Zhou Yequan felt his life could be considered as happy; but at the same time, it was empty.
Happy, because he had people who cared for him, even in this distant land of Bei Sui. Wu Li and Yang Liyuan always treated him as though he was their own family. Even Marquis Yang, who had become a trusted official in Bei Sui, had also taken Zhou Yequan into his family to live together.
Happy, because it was precisely Yang Wenbao who had convinced Marquis Yang to do so.
Empty, because Zhou Yequan believed, this Yang Wenbao was no longer Yang Wenbao.
On the ship, after the blinding light that seemed to be able to penetrate his unseeing eyes, he had an ominous feeling, especially when he heard the soft whisper.
"Live well," the voice had said. It undoubtedly belonged to Yang Wenbao.
The blinding light, that made the dark permanent screen of his sight dotted with white spots, seemed to make the two words echo inside his brain.
Then the clamor and noise - Wu Li's and Yang Liyuan's voices - told Zhou Yequan something had indeed happened to Yang Wenbao.
Then everyone was suddenly rejoicing because Yang Wenbao was actually alright. Zhang Yequan hated his inability to see. He was not sure what had happened or how Yang Wenbao could have gotten hurt or might not be alright in the first place.
But when he touched the person's skin, Zhou Yequan immediately felt something was amiss.
He was disgusted.
He could not bear touching this person.
He did not want to touch this person.
But this person was Yang Wenbao, was he not?
No. He was not Yang Wenbao.
He did not know how or why, but the Yang Wenbao he liked, the one he wanted, had gone from his world, leaving behind the two words of a cruel order, "Live well."
Zhou Yequan lived well.
Not long after everyone settled down in Bei Sui, the Yang clan was not mistreated by the Bei Sui royal family. It was not a secret, the newly-arrived Yang Wenbao was the hero who had gotten rid of the monstrous calamity that had attacked Bei Sui. The Yang family was bestowed with land, handsomely-built manor, and the title of 'Bei Sui's protector'.
Wu Li and Yang Liyuan finally made their relationship known to Marquis Yang. Because of it, Marquis Yang holed himself inside the manor for more than a week.
Only when Yang Wenbao coaxed his father out with a proposition, was the Marquis willing to come out and be merry again.
The proposition was precisely Yang Wenbao's marriage to Great Wei's beloved Fourth Princess, Zhou Yunzhu. The Fifth Prince, Zhou Yunzhen, was to accompany his sister as well, both wanting to call Bei Sui their new home.
With these elegant and well-mannered siblings - no matter if they shared the same blood or not - Zhou Yequan's days became noisier, but in a good way. When his old servant finally passed away, Yang Wenbao and Zhou Yunzhu took it upon themselves to make sure his needs were met, his blindness was never an inconvenience to anyone.
When Yang Wenbao and Zhou Yunzhu had their first child, Yang Wenbao insisted for Zhou Yequan to be his son's godfather.
Zhou Yequan wanted to cry, but his eyes were incapable of doing so. While holding the bundle of a cooing baby, he asked Yang Wenbao, "Why... are you good to me?"
Yang Wenbao patted his gloved hands and his words were soft but clear, "He's given me all I have now, you're his most beloved person. Although I cannot take care of you like he intended to, this is the least I can do."
Zhou Yequan knew then, this 'Yang Wenbao' already knew.
Zhou Yunzhen and Yang Xiqin became close as well, finally cementing their relationship with another marriage. Marquis Yang was very blessed and the Yang clan was sure to flourish in the future.
There were a total of five children between Yang Wenbao and Zhou Yunzhu, as well as Zhou Yunzhen and Yang Xiqin. Every single one of them called Zhou Yequan 'godfather'.
"Live well," he had said.
Zhou Yequan laid on his bed, surrounded by the choking, sobbing sounds of his godchildren and grandsons and granddaughters. The older generations had moved onto either heaven or the underworld, leaving Zhou Yequan behind.
He had truly lived well, and had been loved well. But the love he wanted the most was not in this world.
"If I chase after you now, will I catch you?" a pair of chapped lips muttered in broken sounds, an old thin body with white hair just waiting for his lungs to finally give up.
A melodious tender female voice, a familiar one he had heard somewhere before, perhaps in another lifetime, perhaps in a dream, "I'll make sure I'll bring your soul to the world where you'll meet him again."
Zhou Yequan smiled.
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Runexi's notes:
And that's the end of Arc 2. Boy that's a long one *wipes sweat*. Next planned two arcs, do tell me if there's one you prefer first over the others:
Modern entertainment industry. (Movie emperor and an idol)
ABO world. (I'm sorry, my boys are both Alphas. Hmph!)
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Because It's You
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