Every key pressed rounded a beautiful sound. It was sweet yet dark. It was rich yet blue.
Each drop of Xiao Sean's beautiful fingers onto the keyboard was an art no one, even himself, could fathom the meaning behind.
There was this tune, playing in his head, making his fingers move in automation against the piano. His heart aches but sometimes rejoices with this masterpiece.
'Vague.' This melody was his' ever since he had first started learning music when he was three. It was his first ever creation. But why does it feel like an obsession?
His closed lids trembled as he hit the chorus. A gnawing pain thrumming in his nerves, making him curl his fingers into stiff claws. Beads of sweat now adorned his forehead with a frown of his silent agony yet he persevered 'til the last note.
Then, to his surprise, he felt an unknown presence standing before him. Like a sleeping man mercifully pulled from a nightmare, a gasp left his lips and his dewy eyes opened at the finale.
What blessed his sight was none of the family who had come with him to celebrate his Shijie's birthday, but a stranger. Unaquainted nevertheless, not unfamiliar.
Square broad shoulders. Tall stature. A veering aura.
'Ethereal.' Sean whispered, unbelieving the pale amber eyes staring at him. The other man's perplexing grey short hair screamed attention and peaked Sean's curiosity. He couldn't believe what he was seeing!
"Hi." the silvery voice called and Sean almost lost his bearings from his stool. "It was a beautiful melody." He said and Sean's breath was taken away abnormally. "If you don't mind?" Delicate fingers stretched towards Sean and all he could do was dazedly follow the graceful hand which carries an old and odd looking book.
Sean's head tilted, baffled.
"It's a gift. I hope you can spare it some time to read." Was the polite answer.
Sean only had time to hold onto the journal, when the silence around turned into buzzing intrigue from the restaurant's crowd. Phones pulled up to capture the second Prince's attendance amidst the crowd. Lan Yibo, who is known to almost-always be in seclusion due to innate bad health has appeared in the mass! It would be a headline!
Sean started to get anxious. Panic rising as the crowd seemed to look like scavengers ready to pounce on the usually distant second Prince of their kingdom Gusu.
"Have a good evening." Sean's heart jumped, unknown longing ripping through him. The pale eyes never left Sean's face as the Prince bowed his head slightly to him and men in suit gathered around their Highness blocking him from any further attention and assisting him towards a safer place. Out of the crowd.
Sean was stupefied and was left speechless. People hovered around him, wanting to see the Prince's gift. But his family was there with him in a heartbeat, urging the people to leave him alone.
Everything else felt only like a second gone.
He was already in their family vehicle, on their way home, when he recovered from shock.
His eyes lowered onto the book he held securely close to his chest.
With shaky fingers, he traced the untitled brown hard cover.
Heart beating wildly. Exhilarated. Thrilled. He flipped it to the very first page.
An almost too perfect cursive unfolded.
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'Entrees of the past that should never be forgotten.
A pledge of Lan Clan, passing history from generation to the next.
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To my beloved younger brother, Lan Zhan, and his bossom friend, Childe Wei Wuxian.
May your souls find each other again.'
--Lan Xichen
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YOU ARE READING
In This Lifetime
FanfictionIf there is one thing Wei Wuxian regrets the most in his lifetime, it is when he had left, when his dearest told him to stay. If only he could turn back time and kept holding on to that cold and fragile soul until the end... if only he could see him...
