“Happy birthday.”
The voice caused Gui Yin to look up from his desk. He smiled to himself as his manager walked by. “Thank you.”
“It’s your birthday?” one of his coworkers asked. He wheeled back in his chair and waved at their manager. “Then we should all be able to leave early today!”
“What’s his birthday have to do with you lot?” their manager asked with a raise of her brow. “I can let him go by himself, but the rest of you stays.”
“Mr. Gui’s birthday should be a national holiday for all of us! He has Midas’s touch. Every story he touches is bound to end up in the top ten eventually,” the coworker said.
The manager sighed. She glanced at Gui Yin. “What do you think?”
“I’m meeting with a friend tonight,” Gui Yin said.
“…Fine, fine. We’ll just take a half day off. It’s not like we’re busy or anything.”
Gui Yin chuckled to himself as the office breathed out a sigh of relief. The girl from the cubicle across from him glanced over.
“Don’t you usually spend your birthdays alone? Who’s your friend?”
“He’s a childhood friend,” Gui Yin loosely explained. “It’s been a while since he’s been here, so I decided to just have a meal with him.”
His coworkers nodded in understanding. From the few years they had to get used to Gui Yin, they knew this man was particularly secretive. He hated discussing his private life and he was generally seen as an uptight person. His birthdays in his past years were spent mainly by himself or even working overtime. It was a rare sight to see that Gui Yin was willing to take a half day.
And the half day passed by quickly.
Gui Yin was packing his things before he had barely gotten anything done. He waved to the manager and his coworkers and made his way to the elevator.
When he arrived at the ground floor, he glanced into the café, with an odd feeling that he should see something important in there if he looked any longer.
The barista looked up at that moment and their eyes clashed.
Gui Yin slowed to a stop. The barista raised a brow as a handsome smirk took over his face. Gui Yin shifted from one foot to the other before he stepped into the café. He had already been caught staring. It would be even more awkward if he just left, right?
“What would you like, sir?”
“Um…”
“How about a lychee black tea with grass jelly?” the young man asked.
Gui Yin’s gaze flickered up to the young man. He hummed. “I’ll take that then.”
He pulled out his phone, but before he could do anything else, he heard a short beep. He looked up again only to watch as the barista slipped his phone back into his pocket.
“Wait, you didn’t—”
“On the house. It’s rare I get to see someone so handsome,” the barista said.
Without any other flirtatious statements, the young man moved away to make Gui Yin’s drink. Gui Yin stood dumbly at the counter before slowly moving aside to the pickup window.
“Oh, right, I forgot to ask for a name for the order,” the barista said with a short jog over.
Gui Yin looked around. The only customer was him. Not only that, the only person working right now was the barista. There didn’t seem to be any need to ask for a name for the order, but Gui Yin’s lips couldn’t help but curve up slightly.
“Gui Yin.”
“My name is Sun Xia. My close friends call me A-Xia.”
“A-Xia,” the nickname slipped from Gui Yin’s lips before he even realized what he was doing. He was about to apologize, but the barista’s satisfied smile made him forget what he was even thinking.
Gui Yin lowered his head as his ears burned. He turned on his phone and clicked on the recent messages he had received. His brow raised at the one missed call and he tapped the number.
“Hello?”
Sun Xia glanced over at Gui Yin.
“I told you to not cook anything tonight,” Gui Yin said, his voice lowering. “Yes, it’s my birthday. Since it’s my birthday, you shouldn’t be trying to give me food poison.”
Qiao Ceng sighed on the other end of the line. “I just wanted to do something kind for you.”
“Forget your kindness. Just take me out to a bar or something if you want to treat me,” Gui Yin said.
“You really don’t want my food?”
“I said I don’t want food poisoning,” Gui Yin quipped.
Qiao Ceng chuckled. “Alright. Then, we can go out for some drinks tonight.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Gui Yin hummed. “Right, I’m coming home early. I’ll be back in half an hour or so.”
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“Girlfriend?”
“No, just a roommate,” Gui Yin said as he grabbed a straw. He glanced at the barista. “You…uh…”
“Hm?”
“…Have we met before?” Gui Yin asked. He loudly cleared his throat after the question and stabbed his straw through the top of the drink. “I ask that because I feel like I’ve spoken to you before, that’s all.”
“We might have met before,” Sun Xia said. “I can’t quite recall either.”
Gui Yin glanced at him hesitantly. He chuckled. “You’re lying.”
“How do you know?”
“I just know,” Gui Yin said. His voice trailed off for a moment. “Do you work tomorrow?”
“Every day this week.”
“Then, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Gui Yin bowed his head slightly and began to leave.
“Happy birthday.”
Gui Yin stilled. He glanced back at the barista and felt as if there were a few more words he had wanted to say. The two words hung in the air uncomfortably without a proper conclusion. Gui Yin forced himself to say his thanks before ducking out of the café.
It was odd. The two of them have clearly never met before, but Gui Yin had never met a stranger who could feel so familiar before.
The thought was tucked into the back of his mind as he began to make his way home.
When he had gotten to his floor of the apartment, he was surprised to find Qiao Ceng standing outside. He worked over hesitantly and looked the man up and down.
“What are you doing out here?”
“I was waiting for you to come back,” Qiao Ceng said.
“…Okay? Why?” Gui Yin asked as he reached around Qiao Ceng to enter in the door code.
“Wait, before you do that.”
Gui Yin paused after the third number.
“I’ll do it. You close your eyes.”
“…Are you going to murder me?” Gui Yin asked as he willingly complied. “I wanted to make it until I’m thirty.”
Qiao Ceng chuckled. “You’ll live for far longer than that, I promise you.”
Gui Yin could hear the code being entered successfully before he was guided into his own apartment. The door closed behind him and he was gently led forward. They stopped at where the kitchen counter should be.
“It doesn’t look very nice, but I tried my best.”
Gui Yin raised a brow. “Can I open my eyes now?”
“You can.”
Gui Yin’s eyes slowly opened. He was surprised by the darkness, but his gaze flickered over to the only light source on the kitchen counter.
Sitting on the kitchen counter were a few lights that Gui Yin had never seen before. They were orb-like and there was no clear placement of batteries. Aside from the lights, there was also one plate with a few traditional pastries sitting on it. When he stepped closer to look at the pastries, he found that they were slightly crumbling. Obviously, the flower petals should be carefully encased by the dough, yet they protruded like an odd porcupine. The sight made Gui Yin want to laugh, but he snuck a glance at Qiao Ceng first.
“What’s this thing? Didn’t I tell you that I didn’t want to get food poisoning?”
“Try it. A friend of mine taught me a long time ago. They’re called Wulian Flower Cakes,” Qiao Ceng said.
“Wulian Flower Cakes?” Gui Yin echoed as he picked one up. “Are they supposed to look like this?”
“I rushed because you scared me,” Qiao Ceng said. “But don’t worry, they’re properly cooked.”
“Then, I’m going to eat it,” Gui Yin said as he lifted the cake to his mouth. When Qiao Ceng merely nodded, Gui Yin took a bite.
At first it tasted a little sweet, then a little bitter, then it was sweet again. Gui Yin raised a brow. The taste was familiar, but he knew that he had never eaten anything like it. He took a second bite and a third until he finished the first cake.
“Is it good?”
“Mn! Surprisingly,” Gui Yin praised. He looked at Qiao Ceng. “So, you can cook something!”
“Only this. I only remember the recipe so well because of the sad story behind the flowers used in it.”
“What’s the story?” Gui Yin asked curiously.
Qiao Ceng’s smile seemed to dim. He shrugged. “Don’t know. I just remember that it was sad.”
Gui Yin scoffed. “You’re so halfhearted.”
“I am. That’s why, when you find someone in the future, they have to be the exact opposite of me,” Qiao Ceng joked.
Gui Yin rolled his eyes. He glanced at the clock. “What do you want to do now?”
“We can do whatever you want,” Qiao Ceng said with a casual shrug.
“Then, we’ll go out later,” Gui Yin said decisively.
Qiao Ceng cast Gui Yin a glance. A soft hum left his lips as he watched Gui Yin settle into the couch. He hovered by the kitchen counter for a moment before he lowered his gaze and joined Gui Yin. The two men watched about four movies before Gui Yin pulled Qiao Ceng up to get dinner.
As they stepped out of the apartment, Qiao Ceng couldn’t help but glance towards the setting sun. His gaze softened and an odd peace settled in his heart.
Qiao Ceng’s silence didn’t alarm Gui Yin. He was used to the other man being lost in his own thoughts, but when they had gotten to the bar and Qiao Ceng had already had three drinks, Gui Yin couldn’t help but be suspicious. He glanced at his friend and gave him a slight nudge.
“What’s wrong with you? Are you self-conscious about those pastries you made?”
Qiao Ceng laughed weakly. “No, I’m quite proud of myself. That was my first attempt.”
“Your first?” Gui Yin asked in surprise. “That’s impressive.”
“It’s only because you taught me well.”
“I…huh?”
Qiao Ceng’s smile grew slightly.
The pair of them were sitting in a slightly more secluded booth. Mellow music bled through the bar, suffused with the sound of gentle chatter. It had just begun raining outside. The sound of raindrops hitting the window added an element of calmness to the already soothing atmosphere.
Qiao Ceng reached over the table and gently brushed a hand through Gui Yin’s hair. “Thank you.”
Gui Yin’s eyes widened in confusion, but soon understood with this one touch.
“I’ve been selfish for a while, but you’ll let me be selfish for a little longer, won’t you?”
Gui Yin tried to move. He tried to open his mouth and yell at Qiao Ceng, but his body wouldn’t obey him. He remained still as he watched Qiao Ceng lean back. His gaze drifted towards the window beside them and seemed to lose focus as he watched the lights flash by.
“Before I leave, I just want to say a few words,” Qiao Ceng murmured. “Thank you for loving something like me.”
Gui Yin’s jaw clenched.
“Even after everything I did, the person you resented most wasn’t me, but yourself. You know, this reincarnation is something that you created,” Qiao Ceng said. “You’re quite powerful. Even most gods wouldn’t be able to pull off this feat. But because you willed it, a lot of events that happened and most of the people you met were also crafted to your own bias. Do you know what that means?”
Gui Yin was unable to answer, but Qiao Ceng continued.
“You felt undeserving of love. No one was ever on your side,” Qiao Ceng said with a short, mirthless laugh. “I was the single oddity in this life, but it still took you a long time to accept me. And it wasn’t because you naturally felt repelled by me. The world you created just followed your orders, making you suspicious just because I cared for you.”
Qiao Ceng took a deep breath and met Gui Yin’s furious gaze again. He smiled. “I may have taken advantage of you again this time, but thank you for letting me spend the last years of my life with you. I’ve learned a lot about you and myself. I can’t say I regret anything I’ve done though, but now I feel as if…I can at least let you go.”
He shook his head. “No, that’s a lie. I wanted you to fall in love with me again, but now I just know that it’s impossible.”
Qiao Ceng fell silent for a moment. “I’ve lost. And you were a worthy opponent.”
Qiao Ceng stood. He gave Gui Yin’s head a gentle pat. He swallowed the lump in his throat and stepped back. “You’ll go back to the place where you belong and I’ll meet the ending I was always meant to have. It has been a pleasure, my A-Yin. I really…really did love you.”
Gui Yin’s hand trembled against the table as he watched Qiao Ceng leave the bar.
Seconds inched by until Gui Yin could finally move. He abruptly stood from his chair and sprinted out of the bar.
It had only been a minute.
The drizzle of rain had developed into a storm already.
Gui Yin’s vision was blurred as he watched the crowds pass by. There was not a single trace of Qiao Ceng. He hurriedly reached for his phone and opened his contacts, but the name wasn’t there either.
Gui Yin felt an anger that burned in his chest. He tightly clutched his phone and ran down to the street corner. He stopped several people to ask them if they had seen a man with Qiao Ceng’s description, but they had all shaken their head.
As he reached the end of the road, his steps slowed. He stared blankly ahead and pushed his wet hair from his face. His breathing became more ragged as his frustration came in the form of welled up tears. He lifted his hand to throw his phone down, but he suddenly stilled.
He looked up into a pair of starlike eyes and the unfairness that had stacked up in his chest finally flooded out.
“I hate him.”
“I know,” the familiar voice whispered.
“I really…how could he…” Gui Yin gasped for breath as hot tears rolled down his cheeks. His mouth hung open speechlessly as the same pain from all those centuries again spilled over him again like tidal wave after tidal wave.
Langxia stepped forward and gently wrapped an arm around Gui Yin’s trembling form.
“I chose to forget everything.”
“You did.”
“And I was happier for it.”
“You were.”
“And now I…now I hate him. I hate him so much. He killed my Shizun; he took me away from you; he made me grow attached to him again, then he just…left me before I could…say anything…A-Xia, I hate him.”
Langxia squeezed Gui Yin and hummed. “And that’s okay.”
“But that’s what he wanted!”
Langxia closed his eyes for a moment and gently brushed a hand up and down Gui Yin’s back.
Gui Yin felt a shift in the air. When he looked up, they were back in his apartment. His wet clothes began to create a puddle beneath them. The sudden silence was like a slap in the face. Gui Yin stared at Langxia blankly as he calmly folded the umbrella and set it to the side.
“Qinle, he’s dead,” Langxia said as he gently cupped Gui Yin’s face. “How do you feel about that?”
Gui Yin mutely shook his head.
“And that’s okay,” Langxia repeated. “There is no black and white in this world. He was your lover, your friend, and your enemy. You can miss him when he’s gone. You can hate him for everything he’s done to you. Those are all still your feelings. There is nothing wrong about them.”
Gui Yin did not respond. He leaned into Langxia’s touch and stared in his eyes until he found it in himself to take a deep breath. Then, a shaky laugh exited him.
“Who are you to lecture me on emotions?”
Langxia stared at him in surprise before bursting out in laughter. “I lost the ability to feel emotions unwillingly. I’m not like someone who denies them, alright?”
He gently pinched Gui Yin’s earlobes and pulled back. “Go wash up.”
Gui Yin wiped his face and followed Langxia into his apartment. “Aren’t we heading back?”
“What’s the rush?” Langxia asked as he glanced over Gui Yin’s shoulder. “Let’s take a day or two to ourselves. It’s going to be a mess once we head back.”
Gui Yin looked at Langxia skeptically. “You said everything was fine.”
“You even remember that?” Langxia raised a brow as he sat down at the kitchen counter. He glanced at the Wulian Flower Cakes that had been haphazardly placed in shrink wrap before he turned back to Gui Yin. “Everything is fine, but Lord Immortal Ninglan has returned. How can things not go crazy?”
Gui Yin let out a long hum. He walked over and cupped Langxia’s face. “That’s really it?”
“Really. While you were gone, I did so well protecting Yunjing Pavilion and all your disciples. You’ll be returning to a neat and clean home,” Langxia said. He smiled slightly at Gui Yin’s serious expression. He tilted his head and placed a loud kiss to Gui Yin’s wrist. “I just want to make sure you’re really okay before we go back and face all the nonsense.”
Gui Yin averted his gaze and released Langxia. “Then, I’m going to go shower.”
“Go,” Langxia hummed.
He watched Gui Yin grab a change of clothes and head to the bathroom. When the water turned on, his gaze slowly trailed over to the Wulian Flower Cakes.
He let out a pitying sigh and plucked the note from underneath the plate. It was clearly addressed to him. A small smirk took over his face as the piece of paper began to burn at his thumb. He made his way out to the terrace. He watched silently as the paper curled in on itself and dissipated into ashes, flowing into the wind.
“I won,” Langxia said. “As I said I would.”
His gaze lowered as he recalled the scorpion demon’s words from all those centuries ago and his own, childish response.
“I followed your advice, Yalun,” Langxia muttered as he rubbed his thumb and his index finger together. “‘If you have the ability, then take it’. I had the ability, but what about you?”
Langxia lifted his gaze and looked up into the countless stars.
“You didn’t even have the right.”
wulian flower cakes…… oof.
Langxia telling Gui Yin that it’s okay to have all these conflicting feelings made me cry;;;;
WAIT I WAS SO BUSY SNIFFLING THAT I FORGOT!! Langxia and Gui Yin having another cafe meet cute akxbskd it did feel slightly more ominous this time. these two would make for intense time loops
muwhaha my plan has worked. thanks for reading!
Arghhh i love Langxia just being so accepting of GY’s complicated feelings for his ex
hehe thanks for reading!!
I know, I seriously do, that Qiao Ceng wasn’t a good person but…I’m crying my eyes out because of him. Maybe the new him learned to love, learned that he did wrong, learned that love can’t be forced. I hope he reincarnates into a better life or something. He’s a villain but it’s just so sad. I’m sorry😢
i have done my job well then muwhaha😊 thanks for reading!!!
Even though I can’t forgive what Qiao Ceng did, I think I can empathize with him, as another comment said, he looks like he learned a lot on that other dimension. I love how Gui Yin feels conflicted and how A-xia doesn’t reproaches anything, and even consoles him. I like that he has a personality, sometimes ml’s are just the same carbon copy of tyrannical cold person lol
i quite like writing my MLs LOL thank you for all the enthusiastic comments :’D it was quite nice reading through them! and thanks for reading hehe