Zhong Qing found himself increasingly bewildered as the days passed. The kiss Ye Rou had forced upon him still lingered in his mind, an intense, confusing memory that left him questioning everything. The rawness of the moment, the desperation in Ye Rou's actions—it had shaken Zhong Qing to his core. Yet now, just as abruptly as the kiss had come, Ye Rou seemed to be ignoring him entirely.
It was as if Ye Rou had decided to pretend nothing had happened. The man who had stormed into his room, who had kissed him with such fierce intensity, was now distant, cold, almost indifferent. Ye Rou had retreated into himself, avoiding Zhong Qing as though the kiss had never occurred. The silence between them, once strained with unresolved tension, now felt even more unsettling, heavy with the weight of what had been left unsaid.
Zhong Qing couldn't understand it. The abrupt shift in Ye Rou's behavior left him feeling adrift, caught between the memory of the kiss and the stark reality of the present. Yesterday, Ye Rou had seemed so certain, so determined to reclaim something between them. But now, it was as if he had turned away, choosing distance over confrontation, leaving Zhong Qing to grapple with the confusing emotions on his own.
The inconsistency gnawed at Zhong Qing, filling him with a mix of frustration and hurt. He wasn't sure how to approach Ye Rou, how to navigate this sudden change. The silence between them felt more suffocating than ever, yet Zhong Qing hesitated to break it, uncertain of what Ye Rou's response would be.
Zhong Qing wanted to confront him, to demand an explanation for the kiss, for the sudden coldness that followed. But something held him back, a lingering fear of what he might uncover if he pressed too hard. The uncertainty weighed heavily on his mind, leaving him restless and uneasy, unsure of how to move forward.
Zhong Qing had tried, desperately, to push his feelings for Ye Rou aside, to bury them deep where they couldn't hurt him anymore. He had thought that distancing himself, building up walls, would be enough to protect his heart. But after everything that had happened—the heated confrontation, the kiss that left him reeling—he realized that forgetting his feelings for Ye Rou was no longer possible.
Every time he closed his eyes, the memory of Ye Rou's lips on his, the raw intensity of that moment, came rushing back. It was as if the kiss had unlocked something within him, something he had been trying to suppress for so long. The feelings he had tried so hard to deny were now impossible to ignore, seeping into his thoughts, his dreams, and his every waking moment.
Zhong Qing found himself caught in an emotional tug-of-war. On one side, there was the deep hurt and anger he felt over Ye Rou's actions—the control, the manipulation, the way Ye Rou had tried to claim him like a possession. But on the other side, there was the undeniable pull, the feelings that had always simmered beneath the surface, feelings he had once cherished before everything had gone so wrong.
He tried to distract himself, to focus on anything other than Ye Rou, but it was no use. The more he tried to forget, the more his thoughts circled back to him. The truth was staring him in the face: despite everything, despite the pain and the anger, his feelings for Ye Rou were as strong as ever. And now, after everything that had transpired, those feelings were more complicated than ever before.
Zhong Qing felt trapped in his own emotions, unable to find a way out. He didn't want to feel this way, didn't want to be so affected by Ye Rou's every action, every word. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the hold Ye Rou had on his heart. And as much as he wanted to distance himself, he knew deep down that Ye Rou had become a part of him, a part he couldn't simply forget or walk away from.
He was left with a painful realization: no matter how much he tried to move on, Ye Rou was still there, in his heart, in his mind, in the very fabric of his being. And as much as it hurt to admit, he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to let him go.
Zhong Qing had wrestled with his emotions long enough, and he finally came to a decision. The turmoil inside him, the conflicting feelings for Ye Rou, had reached a breaking point. He realized that the only way to reclaim a semblance of control over his life was to return to where it all began—to the time before everything had become so complicated, so overwhelming.
He needed to go back home, back to the past, where things were simpler, where he could distance himself from the mess his life had become in this future.
With that resolve, Zhong Qing sought out Ye Rou. His steps were steady, his heart firm in its decision. When he found Ye Rou, the man was alone in one of the mansion's spacious rooms, looking out of the large window that overlooked the cityscape of this unfamiliar future.
Zhong Qing took a deep breath, steadying himself before speaking. "I want to go back home," he said, his voice clear and determined.
Ye Rou turned to face him, surprise flashing across his features. For a moment, he didn't respond, simply staring at Zhong Qing as if trying to process the request. The weight of those words, the finality of them, hung between them like a palpable force.
"You want to go back?" Ye Rou finally asked, his voice low, as if he was trying to keep his emotions in check. "Back to our time?"
Zhong Qing nodded, his resolve unwavering. "Yes," he said firmly. "There's nothing for me here anymore. This place… this time… it's too much. I need to return to where I belong."
Ye Rou's eyes narrowed slightly, and Zhong Qing could see the storm brewing behind them. "And you think leaving will solve everything?" he asked, a hint of bitterness seeping into his tone. "You think running away to the past will change what's happened between us?"
Zhong Qing's heart tightened, but he didn't back down. "It's not about running away," he replied, his voice calm. "It's about finding peace. There's too much here—too much pain, too much confusion. I need to go back, Ye Rou. I need to find myself again, away from all of this."
Ye Rou's expression hardened, the anger and frustration he'd been keeping in check starting to surface. "And what about us?" he demanded. "You think leaving is the answer? That you can just go back and forget everything? Forget me?"
Zhong Qing looked away for a moment, his heart heavy. "I could never forget you," he admitted quietly. "But I need to be somewhere where I can breathe, where I can think clearly. I can't do that here, not like this."
Ye Rou clenched his jaw, his fists tightening at his sides. The idea of Zhong Qing leaving, of returning to the past without him, was something he hadn't anticipated, and it shook him in ways he wasn't prepared for. "If you go back, I might never see you again," Ye Rou said, the vulnerability in his voice barely masked by his anger.
Zhong Qing looked back at him, his expression softening despite the tension between them. "Maybe that's for the best," he said, though the words pained him more than he let on. "We both need to heal, Ye Rou. And I can't do that here, not in this time, not when everything reminds me of what we've lost."
The silence that followed was heavy, filled with unspoken words and unresolved emotions. Zhong Qing's decision was final, and they both knew it. The future, once filled with potential, now felt like a prison, and the only way out was to return to the past—to a time before their hearts had been so irrevocably entwined, and then shattered by the weight of their choices.
Ye Rou's eyes flashed with determination, his tone brooking no argument. "I do not allow it," he declared, his voice cold and commanding. "You will stay here with me, whether you like it or not."
Zhong Qing felt a chill run through him at Ye Rou's words. The possessiveness in Ye Rou's voice was undeniable, laced with an intensity that bordered on desperation. It was as if Ye Rou was trying to hold on to something slipping through his fingers, refusing to let go even as it became more evident that Zhong Qing's heart was no longer his to claim.
"Ye Rou, you can't just force me to stay," Zhong Qing said, trying to keep his voice calm despite the anger and hurt simmering beneath the surface. "This isn't about what you want—it's about what I need. I can't keep living like this, trapped in a future that feels more like a prison than a life."
Ye Rou took a step closer, his eyes locked onto Zhong Qing's with an intensity that made it clear he wasn't willing to back down. "You belong here, with me," he insisted, his voice low and fierce. "I won't let you go back. I won't let you leave me behind."
Zhong Qing's heart pounded in his chest, the weight of Ye Rou's words pressing down on him. He had known Ye Rou was possessive, that his love came with strings attached, but this—this was something different. It was as if Ye Rou was trying to bend fate to his will, to force Zhong Qing into a future he couldn't bear to stay in.
"You don't get to decide that," Zhong Qing replied, his voice trembling slightly but firm in its resolve. "I'm not your possession, Ye Rou. I'm a person with my own choices, my own life. You can't keep me here against my will."
Ye Rou's expression darkened, his jaw clenching as he struggled to maintain control. "I'm not letting you go," he repeated, each word punctuated with finality. "You're mine, Zhong Qing. You've always been mine, and I won't lose you now—not to the past, not to anyone."
The intensity of Ye Rou's gaze was suffocating, and Zhong Qing felt a wave of conflicting emotions wash over him. Part of him wanted to fight back, to demand his freedom, but another part—one that had been worn down by years of complicated emotions—hesitated. Ye Rou's need for control, his refusal to let go, was as familiar as it was terrifying.
But deep down, Zhong Qing knew that staying would only prolong the inevitable. The connection they once had was broken, twisted by years of unspoken resentment and unresolved feelings. As much as Ye Rou wanted to keep him close, Zhong Qing knew that staying would only lead to more pain—for both of them.
"You're wrong," Zhong Qing finally said, his voice soft but resolute. "You can't hold onto something that's already gone. Whatever we had, it's over. You have to let me go, Ye Rou."
For a moment, Ye Rou didn't respond, the words hanging between them like a challenge. The room felt smaller, the air thick with tension as they stood facing each other, neither willing to back down. But as Zhong Qing watched, he saw something flicker in Ye Rou's eyes—a hint of vulnerability beneath the anger, a crack in the facade.
And yet, even as he saw that flicker of doubt, Ye Rou's resolve remained unyielding. "No," Ye Rou whispered, his voice laced with both determination and a hint of desperation. "I won't let you leave me."
Zhong Qing felt a deep sadness settle over him, realizing that no matter what he said, Ye Rou wasn't going to change his mind. The man he had once loved was still there, buried beneath layers of control and possessiveness, but the gap between them had grown too wide to bridge.