Chapter Text
They didn’t have breakfast together, and he was told by a maid that he could take a day off his training after last night’s events.
In short, he was being avoided. Did Wen Kexing know he had revealed his identity? Was that why he was being distant?
On the second day, he decided to train again, hoping Wen Kexing would join him. The latter did not, but A-Xiang came up to him after the session and gently said:
“Thank you for your help that day. I should have been more careful.”
“No one saw it coming. Don’t blame yourself.”
A-Xiang smiled and added:
“And thank you for saving him. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to him because of me. He had saved me when I was a baby and has raised me ever since. He is my father and my brother, my entire family. So thank you.”
Zhou Zishu gently petted her head.
“Enough “thank you”s. They sound strange coming from a silly child like you.”
She swatted his hand and showed him her tongue. He rolled his eyes.
Before she’d close the door behind her, she said rather seriously.
“Give him some time. He will explain everything.”
He smiled at her and nodded.
Wen Kexing looked rather tired. He didn’t bother faking his usual cheerfulness.
They were in the training field. It had been a full week of Wen Kexing avoiding him and he was starting to get irritated. He went outside to train some more, wondering if he should just corner Wen Kexing into talking to him.
The man, however, appeared a bit later, dressed in his usual attire, but looking more like a tired soldier facing his final battle rather than a vicious king.
“It’s been a long time, Zhou Zishu,” he said, smiling slightly.
“It has, Zhen Yan.”
Something crossed Wen Kexing’s expression, before he gathered himself enough to reply.
“And I was hoping it was a dream.”
“I’m happy to see you again, Zhen Yan.”
“Zhen Yan has been dead for quite some time.”
“And yet he is standing right in front of me.”
Wen Kexing just looked at him. The questions that had been bothering Zhou Zishu this last week freed themselves without asking for his permission.
“What happened to you? The last time I saw you your family left for a village. You were supposed to be safe.”
Wen Kexing looked around, maybe checking for eavesdroppers, maybe trying to find the beginning of his tale.
“We were safe. For some time. Then the Ghost Valley killed my parents.”
Zhou Zishu was not the one to show emotions freely on his face, but he couldn’t help showing his horror.
“The Ghost Valley? Why would they target you?”
“They made it seem like a random attack, but it was for the key to the Glazed Armor. He was following someone’s orders and I’m sure you can guess whose. My father was the only one who knew where the key was. He didn’t give it to them. I’m the only one who knows where it is now.”
Zhou Zishu went quiet for a few seconds going over all the information he had gathered during his stay in the valley.
“So you entered the valley to kill the king and keep the key safe?”
“Don’t know what’s sexier: your quick wit or shoulder blades,” joked Wen Kexing sounding surprisingly honest.
“So what do you plan to do next?”
“Drink good wine and eat good food,” replied Wen Kexing smiling.
“And the key?”
“Do you want it?” asked Wen Kexing with challenge in his voice, “I can give it to you. Consider it a wedding gift from your devoted husband.”
“I’ve told you before. I don’t need the key. I don’t care for power. I care more about what’s your next move.”
“Are you worried for your husband?”
“Yes,” came the easy reply.
Wen Kexing froze, seemingly not expecting a genuine answer. He just regarded Zhou Zishu with a look.
“You knew who I was when you arranged the wedding,” calmly stated Zhou Zishu.
“I did.”
“Was it just to get me on your side? To weaken the king?”
Wen Kexing thought for a second before replying.
“Not entirely.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were Zhen Yan,” asked Zhou Zishu grabbing his arm.
“Because I haven’t been him for a long time,” replied Wen Kexing looking down at the hand holding him in place.
“You’re still him. I see his traces in you.”
“When did you see those traces? When I maimed those ghosts right in front of you? When I sliced the throat of a little kid?” asked Wen Kexing looking at him.
“Zhen Yan would risk his life to protect his loved ones. The way you care for A-Xiang and me is proof enough. You’re still him. You are still my little Zhen Yan.”
He raised his hand and tried to put it on Wen Kexing’s cheek. The latter flinched for a second, surprising them both. Zhou Zishu didn’t back down and gently held his cheek. Wen Kexing closed his eyes and melted into the touch.
“Is that all I am to you? Your little playmate from the past?”
Zhou Zishu didn’t reply. He smiled before leaning up and kissing him softly.
Being trained into thinking of sentiments as weakness, Zhou Zishu had been very unfamiliar with it. Unless a specific target required him to be gentle, all his usual sexual encounters, regardless of gender, were quick and goal oriented. He got what he wanted and cared very little about his partner’s needs.
Now he kissed Zhen-no, Wen Kexing, like he was about to dissolve in his touch.
Wen Kexing was clutching his robes, kissing back eagerly.
Zhou Zishu ended the kiss and leaned his forehead against Wen Kexing’s. The touch was somehow both foreign and all too familiar.
“We should get rid of the prince.”
“A-Xu, A-Xu, can’t you just enjoy the moment?”
“I want us to be safe. I want you to be safe.”
“Alright, let’s kill the prince. I’ll ask Beauty Ghost to send her spies to him. Will you kiss me some more now?”
Zhou Zishu rolled his eyes before eagerly fulfilling the request.
Zhou Zishu jumped up from his sleep the moment he felt something touch his stomach. He looked around trying to assess the situation as his left hand reached under the pillow, trying to find the knife concealed there (his old habit back in Window of Heaven). But there was no knife, instead, there was someone lying next to him. The brain fog finally dispersed and Zhou Zishu realized that the hand thrown across his stomach belonged to the man lying next to him. The man’s skin was glowing under the early morning light. Red marks were scattered all around his chest and neck.
Zhou Zishu felt his heartbeat slow down as his eyes went up and down the beautiful body.
“Enjoying the view?” asked Wen Kexing cheekily smiling at him.
“Yes. Good morning,” said Zhou Zishu leaning down kissing his mouth, cheeks, neck.
“You are insatiable, Zhou Zishu,” uttered Wen Kexing stroking his hair.
“You are so beautiful,” replied Zhou Zishu easily.
Last night was all gentle caresses and long kisses. This time around Zhou Zishu let Wen Kexing take charge. He revered the view in front of him: Wen Kexing’s red-marked skin in full view going up and down his length, moaning his name. He cupped Wen Kexing’s chest, squeezing his nipples, making him squeeze around him deliciously. As Wen Kexing came, Zhou Zishu put his arms around his neck, making him lie down on his chest. He held him tight as he thrust into him, making Wen Kexing groan in overestimation. He bit Wen Kexing’s shoulder as he came.
They stayed like that for a few minutes, breathing each other in.
“You can go, you know,” suddenly said Wen Kexing. “After we get rid of the prince, you won’t have to stay in here. This is not a place for living. You want a good life, don’t you? You can have that. You’ll be free. I won’t force you to stay here. Our marriage was not meant as a shackle to chain you to me. I just wanted you to be free of him.”
Zhou Zishu stayed silent for a few seconds, which made Wen Kexing’s heartbeat quicken.
“Look at me,” finally uttered Zhou Zishu.
Wen Kexing didn’t move, scared of what would come next.
“Come on, look at me,” repeated Zhou Zishu stroking his cheek.
Wen Kexing leaned on his forearms to look down at Zhuo Zishu, keeping his face as expressionless as he could.
“I don’t deserve a good life. I have done my share of horrible things to innocent people, justifying them by saying I was following orders. I don’t want to follow orders anymore. I want to live free of expectation and guilt.”
Wen Kexing nodded, looking away from Zhou Zishu’s eyes.
“It’s time for me to pay back for all the hurt I’ve caused and what’s a better place for that than hell itself?”
Wen Kexing looked at him with glassy eyes.
“Zhen Yan, do you really think I’d leave you after all this? I have no place to go back to. If you are here, than I’ll be here too, right next to you. I won’t let you be alone anymore. You are my husband, aren’t you?”
Wen Kexing hugged him, hiding his face in his neck.
The serenity was broken by a loud A-Xiang entering the room, without as much as knocking.
“How long are you going to hide from him? He looks like a pathetic...”
Before she could finish her sentence, her gaze fell on the two man looking back at her.
She yelped and ran to close the door, muttering about locking the doors properly.
Zhou Zishu lowered his head again, sighing.
“You have spoiled that silly girl too much. She has no manners.”
“She is not that bad,” replied Wen Kexing happily, lying down back on his chest.
“You know, for some time I used to think she was your lover,” uttered Zhou Zishu casually.
Wen Kexing made fake gagging sounds. Zhou Zishu laughed and hugged him even tighter.