Escape
Escape
After a few moments of silence, Pengfei finally spoke up without his usual playful attitude, his voice carrying a far more respectful tone than usual, along with a hint of fear and unease.
And yet, his face swiftly showed an alarm when the young man in a white robe stumbled when he took a step forward, with his entire shoulder down, carrying an unbelievable amount of burden or emotion that no one could see.
It was in that instant that Pengfei knew that whatever occurred while the young man was unconscious, was extremely serious and severe enough to cause such tremendous bad conditions to the usually cold and indifferent young man.
The grace and unimaginable amount of confidence the young man showed just by standing there in silence like nothing could take him down was completely gone. Only desolation in his eyes, gloom around his figure, and untold grief upon his shoulder.
It felt like Pengfei was facing a broken man beyond repair.
"... C-Cheng…"
Purple, who also became unconscious and pulled to the state of the young man a few seconds after losing consciousness, can only stammer the young man's name. The usual funny address and playful attitude are gone, only deep sorrow, disbelief, and concern brimming upon his purple eyes where the young man's desolate figure is reflected.
"... I'll… leave the Capital. Take care of everything… while I'm gone."
Instead of the usual cold and indifferent tone, Shao Cheng couldn't put the energy to continue the same attitude and act. He didn't even care if his voice felt the same as an emotionless robot as he tried to get away from the unconscious Huang Ya that remained ignorant and clueless about what just had transpired.
The flash of countless images and familiar voices with various emotions upon it continued to drive Shao Cheng to insanity, especially when he couldn't forget and could not easily disregard what occurred a while ago.
"... Shao Cheng… you are really a cruel person…"
Shao Cheng tightly shut his eyes as the familiar voice became clearer while the emotions behind it painfully twisted his heart, and yet, he could not even have the energy to think and deny such words because he is a cruel person.
Ren Yuan…
"No matter what happens, don't release her!"
With one last word to the alarmed and anxious Pengfei, Shao Cheng swiftly left, uncaring of how he stumbled on his way out. Only one thought was running through his mind, and that is to get away from this place.
And to get away from the Chang Capital because he couldn't stomach seeing the person that matters the most in his entire life at the moment, which was honestly ironic and laughable after what he saw, experienced, and witnessed when he lost his consciousness.
The remorse, guilt, and despair are torturing Shao Cheng so much that he wanted to just break down and end his life to stop it all.
Because the moment Shao Cheng saw the aura come out of Huang Ya's body and collided against their purple one, he knew something wrong and bad was going to happen. Particularly when he felt a terrifying chill running down the spine of his back after the moment the two auras collided.
And when he lost consciousness, well, he regretted trying to figure out Huang Ya's secret.
He didn't even consider that something that is already destroyed, can still be broken once again.
Shao Cheng had known before that running away would never solve the problem, and yet, this time, he couldn't keep the strength and will to remain in the place where he could see the man.
This time, Shao Cheng had run away.
And yet, when he was swiftly leaving the Chang Capital but still having the reason to keep his presence and ability hidden. The various images in his mind are becoming clearer the more he runs in the Capital instead of disappearing like he desperately wanted it to.
When he bypassed an alley with a familiar bridge entering his view, the entire scene changed in an instant. The memory, vision, or whatever it was he wanted to desperately forget once again manifested.
There, he saw an older version of himself with a bloodied sword in his hands, piercing the heart of an older version of Ren Yuan still dressed in luxurious crimson robes.
He wanted to forget, to deny everything isn't real, but deep inside, he knew that what he was seeing were something that happened in an entirely different world and future.
And, when Shao Cheng was in that state, everything felt like he was really the person plunging the sword into Ren Yuan's heart, he even feel the vindictive emotions of his older version from finally taking the life of his greatest enemy.
"... Ah... Y-you… won… cough… I-..."
The older version of Shao Cheng might have disregarded and not noticed the emotions behind the dying Ren Yuan's gray eyes, but he can hear the unfinished words of what the man had wanted to say on his last breath.
And yet, that version of himself doesn't care one bit, and with the idea of never wasting time to give the enemy a chance to turn the situation in their favor, Shao Cheng remembers how that version of himself swiftly pulled the sword out and ruthlessly sliced Ren Yuan's head off.
Ha… Haha…
Shao Cheng felt the insanity he suppressed and ignore for a long time was quickly taking over his mind once again while his hands shook from the turmoil of emotion he was feeling.
Now, he completely understood what made Huang Ya special. How she could fool him in the previous life and manage to manipulate him with ease because she had a huge amount of information on what kind of person he was.
On what kind of person he would turn out to be.
In that vision on the bridge, 'He' could finally win the fight and take down the person who had always gotten in his way.
Then another vision flashes in Shao Cheng's mind, after seeing a small hill in the distance.
"Please, give up."
In that world, parallel or whatever dimension it was in Shao Cheng's opinion, it was his second brother that had survived instead of Shao Cai and had allied himself with Ren Yuan to fight against him.
It was a moment where that version of Shao Cheng was being trapped with no way out.
But he was a nasty and vile person, always taking advantage of people's weakness, and had used that split second of his second brother and Ren Yuan lowering their guard down when faking about finally giving up the fight to take someone to death for a last moment of struggle.
He had used an extremely lethal poison even though he could not survive it in order to just take down one of them with him. Of course, he always targets Ren Yuan, and yet, after the surprise of his action, the man only showed fondness and attachment in the moment of death.
Seemingly content with dying together with him.
Then it was a familiar luxurious restaurant meant for the noble and wealthy. Two figures face each other, and yet in the moment of life and death, the other man hesitates, which causes his life since the other person didn't stop his attack.
"... I.. couldn't do it… I… love you so much… Cheng to really kill you."
That version of Ren Yuan smiled sadly while crimson blood flowed down his lip, and yet, that version of Shao Cheng didn't believe a single word despite experiencing the proof of the man's love for him just a moment ago.
The familiar stubbornness and one track of mind that 'Ren Yuan' is an enemy and wanted to confuse that version of Shao Cheng even in his moment of death continued to make him blind to the real truth.
… Ha… Hahaha… Hahaha… HAHAHA!
Shao Cheng continued to get the various images in his mind as he rushed out of the Chang Capital, both physical, emotional and even his soul continued to be tortured from what he remembered on the countless possibility or genuine reality he 'saw' after becoming unconscious when the two different aura's collided each other.
Although, there was a time when it was Shao Cheng who died in those visions, and yet, it was always a version of 'himself' that always wins, always the one killing Ren Yuan, always the one ruthlessly and cruelly breaking the man's heart.
So, how could he remain in the same place that made him recall what he just experienced and saw during those unconscious moments? How could he continue to have the face to see the 'Ren Yuan' staying in the Capital?
How could he have the courage and will to meet him like everything is alright???
Shao Cheng couldn't remain indifferent no matter how strong and firm his will are after experiencing such a situation! Especially after finally having a glimpse of various scenarios of different futures ending between the two of them.
One is more cruel and heartless than the other!
Thus, Shao Cheng left Chang Capital after that day, his location becoming unknown. Only the letter being sent to tell his family that he was alright is the only proof they have to know that he was still alive and nothing bad had happened to him.