Chapter Text
Xiao Zhan awakened on the forest floor and blinked his eyes to adjust to the cool light of the rising moon. A man was crouching beside him, gently brushing his hair from his forehead and caressing his cheek. He squinted up at the man and saw a face that was familiar — but also not.
“Zhan-ge,” the man murmured softly, and Xiao Zhan froze, his heart beginning to race in his chest. The deep timbre of the voice sounded like Prince Bo, but when the man had said his name, it came out in that lilting, gentle tone that Tiantian would use to address him.
Xiao Zhan sat up. Dark eyes met his with a gaze both tender and fierce. Xiao Zhan reached out in wonderment, running his fingers through the rich, dark hair that fell in tousled waves around a handsome face. He tilted his head questioningly. “A-are you Bo? Or Tiantian?”
“Neither,” the man replied. “Or maybe both?”
“Then who—”
“It’s me,” the man said, his pale, soft cheeks rising as a trembling smile crept across full lips. “Yibo. My name is Yibo.” He sounded almost surprised as he spoke, as if he hadn’t uttered this name aloud in years.
“Yibo?” Xiao Zhan repeated. “That’s your name? Yibo?” He touched Yibo’s face, as if to convince himself that he was really there, and wasn’t just an illusion. Over the past few days, he had seen many things that challenged his sense of reality. He lightly slapped his own cheek. “Did we break the curse? I’m not dreaming, am I?”
That familiar croaking, wheezing laugh rang out. “Waahh, I look so good to you that you think you’re dreaming?”
“Ah, and there’s my Bo,” Xiao Zhan huffed fondly. “Wow, curse or no curse, you’re such a narciss—mmmph!” Xiao Zhan’s eyes widened in surprise as Yibo pulled him close and captured his lips in a kiss, sweet and demanding all at once. He closed his eyes and melted into Yibo’s embrace, overcome by the riot of emotions sweeping through him: relief, excitement, wonder, passion… love. Like the taste of a perfectly balanced dish, he felt it in his soul, that ineffable feeling that he was right where he belonged.
He wound his arms around Yibo, tangling his fingers in his hair as he pressed still closer, not wanting to let go, eagerly chasing that euphoric feeling of finding what he had been seeking for so long. “Is it really you?” Xiao Zhan asked between fervent kisses, “Did we really break the curse?”
“I’m here, I’m here,” Yibo breathed again and again like an incantation, as if willing it to be true.
After a decade of living as Bo and Tiantian, Yibo was whole again. Xiao Zhan felt sure of it now. He could feel it in the heat of Yibo’s kisses, in the gentle caress of his hands. There was no more divide, there were no more questions.
When at last they pulled apart, Yibo gently tipped Xiao Zhan’s face up to gaze at him in the light of the full moon. His eyes were soft and full of gratitude. “You saved me, Zhan-ge,” he murmured as a single tear slipped free. “I didn’t think I would ever feel complete again. And,” he added with a shy smile, “I love you too. With all my heart. I - I didn’t get to tell you before, in the Neither.”
Xiao Zhan swooned and opened his mouth to reply, to tell Yibo that what he confessed in the Neither were his true feelings, not merely words he said to try to break the curse. But before Xiao Zhan could speak, he was interrupted by a strange, anguished sound. He jumped in alarm, and shielded Yibo with his body, ready to fight. He had gone through too much to let this happiness be stolen from him now.
But it was just the King, choking back tears.
“My son,” he said, his voice thick with long-suppressed emotions, words tumbling out as he wrung his hands. “My son, you are back, you are back. I am sorry, I am so sorry, forgive me, this was all my fault.”
“It’s over now,” Yibo shrugged, and Xiao Zhan could see Bo in the gesture, that carefree nonchalance that he now knew masked deep hurt and loneliness.
The King sniffed. “That may be, but I failed you. I abandoned you for so long.”
“Yes. Yes you did,” Yibo said seriously. After a beat, he flashed a smirk, which softened his words without letting the King off the hook.
“I am ashamed,” the King said with eyes downcast. “I let my weaknesses hold me back for too long.”
“I did too,” Yibo replied, turning his eyes towards Xiao Zhan, “but then I met someone who challenged me to want more from life.”
Xiao Zhan smiled bashfully as he scratched the back of his neck. “I wasn’t looking for love when I came here. I really did want to learn more about trade.”
“You did,” Yibo snickered. “We traded our hearts.”
Xiao Zhan pressed his lips together, trying to hold a straight face, but soon couldn’t stand it any longer. “YUE!” he retched playfully, holding his stomach. “That was too sweet. Are you sure you’re not still Tiantian?”
The only response was a barrage of slaps, and Xiao Zhan giggled as he hunched his shoulders and shielded himself. “Ow! Ow! Are we starting this again?”
“Yes,” Yibo said, then reeled him in. Their lips met once more, and Xiao Zhan lost himself in the sweet warmth of Yibo’s kisses, in the wild beating of his own heart. It was an intoxicating feeling, and Xiao Zhan gave in to it, winding his arms around Yibo’s shoulders, deepening their kiss until—
A throat cleared behind them, and Xiao Zhan came back to his senses, to the moonlit forest… and the awkward fidgeting of the King.
“Ah ha,” Yibo let out an embarrassed laugh, straightening his clothing and wiping at his lips. “Father. Sorry.”
The King bowed his head. “No need to apologize. I am… grateful that you have found your love, one that you can embrace openly and without shame.” He took a shaky breath, and his eyes seemed to mist over. “I had not dared to hope for this day.”
Yibo blinked away a tear, surely in gratitude for his father’s acceptance, but Xiao Zhan could also feel his regret and pain for what his parents never had.
“So,” Yibo asked, the hope evident in his voice, “you’ll come to my birthday celebration, won’t you? You’ve missed so many. And my coronation?”
“Is that truly what you want?” The King looked doubtful.
Yibo smiled, and he looked at the King with Tiantian’s gentle and forgiving gaze. “Why wouldn’t I want my father there? Please — come back to the palace with us.” Then his eyes turned mischievous, and the teasing voice that spoke was Bo’s. “The old king should be there to pass the crown to the new one, don’t you think?”
The King looked a little stunned. It was clear he hadn’t expected to be invited back into Yibo’s life after all that he had done — or failed to do. His whole expression softened as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. “I would like to be there,” he said with a small but relieved smile, “To be there for you as you ascend.” But then his smile dimmed and his hands curled into anxious fists. “I only worry that… after all these years… after all the pain I caused you—”
“I think,” Xiao Zhan said, placing a hand on the King’s shoulder, “that now would be a good time to put aside all the doubts and fears, to start giving your whole heart to your son.” He coughed lightly and took his hand back. “Your Majesty,” he added, then bowed deeply.
A long moment passed as the King considered Xiao Zhan’s words. “You are right,” he finally said, then returned a deep and grateful bow to Xiao Zhan. “I am forever in your debt for bringing my son back to me. You have saved me too.”
The King then turned to Yibo. “I would be honored to attend your birthday celebration. And your coronation. And,” he said, giving Xiao Zhan a warm, almost teasing smile, “your wedding.”
👑 Epilogue: New Beginnings 👑
Yibo tumbled out of bed and staggered to his feet in a panic, his head a confused and anxious jumble, as if he’d overslept and missed an important appointment. Through the window, the first rays of sunshine were just breaking over the horizon. Yibo winced and held his breath, waiting for the familiar yellow glow to envelop him as it had every morning at dawn for ten years.
Instead, he felt a gentle tug on his arm. “Come back to bed,” a sleepy voice coaxed.
Yibo turned to see a beautiful man lying in his bed, looking up at him with soft eyes, his dark hair endearingly ruffled with sleep. With a relieved smile, Yibo climbed back under the covers. “Zhan-ge,” he whispered.
He burrowed into Xiao Zhan’s warm embrace and breathed out a grateful sigh, even as a part of him still expected to be swept away and then back again, his existence split between day and night, hopelessness and anger. It was hard to describe what it was like to be whole again, other than to say it was like being reborn into a world that felt full of possibilities.
He pulled back to gaze at Xiao Zhan’s handsome face, then ran admiring hands over his well-muscled shoulders, those strong arms that had fought so bravely for him. Surely he was dreaming, to have been saved by a man like this. As Tiantian, he had felt beaten down, helpless. As Bo, he felt caged and resentful. Meeting Xiao Zhan had given him hope, the desire to want more than the half-lives he’d been living.
Xiao Zhan kissed Yibo’s forehead and held him tight. “The Neither is never coming back,” he murmured. “So you can’t leave me anymore.”
👑👑👑👑👑
Yibo’s homecoming had been full of tears of joy. The palace staff had crowded around him, touching his dark hair and marveling at his sure and confident smile, the fierce aura that radiated from him. None could understand all that had happened in the forest, but all could see that their crown prince had regained the spark and fire that he’d had before The Tragedy.
He was back to his old self.
No, he was better.
Even his uncle could see that this was a good thing, for Yibo and for Henan. Prince Qiren would have been a fool to complain about how things had resolved, especially since it was clear that his own judgment had been calamitously wrong. His right hand man had betrayed his trust in so many ways, for so many years. And he himself had betrayed Yibo. Prince Qiren had failed precisely because he had put order and structure above all — so much so that he had been blind to Wen Ruohan’s corruption, and never even tried to understand or alleviate the suffering of his young nephew.
For this, Prince Qiren had offered to exile himself, but Yibo refused to accept. “There has already been more than enough running away and hiding from problems,” Yibo told him. There was important and difficult work ahead, and Yibo would need as much help as he could get.
And so, as impatient as Prince Qiren had been to be free of the burdens of the throne, he vowed to stay on as an aide to the crown. He owed at least this much to Yibo, and it would give him a chance to atone for all the years he had treated Yibo’s suffering as little more than something to control and contain.
“It’s admirable that you are so forgiving,” Xiao Zhan remarked to Yibo, “but I worry that you are simply burying your feelings of hurt and abandonment and it will all catch up with you someday. Your father and uncle failed you. It’s okay to be angry with them.”
But Yibo insisted that he was not interested in looking backwards, in rehashing old pains. He had a lot of life to catch up on, and no time for regrets or grudges. Although it was true that his father and uncle had caused him years of pain, Yibo chose to look at it philosophically.
“The way I am now,” he told Xiao Zhan, “is exactly the person I want to be. I don’t wish to change anything because right now,” he said with a loving smile, “I have everything I want.”
As for the affairs of the kingdom, Prince Qiren and the King felt duty-bound to make amends to the people of Henan. For years, the people had been victimized by Wen Ruohan’s corruption and misdeeds. The brothers felt profound shame when they learned just how deeply and extensively the rot had spread, how much abuse and neglect the people had endured in the ten years following The Tragedy. There would need to be a reckoning, a cleaning up of the royal court.
All of that would await the new king’s leadership, and Yibo understandably worried whether he would be up for the task of restoring both strength and compassion to the throne. But Prince Qiren had no such concerns. “I believe you will succeed,” he assured Yibo on the eve of the coronation. “Especially,” he added, “if Prince Xiao Zhan is at your side each step of the way.”
Perhaps this new generation of royals was exactly what Henan needed.
And perhaps love was not such a poor foundation for marriage.
👑👑👑👑👑
Word spread quickly throughout the land that the King had finally emerged from his decade-long seclusion, just in time to see the next king ascend. There were, of course, wild rumors about the circumstances of the King’s return, and the renewed glow animating their beloved crown prince. As always, there were many different theories for the unexpected turn of events, but they all had something to do with the tall and handsome prince who had come to visit their fair kingdom.
On the day of the coronation ceremony, the people excitedly filled the public square in Luoyang and thronged the streets around the royal court to watch the crown prince ascend. There were few dry eyes when the long-absent King took his place at Prince Yibo’s side, resplendent in his royal robes. No longer burdened by grief, he beamed with pride as attendants draped the royal cape over Prince Yibo’s broad shoulders.
When at last the heavy crown was placed on Yibo’s head, and he was proclaimed the new king, loud cheers erupted throughout the streets. Celebratory firecrackers exploded and fistfuls of flower petals were thrown from balconies and towers. Yibo looked out on the jubilant crowd and felt his heart swell with happiness and hope for the future. It seemed that the shadow of The Tragedy had finally dissipated, and the kingdom could at last move forward.
A man in silvery robes stood amidst the celebrants below, contentedly fluttering a fan as flower petals fell in a gentle shower and collected at his feet. Lord Huaisang nudged a noblewoman at his side and pointed to Prince Xiao Zhan, standing in a place of honor beside the now-retired king.
“I was the one who encouraged Prince Xiao Zhan to pursue our crown prince, you know.” He smiled in smug satisfaction. “It has all turned out as I planned.”
👑👑👑👑👑
“Don’t worry. I’m here,” Xiao Zhan said reassuringly, pulling Yibo into a warm embrace.
Yibo cringed, his whole body tensing as the sun touched the rocky horizon. But instead of falling into a suffocating sea of yellow and black, he remained snuggled at Xiao Zhan's side, under the comforting weight of strong arms holding him tight. He exhaled in relief and crowded closer to Xiao Zhan. Each time the appointed hours came and went without incident, the anxiety would ease a little bit more. It was already getting easier for Yibo to bear the transitions between day and night.
But maybe he wouldn’t tell Xiao Zhan that. He had come to enjoy these twice-a-day cuddles.
For the first time in too many years, Yibo felt complete and full of excitement for what life had in store for him. As the sun continued to set, there was only the rustling of trees, the peaceful chirp of birds and crickets, the sweet late-summer air in his lungs. Before him, gold-tinged clouds drifted peacefully against a sky aglow in pink and purple hues.
“It’s magnificent,” Yibo gasped, his eyes wide. The day’s light slowly faded away as the sun disappeared behind the faraway mountains, and together they watched the colors shift, deepening into rich oranges and reds. It was truly stunning. Dusk soon gave way to the cool darkness of nighttime, and Yibo shivered at the beautiful melancholy of it all. Then he turned to gaze at the lovely sight at his side. “I’m glad I can finally share this with you, Zhan-ge.”
Xiao Zhan smiled and took Yibo’s hand in his. “I hope we can share many more sunsets together, Yibo.”
After a quiet stroll through the gardens, they retreated to the royal chambers, now guarded by red-robed men who were charged with assuring the king’s peace and safety — and not merely keeping him confined, as they had done for too many years.
Together, Xiao Zhan and Yibo fell back on the large bed and kissed lazily, relieved to be alone at the end of another long day of celebrations, the flurry of activity that had engulfed them both since the moment they returned from the forest. The hard work of governing would begin soon enough, so Yibo wanted to savor whatever time they could take for themselves.
Yibo still couldn’t believe that this beautiful man was his to kiss. He gazed into the deep brown eyes that seemed to look into his very soul, and ran his fingers through the rich dark hair framing a perfect face. Although Yibo often found it hard to tear his eyes away from his beloved (to the great amusement of palace staff), he knew that Xiao Zhan’s beauty was far more than skin deep. After all, it had been Xiao Zhan’s kindness, wits, and brave heart that had pulled him out of despair when no one else was willing, and filled his world with a joy he never imagined he could feel.
In wonderment, he traced the shape of Xiao Zhan’s soft lips with a finger, then touched the tiny mole beneath. He was almost trembling when he leaned in to breathe in Xiao Zhan’s scent, to feel the warmth of his skin on his lips. He had to remind himself that this was real, and not just another illusion of the Neither.
Maybe his fortune had finally changed, like the righting of some cosmic ledger, allowing him this happiness after so many years of suffering. Yibo vowed not to waste it. He would embrace the gift he had been given, and do everything he could to be deserving of it.
Xiao Zhan nestled into Yibo’s arms with a happy sigh. “Now that you’ve issued a royal proclamation about our wedding, you’ll have to go through with it. Otherwise it would be terribly awkward.”
Yibo stared, aghast. “What makes you think I would ever let you go?”
“Ah? I don’t even recall you asking for my hand,” Xiao Zhan pouted playfully. “I don’t think you’re serious about me,” he sniffed.
“Don’t tease,” Yibo said in a low voice.
Xiao Zhan gave Yibo a coquettish smile. “I’m just saying that was rather presumptuous of you, assuming that we would wed without even asking? Tsk. I’ll have you know I have had many marriage proposals.”
At the mention of possible rivals, Yibo’s face fell. “A-are you having second thoughts now?”
“No, darling,” Xiao Zhan said soothingly, caressing Yibo’s face. “Don’t worry. I’m more sure of you now than ever. And you?”
“I fell in love with you twice already, ge. Once as Tiantian, and once as Bo.” Yibo gave him a half-cocked grin. “I’m twice as sure as you are.”
“Aiyooo, you are such a clumsy romantic inside,” Xiao Zhan giggled. Then he puffed out his cheeks and made an exaggeratedly thoughtful face. “Now was that Tiantian or Bo talking? They were both awkward in their own ways. Maybe you’re twice as awkward now!” He braced for an indignant slap, but Yibo drew him closer instead.
“You don’t like the way I romance you?”
“I never said that!” Xiao Zhan protested. “It’s charming. I wouldn’t want anyone else to romance me.”
“Good, because you can’t have second thoughts now, Zhan-ge,” Yibo scolded lightheartedly. “Zhao-popo would have your head. She’s planning a royal banquet for our wedding reception, and has ordered a terrifying amount of chili peppers in preparation for it. After all, we will soon be hosting a large number of guests from Chongqing, and we don’t want to disappoint them!”
Xiao Zhan chuckled, shaking his head fondly, then settled more deeply into Yibo’s embrace. “Soon, ah?” he asked. “Do we have a wedding date?”
“No.”
“No?" Xiao Zhan pouted. "What are you waiting for?”
“I thought you wanted me to ask for your hand first!”
“Okay,” Xiao Zhan said, sitting up. He held out his hand and looked at Yibo expectantly. “I’m ready.”
“Not now!” Yibo laughed. “Give me time to plan a grand proposal, one worthy of my beloved.”
“But—”
“Oh ho,” Yibo grinned. “Getting impatient?”
Xiao Zhan affected a nonchalant air. “No, I was just thinking that it’s terribly scandalous for us to be living together before we’re married. Perhaps we should keep separate quarters until the wedding.”
Yibo threw his head back in mock exasperation. “Ugh! Protocol is so boring!”
“Waah, You’re so naughty,” Xiao Zhan chided. “Remember, you’re the king now! You need to be more mindful of the rules.” He made a show of looking around the room. “Where’s my Tiantian, ah?”
Yibo raised an eyebrow, then ran a covetous hand down Xiao Zhan’s body. “Zhan-ge. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have Bo instead?”
A breathy laugh escaped from Xiao Zhan’s lips, his eyes twinkling mischievously as he stretched out next to Yibo and his own hand began to wander lower and lower. “Is that going to be our code for this? I just need to call you Bo?” He paused to give Yibo a heated, meaningful look. “But what if I want Tiantian?”
“You can call me anything you want,” Yibo said in a low voice. “Calling me Tiantian is fine with me too. It might even be better.”
“Really? Why?”
“Mmm… because every time you call me ‘Tíantían’ I’m going to hear it as ‘tīantīan’ now.”
Xiao Zhan looked puzzled for a moment before letting out a dramatic, happy gasp.
“Yeah,” Yibo said, and rolled Xiao Zhan over to pin him to the bed. He stopped to enjoy the expectant look on Xiao Zhan’s lovely face, then flashed a cocky grin before leaning in close to whisper in his ear.
“Tiantian jiu shi tiantian,” Yibo said. “Every day means every day.”
And they lived happily ever after.
-FIN-