“You’re here.”
“Are you leaving?”
“Every life will die out. At least our choice is meaningful….Let’s make a bet.”
“Bet on what?”
“Bet…No matter how long it takes. No matter where we go. One day, we will meet again.”
“Deal.”
Once the bargain was struck, the Chief snatched him into the shelter of his arms. He must have feared that their souls might scatter, because Zhao tightened his hold. Blinking away the tears, Shen Wei absorbed the warmth, no longer drowned with blood and sweat as he last remembered. If memories served, both wore the clothes when the other met them for the first time. The memories that still lingered, unforgotten no matter how brief their encounter.
Time dwindled with each passing breath. Shen wanted to savor his scent, his touch, his warmth, knowing full well it could be their last. Who was he kidding? The wager may never come to fruition. Without his powers, he could no longer control their fate. Greedy as he was, he wanted to give Zhao the dream that may never come.
Once again, he could never utter the truth. Because Zhao had lost so much….Who was he to take away his last thread of hope. So he had to lie.
“Is there a time limit?” Zhao’s question broke their tranquility
Still dazed from his self-imposed guilt, the confused Professor pulled back. “Time limit?”
“If we remain here in this realm, would there be a need to leave?” the Chief suggested, his eyes twinkled with mischief, as a bright smile appeared.
“You…,” Shen paused, blinking twice, his mind barely comprehending the idea. “We can’t stay here indefinitely.”
“Why not? There’s no one around,” Zhao countered, his hand gestured to the endless space as they floated through the bubble of time. “We can spend all eternity in space time. Counting the stars, telling stories….and even making love,” the Chief winked. “Who can stop us?”
“Ca-Can you be serious?” Shen Wei stammered at the ridiculous man.
“Serious? You want me to be serious, Professor Shen?” his teasing tone gone, replaced by the fierce yet undeniable darkness. “I watched as you were stabbed, then consumed, before my very eyes. I felt your presence dissipate, as the world reached its fate. Shen Wei, I am way passed serious when it comes to you. You wanted us to take this bet, who am I to deny you such a request? Let’s take this gamble, you and I.”
When the words had fully registered, Professor Shen took a step back. Zhao knew...He knew all along. With his lies exposed, Shen shook his head. “Xiao Lan, you’re speaking of the impossible.
Suddenly, a bright energy radiated from Zhao’s body. So bright, Shen Wei had to closed his eyes momentarily. However, the instant was gone before he knew it. Zhao caught his wrist, pulling him closer.
“The universe is an endless array of possibilities,” the Chief said encouragingly, as he pried open the clenched fist. “We’ve proven that, haven’t we? There’s nothing that could keep us apart. You have to trust me, because this time, I’ll search for you.”
His eyes returned to Shen’s. Locked, unwavering, the demanding Wolf would never allow his Prey to escape. Without breaking their gaze, Zhao brought the opened palm to his lips and laid kiss after kiss on the soft pad of skin. His hot breaths seared Shen’s whole body, not just the spot he touched. The tingling sensation grew as the Chief parted his lips, with just the tip of his tongue sweeping over the sensitive wrist. Unable to resist, Shen could only closed his eyes, until the Chief chose that moment to pull him against his body.
“Besides,” Zhao spoke against his ear, the mischievous tone returning without warning, “you still owe me that shower. If you think you can get away from giving me a sponge bath, you are sorely mistaken. Now that I think about it, you assisted me last time. So, it’s only fair for you to receive my... ”
As the Chief continued his endless chattering about the proper way one shall take a sponge bath, Professor Shen couldn’t utter a single response to his scandalous instructions. Shen Wei had waited patiently for this man to arrive whom he had given his heart to, so that he could say his goodbyes. Depending on how one’s heart desired, within time-space, the feeling could be an eternity or a fleeting moment. For Shen, it had felt like thousands of millennia for his love to arrive.
Still, even at this moment, where he wanted to cherish every second they had, who would have guessed the heartfelt reunion was shattered by none other than the Chief of SID. Zhao Yunlan, the Guardian, who never failed to surprise him with outrageous requests, or was it his perversity.
Shower? All this over a shower?
Shen Wei, his Honor, the Black Cloak Envoy…The most dignified respectable man known to all realms was at a loss for words. Until anger reined.
However, wrath tends to make one do the unthinkable. Before sanity returned, Professor Shen smothered those wicked words with his lips. He immediately took control before the other man could come to his senses. Parting his lips, Shen drove his tongue in, shocking even Zhao Yunlan, who was more than delighted to return with the same enthusiasm. Drugged from the unexpected reaction, the Wolf let his guard down as their tongues continued to mate. The exchanges of sweet nectar was so mesmerizing, Professor Shen almost forgot his real intention...almost. Without warning, Shen clamped down and chomped on the Wolf’s tongue, until he tasted blood. Startled, the Chief groaned against his mouth, and pushed him away.
“You bit me!” Zhao accused. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he asked, “What did I do this time? And where are you going?”
“To my next life in another time, wherever I end up. You said you’ll find me. I’ll be waiting,” Shen answered curtly, as he stormed off to return to the world the Universe had planned for him. Without even a backward glance, because he was that angry.
“Wait, Shen Wei! Come back!”
*************
The moon in my sky, don’t you worry. I will find you.
Smiling, the Chief watched silently as his Professor disappeared. Licking his lips, he was surprised his tongue didn’t receive a harsher punishment. Shen was always easy to read. However, the fire that once was there was gone when they reunited. Zhao couldn’t let that happened. A little provocation was needed, and the reward was well worth it, even a painful one.
“Ge Ge seems to have a short temper when it comes to you,” the familiar voice came from behind. “Why did you do that?”
“He’s always looked cute when he’s angry, don’t you agree?” Zhao turned to smirk back at Ye Zun. Unmasked, the man looked exactly like his brother, except Ye Zun was nothing like his Professor. A part of the Chief still irked at the thought another dared to have his face.
“How unfortunate for my Ge Ge, to fall for someone like you. What a twisted man you are,” Ye Zun remarked coldly.
“Pot calling the kettle black?” the Chief shot back.
The silence that ensued was short-lived, as both cracked a smile soon after. Astonishingly, for the limited time they interacted, the two men had reached an understanding. Only an enemy would know you best, one might say. Despite their differences, they still had the same goal.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” the Chief asked hesitantly. Although they had made the pact, he couldn’t help but feel guilty for the bargain they had agreed to. Normally, he was not the kind of man who goes back on his word. If Zhao could do this alone, he would. But there was no other recourse when the scale had to be balanced.
“I’m used to it by now,” Ye Zun replied firmly. “There’s really no difference between one cage and another.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. What you’re about to do is hell itself,” he warned softly. With a hint of pity in his tone, which Ye Zun did not hide, he continued, “Where you’re going is far worse than mine. But I still have to ask. Is he worth it?”
Worth it? What a foolish question that was. When is he not worth it, should be the question. That’s when it hit Zhao. Ye Zun still has a lot to learn when it comes to being human.
“Ye Zun ah Ye Zun, I can’t wait for the day when you find the answer to your own question.”
Author's Note: Even though the drama ended in bittersweet, I still wanted to remind readers of their happy moments. A little humor is better than tearful promises. Finally, I can start their next journey together. There's so much to write because my ideas are flowing like crazy, with the amount of Weilan's AU videos that keeps popping up on my youtube notification.
As promised Weilan will have their happy ending. How they'll get there is for me to imagine, and for you to enjoy. Please be patient with my pace, because I truly want my canvas to be deserving of your attention.
