Ch93 - (II). His white peacock returns — THE END

After waking in the middle of the night, Rong Jun didn’t close his eyes again. The exhaustion on his face was forcibly washed away with splashes of cold water.

He lifted his head from the sink and stared at his reflection with bloodshot eyes, his skin was deathly pale. Truly an unsightly sight.

With a quiet sigh, he grabbed a towel, dried his face, and went to the dressing room. He changed into a dark blue striped suit. Clothes that once fit perfectly now hung slightly loose on him, but he ignored it. After tidying his hair, he left for the Crown Prince’s Palace without even eating breakfast.

All along the way, he felt someone following him. He couldn’t recall when he first noticed, nor when Yan Chen had begun shadowing him, but it must have been from the very beginning.

Once someone was discovered, their presence became impossible to ignore. The more he became aware of it, the more he had to resist the urge to turn around.

…

Rong Jun endured the day’s work and finally returned to his chambers. He ate a few bites of the meal Yun Cheng had prepared before setting his utensils down.

“I’m full. Take it away.”

Yun Cheng glanced at the barely touched dishes, opened his mouth as if to speak, then stopped. With a soft sigh, he cleared the table.

Night fell quietly. The lamps were extinguished, leaving the room in a dim lighting. Rong Jun stared at the closed door for a moment before lying down.

He knew Yan Chen was just outside, but the man seemed to be taking forever to get inside so he simply closed his eyes.

…

The faint click of the door made Yan Chen freeze, with his hand still on the doorknob, he held his breath, then carefully pushed the door open and slipped inside, leaving it ajar.

His steps were soundless.

But before he reached the bed, he stopped. Something was wrong.

The bed was empty.

Rong Jun wasn’t there, yet he hadn’t seen him leave. Panic engulfed him. Yan Chen searched frantically, finally lighting the room without regard for being discovered.

“Qingqing!” His voice trembled with anxiety… until he found him, curled up at the corner of the bed, facing the window.

Yan Chen’s breath slowed down, his heartbeat slowly settling. His strength seemed to drain all at once as he sank against the edge of the bed, wanting to take a closer look at Rong Jun.

He had already been discovered anyway.

He wanted to speak… but he couldn’t find the right words. Before it was so easy for him to talk with him, but now… it felt like thorns were wrapped in his throat. Eventually, all he could muster to sound were quiet sobs as his eyes grew teary from the heartache of having the person you love so close you, yet so far at the same time.

“…I’m sorry. I’ll leave right away.”

He wiped his eyes and forced himself to stand.

Rong Jun turned to look at him and frowned at his appearance, his disheveled hair, and unshaven stubble, not to mention the dark circles and his noticeably thinner frame.

His chest tightened.

Despite everything that happened, a trace of pity surfaced in his face.

“Didn’t you come to see me?”

Yan Chen froze. He stood there, speechless, his thoughts in disarray.

Rong Jun saw the turmoil on his face and chose not to press further. He couldn’t deny that he still cared, nor could he ignore how worn Yan Chen looked.

Stepping closer, he asked in a more gentle voice.

“Are you really going to let me go?”

Yan Chen didn’t dare answer.

Seeing his silence, a trace of calm frustration surfaced in Rong Jun’s eyes. He leaned forward, resting his head against Yan Chen’s shoulder.

“It’s late. You should stay.”

Yan Chen blinked, stunned.

Rong Jun wrapped his arms around him tightly, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

“I can’t hold on any longer.”

The warmth of the embrace shattered Yan Chen’s restraint. He held Rong Jun just as tightly, his eyes reddening as his voice broke.

“I thought you didn’t want me anymore…”

Rong Jun’s fingers tightened at the nape of his neck.

“We’re not even divorced yet.”

Yan Chen answered immediately, without hesitation.

“I won’t leave.”

Rong Jun’s damp eyes softened.

“Then… we won’t separate. I won’t leave you as well.”

He had not made peace with the past. The pain still lingered. But in this moment, it was Yan Chen before him that mattered.

If that meant betraying his past self.

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“Is it because I still can’t let you go…? But I really can if you wanted…”

“Didn’t I say I won’t leave?” A gentle voice cut him.

Yan Chen looked up.

His heart was pounding as he quickly moved forward, his voice trembling.

“Qingqing…”

He reached out, pulling the white form into his arms as it settled against him.

…

(A Month Later)

“Qingqing… hehe…”

Rong Jun frowned at the man beside him. Yan Chen’s eyes were still closed, with a strange, almost foolish smile on his face as he kept moaning his name.

He had been muttering in his sleep earlier about doing it in outside places. Rong Jun had felt both concern and fondness. But now… His face flushed red.

What could this wolf possibly be thinking for him to keep calling him in his sleep?

He kicked him hard.

“Ah—!”

Yan Chen jolted awake. “Huh? What happened?”

“You really are impossible, even in your sleep you are still an animal!” Rong Jun snapped, throwing a pillow at him.

Still dazed, Yan Chen rubbed his head, confused by Rong Jun’s flushed expression.

“Let me rub it for you,” Rong Jun muttered, swallowing guiltily, maybe he reacted too harshly? The wolf was just dreaming after all.

Yan Chen leaned against him immediately. “My Qingqing is so gentle.”

Rong Jun let out a dry laugh. “Anything else bothering you? It’s your day off. I’ll take care of you.”

Yan Chen caught his hand, pulling him down onto the bed and wrapping him in a tight embrace.

“No. Instead of taking care of me… you should rest.”

Rong Jun hesitated for only a moment before leaning in, pressing a firm kiss against his lips.

“…Do you want to?”

“In the morning?”

“You’re getting naughtier.” Yan Chen teased.

“Do you not like it?” Rong Jun asked, playing along as his cheeks turned beet red.

They laughed as Yan Chen hugged him, crashing their bodies to the bed as they held each other close, their warmth replacing the lingering cold of the weather.

And for the first time in a long while, the present belonged only to them.

“Qingqing…”

“Hmmm?”

Yan Chen looked at him tenderly, he could see his reflection in Rong Jun’s eyes. The way he was smiling at him foolishly, his heart melted.

“Thank you for being with someone like me.” he whispered as he kissed the man he loves the most in the world.

Finally, content and happy.

___

After waking in the middle of the night, Rong Jun didn’t close his eyes again. The exhaustion on his face was forcibly washed away with splashes of cold water.

He lifted his head from the sink and stared at his reflection with bloodshot eyes, his skin was deathly pale. Truly an unsightly sight.

With a quiet sigh, he grabbed a towel, dried his face, and went to the dressing room. He changed into a dark blue striped suit. Clothes that once fit perfectly now hung slightly loose on him, but he ignored it. After tidying his hair, he left for the Crown Prince’s Palace without even eating breakfast.

All along the way, he felt someone following him. He couldn’t recall when he first noticed, nor when Yan Chen had begun shadowing him, but it must have been from the very beginning.

Once someone was discovered, their presence became impossible to ignore. The more he became aware of it, the more he had to resist the urge to turn around.

…

Rong Jun endured the day’s work and finally returned to his chambers. He ate a few bites of the meal Yun Cheng had prepared before setting his utensils down.

“I’m full. Take it away.”

Yun Cheng glanced at the barely touched dishes, opened his mouth as if to speak, then stopped. With a soft sigh, he cleared the table.

Night fell quietly. The lamps were extinguished, leaving the room in a dim lighting. Rong Jun stared at the closed door for a moment before lying down.

He knew Yan Chen was just outside, but the man seemed to be taking forever to get inside so he simply closed his eyes.

…

The faint click of the door made Yan Chen freeze, with his hand still on the doorknob, he held his breath, then carefully pushed the door open and slipped inside, leaving it ajar.

His steps were soundless.

But before he reached the bed, he stopped. Something was wrong.

The bed was empty.

Rong Jun wasn’t there, yet he hadn’t seen him leave. Panic engulfed him. Yan Chen searched frantically, finally lighting the room without regard for being discovered.

“Qingqing!” His voice trembled with anxiety… until he found him, curled up at the corner of the bed, facing the window.

Yan Chen’s breath slowed down, his heartbeat slowly settling. His strength seemed to drain all at once as he sank against the edge of the bed, wanting to take a closer look at Rong Jun.

He had already been discovered anyway.

He wanted to speak… but he couldn’t find the right words. Before it was so easy for him to talk with him, but now… it felt like thorns were wrapped in his throat. Eventually, all he could muster to sound were quiet sobs as his eyes grew teary from the heartache of having the person you love so close you, yet so far at the same time.

“…I’m sorry. I’ll leave right away.”

He wiped his eyes and forced himself to stand.

Rong Jun turned to look at him and frowned at his appearance, his disheveled hair, and unshaven stubble, not to mention the dark circles and his noticeably thinner frame.

His chest tightened.

Despite everything that happened, a trace of pity surfaced in his face.

“Didn’t you come to see me?”

Yan Chen froze. He stood there, speechless, his thoughts in disarray.

Rong Jun saw the turmoil on his face and chose not to press further. He couldn’t deny that he still cared, nor could he ignore how worn Yan Chen looked.

Stepping closer, he asked in a more gentle voice.

“Are you really going to let me go?”

Yan Chen didn’t dare answer.

Seeing his silence, a trace of calm frustration surfaced in Rong Jun’s eyes. He leaned forward, resting his head against Yan Chen’s shoulder.

“It’s late. You should stay.”

Yan Chen blinked, stunned.

Rong Jun wrapped his arms around him tightly, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

“I can’t hold on any longer.”

The warmth of the embrace shattered Yan Chen’s restraint. He held Rong Jun just as tightly, his eyes reddening as his voice broke.

“I thought you didn’t want me anymore…”

Rong Jun’s fingers tightened at the nape of his neck.

“We’re not even divorced yet.”

Yan Chen answered immediately, without hesitation.

“I won’t leave.”

Rong Jun’s damp eyes softened.

“Then… we won’t separate. I won’t leave you as well.”

He had not made peace with the past. The pain still lingered. But in this moment, it was Yan Chen before him that mattered.

If that meant betraying his past self.

Then so be it.

Because right now, he can’t think of a life without Yan Chen.

Call it stupid… but this is what his heart wants.

…

Later, darkness pressed in around Yan Chen. It was pitch black that he could barely see anything.

Panic surged as he felt something in his hand… It was a white feather from Rong Jun’s tail.

Memories crashed over him.

“No… Rong Jun wouldn’t abandon me again…” he quickly scrambled to get up.

“Qingqing!!!” His cry echoed into the empty room.

However, no answer came.

Exhausted, he fell to his knees, clutching the feather as despair consumed him.

“Is it because I still can’t let you go…? But I really can if you wanted…”

“Didn’t I say I won’t leave?” A gentle voice cut him.

Yan Chen looked up.

His heart was pounding as he quickly moved forward, his voice trembling.

“Qingqing…”

He reached out, pulling the white form into his arms as it settled against him.

…

(A Month Later)

“Qingqing… hehe…”

Rong Jun frowned at the man beside him. Yan Chen’s eyes were still closed, with a strange, almost foolish smile on his face as he kept moaning his name.

He had been muttering in his sleep earlier about doing it in outside places. Rong Jun had felt both concern and fondness. But now… His face flushed red.

What could this wolf possibly be thinking for him to keep calling him in his sleep?

He kicked him hard.

“Ah—!”

Yan Chen jolted awake. “Huh? What happened?”

“You really are impossible, even in your sleep you are still an animal!” Rong Jun snapped, throwing a pillow at him.

Still dazed, Yan Chen rubbed his head, confused by Rong Jun’s flushed expression.

“Let me rub it for you,” Rong Jun muttered, swallowing guiltily, maybe he reacted too harshly? The wolf was just dreaming after all.

Yan Chen leaned against him immediately. “My Qingqing is so gentle.”

Rong Jun let out a dry laugh. “Anything else bothering you? It’s your day off. I’ll take care of you.”

Yan Chen caught his hand, pulling him down onto the bed and wrapping him in a tight embrace.

“No. Instead of taking care of me… you should rest.”

Rong Jun hesitated for only a moment before leaning in, pressing a firm kiss against his lips.

“…Do you want to?”

“In the morning?”

“You’re getting naughtier.” Yan Chen teased.

“Do you not like it?” Rong Jun asked, playing along as his cheeks turned beet red.

They laughed as Yan Chen hugged him, crashing their bodies to the bed as they held each other close, their warmth replacing the lingering cold of the weather.

And for the first time in a long while, the present belonged only to them.

“Qingqing…”

“Hmmm?”

Yan Chen looked at him tenderly, he could see his reflection in Rong Jun’s eyes. The way he was smiling at him foolishly, his heart melted.

“Thank you for being with someone like me.” he whispered as he kissed the man he loves the most in the world.

Finally, content and happy.

___

THE END