Chapter Text
Xiao Zhan watches with mixed feelings as the person who just walked past him falls to the ground and wails tragically. The maid beside the person also makes a big fuss, running toward her master, seemingly trying to help her master up, only to fail miserably every time. It’s so dramatic and heart-wrenching. Soon enough, the previously tranquil garden becomes a bit lively. Some eunuchs and maids gather around to see, and some other members of the harem even come out to see. Calmly, Xiao Zhan turns around to look at the weeping person on the ground.
“Did I accidentally bump into her?” Xiao Zhan asks the maid beside him in a low voice.
The maid, called Qingxue, shakes her head. “Answering Niangniang, no, Cai-meiren fell on her own.”
Xiao Zhan purses his lips. “Thought so.” He then continues to look on at the drama being pulled in front of him. Actually, he’s been waiting for this to happen sooner or later. It’s a bit fascinating. Usually, he watches this scene unfold as a reader or TV drama audience. He just wishes it would be a bit, well, more dramatic? Like, she should have actually bumped into Xiao Zhan, at least, to make it more believable, you know.
Xiao Zhan lets out a sigh. “Qingxue, help Cai-meiren up.”
“Yes.” Qingxue steps forward to grab Concubine Cai by the arm, but she shies away from Qingxue and keeps on weeping pitifully on the ground instead.
“Xiao Pin-gege, please have mercy on this meimei.”
Xiao Zhan’s temple twitches at the address. He’s still not used to how people address each other in the harem, especially how most of the harem members like to speak in a coquettish manner. Xiao Zhan keeps silent, wondering why Cai Meiren suddenly pulled this off out of nowhere. They have minimal contact on a day-to-day basis. Their places of residence are not even close to each other. Well, at least that’s what he can recall from the original owner’s memory. Xiao Zhan himself only ever met this person once.
It’s been around ten days since Xiao Zhan came to this world. Before this, like many other people with sense, Xiao Zhan thought that this was something that only happened in novels and TV dramas. Transmigration and rebirth are themes that people love nowadays. Xiao Zhan can understand. With how hard life can get, it really is a blessing if one can get a reset of their whole life to do it all over again, or simply just live a life that’s totally different from the one they’re suffering to go through in real life.
He himself just left the hell of working in corporate life two and a half years ago. After more than ten years, he was finally able to go and use his savings to start his dream job: owning a bakery. His parents are settled in their retirement, and Xiao Zhan is no longer burdened with expectation (except maybe about getting married and having children, but what else is new with parents, right? Anyway). His bakery is small, but it’s going in the right direction. He now has two people helping him in the bakery. He doesn’t need a reset of his own life, okay?
As if being transmigrated into a novel is not absurd enough, the character he’s transmigrated into is, apparently, a villain. The original owner is Concubine Xiao. He has the same name as Xiao Zhan, except Concubine Xiao’s name uses the 湛 character instead of 战. His background is not too remarkable. His father is the current Earl of Jinnan, who is struggling to keep his family’s status from dwindling even further after two generations of mediocrity and no achievements. That’s why Concubine Xiao is sent to the palace to join Emperor Hongyi’s harem. The Earl of Jinnan only has three children, and Concubine Xiao is the youngest, so he’s been spoiled since he was young. This upbringing makes him act very tyrannical and domineering in the harem since day one.
Wonderful, isn’t it?
Back to Xiao Zhan’s current predicament (not really). Xiao Zhan sighs. “Meimei shall speak clearly. There’s only us here, and this pavement is also so wide. Why would I bump into you on purpose? My eyes are still functioning well. Or is it Meimei’s eyes that have a problem? Well, that won’t do. Why don’t we call for Taiyi? After all, our health is important.”
“Xiao Pin-gege! Please don’t twist my words!” Cai Meiren shouts again. Xiao Zhan tries to remember her name. It’s Cai Xiaoxiao, isn’t it? “It’s clearly you who bumped into me! How could you be like this? This meimei just joined the harem recently. If I do anything wrong, you can just point it out to me instead of treating me like this.” She weeps again.
“Exactly. We barely know each other. Why would I wrong you?” Xiao Zhan scoffs.
“Xiao Pin-gege, even if Bixia never summons you to serve him, that’s something that none of us can control.” Cai Xiaoxiao uses a pink handkerchief to wipe the corner of her reddened eyes.
Xiao Zhan rolls his eyes. However, he has to agree with her on this. Concubine Xiao is also known to be very jealous. Since he came into the harem, Emperor Hongyi has never summoned him. Meanwhile, Cai Xiaoxiao is one of the newest batch of concubines who entered the palace, and she has been summoned twice by the Emperor. On his own part, Xiao Zhan couldn't care less about it. Ever since he came here, Xiao Zhan has kept to himself. He never even bothered with the other harem members, unlike what Concubine Xiao used to do. After all, Xiao Zhan doesn’t want to end up like Concubine Xiao in the novel, being sent to the cold palace and dying there. So, it would be better if he were never summoned at all.
“Meimei is right. Who Bixia summoned is really not any of our business. So do get up and stop this nonsense,” Xiao Zhan says as he begins to lose his patience. It’s his own fault for not checking the almanack before stepping out of his Wanyue Pavilion earlier today. Otherwise, he’d just stayed indoors and avoided this cheap drama.
*
Wang Yibo is having a headache. One moment, he’s crack climbing in Australia, and the next moment, he’s in this room with several people dressed in ancient robes, in a setting that’s eerily similar to the imperial court room in those dramas and movies. He can’t put a finger on how in hell he could end up in this place because, as long as he remembers, he doesn’t even have any drama or movie shoot schedule for the rest of the year, much less for a costume drama like this.
It takes him quite some time to realise the lack of cameras, staff, directors, assistant directors, cameramen, mics, lighting, and all the props of a film shoot. It takes him even longer before he realises that he, somehow, for some weird, absurd, and absolutely nonsensical reason, has time-travelled.
Not to mention, he now seems to be…an emperor. Well, at least he’s still the head of something. Yibo can live with that. After all, running a country is not that much different from running a company, right? He can say he’s experienced enough after three years of being hands-on in his company.
Yibo closes his eyes to calm down. When he opens his eyes again, his sharp eyes take in everything around him. Based on his experience shooting period dramas before, this hall is slightly too small to be considered a proper courtroom. Yibo at least knows that the morning assembly can gather almost sixty people at least. So, this should be a hall of another part of the imperial palace, most likely the hall in the emperor's private residence. These ministers must have been here to report on something. And ever since Yibo opened his eyes, they’ve been arguing nonstop.
Impatient, Yibo slaps the table in front of him. The two piles of memorials clatter because of the impact. Everyone is startled and quickly comes down to their knees.
“Bixia, please quell your anger!”
“If you’re only here to argue, then don’t bother coming! Come again when you have agreed on something!” Yibo says. He doesn’t really know what they’re arguing about, but it’s pretty annoying. “Go away!”
The ministers can’t do anything but obey. They bow, then start to clamber out of the hall. The Emperor is already annoyed. It’s good enough that none of them is immediately put to death for annoying him.
Yibo leans back against the huge chair he’s sitting on. A eunuch beside him quickly comes forward with a cup of tea. “Bixia, don’t be too angry. Please be mindful of your health.”
Yibo takes a sip of the tea and frowns. “You…” He clears his throat. “...what year is it now?”
The eunuch looks unsure, but he replies, “Answering Bixia, this is the third year of Hongyi.”
Yibo doesn’t recognise the name of the era. “What dynasty is this?”
“...this is the Jie Dynasty.” The eunuch starts to look concerned. “Bixia, are you feeling well? Would you like Laonu to summon taiyi?”
Yibo raises his hand. “No need. Just answer me.” He then continues asking questions about the dynasty and the kingdom, as well as his family. Confused and concerned, the eunuch can only keep on answering. However, a eunuch is still a eunuch; he can’t answer the question that is too subjective, as it’s against their sense of loyalty and duty.
Well, no matter, Yibo thinks as his eyes fall on the pile of clattered memorials on the table. He can read these to understand what’s up with this kingdom. The rest, he can find out more as he goes.
The eunuch, named An Shun, looks on in astonishment as he sees the Emperor pick up one of the memorials and start reading it diligently. An Shun has been serving the throne since the previous emperor. This one ascended the throne because all his siblings died one after another. The Emperor never bothered about any of the submitted memorials before this. He spent his days in leisure and the beauties in his harem. This is only his third year on the throne, but he already has more than twenty consorts and concubines in the back palace.
As a eunuch serving beside the Emperor, An Shun doesn’t have any right to comment on how the Emperor spends his days. Nonetheless, he still feels a bit happy if the Emperor starts taking his role seriously.
Right at this time, they hear a commotion from outside. An Shun frowns and quickly goes out to check. In front of the hall, two eunuchs are talking excitedly to each other. An Shun berates them. “What are you guys doing? Lower your voice! Bixia is reading inside!”
The two younger eunuchs bow in repentance.
“What is it?” An Shun then asks.
“Gonggong, it seems that Cai-meiren is being bullied in the garden.”
“What? Who dares to do such a thing?”
“Gonggong, it’s… Xiao Pin-niangniang.”
An Shun lets out a sigh. “Such a small thing, and you have to make a fuss here. You, wait here. You, come with me.”
“What happened out there?” Yibo asks loudly from inside. The eunuch who stays behind immediately comes in to report.
Yibo frowns. He just came not half an hour ago, and there’s already a problem with the harem? Yibo couldn’t care less. He returns his attention to the memorial in his hand again.
Aren’t these harem members so brave to make trouble so close to his Panlong Hall? Yibo can’t help but wonder. Fine. He’ll see what these concubines want, then. If it’s too boring, he can just punish them, right?
“Bring them here,” he orders, and the eunuch immediately runs out to catch up to An Shun.
*
“What seems to be the problem here?” A soft, melodious tone of an elder eunuch interrupts them. It belongs to the eunuch who serves by Emperor Hongyi’s side, An Shun.
At this moment, Xiao Zhan immediately understands what Cai Xiaoxiao is trying to pull. This particular garden is very near Panlong Hall, where the Emperor resides. It seems that being favoured twice has given her some courage and thought of getting rid of her rivals in the harem, and she wanted to start with the most intimidating one, namely Concubine Xiao.
Great. Xiao Zhan groans inwardly. Is keeping to oneself not enough to survive in this harem?!
“An-gonggong,” Xiao Zhan nods at the senior eunuch.
“Xiao Pin-niangniang, what seems to be the trouble here? Don’t you know that this can disturb Bixia?”
“An-gonggong, it’s not our Niangniang’s fault!” Qingxue immediately replies.
“How dare!” An Shun snaps. “It’s not your place to answer for your master!”
Xiao Zhan raises his hand. “An-gonggong doesn’t need to bother about my maid. However, it seems that An-gonggong has already decided that all this is my fault. In that case, this concubine doesn’t have anything to say.”
An Shun frowns. How can it not be? Concubine Xiao is known to be domineering and jealous. He’s been harassing anyone summoned and favoured by the Emperor. Moreover, Cai Meiren just entered the harem, but has been favoured twice. “Niangniang jests. This one just wants to make sure that as a senior member, Niangniang can just advise.”
Xiao Zhan shakes his head. It really is no use to overexplain. After all, the original owner’s reputation is horrible. No one would believe him even if he explained until his mouth frothed. “In that case–”
His words are interrupted by another eunuch, who came in a hurry. An Shun frowns and asks what he wants. The young eunuch says, “Xiao Pin-niangniang, Cai Meiren, Bixia has summoned both of you.”
I really shouldn’t have stepped out earlier, Xiao Zhan dreads.
*
Amidst feeling nervous about his fate, Xiao Zhan can’t help but marvel at the grandness of Panlong Hall. After all, he’s never been to any part of the imperial palace before. The more he looks, the more envious he feels. Why can’t he be transmigrated as the emperor instead? Even though he also has a bad ending, at least Xiao Zhan will have some more power to alter his fate.
As soon as they enter the small reception hall, both Xiao Zhan and Cai Xiaoxiao kneel before the Emperor. “Chenqie greets Bixia,” they say almost in unison.
There’s a hum from where the Emperor is sitting on the dais. Xiao Zhan wants to lift his head and see what the other villain looks like, but doing so can send him even faster to his end, so he restrains himself. In the novel, Emperor Hongyi is also a villain canon-fodder character, just like Concubine Xiao. If Concubine Xiao is tyrannical and domineering, then Emperor Hongyi is the number one tyrant. He’s also evil, as he never bats an eye before sending someone to their death because of the slightest annoyance. He never cares about the country and the people. In the end, the Emperor is usurped and put to death by his own half-brother.
With a jaded curiosity, Xiao Zhan wonders if he really got sent to the cold palace so soon, will the Emperor meet his end sooner, too?
“Dare to make trouble in the middle of the day.” The Emperor has a deep voice that somehow, weirdly, grates on Xiao Zhan’s heart. Damn, he sounds so sexy.
Xiao Zhan is about to plead his case, but Cai Xiaoxiao beats him to it. She begins crying so pitifully again. “Bixia, Chenqie is wronged!”
“Silence!” the Emperor snaps. Something is slapped against something hard, causing a loud noise. Xiao Zhan silently flinches. “Speaking without being asked to. Totally bu respect!” the Emperor says again. It seems like he’s grumbling to himself, but Xiao Zhan hears that.
In that second, Xiao Zhan snaps his head up, forgetting that he shouldn’t be doing so. He looks at the Emperor sitting on the big chair up there on the dais, behind his desk. He looks young and handsome, but Xiao Zhan doesn’t care about that for now.
“...Bixia, say that again…” Xiao Zhan says before he can stop himself.
“What?”
“Presumptuous!” An Shun chides from beside the Emperor, taking a step forward while brandishing the horse tail whisk in his hand.
Xiao Zhan flinches again, but his mind is already so full of ridiculous notions. Xiao Zhan can’t just be hearing things. If the Emperor really said what Xiao Zhan thinks he just said, then– “Bixia, forgive Chenqie, but…” Xiao Zhan gulps. This is totally ridiculous, but he has to try. “...yǎn kàn zhe nǐ nán guò, wǎn liú de huà què méi yǒu shuō…”
Everyone in the room looks at Xiao Zhan with various expressions. An Shun is horrified. He never thought that this arrogant concubine would dare to act so brazenly. Cai Xiaoxiao is soon hiding a snigger behind her handkerchief. This Concubine Xiao is so stupid to be uttering such gibberish to the Emperor. It seems that she doesn’t need to do more to get rid of this concubine and rise in rank!
Xiao Zhan gulps. He becomes a bit unsure now, but he says again, “...nǐ huì wēi xiào fàng shǒu…” He keeps looking at the Emperor with a complicated look in his eyes. Am I wrong? Is this it for me? Xiao Zhan feels his knees go weak. But as he’s about to slump to the ground, he sees the Emperor slowly rise to his feet.
The Emperor leans toward his desk, using both hands to steady himself. He opens his mouth and says, very slowly, “...shuō hǎo bù kū… ràng wǒ… zǒu…?”*
Xiao Zhan gasps. Probably more dramatic than he means to, but– “Holy shit!” He mutters.
The Emperor immediately reacts. “Everybody out! Not you!” He immediately adds, pointing at Xiao Zhan. “You, too! Out!” the Emperor says to An Shun.
“Bixia!”
“Out!”
Soon after, everyone is out, leaving only the two of them in the hall. The Emperor quickly walks around his huge desk and gestures to Xiao Zhan. “You. Come with me.”
Xiao Zhan quickly comes to his feet. He feels a bit wobbly at first from kneeling for too long, but he steadies himself and follows the Emperor. There’s a corridor connecting the hall to the study right next to it. He makes sure no one follows them, and once inside, the Emperor closes the door behind them. Xiao Zhan turns to say something to the Emperor, but before he can, the Emperor is already grabbing him by the shoulders. Xiao Zhan is pushed against the wall, and the Emperor comes so close that Xiao Zhan feels a bit uncomfortable.
“Umh, Bixia…”
“Who are you? How do you know that song? Are you a time-traveller too?” the Emperor demands, his almond-shaped eyes fixed on Xiao Zhan’s face, as if he’s daring Xiao Zhan to tell him any lie.
Xiao Zhan, who is still marvelling at how he can find a fellow transmigrator over a Jay Chou song, blinks in confusion. “Time-travelling?”
“...You’re not…?”
“Wait. You… don’t know?” There’s only a couple of centimetres between their noses, and truth be told, Xiao Zhan is a bit distracted by how handsome the Emperor is.
“Know what? I only came here not an hour ago. I know practically nothing. If you’re not a time-traveller, then how do you know that song?”
Xiao Zhan’s eyes go wide. Only an hour ago? No wonder! This must be why this person thinks he has time-travelled. Because Xiao Zhan owns the knowledge and memory of the original owner, he has assumed that must be the case with anyone who has transmigrated. Isn’t that how it works in those stories? However, it doesn’t seem to be the case with this person.
“Okay, first of all, can you… move back a bit? Thank you.” Xiao Zhan pulls on his robes after the Emperor steps back. Xiao Zhan then points to the luohan bed on the side of the room. “I think we'd better sit down.”
Yibo is a bit impatient, but he’s more curious as to what this person is going to say. He saunters to the daybed without waiting for the person, then sits down beside the concubine.
The concubine clears his throat again. He looks indecisive for a moment. Yibo takes a moment to take in his features. He’s beautiful, for sure. The type of face that falls right into Yibo’s type. The kind of face that quickly stole Yibo’s heart more than six years ago. Yibo reckons he probably won’t be able to see that beloved face again because he’s now in this place. The way his facial expression changes from one to another really reminds Yibo of the one he keeps in his heart. Yibo shakes his head mentally. This won’t do. He doesn’t need substitutes.
“Well?”
“...Right. As I said, we’re not time-travelling. I don’t know what year you came from, but if you ever heard about transmigration stories, then you’ll understand what I’m going to tell you.” The concubine then goes on to tell what he knows of the novel's plotline.
According to him, Yibo is now in the world of a romance palace novel, taking over the body of Emperor Hongyi. He’s the fifth son of the previous Emperor, and he ascended the throne because all his brothers had died one after another. This seems to make Emperor Hongyi thinks that this is how the Heaven’s Mandate works in his favour, so he acted all domineering and tyrannical. Ever since he ascended the throne, the Emperor has sent almost a quarter of his court to death or to be tortured in prison. And don’t talk about his own harem. There are witness accounts of a concubine or consort being summoned to serve the Emperor, only to emerge wrapped in a straw mat.
Emperor Hongyi actually has one surviving brother, Prince Yu. However, because his mother was not favoured, his life in the palace is also hard. He established himself after setting up his own residence outside, as per tradition. He managed to do one meritorious deed which get him the title Prince Yu. In the end, this brother managed to stage a coup and executed Emperor Hongyi.
“...what the fuck,” Yibo curses.
“I know,” Xiao Zhan comments sympathetically.
“What the fuck,” Yibo repeats, and Xiao Zhan nods again in agreement.
“Well,” the concubine lets out a sigh. “For one, I’ve been trying to keep from getting into trouble since I came here. Today was just an unfortunate accident.”
“Is she really favoured?” Yibo can’t help but wonder out loud as he tries to remember the appearance of the other concubine. She seems to be pretty, but she’s just not Yibo’s type. He wonders how lustful the original owner was. Did he really devour any kind of beauty offered in front of him? No wonder he met such a bad end. Even if he’s not betrayed by his own family, his promiscuity will be the end of him.
Xiao Zhan can’t say for sure, and his original owner’s judgment of character is certainly not reliable. “The Emperor seems to like her enough,” he decides to say.
Yibo closes his eyes. He then turns to look at the person beside him, curious. “Well, what about you?”
“Me? Oh. You, I mean, the Emperor never summoned me before. I think I’m glad that you’re him, now.”
Yibo tilts his head.
Xiao Zhan laughs a bit awkwardly. “Well, I, I mean, my character, is also …umh, not very good. In the novel, he somehow offended the Emperor and ended up being sent to the cold palace and, well, died… there…”
Yibo looks horrified. “I won’t ever send you to the cold palace.”
“Thanks?” the concubine chuckles.
Yibo then takes another good look at the person sitting beside him. The weird, familiar feeling resurfaces again. The longer Yibo looks at this person, the more he thinks this person is truly so beautiful (which makes him wonder even more about the original owner’s taste). The way he dresses is simple, yet tasteful and elegant. There are not many ornaments on his hair, only a beautiful jade guan, with furong flower pattern carved on it.
Yibo frowns in deep thought before nodding, as if he has decided on something. He then looks at the person beside him again. He clears his throat before asking, “So… What do I call you?”
“Oh! Right!” the beauty beside Yibo says, “It’s so rude of me not to introduce myself first. Hi, I’m Xiao Zhan. With the 战 character,” Xiao Zhan gestures with his finger. “What should I call you?” Xiao Zhan blinks expectantly at the Emperor, but the person only looks at him, wide-eyed. Xiao Zhan raises his eyebrows. “That… umh… why are you…”
Yibo doesn’t care when Xiao Zhan yelps as Yibo cups Xiao Zhan’s face with both hands, taking a good look at the person in front of him. Xiao Zhan struggles, but Yibo doesn’t let go.
This can’t be… How could it be… “... Zhan-ge? You’re really Zhan-ge?”
“Wha… “ Xiao Zhan lets out a shy chuckle. “Well, I guess since we’re fellow villagers, you can call me that. Haha.”
“Zhan-ge, it’s me!” Yibo brings Xiao Zhan’s lovely face closer, almost squishing Xiao Zhan’s face. “It’s me. Yibo!”
It’s now Xiao Zhan’s turn to be perplexed. He knows several people named Yibo in his life, but most of them he knew through his previous work in a magazine. Xiao Zhan is also sure none of them will be this enthusiastic to see him. “Which Yibo?” Xiao Zhan blinks.
Yibo finally let go of Xiao Zhan’s face. Instead, he takes Xiao Zhan’s hand and starts scribbling a character on Xiao Zhan’s palm. Xiao Zhan looks up at him in shock. “Wang Yibo??!!”
Yibo nods. “It’s me!”
“No way!!” Xiao Zhan shrieks. He stands up, looking at Yibo in utter disbelief. “Why are you here? How could you be here? How could it be you?”
“If even you, with your knowledge of the plot, don’t know how we came here, then how should I know?” Yibo shrugs. He laughs, despite everything. He feels so glad. Oh, so glad. The one person he feared he’d missed for the rest of his life is here, in front of him, beside him.
Xiao Zhan sits down again. It takes some time before he looks at Yibo again. “Are you really Wang Yibo?” He sounds a bit skeptical. He even narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Yibo.
Yibo chuckles. “You have that small bakery called ‘Eight Little Treasures’ near the shopping district, right? And you’ve worked at Focus magazine before, as a photographer and a graphic designer. And that’s how we first met, for a photoshoot. You were a bit nervous that you almost spilt coffee on me.”
As the memory comes to Xiao Zhan’s mind, he groans in embarrassment. “Please don’t remind me of that again.”
“What? Are you expecting someone else to be here instead of me?” Yibo raises his thick eyebrows.
“I never expected someone else to be here!” Xiao Zhan says. “Well, I suspect someone, but I can’t be sure…”
“Oh?”
Xiao Zhan shrugs. “I’ll tell you more about it later. So, what do you plan to do now?”
Yibo falls into thinking. He puts his thumb in front of his mouth and starts biting on his nail. Seeing that, Xiao Zhan is more convinced now that it’s really the Wang Yibo he knows who’s in front of him. Yibo is known to have this habit of biting his nails, but he’s stopped ever since he got into climbing. He said that it only came on when he’s really nervous or lost in thought now.
Yibo also seems to catch himself and frowns unhappily as he looks at his thumb. Luckily, no harm is done. This body is pampered, so his hands and nails’ conditions are very different from his own body. He really should stop. He doesn’t want Xiao Zhan to see this bad habit resurfacing.
Xiao Zhan coughs. He’s about to say something, but this time, he’s beaten by the rumbling sound of his stomach. Xiao Zhan winces and looks away, embarrassed. Yibo chuckles. “Let’s eat, then. I also haven’t eaten anything since I came here.” He then calls out for someone to come.
It’s An Shun who comes in from outside.
“What do you want to eat?” Yibo turns to Xiao Zhan.
Xiao Zhan blushes and says, “Umh, hongshaorou…”
“You hear that? Bring more dishes, too and some soup. Also tea. Zha– I mean, Xiao Pin’s favourite tea.”
“Yes.” After making sure there are no more requests, the eunuch leaves again.
*
The rest of the day is spent with them talking and catching up over early lunch, tea, snacks, more tea, and more snacks. They move from the study to the Emperor’s bedchamber because Yibo feels it is too formal in the study. In between, Yibo also multitasks by reading some of the memorials he requested to be brought in. At some point, Yibo asks for wine to be brought in, and before they know it, the day has turned to dusk.
Xiao Zhan fills their cups with wine again. “Well, I think as long as we don’t do what our original owners do, we should be fine?”
Yibo chews his lips. “Well, that’s the bare minimum. As for me, I’ll see what I can do about my nominal older brother. I mean, I wouldn’t have it in me to just sit and do nothing. You know me.”
Xiao Zhan can’t help but let out a chuckle at that. On top of the weird things that have already happened to him, this might be the weirdest of them all. Having Wang Yibo, of all people, here with him is like a fever dream, and for Yibo to act like they’ve known each other so well for the longest time, as if they’re very close friends.
Xiao Zhan does know Wang Yibo, and by that, he means who doesn’t? Yibo’s face is literally everywhere in their previous lives. It’s like every brand wants to be represented by him. He’s not only an idol, but he also dabbles in extreme sports as a hobby, as well as setting up his own company several years back. Xiao Zhan is also a fan, and he got to know Yibo when he worked at a magazine. They did interviews and photoshoots a couple of times, but Xiao Zhan never dared to claim that he knew Wang Yibo on a personal level. They weren’t that close, in Xiao Zhan’s opinion. They exchanged WeChat at some point, but they never talk outside of work, especially after Xiao Zhan quit his job to open his small bakery.
But, to respond to Yibo’s remark, Xiao Zhan does know that Yibo is not one to stay idle. “Well, I’ll see what I can do, too.” Xiao Zhan muses. “Probably not much, though. I’m only a pin.”
“Yeah, about that. I think it’s best if I raise your rank,” Yibo decides.
“Ah?”
“Think about it. You’re only a pin, and your background is not so strong. Now that we’re in this together, shouldn’t we help each other? If you have a higher rank, it will be easier for you to protect yourself,” Yibo reasons.
That actually makes sense. With the Emperor’s favour, it will be easier for Xiao Zhan to move around if Yibo needs his help. Xiao Zhan has thought of befriending the main character. He says this to Yibo, who immediately nods. “There’s no harm in that. You probably have to work extra hard, though. Hasn’t your original owner been so vile toward him?”
Xiao Zhan winces. “Yeah. I’ll think of something.” He then looks out the window. “It’s late. I'd better go back. Qingxue must be worried about me.”
“Don’t go. Stay here tonight.” Yibo reacts quickly, catching Xiao Zhan by his wrist. He’s not ready to let Xiao Zhan go, yet. What if all of this is just a dream, and when he wakes up tomorrow, he’s all alone in this strange world? Yibo doesn’t want that.
“What?” Xiao Zhan blinks in confusion.
“You’re here already. Why bother to go back? It’ll be more believable when I raise your rank tomorrow.”
“Oh.” Xiao Zhan nods. He then looks around. “Then, I’ll sleep there. Would you mind lending me a pillow and a quilt?” Xiao Zhan says as he points to the daybed on the side of the room.
Yibo frowns at the daybed. “What are you sleeping there for? It’s so hard. You’ll end up sore tomorrow morning. Just sleep on the bed with me.”
“I can’t possibly sleep with you!” Xiao Zhan shrieks.
“Why? Aren’t you my concubine?” Yibo grins, but he immediately says again, “I’m kidding. What I mean is we’re expected to sleep together, right? If An Shun comes in tomorrow morning and sees you not in the bed with me, won’t that be bad for your reputation? Besides, the bed is so big.”
Xiao Zhan hesitates again. He looks doubtfully toward the dragon bed. Yibo is right. The bed is huge, maybe this is why they call the modern version a king-size. “Well, okay, then. But, I’ll sleep on the outside.”
“Why are you so nitpicky? Let’s just sleep.” With that, Yibo grabs Xiao Zhan by the wrist and pulls him to bed.
Undressing is another ordeal. As royalties, they usually have attendants to help them, but right now, Yibo doesn’t want to be disturbed. Xiao Zhan seems to think the same. So, they help each other to take off the intricate clothing. When they have stripped down to their inner clothes, they shuffle under the quilt. Against Xiao Zhan’s wishes, Yibo pushes Xiao Zhan to sleep on the inside, and when Xiao Zhan tries to move, Yibo literally wrestle him back. He even throws his legs over Xiao Zhan’s.
“Wang-laoshi, what are you doing…”
“Shush. I’m a bit dizzy right now,” Yibo says with his eyes closed.
“Umh, shall we call taiyi?” Xiao Zhan asks.
“It’s fine. It’s already so late, no need to bother people.”
“Wang-laoshi, headaches can be a sign of bigger problems, you know.”
“It’s really fine. Maybe I’m just overwhelmed. If it persists tomorrow, then I’ll see the doctor. Taiyi. Whatever.”
Xiao Zhan sighs. He squirms to find a more comfortable position, but Yibo holds him so he won’t move around.
“By the way, just call me Yibo in private. We only have each other in this world. It hurts if you act so distant,” Yibo mumbles, slowly closing his eyes.
Xiao Zhan bites his lips. Maybe it’s because these past days have been so weird and Xiao Zhan hasn’t had the chance to process everything fully that right now, there’s someone he can talk to, so he feels a bit overwhelmed. His nose also feels a bit sour, and his eyes are warm. He’s not ashamed to cry; it’s just that everything is so sudden. He sniffles as quietly as he can, but Yibo beside him still hears him. Soon enough, he feels he’s being pulled into an embrace.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s going to be okay.”
“...I’m not crying.” Xiao Zhan mutters petulantly into Yibo’s shoulder.
“...Okay. It’s me who’s crying.”
Xiao Zhan hits him, and Yibo doesn’t hold back in hitting him back.
*