Dusk And Dawn ✔️

Part 6 :- In 'Sickness' and In 'Health'

Past 

Xi Xi stands up and makes her way to YiJun, "We will tell him that Xian will return to this body one day. That if YiJun loses hope and kills himself, Xian's soul will never find peace."

Shen shakes his head, "But that's a lie, Xi Xi. What if Xian is...." Shen trails off. He stands up.

"Cong, someone is coming this way. Soldiers, I think. They are human. I don't know how YiJun will react to others. I have warned my father, and he has taken the tribe to the waterfall caves. It will mask their scent. Once I have made sure that you all are safe, you must join them. Protect our people, Cong. Please."

Cong nods, and Shen runs out of the cottage.

"Cong, what if Xian is born again, and YiJun refuses to acknowledge him? Why can't we tell him the truth?" Xi Xi questions. 

"Sweetheart, you saw him. He is a broken child. If you tell him now that his Xian will never speak, never smile or hold him again, he will surely kill himself. We won't be able to stop him." Cong explains.

The couple discusses the matter at length with each other; they go through the books kept in the cottage and come up with a plan to not only save YiJun, but also to make sure that Xian finds YiJun.

As dusk falls, YiJun wakes up. He looks at Xi Xi and Cong, who are busy reading the books. "Uncle, is the medicine ready?" He enquires hopefully. 

Cong smiles at the young man, "Ah good. You are up. Son, there are important things that we need to tell you." He states and proceeds to tell YiJun everything that they know about his condition. He tells YiJun that he will crave blood, but he shouldn't give in; that he needs to protect Xian and himself till Xian wakes up; that they don't know when Xian will wake up; that YiJun needs to be patient and never lose hope. And that That Xian can feel and hear him.

YiJun smiles, "Don't worry, uncle, I will wait. I am good at waiting. I will wait for him as long as it takes."

"Good... Good." Cong nods. He opens his mouth to speak once more but feels apprehensive. 'What if YiJun figures out that I lied about Xian returning to this body on hearing what I say next?' He wonders.

"Is there something else, Uncle?"

"Son, there may be a chance that Xian returns in a different body..." Cong starts, but before he can elaborate, YiJun's eyes turn red, "What are you saying, uncle!? Were you lying to me all this while? Or are you going to lie to me now!?" He yells.

"YiJun!" Xi Xi bites out and slaps him hard. YiJun's lip starts to bleed. His eyes widen in surprise.

"Wang YiJun, how dare you speak like that to Xian's father!? How dare you raise your voice like that after you were unable to protect my son!? Shut up and listen to him." Xi Xi growls. 

YiJun falls to his knees and lets out a whine, while shivers run down Cong's spine, 'Bai bloodline.' he reminds himself.

Cong continues, "You may come across people who look like him over the years. It may confuse you. They may or may not be Xian."

"How will I know?" YiJun asks in a small voice. He doesn't understand what made him calm down. He wonders how Xian could return to a different body when Cong had just told him otherwise.

"If it's Xian, your voice of persuasion will not work on him; his blood will call to you. It will excite you. He will be able to recognize you, and he will be able to do magic."

 Present 

Wangji knows the voice. Though he is upset at being interrupted, he wants to thank XiChen for arriving when he did. "I am fine. I just had to attend to... I was on call. You may leave." Wangji answers before XiChen can look inside.