Winter Wind (YiZhan)

62. Soft

His tone is strained and on cusp of a sob, and Xiao Zhan understands this, all the way to the deepest depths of his soul.

Why are you doing to us? he wants to ask Yibo, but he remains silent. Choosing instead to bask in the sheer miracle of the present moments even as they rapidly pass by.

Suddenly, there is a knock on the door.

At first he doesn't hear it, or perhaps his mind refuses to process it, but then Yibo's grip of his hands begin to loosen so that he can pull away, and this forces Xiao Zhan to pay attention.

He lifts a murderous glare to the door, wondering whom it could possibly be, but then Yibo tells him.

"It's Shuhui," he says, and moves his hand to the door handle, thereby forcing Xiao Zhan to truly let go of him and step away.

The door is pulled open and true enough, Yibo's driver is standing right before them. Shuhui bows gently in greeting as their eyes briefly meet, but Xiao Zhan is too befuddled to respond as his gaze moves between Shuhui and Yibo.

"Just a second," Yibo tells him. He then pulls the door halfway close, and turns to Xiao Zhan.

"I'm leaving," Yibo tells him, however Xiao Zhan is still bemused.

"Why is Shuhui here?" he asks, more out of concern than anything else as he hopes that they haven't attracted the wrong attention. Perhaps Yibo had been spotted on his way up here, and thus Shuhui is here to help him leave?

"I..." Yibo begins, but then hesitates, his gaze lowering from Xiao Zhan's. "I called him."

Xiao Zhan feels something hard pummel into him.

He watches Yibo as this information sinks in, and then his gaze moves to the mask now covering the lower half of his face.

"You broke your string didn't you? So that you could come back?"

At this Yibo pulls the door further open, intending to leave but a surge of anger rips through Xiao Zhan.

Furiously, he slams his hand against the door and it is shut right in Yibo's face. Yibo turns to him, alarm flashing in his eyes.

"Xiao Zhan," he calls, his tone perplexed.

Xiao Zhan on the other hand begins to step forward, slowly and vindictively until he is right before Yibo.

"You broke the string right?" Xiao Zhan repeats his question, but Yibo stubbornly refuses to respond.

Instead he lowers his gaze and looks away, his hand returning to the door's handle.

So Xiao Zhan aims for the string around one ear, and as quick as lightening, begins to pull it away however Yibo is just as fast.

"Xiao Zhan!" Yibo pushes his hand away, however it is too late.

Xiao Zhan's grip on the string breaks it, and thus the mask is left dangling down Yibo's face.

Yibo is just as aggravated as he is confused, and it all leaves Xiao Zhan feeling satisfied.

Yibo yanks the rest of the mask off his face, and glares at him

"What are you doing?" he glowers, but Xiao Zhan takes things a step further.

He grabs the brim of Yibo's cap and yanks it off his head, finally and completely revealing his entire face to him.

"Xiao Zhan!" Yibo nearly yells this time around, and at the annoyance he sees in Yibo's eyes, Xiao Zhan feels his body set on fire.