Chapter 18

At the end of his life, Xie Xian clutched Lin JunYi’s hand and was reluctant to let go.

They had spent decades together holding each other’s hands and being the closest people in each other’s lives. Since that time Lin JunYi had always been very constant and although he occasionally looked a little longer at handsome men than Xie Xian would have liked, he never again did anything that would make Xie Xian worry or feel anxious.

However Xie Xian nonetheless lived in a state of anxiety.

It wasn’t a sharp anxiety and most of the time it was only something dully buzzing away at the back of his mind, but occasionally when he saw Lin JunYi staring far into the distance with a spaced out look, it would rise to the forefront and cut deeply into his heart.

Although it was impossible and although he didn’t dare to even ask about it, Xie Xian was vaguely aware that Lin JunYi’s existence in this world was something special. He was not the same as the previous Zhou Yi. 

It made Xie Xian feel fearful and nervous. Would he one day just leave? How long could they stay together?

Why are you here?

But he never asked Lin JunYi these questions. He didn’t dare to break the bubble, afraid that everything that they had together would disappear suddenly into foam.

Because other than that constant thread of anxiety, he was happy. Very happy. 

Tianya Pharmaceuticals became larger and larger, until it was the biggest medical and cosmetic company in all of China. It even expanded into various other sectors, all with good levels of success. Even after it became publicly listed, Xie Xian continued to serve as its President and major shareholder into his old age and often appeared on TV, magazines and various media channels. He was considered by many to be the most ideal husband in all of China. This was not just because of his wealth or handsome looks, but because of the loving and protective way he treated his wife, who was also his personal secretary.

Many people envied the lucky man. They thought: If only I had gotten that job all those years ago, maybe the one who could marry Xie Xian would be me.

Lin JunYi had a pretty face and a good body but he wasn’t an unparalleled beauty like Chen Heng. Not to mention he came from a humble background and was initially only Xie Xian’s employee. It was inevitable that people would feel that he was the one that got lucky in this situation. 

However this conception was only common among those who had never met Lin JunYi in person. Because Lin JunYi’s charm was really only something that could be felt by seeing him move and hearing him speak. Or maybe it had something to do with the way he narrowed his eyes while half-smiling, cocking his head to listen to you speak as though whatever mundane and dumb thing you were saying was infinitely interesting and life changing. Even when his attention wandered and you had to cough to get his attention back, once those phoenix eyes swept back towards you with the teardrop mole beneath it dancing flirtatiously, you would feel such a sense of warmth and delight…

Well for a few brief minutes anyway. Inevitably Xie Xian would materialize out of nowhere and catch you looking at his husband with overly hot eyes and then there wouldn’t be any good outcome for you. All of the people who worked in close proximity with the two of them, learned to focus on Lin JunYi’s shoulder or his chin when talking to him. Because this fox demon was… too seductive! They still wanted their jobs and their salaries!

As for Chen Heng and Sun YuZhu, both were eventually released from jail. Sun YuZhu and his entire family disappeared into obscurity but Chen Heng still continued to make minor waves. He was released from jail after ten years for attempted murder. Xie Xian intended to have him committed for life but 729 hastily told Lin JunYi that the world might possibly collapse after Chen Heng’s death. Considering the fact that the livelihood of prisoners in jails or asylums was not long, Lin JunYi persuaded Xie Xian to allow Chen Heng to be released and sent overseas with constant surveillance. Dong Zhan went with him to take care of him but returned after two years together. 

Chen Heng was the world’s protagonist after all. Even the ten years in jail had not dimmed his looks or his ability to attract men. However it could not prevent him from changing. The time in jail had completely destroyed his once proud aura and lofty aspirations, until he turned into the mother he had always despised. He no longer cared much for music but was desperate to never again experience the hardships and humiliations he had in jail. After dumping Dong Zhan, he dated a series of wealthy foreign businessmen. 

It was only that his desperation to have wealth and status was easily detectable by others and, since it was clear that they were being used for money, it was inevitable that the men who were attracted to Chen Heng also did not think it was wrong to use him in return. Their feelings for him were always less than completely genuine and they thought nothing about cheating on him or abandoning him when they found someone younger or better looking. As he got older and his stocks inevitably dropped, the quality of men he dated inevitably became worse. He dated one man who not only liked rough and violent sex but also liked to beat him when he was drunk. And then he dated another who wanted to share him with his friends. Finally after all that, Chen Heng called Dong Zhan and begged him to come back.

Dong Zhan complied and the two of them spent their old age together in a simple and monotonous lifestyle. Dong Zhan was the world’s third male lead after all and it seemed the setting of ‘loving Chen Heng’ was still present to some degree. But it was only inevitable that after so many ups and downs and disappointments, his love also suffered. He didn’t cheat on Chen Heng nor did he beat him. But as for passion or affection or spoiling the other person, that wasn’t something he could really manage. Occasionally when he saw Chen Heng looking at the TV or online magazines, staring fixedly and red-eyed at Xie Xian’s photographs, he would only snort coldly and didn’t feel much else. 

As for Lin JunYi, even at the end of his life, although he had become old and grey-haired, his charm had not dissipated in the slightest. Looking at him, Xie Xian opened his dry lips and said anxiously, “Ah-Yi…”

He knew he should say something like, “Live well without me” or “Find someone else to accompany you so you won’t be lonely”, but what came out was: “Don’t leave me.”

Lin JunYi gently caressed his face. He said in a voice filled with tenderness, a voice that he had never before used in his real life. “Silly man, you’re the one who wants to leave me. I also want you to accompany me longer.”

Xie Xian shook his head. For his whole life he had been afraid and now this fear had finally manifested into reality. “Don’t leave me and don’t forget me. You and I… we will always be together. I will wait for you by the Naihe Bridge, I'll wait as long as I need to. Then we can go to see King Yama together and ask to be together in our next life as well.”

Lin JunYi thinned his lips. He wanted to promise this - he really did - but he didn’t know if he could.

“729?” He spoke to the system he hadn’t heard from in a long time. Since the trajectory of Xie Xian’s life became set, 729 had pretty much gone into hibernation.

729 said softly and regretfully, “I’m sorry host. Once you decide to leave here, you will be going to a new world.”

Xie Xian saw that familiar faraway look that he hated. He held Lin JunYi’s hand harder. “Please Ah-Yi… please stay with me.”

“I won’t forget you.” Lin JunYi replied. “If it’s possible, I hope to see you again in my next life and be together again. I love you, Xie Xian.”

He lowered his head and kissed those familiar lips. Xie Xian’s eyes filled with tears. 

His last thought before he slipped into darkness was: It’s not enough… I wish I had more time… Ah-Yi…

After Xie Xian was gone, Lin JunYi wiped the tears off his face. He sat for a long time before 729 prompted him. “Ready to go to the next world?”

No. “Yes.”

END Arc 1

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A/N: End of Arc 1 :) Please let me a comment on how you liked this arc. I have written the second already (historical China) and will be uploading it soon. Thanks for reading!