On that very same day, ShuYan asked for a favor from RuJin.

"Let me spend more time with you. You know that I won't be able to do anything if you keep trying to avoid me." ShuYan said as he stopped RuJin. This was the first thing he said as he finally met RuJin for the first time that day.

RuJin looked back at him, debating for a bit, his brain scrambling to think properly before he replied.

"Ok. Follow me then." With that sentence, RuJin started walking, leaving ShuYan to follow him.

ShuYan gritted his teeth, wanting to say even more but decided to silence himself. Slowly. He needed to take his steps slowly.

RuJin's footsteps led him to a big door. He muttered a word under his breath and the doors opened, letting ShuYan see what was going on in there.

There were many people training, teachers to teach them what they were doing. ShuYan couldn't help as his eyes wandered around, seemingly surprised by the sight.

"What room is this?" He asked, because on thing he knew for sure was that this wasn't a real room. It was merely something being projected.

"You found out rather quickly. This room projects everything that is happening on this mountain. It is sustained by a poisonous flower called Labyrinth, a flower that was made by one of my generals. For now, he has been spreading the flowers, and in a couple of years, the flowers will begin to grow from everywhere."

"The flower is poisonous, but it also has healing power in it. It can break apart any seals out on you, and most of all, it gives you even more power. The flower is only dangerous to some cultivators, it won't be of danger to any dark cultivators such as myself."

"From this room, it should detect all trespassers, but somehow, I didn't get an alert when you stepped foot on this mountain." RuJin said, touching the projection to show that he wasn't lying.

"I wanted to know why you were undetected. Usually, all those who have stepped foot upon this place are killed before they realize it. But you were able to find my palace without being injured." RuJin asked, his hands clasping the leaves from one of the vines growing on the ground.

ShuYan looked around, thinking of an answer soon and told him.

"Because I didn't have any killing intent when I came here." ShuYan replied, his eyes staring at RuJin's back, eyes that were solemn yet filled with a deep emotion.

RuJin jerked from ShuYan's voice, surprised by his answer before he finally understood.

"I see. So that was why you were able to get here. It makes sense now that you have told me. All those who have been killed here have always been the one who came here with thoughts of killing me."

They walked out of that room soon enough, walking down a path filled with blossoming flowers.

A silence followed, neither of them were able to say anything. Both afraid that they would say something wrong. With hesitation, ShuYan opened his mouth.

"I have a question for you. I wonder if you will answer it." ShuYan suddenly said, stopping as his eyes watched RuJin turn around to meet him.

"It depends on whether that question is something that I can answer." RuJin responded, wondering to himself what ShuYan needed to know.

"Why didn't you come for me when you managed to escape?" ShuYan asked, his eyes almost seemed to be accusing RuJin.

RuJin's body went rigid. Unable to reply as he looked down, he rubbed his face with his hand and sighed.

Tell the truth or lie? Which one would be the best choice?

He wanted to lie, but the look in ShuYan's eyes made his heart ache with unbearable pain. It made him rethink his choice.

"I.....couldn't. And even now, my decision would've been to leave you in that place. I don't regret not coming for you, I don't regret leaving you alone." RuJin said, his eyes flickering in the light as he forced himself to meet ShuYan's eyes.

ShuYan's eyes flashed with pain, his face slightly contorted.

"So you must've not thought about me at all during this time, huh? You believed that I was of no importance, that must've been why even though you were still alive, you didn't even let me know. A message would've been fine, even that would do for me. But instead, you chose to remain hidden from me. The only reason why I finally met you again was because you didn't know I was going to be at that place on that day."

RuJin flinched, his body shaking as he processed these words. He had never seen ShuYan this angry before. Never.

"If I had never met you on that day, even now I wouldn't know if you were alive or not. Maybe now I would still be hurting myself with the thought that you were dead. But you don't care, do you? You won't know my pain at all even though I have told you so much about it. I tried to understand your pain, I tried. I wanted so much just to know that you were living in this world."

At this point, ShuYan began shouting, his eyes turned red, filled with anger.

RuJin's body shook, finally breaking as he listened to ShuYan. His face flashed with pain, before it disappeared.

"You know what? I quit. If you understood my pain, you would've lessened it. But you're adding even more pain to what I already carry." With that, ShuYan slowly walked away.

RuJin stared at that retreating figure, his heart suddenly bursting with pain. For some reason, it pained him so much to see ShuYan walk away from him, like his heart was being ripped from him. It made him panic, it made him fear that he would lose him.

"Wait, ShuYan, I-" RuJin began, his voice cracking as he reached out to ShuYan who was walking away.

Almost immediately after he said those three words, ShuYan turned around, engulfing RuJin in a hug.

RuJin felt the force from the hug, suddenly he was left stunned.

A voice rung out, calm, soothing, and maybe love.

"You thought that was real, didn't you? You thought that I would leave you after I have been waiting so long to meet you once more, right? But you see, RuJin, I finally got a reaction from you. Now do you know that you love me, just like I love you. That even though you may try to deny that feeling, no matter what, your heart won't be able to. So stop trying to stop it. Let it free, and finally love me, just like I have done for you." ShuYan said, pulling apart from RuJin before gently grabbing his face, his face moved towards his lips.

RuJin's eyes widened, frozen before they softened. He didn't try to push against ShuYan, instead, he wrapped his hands around ShuYan's neck.

They stayed like that before ShuYan separated, his forehead up against RuJin's.

"RuJin, I love you. This time, just say that you love me too."

Nothing was heard.

Then a whisper echoed.

"I love you too."