Fated (Wangxian)

#20#

“Baba…” Ayuan whispered, watching the great Hanguang Jun sitting on the cold ground, trembling, while holding Yingying’s small hands in his, tightly, as if his life depended on it.

His ever so stoic face was marred by a deep frown of distress for everyone to see how frightened he was with the idea of letting go of his Love’s hands, thinking that Ying’er would disappear once again, leaving him behind in this cruel, heartless world.

“Mn?”

“It’s almost dawn now, baba. Promise, I won't leave my BunBun alone even for a minute. I will stay here and look after our Yingying so please, go and have some rest. You honestly need it, baba. Your eyes are swollen red with crying and your face looks dull with exhaustion. You don’t want to scare our grown up Yingying as soon as he opens his eyes, do you?!” Ayuan tried once again, in his cautious calm voice to persuade his baba to get up from the place where he remained frozen, and unmoving since last night.

Not wanting to leave his place even to have food or change his blood stained clothes or even to have a short nap.

Ayuan knew, he could see it clearly, if his childishly stubborn baba didn’t get up to have some rest now, he'd most probably be lying next to his precious Yingying, completely exhausted and unconsciousness within an hour...

“I w-won’t.....” Lan Zhan breathed out, tightening his hold on his soulmate’s soft hands even more when suddenly he heard a muffled groan of pain and at once, snapped his head to look at his gorgeous, sweet Ying’er regaining his conscious, after staying absolutely still and silent for excruciatingly long hours.

“Ying’er!” Lan Zhan's soul called out for its mate, his deep voice filled with hope, happiness, unbearable longing, and relief but laced with a gripping, underlying fear gnawing at his heart.

Even before Yingying could open his silver eyes and adapt to the soft cool light at the break of dawn, his brows curved into a deep frown hearing the painfully familiar voice of Zhan gege, which he didn’t expect to hear as the first thing when he was finally able to regain his consciousness after dying, and therefore, asked in an uncertain, confused voice, “P-Prince Zhan?!”

Lan Zhan sucked in a sharp breath, horrified.

He'd been praying, begging the deities since last night to just let his soulmate have some peace by NOT making him remember any of the bitter events of their previous life and yet…

That one name, those first two words  were the last thing Lan Zhan wanted to hear from his beloved’s plump lips and still, things rarely went the way he wanted and now, he could feel his heart almost giving up on him. He'd feel it thundering violently, preparing itself for another heartbreak, another painful rejection by its mate while he embraced himself to witness the hurt and disappointment glistening in his precious Ying's silver eyes…

“A-Ayuan gege?! Zhan gege…urgh my head, i-it’s hurting so bad!!!” Yingying cried out, rubbing his forehead as he curled up in pain, kicking both Ayuan and Lan Zhan into a frenzy of actions to arrange ointments and medicinal broths to relieve their little Yingying from his splitting headache.

“My BunBun… are you feeling better now?!” Ayuan asked carefully, after a short while, noticing his baba who was still unable to gather his courage and talk to Ying’er, feeling too scared of being rejected and pushed far away the moment they touched the topic of their past life, about which Ayuan was still not completely aware, except for having an idea about the major events as explained by Uncle Xichen.

“I’m… my head doesn’t hurt anymore, Ayuan gege, but I- I don’t know what is happening... Who am I really? Why am I feeling so confused, upset, scared a- and so heartbroken?!! I just…I don’t want to stay here. Please, I want to go outside, walk in fresh air and maybe... have some time for myself to clear my mind.

Besides, this new body of mine, it’s so familiar and yet so- uncomfortable. I want to know how it feels to walk, to talk and to fight beside you like I have always wanted.

I wanted to grow up quickly like you and look! I did it! I want to know how tall I am now and also, I want to know how much all my powers and abilities have increased now!

I can feel the change.

I know, I can stay in my human form for over twelve hours and look! I can even hide my ears and tail now!

I will look like you all, will be able to cultivate, learn new things, learn how to fight and do everything that I have always wanted!... So, Ayuan gege, will you accompany your BunBun, please?

I promise I won’t go far away. Just the area outside Jingshi, close tto the back mountains,” Ying'er mumbled sweetly in a tiny voice filled with uncertainty while looking into Ayuan gege’s hazel brown eyes hopefully.

Intentionally ignoring his Zhan gege’s longing, sorrowful gaze.

Ayuan felt like his baba was staring at him with a look full of betrayal mixed with hurt, pain and jealousy but at the moment, his BunBun needed him.

After yesterday’s frightful incident, Ayuan vowed he would do anything to make his BunBun feel belonged, loved and understood.

He promised himself, never to speak so mindlessly like he did yesterday and unconsciously hurt his BunBun, pushing him into running away from everyone in search of a place where he feels belonged.

He was already aware of everything that Yingying experienced while he was away. The incidents of red-eyed bloodhounds of the forest and back mountains were all explained to him along with a short briefing of their previous life. His Uncle Xichen made sure he was completely aware of the sensitive condition Yingying might wake up with and how they could handle it without hurting the kind, beautiful soul any more than he was already feeling.

"Alright, let’s go." Ayuan said in a firm voice, smiling at his BunBun warmly, "But we can’t let anyone in the Cloud Recesses see you in your human form at the moment so we'll have to come back in time before they're all awake.

Although no one is allowed to go in the back mountains without baba’s permission, we still need to be a bit careful, okay?!” Ayuan asked gently looking into his adorable BunBun's cautious doe-like silver eyes with a serene soft smile on his face.

“Yes!”

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