The men went back and forth while the workers made drink after drink. Customers also laughed happily while watching the show. Once the male worker had refused to allow more drinks to be made, Liu Yong looked at the shy boy and showed a 100 yuan note, thus more cups kept coming. “Your boyfriend is really sexy.”

 

“He’s not my boyfriend. He has a girlfriend.” The small girl sitting beside Zhou RenShu looked at him funny, she had filmed enough and stopped the recording before turning to face Zhou RenShu. “That man has a girlfriend and he’s sticking up for you like this? Is he your brother?”

 

“No, we’re. We’re just friends I think.” What is my relationship with Liu Yong? Are we friends? The girl returned her eyes to Liu Yong who was standing as if he was waiting for a cup of coffee. The cold glimmer still shined brightly in his eyes as he ridiculed the boy in front of him without even speaking. The counter space was almost completely blocked by overturned cups filled with various types of bubble tea. Once another order was made Liu yong slowly tore away the plastic before looking at the worker in front of him.

 

“Still think it’s funny to bully people?” The worker's face burned red as he watched Liu Yong fill the last empty space on the counter. Not one single drop was spilled over the hour it took to flip over every cup. Zhou RenShu wanted to laugh, little giggles escaped from his lips as he stared at the angry worker. Liu Yong turned to Zhou RenShu. “I don’t even like this type of drink, let’s go.”

 

“Oh, before I go here. There’s 100 yuan for all of the workers except for this young man. Thank you for your hard work.” Liu Yong handed over the small pile of notes to the red faced girl. The crowd snickered and laughed as Zhou RenShu stood up to leave with Liu Yong, the male worker shouted at the two men walking away but he was ignored. Both men made their way back to the car, while Zhou RenShu thought about Liu Yong’s actions. “You didn’t need to do that.”

 

“I don’t like bullies.” The doors were unlocked and they entered the car, Zhou RenShu held his new books and stationary in his lap. “Is that why you became an officer?”

 

“Hm, not really.” Zhou RenShu thought Liu Yong would keep going but he stopped talking, driving out of the mall parking lot and joining the traffic on the main road. “What made you want to be an officer?”

 

Liu Yong looked as if he was deep in thought. “It’s been 200 years since I graduated from the training academy, at the time I guess there was nothing else for me to do. I excelled in physical work and I was born with an usually high cultivation so I guess there wasn’t much else I could do.”

 

The car settled into silence. Zhou RenShu looked out the window at the city passing by. His voice was soft as if he was talking to himself. “I never thought about what I wanted with my future. I lived in fear because I’m a snake, my learning ability was never great so I struggled with basic learning and when I left the orphanage I thought I could live a normal life but that didn’t work out.”

 

The car stopped at a red light and Liu Yong turned his head to look at Zhou RenShu. The boy was still staring out the window, his eyes looked somewhat sad and regretful. When Zhou RenShu turned to face Liu Yong he looked a little nervous and hesitant. “Liu Yong, are we friends?”

 

“.....” Are we? Liu Yong had never thought about defining their relationship before. Liu Yong looked forward as he continued to drive. Zhou RenShu turned away as his face fell. After thinking a little longer Liu Yong spoke, his tone rather light. “If you want to call us friends, then we can be friends.”

 

Zhou RenShu kept his body turned away but he was smiling widely, Liu Yong glanced to the side and saw the happy grin in the window reflection. A thought flew into his mind and he rubbed the small head tenderly. “I have something for you. I’ll give it to you once we get back.”

 

_ _ _ _ _ _

 

Once they returned to their shared room, Zhou RenShu put his new things on the table. Liu Yong removed the stone necklace from his neck and held it in front of Zhou RenShu’s face. Eh, Why is he giving me his love token from Wang Ling? Does he want to trade with me? Zhou RenShu tried to take his chain off of his own neck but there was no clasp. “What are you doing?”

 

“Aren’t we trading?” Liu Yong’s face darkened while he closed the necklace around Zhou RenShu’s thin neck. The warm rock gave Zhou RenShu goosebumps. Once everything was clasped together Liu Yong stood away while he watched Zhou RenShu fiddle with the stone. It was a silly question but once Liu Yong saw the necklace lay against Zhou RenShu’s skin he couldn’t stop himself. “RenShu, do you know Wang She or Fan Lei?”

 

Zhou RenShu thought about the two names but shook his head, still fiddling with the warm stone. It was an obvious answer since both men had lived centuries before ZhouRenShu was born but seeing the boy in front of him, Liu Yong felt the two snake demons were too similar to be a coincidence. 

 

For the remainder of the afternoon Zhou RenShu worked on studying while Liu Yong worked on his laptop, he had planned on searching around for sightings of the woman from the video and hotel but his mind was more focused on Fan Lei and Wang She. Now whenever he saw Zhou RenShu he couldn’t help but see the face of the young boy that was murdered.

 

Usually Liu Yong would wait until nightfall to head back to his office but he couldn't wait to read the unaddressed letter. Grabbing his coat and keys he looked at Zhou RenShu from the door. “I’m leaving a little early today, order dinner when you're hungry and don’t study too hard. Learning takes time.”

 

Zhou RenShu didn’t have the opportunity to ask where Liu Yong was going since the door was closed before he could even take a breath. He stared at the door. Why must you go every night? Is she really that great to be around that you can’t even bear to go one night without touching her. Today I was second guessing whether or not you had feelings for her, especially when you gave me the necklace but now I see you’ll always run to her. Zhou RenShu took his plain notebook out and started drawing, he had no energy for studying now.

 

Inside his office Liu Yong had closed his blinds as well as locked his door. For an unknown reason his usually steady heart was beating fast with anxiety. Do I want to know what’s written on this paper? Liu Yong thought of the young boy's face, the look of adoration he had when looking at the man he loved compared to the face of fear he had on the day of his death. Once his lamp sitting beside him was turned on, Liu Yong tore the old envelope open.

 

_ _ _ _ _ _

 

My dearest Wang She,

 

I watched the video containing a sight I never wished to see for a second time. Only three days have passed but every second feels like an hour and everyday passes by, taking another chunk of my soul with it.

 

My love, I commited a crime I know wasn’t right but I couldn’t bear to know the man that stole your last drop of life was still walking the same earth you used to. Even though that man is gone, I am still without you. This pain is hard to bear.

 

I’ve tried searching for Li Qing but her shadow has vanished as if she was never beside me. Wang She I miss you however I wish I had never found you, if I hadn’t searched for a snake demon for the sake of Li Qing then you would still be living with your dear parents. Even if I had to go the rest of my life never knowing you at least you would be breathing the same air as me, at least you would be alive.

 

I pray you don’t hate me my darling, though I hate myself for my weakness. I can accept my own hatred but even an ounce of disgust from you is too much for me. Wang She I’ve already poured my heart and soul into a small river rock, just like the one you gave me. When the time comes I pray that both stones will reunite us when we are reborn.

 

My blood has turned cold from my actions and every breath is a forced task, is this the same pain you had to endure? The same pain you had to endure twice. Even though my body is slowly falling apart, as long as I have the strength to finish this letter, then that will be enough.

 

I believe we are destined to be with one another, other than you I have no one else. Wang She I will find you again. In my next life I will never stop searching for you. I vow that when we are together once more, you will never feel pain or suffering as you did in this lifetime. 

 

Wang She, please wait for me. I don’t know how long we will be apart but we’ll find each other again.

 

My dearest Wang She, I love you. Please keep your trust in me.

 

Fan Lei.

 

_ _ _ _ _ _

 

Liu Yong’s eyes felt hot, he couldn’t remember the last time he had cried. There was no sobbing or loud cries of sadness. Only hot tears that refused to stop spilling, slid down his cheeks and fell onto the aged paper, distorting the ink. He wiped his face repeatedly but the tears never seized.

 

The letter was read over and over again by Liu Yong, the more he read the harder he cried. By the tenth reading, the grown man was leaning over his desk sobbing. A cold sense of heartache chilled his bones and core while his chest felt tight. He felt grief for Fan Lei, a man who brought his lover that he had killed back to life because he knew he couldn’t live without him, only to have him ripped away before his eyes.

 

He also mourned for the small boy that was killed before his adulthood, two men he had never met before but his heart was aching for them. With shaking hands Liu Yong blindly felt around the box beside him, searching. Once he found what he was looking for, Liu Yong pulled his hand out and opened his palm. Sitting in the middle of the calloused hand was a small river stone, similar to the one hanging around Zhou RenShu’s neck.

 

The stone was cold, energy may have been held inside long ago but now it was lifeless.”Did you find him?”

 

Hot tears fell down from Liu Yong’s damp cheeks again, wetting the stone that hadn’t touched water for centuries. No one answered his question, the room was silent aside from the choked cries being restrained by Liu Yong’s tight lips. The cold wet stone was clenched firmly in Liu Yong’s hand. 

 

The rest of the night, no one entered Liu Yong’s office. The man sat inside the cold room for the rest of the night. His hand held the small stone as if it was something precious. Even when he dreamt of Wang She, the stone never left him. Even in his dreams, Liu Yong’s tears flowed.