The call disconnects.

Color drains from Xian's face. "Shijie is in trouble. We need to go there now!"

XiChen nods, and Xian creates the magic portal again. The brothers step through it and find themselves in Mianmian's room.

XiChen immediately throws blue sparks at the young girl, Mianmian, and Jiang Cheng. Both fall asleep.

The bothers rush to Yanli, who is in bed. Her body is cold, and beads of sweat are dripping down her temple. She looks to be in extreme pain. Her body is trembling slightly.

XiChen puts a hand on her forehead, "Mother... " he whispers gently. Yanli's body calms down. 

"Mother... " the older Jade whispers again, and closes his eyes. Slowly, color returns to Yanli's face, and a few moments after that, she opens her eyes.

XiChen is the first person she sees. She gasps. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears; she pulls the older man in her arms, "A Chen!" She whispers, holding XiChen tighter. XiChen returns the embrace, "Mother, I missed you!" he says, in a choked voice. 

Xian's eyes widen in surprise.

Yanli let's go of the older boy and cups his face, "You did it, son."

XiChen nods, "I killed him, mother. I fulfilled the promise I made to you." he replies, tears running down his face.

Xian clears his throat.

"A Xian!" Yanli smiles and embraces Xian. She lets go of both the men and looks between them. "I guess the Xiao blood protected your magic." She says, looking at XiChen.

XiChen nods, "Yao didn't know that the Xiao magic activates when we turn nineteen. When he bound himself to me, I had just turned nineteen. He didn't know that I had magic with me all along. I tried to kill him many times over, but nothing hurt him. He healed. He kept healing." The older man recollects, shaking his head. 

He takes a deep breath, "It was then that I realized that the only way to end him was to fulfill the prophecy. Mother, it was as you had said, it was Xian."

Xian looks at the two unconscious kids in the room. "What should we tell them?"

"I am fine now. No one should know about your magic. Clear their memories. I will make some excuse and come home." Yanli suggests.

Xian opens the portal, and XiChen wipes the kids' memories before leaving Mianmian's room.

A half-hour or so later, Yanli joins the brothers at her home. The three talk of old days in Jade Palace and of the time Yanli had taken birth as Xi Xi. She fills XiChen on how she had raised YiJun, and how powerful Xian's and YiJun's bond was. Yanli remembers how she had given up her power over the wolves and sacrificed her blood, so that Xian would always be able to recall their people and have control over wolves. The three talk and bond for hours.

"No wonder Mr. Lan...Dawn was always so respectful towards me. His wolf must have sensed who I am." Yanli says, looking at Xian with a content smile on her face. 

At the mention of Wangji, Xian remembers something that he had wanted to ask XiChen, "Brother, where did you take Meng Yao's body, and why did you choose Jun to accompany you?"

XiChen smiles, "Meng Yao's body will remain unchanging. As long as it exists, I will be protected too. YiJun and I have locked his body in a storage cell belonging to Lan Pharmaceuticals. I have locked it up with magic too. Human eyes can't even find it." XiChen takes a breath before continuing, "The curse has ended. However, a part of his consciousness remains trapped in his body."

"What!?" Xian and Yanli exclaim simultaneously.

XiChen takes a deep breath and holds Xian's hand, "All is as it should be. Xian, you have to promise me that you will not overreact after I tell you what I am about to."

Xian nods.

XiChen then proceeds to tell him that Wangji was developing a drug that could technically kill him, yet keep him alive so that he could remain next to Xian. Xian remembers Wangji talking to him about it. XiChen informs him that Wangji was planning to take it, since he was feeling like being pulled in two directions. Wangji was feeling guilty; he had decided to tell Xian about how he couldn't be with him because of the promise. But ultimately, he had not been able to take the drug.

Xian's eyes fill with tears when he realizes how conflicted Jun must have felt. After all, life was always harder for those that got left behind.

XiChen continues to tell him the rest of it. He tells Xian how, when Gayo had taken the drug, after being stabbed, his internal wounds had healed, but his heart had stopped. Yet his mind and consciousness were still intact, for that is what the drug did. As Gayo's wounds healed, so did XiChen's, but by then, the bond was already broken. As a consequence, XiChen recovered while Gayo went into a coma sort of state, unchanging for eternity.

"Brother, I saw that Jun was in pain when you were taking him to Ever Night. What had caused that?"

"At the party, the wine you had, served two purposes, it suppressed your scent, and it let me control YiJun for a few hours. So, when he tried to attack Meng Yao, I controlled him. He was never in any danger. I also knew that Meng Yao trusted me, so he left me unsupervised with YiJun. I told him that I was on his side, that he needed to pretend to be under Meng Yao's control, that we needed to hold on till you got to the club. I told YiJun to mark you the first chance he got. But that was because I thought that his mark on you will make both of you more powerful. At that time, I had no idea that it served to fulfil the prophecy as well."

Xian nods. "It was because of your words at the party: The soul remembers everything, that I knew the I had to go to my old body if I wanted to get all the answers."

XiChen nods and continues, "Then I made Meng Yao feed YiJun his blood. As expected, the magic that bound you together, activated when foreign blood entered YiJun. It showed you YiJun's exact location. Mr. Lan was never under Gayo's control: he was acting all along. No one can manipulate Yijun, as long as he has your blood in his system. I flirted with you at the party because I knew that Mr. Lan would not like that; his wolf will try to mark you. Unexpectedly, however, you cut yourself, making sure that Mr. Lan drinks from you." XiChen takes a deep breath; he looks away, a slight blush covering his cheeks. Color rises to Xian's cheeks as well, making XiChen and Yanli smile. Xian nods and lowers his eyes.

"Xian, your Jun has waited enough. We are not going anywhere." She looks outside the open window, "It's almost dusk. Go to him. Don't keep him waiting any longer."

Xian looks at Yanli, asking for permission: permission not just to leave, but to be with his Jun. 

Yanli nods. Her glistening eyes brim with unshed tears. It's a permission and blessing all rolled into one. Xian hugs Yanli one last time, before opening a portal and walking through it.

*****

YiJun knows that Xian wants to be with him as much as he wants to be with Xian. Both have waited, and both have suffered. After finishing everything that can come in his way of spending time with Xian, YiJun goes to his room and sits by the window. He looks at the sun to his heart's content, for it doesn't hurt his eyes anymore. 

He takes the shell locket from around his neck and holds it over his head. A gentle smile adorns his face as the last rays of the sun fall on his face, and the locket. 'It's dusk.' He whispers under his breath and immediately feels Xian's hands around his middle.

"My Jun, I am here," Xian whispers in YiJun's ears, placing a kiss on the nape of the immortal's neck. YiJun turns in his arms and pulls him into a tight embrace. With tears rolling down his face, he pulls Xian flush against himself, "Every dusk I came to you, and every dawn too." 

"I know." Xian nods into YiJun's neck. 

"I told you that I loved you, at ever dusk, and at every dawn."

"I know," Xian whispers, stepping away from YiJun and cupping his face. 

'I kissed you, at every dusk and at every dawn.' YiJun thinks, placing his palms over Xian's.

"I know." Xian smiles.

YiJun's eyes widen slightly, "You can still hear me?"

Xian nods and ties the locket dangling from YiJun's hand, back around the immortal's neck. He tilts his head to a side and bites his lips. He watches as YiJun's pupils dilate and his breath hitches. "Now, I can't." Xian chuckles.

"Mn?" YiJun asks, dragging his eyes back to his soulmate's face. Xian chuckles once more, "My Jun, I know that you cheated on me."

"No..." YiJun shakes his head and tries to step back, but Xian's hand on his nape tightens.

"My Jun... " Xian whispers once more. He pauses and looks into the immortal's eyes, "I want to look at you." He leans closer, close enough for their breaths to mingle, "Let me look at you." Xian orders, unbuttoning YiJun's shirt, backing them towards their bed. 

The back of YiJun's legs hits the bed, just as Xian is done unbuttoning his shirt. With practiced hands, he discards the shirt and folds it neatly and places it on the bed. 

YiJun sits on the bed and watches Xian's every move. 'Everything is the same.' He whispers. Xian hears it. He smiles mischievously and raises his palms; blue sparks appear on it. He throws the sparks towards the door and catches his soulmate's eyes, "Not everything is the same."

"What did you do?" The immortal asks. 

"We have been interrupted way too many times," Xian answers, walking towards YiJun and climbing into his lap like he used to; YiJun doesn't rush him. 

Xian's fingertips run all over YiJun's front, "My Jun, your body has not changed one bit."

YiJun nods.

"Nor has your heart," Xian adds, cupping YiJun's face and bringing their foreheads together. Xian pulls his hands away and gives a light peck on YiJun's lips, "I love you, my Jun."

"I love you too." The immortal says, kissing Xian's fingertips before looking away.

"What's wrong?" Xian asks.

"How much do you remember?" YiJun asks hesitantly.

'He wants to know, so we can start where we left off. Is he scared that I am not ready?' Xian realizes immediately. "Jun, I remember every moment from the first time I saw you while standing behind my mother, holding her dress, to this very second. I felt your every tear, your every heartbreak. I felt you every dusk and every dawn. I listened to every single thing you said to me when I was asleep, and I remember it. I remember when you lost hope. I remember how much it hurt you to lose me the second time. I felt your pain; you were never alone, my Jun. I was always with you. And when I was finally born, I felt like a part of me was always missing. I felt hopeful every day at dawn, and I waited every day at dusk. My Jun, I didn't even know what or who I was waiting for; I thought something was wrong with me when everyone around me started falling in love. I didn't feel anything for anyone. It was only after you came into my world, in my bed, that I felt my heartbeat so fast. Without even knowing you, I kissed you, touched you. And I wanted more. I felt so foolish, yet I knew I would do it again and again. You must have thought of me as shameless..." Xian runs out of breath. He remembers all the things that he had let Wangji do to him, and all the things he had done to Wangji, and his heart starts to pound. His face flushes, and he bits his lips out of embarrassment. 

"Oops!" Xian yelps when YiJun suddenly changes their position. He puts his hand on Xian's lower back and lays him down on the bed. "A Xian..." Wangji lets out a whine; it is desperate and needy. He caresses Xian's jaw and lips, "I can hear you all day long, but you know that your Jun can't handle your teasing!" The immortal says, capturing Xian's lips between his. He nips at Xian's lower lip, breaking the kiss; it makes Xian smile. 

With his eyes glued to Xian's lips, YiJun looms over the young man. His eyes burn with a mix of affection and desire, "What do you want?" The immortal asks, ready to give anything and everything the other demands.

{Note:- Word count 2195

Please Vote for this update if you have enjoyed it. 

Thank you for reading. 

 Have a nice day.}