Help! I Do Not Want to Guide a Disaster

Wenzhi and Gu Luhan appeared in the center of the ruined Capital, Tiefeng City.

The battle had ended hours ago.

The once-grand capital was nothing but shattered buildings, collapsed highways, and burning wreckage buried beneath fresh snow. Sovereign ships hovered above the city, their floodlights sweeping across the devastated streets.

It was strangely peaceful.

The full moon hung high above the sky, illuminating the endless snowfall while voices echoed throughout the city as Sovereign soldiers secured the remaining districts.

The instant the mist withdrew into Wenzhi’s body, he doubled over.

Cough!

A mouthful of blood splattered across the snow.

His body shook as another cough tore through him, warm blood dripping from the corner of his lips while another thin stream slid from his nose.

Gu Luhan’s eyes widened.

"You don’t look good." He hurried toward him. "We should’ve gone straight to Doctor Ruixin."

He reached out to steady him.

Wenzhi slapped his hand away. "Don’t touch me."

He wiped the blood from beneath his nose with the back of his hand before taking a slow breath that immediately dissolved into another fit of coughing.

"Call Jiang Zhaohe." His voice came out rough.

Gu Luhan blinked. "...Jiang Zhaohe?"

"I need to know where Xinyuan is." Without waiting for a reply, Wenzhi staggered forward.

Gu Luhan hurriedly pulled out his phone, relief flooding him when he finally saw a signal.

He immediately dialed.

Meanwhile, Wenzhi slowly walked through the ruined Capital.

Snow crunched beneath his boots.

Everywhere he looked... Collapsed buildings. Destroyed armored vehicles.

They had actually done it. They had taken the Capital.

He should’ve felt relieved.

Instead... He couldn’t stop shaking as an unbearable cold seeped into his bones.

He couldn’t tell if it was because Gu Luhan had left his body inside the Red Zone for hours... Or because something inside him had changed after dying.

His breathing became increasingly uneven.

He reached a cracked concrete wall and planted one hand against it for support.

Hack—!

Another harsh cough.

This one nearly folded him in half. Blood splattered across the wall.

Something hard landed in his palm.

Wenzhi frowned. "...What?"

His pupils slowly dilated.

Lying in his bloody hand... Were three flattened bullets.

The bullets that had torn through both shoulders... And the one that had entered his forehead. They had been pushed out of his body.

His fingers trembled. "...What the hell..."

"Wenzhi!" Gu Luhan ran over, lowering his phone with a frustrated expression.

"It’s not connecting."

Wenzhi barely heard him. His entire body throbbed. Every breath burned.

They were supposed to be closing the Red Zone Rifts by now.

Not...

"I’ll..." Wenzhi coughed again, another stream of blood spilling from his lips. "...I’ll find him myself."

He took one step. His knees buckled.

Gu Luhan instinctively grabbed his arm but the blast gun was in Wenzhi’s hand before Gu Luhan even realized it.

Its barrel pressed directly against Gu Luhan’s chest.

Gu Luhan froze, slowly raising his arm into the air. "I’m trying to help you."

"You shot me." Wenzhi’s dull grey eyes stared straight into his. "The only reason I haven’t returned the favor..."

He coughed, blood staining the corner of his mouth. "...is because of Chenxi."

His grip tightened around the weapon. "So don’t touch me."

Gu Luhan slowly lowered his eyes. "...I understand."

He took a careful step back. Only then did Wenzhi lower the gun.

Another cough wracked his body. More blood spilled onto the snow.

"So..." He whispered hoarsely. "...cold..."

His vision blurred, the world tilted and his legs finally gave out.

"Wenzhi!" Gu Luhan lunged forward just in time to catch him before he struck the ground.

Wenzhi’s head lolled against his shoulder, completely unconscious.

Gu Luhan immediately checked his pulse. "...No."

His pulse... Was barely there.

•~•

Wenzhi’s eyes snapped open, and he found himself standing inside Xinyuan’s mindscape.

He instinctively looked down at his bloodstained hands. His clothes were torn, and his body still looked as battered as it had moments ago.

But... the cold was gone and something else crashed into him like a tidal wave.

Pain... unimaginable pain flooded through him so fiercely that his knees nearly buckled. His chest tightened, his head spun, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Then came the raw, bottomless rage that poured into him until it felt like his entire body was being ripped apart.

Several long seconds passed before Wenzhi finally realized none of these emotions belonged to him.

"Xinyuan..." he breathed, his voice trembling. "I’m..."

He slowly looked around. The mindscape itself was collapsing. Broken slabs of concrete smashing into one another, and deep cracks spreading endlessly across the ground.

"...I said I was going to find him myself," a disbelieving laugh escaped him, "and somehow... I’m here."

He inhaled deeply before shouting into the void, "Shao Xinyuan!"

Instantly, the spreading cracks stopped. Every floating fragment of rubble froze.

Then... a figure appeared in front of Wenzhi.

Xinyuan.

He looked just as broken. His eyes were swollen, and his pupils were unnaturally dilated. He simply stood there... staring.

Wenzhi let out a long breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. "It’s me," he said, his heart aching.

Xinyuan’s lips parted. "They said you were dead." His voice sounded scraped raw.

Wenzhi gave a small shrug. "I was."

Xinyuan swallowed hard. "I’m... sorry." His voice cracked. "I wasn’t there."

Wenzhi immediately shook his head. "No. No. Don’t. Don’t apologize, baby... I was caught off guard, too."

He slowly started walking toward him, but Xinyuan instinctively stepped backward.

Wenzhi stopped. "...Xinyuan?"

Pure, overwhelming fear filled Xinyuan’s eyes. "Is it happening again?" He looked like he desperately wanted to reach out... but was terrified to.

Wenzhi frowned. "What?"

"They showed me you," Xinyuan’s breathing became uneven. "They made me watch you..." His eyes shook. "Are you real? Are you really him? Are you... going to disappear if I touch you?"

Something inside Wenzhi shattered. He immediately closed the distance between them. Xinyuan tried taking another step back, but Wenzhi caught him first, his fingers wrapping firmly around Xinyuan’s wrist. Then, he gently raised his other hand and cupped Xinyuan’s cheek.

His grey eyes searched Xinyuan’s face. "What..." his voice trembled, "...did they do to you? What did they..."

"I can feel you." Xinyuan’s eyes widened.

For the first time since Wenzhi had arrived... light returned to them. Tears still streamed freely down his face, but this time... they weren’t born from despair.

"They can’t fake this," he whispered, leaning shakily into Wenzhi’s palm. "I can feel you."

"Of course they can’t." Wenzhi gently caressed Xinyuan’s face. "I’m here."

Xinyuan stared at him for several long seconds before slowly raising a trembling hand. His fingertips hesitantly brushed Wenzhi’s cheek, wiping away the thin trail of blood trickling from his nose.

His movements remained fear filled but his fingers slowly traveled upward until they rested against Wenzhi’s forehead, gently tracing the spot where the bullet had pierced through.

His breathing hitched. "...It’s so quiet."

A small, fragile smile appeared on his lips. "I’m sorry."

"Xinyuan..."

"No." Xinyuan shook his head. "Please... let me apologize."

He swallowed hard, his voice breaking.

"None of this would’ve happened if I had just killed Bai Qinian. But I was blind and I... I just..."

His eyes filled again. "I don’t know what I’d do without you, freckles."

His voice dropped into a whisper. "I’m nothing without you."

Before Wenzhi could respond, Xinyuan pulled him into an embrace, squeezing him so tightly it almost hurt.

He buried his face against Wenzhi’s shoulder and shut his eyes as if afraid that opening them would make Wenzhi disappear again.

"Please... don’t leave me again." His entire body shook. "I can’t bear that emptiness. I can’t bear living without you. I’ll never leave your side again."

Wenzhi closed his own eyes.

A faint smile appeared on his face as he gently combed his fingers through Xinyuan’s hair.

"I can’t bear living without you either." He rested his forehead lightly against Xinyuan’s. "I finally know what it feels like to be... complete. I don’t want to lose that."

Xinyuan’s arms tightened around him even more.

Wenzhi gently rubbed circles across his back. "But I need you to calm down. The world doesn’t have to end. We’re together. And right now... that’s the only thing that matters."

He pulled back just enough to look into Xinyuan’s eyes. "So breathe. I’m here, I’m alive, and so are you."

Xinyuan’s gaze slowly lowered. "...You’re hurt."

"I don’t really know what happened," Wenzhi admitted with a small sigh. "I died... and then I just... came back."

The softness in Xinyuan’s expression instantly disappeared.

His eyes darkened. "Who shot you?"

His voice remained calm but carried a murderous edge that made Wenzhi’s own eyes instinctively flash crimson for the briefest second before returning to their usual grey.

He knew exactly what would happen if he told the truth.

Chenxi had already lost Suye. He didn’t deserve to lose Gu Luhan too.

"...Jiang Zhaohe." The lie came easily as he gently wiped away the tears still clinging to Xinyuan’s lashes.

Then, without another word, he captured Xinyuan lips into a hungry, desperate kiss.

Neither of them rushed it. They simply held onto each other as though reassuring themselves the other was truly alive.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathing heavily.

Xinyuan rested his forehead against Wenzhi’s. "You’re hurt," he whispered again.

Wenzhi tilted his head slightly, watching him with gentle curiosity. "And what are you going to do about it?"

Xinyuan’s thumb slowly stroked across Wenzhi’s cheek. His nose brushed lightly against Wenzhi’s.

His eyes no longer held panic. "What needs to be done, Zhi’er."

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