li lay on her bed fast asleep after Hei feed her with milk. He hum a song as she stop crying and sleep rather well. Hei lay beside her on the bed and tap her gently like how human out their babies to sleep. Tonight she is his baby.
Hei stay for a long time in the snowy land with Hu Li because she is temporary blind. He guide her to walk around the snow. He talk mostly about the food he tried in different county. They spend time just like that day in day out. Peaceful surrounding. When her eyes are clear up, she open her eyes to see Hei who is fast asleep beside her. His dark diamonds hair sparkles in the light they move gently. His eyebrows and long eyelashes have tiny diamonds that sparkles in it too. When he open his eyes, she see her image in it. Her white hair and a pale face with red line dots and crystals are clearly seen in his eyes. He see her electric eyes are back. With golden hue with every blink she makes the sparks are alike those spark sticks that the human make. Bright and beautiful. Her cold hand reach out to touch his warm face. Her long red nails touch gently run down his cheeks. Hu Li smile and Hei simply stare at her.
"Are you fine now?"
"Yes Hei. I am... feeling well."
She move half of her body up and put her arm across his chest.
"What is on your mind, Hu Li."
"I wish... the person in front of me will live a long life, alongside with me."
"We have infinite of life ahead of us."
She lean down and lay on his chest. She hear his heart beat. Deep and it drums loudly in a slow beat unlike human who keep drumming.
"Hu Li what i want to say, you might not like to hear but i am still going to say it."
"Go on but i think i know what you are going to say. "
"It's already going to be eight hundred years now. It's time for you to let go of him. The original human is dead now. Whoever you have seen those pass hundreds of years are just copies of him. They only have the face of him. I cannot say if they holds the same character as he is but i know that they are not him. They are the descendants of that human. So don't..."
"I know Hei... i know they are not him. However their faces brings me pain that i did not know at the first time. Now i know but there is an unexplained emotion that i feel. All these years growing up, i learning so many different emotions yet this emotion of seeing his face again brings me memories of the past. That's why i cannot control the feelings."
"Will staying in this cave house better for you?"
"Maybe... I already begin to forget details of his face. I only can recall the things that we do together. Maybe one day, my memory of him will be wipe out completely."
Hei reach out with his hands and touch her white hair. Her hair feels like soft baby breath flowers that he once play with in a field of flowers. Soft and nice to run through his fingers. He comb her hair slowly and growl as a habit.
"it is strange that i don't miss my son at all."
"Yes all the while you never talk about Lu'er."
"Should i go visit him?"
"You sure you want to go up there? That old man might convince you to stay for another five hundred years. He is damn selfish..."
"You can't say Di Jun that way. He is like a big brother who wants to protect me."
"I am your protector! You don't need him!"
She lean her chin on his chest later she sit up. She smile as she look at him.
"Why are you always jealous of Di Jun?"
"I am not. I just don't like him... he have the same hair color as you do... It's annoying. "
"Just that reason?"
"Well it's one of those. He is also the teacher of Fei. He make Fei become what he is today. A show off bird! My brother suppose to be a phoenix! The King of all birds. Now he is a a phoenix pretending to be a peacock! While that old guy is a monkey who is pretending to be human! Both pretending to be the most fashionable creatures around. He teach my brother the wrong things!"
Hu Li laugh at what Hei said.
"Don't laugh it's the truth and he also did that to you! Look at what you are wearing! Almost like those human girls who work in those brothel house!"
"What i wear is what i like, he did not teach me how to wear ole them. Those girls don't have a choice to wear what they are wearing. Most of them do not have a choice. They wear it for when the night falls. I wear what those dancers wear when we dance. Not an everyday outfit."
"If that is so... why are you wearing it everyday here?!"
"I wear it because of you."
Hei suddenly goes quiet down. He did not know what to say and the anger he is building inside suddenly melts away. He look at the girl that he is in love with from the first day, Is she falling in love with him? Before he can open his mouth to speak, the dogs returns with Yang Yang. The three starts to get busy with the household chores. Hu Li gets up and help them with the preparation to cook. While Hei gets up from the bed and tidy it up. He look at the bronze mirror that is leaning on the wall next to the book shelves. He stare at himself in the mirror. He looks like a human beggar on the street. His hair untie, clothes having patches everywhere, straw shoes that have a hole on it. He takes a whiff at his arm, he smells bad too. Hei start to think that maybe he should clean up and dress nicely. He is after all a mystical beast not a lowly creature who have no power to look better. He look at Hu Li and think that he should at least clean up for her.