Chapter 2
The next day Yichen woke up to sounds of squealing and excited sounds outside his room. ‘What’s happening outside? Why is it so noisy so early in the morning?’ he asked himself trying to figure out the reason why is it so noisy outside at this hour in the morning. ‘It can’t be people from town’ he thought, because they can’t get here because of the array he had put up against humans and demon. They could only send letter in birds when they needed help from him and Bai Jiu.
So, slowly and still trying to wake up better he stood up and rub his eyes of sleepiness. He got outside the room and called for Bai Jiu “Ah Jiu, what’s happening? Why are you squealing at this hour?” he asked, his walk is still not even straight and yawned. “Ah Jiu” he called out again, so he decided to go where the sounds are coming from.
As he got to the courtyard the squeals got louder “Ah Jiu, tone it down please” he unconsciously said still rubbing his eyes. “He’s right Ah Jiu, stop that. He’s still sleepy” it suddenly felt like time stopped at that moment when he heard those words, in that voice, that voice. He slowly looked up and there, there was Yuanzhou. He’s standing beside Bai Jiu looking at him while smiling. “Xiao Zhou” he called to him.
“Yuanzhou” was all he could say, he didn’t notice the tears that started to run down his face, he didn’t notice his knees suddenly feeling weak and almost stumble down if Yuanzhou and Bai Jiu did not hurry to his side to catch him. He didn’t notice that he started breathing rapidly if Yuanzhou did not call out his name “Xiao Zhou, Xiao Zhou” and took Yichen’s face to face him and remove the tears on his face.
He raised his hand to touch his face to make sure he was not dreaming “Yunazhou” he weakly said, still crying Yuanzhou nodded “Yes, it’s me” and held Yichen’s hand. “Chen ge, Zhou ge is back like you said” Bai Jiu said on the other side, Yichen turned to him then to Yuanzhou again. “Stop crying Xiao Zhou, you’re too pretty when you’re crying.” he said smiling down at him and caressing his cheek.
“You’re back. You’re really back.” He finally said and lunged at Yuanzhou to finally hug him. Though his tears did not stop and kept crying. “You really missed me huh” Yuanzhou joked but stopped when he felt Yichen is still crying silently on top of him and caressed his back to comfort him. “Chen ge really did miss you Zhou ge, we would still often talk about you.” even Bai Jiu is rubbing his tears off , happy that Yuanzhou is back that it finally made Yichen cry after all this time, and even happier that even Yichen is crying he know that he is the happiest for Yuanzhou’s return.
‘Chen ge hasn’t cried ever since after Zhou ge was gone’ Bai Jiu thought to himself and smiled removing tears on his face and cheeks. Yuanzhou tried to stand up but Yichen is still crying and Bai Jiu noticed it so he helped him. Yuanzhou decided to put both of Yichen’s legs around his waist and carry him back to his room ‘You must be exhausted. You just woke up and yet you’re crying right away.’ he thought as if talking to Yichen.
Bai Jiu following behind them and went right up to fix Yichen’s beddings understanding what Yuanzhou wanted to do. “Thank you Ah Jiu” Yuanzhou smiled at him and laid Yichen down the bed who is now crying softly and is starting to fall asleep again “Can you prepare something? So he can eat when he wake up” Yuanzhou inquired while fixing the blanket over Yichen. Bai Jiu nodded at that “Of course Zhou ge” then left the room.
“Yuanzhou, don’t go please” Yichen called out to him, not wanting him to leave. “Yes yes. I’m not going to leave. I’ll stay with you.” Yuanzhou responded and slipped under the blanket with Yichen beside him. “Stop crying now. You already know this is not a dream” Yuanzhou calmed him stroking Yichen’s hair and smiling at him, Yichen looked up at him and asked “Are you sure this is not a dream?” still cannot believe that this is happening.
That what he have been dreaming to happen, what he have been waiting for, has finally happened. That Yuanzhou is finally back after four hundred years of waiting for his return. After years of filling the last shard of his soul with demonic power to slowly build it again has finally showed results. After years of wishing, hoping and waiting for Yuanzhou’s return is finally here. He would no longer need to stare up at the night sky to wish and hope for Yuanzhou to appear in front of him.
Now, here he is on front of him. “Of course not. This is all real. I thought you were waiting for me to come back? That’s why you would fill my soul with demonic power. I even felt the others’ there.” Yuanzhou occasionally said while still smiling at him and stroking his hair. Yichen just stared up at him, then he started to turn to a light shade of pink making Yuanzhou chuckle “You look pretty like that” making Yichen quickly avoid his eyes and Yuanzhou laugh again.
“Are you saying I’m ugly?” Yichen trying to avoid his eyes “I did not say that Xiao Zhou” staring at Yichen and smiling “You always looked pretty”. Hearing Yuanzhou say that made butterflies fly in his stomach “And you’re still the flatterer” he tried to fight back Yuanzhou just laughed at that again. “I missed making you like that, what can I do? I love seeing you get flustered with my words.” he admitted.
“But, I’m really happy that you’re finally back here” Yichen finally confessed making Yuanzhou smile at him and continue stroking his hair again. “Me too” before eventually hugging Yichen, his hand on his waist made Yichen flustered even more.
They talked more making Yichen fall back to his sleep. Yuanzhou got out of the room and wen to Bai Jiu who is cooking in the kitchen outside. “Ah Jiu, since when have you learned to cook?” he asked as soon as he got near where Bai Jiu was “Chen ge taught me, even the others especially Ying ge, he taught me a lot” Bai Jiu answered casually staying focused on what he was doing. Then it struck Yuanzhou and asked him.
“Wait. Since when did you reach this age?” asked with wide eyes “Zhou ge, remember my mom?” Bai Jiu said as if to make him remember “Well, my inner core was partially disrupted, but my mom helped to fix it, even Chen ge helped so I can have a better inner core” he explained while cutting up vegetables for the soup.
“I’m they would also be very happy once I tell them that you’re back. And they will come rushing here to see if I’m telling the truth.” Bai Jiu said then laughed “We’ll be complete again.”. Yuanzhou smiled at that then stopped “What do you mean complete? You mean Pei Sijing became a demon?” he asked again and Bai Jiu just nodded at that “They gave Pei jie jie an inner core to use. And she and Wen jie jie have been guarding the Wilderness since then.” Another explanation on how they all ended up still alive.
“Wow, I’ve been gone for four hundred years and I find out that all of my friends became like this.” Yuanzhou says to himself, still can’t believe that even Pei Sijing became a demon and is now guarding the Wilderness along with Wen Xiao. “How about Ying Lei, where is he now?” he asked once again “Well, he became a mountain god like his grandfather” Bai Jiu answered.
“They would often visit us here, and eat together and tell stories to each other.” Bai Jiu added, happy, Yuanzhou smiled at that. “But-“ Bai Jiu stopped his sentence and made Yuanzhou turn to him immediately “What is it?” he asked, now curious. Bai Jiu stopped his knife “Chen ge would just sit at the courtyard and stare up at the night sky and sleep too late, sometimes staying up whole night.” hearing that made him turn to the direction where Yichen is sleeping at.
“What do you mean?” Bai Jiu looked up at the sky as if thinking of an answer or deciding whether to tell him or not “Uhm, Every full moon, Chen ge would go out to the courtyard and sit there the whole night to stare at the sky and the stars, as if waiting for you. Sometimes he would sleep late or sometimes once he can’t see the moon stars anymore.” Bai Jiu explained “Then he he would stay in his room for a half a day to rest his body and get up in the afternoon.” Yuanzhou stayed silent after that.
Yuanzhou decided to help Bai Jiu first to prepare food for them and ask them more later about everything that happened while he was gone. Even if Yichen will not answer him, he has Bai Jiu and the other to ask. After four hundred years of waiting for soul to be fully formed agai with the help of their demonic powers to help him, he’s finally back. ‘And I’ll make sure I won’t disappear again.” he decided to himself.
‘And I’ll make sure to stay by your side from now on.’ he said to himself as he looked at the direction of Yichen’s room.