Our Secret

Doubt (4)

Another day came after a silent night.

Fusheng saw Yunlan walking through the land. Where was he headed? He was there a minute ago.

"Good morning."

"Morning, brother-in-law."

"You broke my heart early in the morning," Yezun said, clutching his chest.

The path was blocked with small bushes. The structure of a building came into view. It had been burnt ages ago, with the outer layer consumed by the fire. What remained was the main frame of the building, blackened by the smoke, a testament to the horrifying incident, with nature trying to reclaim the remaining portion.

"The structure looks fragile. Don't go inside; it might not be safe."

"Thank you, Yezun, for reminding me."

"You're not going to listen, are you?"

"Whom do I want to listen to? He never said anything."

"You never listen, Zhao Yunlan. You're totally undisciplined."

Yunlan suddenly asked, "I remember you had a grudge against Kunlun. Do you still feel that way?"

"What?" startled, "No, now every action of his makes sense. My initial thought was his indifference toward your life. How could someone be responsible if not you?"

"You are so reasonable."

"Only for you, Kunlun."

"Ahh... Why does it sound like you've fallen for him?"

"He is so majestic; I have no desire to resist the temptation." He moved closer to Yunlan. "Be my boyfriend, Kunlun."

"Are you in a dilemma? You know for sure who I am. I am nothing more than an imposter."

"I don't mind an imposter if it's you, Yunlan."

"I will kill you for sure."

"Death is in your hands; it would be romantic. I would never regret dying for you."

"Death isn't romantic; it's like this structure. It was once alive, full of power and potential. Now it's gone, with nothing left to offer."

"What about the memories it contains?"

"With the passing of time, they fade away, erased by others, once shared and dear. Like the ill-fated building. The only thing that remains is the broken bones."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I don't know," Yunlan said truthfully. "I feel connected somehow. I don't know why. If one plays a character for a long time, would he become the character himself? Like me, someday, would I truly become Kunlun?"

"If you think you are Kunlun, then you are Kunlun."

As they continued through the desolate landscape, the remnants of the building from the fire still loomed over them. Its skeletal remains cast eerie shadows, a testament to the passage of time. The outer layers had long been consumed by the fire, leaving behind a haunting, blackened skeleton that had weathered decades of exposure to the elements.

Nature had taken its course, slowly reclaiming the decaying structure. Vines and moss had gradually crept up its charred walls, and small trees had sprouted from the cracks in the foundation. The air carried a faint, lingering scent of ashes, a reminder of the inferno that had consumed the building many years ago.

The silence was occasionally broken by the soft creaking of the burnt timbers, as if the building itself still whispered the secrets of its past.

"Last time, I found some documents, half-destroyed," Yunlan informed.