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Chapter 3: Fate at the Shore

As he walked along the beach, Dayu felt a sense of peace and contentment wash over him. For the first time in years, he felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be. He looked around, taking in the beauty of the place, and his eyes met those of a stranger walking towards him. Time seemed to stand still as the stranger approached him, his eyes locked onto Dayu's. Dayu's mind went blank as he struggled to process what was happening. 

Without noticing, warm tears were already trickling down Dayu's face. Yet he didn't realize this and only noticed once the stranger came to him and wiped the tears gently for him. 

As if he was shocked by lightning, Dayu was shocked by huge waves of emotions. Once the stranger's fingertips touched his cheek, Dayu suddenly had a "vision." He also saw the shock on the stranger's face.

He remembered the dream where they had shouted something together to the ocean at the empty beach. They were screaming in joy, but in the dream, he couldn't understand what they were saying.

He saw it now. Sitting beside him on the warm sand, the stranger shouted, "I'm Wang Qing, I'm 18 years old, and I'm Feng Jianyu's boyfriend!" with a huge smile on his face. And then Dayu had followed, grinning widely, "I'm Feng Jianyu! I'm also 18 years old, and I'm Wang Qing's boyfriend!"

Dayu's tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he was struck with a sudden memory of the dream. He reached up and grasped the stranger's hand, hoping that he, too, would remember. "Wang Qing?" he whispered.

On the other side, Wang Qing's heart skipped a beat as he heard his name spoken by the person he had been searching for the last couple of days. He took a step forward and cupped Dayu's face in his hands, gazing deeply into his eyes. "Dayu... I finally found you." Suddenly, it was as if a dam had burst within them, and all the emotions that they had been holding back came flooding out.

Wang Qing had never been a person with a lot of emotions. All his life, he had a feeling that something was missing, but now that this man was in front of him, in his reach, he felt like he could finally breathe. 

As Wang Qing's gaze locked with Dayu's, a sudden gust of wind from the ocean brushed against their faces, carrying with it the salty scent of the sea. Dayu could feel the warmth emanating from Wang Qing's hand on his cheek, and he leaned into the touch, savoring the tenderness of the moment.

Without breaking eye contact, Wang Qing leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on Dayu's forehead, sending shivers down his spine. The waves crashed against the shore, their sound blending with the sound of their racing hearts.

They both felt a deep longing for each other that they couldn't quite explain. Even though they were both confused and unsure about what was happening, their hearts were telling them that they needed to be together. They were drawn to each other like two magnets, and nothing could stop them from being reunited.

Neither of them spoke as if words were unnecessary. They simply stood there, relishing the electricity that coursed between them, knowing that they were meant to be together.

                                                                                ------------------------

As the night wore on, the moon rose higher in the sky, casting a soft glow over the beach. Dayu and Wang Qing sat on the beach, looking out at the ocean. Dayu couldn't believe how different the beach looked compared to what he had seen in old photos from the 1930s. "I can't believe this used to be a popular vacation spot back then," he said.

Wang Qing chuckled. "Yeah, things have certainly changed. But the ocean and the stars remain the same, and that's all that matters."

Dayu nodded, feeling a sense of nostalgia wash over him. He couldn't help but wonder if Wang Qing was feeling the same thing. They had a past together; he knew that much. But he didn't know what had happened between them or how they had ended up in this strange new world of shared dreams.

They spent the rest of the night talking, sharing stories about their lives, and discovering more about each other. And with each touch of their skin, they felt more of the visions and memories flooding their minds like a movie playing out before their eyes.

The vision of the beach was no longer fuzzy and fragmented but vivid and clear, like a memory they had lived through. Before running off to the beach, they saw themselves sitting at a table, surrounded by their families, holding hands and beaming with happiness as they shared the news of their relationship. But their joy was short-lived as they watched their families' reactions of confusion, disapproval, and even anger. Inside their tent at night at the beach, the feeling of anxiety and uncertainty in Dayu's chest hit him like a hurricane. It was as if the weight of their families' disapproval was pressing down on him, suffocating him. Wang Qing's hand in his was the only anchor he had at that moment, the only thing that kept him from drowning in his own fear.

"Have you ever experienced anything like this before?" Wang Qing asked, breaking Dayu's train of thought.

"No, never," Dayu replied, his voice a bit shakily from the intense fear that he had just felt. "I've had dreams before, but nothing like these. They feel so real, so vivid."

Wang Qing nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. It's like we're actually there, living in that world. But why do you think we're having these dreams?"

Feeling a sense of helplessness wash over him, Dayu answered, "I have no idea. Maybe it's just a coincidence?" He blurted nonsense as he was scared Wang Qing didn't have the same thoughts as him. 

Wang Qing frowned, looking thoughtful. "I don't believe in coincidences, especially not ones like this. There has to be a reason why we're dreaming about the same place and each other."

He paused for a moment before saying, "I can't shake the feeling that we've known each other before. Maybe we were given a second chance to be together."

Dayu's eyes widened at Wang Qing's words. "You think so too?"

Wang Qing took a deep breath before continuing. "Yes. And it makes me wonder... what happened in our past life? Was our love story so tragic that we were given another chance?"

Dayu's heart skipped a beat at the thought of a past life with Wang Qing. "It's possible," he said softly. Dayu couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the idea of a past life and a love story that transcends time. "I just hope we can figure out what happened in our past life. It feels like there's a missing piece to our story," he continued. 

Wang Qing reached out and took Dayu's hand in his, squeezing it gently. "We will find out," he said. "Whatever it takes."

Dayu felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He had never felt this way about anyone before, not even in his wildest dreams. And he was glad that he wasn't alone in this strange, yet wonderful, experience.

As the night came to a close, they lay on the beach. Holding hands, they were watching the stars twinkle in the sky.