Chapter Text
Having a sickly body after experiencing an accident in his past, made the blond-haired man spend a lot of his time at home after leaving the hospital.
He even had to move from his hometown, China, to England so that he could be watched over by his family who worked there. Changing his real name to a more familiar name there.
His weak body made his family worry too much, and because of that, he couldn't even live his adult life normally. Let alone his romantic life.
He had approached people he liked several times, but all of them immediately moved away or even disappeared when they found out about the condition of the blond-haired man. People approached him because of his face, which even behind a mask, he had become the subject of gossip around him.
Feeling that their son had no hope in finding a partner, his parents arranged a marriage for him with someone who had previously worked with them. A man with red braids and a tall body who immediately caught his attention the first time they met.
The blond-haired man, Xia Fei, could only accept the arranged marriage, there was nothing he could do at this point anyway.
But strangely enough, on the day of their first meet, Xia Fei felt a sense of relieved for the first time. Like a bird that had just escaped from its cage.
• • •
'It is strange.., maybe because he already knows about my condition, so I don't need to pretend anything with him.'
Tap
The sound of footsteps coming beside him made Xia Fei wake up from his daydream and turn to look at the person who had just arrived.
The person who came and then sat beside him turned out to be Vein, his arranged marriage partner who was the subject of his daydream earlier.
"Do you feel uncomfortable inside?"
Vein who suddenly threw a question at Xia Fei of course surprised him, "I... Don't know. This all feels so unreal because it's too sudden...." Xia Fei replied, without looking at his partner.
The red-haired man chuckled at Xia Fei's answer. He then took something out of his pocket and placed it on the table between the two of them.
Xia Fei glanced at it, it was a ring box. A simple red ring box decorated with gold accent.
"Do you like it?" Vein asked.
The blond-haired men who being asked was initially silent, thinking about what answer he should give.
"... Maybe. Did you choose it because it's similar to our colors..?" now it was Xia Fei's turn to ask.
Vein didn't answer, but threw another sentence from his mouth, "open it." he exclaimed.
Hearing that, Xia Fei's yellow eyes finally fell on Vein, staring at him in surprise. Their eyes stared at each other, making Xia Fei immediately break the eye contact and grab the ring box beside him.
'It's definitely a ring, right? Does he want to ask if I like the ring after the ring box earlier?'
"-!?"
Xia Fei's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the contents of the ring box was, "... There's no... Ring here..?" Empty. There was nothing inside the ring box.
Hesitantly, the blond-haired man slowly looked at the man beside him. His gaze showed how confused he was to Vein.
"Is this mean that you're not really serious about this arranged marriage thing?"
Vein quickly denied Xia Fei's statement.
"Of course not, it's the contrary."
Again a confused face appeared on Xia Fei's face, 'is this person really full of riddles like this of he just want to mess up with me...' he thought.
"Isn't this thing like you?" said Vein while gesturing to the ring box that Xia Fei was holding.
".. What?"
"This ring box, with two matching colors, it looks beautiful on the outside where people see it. But when you open it, it's empty. There's nothing inside."
Xia Fei listened clearly to what Vein said, and he was not stupid enough to not understand what those words meant.
"... It's not like I'm surprised, of course you agreed to this arranged marriage because of my face.. What else do I have besides thi–"
"You guessed wrong, dear."
"–What?"
Again, Vein's words confused Xia Fei. The blond-haired man seemed to get another riddle after riddle.
One of Vein's hands then grabbed Xia Fei's hand that was holding his ring box. Intertwining his fingers with the slightly smaller fingers.
"You already know that the color of the outside of this ring box is the same as ours, as well as the inside,"
"I don't understand.., what do you mean–"
"This ring box is empty, because I haven't bought the ring yet. Why would I buy it myself if what's inside here will be worn by two people, right?" Vein smiled.
"Ah..."
Xia Fei fell silent. His body felt stiff after hearing what his future partner had just said. But Vein still continued his words.
"And also, although your face is indeed pretty, I think my face is the same, don't you think, hm? So, I'm more curious about what's 'inside' you, dear~."
Vein's finger that was previously linked to the blond man's came loose, and replaced it with touching Xia Fei's chest with his index finger.
Xia Fei's body may be still stiff, but inside, he couldn't lie with his heartbeat getting faster.
Bdump
Bdump
"... So, when.. do you want to buy the ring...?" Xia Fei asked to change the topic while lowering his gaze.
"Hm? Whenever you're ready, Felix."
Bdump
Even though the weather on the terrace they were occupying was quite cold at that time, but Xia Fei could feel something warm from his chest, which then rose to his face. It was all just because Vein said his name.
'Maybe.. it's okay if it's with him....' Xia Fei thought. Having a small hope that something will change for him from now.
Alas, that's what he thought. If only there was nothing worse than the past,
"Sorry.., but who are you again...?"
— Because now, the blond man had an amnesia.
• • •
The day after Xia Fei finished choosing a ring with Vein, he was attacked by a gang of bad guys who targeted his bag while he's returning from somewhere. Causing him to suffer quite severe physical injuries.
He was rushed to the hospital immediately after Vein who could not contact him that day, tracked him via the GPS on Xia Fei's phone and found him in a dark dead end.
And now, the blond-haired man was in a white room with the smell of medicine everywhere. Staring confusedly at his parents and Vein who were also in the room.
"All his physical injuries have been successfully treated and it's just a matter of time until he recovers. But unfortunately, because of the accident the patient had in the past, he now has an amnesia due to an injury that led to his nerves..." the doctor explained giving information regarding Xia Fei's condition to his parents and Vein.
After saying all the information they needed, the doctor left the room and only the four people were left inside.
"Xia Fei.., is there anything you remember..?" asked his parents.
".. Ah, uhm... I guess so..? I know you are my parents, although I don't really remember your names.., I remember who I am, my weak body condition, and everything about me, except..."
Xia Fei's golden eyes then looked at Vein, making eye contact with the red eyes.
"Excuse me.., but who are you again..?"
He forgot about Vein completely.
The man who was asked like that fell silent, not knowing what kind of reaction he should give to his future partner who now didn't remember him at all. But in a few second, a thin smile rise on his face.
"... Forgive me, I should have introduced myself sooner. I am Vein, your future partner, Felix."
– tbc