Ming Yi grabbed his scruff, pulling him away from the edge. He caught the rock barehanded, clenching it tightly in his fist. Without a word, he raised his arm, aiming at the crowd.

Alarmed, Zhen Xue hastily placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Relax,” he said, calmer than he felt. He caught his breath, patting Ming Yi’s shoulder to tell him good job for his work so far. “Dealing with them isn’t our objective.”

“But Dianxia, it’s so unfair,” Ming Yi whined, dropping the rock. “What happened to the servants wasn’t your fault.”

“You’re right,” he answered above a whisper. “But I should’ve done better to protect them. That’s why I’m working hard to correct the mistakes I’ve made.”

“No, I don’t accept that.” Ming Yi turned around to face him, looking visibly upset. “You still talk like it’s your fault.”

His persistence made Zhen Xue’s shoulders sink, feeling heavier. “You only say that because you don’t understand.”

“Then help me understand!” Ming Yi shouted, taking a step towards him. The flicker of hurt on his face didn’t go unnoticed. “Why do you never include me? Have I wronged you so badly that you won’t tell me anything?”

His heart seizes with discomfort. “That’s not-”

“Did you think I would turn my back on you after everything we’ve been through together?” Ming Yi demanded, making him feel ten times worse. “You trust me so little, yet expect me to follow orders.”

“Ming Yi,” he gasped out, his chest squeezing painfully. It was hard to tell if the discomfort was his soul sickness or Ming Yi’s words. “If you just-”

“How long am I supposed to endure, Dianxia? When will you trust me?” With a quieter voice, similar to defeat, Ming Yi asked with brokenness, “Will you ever trust me?”

Even though Zhen Xue expected what he’d say, his words still knocked the air from his lungs. “I do trust you!” Zhen Xue finally shouted, losing his cool. “But why do I need to explain every little thing? Why do you need to know everything?! You already know what I need you to know.”

When he finished, it occurred to Zhen Xue that his words were probably the cruelest thing he could’ve said. Ming Yi was quiet for a long time. He was quiet for so long that Zhen Xue feared he wouldn’t speak again. “At least I know you see some value in keeping me around.”

Once again, Zhen Xue’s heart nearly stopped in his chest. “What are you even saying?!” He inhaled sharply at the weight of his words. “Dammit. Stop talking like that. You’re my best friend.”

Ming Yi glowered. He snorted, turning away from him.

What the hell?! Just what did he want to hear if not that? Zhen Xue stared at him, failing to find words or reason. That’s when Li Wei’s advice came to mind—how fixing Ming Yi’s emotions wasn’t his problem. But... he felt responsible. He needed to make this right.

As though sensing a change within him, Ming Yi relented, speaking first. He offered his hand and whispered, “Can’t we just... forget this happened?”

Zhen Xue stared at him more fully, really looking at him for the first time since they parted ways. The dark circles under his eyes made his heart itch with discomfort. “Do you want me to forget?”

A pause. “No.”

“Then I won’t,” he said, taking his hand. 

Ming Yi carried him back down the building, away from the mob. Despite the resolve between them, Zhen Xue didn’t feel any better. Ming Yi could be so stubborn sometimes, but Zhen Xue knew he didn’t have room to talk. Had he just been honest from the start, they wouldn’t have argued. 

They made it to the ground safely without being spotted. He thought things would return to normal from here on out, but then something went terribly wrong. His eyes widened, watching Ming Yi stumble backwards, catching a sword barehanded.

Zhen Xue’s heart almost stopped, watching blood run down his arm. “Ming Yi!” 

Ming Yi tightened his grip on the sword, ignoring his wound and pulling the sword free. He tossed it on the ground with a reverberating clank, which caused the person in front of them to flinch. 

Another sword also swung toward them from a high point when Ming Yi got distracted. Not letting him fight alone, Zhen Xue grabbed his arm, yanking him away with a bated breath.

The blade passed clean through the air, connecting with the ground with a loud reverberating clang. 

Ming Yi froze in surprise, but recovered fast. He guided Zhen Xue further behind him while unsheathing his sword. The metal glistened as he raised it before himself. Traces of sunlight peaked overhead as though drawn to such a magnetic scene, like the sunset ablaze at the sight of such ferocity. 

Zhen Xue thought Ming Yi never looked more like the male lead he once wrote about than at this moment. Ha, what did titles matter now? Ming Yi was incredible in his own right, regardless of what he once thought.

With a single swift motion, their attacker unsheathed another sword. The situation intensified in a matter of moments. Not to be forgotten, others joined the fight too, but flames astonishingly erupted from their swords.

Zhen Xue moved away as a sword lunged for his neck, the tips of the flames singing at the collar of his robes. The movement felt so natural to him, almost like he’d done so before. It was hard to breathe. The skin on his arms stung from the heat, his neck dripping with sweat. Pain swirled in his chest as his sickness encumbered his movements. 

Before he could recover, Ming Yi sliced down the person who lunged at him. 

Zhen Xue took a step backwards to catch his breath. It was much harder than he thought, but he calmed himself a little. They wouldn’t last long by themselves, not with the rebellion’s sudden use of advanced weaponry. 

One after another, the rebels took up arms side by side, each having some kind of physical advantage different from the last.

A teenager nearby with light pink hair put a little glowing green ball into a blowpipe. An electric current pulsed through the object, shooting a massive wave of energy across the field. 

With the wave getting closer, Ming Yi shielded him instantly, throwing himself in front of the danger, but the orb never reached him. Instead, the orb missed them and took down several surrounding folks.

Ming Yi stood frozen for a moment, watching the scene with wide eyes. His reaction was understandable. Even in a world full of magic, no one had witnessed anything so advanced before. Shaken from his stupor, Ming Yi grabbed his hand, pulling him into a run before he could object. Footsteps followed them, not giving them a moment’s rest. “They are after you, dammit,” Ming Yi shouted over the rush of the wind.

Zhen Xue threw his weight into every step. His breath came out in heavy pants, ignoring the pain in his chest. He feared this might actually be the end for them. “Ming Yi!” Zhen Xue shouted, feeling something slice his clothes. “They are getting closer!”

Ming Yi held his hand tighter, his footsteps not faltering for a second. “Don’t stop running! Don’t you dare stop...!”

The river’s current led them to a dead end, leaving them inevitably cornered. Ming Yi didn’t waste time. He twisted around to face their pursuers, hastily pulled Zhen Xue behind him. 

There were six rebels armed to the teeth with gear, gadgets, and swords. Zhen Xue’s heart leaped into his throat as he watched Ming Yi knock out the closest attacker with his fist. That person fell to the ground, groaning a string of curses.

Using this change to his advantage, Ming Yi picked up their flaming sword, while simultaneously driving his foot into the gut of the person who tried to reach Zhen Xue. They stumbled backwards, holding their waists in discomfort. 

Not wanting to be in the way, Zhen Xue placed himself behind Ming Yi, watching as he disarmed another person and took on a second sword. As he did so, the pink-haired kid was loading his blowgun for another round, clearly intending to finish them for good. 

Ming Yi’s urgency grew by the moment. He threw his weight onto both swords, slamming into a humongous glowing shield. They resisted Ming Yi’s pursuit, pushing back with equal force. 

Just behind him, the one with the blowpipe, trembled at the sudden danger. His arm shook as he tried to aim. Zhen Xue’s heart raced, watching Ming Yi’s jaws clench with determination. “Come on, Ming Yi,” Zhen Xue whispered. “You've got this. Don’t let them overwhelm you.”

Ming Yi dug his back foot into the gravel, pushing himself forward harder than before. The sudden brute strength threw them off guard. “Thank goodness,” Zhen Xue breathed.

Ming Yi shoved them out of the way, finally reaching his target. He landed a heavy blow on the pink-haired man, striking him down where he stood. 

The man’s eyes widened. The flames burned his hands, making him shriek in terror and drop his weapon. 

Ming Yi didn’t waste time, using a powerful sweeping kick to send the blowgun into the river. 

An explosion occurred moments later under the water, rattling everyone and leaving them stunned. The ground shook with enormous force, droplets of water spraying down overhead.

The wind brushed against Zhen Xue’s clammy face, wet from the river water.

They’d won. 

Ming Yi actually won. 

Relief washed over him, nearly bringing him to his knees. The thought that he might pass out wasn’t his imagination. He wobbled on his feet, his eyesight growing hazy. Ming Yi turned around wide-eyed, trying to reach him as he fell into the river.