"What's brought you here?" Zhen Lixin asked.

"You," Ming Xuan muttered, holding his gaze on Lixin.

Zhen Lixin felt a flutter in his heart, but he decided to show otherwise. "Spare the lies," he said after a scoff, "you ran away before."

Ming Xuan appeared as if taken aback, his smile faded, but his expression remained soft. "I had my reasons..." he said in a low voice, a voice that reflected guilt.

Reasons?

"Well, I'd like to hear those," Lixin said, feeling somewhat uncertain, yet determined to know the reasons Ming Xuan had.

"If," Ming Xuan began as he held his hand out towards Zhen Lixin, "you're willing to come with me-"

"No," said Shu Ming, slapping Ming Xuan's hand away, and making clear of his presence that had been clearly forgotten between the two. "I'm not letting Lixin go with a stranger like you."

As if disgusted, Ming Xuan wiped his hand where it touched Shu Ming. "Stranger?" he asked in a tone of full of sarcastic disbelief.

"You-"

"Shu Ming, he isn't a stranger, and he isn't any threat," Lixin said softly, putting his hand on Shu Ming's shoulder.

Shu Ming looked at him with eyes full of confusion and annoyance. "Lixin-xiong-"

Ming Xuan held an empty gaze on Lixin, and Lixin lowered his hand from Shu Ming. He sighed. "Trust me," he said in a gentle tone.

Shu Ming rolled his eyes before saying, "Last time I trusted you, we ended up in a cave of two bears trying to mate."

Zhen Lixin grinned awkwardly. "That was because the compass was broken..."

Ming Xuan almost burst out laughing, but he held it in when Shu Ming glared at him.

"Lixin-xiong, it's the dawn of the evening, now. We should be retreating instead of just going with whoever this mortal is," Shu Ming said, stealing glances at Ming Xuan in between.

Mortal? So, had Shu Ming not felt the resentful energy within Ming Xuan? Did he not know that this was Ming Xuan standing before him? Now that Lixin gave it a thought, he realized the resentful aura was no longer there. Before Lixin could speak, Ming Xuan cut in.

"Calling me a mortal as if you aren't," he said, and Lixin knew he was pretending to not know that they were immortals. Shu Ming hurriedly glanced away as he pointed it out, as if he had made a mistake. Ming Xuan went on.

"I was offering him to come with me because it's evening."

Shu Ming shot him a glare and said, "I thought you were here to just greet him."

Instead of replying with words, Ming Xuan shrugged, and Lixin, who'd been fighting his own thoughts, spoke up.

"Shu Ming," he said as he turned to Shu Ming, "I have nothing better do back there, so I don't mind going with... with, uh..." Lixin hesitated to let Ming Xuan's real name to be known to Shu Ming, and he stuttered as he failed to come up with a new name.

As if to his rescue, Ming Xuan let out a dramatic gasp and said, "Has my lord already forgotten my name? Tsk, tsk, it's Xiyang. Remember it."

-

Ming Xuan and Zhen Lixin sat side by side on a large, flat rock just outside Ming Xuan's house, the soft light spilling through the open door of the house and the moon and the little stars being the only sources of illumination. On Ming Xuan's outstretched hand, danced a dark flame that was not merely black, but a deep abyssal hue, like the darkest void. It burned steadily, sending up wisps of smoke that fascinated little Lixin. Even though the flame was dark and didn't emit any glow, Ming Xuan saw that Lixin's eyes were sparkling. He chuckled lightly, and the flame flickered a little.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

Lixin didn't bother to answer him or to look at him, and cautiously reached out a small finger and gently touched the tip of the flame. His shiny blue eyes widened in surprise as the flame felt cold on his finger instead of burning him. He subconsciously smiled, his gaze going on to Ming Xuan's face.

"Gege, can I do something to it?" he asked, as he retracted his finger.

Ming Xuan slightly inclined his head to side. "Oh? Sure," he said.

Lixin grinned happily and extended his hand to touch the flame again, and this time, he closed his eyes. The flame on Ming Xuan's palm, touched by Lixin's soft hand, trembled as a faint, pale yellow tinge appeared within the darkness of the flame. The brightness within the darkness seemed to be in a conflict at first, but soon the two powers intertwined and danced together.

Beaming with happiness, Lixin looked up at Ming Xuan and saw his black eyes widen, the light within the dark flame adding a sparkle to his eyes. Was it really the light?

"I didn't think they would collide so well," Lixin said, gently touching the flame on Ming Xuan's palm as if petting it.

Ming Xuan shook the astonishment off. "Why not?"

Lixin rose his head to look at Ming Xuan. "Because we're like the opposite of each other. If I'm the god, then you're the devil, and if I'm the day, then you're the night."

Ming Xuan chuckled, and clenched his fist, making the flame on his palm vanish. "That's quite the thinking for a boy your age."

Lixin seemed upset about him extinguishing the flame, but he smiled at Ming Xuan. "You know... If my name means the sunrise, and if we were the exact opposite of each other, yours should mean the sunset."

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"Really?" Ming Xuan asked, leaning in as he placed his elbows on his thighs. "Unfortunately, my name doesn't mean that."

Lixin suddenly stood up from the rock, and stood in front of Ming Xuan. "Well then, you should change it."

"I should?" Ming Xuan asked in a teasing tone.

Lixin nodded. "Mhm! You said no one knows your name, so it won't matter if you changed it, too."

"Won't it?"

Lixin nodded again.

"Do you really want me to change it?"

Lixin nodded again, this time with determination.

"What would you like it to be?"

Lixin's hand rose to his chin and he spun around, and Ming Xuan kept an affectionate gaze on the little boy standing in front of him. At last, after a moment, Lixin turned back to face Ming Xuan.

"Xiyang!"

-

Zhen Lixin chuckled nervously and tapped his forehead with his fan. "Ah, yes, forgive me..."

"Now," Ming Xuan said after offering Lixin a soft smile. "Is my lord going to come with me?"

Zhen Lixin felt like the best moments of his past were about to repeat again, and he wanted to exclaim 'Yes!', but he held it in with great effort.

"En," he said in a calm manner.

"Wait," Shu Ming said, earning an annoyed look from Ming Xuan, or rather 'Xiyang'. "Lixin, how do you know this person?"

Lixin blinked, surprised by the sudden question, but he managed to squeeze out a lie as he watched Ming Xuan's composed expression.

"I, uh, I've met him... a couple of times... in this village."

Ming Xuan nodded, and Shu Ming rose one of his eyebrows. "I didn't know you visited this village so often."

"Ahahaha..." Lixin let out a dry laugh that faded away. "Anyway, I have known him for quite a while now, and he's very trustable. So you don't have to worry, Shu Ming."

At last, Shu Ming admitted defeat. "If you insist," he said after a sigh.

Lixin smiled warmly at him. "You should go back now, Shu Ming. You will be needed there out of a doubt."

"What about you, Lixin-xiong?" he asked, his tone having a glimpse of disbelief.

"Let them know where I am if needed. I will be there in any emergency."

Shu Ming hesitated, and stole a brief glance at Ming Xuan who was looking at something in the sky, and looked back at Lixin.

"Are you sure you can trust him?"

Lixin took a while to consider Shu Ming's question. Could Lixin really trust Ming Xuan? Whatever their past together was like, Ming Xuan had sort of abandoned Lixin once, and their encounter in the morning still remained full of questions. But, Ming Xuan had deliberately approached Lixin now, and accepting his invite to come along was the only way to find the answers.

"Yes," Lixin said, nodding with a determined look.

Ming Xuan had now turned away, still looking up at the sky. Shu Ming waited hesitatingly, and finally nodded in Lixin's direction before leaving.

Seeing that Shu Ming was finally leaving, Ming Xuan turned around to face Zhen Lixin, who'd been watching Shu Ming walk away. Lixin turned to Ming Xuan and exhaled.

"Found yourself a new best friend, have you?" Ming Xuan asked.

Lixin replied with a nod and a smile. Ming Xuan's lips curved up in a slight smile. "Shall we, then?"

Lixin was about to step forward, but he stopped. "Where are we going, though?"

"You'll see," said Ming Xuan over his shoulder, and started to walk forward. Zhen Lixin stood in confusion for a few seconds, and silently ran a few steps after Ming Xuan to walk shoulder to shoulder with him.

Zhen Lixin secretly glanced at Ming Xuan, whose eyes were set focused on the path ahead of them as they walked. Ming Xuan had been a tall person ever since Lixin could remember, and he had always swore to himself that he would grow taller with age, but now it seemed that it was pointless, for Ming Xuan was still considerably taller than him. As if feeling Lixin's gaze on him, Ming Xuan turned his head to look at Lixin. Lixin hurriedly averted his gaze and gripped his fan tighter.

"Xiao Lin has quite grown up," Ming Xuan spoke up, his tone having a glimpse of nostalgia in it.

Lixin briefly returned his gaze back to Ming Xuan. "Were you expecting me to stay as a kid for ever?"

Ming Xuan chuckled lightly, and looked away from him without a word, and the silence settled around them, leaving the unspoken thoughts swirl in the air.

"Gege?"

Lixin noticed Ming Xuan gulping. "Yes?"

Now was a perfect moment. Zhen Lixin could ask him what he wanted to ask, but the thing was that he didn't know what to ask, as he had so many. Should he ask him why he disappeared so suddenly without much words? Or, should he ask him why he left him? Or, why he had vanished for years.

But, in the end, he managed to ask none of that.

"I waited so long for you..." he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, but still managing to reach Ming Xuan's ears, as they had left the bustling streets now.

Ming Xuan didn't say anything in response, and lowered his head instead. Lixin continued.

"I searched for you-"

"So did I," Ming Xuan said, cutting Lixin off.

Lixin turned to look at him with wide eyes as they continued walking, now entering a rather quiet area of the village.

"I waited for you just as I had promised," Ming Xuan went on, locking his gaze on Lixin. "My first objective was to find you when I returned."

Lixin felt a wave of warmth flush over his heart, but he managed to keep a calm exterior. "Returned from what?" he asked.

Ming Xuan seemed to be hesitating to answer Lixin, and said, "You'll know later."

"Tch, stop leaving me hanging." Lixin pouted, and immediately gave an embarrassed side eye to Ming Xuan as he realized how childish that was.

Ming Xuan laughed and said, "Some things should remain unspoken until it's the right time."

"I sure hope the right time is anytime soon," Lixin said with a sigh.

"I don't."

Zhen Lixin turned his head around to look at Ming Xuan directly as Ming Xuan ignored his gaze and kept his eyes on the way ahead. Lixin was about to question him, but he felt his heart race as he noticed the tree they just went past. He abruptly stopped in his step and spun around.

"That tree..." he whispered.

"Felt familiar?" Ming Xuan asked as he stopped walking and turned around towards Lixin.

It was a gnarled old tree, so ancient that it was large, spreading branches forming a natural roof. Under its shade, was where Lixin and Ming Xuan mostly spent their time cultivating, trying out their powers, and training with swords. Just the sight of this ancient tree, still standing as it had been for probably thousands of years, brought back many memories to Lixin that he didn't even know he was smiling.

He turned to look at Ming Xuan, but his eyes ran on to something behind him. It was a small bridge arched over a shallow stream, its wooden planks slightly warped and rotting in places. From there, his eyes trailed to the other side of the bridge, where a house made of bamboo, its roof slanted and made of clay tiles, was perched. As if mystified, Lixin walked past Ming Xuan absent-mindedly.

He walked closer to the unstable bridge, his eyes set on the house ahead, and stepped onto a dying wooden plank. The plank creaked and snapped in half, making Lixin almost fall into the water stream, but Ming Xuan had caught him just in time. Ming Xuan's strong hands firmly grabbed the elbows of Lixin from behind, and Lixin set himself back on the bank with Ming Xuan's help before he could actually fall. Ming Xuan stepped back, and Lixin stepped back as well, matching his pace.

Lixin turned to look at Ming Xuan over his shoulder, a guilty smile on his face. Ming Xuan sighed as he let go of Lixin. "I did put someone to maintain the house and all this, but it seems they haven't completed their job."

Lixin took a step away from Ming Xuan. "You had people look after the house?" he asked, in surprise and disbelief. Ming Xuan was the ruler of an entire realm, and wouldn't that mean he'd be having mansions, if not at least palaces? Why'd he need to take care so much of a humble bamboo house?

"How else do you expect it to last till this day?"

"But..." Lixin began, but Ming Xuan ignored him and jumped onto a rock in the shallow stream.

He jumped onto another, and held his hand out towards Lixin. Lixin sighed at being left unanswered again, but took Ming Xuan's hand anyway. For a reason he couldn't make out, Ming Xuan's touch suddenly felt different than he had felt before. There were times when Ming Xuan had even carried Lixin as he went over the bridge, but now it didn't feel like it did when he was a child. He hesitated to jump in, but Ming Xuan's hand continued to hold his hand with a firm yet gentle touch. He crossed the stream, his hand holding Ming Xuan's, and they walked towards the house they had once shared as the shimmering sun began to hide behind the horizon.