387: Divine Challenges

Divine Challenges

Having no words to refute that threat, the Emperor glared down at Doctor Lou and bit out, "Don't."

Not at all fazed by his menacing tone, Doctor Lou smiled at him and went, "Xing Xing, come, let's go on a trip."

"Not going anywhere with you." Lei Xing swiftly responded from behind the Emperor with a frown, she could tell from the Emperor's dark expression that Doctor Lou had just threatened him or something. 

"Are you sure?" Doctor Lou asked, shifting his eyes to Lei Xing, "I know a certain young boy who was very distraught at the loss of a dear relative, also a mother and father who were even more miserable, even I felt bad~" He said, dabbing at an eye, "Still don't want to go?"

Lei Xing's eyes widened and her mouth hung open in disbelief. The Emperor turned and held Lei Xing, tightly, "She's not going anywhere with you." 

"You said - you said it wasn't possible." Lei Xing said as she continued to stare at Doctor Lou.

"Well...at the time. But you see, after thinking about it a bit more. I found a solution but you seemed happy here, so I didn't want to bother you. But thinking about it again, it's only right that you know... your options." Doctor Lou wickedly said, narrowing his at the Emperor. 

"Xing er', don't listen to him." The Emperor said, starting to feel panicked when Lei Xing would not even spare him a glance. She just unflinchingly stared at Doctor Lou and his stupid portal as if in a trance. This wretched old man really knew where to hit them, "He's just messing with you. It's all lies -"

"When have I ever lied to you - Don't answer that. Fine, I'll show you proof!" Doctor Lou indignantly said, he waved a hand, and the space next to him distorted until an image formed, an image that knocked Lei Xing off her senses. She was looking at her childhood home, she became even more shocked when she saw her brothers walk up to the door. Even without knowing, the Emperor could tell what he was looking at from Lei Xing's other world.

Lei Xing took a step forward but the Emperor pulled her back, "Xin-"

"One moment." Lei Xing absentmindedly said, pushing his hands off her, "Move!" She ordered when the Emperor's kept latching onto her. She shoved him, gaining a moment of freedom, she rushed forward and stopped right in front of this "portal-mirror" and just stared transfixed, her eyes following the movement from within the house. She covered her gaping mouth with a hand and then hesitantly reached out and lightly touched the portal, withdrawing quickly as she watched it ripple, "Is this real?" Lei Xing muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

"Of course it is! Let me help you with a better view~" Doctor Lou happily said and the image changed, showing the inside of the home with her family going about their day.

"That's enough. You've made your point!" The Emperor agitatedly said, glaring at Doctor Lou as he grabbed Lei Xing and moved back with her. He turned his attention to Lei Xing, "Xing er'..." he called her but Lei Xing didn't seem to hear him as her eyes remained trained on the life in Doctor Lou's portal. The Emperor frowned and stood in front of her, "Xing er', don't fall for it. He's doing this to get back at us, back at me! He's just playing a cruel joke -"

"Whose joking with you? If I brought her here, I can naturally take her back!" Doctor Lou indignantly said, squinting at him. He then turned back to Lei Xing with a smile, "Xing Xing, let me tell you. If you come with me now, you can go back to your old life, it'll be like you never left. Everything just as it was -"

"Stop it!" The Emperor ordered but Doctor Lou just smiled and spitefully added, "In fact, it'll be better than it ever was!"

The Emperor's narrowed his eyes at Doctor Lou, then grabbed Lei Xing's hand and stormed towards the door, they were leaving. But Doctor Lou would never give up that easily, he and his stupid "portal" intercepted them, blocking their doorway, "Xing Xing, you'll never get another chance like this again~" He said in a sing-song voice. 

The Emperor brushed past him, only for the doors to be replaced with a stone wall. 

"Xiao Kai, I've taught you better than this! Don't be selfish! They say if you love something, you have to give it a chance to fly away, otherwise, that's not love - or something like that" Doctor Lou frowned, scratching his head as he tried to remember the actual quote, "At any rate, we're not leaving until Xing Xing gets to make her choice~"

"You-" The Emperor started but then stopped when Lei Xing put a hand on his arm. He turned back to her and they locked eyes, seeing that she seemed to have regained herself, his nerves calmed a bit. Lei Xing turned to Doctor Lou and calmly said, "You said my body was dead..." Lei Xing said, looking at Doctor Lou. 

Doctor Lou raised his eyebrows, "Did I? Hmm, doesn't matter. I can make you a new body or you can even take this one if you want - Ah, but you can't take Wei Wei."

"Wei Wei?" Lei Xing asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"En, our little bun in the oven. I would let you take him but he has a purpose here so he can't leave."

Lei Xing looked down at her stomach and put a hand on it, taking this revelation in. She had suspected it but that stupid head physician made her doubt herself.

"Ah, but don't worry, I will ensure to get him a doting mother to take your place, nothing to worry about~" Doctor Lou reassuringly continued with a nod. 

"Who names someone else's child?" Lei Xing asked with a frown. 

"He chose the name himself! You're not allowed to change it." Doctor Lou warned, squinting at her and then caught himself, "Anyway, that won't be your business soon. You're not allowed to change it." He repeated facing the Emperor.

"Wait, child? Xing er', you're pregnant?" The Emperor asked, turning to Lei Xing with a confused frown. 

"You didn't tell him?" Doctor Lou exclaimed with wide eyes, "Tsk, tsk, Xing Xing you never learn."

The Emperor blinked in surprise with very mixed feelings right now, "How long ha-" His words were cut short when Lei Xing put a hand over his mouth to silence him, "Can I take him then?" Lei Xing asked, motioning to the Emperor, surprising both the Emperor and Doctor Lou. 

"Of course not! Xiao Kai has purpose here too." Doctor Lou said, feeling a bit exasperated that he had to keep explaining this, "Only you can go, you can take gold or whatever - you don't really need those, how about lottery numbers? I can get you that." He said with a hand up, making it obvious this idea had just popped into his mind. 

The Emperor moved the hand that was blocking his mouth, "Xing -" Lei Xing forced her hand back on his mouth as she narrowed her eyes at Doctor Lou, making him feel increasingly uncomfortable as the seconds ticked on with her just staring. 

Doctor Lou shifted, cleared his throat and pulled at his beard, "Are you going or not? You know it's not easy keeping this portal open..." He said, glancing off the side with a pout.

"Is my life a joke to you?" Lei Xing finally asked, oddly very calm. 

"Hm?" Doctor Lou turned to her, blinking cluelessly. 

"No, seriously. Am I a joke to you?" Lei Xing seriously asked with an expression that told Doctor Lou that things are veering off course. He opened his mouth to respond but before he could, Lei Xing continued, "I begged you-"

"I don't recall you begging -" Doctor Lou chirped in.

"Well, I asked!" Lei Xing irritatedly countered, "I ASKED you if I could go back! Several times! YOU told me "not possible" several times. Now you come here when I'm happy to parade this - this- thing-" She wasn't sure what to call the "portal view" before, "-Which I'm certain is just an illusion or something-"

"It's real!" Doctor Lou defended, looking wronged, "I can re-"

"Either way!" Lei Xing loudly interrupted, she took a deep breath and continued, "I'm certain if I went along with this today, down the road, when I'm happy again, you'll come back with some other random thing that's wrong or fake or a lie-"

"No, I re-"

"NO!" Lei Xing barked, "No more! I am done with you and your stupid games! I am not some stupid idiot toy that you can play with whenever and however you want. You are just a crazy, miserable old man with nothing going for you in life so you mess with random people to fill up some stupid blank hole left by whatever the hell made you what you are! Either way, I want nothing more to do with you! Take that stupid shit, shove it up your ass and go jump into a volcano! Either way, leave me the hell out of it!" Lei Xing irritatedly barked and then turned to storm out of the room only to be faced with a wall, "Door!" She shouted at Doctor Lou, and surprisingly the door obediently materialized before her.

Lei Xing kicked the doors open and continued storming off while mumbling, "Crazy, stupid, irritating! What the hell does he take me for? Do I look like a lost child to you....?" The rest of her spill evaporated down the hallway. 

The Emperor and Doctor Lou stood there staring after her. The Emperor slightly scoffed and glanced at Doctor Lou, only to be met with a disgruntled pout, "Why are you still here?" 

The Emperor could not hide his smugness as gave Doctor Lou a light nod in farewell and trotted after his Lei Xing with a dance in his step. 

*clap, clap, clap*

"Wow, Lifen would be proud~" A voice jovially said behind him and Doctor Lou turned to see Bai Huan rising from his chair in the corner, "How long have you been there?" He asked with a frown.

"The entire time." Bai Huan responded as he came over, "You had left in such a hurry, I was worried you might be some sort of trouble...so naturally, I came to help~" He finished with a coy smile, "Waiting alone in boring~"

"So you just sat there and watched that little brat bully me like that?" Doctor Lou asked with a deep pout, "You're really not reliable!"

"To be clear, you were doing the bullying, hers was self-defense. If I didn't interfere with yours, I can't interfere with hers. It's the neutral position, you understand." Bai Huan dismissively said and then looked at the people moving about in the neglected in the portal, "Who are these people?"

"The people that raised her." Doctor Lou responded, still pouting. 

"And she dismissed them just like that? Cold... but Lifen would be proud." Bai Huan thoughtfully added with an approving nod.

"She'll regret it." Doctor Lou said with a pout, "She called me old." He mumbled, pulling hard on his long beard.

"And miserable." Bai Huan reminded with a snort, which he quickly buried with clearing his throat when Doctor Lou glared at him, "It's not too late for me to go find her and show them what's miserable looks like-"

Bai Huan sighed and went over and put his arm over the shorter Doctor Lou's shoulder, "Don't pay her words any mind. It's just childish gibberish. You know she has a poisonous tongue sometimes, she never means any of it...mostly. Come, I'll help you fix things, then we can go relax and have a drink. I have this special bottle I've been saving, I'll give it to you~"

"I want two." Even in his lamenting state, Doctor Lou still had the presence of mind to bargain. 

"Done." Bai Huan happily said.

"Four." Doctor Lou amended. 

"Alright." Bai Huan agreed, letting the old man have his way.

"Ten." Doctor Lou amended again. 

Bai Huan paused and then suddenly asked, "What did you say you were doing here again? I need to get the details right for when I-"

"Fine, three." Doctor Lou quickly backtracked.  0

Bai Huan smiled and gave Doctor Lou's shoulder a pat, "Great doing business with you~"

pqdm.com