Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

This timeline was truly a horrible mess.

Case in point: being blindfolded and gagged in the back of a van did not happen before.

Quite honestly, Lu Guang should've expected it. He'd messed it up from start to finish. Partially on purpose, like killing Vein. But also partially by accident, for example by getting them involved in the serial killer case.

Either way, this was the first time he got kidnapped in this fashion. Not that getting kidnapped by Li Tianchen wasn't the first time getting kidnapped in that manner either.

It had been a normal day. Cheng Xiaoshi had gone out to get boba with Qiao Ling, elated now that he could walk freely again and wasn't on bed rest. Lu Guang stayed back to run the studio. They'd only be gone for an hour at most.

Technically they'd need maybe half an hour, but he knew Cheng Xiaoshi. He got attached easily, and it was the boba shop from DouDou's parents. They'd babysitted for them since leaving the hospital a couple times, since normal work had still been a bit of a chore.

So he'd definitely goof off with the kid and chat a little with the parents, no doubt.

And everything had been fine for the first twenty minutes, really... until he'd heard Cheng Xiaoshi shout for him. He'd headed outside, confused on why he's back so early. He'd shouted again, and Lu Guang had followed his voice into the alley by the studio.

By the time he'd realized his error, he'd felt something sharp pierce his neck. Sinking past skin and muscles.

He'd lashed out in a panic, but his body only cooperated for a moment. Then he'd staggered. His balance gone. His vision had started to grow blurry, and suddenly the world tilted.

That's how he found himself slowly waking up in the back of a van. Or what he assumed to be a van, given the way the world rattled and shook. It wasn't like he could see it, given the blindfold. Or ask, for that matter.

His wrists ached, his hands were numb. They were tied behind his back at an uncomfortable angle, already rubbed raw from the zip-ties. His ankles were free, but he couldn't see, couldn't talk and couldn't move his hands... even if running was an option, even if he wasn't in a van, he wouldn't get far.

The van lurched to a stop, and a muffled shout escaped him when he was sent flying forward and against cold metal. He blinked behind the blindfold. Were those bars? Was he in-

Hinges squeaked. His attention diverted to whatever was going on behind him. A lock clicked, then a hand grasped his hair. Another muffled noise escaped him, but he didn't fight it. That wouldn't do him any good, especially not when he was being dragged by the hair.

His back hit the ground hard, and he had to bite down on the fabric in his mouth at the sharp pain shooting through his arm and shoulder. Curling in on himself made it worse with the angle his arms were tied back, and he desperately tried to breathe through the pain.

Orders were barked around him, but through the haze of pain he didn't hear it. He was dragged up to his feet and his knees buckled. His shoulder hurt. His entire arm, really, in a weird mixture of pain and numbness. Dislocated, he guessed with dread. He wasn't looking forward to having that fixed.

He was dragged around, with little regard to the state he was in, and pushed down. A chair, he guessed.

A hand cupped his jaw, tilting his head up. His skin crawled at the contact and he was tempted to bite. He knew better, though. If he wanted to get out of this in one piece? He had to play along. For now.

Another hand brushed through his hair and he fought to not recoil in disgust. Then the blindfold was tugged off his head.

Lu Guang squinted against the light, even though it were only some broken lightbulbs. When his vision cleared, he found himself facing three men.

One short and stout, reminding him of a pig with his small eyes and thin, balding hair. One large and bulky, probably the guy who'd grabbed and dragged him around earlier, who reminded him a hint of a hairless gorilla.

The last one was neither very tall nor short, well-clothed with a top hat though, his grin wide. He reminded him of a ringleader. He was the one holding his head up.

"Well, well. Hello there" the ringleader wiggled the fingers of his free hand at him, and Lu Guang half-expected him to drop some cards. But no, wait, that was more of a magician thing, wasn't it?

Lu Guang wasn't quite sure. Circuses and the like didn't interest him much. Cheng Xiaoshi found more joy in childish party tricks, despite the powers they both possessed.

At the thought, his mind screeched to a halt. Eyes widening. He glanced around, past the ringleader and his two friends. Around the room. There was no one else.

The grip on his chin tightened, and Lu Guang fought down a wince. That would leave bruises. Probably. "Don't bother, no one's here. No one's gonna come. They won't find you" the ringleader laughed lightly, and if it weren't for the gag, the seer would've assured him that he was entirely wrong on that front.

Lu Guang knew his friends- he knew Cheng Xiaoshi. He knew Qiao Ling. It was only a matter of time until they'd show up.

He didn't know how much time passed between getting a needled stabbed into his neck and waking up, nor how much time passed between waking up and being shoved into the chair here, but surely they were back at the studio by now.

Cheng Xiaoshi shouting his name echoed through the air, and a hint of hope and dread stirred in his chest. On one hand, he was hoping it meant this would be over fast and that he could get the timeline back on track. On the other, he dreaded his idiot getting in trouble.

Then his eyes caught on the recorder in the pig-faced man's hand.

Ah, so that's how... He narrowed his eyes, glancing back to the ringleader. If he was the target, what did they want? This hadn't happened before. This was new. Did they assume he was the one who could change the time?

If so, they were half-right. He had. But it wasn't like he still had the ability. Even if he did, he'd never use it for anything but his one, selfish goal.

The dirty rag was finally, finally pulled from his mouth. He almost spat out the dust that he'd been tasting since waking up.

He refrained. Barely.

"What do you want from me?" he asked, and watched as the ringleader stared at him. Almost dumbfounded, but schooling his expression fast. Had he expected him to scream? To beg? Lu Guang didn't see a point to do so.

Kidnappers, at least in his limited experience, tended to have a goal. They didn't get swayed by words alone.

The ringleader put a hand on his shoulder, and Lu Guang bit down on the inside of his cheek. Hard enough that he could taste blood. That was the injured shoulder.

"Well, it's simple, really. Boss asked us to get rid of you. Said you're the mastermind out of the three of you" the hand on his shoulder flexed, fingers digging in. A strangled noise escaped Lu Guang. "But I also heard you lot got freaky powers, and he seemed convinced. Claimed he sent in a customer as a test and was proven right about who actually runs the show"

Lu Guang, through the pain, tried desperately to think. Which of their customers had been sent as a test? Worse yet, who snitched about their abilities? Who sent these men? Who even knew about their abilities for sure?

Liu Xiao? Across all the timelines, he was the one constant threat, a fellow mastermind pulling strings beyond what Lu Guang could predict and see, subtly making his attempt of saving Cheng Xiaoshi harder every time. But no, this wasn't his style. He'd have sent Vein for sure.

Li Tianchen? He'd have a reason. He knew about their powers. But also a no. He was too young, not influential enough to get not one but three men to do his bidding. Even if he'd have somehow gotten influence by using his powers, he doubted it. Besides, if he wanted revenge? He'd be right here already.

That left Qian Jin, who definitely would want revenge and absolutely knew. Except... no. Being in prison didn't mean he'd be unable to get contact to the outside world.

All three didn't need to test it, but they certainly could lie about it.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Lu Guang responded slowly, evenly. Forcing his voice to be steadier than it wanted to be. "Powers? I think someone was-"

A harsh pain bloomed across his jaw and cheek, his head snapping back from the force. Seconds later, his hair was gripped. His head tilted so he was facing the man before him again.

The ringleader chuckled, thin lips stretched into a grin. His eyes shining when he stepped back, spreading his arms wide. "Ah, ah, ah... don't try to lie. Look, say the truth and this'll be so much easier. Who knows- maybe I'll even let you live!"

Lu Guang severely doubted that.

"Let's try again. What's your power, hm? If you don't answer, Zhong Qiang might have to get the answer out of you" the ringleader laughed, and behind him, the bald gorilla cracked his knuckles.

He offered the calmest smile he could muster. "Alright" he said, as if he really had nothing to hide.

~

Somewhere else, nimble fingers danced across a keyboard. Dark eyes flickering across security cameras.

One of the tabs on the screen kept replaying the same scene over and over- a storefront, Time Photo Studio written on the sign above it, a young man with white hair stepping outside and an old shoddy van driving past only minutes later.

The white haired man never appeared again. The video looped back to him stepping outside. Over and over and over.

The other tabs showed various security footage, from all over the city. The same shoddy van, half the time.

A phone buzzed near by.

A simple text message. (Located them yet? Trustworthy source said the kidnapping victim has been injured)

A respond followed quick. (Scouting out a possible location now. Calling for backup if necessary)

Chains clinked softly when the person who'd been typing away slowly got up, jewelry glinting in the dim light.

~

Lu Guang panted, eyes squeezed shut. His ribs ached. His face ached, too. Actually, no, that was a lie. Everything hurt. With the brief break, he was left to figure it out. Slowly, quietly, cataloguing every ache away.

Shoulder still dislocated, ribs likely bruised but unlikely to be broken, jaw probably the same, stomach hurting from a hit with a bat, shin aching from the same treatment.

His pride more than anything, though.

It was humiliating, how fast he'd caved once their threats had shifted from harming him, or outright harming him, to telling him what they'd do once they were done with him. What they'd do to Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi.

He refused to let them come to harm, so he'd 'admitted' about a fabricated ability. When that resulted in pain and further promises on what they'd do to his friends, he tried half-truths.

It only got worse.

By the end of it, he had to fight with the urge to retch.

One half-lie he did manage to get through though, and it was the only reason there was a break in his kidnapper's... well, 'fun' was likely the best word, seeing as Zhong Qiang's face had lit up with sadistic glee once Lu Guang had proved himself as stubborn.

"They can see your faces" he'd said, calm and deathly quiet. Had watched Zhong Qiang pause in the middle of rearing his fist back. "Right now. I can feel it. I'm sharing my sight with one of them. They can see each of your faces and they're likely already informing the police"

Zhang Qiang had turned to the ringleader with a questioning look as if asking for orders. Meanwhile the pig-faced man, who he vaguely thought had been called Tian Xueyin before, had turned pale: "Hey, man you said nothin' about that- you know I'm on probation right now"

The ringleader had scowled, waving his hand dismissively. "Bah, I'm sure he's lying" he said yet didn't sound too sure, and Lu Guang had smiled, tilted his head just so. Intended to, at least. His chin dropped down and against his chest, exhaustion making it hard to keep his head up. He'd tasted copper.

"It's your choice on whether to believe me or not, but it's simply the truth. They can see you" he'd said, tone even and low, not even thinking about the ability Qiao Ling had acquired. If he had, he'd have asked them where they were.

That was twenty minutes ago. At least if he'd counted right. They'd taken his wristwatch away. Then again, his arms were behind his back. Even if he still had it, he wouldn't be able to check.

Finally, the ringleader stepped back over to him. Leaned down. Grabbed his chin harshly, turned his head up so he'd look him in the eyes. It hurt. Added onto the rest of the pain. A knife was poised in a quiet threat. "Tell the truth. Can they see us?"

And Lu Guang? Lu Guang did something that was usually more Cheng Xiaoshi's fort. He usually wasn't the impulsive one. Didn't usually act without thinking. But his day had been terrible so far.

He'd been lured out of the studio, drugged, kidnapped, blindfolded and gagged and had his shoulder dislocated and was tortured for what felt like an entire day but was likely only an hour or two...

So no, he usually wasn't impulsive.

But in that moment of spite, he let his eyes flash blue.

Activating his ability without a picture to look into was pretty much useless, nothing more than a brief flicker before it faded away uselessly, unable to hook onto anything. Nothing more than a party trick that caused mild dizziness.

It was enough to make the ringleader stumble back with a shout, before he moved to slap him across the face out of shock.

One thing the man didn't take into consideration was the knife. 

Chapter Text

"I found the van, sharing my location now"

A motorcycle was parked within the tree line, dark eyes narrowing in on the front door of the abandoned hotel. Next to it crouched a young man with spiky bangs, his hair dark blue. Almost black.

"Stay where you are, we're sending backup now- no, you two are not going anywhere!"

Captain Xiao's voice filtered through the speaker of the young man's phone, and he hummed absentmindedly in response. A hint amused at his superior having to argue with someone.

The man laughed lightly as he listened in on the muffled argument, eyes flicking to the shoddy van. If the police arrived, they might have issues with the kidnappers trying to flee.

While orders had been to stay where he is... well, he liked going by the saying work smarter, not harder.

So he hung up, forgotten by his superior, and slowly slid down the slope leading down from the tree line. His steps were quick and light, and he ducked down to avoid detection. Just in case.

Once he was close enough, he slashed the tires one by one with a glass shard he'd found. Likely from a beer bottle. Not the safest method, but it did the job. 

He'd just finished with the last one, quite content with himself and the fact that they could no longer use the vehicle to flee, and turned to head back to the tree line when he heard it.

In his line of work, it was inevitable to see or hear horrifying things. He'd seen countless dead bodies on the job, has had people pass away right in front of him. Could see the blood on his hands, if he imagined it hard enough. 

But the scream, muffled as it was through the walls, left the hair on the back of his neck standing anyway. 

It was loud, if brief. Cutting off with as little warning as it started. 

The alarm bells in his head went off immediately. 

He paused, stared at the building. Torn between orders and the urge to help. That, after all, was why he was a cop. To help. 

And then moved. Not towards the tree line, where he was supposed to wait for backup. Towards the building. 

Fuck orders, he thought, what's the point of all this if the victim ends up dead? 

Call him cocky, but he could handle three kidnappers. Hopefully. 

He managed to get in undetected, eyes scanning over the lobby. There was a door in the back, and he narrowed his eyes. Frantic voices echoed out from there. 

With quiet steps he headed over, drawing his gun. The door was slightly ajar, allowing him to listen in on the three kidnappers' squabbling. Muffled sobs reached his ears as well. That was all the confirmation he needed. 

This is where the victim was. 

He kicked the door open, aiming his weapon with an accuracy born of a strict field training officer. "Guidu police, hands in the air!" he shouted, eyes mapping out the situation fast. 

Three suspects. One nearest to the victim had a baseball bat in hand. One further to the back paused mid-pacing, clutching a bloody knife. Third one unarmed. The victim was on a chair, shaking. 

The one with the knife pushed past the unarmed one, as if aiming for the white haired man. Either to kill or to take as a hostage. He assumed the latter. Leverage was useful, and both sides knew. 

The officer didn't hesitate in pulling the trigger.

The bulled only grazed the man, but he dropped his weapon all the same. That was where the chaos began, for the ensuing scuffle could only be described as a mess. 

The now former knife wielder had dropped back, the brute with the bat had come in swinging. The kidnapping victim falling to the back of the three's minds, it seemed, as they zeroed in on the officer. 

By the time the dark haired man had subdued two, leaving them as groaning heaps on the ground, the top hat wearing one had vanished. 

"Fuck" he muttered, grabbing the zip ties that laid on the nearby desk. There was not much else he could do. 

At least the kidnappers had given him the means to make sure they wouldn't run. 

~

Lu Guang didn't bother fighting the sobs clawing their way up his throat. He couldn't if he tried. He'd been in plenty pain before, he'd been stabbed just a couple months ago after all, but this? This was a whole different kind of pain. 

His shoulders shook, and each tremor sent a fresh wave of agony through the dislocated one.

His sobs were muffled. They shoved the rag, or what he assumed to be the rag, back into his mouth when he'd started screaming. It made breathing hard, left his chest heaving with strained gasps.

Vaguely, he heard the trio shout at each other. He barely registered more than "We could've made money off that guy- shit, what if he's useless now!" and "They SAW us" mixing with "I panicked- I panicked, okay?!"

His head ached. From the pain, from the adrenalin, from the panic. The shouting didn't make it better.

Neither did the sound of a door getting kicked in.

His hearing kept fading in and out between waves of pain. 

"-in the air!" more shouting, he only caught what felt like half of it. Lu Guang barely paid it mind through the haze of pain, busy hyperventilating and gasping for air between sobs born of agony, but part of him took note that it at least sounded like the police was finally here.

There was a lot of noise, then a resounding bang.

Lu Guang felt as though his breath stopped. In an instant, his sobs died down. Instead, he tried desperately to breathe at all.

The sound of the gun going off bounced around his aching skull like a logo bouncing on a TV on standby. Leaving him shaking and thinking "Not again, not again" over and over. It could've been minutes, it could've been hours. He didn't know. He couldn't tell anymore.

A hand touching his dislocated shoulder snapped him out of it. A muffled cry escaped him, and he jerked back.

For a moment, there was silence. Then a hand touched his chin. Firm but careful. The rag was pulled away. Lu Guang choked back a sob. Panic, pain? He couldn't tell anymore.

"Hey, hey- calm down, calm down. I'm an officer, I work with Captain Xiao" the other sounded calm in a way that was painfully clearly faked. "Can you tell me- hey, careful-"

Despite the assurance, Lu Guang tried jerking back, even though it only made the pain worse. Frantically, he shook his head. Fought a wince when it made the headache spike. Unable to bring himself to form words.

Something pressed against his face, over his eyes, and he jolted. A noise stuck between a shout and a sob forcing itself up his throat.

"I need to stop the bleeding, try to hold still-"

He did, if only because he didn't have the strength to fight back. Trembling like a leaf in a storm.

There was a moment of silence, then: "I went in, suspect one has been shot but is on the run, suspects two and three are uninjured but zip-tied in the first room of the property. Requesting an ambulance- victim is injured. I repeat, victim is injured and one suspect escaped"

Lu Guang strained his ears, and almost sobbed in relief when he heard Captain Xiao respond and ask about him. Because that meant this was real. He wasn't being tricked again.

"Hey, Lu Guang, right? Can you say something?" the officer asked him, and the young man opened his mouth. Nothing more than a wheeze escaped him, and it left him hyperventilating yet again.

A hand settled on his uninjured shoulder. Firm, steady. Almost reassuring. "It's okay, take your time... hm? No, sorry, Captain. I don't think he's in a state to talk. Shock, probably. The injuries are... "

There was shouting over the line, and Lu Guang felt like crying when he recognized the voices to be Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling. He couldn't make out much, but it wasn't something anyone could pre-record.

Despite the pain and fear, a part of him calmed instantly. Because they were okay. They were safe. No one was dying.

So when he felt his consciousness fade?

He didn't fight it any longer. 

~

The police arrived quicker than anticipated, but with the lack of an ambulance, it mostly left the dark haired officer annoyed.

Silent, he watched from his spot on the floor as the three suspects were taken outside, while carefully keeping the head of the whitehaired man elevated on his lap. Eyes scanning his coworkers until one rushed in through the door.

"Captain Xiao" he greeted his superior, lifting a hand to wave him over. Watched as the other quickly made his way over.

The older officer knelt down next to him, eyes scanning over the limp body. "Officer Jae. Report?" he asked, and the dark haired young man straightened out of reflex.

"Presumably dislocated shoulder. Bruising and abrasions on both wrists from a zip tie- which I've already cut. Likely to have sustained further injuries. And... well" vaguely, Jae Lee gestured to the young man's face. 

More specifically, the strip of clothed tied around his eyes in a quick attempt at first aid. 

It was from his own, seeing as his clothes were cleaner than the injured young man's. 

He'd been keeping tabs on him and the other two, since Bridon. Even more so since being pulled out of his vacation. Clearly, he hadn't kept a close enough eye on things. Otherwise he may could've prevented this.

Captain Xiao's face was dark. "What happened?" he asked, and the younger man grimaced. Shook his head.

"I was outside when the victim screamed, and when I came in the suspects were in a frenzy and arguing. One was holding the knife. The victim sustained a facial injury- perhaps eyes as well..." Jae Lee trailed off, frowning. "I'm not entirely sure, he was been squeezing them shut, but with the blood..."

His superior looked quite ready to commit a crime, but a glance to the unconscious man seemed to have him rethink that.

It was fascinating to the young officer from Bridon. He'd heard about it shortly after coming to Guidu, what with his coworkers talking about it occasionally during breaks. 

Captain Xiao Li had found not one but three 'strays' during his latest big case. Jae Lee was still lacking all the details about that case. Something about a serial killer and Qian Jin getting arrested, a suspect getting away.

It was a running joke among the police force. That Captain Xiao had gotten attached to the trio despite them being young adults as opposed to kids or teenagers as most 'strays' tended to be. He'd visited them a couple times during a hospital stay, and that was the nail in the coffin, regarding the remarks. 

It wasn't a rarity- a lot of officers had cases where they got attached. Still, as someone who'd gotten attached to some petty pick-pocket while still a rookie and had ended up rooming with a 17-year-old at 22 for a while, Jae Lee had found it a hint funny that the captain got attached to three. 

Now? Oh, there was no humor in the situation.

"He's been unconscious for around ten minutes" he mentioned, watching his coworker carefully for a reaction. Captain Xiao said nothing at first, merely nodded. A deep frown on his face.

It took a couple moments before his superior's expression evened out. "Let's not move him. Ambulance will be here soon" he muttered, before getting up. Gaze wandering about the room. Taking in the blood staining the ground and the bullet lodged in the wall. 

"You said one of the suspects got away?" Captain Xiao asked, glancing down at him. There was no judgement to be found- it happened, even if none of them liked to admit it. 

Jae Lee nodded, sighing. "Fucker slipped away" he admitted easily. There was no point in hesitating. Not when a kidnapper was on the loose who stooped low enough to do something like that. 

It wasn't like he was really sure if what he suspected was true, but with the given evidence... he was more than glad to hear the sirens of the ambulance. 

"Finally" the dark haired young man shook his head, the links of the chain connecting his earrings clinking together not unlike the chain of handcuffs. 

Captain Xiao stepped aside when the paramedics rushed in. Letting them do their jobs. "Any idea why they targeted him?" Jae Lee asked absentmindedly and narrowed his eyes when his superior's expression turned stormy. 

"I can imagine" was all he said on the topic, much to Jae Lee's dismay, before shaking his head. "Check in with Xu Jan, we need phantom pictures out there soon. The faster we identify him, the faster we can find and arrest him" 

The older man sighed again, looking like he'd gained years of age in an instant. Then he tossed him the keys. 

"I'm going to the hospital. Join me once you're done with Xu Jan, take those kids with you. Don't let them go on their own, we don't know if anyone's going to go after them too" 

Jae Lee nodded.

"Yes, sir" 

Chapter Text

When Lu Guang came to, it was to darkness and the smell of antiseptic. 

The smell wasn't unfamiliar. Something being wrapped tight enough over his eyes to prevent opening them was. To make matters worse his head felt as though he were under water, leaving his thoughts sluggish. 

Where was he? The hospital? 

No, he hadn't gotten injured in the face... had he? He shook his head weakly. Thinking made his brain hurt. Moving his head certainly wasn't helping. Then again, everything hurt.

What happened...? 

Piecing it together, he found that some things were missing. 

He remembered leaving the hospital, cleared after what felt like ages. Babysitting DouDou a couple times. Working at the studio. 

He remembered four dives. 

Lu Guang made a face. As best as he could, at least. He didn't want to remember those. Especially given that this was the furthest he'd ever gotten. 

But as he let his thoughts wander, clarity began to set in, memories returning piece by piece like those of a puzzle. Slotting together seamlessly. 

I got kidnapped. 

The thought slammed into him like a tidal wave. Dread and panic leaving him breathless. 

This wasn't a hospital, was it? In a panic, he sat up. Ignored the way everything hurt. Breaths coming in fast, short bursts that left his already aching ribs protesting. There was nothing restricting his hands, and he scrambled to reach for the blindfold.

Except it wasn't a blindfold at all. 

He froze when his fingers made contact with bandages, slowly letting them drop down and onto his lap. Breath catching in his throat. 

His own scream echoed in his ears. 

"What if he's useless now!" pig-face 

"I panicked- I panicked, okay?!" the ringleader 

"I need to stop the bleeding.... Victim is injured" the stranger

Something acidic burned in his throat. He couldn't see. He couldn't breathe either. His chest ached. He couldn't see. There were bandages over his eyes. He couldn't see. 

His hands returned to his face, fingers dancing over the bandages. He didn't put pressure for fear of causing more damage. He didn't want to know the current damage. 

Surely... surely it hadn't been that bad... right?

Slowly, his fingers moved up. Into his hair, gripping at the strands. It wasn't the best coping mechanism, pulling on his hair, but it was the only thing he could currently do. 

It wasn't until hands grabbed at his wrists that he froze, grip on his hair tightening. Fight or flight instincts fighting and leaving him all but paralyzed. Because what if this wasn't a hospital? What if that was one of the kidnappers? Worse, what if this was- 

"Kid, hey- quit that" 

The fight drained from him in an instant, shoulders slumping. The lack of tension alleviated the pain, just a little. It did make him more aware of the fact that he was shaking, though. 

His mouth felt dry. He couldn't get a word out, but the second his wrists were let go, he dropped his hands again. One dropped on his arm, and it was only now that he noticed the IV. Or at least what felt like an IV. 

"Lu Guang? Are you with me?" 

Lu Guang swallowed, hard. Fought down the urge to cough. The feeling was disgusting, but nothing a glass of water wouldn't fix. "Captain Xiao?" he finally asked, wincing at how scratchy his voice was. 

There was a sigh. Distinctively relived. "Yea, kid, it's me" the police captain confirmed. "Gave your friends quite the scare, y'know?" 

The seer grimaced. "Are they alright?" he asked, just to be safe. He frowned, hoping his head was at least turned into the right direction. There were steps, then something was pressed into his hands. A cup, from what he could tell.  

"They're both fine. An officer is with them" Captain Xiao assured him, something tired creeping into his voice. "They would've been here already, but there was a change of plans due to the surgery" 

Lu Guang froze in the middle of taking a sip of the water. The dread returning, coiling around his chest like ropes, forcing the breath from his lungs. "Surgery?" he forced out, hating how weak his voice sounded. 

Clothes rustled, then something dragged across the ground. Plastic on tiles. A chair, probably. It creaked. He assumed he'd taken a seat. "It was an emergency one. Took one look and immediately wheeled you off to surgery" Captain Xiao explained, and the younger man grimaced. 

That was not good. He settled for downing the water first, to get rid of the dryness in his throat. "How long until...?" he lifted his free hand. Gestured vaguely at his face. Felt the cup being taken from the other now that it was empty.  

"... doctors didn't say. It's been a couple hours, no updates for another few, I fear" the older admitted, voice apologetic. His clothes rustled again. Lu Guang assumed that he'd moved. "Do you remember-"  

"Three men" Lu Guang didn't hesitate to cut him off, knowing how vital it was to get the images in his head out before they faded. "One was a taller guy, broad shoulders, bald, Zhong Qiang according to the ringleader. I think one was called Tian Xueyin. Tattoo on his neck, said something about being on probation. Last one-" 

A hand landed over his. He paused. Only now noticed that he was digging his fingers into his lower arm. Let them relax. "Breathe, kid" Captain Xiao admonished, and waited until he did before he continued: "We got the identities already. I meant what happened" 

Lu Guang's shoulders drooped. "Oh" he murmured, head lowering. He let out a breath. Took another. Resorted to a stiff nod. He did, now. Pieces coming back more and more clearly. Part of him wished they didn't. 

"Any idea what they wanted from you?" the police captain asked, voice careful and level. And Lu Guang opened his mouth, ready to say "Qian Jin sent them for revenge". But that... that wasn't all. 

Couldn't be all. There had been many threats of violence- to hurt him, which they had. Further threats that they'd hurt Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling... and one detail left his stomach sinking. They had never once made death threats, not outright, but they hadn't been hesitating to use their names around him.  

But also...

"We could've made money off that guy-" 

A tremor went through him. The acidic taste was back. Weakly, he pulled his knees against his chest. Didn't fight the shudder. He felt sick. 

This was it. This was why his father had told him over and over not to show people is ability, wasn't it? 

"I think Qian Jin sent them... but I don't think they..." he rasped out, trailed off. He couldn't see Captain Xiao's expression, but he felt the way the air shifted. Taking a deep breath, he tacked on, gesturing vaguely towards his face once more: "They were after... that" 

Clothes rustled. Then the sound of a pencil scraping across paper. "If they wanted that, why did they...?" Captain Xiao paused, waited. Lu Guang ducked his head further. It made his headache spike, so he instead angled his head straight. 

He didn't want to explain, but... 

"My fault. I startled the top hat guy. He went to slap me. He forgot the knife" he muttered, unable to keep the bitterness from his tone. 

Because that was how things were, weren't they? It was his fault. He'd been careless, he'd acted impulsively, he'd gotten himself and by extension his friends in trouble. 

Near him, he could hear Captain Xiao sigh. "I wouldn't call it your fault, kid" he said, but didn't continue. Lu Guang heard him write. Pause. Scratch something out. Write again. Almost as if he were indecisive on how to formulate things. 

"Are Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling going to visit soon?" he found himself asking, and the quiet noise stopped. Focusing on the noise led him to at least notice that there was a clock. 

The steady tick-tock resonated through the air. Usually, he wouldn't pay it much mind. Now, it was the only way he could tell the passing of time. 

Captain Xiao cleared his throat. "It's late. Or early. However you want to see it" he said. Lu Guang barely resisted the urge to point that he could, in fact, not see it even if he wanted to for the unforeseeable future. 

Instead, he took a controlled breath. Counted the clock ticking away. Waited ten seconds. Then: "What time is it?" 

"Four in the morning" 

Lu Guang balked. Four? That... was a very different time than he expected. "Why are you...?" he let the words hang in the air, unfinished. There was hardly a question on what he meant, though. 

The police captain sighed. "Making sure nothing else happens" was all he said, and Lu Guang slowly shifted under the covers until he was laying down again. Despite the late, or early, hour he didn't feel very tired. Not mentally, at least. But there was no point putting further strain on his body. 

He took a deep breath. There was no reason to panic. Not yet. Everything was fine. Everything would be fine. He'd be back to making sure everything went as it was supposed to as soon as the bandages were off. 

There was no reason to worry. 

"I understand" 

~

"It's five in the morning, why am I smelling congee?"

Cheng Xiaoshi glanced up, not unlike a deer in headlights. In the middle of a kitchen that looked as though a storm had come through.

Not far from him, Qiao Ling sat atop the counter. Sipping coffee.

The two shared a glance, then looked at the officer before them. "Because Cheng Xiaoshi stress-cooks" the older of the two announced with a shrug, ducking under the balled up paper towel thrown her way.

"Rude, landlady- what if he thinks I'm uncool now?!" 

"Your lack of fashion sense probably already did that"

"Why you-" 

A snort broke up the two's squabble, leaving both their heads to snap to the officer. 

The dark haired young man was failing at stifling his laughter, arms wrapped around himself and shoulders shaking. "Sorry, sorry- I didn't realize you two were siblings" he managed between chuckles. 

Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi exchanged a glance, shrugged. "Well, not technically-" "Not by blood" 

Glancing between them, Jae Lee huffed. The sound amused. "You're not too far off from my little sister and I" he waved his hand slightly, brushing past Cheng Xiaoshi to get himself a coffee as well. "So, stress-cooking at five in the morning, hm?" 

"... neither of us could sleep" Qiao Ling admitted, when the time diver made no move to explain the situation. Watched the young man she considered her little brother turn back to his early breakfast. 

He hummed in acknowledgment, but refused to look at either of them. "You were on a call with Captain Xiao earlier" he murmured, more messing with his food than showing any signs of actually intending to eat it. "Has he... is there...?" 

Jae Lee took a sip out of his coffee. Nodded. "He woke up, no major news yet since the doctor left around midnight and didn't want to give a prognosis until your friend's up. But the captain said he's coherent and remembers what happened" 

Cheng Xiaoshi turned around, relief plastered across his face, despite wishing that Lu Guang didn't have to remember- he didn't know how extensive his injuries were, but Qiao Ling had warned him that what she'd seen wasn't pretty. 

Unused as she was to this new power, that she'd admitted to possessing a couple days after they left the hospital, she hadn't been able to keep the connection for long. Given what he'd picked up on, he guessed it was for the best that the connection cut when it did. 

Though, it didn't explain the odd looks she tended to give Lu Guang. 

"So he'll be okay?" he finally pressed, and watched as the officer paused. An odd feeling reared its head. He pushed it down. Kept an eye on the strange officer. 

He didn't wear an uniform, hadn't from the start. Special Agent Jae, one of the officers had mumbled to another when the man with midnight blue hair had brushed past and disappeared into a different room at the station with only a brief, polite nod. 

Cheng Xiaoshi had been distracted by the smell of gunpowder and blood clinging to the man. Lu Guang's blood? He prayed not. He feared it was. 

That smell was now gone. 

Jae Lee hummed in thought. "He'll live" was all he said, and Cheng Xiaoshi frowned. Because that? That he already knew. 

But the officer didn't seem inclined to elaborate, and Qiao Ling sent him a look that made it clear that digging for more information, at least for now, would bring no further results. 

So, shoulders sagging, he turned back to his congee. 

He couldn't wait until he saw Lu Guang again. Maybe he'd sneak some food into the hospital, if he wasn't being watched by the knowing eyes of Qiao Ling or the officer. 

Their last stay had taught him one thing well: his best friend hated hospital food. 

Which, in all honesty, he understood. 

Somehow, even instant noodles were leagues better. 

Chapter Text

Captain Xiao Li had spent most of his morning outside the hospital room, doing the job he'd volunteered for. 

"Guard Duty", as Officer Wang called it on occasion. At the thought, he glanced at the sign near the elevator further down the hall. Maybe he'd make time to visit her. 

Occasionally, he checked in with some coworkers. 

As far as things went, the suspects Jae Lee had arrested weren't giving them much trouble. 

Tian Xueyin, as Lu Guang had mentioned during his rambling, was indeed on probation and didn't want his prison sentence to fall out too badly. Making him all too willing to tell anything he knew. Zhong Qiang proved of the more stoic sort, but the second he heard that his colleague had cracked? He'd started talking quickly enough. 

With a sigh, the police captain flipped through his notes. So far, what they said added up. 

They were a group of three, with Mao Zhilong being the one to accept 'commissions'. He'd been given a job to get rid of the trio from the photo studio from someone the other two didn't know, but they both mentioned remembering Mao Zhilong mentioning that the call came from within Guidu's prison when he'd informed them. 

Tian Xueyin had claimed to have been only the driver and that Mao Zhilong and Zhong Qiang had been the ones to hurt Lu Guang. Zhong Qiang denied it at first, before admitting that he had indeed caused harm on orders of Mao Zhilong until they'd gotten answers about the ability. 

Both of the suspects were ready to throw their de-facto leader under the bus once they realized he'd ditched them. 

Zhong Qiang had mentioned that their job had been to kill the trio, but that Mao Zhilong thought that they could make money off of someone who possessed extraordinary abilities. Tian Xueyin had confirmed it, but claimed he hadn't wanted to be any part of that. 

Captain Xiao had to take a deep breath upon being relayed that part, concentrated on relaxing his hand before the pen snapped in two. 

Was that why the two had been cautious about their abilities?, he wondered, staring at the words he'd written down. Because of the risk of people finding out about them and seeing them as nothing but tools? 

He sighed, rubbed a hand over his face. Exhausted. "Poor kids..." he muttered, shaking his head. Checked the time on his phone and noticed that Jae Lee had sent him a message. 

At the hospital, heading in now. 

Five minutes ago? That meant... 

The elevator opened, and a familiar duo stepped out, a muffled "Crap, I forgot my hair tie!" being what greeted him. 

Well, it was less stepping out and more stumbling with how tired the younger of the two looked. Cheng Xiaoshi was half-heartedly glaring at Qiao Ling, who was passing him a hair tie with a shake of her head. 

"I swear you're impossible!" she complained, glaring up at him in a way that reminded Captain Xiao of an older sister having to deal with the antics of her little brother. She didn't seem to notice him standing there. 

A hint amused, he watched them pass by. 

Cheng Xiaoshi balked, as if offended, but swiped the hair tie. "Me?! You're the one who took ages in the bathroom, landlady!" he countered, tying his hair back without noticing Captain Xiao's presence in the hallway either. 

"Excuse me-? At least I didn't try leaving the house in my pajamas!" 

The door to Lu Guang's room slid open, before shutting behind them. 

Only a minute later, the other elevator opened and Jae Lee stepped out. "Kids these days" the midnight blue haired man shook his head, a coffee in hand. It didn't smell like discount hospital coffee, and the older man wished he'd asked him, or anyone really, to bring a coffee. 

"You're one to talk. Aren't you only five years older?" 

~

Lu Guang was more than a little glad when Captain Xiao had left the room. He was less glad upon realizing that it was due to a nurse checking in on him, followed by the doctor. 

He was told nothing and he hated it. 

The bandages had been changed, with a strict order to keep his eyes closed. They didn't need to tell him twice. 

But once that was over and he was alone again? Slowly, the dread returned. It was too quiet and too loud at once. The only noise the ticking clock and the rustle of the fabrics and plastic. Once, a bird chirped outside his window. 

Lu Guang was unsure on the time, but as far as he was aware, it was past seven in the morning. 

The adrenalin was out of his bloodstream now, but it was replaced by fear. The fear of the unknown and the unknown variables thrown into the mix, at that.

Logically, everything was fine. He was fine. He was alive and mostly well, being hospitalized aside, and Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling were alive and safe at home. 

But fear was slowly gnawing at him. 

Because he didn't know everything, and that was what scared him. 

He didn't know if it had really been Qian Jin. He didn't know if the last of the kidnappers would come back. He didn't know long he'd be stuck in the hospital. He didn't know how long it'd take for his injuries to heal. He didn't know- 

He didn't know if there was permanent damage. 

And that, specifically, scared him more than anything. 

Because what if there was permanent damage? He wasn't a fool. He knew that injuries like this one could leave lasting effects. 

And from there, he spiraled. 

If there was permanent damage, it would affect his future. It would affect his ability, and consequently Cheng Xiaoshi's. It would affect business. It would affect his ability to keep Cheng Xiaoshi alive and safe. 

His worries, somehow, kept circling around that last point. 

That it would affect his daily life didn't even come to mind for him at all. It simply wasn't important. 

But then another thought struck- and it was as much ridiculous as it was terrifying. What if there was permanent damage, and what if Cheng Xiaoshi didn't want anything to do with him anymore? 

It was truly a stupid thought. Cheng Xiaoshi was the kindest soul he knew. Forgiving and open-minded, if an impulsive idiot. 

Still, the fear had taken root, irrational as it was. 

Being left to spiral certainly didn't help. 

Part of him was tempted to tug the bandages off, to check what would happen if his eyes opened- but he refrained. It wouldn't do anything but potentially make his injury worse. 

He barely touched the food the nurse brought him, it smelled unappetizing and tasted no better. He murmured a quiet "Thank you" to show his gratitude anyway. That, and a calm reassurance that he'd be fine on his own.   

Part of him wanted to ask for a book, but then he remembered that he couldn't read. So he remained quiet, said nothing else. 

Idly, he wondered if Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling would bring him one. Then, he wondered if they even knew. 

The birds chirped a lot more frequently outside his windows now. 

Another nurse had shown up, to check his vitals he assumed, who took the rest of his breakfast away. He mentioned that he felt fine. Partially because he hoped to get out of the hospital sooner. 

Lu Guang was picking at the band aid around the IV when he heard it. Tilted his head towards where he assumed the door to be and strained his ears. Fought a small smile. 

"I swear you're impossible!" 

"Me?! You're the one who took ages in the bathroom, landlady!" 

"Excuse me-? At least I didn't try leaving the house in my pajamas!" 

He heard the door slide open, the muffled argument cutting off. A loud "Guang!" reached his ears followed by quick steps, before arms wrapped around him. 

It knocked some air out of him, but after a moment he slowly hugged back. Let out a quiet breath of relief when he reached up to push Cheng Xiaoshi's face against his good shoulder and his fingers brushed over his neck, felt a steady beat. 

His friend pulled away from the hug far too soon, and Lu Guang felt a hand brush against his jaw, tilting his head gently. He didn't protest, simply let him. If it put him at ease, he was fine with it. 

A finger brushed by his temple, paused at the edge of the bandages. 

"Who did this?" he could hear the frown in Cheng Xiaoshi's voice, the anger. It was rare, to invoke such an emotion in the time diver. 

Lu Guang shook his head slightly. "It's fine, it'll heal" he muttered, with as much certainty as he could, despite not being certain at all. 

If Cheng Xiaoshi noticed his voice sounding off, he didn't comment. The white haired man was grateful for that. He wasn't quite sure what he'd have done if he had. 

His fingers flexed slightly. Holding onto the soft fabric of Cheng Xiaoshi's clothes - that black jacket, most likely? It had the same texture - when the other moved to pull away entirely. 

It wasn't quite on purpose, but Cheng Xiaoshi seemed to understand. Gently maneuvering Lu Guang until there was a bit more space, it seemed, because soon enough the taller was next to him. 

The nurses would complain. They had done so back when they'd been admitted for the respective shot and stab wounds. No one quite managed to make Cheng Xiaoshi quit it, though, and Lu Guang's protests hadn't been anything but show. 

Right now, he didn't feel like pretending to dislike his closeness. 

"Did the doctors tell you anything yet?" Qiao Ling asked, and Lu Guang barely managed to avoid flinching. He'd forgotten that she was there. 

"No" he muttered, a hint bitter. He understood why she asked- because she likely had a similar train of thought as he did. 

There was the rustling of clothes, accompanied by steps. Then the chair creaked. Qiao Ling must've sat down. "I'm sure it'll be okay" she said, and he hummed noncommittally. 

He heard Cheng Xiaoshi take a breath beside him, likely about to say something, anything, when the door slid open again. For a brief moment, Lu Guang thought it might be Captain Xiao. He was quickly proven wrong. 

"Ah, I see you have visitors, Mr Lu" 

The doctor. 

He nodded stiffly, turning his head into the direction of the man. If there was any judgement regarding his best friend being on the hospital bed next to him, they weren't voiced. 

So Lu Guang listened to him as the doctor introduced himself to his two friends. Remained silent while Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi thanked him for his work. 

Eventually, papers rustled. The doctor cleared his throat. "Well, let's get to it... there are mild abrasions on your wrists, they aren't severe and should heal within the week. Bruising on chest, stomach, left lower leg and right side of the jaw. No bones fractured- you were lucky there, young man" 

There was a pause, more paper rustled. Next to him, Cheng Xiaoshi had tensed. 

"Dislocated right shoulder. Don't strain yourself the coming weeks, please take the prescribed meds until the pain stops. Depending on the check-up you might have to do some physical therapy, but there are some easier exercises for you to do" 

Lu Guang's fingers twisted into the blanket. Head lowering slightly. Letting out a shaky breath. There was one more thing to come. The air had grown heavy. They all knew what the last bullet point was. 

The doctor cleared his throat again, something apologetic seeping into his voice. "There was a severe corneal laceration horizontally across your eyes. Surgery was performed to close the laceration and hopefully prevent infection" paper rustled. 

The seer tensed. Swallowed hard when an acidic taste coated the back of his teeth. Hopefully?, he couldn't help but think. 

Cheng Xiaoshi threw an arm around him, pulled him closer. He sat on his left. It didn't jostle his injuries much, but even if they had, he wouldn't have cared. Not with the current topic at hand. 

"I'm afraid to say that the current prognosis is permanent vision loss"

And just like that, he felt as though his entire world shattered.  

The doctor mentioned further check-ups, potential surgeries. Lu Guang didn't hear him. He barely even breathed. He didn't hear Cheng Xiaoshi calling his name, either. 

Chapter Text

Cheng Xiaoshi paced about the studio, double-checking... well, everything. An anxious wreck, knowing that Lu Guang was going to come home today. 

Usually, he would've been released on the day of their visit. Given the rest of the injuries and the severity, the hospital had wanted to keep him under supervision a full three days. 

Lu Guang hadn't objected. 

Scratch that, he hadn't said anything. Ever since the doctor's news, he'd gone silent. 

Qiao Ling watched him from the couch, a deep frown on her face. Part of her just... knew. She just knew that the silence was about that. 

"You used Cheng Xiaoshi's ability" she said, cornering Lu Guang one early morning not too long ago after chasing Cheng Xiaoshi out to get groceries. He'd complained, but ultimately caved when she pulled the "I'm a girl and I want chocolate. What more reasons do you need?" card. 

She'd rarely seen him run that fast. Not out of disgust, but because he knew Qiao Ling long enough to be mature about it. They'd grown up together, after all. 

Now, with Lu Guang alone, it was the perfect moment to ask about the things Li Tianxi had shown her when the life had seeped out of her. 

Lu Guang offered her nothing but a calm stare. "I have not" he said, with as much conviction as he could. 

With a sigh, Qiao Ling crossed her arms. "Don't bother lying to me. I saw it" she told him, watched his shoulders tense. 

That, honestly, was all the confirmation she needed. 

"Why?" she asked, despite 'how' being just as important a question. Because his ability certainly wasn't diving. 

Lu Guang turned away from her, crossed his arms. "... he died" the seer whispered, voice cracking. 

And that? That made her heart shatter. "He died?" she asked, didn't fight the quiver in her voice. It was pointless to try. 

"You said-" 

"I know what I said!" Lu Guang's voice was sharp and cutting like broken glass. "I know. I know that I'm a selfish hypocrite. You don't have to tell me that. But I can't... I couldn't..." 

Slow, careful, as if approaching a wounded animal rather than one of her best friends, she moved closer. Rested a hand on his shoulder. Paused when he moved away. "Lu Guang" she murmured. "How many times...?" 

There was a moment of silence. Then: 

"Four times" 

Qiao Ling blinked. Stared at him. Waited for a punchline that never came. Because of course it didn't. This was Lu Guang. He'd never joke about things like that. 

"... you died the last two times. I'm sorry" 

It should've been concerning. Knowing that. Knowing that in the past - future? - she died. Somehow, she felt numb more than scared. Maybe because this was just confirming what she already knew. 

Slowly, she nodded. "I see" was all she said. Then she cleared her throat, frowned. "Did you... will you tell Cheng Xiaoshi?" 

Lu Guang glanced to her, his expression bordering on cautious. "He doesn't need to know" he responded, voice hollow. "He won't know. You weren't supposed to find out either"

She'd guessed as much, didn't bother pointing it out. "Lu Guang, if you don't tell him I will" it wasn't a threat. It was a promise. 

He seemed to pick up on that, expression twisting into something she couldn't quite decipher. Fear, maybe? 

"... I'll try to do it next Friday"

She swallowed, hard. 

Next Friday, huh? Friday came, and they'd gone out to get boba- and to give Lu Guang some peace because he'd been off all morning. She knew why, of course she did. That's why she'd insisted on letting him run the shop alone.  

They'd come back to him gone, the door open and his watch by the side of the alley. 

Cheng Xiaoshi was wearing it, at the moment. Lu Guang, due to his injury, had no use for it anyway. At least not right now... then again, given what the doctor said...

"You should quit pacing before you wear a hole into the ground" she chided, if only to get a rise out of him. 

Her brother in all but blood didn't even look at her. "Qiao Ling what do I do?" he asked, clearly stressed. 

She sighed, tossed a pillow at him. It smacked him right in the face, but even that didn't get his usual energy back. He just tossed it back onto the couch. 

He'd been like that ever since the doctor had dropped that particular bombshell on them. 

"I'm afraid to say that the current prognosis is permanent vision loss"

Lu Guang hadn't taken it well, if the sudden bout of silence was anything to go by. But Cheng Xiaoshi was upset as well. 

As far as she could tell, there was no judgement. Just worry and most of all guilt. 

"I should've been there to protect him" 

Qiao Ling doubted his presence would've changed much. She'd watched him riffle through photos frantically, as if ready to change something, anything- but Lu Guang rarely took pictures. There was nothing he could do to prevent this. 

What happened, happened. There was no changing it. 

Besides the self-blaming, there had been the concern. The worry of Lu Guang hurting himself by accident on a sharp corner. Tripping over the carpet or stuff just laying around. The bunk bed. 

Oh, Qiao Ling doubted Lu Guang would let his bunk bed be taken away. 

Then again, he'd need to talk to refuse. And during none of their visits had he done more than nod, shrug or shake his head. 

It was concerning, but none of them intended to push him. Not when he'd gotten such crushing news. 

"Have you considered... being calmer about it? Freaking out won't help him, you know that" she pointed out slowly, smoothed out her skirt. "You already made sure the studio is safe. You can calm down"

Cheng Xiaoshi looked almost offended at her comment. "I'm totally calm" he claimed, despite his current style being anxious mess. 

She sent him a deadpan look, and he seemed to get the message. Sighing. "Okay, fine" he mumbled, sitting down beside her. 

"I'm just... worried, y'know? I really care about him- I mean... I mean he's my best friend, obviously I do, but he's already gotten hurt because of me, and now-" 

Qiao Ling smacked him with a pillow. "I get it, I get it. Jeez, can you be any more obvious?" she asked, and watched him stare at her like a lost puppy. 

"Obvious?" 

Sometimes she really wanted to shake him by the shoulders. 

"Oblivious. Forget it. Just... take a breath. Captain Xiao said they'll be here at two, it's almost two" she pointed out. Smacking him again when he got that anxious look again. "Calm down- it'll be okay. We'll be okay. He'll be okay" 

She paused, thought for a moment. "And before you start to worry about that- I'm not asking for rent this month. I'm lowering it, too" she told him, watched his eyes widen and shoulders tense, before he visibly deflated. 

"Oh god... thanks so much, I completely forgot about-" 

"A guest has arrived" 

The familiar doorbell going off had both on their feet. They exchanged glances, before heading to the front together. 

Cheng Xiaoshi relaxed, just a little, when he recognized the mop of white hair. He was standing next to Captain Xiao, arms crossed and with his head down. The officer looked stuck between something akin to concern and defeat. 

His heart cracked, just a little, when he realized how uncomfortable his best friend looked. As if he were a stranger in his own home- because wasn't that what the studio was? Both of their home? 

"Hey, Guang" he greeted him, watched him startle. Had he not realized that him and Qiao Ling were approaching? 

Then a thought struck him: with the studio closed, both Qiao Ling and him were wearing socks, they'd snuck up on him without meaning to. 

Though even after the seer - former seer? Cheng Xiaoshi wasn't quite sure - took notice of him, he said nothing. 

A hint helpless, he glanced over to Captain Xiao. Though the older man merely shook his head. It saddened him- knowing that Lu Guang really hadn't broken his silence yet. Not during their visits, not outside their visits... not even now that he was home. 

Without warning, Lu Guang started moving. Cheng Xiaoshi was torn between making space and offering help- but ultimately did nothing when Lu Guang reached out an arm until he found the wall, palm remaining pressed against it while he used it to navigate to the sunroom. Probably. 

The time diver's shoulders sagged. 

"Any progress?" Qiao Ling piped up, in an attempt to break the uncomfortable silence. Mentally, he thanked her. At least one of them seemed to know what to say- or, maybe, her confidence was as fake as his current optimism. 

Captain Xiao took a deep breath, then sighed. Shook his head. "Nothing yet. I've set Jae Lee on him. Kid's got a knack for hunting suspects down" he said, arms crossed in front of his chest. 

Cheng Xiaoshi wouldn't have called the guy a kid- but then again, Captain Xiao was older than him. It seemed like a habit he'd taken up and couldn't shake. 

Not unlike how Qiao Ling used to call him a kid once in a while when she turned eighteen... until he eventually also turned eighteen. Though, in her case, it had been more on the teasing side. 

At the same time... didn't that mean the guy was free to try this all over again? 

His apprehension must've shown on his face, because the officer raised a hand. "We're increasing patrols around the area. If anyone tries anything, they won't get far" he assured them, and for a split second, Cheng Xiaoshi resisted the urge to point out that anyone with an ability like Li Tianchen would have easy pickings anyway. 

But the longer he thought, the more he realized that an officer around wouldn't lower the risks. Honestly, it elevated them. Because Lu Guang was... Lu Guang was currently not himself, and he doubted his best friend would do well with strangers around. He already hated it before, he'd hate it even more right now. 

So he nodded, accepted the situation. 

"Thank you, Captain" he said, offered a smile that was only half-forced. He was genuinely grateful, really, he just... really didn't feel like smiling. 

If Captain Xiao noticed, he didn't point it out. He simply nodded, glanced to the back. "Take care of each other, you hear me?" he murmured, likely to avoid Lu Guang overhearing. 

Cheng Xiaoshi glanced to Qiao Ling, and the two of them nodded. Steadfast. 

"Don't worry, we're a team" 

"Whatever the world throws at us, we'll deal with" 

Chapter Text

He pretended that everything was normal. Really, he did. Tried to, at least.

Fact was, nothing was normal. 

Work had gone from fun to stressful, now that he was doing everything alone. 

Getting groceries was stressful- because Lu Guang showed no interest in leaving the studio, and Cheng Xiaoshi was unwilling to leave him on his own. In the end, Qiao Ling got the groceries. 

Lu Guang's quietness had turned into silence. Broken up only by the occasional hum of... honestly, agreement and disagreement he could only differentiate based on body language.

They visited the doctor twice more for checkups, but nothing had changed. Cheng Xiaoshi asked, each time, "Do you want me to come in with you?" and each time Lu Guang shook his head. 

The only checkup he'd been let into was the one that discussed all the things they'd need to keep in mind for the near future. 

By week two he was no longer stressed. Just deeply exhausted. 

Not from work. 

From trying. 

He'd tried everything. 

From just sitting next to him, to rambling about any and all topics Lu Guang might love or hate, to cooking him the best meal he could manage with their meager savings, to wrapping an arm around him. 

He tried the last one only once. Lu Guang had shoved him away with more force than probably either of them anticipated. Expression, at least from what he could see, panicked.

Cheng Xiaoshi had felt horrible for the rest of the day.  

So yes, nothing he'd tried worked. 

He was at a complete loss, which made day 16 all the more startling. 

He was in the kitchen when Lu Guang slowly made his way over from the sunroom- which the other had been sleep in, ever since coming home. Now, he was shuffling along the wall. Using it to guide his way. 

Cheng Xiaoshi had greeted him with a simple "Morning" and the most cheerful tone he could, putting down Lu Guang's tea in the same spot he always did. After day three he'd seemed to notice the pattern. 

"I need to wash my hair" 

The words were slow, stilted. Hesitant and with a crack to them that showed that Lu Guang really had gone a little over two weeks saying nothing at all.

Cheng Xiaoshi blinked. Stared. "Yea, I was wondering when you'd realize that your hair is a mess" he commented, watched his best friend's lips twist into a scowl. 

It was a small victory, but he wouldn't complain. Not when he finally, finally got a reaction. 

Lu Guang took a sip from his tea. Stayed quiet for a moment. "... I'm asking for help" he finally muttered, with a reluctance that made Cheng Xiaoshi remember that yes, this was Lu Guang, the guy who hated admitting when he needed help. 

He beamed, the smile audible in his voice: "Don't you worry, Guang! I'll help you right after breakfast" 

"Guang, you know I'm not one to say anything about style, but we both know the doctor said you can stop wearing the bandages" 

Lu Guang turned away from him, arms crossed. "I feel better with them on" he muttered, and that was a whole new can of worms Cheng Xiaoshi did not want to get into. 

Idly, he wondered how fast Lu Guang figured out how to wrap them... and promptly felt bad for wondering. 

"You'll hate them once they soggy" the time diver pointed out. "If this is about your face or your eyes... I really don't care what they look like"

There was a moment of silence. Then, sighing, Lu Guang turned back to face him. Fumbling with the bandages. 

Carefully, gently, he put a hand over his. "Let me" he murmured, waited for him to nod, and proceeded to unwrap them. 

The scar wasn't entirely healed, still pink and raised. That was the first thing he noticed. The second was that Lu Guang's eyes, once they fluttered open, were still as mesmerizing as before- even though the pupils were... off. Smaller, maybe? 

It didn't matter, really, because-

"See? You're still handsome" he announced, smiling. Lu Guang blinked rapidly, stepping back. His cheeks a hint red. 

There was a moment of silence, then he cleared his throat. Frowning. "My hair?" he mumbled, gestured vaguely. 

At the reminder, Cheng Xiaoshi's face quickly started matching Lu Guang's. Laughing it off, he took his hand. Gently pulling him over to their shower. "Oh, yea" 

He paused. The blush on his face darkening. Wait... a shower meant... Slowly, he glanced down at himself. Then at Lu Guang. Oh. Oh no. Not that he'd mind seeing, because he really wouldn't mind- but... no. That was crossing boundaries he didn't know how to ask about without sounding like a fool. 

Oh, this was a conundrum. 

"... why did we stop?" the younger questioned, tilting his head. The usually fluffy hair was anything but that, hanging limply. He was still cute, but he definitely looked cuter with clean, dry hair.

Mentally, Cheng Xiaoshi smacked himself. 

"Shower" he uttered and internally chided himself for how dumb he sounded. "I mean. We'll shower. Easiest way to clean your hair. Uh- clothed. Obviously"

Lu Guang frowned. "Obviously" he echoed, and Cheng Xiaoshi could tell that he'd picked up on the fact that he'd been anywhere but mentally present until just now. 

He grinned awkwardly, then remembered that Lu Guang couldn't see the forced smile. So he simply dragged him under the shower. 

It was a bit awkward, at first- the shower was definitely not made in mind for two people to be in it at the same time. Eventually, though, they managed to sort themselves. 

Cheng Xiaoshi got to work, quietly humming a pop song from Bridon he'd heard on the radio recently. 

Back when they were a bit younger, before Lu Guang had moved into the photo studio, and he'd stayed over at Qiao Ling's place more often, they'd occasionally had hair care days. So while he'd never helped Lu Guang with his hair, he at least knew what he was doing. 

It was only now that he realized that they had a perfectly fine sink, though. 

He blinked, glanced down at his soaked clothes. 

Oh well. It was summer anyway- so it wasn't like he needed to worry. 

Eventually he dragged him out of the shower gently, laughed lightly when he glanced back and saw him looking not unlike a drowned cat. 

While drying off his hair, he paused. Took a moment to look at him. "... your hair's getting longer" he pointed out absentmindedly. 

Lu Guang frowned, reached up to touch his hair. "Hm... it's fine for now" he murmured, shrugged. He'd always preferred his hair shorter, but Cheng Xiaoshi bit his tongue instead of pointing it out.

They were silent, for a while. Though talking with the blow dryer running was a little hard. But it was nice, in a way. The silence was less oppressive than it had been before. 

By the end of it, Lu Guang's hair was back to it's fluffy state and his own starting to air-dry. 

They'd definitely both have to change, though.  

When he clicked the blow dryer off, he ruffled Lu Guang's hair. Grinned at the indignant noise from the shorter man. Then his expression turned a hint more serious. "Are you feeling better? At all?" he asked, cautious and hesitant. 

Lu Guang froze, then nodded. "I'm fine" he said, voice level and controlled. He didn't sound off in the slightest- as if it was any other day. He could very well see the way his shoulders tensed. 

Cheng Xiaoshi didn't believe him, but he refrained from calling him out on the lie. 

"That's good. We... kinda need to talk about some stuff... but for now, I think we both should change into dryer clothes" he kept his tone light, acted as though he noticed nothing off.

It was half an hour later that they were in the sunroom. Lu Guang sitting down on the couch, Cheng Xiaoshi pacing in front of the coffee table. 

"So..." he sighed, tried desperately to figure out where to start. It wasn't easy. He was used to sharp, cat-like eyes tracking his every move. 

Said cat-like eyes were unfocused now, 'staring' into empty space. 

With a frown, he turned to Lu Guang. "You can't work" it came out more blunt than he wanted, and watched the other frown. 

"I can work" he refuted, just as expected. Cheng Xiaoshi honestly hadn't expected anything less. 

So, he headed for the nearest shelf and took the photo album. Flipped through until he found the right one. Then marched right back. 

Idly, he noted that Lu Guang wasn't trying to face him. He did keep tilting his head this way and that way, possibly to keep track of his footsteps? 

Either way, he crouched down next to the couch. Gently, he put a photo into Lu Guang's hands. "Could you tell me which photo this is?" he asked, watched him for a moment. 

Pale, thin fingers ghosted over the photo. Turned it this way and that way. Then, slowly, Lu Guang shook his head. "... no" he murmured with a weary sigh. 

For a split second, grey eyes flashed blue. It vanished almost immediately, the photo fluttering to the floor. The seer rubbed at his eyes, lips twisted into a scowl. Clearly, that hadn't been the wanted result. 

The ability was still there- but without sight, it was useless. 

Cheng Xiaoshi's heart broke, just a little. "Exactly" he murmured, a hint apologetic. "You'd mix up the customers' orders, you can't develop photos like this, and your powers..." 

Lu Guang's expression turned blank. "So you're saying I'm useless" he noted, something sharp and bitter in his voice that he couldn't quite hide. 

"No- No, I'm just... I'm saying we'll work something out. Maybe we can find a way for you to do all the stuff you used to-" 

"Stop pretending I'm still worth anything, Cheng Xiaoshi" the white haired man hissed, not unlike a feral, injured street cat. Perhaps not the wrong comparison, given everything. 

For a moment, he was speechless. Then he grabbed the other by the front of his shirt. Shook him a little. "Don't you dare talk like that about my best friend- you're worth everything" he told him, both angry and hurt. 

Because how dare Lu Guang believe he was worthless, when he still meant the world to him? 

Lu Guang seemed a hint stunned. Either from getting grabbed out of nowhere, or being shaken. Perhaps it was the mild shouting. 

He didn't  care, as long as he got his point through that thick, stupid skull of his supposedly smart best friend. 

After a moment or two, Lu Guang sighed. "I'm sorry" he murmured, and there was a certain weight and guilt to it that seemed too much for just... this. 

Slowly, he let go. Let him sink back against the couch. "I'm sorry too. For shouting and shaking you" Cheng Xiaoshi watched him for a moment, then picked up the photo. A sunset- a picture Lu Guang must've taken it.  

Idly, he wondered how their powers would- no. Right now, their powers were unimportant. He'd show Lu Guang he was still perfect. Abilities and sight be damned. 

"You promised you'd stay. I'm promising the same. I'll stay, no matter what" Cheng Xiaoshi told  him quietly, placed a hand on the other's knee. Watched his throat bob as he swallowed. 

Lu Guang said nothing, at first. Simply kept his head low. Then, slowly, he sighed. Nodded. "I'm not expecting you to stick to that" he said, as if he knew something Cheng Xiaoshi didn't. 

That was fine. He'd prove that he'd never leave, simple as that.

Chapter Text

Quiet steps echoed down the dark, cold hallway. 

It was dark, safe for the flashlight the trembling man clutched in his hands. His head swiveled this way and that way, until his eyes caught on the door leading to the basement. 

A small note had been all his clue to finding this place. 

"Meet me here" was all it said, with the exact coordinates. 

Now here he was, heading down into the basement. Head ducked not unlike a dog waiting to get struck by its owner. 

He'd royally messed up, he knew, but surely he'd be forgiven... 

Finally, finally, he was in the basement. His steps seemed to echo in the silence. Louder than they really were. 

He clicked the flashlight off, he didn't need it. There were candles, lighting this room. 

Then, he saw him. Froze in his tracks. Dropped to his knees. His shadow was there as well, face mostly obscured by the darkness, but his eyes shined from within it. 

"I gave you clear instructions, didn't I?" 

His tone was calm, but Mao Zhilong could sense his disappointment. "I did follow them- I followed your instructions. I lied to Tian Xueyin and Zhong Qiang about who called" he quickly assured him. "They believe someone from prison called. Even if they get caught, they'll assume it was the other guy" 

His heart raced. The beat was loud in his ears. Can he hear it too?, Mao Zhilong wondered. It was terrifying, being faced with his disappointment. 

"Hmm... but you ignored all my other orders, didn't you?" he rose to his feet, slunk down from his seat and towards him. His shadow followed suit. 

Slowly, Mao Zhilong backed away. Because that was true. He had ignored all the other things he'd been told. Deliberately. Because he'd thought he could get away with it and find out more information for himself- thought he could turn a profit by spinning the lies he was supposed to tell further and further. 

Capture the time diver first. He'd captured the seer. 

Do not bring harm to him. He'd injured him... probably permanently.

(At least it had been fun, the sadistic part of him thought, we could've turned him into a golden goose if that guy hadn't shown up...)

Bring him to me, kill him to take his ability if you must. What had he done instead? Tried to hide him away, considered using keeping the seer alive to use his gift to gain money. 

It would've been so, so easy to kill him. To take the ability for himself- but then again, he had no experience with abilities. Didn't know how to properly control it. 

It was easier to keep the young man alive and make him use that gift. 

The only order he'd obeyed was lying- to Zhong Qiang and Tian Xueyin and the seer in case... well. In case things went wrong and he escaped. Which he had. Because he disobeyed orders.

Clearly, it had backfired horribly. Was this why people said not to go against his orders?

Mao Zhilong lowered his head. "I apologize" he murmured, tried to force shame instead of fear into his voice. "I swear I can turn this around- I can... I can get the right one, or... or..." 

He scrambled to his feet when he turned away. A hand raised, fingers snapped. The shadow moved. The muzzle of a gun dug into his temple. 

"They have a third power now" he blurted out, quick and panicked. 

Both of the other men in the room paused. He didn't turn around, but a tilt of the head showed attention. Curiosity, maybe. 

"They... the white haired one said they can... see him. See us. And they did- they somehow found us-" 

He didn't know, really, that he was both right and wrong. He didn't know that there genuinely had been another ability at play. He didn't know that, in truth, an officer had tracked their location down by himself. 

But the laugh startled both, the shadow and Mao Zhilong. Both gazes snapped to him, watched as he leaned against the far wall. 

"So that's how it is... one of them took Li Tianxi's power... thank you for that particular bit of information, truly" 

For a long, long moment Mao Zhilong felt relief. Perhaps he was forgiven. Perhaps he was going to get another chance. Perhaps he could make this right- 

Fingers snapped. 

The last thing he heard was the bang of a gun. 

~

It was still May, almost June. That was okay. That meant he still had time to turn things around and fix everything... somehow. 

If there was an ability that can travel back in time, there had to be a... a magic-healing ability, right? One that could fix his eyes and give him back the ability to use his own power? 

Then again, there would be rumors if such an ability existed... he couldn't remember any such rumors. Also, how would he even go about looking for an ability like that? 

Or perhaps- 

"How is the braille learning going?" 

Cheng Xiaoshi's voice greeted him, tore him from his thoughts. He let out a breath, steadied himself. Placed down the braille slate. 

Easy. It was easy. He'd always had an affinity for... well, learning. He'd been good in school, would've been better if he'd put in more effort. 

There was little motivation beyond having nothing else to do beyond accepting calls and taking customer's orders. 

Luckily, his memory was sharp as ever. 

With a slight delay, he sighed. "Well enough" he muttered. Shrugged. Tried to downplay it, because learning braille made it feel... final. It was like hitting the last nail in the coffin. 

But he had to be himself. He had to be fine. Not for his own sake- for Cheng Xiaoshi's. To make sure he lived. 

Arms wrapped around him, squeezed. "Typical Guangguang, always so smart!" his best friend cheered, practically smothering him. 

"Get off me, you idiot!" he complained, but didn't shove him off this time. 

They spent a while like that. Lu Guang trying to work on his braille, Cheng Xiaoshi leaning against him. It was nice, even if he refused to admit it out loud. 

How long has it been since he'd realized? He couldn't remember. He just knew he longed- but there was no future. Not yet. 

Even if there was, Cheng Xiaoshi... he'd never. Not for him. 

Eventually, a guest arrived. Cheng Xiaoshi went to greet them, returning soon with a happy skip in his steps. A second pair of steps followed, lighter. 

"Hey, Lu Guang" Qiao Ling. Of course it was Qiao Ling. Did it have to be Qiao Ling? 

Well, that was a little rude. 

He didn't mind Qiao Ling, really. Aside from Cheng Xiaoshi, she was his only friend. He cared about her, truly. 

Otherwise, he wouldn't be desperately trying to fix the timeline so all of them could live- even if, first and foremost, all of this was happening because he got Cheng Xiaoshi killed. 

Maybe his presence was the actual reason the death node existed in the first place. Would it vanish if- 

"I wanted to talk. Alone" 

He froze, torn from his thoughts yet again. Slowly, he nodded. "Sure" he murmured, ignored Cheng Xiaoshi's confused protest. 

He turned into his best friend's vague direction. "Could you get us some boba? Please?" he asked, waited patiently. 

He could almost hear the way Cheng Xiaoshi slouched in his "Yea, okay", before his steps faded. They waited until the front door shut. 

Qiao Ling walked away, steps fading, then returned. "He's gone" she announced, and the couch dipped beside him. 

He nodded. That was good. That meant they had time. Cheng Xiaoshi would take half an hour, most likely. While it would take an hour under normal circumstances... a curious Cheng Xiaoshi meant less chit-chat. 

The silence felt heavy. He cleared his throat. Swallowed hard. "If this is about the death node or work, I swear I'll figure it out" he finally muttered and for a split second, he was glad not to see her expression. 

"What?" Qiao Ling sounded startled. "No- no, no. This is... I wanted to apologize. Though... the death node is something we should... probably discuss too" 

Lu Guang blinked. At least he felt like he did. Tilted his head. "... apologize?" he asked, confused. Unsure where that one came from. 

What did Qiao Ling, of all people, have to apologize for? 

"I'm the reason you were alone" she said, slow and careful. He hated it. He was blind, not fragile. Granted, it was probably not even connected to that, but still- 

Then his brain screeched to a halt. "What? Qiao Ling, this wasn't your fault" He frowned, shook his head. Even when he thought about it... no. It simply wasn't her fault. "Things just lined up badly, this time. If anything it's my fault for causing the timeline to get out of control" 

Because that was the truth. It was his fault- always had been. From start to finish. 

"Let me apologize, dammit-" 

Lu Guang heaved a sigh. "You're forgiven" he muttered sourly. There was nothing to be forgiven. This entire thing was pointless. 

But then a warm weight sunk against his side and he felt his shoulders relax, just a hint. "Thanks" Qiao Ling's voice was fondly exasperate. Then the air turned serious. "What's going to happen now?"

The question was a painful reminder of his predicament. "I'll fix the timeline and prevent all of you from dying" he said, steady and flat. Rehearsed. How many times had he said that to himself? Probably too often. 

He wondered if she believed him. He didn't. 

Apparently, telling yourself the same thing over and over did, in fact, not always work. Was self-gaslighting not a thing? 

"Lu Guang... do you even know what you're doing?" Qiao Ling asked him quietly, but less cautious than before. No wonder, this topic concerned her brother in all but blood- and her own life, too. 

It stung all the same. He couldn't blame her though. 

Did he know what he was doing?

No, not really. 

With a sigh, he tipped his head back. "This loop is... I think I messed too much with it" he finally admitted, his voice hollow. He tried blinking back tears, but he felt one slide down from the corner of his eye. "None of this happened before" 

"A guest has arrived" 

He barely heard it. Not enough time had passed for Cheng Xiaoshi to be back. A hand landed on his shoulder. "Lu Guang..." Qiao Ling sounded stressed. 

He swallowed, hard. Shook his head. His mind was running over time now. "I messed with the timeline too much. Everything is spiraling out of control-" he felt another tear slide down. Hunched over to bury his face in his hands. 

"Qiao Ling I can't... I can't use my ability. It doesn't work anymore. How am I supposed to prevent Xiaoshi's death node?" he asked, and for the first time in a long, long time he felt his age. The age he was supposed to be. 

He'd never aged past twenty. 

Even with the loops- he was still twenty. Physically and, even if he wished to deny it, mentally as well. 

Sure, he was mature most of the time, acted older than he was in a silent prayer of being able to keep things under control... but he was still twenty. 

And twenty really, really isn't an age where the potentially impending death of two of your friends should be your main concern. 

Especially not if you're in a fucking time loop. 

He was twenty. He didn't know what he was doing. He was trying his best. That's all he could do. Try again and again and again- until he can't anymore. 

So sue him, he was finally forced to admit it out loud. He was finally forced to admit that he doesn't know what he's doing... and he was not coping well. 

He hadn't been coping well in a while. 

The mixture of his predicament and the loop being entirely out of his control simply put it into perspective for him how utterly useless as a friend he was. 

Lu Guang was dimly aware that there were tears in his eyes and running down his face, but truly, he couldn't care less. 

A floorboard creaked, Qiao Ling's grip on his shoulder turned painful when she hissed his name in warning. 

He didn't care. 

He was so, so tired. This loop had been horrible and painful and he'd lost his sight and now- 

"My death node?" 

Oh.

Oh no. 

No, no, no-

"Xiaoshi-" he startled, got to his feet. Stumbled against the coffee table, managed to round it, somehow. 

He didn't get much further. There was no bigger warning than a warm breath brushing over his face before the front of his shirt was grabbed. 

Lu Guang froze. Cheng Xiaoshi, meanwhile, sounded furious when he shook him: "This entire time, you kept that from me? Is that why I'm not supposed to-"

The room turned silent. A needle dropping to the floor could've been heard. 

"... prevent?" Cheng Xiaoshi's voice sounded horribly hollow. It didn't suit someone so lively. "You... you said- Emma. Chen Xiao's mom- all those other people..." 

Cheng Xiaoshi shook him. He said nothing, honestly, he was half-sure he'd stopped crying. There was no point anyway. His worst fear was slowly coming true, but it was his own fault. 

He may be twenty, but all of this was his fault. He had no right to cry. 

"I'm sorry" he whispered, when he heard Cheng Xiaoshi inhale. "I'm sorry. I'm a hypocrite" 

He was pushed back. Stumbled, but caught himself. There was silence. Then, Qiao Ling murmured a quiet "Cheng Xiaoshi". Perhaps to calm him down, perhaps because she saw what Lu Guang couldn't. 

Cheng Xiaoshi's silence felt suffocating. 

"Get out" his best friend - and did he even have the right to continue calling him that? - told him. Deadly quiet, but furious. Hurt lining every letter. 

Lu Guang barely knew where he even was right now, but he lowered his head and complied. Slinking away until his hand touched the wall. 

Cheng Xiaoshi told him to leave, and that was all he knew. So he did what was asked. He left. 

He didn't bother grabbing his things. 

It wasn't like he could properly pack them, anyway. 

~

"Did you seriously just-" 

Qiao Ling sounded beyond disbelief, but Cheng Xiaoshi was done with today. He was tired, and hurt and his best friend of three years lied to him. 

He felt like crying. He probably would, once he was alone. In the bathroom, because Lu Guang probably went upstairs to their bedroom. 

"You knew?" he asked, less accusing than he wanted to. The anger was slowly fizzling out and leaving him exhausted. 

Qiao Ling nodded. "He was going to tell you the day when he... you know..." she trailed off awkwardly, and Cheng Xiaoshi wasn't sure how to feel. 

He was still hurt, but part of him felt relived to know that he had intended to tell him. 

"A guest has arrived" 

The front door opened. Later. He'd deal with that later. They could wait for a moment. Hopefully. 

Cheng Xiaoshi took a deep breath. Released it. Closed his eyes. "I can't believe he... Sis, why would he..." his voice broke. 

"Because he cares. Because he watched you die and he watched both of us die and he... Xiaoshi he cares. So much. It's not my story to tell, but... what would you have done, if it had been him?"

He opened his mouth, then froze. Because... because he didn't know. Sure, he'd held himself back. But would he have forever? Would he have broken seeing the corpse? The funeral? The empty, painfully lonely studio? 

In all honesty, he would be no better. 

"Probably the same... but I'm mad at him" he found himself saying, a hint childishly. He was an adult- he was supposed to be better than this! But then again, you don't find out you have a death node looming over your head every day. 

Qiao Ling nodded slowly. "And that's okay" she said. Because that was the truth. It was okay to be mad. 

Lu Guang would be mad too, if I broke the rules, he told himself. Because he would be. He'd been plenty mad about Cheng Xiaoshi endangering himself by diving alone, and- oh. Oh. So that's why he was so...

It had never been anger, had it? It had always been fear. Worry. Panic.  

He heaved a sigh. Oh, he definitely needed to have a serious talk with him. And apologize. Later. He needed... some time. An hour, maybe two. Then they'd talk. He'd apologize. Lu Guang would probably do the same. 

They'd had plenty arguments in the past three years. They'd be fine. They always ended up fine-

The floorboards creaked. 

"Is this a bad time?" 

Cheng Xiaoshi felt his soul leave his body when he turned around. 

"Mom?" 

Chapter Text

Once the initial shock wore off, mostly after getting hugged by the blonde woman and subsequently pushing her back a little, Cheng Xiaoshi found himself in an awkward predicament. 

Namely, a very confused Qiao Ling staring at a smiling woman who, decidedly, looked nothing like Shao Yuanyuan. 

Which was likely the only reason the young woman hadn't slapped the blonde yet and Cheng Xiaoshi was painfully aware. 

"Can someone please explain what's happening?" Qiao Ling asked, glancing between the two of them, and he wished he'd refrained from calling Wang Qing "mom"- except this was definitely his mom possessing her again. 

Wang Qing wouldn't have hugged him.

Cheng Xiaoshi heaved a sigh. Today was going from bad to worse to... he wasn't actually sure how to define this yet. Except last time a crazy guy had knocked him out. Pity. Vein had seemed odd but kind until then- he did still feel bad for the guy having a heart attack, though. 

Vaguely he gestured towards the blonde, who smiled happily at Qiao Ling. "Sis, this is... technically Wang Qing. A therapist from Bridon. Right now she's... kinda being possessed by mom?" he grimaced. 

There was no point in lying. His sister, in all but blood, knew about abilities anyway. And if his mom was here...

Qiao Ling glanced between them. The aura she exuded screamed murder when she marched up to the blonde. 

"You" she hissed, and Cheng Xiaoshi wisely stepped aside to avoid getting in the middle of this, watching his sister as she pointed a finger right at Shao Yuanyuan's no longer smiling face with rage painted across hers, "have some nerve showing up here" 

His mother blinked, then laughed softly. "Oh, fierce as ever-" she reached out to pat Qiao Ling's head, shameless as always. The laugh stopped when the younger woman slapped her hand away. 

Qiao Ling glared, and Cheng Xiaoshi was glad it wasn't aimed at him. "What kind of mother are you?! You left your own son behind!" she told her, plain and simple and he did, in all honesty, kind of agree with her. 

Then again, this was his mother. He loved her. Of course he did- she was his mom. 

"She had a reason-" he piped up, and only paused for a second when the glare turned to him, "And she's... more or less here right now. So... uh... let's hear her out?" 

The ensuing silence was awkward, until his mother laughed again. 

Shao Yuanyuan shook her head, well, Wang Qing's. Just like last time, he wished he could see her actual face. See what she really looked like now. "So, I believe a certain someone has been messing with time" his mother started, sending him a look.

Cheng Xiaoshi's expression fell when he realized where this was going. "It wasn't me" he said, and it slipped out without even thinking. Qiao Ling tugged him back slightly, as if to chide him for his straightforwardness, but he'd already said it. 

And his mother had heard. 

Oh, he was going to have to explain a lot to her, wasn't he? 

"Xiaoshi, explain?" she asked, as if reading his mind with some sort of witchy mom-magic, and he winced. Fought a grimace. Not very successful, if the worried frown was anything to go by. 

He glanced to Qiao Ling, but she only made a gesture as if to say 'You dug this grave yourself'. Cruel landlady. 

Sighing, he sunk down on the couch. "It's... complicated. And it'd be better to explain that with Lu Guang present" he muttered, glancing to the door that led upstairs. 

He was still mad at him. 

He did also feel bad though. 

"Lu Guang?" his mother asked, and he realized only now that she hadn't met Lu Guang back in Bridon. Lu Guang had stayed behind with Vein. But... what had happened, when those two were waiting? Had Vein knocked him out too? Or lied to him in favor of going to the therapy room? 

He banished those thoughts. Right now, it didn't matter anyway. 

He lifted a hand to gesture vaguely. Dropped it. "He's my..." he trailed off awkwardly, hesitated. "Best friend and partner" he finally settled on, despite it all. Because that was the best way to describe them, wasn't it?  

They'd worked together for three years, they ran the studio together... 

Even if he was a little mad at him still, he still meant the world to him. Who knew where he'd be without him?

Qiao Ling audibly face-palmed. He didn't get why. He didn't get why his mom looked so elated either. Was it because he'd struggled with making friends as a kid? Eh, probably. 

"Aww, where is he?" his mother asked him, excitement glimmering in her golden eyes when she clapped her hands together.  

The mood immediately turned sour. Even his mom could tell, and that was saying something. 

Cheng Xiaoshi exchanged a glance with Qiao Ling. "We... kinda had an argument" he admitted slowly, and Qiao Ling scoffed in disbelief. 

"You call that an argument?" she asked dryly, and he chucked a pillow at her with a glare. Then sighed. 

He got back to his feet. "He's upstairs. I'll go get him" he mumbled, feeling like a dog who's about to be hit for misbehaving, and prayed that leaving his mom and Qiao Ling alone for five minutes would be safe. 

Except... 

Lu Guang wasn't in their room. 

He wasn't in the bathroom either. 

Panic seized him when he realized three things in quick succession: 

One, Lu Guang was recently kidnapped and the kidnapper still free. Two, Lu Guang was currently very much in a state of mind where he probably should not be left alone- not even counting the fact that he couldn't see where he was going. 

And three... 

"Get out" 

Cheng Xiaoshi royally fucked up. He'd told him to get out, not to leave him alone. 

Slowly, his eyes widened in horror and he all but stumbled his way down the stairs, running straight for the sunroom. Qiao Ling glanced over from where she was setting tea up in the kitchen. He could smell the familiar scent of Lu Guang's favorite. 

That made him feel so, so much worse. 

His mother stared at him, clearly concerned. Cheng Xiaoshi felt his eyes burn. Shame and horror and panic swirling in his chest and making him nauseous. 

"Mom" he croaked out, because for the first time in years he could... and now he was frantically glancing between his mother and his sister, chest heaving with quick and panicked breaths, "Mom. Qiao Ling. I messed up" 

Qiao Ling was quick to abandon the tea and hurried over. Grabbed him by the shoulders before his mother could. Shook him gently. "Xiaoshi- Xiaoshi, what's wrong?" she asked, clearly concerned. 

He felt horrible. 

"Lu Guang is gone" 

~

In all honesty, things were a blur.

Not from a visual standpoint, given the lack thereof, but more so of a... Point A to Point B standpoint.

He vaguely remembered stumbling out of the studio and bumping into someone on the sidewalk. He remembered the steady "That's it. This is it. He knows and he hates me" hammering through his head.

He also dimly remembered the screeching of tires and a hand grabbing the back of his shirt, yanking him back with no warning.

There was a lot of blank space between then and now, though he vaguely remembered muttering something about needing a drink to a familiar voice who'd asked him if he was alright.

He didn't find it in himself to complain about the blank space in his memory, given that there was a cold glass of something alcoholic in his hand and what sounded and felt like a cat sprawled across his lap.

He did, however, curse his high alcohol tolerance.

How was he supposed to drown his sorrows if the only thing happening was a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest that he didn't deserve and his head feeling just a bit foggy? He wanted to forget.

He certainly wasn't taking into consideration that 'a little foggy' meant he was certainly at least tipsy.

"Why were you wandering around alone?"

Lu Guang startled, hand gripping the glass tighter. Lowered his head. He did not feel like airing... all that. Bad enough that Cheng Xiaoshi...

"... he kicked me out" he finally muttered after all, hating how his voice cracked. He didn't deserve to be sad. It was his own fault.

There was a long beat of silence. He used it to pet the cat with his free hand. Then Captain Xiao swore louder than Lu Guang thought possible, causing the younger man to jump. To his dismay, the comforting weight of the cat disappeared.

The police captain cleared his throat, and glass clinked against wood. "He what?" he asked him, and Lu Guang had trouble telling what emotions lined his voice.

At best, he'd describe it as a mixture of worried, confused and angry.

Odd.

Slowly, he shrugged. "It was my fault" he said, feeling utterly hollow, and all but felt the stare the other man must be giving him.

"I have trouble believing- what happened?" Captain Xiao asked him, leaving the younger to question how, exactly, he was supposed to explain this issue.

Four timelines, at least, told him that Captain Xiao Li was a reliable, trustworthy person.

Still, the one time he did tell him everything...

Lu Guang settled for taking another sip of his... hm. He wasn't quite sure, actually. Baijiu? Yes, probably baijiu. It didn't really matter to him what he was drinking, though.

In the end, he sighed. "I kept a... big secret from him and he didn't take it well" he finally murmured. Blinked away tears.

He didn't deserve to cry.

"That doesn't justify him kicking you out, kid. You almost got ran over by a car" Captain Xiao pointed out dryly, and Lu Guang let out a shuddering breath.

The screeching tires echoed in his ears, and he downed his glass in one go. "I'm aware" he managed to force out, felt a hint of disappointment at the lack of liquid. "He told me to leave. I left"

He took a deep breath. It wasn't as steadying as he'd hoped. "I'll get out of your hair soon" Lu Guang assured him, despite being unsure where to go.

He'd lived with Cheng Xiaoshi the past three years. He barely remembered a different life anymore, especially given the loops.

Lu Guang refused to give up, though. He'd stay close. Maybe... maybe he could protect him from a safe distance. Somehow.

Oh, who was he kidding... this was a mess. He hated this loop. But he was stuck here. Without his sight, he couldn't go back.

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. The good one, luckily. "There's still the threat of the kidnapper, kid" Captain Xiao reminded him, and at the thought, his already horrible mood worsened.

"I know. I'll..." he trailed off. Unsure. He really, really hated this loop. All the loops, really.

Next to him, the police captain sighed. "How about you rest some, sleep off the alcohol and give your friend some space until tomorrow?" the older man asked, and Lu Guang sighed.

The idea, in itself, was logical.

Sadly, logic and alcohol was not the best mix. Especially when you're unable to tell if your cognitive thinking is affected or not.

"... fine. He won't want to see me tomorrow either, though" Lu Guang insisted, despite many of their arguments truly going like that. The earthquake... had been more extreme. This felt worse than the earthquake argument.

It was worse. Still, Lu Guang was at least slightly drunk and he already hadn't been thinking clearly before he'd started drinking.

And during all of that, Lu Guang was painfully oblivious to the mess his absence would soon cause.

At least he had a safe space to stay until tomorrow and a cat that was pushing its head back under his hand for now.

He gently pet the cat. He couldn't help but miss Cheng Xiaoshi.

~

A telephone rang, all but drowning out the sound of the keyboard of a computer clicking quietly. 

Dark eyes glanced at the caller ID, before long nimble fingers picked up the phone. Eyes already back on the cameras of the city. 

"I hope this is important? I'm quite busy" the young man sighed, and reached for his coffee. Took a sip. 

He tilted his head. "Is that so?" he asked, a hint curious, only for his expression to darken. "No, truly?" 

Slowly, his fingers tightened around the mug. He frowned. 

The chair rolled back when he rose to his feet. 

"I'll be there in ten, inform the captain. This smells foul" he announced, downed his coffee and set the mug aside. 

"Send me the address, please? Thank you oh so much, dear"

Chapter Text

Cheng Xiaoshi paced. 

He was probably panicking. No, actually, scratch that. He was. He was panicking so, so bad. 

"This is my fault" he mumbled for the nth time, because he was at a complete loss on how to fix this. Any of this. 

He'd told his best friend to leave. Over something he'd honestly done too if the roles were reversed. After all, he couldn't imagine a life without Lu Guang by his side.

Cheng Xiaoshi had stormed outside, but he was nowhere in sight. Yelling for him had done nothing except cause some people to stare at him as if he were crazy. 

Stupid, judgmental people...

His mother seemed at a loss, unaware of what exactly was even happening, while Qiao Ling had taken to calling the station in hopes of contacting anyone who might be able to help. 

It was just their luck that there was a new case and that the captain had called out of work due to... family emergency?

For some reason, that felt very much like a lie. Not that it mattered.

Cheng Xiaoshi dropped onto the couch and buried his face in a stray pillows. It smelled like Lu Guang. Who was who-knows-where. 

God, he missed him. He was mad at him and he felt bad about getting mad and he's gone and he's panicking and he should probably try to breathe-

A miserable, quite frankly pathetic noise escaped him. 

"... I did not know humans can make that kind of sound" Qiao Ling commented, mildly distracted by... he couldn't quite tell actually. 

Cheng Xiaoshi ultimately didn't deign it with an answer. 

A hand settled on his back, the couch dipping. "I'm sure he'll be back soon, son" his mother's tone was warm. He did not deserve that. Not right now. 

"Ohh- so that's how it is" he heard Qiao Ling from the distance. She sounded... weirdly relived. Relived enough that he felt hope. Though when he glanced up she was still... hm. Probably checking the police website?

Wait. 

Maybe a dive...? Maybe he could just... change the present. Would Lu Guang know? Would he realize? Knowing him, he definitely would.

His face promptly hit the pillow again. 

He sighed. Miserable. 

"What if he got lost and can't find the way back?" he muttered, frowned. Prayed it was that rather than the kidnapper returning before the police got him. 

His mother patted his shoulder. "I'm sure he didn't" she said, likely trying to be optimistic and reassuring. The next part... kind of ruined that attempt: "There's so many street signs, you can hardly miss them" 

Slowly, he glanced up. Stared at her. "Mom," he said, unsure on how to break the news that weren't technically his to tell, "Lu Guang is blind"

There was a moment of silence. Clearly, his mom wasn't sure what to say to that. Finally, she cleared her throat. "Oh. I see..." 

Then, her expression went from awkward to disbelieving. "You sent your blind partner out of the house over a secret?" she asked in a way that, somehow, made him feel like he was a kid again and being chided for doing something very very stupid. 

Huh. He kind of forgot what that was like. 

Sure, Qiao Ling chided him plenty over anything and everything- but she was his sister. Sort of. So it was different. 

"... I didn't intend to send him away-" he argued weakly, sighed at the look he was given. He felt truly miserably. 

His mother huffed. "Well, we have elven hours to find him or it'll take a while before I can meet him. I can hardly possess Wang Qing constantly" she pouted. Actually pouted. 

Cheng Xiaoshi sent her a deadpan look. 

"I'm more concerned that the kidnapper got him" he muttered, glancing towards the front. Sighed... and promptly had his head turned back by his mom. 

She looked... startlingly serious. "Kidnapper?" she asked, and there was no more humor in her voice. 

He blinked at her. "Yea-? Oh right you don't... uh... so. Two- no, three months ago... there was kinda a murder spree. And we got involved. Kinda. There were twins with powers, Lu Guang got stabbed and kidnapped because he saved me by letting me possess him, then I got shot and... and there was a crazy lawyer who's pissed with us and he sent kidnappers?" 

His mother had a horribly, horribly far away look in her eyes when he glanced to her. As if slowly working through the information. Then she looked at him with pure horror. "My baby almost died?" she shouted, her voice shrill. 

Qiao Ling actually glanced over at that despite being in the middle of looking through the phone book, and Cheng Xiaoshi had the most deer in headlights stare known to man when his mother hugged him. "My babies almost died?!" 

Huh. Well. At least she'd already mentally adopted Lu Guang? That was nice. 

On the other hand, yea. Yea he'd almost died- had died apparently. She'd know that if she'd actually been here. Which she wasn't. 

His mood soured. 

"... I'm going to go look for him" he finally announced and got to his feet, ignored the protests rising from both his sister and mother. 

The door slammed shut behind him and he took a deep breath, stared up at the cloudy sky. 

His heart ached at the thought of his searching being in vain. 

"Dammit... I'll find you, Guangguang. I swear"

~

Did that idiot seriously just... 

"That idiot-" Qiao Ling griped out loud in utter disbelief when the door slammed shut, almost dropping the telephone book. 

He did not just leave her with Shao Yuanyuan. Right before she could inform him that she knew where Lu Guang was.

Actually, no, this made perfect sense for him. 

Qiao Ling facepalmed. "That idiot" she repeated in utter disbelief. 

Which was precisely when Shao Yuanyuan, who still looked nothing like the woman she once called 'auntie' leaned over her shoulder. 

"Oh my, he's pretty" the blonde noted happily and picked up the photo of Lu Guang that Qiao Ling had used her powers on. "My boy has such good taste! Oh- he's the boy who ran into me on the street..."

At that, the younger woman scoffed. "No thanks to you... and great, good to know you let him get away" she muttered without even taking a second to think about it. It was definitely rude. Qiao Ling certainly didn't care. 

Because truly, who did this woman think she was, waltzing in and acting as if she'd been gone for a week, not... not- Cheng Xiaoshi had been eight. 

If there was a list of people Qiao Ling disliked, and there were plenty for such a list, no matter what Qian Jin and Li Tianchen and... and whoever else did! No one, really no one, would beat the two people atop that potential list. 

Shao Yuanyuan and Cheng Weimin. 

Her best friend's, her brother's, parents. 

She she blame her for letting Lu Guang leave, in all honesty. She couldn't have known. Still, that part too left her more than slightly annoyed. The majority of her anger, however, stemmed from Shao Yuanyuan leaving her child behind. 

"Pardon?" Shao Yuanyuan sounded hurt, and she glared up at the older woman. Her parents always said that she was a little... oblivious. Apparently they were right. 

"You heard me" Qiao Ling hissed, eyes narrowing. "What kind of mother even are you, huh?" 

In silence, she thought about her own parents. Her parents, who'd always tried to do their very best. Who were supportive of her dreams and ambitions and took her serious even when she was being silly and overthought something. 

Her parents, who'd desperately tried taking in Cheng Xiaoshi despite the boy's hostility at being anywhere but the studio, despite his hostility whenever someone spoke badly about his parents. 

His parents, who'd vanished. One after the other, with barely a few days in between. When he was eight years old. In the middle of the night. 

His parents, who'd been gone for thirteen... almost fourteen years without so much as an explanation! 

The most they did was try and prevent Cheng Xiaoshi from visiting Bridon, for whatever reason.

In light of all that, she found herself well in the right to question the woman who called herself Qiao Ling's brother's mother. 

Shao Yuanyuan looked at her with golden gleaming eyes, expression startlingly blank. 

"He's still my son" she pointed out, slow and unhappy. "You have no idea what I've been going through- why I did what I did" 

Qiao Ling scoffed. "And he's my brother. Maybe not by blood, but he's my little brother and you abandoned him! You left an eight year old child on his own!" she pointed her finger right at Shao Yuanyuan's nose. 

The older woman's expression twitched. The corners of her lips turned downward. "I did what I had to. I had to... I have to save my husband" 

The answer gave her pause, for just a split second. 

Save her husband? So Cheng Weimin..., Qiao Ling tried wrapping her head around it and it gave her a headache. 

"So you abandoned your son for your husband?"

"I didn't abandon-" Shao Yuanyuan looked horribly offended. Qiao Ling didn't care. 

"No, no you did. You left him behind. My parents tried to take him in- do you have any idea how long it took until he agreed to join us for dinner? Lunch? Breakfast? Months! And he still refused to sleep anywhere but at the studio!" 

Qiao Ling glared, and Shao Yuanyuan seemed taken aback. Guilt and sorrow shimmering in her eyes. "I didn't know" the older woman whispered. "I just... I had to go. I can't return until I succeed in saving my husband"

With a huff, Qiao Ling turned her back on the woman she used to see as family. She had a police captain to call. However, she did glance back briefly: 

"Be glad my brother is so forgiving" 

~

Xiao Li prided himself on one thing, and that was knowing what he was doing. 

Except he'd given alcohol to a young adult who was now napping on his couch with his cat in his arms.

In his defense, Lu Guang had looked like he needed a drink. 

Except, he was now napping with Zhen and sleeping off his alcohol. His cat seemed happy. Captain Xiao meanwhile found himself at a loss. 

Hadn't the kids claimed they'd stick together? This certainly didn't look like sticking together. 

Exhausted and in need of a drink himself, he rubbed a hand over his face. He'd already called in sick for work, in the middle of his break, after finding the white haired young man wandering about and almost stepping into traffic. 

"Family emergency" was going to get him so much teasing from officer Wang and officer Jae, wasn't it? 

Well, problem for future him. His current problem was getting a call. He sighed, declining... only to get another call. Twice. 

By the fourth, he finally accepted the call with a disgruntled "Xiao Li speaking" and headed out of the living room and to the kitchen. There was no point risking waking the young man who clearly needed the rest. 

"Captain- it's Qiao Ling" she sounded relived, and Xiao Li narrowed his eyes. "Is Lu Guang okay? I know he's with you, but..."

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He almost walked into traffic. What were you kids- why is he drunk-sobbing about Cheng Xiaoshi hating him?" 

Qiao Ling sighed across the line. "There was a really, really big misunderstanding- Xiaoshi didn't realize Lu Guang would misunderstand it this badly, and I guess Lu Guang really wasn't in a good headspace... and one half of the result is currently moping on... I'm guessing your couch? While the other half is running around Guidu looking for him"

What was he even supposed to say to that? 

"You kids, I swear..." he shook his head with a sigh. "What's your plan now? If Cheng is already running around looking for him..."

He glanced over to the other half of the duo, who was still sleeping off his stupor. This is why he didn't want kids. 

"I'll locate him and get him to calm down. Hopefully. He's feeling really bad about this" Qiao Ling answered, then huffed. Annoyance evident. He heard her snap at someone over the line. 

He cleared his throat to hopefully get her attention back. "Not sure how much you saw, but as I said, he's drunk currently. He can stay until tomorrow, so both can... sort themselves out" 

There was some silence over the line. Then a woman's voice. Qiao Ling responded, seeming to relay what he'd said. He wasn't sure if he was imagining things or not, but the stranger sounded upset. 

He waited patiently until the back and forth between Qiao Ling and the stranger was over, and the young woman finally reported back:

"Sounds great" 

~

"Hm... interesting" 

Jae Lee crouched down next to the dead body they'd fished out of the river, eyes catching on the single bullet hole in the temple. 

He glanced up to his coworker. "Has the murder weapon been recovered yet?" he asked, before his eyes went back to the corpse. 

The river did a number on the dead man, but he could recognize Mao Zhilong's face with relative ease. He'd been looking for the man for almost three weeks, after all. 

It had been an interesting search. Qian Jin had denied knowing the man, and nobody remembered him making any calls. 

It was quite odd. 

"No. Do you think someone killed? Or do you think he...?" one of his coworkers stepped up next to him to examine Mao Zhilong as well and take a photo of the evidence. Not that there was much. 

The dark haired man tilted his head. "I don't know" he said eventually, shaking his head. "There doesn't seem to be any signs of a struggle, so it's entirely possible. Get him to the pathologist and tell Dr Luo to send me the findings immediately" 

Jae Lee huffed. 

"Something about all this is fishy..."

Chapter Text

Twelve hours were almost over. His mom would be gone again, soon. 

Part of him was sad about it. She was his mother. He hadn't seen her since Bridon... although 'seen' was a stretch, given that both times she was simply possessing Wang Qing. Which meant he was about to meet the real Wang Qing again soon. 

... honestly, having a therapist in Guidu who knew about time travel would probably be a good thing. 

He didn't want to imagine what kind of trauma Lu Guang had gone through seeing him die... once? Twice? He didn't want to know. He'd probably ask, at some point. Knowing himself, soonish. Later today, maybe tomorrow. 

Though that wasn't important. Not right now. No, what was important was that Lu Guang was safe, and he was about to pick him up. 

Alone. 

Because Qiao Ling was convinced it'd be smarter, and quite honestly, he felt the same. 

For one, it was his fault that Lu Guang left in the first place. This was about them, as another reason. 

And also... his mom was weirdly interested in meeting Lu Guang, and she was... not very good at reading the room. She'd probably derail any attempt of communication by simply being herself. 

Which wasn't a bad thing, really - hopefully? - but he'd rather talk with Lu Guang first. Especially because she was exactly the type of person his best friend tended to be awkward around. 

During school, he'd occasionally dragged him to parties their peers threw. Tried to help him socialize. He'd learned quickly that it just ended with Lu Guang withdrawing from everything and hiding himself as far away from the crowds as possible. 

He never said that the noise and amount of people were the issue, but Cheng Xiaoshi wasn't stupid. He could tell. So he stopped doing that. 

But without Lu Guang it was boring, so he eventually stopped going as well. Especially because Lu Guang tended to force himself to attend- for Cheng Xiaoshi's sake. 

Point was, Lu Guang had just started talking again after going silent for over two weeks. 

(And he'd possibly ruined that progress. He prayed he didn't. He wouldn't forgive himself.)

If the argument wouldn't cause him to go quieter again, or outright silent while he tried to talk, his mom would. He knew well enough that he wouldn't be comfortable around her right away- if at all. 

Point was, he dug himself a grave and now he was going to dig himself out. Alone. 

The irony of that statement, sadly, didn't escape him. 

On his way to the milk tea store, he had a lot of time to think. 

However, as his eyes wandered, he found himself pausing. Not because of the dark clouds looming overhead, forecasting his least favorite weather, but because at the corner of the street, he saw familiar red eyes and vivid pink hair. 

No, it can't be, he thought. But it looked like him, and he was staring back with an unsettling intensity. 

His eyes darted to the street he was supposed to take. He was... what? Ten? Probably ten minutes away from Lu Guang. Five if he sprinted. 

But Li Tianchen... he worked with Qian Jin. The man who had his best friend kidnapped. The man who was at fault that Lu Guang was blind. 

It was a spur of the moment decision. 

Cheng Xiaoshi turned back to Li Tianchen, watched him dip around the corner.

He felt bad for what he was about to do... but this wasn't just about what happened a few months ago. This was about recent events, too. Because if Qian Jin sent kidnappers- who was to say he wouldn't find a way to send Li Tianchen? 

Maybe he even had sent the pink haired boy, somehow. 

So Cheng Xiaoshi broke into a sprint, chasing after the serial killer. 

He knew it was stupid. He knew the dangers. But this may have been the only chance he'd ever get again. 

So he ran. 

Dodging and weaving past other people going about their business, trying desperately to catch up. Once or twice he bumped into people, uttering quick apologies. At one point, he even crossed a street and just barely evaded being hit by a car. 

It was truly not his proudest moment, and something he vowed to never do again. Especially given what Lu Guang had done. 

Every time he thought he had Li Tianchen, the other somehow managed to be multiple steps ahead. It was annoying. How could he be so fast? How could he remain out of reach ever so slightly, no matter how fast he ran? 

Still, he persisted. Stubbornly chasing him. Li Tianchen had hurt his best friend before- had caused them so much trouble together with Qian Jin. He didn't want a repeat. Not again. Never again. 

So he persisted, stubborn as ever. 

He'd managed to call Captain Xiao, had ignored the officer's chiding  in favor of pointing out the obvious: this might be their only and last chance to catch Li Tianchen. 

Cheng Xiaoshi had hung up fast, after getting a confirmation that his phone was being tracked, in favor of breaking into yet another sprint. Further and further away from the boba shop he was supposed to visit. Further and further away from the place he was supposed to meet up with Lu Guang. 

By the time he'd thought he'd finally cornered him, he was out of breath. Face red from running so much. 

But when he rounded the corner, the police sirens shrieking in the distance, he found himself facing an entirely empty alley. 

Li Tianchen was gone. 

~

Lu Guang sighed, absentmindedly fidgeting with the hem of his sleeves. 

Captain Xiao had left him at the milk tea shop of DouDou's parents at least twenty minutes ago, assuring him Qiao Ling would come to pick him up. 

He'd picked up on the lie- Qiao Ling wouldn't come to  pick him up. If it was her, she'd already be here.

No, the person he was about to be picked up by was Cheng Xiaoshi... or it would be him, if he ever showed up. 

Truly, Lu Guang was starting to doubt it. Especially because Li Liang had offered him a free milk tea thrice now, probably taking pity on the young man who'd helped bring his son home months ago, who was now waiting next to his shop not unlike a lost cat waiting for its human. 

... he hated the comparison he'd made in his head immediately. He was not a cat. Even if Cheng Xiaoshi kept saying he acted like one. 

After the fourth time, he finally agreed to the free milk tea. 

While he was sipping it, he quietly waited for Cheng Xiaoshi. Tried to figure out what he'd say. How he'd say it. How he should apologize. 

"It's been a while" 

He felt his muscles freeze, brain going into fight or flight- leaving him frozen in place. His heart raced in his chest. Slowly, he lowered his milk tea. 

The tension refused to leave him, despite logically knowing that they were in public. Nothing could happen- and it wasn't like he had ever hurt him. 

Except he couldn't form words anyway, his tongue like lead when a hand landed on his lower back and gently pushed him. He tried to stand his ground, but found himself pushed along easily. Causing him to stumble. 

"Careful there," the all too familiar voice sounded amused, loud enough to make bystanders hear, "I know it's hard to find your way blind" 

Lu Guang felt his expression go blank. He knew what he was doing- knew that he was trying to make himself seem like a helping hand. A good Samaritan, or a friend lending a hand.

Finally, he managed to push his elbow back. He hit empty air. His upper arm was grabbed, fingers digging in with enough pressure to make him hiss in pain. "Now now, I just want to talk" Liu Xiao warned, letting go after a couple more steps. 

He didn't know where the other had brought him, but he could still hear the idle chatter of the people by the boba shop. 

"I was waiting on-" he started, voice as calm as he managed. 

Liu Xiao chuckled, cutting him off almost immediately: "Pardon my manners, hm? And pardon Mao Zhilong's. None of this was meant to happen, as you're surely aware"

Lu Guang felt his blood run cold, felt himself grow nauseous. 

Despite only learning the name after the kidnapping, he knew all too well who Mao Zhilong was... and he knew all too well that only few people were supposed to know. 

"You sent him" he accused, panic gripping him like a cold vice. "You sent those three- you meddled with the timeline" 

Liu Xiao hummed, certainly sensing his panic. "As if you didn't... but yes, I did. This wasn't the plan. Pity, truly. I thought he'd be better than this" the other answered, calm and serene. 

Something brushed against Lu Guang's chin, then along his jaw. A hand. Liu Xiao's. He flinched back, wincing when the gentle touch turned into a firm grip. 

For a moment, he considered biting. Then he realized that he'd lost the second Liu Xiao had appeared. 

There was a moment of nothing, then the grip returned to a gentle touch, tilting his chin up, this way and that. 

He assumed Liu Xiao was examining his face, which he thought to be proven when a finger brushed against the tender skin near his eyes. 

Shame and disgust burned in his chest like a raging wildfire upon realizing that he wasn't wearing the bandages. He'd forgotten them when fleeing the studio. 

Lu Guang swallowed, hard. Tried to ignore Liu Xiao's thoughtful hums.

"You see nothing?" the other asked him, almost curious. Tilted his head again. Lu Guang let him. It wasn't like he could do anything. 

He vividly remembered Liu Xiao being physically stronger- and he himself was in no state where he could fight. He couldn't even dodge, if it came down to it. 

"No" 

Another hum, low and intrigued. "Interesting. Your ability?" Liu Xiao asked him, almost idly. As if the answer didn't truly matter. He knew it would. Liu Xiao wouldn't ask for no reason. 

Lu Guang narrowed his eyes, attempted to glare. "None of your business" he replied, a hint harsher than would be smart if this was anyone else. 

He received a low laugh in response. It was all too familiar, and he scowled at the way he instinctively calmed, just a hint, at the gentle sound.  

"Careful now" Liu Xiao sounded almost amused, "I know it's not September 13th yet... but we could always have fun messing with the timeline further, couldn't we?"

It felt like an empty threat, but his heart stuttered anyway, the tension returning tenfold. He shook his head as well as he could with a hand still on his jaw, hands balling to fists. 

Because as much as it felt like an empty threat, he knew the other could very well turn an empty threat into a very real one. 

"Don't- please. Please don't" he found himself whispering, eyes burning as he pleaded, "Liu Xiao don't hurt him-" 

The grip returned. Firm enough that it ached, just a little. Idly, he hoped Liu Xiao wouldn't leave bruises. He'd rather not have to explain those. 

"Your ability?" the question had him scowling, ever so slightly. This obsession with powers... 

Then, he sighed. Thought back to the photo he'd tried to get a read on. His eyes had burned, but nothing had happened. Cheng Xiaoshi had commented nothing, so... 

"... I don't know. I think it's gone" he admitted quietly, the words like ash on his tongue. Admitting it made him feel ill. 

Because it meant he couldn't go back, if worse came to worst.

Liu Xiao slowly loosened his grip again, let a finger drag along his jaw. "Hm... pity. I do apologize for this, truly" he said, and didn't sound sorry at all. "It was never the plan to make you lose the only good quality you had left" 

Part of him couldn't help but think that he probably saw it as some form of karmic retaliation. Who knew, perhaps it was. At this point, he wouldn't be surprised. 

... maybe he deserved it, too. For messing with the timeline. 

But Liu Xiao wasn't wrong. This was the only good- or at least useful thing that had been left. And Liu Xiao's stupid plan, whatever it may have entailed and however it was likely supposed to go, had taken it away. 

He was useless now. 

Lu Guang scoffed, not believing him at all that he felt genuine regret. "Somehow, I don't believe you" he muttered, rubbed his chin and jaw when the other finally, finally quit touching his face. The subtle warmth of his hand vanishing. 

His skin crawled uncomfortably in a mixture of disgust and sudden coldness where Liu Xiao's touch was now absent.

Part of him wanted to scratch at the skin until the phantom sensation was gone. Another part of him longed for it to return. Yet another wished it were replaced by warm, calloused ones that worked with photographs day in and day out.   

"Believe me or not, it's your choice" Liu Xiao sounded calm as ever when he finally spoke, but there was an undercurrent of something sharp and annoyed. "It truly is a pity though, the only quality that made you worth to keep around for him, and it's gone" 

He narrowed his eyes, felt his throat close up. But Liu Xiao wasn't done: "Aren't you tired? You've tried so hard, but in the end, September 13th marks his end. Fate made a choice, and you should as well..."

He tensed, narrowed his eyes despite it doing nothing. "I-" he started, voice shaking, but Liu Xiao cut him off. Spoke over him as if he hadn't even heard his attempt: 

"Do you really think you still have a place by his side, anyway? It was your abilities that tied you two together. You're nothing but a burden on him now. Poor you. You still haven't realized that? Has he not admitted it yet, hm?" 

Lu Guang opened his mouth, rage and hurt coiling in his chest because that wasn't true- couldn't be true, despite having had similar lines of thoughts, but the ringing of a phone cut him off. Left him straining his ears. But Liu Xiao didn't accept the call, just sighed. Almost disappointed.  

"Hm... what a shame. I believe our time is up" he said, and the grip on his arm vanished. Leaving Lu Guang stranded in a spot he didn't know. Helpless and lost. "Don't forget, there's always a place for you somewhere else, hm?" 

Liu Xiao sounded like he was smiling when he bid his farewell: "Good bye, Guang. Until we meet again~"

Steps faded, and Lu Guang stumbled a few back himself. He brushed against a wall, pressed his palm against it. His heart ached and his eyes burned. Something wet slid down his cheek.  

For a moment, he stood motionless. Then, slowly, he sank down against the wall. Pulled his knees to his chest. 

Quietly, he sat and pressed his face into his knees. Didn't even bother fighting the tremors running through his body.

He didn't know where he was, exactly. There was no point in trying to find back. He'd just get lost.  

Liu Xiao was right, wasn't he?

Lu Guang was nothing but a burden. 

Chapter Text

It was raining by the time Cheng Xiaoshi finally made it to the milk tea shop- meaning there were barely any people around anymore. Maybe three or four at most. 

Technically, that meant he should be spotting Lu Guang fast... except, he wasn't there. Not by the store front, not by the table... nowhere. 

Panic seized him, so much colder than the rain dripping from his hair and into his eyes, and he hurried up to the counter. "Li Liang," he greeted the man, tried to keep the fear out of his voice, "have you seen Lu Guang?" 

Li Liang looked at him oddly, frowned. "Didn't one of your friends come to pick him up?" the man asked him. "I saw him leave with a dark haired fellow, about this tall? I was a bit busy, so I didn't-" 

He kept talking, but Cheng Xiaoshi stopped listening. Eyes wide. 

Lu Guang was gone. 

Lu Guang was gone. 

Lu Guang had left with a stranger, possibly been kidnapped again. His stomach flipped at the thought, and he felt sick. He felt like crying, too. This couldn't be happening- not again. 

"Where did they go?" he asked, and if he wasn't so worried, he'd have felt bad for cutting the older man off so abruptly. 

He received a concerned stare in response, before the man gestured into a direction. "That way, son. Is there-?" 

Chen Xiaoshi didn't bother waiting, or answering, Li Liang. Just hollered a quick "Thank you, greet DouDou from me!" over his shoulder and took off running into the indicated direction, desperate to catch up to his best friend- to find him before worse could happen. 

His lungs protested, aching from chasing Li Tianchen and rushing to the shop so quickly, but his heart protested the thought of slowing down even more, unable to bear the idea of leaving Lu Guang in potential danger. 

Panicked, he looked around while he ran, eyes scanning his surroundings in a frenzy. He almost rushed past a close-by alley. It was by pure coincidence that he looked, and he'd forever be grateful that he did. Because the sight made him skid to a stop. 

There in the rain, soaked to the bone, sat Lu Guang. 

He looked... horrible, in all honesty. Curled up miserably against the wall, knees against his chest. Trembling like a leaf in a storm and looking like he wasn't in the here and now, stuck somewhere far away in his mind.

He kind of reminded him of a stray cat that had been left in the rain. The sight broke his heart, more than just a bit. 

Lu Guang had always seemed composed, safe for the fight against Qian Jin. Had always acted so much more mature than his age despite being a bit younger than Cheng Xiaoshi. 

Right now, the marble facade had cracked in a way unlike the rage he'd shown when Cheng Xiaoshi had gotten shot. He didn't seem wise beyond his years- he looked as helpless and vulnerable as the diver himself felt. 

Slowly, almost cautious, he approached his best friend. Knelt down in front of him. He didn't care about the rainwater soaking into the fabric of his jeans. Even as the cold made him shiver, just a hint. 

"Lu Guang?" he murmured carefully. Watched him with worry that he didn't even try to keep from his voice. 

Grey eyes blinked open, unfocused. More reflex than anything, he guessed. In his haste to leave he must've forgotten the bandages- as far the dark haired young man knew, he still disliked leaving his eyes uncovered. 

"Xiaoshi?" he asked him, voice cracking ever so slightly, but something hopeful- almost desperate was in his voice. 

He nodded, then realized that he couldn't see him. Realized that the motion was useless. Swallowed hard. "Yea, it's me" he confirmed softly, watched his expression go from cautious to filled with quiet sorrow. 

"I'm sorry" Lu Guang's voice shook with more emotion than he'd ever heard, and Cheng Xiaoshi almost recoiled in surprise. "I'm so sorry. I know I'm a hypocrite. I know I lied- but watching you die... I couldn't... I can't..." 

His heart didn't break. It shattered. 

All the anger that had been left evaporated at the sight of his best friend's eyes welling up with tears from emotions he must've held back for a long, long time. He couldn't bear to see his friend like that- couldn't bear seeing Lu Guang like that. 

Without warning, he pulled him into a hug. Held him tightly when the other seemed to try and recoil. "No" he mumbled against his shoulder, rubbed a hand over his back. Desperately trying to calm him down. "Lu Guang, please. I didn't mean to kick you out" 

Lu Guang fell silent, still. He didn't hug back, but he didn't recoil again either. He counted it as a win. "I'm sorry. Back when I thought you died... I didn't dive. I only had one brief chance before seeing you alive... but I... Guang, I'm sorry. Me getting angry was hypocritical. I would've done the same" 

He found his own eyes burning with tears, squeezed him gently. "Lu Guang I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry for being late too, but there was- I'm sorry" 

The white haired young man froze in his arms, then slowly hugged him back. The motion stiff and hesitant. "... you don't hate me?" he asked, and Cheng Xiaoshi wondered how much more the other wanted to break his heart. How much more his heart could even break. 

"No" he murmured, shaking his head. Held him tighter. "Never. I swear, I don't... oh, Guang. I'm so sorry-" he mumbled again, shushed any attempt of apologies on behalf of the other. 

After all, why apologize for something they both would have done in such a scenario? 

In the end, they barely talked. They would, most likely. But for now, forgiveness was a step into the right direction. 

They sat in silence, for a good while. Silently clinging to each other, letting the rain soak them to the bones. Neither of them cared about the cold seeping through their clothes. 

Eventually, Cheng Xiaoshi pulled away slightly. Just enough to see his face- and frowned. His eyes were a hint red- as if he'd been crying. That in itself made sense, but there were small crescent shapes on his skin. 

For a moment, he assumed he may have caused them himself- but the angle was all wrong. 

"Hey, Guang? What happened to your face?" he asked cautiously, watched the younger when he tensed at a gentle touch to one of the small marks. When he didn't answer, he continued: "Did someone grab you?" 

Lu Guang turned his head away, and Cheng Xiaoshi frowned. However, the other shook his head before he could ask again. "Got mistaken for someone else" he muttered, quiet and almost hollow. 

For some reason, he didn't believe him. But he had no way to refute the claim. 

So he simply sighed, slowly helping him up despite every fiber of his being screaming that something was wrong- that something just wasn't right, and: "Alright" 

Cheng Xiaoshi started leading him home when he heard it- when both of them heard it. A tiny meow. 

"Wait here" he requested, waited for him to nod, before heading over to the boxes near the dumpster. 

He crouched down, carefully lifting the lid of one, and blinked in surprise. A pair of bright blue eyes blinked up at him, pointed ears flicking  when rain droplets dropped onto the tiny head. 

It reminded him of another white cat he'd found in a similar state, just a bit earlier. Except this was an actual cat, staring up at him with large eyes. 

Someone must've abandoned the poor thing, and his heart melted at the sight. 

Carefully, he scooped the kitten up and tucked it into his jacket, mumbling a small "Aww" when it purred, before heading back to Lu Guang. 

"It's a cat- we can't leave it here" he explained at the questioning head tilt. Watched Lu Guang frown. Clearly about to argue. 

In a split moment decision, he gently pushed the still purring cat into Lu Guang's arms. Because he knew all too well that it'd kill any argument he could plan to make. 

It was mesmerizing to watch his frown melt into something soft, and he carefully helped him tuck the kitten into his jacket, before grabbing Lu Guang's free hand and placing it on his own shoulder. 

The white haired man didn't argue about the cat, for now, so he slowly and carefully started leading him back to the studio. 

~

Qiao Ling walked up and down fretfully, ignored Shao Yuanyuan's occasional remark that the boys were taking too long. 

They should take as long as they needed, in Qiao Ling's opinion. So what if Shao Yuanyuan had to leave? Better those two make up first. 

It was kind of concerning though, how long they took. 

"When did they get together?" Shao Yuanyuan piped up somewhere behind her, and Qiao Ling almost laughed. 

Together? That'd require her idiot of a brother to open his eyes... and for Lu Guang to stop being a coward. 

She couldn't blame the latter, though. Not with what she knew. 

Qiao Ling didn't want to imagine how horrible it must be for him. It was terrible for her- and she only knew, saw second hand snippets of his memories. But for him? 

The amount of therapy he likely needed... 

She sent a side-glance to Shao Yuanyuan. Who was possessing... she forgot the woman's name, but Cheng Xiaoshi had called her a therapist. 

Maybe there was one good thing about the older time diver appearing back in their lives.

"Lu Guang moved in a few years ago" she responded with a shrug, because it was by no means private information. Probably. She kept it vague just in case. 

Shao Yuanyuan hummed, intrigued. "But when did they...?" she tilted her head, right as the doorbell rang. 

"A guest has arrived!" 

Both of them headed for the front, and Qiao Ling sighed in relief at the sight of her two favorite idiots. 

The two of them were drenched head to toe, clothes clinging to them in a way that couldn't have been comfortable. 

Cheng Xiaoshi was leading Lu Guang, murmuring something to him when he caught sight of Shao Yuanyuan standing there, and Qiao Ling saw the white haired man's expression twitch into something uncomfortable and reluctant. 

Right, this wasn't a customer. This was a person he potentially would have to have an actual talk with. 

Qiao Ling frowned when she noticed something bundled in Lu Guang's arms, held carefully against his chest. 

However, just as they stepped forward for her to see, Shao Yuanyuan's watch beeped. The diver sighed, clearly displeased, and clapped her hands together. 

There was no 'Good Bye' with the lack of time, and the blonde stumbled, grasped onto the counter for support as if disoriented. 

It made Qiao Ling wonder how jarring these powers must be for the one possessed. 

As far as she was aware Li Tianchen's mind control left his victims unaware of what was happening, as Cheng Xiaoshi had told her. Meanwhile the possession of the twins' combined power had left her entirely aware of what she was doing and only disoriented for a brief time frame. 

She wondered, idly, how the people possessed by Cheng Xiaoshi felt after he jumped back to the present. 

When the blonde finally raised her head, her posture had changed to something... softer, calmer. Less energetic and more approachable. Qiao Ling could see her as a therapist much more easily now as opposed to before. 

"Oh- uh. Hello" Cheng Xiaoshi offered an awkward smile to the blonde, who seemed to take everything in and reorient herself. Golden eyes jumping between the room they were in, Cheng Xiaoshi, Lu Guang, the bundle in the - former? - seer's arms and Qiao Ling. 

Then she offered a gentle, pleasant smile. "It's nice to meet you again under better circumstances" she said, righting herself. 

"I believe re-introductions might be in order, hm?" 

Chapter Text

While introductions were important- so was preventing a cold. 

Cheng Xiaoshi went upstairs with Lu Guang to get changed, and noticed with no small amount of rage bubbling up in his chest that there were bruises wrapping around his upper arm. 

Lu Guang hadn't been entirely honest about whatever happened before, he knew. Li Liang had mentioned a dark haired individual leading Lu Guang away- and if he'd gone all the way to the alley, that meant there must've been more to it. 

He wasn't about to pry, though. Simply helped Lu Guang change after doing so himself and bundling the kitten in a soft towel, before letting him hold the cat again. 

After all, he knew all too well how fond the younger man was of cats. 

"... hey, Guang? Why did you never tell me?" he finally asked him, watched his shoulders tense. 

Lu Guang looked uncomfortable, still trembling a little from the cold rain despite wearing one of Cheng Xiaoshi's fluffiest sweaters. He looked adorable in it, at least in the photographer's eyes. 

With a sigh, the other lowered his head. "I was afraid" he murmured with a vulnerability he wasn't used to, not from him, "that you'd think I'm... that you'd only see me as a hypocrite, or hate me" 

At that, Cheng Xiaoshi stepped closer and hugged him again. Careful, to avoid squishing the kitten. "I'd never hate you... yes, I got mad... but I'd do the same thing and I've realized- I'm so, so sorry, Lu Guang..."

His heart cracked a little, when he noticed that the tension remained. Tried to bite his tongue, but: "How many times...?" 

For a long, long moment there was pure, utter silence. Then Lu Guang turned away, as best as he could while being clung to. "This is... the fourth time" he murmured, then shook his head. "I don't... don't make me talk about it. Not yet. Please" 

There was a crack to his voice that seemed so unlike Lu Guang, and Cheng Xiaoshi sighed. Squeezed his best friend gently. "Alright..." he murmured, despite the many thoughts whirling through his mind. 

Because if this was the fourth loop... how high were the chances of defying fate? 

They headed downstairs after that, where Wang Qing had taken a seat in the arm chair. Qiao Ling was still in the kitchen, the smell of tea reaching them.

After they finally settled in the sunroom as well, he sat as close to Lu Guang as he dared. Which meant pressed right up against him, or at least the blankets he'd wrapped around his best friend and the kitten. 

He did wrap the outmost one around himself as well- naturally running warmer than his white haired friend.  

Qiao Ling eventually returned, handing out the mugs to each of them before taking a seat on Cheng Xiaoshi's other side. 

To his relief, the tea's warmth seemed to help with Lu Guang's trembling. It made him smile, just a little. 

"You've barely changed in the last couple of years" Wang Qing's voice got him out of his thoughts, and he offered an embarrassed smile. He had changed a little- hopefully. 

The therapist cleared her throat. "My name... is Wang Qing. Please, do call me Chris though" she requested, offering them a smile. 

"As you know... I'm Cheng Xiaoshi" he smiled, then turned to gesture at his sister, then his best friend. "And these are Qiao Ling and Lu Guang" 

Wang Qing - or Chris, as she seemed to still prefer - glanced between the three of them, tilted her head. 

Her stare was almost a hint unnerving, when it fell upon Lu Guang. A moment longer than it had remained on Qiao Ling. 

Then she shook her head, eyes snapping back to him. Cheng Xiaoshi, that is.

For some reason, he couldn't help but think that she knew something he didn't. 

"It's nice to meet you" Qiao Ling offered a smile, seeming a lot more at ease in Wang Qing's - Chris' - presence than she had been in Shao Yuanyuan's.

He tried not to be disappointed. He understood why, truly.  

Next to him Lu Guang inclined his head, looking a hint lost. Cheng Xiaoshi gently elbowed him in the side. "Lu Guang, say something" he whispered encouragingly. 

The white haired young man blinked, unfocused eyes briefly flicking in his direction and missing by inches, before he tried facing Wang Qing again. He was not all that far off. "Oh- right... it's a pleasure to finally meet you" he murmured. "May we ask what brought you here?" 

The blonde rummaged through her bag, before throwing a small notebook onto the table. It was small, unassuming- safe for the eye-like pattern on the cover. 

"This notebook... used to be your father's" Chris explained. Voice painfully gentle. He knew why. He'd experienced Bahati's fire when he possessed that man. He knew.

Whereas Lu Guang tensed, Qiao Ling sat up straighter. "So you knew both of them?" she asked, voice lined with disbelief. 

Cheng Xiaoshi watched Chris nod, though her attention seemed to drift to the blind seer, who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. 

"Cheng Weimin was a teacher at Bahathi- a language school in Bridon. However, simple as that may sound... it wasn't, not truly" the blonde murmured, attention snapping back to Qiao Ling. "Bahathi, in truth, was a school for people like me. Granted, most were still regular people. But it was made for us. For people like Shao Yuanyuan, and for people like the three of you" 

Cheng Xiaoshi froze when golden eyes fell on him. The intense stare distracting him from the Wang Qing seemed to study him, her head tilting. 

"You share your mother's ability. It wasn't until I met her that I learned what happened that day. It's all so fuzzy now, but I remember it well. The anger I felt towards Amy, so unlike me. The way I struggled with such an easy test. The rage I felt when Mr Cheng talked about his son- that was you, wasn't it? You're the reason I looked through the records" 

Slowly, almost ashamed, he lowered his head. Never before had he been called out for his ability like this. "Yes" he admitted, nodding. "Yes, that was me. I'm sorry for possessing you. It was the only way to find... well. You"

Absentmindedly she nodded. Took a sip of her tea. "You're forgiven" she said. "The point is, that book was written by your father. It documents any and all people wielding a special power that he's come across" 

Curious, he reached out to take it. Only to notice that Lu Guang was trembling. "Guang? You okay-?" he murmured, watched him with concern bubbling up in his chest. "Hey, say something? Please? Do you know-" 

"... don't fear the deviation" Lu Guang's whisper cut him off, the words spoken more to himself than the room, as if trying to reassure himself, then he shook his head. "The book won't be safe here" 

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. 

All eyes turned to Lu Guang, who didn't seem entirely aware of it. "What do you mean it won't be-" Cheng Xiaoshi started, at the same time as Wang Qing started asking about the deviation. 

Lu Guang tensed, clearly uncomfortable. "She knows about the whole... traveling through time, Guang. And this is important. Please?" the diver pleaded, despite not wanting to force his best friend to explain things he clearly didn't want to explain.

The white haired young man sighed. Clearly uncomfortable. "The book will be stolen. You've left it in our care before- never personally. What made you bring it here personally?" he asked, turned his head towards Chris. 

The blonde seemed taken aback, glancing between the seer and the diver as if slowly connecting dots. "Shao Yuanyuan. She suggested I come by and drop it off personally, but I doubt she's aware of...?" 

Now Cheng Xiaoshi glanced towards his best friend as well, who's expression fell. "No. Cheng Xiaoshi's mother didn't... this is a first" he answered slowly. "Which is strange, unless..." 

It was at that moment, that the dark haired young man realized that Lu Guang hadn't been home the past twelve hours. 

"My mom is... kinda doing the thing you keep telling me not to do" Cheng Xiaoshi cautiously explained, and watched as understanding bloomed on his friend's face. 

Lu Guang seemed lost in thoughts, rubbing his hands over his face. "Everything in Bridon... it wasn't me causing butterfly effects, it was her" he murmured, sounding like he was struck by one or more revelations. 

Suddenly, he shook his head. Sat up straighter. "Why are you trying to hide it with us, anyway?" he asked, with an intensity that suggested to Cheng Xiaoshi that he's been dying to ask this for a long time. 

Given the time loops... he could imagine that to be true. 

"Someone is trying to take it- back in Bridon, Vein attempted to steal it. Shao Yuanyuan managed to fend him off long enough to keep my body conscious, so that I could cause a heart attack in him after she ended the possession" 

Both Lu Guang and him startled. They'd forgotten about Wang Qing, in all honesty. "But Vein's dead" the diver pointed out, watched an odd expression appear and vanish on the therapist's face. It was gone as fast as it appeared. 

"He wasn't the only one to try" she admitted, and Cheng Xiaoshi felt a gentle nudge. When he glanced over, he found Lu Guang trying to pass him the kitten, so he gently took it from him. 

Lu Guang... honestly, his stare was intense, despite him being unable to actually look at anyone. "So you're saying there's one or more hitmen after you, and you led them here?" he asked, voice dangerously quiet. 

"Shao Yuanyuan-" 

"Is going to get her own son killed!" 

Cheng Xiaoshi exchanged a wary glance with Qiao Ling. This was not going well. Though his sister seemed as unsure on what to do as he felt. 

With a sigh, he placed a hand on Lu Guang's shoulder. "It's fine, Guang. We can do this. Together, right?" he told him, reassuring. Tried to keep his voice light and confident.   

His friend's expression remained unchanged. Angry, a hint panicked. "You don't get it-" Lu Guang started, and the diver sighed. 

"Lu Guang. I do get it- but you said it yourself. Don't fear the deviation. You said this isn't how it's supposed to go, right?" he asked pointedly, ignored the stare burning into his back from Chris' direction. He himself paused, hesitated. 

Cheng Xiaoshi felt sick, just a little, thinking about it. Swallowed hard. "Maybe outside help will... change things" he murmured, aimed for a light tone despite knowing just how grim the future might be. 

But he was optimistic. He had to be. They couldn't both overthink and worry. 

He watched the other lower his head. It took a moment, maybe two. Then he nodded. A sigh leaving him. "Right, yea..." he mumbled, and something about his tone struck Cheng Xiaoshi as off. 

He didn't question it. Lu Guang had been off since the incident- it only made sense, that he wasn't as optimistic. Probably. 

~

"So, why did you make me run all across town? I could've gotten the time diver!" 

Li Tianchen scowled up at the other, walking side by side with him through the dark alleys. 

It was rainy and cold, but Liu Xiao at least brought an umbrella that protected them from the rainfall. Not that it did all that much against the cold.

"I needed to talk with his friend alone. And I already told you, the plans have shifted" Liu Xiao shrugged, shifting the umbrella slightly to glance up at the sky and hide Li Tianchen more from view. 

The pink haired boy scowled. "You're not even telling me the plans!" he pointed out, a hint bitter. 

At that his oldest, and quite frankly only, friend laughed lightly. Offered him a grin. There was something knowing in his eyes. 

"Because you don't need to know... yet" Liu Xiao told him, tone light and unbothered. Calm. Whatever it was he knew, he didn't seem to plan on sharing. 

Li Tianchen tilted his head. Narrowed his eyes. Even his ability would be useless. It didn't give him the ability to read minds, after all. "It's because of the white haired guy, isn't it? He a threat?" 

Something odd flickered across the taller man's face. Eyes darting over his shoulder. As if looking for someone or something. When Li Tianchen checked, there was no one there. 

"... Lu Guang is of no concern" 

Somehow, he doubted that. There was something going on, especially if Liu Xiao had felt the need to have a private conversation. "What, got a crush on him or something?" he asked, more as a joke than out of seriousness. 

"Heavens, no" There was something strange about the older's tone, and he shook his head. Glanced down at his shorter companion. "He's... a valuable chess piece, though"

"He can't see anymore" Li Tianchen pointed out bluntly, eyes remaining narrowed. "Does his ability even work?" 

"Doesn't make him less valuable, Li Tianchen. Don't underestimate a desperate man" Liu Xiao bonked his head lightly with the umbrella, causing the shorter one to scowl. He wasn't all that convinced, but he didn't ask further. 

"Hm..." 

"To answer your question, time will tell" Liu Xiao offered him another smile. "The strings of fate are pulling taut, and I do so wonder which ones will snap if we pull hard enough..."

Li Tianchen didn't point out that he hadn't mentioned anything about the ability. He just watched his only friend stare at the sky, glasses dappled with droplets, a knowing smile on his lips. 

"This is the final round, I just know it" 

Chapter Text

Lu Guang liked to clean. 

It gave him time to clear his mind and occupied his hands.

There was just one issue- cleaning was a lot harder when your roommate-slash-best-friend was hovering. 

He couldn't see him, oh no, but he could sense him.

One advantage of living in the studio through multiple loops was that he, mostly, knew where everything was. Better than Cheng Xiaoshi probably assumed. 

He did prefer sticking to the walls, since it was the easiest way to prevent getting lost in the middle of the room for now until he could memorize how many steps he needed in any given direction to reach his goal, but he knew this place. 

From the couch to the wall, to the door to the hallway downstairs. Left. Stairs to their bedroom, up fifteen steps. Hallway upstairs. First door opposite the stairs, their bedroom. To the right, only one door, the bathroom. To the left, second door. That's where the washing machine, dryer and cleaning products were. The first on the left led to the attic. 

He did make a stop in their bedroom, today. Grabbed a random sweater since it was still raining. It ended up too big on him. One of Cheng Xiaoshi's, probably. He wore it anyway. 

Lu Guang made it over to their bunk bed, touched the cold steel of the frame. He didn't feel up for climbing the ladder yet, so he turned and walked to the door. One hand loosely outstretched. 

Ten steps, then his hand found the smooth wood of their bedroom door. He didn't manage to open the door, for it already opened. Vanishing from his touch. 

"Oh- thank god, there you are, Guang" 

Cheng Xiaoshi's relived voice greeted him, and Lu Guang found himself torn between confusion and guilt. On one hand, he'd worried him. On the other... why had he been worried?

He hummed noncommittally, hand finding the doorframe, before he started walking. Pausing when he didn't hear Cheng Xiaoshi step away. Based on how close his voice was... 

He lifted his free hand and nodded to himself. Just as expected, Cheng Xiaoshi stood directly before him. Blocking the way. "Can you move? I wanted to get the laundry into the washing machine" he told him, a hint impatient. 

"... I was gonna do it" Cheng Xiaoshi announced, much to his disbelief. Xiaoshi? Putting the laundry into the washing machine? He'd assumed Qiao Ling was doing it.

His disbelief must've shown, for his friend laughed nervously. "Hey, don't look at me like- I mean- er-" the diver stammered a little, and Lu Guang sighed. 

"You can say look, idiot" he muttered flatly, unimpressed, and settled for pushing past him. Ignored the fact that Cheng Xiaoshi hadn't moved. 

Steps chased after him. 

He shrugged the hand landing on his shoulder off. "Can you please just let me do the laundry?" he sighed, a hint impatient. 

"C'mon, Guangguang. I'm doing it today" Cheng Xiaoshi seemed stubborn on that, and Lu Guang yelped in surprise when the other picked him up as if he weighted nothing. Which... was probably true, for him. 

He scowled slightly. Hitting the older's chest a couple times. Or perhaps his shoulder. It felt more like a shoulder. "Xiaoshi- where are you taking me?" he complained, tried to guess based on the way the other walked.

Am I being carried down the stairs?, he wondered in disbelief and found his thoughts confirmed when he found himself dumped on something soft. The couch. 

Cheng Xiaoshi pat his head, and he fought another scowl. "Just sit here and look pretty, yea?" his friend's tone had something teasing in it, but Lu Guang felt nothing but offended. 

Did he not trust him to do something simple as collect the laundry? It wasn't even something he needed eyes for! He just needed to follow his mental map! Go to the bathroom, stick to the wall until the laundry basket, get the clothes, stick to the wall and go to the washing machine. 

Sure, turning it on... would require some help until he figured it out for himself, but he could bring the laundry there, at least! 

"Where's Yue?" he asked with a heavy sigh, referring to the cat Cheng Xiaoshi had described as 'looks exactly like you, Guangguang! White hair, pretty blue yes-' where he'd wisely refrained from pointing out that his eyes would never turn blue again, and crossed his arms. "I'll feed her" 

Feeding a cat... surely couldn't be that hard, right? Cheng Xiaoshi had insisted they keep her, and unlike the previous time, he wasn't bothering with denying that a cat sounded... nice. 

It wasn't supposed to happen. But then again, nothing that was happening was supposed to happen. 

"Oh- Qiao Ling took her to the vet" Cheng Xiaoshi answered, voice and steps already fading. "Think she'll be back in a couple hours- you know how the busses are" 

Lu Guang's face fell when he heard Cheng Xiaoshi's steps vanish up the stairs. Leaving him alone. For a good few moments, he simply sat there in silence. Then heaved a sigh. 

Porcelain hitting wood reached his ears, alerting him of a new presence that had silently approached. Unlike Cheng Xiaoshi, the only other person currently in the studio didn't trample around like a bull in a China store. 

Another tea cup was set down, in front of him, based on the distance of the quiet sound. 

"Chris" he finally greeted the therapist, voice carefully neutral. The name felt foreign on his tongue. Both because he hadn't spoken English in a while, and because he'd only heard the name once. 

Vein had been the only one to refer to Wang Qing with this name- Lu Guang had called her Wang Qing in his mind all this time, finding out... six? No, more than six years later that she actually preferred being called Chris. 

"Lu Guang" her voice was calm, warm. A bit like honey. It didn't surprise him much that she worked with people- the aura she held was kind and inviting. "How are you feeling?" she asked him, and his mood soured. 

Still, he offered a forced smile. "How about as well as one can feel when an active threat is being invited to the place my best friend and I live" he responded, a hint clipped. 

For all the inviting kindness and warmth, Lu Guang was still angry. The book painted a target on her back, and now it would paint one on theirs. To make matters worse, he was still no closer to cracking the code... and now he likely never would. 

There was a soft sigh, then the couch dipped. "I apologize... this must be hard on you especially, no? You're the one who dove back in time" she said, matter-of-factly. 

His heart dropped. "My ability-" he started, shoulders tense. 

"The way you spoke yesterday gave it away. I have little room to judge, seeing as I'm... more or less helping Shao Yuanyuan" Chris reassured him. Idly, he imagined her smiling. Tried to, at least. The mental image felt off.

With a sigh, he let his hand ghost over the table until he found the tea. Carefully taking the cup. "... why are you?" he finally asked, tilted his head. Didn't bother trying to fake looking at her. It wasn't like his condition was a secret. 

He hated it. 

He heard her move, clothes rustling, the backrest of the couch creaking softly. Usually it was a louder noise- Cheng Xiaoshi tended to throw himself onto the couch with no care in the world. 

"Cheng Weimin was my teacher. He may didn't help me with Amy and her friends, but..." Chris sighed. "It's a lie, you know? I wasn't the only survivor. Not that it really matters... officially, I'm the only one. And no, they don't know more about your friend's father, either" 

It felt like a punch to the gut, receiving the confirmation. He'd always assumed that there was more to it, but actually hearing it? It was something entirely different. 

Still, he could worry later. There was a different topic at hand. "So why help her?" he asked again. 

Chris sighed next to him. "I never found out who caused the fire. It wasn't an accident, I'm sure... but Shao Yuanyuan seems convinced that we can save her husband and find the culprit. To boot, I was a broke teen who'd lost everything. She helped me get a new identity and start a new life. I'm kind of in her debt" 

Absentmindedly he nodded, took a sip of his tea. 

Information he'd never learned before... he filed it away mentally until he could note it down. Somehow. Maybe he'd test that speech-based app out. 

~

The next day, Wang Qing moved out and into a hotel. Assuring them she'd stay in touch and visit again soon. 

Lu Guang decided to try washing the dishes in the sink. Cheng Xiaoshi stopped him and did it himself. 

He tried feeding Yue. Cheng Xiaoshi was already on it. 

He wanted to grab himself a glass of water. Cheng Xiaoshi ran to get it. 

It continued like that, the entire rest of the month. Day after day, seven days straight. Different situations, the same result. Cheng Xiaoshi beat him to all of it. 

Lu Guang felt horribly useless. 

He wasn't even allowed to try. 

You're nothing but a burden on him now, echoed Liu Xiao's words in his mind, and mentally he responded with a very eloquent: Fuck you. 

He imagined his offended expression at being cussed at, and it made him feel a smidge better... but never for long. The feeling of 'I'm useless' returning tenfold whenever he attempted to help with anything shortly after. 

It's not like you could help him..., a voice in his mind whispered. He was starting to be unsure if it was Liu Xiao's voice or perhaps his own. 

The only small comfort among it all were Yue, who seemed to take a shine to laying on his lap, and the evenings. He was still sleeping on the couch, sure, but Cheng Xiaoshi and him spent the evening together listening to audiobooks and podcasts. 

It wasn't exactly the same as watching a random show, but it was a nice new routine, cozying up on the couch with Cheng Xiaoshi's phone playing on the table. A fuzzy blanket draped over both of them, Lu Guang's head on Cheng Xiaoshi's shoulder and their legs tangling in the limited space. Yue curling up between them.  

Selfishly, he wished they could do this forever. 

Though the doubt crept up every day anew, with every attempt at help that was thwarted. Their daily routine one of waking up late because Cheng Xiaoshi kept letting him sleep in, Qiao Ling coming by to check on them, Captain Xiao calling in every couple days to update them on the case - new leads, nothing certain - and Wang Qing - pardon, Chris - showing up and absentmindedly mentioning that Shao Yuanyuan wanted to talk to them again soon. 

Captain Xiao's updates felt... off, as if there was something he wasn't telling them. 

Lu Guang knew the truth- Liu Xiao had sent them. It was a truth he couldn't say aloud. Not because of the consequences- but because they knew from Liu Min's case that it was nearly pointless to start anything with the Liu-Family. 

They had money, and if the traces were almost non-existant? Well, it'd be pointless. Liu Xiao knew how to worm his way out of even the trickiest situations. He was smart and crafty, regretful as he was to admit it. 

The other thing that was off to him was Shao Yuanyuan's claims to want to talk soon, but Chris never getting possessed. She'd mentioned something about Shao Yuanyuan being busy in the past, attempting... something. Chris seemed as clueless about Shao Yuanyuan's moves as the rest of them were. 

May eventually turned into June 1st, the sound of his phone quietly vibrating on the table alerting him of it being midnight. 

The clock kept ticking. 

Time kept moving as it always had, no matter how desperately he wanted to freeze it and preserve the time they had. 

There was nothing he could do, but figure out how to fix all this on his own. If he dragged Cheng Xiaoshi further into this, told him even more... he'd eventually lose him again on September 13th, wouldn't he? 

You know, by his side isn't the only way you can fight fate, whispered a voice into his ear, with an almost gentle chuckle, and he scowled. Quiet and faded like an old photo by time and space, just as the memory accompanying it. 

He scowled into the quiet of the night. 

Shut up, he thought, but the lighthearted laugh refused to fade. 

He couldn't quite tell, with the last one, if it was Liu Xiao's voice or one of someone who'd left the world ages ago. Perhaps, he dimly thought when Cheng Xiaoshi rushed off to make tea, it was his own. 

You're such a burden.

~

"Alright, let's back up a bit" 

Jae Lee took a step back with his words, staring up at the evidence board before them. Photos of places, people and evidence, notes and reports as well as seemingly random newspaper snipped were pinned against the cork, red threads connecting everything and nothing. 

"Nothing is adding up" Xiao Li heaved a sigh, shaking his head while glancing down at his notes. "We know it wasn't a suicide, but the river washed away the fingerprints on the weapon. It's a run-of-the-mill handgun, easy to acquire, nothing fancy" 

The sergeant hummed, examining the board. "And we know it wasn't Qian Jin sending them" he pointed out in a quiet murmur. "Mao Zhilong lied about it. There was no call from Qian Jin, and all the people who had contact with him were innocent in aiding him. Ms Qiao checked, after all..." 

The older man scowled. "Mao Zhilong's house was empty when we checked. No phone, no computer- nothing. No fingerprints but his own, Zhong Qiang's and Tian Xueyin's in the entire place. We checked it top to bottom" 

Jae Lee tilted his head, eyes unreadable. 

"Either he was prepared for failure, or his employer is good" 

"Too good, if that's the case" 

Chapter Text

The night was cold, the stars bright. 

The pines swayed softly in the wind, a mesmerizing sight. Their branches creaked softly, the only noise besides his steps. 

Finally, he reached a meadow. It was vast and beautiful. The ground covered in thousands of white and light blue flowers. 

Daisies and forget-me-nots. 

In the middle of them stood a familiar face, and his heart began to race. No word managed to escape him, but his steps started carrying him towards the other. 

The soft petals turned red under his heel, the color spreading until it was surrounding the one he cared about most. 

His lips pulled into a gentle smile, despite a trickle of blood slowly forming and running down from the corner, then he fell like a puppet with its strings cut. 

A scream was stuck in his throat when he raced towards him, but it refused to come out. When he fell onto the blood stained petals next to the other, it was too late. 

He shot up with a gasp, chest heaving. 

It was a nightmare. Just a nightmare. Nothing had happened, he could hear him quietly breath in the otherwise silent room, when he held his own. 

Sleep eluded him the rest of the night. 

~

Qiao Ling took him out shopping on June 3rd, and that was quite possibly the smartest decision anyone could've made in Lu Guang's humble opinion. 

He loved the studio, truly, but ever since he'd become nothing but a ghost in what he considered his home? It was unbearable, being allowed to do nothing but drink his tea, cuddle the cat all of them unanimously decided to keep and listen to podcasts and audio books. 

Cheng Xiaoshi had been unhappy about it, worried there would be another kidnapping attempt despite the trio who'd done it being dealt with.   

That was no secret, though. He had voiced his concerns multiple times, to the point Lu Guang had heard a resounding smack. At that time, he wondered if either of them had been aware that he'd listened in. 

Either way, here he was now, a couple hours later. Loosely holding onto Qiao Ling and idly scratching at the bandages wrapped around his eyes. They were itching a little, near his temple. The scar, probably. 

Their mutual friend was, hopefully, none the wiser. He was clearing out the attic today, had closed the shop down. The shopping trip going well would prove that he needn't worry. 

Qiao Ling was happily dragging him along. Technically, they were on a grocery run. In practice, they were in a random store and his friend was sifting through clothes. He didn't mind it. It was nice to listen to her excited rambles. 

Her complaints about Cheng Xiaoshi's, and thus his, fashion sense were equal parts amusing and embarrassing, given that they were in public, but he didn't mind. It was nice, a breath of normalcy after everything. 

Here and there he actively had to fight a small laugh when Qiao Ling's complaints shifted from their fashion sense to the one of the editors at her work, which then shifted into complaints about their social media manager being terrible at his job. 

Really, it was the most at ease he'd felt in weeks. Years, perhaps. It hadn't happened in the other timelines, like almost everything that was happening now. The timeline had shifted entirely, but it was equals parts terrifying as it was refreshing. 

He wasn't sure if it was the normalcy of not having to follow a script, or the knowledge that they both knew more than they had ever before... but for once he let himself breathe. There was no improvising, when there was no vague script to follow. 

For an hour or so, everything was nice. Eventually, though, Qiao Ling told him she'd go try on some of the clothes she wanted to buy. 

Lu Guang leaned against the wall outside the changing rooms. He didn't mind having to wait, and he was grateful that Qiao Ling hadn't voiced concerns about 'leaving him alone'. She'd simply told him what she was doing, asked if he was fine with waiting and left when he'd assured her it's fine. 

It didn't feel like judgement and walking on eggshells- didn't feel like she was asking because of his condition. It was the same phrasing, same tone, as she used to use before all of this happened. 

But that made it sound like Cheng Xiaoshi was judgmental, which he wasn't. He didn't judge- he just... hovered. As if he were fragile. It bothered him, but he simply didn't know how to tell him. 

Though, he assumed it would be like after the hospital trip that one time. He'd hover and fret for a while and then eventually forget. But until then, it would feel like Cheng Xiaoshi was walking on eggshells around him. 

Qiao Ling did not give him the same feeling so far, she was... certainly better at it than her brother. Even if she, too, tried helping him with things. She hovered less, though. 

It felt normal, hanging out with her, and he couldn't help but cling to the normalcy. 

While he waited, he toyed with a thread of his hoodie. Cheng Xiaoshi's, technically, going by the smell. The only difference between their clothes' smell tended to be that Cheng Xiaoshi's reeked of the liquid they used to develop photos. 

He used to hate the smell, but it had grown on him over the years. 

A hand landed on his shoulder. Too large to be Qiao Ling's. 

"Fancy running into you here" Liu Xiao's voice reached his ear, calm and smooth, and he couldn't help but scowl when the other tugged him into a sort of side-hug. As if they were friends. 

Lightly, he tried pushing away from him. To no avail. No surprise, Lu Guang had always been weaker than him and he vividly remembered seeing the other fight that thief in Bridon's airport. "What do you want now?" he asked, flinched when he felt gentle pressure against his temple, running along the edge of the bandage. 

"You're hiding" the other commented idly, and Lu Guang mentally mapped out what he could feel. When he adjusted his stance and kicked, he fought a smug smile at Liu Xiao's audibly repressed noise of pain. 

That was his shin, he thought, or more like hoped. Out loud he commented: "And you can't keep your hands to yourself"

 He could almost imagine Liu Xiao's pout, and he hated it. "You mind it that much?" he asked him, the pout audible in his voice, as if he hadn't noticed any of the attempts of shutting the repeated contact down. 

Lu Guang scowled in his vague direction. "If you keep this up, I'll get a perfume with cilantro scent" he warned, and it wasn't an empty threat. He'd go through with it, if he had to. They both knew it. 

But Liu Xiao took a step back, based on the way his heels clacked against the floor. He put more weight into it, he noted absentmindedly. To make it audible for him that he'd complied. 

"... my friend will be back in a moment" he murmured, quietly. More warning than statement. Crossed his arms. "You should leave" 

He heard Liu Xiao click his tongue. "Shame. Here I thought we could catch up some more" he said, as if they were friends. As if they were anything. 

Perhaps they were, once upon a time. Perhaps they weren't. Past and future was a mess, and Lu Guang could hardly remember a time when- 

No. 

"Leave me alone, Liu Xiao. I don't want to talk to you" he told him, plain and simple. So that even this stubborn man should understand. 

But he only laughed lightly. "I'll go, I'll go... but keep this up and I might slam my door in your face after all, when you come crawling to me. That'd be a shame, no?" 

A warm breathe hit Lu Guang's ear, and he flinched slightly. Startled. Then his features twisted into an annoyed frown, most likely half-hidden by the bandages. 

"You will come crawling, Guang. For now it might seem okay... but time is ticking, September is coming, and you? You can't stop death. Not without your power. Not without either of your powers, as a fail-safe" 

Another laugh. Still gentle and soft. This time, it left Lu Guang feeling nauseous. 

"How are you adapting, hm? Are you even pulling your own weight? Or are you just another burden for the poor boy who lost both his parents? Just a ghost hovering uselessly in your own home?" 

The words stung and turned to static in Lu Guang's ears and he backed away. Felt his back bump into the wall he'd previously leaned against. 

If he'd been in any better state of mind, he'd have perhaps realized that there was intend in Liu Xiao's words. 

"I'm not" he finally defended himself weakly, despite recent times making him feel like exactly that was happening, yet he repeated himself anyway: "I'm not" 

He hated that Liu Xiao knew exactly which buttons to push. 

He heard Liu Xiao talk, almost through a fog. But it was all static to him, the other may as well have been reciting Shakespeare for all he knew. Nothing made sense, but all words were drowned out by the whispering in his ears anyway. 

He slid down the wall, pressed his hands over his ears. 

In the end, he didn't snap out of it until Qiao Ling came back.

~

When they came home Cheng Xiaoshi was utterly relived to see his friends back, despite Lu Guang looking a hint paler than normal, eyes a hint red as if he'd been crying when Qiao Ling helped him tug the the bandages off now that they were in the safety of their own. 

That relief lasted about two minutes. Then the door swung open. 

There was no greeting- just a flurry of blond hair and black clothes. Chris was back, expression  void of anything. Like a woman possessed. 

She brushed past Cheng Xiaoshi, who was holding Yue, and Qiao Ling. Heading straight for Lu Guang. 

Wordlessly she grabbed his face, tilting it this way and that way. Much to the white haired young man's displeasure, given how he recoiled with a startled noise. 

Chris- no... his mother, from the looks of it, didn't seem to notice. Or she simply didn't care.  

"Oh my, you really do look like a model. My Xiaoshi really has great taste" his mother beamed, brash and straight forward about her opinions as ever, and Cheng Xiaoshi died a little inside. 

What is she doing?, he wondered frantically, feeling horrible upon noticing the discomfort on his best friend's face at having his cheeks squished. Taking a step forward to tell his mother to calm down. 

Distantly though, Cheng Xiaoshi wished he could do that. 

Lu Guang frowned , clearly unhappy with this, and recoiled before Cheng Xiaoshi even had a chance to open his mouth. "You are not Chris" he said, and managed to catch her wrist to push her back lightly. "Shao Yuanyuan?"

Somehow, his mother's beaming face seemed to light up more. "And so smart, too!" she said, pulled her wrist free. She moved to pat Lu Guang's head, but Cheng Xiaoshi didn't let her. Grabbing her wrist tightly. A little tighter than he probably should've, but she was making Lu Guang uncomfortable and- 

"Mom" he said, voice carefully level, and didn't back down when she gave him a 'Disappointed Mom' Stare. "Mom... quit that. Lu Guang doesn't like being touched by strangers" 

His mother had the audacity to intensify her disappointed look, but Cheng Xiaoshi wasn't backing down. Simply gave her a warning look. 

"Actually," Lu Guang piped up next to him, "I'd like to have a talk with her. Alone" 

Chapter Text

The door clicking shut felt like a sign that he'd stepped into the lion's den. 

"So, you're Xiaoshi's partner?" Shao Yuanyuan did not sound like he'd expected, upon being left alone with him. Or at least nothing like Qiao Ling's parents had, when he'd met them for the first time. 

Shao Yuanyuan sounded, if he had to compare, more like Xiaoshi does whenever Qiao Ling brought someone around who she fancied or intended to go on a date with. 

The two time divers seemed similar, in that regard. Both were protective of those they call family... yet his best friend's mother certainly had a quite different way of actually being there for her son. 

Which is to say, she wasn't at all. 

Still, he understood the implication loud and clear. "Something like that" he responded evenly, shrugged. "But that's not why I want to talk to you"

"Oh, and bold as well" Shao Yuanyuan laughed, and it was nothing like the light chuckle of the therapist she was possessing. "I like you, kid" 

He settled against feeling offended. She was a lot older, over double his age- but that was a given. She was Xiaoshi's mother, after all. 

Another difference, he couldn't help but think, seeing as Chris was only pushing thirty and so far refrained from calling them kids. 

It was odd though, hearing the difference in Chris' voice. He wasn't quite sure how different the two women looked to someone who could see their mannerisms, but at least from an audible standpoint the difference was clear as day to him. 

Even the way they walked was different. Shao Yuanyuan walked almost silently, making it hard to keep track of where she was. Chris let her heels clack against the floor lightly to make her presence known. 

Lu Guang crosses his arms. "You're a time traveler" he said, instead of reacting to what she'd said. Kept his head turned towards where he assumed her to be standing. "And you have a lot of experience, don't you?" 

There was a beat of silence. 

Shao Yuanyuan's laugh was loud and unabashed. "Bold" she repeated brightly, and Lu Guang flinched when a hand came down on his head and ruffled his hair. 

He hated it. He kept silent on the matter, though. 

"Shao Yuanyuan, with all due respect," he started, despite said respect being none, "I need to speak with you seriously on the matter" 

There was a beat of silence, and he could all but feel her stare. 

Was she judging him? He didn't care much about her judgement and opinions. Never had, never will. Neither in the first nor this timeline. 

He has no respect for someone like her, who left her child behind, no matter how thankful he was that it led to meeting Cheng Xiaoshi.  

"About time travel?" she finally asked him, voice painfully neutral. He couldn't tell what she felt, and after her so far unashamedly open personality, it was a hint jarring. 

He merely nodded, crossed his arms. Waited, patiently, for her to react at all. 

Lu Guang disliked it, truly. The way he could only guess what kind of expression she may be making and not know. 

Eventually, she hummed. "What is it you want to know?" Shao Yuanyuan asked, her voice back to casual. As if they were talking about the weather rather than supernatural abilities able to bend time and space. 

"Death. Do you truly believe it can be changed?" He asked. Voice as steady as he could muster. 

And to his disbelief, she laughed. Loud and unapologetic. 

Clearly unaware of the depths of his question. Of course she was. This was a secret he'd guarded close for a long time. 

Bad enough that Liu Xiao knew-  that Vein had known by proxy. 

Worse was that Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling knew. 

But... Shao Yuanyuan might be the one who would actually understand. 

Yet she was laughing. 

"I'm serious" he told her, unamused, heart racing. Earned himself another hair ruffle. 

Shao Yuanyuan's voice was light when she spoke: "Of course. Don't worry, I'll bring Xiaoshi's father back. No matter what it takes" 

Lu Guang fought a scowl. "So death is a node that can be changed?" He asked, persistent. Unwilling to entirely admit to everything but equally unwilling to drop the subject. 

He'd spent this entire loop wondering again and again if his last chance was going to make a difference. And this? This was his ray of hope. 

"It's a little more complicated than that, kid. It can be changed, but you will pay a price, somewhat. You'll gain something, and lose something" 

He froze, frowned. "What do you mean?" He asked, wary. A deep pit forming in his stomach. 

Clothes rustled. He assumed she shrugged. "Why, I'm changing events that happened years ago. It will affect the world as we know it" she said, as if it were no big deal. "Bringing my husband home will change plenty"

Lu Guang dug his fingers into the fabric of his sleeve. "What if you never go an hour past the death? Will you still lose something, if you don't know the future?" 

A laugh. He couldn't tell if she was amused or disbelieving. "Only a future you never experienced in the first place, so there is nothing you'd lose" 

Absentmindedly, he nodded. That made sense. He'd never stuck around all that long- couldn't bear it. Not if Cheng Xiaoshi was gone. 

Idly, he wondered if she really knew this or if she was working based on assumptions as well. 

"It's not like it matters, though. I'll bring Cheng Weimin back, and everything will be okay" Shao Yuanyuan proclaimed with a boldness Lu Guang had never been able to muster, ripping him from his musings. 

"What if he doesn't wish to return to Guidu?" He asked, before he could stop himself. 

Shao Yuanyuan fell utterly silent for a long, long moment. Then she giggled. As if she'd heard the funniest joke in the world. 

She patted his shoulder firmly. He barely suppressed a wince. This woman certainly didn't know her own strength. 

"He's my husband. I know him" she declared, full of a conviction he did not share. It must've shown on his expression: "He'll be happy, and Xiaoshi will be happy too. We'll be one big, happy family"

Lu Guang bit his lip, hesitated. "... He left on his own accord, before his death. Became a teacher instead of being a father" he found himself saying, instead of something, anything, kinder. "Your husband deemed himself a bad one, rightfully"

Was saying something such as that rude? Most likely. But this woman seemed to see no error in what she was doing, seemed to feel no shame. 

There was a beat. Then: "Weimin will come to his senses, I know it"

He fought a scoff. "Your husband didn't want to stick around, Ms Shao. Have you ever considered just coming home? To your son? Who you've left alone for years?"

 "Are you trying to tell me how to parent my son?" Shao Yuanyuan asked, voice deadly quiet, and the former seer did scoff at that. 

He crossed his arms. "I wouldn't need to, if you had. His father left. You left. Both of you left him- an eight year old child. He always struggled forming relationships because of it" he told her icily.

Shao Yuanyuan fell silent, and he had the hunch that he just officially made her dislike him, instead of talking sense into her. 

"Once I saved my husband... everything will be fixed. It'll be fine. He won't remember any of this, neither will anyone else. It won't matter what I or my husband did"

Lu Guang froze. Felt dread coil in his chest. Didn't react or stop her when she left the room. He was too numb by the thought that had struck him to even realize until it was too late. 

There was one variable he'd never accounted for- the possibility of a timeline where Shao Yuanyuan and Cheng Weimin were there for their son. 

In a way, it was the ideal world for his best friend. Yet it also meant he wouldn't be the same Cheng Xiaoshi he knew. He'd never meet him, most likely. 

While it would keep him safe... selfishly, he hated the thought of a world where they never met. 

At the same time, he wondered if Shao Yuanyuan really knew whether this would work out as she claimed. 

~

"You're doing that thing again" 

Cheng Xiaoshi blinked, peering up from where he was petting Yue. Staring up at his sister in all but blood with a frown. "... what thing?" he asked, tilted his head. 

She sat down next to him, sighing. "That thing. Where you hover" she explained slowly. "Lu Guang's... you should give him air to breathe" 

The time-diver looked almost offended. "I don't hover-" he denied, shaking his head. 

Qiao Ling, though, frowned at him. Doubt written clearly across her face. 

His sister seemed confident. But that couldn't be true. He hadn't bee hovering. No, the thought was ridiculous. 

Yet then again...

He thought back to the last couple weeks- to how things had been going ever since Lu Guang left the hospital, and even more so how they had been since the incident where he'd accidentally sent him away.

After a moment or two, Cheng Xiaoshi finally heaved a sigh. "Okay, so maybe I hover" he admitted, pouting just a hint. 

His pout only intensified when she pat his shoulder. "You should trust him a little more. Things were fine when I took him shopping" she pointed out. 

A frown crossed his face. "He looked like he'd been crying when you came back" he didn't mean to sound accusing, but he couldn't help it. 

The image was branded into his mind. Lu Guang's pale face, the still pinkish scar, the lightly indented skin where the bandages had pressed into it, pale grey eyes red rimmed. 

He'd looked a hint distant, as if he wasn't entirely in the here and now. 

Cheng Xiaoshi hadn't had time to ask. 

"What happened?" he asked quietly, concerned. Lu Guang had always felt like a steady presence he could lean on, yet the more time since the reveal of the loops passed, he felt as though his best friend's steadiness was crumbling. 

He hated it not because Lu Guang wasn't a steady pillar to lean on anymore, but because he still seemed to refuse leaning on Cheng Xiaoshi for help. 

Qiao Ling sighed, and she seemed just as concerned as he felt. "I'm not sure. I left him for... maybe five to ten minutes to try on some clothes. When I came back, he was zoned out" 

"... I'm worried about him" Cheng Xiaoshi mumbled. Shook his head. "Like, some stuff is making sense now, y'know? The secrecy, the lack of communication, how he just knows so much stuff" 

His sister nodded along slowly. "The way he seemed to know exactly what he was doing... until the trio kidnapped him" she slowly agreed. 

A soft, resigned little "Exactly" came over the time diver's lips, and he buried his face in his hands. "After I picked him up from near the boba store, I thought... I thought we're done with the lies and secrets. I thought we're open with each other now, no more keeping stuff from each other" 

"So why are you still in denial?" Qiao Ling asked, and he sent her a confused look. Though his sister only sighed, shaking her head. "Nevermind... point is, he's still keeping stuff from us, right?" 

Vaguely, he gestured at her. "You're basically reading my mind" he confirmed, voice cracking a little, and settled for asking about the 'denial' bit later. "I'm just... I'm worried. Something's wrong and he won't tell us and... and I'm going to die" 

Guilt welled up in his chest when he saw Qiao Ling physically recoil. "Death is a node that can't be changed. He can't... I'll die. There's no preventing that" he whispered, voice cracking. He hated himself for that. 

"You don't know that" Qiao Ling protested, shaking her head, and he wiped his eyes. Sighed. Eyes wandering to the collage he'd made after they'd finished dealing with Li Tianchen. 

Cheng Xiaoshi smiled, sad and regretful. "I do know" he whispered, and found that he couldn't look away. Eyes scanning over the pictures he'd carefully arranged in the frame. 

A lot of the photos were ones he'd used in his fight against Liu Min- or rather, the possessed one. Pictures of the people Li Tianchen had killed. Among them Emma. 

Looking at the pictures hurt, but they also gave him strength, in some way. He couldn't help any of them. Couldn't prevent any of their deaths... but he could live for them. Keep their memories alive, try to prevent more such things from happening. Could help people who weren't yet lost- like with DouDou. 

Distantly, he thought he heard the steps creak. He couldn't spot their little cat. She must've headed upstairs. 

His throat felt tight, but he continued on anyway. Sighing heavily. "I tried. I tried with Chen Xiao's mother. I tried with Emma. I tried with so so many more... but none of them survived, Qiao Ling. None" he whispered. "Lu Guang... I don't think he knows what he's doing. So much for no more lies, huh?"

He'd die, and it was best to come to terms with that. Maybe he should make a bucket list. Kiss someone, maybe? 

For a moment, grey eyes and white hair danced through his mind, and his cheeks felt warm. Qiao Ling sent him a look, clearly curious about what he was thinking, and he waved a hand. 

He didn't know where that thought came from, anyway. 

Another creak. Then the sound of steps. 

The two of them glanced up and at each other. After a couple moments, Lu Guang shuffled into the sunroom, following along the wall. 

He was wearing the bandages again, and Cheng Xiaoshi silently loathed that he felt the need to hide. 

Yet he remained utterly silent about the matter... for now. 

"Hey, Lu Guang" he greeted, a hint wary. Prayed he hadn't heard them talk. "How did the talk with my mom go?" 

But Lu Guang turned his head, what he could see of his expression the same as ever. "I'd rather not talk about it" he said, and that was that. 

For some reason, Cheng Xiaoshi had a bad feeling. 

Chapter Text

The talk with Shao Yuanyuan weighted heavily on his mind, even a week later. Even though towards Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi, he pretended as if nothing had changed at all- laughed along at jokes, even started going out with the two of them a bit more often. 

Cheng Xiaoshi's behavior seemed to have shifted, just a little, since the day of his mother's visit. He still hovered, but he wasn't trying to take every single task away anymore. Mostly. Sometimes he did, and tried making them do it together instead after a moment or so. 

Despite the steps in the right direction, Lu Guang couldn't deny having started to hide away in their room whenever Shao Yuanyuan visited and avoided Chris like the plague as well just to be safe. 

He felt guilty for it, really, but his mind was in a whirlwind. Sure, he laughed along at whatever jokes his friends made, talked to Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling as if nothing was wrong... but he was trying to be more careful about it. Especially given the conversation he'd overheard. 

"I tried. I tried with Chen Xiao's mother. I tried with Emma. I tried with so so many more... but none of them survived, Qiao Ling. None"

Cheng Xiaoshi didn't believe he could be saved. Qiao Ling, most likely, believed the same. Neither had dared bring it up to his face. 

It made him feel worse. 

"So much for no more lies, huh?"

Silent, he curled into himself. Pressed a hand against his aching chest. 

They didn't trust him anymore. He understood. He didn't trust himself anymore either. Not since Bridon. 

It was self-defense, he reasoned over and over. Vein was going to try and kill them... and he wasn't the murderer anyway. Not really. That had been the butterfly-effect. 

But he still felt horrible. There was blood on his hands. Would Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling still look at him the same, if they knew that he'd caused Vein's death? That he'd killed their future killer?  

A burden and a murderer, the little voice in the back of his head whispered, is not something they'd keep harboring under their roof.

A choked sob threatened to escape his throat, and he felt his eyes well up with tears. 

Briefly, he considered coming clean. Telling them everything. About Vein, the butterfly effect, the details of that horrid night. About Liu Xiao's reoccurring 'visits', few as they had been. About the man's involvement in... everything.  

But then he thought. He thought and, with slowly building horror, he realized he couldn't. He couldn't tell them. 

Cheng Xiaoshi was like the sun. But the sun is a star, and the stars do not shine, they burn. 

Cheng Xiaoshi was warmth and kindness and laughter and smiles... but he was also fiercely protective and had a strong sense of justice, a force of nature impossible to hold back when he deemed one of his friends wronged. 

If he told him about that horrid night, he would become protective. If he became protective, he'd demand to know who wronged them. If he found out about Vein, he'd have to tell him what was going on in Bridon. 

He didn't put it past him to accept things as 'It was self-defense'. That went for both his friends... but they'd want to know why Vein was after them. That would bring them to Liu Xiao. 

If he touched on Liu Xiao at all... god, no. That was a can of worms he'd rather forget in general. 

In the silence of their bedroom, he wondered if they even still wanted him around at all, given that they knew he wasn't entirely truthful even now. 

It could've been minutes or hours by the time the door creaked, alerting him of Cheng Xiaoshi's presence. 

He'd stopped crying a bit ago, at least. Wiped his eyes with the bandages as best as he could. Sadly, that meant he had to take them off. 

It felt... unpleasant, otherwise. 

The ladder creaked, and Lu Guang tensed, just a hint. Turned his back. He didn't want Cheng Xiaoshi to see his face. 

Alas, his mattress dipped. "Lu Guang? Hey, Guangguang. I know you're awake" Cheng Xiaoshi nudged him gently, and the younger man fought a sigh. Fumbled with the bandages. 

"Can you... not look at me?" he requested, and felt the mattress shift when his best friend moved. 

A confused huff reached his ears. "I've seen your face since the incident, Lu Guang" the other pointed out, all too lightly. "And I mean it. You're still handsome. Is it okay if I touch your face?" 

Lu Guang hesitated, then turned. Remained utterly silent, settling for a nod instead of trusting his voice. Saying no to Xiaoshi was the easiest thing in the world, what with how many jobs they'd done, but he couldn't find it in himself to refuse the request. 

The nod seemed to be enough enough because the next thing he knew was a gentle touch to his temple, tracing along the scar. It was odd, but he couldn't help but lean against Cheng Xiaoshi's warm palm when he rested it against his cheek. 

"You're still really pretty, Guang. Promise..." the time diver whispered, then chuckled quietly. Lu Guang wasn't all too surprised about the teasing remark that followed his quiet laugh: "And you're still like a cat" 

The former seer made a face, but refrained from moving away. "... I'm not a cat" he muttered, mentally lamenting at the way his face heated up. "And I really don't feel pretty, Cheng Xiaoshi" 

He felt the other's thumb gently rub over his cheek. "Yea, feared as much... which is why I asked Qiao Ling for help with a little something. Trust me for a sec?" Cheng Xiaoshi requested, voice soft and careful. 

"Always" he murmured, perhaps a hint too fast. But had it even been a question? Whether he trusted him? Not to him, never. 

The other's touch was gentle when he smoothed his hair back, something soft pressing over his face- specifically his eyes. It didn't take long before Cheng Xiaoshi ruffled his hair. 

Confused, he reached up. Fingers trailing over soft fabric. "This is... a blindfold?" he murmured, frowning. Tilted his head. "Right?" 

"Mhm! It's got a moon embroidered on it. Because... y'know. Moonlight. There's... uh... it's a crescent so... there's also... it looks kinda like a clock too? Ticking away at the hours?" Cheng Xiaoshi sounded stuck between proud and a hint bashful, and Lu Guang blinked when he felt his eyes sting with tears. 

"Oh! And I added a small tag at the back that says return to Time Photo Studio if lost!" 

He couldn't help it. He laughed. It was weak and shaky and he was quite sure he did start crying, but he was laughing. Shoved him. Gently. They were still on the bunkbed, after all. 

"Idiot" he murmured, then patted across the bed and Cheng Xiaoshi's arm to find his shoulder and drag him into a hug. 

They sat like that for a while, and it felt like a weight had been lifted. "... did you really?" he whispered, despite knowing all too well the kind of mischief the older tended to get up to. 

A quiet, bright laugh rang in his ears. It felt like sunlight. "Obviously. Qiao Ling whacked me for it" Cheng Xiaoshi told him, all too happily, and he gently whacked him too. 

"Idiot" he repeated, but there was no heat to it. Only fondness. 

He wasn't sure why he'd worried. This was Cheng Xiaoshi. No. This were Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling. His closest friends. 

No, deep in his heart he knew the two of them were loyal to a fault. Granted, too loyal, but loyal nonetheless. 

It made the thought of them keeping him around out of loyalty, despite him being a burden, all the more bitter... but at least he was wanted, right?

~

Cheng Xiaoshi stared at his hands. 

Qiao Ling was holding them, skillfully painting his nails black. It was the only color he'd agreed to- after being told quite plainly that blue would look horrible on him. 

It was a pity, really. 

In truth, blue was his favorite color. A very specific shade of blue, and he couldn't help but feel mesmerized whenever he saw it shimmer in... 

No. He really, really needed to stop thinking about it. 

He'd never see that blue again, anyway. 

A sigh left his lips, and Qiao Ling glanced up, raising a brow questioningly. He smiled awkwardly in response. 

"Remember how we used to do this a lot when we were kids?" she asked, conversationally, and Cheng Xiaoshi blinked. 

His sister huffed, shaking her head. "Painting our nails. Back before I became friends with Xu Shanshan?" she tried, tilting her head. 

At the reminder, he slowly nodded. A soft laugh escaping him. "I got so much crap for that from my classmates... didn't let that stop me, though" 

He'd gotten in plenty fights over painting his nails, of all things. So what if he did? He'd looked great, and matched his back then favorite person: His big sister.

"And then you picked up basketball and I met Xu Shanshan and we stopped" Qiao Ling concluded, and Cheng Xiaoshi hummed. 

He did remember that. They had been... what? Fifteen? Sixteen? It felt like so much longer than it had actually been. 

"You were so jealous" 

At the accusation, his mouth dropped open. "Excuse me? I wasn't jealous-" he shook his head quickly, half-glaring at his sister. 

But Qiao Ling only laughed. "Oh, no. You were. It was kinda funny" she told him, utterly delighted. 

Childishly, he pouted at her: "This is why I call you a witch!" 

In truth, he had been jealous... and scared. 

Qiao Ling had been his only friend, his sister really, even before his parents vanished. So her hanging out with someone else? It hadn't mattered who she was hanging out with- he'd just wanted to be included. 

Xu Shanshan and him... had not hit it off well, though. 

Playing basketball with a bunch of teens a year or so older than him had been nice, but they had not been friends. He'd been tolerated, respected... and that was that. 

Point was, he'd been lonely. 

And then he'd miscalculated a throw and smacked the pretty guy taking photos in the face with a basketball, knocking him off his feet. 

Lu Guang never blamed him for it, luckily. 

Half the time he pretended to be sorry about it, but he was actually glad he'd hit him. Accident it may have been, but it was the reason he was where he was today. 

Then his thought process caught up to him and he almost dropped his head on the table. Qiao Ling luckily caught his head in time to prevent a mess of nail polish in his hair. 

"Qiao Ling," he found himself asking despite already regretting opening his mouth, "do you think Lu Guang is pretty?"

His sister stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. As if he were stupid, an idiot, dumb. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and he wondered if he shouldn't have asked this. 

"Cheng Xiaoshi," she said, and her voice was unsettlingly sweet, "you're a fucking idiot" 

Baffled, he stared at her. "Excuse-" 

She smacked the back of his head lightly, cutting him off. "You're a boy. Of course you're an idiot. Boys are so stupid" she complained, clearly frustrated, and Cheng Xiaoshi was too confused to say a word. 

"You've been pining for three years" Qiao Ling deadpanned, with the confidence of someone who watched countless seasons of their favorite show and decided that two characters MUST be secretly in love despite it never being stated outright. 

And Cheng Xiaoshi found himself scrambling for the ability to answer. "I- what? I don't even know if he likes... No. No no no- nope, he's my best friend, I'm not-" 

This was ridiculous. 

Was it because he called Lu Guang pretty? He called plenty people pretty. Sure, not as pretty as Lu Guang, no one was prettier than Lu Guang, but no one else was Lu Guang period. Lu Guang was special to him, he was more important than anything else to him, stupid as that may have made him sound.  

Wait a second...Oh. Oh no. 

"I'm not pining for my best friend" he claimed again, but even to his own ears the claim sounded weak. 

~

It was late in the night. 

Cheng Xiaoshi was quietly snoring in his bed after having snuck in some time ago, after having been oddly silent during dinner, while Qiao Ling had left hours ago. 

The two of them hadn't chatted much during dinner. It almost felt like a sibling fight, but as an only child, he couldn't quite tell if he was right or wrong about the theory. It felt different to their usual fights. 

But now, it was late and the former seer was the only one awake. 

Quietly, Lu Guang snuck down the stairs after finding his phone with some trouble. 

They'd downloaded an app that was supposed to help him with using it- and tonight was the night he'd attempt to use it. 

Nervous, he tapped his fingers against the back of his phone. Listened to the sounds of the night. Faintly, he wondered if this was smart. 

But he'd thought and thought and thought... and he'd come to a conclusion. 

Vein was dead. Cheng Xiaoshi knew about the truth- Qiao Ling as well. They both knew and still wanted him, even if he was a burden now.

So he made his decision. He initiated the call. 

For a few long, agonizing seconds he wondered if it worked. Then he wondered if he'd even pick up, if it did. It was late, chances were- 

"Hello?" a voice reached his ears. There was no trace of sleep. He hadn't woken him up. Pity, he'd have been happier if he did. 

Lu Guang hesitated, voice catching in his throat for a moment. Then he took a deep breath. Squared his shoulders, even though neither of them could see the other right now. 

"It's game over, Liu Xiao" he murmured into the phone, channeling the happiness and relief he'd felt when he'd realized that he really was still wanted despite being useless into confidence. 

There was silence from the other end of the line. Then, an inquiring hum: "Game over, you say? I knew this was the final round, but what makes you think the game is already over, Guang?" 

His confidence wavered, just a hint. "Vein is dead" he pointed out, his biggest win in this round in all honesty. "Vein is dead, and my friends know about the node and we're still a team" 

He didn't mention that there were... still some trust issues and missing details, but it wasn't important. Not right now. 

What was important was that they were still a team. 

Liu Xiao laughed softly, and it sent chills down his spine. "Well, dear? Want to add anything?" he asked, and Lu Guang opened his mouth. Then closed it. 

Add... anything? He wasn't sure what to add. Did Liu Xiao expect him to mention something specific? 

With a frown, he shook his head. Then froze in place when a different voice filtered through his phone. Laughter that was horrifyingly familiar. 

The voice was too deep to be Liu Xiao. 

Lu Guang stopped breathing. Felt as though his lungs weren't working anymore when the dots connected. "Liu Xiao..." he forced out, slow and cautious and unable to comprehend the sheer horror. 

It wasn't Liu Xiao who answered. Perhaps that was why, in his shock, he'd dropped his phone. Why he'd recoiled and stumbled back and away from his phone. Unable to breathe, to scream- to do anything but crash into the wall and slide down. 

Horror and nausea climbing their way up his spine and curling around him like invisible claws, sinking deep and leaving him shaking. 

The voice of his nightmares ringing in his ears over and over, like a broken record. The sound of his phone breaking against the ground not enough to snap him out of it. 

"Missed me, sweetie~?" 

Chapter Text

It was eerily quiet that morning. 

Cheng Xiaoshi was used to being the first one awake, but usually he was greeted by the soft breathing of his roommate, up on the top bunk. It was soothing, waking up to it as opposed to nothing. 

But today, the bedroom was silent. 

Just to be safe, despite knowing his hearing was perfectly fine, he climbed up the ladder. The bed was empty, unmade and cold. Lu Guang had gotten up a while ago, despite the early hour. Maybe he'd been unable to sleep again. 

The bandages were still laying around. The blindfold was not. It made him a little happy that the other was wearing that rather than the irritating bandages, but a hint sad anyway. 

It was a shame he felt the need to hide, when the scar didn't take away any of his beauty.  

Finding Yue sleeping on the windowsill brought him a small amount of comfort, because it meant he wasn't entirely alone. There was another living, breathing being by his side, despite the eerie quiet. 

Though that thought process was silly. He was never alone- Lu Guang was always by his side, after all. More or less. If he wasn't in the same room, he usually was in a different one. Never all that far away, unless counting the kidnappings. 

He must've already been up, is what he decided to settle on. 

He shrugged to himself, chalking up the eeriness of the silence to the fact of him usually waking up first. Got dressed and messed around on his phone, checked the news. Lu Guang probably wouldn't be mad if he came down late. 

Concern bloomed in his chest when he found out that Xia Fei was missing. Was that why the model stopped responding to his texts recently? He'd desperately needed another friend to talk to, and he'd written back and forth with the blond ever since Bridon. He'd thought he could maybe talk to him, but all his texts remained unread.  

Maybe... maybe he just wanted to get out of the public's eye for a bit? But no, if that were the case... wouldn't he have left back when everything in Bridon went so horribly wrong? Or still written him, at least? Xia Fei surely knew he'd never share anything they talked about... right? 

But then again... no, there was no point in dwelling on it. Maybe he could ask Lu Guang- oh. That's right. 

His power wasn't working anymore...

He heaved a sigh, worry and sadness and anxiety mixing in his chest and leaving him with a feeling of nausea. 

"Xia Fei is Lu Guang's friend too..." he murmured to himself, petting Yue gently between her ears. He should tell him. Maybe they could figure something out together? 

Yet as he wandered down the stairs, he heard... nothing. No rustling of someone moving about and cleaning the studio. No sound of cutlery clanging against plates. Nothing. 

He felt his stomach drop at the lack of noise and headed for the couch. Nothing. 

There was no mop of white hair. 

There was no familiar face. 

There was no one there. 

"Lu Guang?" he called out, quiet and hesitant. His voice shaking with unease. "Lu Guang, answer me, this isn't funny!" 

There was no answer, only more silence. Quickly, he fumbled through his pockets until he found his phone. Straight to voicemail. 

Had he been blocked? Was his phone turned off? Where was he? 

Oh, god. Was Qiao Ling right? Had he hovered too much? Was Lu Guang trying to leave him, because he'd been too much? Too overbearing? 

The unease slowly melted into pure dread, and he called Qiao Ling instead of trying to call Lu Guang again, hurried outside. "Pick up, pick up..." he chanted under his breath all the while, only to freeze when glass crunched beneath his shoes. 

"Hello?" 

He didn't register Qiao Ling's voice. Only stared down in mute horror at the broken phone laying on the steps of the studio. 

"Hello?! Cheng Xiaoshi, this isn't funny!" 

Through some stroke of luck, his hand dropped to his side but he didn't let go of his phone. Slowly he crouched down to pick the broken phone up. The small cat charm hanging onto it by a bright blue thread was unmistakable. 

"XIAOSHI!"

The brunet startled, and took a sharp, shaky breath. He hadn't even realized he'd stopped breathing. 

Slowly, he lifted his phone. Blinked away the sting in his eyes. "I think Lu Guang's in trouble" he croaked out, because that... that really was the only logical conclusion, wasn't it? 

There was a beat of silence. For a moment, he wondered if the call disconnected. If he was alone. Then: "So the mastermind behind the kidnapping started a second attempt?" 

Silently, he glanced at the broken phone. Forced back tears. "His phone was in front of the studio, it's broken, I think" he tapped on the screen, tried turning it on. "Wait- it's battery is empty! Maybe I can get it running and figure out if he, like, took a picture or something-" 

"You do that, I'll get Captain Xiao on the case" Qiao Ling sounded calmer than he felt, and not for the first time he was grateful to have her as his big sister. Even if it wasn't by blood. 

He uttered a quick "Thanks" and hung up, quickly rushing into the studio to look for a charger. 

The phone was a wreck, and refused to charge properly. He only got it running long enough to check his photos, finding nothing, and his contacts. 

Cheng Xiaoshi froze when he saw that one call had been issued last night. Lu Guang was the one who'd called. 

The how was simple enough- he must've tested the new app. 

There wasn't enough time to memorize the number, the screen glitched and sent him to the home screen. He hurried to try and get back to the call page.

Instead he found himself staring down at a glitching screen displaying Lu Guang's chats. The most recent one being a text from a "Noah Evans", dated from just a day after the incident. No wonder Lu Guang hadn't opened it before.

That and the word "Bahati" were the only thing he managed to see before the phone flickered out for good.

"Bahati-?" he whispered, voice cracking with utter disbelief. 

Who was Noah, and what did he know about the school in which Cheng Weimin had taught and died? Why would he hide a contact who might know something about the school that had burned down, years ago? 

Who was this person, that Lu Guang had kept it a secret from him?  

Well, he knew the one person who might have answers. 

~

His feet ached, and he was plain exhausted. 

Lightly, his palm dragged across the building he was using to figure out when the sidewalk curved left or right. 

He wasn't quite sure where he was anymore, he'd gotten lost ages ago, but he had to find Chris and request to speak with Shao Yuanyuan. Or Chris. Both of them? He didn't know. He just knew that his entire plan had rested on the fact that Vein was out of commission. 

 Except he wasn't. He'd assumed Chris' power had killed him, but there he was. Alive. His voice and laugh haunting his mind. 

This had been a horrible idea, but he couldn't stop now. 

He was going to fix this. He had to fix this. Somehow. Before things spiraled even more out of control. 

Lu Guang paused when he heard the rattling of a train shooting across the railroad in the near distance, fighting a groan. This was not where he was meant to be- the train station was in the opposite direction of the hotel. 

With a heavy sigh, he leaned against the building. Bowing his head. 

"Should've woken him" he muttered to himself, the panic slowly subsiding and leaving him realizing how utterly stupid he'd been to leave the house by himself. 

Steps echoed behind him, and he startled a hint. They were close- he hadn't realized anyone was behind him. Especially not that close. 

He didn't pay it much mind, though. It was early in the morning- most likely someone was on their way to work. 

Then a warm breath ghosted over his ear. Far too close for a random passerby, and far too close for comfort. Lu Guang stilled, frozen in place as though a statue. 

"My, the little morsel looks a little worse for wear~" 

His knees shook, and he had to hold onto the building for support. Otherwise, he'd surely have collapsed then and there. 

Lu Guang's heart pounded, the noise almost loud enough in his ears to drown out the light chuckle from right behind him. 

"Vein" he croaked out, and prayed it would break whatever spell held him in place. It did not. If anything, it made it worse. 

Something dragged across his cheek, right beneath the blindfold Cheng Xiaoshi had gifted him. A nail, maybe? It felt like one. There was no pressure, but it left him flinching anyway. 

The man laughed. It sent unpleasant chills down his spine. 

A hand landed on his shoulder. Large and heavy. The click of a gun echoed through his ears. "Run" whispered the man haunting his nightmares, and Lu Guang did just that. 

He had no idea where he was running, but he heard a car screech to a halt. Felt the ground turn softer beneath his feet- asphalt turning to... earth? Grass? He wasn't sure. It didn't matter. 

Lu Guang barely heard the steps beside him. "My, the little kitty is slow~" Vein's voice taunted him, and he scrambled to rush into the other direction. 

It didn't matter where he ran... or more like stumbled. 

Vein always caught up, never letting him get further than ten steps. Always appeared like a ghost haunting him, taunting and sending him scrambling away from the direction of his voice. 

"Too slow" 

"Aww, nice try" 

"Too predictable" 

He must've looked like a headless chicken, with the way the other chased him about. He heard him laugh, and that was when he realized the situation for what it really was: a game. It was nothing but a joke to the other man. 

Eventually, Lu Guang tripped and hit the ground hard. It was still grass, but he could feel pain shoot along his forearms from the small rocks hidden within it. He could feel them, at least. 

He didn't dare attempt to get up. Just laid there, arms over his head in a desperate attempt to at least try to protect himself. He couldn't die- not before Cheng Xiaoshi was safe. 

... or would this save Cheng Xiaoshi? 

"What are you waiting for?" he croaked out, voice weaker than he would've liked. He felt as though he could barely breathe, his chest aching with the effort. "Kill me"

No bullet was fired, no pain come to him. Vein's laughter rang in his ears: "Aww, Prometheus' little changes to the timeline really did a number on you, didn't they?"

His blood felt like it froze in his veins. The name was unfamiliar, but he felt ill regardless. There weren't many people who would call themselves Prometheus- and it woke long-buried memories.

Memories of leaning over books together, late after school, knees knocking together with someone else, whispering and arguing and laughing over mythology because some seemed surreal and fantastical, and other things just plain silly to a child.

There was no urge to laugh now. He didn't have the air for it. He wasn't sure if he was even breathing anymore.

"I came to deal out your punishment... but you're no longer worth the effort, sweetie~"  

Lu Guang faltered, confused. Brain going a mile a minute. Not worth the... oh. 

Even Vein deemed him useless. Deemed it pointless to harm or kill him. Because wasn't that so much of a bigger punishment to a seer like him? Leaving him alive and suffering, unable to see nothing at all?

Silently, he turned on his back. It didn't make breathing easier. Wished he could stare at the sky. See the clouds and sky and the sun. Though rather than the sun, he'd wished to see his best friend's smile again.

What did it say about him, that even a killer saw no worth in killing him anymore? 

What did it say about the killer, that he deemed his suffering a better punishment?

Mostly, he wondered what it meant for Cheng Xiaoshi. His own life be damned.

The laughter faded. He wasn't sure if it was because Vein was leaving him like this, crumpled uselessly on the ground, or because he was losing consciousness.

And then, he knew nothing at all.

Chapter Text

"Let me get this straight... you suspect Lu Guang to have been kidnapped again?"

Jae Lee slowly pushed away from his desk, head tipping back to glance past his coworkers. Eyes falling upon Captain Xiao.

"I'm not- yes, I understand, but-"

The man looked to be in mild stress, and given what he was hearing, that was little surprise. After all, the name wasn't new.

There was a heavy sigh from the older officer. "Alright, I get the pictures. You two come- what do you mean Cheng Xiaoshi sent you a text that he needs to- right, no- and what about your-? Ah. That's certainly an issue"

If his interest hadn't been caught before, the mention of the photo studio trio being split up, from the sound of it, certainly did.

Intrigued, Jae Lee watched his current boss pinch the bridge of his nose, looking increasingly like he'd prefer some wine instead of his cold coffee.

Eventually, he hung up. Glancing to Jae Lee. "Qiao Ling is coming over soon, move your work to my office until she arrives, Sergeant. If anyone can track someone down, it's you" he called over, and the dark haired young man was quick to comply.

Vaguely, he heard someone mutter something about the Captain being terrible at keeping track of his strays. If anyone heard Jae Lee stifle a laugh, no one snitched.

It was around half an hour or so later when the door to Captain Xiao's office slammed open, no knocking or anything to warn him of the sudden 'guest' in a room that didn't belong to him in the first place.

Jae Lee glanced up from where he was sifting through some photos from the case he was working on on the side, feet propped up on his de-facto boss' desk.

Most probably wouldn't have dared such a thing, but he did enjoy a special sort of immunity. The benefits of being on a job you couldn't be fired from...

"Is this how you treat a potential kidnapping case?"

The young woman looked livid, and it was almost a hint amusing. Clearly, she had no idea that he was the one who'd located her friend last time.

Then again... he could hardly blame her, considering her friend seemed to be missing again. Jae Lee could still vividly remember the guy.

"I was here waiting for you, Ms" he countered lightly, earning himself a scowl. It was a hint amusing. "Captain Xiao requested I work with you"

Qiao Ling glanced to the photos in his hands. "Looks like you're already... working on something... else. Hey, isn't that the manager from Bridon who died?" she asked, a frown flitting across her face.

At the question, Jae Lee sat up straighter. "Why indeed, didn't think you'd know about that old case" he commented idly, putting the photos away.

Old was a stretch, considering it was three years ago rather than three decades... but most cases nowadays didn't need three years to be concluded.

"My brother and friend were... they were in Bridon, did a shoot for him together with an actual model, shortly before it happened" she admitted, and Jae Lee paused. Eyes dropping to the file.

He vaguely remembered the report, though in truth, he'd entirely forgotten about the 'witness'- who couldn't really be called one. After all, being knocked out didn't give you a clear view of what happened, now did it?

He could vividly remember the case, he'd been one of the officers called to the scene. They didn't matter to him much. The events surrounding his death had been noted as a natural cause, anyway, though. It didn't matter how he died. What he was investigating was the disappearance of his corpse.

So, he shrugged, offered a smile. "Makes sense, then" he said, tapping his fingers against the file. Eyes narrowing when he remembered a crucial detail about the young woman before him. "Say... you help the special taskforce as well, correct?"

If he remembered correctly... this might just work.

Qiao Ling frowned. "I'm here because my friend is missing, not for work" she pointed out slowly, as if he were stupid. Though seemed to at least catch onto the fact that Jae Lee, too, knew about the existence of special powers.

With a sigh, he threw the file to her, fought a grin. Watched her catch it with ease. "Yea, but I need to boot up the security cameras and search through a bunch to hopefully get even a glimpse. You can do me one small favor, no?"

He watched her eyes narrow at him. "You are so shameless" she complained, and Jae Lee smiled lightly. Shrugging to himself when the young woman continued ranting: "I wouldn't even need your help if Lu Guang wouldn't keep evading photos-"

"Yes, yes" he waved his hand dismissively. "Now, please? Could you try locating his corpse?"

Qiao Ling balked, then rolled her eyes. "I don't like you" she told him, plain and simple. Jae Lee only smiled, refraining from making a snarky remark.

Despite the annoyed look, her eyes already flashed white.

For a long moment, she simply stared. Frozen in place, eyes locked onto the photo. Then she dropped it, stumbling back with a gasp: "How-?"

Her eyes were back to their natural color, but wide and frightened. A hint confused as well.

Jae Lee couldn't help but think that this, certainly, proved his theory correct. Vein couldn't be dead. Not with a reaction like that.

Which was such an interesting theory to be correct- after all... the man had been announced dead. No heart beat. No signs of as much as a twitch. And wasn't there an autopsy report as well?

No, by all means, that man should not be alive.

But he didn't need to be a genius to recognize that look of shock.

He didn't, however, expect the shout of "Lu Guang!" before the young woman raced out the door.

Fascinated, he picked up the picture.

"My... this really is shaping up to be an interesting situation"

Absentmindedly, he wondered if he should've warned her that the weather forecast had predicted rain.

~

It was raining again.

Rain always seemed to follow him.

It didn't matter, not really. That's what umbrellas were for.

His phone pinged. When he checked his messages, a location was the only thing he found. The sight left him with a light chuckle.

"Everything is falling into place, just as planned..." Liu Xiao murmured to himself and headed off to the train station.

The speck of white was easy to spot, even from a distance.

With the rain, no one was out and about to notice anything off.

Though the thing that was off was, by all means, only one thing: the young, white haired man laying on the field near the train station. Trembling in the cold rain.

He crouched down next to him, gently tugging the blindfold in place from where it had slipped. The motif on it left him scoffing, but then he smiled pleasantly. Even though Lu Guang couldn't see him.

"My, look what the wolf lead me to" he murmured lightly, watched the younger man freeze with a smile on his lips.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Then: "Liu Xiao"

Liu Xiao smiled at the quiet whisper, adjusting the umbrella so it covered both of them. "Enjoying the rain?" he asked lightly, tilted his head.

"Vein is alive" the white haired man murmured, instead of reacting to his question. Shoulders tense.

In response, he hummed. "Alive and well, yes" he confirmed with a smile. "You're losing this round, Guang"

"You made me believe Vein is dead" Lu Guang pointed out, sounding as if he had a hard time coming to terms with it.

Liu Xiao could only laugh. "Did you think I would play fair?" he asked, a hint amused. "I think it's time you stop, and we both know it"

At his words, Lu Guang went utterly still. Shook his head after a long moment. At first so light he barely saw- then quite a lot more clearly.

"No" the younger man croaked out, sitting upright in seconds. Almost hitting his head against Liu Xiao's. "No, I can't-"

He dropped the umbrella in favor of firmly grabbing Lu Guang's shoulders. He didn't mind the rain all that much. His hat proved useful in such a weather. "Look at yourself, Guang. Who are you trying to fool? You have no use for them anymore. Make it easier on the three of you and come with me, instead of forcing them to carry your weight"

He waited, but received no answer. Smiled broadly. "Mhm, you're only trying to fool yourself. I promised you, didn't I? Play by my rules, and everything will go fine in the long run, just as you want~"

"... I promised him" Lu Guang finally whispered, voice nearly breaking. "I can't break my promise, Liu Xiao"

He hummed, more in acknowledgement than answer. "But you also promised you'd save him, didn't you? You won't ever fulfill that promise, not like this... you want to prevent his death node, don't you?" his hand landed on Lu Guang's shoulder.

The other flinched, but didn't move away. Not this time. "... more than anything" he confirmed almost hollowly, and Liu Xiao smiled.

"Then come along. You might be a burden on them... but you're not on me. And I can make sure the node won't happen. You know that, don't you?"

At the almost hypnotic whisper, Lu Guang lowered his head. Nodded, utterly silent. The gesture spoke more than words, anyway.

Liu Xiao's eyes trailed over the blindfold, and he traced the stitching on it. "Return to Time Photo Studio if lost, hm? I don't think you'll need that, will you?" the older asked lightly, back to his usual tone, watched the other flinch.

Trembling fingers reached up, glided across the stitching. "Don't take this from me" Lu Guang murmured, emotion return to his voice, shaking his head. Almost desperately. "It was a gift- at least let me keep it"

Unbeknownst to Lu Guang, Liu Xiao made a face. Displeased with that particular turn of events. Then he sighed, almost dramatically. "Fine, fine" he said, tugged him to his feet. "But let's go, hm?"

In the distance, he saw a young woman and fought a pleased smile. "And Lu Guang? Don't forget what will happen if you don't stick to the new plan" he whispered in his ear.

The white haired man stiffened beside him. "Don't hurt them," he mumbled, shook his head, "please, don't- you have to promise-"

Liu Xiao shushed him, pat his back lightly. "They are safe... for as long as you listen" he assured, at the same time as the call of "Lu Guang!" reached both their ears.

They stopped, just long enough for the young woman to catch up to them. "Lu Guang, thank goodness you're okay... thank you for watching him, Mr. I was looking for him" Qiao Ling's voice was filled with relief, but her tone quickly shifted to suspicion.

Lu Guang tensed, a deep pit forming in his stomach. "Qiao Ling" he murmured, hesitant. Head lowering out of pure reflex. "I'm... sorry. I need to leave"

Qiao Ling froze, glancing between the two of them with growing suspicion. "Lu Guang...?" she took a step closer, hand hovering but not touching.

Something about the dark haired young man unsettled her, despite his kind appearance. "Tell Cheng Xiaoshi I'm sorry, and that everything will be fixed. Everything will be as it should"

At his words, she faltered. Eyebrows drawing together. "As it- Lu Guang?" her voice shook a hint. Confused and lost.

The white haired man smiled, forced and not just a hint sad. "Let's face it, I wouldn't have been much help. I'm just a burden, nowadays"

It physically pained him, admitting it out loud. Made his heart ache and stomach revolt. But it was what neither Qiao Ling nor Cheng Xiaoshi had dared to admit, after all.

"Lu Guang-" Qiao Ling sounded almost desperate, shocked at what he was saying, but the former seer backed away. Bumped into Liu Xiao. Found himself spun around into a random direction and gently pushed to walk.

Somehow, he knew without having to see, that the man was smiling at having finally won their cat and mouse game.

"Good bye, Qiao Ling. I really am sorry"

Chapter Text

"Chris, we need to talk"

The blonde blinked, staring at the young man standing in front of her hotel room. Cheng Xiaoshi, to his credit, looked like he'd sprinted here. Hair clinging to his face due to the rain, chest heaving from running so fast.

"Come in" she stepped aside, and headed into her room. There was a tea kettle there, luckily. It was quite the pricy hotel- but she wasn't tight on money. The benefits of working for a time-traveler hell-bent on changing the past, she supposed. 

The door clicked shut behind Cheng Xiaoshi, and he took a seat in the chair by the desk. His foot bouncing anxiously. "It's about Bahati" he explained cautiously, watching the blonde tense.

She glanced over after getting started on the tea. "What about it?" she asked, clearly cautious. He understood why- it was likely still a sore topic, despite the time that had passed.

He took a deep breath, hesitating. "What do you know about it? I need to understand. Lu Guang called someone who's contact name was Bahati, and... and obviously my dad worked there and you went to school there and everyone seems to be keeping secrets... I need to understand, Chris. Please"

For a moment, she regarded him with silence. Then a heavy, tired sigh escaped her. She shook her head. Turned back to the tea kettle.

"Bahati... had more to it" she admitted quietly, something forlon slipping into her voice. A shiver running down her spine. "As I said before, it was for people like you and me... and many of us were saved from the Eye. My brother and I, not so much. We were found by Bahati first"

Cheng Xiaoshi watched her, a frown dancing across his face. "The Eye?" He asked, tilted his head.

Silent, Chris poured two cups of tea. Her eyes seeming to look somewhere far away. "They harm people like us, in a pursuit for power" she murmured, once she sat down across from him. "We don't know how many like us they killed"

The words felt like a punch to the gut, to Cheng Xiaoshi. 

There were people out there harming people like them. He'd always assumed that not everyone was so good at hiding, that not everyone lived hidden. He'd always assumed it could get them into trouble...

But he'd always assumed that meant being sent to a therapist, not... he felt ill, suddenly.

Chris cleared her throat. "Your father used to be with them. As a spy. That's why he encrypted his book... and that's why the fire happened. They tried to get rid of the safe haven, no matter the cost. At least that's what Shao Yuanyuan claimed"

He shivered. The thought was horrible. "And your brother..?" He risked to ask, because surely... surely out of so many people more than one lived, right?

Golden eyes narrowed. Staring at the far wall. "At least temporarily, he was seen with the leader of the Eye" she murmured. "My contacts told me that someone took the name and is trying to find all the research- a young man who's one of us. Who knows. Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe he isn't with them. Maybe he is. I don't know for sure, but it's easiest to stay away, accepting that job from your mother made me cut all ties, as much as I loathe it"

Cheng Xiaoshi hesitated. "So they might not-" he started, cautious hope for one threat less blooming in his chest. The words died on his tongue when he saw her fierce glare.

"No. They still hunt people like us. They're... different, but still a danger. The Eye is the worst kind of people to meet, always have been and always will be. I don't know their goal, or who leads them exactly, but if they get their hands on you?" Chris stared at him with hollow eyes, her smile void of happiness. "I doubt you'd escape the web"

He hesitated. "But your brother..." he murmured, cautious. Unsure on how to interpret that particular bit of information. "Is he...?"

"... he's not a bad person, even if he's with the wrong crowd. I firmly believe that" Chris sighed, shaking her head. He felt bad for her, she looked horribly sad. "But we haven't talked since the fire. He went to live with our aunt, I was old enough to stay in Bridon. He likely doesn't remember me, and if he does, probably assumes me to be dead"

Then she frowned. "Honestly, he might be the reason you found me in the first place" she admitted, almost lost in thought. Laughed weakly. 

That made him pale. "Vein is your-?" He asked, startled, and watched her face scrunch up in distaste.

"God, no. Weiy- Vein is my ex" she answered, then huffed. Golden eyes narrowing in warning. "And before you ask, no, I will not talk about that"

He held his hands up defensively. "I wasn't going to ask, honest" he said, lying. Of course he'd wanted to ask. She'd killed her own ex, apparently. Well, in a way he couldn't blame her. It seemed like Vein secretly liked shooting people with tranq darts.

Though who else...?

He frowned, fought a sigh. It didn't matter right now. "So... what can you tell me about the Eye?" he asked. "You have to know something other than that they hurt people like us"

Chris took a sip of her tea, and to Cheng Xiaoshi, it felt as though she was merely buying herself more time. She looked conflicted, in a way. "Your mother will hate that I'm telling you all this. She didn't want you to learn" she said, despite already having mentioned things. 

The blonde didn't look all to guilty about that though, reclining in her chair. Cheng Xiaoshi, meanwhile, leaned closer.

"The Eye used to be entirely formed of regular people, but no one knows how long they existed. Just that they did. They kept kidnapping kids to test on them. Wanted to know how we work, why we can do what we do..." she trailed off, frowning. "Some say they found out how to transfer powers, shortly before they were shut down"

He kept quiet, at that. He knew, all too well, that death was the transfer-method. It still left him feeling sick when he thought about it too long. It was how Lu Guang had dived, it was why Qiao Ling had been able to help with smaller cases...

Idly, he wondered if there were others who knew.

"One of our teachers helped blow up a lab a few hours from here, actually" Chris mentioned, then shook her head. "He said they only got one kid out... I don't know what happened to either of them. He was visiting the kid abroad, when the fire happened, so he might be alive"

Cheng Xiaoshi frowned, opening his mouth. Chris, however, barreled on: "The new Eye didn't form until after the fire. Maybe three- four? Years later. Rumors came up, people talked about how we'd make a difference and stop hiding... and then the rumors spread about a person who calls himself Prometheus"

The therapist scoffed. "Do you know the story of Prometheus? Prometheus stole fire from the Gods and gave it to man" she said, eyes alight with something that reminded Cheng Xiaoshi of fire. "He's been said to have more than one power. The fire this Prometheus is stealing... belongs to us"

"More than one power?" Cheng Xiaoshi swallowed hard, heart racing in his chest. "But if that's the case..." he whispered, and thought back to Li Tianchen. Who'd been keenly aware that he could take the power to dive into pictures for himself. Or, at least he'd wanted to. Had someone taught him, or had it entirely been his plan to use possession to use the time diving ability...?

He wasn't quite sure, but the fact that someone out there knew how to rob people like them of their powers did not bode well to him. Did Prometheus steal their fire the same way that Lu Guang had inherited Cheng Xiaoshi's and Qiao Ling had inherited Li Tianxi's? Did he have a power that did it for him?

"Prometheus is collecting powers, and your father's research could doom all of us"

He set the tea down, stared down at his feet. "Then why not just burn it?" He asked, frowning. All in all, it seemed so much more like a good idea than keeping it.

Chris, however, sighed. "We can't. Your mother thinks it's still important. She didn't share why, but... she is the most experienced time traveler we know" she told him, and Cheng Xiaoshi slowly balled his hands into fists.

Of course his mother was the most experienced time traveler- but at the same time, Lu Guang was doing the same thing she was.

In all honesty, he was more mad at his mother than Lu Guang. It was almost ironic- he'd rather everyone else is fine than having others suffer for his sake, yet it was Lu Guang he had more sympathy with.

Because Lu Guang never left, and his mother hasn't been with him since he was eight years old. Even now, she at most communicated with him by possessing someone rather than truly being there.

At the thought of Lu Guang, he remembered his original reason for coming here, before the conversation had drifted into an entirely different direction than he'd planned. 

Awkwardly, he cleared his throat. "On a different note... did you meet a Noah? I'm asking because... I think there's someone with that name and connections to Bahati. And that someone knows Lu Guang. That's the actual reason I came here, y'know-"

At that, Chris' face did something odd. "... Noah Evans?" she asked, furrowed her brows. Cheng Xiaoshi couldn't tell if she looked wary or surprised. Though at her nod, she set down her own cup.

"He was the teacher who went abroad to visit the kid"

~

Cheng Xiaoshi found himself back at the studio at roughly the same time as Qiao Ling arrived.

For once, she didn't scold him for his impulsive behavior, for vanishing instead of heading to the station. Which was a shame- he already had picked quite the good apology for running off like that.

That apology being mainly that he couldn't wait until he might forget the name he'd found- or that he'd seen this at all. The fact that he could've written it down... kind of had slipped his mind.

Though seeing her face, he didn't think apologizing would do much at the moment.

Qiao Ling looked at him with such pain in her eyes, he couldn't help but feel as though someone tried to bash him over the head with a bat.

Slowly, he approached his sister. "Ling... what's wrong?" he asked, already dreading bad news. He shouldn't have acted on an impulse again. What if Lu Guang was gone because he'd been an impulsive idiot?

"He's... I managed to find him. Sergeant Jae showed me a picture- it was... a lucky coincidence" she murmured, avoiding looking at him directly. His sister rubbed her arm, looking anything but comfortable facing him.

That was a lucky coincidence indeed- Qiao Ling didn't have any pictures of Lu Guang, and Cheng Xiaoshi had been offline ever since the call ended. The police might've had a picture, but it likely would've taken a while for them to find one.

Which raised the question of what picture was so readily available.

"Where is he?" he asked instead, trying and failing to look into his sister's eyes. She kept avoiding him. Over and over.

He thought he'd spied tears forming in the corner of her eyes. He watched as a shudder went through her. "He left" she whispered, shook her head. "It... doesn't make sense. He left, but he didn't... Cheng Xiaoshi he called himself a burden"

Cheng Xiaoshi felt his heart stop. It was as though the ground had opened beneath his feet and left him falling.

Lu Guang? A burden?

No, he'd never see the other as a burden. He cared too much about him for that to be the case. Lu Guang was important to him, always and forever.

"No. No you have to... please tell me you're joking" he begged, desperately grabbed her shoulders.

He shook her slightly, but his sister looked at slowly, shook her head. The tears were clear, so up close, and he felt his own eyes sting.

He let go, stumbled the few steps to the front door. Sank down on the top most step.

He refused to cry, but he buried his face in his hands. This was his fault. Qiao Ling had warned him about the hovering, and yet...

"Sis, I can't... he promised..." he whispered, voice cracking. He couldn't believe that his best friend had just up and left.

He could believe that it was his own fault.

Qiao Ling took a seat next to him, placed a hand on his shoulder. "... he said everything will be as it should" she murmured, absentminded, and Cheng Xiaoshi froze. Slowly glancing up. 

"He said to me once," he murmured, a hint of hope blossoming in his chest, "that everything will be as it should if we live a long life together"

"Wait, do you think that..."

"... we're getting him back"

Chapter Text

Lu Guang had lost track of every turn they took ages ago. He'd never truly paid attention in the first place. 

His mind was stuck rewinding what he'd said to Qiao Ling over and over. What if she didn't tell Cheng Xiaoshi in a way he'd understand? What if he didn't get the secret meaning behind his words?

Eventually, Liu Xiao stopped. He startled, flailing, when the other picked him up with an ease that reminded him painfully of Cheng Xiaoshi. 

"Put me down" he hissed, bothered, and tried to figure out how to push away from him. It was a fruitless endeavor. 

Liu Xiao continued on, unbothered. It was unfair how much stronger the other was. Eventually, a lock clicked open. When the door fell shut, he heard it snap back in place. 

There wasn't much time for Lu Guang to think about it, as he found himself being put down on something soft. Near him, Liu Xiao clicked his tongue. "My, your arms look terrible. Stay here" he said, as if Lu Guang had a choice in the matter. 

Liu Xiao's steps faded, then returned. The mattress dipped under his weight. "I'll touch your arm" was the only warning he gave Lu Guang. The former seer said nothing. He didn't think it made a difference.

There was a sting against his arm, and he winced. Alcohol wipes, probably. He refused to say anything, or react. Simply clenched his teeth and pretended to feel nothing. 

It took ages for Liu Xiao to be done. He couldn't help but think that he seemed to be cleaning and bandaging the scrapes extra slow. Lu Guang hated it. 

When he was finally, finally, done he slowly inched away. Hating how the bed seemed to be uselessly big. The white haired man already missed his small, narrow bunkbed. Even more so the kindhearted roommate that came with it. 

"You love him, don't you?" Liu Xiao's voice rang in his ear, and he flinched away. The proximity was too close- he could feel how close the other was. All in all, it was not pleasant. 

His heart lurched when his brain caught up, working through what the older man had said. "What do you want from me?" he asked, instead of of rising to the bait. There was no point in answering the obvious. 

Liu Xiao hummed, still too close, took his other arm to repeat the action of cleaning and bandaging the scrapes. This time, he bit his lip at the first touch and refused to as much as twitch. 

"Isn't it obvious? You have knowledge I need" the other told him, almost pleasantly. "And besides, I think we've punished your wrongdoings enough" 

This is your punishment, it rang in his ears, for changing the past.

Wrongdoings. Right. 

In all honesty, he couldn't remember what- 

"Work with me instead of against me, and the node will be gone" Liu Xiao sounded utterly confident in his own words.

As if it's that's simple.

As if all these loops had been so easily fixable.

Lu Guang desperately wished to scream. He did not. "I don't even know what your goal is" he said instead. Balled his hands to fists atop his knees.

He didn't care that Liu Xiao could see. What difference did it really make, whether Lu Guang pretended to be okay with this or not?

"Besides, it's your fault the node exists at all" he spat when a thought struck him. The venom in his voice sharp as a knife. 

He couldn't tell whether he was saying things out of spite to push and see how much Liu Xiao would bend and tolerate... or because he assumed that in part, their past kept him at least slightly safe.

Warm fingers brushed against his face, cradled it. He recoiled as if stung. "Don't touch me" he all but hissed, but every attempt to swat at Liu Xiao hit empty air.

When the hands returned to his face, the grip felt bruising. "You should be thankful that I'm even offering to try breaking the node for you, Guang" Liu Xiao told him, sighing. "God knows you certainly won't manage it" 

Silently, he agreed. With his predicament, it was impossible. Especially with Vein back in the picture- a thought that made his skin crawl. But then he frowned. "You just said try. I thought you-?"

Liu Xiao's laugh cut him off, and he couldn't help but startle. "Of course I'm saying try. I can't control the timeline yet, can I? Who knows, maybe I'll tell Vein to stand down and he'll disobey, killing your friend anyway"

With a scowl, Lu Guang turned away. "I shouldn't have gone with you. Of course this is all another one of your mindgames" he muttered, annoyed. Felt a hand land on his back.

"Aww... so you'd rather be a burden on them? You're worthless without your power to them, you know that" Liu Xiao pointed out lightly. "Besides, leave now... and I'll let him have his fun instead of letting things play out naturally. He's been itching to take Cheng Xiaoshi's power so badly..." 

Lu Guang scowled, dug his nails into his knees. "What use do you even have for me?" he spat, and if he'd been any more impulsive and capable of seeing his target, he'd have long since smacked Liu Xiao. 

A chuckle reached his ears. "So angry..." the manipulator sounded delighted, perhaps a hint amused. When he rose to his feet, the bed creaked faintly. Liu Xiao's steps faded, heading towards where Lu Guang assumed to be the door. 

For a long moment, he was left thinking that that would be everything. That he'd receive no further answer. Then: 

"Isn't it obvious? You know the flow of time intimately, and you're far easier to keep in check than a time-diver who isn't stuck in time... and besides, you know so much about The Eye~" 

The door fell shut. The click of the lock vanquishing all hopes of escape and freedom. 

~

"Why are you looking through all those pictures?" Qiao Ling leaned over his shoulder, trying to get a glimpse at the photos scattered across the bedroom floor. 

Cheng Xiaoshi knelt in front of the photos, looking them over critically. A deep frown marring his features. Each time he picked up a photo, he was quick to discard it to a slowly growing pile. 

"I'm trying to find one Lu Guang took. I... I think he's connected to someone who worked at Bahati. So we-" He yelped, holding his head. Glancing up at his sister in utter betrayal. "Why did you hit me, you evil landlady-?!"

Qiao Ling glared down at him. Disbelief and anger all too clear in her eyes. "Lu Guang is gone, and you're thinking about Bahati!" she huffed, crouching down to shake him by the front of his shirt. "What even are your priorities, huh? Lu Guang or something you could easily ask your mom once this is over?!"

Cheng Xiaoshi winced at the volume. For a second, he felt guilty. Then he shook his head. "Mom won't tell us anything. Chris seemed pretty certain of that... and! Lu Guang has  a guy named Noah saved in his contacts- Chris knows him... and he knows stuff about Bahati and... the... Eye? Weird name..." 

Qiao Ling slowly let go, frowning. Eyes drifting to the many pictures on the floor. "Right... but..." she hesitated, frowned. "What does that have to...?" 

Awkwardly, Cheng Xiaoshi rubbed the back of his head. "So, uh... I kinda... when Lu Guang was at the hospital..." he pulled out his phone and, after some scrolling, showed her a picture from one of the case files. 

It was a picture of the weapon used to harm Lu Guang. More specifically, of a small engraving in the bottom of the handle. "The captain knows, I swear- I wanted to do some research, but then the news hit and I didn't and forgot, but-" 

"It looks like an eye" 

He glanced up, watched his sister as she frowned. "It looks like an eye, and Chris told you about The Eye and there's an eye on that notebook. You think the kidnapping is connected to Bahati" she concluded, and set the picture down. 

Slowly, he nodded. Eyes dropping back to the picture. "Am I going crazy?" he asked, half kidding, and offered her a tired smile. 

But his sister shook her head, eyes drifting from the photo to Cheng Xiaoshi and back. A deep frown marring her face.

She was unsure, in all honesty, if the diver was grasping at straws or onto something. But things weren't adding up. Things hadn't been adding up from the start.

All infos they had just didn't fit together. As if someone took a puzzle and replaced a few of the pieces with the wrong ones.

"You think Lu Guang is in bigger trouble than we thought" she noted, side-eyed Cheng Xiaoshi cautiously.

The young man smiled. Tired and with barely concealed worry. "No, I think he bit off more than he can chew" he admitted softly, frowned. "And if this is all connected to this mysterious Eye and Bahati and my dad's research and that Noah guy knows something, knows Lu Guang-"

"You want to dive"

It wasn't a question. Cheng Xiaoshi hesitated anyway. 

But what other option, really, did they have?  A dive might shed light on the situation. Or maybe it wouldn't. Maybe, if worse came to worst, they'd at least have intel or be able to contact this Noah.

"I don't know. But I can't just sit idly and wait"

Chapter Text

Lu Guang was left alone for a time unknown to him. He was brought food infrequently, from what he could tell. Making it hard to keep track of the time. It couldn't have been more than a week, in his opinion. 

At some point, however, he fell asleep and woke up to his blindfold on the bed. He'd struggled to put it back on properly by himself. 

Eventually, Liu Xiao himself returned to collect him. Told him they were going to take a trip. It was horribly annoying to be unable to disagree, and the car trip made the nausea he'd felt when pulled from the room even worse. 

He remembered little about exiting the car- only remembered feeling someone grab his arm. When his mind cleared, he was sitting in an uncomfortable chair. 

"As I've already announced during our last... meeting, we have special guests, this time" Liu Xiao's voice announced from beside him. Subtly, he leaned away. Annoyed by how close he seemed to be. 

There was a huff, somewhere to his left. A feminine voice with a mild accent to it piping up: "And what good do these two do us? Sǐshén being back is quite the... joy, truly, but who are the nobodies?" 

Lu Guang's face didn't as much as twitch, silently filing the observation of "Whoever Sǐshén is, she doesn't actually like them" away for later. Though he heard an almost-growl from somewhere near Liu Xiao. Perhaps his other side. "Who are you-" Li Tianchen's voice rose, angry and with a tone to it not unlike a rabid animal's. 

It reminded the former seer of why, exactly, he disliked the murderous twin so much. Still, he kept his face impassive. Or at least as impassive as he could. Perhaps if he could make them forget he was here in the first place... 

"Two very useful assets. Kindly refrain from insulting them" Liu Xiao's voice held a smile, and part of Lu Guang was grateful he wasn't forced to see it. "My dear friend here is far less harmless than he seems despite his height, Nandar"  

As a response, all he heard was an annoyed "Tch" from the woman. Nandar, maybe? He couldn't quite place the name, but it sounded familiar... though, he couldn't help but imagine that she may have rolled her eyes. She seemed annoyed, now, based on her tone. 

She didn't seem to like "Sǐshén", but she didn't seem to like Liu Xiao, either. 

More information for Lu Guang to push away for later. 

"So what use do they have?" a male voice piped up- rough with age, raspy from what may have been chain-smoking. It'd explain the scent of cheap tobacco in the air. "That one can't even see shit, can he?" 

Lu Guang forced himself not to bristle at the quite obvious jab, but he couldn't help but lower his head anyway. Shoulders tense when he basically felt the attention shift from Li Tianchen to himself. He hated it. 

"This one here will point us to the location of whoever killed your son's men, Kasad" Liu Xiao sounded painfully cheerful, lightly dropping a hand on Lu Guang's shoulder. The contact burned, and he moved as far away as he could without falling off the chair. "He's not entirely useless yet" 

Kasad. Nandar. 

Ah, he knew now why there was familiarity in the woman's name. 

In the previous timelines, he'd never considered Liu Xiao much beyond knowing he worked with Vein. He'd never wondered, exactly, what his role was. At the end of the day, it was always Vein who caused Cheng Xiaoshi to die. 

Now, he saw the mistake he'd made in underestimating Liu Xiao's role in fate's grand plan. 

"No" he said, before he could stop himself. Voice harsher than was likely smart. The silence following his words was thick enough to be cut with a butter knife. 

Then, a quiet chuckle echoed next to him. "How cute of you to think you have a choice" Liu Xiao murmured, and fingers snapped. The sound seeming to echo. "Li Tianchen, if you will?"

A quiet, pleased hum sounded from beyond Liu Xiao. "With pleasure" the pink haired boy announced. His quiet, fast steps echoed through the otherwise empty room. Li Tianchen's approach opened a pit of dread in Lu Guang's stomach. 

"What-?" Lu Guang startled when hands grasped his neck, likely hard enough to bruise. A strangled noise escaping his throat at the sudden pressure. And then he knew no more. 

~

Silently, he followed the exchange between the warlords surrounding them. Standing in the back of the room, fan unfolded and glinting in the light. Sǐshén was the name he was going by, in these circles. 

How ridiculous, when all of them knew the name he truly went by. 

He held no attachment to these people nor that name, not truly. The only one in this room he had ties to was Liu Xiao, by extension perhaps his bitey little fox.

His lips pulled into an amused grin, watching said little fox. Li Tianchen was fascinating, so unlike the silent little cat next sitting on Liu Xiao's other side. 

A rabid fox, and a cat on it's last life. How amusing. 

"This one here will point us to the location of whoever killed your son's men, Kasad" Liu Xiao sounded painfully cheerful when he responded to Kasad, hand dropping onto the white cat's shoulder. The young man seemed uncomfortable, even with his eyes obscured, and moved as far away as he could without falling off the chair. "He's not entirely useless yet" 

Sǐshén felt no surprise when Lu Guang piped up with a harsh "No" in response to his services being offered without his consent. Of course he'd say such a thing, there had been nothing else to expect, in the redhead's eyes. 

 Fascinated, he watched. Head tilting as Liu Xiao snapped his fingers. Ordering the little rabid fox around like a tame mutt. 

The boy's eyes flashed crimson when he grabbed Lu Guang by the throat, and many of the warlords scrambled back, their chairs almost tipping over as they tried to back away in shock. He himself moved not a single millimeter. 

He'd seen this power in action before. He'd known before. Many of them knew that Liu Xiao seemed a hint supernatural, himself. It must've been quite the surprise for the rest of them to find out just how dangerous Liu Xiao truly could be. 

Across from them, Lu Guang stirred. Robotically removing the blindfold, eyes blinking open almost lazily. They were a hazy red, the same as Li Tianchen's. 

Even those who'd never seen him before could easily tell that this was not the same young man who'd harshly disagreed with Liu Xiao's words just now. 

Upon closer inspection, the subtle red glow of his eyes illuminated a scar the white haired man had been desperate to hide, as far as he was aware. There was no doubt that this man must be blind. 

The smallest part of him felt sympathy, just a hint. He understood that. Not wanting to show a potential weakness, to show something you didn't want the world to see. But it mattered little in the grand scheme of things. 

Or, perhaps, that was old ties speaking. 

"The footage, if you will" Liu Xiao sounded detached, and took the photo Kasad offered him cautiously. Slid it in front of Lu Guang. 

Movements stiff, the possessed man picked it up. Eyes briefly flickering between red and blue, sending the present warlords, seven of them aside from Liu Xiao and himself, into quiet murmurs. 

Eventually, Li Tianchen let go of the white cat. Sǐshén watched as he slumped in a daze, lost and confused. 

Though all attention snapped to Li Tianchen, who leaned down to whisper something in Liu Xiao's ear. The dark haired young man hummed, eyes flickering between the other warlords and the picture from the footage. 

Then, his lips pulled into a smile. "Oh, my. It seems we're going to have quite an interesting time... Kasad, your son's men were attacked by men carrying the symbol of a certain other party, present here in the room" his eyes flicked to the second oldest man- a gruff, muscular one who's bare arms were covered in countless tattoos. 

Naing, if Sǐshén remembered correctly. It's been some years, since he'd last seen him. Offense was written across his face, but the way his stance shifted, ever so slightly, spoke volumes. "Naing, how dare you?!" spat Kasad, confirming his theory. 

To the man's credit, he seemed confident in his choice. "Look, we both know your son doesn't know what he's doing" he countered sharply, eying Kasad with cold eyes. "And we both know he was operating on my turf" 

"You damn-" Kasad rose to his feet, chair crashing to the floor. Across from them, Lu Guang flinched. A hint more awareness seeming to return to him. No one paid it any mind, aside from Sǐshén. 

Not even Liu Xiao, as far as he could tell. 

Attention split between the white cat and the two warlords looking ready to go at each other's throats, he smiled. Amused at the arrogance of these men. Though, the actual bloodshed he was looking forward to never came to pass. 

Only one of them, Naing, fell with his throat cut. The two warlords who sided with him more often than with Kasad and Nandar pulled knives, the rest remaining in their seats, but never got even close to the oldest warlord. 

Instead, Liu Xiao clapped his hands. A pleased hum escaping him. "Now now, let's not fight during a meeting, hm?" he said, as one of them hadn't fallen dead a second ago, and turned to the white haired seer. "Lu Guang. Will anything happen between the 20th and the 25th of June?" 

There was a slow blink, unfocused grey eyes staring at nothing, then a frown crossed the scarred face. Slowly, he reached up a hand. Fingers skimming over where the blindfold was supposed to be. "Liu Xiao," his voice trembled, just a hint, "where is my blindfold" 

Sǐshén fought the laugh threatening to burst from his chest. Oh, how amusing. The little cat really didn't have his priorities in the same order as Liu Xiao did, it seemed. 

"You don't need it right now" the dark haired man didn't scowl, but the pleasantness faded, just a hint. "Answer me. Now. You and I both know you aren't in any place to refuse, don't you? I'll make sure the node comes to pass, if you don't comply" 

The color seemed to drain from Lu Guang's face, just a hint. Liu Xiao seemed to control him with fear, and he could relate to that tactic. He wasn't surprised. After all, he'd been given orders to scare the younger man before. 

But then he thought back to the phone call, to the 'node' he'd mentioned back then too, and his eyes narrowed. 

Liu Xiao, Lu Guang and that 'node' were all connected, in some way. In what, he wasn't sure. But he himself surely was connected as well. 

Truth be told, murderous intent radiating from the white haired man aside, he'd been entertaining three years ago. Fascinating, even. Something about their minds was similar and different all the same. 

No, he'd never intended for either of the duo to come to harm. They were friends of a friend, even if it was three years ago. By principle, that made them both his friends as well, in some way. No matter the way Lu Guang had orchestrated a murder. 

They remained at having a mutual friend, annoying as it was.  

He saw nothing wrong with making the man suffer, just a little. It was fun to scare him. It was fun to see the panic on his half-obscured face. It was fun on getting some payback on the man who'd seemingly known what fate lied in the future. 

It was less fun to see the fight drain from him, to see defeat take it's place in his posture. He looked truly like a cat on it's last life, and he couldn't help but think: Xia Fei would be upset to see a friend in such a state. 

Perhaps that was why part of him bristled at the way Liu Xiao's treatment towards him had seemed to get more and more unkind since he'd picked him up, nearly a week ago. 

Truly, if it wasn't for him, he likely wouldn't even be fed. 

"... a building will be raidws on the twenty-second of June by the police, they will only find corpses. Three kidnapped models from Yingdu will be found dead, there. Two of the kidnapping victims never turn up, three are found buried near Laos. One of the missing ones is named Xia Fei" Lu Guang finally croaked out, reluctant and suddenly, he was both pissed that Kasad had killed the other warlord and relived that the seer was here by Liu Xiao's decisions. 

His breath stilled all the same, however, when the words properly registered within his mind. Immediately, his eyes darted to Kasad. The man paled, seeming to understand the silent message. 

~

"It's been a week, and we're getting nowhere" 

Scowling, Qiao Ling paced. "I wish had this stupid power better under control. If I did, maybe I could track him!" 

Cheng Xiaoshi laid sprawled out on the floor of the sunroom. Glaring at the picture he was holding up. "It makes sense that you can't see through his eyes" he said, with a sigh. It was disappointing, how slow their work was going. "He wears a blindfold. Even then... who knows if you'd be able to look through his eyes. They're damaged beyond repair" 

With a shake of her head, his sister dropped to the floor next to him. "I could, probably. Li Tianchen was able to make Liu Min walk, wasn't he? So who's to say..." she trailed off with a sigh. 

Slowly, he nodded along. She wasn't wrong- he'd toyed with the possibility before. After all, he'd been able to see better without glasses when possessing people who needed them. Still, different powers could possibly react differently to such things. 

And then, a different thought struck him. At once, he sat upright. Wide eyes finding Qiao Ling's with an intensity that had been slowly dimming these past days. 

He hated the idea forming within his mind, it felt wrong. It broke every sort of unspoken boundaries Lu Guang had kept up over the years they'd known him- but it was the only thing he could think of to figure things out. 

Because the likelihood of finding a picture from Lu Guang that he could use to dive... the chances were painfully low. 

"... hey, Qiao Ling? If we find a picture, do you think you could try looking deeper into his memories?" 

Chapter Text

"Found it- are you sure you can do this, Qiao Ling?"

With a scoff, his sister grabbed the picture. Looking it over briefly without activating her power. "Of course I can! Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked, waving the photo.

It was old, faded due to age. But the boy in the picture was unmistakable. White hair, grey eyes, a stare as if he'd never been taught how to smile.

That was Lu Guang, alright.

The picture was from a yearbook- Captain Xiao had acquired it, somehow. Despite being with the police, he hadn't managed to find anything on Lu Guang's past aside that one picture of when he was... ten? Maybe eleven?

There was almost nothing- as if one day, he'd just appeared out of thin air. Or as if someone had wiped his records. Really, even the information as to who his parents were was gone. It was strange, but not surprising. 

Cheng Xiaoshi glanced at the photo. Vaguely, he remembered that Lu Guang had mentioned living with a sort of family friend up until he moved in with him, once. He'd never told him who it was. He was secretive like that.

Or maybe, he just didn't enjoy talking about himself. 

But the photo... he felt sick, looking at it. Lu Guang looked horribly young, but his face was slimmer than a ten-year-old's ought to be. Barely a hint of baby fat, eyes dark and haunted. He wanted to dive and ask this little Lu Guang questions so badly... but without a guide, it was nearly impossible.

Qiao Ling wouldn't be able to pin-point the needed memories fast enough to be much of a help, not yet, but it might be enough to give them a better lead. 

There was also Noah Evans... and Captain Xiao had only been able to shrug. Telling them he'd look into the man and would try his contacts in Bridon. For a brief moment, Cheng Xiaoshi had felt as though the officer from Yingdu had stared at them at the comment. When he'd double-checked, the man had seemed engrossed with a report.

Qiao Ling claimed he was odd- but refused to elaborate.

"Let's get it over with" he finally decided, with a heavy sigh. Hating how intrusive this was, but desperate for any sort of clues they might get on the person Lu Guang had been in contact with.

With a nod, his sister sat down on the couch. Snapped a picture in case a dive was needed and set her phone down in favor of looking at the photo. Cheng Xiaoshi paced. He was too nervous to sit. In silence, he watched as Qiao Ling's eyes flashed white.

She frowned, ever so briefly, looking quite queasy. "He feels terrible, and sad" she murmured, absent-minded, then swallowed. "Sorry, not helpful right now-" 

Cheng Xiaoshi grimaced. It definitely didn't help. Yet he didn't comment, he didn't want to distract her. Not when she needed to concentrate as much as possible to keep her ability up. So he sat down after all. He didn't want his pacing to distract her. Bounced his foot instead.  

For a couple minutes, they sat in utter silence. Then, without warning, Qiao Ling reeled back with a gasp, dropping the photo. Her eyes were wide and horrified, and she fought back a sob. 

"Ling?" worried, he sat down next to her. Hand hovering over his sister's shoulder. She shook her head, turning and hugging him tightly. Tapped his shoulder in a pattern he recognized from their childhood- I need a moment. 

She'd coined it, back then, but it was Cheng Xiaoshi who'd used to use it a lot. Especially around the anniversary of his parents vanishing. 

He swallowed, hard. He didn't know what she'd seen, but he hated it already. His eyes drifted to her phone, still turned on, and he frowned. Reached for it. "Can I-?" he started, received a small nod. 

He looked at the picture on the phone, briefly glanced at Qiao Ling - or perhaps himself, he wasn't sure - and clapped his hands together. 

In an instant, he was diving. 

~

It was late. Or at least it felt late.

Someone had brought him food earlier, but he'd barely touched it. He felt sick, ever since the meeting two days ago. Hadn't eaten since the morning of when it had happened.

Lu Guang had spent the time since being brought back in his room, laying in bed and pretending to stare at the wall. Key word being pretending. He wished he could, if only to figure out a way to let time pass faster. 

No one who brought him food had talked with him, so far. Maybe they weren't allowed. Maybe they didn't want to. It made him miss the studio, made him miss Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling and Yue. 

He couldn't tell if the timeline was back on it's old tracks, or if it was spinning out of control still. This was a side of the story he'd never been privy to- and truthfully, he didn't want to be.

It wasn't like he could use the knowledge from the previous timelines, either. Liu Xiao could look right through him. He couldn't out-manipulate a manipulator.

He still missed his blindfold. It was another reason why he laid in bed and hardly moved. He felt wrong without it, but Liu Xiao had refused to properly answer him. Instead, he'd kept changing the topic.

The door creaked open, and he tensed. Half-expecting Liu Xiao to visit or perhaps Li Tianchen.

After that rather public possession, he'd realized that Liu Xiao must've known that Li Tianchen's power overpowered his disability. They must've tested it, at some point. He hated it. 

It was humiliating, being used as a living puppet.

A small, barely there part of him hoped he'd starve to death. He'd end up break his promise anyway. Because he'd tried to promise Qiao Ling, and by extension of course Cheng Xiaoshi, that he'd come back... but now? Now he saw no way out. 

There was no way for him to leave.

There was no way for him to win.

The only good thing was, was that they might all manage to live. Even if it cost him his own joy. It didn't matter. He just wanted them to be okay.

Maybe he was lucky and she hadn't realized what he'd tried to do. 

"Uh- this isn't my room, is it?"

The voice was painfully familiar, and Lu Guang sat up so fast that he tumbled from the bed, a startled "Xia Fei-?" escaping him. He landed in a heap, groaning in pain. Did Liu Xiao really...? 

There was a beat, and for a moment he assumed he'd hallucinated. That Liu Xiao hadn't found Xia Fei. That this was a figment of his imagination and that, like before, Xia Fei remained lost. Then: "Lu Guang?"

Steps approached, and the former seer sat up. Wincing when the door fell shut louder than he'd have liked. Who knew who may have heard that. But then again, Liu Xiao didn't seem to care much about him beyond his knowledge and ability... and he hadn't attempted to leave. 

"Liu Xiao found you" he noted, a hint lamely. It was the only thing he could think of to say, in all honesty. The silence following was painfully awkward. Perhaps Xia Fei hadn't expected him to be here, either. Perhaps he was just going insane. 

Lu Guang was starting to wonder if, maybe, he'd lost his mind after all when Xia Fei cleared his throat. "Vein, technically. And some... short pink haired guy" he said, voice slow and cautious. His steps stopped somewhere on the opposite side of the bed. "But I guess Liu Xiao is the one who located me" 

It would've been easy to say "Yes, through my knowledge" but he refrained. It didn't matter. Maybe they would've found him regardless. He didn't know Xia Fei's place in the original timeline. Instead, he offered a nod and a simple: "I'm glad you're okay" 

It wasn't a lie. Xia Fei was someone Cheng Xiaoshi considered a friend. Therefore, he was glad the other was okay. Truth be told, he wasn't sure if the two of them could genuinely be considered friends. Lu Guang wasn't good at friendships. That was Cheng Xiaoshi's thing. 

There was silence, for a long moment. The younger man used it to return to sitting on his bed, patting the empty space next to him as a silent offer to let the (probably) former model stay. "... what happened to your eyes?" Xia Fei asked after taking a seat, and Lu Guang froze.

The question startled him enough that he failed to notice the exhausted, almost haunted, tone in the other's voice.  

Head ducking low, he turned away. "Let's... not talk about that" he muttered, fought a sigh. Wiped at his eyes subtly. Hesitated. "I'd rather no one sees, but Liu Xiao keeps refusing to give my blindfold back" he added quietly, the admission hanging in the air heavily. 

Xia Fei wasn't silent for long, this time. "I'm sorry. I don't really get why you're covering it, you could still pass for a model easily, but you don't deserve that" he murmured, sighing. "I could try to find a new one for you?" 

The other was quite kind, truly, but Lu Guang's face twisted into a frown all the same. "... it's... the blindfold was kind of special to me. It was a gift from Xiaoshi" he explained, letting himself fall backwards. Closed his eyes as if it made a difference. 

"Oh- yea, that... hm" Clothes rustled and the bed creaked slightly. Quietly, Lu Guang assumed that Xia Fei had followed his example and laid down. "Where is he? Cheng Xiaoshi, I mean" 

Another sore topic, not that Xia Fei would know. But he could guess that, eventually, he'd be asked why he was here. Starting with Cheng Xiaoshi was likely the easiest. 

Lu Guang sighed. "He's... I had to leave, both to keep him safe and to take at least one burden off his shoulders" he murmured. Trying to leave as much of the time-travel out of it as humanly possible. For that was a can of worms he was unwilling to open to even more people. 

"Cheng Xiaoshi saw you as a burden?" disbelief lined his voice, a hint of anger slipping into it as well. Though Lu Guang could only frown in confusion. 

Slowly, he shook his head. "No, he didn't... well, not yet. He would have, eventually" he countered, unable to keep the defeat from his voice. "It was a matter of time" 

"... Lu Guang, no offense, but you're an idiot" Xia Fei told him in a voice that was quite a lot calmer than mere seconds ago. "Do you even want to be here?" 

Wordlessly he shook his head. Of course he didn't want to be here- but what else was he supposed to do? No matter if this was a safe plan or a trap, he wasn't in control of the situation. Not anymore. 

Xia Fei laughed, quiet and bitter. A bone-deep exhaustion in his voice. "Yea, me neither..." he whispered, voice wavering in a way that reminded of when Cheng Xiaoshi thought too much about his parents and was holding back tears. 

Hesitantly, he held out an arm. Unsure if that was enough of a gesture to make his offer clear. He received an answer when he was slowly tugged into a hug. It wasn't too tight- Xia Fei seemed as uncertain as he felt about the attempt to comfort. 

After what felt like an eternity without Cheng Xiaoshi's lacking sense for personal space, the hug felt like heaven. Selfishly, he let himself relax for the first time since arriving here.  

"... we got ourselves into quiet the situation, huh?" the model mumbled, and Lu Guang nodded slowly. Carefully wrapping his arms around him. Pausing briefly when the other flinched. 

"Yea... it seems we did" 

Chapter Text

He couldn't concentrate on the world around them, not really. People were talking. He could hear them, but he couldn't make out the spoken words. They may as well have been speaking English, with how poor his grasp on that language was. 

Captain Xiao frowned, said something to Qiao Ling. They must've noticed. But no matter how hard he tried to focus on them, his mind simply refused. 

They left him alone, briefly. He sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair, leg bouncing, while he waited. Everything hurt. Nothing hurt. There were injuries everywhere. There was not a single injury to treat. Pain meds wouldn't fix this. He'd been a child- 

A hand rested on his shoulder, and he blinked. Snapped out of his thoughts. Qiao Ling stood in front of him. He wasn't sure whether it was envy or disappointment that reared it's head when he saw her hands shake quite a lot less than his own still did. 

That, truthfully, spiked a hint of guilt. 

Before he could drown in his thoughts again, though, he shook his head. "What?" he asked, instead of pretending like he'd heard. Let himself get dragged to his feet. His sister in all but blood hollered a goody bye over her shoulder, pulled him along. 

Outside the station, she paused. Glanced up at him. "He can't help" she said, and tried pulling him along yet again, further down the sidewalk. Away from the police station. Towards the empty studio where no one but a literal cat waited for him. 

He missed being able to joke about having a human-sized cat as a best friend. 

Stubbornly, he didn't move. "That's not why we came here" he pointed out. Hoped he was right. He wasn't quite sure, not anymore. The captain had called them... right?

Qiao Ling frowned. "We can't help them with this, either" she said, frowned. "Scratch that, I refuse to even consider taking a job like that, in general. Lu Guang would refuse, too" 

With a huff, he pulled his arm free. "What are you talking about?" he asked, a little irritated. Watched her frown turn into something less discernable. 

"Captain Xiao told me that the police officer, the one with those weird earrings who helped save Lu Guang, is from Yingdu" Qiao Ling slowly explained, and Cheng Xiaoshi didn't find himself very surprised. The man had talked like he'd lived abroad for a long time, similar to how Xia Fei's boss had talked. 

Still, that didn't seem very important. "So?" he asked, tilted his head. A police officer from Yingdu wasn't common, but definitely not that special. Not when the man had been around and working at Guidu's station for... what, a month?  

She whacked his shoulder lightly. "I was getting there! Anyway, so he's actually looking for someone named Vein, and Captain Xiao thinks odd. It is... weird. Because that's the name of the guy I located for him... he was... anyway, when I told the Captain where I'd seen him so he inform the Sergeant because I ran out on him, he had this strange look on his face" 

Cheng Xiaoshi could only imagine how strange his own expression must've been. "Vein is dead" he said, with full certainty. After all, he knew that. He'd known that for years. "He had a heart attack three years ago- he was Xia Fei's boss. Nice guy, a little... weird... though... what's that look for?"

His sister looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Nice? He was... Cheng Xiaoshi, he isn't dead- I saw him. He chased Lu Guang, and Lu Guang... god, you should've seen- he looked terrified" 

Truthfully, he didn't want to imagine a terrified Lu Guang. But it was so, so easy. He hated the mental image. He hated the pains, which weren't real, flaring up at the thought. 

"Okay, so... we've got a zombie problem too now?" he asked, and distracted by all this, he entirely forgot about the job Qiao Ling had mentioned.  

Though, and that was something only Qiao Ling knew, diving into a building and witnessing a massacre would only bring them all more trouble than it was worth. 

~

"Was that really necessary?"

Liu Xiao paused where he sat on the couch, a cup of tea half-way raised to his lips. His eyes flicked to the man leaning in the doorway, a soft chuckle escaping him in a huff that blew the steam away from him. 

Instead of taking a sip, he set the cup down on the table before him. Crossed one leg over the other. "What do you mean?" he asked, offered a smile. "I'm surprised you of all people ask. Don't you kill people to get others back in line?" 

The comment caused a grin, faint as it may be. With a hum, the older man between the two walked into the room. "Never without reason. But that wasn't murder, Xavier~" he countered calmly, with a too-wide grin, stopped by the window and stared outside. 

"It was the most effective and quickest action to take" Liu Xiao pointed out. "What was I supposed to do, hm? Let my respect go down the drain because I can't get one of my men to do as told? Showing off just what kind of people listen to me was a nice bonus"

Vein thought back to their faces when Li Tianchen had used his power. He couldn't disagree on that, truly. Yet... "What happened that makes him despise us so much, hm? Normal people don't hate you from the get go for no reason... and: you've implied time travel to exist plenty of times, no?"

Liu Xiao stilled. Eyes fixated on the redhead without blinking. "You needn't concern yourself with the past" he said, taking his cup of tea. He took a sip, no longer bothering to look at the redhead. 

With a scowl, Vein crossed the room in few long, quick strides. "Xavier" was the only thing he said, the warning clear in his voice.

But the younger man simply smiled, still not looking at him. "It doesn't matter what happened. What matters is that he's here now. Isn't it enough to know that he traveled through time?"

A little over three years ago, maybe he'd have agreed.

What was he, but a mindless weapon of destruction? Killing people was something he was skilled in... and something he certainly enjoyed.   

But three years ago the time traveler and his friend befriended Vein's quite literally only friend and truth be told, the fact someone loathed him so much was fascinating.

Especially because, given the time travel, there must be a reason for this hatred.

Yet the only ones who knew either refused to tell him due to said hatred or something along those lines, or refused to tell him because of some grand plan.

Honestly? It pissed him off.

Still, he offered a pleasant smile. "Right" he answered, like the well-trained weapon he pretended to be. Didn't ask further questions of which he knew he would gain no answers. "But don't forget our deal"

Dismissively, Liu Xiao shook his head. "I remember, don't you worry" he said with the calmest of smiles. "You shouldn't forget your side of the deal, darling"

"Wouldn't dream of it~" he responded, voice dropping to a sing-song. He turned on his heel, and went to leave without sparing him another glance. "Now, if you'll excuse me- I was intending to cook something" 

~

Biting on his fist hardly stifled the sobs forcing their way from his throat.

It was stupid of him, really, to be crying. But it hurt. It hurt being alone. He missed his home and his friends. Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling had been around him basically always.

For them, it felt like three years.

For him, it felt like a lifetime.

And then and there, it felt like he was mourning them, even though in this timeline they were alive and well.

At least yesterday and the day before, he'd been visited by Xia Fei. As startling at that first visit had been.

Today, the model hadn't visited him. He didn't know why. Maybe he'd realized it was pointless to spend time around someone like Lu Guang.

Xia Fei hadn't visited, but Li Tianchen had. Alone, as far as he could tell. Pieces of it were missing.

It wasn't hard to guess that Li Tianchen had decided to use his powers. He didn't know what for, exactly, but vaguely and almost through a fog he recalled Li Tianxi.

A little older than when Cheng Xiaoshi possessed her, a lot younger than when they'd met in reality.

His own powers didn't affect the timeline. Truth be told, if Li Tianchen had been nicer - maybe asked to let him look into old pictures - maybe he'd have taken a picture from Cheng Xiaoshi's book and agreed.

Being mind controlled like that made him decide that no, he'd never agree. Not after Li Tianchen already proved he'd never respect his 'selfishness', as the younger boy would most likely describe it. There was no point to agreeing anyway, if Li Tianchen used his power as he pleased. 

But wasn't all this a whole new can of worms? He was blind and useless, but his ability was still right there. Uselessly sitting ducks.

How long would it be until Liu Xiao decided he'd prefer it be held by someone else?

His next sob got stuck halfway when a knock startled him from his sorrowful state. For a long moment, he remained utterly still.

He'd assumed it was night. Someone had brought him dinner, a while after Li Tianchen had vanished.

Truthfully, he'd been too out of it then, to make out who was talking to him. Just heard the word dinner and 'still alive?' and forced himself to nod. 

Part of him hoped whoever it was would leave, despite the loneliness he felt. But who, aside from Liu Xiao and perhaps Li Tianchen would be interested in him?

Another knock, more insistent. Whoever it was didn't seem to want to give up. It was a little doubtful that it was either of them. They wouldn't bother knocking. They hadn't so far. 

With a deep sigh, he sat up. "Yes?" He asked, tone as neutral as he could manage. Wiped what leftover tears were likely still drying on his cheeks away.

There were two pairs of steps reaching his ears, after the door open and shut. One steady, the other accompanied by the sound of - ... a cane? No, it sounded more like... - crutches accompanying them.  

"Are you okay, Lu Guang? Wait, crap, stupid question-"

Despite the, indeed a little stupid, question he relaxed just a hint. Because this wasn't a complete stranger- it was Xia Fei. Although the silent companion put him on edge. "Fine, as far as circumstances allow" he said, wiping at his face again. 

The bed dipped near his feet. "Sorry for disturbing you, Ava was convinced you were still awake and not feeling well" Xia Fei sounded a hint embarrassed, but not genuinely sorry. Lu Guang didn't mind it, not really. Though the foreign name had him pause. 

"... Ava?" he asked, a hint confused. Then, the uneven steps accompanied by the thud of crutches returned until the bed dipped. The person sitting down being much more hesitant about it than Xia Fei had been. 

The second guest cleared their throat, then piped up hesitantly with a distinctively feminine voice: "Y-You can call me... Aì J-Jinyan. I'm... um... I'm f-friends with... with Fei. Or- or Ava! Either... either w-works" 

That solved that mystery- though the familiarity surprised him, just a hint. "And you two are...?" he asked, not quite sure if he was overstepping. But Xia Fei laughed, the sound more genuine than the forced happiness from their first conversation. 

"No, no. It's not like that- we're really just friends. Well, coworkers turned friends?" the (possibly ex-)model explained. "Aside from boss she was the only one from China, back in Yingdu, so..." vaguely, Lu Guang assumed the other to shrug. 

He nodded along despite being unsure about that bit anyway. "I'm guessing sleep evaded you, too" he mumbled, made himself as comfy as he dared. From the end of the bed, he heard a deep sigh. 

"Yea... I... uh... Vein gave me a phone, considering mine is gone" Xia Fei explained slowly, and something that vaguely sounded a complaint about still not having a phone came from where 'Ava' sat. 

Xia Fei laughed a little. "Yea, well, you said you don't one unless it's for calls" he pointed out, light-hearted, before clearing his throat: "It's pretty limited, so no phone calls currently- because we're supposed to lay low, but we could... listen to an audio book?" 

The offer stunned the former seer, just for a moment. Then, he nodded. An audio book sounded by far more productive than staying awake and crying for hours. "That sounds fun" he agreed softly, and found that he wasn't entirely lying. 

He almost heard the smile in Xia Fei's voice when he answered: 

"How does Sunrise on the Reaping sound?" 

Chapter Text

He closed his eyes that night, and the memories wouldn't leave him. Selfishly, he wished he hadn't dived, that Qiao Ling's power hadn't been so easy, so instinctive, to use. But Qiao Ling didn't deserve to hold this burden alone. 

Still, a tear ran down his face. 

The first thing he'd noticed, upon being thrown into the memories via the diving power linking with Qiao Ling's power, was that Lu Guang was in pain.

That, in itself, was already concerning. 

What concerned him even more was the absolute terror sinking into his bones, into his soul- engulfing him like water after breaking through the ice of a frozen lake. 

Lu Guang was in pain, and he was terrified. And from what he could tell, based on how big everything around him was... he was still a child, in this memory. 

In the memories, Lu Guang wandered. The house was in a terrible state. It reeked like, as Cheng Xiaoshi recognized, cheap alcohol and cigarettes. Lu Guang hated cigarettes, always had ever since he'd known him, and the thought made him aware of a stinging pain on his shoulder. 

It felt... it felt like a burn, almost.

The Lu Guang in the memories found a photo, a quiet whisper of "Mom..." escaping him. The photo showed pastries. Vague and fleetingly, memories of their taste and a deep-rooted sorrow flashed by.  

It was horribly strange, to experience Lu Guang's powers. But he watched the events of the picture unfold. Watched as the woman, Lu Guang's mother, went about her day... until she crossed the street and was struck by a car. 

He couldn't help but think amidst it all: Oh, so he took after his mother.

Someone screamed, and it took a moment for him to realize it was Lu Guang. 

The fear went from ice cold water to a suffocating noose when heavy steps lumbered closer. There was a man. Tall and angry, eyes wild. 

He froze when he saw the picture. Glanced between it and him. Then, a knowing look crossed his face. "You're just like her. Exactly like her. Same fuckin' eyes, same fuckin' hair- you're even special like she was"

Cheng Xiaoshi felt sick. Lu Guang's father, from what he could tell, really did find out about his power... but it was nowhere near what he'd imagined. 

When the first kick landed, he desperately tried to figure out how to find a different memory. This wasn't what they were looking for. This wasn't something he'd wanted to learn without Lu Guang's consent- 

He tried imagining swiping to a new picture, tried remembering how Qiao Ling described the power she'd inherited from Li Tianxi.

When he finally succeeded, his mind whirled. He couldn't tell if the order of memories was even right.

Memories flashed by. Too fast to decipher. Train tracks- strangely familiar and yet not. A boy who looked- gone too fast. A picture of a cat- small and cute and oddly familiar. Being driven out of the city in a car and far, far away- being dragged away from his father. 

Pain, pain, pain, make it stop, stop it, no more, why would they-? 

He curled up and fought back a sob, eyes burning. He'd never experienced... whatever these people did, not himself, but the memories were vivid. The phantom pain lingered like it always did. Like it had when he'd left Lu Guang's body, stabbing pain where the injury had been. Like it had been when he left a guy who'd twisted his ankle. Like- 

His vision swam in the dark, and he gently pet the small kitten they'd picked up when she licked at his face. It did nothing to stop his tears, despite his gratitude for the effort.  

"Oh, Lu Guang..." he whispered out loud, his voice cracking. Wondered, in silence, if the painful memories lingered or if they were overshadowed by reliving... who knows how much time outside it. If more painful memories had made them 'numb' in comparison, or if it hurt to remember still. 

People had done that to children. They'd basically- no. They had tortured children. For what? For their powers?

He was starting to see why Lu Guang had been so cautious about revealing his own. Why he was so careful about keeping as little people in the know as possible.

How terrifying must it have been, for the police to make a branch centered around supernatural powers?

Though then, his mind drifted back to these people.

Were they the Eye that Chris told him about? He didn't want to think about these people any longer. Thinking about Lu Guang did him little good either, though, and the tears flowed anew. 

He missed his best friend, but truthfully, he didn't know how to get him back. How to even find him. This 'Noah' had been his last idea... and now he was down to zero. Memories didn't go well, after all. He had no more ideas on how to get Lu Guang back.

It hurt, and he hated it. 

The ring of his phone caught his attention, and turned on his stomach. It was the landlady. "Can't sleep either, huh?" he murmured to himself, glanced at the time. Three in the morning. 

He bit his lip until he felt it bleed, but hardly even noticed it aside from the taste. The ringing was starting to hurt his ears, but he didn't move. "Sorry, Ling. I don't really feel like talking right now" Cheng Xiaoshi sighed, gently tugging the kitten closer and tapping on the decline button. 

Tomorrow. He'd talk to his sister tomorrow. At least that's what he told himself. 

~

The door opened with a creak, and Lu Guang paused the audio book Xia Fei had brought him a couple hours ago. 

"I see you found yourself a hobby" the voice, despite his hopes, was not Xia Fei's. A part of him wondered when he'd started to hope or even wish for the other's presence, however the majority of him felt utterly revolted with the current visitor.

Lu Guang didn't grace the other with an answer. Instead, he pressed play again and pretended like he wasn't here. 

The audio went silent after hardly a minute. "It's rude to ignore guests" Liu Xiao told him, plain and simple. As if they were friends. As if they were quite literally anything. Lu Guang wasn't violent by nature, but he had to fight the urge to punch him regardless. 

"It's rude to force people to be your puppets and make them do anything without their consent" he countered bitterly. Stilled when he felt the bed dip, a hand grasping his chin. This time, he managed to smack his hand away. Scowled at his general direction. 

But Liu Xiao only laughed a little, as if this were funny to him. Perhaps it was. "Oh, Guang. Don't be so rude. You should be thankful, really" his scowl deepened when his head was tilted up, eyes narrowing despite it changing nothing.

Especially considering Xia Fei had helped him tie a new blindfold over them. 

It was a bit rougher than the old one, against his scar. It didn't have stitches. It was just some piece of fabric that Xia Fei mentioned was blue. It still meant a lot to him, that he'd tried helping.

"Thankful? For what? Trapping me here? Holding Cheng Xiaoshi's life over my head? Using me?" he countered, and felt a sharp sting against his cheek. Winced at the pain. He didn't dare reach up to touch his face. 

Liu Xiao shoved him back by his face. Light enough for it to be considered gentle. Lu Guang recoiled all the same. "Thankful that I'm not killing you both and taking your powers for myself. I could've easily asked Li Tianchen to kill you. I could've asked Vein to kill you. Anyone- even done it myself. You're still alive, and so are your friends" 

The former seer forced himself not to recoil further when Liu Xiao leaned close enough for his breath to brush against his ear. "I could make your life so much worse, Guang. Yet here I am, being so kind, and you act like this anyway..." 

Fingers hooked under the new blindfold, tugged, and something in Lu Guang broke at the repeated ignoring of what he wanted. At the repeated threats and claims of 'aren't I so kind?' when Liu Xiao was anything but a lying manipulator.

Before he could stop himself, he shoved Liu Xiao away with as much force as he could muster. Felt a hint of satisfaction mix with dread when he heard a thud. Still, he forced himself to remain calm. His heartbeat likely gave him away though. 

"Don't touch me" he muttered, keeping his voice as steady as he could. "Did no one teach you about boundaries?" he added, sharper. Forced himself not to shake.

For a moment that seemed to span an eternity, Liu Xiao said nothing. Then clothes rustled. "Fine," he heard him say, tone unusually cold, "be like that" 

His steps faded, and Lu Guang's heart raced. He'd made a mistake, hadn't he? He'd definitely made a mistake. 

What if Liu Xiao chose to hurt Cheng Xiaoshi or Qiao Ling, as retaliation? What if he killed them? What if he didn't prevent the node or made sure it'd happen? 

He didn't notice the door open, nor when it closed. His mind too far away to hear the sound. Panicked as he was, he heard nothing aside from the noise of his own breathing. 

When he was shook by the shoulders, a distant voice trying to shout at him through the fog, he only managed a choked noise that could've been an attempt at anything. As it was, he only sounded as if he were getting strangled. 

Rather than continuing to shake him, he was suddenly enveloped in a warm embrace by someone a good bit taller than him. It was warm and safe and everything he longed for, since leaving the studio behind. 

Xiaoshi?, he couldn't help but think, arms shakily coming up cling rather than to hug back. Desperately, he clung to the other, a sob forcing its way out of him. He longed to look at him- to see if he was okay. 

Tears burned in his eyes, and he buried his face where he assumed a shoulder to be. His own shoulders heaving with each shuddering breath. "Xiaoshi" he croaked out, fingers digging through the fabric and into the other's back. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for leaving-" he couldn't help but repeat himself, over and over. Then there was a hand in his hair, carding through it, and the gentleness of it broke something in him: "I can't lose you again, Xiaoshi, I love you" 

The hand in his hair stilled, and then he was squeezed tightly. "Oh, Lu Guang..." came a sorrowful whisper near his ear, but the voice was deeper than Cheng Xiaoshi's. There was an accent, light as it may be, that Cheng Xiaoshi did not have. 

Had he not been so exhausted from crying, perhaps he would've felt shame at confessing in front of someone who wasn't meant to hear that. As it was, he continued to weep into Xia Fei's shoulder. 

If he'd been in any better state of mind, perhaps he'd have felt more gratitude at the other's attempt to console him.

Chapter Text

It was nearly painfully awkward, the next morning. The breakfast tasted like ash on his tongue, the silence was grating. 

The taste of ash could've been very well Xia Fei's cooking attempt though. He'd smelled smoke, he'd heard him curse. He was blind, not stupid. 

Honestly, he couldn't tell what exactly this was supposed to be. Scrambled eggs? He'd heard him mutter about that, but he wasn't sure if he'd been thinking aloud about what to make or not. Maybe it was something else entirely. 

As it was, neither of them seemed keen on talking about what had been said yesterday. Eventually, though, Xia Fei cleared his throat. "So, do you want to talk about..." he trailed off awkwardly, sounding a hint unsure. 

Lu Guang fought a scowl, biting into the burnt toast to buy himself a little time. "If you tell anyone, especially Vein or Liu Xiao, that I really-" he started, but paused at a choked cough from across him. 

"No- no, don't worry. I won't tell anyone" the blond assured him quickly, sounding a little winded. Maybe he'd swallowed wrong? Or finally tasted the abomination he called breakfast? 

Though, he seemed to clear his throat quiet soon. "Anyway, that's not... I was referring to your panic attack. I think it was a panic attack?" Xia Fei sounded a hint awkward, though Lu Guang couldn't find it in himself to blame him. 

The situation was quite awkward. 

Still, he fought a sigh. Turning his head away out of habit. "... Liu Xiao came to visit me" he mumbled, frowning. "It was... I'm worried he'll try to harm Cheng Xiaoshi" 

Cutlery clattered to the table across from him. "What?!" Xia Fei shouted, clearly alarmed. He did quiet down a little when he hushed him with a hissed 'Not so loud', however. The white haired man wasn't interested in finding out how much Liu Xiao eves-dropped on his room. Though, he also doubted that it'd change much, at this point.

Lu Guang scratched at his wrist, desperately trying to find words without having to reveal everything. "I agreed to go with him to keep Cheng Xiaoshi save, but... at this rate I can't tell if he'll break word on his own or if I'll accidentally..."

With a frown, the white haired man shook his head. "All he said back when I agreed to come here made sense. At least at that time, even if I hated it. Like me being a burden" 

"... he seems pretty fond of using people's fears against them" Xia Fei muttered, sighing. "Don't know if he was gonna try stuff with me, though if he planned to, Vein probably shut it down in advance. He's constantly glaring at him since I got here... and Ava is wary too" 

He hummed absentmindedly. "She's using crutches, isn't she?" he found himself asking, in hopes of a topic change. If only for a little while. 

"Someone broke her ankle" he could hear the wince, and the way Xia Fei voice broke wasn't helping much: "It wasn't... it wasn't pretty. She was just trying to help" 

He hesitated, ducked his head. "Do you... want to talk about what happened? You got kidnapped, right?" he finally asked, tilted his head for good measures. Not quite sure if the topic he was asking about was something Xia Fei would even be able to talk about. 

For a long moment, there was silence. It was so quite a dropping needle would've been heard easily. Not for the first time, Lu Guang wished he could see. He couldn't tell what the other's reaction was. Not when he was so utterly quiet. 

Then, a joyless laugh reached his ears. "We were eight when... when we arrived. I knew most of them in passing. Models, y'know? Ava worked for Vein too. Jack was there... the guy you defended me from three years ago?" 

Lu Guang remembered. Jack was hard to forget, in his opinion. How the guy became a model is beyond him- from what he remembered, he'd not been nearly as pretty as Cheng Xiaoshi or Xia Fei. 

Actually, scratch that. Even Lu Guang would call himself prettier, and he's as mediocre aside from his hair as one can get.

There was a heavy sigh, and the sound of a plate being shoved away. Lu Guang understood the sentiment. His appetite was gone, too. Though his had been gone from the second he'd bitten into their burnt breakfast. 

He heard Xia Fei drum his fingers against the table. The noise was nice- steady and like the rhythm of a song he may have heard on the radio once. 

"They... they did unspeakable things. To the girls, especially. Ava tried to get in between... that's when someone... that's when her ankle got broken" the model eventually settled on, and Lu Guang didn't need to be a genius to guess what happened. "After that she got sick. I guess that... kinda saved her from a similar fate? Two died the same night because of an escape attempt"

He could imagine how someone would get sick in such a situation. A broken ankle... maybe an infection? He didn't dwell too long on it. After all, the past was the past. Even if that was an ironic thing for him to think.  

Lu Guang reached across the table, ignored when he bumped against a glass with his hand instead. "I'm sorry that happened to you guys" he told him sincerely, and felt a hand grab and gently squeeze his. 

There was a beat. Then: "They tried with me. I fought back" Xia Fei sounded hollow when he spoke, and Lu Guang felt horror well up inside him. It explained the flinching. The odd, exhausted tone. Carefully, he squeezed his hand. "I... Lu Guang I killed someone" the blond croaked out. 

He should've felt... something at that. Disgust or anger or horror. Instead, he nodded in approval. "Good," he said and truly found himself meaning it, "people like that don't deserve to live" 

And they didn't, did they? People like that... he couldn't imagine the insanity necessary to do such disgusting things. Someone like that couldn't even be called human anymore, in his opinion. 

"What? Lu Guang I just admitted to murder!" Xia Fei sounded disbelieving, and he couldn't help but shrug. Truly, he couldn't see anything wrong. From the sounds of it, it was self-defense. Aside from that... how many people had that person killed? How many had that person harmed? 

"And at the end of the day, it was deserved" he said, thinking back on his attempt to get Vein killed. He'd failed, but in all honesty, he'd never felt guilt for what he'd done. Just regret, recently, about failing. Then, without hesitating, he found himself voicing that aloud: "Vein deserves the same fate" 

The silence returned full force. 

For a moment, he wondered just what expression Xia Fei had. Disbelief? Confusion? He hadn't seen his face in ages, to be honest. He wasn't sure what his expressions even looked like, anymore. Even less than with Cheng Xiaoshi. He did remember that he was very handsome, though. 

Not the same way Cheng Xiaoshi was... but maybe nearly a tie.

"He doesn't deserve to die. Vein is a good person" Xia Fei finally uttered, sounding entirely sure of himself, and it was anger that lined his voice. It seemed he'd forgotten how much the model looked up to his former boss.

Lu Guang couldn't help the laugh escaping him, disbelieving. "He's a murderer" he said, just a hint hysteric. Because, regretfully, they were speaking of the very same person. The person who killed his best friend. "Xia Fei, he kills people. He isn't a good person" 

The table rattled at a dull thud, a chair screeched as it was pushed across the ground. "He saved me. So many fucking times. He doesn't deserve to die" he sounded furious, this time. "He's my best friend" 

Cold calmness washed over him, at that. He understood that feeling. He really did. Still... "And he killed mine. Will kill mine, because he didn't stay dead like he was supposed to" he answered quietly, before he could stop himself. "I was hoping that'd work" 

Steps, quick and nearing, sounded through the room. Then a hand grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled him off the chair. Lu Guang stumbled, surprised. 

"The hell do you- what's that supposed to mean? When did he... why would he... He wouldn't hurt Cheng Xiaoshi. Why would he?" Xia Fei shook him slightly, and Lu Guang simply let him. 

He took a deep breath, because from the looks of it, he'd have to admit things after all. Then again, Liu Xiao or Vein would tell him anyway. Sooner or later. Maybe they'd already told him about the time diving power.

He tilted his head. "He's killed Cheng Xiaoshi before, in a different timeline. Multiple times. He will do it again" he said, voice hollow. "It's why he needs to die. Otherwise, Cheng Xiaoshi won't ever be safe" 

Xia Fei pushed him, then, and Lu Guang stumbled. Felt them both topple to the floor when he lost his balance. His back hit the ground hard, and he wheezed when the air left his lungs upon Xia Fei dropping on top of him. 

Hands held him down by the shoulders, and panic fought with calmness. It was irrational- he didn't think Xia Fei would harm him, but at the same time, his mind seemed all too keen to make him think he might.

"Timeline?" Xia Fei demanded, and his grip remained loose. It made calming down easier, at least a little. His lack of struggling seemed to make the blond's grip falter, as if he'd expected a fight.

He sighed, closing his eyes. It made no difference, anyway. "I'm a time traveler. This is my last chance at saving Cheng Xiaoshi... Vein killed him before, he will do it again unless I stop him" he told him openly, saw little to no point in keeping it a secret that this was his last chance. 

Not like it could be used against him, really. Liu Xiao already knew it. 

"Liar" the grip turned bruising, though part of him doubted Xia Fei was doing that on purpose. "Vein wouldn't... he liked Cheng Xiaoshi, he said he seemed like a good guy. He wouldn't kill one of my friends, someone he considers a friend too-" 

Lu Guang said nothing, nor did he move. Made no attempt to fight back. If Xia Fei chose to suddenly punch him to death, here and now, then so be it. From the current look of things, he'd die under Liu Xiao's thumb anyway. 

Then, suddenly, the grip vanished. He flinched, startled, but otherwise still didn't move. He felt too dizzy, in all honesty, from the fall knocking the breath from his lungs and the brief moment of fear even though Xia Fei didn't strike him as a genuinely violent person.

"You don't even fight back" Xia Fei muttered, voice an odd mix between livid and confused. As if he couldn't comprehend why he didn't. Perhaps he really didn't understand. Some days, Lu Guang couldn't understand himself either. 

He shrugged, still winded, and his voice cracked a little when he spoke: "I'm tired of fighting destiny. Maybe if I die now, Vein won't end up killing him. At the very least, I wouldn't have to know he died. I can't keep losing him" 

The weight vanished off him. "Because you love him" Xia Fei said, voice hollow. The anger gone without a trace. All emotion, really. It was unsettling, in a way. He couldn't get a read on him any longer. 

Still, he nodded. "Because I love him" he agreed softly, because that was the truth. 

The pain of losing Cheng Xiaoshi, diving back and breaking his own rules... he did it because that man was the love of his life. He didn't even know it. He likely never would. 

Once, after his first death, he'd told himself he'd confess after he beat the node. Now, he didn't feel worthy about confessing regardless. 

Steps backed away from him, towards the door. Xia Fei said nothing as he left, leaving Lu Guang alone. The door fell shut with a soft click. 

Despite knowing it was unlocked, he felt trapped once more. After all, he was alone again. Xia Fei wouldn't return, not after this. So he was trapped, despite the open door.  

He couldn't find his way out alone, after all. Not with Liu Xiao, Li Tianchen and Vein being in this place, not to mention the people working for Liu Xiao and likely Vein. 

He buried his face in his hands, and part of him felt like he deserved to say it, now that he'd ruined the connection he'd started building with Xia Fei: 

"Fuck"

Chapter Text

Vein was in the kitchen he'd claimed for himself, in the upper east wing of the manor. Aside from his two former employees, and Liu Xiao's occasional visits, he tended to be left in peace there. 

That peace, however, was fragile and he knew. 

His suspicion was confirmed when the door to the kitchen all but slammed open. "Lunch isn't ready yet" he commented idly, uninterested in whoever had barged in beyond a quick side-glance. Though he immediately took a double-take. 

Xia Fei looked... well. He'd rarely seen his face so red. Usually when he was drunk. This time, it seemed like anger. Still, Vein was nothing if not observant. There was guilt, too. Clear as day. 

Wasn't this the same young man who'd excitedly told him his crush had fallen asleep on his shoulder just this morning before heading off to 'make breakfast'?

With a sigh, he leaned against the counter. Looked him over almost lazily. "Oh dear, had a run in with Liu Xiao? Realized your cooking skills are terrible~?" he asked, tone amused to pretend to be nonchalant where he wasn't. 

Wordlessly, the blond shut the door and began to pace. "He said you deserve to die" his formerly best employee spat, glaring at the floor. "You... you don't. You didn't deserve whatever that was. I can't believe he said you-" 

Vein winced at the crack in his voice. Oh, Xia Fei really was upset this time. "He said what, hm?" he simply asked, curious. This didn't sound like things Liu Xiao would say. Though, there weren't many people who'd say such things. 

Only Li Tianchen with his fits of jealousy, maybe, and...

"Lu Guang said you killed Cheng Xiaoshi. In a past timeline. He said he's a time traveler" Xia Fei blurted out, and looked horrified at his own words the second he'd said it. "... I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to tell anyone that" 

Meanwhile, the redhead froze. Confusion clashing with understanding. Thinking back on it... Lu Guang had seemed the most murderous when Vein got too close to his friend. Seemed most at 'ease' around him when Cheng Xiaoshi wasn't in grabbing range. 

And Liu Xiao had refused to tell him. 

"Would it scare you?" He asked, rather than admitting anything. Rather than confirming anything. "Or would it not matter?"

The blond hesitated. "I killed someone" he pointed out brazenly, and it nearly made the older man laugh.

Oh, the ignorance of youth...

Lightly, he smiled. "In self-defense. We aren't talking about self-defense" he reminded him, almost gently. Watched as the anger melted into unease before slowly forming into resignation.

"I don't know. I guess not. You wouldn't hurt me, would you?" Xia Fei seemed hesitant, almost. As if there was any doubt on the matter.

Vein snorted, the sound undignified but cathartic in the confines of only their knowledge. "No" he said, lips twisting into an amused grin that showed off his sharp teeth. "I told you years ago, didn't I? No harm shall come to you"

Admittedly, it had been a bit of a drunk declaration. He couldn't remember what pushed him to drink that much. His birthday, maybe?

As it was, he remembered far too vividly being too wasted to stop himself from promising Xia Fei he'd keep him safe so long as he swore to remain his friend.

Ah, drunk mishaps... though it wasn't like he hadn't meant it. He would keep the blond safe. In Vein's dog-eat-dog world, a genuine soul who wanted to be his friend not for connections or protection but simply because was a rarity.

Vein... Vein didn't usually do friends. He'd made an exception, this once.

Remembering how his only friend had looked, just last week when he finally found him, he couldn't quite tell if he regretted it. After all, it was his fault he'd gotten into that situation.

Xia Fei, to his credit, only cracked a small smile. He could see in his eyes that he remembered.

"I do happen to be a murderer" he finally admitted easily. It wasn't like Xia Fei was able to snitch, right now, if he decided that this was too much. Part of him doubted he would. Knew he wouldn't. "Even back when you worked for me and before" 

Xia Fei went quiet, for a moment. The smile slipping off his face. A hint shaken. "... but Cheng Xiaoshi? Would you really... why would you kill him?" he croaked out, as if that was the biggest worry for him right now. The tasty little morsel from three years ago. 

Idly, Vein wondered if they'd kept in contact. Xia Fei had seemed awfully fond of the duo, after all. The fondness, from what he could tell, had yet to fade. 

If anything, he seemed more fond of the entertaining duo than before.

"Did he truly say that? Or was he perhaps lying?" he asked, tilted his head. He couldn't really imagine it, himself. Cheng Xiaoshi was someone Xia Fei was terribly fond of, and so was Lu Guang. 

Messing with them he could do, no problem. Scaring them, with pleasure. Truly causing harm? Outright killing them? No. Not when he might lose his only friend over it.

Yet, if it was a different timeline... different events...

"He didn't sound like he was lying. You don't look that sad while lying and he doesn't seem insane..." Xia Fei's voice cracked a hint. "And I... Vein I pushed him to the floor over it"

The redhead hummed, tilted his head. "You're too loyal" he noted idly, offering little help in that regard. "Though I doubt you'd actually have caused harm"

The blond glared at him. "I could have hurt him with the pushing" he pointed out dryly, and now it was more guilt than anger.

Vein was pleased to be rid of the anger, truthfully. Guilty people were easier to reason with.

So, he shrugged. "Yes, and you can apologize for that, can't you?" He pointed out calmly, turned half-away to chop the carrots he'd almost forgotten about.

"He's gonna hate me. He hates you and now he's gonna hate me too and- seriously, why would you kill Cheng Xiaoshi?" Xia Fei was slowly tethering to the edge of hysteric, and the redhead fought a sigh.

"I don't know why I did what I did in a different timeline. Maybe he broke your heart" he answered dryly, more in jest. A quick glance told him that the joke had landed flat, his friend looked displeased. "... alright, alright. I won't joke about your crush anymore"

Immediately, the redness returned. This time in shame. "I don't have a crush on Cheng Xiaoshi!" he hissed, like an angry kitten. It was entertaining, really. "Neither on Lu Guang!"

Vein barked out a sharp laugh. "I never said anything about that~" he grinned, pleased with himself. "It's cute that you think I can't tell"

Xia Fei groaned, a sound of pure despair, and wandered towards the couch. From what Vein could see, he flopped down face first.

"It's not like it matters" the blond complained, muffled voice confirming his suspicion. "Apparently you're gonna kill one of them, and at least Lu Guang..."

"Lu Guang loves Cheng Xiaoshi" Vein acknowledged, not missing a beat. The white haired man was nothing but obvious about it. "And besides, I don't plan to kill either of them, truly" 

There was a beat in which only the sound of the knife hitting the cutting board filled the room. Then: "Cheng Xiaoshi is in love with Lu Guang. I could tell based on how he talked about him when we texted. He's oblivious about his own crush, though"

Vein rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Youth these days..." he muttered, then threw the knife upwards to let it flip. Caught it with ease. "And you're still in denial about having a crush on both?"

Xia Fei went silent again, and that seemed to be that.

While the blond moped, Vein finished up his dinner preparations and hummed a tune to himself.

It wasn't until he'd plated the food and put one on the table, before heading for the door with another, that Xia Fei spoke up:

"No. I know you're right"

Vein ended up leaving it at that, heading out and the way Xia Fei had likely come from with the plate in hand. He didn't pass anyone on his way, and frankly, he wouldn't have cared much if he had. 

When he finally reached the right door, he didn't wait for a response after his knocking. Simply stepped inside. 

He looked around calmly, taking in the barren room as if expecting there to be a change since yesterday. There was no personal decoration- or any for that matter. Liu Xiao hadn't bothered with it. 

Idly, he wondered if he'd chosen an at least showily decorated room for Lu Guang if the man could've seen it. He didn't bother dwelling on it and set the plate down on the table, the noise loud in the otherwise quiet room. 

For a long, long moment he contemplated leaving it at that. Dropping off lunch and leaving. It was the easy thing to do and all things considered, the smartest. Perhaps he had no intentions of harming the duo, but past-him certainly did. 

He wondered, oh so badly, what made his opinion change so drastically in this timeline as opposed to one where he'd allegedly killed one of Xia Fei's crushes. It had to be something big. He knew Xia Fei's feelings on the duo. Though he felt himself pause at that thought. 

Ah, so that might be it... if his sole friend was the reason he wasn't planning to harm the two, then what of the situation if said friend was taken out of the equation? 

He didn't feel like contemplating that line of thought further than that.

Instead, he shut the door. "We're going to have a talk" he announced with as much cheer as he could plaster on after those thoughts, and watched as the young man went from wallowing in some sort of despair to looking like he'd been doused with cold water.

"Vein" he croaked out, and oh, it's been a while since he instilled the kind of fear that had someone tremble quite so much. The white haired man hadn't reacted that badly even during their last encounter, and Vein had been toying with him then. 

In normal circumstances, this would've been delightful. He loved watching people grow uncomfortable around him at just a small shift in his tone or stance. 

In current circumstances, he rolled his eyes. "Quit looking like a scaredy cat" he said, and waved his hand out of habit. "I'm not here to play with you" 

At that, entertainingly enough, the white haired man scowled. "You call what you do playing?" he asked icily, and Vein all but cackled as fear made way for murderous intent. That was more the Lu Guang he remembered from three years ago. 

"I'd say no harm no foul, but seeing how previous timelines have gone... consider this the one where I'm the cat and you're the mouse" he offered lightly, as if he hadn't taunted the other and chased him through a city knowing very well he could get hurt easily. 

Xia Fei probably wouldn't like knowing that... alas, what was done was done. 

Despite being unable to see him, Lu Guang glared something fierce. The aim was startlingly accurate. "So you know what you've done" 

Vein hummed, pulling out one of the chairs from the table and dragging it to the middle of the room. Took a seat on it with his arms lazily draped over the backrest. "Indeed. So do tell, why did I kill your little boyfriend?" he asked, despite doubting he'd get much of an answer. 

He watched the other falter, eyebrows drawing together. "You... what?" he looked confused, hands balling into fists and bunching up the fabric of the blanket on his bed. "Why would you want to know that?" 

"Because I assumed Liu Xiao was threatening it. Not that it's happened before. He never told me I did it already~" he answered calmly. Then, his face twisted into a scowl. It wasn't like Liu Xiao told him anything, after all. Briefly, he wondered if the man simply saw him as a weapon. 

Though, for now he kept his attention on the other. Watched his expression for any change. "So? What made me kill him?" he asked once more, not willing to leave unless he received an answer. 

And Lu Guang lowered his head, silent for a long moment. "I don't know" he murmured, voice fragile with emotion. It didn't take a genius to know that this was a sore topic. That he hated talking about this. 

Vein narrowed his eyes, watching him like a cat would a mouse. "That's not an answer" he told him, unwilling to drop the topic. He'd make him talk, if he had to. 

"I said I don't know! You're insane, maybe that's why" Lu Guang frowned, but the upset tone did little to deter the older man. Rather, it solidified his confidence of getting answers out of him one way or another. 

So, he cocked his head. "That isn't a reason, sweetie" he answered, the warning all too clearly in his voice. This talk wasn't done until he decided it. "Tell me. Now"

Across from him, Lu Guang stiffed. Hesitated. He shook his head slightly, expression almost desperate. "It must've been something I did, you were always aiming at me. So if you want to get the job done, just do it now" he finally uttered. "Please. I can't... I can't do this anymore. So please, get it over with" 

Vein stilled, startled for once. In all his years, he'd never met someone who actively begged for the end. So, he simply sat and stared. Speechless and with his brain screeching to a halt. 

"I won't kill you" he finally managed, shook his head. Then, when he saw the panic on his face, he added: "Neither will I kill Cheng Xiaoshi" 

He didn't add a 'I promise'. It wasn't possible, simple as that. He'd learned long ago to be careful about promises. 

Perhaps Lu Guang could tell, perhaps he simply was too hysteric. As it was, he simply sat with his head almost lowered to his knees, gripping his hair. He didn't continue begging for death, but Vein didn't doubt that he was still hoping for it. 

He'd need to bring this up to Xia Fei, fast. Leaving this guy alone all day outside of when Xia Fei and Ava visited him or Vein brought him food was clearly a terrible choice if this was something he potentially wanted. 

Though for now... 

Vein rose from the chair and stretched. "Eat your lunch, it won't get warmer" he told him pleasantly, as if he hadn't - nearly? - sent him into a panic attack. 

As he walked out without as much as a bye, he couldn't help but lament one thing: He never did get a specific reason on why he'd killed his best friend's crush. 

Idly, he decided to blame Liu Xiao. 

When in doubt, always blame Liu Xiao. 

Chapter Text

Insistently, Yue pawed at his leg. She'd been doing that for a couple minutes now, showing no signs of intending to leave her second owner alone.

Cheng Xiaoshi picked her up as gently as he could and sat her on his lap, petting her gently, but his attention remained somewhere stuck in his own head. 

"Let me get this straight..." he distantly heard Chris- wait, no, his mother say. "The person who's been messing with time since Bridon... is your partner? Who is now who knows where, with knowledge he shouldn't have, changing the entire trajectory of time" 

He bristled, at that. "He's only ever tried saving everyone" he told her sharply, eyes narrowing. He hated the way she made it sound as if Lu Guang were in the wrong. Sure- he'd been upset too... but his mother? 

She had no room to sound so judgmental. 

"Explains his questions..." his mother sighed, shook her head, and Cheng Xiaoshi wondered what questions she meant. Her next words made him freeze: "He must stop meddling with time and let things play out as they are supposed to immediately. What a pain, and here I thought he was such a nice boy" 

He didn't believe that she knew of his own fate, but the thought had his blood run cold regardless. And besides that... "Oh, like you aren't?" he asked, the words leaving his mouth before he could stop himself. Glared down at her with narrowed eyes. 

His mother balked at his words, eyes wide. "Excuse me?" she looked as though he'd slapped her. Cheng Xiaoshi would never, truly, outside of self-defense. He just wasn't like that.

He was pretty sure Qiao Ling would, though. 

"You heard me. You're doing the same thing. Trying over and over to save someone's life- and guess what? Dad wouldn't come home even if you succeed. He left because he didn't want to try and be a better father- hell, he probably didn't even want me!" his voice rose in volume as he spoke, until he found himself yelling what he'd held back for years.

His chest heaved, and his mother's eyes were not unlike a deer in headlights. He found some smug satisfaction in that, but once the floodgates opened, he found himself on a roll: "And you? You left me. I was eight, mom. Eight. It's been thirteen years. And now you're upset that Lu Guang is doing the same thing that you're doing for dad? Do you feel no shame?" 

He watched his mother scowl in a way that simply didn't suit Chris' face. "He's getting in the way- if I fix your father's node, he'll return. If he returns- wait, who is Lu Guang trying to..." she trailed off, the scowl evening out into a frown. 

Cheng Xiaoshi almost laughed, hysteric. "Me. He's trying to save me. Because he cares more about me than you ever did. Do you even care about me?" it was too harsh of him, saying that. He knew that. Yet he couldn't find himself feeling guilty. 

It felt... good. Finally letting himself be mad at her. 

"Xiaoshi, I never knew-" she started, voice weak, but he was fast to cut her off, not letting her get more than that in: "Because you've never been here. So tell me. Do you really care about me? About your own son?" 

There was silence, for a moment. He felt Qiao Ling's hand on his shoulder. Not trying to pull him back, though. She was just there to be a steady, reassuring presence. Like a sister would. Because that's what she was, even if it wasn't by blood. 

"Yes" his mother said, a hint lamely. As if she hadn't taken nearly a minute to answer. The hand on his shoulder tensed, but Cheng Xiaoshi made no move to acknowledge it. 

Instead, he tilted his head. "Do you really? You never once apologized or showed a single ounce of shame" he pointed out, deadly quiet. "Do you have any idea what my life was like, growing up basically an orphan? I waited every day for you and dad to come back. What, did you think saving dad will magically fix thirteen years of child abandonment?" 

His mother paused, stared. She was utterly quiet, seeming to debate over how to formulate her thoughts. Then: "It won't matter once I save your father. The timeline will be reset, and everything that happened will be null and void" 

Cheng Xiaoshi felt his heart stop. 

Null and void? All of it? 

The years of loneliness, the years of waiting, the years of wondering why didn't they want me? 

The time he spent with Qiao Ling. The years that led up to the worst and best basketball throw of his life. The time he spent in Bridon with Lu Guang to find his parents. Meeting Xia Fei while in Bridon. 

Three years of doing odd time-travel related jobs and growing closer and closer to his quiet roommate. Getting involved in a serial killer case. Almost losing Lu Guang, only to come out on the winning side alive but banged up, yet nothing a hospital stay wouldn't fix. 

Lu Guang getting kidnapped, their argument, all of this- 

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't handle a timeline without Lu Guang. 

"Don't take him away from me" he pleaded, voice breaking, and he clutched at his chest as if that would somehow calm him down. Distantly, he heard his mother say something. 

The hand vanished from his shoulder and through his blurring sight he watched Qiao Ling slap his mother. Part of him felt bad for Chris. She didn't deserve that. His mother did. His mother also deserved the yelling, and he was glad not to be on the receiving end of Qiao Ling's rage. 

There was a clap, and a gasp. A hasty apology and hands cradling his face. Voices around him in a quick back and forth. Vaguely, through his blurred vision, he saw his sister's face. 

It took nearly half an hour for him to calm down, in the end.

He sat curled up on the couch, Yue snuggled against his side and a half-filled mug of tea in his trembling hands. It was scalding hot, as he'd learned quickly enough.

Knowing Qiao Ling, she hadn't trusted him with a full mug. He wouldn't be surprised- this wasn't the first time he'd had a panic attack.

His sister sat on his other side, Chris near them in the armchair. Neither of the two women said a word, but then again, neither did he.

Eventually, Qiao Ling cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Chris" she said, but there was no regret in her voice. "I meant to slap Shao Yuanyuan, not you"

The blond therapist waved her off with a sigh, carefully holding her bruised cheek. "I don't blame you. If someone had acted like that towards my brother, I'd have done the same thing"

Cheng Xiaoshi leaned against his sister, at the mention of Chris' younger brother. Hid his frown by sipping on his tea and pretended not to wince when he burned his tongue.

Qiao Ling laughed at him quietly anyway, catching his fumble easily. Then, she cleared her throat. When he looked at her, she was frowning.

"I've never seen you react that badly" she told him, plain and simple. Truthfully, she was right. She'd known him for basically both their entire lives, so of course she was right.

Though... in a way she was also wrong. He did have a panic attack this bad before... just simply not in front of her. Lu Guang had been there, though.

"Resetting the timeline..." he started,  paused to blow on his tea, "would've risked Lu Guang and I meeting"

He could see the way the gears screeched to a halt. Understanding clear as day in her eyes.

Chris watched him as if trying to dissect his mind with her gaze alone. "And you panicked" she noted, calmer than Cheng Xiaoshi felt.

"I panicked" he admitted softly, lowered his head so he wouldn't have to look at either of the two. The second sip didn't burn his tongue as badly, but it was still too hot.

Qiao Ling smiled sadly, put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not surprised" she told him honestly.

"I... I don't want a timeline without him. Even if it'd erase my node" he told them both, his voice cracking at the mere thought.

A timeline where the store wasn't Time Photo Studio? A timeline where he didn't have a cat in human form for a roommate? Impossible.

Qiao Ling smiled knowingly. "Because he's your best friend?" She asked, and there was something odd in her tone. Something pushing.

And Cheng Xiaoshi? Cheng Xiaoshi didn't think long.

Lu Guang was his best friend, of course he was. He'd always be his best friend. But other than that, there was something else that he'd always tried to ignore.

Right now, the words came to him as easy as diving into the past with a clap:

"Because I'm in love with him"

~

"You've been avoiding me"

The cheerful voice had Xia Fei pausing in his tracks, dread filling his chest. Truthfully, he had indeed been doing his best to avoid Liu Xiao and the small pink haired boy who he'd seen around... thrice?  

The boy unsettled him, simple as that. 

Liu Xiao, he simply hated. 

He'd disliked the younger man before. He'd never been secretive about it. Though ever since he'd started to learn about how he treated Lu Guang, it really had turned into hatred. 

Liu Xiao, no doubt, could tell. Creepy bastard. So, he didn't bother faking a smile. "What do you want?" he asked coldly, well aware that his connections to Vein would be enough to keep him safe. It'd be stupidity to attack him when it would piss off Vein badly. 

The perks of being friends with a murderer, apparently. 

The dark haired man only smiled. "You're around Lu Guang an awful lot" he said lightly. He didn't seem annoyed or bothered by this fact, but Xia Fei didn't trust him regardless. If Liu Xiao actively sought him out... he surely had a reason. 

"Problem with that? Vein is around him plenty too. Since you apparently can't be bothered to tell anyone to feed your prisoners" he deadpanned. 

Liu Xiao tipped his head back with a soft laugh. In another life, maybe that laugh would've done things to him. Maybe it would've made his heart beat faster, and caused butterflies in his stomach that he was utterly offended by. 

In this life, he scowled. In this life, there was no racing heart and no butterflies to be confused or offended by. "This isn't funny" he told the manipulator Vein regretfully worked with, annoyed, and turned to leave. 

"Did he call himself a prisoner, Felix? Lu Guang chose to be here... and besides that, I want to offer you another job. Like good old times" Liu Xiao told him, calm as ever, and had the gall to smile. To make it sound as if they had a nice, fun history. 

He wanted to punch that look off his face. 

"A job" he repeated hollowly. Already dreading what he might want him to do, or what he might offer. Though, truly, he was already refusing to do it. No matter what it was. He was done doing things for Liu Xiao. 

"A job" Liu Xiao confirmed lightly. "I want you to keep tabs on Lu Guang and inform me of anything he tells you. Get as close to him as you can- try to make him see reason, hm? He's of so much use to us" 

This time, he did punch him. Liu Xiao either saw it coming, that bastard, and chose to take the hit or genuinely didn't expect it. Xia Fei hoped it was the latter, but sick satisfaction curled in his chest regardless at the sight. 

Liu Xiao, on the floor, holding his bleeding nose. Whatever consequences be damned, this was totally worth it. 

"Fuck no"

Chapter Text

Someone knocked. 

It wasn't Liu Xiao, for sure. Lu Guang would bet his life on that, even if that meant very little. Not Li Tianchen either, after all, he did not knock. Realistically, that left three people. 

Xia Fei, which seemed unlikely. After what happened earlier that day - or perhaps even yesterday? - he doubted that the model would ever speak to him again. It was understandable. He'd feel the same way, if someone declared they wanted his best friend dead. 

Ava was the second option, who was equally unlikely unless her leg had healed entirely over night. He'd have heard the thuds of her crutches, or at the very least the steps would've still been unsteady, if she'd been able to ditch them. 

That left Vein, and the knowledge that he'd been in his presence multiple times without knowing it... the thought made him sick. 

The fact he refused to just get it over with hardly helped. What, did he get some sick satisfaction out of drawing all this out pointlessly? Over prolonging his suffering and making him wonder when the bullet finally came? 

Lu Guang was so, so tired of it all. 

His choice of sending the person away, if he even truly had it in the first place, was taken when he heard the door swing open. 

"Uh- hi. I know you're probably still upset with me, but Vein said you're more likely to eat if I bring you lunch than if he brings it now that you know it's him who cooks" Xia Fei's familiar voice greeted him, and Lu Guang felt as though he'd been punched in the chest. 

What is he doing here?, he couldn't help but wonder.

At his silence, the model continued: "And I swear he didn't... doesn't put anything weird in your food. He likes making creepy jokes about adding the spleens of his enemies and stuff, but it's really just normal food and I'm mostly sure he doesn't actually eat people either-" 

"... he probably does" he managed, after a beat. Frowned at how vague that was. "Eat people, I mean. Don't tell him I said that" he tacked on, even though logically, he knew that Xia Fei would likely inform Vein. 

Nobody would prefer to stick to someone like him, even if the other guy was an insane killer.

Though in Xia Fei's defense... said insane killer genuinely cared about him, yet he couldn't help but think the redhead's fondness for Xia Fei seemed different than Lu Guang's own fondness for Cheng Xiaoshi. 

He understood why Vein considered the blond his friend. Xia Fei was simply likeable. Lu Guang couldn't dislike him if he tried, truthfully. He still loathed the model's best friend, though.

Across from himself, he heard a disgusted noise. "Oh, ew" the model muttered, just loud enough for him to hear. Cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, I swear nothing is in this. I watched him cook. Only meat in there is chicken" 

Lu Guang nodded, after a moment. Xia Fei, for all intents and purposes, could poison him here and now. He wouldn't blame him. Yet, he still felt himself trusting the other man. Maybe some of Cheng Xiaoshi's naivety rubbed off on him.

Xia Fei was probably expecting an apology, wasn't he? He could've lied and made one up, sure, but he didn't want to lie to the other. He couldn't find it in himself anymore- he was tired of it and there was no genuine apology he could find in himself to make. 

He opened his mouth, and found himself cut off by the sound of two plates being set down on the table. Stunned, his mouth snapped shut. For a moment, he tried to make sense of it, then cleared his throat. "You're... staying?" he asked, voice by far more hopeful than he'd intended it to be. 

"Huh? Oh, well- if you don't... oh god I haven't-" the model stumbled over his words a little, embarrassment lining his voice. A soft, nervous laugh filling the air. "I'm really sorry about how I acted. Vein's my best friend, so hearing you say that... I mean. I'm not sorry for being friends with him, or trying to defend him- but I'm sorry for how I acted. I didn't injure you, right-?" 

Lu Guang ducked his head, picking at a loose thread in his sleeve. "... I'm also sorry. For making you angry. I'm not sorry for wanting him gone from Xiaoshi's and my life permanently" he murmured, after a bit of thinking. Cleared his throat. "Also, you didn't. Hurt me, I mean" 

"I'm glad" Xia Fei sounded genuinely relieved, seeming to focus solely on whether he'd accidentally caused harm or not. The other topic, for now, seemed to be done with.

Lu Guang slowly headed for the table. One hand outstretched slightly in front of himself until his fingers bumped against his chair. Part of him felt relieved as well. 

Still, the fact that Xia Fei wasn't that upset with him felt odd, too. Shouldn't he have stayed upset with him longer?

For a while, they ate in silence. It wasn't as awkward as he'd expected, though not quite relaxed either. The food was good, even if the fact that it was made by Vein's hands left it tasting just a hint bitter. It really was impossible to get rid of him, wasn't it? 

A sigh almost left him, but he fought it down. Things hadn't turned as lonely as he'd assumed, so there was no reason to sigh. Even if he had to tolerate eating food cooked by his best friend's- his face involuntarily scrunched up. No, he wasn't going to entertain the thought lest his appetite would get ruined entirely. 

"I talked with Liu Xiao" Xia Fei suddenly admitted, voice hushed. As if he wasn't quite sure if anyone was eves-dropping or not. "He wanted me to spy on you and I'm... really sorry if I ended up making things worse for you" 

The guilt was unmistakable, leaving the former seer frowning. "Xia Fei... what did you do?" he asked cautiously. Unease slipping into his voice even as he tried to act calm. He could almost imagine the way the other shuffled in place, even though he could only hear the rustle of his clothes. 

"I may have punched  him" the blond muttered, then cleared his throat. "I wasn't really thinking, but he was acting so..." he trailed off with a frustrated noise, and Lu Guang couldn't help but sympathize. 

Liu Xiao really did leave you speechless with hate. 

Still, he sighed. "It's... going to be fine. He'll probably just send Li Tianchen to... figure out if he's missed anything" he muttered, purposely vague. He didn't want to find out what would happen if Xia Fei knew of the repeated possessions. 

Try to comfort him? Get even angrier with Liu Xiao? He hated the idea of Xia Fei trying to stop it the most- or of him trying to be in the same room. Seeing him like that, even if Lu Guang didn't know what he looked like in that state.

He doubted it was pretty- being strung along like a puppet just to look into a few pictures. He really, really didn't want Xia Fei to see that. Neither did he want him anywhere the serial killer.

Li Tianchen scared the white haired man, in a way. Perhaps it was the torture, the fact that Li Tianchen had so easily stooped to such levels. Perhaps it was the fact that he'd caused gaps in his memories and thus made it hard for him to tell time and day apart anymore. 

Logically, he knew why he wielded violence like a second skin. He'd seen his childhood, back when Cheng Xiaoshi dove as Li Tianxi. He'd seen what made him snap, he knew that Qian Jin likely had a hand in encouraging violence and murder. 

No matter the reasons, Li Tianchen had stooped to torture and he'd never forget that day. Even if he wants to forget.

"... out and try to talk to Cheng Xiaoshi"

Slowly, he blinked. He'd zoned out, it seemed. "What?" he asked, just a hint embarrassed at having missed what Xia Fei had said. Attention catching on the mention of his best friend. 

"I said Vein agreed to smuggling me out for a bit" the model explained, and Lu Guang fought down the surge of emotions at hearing that. "He said he can probably cover for me for a day or two at most, though. Set so many rules to avoid trouble... but he agreed to letting me go visit Xiaoshi" 

Somehow, for some unfathomable reason, Lu Guang didn't mind how familiar the other was about addressing Cheng Xiaoshi. Instead, he felt himself relax, heart calming for the first time in ages. "Can you pass on a message for me?" 

~

Qiao Ling glanced up at the darkening sky. A bag filled with groceries swung at her side. Normally, she didn't visit the store so late. Yet with Cheng Xiaoshi being this upset, she'd decided to go and get some ingredients and prepare dinner. 

While she couldn't hold a candle to his cooking skills, she liked to think that she wasn't too bad in the kitchen either. 

However, just as she rounded the corner just up the street from the studio, a blur bumped into her and ripped the bag from her hands. In seconds, the person had fled down into a dark alley. 

Under other circumstances, maybe she'd have gone back or gone home. But the store was closed, Cheng Xiaoshi was upset... and Qiao Ling could fight. So she ran after the thief. "Give that back!" she shouted, turning a corner- and found herself at a dead end. 

The thief nowhere in sight. Slowly, she looked for a potential escape route. She failed to spot one. Had he ducked behind one of the dumpsters? She'd passed a couple but hadn't bothered to check if the thief had ducked behind one. 

"Once upon a time..." an all too familiar voice echoed from behind her, "there were two fox siblings that one day met a trio of animals: A dog, a cat and a bunny"

Qiao Ling turned, breath catching in her throat at the sight of the thief. He pushed his hood back, revealing bright pink hair and strikingly red eyes. In his other hand, he clutched a knife. Yet, he simply stood there. 

"The trio got the sister fox killed and the brother ran and ran until his friend the owl met up with him again" the young man continued, eyes cold and calculating. "The owl taught the fox how to be the hunter he was meant to be, while they stayed hidden from the trio of animals and the humans they surrounded themselves with alike" 

She risked a step back, even though there was nowhere to run. His voice, emotionless as it was, unsettled her... and she could all too well understand this 'fairytale' that he was spinning. 

Suddenly, he started moving towards her. Tilting his head. "One day a terrible fate befell the cat and the owl whisked him away, never to be seen again" he smiled, as if he were talking about something cheerful. 

Cautiously Qiao Ling adopted a fighting stance. Unwilling to go down without a fight, even as her heart raced. "Do you think this is what Li Tianxi would've wanted?" she asked, to shut him up. To make him stop.

He rushed at her, then. Rage filling his eyes at the mention of his sister. "Don't talk about what she would've wanted!" he shouted, swinging the knife at her. 

She dodged, just barely, and refrained from grabbing him. She didn't want to risk letting him use his power on her. It didn't take a genius to know that it'd end the fight immediately. There was no escaping mind control, after all. 

Qiao Ling opened her mouth, but Li Tianchen was faster: "The cat never returned. Leaving the dog and the bunny to mourn their friend the same way as the fox had once upon a time mourned his sister" 

He almost spat those words, and she faltered. Eyes wide in alarm. The same way as...? Was he implying that Lu Guang was dead? In her shock, she'd not even realized how close Li Tianchen had gotten. 

Distantly, she heard someone shout her name. It sounded like Cheng Xiaoshi. 

"The dog and the bunny split up like fools" Li Tianchen grabbed her shoulder, and pain exploded in her stomach. When she slowly glanced down, she found her shirt rapidly turning red where a knife had sunken into her stomach, just below her ribs. 

Li Tianchen laughed, as if delighted: "The dog fated to fall to a wolf... the bunny facing her end by the fox"

Someone screamed. By the time she realized it was her own, the world was already tilting and darkening. 

Far away, she heard someone scream her name. The last thing she knew was Cheng Xiaoshi's face in her decreasing field of vision, tears running down his face.

Captain Xiao and Wang Juan were right on his heel.

I'm sorry, she wanted to say, but was already too weak to talk. 

Slowly, despite her brother's frantic begging, her eyes slipped shut. 

Chapter Text

"We'll have to rethink our approach for the next meeting" 

Liu Xiao's eyes wandered over the papers strewn across his desk, reached up to adjust his glasses with a scowl. Across from him, Vein picked up a stray paper. Crimson eyes scanning across the page, an eyebrow raised faintly. 

Unlike the other, the mafioso seemed more bored than anything else. "What, did that little power display not gain their undying loyalty?" he drawled almost lazily, threw his legs up onto the arm rest and let his head dangle upside-down over the other. 

With his tall frame, the angle was a hint awkward. He hardly cared, seeing the annoyed glare he'd invoked. Xia Fei had been furious when he'd told him what had happened only to launch into recounting everything he'd learned from the blinded seer since their first meeting in the mansion, and Vein was all too happy to annoy Quede Game's heir on his friend's behalf. 

Truthfully, he'd already assumed Liu Xiao's treatment to be unkind. He hadn't expected that the other truly was this petty, though. Vein saw little point in continuously taking away blindfolds when Liu Xiao wanted the guy to cooperate, but it explained why he wore one until after the first meeting- where he'd first had it taken away.

You didn't gain cooperation by offering nothing. At this rate, he'd have an easier time making him cooperate than Liu Xiao did, seeing as he was the one making sure he wasn't starving. Though then again... he was quite sure Lu Guang would rather die than cooperate with either of them. 

Besides that, their resident manipulator was bound to know that Xia Fei was unlikely to do anything unless Vein told him to, that he wouldn't spy for Liu Xiao again... and from the sounds of it, the blond had reached a point where he wouldn't take orders of doing jobs for Liu Xiao even from him anymore.  

Not that he intended to give those orders. 

Part of him felt a hint of amusement, seeing the bruise on his nose. The glasses were certainly new, the shade a slight hint more silver than grey. The punch Xia Fei had mentioned must've damaged them. 

"No," Liu Xiao's voice snapped him from his thoughts, his voice irritated, "they still see me as a child, compared to you"

Vein fought a snort. "You do happen to be the youngest, sweetie~" he sing-songed, voice dripping with faked affection.

He was wise enough not to lean over and pinch the other's cheek. It would've been entertaining, truly. Messing with Liu Xiao always was.

Alas, this wasn't the time or place.

The other sent him a flat look, clearly not fond of the nickname Vein slung around as easily as breathing. "This is exactly the issue" he pointed out dryly.

Vein paused, his eyes narrowing. "This?" He asked, pointed to himself. "Are you calling me an issue, Xavier?"

The younger man had no trouble looking him in the eye, expression void of emotion. "I am. You're disrespectful, brash and don't think before you act. You don't listen to orders well" he answered, plain and simple.

Vein bristled, eyes narrowing. Granted, Liu Xiao wasn't wrong about any of that- especially not the refusal to listen to orders. And it was amusing, hearing him have to admit that.

Yet he couldn't help feeling like this was a bad thing for him to take notice of. 

"On the bright side, it makes you unpredictable for our enemies" Liu Xiao noted, as if they truly shared their opponents, eyes dropping back to his notes. "On the more problematic side, the other leaders orient themselves based on strength. Despite your absence, you remain among the most feared. Perhaps the most feared due to your... unexpected return"

Vein took pride in that, even if he didn't care much about the warlords and these titles. Who wouldn't be proud, after all, to be feared for years even while presumed dead?

Liu Xiao likely was right about his resurrection causing even more fear to stir among them.  

"So?" He asked, a hint bored. Examined his nails as if they'd magically tell him the truth of the universe. "I'd call that a good thing, sweetie~"

A glance to the cult leader graced him with a disapproving glare. "They fear you. Sure, they fear me a little too, but what we need is for them to listen to me"

With a scowl, the mafioso sat upright. "It doesn't truly matter, now does it? They will bark when I tell them to like the mutts they are. If I say heel, they'll heel. They know they wouldn't win against me"

Liu Xiao's glare evened out into a sickly sweet smile. "The same way they lost five years ago, when we struck that deal?" He asked, as if Vein needed the additional reminder.

It was humiliating, really, that he'd agreed to a deal proposed by someone younger than him. Then again, that entire situation had been humiliating. From the looks of it, Liu Xiao was well aware. 

Vein's face twitched ever so slightly. "As you said, it was five years ago" he pointed out, annoyed rather than scared. If Liu Xiao truly thought it was possible to scare him into listening like a mutt, he had quite a few things coming. "Besides, that wasn't my only near death experience and we both know it. Go right ahead and tell them what truly happened, it changes nothing~" 

The other chuckled lightly, his smile returning to something more natural. "I wasn't implying I'd tell them" he assured him calmly, head tilting. "No, rather... I suggest showing them who the one holding the cards truly is" 

Resigned, Vein rolled his eyes. "I see" he said dryly, looking Liu Xiao over once. "I guess that's one way to get this done and over with" 

Then, he glanced around the room subtly. "That aside, where's your little fox? Finally gotten bored of him?" he asked, almost idly. Though truly, he did want to know. 

He'd only properly interacted with the kid twice. The first time just after his arrival to Guidu. They hadn't talked much, the introductions led more by Liu Xiao than anything. In Vein's defense, the jetlag had been horrid. 

The second time had been during their little trip to deal with the traffickers. They hadn't talked much, then, either. Li Tianchen had been sent along to see Vein's kind of violence. He'd mostly forgotten the boy was there, but he'd been useful enough, he supposed. 

Mostly, he'd seen the boy sneak about the mansion. Skittish like a fox, glaring at anyone who looked at him too long as if rabid. Entertaining. 

He'd nearly bumped into him thrice in the hallway where Lu Guang's room-slash-prison was. Where the mind controller had seemed almost sad, the seer had been petrified the times he'd dropped off dinner. 

"He went out. Said something about tying up some loose ends" Liu Xiao shrugged, and offered him a grin that told him the young man knew exactly what Li Tianchen was up to. One that made it all too clear that he had no plan to share his knowledge with Vein. 

~

"Lu Guang"

The voice was painfully familiar.

So was the disgust hearing it.

Lu Guang lowered his head, hiding his hands within the sleeves of the jacket Xia Fei had forgotten in his room. Picked at what felt like a thread but remained cautious not to tug too hard. It wasn't his jacket, after all. He'd give it back soon. 

The thought hadn't stopped him from making himself comfy in it, though. It was too comfortable, and felt too... safe.  

He wondered, distantly, where Xia Fei was. Had he made it to the studio yet? He'd received lunch. Surely he was out of the building by now, right? Or had he been caught?

A hand grasping his chin, tilting his face up, ripped him from his thoughts. The disgust turned into repulsion instantly. "Can't you at least pretend to pay attention when I talk to you?" Liu Xiao sounded disappointed.

On one hand, he enjoyed getting on his nerves.

On the other, he feared the consequences it could bring to his friends. Especially after pushing Liu Xiao away so harshly last time.

"I'm sorry" he settled on, despite hating having to say it. If it showed in his expression, or his heartbeat, that he was insincere... well, Liu Xiao didn't call him out immediately. That was hopefully a win.

There was a hum, then the touch disappeared. He didn't allow himself the sigh of relief. Not even when Liu Xiao wandered about the room, his steps echoing with the distinctive noise of low heels.

"There's another meeting coming up. I want you to do what I say, there" he finally mentioned off-handedly. Lu Guang could understand what he meant perfectly fine: Do as I say, or risk the consequences.

He bit the inside of his cheek, thought it over. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, rather than disagreeing outright. Let him think he's wearing me down, he thought, I refuse to actually help him.

"It's simple, Guang. You'll do what you do best: You'll read the futures of photos" Liu Xiao told him, steps pausing near the window. At least that's what he was left to assume, with the direction he'd heard him go.

Slowly, he scrunched up his nose. Even putting aside that he could lie... "I can't look into pictures anymore" he told him slowly. "That's what happens when your power is sight-based. You know that"

Lu Guang heard the other click his tongue, disappointment clear. "You're surprisingly good at lying," he said and likely just meant that he couldn't detect anomalies in his pulse, "but your power is still there. Li Tianchen confirmed it"

At the reminder of getting possessed, Lu Guang shrunk in on himself as far as he could. "I tried. I can't use it. I can't use my power anymore" he repeated, silently praying to himself that Liu Xiao wouldn't use Li Tianchen's possession on him again.

"Do you really want me to speed up the nodes this badly, Lu Guang?" Liu Xiao sounded... sad, almost. As if he were the one with reason to be upset. Yet the white haired man froze rather than point it out, breath catching. "It's such a shame, both of them had so much potential"

Speed up...? "No. No no no- Liu Xiao please, don't hurt them" he begged, heart racing so loud that it felt like an ability wasn't necessary to hear it. He didn't know what he could even offer, aside from his autonomy being stripped away again. Though, it was a small price to pray for his friends' safety.

"Oh, Guang... I did nothing. It's your fault that your friend died. Qiao Ling was her name, right?" Liu Xiao spoke as if he pitied him, didn't stop talking- wouldn't stop, but Lu Guang hardly listened anymore. It felt as though the world was crumbling away beneath his feet.

Qiao Ling? Dead? No. No she couldn't be dead.

Qiao Ling's node - if he could even call the event that transpired only once and due to his own stupidity an actual node -  wasn't supposed to be until two days before...

He stumbled to his feet and it felt like falling. "You... you fucking liar" he croaked out, tears burning in his eyes. They'd had a deal. He could perfectly imagine Liu Xiao ignoring said deal, but he refused to believe it. "Why would you..."

Liu Xiao had the gall to push him back, forcing him to sit down again.

"I didn't do anything, Guang. This is all your fault... you know that, don't you?" Liu Xiao rubbed his back, as if to sooth him, and the white haired man recoiled. Chest heaving with breaths that didn't seem to reach his lungs.

That, he knew. That, he could believe. After all, every time something went wrong, it really did all lead back to his own failures.

His failures, and the mistake of trusting Liu Xiao. Of course he'd accelerated the timeline in such a way. Why had he ever believed he'd prevent them from dying?

A sob escaped him, then another. This was his fault. The hand touched his back again. Tugged him into a hug that left him feeling ill. "There, there..." Liu Xiao murmured. "Maybe less distractions will be good for you. Less to worry about, hm?"

Lu Guang pushed him away. Not as harshly as the time that led to this... this punishment, but hard enough to free himself.

"Get out" he whispered hoarsely, unwilling to stay in his presence any longer.

The unwanted touch he could deal with. With no option to avoid it he could always default to pretending it was one of Xia Fei's comforting hugs, pretend and lie to himself the hug made him feel safe rather than disgusted.

The commentary of everything being his fault he accepted easily. It was true anyway. Why deny it?

But to ever suggest that Qiao Ling being dead was a good thing?

"Now hold on-" Liu Xiao's voice reached his ears, and it took everything in Lu Guang not to get violent.

He still felt as though no air was reaching his lungs.

How dare he... "I said get the fuck out!" He shouted, voice cracking. From anger or anguish even he himself couldn't tell.

All he could tell was that, by some miracle, Liu Xiao left him to break into hundreds of little pieces by himself.

And Lu Guang clawed at his hair, didn't even try to fight the sobs escaping him.

Distantly, he wished Xia Fei was here.

Chapter Text

The first time he met Cheng Xiaoshi properly, after years in which he'd only been able to remember the time spent on the train tracks with another kid, he was struck in the face by a basketball. 

He'd been photographing birds when the shout reached his ears. Stupidly, he'd turned around and pain had exploded across his face. 

The warm brown eyes were painfully familiar, and Lu Guang couldn't help but feel his heart race in a way it hadn't when they were younger. In a way it hadn't before- because unlike the times his heart had raced in the past, he wasn't scared this time. 

And Cheng Xiaoshi... didn't remember him. 

Perhaps he'd been stupid to think that the other would remember him after... what? Ten years? 

It'd been fine. This was fine. So fine, really, that he decided to ignore it and accepted the offer to play basketball, agreed to bring his camera for fixing to 'Hero Photo Studio'. 

They'd gotten to know each other, slowly but surely. Twice, he even used his powers. 

Eventually, Cheng Xiaoshi found a box. Wanted to go to Bridon. His... friend? Sister? - Whatever she really was, he'd been struggling to figure it out back then - didn't like it. Lu Guang ended up agreeing to go with him. 

He listened to Cheng Xiaoshi ramble with a fond smile, eyes just as transfixed when they found a poster of a model. The guy really was good looking... though Cheng Xiaoshi was prettier, in his opinion. The thought was sudden, and he decided not to dwell on it. 

Someone stole Cheng Xiaoshi's phone- and they faced a familiar face. He hadn't seen Liu Xiao since... well. 

Lu Guang paled, heart racing a mile a minute, and prayed Liu Xiao wouldn't acknowledge him. He did, with a tilt of his head, lips quirking up ever so slightly. Offered them a ride- he'd never nipped something in the bud faster. Dragged Cheng Xiaoshi away with a half-assed excuse. 

They looked around, eventually finding themselves in 'Bahati' and faced with the pretty-faced model from the airport poster. 

He was prettier, in real life. A spark in his eyes a camera couldn't catch, a light upturn of his lip that hadn't been on the poster and made him look happier, here and now. 

He'd asked their ages before ordering drinks, and Cheng Xiaoshi had proudly proclaimed himself to be the older one between him and Lu Guang at nineteen. The latter, sighing, admitted to being underage still. 

He'd only turn eighteen in October, annoyingly enough. 

Though, he couldn't help but remember mischievous dark eyes, a finger pressed against his lips, and a request to keep it a secret. He hadn't drunk much, that time, but he'd found out that he absolutely hated wine. 

Lu Guang didn't drink much. He wasn't a fan, in all honesty, and he'd already seen Cheng Xiaoshi get wasted at a party thrown by a classmate. So he decided that getting just a hint tipsy would be enough to take the edge off of socializing. 

Just as predicted, the brunet was a drunk mess in less than an hour, while Lu Guang simply had a mild, pleasant fuzziness in his brain. Surprisingly Felix, or Xia Fei as he'd introduced himself, had been no better. If anything, he was far worse and a whiny mess at that. 

It was funny, in a way, and Lu Guang almost recorded them. Instead, he ended up taking pity on them. 

That is, until the Cheetah won the match running on the TV and Xia Fei, stupid pretty-faced idiot that he was, leapt up and cheered loudly. 

They'd ended up fleeing out the backdoor. 

Vaguely, he'd heard Xia Fei call someone. Heard him call someone 'Boss'. He hadn't given it much more thought, simply turned a corner and haphazardly led them out of the alleys by sheer luck. 

Somehow, they made it to their hotel. Xia Fei was still on the phone, reassuring someone that he was okay and proceeding to chide "Are you fighting someone? BOSS! I said- no, don't beat up drunk people that's a crime-!" and Lu Guang decided whoever this 'Boss' was, must've been quite the character. 

As it was, Xia Fei ended up getting picked up by a pricy, black car. Through the rolled down window, behind the blond, he saw a redheaded man with his arms draped over the steering wheel. 

Xia Fei did the talking, turned briefly to his elusive boss to scold him when the man muttered something under his breath with an odd sort of chuckle, and with a 'Good night, Lu Guang! Say Xiaoshi I said good night', the model and his boss vanished into the night. 

It was the first time he'd even vaguely gotten a glimpse of the man he'd one day fear more than death itself, but he hadn't known him yet. Their eyes had never met, that night. 

It wasn't until two days later that Cheng Xiaoshi accidentally dove into a picture, revealing himself to be the same as Lu Guang.

Somehow, everything led back to Xia Fei's elusive boss. 

The first time they truly met, face to face, it was at a round table in a restaurant the man apparently liked. 

He was... odd, to say the least. Called them tasty, asked them if they were aware of how delicious their faces looked- made an odd comment of "Felix, you like vanilla and chocolate, hmm~?"

The blond had nearly choked on his food. 

Cheng Xiaoshi had been confused. 

Lu Guang... thought that that was valid. Vanilla and chocolate tasted nice. He wasn't sure how that was important, though. 

In the end, they did a photoshoot and that was that. 

Things got weird during Cheng Xiaoshi's talk with Wang Qing. Xia Fei and him chatted, briefly. He asked him for an autograph because he knew Cheng Xiaoshi wouldn't ask and Qiao Ling would be a little... 

Except, Vein left them to it. Eventually returning with an unconscious Cheng Xiaoshi and claiming that Wang Qing was gone, had left the young man knocked out. 

It was odd, but none of them questioned it, then. 

For the next three years, he assumed he'd never see Vein again. 

He was wrong. 

Xia Fei was gone, a few pictures taken the day he'd gone to a shoot the only thing they had. A shoot that ended with him simply... gone. 

Vein was quite insistent that he knew them to hold the power to find him- he'd gathered the clues together, he wanted them to help. Cheng Xiaoshi, bleeding heart that he was, agreed immediately. 

Lu Guang agreed as well. They'd never attempted altering the past... but it couldn't be hard, could it? 

Oh, how wrong he was. 

Letting Cheng Xiaoshi dive was a horrible mistake. He'd always been lenient, letting him change smaller events. 

This gig was what would inevitably get Xia Fei kidnapped... they knew that for a fact. 

The first picture, they made Xia Fei turn back and take his friend along. Their job was made easier by the second model about to get kidnapped having asked if they genuinely needed to do this shoot.

Cheng Xiaoshi didn't voice his thoughts, but Lu Guang knew that the diver was equally surprised at the woman not actually wanting to do the job.

For a couple minutes, it seemed as though it worked. Then a gas cannister landed.

Cheng Xiaoshi barely managed to clap out of the picture.

They'd only delayed the inevitable.

The second picture, they tried changing the crucial node of Xia Fei going to the shoot at all and sent his friend a message that he wasn't feeling well.

Cheng Xiaoshi felt terrible for the lie, but Lu Guang reminded him that the girl hadn't seemed very confident about going. Had only gone because Xia Fei had.

She likely wouldn't go and stay safe too.

For good measures, they sent Vein a text via Xia Fei's phone in the past. Hopefully, if anything were to happen, he'd be able to prevent worse things from happening.

The text went unread. By the time the redhead saw the message, Xia Fei was already kidnapped again.

Only an hour after the dive failed, the white haired seer had to break the news to Vein.

Xia Fei was gone, and there was nothing else they could do.

The node of Xia Fei getting kidnapped was unchangeable.

In his anger, Vein lashed out. Lu Guang's head struck a table.

When he came to, his memory was spotty.

Months later, Vein returned.

"This is your punishment for not changing the past" he'd said in the first time line.

One day, those words would be warped by time.

Chapter Text

He hadn't cared about chasing Li Tianchen. The only thing he'd cared about was trying to keep pressure on his sister's wound, keeping her alive.

He'd had called Captain Xiao the second he'd heard the scream.

It had felt too late. He had been too late. He was always too late, wasn't he?

He hadn't let his sister go even when the captain checked her pulse, had shaken his head with pity in his eyes.

Something in Cheng Xiaoshi had broken, that moment. He hadn't cared who heard his sobs as he'd pleaded with time itself to give him his sister back.

~

He gasped for breath, leaning against a wall far, far away from where he'd run from.

His legs had carried him on their own, as far as he'd managed. As fast as he could push his body.

The scream rang in his ears- but no. That was a lie. That wasn't what rang in his head.

"Do you think this is what Li Tianxi would've wanted?"

With a shout, he threw the bloodied knife against the far side of the alley.

The truth was simple. Li Tianxi, his dear sister, would not have wanted this. She'd never wanted any of this, she likely still wouldn't want this.

But Li Tianxi was dead. There was no point in wondering anymore. It was that trio's fault- as well as Qian Jin's.

He glared down at his hands, panting. The rage melted into despair, then. He had her power now, didn't he? And his own too... which meant he now had the ability to control people via photos.

It should've come as a comfort, having a piece of her back. Instead, he felt revolted by the thought of having her power. They were meant to be two- to link their powers. They weren't meant to be one, they weren't meant to not need each other.

But at the end of the day, whether they were meant to be twins or not, only one of them would continue wandering this world.

The thought that Liu Xiao would be proud of him for reducing the numbers of their enemies didn't console him one bit.

When he glanced up, his eyes caught on a figure standing outside the alley.

Tall and slim, a grey jacket slipping off their shoulders. He couldn't get a good glimpse at their face- but he couldn't help but assume the person to be a man.

The person simply watched him, head tilted ever so slightly. Dark bangs falling in front of their eyes.

And he couldn't help but think that he'd seen them before, somewhere. He couldn't remember where, but he was sure.

Li Tianchen could've sworn he saw a flash of white where the eyes should've been- and when he blinked, the person had vanished.

He hurried to try and see where the stalker had gone, because surely this person had to be one, but in neither direction could he spot anyone with dark hair and a grey jacket.

With a curse, he turned on his heel and scurried back the other way.

It was time to return home.

Maybe, with a hint of luck, he'd be able to pay that bastard Liu Xiao was so obsessed with a visit. Li Tianchen longed to get his hands on the other again- to puppeteer him and look into a photo.

Inside the photos, everything was okay.

Inside the photos, Li Tianxi smiled, shy and nervous and unsure at having her picture taken.

In some pictures, he could pretend that this was the here and now. That he was remembering something that just happened, rather than years ago.

He knew he'd run out of pictures, eventually. It was inevitable. He didn't have an infinite amount of pictures... but maybe, if all went well, he wouldn't need them.

Liu Xiao had made it sound like one day, he'd be able to bend fate to his will. Perhaps he'd even find a way to bring Xixi back. He hadn't said it, he'd truly never said it, but part of Li Tianchen couldn't help but think: He will fix it all.

Li Tianchen glanced to his phone. He didn't know who had kept Liu Xiao updated, but there was a simple message awaiting him, dated to the exact moment he'd stabbed the girl:

As he headed to the rendezvous point they'd agreed on, he thought back to the pictures he still wanted to look into again. A grin forming on his face when he remembered what Liu Xiao told him, just an hour before he'd left for this little job.

Things were going to get fun.

He ignored how his skin itched, how his very soul rejecting the mere thought and idea of owning something that belonged to his sister.

~

He tugged the hood deeper into his face, eyes dancing across the crowd. If anyone was following him, he'd certainly lost them by now.

There were no eyes on him, not anymore. So it was fine. Everything was fine. He just had to hope nobody would recognize him. If this went back to Liu Xiao, he'd be done for.

However, he found himself stopping in the middle of a less busy street. Eyes darting about, scanning the signs to figure out where he was. One thing he hadn't considered was that he didn't know the way.

In other circumstances, he'd have used his phone. Regretfully, Vein told him to use it as little as he possibly could in case the wrong people got their hands on it. He couldn't waste the battery either. What if he needed to make a call because he got into trouble?

Though, using it sparingly to avoid people getting information off it was ridiculous. The redhead was overthinking all this too much, in his opinion.

After all, Xia Fei was to slip back into the mansion undetected when Liu Xiao and Li Tianchen and likely even Vein himself were out for some sort of meeting. The only one who'd know would be one of Vein's own men, as far as he knew.

The redhead was weirdly confident about his subordinates being loyal to him only- but then again, he couldn't blame him. Vein was scary when he wanted to be.

The lighter felt heavy in his pocket, even though it was still so much time between now and having to cause a distraction, between then and now. Hopefully. As soothing as fire was to watch, he was wary of going through with it, no matter how much trust he put in his best friend.

With a sigh, he adjusted his hood to cover his face a hint better, hiding away the blond strands, and started walking again. Looked around for someone, anyone, he could ask for directions to the photo studio.

It couldn't be that far away, could it?

He spotted a woman, but two kids were hanging off her and her eyes screamed exhausted. No wonder, the sun had almost fully sunken beneath the horizon, despite summer's longer days. Then again... they were steadily moving towards autumn. The sun would only set earlier and earlier.

With a shake of his head, he banished those thoughts. He had bigger things to worry about than how much daylight he was wasting, and how much he'd be able to waste tomorrow.

There was an older man, just a couple meters away, but he looked in a hurry. He was definitely not asking the police officers across the street. That'd be a disaster, he just knew it.

They looked busy anyway.

So he wandered around, until he spotted a blond woman taking a stroll. He hesitated, but eventually scraped together his confidence. Slowly heading her way.

All he saw was semi-short, blond hair in a bun. He hoped the woman was from around here, or this trip might turn into a much bigger hassle than planned. Then again, maybe the couple at the boba shop nearby could help?

"Excuse me, Ms?" he approached her slowly, pausing when she stopped. She turned to face him, and his eyes found honey-golden ones. They were painfully familiar, even if the face before him was older than he remembered.

But it was undeniably Wang Qing.

Her eyes scanned him head to toe, catching on his eyes. "Xia Fei?" she whispered, and everything in him wanted to recoil as she stepped closer.

Part of him wanted to hug her, after going years without knowing if she was alive. The records of who'd survived the fire had never gone public. For all people knew, he'd not even been there. He wasn't in the records. She was, but no one knew.

No one, except a selected few.

As a matter of fact, he himself had found out three years ago. He still remembered leaving the dinner the day he found out, forcefully calm, and nearly getting wasted again once he was home.

All this time, his boss could've found her so easily... and never had. But: Xia Fei had never asked. Vein had never known. After all, why search for someone who died?

He hadn't demanded to visit her. He'd assumed he had all the time in the world, could talk to her once Cheng Xiaoshi knew whatever he needed.

He wasn't stupid. He knew that Cheng Weimin, his former teacher, was the reason the younger man was so interested in meeting her.

And now, years later, he got the meeting he'd wanted.

His throat closed up, even though he wanted to ask so, so many questions. Why did you leave me with her? Why did you stay behind? Why pretend to be dead?, he wondered, among other things. Childishly, he couldn't help but be upset: I thought we were supposed to stick together!

After the incident that killed Vein, Wang Qing had disappeared once again. He hadn't had the money to keep searching. Not with his boss gone, and he'd rather have died than try asking Liu Xiao for help.

When she hugged him, now the shorter one between them, he clung to her as if she were a lifeline despite the years apart.

"I'm so sorry, little brother" She murmured, her voice nearly drowned out by the people out and about on this busy day. He only hugged her tighter.

Chapter Text

As he wandered the hallways, Vein couldn't help but think: things were too calm since he smuggled Xia Fei out. 

Perhaps that was why he felt little surprise when he found a familiar face hurrying his way, as fast as crutches allowed it, mismatched eyes unfocused. 

He stopped in his tracks and caught his former employee by the shoulder when she almost stumbled upon stopping as well. "My, aren't you in a hurry" he aimed for a light tone, but his eyes narrowed. 

Why was she so distressed? Xia Fei had told him he'd informed his friends, that being Ava and Lu Guang, about his plan. So she certainly couldn't be worrying about Xia Fei being gone. Had the blond's trip been found out? 

"I d-didn't know who... who else t-to get" she stammered, turning to glance over her shoulder. When he followed her gaze, he saw no one. Though wasn't that the direction where... "L-Lu Guang is... is... s-something's w-wrong, boss"  

He could feel his face going blank, for a split second. Mind drifting to Li Tianchen's odd absence since two days ago, Liu Xiao checking his phone quite frequently yesterday and his self-satisfied smirk this morning when they'd passed by each other. 

Hadn't he been heading the direction Vein himself had come from? And Vein had brought breakfast to Lu Guang before double-checking that he was stationing the correct men as lookouts... 

"What happened?" he asked, idly wishing that Xia Fei weren't so attached to the seer. It'd make his own life easier, because now he had to make sure the guy hadn't decided to jump out the window. 

Considering what he'd asked, or rather begged, for... he wasn't sure if he was an active risk to himself or not yet. He didn't deal with people who wanted to die much, and he himself could safely say that dying was not a fun thing- not that he lingered on that last thought. He didn't enjoy thinking of his own demise.  

He didn't blame anyone for assuming he'd just pretended to be dead.

A hint of guilt did curl unpleasantly in his chest when he remembered that he'd not told Xia Fei yet. He'd wanted to, he truly had, but Xia Fei had seemed so... sad. He hadn't wanted to make his only friend's mood worse... and once he'd made up with Lu Guang, he hadn't known how to break it to him without breaking him. 

But then again, perhaps it was better to leave even his only friend to assume him to have pretended.

In the here and now, Ava shuffled uncomfortably. "N-Not sure. I tried... tried checking on him but... but th-the air was s-so heavy and... and I got s-sick so fast that... that I didn't... didn't manage to approach him b-but... but he felt... s-scared" 

Mentally, he filed that away to the information he already had about her. He wasn't all that surprised- it may have been three years, but she did happen to be one or the only employees Xia Fei had gotten along with back at the agency.

Though, he generally remembered plenty things about people he deemed interesting, such as her tendency to get sick easily. Though as far as he recalled, she'd usually gotten sick after being faced with incredibly angry people.

Anxiety or something like it, he always assumed.

"He felt scared?" he asked, just to be safe. Already long since moving into the direction of Lu Guang's room. Adding him to that mixture was the most horrible idea known to mankind- that guy was terrified of him. 

As if reading his thoughts, Ava grimaced. "Uh... yea. A-Also... r-really sad. Griev-grieving. A-Angry. I'm... I'm worried and... and F-Fei isn't here, s-so..." so you thought I'm the next-best option, Vein added mentally, but spoke no word. 

His mind was a whirlwind of new information matching up with memories of the last couple days- including every single thing Xia Fei had mentioned about Lu Guang. It wasn't a lot of helpful things, truthfully. 

At least not for this situation. 

Ava stopped walking at the start of the hallway where the seer's room was located, looking quite queasy. He picked up easily on it, and the way her face rapidly paled. "You can leave," he waved his hand dismissively, as if all this wasn't too terrible a deal, "I have it handled" 

One way or another, that is. 

If Ava didn't believe him, she didn't show it. Rather, she nodded slowly. Glancing to the direction of Lu Guang's room and back to him. "G-Good luck" she mumbled. "A-And... s-sorry. For not being a... a bigger help"

Not unlike how he would with Xia Fei, he reached out and pat her head. It wasn't hard- the young woman was tiny compared to him.

"Go relax, Aì Jinyan," he told her firmly, "or do you want our dear friend to come back to you being sick again?"

Upon hearing her actual name, she faltered. Head lowering. "A-Alright" she agreed, looking not like a scolded puppy, and headed in the direction they'd just come from. Most likely to her room. He wished he could do the same.

Though, for now he had an apparently distressed seer to deal with.

He knocked on the door to announce his presence, but received no response. After a minute, he pushed the door open.

It was off-putting that it seemed to never be locked, but then again, it made this easier.

His eyes wandered, taking in the room. It hadn't changed from this morning, when he'd dropped off breakfast.

The only difference was the fact that this time, Lu Guang sat on the floor in front of his bed. Chest heaving with quick and shallow gasps, trembling like a pathetic little bunny. He looked pale, even more so than usual.

Slowly, he crouched in front of him. "Lu Guang" he said, snapping his fingers. How did one calm down a person in such a state? He wasn't used to this kind of thing- the last 'incident' of such sorts having been three years ago. 

His voice seemed to make things worse. He flinched, unseeing eyes wide with fear.

Mentally, Vein cursed up a storm. Scaring the man further hadn't been his intention, and he hoped dearly that Xia Fei wouldn't learn of this. Otherwise, the model may actually try punching him. 

He tilted his head back with a long-suffering sigh. "I won't harm you" he told him, plain and simple. Still no promise, but as much of an assurance as he could give him. Pausing when a different thought struck him: "I won't harm your partner" 

That caused the white haired man to freeze for a split second. Vein wasn't even surprised. That morsel really was the best way to motivate both this guy and his best friend, wasn't he? Then again, Xia Fei had twice the motivators... 

Vein shook his head. Unhelpful thought process, probably more interesting to test out some other time though. 

"... go away" Lu Guang finally croaked out, voice shaky. He still wasn't calm, far from it, but Vein considered it a win that he was being coherent. That, and he mentally tallied how many favors Xia Fei owed him after this. 

The redhead shook his head. "No can do, shortie~ you might not be my friend, but Xia Fei cares about you" he pointed out dryly, sitting down beside him and crossing one leg over the other. As if the room belonged to Vein, rather than the white haired young man. 

Lu Guang scowled, ever so faintly, but it was lacking the usual fear and murderous intent. He looked defeated, more than anything. 

And truly, he was not Vein's friend. Still: it wasn't a lie that Xia Fei cared immensely about the man. "What happened?" he asked, because if it was fixable, maybe Xia Fei wouldn't need to learn of this. The model - former model? - was stressed enough anyway. 

Vein watched as Lu Guang hunched over, breath hitching on a choked back noise- a sob, he realized with delay. Had he seriously made it worse that quickly? He'd only asked a question, not struck him! 

"She's dead. It's all my fault- she's dead" 

Slowly and terribly lost, he looked the seer over. 'She'? Clearly not Ava. Who else was there? Was this about Li Tianchen's sister? Liu Xiao had mentioned her power getting stolen before any of them could get a hand on it, mentioned Li Tianchen being angry at whoever had gotten it, that they "didn't deserve a piece of Xixi", if he recalled right. 

But he wasn't sure. So, he cleared his throat. "Who?" he asked, tilted his head. "Who died?"

He watched the young man practically crumble. "Qiao Ling" he murmured, voice cracking. "Liu Xiao... Liu Xiao let Li Tianchen... he doesn't even need to touch me anymore to... and he might... he'll... and Xia Fei's in danger too now because..." 

Vein pinched the bridge of his nose. He'd made it worse, hadn't he? "You're spiraling" he told him bluntly. "Maybe it's the air in here. Stale as a mummified corpse. How can you live like this?" 

Part of him was kidding, part of him wondered if anyone had considered opening the windows... about ever. 

Actually, now that he thought about it... he hadn't seen the seer leave the room at all, outside the meeting Liu Xiao had dragged him off to. 

Felix... you idiot, you can take better care of your crush than this, can't you?, he couldn't help but think, sighing. "Get up," he said aloud and just barely reminded himself that he was trying to fix his friend's crush rather than break him more, couldn't just grab and drag him like he would with others, "we're going outside" 

The white haired man blinked, slow and owlishly, eyes fixed just too far left and missing Vein's face by a landslide. Idly, the redhead wondered if the hollow look would have been hatred, had he been able to actually look at him. 

"What" he said so flatly that Vein decided that he couldn't consider that a question. Though, he felt merciful today.

The redhead stretched, glancing over at the window. "The weather is nice, and some fresh air might help you" he told him calmly. Watched the other slowly rise to his feet. Likely aware that this wasn't optional. 

Vein headed a few steps further away, kept them audible rather than moving around silently. Headed closer to the door. 

"I'm telling you my friend is dead, and you're telling me to get fresh air?" ah, he really missed that murderous intent. He preferred the sharp tone by far over the look of defeat. An angry stray was more entertaining than a pathetic, half-drowned one. 

This was progress, too, considering the seer was following his steps. Xia Fei should be proud of him- wasn't he such a great friend? "Distractions help, no? Besides, it'd help you get a grip on the layout of the mansion~" he commented aloud, and decided he'd won when he watched the other's shoulders sag. 

Vein was shameless enough to admit of being proud of himself when he really did manage to get the younger man into the garden. See, Felix? You worried over nothing, I got this handled!, he thought with a sharp grin aimed at no one in particular on the way. 

He was, perhaps, a hint oblivious to the men he'd scared on the way with his wide grin. 

Still, as he sat on the bench in the garden and cleaned his gun, he couldn't help but glance to the white cat. Unlike him, Lu Guang wasn't passing his time with keeping his hands busy. Simply sat with his face turned to the sky, towards the sun. He still looked sad, no doubt from receiving the news of his friend's apparent passing. 

At the same time, he looked like a sunbathing cat, and he couldn't help but take a picture for Xia Fei. The model would thank him. Probably. Or chide him for 'having no sense of personal space' or something equally boring. 

"... Xia Fei won't get in trouble for this, will he?" Lu Guang murmured, just barely loud enough for the mafioso to hear. His head didn't turn, nor did he otherwise move, but there was a concerned edge to his tone. 

Vein glanced down at his gun. "He's my best friend. Do you truly think I'd let him get hurt?" he countered dryly, watched as the other's face scrunched up, just a little. 

Guilt and offense flashed across the seer's face, for just a second. Then he sighed. "Well, he already got kidnapped once" he said, voice as even as he could manage. The hatred within his tone aimed at either the kidnappers, or Vein. 

He liked to imagine it was the latter, because that was the more fun option.

Still, his lips pulled back into a sharp, wide grin. "Do tell... you seem to care so much about Xia Fei, yet you didn't plan to tell us what you knew at first. Why?" he asked, and watched more emotions flicker across the other's face than he'd assumed possible. 

Embarrassment, surprise, a hint of guilt. A slight downward-twitch of his lips. Not quite a frown, but close to it. 

"... I was scared" Lu Guang finally murmured, turned his head away from the sun and into his vague direction. Under the bright sunlight, the scar stood out far more than under dimmer, artificial one. The increased paleness from a lack of sunlight certainly didn't help. 

He only scoffed, though. "Scared, right" he agreed, sarcastically, and rolled his eyes. 

"I was" a scowl appeared on the seer's face. "Of... you. I thought he was dead, Vein" something odd slipped into his tone. Guilt, again, but also something haunted. Something near to mourning. Not in the same way he'd sounded talking about the Qiao-girl. 

Perhaps because he knew Xia Fei was alive? 

Though, the fact he'd presumed him dead... "You went through this before" he pointed out, narrowed his eyes at the seer.  

"Not through this. I knew enough to make educated guesses, but..." Lu Guang hesitated, lowered his head. "I really thought he was dead.  And you can imagine how terrifying the thought was that you're around and will learn and try to find him assuming he's alive and..." 

"And you assumed the worst case. You didn't anticipate that he never died in the first place" Vein didn't mention that he certainly wouldn't handle losing his best friend very well. 

After all, people like him rarely had any genuine friends. 

Lu Guang nodded silently, and turned his head to face him. As best as he could, that is. "I lied," he said, "about not knowing. Though there's spots in my memories. You get really violent when it comes to your friends, did you know that?" 

He did know, but he kept the comment to himself. He couldn't risk the seer not continuing. Not when he'd lied and deflected before. 

"... we couldn't save him" the white haired man whispered, voice breaking. He looked as miserable as Xia Fei had after their recent fight. "You gave me a concussion, and then you left. It went similar across all the previous timelines- eventually you'd come back and try to kill me, only for Cheng Xiaoshi to die instead" 

Vein remained silent, but Lu Guang didn't add anything. So, with a frown, he tilted his head. "Why did I come back another day, rather than kill you the same day?" 

The bitter laugh was an answer before the actual answer: "That, I really don't know. I just know that, after the first time, you were mad that I'm trying to save Cheng Xiaoshi despite failing to save Xia Fei"

Idly, Vein glanced back at the sky. "Have you considered that Xia Fei wasn't meant to live?" He asked, the words like ash on his tongue.

"What do you mean?" He could hear the seer's confusion, but didn't bother to look at him.

And Vein tapped his fingers against his knee, frowned. "Have you considered that you already changed someone's fate irrevocably?"

~

Cheng Xiaoshi paced.

Without Qiao Ling, it felt like a safer bet than stress cooking. There was no one around to stop him otherwise.

With a choked back sob he sank down on the couch in the sunroom. Hands shaking when he glanced down at them.

"I'm sorry, Lu Guang... I had to" he whispered to himself, thinking back to the moment he'd heard Qiao Ling scream.

The image of his sister, limp and with her eyes losing their light, a familiar figure looming above her, would never leave his mind. It'd haunt him forever, all the way to the end of his life.

How did Lu Guang do it? How did he dive back and remain composed? How did he manage to keep himself from breaking down like he was, right now, after witnessing someone he cared about losing their life? Thrice, at that?

The picture had been taken ten minutes before the scream.

He'd immediately called the captain and begged him to come help before it was too late, to please get an ambulance there in time.

He hadn't managed to prevent the attack, but he'd at least managed to make sure Qiao Ling arrived at the hospital alive.

And now here he was yet again, desperately waiting for updates on whether someone he cared deeply about would live and be okay.

Cheng Xiaoshi felt disgusting, his sleeves covered in dried blood. It was underneath his nails, too. Logically, he should've washed it off. He wanted it off. But his mind was screaming at him, and every time he stepped into the direction of the bathroom, the worry of his phone ringing while he was gone returned.

In the end, he grabbed a pillow and in a fit of anger screamed into it. It wasn't as cathartic as movies made it out to be. He still felt horrible, and now his throat hurt on top of that.

The worst part, aside from his sister being in the hospital due to getting stabbed, was that Li Tianchen had gotten away. Again.

There was only thing he knew as a certainty now: Death nodes could be changed... hopefully. Had this been a node? He didn't know. Only Lu Guang would know for certain.

Distantly, he heard the doorbell ring. Hushed voices reaching his ears. Hadn't he flipped the sign to closed? The whispers stopped. Then: "Cheng Xiaoshi? It's me. There's someone who wants to talk to you"

He blinked, glanced down to his hands, the got to his feet and had the decency to at least shrug off his jacket. Chris, of course. She'd said she'd come back later, after all. That explained that, but who would be there to-

Cheng Xiaoshi felt his breath catch when he found himself face to face with a familiar blond. "Xia Fei?" he croaked out, his eyes wide in shock. Wasn't Xia Fei reported missing? He clearly remembered it.

"Cheng Xiaoshi, you're bleeding!" Chris exclaimed, and he blinked slowly. Glancing down at the blood staining his hands. He hadn't realized that some had gotten onto his jeans and shirt too.

He shuddered at the sight, shook his head. "It's... it's not mine" he mumbled, then glanced to Xia Fei. He looked the same as ever, if only with much darker clothes and his hair in disarray from the hood. "Xia Fei you've been missing for weeks"

The blond had the decency to look guilty, then he sighed. "Yea... I kinda got forced to keep a low profile after getting away from my kidnappers. I... uh... can't tell you everything right now" the model muttered, a hint bitter.

Cheng Xiaoshi couldn't even bring himself to be surprised. No one ever told him 'everything', anyway. He was so tired of missing details and information getting withheld for what others assumed to be his own good- but what was he to do?

Though his worry spiked at the news that the whole 'got reported missing' apparently had more to it than he'd assumed after seeing him looking entirely okay. "Kidnapped? Are you alright?" he asked, torn between approaching and looking him over more closely from a distance.

Xia Fei offered an awkward smile, waved his hand. "I'm okay now," he said, as if he didn't look like he'd seen death itself, "really though, what happened to you?" And oh, he sounded as concerned as Cheng Xiaoshi felt.

He really didn't want to think of what had happened, the memory vividly replaying in his mind whenever his thoughts drifted even just a hint, but: "Someone stabbed Qiao Ling"

Both blonds looked utterly horrified. Chris because she knew Qiao Ling, properly, and Xia Fei because he'd heard plenty about his friend's sister over the last years.

"Is she okay?" Chris asked, taking a step forward. Hands hovering with a frown. Idly, Cheng Xiaoshi wondered how much of her worry stemmed from being a good person and how much from his mother possessing her repeatedly.

Then, he mentally smacked himself. That was a stupid thought.

Instead of airing out his mental mess, he sighed and lowered his head. "She's in the hospital, doctors said if it'd taken just a minute longer, it would've been too late. It's... it's all my fault for..." he trailed off, eyes darting to Xia Fei and realizing that 'messing with the past' was not something appropriate to say, and lamely settled for: "spiking Li Tianchen's interest with my stupidity"

Xia Fei's face did something funny, hearing that name. A mix of horror and recognition and pity all mixed into one. "You recognize that name" Chris noted, faster than Cheng Xiaoshi could've.

The younger blond laughed, faint and exhausted. Hands finding their way into his hair and tugging at the strands. "You guys have no idea..." he muttered. "Li Tianchen is... god I don't know. Liu Xiao's little attack dog, I guess. But so is Vein and... it's all such a mess"

"... you knew about Vein this entire time?" Cheng Xiaoshi asked quietly, taken aback. After all, Qiao Ling and him had only found out recently. Then again-

"Yea, I was... I was shocked too. About all of this. I didn't know until after I got saved-" Xia Fei rubbed the back of his head, looked at the ground. "He won't kill you this time. I promise he won't. He won't hurt Lu Guang either, he promised he'd try to keep an eye on him"

Cheng Xiaoshi blinked, his breath halting. "This time...?" he whispered, and felt as though the world was crumbling around him. "So all this time it was him?"

Then, his mind screeched to a halt. "He's a murderer and you left him with Lu Guang?" he demanded, distressed. "You know about the time traveling?"

The blond smiled, awkward and strained. "To be fair, I trust Vein a lot more than I trust Liu Xiao?" he offered, and caused Cheng Xiaoshi even more of a headache. "And... uh... yea. Lu Guang told me"

"What does the Quede Games heir have to- no. No no no- no. Are you telling me the guy who basically kidnapped my best friend is some rich boy?" he asked, his distress only growing. Worst of all, he'd met the Liu family before- wasn't Liu Xiao the younger brother of Liu Min?

And Xia Fei sighed, exhausted and awkward. "Let's just say said rich boy has... connections" he muttered, venom lining his voice. "If I fuck this up and get caught, I'm basically dead. Vein is convinced that Liu Xiao has connections in the police force... and other places. He's... he's really influential"

Slowly, Cheng Xiaoshi sank back down onto the sofa. Something hollow and numb filling his chest. "So what are you saying?" he asked, voice trembling. "That it's over? We won't get Lu Guang back? We... what? Can't get this guy behind bars because he's rich and influential? We'll die because he's got Vein, who's apparently gonna kill me?"

Xia Fei grimaced. Hesitating and side-eying Chris. "Well... not exactly. I don't know what's different about this timeline, Lu Guang didn't tell me much, but Vein's my best friend. He's helping me with helping you two, so we've got him on our side. Kinda"

"Kinda" the diver echoed dryly. Done with his own childish naivety. What good had it brought him? His crush kidnapped. His sister in critical condition at the hospital. His friend here, risking his life, apparently. His mother caring more about a hypothetical timeline rather than this one- even if he felt selfish for thinking that. Still:

"Kinda implies he could turn on us any second"

The blond squared his shoulders. "He won't. I trust him. I know how this sounds- but I don't think he likes Liu Xiao much, either. From what I've seen, Liu Xiao keeps a lot of secrets... and from what I've heard, he's good at making people think he's some grand guy they should worship"

Cheng Xiaoshi and Chris glanced at each other with mild alarm. "Xia Fei," the therapist started as patiently and calmly as she could, "does Liu Xiao lead an organization? Does he have multiple powers?"

With a slow, confused blink he looked from one to the other. "I can definitely confirm the first one. A lot of people keep calling him boss in passing... not sure about the second one. He's weird. Rich people are weird. Vein probably knows more than me about him, sorry" he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"But, uh- I actually have a message. From Lu Guang?" 

Chapter Text

Quite plainly said, Vein woke feeling as though something was going to go very, very wrong. 

He couldn't tell what made him feel so uneasy- Xia Fei returning to the mansion tonight or tomorrow morning, while Liu Xiao and himself were away? The fact he'd gotten his confirmation that Cheng Xiaoshi's murder had happened due to his best friend vanishing- or worse, dying? 

With a weary sigh, he got dressed and went about braiding his hair as well as applying his eyeliner. If they were to go to a meeting today, he couldn't look anything less than put together. What would they think, if he were to show up looking as though he'd gotten no sleep? 

The seer was still asleep when he passed by his room and left a plate with breakfast. He assumed the smell of coffee would rouse him sooner rather than later. He himself carried the tray, still holding two more plates and mugs, a hallway further. 

Carefully balancing the tray on one hand, he knocked against the door. "Are you awake, Aí Jinyan?" he called, mentally beginning to count to twenty. If she failed to answer, he'd simply leave her breakfast on the table next to the door and take his own outside into the gardens. 

He didn't even reach ten when he heard the sound of steps accompanied by crutches drawing near, then the door opened. "M-Morning" Ava greeted him quietly, shuffling aside to let him into the room. 

It wasn't much more furnished than Lu Guang's, he noted idly as he looked around. Aside from a vase filled with flowers from the gardens. An attempt to garner favor, perhaps? His lips almost twitched in faint amusement. 

"Good morning, sweetie" he responded calmly, setting the tray down at the table. "How is your leg treating you?" he asked, taking a seat and grabbing the mug filled with tea for himself. 

His former model sat down across from him, crutches leaning against the table. "P-Probably will end... end up with a limb" she murmured, grabbing the second mug with a sigh. "G-Guess that's it f-for modelling?" 

Vein took a sip of his tea, pleased when he found it to have cooled to the perfect temperature. "That's your worry? Your face is still sweet as pie, if you really plan to keep to that line of work" he assured her. "Though you could always return to your original plans, no?" 

He watched a shadow pass across her face. "N-No... I kind of... kind of quit c-college. It wasn't... wasn't working out" she admitted quietly, sighing. "W-Words fail me a-anyway... s-so I guess using my face is the... the only thing left. A l-lot would... would agree" 

Without a second of hesitation he reached across the table and flicked her forehead. "It isn't words that fail you- the things you've said and written prove that. It's your voice that fails to hold up to others' expectations" he pointed out, then leaned back.  "Besides, why bother what people think and say?"

"Now, what have you learned, sweetie? I'm quite sure a little mouse such as yourself has an easy time gathering information~" he smiled, all teeth, and allowed her no opportunity to response. Watched her expression carefully. 

Surprise at his prior statement, hesitation and nervousness flashed across her face in rapid succession. A delicious thing to watch, in his opinion. 

Once the nervousness settled and she'd taken a deep breath, she stared down at her mug. "L-Liu Xiao isn't... isn't aware of anything y-yet, I think. He's... he's odd" she whispered, eyes darting up ever so briefly to look at him, then back down at her coffee. 

"Odd, hm? How so?" he asked, intrigued. Leaned a little forward. The choice of words was interesting. 

Ava hesitated, mismatched eyes refusing to move from her coffee. "I... I don't know h-how- C-Can't really... he's... he's always p-pleased when... when Guang is d-distressed" there was something there, but for once words really did seem to fail her. "H-His men seem to... seem to worship h-him" 

He blinked at that piece of information. He knew, logically, that Liu Xiao led differently than how he did. He also knew that it was a sort of cult, from what he'd gathered. But the other was secretive about it, had somehow made sure none of Vein's men were involved in the inner workings of his own organization. 

And Vein trusted her words on this.

The fact that people genuinely worshipped him... he wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. Still, he only nodded in acknowledgement of the information. 

"Thank you" he offered a sincere smile, reached across the table to pat her head. His smile turning into a sharp grin at her offended pout. "Don't look at me like that, it makes me want to eat you~" 

Rather than put off, the pout only seemed to intensify. "Boss" she complained half-heartedly, tone flat. "A-Anyway... I th-think the pink...pink haired guy is... is g-grieving. He's a-angry with everyone but... but Liu X-Xiao" 

Idly, he clapped. "Observant as always" he said, even though he'd already noted the last bit himself. Best not to get her confidence down further than it already tended to be, in his opinion.

"Grieving, hm? Xavier did used to talk about twins..."  he mused, propping his chin up with a hand. What had the girl's name been? Liu Xiao had hardly talked about even Li Tianchen with a name.

The girl across from him frowned, biting her lip. "S-Sorry, I wasn't... wasn't aware you a-already-"

"You're doing as I asked of you, no? Telling me what I already know works as a confirmation. I do trust your... unique intuition~" 

He smiled, but his eyes narrowed. However, rather than giving anything away, the young woman only lowered her head with an embarrassed smile a soft "Thank you" he heard only because the room was quiet. 

"Wh-What happened to... to Guang?" Ava asked after a moment, voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes wide and utterly concerned. It made him sigh. His two best models really did get attached to people far too easily. At least he didn't have to deal with two love-sick... employees? No, that no longer fit. 

He no longer led a modelling agency, after all.

With a vague wave of his hand he shrugged. Banished the thought. "He's fine for now. I don't know for how much longer, though" he answered honestly, watched her carefully. "But I'm curious... how did being close to him make you feel so sick, hm? It seemed like you could hardly stand being even in the same hallway..." 

He watched with interest as her face paled, the words she stammered incomprehensible. His lips twitched at the sight, and he shook his head dismissively. Rose to his feet after downing the last of his tea. "It's a topic for another day, I fear. While I enjoy upsetting Xavier greatly, I'd rather not leave him alone with Felix' little crush for too long" 

Amusement sparked in his chest at the bewildered stare his former model gave him, and he only allowed himself to smile once his back was turned. Once he was already half-way to the door. 

Perhaps it was cruel to put her on the spot like that only to let her off the hook... but he couldn't help it. Her reactions were entertaining, delectable, even. Certainly on par with any five-star restaurant's dessert. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, sweetie~" 

The drive was painfully awkward, considering Vein ended up the only one attempting to break the silence. 

After being ignored for two hours, he resigned himself to staying silent during the meeting as well. Though he found it just a hint odd that Liu Xiao pulled him aside and told him he'd execute someone today beforehand. 

For most of the meeting, he assumed it would be one of the other leaders. Though he couldn't tell who. His fingers itched to grab his gun, but he refrained. Eyes jumping between the leaders on occasion, never speaking up himself. He saw no point. 

Sometimes, he took a brief look at Lu Guang. From what he could tell, the white haired man was zoned out. He envied him, just a hint. He wasn't required to pay attention. Vein was. How bothersome. 

Then, finally, a person was dragged into the room by two of Liu Xiao's men, a sack pulled over their head. The person's jacket let alarm bells ring in the back of Vein's head. 

The cult leader simply smiled knowingly. "Now, let's come to one other little issue... apparently, there was a traitor among the people I surround myself with" he commented idly, and Vein was too distracted staring at the newcomer to notice that Li Tianchen had vanished from his seat.

The  sack was tugged off, revealing messy blond-brown hair and golden eyes. His brain already stopped comprehending what he was seeing upon recognizing the striking hair. "Xia Fei?" he whispered, disbelief bleeding into his voice. 

His eyes darted to Liu Xiao, but the other merely smiled. Smug and arrogant. "But it's quite alright, after all, my dear friend will prove his loyalty" he said, and it felt as though his words were aimed at Vein alone. 

No doubt the dark haired man could hear the way his heart was racing. A rarity, it must've been, to hear Vein's heartbeat race with cold dread rather than excitement. 

He glanced between Liu Xiao and the blond, shook his head. Vision darkening at the edges, his world narrowing down to the cult leader and his best friend. "No" he spat with more venom in his voice than ever before towards his work-partner. 

Vein wouldn't, couldn't, do that. Not to Xia Fei. He'd never dare to hurt his only friend. 

"Are you not loyal?" Liu Xiao sounded faintly amused, draping an arm around an unmoving Lu Guang. If he'd been in any better state of mind, perhaps he'd have noticed that the seer's head was tilted ever so slightly, eyebrows furrowed. 

Vein's eyes snapped back to Liu Xiao's face and stayed there. "Xavier. You can't be serious" he nearly snarled, disgusted by the thought of pulling the trigger on the blond. "Felix, when did he-?" 

The blond swayed, yellow eyes never leaving the redhead. "Boss, please... help me" he croaked out. Vein couldn't spot an injury, but his voice sounded off- had someone strangled him? He clenched his fists in anger. 

Liu Xiao sighed, as if disappointed with him. And then, multiple things happened at once. Two voices, one belonging to his best friend's little crush and one to the man he worked with overlapping:  

"... Vein, that's-" 

"Li Tianchen, if you would" 

Cold fingers grasped his neck and suddenly, Vein knew no more. Drowning in an abyss of serene darkness. 

His ears rang with the aftershock of a fired gun, his hand trembling the second the possession dropped. 

Slowly, his gaze cleared. Chest heaving as the tranquility was replaced with horror. His eyes found a slumped over, blond person. A hand was still at the back of his neck, but he wasn't being held back. 

So he stumbled towards the downed figure that had a gaping hole on his forehead, blood still trickling down slowly. 

The mafia boss dropped to his knees, unable to comprehend a thing said to him. Vaguely, he thought someone was yelling at him. It certainly wasn't Liu Xiao, he seemed smug seeing the horror painted on Vein's face. 

And horror truly was the only thing he felt, in that moment. Every other emotion numb. The grief would come once the shock wore off, eventually. Surely. Yet he couldn't believe what had just transpired. 

His eyes fell to the gun still in his hand. Without a second of hesitation he pointed it at Liu Xiao, and the younger man's smile widened into a Cheshire grin. 

Vein pulled the trigger. 

The chamber, however, proved to be empty. 

His chest heaved. He felt as though he couldn't breathe. Had this entire meeting been a set up? How long had Liu Xiao known? 

The gun clattered to the floor, only the rage burning in his chest prevented Vein from following it. With a scowl, he grabbed Liu Xiao by the front of his shirt. Dragged the man closer to punch the smug smirk off his face. 

Cold fingers grazed his wrist, and without warning he was plunged back into the tranquil darkness. 

Chapter Text

"Why did you do that?"

Li Tianchen stared at his oldest friend, a frown marring his face. He flexed his hand, the feeling of it being much larger and the memory of holding a gun had yet to fate.

He disliked guns, always had. Xixi being killed with one had only made his hatred grow. Knives were better- more personal. It felt like cheating, simply shooting someone. 

Still, he couldn't wrap his head around why Liu Xiao chose to do this. Watched a smile dance across the man's face. 

"The big bad wolf needed to learn his lesson" was all he said, in a tone that Li Tianchen knew meant he wouldn't get further answers. 

Then, his face twisted into a disappointed frown. "You didn't use Li Tianxi's power" he noted, and the pink haired young man froze. 

He wasn't sure whether it was guilt or anger that curled in his chest. Guilt at disappointing the only friend he had left, or anger at being pushed to use his sister's power without her. 

It still felt wrong. It still didn't feel like something he should own. 

"I don't want to use it without her" he admitted, knowing quite well that Liu Xiao would see through any lie he tried to make. Watched as disappointment turned into not being looked at at all. 

Somehow, being ignored was worse than the weight of disappointment. 

~

The hospital's hallway was eerily quiet when Cheng Xiaoshi went searching for the correct room, hood tugged over his head and hand holding tightly onto Xia Fei's. The other's clothes matching his own, what with the hood hiding his hair and a scarf hiding his lower face.

He was grateful that the blond was accompanying him, couldn't imagine going to visit his sister by himself when the last update had been an hour before the blond duo had arrived.

They hadn't stated it, hadn't admitted it. But the way they both held themselves around each other... Cheng Xiaoshi couldn't help but think they were estranged siblings.

Chris had mentioned something... or rather someone, yet never told him a name.

When they eventually found the right room, he stood and simply stared at the door like a fool. Shaking when the memory of holding his dying sister resurfaced. Really, he couldn't understand how Lu Guang had been so... so calm about it all.

How had his best friend been able to pretend as though he was okay for so long? Cheng Xiaoshi didn't feel okay at all.

Before he could spiral, Xia Fei squeezed his hand gently, tugged the scarf low so he could see his expression properly. Offered him a soft and reassuring smile that had the younger man blink, for a second taken aback - specifically at how pretty that smile was - and promptly reminded himself that Xia Fei was a model. Had been a model. He wasn't quite sure.

He sighed, and glanced to the door. It was ironic, really. Lu Guang's message had included something about a deal with his kidnapper- or... whatever this Liu Xiao guy really was. About how he was worried - although Xia Fei had insisted Lu Guang was scared of this strange guy - Liu Xiao wouldn't keep up his end of the deal.

As he stepped into the room, he couldn't help but think it was ironic. Here his sister was, stabbed by Li Tianchen who apparently worked closely with this Liu Xiao. Lu Guang had been right to worry.

Cheng Xiaoshi really wanted to throw hands with the Liu family again, but that was beside the point.

He fought another sigh and approached the bed. Dread and anticipation fighting in his chest as he saw the painfully still figure of his sister. The monitor beeped steadily, proving she really was alive.

"Qiao Ling?" he called gently, and received no response. Faltered at the silence and sunk into the uncomfortable plastic chair. Wiped at his eyes with a sniffle. "I was hoping..."

It had been a foolish hope- he'd known the doctors only cleared her for visits. Nothing about her being awake yet. His eyes burned with unshed tears. Beside him, the other chair was pulled to face the bed as well.

"... she died, Fei" he whispered, broken and defeated. Refused to look at the blond. "I messed up time and... I'm not sorry. I'm not sorry for saving her, but I..."

The chair next to him creaked. "You and Lu Guang are really alike, huh?" he muttered quietly, and Cheng Xiaoshi fought a sad laugh.

He sighed, tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. "I guess so. I just... can't imagine living in a world without my best friend... without my sister. I can't live in a world without Lu Guang, either" he murmured.

When a hand dropped onto his shoulder, he flinched initially. Then leaned into the touch. "Lu Guang is as okay as the situation allows" Xia Fei told him- promised him. Cheng Xiaoshi was desperate to believe it.

Part of him couldn't. Part of him needed to see the man he'd spent the past three years with- he missed him. He missed him so much it hurt. Missed him so much he thought he might die.

"I can't do this" he whispered, letting out a shaky breath. "I don't know how Guang... I can't do this. I'm not him"

Xia Fei squeezed his shoulder gently. "You don't have to be him- you're perfect as you are. You don't have to do it all alone" he told him, plain and simple. Cheng Xiaoshi wished it was so plain and simple.

Instead of telling him that, he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Yea..." he whispered, and forced himself to smile as if his whole world wasn't currently crumbling down around him. As if he wasn't losing everyone he cared about yet again.

"I'm sorry for all of this. For the lies and leaving the way I did", Lu Guang's message had been. Of course the first thing had been an apology. Then, the ridiculous stupidity that seemed more like something Cheng Xiaoshi would think: "I thought my blindness would make me a burden, and I still think that. I can't keep you safe like this"

What an idiot. Lu Guang, pretty and so so smart Lu Guang, was an idiot. He'd never be a burden. Never. Not to Cheng Xiaoshi, not to Qiao Ling either. Qiao Ling cared about Lu Guang deeply, perhaps as much as she cared about Cheng Xiaoshi. And Cheng Xiaoshi... well. He loved Lu Guang. It had just been a realization he'd had too late.

"I don't trust Liu Xiao to keep up his end of the deal" was another part of the message, and the bitter irony brought tears to Cheng Xiaoshi's eyes. The rest, though? The rest was so painfully Lu Guang that it hurt: "Please, stay safe. Don't do anything stupid or risky"

He didn't dare make a promise. Not when he didn't know if he could keep it.

He only hoped Lu Guang wouldn't be a hypocrite again and wouldn't do anything risky himself.

~

He couldn't believe he was doing this.

He couldn't believe he hadn't been stopped, so far.

Granted, there was little reason for anyone to stop him. He wouldn't get far, anyway, if he attempted to leave.

Truth be told, he was terrified. What if he got lost in the mansion? He didn't know the layout. He didn't know where he was even going.

The only thing motivating him in going forward was, painful as the irony was, remembering holding Cheng Xiaoshi as he bled out, the memory of watching Qiao Ling's life fade from her, of being told his mother would never return...

Losing someone you cared about, regardless of the type of connection shared, was horrible... and he knew for a fact that the two of them were quite close friends.

Though that made him wonder if, perhaps, he should've waited for Xia Fei to come back. It was evening, as far as he knew. Maybe night. The meeting had ended early, from what he'd heard. Vein had mentioned Xia Fei would likely be back tomorrow.

Then again, the longer he thought about it, the more certain he was that he should talk with the man first. Even if he hated him. Even if he hated the thought of willingly seeking him out. But he couldn't risk it.

The voice had been close, but not close enough to fool him. Whoever had been shot, it hadn't been Xia Fei... but Liu Xiao seemed to have tricked Vein.

He didn't want to know what might happen if the real Xia Fei happened to startle Vein.

As he walked, he eventually found himself on a flight of stairs. That was when he knew one thing for certain: on his own, he'd never find back.

Part of him wondered if Liu Xiao would get angry, finding out that he'd left. Another wondered if it was worth it- trying to prevent something that may not even come to pass. For all he knew, the real Xia Fei was in no danger and Vein would realize the deception on his own.

Lu Guang didn't want to risk it, regardless. He found himself caring too much for the model to risk having him get harmed.

Nearing the top of the stairs, he heard a dull thud- the sound of crutches.

"G-Go away. B-Boss isn't... isn't in the mood to..." an all too familiar voice reached his ears, and the brief tension unraveled instantly. He couldn't help but notice that she sounded as if she'd been crying. Then, she seemed to catch sight of him: "L-Lu Guang?"

He nodded slowly, holding tightly onto the railing of the stairs. Just to be safe. "Yes. I... what are you doing here?" he asked, slowly. He didn't think she worked for Liu Xiao, truly. She hadn't talked much about her old work- unlike Xia Fei, who'd shared some stories from before...

Well. From before. Before Cheng Xiaoshi had gone to Bridon. Before Lu Guang had messed the timeline up for a chance of his best friend to survive.

He didn't regret it. He'd never regret it- but he felt for the model, especially after spending more time with him. Both models, really- even if Aí Jinyan hardly talked. He didn't blame her, even if he saw nothing wrong with her voice.

"T-Trying to... to make sure g-glasses guy doesn't... doesn't bother boss" the girl responded, after a moment. Idly, he realized how odd it felt to mentally refer to her as a girl when she was as old as Xia Fei- that is, older than Qiao Ling.

The soft tone didn't help, though. Nor the fact that she'd described herself as short only for Xia Fei to call her "absolutely tiny".

His heart squeezed painfully at the thought, fingers curling into the sleeves of the model's jacket. He missed the other.

"Did Liu Xiao try, so far?" he asked, slowly moving up the stairs. After all, he clearly wasn't wearing glasses. They wouldn't do him any good anymore.

Fabric rustled, the crutches thudded against the floor as if they'd been placed down. He wondered if Aí Jinyan purposefully made more noise than necessary as she sat down. At least, he assumed her to have sat down.

"N-No. B-Boss is... is really upset" she sniffled, and Lu Guang felt terrible. "Is... is F-Fei...? Y-You don't... wh-why aren't you up-upset?" she asked, with so much grief that it felt like salt being poured into an open wound.

Quickly, he shook his head. "Fei's okay. Liu Xiao's... he's a bastard. He didn't hurt Xia Fei. It wasn't him- the voice was wrong and the sound of his steps too" he explained, as calmly as he could.

The fear of being wrong was there, but he refused to let it consume him.

The silence was suffocating. He had half the mind to keep talking- to outright beg for her to say something, anything. He couldn't tell what was happening, given the silence, and he was likely starting to spiral, when: "Th-that manipulative, d-disgusting prick"

Baffled, his mouth snapped shut. Whatever had been on the tip of his tongue dying before being uttered. He hadn't expected her to swear. Especially not in English, even if it made sense. There was so much more swearing - both in English and then in Chinese - and Lu Guang reeled.

He'd thought she was timid. Even Xia Fei had described her as timid and easily on edge. He hadn't expected her to... well. All things considered, he really couldn't blame her.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "So you get why I need to talk to Vein?" he asked, and startled when a hand grabbed his wrist, tugged him up the last few steps of the stairs.

"Y-Yea. I can't... I'm n-not good with st-strong emotions. K-Keep getting sick wh-when near negative ones s-since the... the kidnapping. R-Reminds me of... of..." she trailed off awkwardly and led him along, then cleared her throat, "St-Still working on... on not g-getting sick from it"

Lu Guang frowned, his mind running miles a minute. Sick? Near strong, negative emotions? It almost sounded like- but that was ridiculous. If that were the case...

He shook his head. He'd worry about this later- and deciding to push it back seemed the right decision. They'd stopped walking.

"G-Good luck" Aí Jinyan told him, and he fought to keep himself from grimacing. Nodded instead and pushed open the door after finding the doorknob.

Chapter Text

Finding a cannibalistic serial killer was a lot harder than anticipated, despite this being where he was. 

From what Lu Guang could tell, whatever place Vein was staying in was less of a room and more of a few rooms connecting each other. In the end, it wasn't Lu Guang who found the man, though. 

Instead, he felt panic rising in his chest when a hand grabbed him by the back of his neck. "What are you doing here?" the voice was all too familiar, all too clearly not Li Tianchen. However, Vein's voice was regretfully no less terrifying to hear. 

Lu Guang didn't let himself struggle, yet couldn't stop himself from trembling ever so faintly. Far too aware of the fact that if he wanted to, Vein would simply snap his neck. He could, he was sure of it. 

The man shook him, slightly. "How dare you..." he started in a low, dangerously quiet tone, "How dare you wear that jacket after-" there was an odd crack to his voice, one that spoke of a grief that Lu Guang was all too familiar with. 

It reminded him of his own losses, and his eyes burned. Part of him wished he'd lost the ability to cry along with his sight, but when was fate ever doing anything he'd prefer? 

"It wasn't Xia Fei" he said, all too quickly, in a rush to get it out before the other decided to kill him after all. Felt the way Vein's grip faltered, and barreled right on: "I swear on my life, it wasn't Xia Fei"

The grip tightened again, and for a second he feared the other really did intend to snap his neck. "You swearing on your life isn't worth much, after you begged for me to end you" the man pointed out dryly. 

Truthfully, Lu Guang had no smart comeback to that. He vaguely remembered panic. He also vaguely remembered begging for Vein to kill him first because he couldn't take it anymore. The sentiment was still there, really, just... less. 

So long as Vein wasn't planning on killing Cheng Xiaoshi and Xia Fei would stick around, he didn't mind continuing to live a little longer. He could do without the insane killer who'd murdered his best friend multiple times over, but it felt cruel to separate best friends. 

He was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, for Xia Fei's sake... so long as he stayed a respectable distance away from Cheng Xiaoshi. 

"... then I swear on Cheng Xiaoshi's" 

Vein laughed. Lu Guang did not. It took a moment until the redhead seemed to realize that. "You're that confident?" he asked, almost baffled. 

He refused to back down when he was so certain of the truth. 

"I am. It wasn't Xia Fei, I promise" he told him, narrowed his eyes. More for the effect than anything. He doubted, in truth, that Vein would take him serious regardless of his expression. 

Then, he heard him drawing closer. "If I find out you lied, I will kill your friend" the murderer told him, a haunting whisper in his ear, plain and simple. 

It took everything in him not to flinch, but he knew he must've paled. Still, he nodded. "I'm not lying. His voice was wrong. It's... easier" he paused when he realized how stupid that must sound. "To notice when you only have the voice to rely on, I mean. I'd recognize his voice from thousands" 

Was that odd? He wasn't sure. He'd recognize Cheng Xiaoshi's, too, after all.

For what felt like eternity, the other remained utterly silent. Lu Guang assumed he was staring at him. He certainly felt watched. 

Finally, Vein huffed. "... insane as it is, I believe you" he muttered, voice filled with annoyance. He didn't blame him, this single time. He'd have a hard time believing the other, too.

Still, he couldn't help the thought coming up at that comment. His mouth working before his brain could properly kick in: "You're generally insane"

The regret Lu Guang felt was instant. After all, Vein was certainly insane and he feared his reaction to such a bold insult. 

The sound of laughter caused his fear to turn into confusion, however. Tilting his head, he turned his head into the other's general direction. 

"Aww, the little cat can bite~" the cannibal sounded far, far too delighted about that. Unsettlingly cheerful. "Truth be told... I only believe it because you care quite a lot about him" 

"I do care about him" He told him with a certainty that, perhaps, could've put Xiaoshi to shame. But he meant it, after all, Xia Fei was... a friend. "It was horrible to find out that while I thought he died, instead he..." 

Steps reached his ears, moving away from him at a slow pace. He decided, against his every instinct telling him to run or stay where he was, to follow. "He told you" Vein noted, almost idly, but there was an underlying sense of... well, murderous intent seemed to fit the best. 

It was almost ridiculous- a terrifying mafia boss really was protective over a stray college student. 

"Mh... I'm sorry" he murmured, not daring to raise his head. Then, when Vein failed to answer: "For failing him in the previous timelines. For initially keeping quiet in this one" 

Vein hummed, and to Lu Guang, the man sounded nearly absentminded. As if he were thinking of something entirely different. "He'd forgive you" the older man finally said, and there was no cheerfulness in his voice. 

Hearing him be serious was almost more terrifying than hearing him be overly excited over literally nothing.  

"He shouldn't" Lu Guang was certain of it. He didn't deserve anyone's forgiveness, no matter how much he craved it. 

He didn't deserve Xia Fei's forgiveness for not saving him. 

He didn't deserve Cheng Xiaoshi's forgiveness for all the lies. 

He didn't deserve Qiao Ling's forgiveness for getting her killed in not one but now two timelines. 

He didn't deserve... really anyone's forgiveness. Maybe he really should've been more stubborn about asking Vein to- 

"That's not your decision, though, is it? The only one who can choose if you deserve forgivness is who you wronged~" 

~

Xia Fei hardly felt like eating, and from Cheng Xiaoshi's expression, he didn't either. 

Still, the younger of the two stood in the kitchen. Slowly moving about with nearly robotic motions, eyes eerily blank. 

The former model felt horrible, but he couldn't blame him. He'd be upset too, if it were his sister in the hospital. She hadn't stirred at all, but the doctors were allegedly certain that she'd wake up soon. 

They just didn't know when. 

Cheng Xiaoshi didn't seem reassured. If anything, he seemed even more down-trodden at the lack of certainties beyond his sister not dying. For all they knew, after all, she could stay asleep for hours to days to even weeks. 

His eyes darted to his phone. He hadn't received a text from Vein yet, for being late. He'd written him, though. Told him that they might need to use plan B because he'd stayed longer than planned.

And truthfully, the thought of going back pained him. Not because of the mansion and Liu Xiao, but because he didn't want to leave Cheng Xiaoshi alone.

But... he also couldn't leave Lu Guang alone.

Sure, he trusted his friends to keep an eye on him, but he disliked the idea regardless.

Ava, even more so since the kidnapping, didn't seem to be doing well around distressed people. Trauma, maybe? He wasn't quite sure. 

And Vein was... well, he was Vein. Which is to say, the killer of Xia Fei's other crush, who was currently flitting about the kitchen and mumbling to himself. 

He hated the idea of leaving either of them to their own devices, truthfully. He entertained the idea of sneaking Cheng Xiaoshi in, but threw the idea out of the window immediately. Better not get him stuck there too. Then, a different idea struck him: "Hey, Cheng Xiaoshi?" 

The brunet paused in the middle of chopping vegetables into so tiny pieces that Xia Fei had trouble recognizing what they even were. Carrots? The color matched. 

"What if I give you this phone's number and make sure you and Lu Guang can t- crap, nevermind, he can't type..." Xia Fei frowned, sighing. "And I don't wanna overstep, you guys deserve your privacy" 

The silence seemed to stretch, until Cheng Xiaoshi shook his head. "Why can't I just call him?" he asked, frowning. "If you give him the phone..." 

Xia Fei rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, offering an embarrassed smile and praying he didn't look as awkward as he felt. "Maybe? I didn't think of that" he mumbled slowly. "I might be able to convince Vein to help keep Liu Xiao and Li Tianchen busy, so you have enough time to properly talk without worry of someone barging in" 

The room turned icy at the mention of Li Tianchen, and Cheng Xiaoshi refused to look at him. "I... really don't like that he's near Lu Guang" he muttered. "Li Tianchen, I mean. I don't like Liu Xiao either, though" 

The blond couldn't hold back the laugh. "Yea... I don't like them either" he admitted. Then his own gaze dropped. "I... honestly I wonder if Li Tianchen getting sent after your sister was my fault" 

"What do you mean?" Cheng Xiaoshi didn't sound angry, just confused, and that was almost worse. 

Rubbing his arm, Xia Fei stared at his own feet. "I punched Liu Xiao, recently. Maybe if I hadn't, he would've left you guys alone" he murmured, frowning. Only to startle when Cheng Xiaoshi rested a hand on his shoulder. 

The dark haired young man smiled, but he could see the tears in his eyes. "I doubt it... and even so, you didn't know" he told him, in a tone that made it abundantly clear that he was trying to take a page out of Lu Guang's book. 

It was... kind of endearing. 

Mentally, he smacked himself for that. It was so not the time for thinking that stuff. 

So, he smiled instead. As genuine as he could. "I guess..." he agreed softly, and all but melted when Cheng Xiaoshi hugged him. He felt... safe, in a way that had gotten increasingly rare over the years. He hoped his stupid heart wasn't giving him away. 

"Let's decide on what to do once Lu Guang has the phone" Cheng Xiaoshi finally told him, without letting go. If anything, he held him a little tighter. Maybe this was something they both needed. 

Or maybe Xia Fei was projecting. 

Suddenly, though, the other pushed him back slightly. "Wait, to get the phone to Lu Guang..." he started, eyes widening in horror. "You're telling me you're going back to that guy?" 

The blond winced. "Well, yea. I have to. It'd be a mess if I didn't, because who knows what Liu Xiao might do..." he pointed out slowly and got shaken by the shoulders in response.

"Liu Xiao got connections" he said, quickly, when he saw Cheng Xiaoshi open his mouth. That shut him up. "Besides- someone's gotta keep an eye on Lu Guang, right?" 

His friend was still frowning, clearly upset. "But we could inform the-" he started, and sadly, Xia Fei could tell exactly what he intended to say. Held up a hand and shook his head. 

"The police can't prove anything, and with some of them being corrupt and Liu Xiao potentially threatening to get you killed..." he explained, watched understanding and then sadness dawn on his friend's face. "... Lu Guang might claim he wants to be there" 

Cheng Xiaoshi swore, at that. He couldn't blame him. 

With a sigh, he glanced to the clock. "Don't worry, I'll come back... and Wang Qing should be back soon, too" he said. His sister was the main reason why he'd waited this long. She was out in Guidu doing... something. 

He wanted to say goodbye, properly, this time. Even if he was going to add a 'See you later' to it. 

His attention was caught when Cheng Xiaoshi's phone rang. The second the brunet saw the number, the light returned to his eyes. It didn't take a genius to guess who was calling. 

"Do you think-?"

Chapter Text

Xia Fei stared down at the phone, biting his lip. Despite having left hours ago, he still felt terrible about leaving. Still: Ava, rather than Vein, had sent him a text right as he'd headed for the hospital with Cheng Xiaoshi. 

It was short, with no explanations or detail. Just what felt more like an order than a request. It worried him. 

He'd expected a text from Vein, considering he'd already stayed past the time they'd agreed. He'd known that Vein gave a different phone to the girl, just in case Xia Fei needed an update while Vein was in the meeting, but he hadn't expected that she'd text him. 

With a sigh, he glanced up. It was already getting dark, they were bound to be back already. So he pulled the lighter from his pocket. "This better work out" he muttered to himself and pulled a photo out as well. 

He'd hoped to avoid plan B, but staying longer than the time he'd agreed on, even by just a few hours, meant he needed a distraction.

The photo showed a lamp right outside Liu Xiao's room that he'd taken in the middle of the night before his little trip, after checking at least five times that no one saw him. He'd printed it out at Cheng Xiaoshi's studio, much to the brunet's confusion. 

He'd felt bad for not explaining, but the thought of what he was going to do left a sick feeling in his gut. He hated doing this. The mental image of a startled, maybe even scared, Liu Xiao was worth it though.

Chapter Text

"My, you really lost your temper fast"

Liu Xiao seemed amused, from where he stood with a hand heavily resting on Li Tianchen's shoulder.

The man's presence was quite likely the only thing preventing a bloodbath, currently. Especially considering the blood already staining Li Tianchen's nose and hoodie.

Xia Fei, meanwhile, simply glared at them both. His hand ached, but he didn't care. What he did care about was getting his hands on Li Tianchen and-

And what? He'd already punched him. He'd already broken the possession.

The terrified expression on Lu Guang's face would haunt his nightmares for years, he knew. He couldn't even tell what the white haired man had been afraid of more.

Li Tianchen, or Xia Fei.

"It's your fault" the blond spat venomously. "For not keeping your fucking attack dog on a tighter leash"

At that, Li Tianchen outright growled like a rabid dog. In Xia Fei's opinion, he was proving his point.

Liu Xiao, however, laughed softly. "Oh, don't be like that. It's not his fault you lost your temper... I wonder... is your little crush going to keep looking at you the same, now that he knows how violent you get?"

The former model bristled, but said nothing. Liu Xiao wasn't wrong. He probably had scared him off with that. 

He couldn't possibly-

"It's not like I'm actually looking at him, is it?" 

Xia Fei froze at the sudden voice from the door way, and across from him, he watched Liu Xiao freeze as well.

From the looks of it, he hadn't anticipated this either. In a way, the blond couldn't help but think that it served the hat-wearing bastard right to likely mistake him for someone else. 

At the same time, he was baffled to find Lu Guang really standing there, outside his room. He'd not seen him outside the room so far, but there he was. Clutching Xia Fei's jacket close around himself, the low collar doing nothing to hide the hand-shaped bruises forming around his neck. 

Truthfully, the sight made Xia Fei want to turn and strangle Li Tianchen. 

Yet he, just like the glasses-wearing freak and the pink chihuahua-wannabe, remained frozen in place. "That one is on you, though, Liu Xiao" Lu Guang sounded a hint winded, probably from having his neck gripped like that. "But... I feel safer around Fei regardless of what just happened" 

Normally he'd have felt happy about Lu Guang feeling safe around him.

Then and there, all Xia Fei felt was worry, rage and shame when he realized that Lu Guang must've heard what he wasn't supposed to. 

Quickly, he stepped to his side. Ears burning in humiliation. 

"Let's-" he started, reaching for the other's elbow, and froze when the white haired man turned his head to follow the sound of his voice. His suggestion of going to his room, considering it was closer than Lu Guang's, died in his throat. 

Still, the other nodded. "Go outside, sounds like a good idea" he said, and that was absolutely not the suggestion Xia Fei had wanted to make. But he was a weak man when faced with his crush and immediately stammered his agreement before dragging him away. 

Behind them, Li Tianchen spat what sounded like insults. Liu Xiao was eerily silent. 

Xia Fei headed for the gardens, before stopping and instead heading for his own room when he realized that Vein was out there. Probably. 

While he really wanted to check on his friend, he didn't want to stress Lu Guang either. Though he said nothing until the door shut behind them. 

With a sigh, he rubbed a hand over his face. "Uh... we're kinda in my room. I don't think going outside is a great idea right now" he muttered, letting go of the other to head over to the windows and let in some fresh air, then went to sit down on his bed. 

As he did so, he realized with dread that Lu Guang's window had always been closed when he'd been to his room. Had the younger man ever let in fresh air? 

"It's fine, I just wanted to get you away from Liu Xiao" Lu Guang admitted, slowly following him, only to freeze in the middle of the room. Looking terribly lost, before moving forward again at a much slower pace. 

Xia Fei blinked, then realized that he'd never brought Lu Guang here. "Nothing in the way" he assured him and remained silent when the younger man moved at a less careful pace. Only when he neared the bed did he speak up again: "You reached the bed" 

Lu Guang shuffled forward slowly until his knee bumped lightly against the frame, then took a seat next to him. Almost immediately leaning his full weight against Xia Fei. "... thank you" the white haired young man whispered softly. 

And the blond stared, utterly confused but grateful that he didn't shy away from him. "For what?" he couldn't help but ask and carefully half-hugged the younger man. It wasn't as obvious as the times before, but he was definitely shaken up with how he trembled ever so faintly.  

There was a tired hum, and Xia Fei tried his hardest to commit the moment the other all but melted into the hug to memory. The fact he was still wearing a jacket he was quite sure he accidentally left in Lu Guang's room certainly made it easier. 

"For stopping Li Tianchen" he murmured, wrapping his arms loosely around Xia Fei. Slowly, the older of the two rested a hand on his head. A faint, sad smile tugging at his lips. He really, really wished they were in a better situation than the one they'd found themselves in. 

Lightly, he messed up his hair. "Any time" he promised, vowing to himself that he'd talk with him about the situation with Cheng Xiaoshi once they were both a little calmer. 

Blessedly, Lu Guang said nothing at all.

Yet, perhaps, he should finally air out his feelings while he was at it. He doubted that, this time, he'd missed it... unless, of course, he'd assumed Liu Xiao to be joking. 

Perhaps he hadn't believed it. Perhaps he'd assumed it to be a joke, or a taunt or anything but the truth... but at this rate Xia Fei knew one thing far too well: He needed to get the truth out sooner or later, and preferably on his own terms. 

Even if it might be a little too late for that. 

~

Cheng Xiaoshi sighed, closing the mobile game on his phone yet again. He'd logged on and off countless times in the last half an hour. 

He'd been at the hospital for three hours, by now. He'd missed Qiao Ling being awake by mere minutes- she'd been asleep by the time he'd skidded into the right hallway. 

According to the doctors, she'd seemed panicked, rambling about needing to see her brother before passing out again.

Selfishly, he'd wished Xia Fei had stayed longer. Still, he was glad that he'd be keeping an eye on Lu Guang. 

He could hardly concentrate on his game- even failed at just doing his dailies. It didn't work as a distraction, not right now. What did catch his attention, however, was the rustling of bedsheets. 

His eyes snapped up and to his sister, who made a pained noise, face scrunching up. Cheng Xiaoshi was next to her in seconds, hands hovering in a panic when the monitor picked up on a spike in her heart rate. 

"Ling, hey- it's okay. We're at the hospital" he murmured, trying to calm her down. He wasn't quite sure if his words had the intended effect when he watched her eyes snap open, but at least she didn't lurch upright. 

If the roles were reversed, he could see himself do that. 

She stared at him, shoulders trembling and eyes teary. "Xiaoshi...?" her voice wavered, and he was struck by how terrifying this must've been for her. Sure, he'd been panicking and grieving- but how horrible was it to get stabbed and think you're dying? 

He firmly ignored that, in a previous timeline, he'd experienced that. With some dread, he failed to push the thought of 'Lu Guang seemed a lot more fine with almost dying than Qiao Ling' away and only managed to file that away for later when he realized that his sister really was crying. 

Quickly, he leaned forward and hugged her as gently as he could. "It's okay, you're okay" he murmured, squeezed her carefully when she shuddered in his embrace. "You're even gonna get a matching scar to the one Guang and I have" 

The joke landed flat, even he could tell. He could tell the second he said it- and not just because his sister sobbed. 

"He said... I'm so sorry I never should've let him go with that guy. I'm sorry, Xiaoshi" she whispered, and Cheng Xiaoshi pulled a blank. He couldn't quite tell what she meant with that. 

Slowly, he pulled away. Eyebrows drawn together into a frown. "What are you talking about?" he asked, trying his hardest to keep his voice even. 

He was... really starting to get tired of lacking information. He'd thought with what Xia Fei told him, he'd get that feeling less. Apparently, there were still things he was missing. 

"He killed Lu Guang" 

Cheng Xiaoshi blinked. Stared, for a long moment. Waited for her to say something- anything. When she remained silent and distraught, he awkwardly cleared his throat. 

The smile he gave her was cautious and forced. "No, he... he definitely didn't" he said, doing his best to ignore the beeping of the heart monitor. He failed miserably. 

His sister frowned, shook her head. She looked torn between being upset and hopeful when she spoke: "But he said-" 

"Xia Fei insisted he's as fine as circumstances allow" he didn't let her finish that. Didn't want to let her finish that. He didn't want to imagine Lu Guang to be dead for even a second. He loved him too much for that. 

Qiao Ling froze. She looked unsure, now. Shook her head again, then hesitated. When she tried to push herself into a more upright position, she winced and it took everything in him not to hover and nag her. 

He knew, from their childhood, that it was never a good idea to try and tell her to do anything. Even if it was for her own good. 

"Xia Fei?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief, and he realized with a start that Qiao Ling had been passed out for long enough to miss a lot more than he'd realized. 

Starting with Xia Fei. 

With a more genuine smile, he nodded. "Yea, he's... god it's a long story..." he muttered. "But he's alive, and okay. Mostly. I don't think getting kidnapped is going to leave someone okay, but... long, long story" 

Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his head. Watched his sister as she stared at him, silent and contemplating. 

She seemed lost in thoughts, looking at him critically, before sighing. Shuffling in what looked like an attempt to make herself more comfortable. Wiped her face to look more presentable. 

"... apparently, we have time. So start talking, Xiaoshi"

Chapter Text

Vein paced, eyes trained on the cracked display of his phone. He'd thrown it across the room, yesterday. Shortly before Lu Guang had come to him.

And hadn't that been a surprise?

Never, in a million years nor timelines, had he ever expected the seer to come to him... yet he had.

It reminded him of Xia Fei, just a little. Pushing personal discomfort aside in favor doing something that was, on some level, more important and at the same time not.

For Xia Fei, it had been the discomfort of not wanting to be a living prop- because truth be told, that's all any model was. He'd deemed it necessary because he needed the money. There were plenty other part time jobs that would've helped with that and weren't as toxic an environment.

For Lu Guang, it was the discomfort of being in the same room as Vein and that discomfort he could perfectly understand. Even without the time-traveling. People tended to be unnerved by him. His appearance, his way of holding himself, his way of talking... his violent nature.

He digressed. Point being: Vein was keenly aware, and impressed.

He was equally aware that Xia Fei was back. Ava had found him in the gardens and informed him as soon as he'd disappeared off to Lu Guang's room. She hadn't managed to find out why Liu Xiao tricked him. Yet.

Vein could imagine. He preferred pretending to himself that he couldn't. Still, he knew that he'd have to accept that this was on him eventually.

Part of him wanted to go and check if Xia Fei really was alive- but the image of a blond, golden-eyed boy with a bleeding hole in his forehead resting slumped against the wall was still vivid in his mind.

Looking back, he could perfectly nit-pick all the details that had been off.

The jacket had been wrong. Xia Fei hadn't worn a green one when he'd left- Lu Guang had been clinging to it. Like a pathetic cat that missed its second-favorite human.

Technically, he was missing both his favorite humans.

The eyes had been wrong. Xia Fei's eyes were orange, not golden. The only golden-eyed person was his second ex and while he'd rather not think about her, her eyes had been a lot closer to the copy-cat than Xia Fei's.

Lastly, his voice. What he'd in the moment assumed to be a result of strangulation, truthfully looking back the neck had been visible - no strangulation marks to speak of - and he'd failed to realize that this was simply the wrong voice.

Looking back, it was embarrassing he'd let himself be tricked so easily.

With a scowl, he pushed off the wall and headed for his kitchen. To his misfortune, Liu Xiao was right behind the door, accompanied by multiple men and one of Vein's former... rivals. Still, the redhead opted for breezing past him and into the room.

The old man cowered when he spotted Vein, and for a brief moment, the redhead wondered whether this was some sort of attempt at apologizing. If it was, it was quite underwhelming. A simple kick was enough to send the former mafioso to the floor.

"You seem to be in a mood" Liu Xiao commented idly from behind him, and made the mistake of speaking up when Vein had already reached the counter. Without batting an eye, he grabbed a knife and turned around to fling it.

His eyes tracked as it zipped through the air, embedding itself into the doorframe with the crack of splintering wood. Inches away from the glasses-wearing bastard's face. The younger man had the gall to smile: "Careful, you could've hit me with that~"

For a second, Vein simply stared at him. His hand still raised from the throw, a subtle tremor running through it. Rage or illogical fear, he couldn't tell. All he knew was that he'd been led to believe he'd killed his best friend. His only friend, at that.

"I know I'm fucked up in the head," he spat, with no hesitation to admit what everyone knew to be true- what nearly everyone told him to be true since he'd been young, "but what in the world made you decide to do that?"

Liu Xiao hummed, almost amused, his smile seeming to grow. "What exactly? I do a lot of things. Like bringing you a gift" he pointed out lightly, as if it wasn't a big deal. As if nothing of what had transpired was a big deal. Frankly, it caused rage to boil beneath the mafioso's skin.

For a moment, the redhead turned away. Regarded the man on the floor with cold calculation. A quite useless 'gift', considering he'd long since taken over the man's area of operation in Bridon ages ago. He looked pathetic, staring up at him as if he were about to beg for mercy.

Without warning he spun around and leapt to kick the hat-wearing bastard's face in, only to have him lean back and out of the way just barely.

To Vein's delight, he threw a punch.

He hadn't been lying, saying he was fucked in the head. After all, as much as he loathed the hat-wearer and wanted to wipe the smug grin off his face, he found it quite a lot more enjoyable when he was actually fighting back.

Where Liu Xiao's smile dropped, Vein's turned feral. "You made me think I killed Xia Fei" he snapped, dodging the punch and throwing one of his own- fan in hand. The edge as sharp as a well-polished and keenly honed butcher knife.

It was a pity that he dodged the first strike, and Vein's smile strained when his free fist was grabbed. Liu Xiao didn't falter, eyes cold behind his glasses.

"My, you really do care so much about him... I wonder why" the dark haired man remarked, grip tight as if he were contemplating trying to break his hand. "Maybe he reminds you of your brother- oh, how cute. He does, doesn't he?"

With a scowl, Vein struck with his fan again and twisted the arm of the hand the other was holding onto down. Liu Xiao stumbled at the sudden pull, shock and pain flashing across his face when the sharp edge of the fan sliced his cheek open.

"Fuck you" Vein spat, nearly feral. Chest heaving with rage rather than exhaustion, and made no further move when his wrist and the collar of his dress-shirt were grabbed. He simply glared at Liu Xiao.

They regarded each other silently. None of the other men in the room moved. It could have been seconds, minutes or hours. Vein couldn't tell. He just knew, eventually, that their staring game had ended when his wrist was squeezed.

He bit his tongue, refusing to react to the pain blooming where Liu Xiao was gripping his wrist, but his hand spasmed. Dropping his weapon of choice in the process.

The hat wearing man didn't stoop to pick it up. Simply kicked it to the far end of the room and finally, blessedly, let go of him. Stepped back and adjusted his jacket with a hum. "You really are a mutt, biting the hand that feeds you" was all Liu Xiao said, before turning on his heel and leaving.

His men left with him. The only one in the room aside from Vein being the man he'd used to fight tooth and nail to keep from his own area of operation until the mafia had successfully taken over the majority of the underground.

The painful truth was, Xia Fei did remind him of his brother in an ironic, twisted way.

Not outwardly, not in personality... Xiao Shanli hadn't been allowed to be dramatic and whiney, had to always be the mature one.

But he remembered, all too well, that his brother had talked about everything and nothing. Wanting to go to college, but their situation making it impossible. He'd been smart, but being smart hadn't been enough.

Up until Xia Fei, no college student had ever shown up. He'd have hired him regardless, he'd had the kind of face they'd needed, but he sincerely doubted that he'd have paid him any mind at all if he hadn't reminded him of his brother, just a hint.

And then the pool happened.

Usually, he wasn't one to get physical with his models. The sight of them actively pushing someone under water had been a harsh, painful reminder of years ago. He'd acted without thinking.

It was just his luck that Liu Xiao seemed to be at least somewhat aware.

With a scowl, he pulled the knife free from the doorframe and turned his eyes on the man slowly inching backwards to the corner of the room, possibly to hide.

The old man never stood a chance.

~

Xia Fei came to a conclusion quite fast: Vein was avoiding him.

Otherwise, he'd have shown up or would've sent someone to go get him.

It bothered him. That was his best friend, and despite what he'd heard, he didn't show up to check in.

This wasn't like Vein. Vein tended to be annoying and check in and bring along food that he'd deemed up to standards.

Point was: Vein never stayed away for long. He was too much like a cat that pretended not to care for that.

So, once he was certain that Lu Guang was asleep, he headed out and over to where he knew Vein should be.

Even someone like him would have to be in his bedroom at one point. At least hopefully. The hallways were blessedly empty and he couldn't feel anyone's eyes on him. He kept glancing over his shoulder just to be safe regardless.

It was odd, though, that Liu Xiao seemed to leave him alone now.

Just as he'd expected, Vein was in his room. Truth be told, Xia Fei hadn't knocked. He was annoyed and upset with the other, and given the avoidance he didn't trust him not to lock the door if he knew that it was him.

It was good to know that he was at least still not locking the door until he genuinely went to sleep.

"You are not supposed to be here" was his best friend's greeting when he turned to face the door, a mug of tea in his hands and a rag in the other. Xia Fei tried his hardest to ignore that the stains on it looked like blood.

With a faked smile, he shrugged. "Yea, well, you're usually reaching out first" he said lightly, then frowned. "I heard what happened... are you okay?" he asked, looking him over critically.

He couldn't spot an injury, but he preferred making sure over immediately believing that someone else was the one injured.

With a scowl, Vein turned away from him. "I'm fine. You should go" was all he had to say, as if he wasn't behaving extremely unlike himself. "I said go, stop standing there"

"That's not fair of you" he complained, narrowing his eyes at the hypocrite he called his friend with a scowl that rivaled Vein's, "you don't let me lie either"

His only answer was a shrug, and with a huff, the former model walked over and took a seat on the couch. Skillfully ignored the glare sent his way.

"You promised you'd help me" he told him firmly, watched guilt flicker through his best friend's eyes for a second. It was enough to make him steel his resolve. "I'm sorry. It's my fault that happened"

For a long, long moment neither of them spoke. Then, Vein's scowl cracked. "You remind me of my brother" he murmured, and it sounded like a confession.

Faintly, the blond remembered a talk over drinks. Remembered bringing up friends and family and eventually getting a haunted tone and a quiet "Dead" that had him silent for the rest of the night.

With a confused frown, he looked Vein over. "What does your brother have to do with...?" he started, faltering. Unsure what, exactly, he was supposed to think.

"People like me aren't meant to have actual connections to anyone" Vein told him, plain and simple. "Yes, it wasn't you. But it could've been. This wasn't your fault for making me help you, it was my fault for getting attached"

While Vein wasn't one to lie, Xia Fei couldn't help but think it was ridiculous. He also failed to see the problem, until his mind drifted to smug smiles and reflecting glasses. "Liu Xiao knows" he noted, and watched a bitter smile dance across his friend's face. That was answer enough.

"You're my friend regardless" Xia Fei told him, as steadfast as he could. He refused to budge on that matter. Vein was Vein, and Vein was his friend. If the murdering couldn't change that, a hat-wearing bastard certainly wouldn't.

"That's a terrible decision" Vein noted, nearly idly, and leaned back. Dropped his rag on the side table with a sigh.

The blond offered a tired smile. "Sums up my life pretty well, considering I managed to get a crush on a guy and have myself outed by the same hat-wearing idiot who keeps trying to ruin everyone's life in general"

"He what"

Xia Fei winced at the tone. "... boss it's fine. Lu Guang didn't even bring it up-" he assured him, as quickly as he could, and held his hands up in hopes of preventing chaos from breaking out.

Rather than annoyed, Vein looked confused. "He didn't?" he asked, tilting his head, and looked as if Xia Fei had offered him a puzzle with no actual answer.

Confused, the blond thought back on the last few things he'd said in hopes of figuring out what he'd said to earn himself such a look. He couldn't quite figure it out.

"No? Why would he?" he slowly tilted his own head, shrugging slightly.

"Hm..." the redhead frowned, then shrugged. "Anyway~" he hummed, tone turning chipper in an instant. As if he'd never been confused in the first place.

"Right... anyway..." Xia Fei cleared his throat and hoped he didn't sound as awkward as he felt. "You never did say why you work with Liu Xiao"

The silence was thick enough to be cut with a knife. The two of them silently staring at each other. A part of Xia Fei felt regret.

"He saved my life" Vein finally offered, as if it were no big deal, and shrugged. There was no light in his eyes, though. His tone was unsettlingly hollow.

Xia Fei felt sick at how... off he sounded. So unlike himself. "He what" the ex-model uttered, feeling regret creep up his spine.

"It's sadly, pathetically, true" Vein shrugged. He would've associated a lot with the man, but pathetic hadn't been one of the words coming to mind until then.

It still didn't feel 'right', but at the same time... it must've been bad, for Liu Xiao of all people to swoop in to save someone like Vein.

"So you owe him" he mumbled, frowning, and fought back a sigh. Tried not to wonder just how many people owed that guy favors.

With a sigh, Vein flipped his braid over his shoulder. "Regrettably... alas, if he keeps this up, I might rethink that deal"

The 'please do' went unspoken.

Chapter Text

It was late into the night when Xia Fei snuck back into his room, almost forgetting that turning on the light wouldn't wake Lu Guang.

He was mostly certain he could get away with having snuck out, but to his disappointment, he found the white haired man sitting upright, wide awake.

His poor heart nearly stopped. 

"You were gone for quite a while" Lu Guang commented, and the only blessing was that he didn't sound judgmental. The downside to his words was, was that he seemed to have been awake likely ever since Xia Fei left.

Slowly, Xia Fei moved to the bed and sat down. Fought a frown and ultimately failed when he noticed how on edge the other looked. With a sigh, he hung his head. "I'm really sorry" he murmured.

He didn't look, but he assumed Lu Guang didn't react. He didn't say anything, either. Just remained utterly quiet. The silence falling over the room felt unbearably heavy.

Regretfully, Xia Fei only had one way to fix the silence and desperately wished that, somewhere along the way, he'd have learned how to shut up: "I get it if you're upset. I'd be upset too. And I'm really, really sorry for making things awkward"

"Xia Fei"

The blond immediately fell silent at the quiet tone, anxiously shuffling his feet over the floor. Part of him felt tempted to run. He didn't sound angry, but he couldn't quite place his tone either. Too calm, at the very least.

He swallowed hard and forced down his nerves despite every fiber in his body refusing to comply. "Yes?" he asked, and hated how much his voice trembled. It was embarrassing, in a way. He should be better than this. Probably.

Next to him, the white haired man frowned, nearly looking lost in thought. "... I'm not upset" he finally said, and the former model wasn't sure whether to feel relief or disbelief. Because he had to be upset with him. It didn't make sense for him to be anything but upset.

"You're not?" he couldn't help but ask, tried to at least pretend like he wasn't utterly dumbfounded. Winced at how hopeful he sounded to his own ears.

And Lu Guang, just like that, shook his head. "I'm not upset. I don't... know how I feel, exactly. I like Cheng Xiaoshi" he explained, slow and patiently. Fidgeted with the sleeves of a jacket that Xia Fei slowly realized was the one he'd left in his room nearly a week ago. "I like and care about you too, though. A lot. I, uh, hope this is about that...?"

There went his hope that he'd simply misinterpreted things.

Frowning, the blond stared at him. "You don't like me the same way you like Cheng Xiaoshi" he said, and tried to keep the disappointment from his voice despite knowing very well that Lu Guang was already aware of his crush.

"I'm not sure" Lu Guang admitted quietly, lowered his head. "You were the first case Xiaoshi and I tried changing the past for. We... I regretted not being able to save you for a very long time. I still regret it, given what you went through"

Xia Fei stared at him. Stunned as he was, he couldn't figure out what to say to that. So he simply stared. "But you love Xiaoshi" was the only thing he managed to get out, since that was the one fact he'd been clinging to this entire time.

The nod didn't help to alleviate his confusion. "So I'm... a close friend and that's it?" he asked, just to clarify what ged already known, refusing to listen to the small voice in the back of his head.

Sure, Xia Fei might be in love with two of his friends and sure, Vein said that's okay and kept encouraging him to confess to the duo, or at the very least one of them, but...

The white haired man, though, frowned. Shook his head. "That's not- I'm not sure whether I... whether Xiaoshi" he shook his head a second time, seeming unsure how to formulate his thoughts.

"I'm not blind, Lu Guang. You love him, he definitely loves you too, and..." He froze, winced. "Uh, not that there's anything wrong with being-"

"It's fine, Xia Fei. All of you need to stop walking on egg shells around me" Lu Guang sighed and shook his head. Then cleared his throat. The blond tried his hardest not to stare when he licked his lips. "I'm... I'm in love with him. And... I like you a lot, have since we met in the first time line. I just... I've never took the time to... never really had the time to-"

Xia Fei stayed quiet as he trailed off. Tilted his head slightly. "You had the time to figure out if you love Xiaoshi" he pointed out, ever so carefully, and earned himself a huff.

The white haired man seemed to almost glare at him. If he hadn't known he was blind, he'd have thought that Lu Guang was making eye contact on purpose. As it was, it was simply coincidence. "I live with him" he pointed out dryly.

At the reminder, Xia Fei's entire face flushed red. Part of him was as relieved that Lu Guang didn't see that as much as he was mortified at having forgotten that tiny but important detail.

"Right, well-" he stammered, swallowed hard. Watched him cautiously. "So you don't... know for sure. What you feel for me"

Lu Guang shook his head. "I don't know for sure" he confirmed softly, voice painfully gentle. Xia Fei couldn't help but think that that made it worse, somehow. "And I don't want to hurt your feelings. So I... tried to pretend like I didn't know yet. Instead of saying anything. That wasn't fair of me. I'm sorry for having been selfish"

Xia Fei looked away. He felt watched, even though he knew that Lu Guang wasn't actually seeing him. "Would you... consider trying to figure it out? It's okay. If you end up deciding that you don't like me like you like Xiaoshi. I promise"

The sheets rustled when Lu Guang shifted his weight next to him. "Yes," he finally murmured, and he sounded far too honest, "I'll try"

Silence fell again. If he weren't so embarrassed, he would've called it peaceful rather than awkward. Usually, sitting in silence with Lu Guang tended to be comfortable. Not after having such a talk, though. The blond glanced at his phone, and in a split second came to a decision.

There was one really, truly easy way to escape this awkward situation.

"I think it's time you two get to talk again"

~

He blinked, looking around slowly while lowering his- the phone.

The room was unfamiliar, and despite desperately wanting to focus on only the person opposite of him, he wanted to get his bearings first.

There wasn't much decor. Just some generic painting, a book shelf with a couple books and a table that... no, those were plates from dinner. Probably.

He glanced down at himself, noted the black turtleneck. Concentrated on how his limbs felt- searched for any discomfort, pain or anything else that should raise concerns. But no, he felt fine. A little lingering awkwardness, and he wondered idly what had caused that.

Then, finally, his eyes drifted to the person opposite of him.

Cheng Xiaoshi nearly sobbed in relief and didn't hesitate to throw himself at Lu Guang. Ignored the startled yelp in favor of hugging him tightly, but didn't give him time to hug back. He had time to feel bad about that later, part of him did notice how his best friend raised his arms to return the hug.

For now, he gently held the other's face. Tilted his head this way and that to look him over, vision blurring from tears. "Oh my god you're okay" he croaked out, and the first of many tears slipped down his- Xia Fei's cheeks.

He could feel bad about that later, too.

He felt Lu Guang stiffen, could see it, and he'd dragged him into another hug if he weren't so focused on just looking at him. He was as pretty as the last time he'd seen him. God, he'd been the blind one for far too long.

Knowing and actually admitting that Lu Guang was beautiful were, to him, two very different things. It was fact, and it was truth.

"Cheng Xiaoshi?" his best friend asked, sounding incredibly unsure, and the reminder that he might not be aware of the switch hit the brunet like a sack of bricks. Figuratively. He was mostly sure that he'd not been hit by bricks before.

He tugged him close for a hug after all. "Yes, it's me" he mumbled, squeezed him gently. He wished he could hug the other as himself, but this was the next best thing. He wouldn't complain. "I missed you so so much, Guang-Guang"

Lu Guang slowly hugged back when Cheng Xiaoshi didn't move, and the diver nearly melted then and there. "I'm so sorry, Xiaoshi" he murmured, and sounded so close to tears that the usually-brunet nearly had whiplash at how different to his usual self he sounded. "I shouldn't have left"

"I thought someone kidnapped you, when.... when I found your phone. I guess I wasn't wrong, huh?" Carefully, he tried shuffling into a position where he could hold him more comfortably.

Frowning, his best friend shook his head. "I wasn't kidnapped. I... I regret going with him, considering he doesn't seem to be sticking to his side of the deal, but... at the end of the day, I chose this" he shrugged awkwardly.

Gently, Cheng Xiaoshi knocked his fist against the white haired man's head. "Who's the idiot now? This isn't something you wanted" he said, firm and certain, and watched as the other's face scrunched up. "I'll get you back. We'll all be home and safe soon, I promise"

"Why do you even still want me to return? I'm a hypocrite, liar, I keep not telling you things, I tried getting someone killed, I'm blind- I can't even help with rent!"

Frowning, the diver stared at him. He tried not to get upset, but ultimately failed. How could he still think of rent and work in this kind of situation? How could he think himself worthless? How hard was it for him to understand that he was loved?

Cheng Xiaoshi shook him gently. "Because I love you and you're my best friend and the love of my life. I don't care about rent" he told him firmly, even though this was not what he planned to say. He hadn't intended to confess while possessing someone... or confess at all and risk ruining their friendship.

Truthfully, he had no idea that Lu Guang's silence was due to this being the second time someone confessed to him today. Granted, he'd been aware of the first crush since the day before.

Regretfully, Cheng Xiaoshi was oblivious to the whiplash his friend was experiencing.

"And... we'll talk about you being down for murder and how much you mean to me. Later" Cheng Xiaoshi continued, once the silence dragged on for too long for him. Cleared his throat and rose to his feet.

He didn't want to let go, and Lu Guang's "Xiaoshi...?" at the very least lead to the conclusion that he hadn't wanted to let go either. He looked nearly like a kicked cat.

"I mean it. Sorry, I... I just wanted to say it before it's too late" he claimed, too ashamed to admit that he hadn't meant to confess like this. Then, deciding that the cat was out of the bag anyway, he added: "I really do love you. And I want you by my side, in any way that you prefer. I promise I'll get you out of here"

He felt bad, leaving him sitting there while he backed away towards the door.

"... Xiaoshi?" Lu Guang sounded painfully uncertain, unseeing eyes darting everywhere while the diver attempted to keep himself as silent as possible. From the looks of it, he was semi-successful. "Xiaoshi where are you going-?"

Cheng Xiaoshi swallowed hard, fighting down the urge to walk back and hug Lu Guang and never let go. Instead, he shook his head and rushed out the door. "I have a guy to find!" he shouted over his shoulder, noticed Lu Guang trying to run after him.

The diver slammed the door shut and locked it. Ignored the tears burning in his eyes when he heard Lu Guang crash into the door and frantically try opening it. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked away.

"XIAOSHI-" the terrified voice of his best friend reached his ears, but instead of listening, he ran further away from the room. Searched for the guy Xia Fei had described as 'tall, glasses, ugly hat, smug bastard'.

It was... not very helpful, but he assumed he'd get it once he found him.

On his way, he passed Vein. Tried and failed not to stiffen. The second they made eye contact, Cheng Xiaoshi forced a cheerful grin. "Boss" he said, with a nod that felt too formal to be right.

Vein huffed out a noise that bordered on a laugh. "Right. Hello, Felix~" he smiled, tone nearly entertained, and Cheng Xiaoshi tried not to appear unsettled. "Looking for something? Or someone? I'm quite sure your favorite cat is in a different direction"

Offended, the diver narrowed his eyes. "Don't call Lu Guang a cat" he spat, and resisted the urge to add 'You have no right'. He was already pushing it. From the way Vein was eying him, he'd most likely caught on the second he'd seen him. "Do you know where Liu Xiao is?"

The redhead paused, considered him for a long moment. Then, he offered a shrug. "His office, most likely. Do be careful, wouldn't want to risk a life that isn't yours... otherwise, you might get yourself or someone you care about killed" he commented, the threat all too clear despite his calm tone.

Then, without missing a beat, he turned and headed down a random hallway. Leaving Cheng Xiaoshi to his own devices and to search for the office alone.

When he eventually found it, he didn't bother with knocking. Simply strolled inside and found a young man with a quite familiar face.

Wasn't this the guy from the airport, three years or so ago? He looked as unremarkable as back then. The only eye-catching thing about him was the necklace and the tattoo.

"Xia Fei," he greeted him overly pleasantly, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Cheng Xiaoshi narrowed his eyes. His own and Xia Fei's disgust mixing. "I want you to come to the abandoned train station. The one that stopped running because the earthquake caused a landslide and destroyed the tracks" he said, watched the other pause.

Silently, Liu Xiao looked him over. Then, his lips twitched into a faintly amused smile. "Cheng Xiaoshi, I take it?" he asked, stepped closer. "How fascinating... it's nice to properly meet you" he held out his hand, but Cheng Xiaoshi backed away.

With a shake of his head, he raised his hands. "You and me at the abandoned station. Three days from now. We'll make a proper deal, face to face" he told him firmly. "And until then... you'll leave my friends alone"

"What makes you so certain I'll show up?" Liu Xiao laughed, the noise grating despite its softness.

Cheng Xiaoshi smiled, as if he'd already won the game and as if he knew something Liu Xiao didn't. "Because you won't get any other easy chance to get your hands on my power" he pointed out, far too calmly, and clapped his hands together.

When he blinked back into awareness in his own body, he was kneeling on the floor and wondered, ever so faintly, if this had been a good idea.

Chapter Text

The first time he dove back, he jumped into a picture taken two weeks before Vein had shown up at their place with the request to find Xia Fei. 

When he'd blinked into existence months into the past, his heart was still racing. He'd thrown the timeline off.

He hadn't worried about sticking to the script, not yet.

Frantic, he'd scrambled to check on Cheng Xiaoshi and nearly cried in relief when he found him alive and well. Vaguely, he remembered shaking all over.

Lu Guang told Cheng Xiaoshi that he dove back in time, but he refused to tell him the truth.

He didn't tell Cheng Xiaoshi what happened, exactly. Told him instead that he'd explain later.

Until the 13th of September, the knowledge that death let powers pass onto someone else had been unknown. It wasn't September yet.

Cheng Xiaoshi didn't know. Lu Guang did. He didn't want him to ever learn that.

So he only told him what he deemed safe, which was admittedly very little.

When Vein came, Lu Guang thought he was prepared. He was not.

The terror that came with seeing the redhead was stifling to the point he had to leave the room for a minute.

He didn't want to decline the request, didn't want someone he cared about to be lost forever, but he also certainly didn't want a repeat of last time. So, when he came back, he decided to change his actions.

This time, he decided to be upfront. Told Vein that he couldn't make promises- that he didn't know if things can be changed, that he didn't know whether he could get Xia Fei back alive.

In the second timeline, they still had three photos.

This time, he let Cheng Xiaoshi stick to the script within the first photo to try and see if they could gather more clues. He let him dive into the one that had been taken first, that day, instead of the one that was taken right before the kidnapping.

They learned how he got kidnapped, and they learned that he was unconscious for eight hours. That left two that Cheng Xiaoshi could stay. The first photo he'd dove into had been taken two hours before the kidnapping.

They learned that Xia Fei had woken up in a truck along with eight other people- including Vein's other employee and Jack, the guy they'd met three years ago during a photo shoot.

They learned that, half an hour after waking up, Xia Fei had been led away at gun point. Cheng Xiaoshi had stopped walking to look around, just briefly, and nearly been shot for his efforts.

When they reached the elven hours mark, locked inside a cell, Cheng Xiaoshi tried striking up a conversation with the person outside the cell. It proved pointless.

At eleven hours and fifty minutes, Cheng Xiaoshi clapped out and demanded the next photo.

The second photo was taken a little under an hour before the kidnapping.

They repeated all the steps up until they left the truck- the only prior change being that Cheng Xiaoshi changed when Xia Fei took the third photo, asking the make up artist to let him take a selfie for his friends.

This time, Cheng Xiaoshi made a break for it and tried running the second they were all led out of the truck.

For his efforts, Xia Fei was shot in the leg. The diver crumpled to the floor with an ear-piercing scream.

Lu Guang had nearly thrown up, the scene reminding him too much of the future.

To Cheng Xiaoshi's credit, he didn't clap out until he was back in the cell. Lu Guang hadn't let him dive into the final picture for a couple hours, too stressed to concentrate.

For the third picture, Cheng Xiaoshi played along up until the ten hour mark.

This time, Lu Guang let him bring up Vein. This time, he caught the guard's attention.

Lu Guang let him try and manipulate the kidnappers into letting him take a picture. They held him at gun point for it, but they let him post it to make Vein think the kidnapping had taken place later than he'd originally assumed.

It didn't change much, aside from giving them one final picture to leap into.

This time, they waited things out for a little while and stuck to the script, loose as it may be.

Cheng Xiaoshi tried questioning them more directly and got slapped for his efforts.

At the eleven hour mark, they took two of the girls. Since it was their last chance, Cheng Xiaoshi tried one last attempt of using the distraction of the guards focusing on the two girls.

He was shot again, just a little more to the side of where he'd be shot come September, fell to the floor. His hands fell at just the right angle to count as a clap- instantly sending him back.

Neither of the two had seen the other this haunted before.

Vein was a silent, for Lu Guang threatening, presence looming in the arm chair usually taken up by the seer when guests were over.

He asked if they'd succeeded in anything at all, and Lu Guang shakily admitted the truth: Xia Fei had been shot and, at least in his opinion, killed.

That same shot had killed Cheng Xiaoshi, both a while ago at the same time and not quite yet.

Cheng Xiaoshi blamed himself. Lu Guang told him that it wasn't his fault- he was the guide. He should've prevented it.

Vein stood with silent rage on his face. Stared at them with anger and grief and hatred all rolled into one.

Then, he lashed out just as he had the first time around.

His head slamming into something seemed to be an unchangeable node. The seer couldn't remember what had happened, but this time made out a vague shouting match.

He couldn't make out apologies, but faintly, he thought he had muttered them himself.

He'd never wanted Xia Fei's fate to end like this.

Months later, Vein returned.

A bullet struck.

"This is your punishment for not fixing the past" he'd said in the second time line.

One day, those words would be warped by time.

Chapter Text

Li Tianchen scowled, slowly stalking through the dark alleys of Guidu. His hands itched to grab the knife in his hoodie's pocket, despite not even feeling watched. 

He didn't trust the silence. 

He did trust Liu Xiao. 

If Liu Xiao assumed this to be their best course of action, so be it. He could handle this. He could get Cheng Xiaoshi, he could get his power. 

Liu Xiao wanted him, preferably, alive. 

Preferably was a nice word. It meant that if needed, Li Tianchen could kill him if there was no other option. Part of him hoped for it. The time traveler deserved to die. 

If he'd just listened and stopped being so selfish, Li Tianxi wouldn't have died. It was all that time traveler's fault. His and that former seer's. 

His hands itched again, but this time he yearned to wrap his fingers around the white haired man's neck and get a taste of his powers. He wanted to see Li Tianxi again. 

Or perhaps he just wanted to feel the high of taking control of someone, at this point.

The more often he took control of someone, though, the less exciting it was.

The white haired bastard stopped fighting it quite fast.

Desperately, regardless of anything and everything else, he still hoped Liu Xiao would fix it all. 

In the distance, he saw the flickering lights of the abandoned train station. His steps slowed. 

He knew that Cheng Xiaoshi was supposed to be there. The time traveler. The guy who got his sister killed. The one who's power was even more valuable.

Li Tianchen took a deep breath and told himself to stay calm. Liu Xiao trusted him, relied on him to do this right. So he had to be level headed... or as level headed as needed to finish the job. 

So he continued onward until he spotted the brunet at last. Sitting alone on a rusted bench, head already turned to face him. 

Internally, Li Tianchen swore. He'd hoped he could sneak up on him. That would've made things easier. At the very least he couldn't see any pictures near the guy, so he should be safe from his disappearing and reappearing act from the darkroom?

If he pulled the trick from last time, they were going to have trouble, though. He needed to keep him from clapping his hands if he had found a loophole.

"Unless shapeshifting is among the things you can do, you aren't Liu Xiao" the time traveler didn't sound surprised, much to Li Tianchen's annoyance. 

With a shrug, he stopped a good distance away. Too far to stab him, close enough to catch up if the other decided to run. If he had a gun, he could've ended this faster. He didn't have one on himself. He'd never held a gun in his own hands.  

The feeling of holding a gun in too large hands still lingered. 

"He's running late" Li Tianchen lied quickly, shrugged. Looked around for something, anything, that could give him a clue on whether or not Cheng Xiaoshi really was alone.

Liu Xiao's subordinates had scouted out the area and kept an eye on the streets. He'd said so, and Liu Xiao had no reason to lie to him.

Logically, he knew that there was no one. 

He would've been told. 

Still, he felt on edge. As if something was bound to go very, very wrong tonight. He was on his own, now, anyway. But he had his power. He had the time traveler in front of himself. If it came down to it, he could simply take him hostage. 

Still, he'd prefer avoid having to deal with a crowd. Crowds were hard to get back under control- especially since he could only take over one person's mind at a time... and only by touching them. 

He glanced around again. Still saw nothing. So he approached, ever so slowly. Cautious of potential threats, for once. 

"He's not" Cheng Xiaoshi sounded certain of that. His eyes shimmered oddly. "Do you have a message? Anything? Or maybe you have an apology for what you did?" 

Li Tianchen bristled. "An apology for what?" he asked, spitefully. In truth, he knew exactly what the diver wanted an apology for. Then, almost as an after thought, he shrugged: "She's not even dead, is she?" 

For a moment, they both stood and stared at each other. The time traveler's expression reminded him of the first time he'd seen him properly, if through Liu Min's eyes. This time, there was something nearly protective there, too.

"It's a pity" he continued, voice lined with something biting and tried to get a closer look at the other's eyes, "she'd be better off dead. It should've been her, back in the tunnels. Not Li Tianxi" 

The expression changed. Not entirely, not outright visible to anyone who didn't know how people worked. And Li Tianchen liked to think he knew how they worked, after taking over bodies and committing murders and faking suicides over and over. 

The phantom pains of pain and death still stung. 

He recognized rage when he saw it. Quiet satisfaction curled in his chest at the sight. He'd hit where it hurt- and he latched onto that with a smile that was too wide and sharp to be anything but a clear threat. "She doesn't deserve to live" 

The time traveler clapped, vanishing in an instant. Li Tianchen had hardly enough time to react before he reappeared, next to him this time, and just barely threw his arm up to block the punch thrown his way. 

Surprise left him dodging sloppily.

With the close proximity, he saw what he'd not seen before properly. The time traveler's eyes were golden, not brown. 

He threw a punch himself, but there was only empty air where the diver had been- gone with another clap. 

Not photographs, not this time. He'd have noticed those. His eyes darted around, but he didn't have enough time to focus on his surroundings before Cheng Xiaoshi reappeared, trying to tackle him. 

Just barely he stumbled aside, face twisting into a sneer when he saw long sleeves and gloves. He'd learned, apparently. He couldn't tell if he'd had them on before. He hadn't paid attention to that. 

"You're never touching my sister again" the diver glared at him, and when Li Tianchen glanced past his head, he spotted a security camera. That explained a lot. 

A loophole, then. 

Another clap, and the diver vanished. Reappeared and punched his side before disappearing once more.

Li Tianchen turned, tried his very hardest to keep up. When he saw him appear next, he noted a pattern silently to himself.

With the next reappearing, he was ready.

With a nearly feral growl, he tackled him to the floor, grabbing his arms to prevent him from disappearing again. 

The only downside was that he couldn't reach his knife like this to threaten him. 

"Maybe I should make you watch as I kill her. Or maybe... I should make you kill her" he spat, tightening his grip and tugging one of the gloves off. 

His power thrummed beneath his skin and he grinned with nearly manic glee when he finally made contact with skin. 

But Cheng Xiaoshi's eyes remained lucid and filled with silent rage. Perhaps, even, enough rage to prevent him from realizing that something odd had just happened.

Behind them, a new voice rang out, nearly cheerful despite the calm tone: 

"This is enough" 

~

"Are we not to follow him?" a man asked, standing with his hands clasped together behind his back. He was accompanied by five others who remained by the far wall, near the door. All their eyes firmly trained on the floor. Only the speaker dared to look at Liu Xiao. 

The young man sat behind his desk, hands idly fidgeting with a rubix cube, eerily calm. 

There were many heart beats, but he only focused on the one in front of himself.

"No" he answered, a hint of amusement present within his voice. Twisted the cube and smiled to himself. Bringing himself further from aligning the sides. "He's going to be arrested soon, I'm guessing" 

"Sir-" 

"It's all according to plan" Liu Xiao's words left little room for argument, the man in front of the desk shrinking back when he rose to his feet. The chair screeching against the floor with a quiet noise.

Silence filled the room for a long moment in which Liu Xiao simply stared down his subordinates. Then, his lips twisted into a nearly gentle smile. "Sometimes," he said and sounded almost mournful, "we have to make sacrifices" 

He stepped around the desk and leaned against it, nearly lazy in his mannerisms. His eyes drifted to the corner of the room, briefly dancing over his sleeping pet, before returning to the man before him.

"By acquiring Li Tianchen, they'll lower their guard automatically. It's not him they want, but they'll assume to possess more information with him in their grasp" 

Slowly, the man wandered around the room, towards the windows. The sun was gone. Out in the darkness, there was nothing of interest for him to watch.

"In truth, they want their seer back...  Maybe it's time to send a message. He's a valuable piece to own on this chessboard. It's ridiculous that they think I'll hand him over so easily" he mused, tapping a finger against his chin. "Perhaps Li Tianchen will rectify his latest failure... perhaps not" 

The men stayed silent, but didn't bat an eye. None of them was surprised when, with a few twists of his hands, the man finished the rubix cube with correctly aligned colors in seconds.

Idly, he stared at the orange side.

"Not to mention that someone contacted Cheng Xiaoshi- and there's only one person you lost track of. Perhaps it's time I show them what happens when they underestimate me. Surely that would prove a point to all of them, if a little accident were to happen..." He laughed softly.

Then, slowly, he shook his head with a smile. "Now then, anything else?" he asked, and his man had never bowed faster.

"No, sir" 

"Hm... dismissed" 

Quickly, uneven steps headed away and down the hallway, unbeknownst to Liu Xiao, who's focus remained on the men scrambling to leave their boss. 

None of them saw someone disappear around the corner of the hallway when they stepped out of the room.

Too occupied thinking of what the man had said.

Chapter Text

Silently the pink haired young man glared at the table. With his hands cuffed together, the glass of water in front of him felt like mockery. 

All of this, the room itself, the one-way-mirror, the handcuffs, the cop staring at him. It all felt like mockery. 

He couldn't believe his job had ended in an interrogation room instead of with the time diver tied up and in Liu Xiao's hands. 

How could it have gone so terribly wrong?

"Kidnapping, torture, multiple accounts of murder... my, your file is quite colorful" the cop in front of him noted idly, lips twitching into a faint smile. "So let me cut to the chase: Regardless of what you will say, you will be put in prison" 

Li Tianchen's eyes snapped up. "We'll see about that. You can't hold me forever" he spat, hoping that somehow, Liu Xiao knew about this. That this was perhaps part of the plan and that he'd get him out, or perhaps that he hadn't known but would bail him out once he learned. 

Dark eyes twinkled with amusement. Somehow, the stare reminded him eerily of Liu Xiao. Silent and knowing things he didn't. 

With a shrug, the pathetically thin file was snapped shut. "If you think you can escape using your power, you're heavily mistaken" the man told him, plain and simple. Rested his elbows on the table and folded his hands. 

Idly, Li Tianchen noted that they were bare. He hadn't taken the precaution of wearing gloves around him. Confidence or foolishness, he wasn't quite sure yet. 

"Until you're put in prison, every officer directly interacting with you will follow very strict regulations. I can assure you, you won't be able to take control of anyone" the officer continued, oblivious or ignoring the way Li Tianchen examined him. 

"I've seen you before," he finally noted dryly, narrowed his eyes, "on the same day I stabbed that girl from the photo studio" 

The cop looked amused, smile widening just a hint. "Ah, there we go. You confessed quite fast. But yes, that was indeed me" he confirmed calmly, turning to the mirror behind himself. "Did you get all of that?" 

Li Tianchen's eyes widened in alarm. "Wait-" he stammered, sick to his stomach when he realized that he'd just confessed to a murder attempt. As himself, no less. 

"Oh, don't worry. We had plenty evidence before. This was just a very nice thing for you to add" the cop told him, waved his hand dismissively. "And I'm sure you think your rich buddy can bail you out... but even if you'd said nothing, it's been too late ever since you escaped half a year ago" 

Slowly, he balled his hands to fists. His chest felt as though a rock was on top of it, making it hard to breathe. 

What was this guy even saying? That he was done for? No, Liu Xiao would... surely he'd get him out, right? He had to. 

The cop's eyes flashed, quite literally. Bright white briefly overtaking the dark grey. "Now then..." he drawled, almost lazily. "If you tell us what you know, we might be able to lessen your sentence to something you'll find comfortable, too" 

He had to be wrong. He had to be wrong, there was no other explanation. Liu Xiao would get him out. He'd save him. They were a team, he wouldn't abandon him. He refused to believe it. 

Li Tianchen squared his shoulders, nearly spitting the words: "No" 

"I don't trust this" Lu Guang murmured from where he sat pressed against Xia Fei's side, face twitching at every clang of pots and pans from somewhere behind them, where Vein was moving about what he assumed to be a kitchen. 

They'd, much to Lu Guang's reluctance, retreated to the mafioso's quarters shortly after Cheng Xiaoshi had disappeared and let Xia Fei back into control. 

To say the blond had been confused about what had happened was an understatement. Lu Guang, meanwhile, was still terrified. 

Cheng Xiaoshi was such an idiot, sometimes. A lovable idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. 

But: That had been three days ago. 

Xia Fei tugged him closer, and the white haired man found himself utterly glad that he was still comfortable being close to him despite Lu Guang being unable to promise that he felt or would ever feel the kind of love he felt for Cheng Xiaoshi. 

He was still torn. 

He was torn over a lot of things, nowadays. Ever since Cheng Xiaoshi's abrupt confession, he'd barely talked to anyone. Vein had called him out on it when he'd spent the entire day curled up and moping on the couch. 

Something about Xia Fei being too soft-hearted to do it, much to the model's protests. While he hadn't appreciated being called out by Vein, of all people, he had to admit that it was true. 

And if anything, the confession had made his confusion grow. He loved Cheng Xiaoshi. He knew that. He was both excited and terrified that he loved him back- he'd never told him this in the previous timelines. 

But: He liked Xia Fei. A lot.   

During the past few days, he'd had plenty time to think and came to the harrowing realization that his feelings for him, in all truth, weren't much different than the ones he had for Cheng Xiaoshi. 

The only glaring difference was that he knew Cheng Xiaoshi better. That was a given, they lived together. But the thought of sharing a life like that with Xia Fei as well... he liked the thought. More than he desired to admit. 

He worried Cheng Xiaoshi wouldn't share that thought process. Still... 

"You should move into the studio with us"

Xia Fei startled beside him. The clanging of pots and pans ceased. The silence falling over the room felt suffocating. 

Awkwardly, Lu Guang sat up straighter. Cleared his throat. "I mean..." he started, paused. Tried to formulate his thoughts properly and failed miserably. "... do you want to go back? To Bridon? It's... we could figure something out, so you could stay with Cheng Xiaoshi and I for a while" 

There was a faint snort from where he presumed the kitchen to be. He tried to throw a glare Vein's way. Truly, he wished the man had just stayed dead. 

Though, it was also refreshing to be annoyed with him rather than terrified of him. He wasn't sure if this was some form of Stockholm syndrome after having spent too long in this place. He hoped it wasn't. 

"I... don't know. I didn't think that far" Xia Fei admitted quietly. Sounding as unsure as Lu Guang felt after making such a bold offer. "I just.... I thought everything would go back to normal, now that boss..." 

Quiet, measured steps drew closer to the couch. The backrest dipped next to Lu Guang's head - between his own and Xia Fei's - and something hit him in the face. It took a second or two before he realized that it was Vein's braid. 

Really, why did he need to have hair that long? 

"Normal? Hmm... no, I fear this morsel here made that impossible" Vein sounded disgustingly chipper, and the former seer flinched when a hand landed on his head and messed his hair up. He wanted to flee, but the only thing he managed was to freeze. 

To his dismay, the insane man Xia Fei called his best friend took that as permission and twirled a strand of his hair. "Thanks to him, the world believes I'm dead. I'll likely go back into hiding, best to keep the ruse up~" 

There was the faint of a hand getting hit and suddenly, Vein stopped messing with his hair. "You wound me, Felix" the overdramatic bastard complained, sounding nearly like he was pouting. Which was ridiculous. Someone like Vein wasn't capable of that. 

"But... then what's going to happen once we're out of here?" Xia Fei asked, and Lu Guang wrapped a careful around him when he heard how distraught he sounded. 

Near them, Vein hummed in thought. "You should take up the offer. It's the best shot at normal you'll get, for now" he said, and Lu Guang was disgusted with how relived he was at the comment. 

He hated being grateful that this bastard said something helpful. 

"How am I supposed to handle living with both of the people I'm in love with?" Xia Fei nearly squeaked the words, and the former seer faltered for a split second. 

He still struggled wrapping his head around this. Around the fact that Xia Fei loved him. But no: Xia Fei said both. "You have a crush on Cheng Xiaoshi?" he asked, baffled. Winced at Vein's laughter. 

"I know it's weird. I'm sorry-" Xia Fei sounded horribly embarrassed, and Lu Guang wished he could see his face. 

Gently, he put a hand on his shoulder. Tried twice and succeeded the third time. "It's not. I get it" he admitted softly, because truthfully, the feelings he had for Cheng Xiaoshi and those he had for Xia Fei genuinely weren't all that different. 

Lu Guang was in love with two of his friends and it was terrifying. A little less, knowing that Xia Fei seemed interested in both of them, but... he didn't know Cheng Xiaoshi's opinion. Cheng Xiaoshi might like him, but did he like Xia Fei that way, too? He refused to make any decision involving all of them without Cheng Xiaoshi. 

Cheng Xiaoshi, who was currently dealing with Liu Xiao. 

"Let's worry about our feelings once Cheng Xiaoshi is in the same room as us. Preferably not here, though" he muttered quietly. "I... hope he's safe" 

The mood declined abruptly at his last remark, at the reminder that Cheng Xiaoshi was currently in a lot of danger. 

Lu Guang sighed, tried to focus on the smell of food coming from the kitchen, the feeling of Xia Fei leaning against him... it didn't quite work to distract him. Not even thinking of how nice living together, all three of them, could be. 

"... if you pretend to be dead again, wouldn't that mean we'd never see each other again?" Xia Fei suddenly piped up, sounding genuinely upset. 

The former seer couldn't help but think that he saw no problem with never meeting Vein again. Alas, Xia Fei was not him. Xia Fei actually got along with the insane cannibal. 

There was a sigh, then he heard him move. "Let's not think about this, for now" the mafioso muttered, steps fading away from them. "We don't know how the rest of today will go" 

"Vein-" 

The door creaked open, dousing the room in silence. For a long moment, no one spoke. Leaving Lu Guang to wonder, ever so faintly, just who was at the door. 

Was it Li Tianchen? Here to let out his anger over Liu Xiao being gone? 

Was it one of Vein's men, here to report something? 

Was it one of Liu Xiao's men, here to come get them? 

Liu Xiao himself, back from the meeting? Had he even left yet? 

Then, there was an uneven step. The thud of a crutch. 

"Y-You need to leave"