Bai Liang slowly opened his eyes to the blinding ceiling light. He blinked a few times to adjust his sight and moved his hand to rub them and heard a rattle. He paused for a moment and propped his body up slightly to see his wrists were chained to the sides of the hospital bed he was in.

Xue Liang: [Master, you’re finally awake!!]

‘…Don’t shout. You’re giving me headaches.’

Xue Liang: [S-Sorry, Master. Xiao Xue is just relieved Master is fine.]

Bai Liang fixed his position to properly sit up, ‘You’re exaggerating.’

Looking around, he thought he was in a hospital ward but he realized the room was too empty. There was nothing inside except for the bed and medical equipment. Another suspicious point was the lack of windows and the guards standing outside the door.

He honestly didn’t expect Han Wubin to shoot him, but it worked either way. Since they chose to restrain him, they should’ve taken the deal.

Xue Liang: [Um, Master, that is not quite right…]

‘What do you mean?’

Bai Liang was just going to ask for Xue Liang’s summary of the current situation when he sensed the familiar presence. A few seconds later, the door opened and he almost couldn’t recognize the man in front of him.

Li Ziyang lost a visible weight that the suit he was wearing which usually fitted perfectly to his body was now half a size bigger. His hair had grown past his shoulders and his eyes were listless and bloodshot with deep dark circles under them. It seemed as if he aged another 10 years. Not only he looked like a walking corpse, the air around him was also dark and turbulent. Bai Liang was reminded of how his master was the day they first met. It was a blood-soaked aura.

For a moment, they only stared at each other.

Bai Liang finally found his voice and wanted to say something when Li Ziyang stepped inside and approached him. He silently closed his mouth back.

“Good morning,” Li Ziyang reached out and touched a corner of Bai Liang’s eye. “You sleep so well. What were you dreaming?”

“I’m not sure. I never dream in my sleep,” Bai Liang studied Li Ziyang closer. He carefully held Li Ziyang’s hand, finding it cold, “Did I…dream that long?”

“I’m not sure,” Li Ziyang lowered his eyes. “It already feels like an eternity to me.”

Bai Liang’s chest tightened. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know how long he was unconscious for or how the situation with Li Shen was anymore. He knew he would hurt Li Ziyang, but there was no other choice.

No, there was a choice. He could’ve stopped Li Ziyang the moment they met, but he didn’t want to. He assured himself as long as the scenario intended for Li Shen happened as they were destined, everything would be fine. Between the present and the future, he was swayed to the former because this was their last world.

“I’m sorry,” he hugged Li Ziyang guiltily. “I’m sorry for being selfish.”

Li Ziyang silently caressed Bai Liang’s hair. After a few minutes, he finally spoke, “Why did you do it?”

“…”

“Was it for him? Did he ask you to?”

“No. I did it for myself,” Bai Liang lowly said. “Did I mess up?”

“The ocean has been fully restored, the misunderstandings and conflicts are resolved, and the mermaids have returned to Atlantis. Li Shen becomes the crown prince and the mermaid council will coronate him when Atlantis’s restoration finishes,” Li Ziyang listed without undulated tone. “If that’s what you want, then you succeed.”

Bai Liang looked up at Li Ziyang and smiled apologetically, “Thank you. You must’ve worked hard.”

Li Ziyang’s eyes grimaced and stirred. His jaws clenched, repressing the wreaking emotions inside him, “People call me a monster, but you’re far more heartless than me.”

Yet, he couldn’t hate Bai Liang. He couldn’t even get angry with him. Even right now, saying such a thing gave equal pain to himself. Everything was his fault. Something inside him, most likely that unknown being, knew that Bai Liang’s suffering was all for his sake even if Bai Liang denied it.

Every night, he dreamt different dreams yet all of them were the same. At one moment, Bai Liang was smiling, laughing, and joking around with him but the next moment, he harmed and put himself in danger for him. They had different appearances but somehow he knew that all of them were Bai Liang and those were their past life.

How many reincarnations had they been together? In each one, Bai Liang worked for their happiness and attained them with his own hands. Meanwhile, he just kept forgetting. He just kept being useless despite all the things he was born with. He also left Bai Liang first every single time.

Warm droplets fell to Bai Liang’s face. He watched in a daze as tears started spilling down Li Ziyang’s cheeks. Before he could look more, his head was pressed to Li Ziyang’s body.

“Don’t look,” Li Ziyang’s voice trembled. His hold tightened and he buried his face to Bai Liang’s hair, “Don’t look…”

He knew Bai Liang wouldn’t disdain him however pathetic he was, but he didn’t want Bai Liang to love his pathetic side. He couldn’t be weaker than he already was.

“I’m glad you’re alive,” he faintly whispered. “Please stay this way.”

“…” Bai Liang gently returned his hold, “…Mn.”

He let Li Ziyang stay like that for a long while. He never planned to die since he couldn’t die before Li Ziyang anyway. Moreover, it would need a lot more than a single bullet to kill him.

From Li Ziyang’s words earlier, it was clear he was in a coma for years. In the original trajectory, the entire ocean was purified in a span of 5 years. He didn’t know if it took that long, but based on the first prototypes, it shouldn’t take less than 2 years.

If he had to guess, the cause of his coma wasn’t the bullet wound itself. Han Wubin made sure it missed his vitals and with his body, blood loss should recover in one or two days.

What caused his coma must be his depleted qi. He didn’t immediately pass out on the spot because of the unknown qi source sustaining his body. Once he let his control go after being shot, his body immediately fell into hibernation to recover itself.

He couldn’t imagine what Li Ziyang went through waiting for him to wake up. He couldn’t even handle living in a world without his master for a few days, let alone years. He didn’t think this far ahead.

Once Li Ziyang calmed down, Bai Liang showed his cuffed wrists and tried to lighten the mood, “Is this my punishment?”

Li Ziyang shook his head and took out the key from his suit, “I didn’t want you to look for me in case I wasn’t here when you woke up.”

“I guess you’re right,” Bai Liang chuckled. He finally wondered, “Where is this?”

“The basement of our new house,” Li Ziyang unlocked the cuff. “In case you’re not aware, you’re a fugitive now. Not only our country, the entire world, both humans and mermaids wants you executed.”

Bai Liang’s eyebrows slightly rose. Did that mean Li Shen actually took the deal? Although it was as expected, it was still surprising. He thought the deal was off the moment Han Wubin shot him.

“Don’t you think it’s thrilling?” Bai Liang grinned.

Li Ziyang stared at Bai Liang as he put the cuff down, “It’s only thrilling if there’s a chance you’ll get caught.”

Bai Liang shifted to the side of the bed to get up. He lightly laughed in amusement, “Are you saying that–”

Just as he tried to stand up, he couldn’t put any strength to his feet and fell. Li Ziyang readily caught him and sat him back on the bed. He stared at his feet for a few seconds, trying to move them, before slowly looking up at Li Ziyang.

“…I’m sorry,” Li Ziyang brushed Bai Liang’s ear, his gaze guilty yet serene. “I didn’t know what came over me. You can hate me all you want, but like this, you’ll never disappear from me again.”

Bai Liang fell into silence. After a moment, he smiled helplessly at Li Ziyang, “I told you before, didn’t I? If it reassures you, I prefer you to be straightforward like this rather than testing me. As long as you take responsibility, I won’t hate you.”

If he could even hate Li Ziyang at all.

“I will,” Li Ziyang firmly kissed Bai Liang’s forehead, sealing his vow. His gaze quietly brewed with indescribable depth as they penetrated Bai Liang’s eyes, “Can I?”

Bai Liang took hold of Li Ziyang’s face and pressed their lips together. He thought Li Ziyang would touch him more, but he only kept kissing him. He realized his absence had changed Li Ziyang.

Li Ziyang embraced Bai Liang contently, “I love you.”

“…I love you too,” Bai Liang tightened his hold.

He inwardly promised himself to never wrong Li Ziyang again.