Luan Xie and He Shun ran, their feet pounding against the forest floor, branches whipping past them as they pushed forward. The adrenaline carried them far, further than either could have imagined, until the sound of their own ragged breathing was the only thing they could hear. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they stopped, collapsing against the rough bark of nearby trees, gasping for air.
He Shun wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing around to make sure they hadn't been followed. Once he was certain, he let out a heavy sigh. "Zhong Qing... he didn't come."
Luan Xie didn't respond immediately. He stared off into the distance, his chest still heaving as he tried to catch his breath. A knot of worry twisted inside him, even though they had escaped. Zhong Qing had made his choice, but that didn't make it easier. Despite everything, despite the betrayal, Luan Xie couldn't shake the concern gnawing at him.
He Shun shifted uncomfortably, sensing the weight of Luan Xie's silence. "You don't think—"
"Stop." Luan Xie's voice was soft but firm, cutting through the tension between them. He didn't want to entertain the thought. He didn't want to believe that Zhong Qing, his once-loyal friend, was gone. Deep down, a part of him still hoped Zhong Qing would find a way to survive.
Despite everything, despite the pain and the lies, Zhong Qing had once been someone Luan Xie trusted. And that bond, fractured as it was, couldn't just be erased.
The silence stretched between them, heavy and laden with unspoken fears. Luan Xie stared at the ground, his fingers absently tracing the dirt beneath him, his mind elsewhere. He tried to focus on the present—on the fact that they were still alive, that they had escaped Ye Rou for now. But his thoughts kept circling back to Zhong Qing, to the last fleeting moments they had seen him, the bitter determination in his eyes as he turned to face Ye Rou.
He Shun shifted beside him, trying to ease the tension. "We're safe, for now at least," he said, his voice quiet, though it held little comfort.
Luan Xie nodded, though the gesture felt hollow. He wasn't sure what 'safe' meant anymore. Yes, they had made it away from Ye Rou's immediate grasp, but how long could they keep running? And how much further could they go before everything fell apart? There was no certainty in this life—not with the past he carried, not with the enemies hunting them.
"He didn't have to do it," Luan Xie finally muttered, breaking the silence. His voice was low, almost a whisper, but He Shun heard the weight of regret in it.
"Zhong Qing?"
Luan Xie's throat tightened. "He... he didn't have to stay behind. He could have come with us. Fought with us. Maybe we could've found another way."
He Shun looked at him, his eyes softening. "Do you really believe that?"
Luan Xie was silent again, the question hanging in the air. Did he? A part of him wanted to believe that there had been a path where Zhong Qing could have redeemed himself, where they could have stood together against Ye Rou. But another part of him knew that Zhong Qing had been too broken, too tied to the past they shared. Maybe there had never been a way out for him.
"Zhong Qing made his choice," He Shun said after a moment, his tone gentle but firm. "And it wasn't because of you. It was because of Ye Rou."
Luan Xie swallowed, his heart aching at the truth of it. He knew He Shun was right. Zhong Qing had been caught in Ye Rou's web for too long, trapped by his own feelings of loyalty, love, and guilt. But that didn't make it any easier to accept.
He leaned his head back against the tree, staring up at the canopy of leaves above them. "I just don't know how it came to this," he murmured. "How did we all end up here?"
He Shun shifted closer, his hand brushing against Luan Xie's. "It doesn't matter how we got here. What matters is where we go from now."
Luan Xie turned to look at him, finding a glimmer of reassurance in He Shun's eyes. The chaos of the past felt like an endless storm, but here, with He Shun, there was at least a moment of calm. A small shred of hope that, no matter how impossible things seemed, they could still find a way through.
He let out a long breath. "I hope you're right."
"I know I am," He Shun said with a small smile. "Besides, we've come too far to give up now."
Luan Xie managed a faint smile in return, though the worry in his heart didn't fully fade. He knew they couldn't keep running forever, and eventually, Ye Rou would find them again. And when that time came, they would have to face the full force of his wrath. But for now, at least, they had each other.
And that, Luan Xie reminded himself, was something worth fighting for.
One thought lingered in Luan Xie's mind, a shadow that refused to fade—the undeniable truth that this world, the one he had come to know with He Shun, wasn't his. As much as he wished to stay, sooner or later, he would be forced to leave. It was inevitable, a fate he could neither escape nor control.
And if he returned to his world, Ye Rou would be dragged back with him.
Luan Xie clenched his fists, the weight of this realization sinking deeper. If he left, He Shun would finally be safe. No more running, no more fear of Ye Rou's relentless pursuit. It was the only way to ensure He Shun's protection.
But how could he explain this to He Shun? How could he tell the one person he cared about that he needed to leave, not just for his own sake but for He Shun's? He knew He Shun too well—if he so much as hinted at this plan, He Shun would fight it. He would never let him go willingly, not without trying to stop him.
Luan Xie sighed, running a hand through his hair. No, he couldn't tell He Shun. Not yet. He needed to find a way to return on his own, in secret. For He Shun's safety, for his peace, Luan Xie would have to make the hardest decision of his life. But keeping it from He Shun was the only way.
For now, he would stay by He Shun's side, pretending everything was fine. But deep inside, Luan Xie was already planning his escape from a world he had grown to love—a world he knew he could never truly belong to.
As Luan Xie sat quietly, lost in his thoughts about returning to his world, He Shun turned to him, noticing the distant look in his eyes. "You're thinking too much again, aren't you?" He Shun asked softly, his voice tinged with concern. He shifted closer to Luan Xie, resting a hand on his knee.
Luan Xie blinked, snapping out of his reverie. He forced a small smile and nodded. "I guess I am. Just… things on my mind."
He Shun studied his face, eyes searching for an answer Luan Xie wasn't ready to give. But instead of pushing, He Shun sighed and leaned in closer, resting his head on Luan Xie's shoulder. "You know, sometimes you think too much about the past or the future. But what about right now?" His voice was gentle, grounding, pulling Luan Xie back to the present moment.
Luan Xie felt the warmth of He Shun's body next to his, the steady rise and fall of his breath. It was moments like these that made everything feel bearable—the quiet, intimate moments that He Shun created so effortlessly. It was as if He Shun always knew what Luan Xie needed, even when Luan Xie himself didn't.
"Right now?" Luan Xie echoed, his voice barely a whisper as he turned to look at He Shun. Their faces were so close that he could see the soft curve of He Shun's lips, the way his eyes sparkled despite the exhaustion from their escape.
He Shun nodded, a small, mischievous smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah. Right now. Like this." He reached up, his fingers brushing lightly against Luan Xie's cheek, tracing the line of his jaw with a tenderness that made Luan Xie's heart stutter.
For a moment, everything else faded away—the danger, the fear, the ticking clock counting down to the moment Luan Xie would have to leave. All that mattered was He Shun, right here, right now, with his hand on Luan Xie's skin, his touch sending a warmth through him that chased away the cold of uncertainty.
Without thinking, Luan Xie tilted his head slightly, leaning into He Shun's touch. His hand came up to rest over He Shun's, holding it there as if anchoring himself to the moment, to He Shun. "You're right," he murmured, his voice low. "I've been thinking too much about things I can't control."
He Shun smiled softly, his thumb brushing against Luan Xie's cheek in a slow, soothing motion. "You don't have to control everything, you know," he said quietly, his eyes locked onto Luan Xie's. "Sometimes, it's okay to just… let go."
Luan Xie's chest tightened at those words. Letting go wasn't something he was good at. He had spent so long trying to hold on—to people, to memories, to the past. But in He Shun's gaze, he saw a different kind of freedom. One that wasn't about escaping or running away, but about being present, about embracing the here and now.
He Shun moved closer, his forehead resting gently against Luan Xie's. "I'm here with you. That's what matters, right? No matter what happens, I'll always be here." His voice was barely above a whisper, the words meant just for Luan Xie, a promise that hung in the air between them.
For a brief moment, Luan Xie allowed himself to believe in that promise, to let go of the future he feared. He closed his eyes, leaning into the closeness, the warmth, the safety of He Shun's presence. He felt He Shun's breath, warm and steady against his lips, and before he knew it, they were kissing—slow, soft, and unhurried, like they had all the time in the world.
Luan Xie's heart fluttered in his chest, a mix of emotions swirling inside him. The kiss wasn't rushed or desperate; it was gentle, filled with the unspoken understanding that, in this moment, they had each other. He Shun's lips moved against his with a tenderness that made Luan Xie's chest ache, his hands coming up to cradle the back of Luan Xie's neck, pulling him closer.
Time seemed to stop. The world outside, with all its dangers and uncertainties, faded into the background. All that existed was this—He Shun's lips on his, their hearts beating in sync, the quiet sound of their breath mingling in the space between them.
When they finally pulled away, He Shun kept his forehead pressed against Luan Xie's, their breaths still mingling in the cool morning air. His eyes fluttered open, meeting Luan Xie's gaze with a warmth that made Luan Xie's heart feel full in a way he hadn't felt in years.
"You don't have to carry everything on your own, you know," He Shun whispered, his fingers brushing through Luan Xie's hair gently. "We'll figure it out together."
Luan Xie swallowed, his throat tight with emotion. He wanted to believe that—he wanted to believe that they could somehow find a way to be together, that they could make this moment last forever. But deep down, he knew it wasn't that simple. There were things he couldn't control, things he couldn't change. No matter how much he wanted to stay, the universe had other plans for him.
But for now, in this moment, he let himself believe. He let himself sink into the warmth of He Shun's arms, into the quiet promise of a love that felt too good to be true.
"Together," Luan Xie repeated softly, his voice barely a whisper as he pressed another kiss to He Shun's lips, sealing the promise between them, even if it was one that couldn't last forever.
For now, it was enough. For now, they had each other.
As the kiss ended, they lingered in the quiet, the forest surrounding them like a protective cocoon. The tension that had weighed heavily on Luan Xie's chest seemed to lift, replaced by a sense of calm he hadn't known in years. He Shun leaned back slightly, still close enough that their hands remained intertwined, fingers locked together in a quiet, intimate connection.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke, their breaths the only sound between them. It was as if they both knew that words weren't necessary right now—that the silence said enough, that the kiss had spoken volumes about everything they were too afraid to say aloud.
He Shun finally broke the silence, his voice soft but steady. "Luan Xie… you don't have to hide anything from me. Whatever you're feeling, I want to know." His gaze was sincere, searching Luan Xie's face for any hint of what might be going on inside his mind.
Luan Xie hesitated. He didn't want to burden He Shun with the truth, not now when they had just found a brief moment of peace. But he also couldn't shake the feeling that He Shun deserved to know—deserved to understand the weight he carried, the danger that loomed over them.
"I'm just… scared," Luan Xie admitted, his voice quiet and raw. "Scared of what's coming. Scared of what it'll mean for us."
He Shun's grip on his hand tightened, his thumb gently stroking the back of Luan Xie's hand in a soothing gesture. "We'll face it together. Whatever it is, we'll get through it. You're not alone."
Luan Xie nodded, but his heart still ached with the knowledge that this couldn't last. He could feel the pull of his old world, the invisible tether that would eventually drag him back, away from He Shun and the quiet life they had built together. But he couldn't say that, not now—not when He Shun was looking at him with such unwavering trust and belief.
Instead, he forced a smile, leaning into He Shun's warmth. "I know," he whispered, though the words felt heavy in his throat. "I know."
For a while, they sat like that, their bodies pressed close together, their hands intertwined. Luan Xie let himself fall into the rhythm of He Shun's breathing, the gentle rise and fall of his chest a steady reminder that, for now, they had this moment. For now, they were together.
He Shun broke the stillness again, his voice a playful whisper against Luan Xie's ear. "You know, we still haven't had breakfast."
Luan Xie let out a soft laugh, the tension easing from his shoulders as he tilted his head to meet He Shun's gaze. "I suppose we should do something about that."
He Shun smiled, his eyes twinkling with that familiar warmth. "Come on, let's find something to eat. We'll need our strength for whatever comes next."
Luan Xie nodded, allowing himself to be pulled up by He Shun, their hands still locked together as they made their way through the trees. The forest felt different now—less like a place to hide and more like a sanctuary, a space where, for just a little longer, they could be together without the outside world intruding.
As they walked, the tension in Luan Xie's chest eased just a little, replaced by a quiet resolve. He would find a way to protect He Shun, to keep him safe from the dangers of his world. Even if that meant leaving. Even if it meant breaking both their hearts in the process.
But for now, he held on to the warmth of He Shun's hand in his, the sound of their footsteps mingling with the rustling leaves. He held on to the promise of this moment, fleeting as it might be, and let himself believe that maybe, just maybe, they could have more moments like this.
Together.