Xiao Zhan woke up. His head felt lighter now. He shocked seeing Lan Wangji in front of the small table. Tea on it.

"When did you...." His words remained incomplete when he remembered his behaviour last night. He was carried by Lan Wangji and he stayed by his side whole night!!

"When did you woke up?" He managed to change the question.

"5 o'clock."

"Why so early? You have nothing to do here. Isn't it?" Xiao Zhan asked.

"Rule."

"Dunno it's clan rule or his life's. How many rules we have broken in school colleges? He even follows every rule when he was out! "

Xiao Zhan looked at him in pitiful eyes, "He is more like a robot, they inserted some kind of chip in him. Which is his knowledge. He only followed whatever they said to do. His heart..... his feeling dried down... He doesn't smile... doesn't cry... He should be a cheerful person like Yibo. But look at him..."

Wangji moved his tender eyes on him. Enough to feel calm inside.

"How are you feeling?"

"Oh I'm good, thank you. Did I bother you too much?"

"No."

"Why are you looking for me?"

"Um! No particular reason." Xiao Zhan said. "What are you doing at the bridge? And why didn't you come before?"

"Some ghoul attacked before."

"Oh no. Did You defeat them?"

Lan Wangji nodded.

"When are we leaving?" Lan Wangji asked.

Xiao Zhan remembered he asked him to go with him today. "Oh, around 12?" He said.
"So he agreed. Probably that's why he didn't leave..." Xiao Zhan thought and drew a smile.

Lan Wangji just nodded slightly again.
Xiao Zhan joined him in tea.

Xiao Zhan prepared his art stuff, cooked for both. Took a bath. Then both of them left the cottage. And went towards the hill behind the lotus pond.

Xiao Zhan has lots of stuff. Lan Wangji noticed that. He simply took a bag from him.

In reply, Xiao Zhan smiled broadly and thanked him.

Xiao Zhan came to this side earlier. The hills from this side look totally different and the view reached far from here. And there also has a small waterfall.

The ground was uneven, rocky. Still, Xiao Zhan managed a plane stony ground to place his drawing stand. When he was preparing Lan Wangji gone somewhere. Xiao Zhan panicked.

"He didn't vanish, Did he? Yibo and Wei Wuxian were not here yet."

Xiao Zhan walked past the mountain and after a walk, he found greenery. And the area filled with wild rabbits. He smiled unconsciously. The scene is wonderful. It's hard to catch those wild jumpy creatures. But they were gathered around Lan Wangji. Like they became one..a part of the beautiful nature.

Xiao Zhan came too. He also tried to catch them. But they were too naughty.

He pouted and said to Lan Wangji, "They only loves you..."
Lan Wangji then gave him the one in his hand. It's soft fluffy.

Xiao Zhan remembered that dream. He asked, "Do you have rabbits in Gusu?"

"We have"

"You must be like them so much"

"I like them." Lan Wangji didn't say these words to Wei Wuxian, so, this time he confessed it.

"You raised them"

"Keeping a pet is prohibited in Gusu"

"Hu! A rule again." Xiao Zhan thought. Then asked, "then?"

"They roam behind the mountain."

Xiao Zhan felt he can stay here forever to watch him. But 'he needs to send to Wei Wuxian's hand.' So Xiao Zhan tried to bring him the previous spot.

They were at the dead ending. It ends where Lan Wangji playing with the rabbit. Where the lotus pond was on the other side. Xiao Zhan will stay here and he needs to send Lan Wangji to the lotus pond from the opposite side. Before Yibo and Wei Wuxain come.

He started drawing where Lan Wangji was giving him company. He sat on a rock, without much movement.

Xiao Zhan started his painting. Sometimes he was looking at Lan Wangji.

There were two people together, but no talking. So Xiao Zhan started chatting.

"Lan Zhan, what you will do if you meet Wei Wuxian?"

"Dunno." He replied after a pause.

"Huh! What kind of answer that? Oky let me help you, you will probably try to convince him to give up his path right?"

"Mn"

"Then?"

"He will not listen to me."

"What! He even sure of that?" Xiao Zhan thought. Then smiled. "He has no idea what he will do, just came to meet him. Probably he missed him a lot."

Xiao Zhan felt a gaze at him. He looked that Lan Wangji. He was looking at him. "Probably he was thinking about why I was smiling?" He spoke again, " Did you buy anything for your old friend?"

"Buy what?" Lan Wangji asked.

"I mean a gift."

Lan Wangji remained silent. Xiao Zhan understood he has nothing. And perhaps Lan Wangji felt kinda bad that he had nothing.
Xiao Zhan thought, "Did I just confused him, he didn't think about a gift before coming here."

"Ah don't worry, it's not important." Xiao Zhan said.

But when Lan Wangji looked at him, Xiao Zhan could feel a SAD aura. Even if he said nothing.
"Oh no. I made him sad. What should I do? He probably can't take anything from our time. There is nothing but the cave and the pond, even if they returned to the past."

After some thinkings he said,
"You can give him a flower. It's a nice gift."
But he didn't understand what Lan Wangji felt this time.

When the time came, Xiao Zhan proposed, "Lan Zhan can you go your cave with this?" He left a bag. It has some food in it.

"The cave didn't exist here."

"Oh, then the narrow place after the cave? You can see, there is no place to sit and eat." He indicated his drawing stuffs around. "Can you find a place on that side, for both of us eating?" He tiled his head. And his smile. It's really cute.

"Mn" Lan Wangji just took the bag from his hand and walked that way. His other hand occupied by his sword.

Xiao Zhan kept staring at him. Probably it's the last time he was seeing him? Any goodbye? He doesn't know how to say goodbye. He is not used to. Those who left him, left before he knew what it means to say goodbye... He prayed that he would find happiness. He smiled faintly.

Then turned his face at his unfinished artwork and took grey colour to paint the mountain far....

....

On the other side, Yibo and Wei Wuxian left for Yilling. Standing on the bus stand Wei Wuxian consoling himself saying the bus journey will probably not feel like the first time...

And this time he didn't feel that bad at all. At first, he did not look at outside. But grabbed Yibo's arm. But later he felt it's same as mounting on the sword, which he did countless numbers of time...

They started working after the bus dropped them at Yilling Bus Stop.

Something was bothering Wei Wuxain. He is a clever person after all. He guessed that Yibo was hiding something from him. And he has no patience for that. He asked, "Why are we going there?"

"To see the lotus pond."

"Why to?"

"Well, just thing that you didn't see it last time, that's why. Don't you want to see how your hard work paid off?"

Wei Wuxain felt nostalgic. How hard he tried to plant those lotuses... And when the first flower came out, A Yuan broke it. He smirked.

"You truly not going to meet him, the Xiao Zhan guy, hu?" Wei Wuxain asked.

Yibo is going to. So he answered in a different way. "My goal is not to meet him. I'm taking you, I have business with you."

"Ayy. It seems you choose me over him." Wei Wuxain teased. "Why? Aren't he handsome?"

"Cut that, you are just so shameless," Yibo said and hit his back.

"I'm more than 1000 years older than you. How you behave like this to me?" Wei Wuxain made an annoyed face.

"Oh, old grandpa, can you please not utter nonsense?" Yibo said with a tone.

"I'm not an old man." Wei Wuxain replied instantly.

"You just said you are 1000+ years older than me..."

"Yea, but I'm not that old yet. I at least don't look like one. "
Also, I'm not married yet or have children...." Wei Wuxain pouted.

Yibo thought, "That's what we were preparing...." He just replied, "drop that."

"Drop what? Marriage?"

"Nah, having children.," Yibo said. His lips curved slightly.

"Why??? I want a kid like A Yuan. He said that had wanted two sisters and three brothers... Hahahaha" Wei Wuxain recalled how A Yuan planting himself to get more brothers and sisters.

Yibo replied, "Just raised him well".

They have already reached near the pond. Wei Wuxain went forward. This time it didn't turn back.

"Woh! It's really big! In my time, it was this small." He made a shape with his hands. The hills were still the same.
Yibo asked, "Why don't you go near the pond..?"

Wei Wuxain reached the bank - jumping. Yibo followed him. They took a few lotus pods. Yibo never saw this before neither he ate those seeds directly like this. So Wei Wuxain taught him how to do that. He also took out some for him. Continuing his usual smile. He was happy too... As he always wanted to bring Lan Zhan in Lotus pier and had fun in the lakes, eating seeds like this.

"It somewhat sweet," Yibo said.

"It can be sweet sometimes also it can be bitter." Wei Wuxain said.

"Oh really?" Yibo exclaimed and reached for another one. "Try this."

Wei Wuxain took out one seed from it and tasted. "Sweet" he waved his eyebrows.

It was like a guessing game to Yibo. Both made total havoc in the pond.

Yibo was happy and confident when he chose two pods tasted sweet consecutively. He took the third one and gave it to Wei Wuxain.
It was not sweet at all.
Wei Wuxain took that out from his mouth with disgust and threw the others to Yibo. He laughed. Both laughed.

They sat beside the bank for a rest. Stretching their legs at the front and their hands on the back.
Yibo thought, "Xiao Zhan probably here. It's almost time I should go to the place he told me. Leaving him here." He said, "Wei gege, if we don't meet again, will you forget me?"

He smiled. "What's so suddenly? How can I forget you? Huh.??"

Yibo didn't say anything first. Then said, "Thank you," Wei Wuxain looked at him. Did he say 'thank you?' He never heard something like this before. The whole world just kept blaming him. So why this kid thanked him?

Yibo looked at him in a soft eye and said, "Thank you for coming, thank you for teaching me so many things, thank you for your care, and being with me. I wasn't lonely like before when you were around. I'll never forget you."

Wei Wuxain lost his words, he felt emotional.

He laid down on his back, resting his head on his hands. Said, "Why you sounded like we will not see me again. Something will pull me again in future anyway."

"How can it always be like this? Someday it will stop perhaps. I may not see you again. Before that, I just wanted to thank you when I'm with you." Yibo said.

Then he stood up. Looking at Wei Wuxain, he said, "Don't go anywhere oky? Stay here. I'm going that side." He pointed away behind the big rock on his right.

Wei Wuxain said, "Where are you going?"
Yibo already started running.
Wei Wuxian said, "When will you back?"
For the last time, Yibo shouted, "Don't move oky?" Then disappeared behind the rock.

....
Lan Wangji kept waiting for Xiao Zhan. But he didn't come. Lan Wangji didn't move either. But he had to come out behind the rock on left, as he heard the sound of splashing water for long. He thought it probably Xiao Zhan washing his hands. But when he didn't show up after washing his hands Lan Wangji came outside the narrow place he was sitting.

It's Wei Wuxain!!

Yes, that familiar figure, familiar movements... He was throwing stones at the pond. He was bored. Yibo was gone for long. Why didn't he show up?

"Wei Ying!"

He heard a soft familiar sound and turned his face towards his left.

He fluttered his eyelashes. "Yibo it's you, right? You dressed as Lan Zhan and wanted to surprise me, right? Hahaha.." he confused when the other person gazed at him without any answers. Same poker face, with lots of passion in his eyes.. it's pain, it's happiness, it's desire, it's fear.....

Wei Wuxain came closer. The last light of twilight hit his face, so do Lan Wangji's.
"Noh, you are... You are Lan Zhan!!" Wei Wuxain stopped for a moment when he found the truth. Then smiled it's brightest. Lan Wangji's lost eyes reflecting his smiling face. His lips were half parted.

"I got it, it was their plan. That's why he acted this way..." Wei Wuxain said again. "Lan Zhan,"
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Then he smiled again. The pure most loving smile reached his ears.

To see if their plan worked out or not, Xiao Zhan and Yibo also came out from the rock.
"There they are!!!" Xiao Zhan said and jumped like a kid. "Yeaa they finally meet. Wah, look how happy they are. Oaa. Is that Wei Wuxain? We sure look the same..."

"You do," Yibo replied.

"You and Lan Wangji also look the same. We are really the future of them!!!" Xiao Zhan said.

"How lucky Wei Wuxian was. Having someone caring so much about him.. Thinking about him, missed him, remembered him..." Xiao Zhan said looking at them.

"I'll remember you," Yibo spoke.

Xiao Zhan looked at him. Then smiled like a kid. "You made it sound romantic. Haha."

"Did you hate it?"

"Hu? Umm... No.." He averts his eyes from him and landed to Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxain. His cheeks acting up.

Xiao Zhan suddenly shouted, "Lan Zhan!

They didn't hear him. There wasn't much distance between them.
And Yibo-Zhan could hear them.

Wei Wuxian said to Lan Wangji, "What did he call you? Lan Zhan? You know Yibo called me 'Wei gege', heh heh."
"I wish I could see them for the last time. The time didn't change but who knows where they have gone, Xiao Zhan was with you, right? I wanted to thank them from us too. And I will ask Xiao Zhan to take care of Yibo. Hi hi.." Wei Wuxian kept talking like he missed speaking heartedly. But he did miss Lan Wangji.

Lan Wangji suddenly went towards the pond and picked up a lotus. Then he came to Wei Wuxain and stretched his hand with the flower to him.

Wei Wuxain shocked at first then smiled pressing his lips. "Is it for me?" He asked.

Lan Wangji nod. Wei Wuxain gladly took it. 'There is some growth. But oh my god, his ear turned pink. It's so cute" he took another flower and placed that on his ear." And smiled innocently. "Oh Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan! You are so cute.. what I do with you?" He said. "Or just do you?" He thought.

Xiao Zhan felt really emotional. His eyes were tearing up. He didn't cry, but it was making his vision blur. He tried to control it, not to let it fall.
His excessive eye movements were noticed by Yibo. He understood what he felt. He reached his fingers to hold his hand. With his warmth, Xiao Zhan did felt some relief. And he smiled shyly without looking at Yibo. Yibo just moved his eyeballs to see his face. His smile is as pure as the last sunlight of the day playing on his cheeks. And that mole... Yibo's lips curved too.. Then they noticed Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxain were actually vanishing little by little. Like millions of fireflies suddenly gathered around them and finally, it's just two of them.

"Yibo," Xiao Zhan spoke.

"Yes?"

"I think, it's the Daybreak and Twilight." Xiao Zhan said. Looking at Yibo's confused face he said again, "These are the time break right? First light which divides the night and day. Remember Wei Wuxain vanished the first day when the first morning light fell on him. Now it's the last light of the day, so they vanished again. They may appear here, many times travelling the time with the 'desire to meet'. And now as the desire fulfilled, they will not come again. And as it's not fair to see 'another me' from the past, so we didn't meet earlier. But as the desire fulfilled, we saw our past selves."

Yibo asked, "Then why they crossed the time?"

Xiao Zhan replied, "The future was written. It's even the future after 100 and more years. And at this time we meet each other. So as they didn't meet earlier, they asked to change the past."

Yibo: "So as the past changed, will the future too?"

Xiao Zhan looked at him. Yibo too.
Xiao Zhan released his softest smile.
"Dunno, let's cherish the present we have."

"Yea," Yibo said with a nod. He looks at the setting Sun.

"Are you hungry?" Xiao Zhan asked.

"Umm.. not really. Why?"

"I have some food, wait let see where he left it." Xiao Zhan said and ran towards the rock at left. Yibo's eyes followed him.

Xiao Zhan came out with a kit. Again asked Yibo to wait as he needs to pack his drawing stuff. Most of the part was finished, he can continue final touch at home.

Yibo saw, this man running here from there and he stood like a stupid! So this time he followed him too.

Xiao Zhan packed his drawing kits.
He was looking if anything left to pick up walking backwards.

"Colours... paper...
palate.. brushes... board... ahhh!!!"

He slammed on Yibo's body and lost his balance. The ground wasn't plane at all. Yibo somehow managed to hold him. "Look out!"

"Sorry, Why you came? And it's so sudden.."

Grabbing his shoulder, Yibo wetted his lips. It's too close. "Is he this beautiful?"
Wei Wuxain's words lingering indide his head, he only replied, " You have so many stuff, let me help."

"When are you leaving for your home?" Yibo asked.

"Tomorrow..."

"Oh, I can call you right?"

"Yea sure, otherwise how can you gonna remember me?" Xiao Zhan said and released his usual smile.

They walked towards the locality as the evening slowly slowly covering the hills...pond...rocks...trees...past....

THE END

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Thank you for staying with this journey.❤️