Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Yin Yu, would you run out to the market and get me a few more potatoes?” Xie Lian called. 

Yin Yu was about to ask why he needed more when the smell of smoke assaulted his nostrils.

He held back a cough and replied, “Of course, Dianxia.”

“You know you don’t have to call me—” 

The door shut behind Yin Yu before Xie Lian could finish his sentence. Yin Yu let out a sigh. Why did that man always insist on cooking without any assistance? That pot was going to be a nightmare to clean later if the charred scent was any indication.

Yin Yu picked up a basket and began the short walk to the nearby city. This wasn’t technically part of his job description, but when Xie Lian asked for something, who was he to say no? Besides, it was a beautiful day. There was a call of birdsong in the distance, the sun directly overhead. 

Yin Yu’s life was more peaceful now than it had been in over a decade. He was not running from guards, he was not working himself to the bone for only a handful of coins on the streets, and Hua Chengzhu had finally found his beloved. Xie Lian brought new life to the house, and he had never seen Hua Cheng smile so much before. Things had never been better, but now that there was nothing so pressing to be worried about, he had a little too much time to think.

The market was crowded, as usual. Colorful stalls selling who knows what filled the street. Vendors called out to Yin Yu, but he mostly ignored them, only stopping at a simple produce stall at the corner. As he examined the potatoes and selected which ones to place into his basket, his mind started to wander. 

Jian Yu’s scowl flashed across his memory. What was he doing now? Yin Yu hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him since the incident. Was he still mad at Yin Yu for accepting his banishment without any resistance? He hoped he had found some peace. He smiled slightly, remembering those bygone days when his friend was still by his side. When had it gone so wrong?

—.—..—.—

“Yin Yu,” General Bai said.

“Yes,” Yin Yu inclined his head. 

“As you know, the king has no heirs.” The general waited for Yin Yu to nod before continuing. “He recently adopted a child off the streets after seeing him fight off a whole crowd of boys who had attacked him. His highness believes the boy would have great potential with the proper training. I have recommended you for the task. The boy is only a few years younger than you. Do you accept this assignment?”

“Of course, sir.”

Yin Yu was led into the throne room, where a small boy stood struggling against the guards that were attempting to keep him from running around the hall. He had a black eye and a number of cuts and scrapes across his cheeks from the fight the day before, but he still had a determined look on his face. Combined with the crown of wild, curly hair that hung around his shoulders, he looked almost formidable despite his size. 

At the sound of the door opening, the two guards looked in Yin Yu’s direction. This proved to be a mistake. As soon as their attention was diverted, the boy broke his wrists out of their hold and swept a foot at their ankles, causing the two men to fall to the ground. Then he jumped a few feet away, avoiding their attempts to resume their hold on him. The boy narrowed his eyes at Yin Yu, holding up his fists like he expected another fight.

“Woah, wait!”

The boy raised an eyebrow.

“That was pretty impressive,” Yin Yu said, ignoring the guards’ glare at him. “Do you like fighting?”

The boy nodded very seriously.

“I’m sure with the proper technique, you could fight even more impressively. Would you like me to teach you?”

The boy stared at him intently, before lowering his fists. “Can we, right now?”

Yin Yu let out a laugh at his eagerness. “Well, first I think we should get you cleaned up. You have cuts on your face that we don’t want to get infected, and it’s hard to fight with your hair in your eyes like that.”

The boy let out a puff of air, trying to blow a strand of hair out of his eyes. 

He held out a hand. “My name is Yin Yu. I’ll be your Shixiong from now on.”

“Quan Yizhen.” The boy took his hand.

Jian Yu scoffed as Yin Yu attempted to pull a comb through his new shidi’s wild hair to put it up into a ponytail. 

“They’ve got you on babysitting duty now? What a downgrade.”

“Jian Yu, it is my honor to help train the new prince. You’ll see; he’s very good at martial arts already.” 

Quan Yizhen just stared at him through the mirror’s reflection, a small smile on his face.

—.—..—.—

“Sir.”

Yin Yu blinked. “Huh?”

“Sir, you’ve been staring at that potato for fifteen minutes. Is there something wrong with it?”

A blush climbed Yin Yu’s neck as he laughed nervously. “Ah, so I have. Nope, all fine here.” He shoved a handful of coins into the vendor’s waiting hands and walked away. 

He weaved in between the stalls, not quite looking where he was going. Eventually, he came to face a table piled high with fans, masks, jewelry, and other such decorative items, nearly tripping into it. 

“Oh, I’m sorry.” He apologized to the vendor and made a move to leave. Before he could do so, though, a shine of silver caught his eye. He wasn’t sure what drew him to it, a simple white mask with a thin silver filigree pattern around the edges. It had three crescents imprinted into its surface, looking like a slightly woeful smile, and simple black silk ties on it to hold it to the face.

“How much?” He asked the man behind the table.

The old man with a ghost mask glanced over lazily. “Eh, three. It’s nothing special.” 

Yin Yu dug into his own money pouch, placed three coins on the counter, and disappeared into the crowd once again. 

—.—..—.—

It was the Mid Autumn Festival. 

“Shixiong!” Yizhen cried out in awe as they stepped out from the alleyway into the bright lights of the lanterns lit up across the city.

Yin Yu smiled. They would probably get in trouble later, and Yin Yu usually didn’t like to break rules, but Quan Yizhen had never attended the festival before. Plus, Yizhen had just mastered his basic forms, and at a record pace, too. Yin Yu thought he deserved a reward.

So, he watched his shidi look at the colorful stalls, and back at him with shining eyes. “Can we go closer?” 

“Yes, but first we need to put these on. We don’t want anyone recognizing you, Your Highness.” Yin Yu pulled out two ghost masks, one gold and one silver, that he had bought a few days prior. 

As expected, Yizhen pointed at the golden one, which Yin Yu gave him. Once the two were properly disguised, Yizhen pulled him into the street from stall to stall by the hand. His excitement was contagious as they tried the delicious treats offered and played games. Yin Yu smiled wide behind his mask. Music floated in the air. 

“Yizhen, would you like to light a lantern?” 

The golden mask nodded, so he led him over to a cobblestone wall and sat atop it, patting the spot next to him. Yizhen scrambled up, excited to send up a lantern. As the little light floated up into the sky, Yin Yu turned to him. 

“Did you have fun tonight, shidi?”

“I always have fun with you.”

Yin Yu huffed out a little laugh. “I’m glad. You know, I should save this for your birthday, but I got this at one of the stalls earlier. I think it’d be a good reminder of your first festival.” He pulled out a small bag from his pocket and handed it to Quan Yizhen. 

Quan Yizhen tilted his head. “Why would you need to save it? My birthday is today.”

“Shidi! Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

Quan Yizhen shrugged. “Nobody asked me.”

Flabbergasted, Yin Yu laughed again. “Well, I guess it’s the perfect time to give it to you, then. Go ahead.”

Quan Yizhen undid the bow tying the pouch closed and dumped the contents into his hands, then held them up to the light. It was a simple pair of golden tassel earrings. They shimmered slightly in the lantern light.

“What do you think?”

Arms were suddenly thrown around Yin Yu’s waist as Quan Yizhen hugged him tightly.

“It’s the best present ever! Help me put them on?”

“Of course. Happy birthday, shidi.”

—.—..—.—

Yin Yu realized he had been walking in the wrong direction for the past… well who knows how long. Shaking his head, he turned back towards the manor, stuffing the mask into his bag. What was wrong with him today?

By the time he arrived back home, it was nearly sunset. He opened the side door, closing it quietly behind him. Apparently not quietly enough, because Xie Lian’s footsteps immediately approached. 

“Yin Yu! Where have you been? I was worried.”

“Sorry I’m late; you’ve probably already finished dinner at this point. I got a bit… distracted.”

“Oh, it's okay. Since I couldn’t…” Xie Lian looked to the side. “...finish what I was cooking before, San Lang made us some congee instead. We were just about to sit down. Would you like to join us?”

Yin Yu shook his head. “Actually, I’m not very hungry tonight. I think I’m just going to go to bed. I’ll drop these in the kitchen on my way, and you can use them another day.”

Xie Lian bit at his lip worriedly as Yin Yu walked up the stairs.

Chapter Text

Yin Yu was on his way out the door when Xie Lian called out, “Where are you heading off to?” 

“Hua Chengzhu asked me to take this letter to the office in town. I’ll be back shortly.”

Xie Lian raised an eyebrow.

“Seriously?” Yin Yu groaned. “I’ll be right back.”

 The incident had happened two weeks ago, and ever since, Xie Lian had been sending him strange, worried looks when he thought Yin Yu wasn’t looking. Yin Yu was fine. Sure, he couldn’t stop thinking about fluffy hair and honey-colored eyes, and he himself had burned a pot of congee just three days ago when he got distracted by memories of the past (Hua Cheng had rushed into the kitchen thinking Xie Lian had started a fire again)… but he was totally fine with going about his business as usual. 

Xie Lian smiled softly. “Okay, fine. I’ll see you soon.”

Yin Yu made his way down the road, focusing on the sound of his boots hitting the packed dirt surface to force his mind to stay on track. Somehow, Yin Yu made it to the office and delivered Chengzhu’s message without any delay. However, now that his task was complete, he absentmindedly sighed “Quan—”

“ — Yizhen!” a deep voice shouted from the street. 

Yin Yu’s gaze shot towards the direction the voice came from, and he made his way outside. Carefully glancing about, he confirmed that Quan Yizhen wasn’t actually in the marketplace. He directed his attention to the man who was shouting at the center of the square, standing atop a crate and reading from a scroll. 

He repeated, “A message from the Crown Prince, Quan Yizhen!”

“To all who may hear it, 

The palace will be hosting a grand masquerade ball for the crown prince a week hence. Everyone in the land is invited who wishes to attend, for at this ball, the prince shall choose his bride-to-be!

That will be all!”

At the word ‘bride’, Yin Yu felt his heart stop. No, that couldn’t be right. He blinked a few times, eyebrows knit in confusion, or some other emotion he couldn’t place. Yizhen couldn’t be getting married. He had never… well, it had been ten years. Now, Yin Yu’s heart was beating out of his chest. He needed to get out of here. 

He needed to pace. 

He needed to think. 

This doesn't concern him. He should be happy that Yizhen was getting on with his life. He should be proud he wasn’t still that child who spared no thought to anything but fighting.

But, for some reason, the idea just made him sad.

—.—..—.—

“Shidi.”

There was no answer, but Yin Yu could see the glint of golden tassels under the bed. The boy never took those things off… Yin Yu never would have guessed his gift would be so useful for finding the prince.

“Shidi, you can’t just hide forever.” Yin Yu sat on the edge of the bed, pretending to be oblivious to where Quan Yizhen was hiding.

“Maybe I can,” said a muffled voice.

“Why don’t you want to go to tonight’s ball?”

“Shixiong, I don’t like it here. The people are so rude, and I’m not supposed to hit them back or anything!”

That doesn’t stop him from doing it anyway.

“ — And I have to stand still! Or they want me to do those dumb dances with people I don’t know, and they always ask about the weather. Why the weather? It’s not like there aren’t windows. We all know!”

Yin Yu laughed. 

“Oh, shidi. Is there anything you do like in the castle?”

“You!”

Yin Yu laughed again. 

“Well, I’ll be there tonight, too. We can wink at each other behind people’s backs when they ask dumb questions.” 

At least they like you more than they like me, Yin Yu thought about standing at the edge of parties where there was no one to talk to.

“ — And we can dance together!” Quan Yizhen finally popped his head out from under the bed, hair spread wildly around his face.

“I don’t know if…”

Then Quan Yizhen looked at him with the biggest eyes, and Yin Yu relented with a smile. 

“Fine. One dance, and if you behave well at the ball, I’ll get you out of lessons tomorrow so we can have extra sparring practice.”

Yizhen smiled wide, practically pulling Yin Yu from the room to get ready.

—.—..—.—

Yin Yu’s sword clattered to the ground. Again. 

“Well done, Yizhen,” Yin Yu said, attempting desperately to hold back the annoyance in his tone. 

Quan Yizhen had been training under Yin Yu for over four years now, but Yin Yu had been sword fighting basically his entire life. He should be happy at his shidi’s rapid progression in the art, but for some reason it just made him feel… lesser. 

Quan Yizhen’s eyes seemed to sparkle. “It’s all thanks to Shixiong.”

Jian Yu scoffed from where he leaned against the wall at the edge of the courtyard. Yin Yu dismissed Quan Yizhen to get some water, and walked with Jian Yu back to their rooms. Once the door had closed behind them, Jian Yu raged, “How condescending!”

“How so?”

“That was obviously an underhanded jab at your teaching skills.” 

“You know as well as I do that ‘underhanded’ is the last word you could use to describe anything Quan Yizhen does.”

“How about ‘insensitive’ then? There’s no way he doesn’t know what he’s doing! He doesn’t care about anyone but himself, the brat!”

Yin Yu fiddled with the dark stone on his necklace. “Jian Yu, calm yourself. You should not speak of his highness in that manner.”

“But it’s true— and yet you always insist on defending him. He’s going to end up stealing everything you’ve worked so hard for, and he’s not even trying!” 

Yin Yu was filled simultaneously with anger, melancholy, and some other indistinguishable feelings at the thought. “If that’s the case, I didn’t deserve it in the first place,” he muttered. He opened the door. “I’d like to get some rest. If you will, Jian Yu?”

Jian Yu stalked out, still seething, and the door clicked shut behind him. Yin Yu let out a breath and turned around, fully intending to faceplant into the bed. However, a figure was crouched on his windowsill. 

“When did you get there?”

“Shixiong, did I do something wrong?” Quan Yizhen wasn’t looking at him. It was unsettling. 

Yin Yu’s gaze softened. “No, Yizhen.”

“Mn,” Quan Yizhen replied, sounding doubtful. “Are you sure?” How much did he hear? 

“Yes. It’s not your fault.” It’s not your fault I’m not good enough. 

Now Yizhen was looking at him, but his stare was just so intently sad . Yin Yu felt like his heart was aching. He just wanted him to stop looking like that. 

He scratched at the side of his face and said, “Now, look. You’ve messed up your hair climbing up here. Come inside and let me fix it.”

Yizhen lit up. 

—.—..—.—

With memories of a bright smile echoing in his mind, Yin Yu promptly tripped on a tree root and was shaken from his thoughts. Now sitting on the ground, he realized he had worn a track into the dirt with his pacing. He heaved a heavy sigh, looking up at the darkening sky. 

Wait. 

The darkening sky? How long had he been out here?

Yin Yu brushed himself off and ran to Paradise Manor. Everything was silent. Maybe they didn’t notice he was gone? He lit the lamp in the corner with a sigh of relief, only to freeze when he turned around. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian were seated on the divan in the front hall. Hua Cheng’s arm was slung over Xie Lian’s shoulders. He tilted his head.

“Well, well. Look who decided to finally come home.” Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Hua Chengzhu… Dianxia, why were you two just sitting here in the dark?”

“Gege was worried,” Hua Cheng explained seriously. 

“I sent San Lang to look for you in the village, and I searched all along the road, but we didn’t see any sign of you.” 

“I was… in the forest?”

“Why were you in the forest?” Xie Lian asked.

“I decided to… go for a nice walk?”

“For ten hours?” Hua Cheng asked. 

“I got distracted?”

“Yin Yu, I really don’t mean to pry if you aren’t comfortable sharing, but is everything really okay? Did something happen while you were out?”

Yin Yu nearly just ran upstairs to hide, but Xie Lian just looked so concerned… and even Hua Cheng had started to knit his brows slightly at Yin Yu’s silence. Plus, maybe it would help to just get everything off his chest. 

So, instead, Yin Yu plopped down on the chair catty cornered to the divan, and, hanging his head, said, “Quan Yizhen is getting married.” 

Chapter Text

“So, when I heard about the ball, I just panicked. I don’t even know why I feel this way. I mean, I haven’t seen him in a decade. He probably doesn’t even think about me anymore…”

“Ah, I see,” Hua Cheng snapped lightly. “So, you’re in love with him.”

Yin Yu’s jaw dropped. “Sir, I…”

Hua Cheng smiled. 

“I don’t…”

Yin Yu’s face went beet red as Xie Lian and Hua Cheng shared a knowing look. 

“I’m not in love with him!” Yin Yu denied. “I just want to see him, you know, to make sure he’s doing okay.”

“Fine, fine,” Xie Lian placated. “If you’re worried about how he’s doing, why don’t you just go to the ball and see him?”

“I’m banished, remember? I can’t go to the palace!”

“Go in disguise. It’s a masquerade ball, dummy,” Hua Cheng pointed out. 

Xie Lian elbowed him. “San Lang! Don’t be rude.”

Hua Cheng just chuckled. “Sorry, Gege.”

He did not look sorry at all. 

Yin Yu sighed, “What would I even do there if I went?”

“You could have a nice time and dance with someone,” Xie Lian suggested. 

“Or I could keep a low profile at the side of the room, not talk to anyone, and watch to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

“Ah yes, because low-key staring at the prince across the room all night is exactly what someone who isn’t in love would do.”

Yin Yu flushed even brighter. 

“San Lang.”

“What? He was making fun of me for years while I was pining after you!”

Yin Yu protested, “I never said—“

“You didn’t have to; I could see it in your eyes.”

Yin Yu stood, exhausted. 

“Just consider it, Yin Yu. I think going could at least give you some closure,” Xie Lian said. 

“I’ll think about it,” Yin Yu replied. 

As Yin Yu peeled off his outer robe and sat on the bed, he spared a glance at the bookshelf. “Well, I mean, I do already have a mask.”

—.—..—.—

The sword clattered to the ground, shining under the light of the moon.

Yin Yu smiled. “Do you surrender?”

The bandit reluctantly nodded his head after looking to confirm that all of his allies had already been disarmed, holding out his hands. Yin Yu kept his sword level, making a gesture to one of the others to tie his wrists. Only then did he sheathe the weapon and give the orders to march back to the capitol. 

This village had been targeted by this group of bandits for almost a year now, making it nearly impossible to receive supplies nor send out products for trade. They would finally be able to rest peacefully now. As they marched back to the main street, a couple carefully peaked out from their front door. 

“Thank you so much,” the man said. “I wasn’t sure how much longer we could last with things like this.”

“It was our honor to be of aid.” Yin Yu replied before directing his troop onward. This was what made all of that hard work worth it.

Soon afterwards, he was brought before the king to be promoted to lieutenant.

“Congratulations, Yin Yu. You are officially the youngest lieutenant in this country’s history, by nearly ten years if I may add.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“I’m certain you will make us proud.”

—.—..—.—

Bright light shone through Yin Yu’s window. He stretched, feeling strangely refreshed. Maybe talking it out had actually helped somewhat. He once again eyed the crescent-faced mask sitting atop a locked wooden box. 

What kind of mask would Yizhen wear to the ball?

Yin Yu shook his head. Why was he like this? 

He would choose gold for sure.

Yin Yu ignored this running line of thought and sat down at his desk to go over his list of tasks for the day.

—.—..—.—

It had been two months since Yin Yu’s promotion. To be totally honest, it was not quite what he had expected. So far, it had been endless amounts of paperwork and tactical planning efforts. Yin Yu was actually pretty skilled at both of these tasks, but he thought that this position would allow him to help more people like those villagers. He hadn’t even gotten to go on any patrols. He sighed, trying not to smudge ink on his face as he rubbed his eyes.

“Shixiong?”

Yin Yu looked up to see Quan Yizhen in the door, holding yet another new delivery of papers. 

“Just put them on the desk.”

“Shixiong, would you like to take a sparring break?”

And oh how he wanted to accept. Even if Yizhen beat him ten times in a row, he would love to just participate. 

“I’m sorry, Yizhen. There is too much work due to be completed. I can’t take a break right now.”

“Shixiong, you haven’t slept in three days. You need to take a break.”

“I can’t just leave. I have responsibilities as a lieutenant.”

“Then why be a lieutenant at all? You seemed much happier before. Just quit.”

“No,” Yin Yu said, his voice just a bit too sharp. “I’ve finally gotten what I’ve wanted. It has been my goal since I was a kid. I’m one step closer to becoming a general one day. I’ve gotten this far, put in this much work… I can’t just throw it away now.”

“But, Shixiong—”

“You don’t understand. You just try getting promoted to lieutenant—”

“Okay.”

When Yin Yu looked up, Quan Yizhen was already gone. He sighed again and went back to writing.

—.—..—.—

“Good morning. Sleep well?” Xie Lian asked. 

Yin Yu nodded as he set his bowl in the sink to wash. 

Xie Lian stood with his hands behind his back. “So, have you thought any more about what we talked about last night?”

“Oh, Dianxia, before I forget, did you see the new sword Chengzhu commissioned? It just got delivered to the armory yesterday.”

“New sword?” Xie Lian’s eyes widened slightly. 

“Yes. It’s very well-balanced, maple leaves engraved on the handle. Very elegant. You should go take a look.”

Xie Lian could not resist. “I’ll be right back.” 

Yin Yu knew he would not be right back, chuckled slightly, and went to work on the next item on his list. He needed to inspect a number of the market vendors’ stalls, then order new supplies for the manor’s kitchens. Afterwards, he had been asked to check in on the gambler’s den and make sure no deals had gone sideways. It was a busy day with plenty to distract him from making a decision. 

“Now, I’ll be back in one week. Make sure your stall is up to standard by then, or you will be facing some hefty fines.” Yin Yu took a note on his list. 

“Yes! Of course, sir!” the soup salesman said. “So, if I get it ready by then, Chengzhu doesn’t have to know about it either? I hate to disappoint him.”

“Disappoint me about what?” Hua Cheng appeared out of the crowd, leaning forward as if to hear better. 

“Nothing, Chengzhu.”

The salesman looked relieved.

“If it's nothing, then it's nothing. Let’s go.”

Hua Cheng fell into step beside Yin Yu as he made his way towards the Gambler’s Den. 

“So, Yin Yu, tell me why my husband has been searching the armory for an hour for the sword I wasn’t going to show him until dinner tonight.”

Yin Yu shrugged innocently. “Who knows?”

Hua Cheng narrowed his eye at him.

“Fine. Have you made a decision yet?”

Yin Yu nodded towards the attendants at the door of the building as they entered. “Of course, Chengzhu.”

“Well?”

“We should definitely hire those new guards. Things at the den have been getting overly rowdy lately.”

“...”

“You asked me last week to monitor the needs of your properties, Chengzhu. Surely that is what you were referring to, right?”

“Yin Yu, you know that’s not what I—”

“Chenzhu!” One of the regulars, a large man with a boar mask, called out. “Are you going to be joining in today?”

At the Butcher’s words, all eyes turned to Hua Cheng. Suddenly, he was surrounded by throngs of faithful citizens. 

“Chengzhu! It’s been a while since we’ve seen you in here!”

“Grace us with a demonstration?”

“Where’s Xie-Daozhang? He should come in for another one of your lessons, later! It helped so much last time!”

“Will you two be joining us for the Mid Autumn festival next month, Chengzhu?”

Yin Yu slipped away into the crowd.

Chapter Text

Yin Yu groaned as he sat on his bed, holding a sheet of paper in his hand. Flopping backwards, he held the paper up to the light. Golden curlicues decorated its edges, flashing slightly where the sun hit it. On the paper was the same message that the man had been shouting about in the square a few days prior. The ball would be five days from now, beginning at eight and lasting until the early hours of the morning. The fliers had been scattered all over town today. He even heard a couple of people at the Gambler’s Den saying they might go… he really hoped they didn’t make a scene.

It had been pretty simple avoiding his employers the past two days, but now that these invitations were floating around, there was no way they weren’t going to bring it up again. Yin Yu just didn’t know what to do.

Did he really want to see Quan Yizhen again?

—.—..—.—

Yin Yu closed off the booklet with one final stroke of his brush. Finally, the stack of paperwork was complete. He was so tired… he looked at the bed. His stomach growled. He had missed dinner, and lunch, now that he thought about it. So, forgoing the comfort of his bed, he opened the door and made his way down towards the kitchens. 

Everything was so quiet in the castle at this hour. His footsteps echoed off the cold stone floors. It was kind of peaceful. He didn’t have to exchange pleasantries or worry about someone asking about an assignment that he had not finished yet. Not wanting to go to the trouble of lighting a lamp, Yin Yu just grabbed a steamed bun and a pear before heading back to his room. He was passing by the courtyard when he heard a clang. Curious, he stepped outside.

Quan Yizhen had his back to him, facing off against a training dummy. He struck it again and again, form perfect. The moonlight glinted off of his tassel earrings. 

“What are you doing out here so late, Yizhen?” 

Quan Yizhen whipped around, still breathing heavily. “Shixiong!”

Yin Yu put a finger to his lips. “You’ll wake someone.”

“Shixiong,” he repeated, marginally quieter. “I’m training.”

That much was obvious. Yin Yu laughed. He tore the bun he was holding in half. 

“Want some?”

Quan Yizhen nodded, grabbing the piece and taking a bite out of it. They sat for a moment in silence as they both ate Yin Yu’s midnight snack together. Then the moment ended as exhaustion overtook Yin Yu. He reached out and ruffled Quan Yizhen’s curly hair on impulse. 

The prince’s cheeks were dusted with red. He opened his mouth to speak. 

“Good night, Yizhen.”

Yin Yu stood and swept back into the night like a shadow, leaving Quan Yizhen wide-eyed in the courtyard.

—.—..—.—

Yin Yu’s face was flushed with the memory. Before he could change his mind, he hurried downstairs. 

Xie Lian was seated on the divan with Hua Cheng once again, this time holding a shiny new sword adorned with garnet and silver leaves. His eyes were scanning the blade as if to check for any abnormalities in the finish. At the sound of footsteps, he set the weapon in his lap. 

“Oh, Yin Yu! I found the—”

“I want to go to the ball,” Yin Yu blurted out before he could talk himself out of it.

Hua Cheng smirked. Xie Lian smiled brightly.

“That’s wonderful! What are you going to wear? I did see that mask in your room—”

“Well I figured I’d just wear my nice set of black robes… I wouldn’t want to wear anything too bright and stand out. Wait, why were you in my room?”

Xie Lian’s eyes darted to the side. 

“There is no way you’re going to the ball in those sub-par robes,” Hua Cheng said.

“Hey!”

“Which is why we already got you an outfit for the ball,” Hua Cheng continued.

“What?” Yin Yu said. “I only just told you…” 

He trailed off, realizing that it had been obvious from the beginning what his decision would be.

“I… can’t accept such a generous gift from my employers…” Yin Yu argued. 

“Yin Yu,” Xie Lian admonished. “We just want you to have the best night possible. I know it won’t be easy to go back to the castle after everything that happened, and this will be one less thing you have to worry about. We care about you, you know?”

“Is that so?” Yin Yu muttered, glancing at Hua Cheng.

“Gege is always right,” Hua Cheng said, which was just about as close as he would get to admitting he cared just as much.

Yin Yu bowed. “Thank you both, then.”

Chapter Text

The week passed in a flash of preparations on top of Yin Yu’s typical work schedule, so much so that he hadn’t had much time to question himself or his decisions. Until now, that is. 

Yin Yu arrived home from town, already tired, only for Xie Lian to grab him by the hand and sit him down in front of a vanity. Hua Cheng leaned against the wall to watch as Xie Lian started to apply powder to Yin Yu’s face. The powder puffed into the air, nearly causing him to sneeze, and the rouge brush tickled his skin as Xie Lian applied a light dust across his cheeks.

“Now, hold still,” Xie Lian said, picking up a thin, black brush from the table. 

Yin Yu had to hold back a shiver as the cold liquid eyeliner was dragged across the edge of his eyelid. Xie Lian’s hand was steady as he brought the outer corner to a small point.

As he reached back to dip the brush back in its pot, Yin Yu asked, “Um, Dianxia?”

“Mn?”

“If I may ask, why are you doing my makeup? It’s really not necessary— I’m wearing a mask.”

“Well—” Xie Lian paused, almost hitting himself in the face with the liner as he absentmindedly twirled the brush in his hand. “Confidence is everything, Yin Yu. If you’re going to pull off sneaking into this ball, you need to play the part. So, even if no one else can see your face, you’ll know you look like you belong there.”

“I guess that does make sense,” Yin Yu conceded. 

Xie Lian leaned forward once again, working on the other eyelid before moving on to lips. The sensation was a bit strange… he had never really had this done before. He never thought it would be worth it to try to get dressed up— it’s not like anyone ever noticed him anyway. 

A second after he had this thought, Xie Lian pulled away. 

“That will just about do it. San Lang, what do you think?”

“Brilliant work, Gege.”

Yin Yu pointedly did not roll his eyes. That didn’t tell him much; Hua Cheng would say Xie Lian’s work was brilliant even if he looked like a clown.

“Now, will you help me out with his hair? I want to do a couple smaller braids before I pull the rest of his hair back, and I don’t want us running late.”

“Of course.”

It felt a bit odd with the two chatting in low voices behind him about something that he couldn’t quite bring himself to pay attention to. He was too busy worrying about the many things that could go wrong tonight. After all, the last ball he had been to at the palace had been the start of a train wreck.

—.—..—.—

Yin Yu sat at the corner table in a room that was much too loud for his liking. Jian Yu sat beside him, grumbling into his bowl about something that had upset him earlier. Though it was not polite to do so at a banquet, Yin Yu was so tired that he rested his chin in his hand. It’s not like anyone was going to come talk to him anyways. 

The sound of music floated over from the side of the room as he reflected. Everything had gone downhill after Yizhen got promoted to Lieutenant. Who would have thought he would take his offhand comment seriously? Let alone achieving it in six months! 

Yin Yu was pretty sure he didn’t even want to be promoted, seeing as he ignored everything he was sent and just continued going out on patrol to fight monsters instead. The thing was... everyone loved him for it. He was so popular that no one even mentioned Yin Yu’s achievements anymore. Even when he was given the chance to go on patrols, it wasn’t really talked about. He wasn’t given any big assignments aside from tactical planning measures. What was even the point? 

To top it all off, he missed what everything was like before, when Quan Yizhen would just pop in at random times to talk to him about random things, or ask him to spar, or beg him to take a break. He found himself missing the prince, but every time the man actually appeared, Yin Yu would just get so angry. Yizhen was infuriating with his lack of care for the position he had gained. It felt like every time they met recently, Yin Yu was torn between slapping the man and just wanting to ruffle his hair with a smile and try to forget everything that had happened. 

A man in maroon robes sat down at their table, causing Yin Yu to jump and fix his abysmal posture. A couple of others followed him. “Mind if I sit?” 

Yin Yu nodded, schooling his expression. 

“I’m usually stationed in the west of the kingdom, but I was so excited to be invited here for this banquet. The palace really is just as beautiful as they say.”

“Yes, the castle is quite lovely.”

“It is, and when I saw you over here, I just had come and speak to you. You are truly amazing, Lieutenant. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“You have?” Yin Yu smiled. 

“Of course! You are quite the inspiration, being appointed at such a young age is quite the accomplishment. You’ve helped so many people with your work. Truly, your future is bright, Your Highness.”

Yin Yu froze. Jian Yu looked up from his plate, aghast.

“Actually, I—”

“No need to be modest, Your Highness. The tales of your greatness will surely spread across the land for all time. You are—”

“His Highness Quan Yizhen has arrived!” One of the announcers shouted from the front of the room. 

The man looked surprised. “You’re not Quan Yizhen?”

Yin Yu shook his head, a slightly pained expression on his face. 

One of the man’s friends elbowed him. “You idiot, that must be Lieutenant Yin Yu, the prince’s instructor.”

The man laughed nervously. “Oh, my apologies. I must not be well enough informed… I need to go pay my respects to His Highness, but maybe I’ll see you around later.”

Jian Yu’s face was as red as their visitor's robes. Yin Yu audibly sighed as they walked away. 

“I think I’m done for tonight.” Yin Yu stood and left the room, Jian Yu trailing behind him.

When they arrived back at their rooms, there was a letter on Yin Yu’s desk. It was an assignment from General Bai. Well, actually it was an assignment for General Bai from Ling Wen, but the general was too busy and so had passed the task off to Yin Yu instead. It was just a routine patrol around a nearby valley… there weren’t even any reports of oddities in the area recently, so it was odd that they would even bother to send a patrol there.

“Now they’re giving you second-hand work?” Jian Yu fumed. “If it weren’t for that stupid prince taking everything that comes our way, you’d be the one rising higher in the ranks. He’d be the one getting mistaken for you, and not the other way around.”

“Jian Yu, don’t speak that way about him. He’s not taking opportunities; he just sees things that need doing and does it. He’s earned it.”

“But he’s so ungrateful.”

“Drop it.”

“No! I’m done ‘dropping it.’ You say that every time he offends you. Why can I not be angry in your stead?”

“It’s not—”

They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Shxiong?”

Jian Yu slipped away into the back room, not trusting himself to refrain from yelling at the prince as soon as he saw him.

“Come in,” Yin Yu said.

Quan Yizhen entered the room, hair still mused from the wind outside. Yin Yu fought the urge to fix the errant flyaways. 

“Yizhen, I thought you weren’t supposed to return for another week.”

“I finished. It wasn’t hard, and I wanted to see you at the ball, so I came back early.”

Yin Yu clenched a fist. The task assigned to Quan Yizhen definitely wasn’t an easy one, and he had finished early just because?

“Really?”

“Yeah, but you weren’t there when I arrived.”

“I… wasn’t feeling all that well so I wanted to retire early.”

“Oh, okay. I heard someone mistook you for me at the banquet.” Quan Yizhen laughed. “That’s so funny. How could they mistake you for me? We look nothing alike! Plus, you’re much taller.”

Yin Yu smiled in a slightly pained way. “Yep, how silly of them… I’m really tired, Yizhen. How about we catch up tomorrow instead?”

“Okay, Shixiong. Sleep well.” Quan Yizhen left the room, a confused expression on his face. 

Once his footsteps faded into the distance, Yin Yu punched his desk in an attempt to let out some anger. All it really accomplished was making his hand hurt, and a few of his brushes to roll to the floor.

Jian Yu scowled as he reentered the room. “Did you hear that?”

“Obviously, I was the one he was talking to.”

“He’s so arrogant, it makes me crazy! ‘Wasn’t difficult’ I’ll show you something difficult.”

Yin Yu felt so exhausted he didn’t even have the energy to defend the prince anymore. “Yeah.”

“And then he laughed at that man disrespecting you!”

Yin Yu knew that wasn’t what Yizhen meant by it, but it didn’t lessen the sting at all.

Yin Yu sighed. “I just wish he understood that not everything is as easy as he thinks. I wish he’d just lose at something, even just once! Maybe then he’d—” 

He’d what? Understand how Yin Yu felt? Be more sensitive?

Yin Yu didn’t even know what he wanted at this point. He sighed again, almost afraid it would become a habit at the rate he was doing it nowadays. 

“ —You know what, I actually am rather tired. Good night, Jian Yu.”

Jian Yu bowed and left the room as Yin Yu went to sit on the bed, a strange rustling of paper in his wake that Yin Yu attributed to the stirring of air knocking some work off his desk. He’d get it in the morning.

Chapter Text

“Done!” Xie Lian said with a dazzling smile. 

Somehow, while in his daze, the couple had finished doing his hair and guided him into a set of robes. The silk fabric felt soft against his skin, draping smoothly down his arms. 

Hua Cheng stepped back and inspected him, nodded, then grabbed something from a box on the table. 

“Put these on.”

Yin Yu complied, taking the pair of silver earrings from his hand. Delicate silver chains hung from each post, allowing a crescent surrounded by stars to dangle from them. They clinked softly by his ears. 

“Better.”

Xie Lian took Yin Yu by the hand and turned him towards the mirror. “What do you think?”

Yin Yu blinked. Then blinked again. The figure in the mirror stood tall, confident. His robes were so deep a purple that they appeared black, shimmering softly where the lamp light glanced across its surface. The edges of his draping sleeves were intricately embroidered with silver moons and tiny stars interwoven with leaves and branches. The figure had a long, shining black braid slung elegantly over one shoulder, the earrings he had just put on glinting in light. Yin Yu barely recognized himself. His face seemed brighter, lips just subtly more red, and the bold liner actually complimented the beauty mark just under his eye. He poked at his own face with an index finger, as if confirming that he was not looking into a trick mirror. 

“Wow,” he breathed. 

“Don’t smudge Gege’s hard work,” Hua Cheng admonished. 

“You look wonderful, Yin Yu.”

“Only thanks to both of your help. Thank you both so—“

“Come on, no time for sentimentality. You’re already running late, let’s get you in the carriage.” Hua Cheng led him to the front entrance. Xie Lian was still messing with Yin Yu’s hair, probably making sure there were no strands out of place.

“Have a magical night. I hope it’s everything you were wishing for.” Xie Lian said as he stepped in and closed the door. 

As the carriage began to roll down the street, Yin Yu fiddled around with his qiankun sleeve pouches, which seemed to have already been filled with a disparate assortment of items. Finally, his fingers grasped a ribbon. He ran a finger down the mask’s surface before tying it securely over his face.

After a ride that felt simultaneously like an eternity and an instant, the carriage rolled to a stop. The door opened. The footman smiled brightly behind a golden skull mask. “Have a good night, Waning Moon Officer!”

Waning Moon Officer. He liked that. 

He nodded politely and stepped down, throat dry as he stared up at the front doors of the place that had been his home for the first twenty years of his life. Climbing the palace steps, he took several deep breaths and fixed his posture. 

Confidence is key , he thought, remembering Dianxia’s words. If I act like I’m supposed to be here, they won’t question it.

“Hey.”

Yin Yu tilted his head. The guard on the left had his arms crossed. A pewter-colored mask covered the upper half of his face.

“Who are you? Where did you come from?”

“I’m the Waning Moon Officer of Ghost City.” Yin Yu’s voice came out much surer than he was in his head. The voice of the guard was familiar.

The guard rolled his eyes, “Great. Another one.”

Yin Yu was a bit worried about what that meant. Had the people he heard talking about the ball last week actually decided to come?

“What is your business here?” the guard continued.

“Mu Qing! Obviously he’s here for the ball! Why are you questioning him?”

At the name, Yin Yu froze. Now that he knew that the guard on the left was Mu Qing, it was easy to see that the other was Feng Xin. Why did the people at the front gate have to be people he knew? 

“He looks suspicious.”

“How so?” Feng Xin deadpanned.

“He seems familiar, and he has on a creepy mask.”

Hey.

“It’s a MASQUERADE BALL! Everyone has on a mask! You have on a mask!” Feng Xin gestured between his own face, which was clad with a gold mask, and Mu Qing’s. He then gestured for Yin Yu to head inside.

“Well excuse me for DOING MY JOB! If anything bad happens at this party, I’ll kindly tell them that Ju Yang here…”

The two’s argument faded into the background as Yin Yu drifted down the stairs inside and the sounds of the party took over.

He immediately spotted what Mu Qing meant when he said “another one.” In the center of the room, Lan Chang was aggressively flirting with several men. She had on a rather… interesting outfit. By the looks of it, Butcher Zhu had cleared out nearly a third of the food at the refreshments table already. A couple others he recognized were scattered around the giant room. He shook his head fondly. The rest of the guests seemed rather typical of an event like this, with elegant sweeping robes sparkling as they twirled across the floor.

Yin Yu made it down to floor level and skirted his way around the edges of the room, staying in the shadows to avoid bringing attention to himself. As he scanned the room, he suddenly took notice of a long line of women spanning most of the ballroom floor. He peered around the side of the nearest pillar. At the front of the line a woman bowed earnestly, obviously trying to hide how excited she was. The person she was bowing to stood in gleaming golden robes with navy accents, a pattern of a sun adorning his mask. He wore golden vambraces, and his curly hair was pulled up into a high ponytail to reveal a pair of golden tassel earrings.

It was Quan Yizhen.

Chapter Text

Quan Yizhen stood stiffly, arms down at his sides, back straight. He nodded back at the girl with an utterly impassive expression on his face. The girl nearly teared up at his lack of reaction, but quickly turned away and exited to the dance floor. Quan Yizhen didn’t seem to notice, like his mind was somewhere else. Clearly, Quan Yizhen still hated attending balls just as much as he always did. The thought of the present-day prince hiding under the bed to avoid awkward dancing flashed in his mind, and Yin Yu nearly laughed aloud. 

Quan Yizhen’s ponytail was pulled up in the same way Yin Yu had always done it, albeit with a shiny new crown for the occasion. He was too far away to see them clearly, but the earrings looked so similar to the ones he had always worn. Why would he still wear them after what Yin Yu had done, though? He must be imagining things. 

Some things never changed. Then again, everything had changed.

Quan Yizhen seemed more subdued than he remembered, though from rumors he had heard, he hadn’t calmed down at all in terms of battles. His jaw seemed sharper, currently clenched from some unseen emotion. The formal robes suited him, hugging at his muscled arms before being gathered up in shining vambraces… He looked stunning … What was he thinking?

Yin Yu was just about to slap himself to stop that train of thought when Quan Yizhen turned. Along his right cheek was a jagged scar, starting to fade with time but still very much visible, light against his tanned skin. A strangled noise escaped Yin Yu’s throat, though it was drowned by the noise of the party before anyone could hear it.

—.—..—.—

Quan Yizhen walked down the hall, scuffing his shoes against the stone floor. 

What was wrong with his Shixiong? 

Yin Yu seemed off, and had seemed off for a long time now. Sometimes, Yin Yu seemed happy with him, like he had been when they were younger. Those moments were like pockets of sunshine that Quan Yizhen liked to keep close to his heart to remember, like when they had shared that steamed bun in the courtyard. Other times, though, it felt like Yin Yu was lying to him. He didn’t know what he kept doing to upset him, but he couldn’t fix it if Yin Yu wouldn’t tell him what he needed to do. He wished there was a way to help.

Footsteps approached from behind him. 

“Hey, Princey .”

“Jian Yu.” Quan Yizhen narrowed his eyes. “What do you want?”

“Well, I have a special message from your Shixiong.”

Yizhen stared intently at him. “Shixiong said he was going to bed.”

“Well, he thought of something right after you left, so he sent me to deliver the message. You saw how tired he was, right?”

Quan Yizhen didn’t answer. Jian Yu took that as confirmation.

“You see, the general gave Yin Yu this assignment for tomorrow morning, but since you’re back early… it would be a real help to him if you’d do his patrol so that he can get a bit of rest.”

Yizhen took the letter from Jian Yu’s hands. “Shixiong asked you to assign me this?”

“Of course. Are you willing?”

Anything for Shixiong. Quan Yizhen gave a curt nod and headed off to bed, giving the letter a quick once-over to confirm the time and location.

—.—..—.—

The late morning sun attacked Yin Yu’s eyelids, forcing him to roll over and bury his face into the bedsheets. Wait. Late morning sun ? Yin Yu shot out of bed in a flash. In his haste, he accidentally knocked all of the papers from his desk, scattering them across the floor.

“Jian Yu!” He yelled.

Jian Yu entered a minute later, looking entirely too pleased with himself for comfort as Yin Yu frantically searched through the papers to try to find the letter from General Bai.

“Jian Yu! Why didn’t you wake me for the patrol? We were supposed to arrive at the valley promptly at 9:40 am.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Jian Yu shrugged nonchalantly. “I sent someone else to do it.”

“Who?” Yin Yu demanded, voice suddenly cold as he stood.

“His Highness, of course. You know, because he thinks he’s so good at everything.”

The color drained from Yin Yu’s face.

“Jian Yu! I need to stop him!” Yin Yu pulled on a pair of boots and fastened a cloak around his shoulders.

“Why are you so upset about this?”

“It’s a trap!” Yin Yu ran down the hall, Jian Yu hot at his heels.

“What do you mean, ‘it’s a trap’?”

“I was thinking about it last night before I fell asleep and was going to reread the letter this morning to confirm, but the wording of the assignment was really suspicious! For one, a patrol would usually have a time to leave rather than a time to arrive at a specific location. Further, the location is off because there have been no incidents anywhere near that area. In fact, that valley is in the middle of nowhere; it would be too late even if you were to call for reinforcements.”

“Why are you upset, then? We didn’t get stuck in a trap, at least.”

“Don’t you understand? It would have been fine because I knew it was a trap! He doesn’t!”

Yin Yu threw a saddle on his horse’s back, fully prepared to give chase on the off-chance Quan Yizhen’s group hadn’t made it to the valley yet.

The palace gates opened. The yard was full of shouting. Yin Yu ran from the stables as a troop that was much too small stumbled through the gates. Their clothes were dyed a rusty red, and they carried a cot between them.

“Yizhen,” Yin Yu whispered, heart dropping in his chest. 

He made his way closer, pushing through the crowd. He was lying on the makeshift sling, covered head to toe in red. It looked like he had been stabbed at least twice, and there was a deep cut across the right side of his face. The blood was crusted in his hair, and Yin Yu wanted nothing more than to wipe it off. His chest moved up and down shallowly, and Yin Yu let out a sigh of relief. 

He was alive. 

When he said he wanted the prince to lose, he hadn’t really thought about what that meant. A bitter taste rose up in his throat. The prince’s brow furrowed, and he tossed his head to the side. 

“Shixiong…” he muttered, and Yin Yu’s heart felt like it was ripping in half. Yin Yu just wanted him to open his eyes. He wanted that chestnut stare that everyone seemed uncomfortable with to be fixed on him again. If that happened, he knew everything would be okay.

They rushed the prince inside to take him to the infirmary.

The king rushed out of the castle, flanked by guards on each side. 

“What happened?” 

The lead soldier of the group responded. “Your Majesty, the patrol we were sent on this morning was clearly an ambush designed to take the life of the prince.”

“What patrol? He wasn’t supposed to be back for another week. Why did he have a patrol?”

At the top of the palace steps, Ling Wen had a strange look on her face as she nearly dropped her brush.

“He told us that the patrol was a special assignment from his Shixiong.”

Suddenly, all eyes in the courtyard turned to him. Yin Yu’s throat grew dry. “No, I—”

“He must’ve felt resentful towards the prince for surpassing him!”

Okay that was partially true, but he had never wanted this!

“Yin Yu’s specialty is tactics; it would have been easy for him to orchestrate this!”

“I didn’t—” 

“You didn’t what? Didn’t resent him? We all saw your face at the ball last night when that captain confused you for the prince.” The guard by the king’s side countered.

One of the stable boys ran forwards. “Sire, Yin Yu’s horse is all saddled up in the stables.”

The king glowered. “Trying to escape now, Lieutenant?” His voice was like rumbling ice.

“No! I was trying to warn—”

“Yeah, right. You were obviously going to pretend to ride out there to ‘warn him’ only to ‘just not make it in time’. No one could blame you for trying to save the prince, am I right?” Mu Qing crossed his arms.

“It was me!” Jian Yu emerged from the stables. “I was the one who gave the prince the letter. I knew if it was from me, he wouldn’t take it, so I told him it was from Yin Yu.” He bowed, head low to the ground. “Please, I accept whatever punishment you give me, as long as you understand Yin Yu had nothing to do with it.”

“Nothing to do with it?” the king asked. “You’re his subordinate; how would we know that you didn’t do this on his order?”

Yin Yu could feel his limbs shaking.

A maid called out, “I was cleaning near the Lieutenant’s room last night, and I clearly heard him say, ‘I wish the prince would lose at something, even just once!’ and Jian Yu agreed heartily.”

The king’s glare intensified.

Yin Yu’s face turned an ashen gray.

“Seize him!” 

Yin Yu hadn’t even realized he started running. Why was he running? As soon as the two guards caught hold of his arms, Yin Yu sank down to his knees, giving up. 

“What are you doing?” Jian Yu yelled. “Defend yourself! You’re innocent! Yin Yu, I swear…”

Was he, though?

Even if he hadn’t sent the letter, even if he hadn’t wanted this to happen, the truth was he did resent Quan Yizhen. If he didn’t, he would have continued to defend him against Jian Yu. Jian Yu wouldn’t have gotten the idea to give Yizhen the assignment. Yizhen would still be okay. 

There was no fixing this now.

Quan Yizhen was gravely injured.

What if he died?

Even if he pulled through, there was no way he wouldn’t hate Yin Yu for this.

It was all his fault.

Yin Yu was banished within the hour.

Chapter Text

Quan Yizhen felt like there were eyes on him. Well, eyes had been on him all night, but this felt different. He scanned down the line of women scrambling to meet him. 

Was he going to have to stand here all night?

He screamed internally. What was even the point? There was no one here he would be remotely interested in marrying. He couldn’t understand why the king was insisting he pick someone. There was only one person he had ever even considered… and Yizhen didn’t even know whether he was still around. Not for lack of trying, of course, but he didn’t even know where to begin to look.

His first words when he woke up in the infirmary were, “Where is Shixiong?”

They must’ve interpreted his question wrong, as usual, because soon the tale was being spun of a backstabbing Shixiong who had intentionally lured him into a trap to get him killed. Don’t worry, though, Yizhen. He’s been banished and stripped of his titles already. Two weeks ago. You’ll never have to see that traitor again. 

That couldn’t be, though. Shixiong wouldn’t do that, right? Did he really hate him that much? There had to be some misunderstanding.

He had tried to convince the king to lift the banishment, but he refused. Yin Yu had confessed, and even if not, the look on his face was apparently proof enough. He had looked for him ever since, but there had not been a single trace… 

The girl was looking at him expectantly. He didn't even know what she had said. He nodded curtly, hoping that that could be seen as an acceptable answer to whatever she had asked. The twin loops on her head shook as she quickly bowed again and turned to leave. 

He felt a prickle on the side of his neck. That feeling again, like someone was watching him. He turned his gaze to the side of the room. The people over there were chattering idly among themselves, and a couple made their way to the dance floor. Then he caught sight of a silver mask. The rest of the person was hidden in the shadows, but from around the side of a pillar, the mask smiled eerily at him, not shifting its gaze. 

“Your Highness?” A tall woman with a blue mask asked. 

He tore his eyes away from the shadowy figure and stared at his next guest. “Yes.”

“My name is Qiu Mingyan.” She held out a hand towards him.

He did not take it and nodded politely. Qiu Mingyan huffed, annoyed, and walked away. Quan Yizhen shrugged and greeted the next person in line. As the minutes dragged on, Quan Yizhen could not help stealing another look towards the corner. The figure was still there watching him, though looked just slightly closer, as if he had unconsciously taken a step forward. He could now see the outline of dark robes and draping sleeves. 

A few more minutes passed by, with a whole team of girls stomping away from him the second they got to the front of the line. Quan Yizhen wasn’t sure what he was doing to make them so angry. He heard a loud laugh from the direction of the mystery masked person and glanced over. A figure in green had pulled forward the masked man by the hand, forcing him to stumble into the light. His robes were a deep violet, shimmering slightly with the movement. Silver glinted across his wrists and hem. A long, black braid hung down past the man’s waist, shining in the light. 

The one in green continued to urge him to do something, which the one in purple refused, nervously scratching at the side of his mask in an extremely familiar way. His head was tilted ever so slightly to the left as he did so. 

Quan Yizhen swallowed. “Shixiong?” 

Without a word, he abandoned the line. A girl just three places from the front cried out. “No fair! I’ve been waiting here for an hour!”

—.—..—.—

“Watcha doing?”

Yin Yu startled. A woman in an extravagant green dress stood in front of him. Hazel eyes peered at him through their mask. 

“Huh?”

“You’ve been staring over there for a while,” she said, emphasizing the word while. She followed his gaze, leaning over mischievously as she unfurled a fan to wave conspiratorially. “Are you trying to catch the prince’s eye?”

Yin Yu’s face flushed. “What? No, of course not! Why would he… why would I?”

“Join me on the dance floor! I can help you make him jealous. He’ll see you dancing with someone else and come running right over.” 

Yin Yu shrank back from them back into the shadows. “I shouldn’t—“

The woman laughed and grabbed his hand in an attempt to coax him onto the floor, but only succeeded in causing him to stumble forward, flustered. 

“Qingxuan, are you bothering this man? I leave you for five minutes to check out the snack table—“

Yin Yu had to look up to meet the newcomer’s eyes. A tall woman wearing all black stalked towards them. A pattern of waves adorned her mask, and gold earrings dangled from her ears. Her nails almost looked like long talons as she plucked something from her plate and threw it into her mouth. 

“Not bothering… encouraging!” Qingxuan laughed again. 

“Sorry about her. They’re drunk.” 

“He-Xiong! I am not!”

“How about a deal? You come with me and get more snacks, and I’ll dance with you after?”

Qingxuan faked a pout but agreed, holding out an elbow for He-Xiong to take. “Good luck with your prince…” they whispered in a sing song voice as they left. 

“He’s not—“ 

They were gone. 

Yin Yu sighed in relief, leaning back against the pillar. He had escaped unscathed and could go back to his observations of… where was the prince? In the minute he had been talking to Qingxuan, Quan Yizhen had seemingly disappeared from the dais. He scanned the room to no avail. Had he left? 

Yin Yu turned as a disturbance in the air stirred his hair and was suddenly looking down into a pair of bright chestnut eyes. 

Quan Yizhen held out a hand. “May I have this dance?”

Chapter Text

Yin Yu felt like his breath was stolen from him. Quan Yizhen was here, and so close to him, holding out his hand to him. He should really decline.

“Yes.”

Wait, no! That is not what I meant to say.

He placed his hand on Quan Yizhen’s outstretched one. Quan Yizhen smiled, and it was like feeling the warmth of the sun after being stuck inside for days. He was led onto the dance floor. 

It felt like everyone was staring at him. They most definitely were, seeing as the prince had ignored all of his prospects for the past several hours, only to pick a random stranger from the crowd as his dance partner instead. A few in line gaped at him, and Yin Yu shrugged at them. What remained of the line disbanded at that. As the music faded into the next song, there was suddenly an arm around his waist. The touch felt like electricity radiating across his back. He gently placed his hand on Quan Yizhen’s shoulder. With a step forward, they were suddenly gliding across the floor.

The comforting warmth in his hand was almost enough to negate the panic he felt at the possibility of discovery. He sank into the memory of dance steps that he thought he had long forgotten. Thankfully, he had managed to avoid stomping on Yizhen’s toes so far. Quan Yizhen’s dancing had improved over the years, his movements sure and steady, and so Yin Yu was happy to let him lead the dance while his mind wandered.

 He scanned Quan Yizhen’s face, trying to memorize every detail. It had been so long. A few freckles peeked out from behind the edges of the mask. A single curl had escaped from where it was trapped in the ponytail and dangled in front of his forehead. Yizhen’s mouth was slightly downturned, his eyes intent. On anyone else, that expression would probably be seen as angry, but Yin Yu knew that face just meant Yizhen was focusing very hard. It was kind of adorable. He wished that the golden mask wasn’t blocking so much of his expression. His eyes trailed down towards his chin, where the scar stretched up across his cheek. The skin puckered just slightly around its edges. It was such an old wound at this point, but it still made Yin Yu just want to cup the prince’s face in his hands and tell him it would be better soon.

Now that he was closer, Yin Yu risked another glance at the prince’s ears. His brow furrowed. He really was still wearing those cheap festival earrings Yin Yu had given him all those years ago. He was honestly surprised they hadn’t broken yet with all the fights Quan Yizhen got into. 

Why, though?

Before he even knew it, the song had ended, and another started. Quan Yizhen let go of him for a second to lead him into a twirl, the purples and blacks of his robes rippling around him. A small laugh escaped from his throat at the motion. It felt like he was floating. 

—.—..—.—

Ever since that first banquet, Quan Yizhen had always insisted on having a dance with his shixiong. He would refuse to dance with anyone else he was asked to until he had, and even then, it was a stretch. 

The king would always laugh and apologize to his guests, saying ‘Kids, am I right? He’s not used to socializing with other kids his age besides Yin Yu.” 

Then, Yin Yu would get his dance with Quan Yizhen. He had always acted like he was embarrassed by the ordeal, but truly he looked forward to it. Quan Yizhen was a bit too overexcitable and often got ahead of himself and stepped on Yin Yu’s toes, but the sight of that bright smile was worth it. He would give Quan Yizhen a twirl, which would never fail to send him into a fit of laughter, and whenever the song would end, the prince would beg, “One more?”

Even back then, he had never been able to say no to his prince. 

—.—..—.—

The music was winding down once again when Yin Yu felt a tap on his shoulder. A man with a long brown ponytail smiled charmingly at him. 

“May I cut in?”

“... Um, I—”

Quan Yizhen spun them around so that he was facing the man. “He is my partner. We are dancing right now.”

“Yeah, for the last five songs in a row. He can dance with someone else if he wants.”

Had it really been that long already?

Quan Yizhen narrowed his eyes at the man before shifting his gaze to Yin Yu, as if trying to gauge his reaction through the mask. Yin Yu could feel his face heating up. 

“I… want to stay here,” he said.

Quan Yizhen looked surprised for a moment before smiling again. The man rolled his eyes and walked away. The lights twinkled overhead, and everything seemed perfect. Yin Yu wished it could stay like this forever.

Chapter Text

Quan Yizhen said something, but it was too loud to hear over the din of the music. 

“What?” Yin Yu asked.

Quan Yizhen leaned in closer.

“What is your name?”

Yin Yu hummed, feeling that ‘Waning Moon Officer’ wasn’t a great title to use as a name. What was great, though, was that Quan Yizhen seemed to have been fooled by his disguise. He wouldn’t have to worry too much about what he said.

He deflected, “Dianxia Qi Ying, whyever would you invite a total stranger to dance with you? Don’t you know that could be dangerous?”

“It’s not dangerous. I could easily fight back.”

Yin Yu laughed. It was just so perfectly him.

“Why, then?”

“You’re beautiful.” The laugh died in Yin Yu’s throat as Yizhen continued. “I saw you across the room, and I just had to have you for a dance. I’m glad you agreed.”

Yizhen was staring at him again, so intently that Yin Yu’s throat felt dry when he tried to respond. Me? Beautiful? Heat crawled up his neck and coated his face. He was suddenly even more thankful for the mask, if only to hide how red his face was. It was so hot in here…

 He raised his hand to poke at the side of his face, but his finger only hit the hard ceramic of his mask. He fanned the air instead.

“Um, I think I need some air. It’s a bit stuffy here.”

He started to pull away, planning to run from the room, but Quan Yizhen simply adjusted his hold so that Yin Yu’s hand rested on his elbow. 

“I agree. Let’s go,” he said, and escorted him outside. 

They emerged at the entrance of the palace gardens. They were just as beautiful as he remembered. A shining moon hung in the sky above them, so full and bright that it almost felt like day. Yin Yu took a deep breath of the cool night air and stepped forward to lean on the balcony’s railing as he always had.

“I like your flowers.”

Yin Yu tilted his head. “What flowers?”

Quan Yizhen pointed at his back, and Yin Yu turned to look. Tucked all along the length of his braid were flowers of various sizes, some pure white while others had petals so delicate that they were almost translucent. Yin Yu’s face was aflame all over again.

“Dianxia…” he cursed under his breath. 

When had he put those there? They weren’t there when he had checked his appearance in the mirror. 

“Me?” Quan Yizhen asked, a curious lilt to his throne.

“No, not you.”

“Do you know a lot of other princes, then?” Yizhen asked.

“Yes. Wait, no. Ugh, it’s complicated. Don’t ask.”

“Do you want to see the other flowers, then?” 

“Sure,” Yin Yu smoothed down his hair where he had been musing it in his panic.

Quan Yizhen grabbed his hand and hurried down the stairs, dragging a breathless Yin Yu behind him.

—.—..—.—

Quan Yizhen led Yin Yu across the gardens, showing him all his favorite spots. Sometimes Yin Yu would chuckle in that adorable way he always did. Quan Yizhen wasn’t really sure what he did to make him laugh but was happy regardless. He hadn’t heard that laugh in a long time, even before the banishment. 

A pale hand reached out to gently poke a flower petal. The flower nodded slightly at its touch. Then he shifted his reach to a next bush over, one full of vibrant blooms. Gently, he pulled one from its stem and stood, returning to his side. He tucked the flower behind Quan Yizhen’s ear, fingers brushing his hair lightly.

“There. Now we both have flowers in our hair, and I won’t look silly.”

Yin Yu most definitely thought Quan Yizhen did not recognize him.

How could he not recognize him, though? He was just as lovely, just as kind as he remembered. His dance steps were still the footwork of a swordsman. He was still so easily flustered, and if Yin Yu was still treating him like this, that must mean that he didn’t hate him, right? There had to be more to what happened. Quan Yizhen wanted nothing more than to see his face where the mask obstructed it.

He heard the faint steps of a guard around the corner of a hedge, approaching. 

“Do you want to see my favorite spot?”

Yin Yu nodded, and so he led him in the opposite direction of the footsteps. As they walked, Quan Yizhen slowly laced his fingers with Yin Yu’s. His hands were warm in the cold air. There was a sharp intake of breath from Yin Yu’s direction, but he didn’t pull away, so Quan Yizhen acted as if he had not heard. 

“You must’ve traveled a long way to get here tonight.”

“Oh, it wasn’t too bad. Only took an hour or so,” Yin Yu said absently as he stopped slightly to trail his fingers along the surface of the water in the fountain. 

So close?

“What do you do when you’re not hanging out with these other princes?”

“Yizhen, I told you there weren’t ‘other princes.'” Yin Yu chuckled again. “I mostly just spend my time at work, anyways.”

Quan Yizhen looked at him expectantly, wondering what kind of work he did. Yin Yu seemed to understand what that look meant without him having to ask, and continued, “I just work as an officer… assistant… advisor? — I’m honestly not sure what title applies to my position at this point— to a… wealthy investor in my area.” 

Yin Yu answered haltingly, as if he wasn’t sure how to refer to his employer. 

“Here we are,” Quan Yizhen said as they arrived at the back of the gardens. Hidden behind the bushes was a small grove of sunflowers, interspersed with smaller meadow flowers. To the side, there was a stone bench with a young maple tree. A few leaves had drifted down to rest upon it. Quan Yizhen sat down. Yin Yu brushed a leaf off his half of the bench before following. 

“So, why is this your favorite spot?”

“It feels like I’m outside.”

“The whole garden is outside.”

“Outside the palace walls. I don’t like the castle.”

“Then why do you stay?”

Quan Yizhen shrugged, but the mask was still staring at him expectantly, almost looking slightly annoyed at his lackadaisical attitude about the topic. So, he continued.  

“Someone once told me, that if you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity to help people, that you should take advantage of it. There wasn’t really any other option I could have taken when you think about it.”

Who knows how long they sat there talking about everything and nothing. Yin Yu hadn’t noticed the maple leaf stuck in his hair.

“Do you… have any regrets?”

Yin Yu leaned back, bracing his arms on the bench behind him. His sleeves pooled on the stone. “So many.”

“What about tonight?”

“No. I don’t think I’ve smiled this much in years.”

Yin Yu sat back up, hand just barely stopping short of touching the side of Quan Yizhen’s face. “Why do you have these old earrings on? They don’t seem to quite match up with the rest of your ensemble.” 

The corner of Quan Yizhen’s mouth quirked up slightly. “I never take them off.” 

“Really?”

“They remind me of someone very important to me.”

In the distance, a clock chimed midnight, bell tolling across the castle grounds. Quan Yizhen leaned forward, hand out as if to inspect the silver earrings shining against the black of Yin Yu’s hair, before quickly shifting direction to slip the mask up off of his face.

It really was Yin Yu, pale face quickly reddening under his gaze. His eyes were wide, lined with black that came to perfect points at the corners. A single piece of hair hung over his face, swept to the side and tucked behind his ear. His lips were parted as if he wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words. 

Then, without any warning, Yin Yu bolted.

Chapter Text

Blood rushed in Yin Yu’s ears as he ran. 

Why had he let him take off the mask? He should have run sooner. Oh god, he was going to get arrested and banished again. Can you even get banished twice?

Quan Yizhen’s boots pounded on the stones behind him. He needed to go faster. He needed to lose him.

“Wait!” Quan Yizhen called.

Yin Yu ran back through the doors of the ballroom, slipping through the crowd. He looked behind him. Quan Yizhen had been ambushed by a crowd of the people who had been in line to meet him when he left. If he could just get to the front doors without being spotted, he—

He ran into someone.

“Oh, hi! It’s you again!” Shi Qingxuan said, much too loudly.

The woman in black glared down at him. Yin Yu put a finger to his lips. Shi Qingxuan didn’t seem to care as they continued, “See, I told you I’d help you get a dance with the prince! Good on you, though. You got him for almost the whole night!”

Quan Yizhen looked up in their direction.

“Gotta go!” Yin Yu said, hurrying towards the door.

“Wait, Shixiong! Stop running!” 

Why did he have to call him that here? Yin Yu ran faster.

The king rose from his seat at the top of the hall at Quan Yizhen’s words. His eyes followed Yizhen’s gaze and landed on the fleeing Yin Yu. Yin Yu reached to pull his mask over his face, only to remember that it was gone. He had abandoned it in Yizhen’s hands when he left.

“Guards!” the king called. “Close the gates; there’s an intruder in the castle!”

Alarm bells were going off in Yin Yu’s mind. Wait, no. There were actual, physical alarm bells going off. 

Yin Yu took the steps three at a time, burst out of the front doors and tore off towards the gates, braid flying out behind him.

There was a good fifteen-second pause before he heard Feng Xin yell, “Stop!”

What were they doing that they were paying that little attention to the door? Whatever it was, it worked out for Yin Yu’s sake. 

Halfway down the drive, the gates slammed shut. Yin Yu immediately turned west back into the gardens. Ghost City was east, but this way, even if someone saw him leaving, they wouldn’t know where he was actually going. 

He slowed to a jog as he looked for a good place to climb the wall. The watchtowers were closer together than he remembered. Two sets of footsteps were approaching fast. Yin Yu dove into a bush, crouching down to better hide in the shadows. Thank goodness he had worn black.

Two pairs of boots stomped by. 

“See! I told you that guy was suspicious! ‘Waning Moon Officer’ What kind of name is that? If you had just let me do my job—”

“Well, if you hadn’t distracted me, we could’ve caught him when he ran out the front doors, but you don’t see me blaming you for that!”

“You literally just did!”

“Only because you blamed me first!”

“If those two hadn’t gotten me riled up before—”

Their voices faded as they rounded the corner.

Yin Yu sighed a breath of relief, standing and brushing the leaves from his clothes. Luckily, he had worn sensible shoes to this ball. It would have been a nightmare to lose one of his boots while he was running. 

He stepped forward, only to be yanked back by the shoulder. His sleeve was caught… Seriously?

He tried to untangle the fabric, but the barbs on the branches of the bush were latched on tight.

“Shixiong!” a voice called from far away.

“Shixiong, please come back! I’m sorry for taking your mask!” the voice said, a bit closer.

Yin Yu cursed. He couldn’t get caught here. “Sorry, Dianxia,” he muttered, tearing the sleeve to free himself. 

He made his way to the wall. If climbing wouldn’t work… he reached into his other sleeve, grabbing a rather useful item he had noticed earlier. He had no idea why Chengzhu had packed the Crescent Earth Master Shovel in his qiankun sleeves, but he was thankful regardless. They had acquired the shovel years ago in order to help Dianxia escape from… well it was a very long and convoluted story. Yin Yu didn’t have time to sort through the whole thing right now. Making quick work of it, Yin Yu dug directly through the wall. The hole closed behind him, taking with it the sound of alarms and shouting and footsteps. 

He had made it.

It was going to be a long walk home. Yin Yu picked up his shovel again and headed east.

Yin Yu collapsed onto the bed as the sun rose. His feet were throbbing, and his eyes hurt. He didn’t even bother taking off the robe, falling immediately into a restless sleep. 

—.—..—.—

Yin Yu sat out on the front steps of the manor the next morning. Birdsong danced in the air. The warmth on his face was grounding.

Xie Lian sat down next to him. Yin Yu could feel Hua Cheng’s questioning stare on the back of his neck from where he was standing at the door. Yin Yu plucked one of the remaining flowers from his hair and twirled it between his fingers.

“So, Yin Yu, did you enjoy the ball?”

“It was fine…”

The warmth of fingers intertwined. The feeling of robes rippling around his legs as he spun. Looking down into eyes the color of finely polished mahogany. 

Xie Lian raised his eyebrows. “Fine? It certainly looked like you were doing more than fine dancing with the prince for hours.” 

Yin Yu sighed, “Yeah, that part was… Wait? How did you know I danced with him?”

“Oh. We were there.”

Yin Yu’s face reddened.

“For how long?”

“We got there about ten minutes after you.”

Yin Yu shoved his face into his hands.

“Then you should know it didn’t end fine— I ran away like a coward the second he saw my face!”

Xie Lian’s eyes widened. “You ran away?!”

“What do you mean ‘I ran away?’ The whole ballroom saw me! It was awful.”

Xie Lian looked guiltily off to the side. “They did?”

“Yes! The king called the guards on me— there were alarms going off and everything! How could you not notice?”

“I was distracted… by things…”

“I’m things,” Hua Cheng offered.

Xie Lian whipped around, face blazing. “San Lang!”

Hua Cheng just laughed.

With a hand to his forehead, Xie Lian turned back to him. “Why did you run? It seemed like it was going well.”

“Because he hates me, Dianxia. How could he not hate me?”

“He wouldn’t have danced with you like that if he hates you.”

“Yeah, but he didn’t know it was me when we were dancing.”

“Didn’t he, though? You told me yourself that Dianxia Qi Ying hates dancing with strangers. Why would he approach you if he didn’t recognize you?”

You’re beautiful. Warmth spread in Yin Yu’s chest. 

He argued. “It’s been a long time; he’s probably grown out of that.”

“Let’s put it this way,” Hua Cheng stepped forward. “If you didn’t want Quan Yizhen to know it was you, why did you agree to a dance with him?”

“He surprised me. I panicked,” Yin Yu reasoned.

Hua Cheng leveled an unimpressed look at him. “And a walk in the gardens?”

“Well, you can’t say no to the prince, can you?”

“Yin Yu…” Hua Cheng groaned. “Just tell me, why did you go to the ball in the first place if you didn’t want to see him?”

“I did want to see him. I don’t know why.” Yin Yu ran a hand through his hair to pull it from in front of his eyes.

“I think you do,” Xie Lian said softly, eyes filled with understanding.

Quan Yizhen’s bright face flashed across his mind, bringing with it those familiar feelings of jealousy and longing intertwined. He was just so perfect, much better than he could ever hope to  be. It made him so angry sometimes, but he also loved him for it.

No. No, I don’t.

I can’t be in love with Yizhen. He ruined my life.

And I nearly got him killed… I don’t deserve him…

“I… need some time to think.”

Chapter Text

Everything was fine.

Yin Yu would be fine. He had done it before; he could do it again. He had remained in Ghost City unnoticed for a decade. If Quan Yizhen had been able to find him here, he would have done it already. So, Yin Yu would just go about his days as usual, and eventually, he would stop thinking about the prince’s beautiful face and the way his heart fluttered whenever he spoke. Yizhen would move on, and Yin Yu wouldn’t be there to pull him down again.

Even so, Yin Yu found himself reaching under his mattress to pull out an old, tarnished key. He turned it over in his hand, feeling its cool surface on his fingers until it reached equilibrium with his skin. Yin Yu sat down on his bed with the locked box from his bookshelf in his lap. He slotted the key into place and let the hinged lid fall open. 

Inside were a collection of seemingly random objects. Scraps of colorful fabric, festival tickets, golden coins, and pressed flower petals (now that he looked at them again, one was a sunflower) just to name a few. They were all gifts from Quan Yizhen. He was a bit like a magpie in that way. Or maybe Yin Yu was, given that he had kept all of them hidden in a treasure chest for all this time. 

At the center of it all was a necklace— a simple black leather cord and wire wrapped around a small, shining piece of obsidian. It was Quan Yizhen’s first birthday gift to Yin Yu.

—.—..—.—

“Happy Birthday, Shixiong!” Quan Yizhen said, holding out a little box.

“Oh! Thank you, but you really didn’t have to get me anything.” 

Yin Yu was surprised that he had remembered. The boy had asked when his birthday was when they were walking home from the festival a few months prior. 

“Shixiong got me a present for my birthday, so I wanted to get one for you, too!”

He was actually wearing Yin Yu’s gift right now and had taken good care of them for such a rambunctious kid. 

Yin Yu took the box from the prince’s hands, sitting to open it. Inside was a shiny, pure black stone, worn smooth by time. There was something about it that looked so captivating, like the darkness could swallow you whole. The light reflected off its edge like a mirror.

“I saw it in the stream, and it made me think of your eyes! The king said it was obsidian.”

Yin Yu’s face crinkled into a smile. 

“What do you think?” Yizhen asked, looking a bit unsure. 

“It’s wonderful, Yizhen. So lovely, in fact…”

Yin Yu walked over to his work desk and grabbed a piece of fine wire, wrapping the stone securely in it. He threaded the wire onto a leather cord that he was going to use to repair one of his bags.

“... that I want to keep it with me all the time.”

Quan Yizhen’s eyes were wide as Yin Yu tied the necklace around his own neck. 

“Thank you.”

When Jian Yu saw the necklace later that day, he scoffed. 

“He’s a prince, and all he got you for a present was a rock he found on the ground. Pathetic.”

Yin Yu didn’t even listen to what he started rambling about as he rolled the stone between his fingers, studying the way it shone in the light. 

Did the prince really think his eyes were this pretty?

—.—..—.—

Yin Yu had worn that necklace for years on end, keeping it hidden under his robes. He rarely took it off unless it was a formal occasion. After his banishment, though, it had hurt too much to look at. He hadn’t opened the box since. Now, though, looking through its contents no longer had the same stabbing sting to it. Instead, there was a tingling warmth to the memories.

The necklace twinkled at him temptingly. Yin Yu pulled the old cord over his neck, letting the stone rest against his chest. Finally, it was back where it belonged.

—.—..—.—

Days passed in a blur as Yin Yu desperately tried to make things go back to normal. He couldn’t find it in himself to regret going to the ball. It had given him closure. At the same time, though, it had just reopened all of his wounds. He longed for the past, for the time and relationships he had lost, for the life that he always thought he would have. Self-hatred clawed at his chest when he thought of the way Yizhen had looked at him. He didn’t deserve the admiration in that gaze.

“Good work getting your stall cleaned up. Sorry it’s been a bit longer than a week. Some things came up.” Yin Yu took a note of the incident on his charts before tucking it back in his bag. 

The soup salesman began a long rambling thank-you speech, going on about how much he appreciated Yin Yu’s patience when someone behind him said, “…Have you seen him?”

The voice was Quan Yizhen’s. He stole a glance behind him to see the prince standing at the other side of the wide aisle, talking to one of the other vendors. He was clutching a piece of cloth in his hand. 

Yin Yu jumped into action, diving over the table of the soup stall and under the counter. 

“What are you doing, Officer Yin Yu?”

“If you’re really that thankful, then don’t let that guy know I’m in here!”

“Of course, Sir.”

A few seconds later, Quan Yizhen’s voice was just a couple feet away.

“Have you seen someone wearing these robes?”

“That’s not a robe,” the salesman evaded the question. 

Yin Yu could hear the irritation in Quan Yizhen’s tone as he said, “It’s a piece of the robe.”

“Ah, I see… Nope. Never seen that robe before then.”

“Okay, well have you seen someone about this tall?” Yizhen held up a hand. “He’s got long, pretty black hair, and a mole by his eye. His name is Yin Yu. I really need to find him.”

Yin Yu could feel the sweat dripping down his face. He was so close. If Yin Yu reached through the fabric of the stall, he could probably grab the prince’s ankle. The salesman’s eyes darted to him for just half a second before he said, “… no.”

Yizhen left without a word. 

Chapter Text

As soon as the prince was gone, Yin Yu exited the stall and carefully made his way back to Paradise Manor. 

Xie Lian was cooking something again. It wasn’t burnt this time, but still didn’t smell quite right. So, Yin Yu went up to his quarters to file the paperwork from his patrol that day. There were several incident reports: a burglary attempt at the fruit stand by a small boy with bandages over his face, a man in green nearly started a riot in the street by shouting insults about Dianxia (Hua Cheng would not be happy about that), one stall had tried to scam visitors by selling counterfeit brocade robes, and his follow-up with the soup salesman. He added a note to check on him again in a couple months and make sure he had held up his end of the deal. 

There was a loud knock from the front doors. 

“I’ll get it!” Xie Lian called cheerily. 

Yin Yu set down his brush, wiping the ink from its bristles, and made his way down the stairs. 

“Dianxia, I told you that you don’t have to answer the door all the time. I can do it.”

Standing in the doorway was the prince. He was looking down at Xie Lian with pleading eyes, holding out that scrap of Yin Yu’s sleeve. 

“Have you seen hi—“

He looked up. “—Shixiong?”

Yin Yu felt like jumping out the window and running as fast as he could, but at the same time his feet felt glued to the floor like he had stepped in a mousetrap. 

“Oh, so this is Prince Quan Yizhen. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Shixiong talks about me?” Quan Yizhen was momentarily distracted. 

“Of course.” Xie Lian smiled sweetly at him. 

Quan Yizhen took note of the white flower tucked behind Xie Lian’s ear, noticing its similarity to the ones Yin Yu cursed at during the ball. 

“That’s a nice flower.”

“Oh! Thank you!” Xie Lian brushed a finger against the petals. “My husband grows them for me. He knows they’re my favorites.” 

Quan Yizhen’s expression relaxed at the word husband. Xie Lian flashed a smile at Yin Yu as if to say, He seems sweet. Good pick. 

Yin Yu’s face went crimson again, almost outdoing Chengzhu’s robes. 

“Yizhen…” he choked out. “What a surprise to see you here. Why… are you here exactly?” 

“You left your mask.” Quan Yizhen stepped over the threshold to hold out the silver mask to him. Yin Yu reached out to grab it. 

Running a thumb across its cold surface, he said, “Thanks… well, mask delivered. If there wasn’t anything else, I’ll be—“

“Would you like to come in? You must be tired after such a long trip.”

Yin Yu stopped in his tracks again to gape at Xie Lian, who smiled coyly at him. 

Quan Yizhen nodded and bounded inside at Xie Lian’s beckoning. 

“Shixiong, I—”

Yin Yu retreated up the stairs. 

“Give me just a minute. I need to… put the mask away, yep!”

Before he could even make it to his room, he heard Yizhen ask, “What’s that?”

“You caught me right in the middle of making dinner. I just set down the tray on my way to the door. Would you like to join us for—”

It was like Yin Yu could sense it before it even happened, but just too late to be able to stop it. Right as he turned around, he saw Quan Yizhen snatch a … cookie?… dumpling?… mantou?… thing? from the tray Xie Lian was holding and promptly put it in his mouth.

“Wait,” he started.

Quan Yizhen’s eyes widened, then his face went white, and he promptly collapsed into a heap on the floor. Yin Yu ran back down the stairs. 

“Oh my god, you poisoned him.” He knelt down and took the prince’s pulse, letting out a relieved breath when it seemed normal. He propped up Yizhen’s head on his lap. “I’m an accomplice now; they’re going to try me for attempting to murder the prince a second time. I’m going to get banished three times. This is a disaster.” He turned to Xie Lian. “What in the world did you give him?”

“In my defense, I did not give it to him. He took it. Besides, it was just a meatball. I don’t see why he reacted like this.”

Yin Yu looked at the tray again. That was most certainly not a meatball. 

“Weren’t you making soup before?”

Xie Lian looked away, whistling.

Yin Yu stroked at the prince’s hair for a moment, looking down at him. He had dark circles under his eyes. 

A few minutes later, Quan Yizhen blinked, face still looking slightly green. “Shixiong?”

“I’m here.”

“Shixiong, why do you keep poison in your house?”

Yin Yu laughed. “Sorry, Yizhen. Though, that wasn’t poison (I don’t think). Are you feeling alright?”

Quan Yizhen groaned, “No.”

“Maybe you should take him out to get some air.” Xie Lian winked at him.

Did he do this on purpose? Any time I think he’s the normal one in the relationship…

“Dianxia, I have work I need to—”

“You can have the rest of the day off. I’m sure San Lang won’t mind.”

“Okay, then,” Yin Yu relented.

Yin Yu helped Quan Yizhen to his feet. He still looked a bit sick, but he was smiling up at him again. Yin Yu got him some water. 

“I’m sorry, Dianxia Qi Ying,” Xie Lian said. “I had no idea—”

Hua Cheng swept into the room, landing a soft kiss on Xie Lian’s forehead. Quan Yizhen watched with a look of utter horror on his face as Hua Cheng took one of the strange meatballs off of Xie Lian’s tray and popped it into his mouth. 

Hua Cheng hummed and said, “Good work, Gege. Maybe add a bit of ginger to the next batch?”

“Oh, good idea!”

Yin Yu decided to lead Quan Yizhen outside before he could say anything Hua Cheng would make him regret. 

The sun was starting to set as they walked.

“Shixiong, your necklace…”

Yin Yu had forgotten he was wearing it. He unconsciously put a hand up to cover it for a moment.

“So, Yizhen, was there anything else you came for besides bringing back my mask?”

“I came for Shixiong.”

“Oh?” 

Yizhen nodded. “It took me so long to find you. No one could figure out how you escaped the palace grounds.”

Why would he spend so long looking? He wasn’t worth it.

The end of Yin Yu’s braid skimmed the top of a bush as they passed.

“Shixiong’s hair is so long now.”

“I decided to grow it out after I left the palace. Thought it would help me to not be recognized. I should probably cut it, to be honest.”

“But it's so pretty like this,” Quan Yizhen said quietly.

“... I probably won’t though. I kind of like it long.”

Quan Yizhen gave him a lopsided smile before his attention was stolen by the ruckus of the marketplace.

Lanterns swung on lines above their heads in preparation for the Mid Autumn festival, warm light washing over them. As they walked, unsure of what to speak about, various residents of the city waved at Yin Yu, calling out to him familiarly. It seemed that the ‘Waning Moon Officer’ title had started to catch on from whoever had served as his footman the night of the ball.

“You seem popular. Were you here the whole time?”

“Not at first… I wandered around for quite a while in the beginning. It was pretty horrible. Sometimes, when I tried to find work, people found out who I was and extorted me. I had to work for a pittance just to keep them from turning me in to the guards. Chengzhu eventually found me one day, said he didn’t care about my past as long as I did good work. I’ve been working here in Ghost City ever since. It’s… nice here.”

Quan Yizhen listened patiently, though his thoughts seemed to be somewhat far away.

Yin Yu changed the subject. “How about we get some food that’s actually edible?”

Why was he inviting him to get dinner? He needed to tell him to leave.

Quan Yizhen nodded, and Yin Yu led him to one of his favorite stalls. The vendor never gave him any trouble during inspections. He ordered two bowls of soup, thanking the woman at the counter. After receiving the steaming bowls of noodles, he handed one to Quan Yizhen and sat down on a nearby low stone wall. The sun was now fully set, a sliver of the waning moon hanging above them in the sky.

Quan Yizhen sat next to him, a hand on the wall between them, just shy of brushing Yin Yu’s leg. He was silent, eyes boring into Yin Yu with something desperate in them. It was like his life depended on it, like he was afraid Yin Yu would disappear if he looked away for a second. It felt so familiar. It was something he had missed dearly for so long, that gaze that made it feel like he was Yizhen’s whole world. At the same time, he did not feel worthy of that reverence, the guilt blooming in his chest all over again at the memory of Yizhen lying in that cot.

Yin Yu looked away, shoveling some noodles into his mouth like he was starving as an excuse, but only succeeding in scalding his tongue. With that failure, he set down the bowl to cool and started rambling about his day, about all of the disasters at work recently, about the flowers in the garden that just wouldn’t bloom no matter what he did… anything to avoid saying what he actually wanted to say.

Then Quan Yizhen set down his bowl and said, “Why?”

Chapter Text

“Why what?” Yin Yu asked. 

“Why did you leave?” Quan Yizhen asked again, brows knitted. He had to ask, even if the words of all those people over the years made him terrified that the answer would be that Yin Yu hated him, resented him, didn’t ever want to see him again. 

“Yizhen, I got banished.”

Quan Yizhen shook his head. “No, not back then. Why did you leave me at the ball? Do you really not want to see me again?”

“I left because the guards would arrest me the second they saw my face— because I’m banished!” Yin Yu said, clearly deflecting. 

“No, they wouldn’t; I wouldn’t let them.”

“You can’t fight off every guard in the castle.”

“Try me.” Quan Yizhen leaned forward. “I would do anything for Shixiong.”

“But why?” Yin Yu said, incredulous. 

Quan Yizhen decided to respond with another question. He reached out, taking hold of the stone around Yin Yu’s neck. He had thought it had been lost when he couldn’t find it in Yin Yu’s old chambers. He would have never thought that it could still be around Shixiong's neck the whole time. There was a warmth burning in his ribs at the thought.

“Why did you keep my necklace?” 

Yin Yu’s face went from pale to scarlet in an instant. It was cute. 

“It’s… very important to me,” Yin Yu whispered.

“Am I important to you, Shixiong?”

Slowly, Yin Yu nodded.

Quan Yizhen beamed.

Yin Yu abruptly leaned forward, bringing a hand to touch Quan Yizhen’s  right cheek. “I’m so sorry, Yizhen, that I got you hurt. I never had the chance to apologize before.”

“It’s okay.” Quan Yizhen shrugged. He was so happy at Yin Yu’s answer that he didn’t really care about the past at the moment.

“It’s not okay!” Yin Yu took his face in both hands now. “Do you not understand? I resented you! My actions nearly got you killed! If I hadn’t been so caught up in my own insecurities and failings, then—”

“... But I’m better now. I forgave you a long time ago, and we don’t have to be apart anymore.”

Yin Yu pulled back, averting his gaze. “How can you not care about this? Yizhen, you deserve to hang around with good people, not me.”

“Shixiong is good.” 

“I’m really not the person you think I am.”

Quan Yizhen frowned. How could he not see it? 

Yin Yu had always been the best person he had ever known. He was the first person to show him any kindness, and yet he believes he cannot be good? He made a mistake, a major one, but did that negate all of the good he had done before, and all of his attempts afterwards? No, there is no way to wipe the slate clean, but why can’t something new be drawn atop it?

Yin Yu seemed to take his silence as confirmation and continued, “You should just go spend time with some of those people from the ball. You don’t need me holding you down; you literally have people lining up to marry you.”

“But I don’t love them; I love you.”

“What?” Yin Yu blinked.

Quan Yizhen was surprised. Did he really not know? He really thought he had been clear about how he felt.

“It’s always been you, Shixiong. I’ve never loved anyone else the way that I love you. You’re amazing, talented, beautiful, and so kind. How could it ever be anyone else?”

“But, I’m not… but you…but the king—”

“Who cares about the king? I’d abandon the throne right now if it meant I could stay here with you!”

“Yizhen… I…”

“Even if you don’t feel the same way, I’d be happy just to be here with you.”

“I can’t let you throw everything away for me.”

“It wouldn’t be throwing it away. I would count it all as a fair trade if it was for you.” 

Yin Yu was staring at him now, eyes wide. He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear.

“Shixiong, do you…”

Yin Yu opened his mouth as if to respond, but no words came out. So, instead, Yin Yu shifted forward and brushed a light kiss to Quan Yizhen’s lips. 

“I do,” he whispered, breath tickling Quan Yizhen’s cheek.

A second later, Quan Yizhen had thrown his arms around Yin Yu, returning the kiss. In the morning, they could deal with all of the ramifications of their confessions, but for tonight, they were just content to simply be in each other's presence.

Two soup bowls were left forgotten, sitting on the wall beneath the waning moon as their owners made up for years of misunderstandings and misplaced heartache.