#if under different circumstances — i say how/long feng would be interesting

[theduckeminence]

Y’all ever think Xin Fu and Master Yu (the two guys who were hired to capture Toph and bring her home) ever explored each other’s bodies?

What about General How and Long Feng? Y’all ever think at one point they explored each other’s bodies too?—

[nglkt-blog]

Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Blossom

Differences between the Drama and the Novel

I had officially ran out of good kdramas to watch during the COVID-19 outbreak and I resorted to ask around for recommendations of good chinese dramas.  

Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Blossom was certainly one of the top recommendations (along with Love 020 which I found horrible btw, Ashes of Love etc)

Now I can officially say this:

I think my drama watching career can be split into two eras:

Before Three Lives Three Worlds Ten Miles of Peach Blossom - how have I been living????

After Three Lives Three Worlds Ten Miles of Peach Blossom - how can I live without it????

I’m so addicted to the drama that I started reading the popular novel. So I wanted to share some of my views on the differences between the drama and the novel.

But first let’s start off with the similarities:

[SPOILER ALERT]

Similarity #1: Drama is very faithful to the novel

Usually a drama adaptation of a novel will try to set itself apart from the novel by changing storylines or lines said by the main characters. But this drama is very faithful to the novel and the lines between Ye Hua and Su Su / Bai Qian is almost word for word.

Similarity #2: Ye Hua’s character and devotion towards Su Su / Bai Qian

The biggest draw of the drama was Mark Chao’s amazing portrayal of Ye Hua and his ability to express complex emotions while maintaining that suaveness (refer to episode 48). I thought that it was because of Mark Chao that Ye Hua is the calm and collected character that we see in the drama but little did I know this is exactly the Ye Hua that is described in the novel. Mark Chao really brought Ye Hua to life because there is no way a typical flower boy would have been able to have such depth or calmness while acting as Ye Hua (refer to Yang Yang’s portrayal of Ye Hua in the movie version).

Ye Hua’s love was more intensely described in the novel and it is definitely more sexually driven *winks* which will certainly be a treat for all the lovers of the drama.  I would certainly recommend reading the first few chapters of the Pillow Book as it describes Ye Hua and Bai Qian’s marriage life – certainly the sweetest ending for the couple.

Now for the differences that the drama took:

Difference #1: Storytelling method

The drama follows a time-chronological order from the time when Bai Qian was Si Yin, a disciple under Mo Yuan which was easy for first-time audience to follow. Whereas in the novel, it starts off immediately from Su Su’s jump into the Zhu Xian Tai and decides to lose all memories of her time with Ye Hua. The novel is told from the point of view of Bai Qian and you really can understand the question marks in her mind when facing the relentless love pursuit from Ye Hua. It is also because of this method, there isn’t much writeup in the novel of the time that Ye Hua and Su Su spent in the mortal world. For example, the days that Su Su longed for Ye Hua’s return and the expedition to the East Sea Palace.

The novel certainly intrigues, and a reader would want to find out why Ye Hua is so in love with Bai Qian and hints on backstory.

Difference #2: Why did Su Su lose her eyes?

In the events leading up to Su Jing’s loss of sight, it was very clear in the drama that Ye Hua never once doubted Su Su’s innocence but in the novel, it seemed unclear whether Ye Hua truly believed if Su Su was innocent and the circumstances in which Ye Hua took Su Su’s eyes away. Did Ye Hua really think that Su Su had pushed Su Jing and cause her to lose her sight, and that the only form of punishment was for Su Su to lose her sight as well?

Difference #3: The reason why Li Jing and Si Yin did not work out

In the drama, it was set up very early on that Li Jing is aware that Si Yin is a female, which led to his admiration towards her. In the novel, Li Jing was unaware that Si Yin is female and was thus cautious of expressing any desire to be with her.

Difference #4: Mo Yuan’s feelings for Si Yin

When I first started the drama, I was rooting for Mo Yuan and Si Yin because you can really feel the affection that Mo Yuan has towards his favourite disciple.

In the novel, Mo Yuan’s affection for Si Yin is evident but little did we know that Mo Yuan also had a back story of his love interest who had died many years back.

Difference #5: Timelines

I always had an issue on how 1 day on heaven = 1 year in the mortal world. Then I realised that in the novel, Bai Qian went missing for almost 200 years after fighting Qin Cang which I can’t seem to bridge since she became mortal Su Su. The drama never did mention explicitly on the time that Su Su spent with Ye Hua but I’d always thought it’s max 1 year in heaven terms, since Ye Hua only spent a couple of months with Su Su in the mortal world (which is less than a day on heaven) and taking into consideration her pregnancy period.

But Su Su took 3 years to give birth to Ah Li on heaven in the novel... either way I’m still confused about the timelines.

Difference #6: Feng Jiu and Di Jun

I had always felt that Feng Jiu and Di Jun were very much standalone couple in the drama and was not necessary to the progression of the plot AT ALL. There was too much screentime for this couple. All I want is Ye Hua and Su Su / Bai Qian. The excessive screentime, in fact, it’s one of the reasons why this can’t be the most perfect drama ever.

The novel portrayed Feng Jiu and Di Jun minimally (oh yes, thankfully).

[gremmin]

The other day I had a dream:

(There was a chameleon changing colors when I seen him he tried to hid from me this was me and my sister in the same place like a Arizona type house but she’s been being very distant to me lately, ✨)

Ooo he chameleon shows us The ability to camouflage is something that is used to defend against unwanted predators in the wild. To see a chameleon in your dream means that you are recognizing your ability to change and adapt to the environment around you. 🦎 (So it is saying I have to camouflage myself when I’m around Sonya and other people to protect myself and that it is becoming more easily for me to obtain being that way) 🦎 as well as A dream about a chameleon shows that you have the ability to change and adapt to strange and uncertain circumstances in your life, especially if the chameleon in your dream is adapting to a healthy green environment. The dream shows that no matter what is thrown at you, you can handle it.

The chameleon symbolism represents a period of changes. ... The chameleon spirit animal symbolizes sensitivity and clairvoyance. It encourages you to have patience, to gain insight, to always be curious, and to be resourceful. I’ve forgotten what color it changed to but I’m pretty sure it was green turning into a blue.?

The next sign I saw was a mini pig 🐖

To dream of a pig is associated with being rather stubborn in life. It can be associated with gluttony and greed in waking life. Additionally, the pig can also stand for a terrible menace. Perhaps somebody has cost you dearly or treated you badly. 🐖 (since this was a mini pig in the dream this shouldn’t be as big of a problem but a small annoyance, it can mean maybe I’m walking with greed, this could be for certain reason because why would I want to give to my sister who is hating me, maybe I’m being blind in a side, Sonya has been treating me horribly as if I’m not even in the house when she came up stairs, this only adds to how much I won’t want to “forgive” her. Fuck her.

🐖 In dreams, pigs can be a sign of stubbornness, selfishness, filth, gluttony, greed, overindulging and similar things. This dream could represent someone in your life with such traits, or it could reveal some of your characteristics, pointing out that you need to change them ( I’m just going to flat out assume that it’s about Sonya because it only make SO MUCH SENCE) come to a fact that Sonya was actually born under the pig totem in Chinese totem! As well as Kenny! They are about the same people lmfaooooo

The next sign I saw was me riding on a horse I cannot remember the color at this time: 🐎

Riding a Horse – If you dream that you are riding a horse it can indicate a control over your natural instincts and a strong drive towards your goals in life. ... Controlling or Restricting a Horse – If you see a horse that is being constrained and controlled it can indicate a feeling of your true self being repressed. 🐴 ( I’ve learned a lot how to handle myself and respect myself in a lot of ways now, I have strong goals and I could feel tied up because my relationship a bit but maybe I’m overthinking it, but I’ve taken a lot of control myself to be able to drive and feel confident while driving, I’m getting close to some goals.)

Horse. ... The horse is a universal symbol of freedom without restraint, because riding a horse made people feel they could free themselves from their own bindings. Also linked with riding horses, they are symbols of travel, movement, and desire. 🐴 (I’m a half of Sagittarius I have a strong will to travel and a lot of desires, a lot of movement is key to my source of energy)

Other characteristics horses represent are prosperity, forward motion, growth, loyalty, and stamina. Moreover, all horses are associated with the feng shui element of fire, as well as strong yang.

I’m feeling as if the horse was a light brown; Brown is the color of stability, comfort, and the home. Brown horses in dreams can symbolize a time of feeling safe and secure in our relationships at home and even indicate a comfort with ourselves.

Riding a horse in this manner means that we have command over impulses, our instincts, our intuition, and are friends with our unconscious 🐎 (Like Iv said I have taken a lot of time to work on myself along with my impulsiveness and my sexual instincts, my intuition has become quite sharp as well it all makes me super happy and I feel calmer in life now, I now expect for things to happen for a reason. I don’t have a lot of friends but I have quite a few acquaintances, a friend is someone I can be completely open with a someone I can talk to without hesitations and Iv known them for quite some time, you earn your stripes in my eyes lol )

The next sign was walking my dog Harley, 🐕 now Harley has passed for a long time now I’d say about 9 years now wow.. I always need to give him a moment I’m very sad on how I lost him.. rip my babyboy Harley,

To take a dog for a walk in the dream is a positive sign which denotes that, you will have much success and your life is highly productive. So keep working hard to maintain your lifestyle. If you see another person walk a dog in the dream it means that you feel you are in charge of something you are accomplishing. 🐕 (I was actually walking Harley while riding the horse lol it wasn’t hard but Harley was going slow at sometimes and I was nervous about his walking rope/chain. 🐕 ( maybe this was indicating that I will have a big amount of power with a type of business that I have that I will have success but it could be rocky at times,)

To see a dog in your dream symbolizes intuition, loyalty, generosity, protection, and fidelity. The dream may suggest that your values and good intentions will bring you success

The next sign was someone eating a mushroom, that so happened to be Austin my bf eating the mushrooms lmao this wasn’t a very good choice for him in the dream because it was a unknow mushroom and if I remember correctly he didn’t feel good after eating it:

Mushrooms are very symbolic and can mean quite a few different things. If in your dream you are eating mushrooms rather carelessly, this may indicate a sudden abundance of wealth. However, this is a wealth that is dealt with somewhat foolishly. ... Dreaming of a mushrooms that are growing in the ground symbolize fertility. 🍄 (this is probably saying he will get a large amount of money but handle it carelessly, and loose it all this is what I’m always worried with him/: I’m really good at money but he can be very poorly with it)

Eating mushrooms in a dream is a symbol of a happy marriage and a full life, dream books predict. 🍄( it was a dream of Austin and I so we should have a happy marriage one day and a full life together ) 💕

Eating raw mushrooms - unexpectedly interesting relationships. 🍄( Austin was eating the mushrooms raw I’m nervous of him trying to have a affair one day.. even though he’s not like that I still have to suspect it) 💔

if you pick up mushrooms, it means that you will receive unpredictable reward for hard work and diligence, manifested in some deals. After eating mushrooms in a dream, you will have only pleasure and enjoyment in life. 🍄( Austin picked them up lol)

Another sign was a pink prying mantis:

To dream of a praying mantis represents your feelings about a person or situation that has a total disregard for your feelings. Feeling that someone is intentionally unsupportive. ... A praying mantis may also reflect your own attempts to pressure people with fear or unbearableness to get them to go away. ✨( Sonya has disregard for my feelings asf lmao she is a very UNsupporive person in my life) ( I can say that I pressure people a lot into leaving me alone because I know it’s for the best and I guess that’s just how I like to live, easy and simple)

A Spiritual Symbol of Peace and Patience. The Praying Mantis naturally attracts attention. Its beautiful color and graceful form command us to look and ponder. Encountering these remarkable insects may indicate that Spirit is speaking to you in an important way. ✨( that could be saying to have more peace and patience and to watch in silence)

Overwhelmingly in most cultures the mantis is a symbol of stillness. As such, she is an ambassador from the animal kingdom giving testimony to the benefits of meditation, and calming our minds. An appearance from the mantis is a message to be still, go within, meditate, get quite and reach a place of calm. ✨( this week I am home alone Austin goes to work and colter is at my moms for the week I’m going to be cleaning but also working on myself with excersizing and more meditation with my spirit guides) I need to take time to be calm and collected and to understand so much more and love this silence I get to have this week)

The color pink for the pink prying mantis is that Pink, a delicate color that means sweet, nice, playful, cute, romantic, charming, feminine, and tenderness, is associated with flowers, babies, and sweetness. The color pink is the color of universal love of oneself and of others. 💞( this pink is meaning to be sweet and having all that good energy put to use, good things come out of it)

(Before all this a sign I had in a earlier dream before this long dream took place I was with Logan and Crista she was still pregnant and I seen a color black take over, I have a lot of rocky dreams with those two and they seem to always be rough and confusing. ) I’ll look up a lot what it means at some point but here is what the color black indicates:

Color Meaning: Meaning of The Color Black. ... Black is associated with power, fear, mystery, strength, authority, elegance, formality, death, evil, and aggression, authority, rebellion, and sophistication. Black is required for all other colors to have depth and variation of hue. The black color is the absence of color.

[baw74fanfic]

Chapter 3 - Together Again

When Weizhou and Jingyu ended their call, Weizhou looked over at Li Hao. He had already started packing Weizhou's things. This wasn't surprising, as all immediate future plans are put on a back burner until this situation is resolved. But for the first time in a long while, Weizhou found himself at a loss on how to move forward. Up until now, he's had a pretty good idea on how he should move ahead in his career.

"Li Hao, what's the state of things now. I'm.......scared to go online."

"While you were on your call with Jingyu, Zheng Ge and I chatted about our next steps. Before I fill you in... are you ok?"

Weizhou smiled and took a deep breath. "Yeah, in spite of what's going on, I'm great. You know how we've always talked about there will be a time when I and or Jingyu will come to a point in our relationship that is do or die? Well, we're there."

Li Hao knew what this meant, and he wasn't surprised, given the circumstances. Up until now, he knew ZZ and Jingyu were taking the whole relationship they had with a come-as-you-are attitude. Which was the best path to take, frankly, the way each of their schedules and rising stardom's demanded. But such a course can't be maintained forever, not when two hearts are involved. Hearts that belong to two highly dynamic and compelling people. He and Weizhou had several conversations, mapping out the various what-if's, in order to be somewhat prepared. Truth be told, Li Hao was very impressed with Weizhou's maturity over it all. Not having had a serious relationship before, it's more than most could handle; juggling a burgeoning love for someone that came out of nowhere, along with a career that's blasting off like the fastest rocket. ZZ has often commented about feeling like he's been riding the crest of a huge wave, over a churning sea, and how great the pressure of trying to stay on top of the wave.

"He confessed how much he loves me, and doesn't care if it goes public."

"But..."

"I know, Li Hao, and he does, too. He's not running out in front of a bunch of press and screaming it. He's level-headed and being smart about it." Weizhou assured Li Hao...and himself.

After a moment of silence, Li Hao took two steps towards ZZ and embraced him. It was somewhat of a breach of tradition and professionalism, but Weizhou has been forging ahead in his life and career bucking those two institutions. And Li Hao appreciated that in him.

Weizhou hugged Li Hao back, and pulled apart smiling. He nodded curtly, acknowledging that he appreciated the gesture. "Now, what's the plan?"

Li Hao took a deep breath. "Ok, I'm now speaking to you as your manager. The next 72 hours are going to be critical. You may not like some of things Zheng and I want you two to do, but we have to move quickly. We think the best course of action is to work together closely, so he and Jingyu are flying to Beijing and setting up in a suite of rooms. We're to head there immediately."

Weizhou's eyes went wide. "We're going to move forward with seeing Jingyu in person? Is that the best thing to do? What if we're seen together?"

"Zhou Zhou, to be perfectly honest, we're dealing with a situation here that isn't exactly in the playbook. After talking to Zheng Ge about it, we both agreed that cutting out any communication gaps, time, and distance is priority. Beijing is the center of media. It's where the Digital Crime Unit is based." Li Hao paused, breathed in, and continued.

"And you two, well, you need each other. The sooner we can get you two back to a normal demeanor, the sooner we can start booking appearances. But until then, we have to formulate the plan of action."

Weizhou heard everything Li Hao was saying, but all he could think about was seeing Jingyu.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jingyu hung up the phone and sat there in silence for a bit. Zheng Ge had disappeared, but Jingyu was OK with that. He knew what the immediate future was going to bring, so he focused on the calm silence as much as possible.

He briefly thought about going online to see the fracas. The ironic thing about the situation was that due to the Addicted ban from SAPPRFT, he guessed the mainstream news would have very little to say about the hacking. He concluded, though, that looking at Weibo or the various forums would only cloud his thinking. A general can't command every soldier individually, so he had to trust that his and ZZ's army of die-hard's would take up arms in their defense. He smirked and shook his head.... The fan service that he and ZZ would have to do as a thank you later was going to have to be good.

Zheng Ge returned and sat his luggage down. Jingyu looked at it, then at his manager, and raised his eyebrow.

"We're headed to Beijing. I've booked two adjoining suites at the Ritz-Carlton. Li Hao and I discussed it, and think it's best to handle this jointly. They're meeting us there."

"They???"

"Yes. Don't freaking ask me if it's the best action to take. We're off the reservation with this."

Jingyu smiled at Zheng Ge. He knew that his manager often referred to this job as riding a bull in a rodeo, but he also knew Zheng Ge had nothing but his best interests at heart.

Zheng Ge interrupted his thinking. "So, is this the turning point?" Zheng Ge had heard enough of their conversation to guess.

Jingyu knew what he meant. They had often discussed it. He stood up slowly, and nodded yes.

Zheng Ge smiled and faced Jingyu, and slightly bowed. "Ok, then. Let's get going." And with that, Zheng Ge and Jingyu hurriedly started to pack everything to leave.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jingyu briefly wondered about the situation at the airport. Upon leaving the hotel, through the kitchens, he felt strange that there weren't the usual group of fans there to hand him gifts and take video and photos. But dodging the fans at the hotel was easy, it's getting through the airport that was going to be rough. As it was, with everything still unfolding, no one had expected them to pop up at the terminal for an unplanned flight. The airport had graciously allowed them to take an airport vehicle directly on the tarmac to the waiting plane. As soon as they boarded and the door shut, Jingyu let out a long breath. The flight wasn't held for them specifically, but it had been fortuitous that they were able to catch one so quickly.

Weizhou and Li Hao's experience was altogether different. Having been in Shanghai, there was just no way to avoid the havoc. Li Hao arranged additional manpower to escort them through the terminal, and the airport had decided to have them wait in a lounge that they cleared out, in order to keep the gates sane and under control. The usual cluster of fans were there, as well as some newer faces. Older individuals, with large expensive photo gear. The story had risen to the level where the price for good quality candid photos were worth the effort to the paparazzi. Weizhou dressed uncharacteristically subdued, and had chosen a gray hoodie, with the hood pulled up, and sunglasses on. Li Hao had used paperwork he was holding to block cameras from Weizhou's face a few times on the fast-walk through the terminal, surrounded by the extra bodyguards they had hired. Once they were in the lounge, Weizhou had to vent.

"I bet I look like a fucking criminal. I wish I hadn't chosen to hide my face and have my hood up."

"Here, have a water, and sit for a bit. It'll be fine. You look exactly how they wanted you to look -- like a scandal has happened. Otherwise, people would wonder why you weren't taking it seriously."

"Thank you. I know you're right, I just got caught up in the craziness." Weizhou unlocked his phone and was disappointed to not see a text. He knew Jingyu was still en route to Beijing, though. He sent a text anyway to give their current status.

Li Hao tapped Weizhou on the shoulder and held his phone down for him to look at. There was a text from Chen Wen to Li Hao. Please let Zhou Zhou know we're here for him. For THEM BOTH. Weizhou's heart melted.

He opened up his Contacts to reply, only to see one listing, Jingyu's. It made Weizhou abruptly stop. He used to have a full Contact list, and proudly maintained it for years. Countless friends and acquaintances. Li Hao saw this, "It's ok, I have them all backed up. I didn't have time to transfer them earlier, though." Weizhou let out a sigh of relief.

"Can I reach out to Chen Wen?"

Li Hao nodded yes, and sent Weizhou a text with the contact information.

Weizhou started to reply...

ZZ: Hey you. It's Zhou Zhou, my new number. Li Hao shared your text with me. I'm at the airport in Shanghai.

Not even 10 seconds pass...

CW: ZZ! I'M SENDING YOU HUGS! FENG IS HERE TOO AND HUGS YOU TOO!

Weizhou smiled.

ZZ: Thank you, two. It means very much to me. We need to get together and catch up, although it may be a while...

CW: We understand. Take your time. And please let us know if there's absolutely anything we can do for you. AND Jingyu!

Weizhou smiled again. The four of them had stayed in touch since the filming of Addicted. Chen Wen and Lin Fengsong had become closer friends, as well.

ZZ: I will. Thank you again. Talk with you soon. Hugs.

CW: HUGS BACK!

Weizhou cherished his friendship with those two. It was especially nice knowing they have his back now.

With that done, Weizhou took a moment to catch his breath. He had felt hot earlier, but now felt the chills. He asked Li Hao if he was cold as well.

"Not at all." Li Hao replied, looking at Zhou. He placed the back of his hand on Weizhou's brow. "Uhm, I don't think you avoided it, Zhou Zhou."

That was when the wave of exhaustion hit him like a brick wall.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jingyu arrived at the hotel. The arrival at the airport was chaotic. Naturally word had spread, with the speed of the digital world. Fortunately, with his size, Jingyu stood up straight, held his head up high, and proceeded through the mass of people like a hot knife through butter. He wasn't taking the time to be his normal jovial self, and he knew the others shouldn't expect it. No, this time, he was all business on getting through and hopping into the waiting car.

The silence of the hotel was yet another contrast in this day of contrasts. He picked up his phone and looked at the status of ZZ's flight. On time, and due to arrive in an hour. Ok, time to get things setup. He picked up the phone and arranged with room service to have food delivered, extra towels on hand, and as much as he hated it, ordered a couple of packs of ZZ's favorite cigarettes. This wasn't a time to enforce his no smoking rule on ZZ. With that done, he unpacked his things and hopped in for a quick shower.

While drying off, Zheng Ge yelled from the other room, "They've landed. Li hao just called me - Zhou Zhou's got a fever."

Goddammit! Why can't we catch a break! Thought Jingyu.

He called downstairs to have a case of bottled water and juices delivered, as well as a basic medical necessities kit. He then called a restaurant that he frequented when he had lived in town.

"Yes, hi. I'd like to place an order to have delivered. Four quarts of your Hot & Sour soup, extra spicy, and four quarts of your fortified chicken broth. Also, two large orders of plain rice, and ten oranges. Yes, that's all. Thank you."

The rest of the world can wait, his priority now is getting his Zhou Zhou better.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Li Hao called from downstairs. They were in the loading dock, and asked Zheng to come help. Jingyu started to put his shoes on.

"It's probably better if you stay here, Jingyu."

"Shutup." Jingyu retorted.

With that, Zheng Ge sighed and they bother left together.

Turning the corner in the back hallway, Jingyu and Zheng Ge abruptly stopped and took in the sight. Li Hao was standing over a collapsed Weizhou, fanning him with a handful of paperwork, while having him take small sips of water. Jingyu lept into action.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

All Weizhou can remember is trying to muster all his strength to appear normal on the walk from the plane to the waiting car. It was torture. He was pretty sure he blacked out for most of the walk. Having two large guards on either side of him help steady him and keep him upright was helpful. The ride to the hotel was a blank. The next thing he remembers is sitting in an abandoned hallway, trying to sip water, and then feeling two large arms scoop under his legs and shoulders, and lift him up. As delirious as he was, he instinctively knew whose arms they were. He let his head fall into that spot on Jingyu's shoulder, his cheek on Jingyu's collarbone. With his last ounce of energy, he turned his head and kissed Jingyu's neck, then passed out again.

Jingyu's first thought when lifting Weizhou was that he had lost weight. He glanced over to Li Hao, and the expression on his face was similar to someone who had tried to do the right thing, but had been defeated. Jingyu knew all too well that Li Hao can't withstand the force of Xu Weizhou's character. He was going to have to try a different tact with Zhou Zhou about taking care of himself, and respecting his manager's entreaties.

He turned slowly to start back up to the room when he felt it. The brush of the eyelashes against his neck, and the soft kiss. Once again, his heart melted. The familiar scent of Zhou Zhou came to him. He turned his head slightly and kissed the top of ZZ's head.

"I've got you. You'll be alright, now."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Weizhou awoke with a start. It was dark, but he could see with the faint city lights that shone through the windows. He turned his head slightly to look around the room, his eyes falling on the dark profile of a person sitting in a large, plush chair. Or rather, the person was upright, but he could see that their head was hanging off to the side, against the back of the chair. He knew it was Jingyu.

"Come to bed."

The shadow jerked and sat up. A hand reached out and grabbed his.

"You're awake. Are you hungry? I've ordered food."

"What time is it?"

"It's 2 AM. You've been out since landing at 8 PM."

Weizhou winced, and tried to sit up. "I don't remember getting here to the hotel after passing out on the flight." He grabbed Jingyu's hand and squeezed it. "But I distinctly remember you picking me up. I know it might sound weird, but when I smelled you, I immediately felt better."

Jingyu leaned in and kissed his forehead. "I missed you so much. And it feels like your fever may be gone. Let me get the thermometer and some food. I'll be right back."

Weizhou watched as the shadow got up and left the room. Even in the pitch dark, he could see Jingyu's characteristic walk. That confident, tall stride, and broad shoulders. He shook his head, again, at the situation. How did he get so lucky? Who would have ever thought that this would happen?

He got up slowly and walked to the restroom. After the effort, he felt it prudent to sit down, instead of standing, to pee. After finishing, he got up and washed his hands, and then his face. He did feel a great deal better. Hopefully he just had a 24-hour bug and it wasn't that serious.

Jingyu had arranged a tray in bed, and was waiting for him when he opened the door from the restroom. A light had been turned on low, and Weizhou saw that Jingyu was in his boxers and a t-shirt, with an arm extended to help Weizhou get steady. Happy that he was going to join him in bed, he went in for the proper hug hello.

Both of their heads fell into that familiar spot on each other's necks. They stood there for a while, feeling each other's warmth, breathing in their scent. To both, it was intoxicating. There are times that it could drive each of them into a passionate state, but other times it could also have an immediate calming and grounding effect. Imparting that sense of security that each of them longed for. It was this feeling that captured them in this moment. The world could be falling apart, but here, in each other's arms, it didn't matter.

Weizhou took this moment to correct something that had been bothering him since their first phone call together after the news broke.

"I love you Huang Jingyu. More than anything else in this world. I didn't say that on the call with you, and it bothered me that I didn't. I'm sorry."

Jingyu's hold on Weizhou tightened more. He hadn't realized it at the time, but it didn't matter. "Zhou Zhou, stop worrying yourself. You didn't need to say it - I knew it already."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The fever had indeed broke. And after drinking some chicken broth, Hot & Sour soup, and eating some rice, Weizhou was really feeling like his old self again. Thankful that it wasn't something more serious like the flu, he felt he needed to clear the air with Jingyu on not being more diligent about it.

"Here, take this. It'll clear you up and also knock you out." Jingyu gave Weizhou some gel caps and a glass of water.

"So before you start in on me, I want you to know I really am trying to keep myself healthy. I'm on a regular workout schedule again, and Li Hao has arranged my meals to be cleaner and mostly vegetables. The schedule is still a bit hectic, but it's not as bad as it used to be."

"I wasn't going to scold you, Zhou." Jingyu replied. "But I am worried about your weight loss. It was evident to me when I picked you up. How much?"

Weizhou winced. This was not how he had wanted his newly toned body to be revealed. "Only 10 pounds. It's from working out, I'm not losing it from being sick. And my program has been mostly cardio, the strength training is starting soon."

He paused, and continued, "However, there's something else..."

Jingyu's face grew concerned, but saw a smile on Weizhou's face which made him feel a bit better. Just then, Weizhou went into a coughing fit.

*COUGH!* *COUGH!* *COUGH!*

Jingyu... *COUGH!* Go to and get my toi *COUGH!* toiletry kit. *COUGH!*

He drank some water and it subsided a little. Jingyu sprang up and was back with the bag quickly. Weizhou pulled out a prescription medicine bottle and took two of the pills. Jingyu took the bottle and looked at the label.

"Bupropion? What's that? Are you ok???"

"Babe, it's ok. It's actually what I was just about to tell you. I'm quitting smoking. They're prescription pills to help with that."

As elated Jingyu was to have Zhou Zhou here in the room with him, this news filled his heart even more with happiness. It must have shown on his face.

Weizhou smirked and said, "Do you remember what you promised when you asked me to stop? That I could ask anything from you?"

"I remember, and I mean it. I'm so happy right now. But, I wish I had known that all it would take for you to quit was for me to confess my love to you. I would have done it sooner!"

Weizhou pursed his lips. "You cheeky..."

Jingyu's smile could not be any larger.