Lian song materialized in tai chen palace's courtyard. He was in a disheveled state which couldn't be seen without raising a lot of eyebrows. It had been this way for the third prince since, dijun and feng jiu's wedding, more than two months ago. While the newlyweds still hadn't emerged from their love fest in bihai cangling, lian song had been running ragged all across the realms.

The task dong hua had assigned to him had drained him thoroughly and it was still in the beginning stages. Just as instructed, he had started with collecting the scrolls from Zhong lin, mo yuan, zhe yan and bai zhi. Gradually, he had made rounds for checking all the seals with each high god, individually. After that he had rounded up all the three gods for the scrutiny and the reestablishment of seals made by dijun and his previous generals. These had taken a huge toll on all of them but thankfully, they were now, completely done with dijun's list of seals. Now, in a few days, he will have to start with the list of seals that ye hua had compiled from all over the realms. He expected this batch to be comparatively less draining but longer in terms of time. So, after completing dong hua's scroll, he had come to tai chen palace to rest for a few hours and cultivate back his drained energy before he had to show his face at the celestial palace.

Standing in the middle of the courtyard, he felt someone watching him from the sidelines. A pair of eyes was acutely tuned into him, watching and studying his every move. Lian song turned to inspect the intruder. But the person he found in the place of the intruder was none other than cheng yu, the one person he always wanted to see. She was leaning slightly against the pillar at the corner of the palace building, trying to remain undetectable but alas, he had found her with no intention of letting go.

From his spot in the tai chen palace's courtyard, he wasn't able to read her expressions properly but the concentration behind her gaze was palpable. So, without any smart response this time, he just arched an eyebrow waiting for her to say something.

Cheng yu knew that she had already been caught, so, she slowly walked her way towards the point where he was standing. Before she came to stand right in front of him, she asked, "look what the cat dragged in. You look like you just went a few rounds with a chiyan beast. What, in the gods', happened to you?" 

Even though she was honestly concerned about his frazzled appearance, she tried her best to hide that fact. She knew if he saw her concern towards him, it would become harder to get rid of him. So, she silently watched as he took her in, before replying in a deliberately slow voice, "just the usual. Why, are you worried?"

Lian song watched as she shook her head in denial and the concern he had seen in her eyes, just moments before get all locked up. To him, it seemed like she took her time to wipe off all emotions from her face before she bothered to reply.

"no, I am just assuming that this is the result of you chasing so many skirts around. Now, you have to run from them and hide here in tai chen palace." Cheng yu snickered.

"First, I don't chase skirts, I only chase you. Second, if I am hiding here then what are you doing in tai chen palace. And third, don't lie. I saw the concern in your eyes. You were worried about me. Seeing that felt really good though, so you don't need to hide it from me. I'll try not to let it go to my head."

"I was just checking in with zhong lin to see if feng jiu and dijun had come back. I missed my friend. I was worried about her and not you. It was my concern for her that you saw on my face. So, you don't have anything to continue to gloat about. Lest it's one of the girls you are busy chasing today. Because yes, you do chase skirts and everyone knows about it. That seems to be all you do, just chase after women."

"you have made such a strong prejudice in your mind about me that you refuse to see, what is right in front of you. If you would just notice, you would see how serious I am about you. I have never chased after a girl from the moment I met you, cheng yu."

"no, I know that's a lie. You don't even understand the meaning of serious and that is why I refuse to believe anything you say. I do not want to be just another link in your long chain of escapades. I would not demean myself like that, ever." Cheng yu said this in such a derogatory voice that it rankled the already frayed nerves of lian song. Anger started boiling in him at her plain refusal to even acknowledge his existence. He knew he could be a bit too much at times but all he had wanted from her for quite some time now, was simple acknowledgment. He didn't think that was too much to ask.

"you have closed your eyes against everything that I am and filled your ears with this mindless, misleading chatter. There is no longer any point in explaining to you. I really hope you realize that you misunderstood me, all this time and when you do, I will be waiting for you. But right now, I refuse to take more of this abuse. I have tried day and night, and every which way to reach out, to explain to you. But in the end, I have to concede to the fact that you can't show someone the reality if they had glued their eyes shut." As lian song said this, his earlier anger melted into resignation. He shook his head mumbling to himself, "if only you knew the truth about us. If only you knew the truth about my one true love."

Though lian song had whispered the last part to himself, cheng yu had heard it. She was already fired up at his holier than thou attitude from before but these last two lines had just sent her off the ledge. Unable to control her anger, she yelled at him, "what truth, lian song? What truth could possibly cover up your actions? There is nothing that could cover up a past, so dirty. And the true love you are talking about is nothing but a big fat joke, third prince."

"do not speak of what you know nothing about. You have no idea about my past which gives you no right to question it, understand?" He said in a threatening voice.

But cheng yu was far removed from the mark of comprehension. She was so caught up in all her built-up rage that she let it rip through her.

"I have no idea about your past, oh really? Are you sure of that, lian song? Are you sure that I do not know about the seventh princess of the eastern sea, the one that you just claimed as your one true love? Are you completely sure that I do not know about the fact that you claimed to love her so much that you promised to marry only her, throughout your eternal life? Are you really sure, I do not know that despite your promise of marriage, you left the princess forlorn and heartbroken for a century, evading her? Are you sure that I do not know that the princess you claimed to love died literally of a broken heart while you were off doing god knows what? are you one hundred percent sure that I know nothing about it? If you really think that then I am sorry to tell you that I know everything, lian song. I know that you are a lying, cheating, and a scam artist of a prince, who never had to face the consequences of his own actions. You do not know what love is, you just fake your way through it." She sneered the last part at him.

Lian song on the other hand was caught up in just one sentence of hers. every rude, derogatory word she had said to him had flown over his head making no registration in his brain because he couldn't move past one particular line that she had spoken at the start. She had said one line that no one was privy to, it had been a promise between her and the dead princess. He was the only person left to carry the weight of that unfulfilled promise. Cheng yu couldn't possibly have known about it, unless...

"you remember..." he breathed out in a soft disbelieving yet hopeful voice.

________________________________________________________________________

A/N -

I know it's a short chapter but the next couple of chapters are very long so just bear through this.

P.S. let me know how you feel about this little twist in the story.