The whole day slipped by without any leads on the bracelet. Luan Xie and He Shun had tried their best to strike up casual conversations with the guards, hoping to glean some useful information. But every attempt ended in dead ends—polite deflections, vague answers, or just plain silence.
Luan Xie's frustration simmered beneath the surface. Every passing hour felt like a missed opportunity, a step further away from uncovering the truth. He Shun noticed the tension in Luan Xie's posture, the way his fingers tapped restlessly against the table during dinner, the sharp glances he shot at anyone who got too close.
They were both on edge, but neither wanted to admit it. Instead, they exchanged quiet looks and murmured reassurances, trying to keep up the facade of calm even as their patience wore thin.
Later that evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the room, Luan Xie and He Shun found themselves alone again. The silence between them was heavy, filled with unspoken doubts and frustrations.
He Shun sighed, running a hand through his hair as he leaned against the windowsill. "We're not getting anywhere," he muttered, his voice tinged with defeat.
Luan Xie, pacing the room with restless energy, stopped and looked at him. "We can't give up," he replied firmly. "We're close, I can feel it. We just need to keep pushing, find another way in."
He Shun nodded, though his expression remained uncertain. "What if we're being watched? We've been careful, but… I can't shake the feeling that someone's onto us."
Luan Xie frowned, the thought unsettling him. "If they are, we'll have to be smarter. We can't let them know how much we need that bracelet."
He Shun pushed away from the windowsill and crossed the room, stopping in front of Luan Xie. "We'll figure it out," he said, his voice softening. "We've come this far, we can't back down now."
Luan Xie met his gaze, a flicker of determination in his eyes. "No, we can't," he agreed, though a part of him wondered just how much more they could endure.
The next day as they continued their search for the bracelet, Luan Xie and He Shun found their thoughts drifting away from the task at hand. No matter how hard they tried to focus, their minds kept returning to each other.
Luan Xie would catch himself thinking about the way He Shun had looked at him earlier, with a tenderness that he hadn't felt in years. The memory of He Shun's arms around him, the warmth and comfort of that embrace, lingered in his mind, distracting him even as he combed through leads and questioned guards.
He tried to shake it off, reminding himself that there was no time for distractions, but it was no use. Every time He Shun was near, Luan Xie's resolve wavered. He couldn't help but wonder what might happen if he allowed himself to get closer, to see where this strange connection between them might lead.
He Shun, for his part, was equally distracted. His thoughts kept returning to Luan Xie—how strong yet vulnerable he had been when he opened up, how much he wanted to protect him from the world's cruelty. He couldn't stop thinking about the way Luan Xie's eyes had softened when he spoke of his past, or how his voice had wavered when he revealed the pain he carried.
As they moved through the palace, side by side, the unspoken tension between them grew stronger. They shared fleeting glances, brief touches that sent shivers down their spines, and moments of silence that felt heavy with unexpressed emotions.
Neither of them said anything about it, though. They both knew that now wasn't the time for distractions, that the search for the bracelet had to come first. But even as they tried to focus, they couldn't help but feel that something had shifted between them, something they couldn't quite ignore.
The day dragged on, their search becoming more and more frustrating as they hit one dead end after another. But no matter how many times they tried to push those thoughts aside, they always seemed to find their way back to each other. And as night fell, and the palace grew quiet, they couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something neither of them had expected.
Luan Xie dragged himself back to their shared room, his body heavy with exhaustion. The day had been long and fruitless, with nothing to show for their efforts in finding the bracelet. He wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the bed and let sleep claim him, but his mind refused to quiet down.
As he sat on the edge of the bed, Luan Xie's thoughts drifted to He Shun. He replayed the events of the day before in his mind, remembering the way He Shun had looked at him with such understanding and compassion. Luan Xie had never expected to open up to anyone the way he had with He Shun, to bare the darkest parts of his soul to another person. But somehow, He Shun had made it easy. His presence was like a balm, soothing the old wounds that Luan Xie had thought would never heal.
He Shun's warmth was a stark contrast to the cold, calculated betrayal he had experienced with Ye Rou. With He Shun, Luan Xie felt safe, cherished in a way that he hadn't allowed himself to feel in a long time. He smiled to himself, a small, genuine smile that felt strange on his lips after so many years of bitterness and distrust. He Shun was here, with him, in this present moment. Ye Rou was just a ghost from his past, a name that had lost its power to hurt him.
Or so he thought.
Luan Xie's smile faltered as a memory resurfaced, unbidden. The hooded man had called the mafia leader A-Rou. At the time, it hadn't registered, lost in the chaos of their mission and the urgency of their quest. But now, alone in the quiet of their room, the name echoed in his mind, bringing with it a wave of dread.
A-Rou.
It couldn't be a coincidence. The name was too similar, too close to the one that had haunted his nightmares for years. But how could it be possible? The leader didn't look like Ye Rou. Their voices weren't the same. Luan Xie had been certain that Ye Rou was far behind him, a part of a past that no longer had a hold on his life. But the more he thought about it, the more the pieces started to fall into place.
The mafia leader always wore a mask, never showing his face to anyone. And voices—those could be easily altered, disguised with enough practice. Luan Xie's heart began to race as the realization hit him like a punch to the gut. If Ye Rou had somehow survived, if he had found a way to infiltrate this world, then Luan Xie's past wasn't as far behind him as he had hoped.
He felt a cold sweat break out across his skin, his breath quickening as panic set in. The warmth he had felt just moments ago, thinking about He Shun, was replaced by a deep, gnawing fear. Ye Rou was the reason Luan Xie had become the person he was today—the man who had turned him from a carefree prince into someone hardened by betrayal and loss. And if Ye Rou was here, now, in this time and place, then Luan Xie's worst nightmare was about to become his reality.
He pressed his hands to his temples, trying to stop the memories from flooding back, but it was no use. He could see Ye Rou's face, hear his voice, feel the pain of that betrayal as if it had happened just yesterday. The idea that Ye Rou could be masquerading as the mafia leader, playing another one of his twisted games, made Luan Xie feel sick to his stomach.
And then there was He Shun. Luan Xie's thoughts turned to him, his heart clenching with worry. He Shun had become so important to him in such a short amount of time, had brought light back into his life when he thought he would never feel warmth again. But if Ye Rou was truly here, then He Shun was in danger too.
Luan Xie didn't know what to do, didn't know how to protect He Shun from the man who had already destroyed so much of his life. The fear of losing He Shun, of seeing him hurt because of Ye Rou, was almost too much to bear. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't.
But for now, Luan Xie was trapped in his own mind, paralyzed by the realization that his past wasn't as buried as he had thought. Ye Rou had always been one step ahead, always had a plan. And if Luan Xie didn't act soon, he could lose everything all over again.
Luan Xie's heart pounded as the realization struck him. He stared at the wall, the small smile fading from his lips as dread settled in. The name 'A-Rou' echoed in his mind, overlapping with memories he thought he had buried deep within. He had convinced himself that Ye Rou was a part of his past, a chapter he had finally closed. But now, the possibility that Ye Rou could be hiding right under his nose, disguised as the mafia leader, sent a chill down his spine.
Luan Xie stood up abruptly, his hands trembling as he tried to piece everything together. He replayed the leader's voice in his mind, trying to recall any similarities, any slip-ups that might have hinted at a disguise. The thought of Ye Rou being so close, watching him, possibly planning something, made Luan Xie's skin crawl.
He had been so focused on moving forward, on finding the bracelet and navigating his growing feelings for He Shun, that he hadn't even considered the possibility of Ye Rou still being in the picture. But now, everything felt uncertain, as if the ground beneath his feet was shifting, threatening to pull him back into the nightmare he had fought so hard to escape.
He rubbed his temples, trying to calm the rising panic. He needed to think, to figure out if his suspicions were valid or if his mind was playing tricks on him. The fear and paranoia that had been dormant for so long were resurfacing, making it hard for him to think straight.
But as much as he wanted to dismiss the idea, he couldn't ignore the gnawing feeling in his gut that something was terribly wrong. If Ye Rou was indeed the mafia leader, then Luan Xie's entire world was about to be turned upside down again.
The door creaked open, and Luan Xie jumped, his heart skipping a beat. He turned to see He Shun entering the room, his presence immediately bringing a sense of calm to Luan Xie's frazzled nerves.
"He Shun," Luan Xie said, his voice shaky. He didn't know how to tell him, didn't even know if he should. But the fear was too overwhelming to keep to himself. "There's something I need to talk to you about."
He Shun noticed the tension in Luan Xie's voice, the way his hands were still trembling. He crossed the room quickly, concern etched on his face. "What is it? What's wrong?"
Luan Xie took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "The leader… the hooded man called him A-Rou." He watched as He Shun's expression shifted from concern to confusion, and then to realization as the weight of Luan Xie's words sunk in.
"A-Rou?" He Shun echoed, his brows furrowing. "You don't think…"
"I don't know what to think," Luan Xie admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "But if there's even a chance that it's him… we need to be careful. I can't let him destroy everything again."
He Shun reached out, gently taking Luan Xie's hand in his. "We'll figure this out, together. You're not alone in this, Luan Xie. Whatever happens, I'm here with you."
Luan Xie looked into He Shun's eyes, finding the strength and reassurance he desperately needed. He squeezed He Shun's hand, grateful for the support, but the fear lingered. If Ye Rou truly was behind that mask, then the game they were playing had just become infinitely more dangerous.