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long months must have passed when they finally got there. the city gate was as ominous as song lan remembered, looking like a domain of ghost rather than a place holding the living. and close to truth, it died soon after.
now, however, song lan blinked surprised. things have changed drastically. for once, the overwhelming fog hanging down heavily over yi city seemed to have cleared enough to keep its misty form but no longer thick enough to deceive the eye.
for xiao xingchen, everything was new and yet the strings in his heart tightened, because his body recognised every bit. the air was just the same, strong scent of woods and earth. the path they stood on was covered in stones, and xiao xingchen obviously knew each of them for he counted them every time he walked here blindly. he knew that if he closed his eyes, he'd reach their old home with no problem.
he'd be able to point exactly where he would stumble daily, never being able to remember that root peeking up from the ground even after years. he would know with no doubt where a-qing would drag him to gossip into his ear. and he would most certainly recognise the place he found dying xue yang, and the place he himself died.
he knew this place inside out, and yet to be finally able to greet it with his eyes, he felt himself involuntarily search for song lan's hand.
song lan looked at him deep in thought, rubbing circles on xingchen's trembling hand with his thumb.
"we don't have to do this," he said softly.
xingchen shook his head, "no, let's go. we've taken years to get here, let's just... let's just finish it."
song lan pulled him in and kissed his forehead, sighing, "don't let go of my hand."
xingchen swallowed down a rising stone in his throat, "i won't."
and they entered.
song lan was nicely surprised to see the city filled with people again, and it only took him a minute to realise it really shouldn't be like this. xingchen also stood up frozen.
at first, these people looked completely normal. they sold radishes and rice, some young men fighting loudly, girls giggling silently, children kicking a ball high up in the sky. there was an old man telling stories in the street, "and it came like this, a huge blue dragon!"
"dragon? ah, master shang! are you sure?"
"sure with my life, little one. what's your name, again?"
xingchen whispered silently, "master shang?"
he looked song lan deep into eyes, "back then, there was also an old storyteller named shang. but he... i–"
