Lang Yuan diligently practiced his zither. Plucking the strings with intense interest, he decided to convert a few songs from his Earth to this world, somehow making the servants watch the youth in awe. Only a few people have the ability to compose a song. That is because the tone is almost similar and writing a whole music sheet is really tedious job.
While he was busy with his practice, a shadow suddenly covered the whole place in a dark. The servants who are guarding the youth suddenly had their minds black, their eyes losing the glint of consciousness as they slowly lowered their heads and turned around to leave. Lang Yuan noticed the sudden change of their action and halted.
"What's wrong?" Lang Yuan asked.
Suddenly, a huge hand covered his eyes. Lang Yuan jerked, pushing the zither away causing it to fall in the ground with a bang. The ear splitting sound echoed inside the room for a while before silence came again. The only thing that could be heard would be Lang Yuan's fast breathing and his heartbeat.
Who is this person covering his eyes?
"Your guard is always thin as always. If you remain careless, I could have snatched you out from here," the familiar voice said.
Lang Yuan heaved a sigh as his tenses lowered. He only knows two persons who owned that voice: One is from the Emperor and the other is from the black masked man. Zhen chuckled and removed his hands from the youth. JiDan looked at him with an annoyed eyes, his cheeks puffed like a squirrel.
"Cute," Zhen teased.
"What are you doing here?" Lang Yuan asked, gathering the fallen zither back to its place. "Having a lot of free time?"
"Well, what reason could I have? I'm a free spirit. I always have a lot of free time," Zhen proudly said. He sat cross-legged across Lang Yuan. "Play something for me."
"I'm only playing for the emperor," Lang Yuan harrumphed.
Zhen shrugged his shoulders and muttered, "Still the same, nothing different."
Lang Yuan ignored Zhen and continued his practice. This time, he hit it with the basic tunes from the basic nursery rhymes. Zhen listened to the notes, watching the youth immersed with the music. Lang Yuan isn't really a music type of person but no one can just simply resist music. If ever anyone has the talent to play and sing, he could bet that everyone would become singers and musicians.
Nobody talked between the two. They let the music from the zither fill the silence of the two unspeaking men. Lang Yuan did not stop playing until he managed to repeatedly play more than twenty rhymes. He only stopped when he felt his own fingers sore. Zhen snatched his hands to look at the reddish tips of his fingers.
"You play good." Zhen said while massaging Lang Yuan's hand. "But your hands are kind of manly."
"What did you expect? I'm a man," Lang Yuan pulled his hand back but was unable to. Zhen held on his hand tightly, measuring the size of Lang Yuan's with his. The black masked man smiled in comparison.
"Yet so small ah," Zhen chuckled.
"Yours are just big," Lang Yuan rolled his eyes. "Give me my hand back."
"Take it from me," Zhen said with a smug. He filled the spaces between the fingers of Lang Yuan with his and locked it. Now, no matter how Lang Yuan pull his hand back, he can't because Zhen is holding tightly.
"I can't. Let go," he complained.
Zhen only shrugged his shoulders. Lang Yuan did not give up and used a lot of force to pull his hand when Zhen suddenly lightens his force and let his body be pulled all over. The black masked man toppled over Lang Yuan, crushing the small youth under his weight.
"Hey, what are you doing? Go away, go away!" Lang Yuan pushed the heavy man away.
"Lang Yuan, don't play for the Emperor," Zhen suddenly said.
Lang Yuan noticed the seriousness from his voice and stopped struggling. He focused his attention towards the man. He stared at Zhen's golden orbs, seeing the same scenery whenever he looks at the man. And as what the emperor ordered, he would always look at his eyes without restrictions.
Lang Yuan spoke, "Why?"
"Play a song from your heart," Zhen said. "And I will protect you."
"What do you mean?"
"Trust me," Zhen leaned closer and kissed the youth on his lips. "And when that time comes, let it go."
"You will let me go?" Lang Yuan's eyes flickered. He licked his lips that were kissed by Zhen.
"Of course, no. You are already my possession. How can I just throw you away," Zhen stared at the wet lips of the youth. The urge to kiss was still there but he has to control his self. "Also, you have your son here. You will never be able to leave him.
Lang Yuan loved JiDan so much. He didn't have the conscience to leave him alone.
"Then," Lang Yuan said. "I have a condition."
"What is it?" Zhen asked. He never thought that Lang Yuan would want to negotiate. But okay, Zhen will accept. After all, Lang Yuan only asks for simple things. He's not the type scheme something.
"Remove your mask," Lang Yuan stated.
Zhen waited for Lang Yuan's demands but was surprised to hear such simple task. Lang Yuan only wanted him to remove his mask? That's all? Zhen thought that Lang Yuan would ask him to hand over the 'FATHER' rights to him because he still believes that he is the father of JiDan. He never thought that Lang Yuan would miss such chance and just ask him to remove his mask.
Zhen chuckled.
"What's funny?" Lang Yuan pouted.
"Nothing, you are sure very interesting."
Zhen touched the end of his mask. Lang Yuan waited, his heart racing in anticipation. He was sure that Zhen and the emperor is the same person. His guts are shouting the same fact with his intuition. After all, aside from the emperor, who can roam around the palace unattended?
Also, Zhen and the emperor has the same aura. Maybe some time it was different but he can tell by just listening to their voices. The emperor doesnt talk too much unlike the blabber mouth Zhen but the similarities are the same. Lang Yuan was in a doubt for a while until he realized that anyone in this place can morph.
That last time... maybe someone morphed as the emperor to at least have Lang Yuan doubt about his identity. Only did they forget that Lang Yuan is no stupid and could understand at least that simple move.
Zhen quirked a smile and removed the mask. As the black mask was lifted from his face, suddenly, a hand covered Lang Yuan's eyes hindering him from seeing Zhen's face. The youth was in shock and was quick to struggle but Zhen already covered his lips with his own. Lang Yuan was stopped by a deep and intimate kiss from the black masked man.
Well, Lang Yuan only wished to have him remove his mask. He forgot to place the condition of 'let me see your face' at the end. Lang Yuan cursed his stupidity and just let the man have his way on the kiss. The kiss lasted only for a minute the just at least have the beasts inside their heart have a teasing taste to each other.
"How's that? Fine?" Zhen asked, his voice still hoarse.
"You cheat!" Lang Yuan complained.
Zhen only chuckled and lifted his hand. Lang Yuan did not open his eyes and let the stranger be gone. The youth only opened his eyes when he heard a servant asking him if he is fine. The moment Zhen is gone, is also the spell that he placed unto everyone. Now, Lang Yuan was surrounded by the worried faces of his servants.
"I'm all right, I just wanted to rest for a while," Lang Yuan said.
Nobody is convinced. Lang Yuan is sweating and is chasing his breathe, how could he be fine? The servants, without orders, quickly moved through their initiative and gave the youth some refreshments. The other asked him if he wanted to rest in his room or shall they call the royal physician. Lang Yuan only dismissed them away.
He returned to his zither and started playing. Zhen said to not play for the emperor. Actually, Lang Yuan is still worried with the piece that he will be playing for the trial. But now, he finally found it. It was a song from his heart... no.
It was a song for him written by someone.
Lang Yuan closed his eyes to collect the feelings of his heart. This song is from that someone who is afraid of losing him. Lang Yuan is also afraid of losing him that's why they didn't continue taking the path. If sooner or later they will still part again, they rather keep their feeling inside and have life separate them.
It would hurt. It still is.
Lang Yuan's thoughts flowed to the music and the servants cried. It was an intense song that has a wild and lively opening but suddenly shifted to a slow and calm tone at the end. It only means that the longing that first created a spark has gone lost and lost forever. This song will not be played for the emperor.
But Lang Yuan's thoughts wandered.
Probably, he will never be able to see Zhen again.
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Yay! I updated!