The Heavenly Sovereign's Divine Artifact Set Me Up - Chapter 3

His question left me baffled.

Then I followed his pointing finger to the jade pendant Lou Yuan had given me.

“No. Why would you ask that?”

Meng He stopped in the middle of eating his pastry.

He proceeded to explain the significance of paired-fish jade pendants in the Divine Realm.

“They mean something very particular here. Tens of millions of years ago, two divine lords pledged themselves to each other with a paired-fish pendant. Everyone envied their devotion. Ever since then, giving someone one half of such a pendant has meant asking them to become your divine partner.”

He gave me a complicated look. “You didn’t know? Who gave you that one?”

I lifted the pendant. It suddenly felt hot in my hand.

Had Lou Yuan not said it was merely a token of my position as his attendant?

Could he be unaware of its meaning?

I glanced at Meng He in confusion. One look at my face made his eyes widen.

“Yanzhi, you haven’t been deceived, have you?”

I shook my head, then nodded.

“N-no. The Heavenly Sovereign gave it to me. He said it was a token for his divine attendant.” Uncertainly, I added, “Perhaps he doesn’t know what a paired-fish pendant means?”

Meng He’s expression grew even stranger. He rubbed his forehead and answered with weary disbelief.

“Anyone else might not know. The Heavenly Sovereign cannot possibly claim ignorance.

“He was one of those two divine lords.”

I stared at the pendant in my hand, my emotions tangled.

Did Lou Yuan giving it to me mean he liked me?

Had I not misunderstood him that day after all? Had he truly intended to ask me to become his partner?

Then why had he not said so? Why call it a token for an attendant?

Meng He watched me with concern.

“Yanzhi, I wasn’t there tens of millions of years ago, but people still sing of those two divine lords. As your friend, I have to warn you. The other one—the one who perished—was once the chief deity of the Water God’s Palace. His Sovereignty may…”

He could not bring himself to finish.

I understood. He feared that Lou Yuan saw me as a replacement.

But I could not think that far ahead. All my heart could grasp was that Lou Yuan might like me.

Meng He tried to say more, but I smiled at him.

“Thank you. I know you’re worried, but I also know the Heavenly Sovereign has never looked through me at someone else. And whoever once earned his love must have been an extraordinary person. I’m not so lacking myself that I would accept being anyone’s substitute.”

I rose, desperate to return to Lou Yuan and learn how he truly felt.

“I’ll come find you next time, Meng He.”

Then I raced back to the Heavenly Sovereign’s Palace.

All thought of etiquette fled my mind. I ran straight into the hall, pulled the paired-fish pendant from my waist, and held it out to him.

“Your Sovereignty, do you want me to become your divine partner?”