Chapter 45
The man looked up, glanced at the little dancer's face, and gave a soft "humph." Who did he think she was?
When he blinked again and saw the slender figure behind the little dancer, he was so astonished that he could hardly speak, and he had sobered up considerably.
"She doesn't want to."
"Can't you understand human language?"
"Or are you not even a human being?"
Li Jia concealed her appearance, and neither Zeus nor Demeter recognized her. Li Jia pulled Demeter from Zeus's grasp and held her protectively in her arms.
Demeter nestled beside the unfamiliar dancer, watching the young dancer confront the man with her frail body.
Her heart was so at peace that she no longer feared anyone or anything.
Zeus quickly realized that he was no longer a god, but an ordinary mortal, Demeter's unmarried husband, and the father of the child in her womb.
He and she were the closest of friends, and it was none of the business of these unrelated people interfering. So he retorted righteously, "What does it have to do with you?"
"She and I are husband and wife, and we are doing what is it to you outsiders?"
What a stranger.
They completely absolved themselves of any responsibility for the atrocity.
Li Jia wanted to retort, but Hera gave her a wink, and she understood; she had a way to make him slip up.
The stun pills begin to take effect, and if he can control his desires at this time, he will gradually return to normal.
But a wicked desire arose in his heart. He saw the sun that was out of reach of his, the sun that he dreamed of day and night.
When the two women he longed for appeared before him at the same time, he even felt that his dream was about to come true. One was good at managing the household, and the other was good at managing external affairs; one was decisive and efficient, and the other was gentle and tender.
The idea that a man's ideal woman is like a white moonlight or a cinnabar mole is a false proposition.
It's more like wishful thinking on my part.
Because nobody cares.
"Do you have a history of marriage?"
Red Eyes glanced at the man and asked calmly.
"Not yet, but it will be soon. You're meddling too much in our marital affairs, God of Marriage."
Even though he wasn't using the identity of a god, Zeus felt a chill run down his spine and felt inexplicably afraid.
"I'm asking you a question."
Hera looked at Demeter and asked for her opinion.
"No."
Demeter's voice was initially hoarse, but became more resolute as she repeated: "We had the de facto marriage, but not the title."
The man's face suddenly darkened, and the smell of alcohol mixed with the heat of the pills rushed to his head.
He took a half step forward, his fingertips almost touching Demeter's collar: "You're lying! You clearly promised..."
"Clearly what?"
Hera's voice was as cold as ice, gently breaking the heat in the warm room: "Is it doing things she doesn't like when she clearly doesn't want to, or knowing that she is carrying your child, yet still taking advantage of her drunkenness to do unfaithful things?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the man suddenly covered his forehead, and the scene before his eyes began to distort.
Demeter's figure gradually overlapped with the unreachable sun in his memory, and the dancer protecting her even had a resemblance in his eyes to the one he longed for day and night.
The dizziness pills completely threw him into disarray. He reached out to grab their wrists, muttering, "They're all mine...you should all be mine..."
"court death!"
Herra reached out and precisely grabbed the man's outstretched wrist, the tendons under his fingertips bulging with force, almost breaking his wrist bones.
The man's face turned deathly pale with pain, his jaw contorted in agony.
Hera's deliberately lowered voice was chillingly cold, startling the flickering candlelight in the warm room: "If you dare to touch a single hair on her head again, you won't leave here unscathed today."
"And how did you know I'm the goddess of marriage?"
"Or rather, I should call you—Zeus, the God of Thunder."
Hera raised an eyebrow and gave a forced smile.
These two seemingly casual words instantly sent shivers down everyone's spines in the warm room.
The man's body stiffened abruptly, his pupils contracted sharply, and his mind, which had been clouded by the sedative, cleared up a bit in an instant. The smell of alcohol rose from his feet, and he began to sweat profusely.
He stared intently at Hera, his throat tightening: "What...what nonsense are you spouting? I'm just an ordinary mortal, what Thor...nonsense!"
Although his words were firm, his clenched fists were trembling. How could he forget that the pressure emanating from those red eyes before him made it hard for him to breathe?
"An ordinary mortal?"
Li Jia's voice carried a hint of mockery as she gently patted Demeter's back, soothing her trembling shoulders.
"Let me try and I'll find out."
Before Hera finished speaking, a faint red starlight condensed at her fingertips.
The moment the red starlight entered his body, Zeus felt a burning sensation coursing through his veins, as if countless fine needles were piercing his divine bones.
He tried to resist with divine power, but found that the starlight was intertwined with the effects of the dizziness pill, binding his soul like vines and peeling away his long-hidden disguise layer by layer.
Zeuston sensed something was wrong. His divine power could conceal his appearance, physique, and aura, so that even the gods, who were also divine rulers, could not detect anything.
The stun pills were working in his body. Hera didn't do anything; she simply accelerated the growth of the stun pills.
Soon, the man's appearance and physique began to change until he regained his original majestic appearance as Thor.
"No...impossible!"
The man roared, trying to hold down the changing body, but the skin his fingertips touched was burning hot. The fear of his form being exposed was far more devastating than the pain of being violated: "My illusion technique can't even be seen through by the sacred mountain, how could you..."
"For the starlight of Juno is specifically designed to dispel illusions."
Hera withdrew her hand, looking at his discomfiture, her eyes showing no emotion: "When you sealed your divine power and concealed your aura, you deliberately erased the mark of your divinity, but you forgot that divine form is engraved in your bones and blood."
The ecstasy amplified desires, while Hera's starlight stirred Zeus's divine bones; with both combined, it was impossible to hide them any longer.
Hera took out the mirror of light and showed Demeter what he had done.
Demeter looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure before her, and her heart clenched.
Li Jia understood her sadness and gently stroked her hand that was pressed against her lower abdomen, trying to give her strength.
Demeter patted Li Jia's hand to tell her that she was alright.
Demeter stepped out from behind Li Jia, her gaze fixed clearly on Zeus, devoid of any of her former tenderness: "I thought I had found the love of my life, but I never expected you to use your mortal identity as a cover, and even use the child in your womb as a bargaining chip to control me."
"Such despicable behavior, does it even deserve to be called a god?"
He looked into her eyes and saw the tenderness completely extinguished, leaving only a cold, clear-headed expression.
“Demeter, I didn’t mean to…”
Zeus's voice was hoarse, as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper, as he awkwardly explained, "I was just afraid that you would leave once you knew my identity, I just wanted to..."
"You want to keep me by your side, even if it's through lies and coercion?"
Demeter interrupted him, her fingertips gently tracing his lower abdomen, where a new life was growing.
What was once her reason for hesitation has now become her invincible support: "Zeus, you don't even have the courage to tell me the truth, so how can you talk about love? You have never loved me, but only that shadow that you control and obey."
"What you love is always your desire for power and yourself."
"I will not register our marriage."
Seeing that Demeter no longer hesitated, Zeus's face turned completely pale, and he stammered, "But we still have children, and children cannot be without a father."
"No more."
Demeter said in a low voice.
"What?"
Before Zeus could react, Demeter used her divine power to draw a wisp of purple-gold starlight from her abdomen. The starlight was drawn from Demeter's body and quickly dissipated into the air.
Female deities have the right to give birth to life, and whether or not they allow other bloodlines to intervene is entirely up to the goddess's will.
Now, she doesn't want it anymore.
“A new goddess will arrive at the Polo Wheatfield.”
"She's just my daughter."
When Zeus saw Demeter draw out his starlight, he knew it was all over; the relationship between him and Demeter was completely over.
Demeter walked past him expressionlessly, her skirt brushing against his cheek as if they were strangers.
Seeing that Demeter knew the truth and Hera was spared divine punishment, Li Jia finally felt relieved.
"Why aren't Doreen and Winslow with His Majesty?"
After finishing her business, Li Jia looked around but didn't see the two of them, and asked curiously.
"Cook."
"Watch the house."
Hera gave a brief answer to her question.
Li Jia was speechless. When did she realize she had left?
It's really frustrating how she can calculate every single step of my life so perfectly.
As the music ended and the crowd dispersed, Hera led the little one out of the Sea God's Palace. The peacock chariot was parked on the shore, and they needed to swim ashore.
Suddenly, water droplets rushed into her chest cavity, and Li Jia's eyes widened as she covered her mouth and nose.
Oh no!
The water-repelling bead only lasts for three days, and she had forgotten about it after staying here for so long.
The troupe of dancers and acrobats invited by Poseidon all wore waterproof tokens, and Hera thought that this was why Rika was not afraid of the ocean abyss.
The pressure at the bottom of the sea instantly made Li Jia dizzy, and the only thing she dared not let go of was the pair of large hands that were tightly clenched in her hand.
The last thing Li Jia saw was the golden hair of the woman underwater shimmering like scattered gold.
The feeling of weightlessness was like cold vines wrapping around her limbs, and the salty seawater rushed into her nostrils, choking her and burning her lungs.
As Li Jia's consciousness blurred, she slid down, powerless, and fell downwards.
The next second, strong arms encircled her sinking body, the palms cool with seawater, yet they gripped the back of her neck tightly, preventing her from falling any further.
When her lips covered Li Jia's, her teeth collided with Li Jia's lower lip, and her breath rushed into her mouth forcefully and urgently, like a beam of light suddenly plunging into the deep sea, forcefully relieving her suffocating feeling.
Tiny bubbles rose to the surface, their force so strong they almost embedded themselves into the skin, allowing the breath to reach Li Jia's lungs more smoothly.
She lifted her up to swim upstream.
Li Jia could vaguely see her eyes so close to hers. Her red pupils, which were usually covered with a layer of frost, were now surging with a panic she had never seen before, reflecting the shimmering seawater.
The kiss was devoid of any romance, only filled with the urgency of life and death. It wasn't until air returned to Li Jia's chest, her head surfaced, and a faint cough escaped her throat that Hera released her lips.
He still pressed his forehead against her face, his hot breath mixed with moisture falling on her face: "Don't close your eyes."
Her voice was terribly hoarse, each word sounding like it was being squeezed out from between her teeth: "Look at me."
The gilded wings of the peacock chariot gleamed coldly on the shore. As Hera half-carried Li Jia to the surface, the salty sea breeze, carrying a damp and cold air, crashed against them, making Li Jia's cough, which had just subsided, worsen.
Hera's arms remained wrapped around her waist, the tightness unwavering, as if if she loosened her grip even slightly, the person in her arms would sink back into that deep blue.
Stepping onto the peacock chariot, Hera picked up the Pompompurin blanket and wrapped Li Jia up tightly.
People with weak constitutions and frequent illnesses are susceptible to illness; even a cold or a flu can cause serious health problems.
I don't know when it started, but her chariot was now stocked with her little blanket, a sweater, a sketchbook, and a basic first-aid kit...
When Li Jia brushed her fingertips across the seawater residue on her cheek, she noticed that the fingertips of this usually composed goddess were trembling slightly.
"Why didn't you say you took the water-repelling pearl?"
Hera's voice was still low and hoarse, and there was still lingering panic in her red eyes. But when it fell on Li Jia's face, the usual coldness was gone, leaving only a hint of barely perceptible fear.
Li Jia huddled under the blanket, watching her dripping blonde hair and the lingering scent of her on her lips, her throat tightening: "I forgot... and you didn't ask either."
Hera frowned, but did not scold her further. She poured a cup of warm water from the kettle and slowly brought it to her lips: "Press down the cold air in your lungs."
As the warm water slid down her throat, the burning sensation in Li Jia's chest gradually subsided.
Hera slowly ascended into the air, piloting the peacock chariot, while the sea below gradually shrank into an endless expanse of blue.
Li Jia leaned against Hera's side and could clearly feel the powerful rise and fall of her chest, as well as the hand that was always clasped around her wrist. Without the coolness of the seawater, the palm was burning hot.
Suddenly, I remembered those red eyes churning with panic at the bottom of the sea. It turns out that even gods who are always under your control can lose their grip.
"No matter where we go from now on, you must stay by my side."
The sound of the wind softened his voice: "If you dare to cut off contact again, I'll come uninvited and drag you back."
Li Jia couldn't help but laugh out loud, but her nose felt a little sore. She looked up at Hera and saw that her red eyes reflected a sky full of stars, which were even brighter than the broken gold on the seabed.
It turns out that hidden within each of those meticulously planned steps were concerns she hadn't yet grasped.
Li Jia gently nuzzled Hera's arm, buried her face in the warm blanket, and whispered, "Okay."
Back at the hot springs, Doreen and Winslow were already waiting, standing at the door, looking on expectantly.
As the Peacock Chariot slowly landed, Winslow went up to greet Li Jia, who was wrapped in a small blanket, and said, "Why are you only coming back now? Don't you love eating meat the most?"
"I made all the dishes you like today: braised pork knuckle, crispy pork belly, and osmanthus-flavored rice wine, which you taught me to make."
Sure enough, Li Jia's eyes lit up when she heard this, and her throat immediately started to salivate. In order to maintain their figures, the dance troupe only ate some fruits and vegetables every day.
With the situation urgent and the mission pressing, I forgot about hunger, but now that Winslow mentioned it, my stomach started rumbling uncontrollably.
My weight loss plan has been completely forgotten.
Hera laughed: "Didn't you say you were going to lose weight?"
Li Jia thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Your Majesty, do you know? There's a saying that I've never forgotten to this day. Can you guess which one it is?"
Heradorine and Winslow asked in unison, "Which sentence?"
Li Jia cleared her throat: "Humans are inherently lazy."
"I might have thought about losing weight just now, but that was me then, not me now. I don't want to lose weight now."
Why make things difficult for yourself? Just do what makes you comfortable.
You can lose weight all year round, but braised pork hock, crispy pork belly, and osmanthus-flavored rice wine aren't available every day.
It is a tragedy to miss out on many life experiences because of a trivial matter.
Hera: "I'm not fat, I don't need to lose weight."
Winslow: "It's worth gaining two pounds for the food I make."
Doreen: "...Nonsense."
There's no place like home (just kidding).
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they soaked in the Yellow Springs that night, and then the two of them lay in bed reviewing their experiences.
Li Jia knelt properly on the bed, while Hera sat upright with her back against the headboard. The nightlight cast their shadows on the wall.
Li Jia's kneeling posture wasn't exactly upright; she had a soft cushion under her knees and couldn't help but gently wiggle her toes. The satisfaction from the meal she had just enjoyed still lingered in her chest, and she was in a very pleasant mood.
"I thought Demeter would not be able to accept that her husband was Zeus, but I didn't expect her to make a clean break."
Hera stroked the little one's kneecap with her fingertips and said calmly, "She was never a god who would cause trouble; she was just blinded by the fog. When the fog clears, she will naturally wake up."
"Do Demeter's children still have any connection with Zeus?"
Li Jia asked curiously, feeling a secret thrill as she thought of Zeus's expression, which resembled that of a stray dog.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. Demeter has drawn out his starlight, and the child has only inherited Demeter’s divine power.”
That's wonderful! Li Jia was genuinely happy. Persephone was only Demeter's child.
Li Jia relaxed immediately and lay down on the bed. Hera lay down beside her, and Li Jia casually pinched Hera's blonde hair.
"Your Majesty, do you think it will be a boy or a girl?"
"I think she must be a very beautiful girl."
“I think so too.” Hera touched Li Jia’s forehead as she thought of Amphitrite.
“The sacred mountain needs female deities to step into the center of power.”
"This is inevitable."
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