"Han Yuan?"
The name left Gù Míng's lips before he even thought about it, a flat statement of fact. The man standing before him smiled, a slow, knowing curve of his lips that seemed out of place in the chaos of the Mortal Realm's border.
"Han Yuan? A-Ming, Isn't that a little too informal?" Han Yuan said, his voice a low, smooth melody. He closed the distance between them, reaching out to pat Gù Míng's head as if he were a stray cat.
Gù Míng's hand shot up and caught his wrist.
"Your hair color is unique," he said, his tone devoid of any warmth. "Makes it impossible for one to forget."
Han Yuan's smile didn't falter. He let his hand drop. "You haven't changed at all, Your Highness."
"Don't call me that." The words were clipped, sharp.
"Call me Yuan-Ge," Han Yuan replied, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "And I will stop."
Gù Míng said nothing. He turned his back on Han Yuan and started walking towards the shimmering veil of light that marked the entrance to the Mortal Realm. Before he could take a single step through, the tiny white rabbit, Xiangling, scrambled in front of him, her paws planted firmly on the ground.
"Stop! You can't go in!"
"Who is your friend?" Han Yuan asked from behind, his voice laced with curiosity.
"Xiangling," Gù Míng explained without turning around. "The spiritual guardian of the Orb of the Universe. Currently in a rabbit form, lost her powers. She doesn't remember how she turned this way or how she got to the lower realms."
"A-Ming, you sure trust me a lot," Han Yuan mused, his voice drawing closer. "Sharing information that could cause chaos throughout the realms. What makes you think I didn't come here specifically to kill the rabbit?"
"You…!" Xiangling squeaked, leaping from the ground onto the safety of Gù Míng's head, trembling in his long black hair. "You wouldn't dare!"
"Kill her if you want to," Gù Míng said to the air. "What does it have to do with me? All I want is to go to the Mortal Realm to find peace. Having her by my side will bring trouble sooner or later."
"You two villains!" Xiangling shouted from her perch. "I wonder how the Orb chose you two as inheritors of its power!"
"Don't worry," Han Yuan's voice was a soft reassurance. "I won't kill you. I can see from A-Ming's eyes that he doesn't want you dead. If he did, you would have died a long time ago."
He fell into step beside Gù Míng, and together they walked through the shimmering gate.
"When I go back to the Orb of the Universe, you two will be the first ones I punish!" Xiangling declared valiantly.
"Oh? In that case, I might as well kill you now to save us the trouble," Han Yuan responded lightly.
As he spoke, a dark blue crystal of ice seemed to bloom on the side of his neck, a frost mark that spread like a spiderweb across his pale skin. He let out a sharp, hissing breath, his body shuddering.
"Are you okay?" Gù Míng asked, turning to him.
Han Yuan's eyes, as cold as a winter abyss, lost their focus. He staggered, his body going limp, and fainted. Gù Míng moved without thinking, catching him in his arms before he could hit the ground.
"Han Yue! Han Yue! Wake up!"
No response.
With a heavy sigh, he adjusted Han Yuan's weight, lifted him onto his back, and continued walking deeper into the Mortal Realm.
"So you are going to ignore my warning?" Xiangling said. No response. "Why are you taking this guy with you? He is no good!"
"I'm not a good guy either," Gù Míng said, his voice barely a whisper. "The universe arranges our fates. You, as the guardian, seal those fates. So you are partially the reason why I am like this. Why he is like this."
"So you are blaming me?" Xiangling asked, her indignation gone, replaced by a small, quiet voice.
"No," Gù Míng replied.
They found an abandoned temple.
Gù Míng gently laid Han Yuan down in a patch of sunlight, noticing the faint shivers that wracked his body.
Inside, he found a relatively clean room, brushed the dust from a cot, and covered Han Yuan with the cleanest blankets he could find.
"Watch him," Gù Míng said to Xiangling.
"Where are you going?"
"To find a spring to take a bath."
"No way am I looking after a person who just threatened to kill me!" the rabbit huffed.
"So have I," Gù Míng responded flatly. "I'll be back." He left without another word.
A moment later, Xiangling hopped onto the cot, burrowed into the warmth of the blankets beside Han Yuan, and fell into a deep sleep.
Hours later, Han Yuan's eyes opened. The playful light in them was gone, replaced by a glacial coldness. A shadow detached itself from the corner of the room and knelt before the cot, fist pressed to palm in a formal salute.
"Yè Liú greets His Majesty."
"You are the so-called general of the Dark Realm?" Han Yuan asked, his voice a low whisper that carried an immense weight.
"Yes."
"I don't remember agreeing to rule the Dark Realm." Han Yuan rose from the bed, his bare feet silent on the dusty floorboards as he walked towards Yè Liú. With every step, the air in the room grew colder.
"You are the inheritor of the dark power of the Orb of the Universe," Yè Liú explained, his head still bowed. "No one is qualified to rule it except you."
"Is that so?" Han Yuan mused, then waved a dismissive hand. Yè Liú dissolved back into the shadows and was gone.
Han Yuan turned, his gaze falling on the sleeping rabbit.
"Interesting," he whispered. He walked to the doorway, looking out at the green, living world. "So this is what I missed out on, locked in that cold dungeon. Interesting."
The temple door creaked open. Gù Míng entered, carrying a basket of fresh fruit and steamed buns.
"You are awake?"
Instantly, the glacial cold in Han Yuan's eyes vanished, replaced by a warm, teasing smile.
"A-Ming, there you are. I was wondering where you ran off to. Got us some food?"
"Since you are fine now, you can leave," Gù Míng said, setting the basket down.
"How cold of you," Han Yuan pouted, closing the distance between them. "...to chase away a sick patient."
He leaned in, burying his face in the crook of Gù Míng's neck and inhaling deeply.
"You smell good. Like honey. I like it, Your Highness."
Gù Míng pushed him away, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. "Please stop calling me that."
"I will," Han Yuan said, his smile triumphant. "If you call me Yuan-Ge. Or, I could call you Your Highness, my dear Princey, A-Ming, Ming-Ming, Míng-er..."
"Alright! Stop!" Gù Míng said, the word bursting out of him. He looked away, his ears slightly red. "Yuan-Ge."
"Yes," Han Yuan's voice was soft, victorious. "That's how it should be. I will leave now, since you don't want me here. Goodbye, no see you later." He turned and walked out of the temple without a backward glance, leaving Gù Míng standing alone in the quiet room.
Fallen Leaf Forest (Luòyè Lín). Night.
Han Yuan stood on a hill, the moonlight turning his white hair to silver. Yè Liú appeared from the shadows behind him.
"You summoned me, Your Majesty?"
"I want you to find someone for me," Han Yuan said, his voice once again void of all the warmth he had shown Gù Míng.
A cruel smile touched his lips. It is time I have some