After that, Ling Ze stopped bringing peaches, and didn’t visit.
The little deer and I got along well.
He often lay lazily in my arms, and I’d take him to the cave entrance to bask in the sun.
My injuries healed more each day; I felt even stronger than before.
One day, Ling Ze finally visited.
He smiled and greeted the little deer.
“You both look much better!”
“Oh, Mei Chen. I built a hot spring outside the cave. You can take him there today.”
“Today? We can go out?”
Ling Ze nodded. The little deer perked up, ears standing tall.
I carried him to the hot spring.
After undressing, I slipped into the water. The little deer acted strangely.
“Are you afraid of water?”
I held him close.
“It’s okay, I’ll hold you.”
He awkwardly placed his little hooves on my shoulder, looking at me with wet eyes.
We soaked for a long time before getting out.
But that night, the little deer started running a fever.
He was clearly uncomfortable, hissing more than ever.
I couldn’t reach Ling Ze, so I put him on the ice bed, wiping him down again and again.
By midnight, the little deer was burning up and delirious. I decided to go find Ling Ze.
“Please… just hang in there. I’ll find Ling Ze…”
Just as I reached the cave entrance, a familiar hand grabbed me.
“M-Mei Chen, don’t go.”
The little deer had turned back into Lin Feng.
His burning forehead rested on my shoulder, but he quickly pulled away and staggered toward the entrance.
That’s when I saw his tail—half of it was gone, wrapped in bloody bandages.
Lin Feng tried to leave, but the barrier bounced him back.
He collapsed, panting heavily.
“Damn it… Ling Ze…”
He curled up in the corner of the cave.
The atmosphere was awkward, but everything was clear now.
Ling Ze had turned Lin Feng into a deer and left him with me.
He’d been with me all along, even soaking in the hot spring that morning.
I sat on the ice bed, watching Lin Feng huddle in the darkness, his head down so I couldn’t see his face.
“What happened to your tail?”
Lin Feng slowly lifted his head, sweating, one eye red.
“It’s gone.”
I walked over and crouched down.
“Don’t! Don’t come closer… I’ll hurt you, please.”
“When morning comes and the barrier opens… I’ll leave.”
“I won’t touch you.”
He was shaking, face pale.
“Was this all you and Ling Ze’s plan?”
Lin Feng shook his head desperately, clutching my sleeve, then letting go.
“N-no…”
“Go lie on the bed.”
He glanced at the bed, then at my cold expression.
“Hurry up.”
He lay down slowly, turning his face to watch me.
“Mei Chen.”
“Yeah?”
“I didn’t plan this with Ling Ze…”
“Doesn’t matter.”
He tried to speak again, but my words stopped him.
“You’re leaving tomorrow anyway.”
Lin Feng fell silent, staring at the ceiling.
After a while, I heard him sobbing quietly.
“Tch.”
My sound made him stop instantly.
He looked at me with tear-filled eyes.
“Sorry, I was crying too loudly.”
He grabbed my hand, his palm sweaty.
“Mei Chen… my tail hurts so much.”
I pulled my hand away.
“So what? My wounds aren’t any better.”
Lin Feng finally shut his mouth, but tears kept falling silently.
After a long while, he stopped crying.
“Mei Chen, is Ling Ze good to you?”
“A million times better than you.”
“…”
“He’s a good man… worth trusting.”
“Glad you know. Now shut up.”
Lin Feng said nothing more, afraid to upset me.
Late at night, his fever spiked and he moaned in pain.
I wet a cloth and put it on his forehead, gently stroking his back.
At some point, I fell asleep too.
When I woke, Lin Feng was staring at me.
He gave me a weak smile.
“You’re awake.”
I realized I’d been holding his hand, and quickly let go.
Lin Feng didn’t mind, gazing at me with soft eyes.
His stare made my skin crawl.
Luckily, Ling Ze entered the cave.
He grinned when he saw Lin Feng.
“Well, well—still managed to sleep in a bed, huh?”
Lin Feng turned away.
“Ling Ze… you did this on purpose.”
Ling Ze nodded matter-of-factly.
“I tried to help someone recover, but he kept running off, wasting my medicine. So I sent him where he wanted to be…”
“I didn’t!”
Lin Feng glared, unwilling to accept it.
“It’s morning. You should go,” I said.
Lin Feng was stunned, not expecting me to say that.
He sat up, dragging his injured tail to the entrance.
“Mei Chen, can I come see you again?”
I closed my eyes and ignored him until I heard him leave.
Ling Ze watched me with interest.
“You really don’t want to see him?”
“No.”
Ling Ze sighed.
“Do you know how important a tail is to a demon? It’s a big deal…”
“I don’t care. It’s none of my business.”
Ling Ze continued anyway.
“I lied to you. I didn’t use a thousand years of spiritual power to save you.”
“It was Lin Feng—he gave up half his demon heart and half his dragon tail, turning them into a pill to save you.”
I stared at him in shock.
“W-what? Half his demon heart…”
“Lin Feng’s demon power is now weaker than a wild beast’s. He’s basically a half-demon.”
“Half-demon?”
“Without a demon heart, it’s hard for a demon to survive. Other demons will despise him.”
“Mei Chen, I watched Lin Feng grow up. He never had the love a normal person should. His actions may have hurt you, but becoming a dragon was always his dream. Now it’s impossible. Even though he caused your pain, your safety mattered more.”
“To Lin Feng, you’re very important. I hope you two can talk.”
I was stunned by what Ling Ze said.
He handed me a jar of medicine.
“This is for Lin Feng’s wounds. He’ll find a way to come see you.”
Chapter 12
*