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It isn't immediately apparent that he's travelled in time. It's not the first time he's woken up in an unfamiliar place, not knowing how he got there. At least it isn't in a hospital this time. Xiaoge does not do well with hospitals. This time however, he still remembers who he is, or at least he thinks so.
Since he's alone and there doesn't seem to be any imminent danger, he takes what he assumes is his backpack—the clothes look like his, but his phone isn't there—and sets off to return back home. His sword isn't there either, but there's no point in worrying about it. If Xiaoge doesn't remember what had happened to him then Wu Xie and Pangzi will be able to tell him. Unless whatever had happened has put them in danger, without Xiaoge there to keep them safe.
The worry twists uncomfortably in his gut, but there is nothing Xiaoge can do before he finds them.
Their home isn't there. It takes him several days to make his way to Rain Village and there is…nothing there where their home should be. It looks like it has never been there. He asks someone in the village, and they tell him there's never been anything there.
It does occur to Xiaoge that with his memory being what it is, sometimes time and reality seems to slip away from him. Perhaps more time has passed than he'd thought, perhaps this is all a fault of his own perception. The lack of their home is not the only thing that's wrong, Xiaoge had not paid much attention to all the other things while he was travelling, too focused on getting here. Now that he's thinking about it, he realises he'd simply automatically known what to do, but there had been a certain…lack of the technology he's grown used to. He doesn't really remember the time before the prevalence of smartphones and the Internet in any detail. There had been none of that now.
The more he thinks about it, the more he can see the differences. Even though Rain Village is much the same, he knows people there by name. They're still there, but they're not the same.
It's not particularly difficult to find out the date. It's wrong. Xiaoge is pretty sure it's wrong.
Xiaoge doesn't know if he's in his own body from the future he remembers or in the one that belongs to this time. He doesn't remember if there are physical differences that he should notice. It doesn't matter, since it responds the way Xiaoge needs it to, rushing towards the danger, sweeping the very familiar figure into his arms.
Behind them the doorway collapses in a very loud and spectacular fashion, throwing up dust everywhere and trapping them inside the tomb. Pangzi is breathing heavily, his eyes wide as he stares past Xiaoge at the collapsed doorway that had very nearly fallen on him. He's cradled safely in Xiaoge's arms. Xiaoge looks him over, he can't see any damage. He should put Pangzi down now. He doesn't want to.
Slowly, Pangzi turns his gaze to Xiaoge. His eyes are still a little wide as he stares at Xiaoge. The dropped flashlight on the ground casts odd shadows over his face, but Xiaoge would know him anywhere. He looks much younger than Xiaoge remembers, a little thinner too. A frown almost makes it to Xiaoge's face at that thought. Perhaps Pangzi can't afford to eat properly. He has mentioned several times, that things where not easy in his youth.
This might be before they first met, Xiaoge thinks. He doesn't know, it isn't something he remembers in the first place, and with the way Pangzi is looking at him, he can't tell if he recognises Xiaoge or not.
It's disconcerting he realises, not knowing whether Pangzi knows him or not. There isn't a time when Pangzi didn't know him. Well obviously there is, he realises that, but Xiaoge doesn't remember it. He has woken up without his memories and Pangzi was there, ready to remind Xiaoge of the things he's forgotten, of who he is. If this is before they first met, there is nothing Xiaoge can remind Pangzi of.
"Ah, thanks for that," Pangzi says, his voice a little bit shaky. He laughs awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his head with one hand, shifting a little in Xiaoge's arms. "You can put me down now."
Xiaoge finds himself very reluctant to do so. He can feel the way Pangzi is starting to shake just faintly, the adrenaline rush probably leaving him. He's likely not quite so used to facing dangers, especially in tombs, as he will be in the future.
Pangzi likes being held. It will help him stay calm.
In a move that takes Xiaoge a little by surprise, even though the Pangzi he remembers would definitely have done it, Pangzi wraps his arms around Xiaoge's neck, which brings his face much closer to Xiaoge's face. "Ah, Shuai-ge, I realise it's hard to let go of someone as awesome as me," he says, and then let's out another small, awkward laugh, turning his gaze abruptly away from Xiaoge, like he might actually feel a little embarrassed about his own words. "Really as much as I don't mind this, you should put me down so we can look for a way out of here," he says, more seriously.
He is not wrong. They do need to find a way out, and while Xiaoge could possibly achieve that goal while carrying Pangzi in his arms, it certainly makes it unnecessarily difficult. Besides, it isn't actually the ideal position to keep Pangzi from danger. Xiaoge needs his arms free for that.
"Mn," Xiaoge says in agreement.
He carries Pangzi a little further away from the collapsed doorway, to a broken pillar that should serve as a seat. The movement makes Pangzi yelp slightly and tighten his hold on Xiaoge. Xiaoge does not mind.
"Really, there's no need to… Your arms will get tired," Pangzi says, and Xiaoge thinks there's a little bit of a blush on his cheeks. It makes Xiaoge want to brush his fingers against his cheeks, to see if he can feel the warmth there. Reluctantly he sets Pangzi down on his feet. It makes him sway a little and Xiaoge reaches out to steady him, putting a hand on his arm.
"Sit," he says.
Pangzi looks around, spots the broken pillar. "Yeah, okay. I'll just sit down for a bit," he agrees.
Xiaoge leaves him sitting there and goes to retrieve Pangzi's fallen flashlight. He can't see Pangzi's pack anywhere, so there is a good chance it's somewhere under all the rubble. At least Xiaoge is still wearing his own. They can manage with that until they find a way out.
Pangzi looks up at him as he returns. Xiaoge hands the light back to him. "My backpack?" Pangzi asks, not sounding too hopeful.
Xiaoge shakes his head slightly, and Pangzi sighs heavily.
Now, with a little bit of distance, it's easier to observe him. He really does look much younger than even in Xiaoge's earliest memories of him. While that doesn't make it conclusive, it does make it more likely that Pangzi doesn't know Xiaoge yet.
In that case, perhaps Wu Xie is still in Germany, studying for his architecture degree. Perhaps that is for the best, perhaps Xiaoge doesn't need to worry if Wu Xie is safe in another country. He worries nonetheless.
"So, since you already saved me once. And thank you for that by the way, my figure would not look very good flat as a pancake," Pangzi says, patting his own chest. "I'm sure you don't mind teaming up with me to get out of here," he adds says with some bravado, but it seems far flimsier than what Xiaoge is used to hearing from him, and it's almost surprisingly easy to see the uncertainty and fear hiding behind his words.
Xiaoge wants to assure him that there is no need to worry as long as he is here. Xiaoge will not let any harm come to him. If Pangzi knew Xiaoge, he would already know that.
Of course Xiaoge doesn't mind teaming up. The sole reason he is here is to find Pangzi. He really shouldn't have come into a tomb alone, even if this one is only a small, and fairly well known one—they're far from the first tomb robbers to visit this place. It still has its dangers.
"I will find us a way out," Xiaoge says. There is very likely to already be a tomb robbers' tunnel somewhere that they can use to make an escape. It will save them time and effort, which is a good thing now that their supplies are rather limited.
Pangzi pulls in an audibly relieved breath. "Alright. Might as well get started. Where did you—" He starts to push himself up, and Xiaoge quickly extends a hand. Pangzi gives him a startled look, and then grins broadly grasping his hand and letting Xiaoge help him up. Xiaoge again, finds himself reluctant to let go, but does so anyway. Pangzi brushes off his trousers and continues with his question. "Where did you come from anyway? And you didn't happen to see any treasure there?"
He wonders what Pangzi would think if he told him the truth, that he came from the future. Pangzi hasn't yet seen all the things he will in the future, and even the Pangzi in Xiaoge's memories might be reluctant to believe a claim like that.
He shakes his head. Most of the treasures here are long gone, but perhaps they should still see if they can find something worth the effort of bringing it out. Xiaoge is uncertain if he has any funds to recover in this time and place, and in any case it will likely be easier to simply make more money instead than try to locate something Xiaoge has no memory of.
"We'll find something," he says.
The beam of light from the flashlight rises towards Xiaoge's face, and then quickly turns aside before it blinds him. Xiaoge turns his face a little to the side anyway.
"Alright, that's the spirit," Pangzi declares, sounding more excited than before.
Later, when they're outside the tomb, with a few items that they might be able to sell for some profit, Xiaoge looks at Pangzi. He looks tired, and young and he's grinning at Xiaoge in that way he does sometimes when they've escaped certain doom. Xiaoge suddenly wishes he could keep Pangzi from ever getting into anything more dangerous than this small tomb.
"We should go to Germany," Xiaoge says.
Pangzi blinks, points at himself, and mouths, "Me?" at Xiaoge with a questioning look on his face.
"Yes," Xiaoge agrees. That will be for the best. He can't leave Pangzi here while he goes to look for Wu Xie.
"Well, I don't know about that…" Pangzi says uncertainly, and still follows Xiaoge as he starts walking away from the tomb. Perhaps that's mostly because most of the valuables are in Xiaoge's pack. "Why would you want me to go with you anyway?"
"To stay safe," Xiaoge tells him.