Chapter 70: The Origin of Sagittarius

For the next two days, Liu Yunfei didn't mention anything to Yu Qing about what had happened, nor did he bring up the events of that fateful day. It was as if those unpleasant things had never occurred at all. The two of them were polite to each other, and to outsiders, it seemed as if they had returned to the way they were before. Only they themselves knew that the wall between them was growing ever higher. Every night now, Yu Qing slept in the bed, while Liu Yunfei took his rest out on the balcony, under the open sky.

At last, Yu Qing couldn’t bear it any longer. She brought him a glass of juice and sat in the lounge chair beside him, meaning to speak but saying nothing in the end. She lay back and, just as Liu Yunfei did, gazed at the stars above.

“It’s cold out here. You won’t last long. Go back inside and sleep in a bit,” Liu Yunfei said, unable to keep quiet any longer.

“Do you actually care whether I’m cold or not?” Yu Qing kept her eyes on the sky.

“If you’re not cold, then let me tell you a story,” Liu Yunfei said softly.

“All right,” Yu Qing answered, her gentle voice reminding Liu Yunfei of the beer hall waitress he’d once met—like a daisy blooming quietly in a bustling crowd.

“My birthday is on December 6th every year. People born that day are Sagittarius—look, those stars over there, that’s the constellation. Would you like to hear the legend of Sagittarius?” Liu Yunfei turned to look at the serene Yu Qing lying next to him, watching as she blinked her gentle, watery eyes.

“In the distant grasslands of ancient Greece lived a tribe of centaurs, half-man and half-horse. They were fierce by nature. But among them was a single archer, Chiron, who was different—kind-hearted, devoid of beastliness, sincere, humble, and reasonable. He was loved and respected by all.

“One day, the hero Heracles came to visit his friend Chiron. Heracles had long heard of the fine wine of the centaurs and asked Chiron to bring him some. But after finishing Chiron’s wine, he was still unsatisfied and insisted on drinking all the wine of the tribe. Chiron patiently explained that the wine belonged to the whole tribe, not one person, and urged Heracles not to provoke anger for the sake of fleeting pleasure.

“But Heracles was hot-tempered and would not listen. He pushed his good-natured friend aside and stormed into the centaur settlement. As Chiron expected, conflict was inevitable between the irascible Heracles and the fierce centaurs.

“Heracles was unmatched in skill and strength, feared even by Apollo. Though the centaurs were formidable, they were no match for him and fled in all directions. Heracles, emboldened by wine, chased after them with his divine bow, attacking mercilessly. Driven to desperation, the centaurs sought refuge in Chiron’s home.

“Heracles stood at the door, threatening to destroy the tribe if no one came out. Hearing this, Chiron, for the sake of his friends and his tribe, bravely stepped forward. And in that instant, Heracles’ arrow flew—striking Chiron through the heart.

“Heracles watched in regret and grief as his friend fell. Chiron, with the last of his strength, said: ‘No matter how sharp the arrow, a gentle heart can bear it; no matter how wild the beast, humanity will not be extinguished.’

“When Liu Yunfei finished, he saw Yu Qing mulling over that final sentence. After a while, he continued, ‘Sagittarians are kind, passionate, romantic, and full of love. I used to believe that no matter how sharp the arrow, a gentle heart could bear it; no matter how wild the beast, humanity would not be extinguished.

“But people have to face reality. On that morning, I stopped believing in those words. I realized that in this world, there will always be people who have lost their humanity. The kind are deceived and slaughtered—how many kind people must die before the beastliness in others is sated? Man is man, beast is beast. When a person becomes a beast, they will never, ever return to being human. Harming the kind becomes a habit, and only by killing such beasts can there be peace among men.’”

Yu Qing spoke softly, “Then I deceived you too. Have I become a beast? Do you want to kill me as well?”

Liu Yunfei laughed, “You’re not quite there yet—at most, you’re half-human, half-beast.”

“You’re the one who’s half-human, half-beast! I’m not even a Sagittarius,” Yu Qing teased.

“My upper half is human, my lower half is beast,” Liu Yunfei joked, thinking it had been days since he’d exercised with Yu Qing, and hinted at his meaning.

“Isn’t that what centaurs are?” Silly Yu Qing didn’t catch his innuendo.

“How can you blame me? I really didn’t know that night. The night before, I was planning to rescue that brute from the kidnappers, only to find Lawrence had already caught them,” Liu Yunfei said, reaching out to stroke Yu Qing’s cheek.

Yu Qing leaned closer so he wouldn’t have to stretch. “Was it you who snuck out, kissed me before you left, and left your tears on my face that night?” she asked softly.

“Yeah, how did you know?” Liu Yunfei was surprised.

“Silly, you kissed me so hard you nearly woke me up even though I’d taken a sleeping pill. Tell me, why did you cry?”

“I was afraid that if I brought that brute back, I’d never be able to kiss you again.”

“You’re such a fool.”

“Do you like it? Come lie next to me. Tonight, I’ll kiss you gently,” Liu Yunfei whispered.

“I like it.”

“You’re not angry with me anymore?”

“No.”

Up on the open-air balcony at the highest point of the Knight’s Castle, passion reigned. The only sounds were the creaking of the sturdy lounge chair, while the stars in the night sky, bashful, closed their eyes—only to peep again, so that others thought the stars were winking.

The brilliant sunlight had long since crept into the deepest corners of the bedroom. Outside, birds chirped noisily. It was a pleasure to sleep in, especially after last night’s exhaustion. Liu Yunfei indulged in a long, lazy morning.

“My beloved prince, it’s time to get up.” Yu Qing sat on the edge of the bed, gently caressing his face.

“Let me sleep a little longer, or why don’t you come back and nap with me?” Liu Yunfei grinned mischievously.

“Rogue, get up! Someone from Saudi Arabia has arrived.”

“Who?” Liu Yunfei hurriedly dressed, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and rushed downstairs.

“Shalena, what brings you here?” Liu Yunfei was very surprised. Why hadn’t the old prince called ahead? He guessed the old man knew about his heartbreak and, feeling sorry, sent Shalena to comfort him.

“Uncle Awahid, may Allah bless you,” Shalena greeted Liu Yunfei with a gentle salute.

“You’re here too, Uncle Shadi—may Allah bless you,” Liu Yunfei greeted the kindly old butler who followed, shaking his hand warmly.

“Yes, Prince Salih sent me to help out. After all, I am Awari’s martial arts instructor,” Shadi replied.

“Uncle Awahid, I’ve trained with him since I was a child—he’s like a father to me,” Awari interjected.

“Are their rooms prepared? Let’s have them rest first, then we’ll all have lunch together,” Liu Yunfei said, turning to the castle’s gossip-loving old butler, thinking to himself that butlers really are a breed apart.

Seeing Yu Qing had gone to help in the kitchen, Liu Yunfei quietly followed Shalena upstairs. Since the old prince had sent her, he must have told her Liu Yunfei’s true identity. It had been a long time since he’d seen Shalena, and as a man of many loves, he naturally felt compelled to comfort a beauty.

He followed Shalena into the guest room, closed the door softly, and when he turned, Shalena had already thrown herself into his arms. Quickly, he embraced her.

“Brother Yunfei, you rogue, you kept secrets even from me. You don’t know how much I missed you since we parted last time,” Shalena said, clinging to his neck, wrapping her legs around his waist like a koala.

“It was your father’s idea to keep it from you,” Liu Yunfei deflected. This girl had always had a fiery figure—though not as tall as Betia, she was even more voluptuous. Pressed so close, he could feel that she’d matured in the time apart, her curves even more enticing, and he felt his pants tighten.

“Brother Yunfei, have you forgotten your Shalena who pined for you day and night, now that you have a Chinese beauty?” Shalena pouted, releasing him and pretending to be angry.