Beyond Time (WenZhou Modern Day FF)

Tender

WKX paced back and forth on his balcony, feeling dreadfully lonely in the big mansion. The sky was beautifully purplish but he had long since not been in the mood to enjoy such view while the cool breeze messing up his now slightly longer hair did little to distract his distraught thoughts.

He had wanted to leave for the mountain as soon as he finished handling his businesses but he waited a day for Ah Fu to prepare him ZZS's favourite drinks, thinking that it would take long before he would come down again. Back then, ZZS would drink anything and everything but afterwards as he regained all his senses and after thousands of moons living with WKX who would only drink the best of the best, the man had turned picky as well.

WKX thought it would be a great treat for when ZZS woke up, and maybe if he's lucky, he could get a peck or two too.

"Wen ge!" he heard a familiar cheery voice from the outside, particularly resounding despite the fact that he was a level above. It wasn't a voice he was waiting for but a sense of comfort did rush inside him.

Walking down the stairs, he saw Ah Fu already opened the front door and let in a couple of young guests. "Ah Xiang," he greeted, patting the girl's head before regarding the young man standing awkwardly beside her. He was tall but no taller than WKX himself; his eyes were gloriously sparkling, and familiar.

WKX's lips formed a half smile, silently thanking his Aunt Luo for the red thread she gifted to the pair.

"Ge, I miss you so much!" the girl clasped his hand, swaying it right and left while pouting.

"Mn," WKX let out a short laugh. "Won't you introduce me to your boyfriend? He's not looking too fondly of me," the hint of jealousy in the man's young face was too obvious to ignore.

"Boyfriend? I don't know this guy, he's a stranger," Zhou Ye jutted her tongue playfully standing close beside WKX.

Waving his palms, the young man flashed his pearly white teeth though his eyes screamed tension. "No, no. I'm sorry. I'm Asher, nice to meet you Mr. Wen. Zhou Ye told me a lot about you."

"Nice to meet you too," WKX replied with a sounding slap on the man's shoulder, inducing a silent grimace on the handsome face. "Did you come here with Ah Fu? How'd you know I'm home?" he asked, the tail of his eyes watching Ah Fu who stood still by the wall. He clearly remembered telling the old man to not let his return known to the girl.

"No, we just happen to meet uncle at the gate," she answered while pulling WKX to seat on the sofa in the living room. "And of course I know you're here, your face is all over the internet," the girl giggled, obviously finding the situation amusing.

His eyebrows lifted in confusion; it was his Ah Xu whose pictures were all over the internet, not him but then he remembered the stunt he pulled just yesterday in the middle of Shanghai city.

"You look great!" Zhou Ye jumped in her seat in excitement as she took out her phone and showed WKX the news she had read yesterday's afternoon. But her excitement was not exactly shared with her ge.

"They're calling me a 'gangster version of Colonel Sanders'?" WKX narrowed his eyes at the headline, "Who is Colonal Sanders?" he did not appreciate having his name associated with a human named like a cartoon character.

"Haiyah, don't worry about it, other sites all called you handsome and cool, though still a gangster," she laughed. "They would've spit their cereals if they know you're the husband of the 'brave and courageous firefighter'!"

It wasn't until she realized the glare from the old man sitting opposite of her did she know she had mentioned what not to be mentioned and the change of expression on WKX's face just materialized her worry.