Yi City Arc Continuation | XueXiao (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 17

Yubin was taken off guard by that question. He just kept staring at Xingchen, unable utter a word.

"Why aren't you answering me? What even are you? WHAT'S YOUR IDENTITY?" Xiao Xingchen shouted, he couldn't withstand the curiosity anymore.

"D-daozhang, I am Yubin. You already k-know me. I-"

"Know you? I know you? Do I really know who you are?" Xiao Xingchen mumbled those words, a pathetic grin appeared on his face. As if he was forcefully letting out a laugh.

"I wish, I knew. I just wish. I don't care about your name. But, just...just tell me one thing. What are you? After I cameback, you never...NEVER left me for a moment. I heard your voice every single day, a felt your presence beside me, you walked beside me like my shadow...why?" Xingchen spoke out, taking a step forward.

Yubin shivered slightly as he kept backing off. "I-i was supposed to take care of you, D-daozhang...Master Song told me t-to do so. It's not m-my fault..."

"Oh, so you mean, all the things you did....was just because Zichen told you to take care of me? You even fought with that innocent seller!"

"No Daozhang! I do really care about you...Wait, I didn't fight with that seller! I swear!"

"It was definitely you! I smelt a caramel scent coming from him. The exact smell which was coming from you, when you were dragging me out to of coffin home. Also, it didn't come from the candy seller's shop. That old man always kept those candies hidden, because they were rare.

That means, you are the one who fought with him." Xingchen stood straight, his voice came out deeper then the ocean. In his mind, he wasn't even sure if Yubin did it or not. He just wanted an answer, to an unknown question.

Yubin gulped the lump down his throat as he felt a cold streak of sweat trickle down his forehead. "Daozhang...I..."

"You can't answer now? Haha. How cheap your 'fake caring' can be? If only....only you laughed with me everyday, every night...I might've feel so good. But, you chose the wrong path Yubin. I thought, you were different...

I thought, you really understood me. More than that, you....r-reminded me of someone. Coming into my life with a sudden accident, staying with me like a part of my life...But in the end, why am I the one who's suffering?" Xingchen asked, a tear trickled down his pale cheek, staining the piece of cloth which was tightened around his eyes.

Yubin kept staring at Xingchen, wanting to speak up and try to prove himself innocent. But, no words left from him mouth, they were caught deep inside his throat.

"A-Yubin....why are you doing this? That man did nothing wrong to you. Yet, you-"

"Nothing wrong? What do you mean by nothing wrong Daozhang? He slandered and bullied you for your blindness!" Yubin finally spoke out, voice full of anger and rage.

"You were not there when he slandered me. Were you watching me? Even if you were, you don't have the right to beat him up like that!....If you really are like that, just leave me. I don't want to hear from you ever again."

"Daozhang? Why are you pushing me away like this? What did I do?" Yubin asked, looking at Xingchen with teary eyes.

"What did you do? You tried to kill that poor man, Yubin. Why don't you understand? Do you think I don't feel anything? I feel yours eyes on me, you follow my every single move. Just because I can't see with my eyes, does that mean, I don't even f-feel anything?" Xingchen cried out, his cheeks were all wet by now. He didn't know what to do. As much he wanted someone to hug him, more then that, he wanted to push Yubin away.

"D-daozhang...Give me another chance! I won't ever beat anyone! I'll do whatever you want me to do. Just...don't tell me to leave."

"No! I can't take this anymore. I don't want to like you anymore. Just go away!"

Upon hearing the words, Yubin froze at his place, he couldn't move at all. "...w-what? What did you say?"

Xingchen lifted his hand, wiping his cheeks in a messy motion. He spoke out with a broken voice, whimpering in between, "Yes, I d-did like you A-Yubin. I-i thought, you were d-different...I thought, you r-really understood and c-cared about me. I-" Before Xingchen could finish his words, he got strangled by a strong pair of arms.

He felt suffocated, it was hard to breath. He tried to his best to get out from the tightening grip, but failed each time. Those hands were nearly chocking him to death, his mind started to get hazy, he was on the verge of blacking out completely.

Suddenly, he felt the grip getting removed from his neck, as it got slowly went down. Those firm hands got wrapped around his thin waist, pulling his closer with a rough motion.

Xingchen coughed loudly, he was huffing deliberately, trying to get some air in his lungs. But those arms pulled him even more, making his chest bump into another hard object.

Xingchen felt hot air hitting his face, as if someone was breathing out extremely close to him.

"After all those years of being with you, you chose to love Yubin. Not me? You are so cheap, Daozhang."