Love & Legacy (Zhanyi)

33. The Confession

Zhan's favorite place.

Shoulders slumped due to the weight of the guilt of abandoning the promise he made to Yibo. To be by his side till the prince would leave for Gusu. The officer chose to come to his favorite place. Hoping that maybe the serenity of this enchanting place could help him in calming his troubled mind. Yet, sadly the truth was instead of calming down, his heart became more agitated, remembering the displeasing conversation he had this morning. The reason why he chose to come back home instead of going back to the hospital and visiting with the prince who should have woken up by then. Home, the place he started to consider as his refuge, a hideout from the harsh world, no longer gave him the warmth it once held, now that the prince was no longer there. Instead, it made the officer feel even more uncomfortable that he chose to pay a visit to his favorite place. Coming where didn't help him much as the image of the prince, when he first saw this place was still anew in Zhan's mind. Though he wanted to leave here and go somewhere where the thoughts of the prince wouldn't bother him this badly , his mind supplied him that no matter where he goes the thoughts of that prince wouldn't leave him.

Because it wasn't about the place but the person. The place Yibo preoccupied in the officer's life was so big. That no matter what he did, what he saw, everything would remind him of that one person, he was trying to forget but failing poorly. The officer couldn't even think of the time when he hadn't met the prince. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't remember how his days passed when the prince wasn't a part of them. With the thoughts of the most charming and alluring person in his eyes lulling him to sleep, the officer began to fall into slumber. Just when he finally felt a little sleepy, the buzzing of his cellphone spoiled it making the officer irritated. As he looked at the caller ID in frustration, to his surprise, it was none other than Song Jiyang who was supposed to be in the duty of escorting the prince back today. Guessing it might be something important related to the prince, the officer answered the phone.

"Officer Wei, his highness says that he wants to meet you once before leaving."
Came the response the officer wasn't quite expecting. Zhan should have known that if it wasn't for the prince, his subordinates wouldn't dare disturb him, not after he took two hours to make them understand what to do while escorting the prince to the airport, though he didn't inform them that he wouldn't be there. Sighing the officer regretted his choice of attending the call but since he already made his choice Zhan spoke sternly.

"If this all you wanted to tell me you can stop wasting your breath I am already aware of his highness's return and I'm not coming. I have things to do."
Replied the officer unaffectedly.

" Why not?"
Came the voice from the other side sounding puzzled.

"His highness is leaving tonight and I thought that you would be back here after some rest until Mr. Jiang informed us that you are on leave. Officer Wei, his highness says that he has something very important to speak to you and he don't want to leave without saying it. So please come and meet him.Who knows when either of you would get a chance to see each other again? Who knows whether you two might meet each other again or not? How can you even say that you don't want to meet him after everything both of you went through? Don't you think you will regret it for the rest of your life if you let this chance go? So please don't deny and come to the hospital okay ? "

"No! No matter how you convince me I'm not going. And don't disturb me with your pointless calls I'm very busy"
Cutting the call. Zhan who, just began to feel a little better, once again returned to his original state of mournfulness. But who would have thought? That in less than ten minutes, he would hear the voice he was yearning for but didn't truly expect to hear.

"So this is what the great officer Wei is busy with, too busy that he can't even attend the calls, too busy that he can't even come see me for one last time."
Said the prince with sarcasm looking at the officer who sat there leaning against the peach blossom tree. The prince reached there with the help of Song Jiyang, who had been supporting the prince to walk well. Since his wound was still unhealed. The stubborn person looked both paler and weak due to the loss of blood, seeing which the officer knitted his brows in annoyance.