Dear Ya Qin,
Perhaps the ti we spent together was brief, just a fleeting mont in the grand river of our lives. Or perhaps, it was longer than eternity itself. After all, ti is not asured in days or seasons, but in the weight of mories left behind. And to , those mories with you are the most precious I have ever known.
I still rember the first day we t, the light in your eyes, the effortless grace with which you moved, and that dazzling smile that seed to brighten the world around you. The way you spoke, the soft glimr of your stripes in the morning sun, it all lives within . Each ti I see you, I relive that mont, again and again, as if my heart refuses to let it fade.
To my dearest Ya Qin, whose smile has never left my heart...
There are tis when I speak with you and find myself at a loss for words. Not because I have nothing to say but because everything I feel seems too vast, too overwhelming, to express.
Around you, I forget how to be composed. I stumble. I falter. Perhaps I seem strange, or distant. But please, believe when I say, that is my fault, not yours. You are not the cause of my silence, you are my voice.
I rember your kindness. The way you would care for every small detail in that household dusting shelves, tending the garden, placing fresh tea just where I liked it, without ever being asked. I rember the warmth of your laughter, the softness of your tears, the fierce light in your eyes when you spoke of your grandparents. I rember the way you quietly tucked away that little thank-you note I once left you, as if it were so priceless treasure.
You have rembered with such quiet care... Let now rember you with words.
There ca a ti when your smile began to fade, and with it, a part of shattered. Never in my life have I known pain like the ache of seeing joy disappear from your face. I wished it were a dream. But reality, as it often is, was far less kind. If I could steal even a sliver of your sorrow and make it mine, I would. All I want is to see that smile again, not just in mory, but here... now.
Let us not bury those golden days in the soil of duty and silence. Let us not pretend we were only ever prince and maid.
Let us begin again.
A whisper through ti, I still hear your na,
A spark in the cold, in a world gone ta.
I’d trade every breath for one last embrace,
Just to see light return to your gentle face.
If fate grants only one vow in this life, then let it be this:
I wish to stand beside you, not as your master,
But as the man who loves you.
~ Your Ban.
***
Wiping his nose discreetly, Yu Xuan re-read the letter one more ti. Yes it was good. Emotional, sincere, and beautifully written.
He glanced over at Ban, who was still staring at the letter with a dazed expression.
It’s not that Ban lacks confidence, Yu Xuan thought, ’He just doesn’t have the words to express what’s in his heart. Well... maybe he does lack so confidence, too.’
If Ban had written this letter alone, Yu Xuan could only imagine the result, probably five rigid lines, delivered in a tone closer to a order than a confession.
"Now, Senior Ban," Yu Xuan said, breaking the silence, "you just need to find the right mont and give this to her. Timing is everything."
"Ah... yes," Ban murmured, still gazing at the letter as though it contained the secrets of the universe.
After a mont, he looked up. "How about you stay for dinner tonight?"
Yu Xuan was about to respond when a knock ca at the door.
Ban froze. His eyes widened slightly, and he quickly set the letter down before tiptoeing to the door. He cracked it open just a little.
"Master, I’ve brought snacks for you and the guest. May I co in?" ca Ya Qin’s voice from outside.
Ban tensed up imdiately. "T-that’s fine! I’ll take it here," he stamred, and gently took the tray from her hands without fully opening the door.
Ya Qin blinked, confused. "Alright then..." she said softly, turning to leave.
Ban shut the door with great care and let out a deep sigh.
Then, without a word, he handed the entire tray to Yu Xuan.
On it were freshly baked choco-chip cookies, still warm and aromatic.
Yu Xuan took one, bit into it, and blinked. They were sweet. He didn’t have the energy to think where the choco-chip cookies ca from, in the Cultivation world.
’Will I get dental problems from these?’ he wondered while munching, but made no move to stop.
anwhile, Ban sat beside him again, staring at the letter with the focus of soone preparing for battle.
And so it went — Ban watching the letter, Yu Xuan slowly consuming the cookies.
After a while, Yu Xuan stood up and stretched. "Senior Ban, I’ll take my leave now."
Ban looked up. "Would you like to wait for dinner?"
"I appreciate the offer," Yu Xuan said with a polite smile, "but I have other missions to complete. Also... the cookies were excellent."
"I see," Ban replied, then suddenly added, "Wait — before you go, let add you as a brother. Show your dallion."
Yu Xuan blinked, confused. "There’s such a function?"
Without answering, Ban tapped their dallions together, six tis in quick succession.
’So it is three for friends and six for brothers’ he thought.
A soft chi echoed from both tokens.
When Yu Xuan accessed his dallion again, he noticed sothing new. Above the usual "Friends" tab, a hidden section had appeared: Sworn Brothers.
There was only one entry.
Yu Xuan was quiet impressed.
He looked up at Ban, who now had a rare, relaxed smile on his face.
"Take care, Brother Yu."
"You too... Brother Ban."
And with that, Yu Xuan turned and left the mansion, the lingering sweetness of the cookies still on his tongue, and the weight of a new bond settled gently on his shoulders.
[A/N: Maybe try those lines in real life and give the OG feedback.]
***
(Author’s Request)
[A/R: If possible purchase privilege Chapters, we are nearing the Tier 1 for WIN-WIN MISSION, though I don’t know if we can complete it by the end of the month. So to all my readers, support this work, it ans a lot.]
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