Chasing You (Arcs 1-7)

My Dear Emperor (XX)

Even without being told what to do, the remaining soldiers left the room and guarded the premises. He was the son of the Heavens. He could do whatever he please.

Inside of the room, Xu XiuLan's face had redden to an alluring rose color. His eyes were misty and tears begged to fall from them. It was painful. His tongue felt numb as it was being viciously chased after and sucked on by Tu HuaLi. He tried to wriggle away but he was stuck tight in their embrace. He couldn't even move his head back because they had their hand behind his head. Xu XiuLan didn't hate their touch nor did he feel repulsed by it, but that didn't mean that he would let anyone he didn't find sickening touch him. He only belonged to that person and that person alone.

They were relentless in their attack as they made his limbs become weak and limp, his brain was seconds away from collapsing from the lack of oxygen. His teeth and the roof of his mouth was caressed. He was only given exoneration from the overbearing kiss after he had reached his limit. He obediently laid in their arms and had his head upon their chest.

Tu HuaLi had finally gain a hair of rationality back after their soul essence finally connected. His eyes narrowed down as he looked at their face as he kissed them. Finally they were within his arms. He felt his being become complete once again with them by his side.

Their taste was overwhelming like a natural aphrodisiac that made one become addicted to it. Tu HuaLi almost couldn't hold himself back from embracing him right then and there. The more he tasted, the further it fanned his desires. Even after so long, only he could make him feel like this but he could not bear to take them by force. There was a couple of things he wanted to confirm first.

As Xu XiuLan was catching his breath, he tried to contact Bao Bao again.

<Bao Bao?>

He was churning with regret right now. Maybe he had been too hasty in his decision to start hopping through worlds, after all... There was no way to fill the void he caused in his own heart. He could sense that the other wasn't going to do anything else and stayed still in their arms. What to do now?

Before he could fully relax, their hands snaked inside of his robes. Xu XiuLan struggled fiercely out of his natural instincts, his body twisted around as he tried to get out of their hold. Finally he got one hand freed and was going to slap their face. Even before he could bring down and strike them, he felt them pull on his necklace.

Tu HuaLi bowed his head. He was so close that Xu XiuLan could feel their warm breath against his face. "We want to know, where did you get this?"

Xu XiuLan's body tensed at Tu HuaLi's words. He lowered his head even more, "Th-This servant received it as a gift."

Tu HuaLi raised his brows, "From a patron?"

His voice held no emotions for Xu XiuLan to pick up, so he wasn't sure what to say. It wasn't false to say yes as the original did receive a ton of gifts for his beauty and skills, but he would not say that about the ring. It was the only thing besides his memories of them. Xu XiuLan, "No... This servant received it from someone else."

Tu HuaLi pressed further, "If not from your guests, from who did you receive it from then?"

He wanted to know if the other would remember them as he had no information on them, other that he could hop from world to world. Tu HuaLi needed to know if the other had retained their memories. Xu XiuLan bit his lower lips, "This servant... This servant cannot see, so this servant does not know who."

Tu HuaLi released the ring and lifted his chin up. He had singled out every possibility of what his lover could be, and he came prepared just in case the other had restrictions that wouldn't let them speak freely. He gazed into those cloudy eyes and whispered, "I have put up a barrier. You can say what you want."

This brought great shock to Xu XiuLan. What did the emperor mean? Didn't Bao Bao say that there was no magic in this world? How could he put up a barrier. He kept his mouth shut. It was the first in many of his lives that he did not know how to respond to the other. Xu XiuLan did not know who or what he was dealing with. Bao Bao had already told him that it was almost impossible for him to meet up with another transmigrator.

As the other was contemplating on how to proceed, Tu HuaLi smell the cautiousness seeping from their body. It was a good sign for him, it meant that they could remember their past together. Tu HuaLi had somehow picked up a skill of being able to read his lover's mood and emotions with the many life times he's spent with them. He softly pressed his lips against theirs and murmured after each peck., "Xiao'er. Sairi. Allen. Mingming. Ying'er. Uriel. And now Lan'er. I've searched all over for you."

Xu XiuLan's breathing hitched and his heart pounded in his ears. His breath became stuck in his throat. Each one of those names ripped off the bandage on the wound. He had long given up hope of ever seeing them again. Tu HuaLi knew that he was almost there and continued, "Feel this. Isn't this just like the one that you have?"

He loosened his arms and gently picked up their hand to the ring on his left ring finger. He felt their fingers tremble, it wasn't an act like he had put on before but the real emotions that he was feeling. A teardrop slid down Xu XiuLan's cheek. Tu HuaLi wiped it away and kissed their cheek, "I've finally come for you. I'm so sorry to have made you wait for me."

More tears spilled from Xu XiuLan's eyes. Tu HuaLi chuckled and wiped the tears, "Come with me. Our son is awaiting your return, Lan'er."

There was no words in which he could speak. Xu XiuLan crashed into his arms and a small sob escaped his mouth. Tu HuaLi comforted him by smoothing his hair and patting his back, as their whole body was finally able to let out many years of grief and loneliness they kept inside.

Back in the previous world, Xu XiuLan had prepared himself to never see them again. The marks that he had given them would've made them unable to die unless it was a natural death. But even without that, the sixth world was a world full of mystical beings and powers that could control the reincarnation system. Who knew if they could escape from that cycle? Xu XiuLan could only prepare for the future.

It had injured him greatly to leave them behind in that world. Hearing those words, it lessened the burden that he had been carrying. A release and assurance from those nightmares that haunted him. He was glad that he was able to see them again, but he also felt guilty at his selfishness.

After no more tears could come out, he finally answered, "Take me home."