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Dan Feng can’t wait to go to Yingxing’s office. He won't be in the forge today, because Yingxing is tasked to design war machines against Borisin so he’ll hole himself in the office. Dan Feng wonders if he can entice Yingxing for office sex, not that it would be difficult, given Yingxing has no defence against Dan Feng’s demands.
His tail wagging wildly as he arrives at Yingxing's office. He opens the door without care and steps in. “Husband, I’m here.” He sees Yingxing sitting behind his desk and—ARE THOSE BANDAGES COVERING HIS HANDS???
“Husband, what happened?” Dan Feng frantically runs across the room. He takes his husband's hands in his and starts using Cloudhymn magic to heal them. However, his nerves appear to be impaired and can’t be healed with Cloudhymn magic. It makes Dan Feng even more frantic because his husband needs his hands to forge! It isn’t until he feels traces of Abundance in his husband’s body that Dan Feng staggers back, “—you’re not Yingxing.”
The man—one with Yingxing’s body but with traces of abundance—looks at him in sorrow. “I’m no longer him.”
No longer him. Dan Feng can feel tears slip down his cheeks. “What happened?”
The man—who calls himself Blade—tells a tale of getting a curio and it sends him to the past. Which means Blade is Yingxing’s future. Yingxing, who’s a short-lived species but now his body is rift with Abundance. Yingxing, who can never forge again due to impaired nerves.
“Dan Feng, calm down,” Blade calls to him and gathers him into his arms. He can feel his shaky hands caressing Dan Feng’s back the way he likes it. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine! You’re not fine!” Dan Feng can’t help but sob. “Did you lose me too, in the future?”
Blade doesn’t answer for a while. He then sighs, “I lost you for so long but now you’re back to me in the future. We’re fine, Dan Feng.”
Dan Feng sniffs to Blade’s shoulder. “So my incarnation?”
“It’s not exactly an incarnation,” Blade tries to explain. “You got a botched birth. He’s still you, only with a different future.”
“But we’re together right?” Dan Feng asks desperately.
“Yes, we are. He’ll make sure to accompany me until the end.” Blade pauses as his shaky hand swipes the tears on Dan Feng’s cheek. “You’ll make sure to accompany me until the end.”
“I know you can’t fully tell me what happened but I’m glad I’m still with you.” Dan Feng smiles through his tears.
Blade kisses his head. “As I am glad to be with you forevermore.”
Dan Feng clings to Blade’s body tighter. He’s worried about the future but he can also feel the relief that whatever happens, they’re still together in the future.
“Do you want to meet everyone else, Blade?”
Blade stays silent for a while, even pausing his caress on Dan Feng’s back. Then he speaks softly, “No, I can’t meet them. I’d rather be only with you until the curio takes me back to the future.”
“Then you’ll have me,” Dan Feng says easily. Because Blade may no longer consider himself Yingxing, he’s still Dan Feng’s husband here and in the future.
Their bonds will never be broken.
————
Dan Heng just knows things will become hectic as soon as Yingxing appears.
Yingxing, with his arrogant stance and a handsome smirk on his face, looks at him and says, “You look a little short in your incarnation, husband.”
Dan Heng groans and slaps his arm. “Shut up, I had a botched birth you fool.”
“I can’t believe I’m a criminal now,” Yingxing sounds wholly impressed for himself. “Doesn’t that mean you love a bad boy, husband?”
A red flush crawls Dan Heng’s cheeks. “Shut it. It’s not like that.” It’s definitely like that but Dan Heng won’t ever agree until his last breath. “Now you have two kids clamouring me to meet you.”
That catches Yingxing’s interest. “Oh, who are they?”
“Your—sort of a niece I guess from General Huaiyan, and Jing Yuan’s student.”
“That brat has a student now?” Yingxing laughs wholeheartedly.
“That brat is now a General,” Dan Heng can’t help but feel amused too. He still remembers the memories of child Jing Yuan being a brat—it’s kind of difficult to think he’s an actual General with centuries of experience. “And his student is a bright one. Your niece and he are fans of your crafts.”
“As they should,” Yingxing says with an annoying but very attractive smile. “Let’s meet them then,” he says and follows Dan Heng to the party car where Yunli and Yanqing await.
Both of them are bickering in a sort of nervous manner, as if they’re very nervous and arguing is the only way to let their nerves out. Dan Heng calls out to them before their bickering becomes a bigger issue, “Yunli, Yanqing, meet Yingxing.”
Yunli and Yanqing quickly end their bickering to look at Yingxing standing beside Dan Heng. Their eyes are glittered with awestruck emotions that make Yingxing look even more smug. “Uncle Yingxing!” They both clamour to his sides and start chattering about swords with no restraint. Their hands tug at Yingxing’s sleeves as they try to show him their collection of swords that are littered on the sofa.
Yingxing, always been a bit of a brat himself, inspects the swords and tells them how bad those swords are and how Yingxing can make them much better swords. These statements make Yunli and Yanqing practically vibrate with excitement.
“Mister Dan Heng, please let us bring Yingxing into the furnace in Xianzhou!” Yanqing begs at him.
“Please Uncle Dan Heng, let us have swords by the legendary Uncle Yingxing!” Yunli sends her best pitiful look.
Dan Heng has no defence against children, but it’s still Yingxing’s decision after all. So he looks at Yingxing and asks, “Do you want to make them swords?”
“I’ll create the best swords they could ever have!” Yingxing says smugly and the children beam at him in happiness.
Dan Heng sighs, because, of course, Yingxing will say that. “I’ll call General Huaiyan to ask him to lend his forge.”
The children and Yingxing cheer loudly and Dan Heng stifles his amusement. There goes his time managing three brats. He hopes Xianzhou will survive their shenanigans.