34 The Meeting Begins (1/2)

\”What the actual @#&%?\” Mao Lu audibly gasped.

Obsidian raised his dark eyebrows in surprise, \”Is everything okay?\”

Mao Lu forced a smile, awkwardly laughing, \”haha it's all fine. I just noticed something weird happening in my Realm and it took me by surprise momentarily.\”

\”Oh what happened?\” Obsidian asked curiously, he wondered what could have shaken this very calm and controlled young man.

\”Really it's nothing important, no reason for you to even care about it, really!!!\” Mao Lu said forcefully.

Obsidian was even more surprised and curious now, but if Mao Lu didn't want to discuss it, it would be rude to force him to speak.

So Obsidian just nodded understandingly towards Mao Lu.

Mao Lu inwardly sighed in relief that Obsidian didn't continue to ask, yet he still felt a bit panicky.

Why were his friends at his home? Did they plan to come by? When? Oh could it be....

Mao Lu remembered Tanaka saying he wanted to have a housewarming party. It had completely slipped Mao Lu's mind. Knowing his friends they could easily have organised this type of surprise event.

Any other time Mao Lu would have been extremely grateful and happy that they did this, but right now he wasn't.

How could he explain who Chàng Bo was?

In abject horror he watched Tanaka arguing with Fei Bing Bing.

Mao Lu quickly realised that his friends thought Chàng Bo was his boyfriend and that he'd been…. sleeping with him!

\”How the hell did they come to that conclusion?!\”

Mao Lu didn't know how he felt about this. On the one hand it was good that they came up with this excuse for him, it wasn't like Mao Lu could just introduce Chàng Bo as a Practitioner from another Realm that was temporarily living with him. Them thinking Chàng Bo was his boyfriend was a lot more convenient.

But on the other hand Mao Lu felt very uncomfortable. Just the thought of Chàng Bo being his boyfriend gave him a very peculiar feeling on the inside.

Also why did Tanaka think he was easy enough to just jump into a man's arms that quickly? Why did Tanaka have that opinion of him?!

Worst of all, his friends were saying all these things in front of Chàng Bo. Mao Lu was glad Chàng Bo couldn't understand or else this entire situation would become ten times more awkward...

…..

…..

…..

\”As a matter of fact, I can understand you.\” Chàng Bo said in perfect Chinese.

Mao Lu felt like his soul just left him, he wanted to scream.

\”Gates I thought he couldn't speak any of my Realm's languages.\”

\”He appears to be a fast learner.\” Gates mentally replied.

\”Ah I see…\” Mao Lu thought weakly.

Mao Lu was only observing yet he felt like burying himself in a hole. This was so very embarrassing.

\”Mao Lu you have immense talent. Perhaps the highest potential I've seen in a very long time. Your control over Time essence is extremely natural, as if you were made to be a Gatekeeper.\”

Whilst Mao Lu had been internally panicking, Obsidian was speaking to him.

\”Yet even with your great potential you still need guidance. If you had a mentor to help you along the path of Time, then you would be able to reach your unlimited potential properly. I have never had a disciple before but I feel like you should be the first, I want to teach you and bestow onto you my knowledge and experience. Would you like to take me on as your Master and become my only disciple?\”

Obsidian needed to poach Mao Lu before Argenti did.

\”Before you answer you must know that I am one of the oldest Gatekeepers, more than 10 billion years old. Even Argenti, The Gatekeeper ranked first, wouldn't be able to guide you as well as I could. I have done much research on Time and I am the most experienced on this path. Out of all the other five Time Gatekeepers I am the most qualified to teach you.\”

Mao Lu was quiet. He was surprised, he'd been focusing so much on the situation back on Realm 145 that he hadn't heard the conversation that lead up to this.

\”Obsidian wants me to be his disciple?\” he realised.

\”Well obviously, that's what he just asked you\” Gates telepathically commented in an annoyed tone.

Mao Lu ignored Gates.

Obsidian felt increasingly uneasy at Mao Lu's silence. Anyone else would have jumped at the opportunity to be his disciple, yet Mao Lu had been too quiet for too long. Was he going to say no?

Before Mao Lu could answer Obsidian quickly said, \”You don't have to answer now, you can tell me your answer whenever you're ready. Think about it first okay.\”

\”I-\”

\”Really think about it, you can give me your answer the next time you come to the Flame Star Fortress or if you're ever in Realm 2.\”

Mao Lu actually wanted to ask what becoming a disciple would entail, but before he could say anything, again Obsidian interrupted him and said, \”Oh look, it seems the meeting will be soon. Let's head to the hall together.\”

\”...\” Mao Lu guessed he would have to ask about the disciple matter another time.

\”Oh the meeting is now. Then let's go.\” Mao Lu agreed.

Inwardly he prayed \”Please, please, please can nothing weird happen back home before I get back.\”

_________________________________________

CHAOYANG- MAO LU'S HOME

Tanaka was the first to break the awkward silence.

\”You could speak Chinese! Then why didn't you do that in the first place?\”

The small Tanaka was half of Chàng Bo's height, yet he still squared up next to him as he shouted these words.

\”I only learnt the language recently, I wasn't confident. My Chinese isn't good. \” Chàng Bo said awkwardly, he pronounced the words a bit strangely. He was still trying to grasp the language and the pronunciation.

\”Oh.\” Tanaka deflated a bit. It was a valid reason.

Chàng Bo's eyes drifted to the food on the kitchen counter. There was so many trays of delicious smelling things that he'd never seen before.

He walked up to a container filled with dumplings, he grabbed one and bit it tentatively.

\”Ohhh Yum\” he exclaimed as he ate it, quickly swallowing it down his throat.

As he gulped it down his bare muscled chest rippled a bit.

Fei Bing Bing gulped and quickly looked away.

\”So who are you? What's your name? And what's your connection to Mao Lu?\” Zhao Detong asked. It was all well and good that they assumed this guy was connected to Mao Lu romantically, but they didn't know that for sure.

\”My name is Chàng Bo.\” He answered as he ate another dumpling. \”Due to some circumstances I can't go home right now, Mao Lu offered to let me stay at his place in the meantime.\”

As Chàng Bo spoke his Chinese grew better and better with each sentence.

\”So you're not Mao Lu's boyfriend?\” Bing Bing asked tentatively.

Chàng Bo tilted his head to the side…. Boyfriend...it seemed this word was synonymous to lover. \”His lover, so they assumed I was courting Mao Lu. So Gatekeeper Lu is the type to like the same sex, it isn't uncommon.\”

Aloud he replied \”No I'm not.\”

\”What then what about the sweat, huh what were you just doing?!\” Tanaka interrogated.