It was not an overstatement when Wang Yibo said Xiao Zhan was all he had.
Wang Yibo was abandoned at the door of the orphanage when he was barely 4 months old with nothing but a tag showing his name and date of birth. Xiao Zhan was only 6 years old but he was an early riser. The sound of a crying baby drew him to the door. He found the infant loosely wrapped in a pink blanket. Xiao Zhan picked up the baby whose face had gone red from all the wailing, sat on a rocking chair and rocked him slowly while humming a lullaby as he had seen the caretaker; Mrs. Meng do several times.
The wailing child slowly quieted down. He opened his eyes, staring at the child holding on to him. Xiao Zhan looked down and their eyes met. The infant was the first to show a toothless smile and Xiao Zhan followed suit.
Mrs. Meng heard the door open and she came out to look. The sight of one infant and one child smiling at each other was what she met. She stood in the corner for a while, observing them both.
"Ah Zhan, the baby should be hungry. Why don't I go prepare something to feed it while you sit here and wait". Zhan nodded without raising his head.
It is safe to say that between them both, it was love at first sight. Mrs. Meng returned soon with a feeder of baby formula. She offered to take the baby but Zhan insisted on doing the feeding.
Yibo drank the whole bottle in one go after which he fell asleep. "Ma Meng, can she be my own baby sister?"
Mrs. Meng who was putting the baby to sleep gave Xiao Zhan a smile. "No Ah Zhan, he cannot be your sister because he is a boy".
'A boy! Even better'. Zhan was delighted to have his own baby brother.
As if both boys were destined to be together, they both ended up growing up in the orphanage. Zhan watched other children come and go but he and Yibo were never adopted. Zhan did not feel bad. He had made up his mind not to leave Yibo but if someone wanted to take Yibo away, what would he do?
Yibo grew up clinging to Xiao Zhan. He hardly spoke with the other children but when he came to Xiao Zhan, he could be likened to a chatterbox. He talked so much that Zhan ended up with a headache.
Eventually, Xiao Zhan outgrew the foster care system when he turned 18 and he left to make a living. Yibo was reluctant to let him go but Zhan promised to visit every other day. Life out there was more difficult than Zhan had anticipated so he ended living in the orphanage a little longer while working. When he finally saved up enough money, he got himself an apartment.
"Zhan ge, can I come live with you?", Without Xiao Zhan, the days became almost unbearable for Yibo. He had gradually started to open up and interact more with others in the orphanage but when Zhan finally moved out, he went back into his shell.
As soon as Xiao Zhan's finances were a bit stable, he took Yibo, standing as his legal guardian. Xiao Zhan was now 22 while Yibo was 16. Although Yibo didn't show it, it was the happiest day of his life. He moved into Zhan's apartment. They both had to share a room but they had separate beds. When Xiao Zhan woke up the next day, he found Yibo in his bed. Soon Xiao Zhan realized getting a second bed was a waste of money.
Zhan worked two jobs. During the day, he worked at an artist's studio. At night, he worked at a bar, tending to tables. This way, he was able to afford his and Yibo's living expenses. Yibo wanted to go to medical school but they couldn't afford it at the moment.
One night, the bar was nearly empty as there was a thunder storm. As Zhan cleared the tables, he was humming a song. This caught the attention of a customer who was sitting not too far from him. Before leaving the customer walked up to Xiao Zhan, asking him if he would like to be a professional singer. Zhan knew he had a good singing voice but he never thought of singing professionally. After struggling with the idea for a few days, he decided to give it a try. This was the beginning of their financial breakthrough. It also was what led them to the situation they found themselves presently.
Xiao Zhan, through the help of the scout who found him, soon joined a boyband as the lead singer. He was finally able to afford a better house and Yibo's medical school fees. They didn't forget the place they grew up, Zhan sent them supplies every month. After all the expenses, he still had a lot left to save.
In the blink of an eye, 6 years had passed. Xiao Zhan had become a widely known singer and actor while Yibo was in his final year of med school. That day, while the group performed at a concert, there was an accident. The stage collapsed and iron beams came crashing down.
Two out of the nine band members and one of the instrumentalists died on the spot. Others sustained varying degrees of injury with Xiao Zhan's being the most severe.
He had been in a coma for 4 months. Yibo was listed as his only family. Yibo was back stage when the accident occurred and narrowly escaped getting hurt.
That day, Yibo sat beside Xiao Zhan holding on to his hands as if his life depended on him. Zhan was really all he had and he couldn't afford to lose him just. He had cried so much that he had no tears left. Zhan was declared brain dead after his 4th surgery last night and Yibo had to make the call. Of course, Yibo wasn't going to pull the plug. He was going to fight with all he had, even if it meant leaving him on life support for decades.
Yibo had realized in his teens that he had fallen in love with Xiao Zhan but he was too afraid to express his feelings especially as it seemed like Zhan only saw him just like a baby brother.
Watching Xiao Zhan, this was the first time Yibo had seen him so still. Even while he slept, he hardly stayed still. He stirred and turned until he held Yibo in a hug then he finally stayed still. Yibo always woke up earlier so he believed Zhan never realized he hugged him while he slept.
As far back as Yibo could remember, there was no day he didn't speak to Zhan even the time they were separated. They spoke and saw each other often. This time, Zhan was lying next to him but he couldn't speak. So close, yet so far away. Yibo held Zhan in his arms and wept.
"Zhan ge, if you can hear me, please give me a sign".
"..."
"They say you're brain dead but I do not believe, I have a feeling that we both have more time ahead of us. We just need to weather this storm. Zhan ge, sorry I was disobedient. Sorry I usually leave school to come see your shows. I promise to listen to you from now on. Just give me a sign that you can hear me".
"..."
"I can't do what they're asking me to, I can't live without you. Please come back to me. I never got to tell you how I feel about you, I fell for you way back when I was 16 and I've loved you more with each passing day. I was only waiting to be strong enough to support you as much as you have supported me. I didn't want to ask you to be mine when I had nothing to offer. I know all you've done just to make me comfortable. I promise to repay you back ten folds, but I can only do that if you stay with me".
"..."
Yibo had never been this afraid in his life. He held on to Zhan as if letting go of his hands would give his soul a chance to escape.
He placed his lips over Zhan's palm, he could feel Zhan's warmth gradually fading away. Yibo knew that if Zhan left, he would lose the will to live. Zhan was his father, his brother, his mother and also the one he loved. He never asked for anything, instead he gave his all to Yibo. If Yibo could, he would not hesitate to give his life in exchange for Xiao Zhan's.
Yibo closed his eyes, praying in his heart for Zhan to make a recovery.
"You really want him to live? Are you willing to try?"
This voice sounded as if it was spoke directly into ears. Yibo looked up, everywhere around him was...white. He had somehow left the hospital and found himself in this space that had no beginning or ending in sight. He looked around in search of the source of the voice but he found nothing. Looking down at his hands, they no longer held on to Xiao Zhan. Zhan was nowhere in sight. Yibo didn't panic at the strange voice, strange place or strange phenomenon but being unable to hold Zhan, he felt an intense fear, as if he was losing control. He could hardly bear to remain like that.
"Zhan ge", he called out while moving around looking for him. he noticed the ground was not solid, it felt fluffy but it could hold his weight.
"He's still at the hospital, you're holding on to him."
The voice sounded again but this time, Yibo could make out the figure of a man. He was wearing all white coupled with his pale skin that looked like it was shimmering. It was easy to blend into the background.
"Why am I here? What is going on?"
"You're here because you sounded like you were ready to give anything to save your Zhan ge's life. You're still with him, just your consciousness is here in this space".
Yibo paused for a moment.
"Are you...God?"
The 'man' was taken aback.
"Hahaha, I'm not God but I can see and hear everything that concerns Xiao Zhan. You can call me his guardian angel. You can also call me the All Knower", the man stroked his beards. Yibo could not see his face because anytime he tried to, all he could see was light and if he tried too hard, he would feel a stabbing pain in his eyes.
"Okay AK. What can I do to save Zhan ge?"
"AK? Who is that?"
"AK, All Knower, that's your name right?"
AK had never been called that before but he didn't have anything against it. Besides, he and Yibo felt the same way. They both wanted Zhan alive.
"If you insist. First, you need to know this. In every life, Xiao Zhan dies before he reaches 30 years. He meets you in every life and in most of them, you're either present during his death or during the event that leads up to his death. Your fates are tied in each and every world. If you want to save him here, you have to go change his fate in other worlds. If you can get him to reach 30 years of age in at least 6 lives, his chances of survival in this life would be up to 80%".
Yibo was indeed ready to do whatever it took.
"How long do I have to stay there? What if he dies before I return?"
"You don't have to worry about that. There is no way to explain that to you. Just know that whenever you return, you'd meet him just the way you left him, not a second earlier and not a second later.
Yibo thought for a while. "So, time freezes as long as my consciousness is away?".
"Yes".
"What if I'm unable to save him, what if I die?"
"There is an infinite number of lives. If you fail your mission in one, you move to the other. After each life, you get to come back to this space; your personal space. You just need to succeed in 6 different lives".
'Easy!', Yibo thought.
"I'm ready. How do I start?"
AK looked at Yibo. If Yibo could see his face, he would see that he looked a lot like Xiao Zhan and he looked really worried right now, even more worried than Xiao Zhan looked the first time Yibo came down with a fever.
"After every world, you get to keep the memories of that world. If you acquire any skills, you'd keep them too and carry them to every world. To start, just wish for it to happen. You'd immediately be...". Before he finished speaking, Yibo was gone.
He was so eager to save Zhan that he didn't think it through. He didn't ask too many questions. AK wished him well and thought to treat this first life as a learning experience. He didn't have much hope for Yibo at the moment but after a few failures, he was sure Yibo would fare just fine.
As for Wang Yibo, when he opened his eyes, he found himself in an extremely familiar surrounding. This was the same hospital Xiao Zhan was being held. It all turned out to be a dream! He cussed internally. Was he so eager to save Xiao Zhan that he started dreaming up things? Yibo found himself sad all over again but then it occurred to him.
Even though it was the same hospital, it was different as he was the patient this time around.
Notes
Hello!So this piece of writing is going to have different arcs, each set in a different AU. This chapter is an introduction. I'd be posting one complete arc daily or every two days. This work is completely typed, I just need to do a few adjustments and proof reading so please stick with me. And I'd like to hear your honest feedback. Votes will be highly appreciated.