Zhen Lixin strolled down a wide street lined with tall and silver trees, his eyes trained on the ground as he walked slow but steadily. His brows were furrowed, and he seemed to be lost in another world. Another world, where it was just him and Ming Xuan. Ming Xuan teaching him amusing and incredible little tricks, and Lixin jumping in happiness. A world where their promise to wait for each other still existed, and Lixin yearned to go back to.

Zhen Lixin inhaled deeply as he tilted his head upwards. He wandered down the streets aimlessly, and finally thought of visiting the mortal realm. Maybe he could go back to that stall and buy that fan he liked. Maybe... he would meet Ming Xuan again. He subconsciously scoffed, and immediately looked around to see if anyone had noticed, but thankfully, he was the only one in the street.

Now that Lixin's emotions were somewhat in control, he tried to think reasonably. To believe in the rumors and think that Ming Xuan had never cared about him, the eyes of Ming Xuan were hard to ignore. Lixin was too familiar with the emptiness in Ming Xuan's eyes that he didn't miss when even a glimpse of emotions were mixed in them. Lixin was hurt by the way Ming Xuan had acted, but something kept him from losing all his faith on him.

Then, what was Ming Xuan sorry for? Maybe for using Zhen Lixin? No, Lixin, stop thinking that, he told himself. Maybe for having disappeared for so long? Or maybe for a reason Lixin wasn't aware of? He wanted to know. He will know. He was going to meet Ming Xuan again, and have himself answered.

Zhen Lixin walked in his way to the edge where the Ethereal realm faded into the mortal world. He wasn't going to return unless he met Ming Xuan again. He swore to himself as he stepped into the mortal realm, and the sun shone above the mountain peaks, casting long shadows.

He strolled down the wide cobbled street of the village, offering polite smiles to whoever he met while walking. Vendors kept calling out for him and other potential customers, and the air was filled with the hum of conversation and laughter. Lixin remembered the path he had taken in the morning very well, and it didn't take long for him to find that one stall he was looking for.

"My, if it isn't my lord again!" exclaimed the owner of the stall of accessories as he saw Zhen Lixin approach.

Lixin chuckled lightly. "I'm surprised you remember me," he said.

"I may be old, but I am not one to forget such delightful faces so easily," the old man said with a smile. Lixin couldn't help but think, 'you mean rich faces.' But, he smiled warmly at the man anyway.

"So?" the old man asked. "Has any of my accessories won my lord's liking?"

Lixin nodded and extended his arm to point at the one fan he had looking at in the morning, before Shu Ming and him went into the Duskvale forest.

"Could I have a look at that?"

"Of course, my lord." The old man nodded and took the fan into both of his hands as if it were a very divine and valuable object, and handed it to Zhen Lixin.

The fan was of white and light blue color, matching Lixin's robes. The fan's body and frame were made of silk as white as snow, with ribs of royal blue, and tassels of golden color. It had a charming look to it, and Lixin thought it fit him well; the royal blue ribs suggesting his control over water, and the tassels of golden color suggesting his manipulation of light, and the white body matching his robes. Lixin eyed it this way, and that way, he opened it and folded it.

"This is perfect," he said at last with a satisfied smile. "I'll buy this fan."

The owner grinned happily and nodded. After paying for the fan, Zhen Lixin continued to stroll down the streets while fanning himself with his new fan. One of his objectives, buying the fan he liked, was complete. His other objective was to find Ming Xuan. He sighed at the realization of how hopeless it was.

There was no confirmation of Ming Xuan being in the mortal realm. If Lixin wanted to find him that badly, he should be searching in the Fallen realm. But the Fallen realm was said to be guarded by two giant serpents, that were dwelling in the sea around the realm, and they let no mortal or immortal into the realm without their master's consciousness. But, Ming Xuan had told him years ago that they were the same like Xue, just way larger in size. Xue was fond of Lixin, so maybe he could earn the love of those giant serpents too? Wait, was he actually considering going into the Fallen realm? Even thinking about manipulating the giant guardians of the Fallen realm feared by everyone...

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Zhen Lixin folded his fan and tapped his forehead with it at his own thoughts as he walked, then he abruptly froze in his step. Around him in the wide street were people, some passing him by, some chattering, some checking out the stalls and shops lined in the street. Nothing he'd been expecting was there, but Lixin was sure of what he felt. He slowly lowered the fan from his forehead.

That aura...

Unlike Shu Ming, Zhen Lixin could only feel a spiritual or resentful energy once its source was close to him, and now he had felt it. To be someone with such a high level of spiritual energy with resentful energy mixed in, and for that aura to be so familiar to Lixin, it could only be of one person; Ming Xuan.

Lixin kept his senses alert, his body not moving an inch. People walked past him, some looking at him in confusion. Though, Lixin was hoping to encounter Ming Xuan in the mortal realm, he had not expected him to actually be there. The energy was still there for him to feel, which meant Ming Xuan was still near him.

...

Someone had approached him from behind.

"Lix-"

Zhen Lixin spun around with speed and pointed the folded fan at the person's throat who had crept up behind him. Only then, did he see who it is. He let out a breath in relief and lowered the fan.

"Shu Ming..."

Shu Ming held a gaze of questioning, his long, brown hair tied up in a half ponytail.

"Lixin-xiong, that fan really can't be taken as a weapon of any sort," he said, and Lixin hid the fan behind his back with a hint of embarrassment.

He smiled sheepishly as his gaze ran away. "En..." he muttered, and his gaze returned to Shu Ming. "What're you doing here?"

Shu Ming crossed his arms across his chest, "I should be the one asking that," he said.

"Ah," Lixin scratched the back of his neck with his fan and showed it to Shu Ming and said, "I came to buy this."

Shu Ming did not seem convinced, but he took the fan from his hand and opened it. He switched his gaze in between the fan and Lixin, who looked sort of troubled and looking around.

"It's not bad," he said as he returned the fan to Lixin, "But is that really why you're in the mortal realm?"

"Of course," said Lixin with a nervous chuckle. "Why else would I be here..." he said, but his eyes ran away from catching Shu Ming's eyes, and suddenly, they grew sharper as they set on something in the distance, their carefreeness gone and pupils dilated.

Shu Ming tensed, and looked to his side, following Lixin's gaze. Someone was approaching them, a youth of early twenties, clad in black robes and boots. His long hair tied up in a ponytail swayed slightly in the soft breeze. Lixin felt his heart tighten as the stranger walked closer to them, and he offered Lixin a soft smile, his black eyes having a tiny sparkle in them. Lixin felt Shu Ming stiffen beside him, and he couldn't blame since he was, too. He felt his palms sweat as he kept staring at the young man.

Lixin's other objective, finding Ming Xuan, was a success. He didn't need to 'find' Ming Xuan, for he had come to Lixin himself, looking exactly the way he did on that fateful night in the Duskvale forest a few centuries ago. The man of Zhen Lixin's childhood memories, the man he sought to find for centuries, was here, and Lixin didn't know how to react. Last he had seen Ming Xuan, he held a sorrowful expression, but now he had come back, and held a soft smile that was only directed towards Zhen Lixin.

As soon as Ming Xuan had gotten closer to them and smiled, Shu Ming took a step forward, covering Lixin. Lixin looked at Shu Ming, who had turned his back to him, and looked back at Ming Xuan, whose gaze was now set on Shu Ming, and his smile gone. Shu Ming must have sensed the resentful energy within him, Lixin thought, but did Shu Ming know that this was Ming Xuan?

Ming Xuan rose one of his eyebrows as Shu Ming spoke up.

"State your business," he said, his voice firm.

Ming Xuan's thin lips lightly curled up from one side. "My business?" he asked, and Lixin noticed his voice was less deeper than it was the last time he'd met Ming Xuan.

"None to do with you, I'm here to greet his highness." Ming Xuan said, as his gaze ran onto Zhen Lixin, and Lixin noticed his expression soften when their eyes met.

Puzzled, Shu Ming turned his head back around to face Zhen Lixin, who seemed to be locked up in Ming Xuan's eyes.

"Lixin-xiong," Shu Ming asked, without stepping away from between Ming Xuan and Zhen Lixin, "do you know this man?"

Realizing that the question was shot at him, Lixin snapped back into reality. But, he didn't know how to answer. What does Ming Xuan mean? What does he want? Of course, Lixin knew the man, but was he supposed to answer that question honestly? Last time, Ming Xuan had run away when Lixin had expected anything but that, and now he was intentionally approaching Lixin. Why? Before his mind could dominate his answer, his heart did.

"...Yes," he muttered, and saw Ming Xuan pull a faint smile.

Shu Ming blinked in surprise at him, and turned back to look at Ming Xuan, who gave him a triumphant smirk.

"Not enough to make you step away?" Ming Xuan asked, slightly inclining his head to a side.

Lixin took a step forward as he noticed Shu Ming clenching his fists and hesitating to step back.

"What's brought you here?" he asked, burying down all the other questions he had in mind that were threatening to spill out.

Ming Xuan smiled softly, his bottomless black eyes locking onto Zhen Lixin's piercing blue eyes.

"You," he muttered, and Lixin's heart felt like a flower that had just bloomed.