Chapter 54: Memories

Purple eyes idly stared beyond the window as vast clusters of trees zoomed by. From the corner of his eyes, Zhou Jian could see the tuff of silver hair on his shoulder, a comfortable weight accompanying it. His ears picked up the other's steady breathing and his mind was soothed. Slowly, his eyelids drooped and soon shut, his consciousness sinking into the depths of his internal sea.

"Daddy?"

Groggy phoenix eyes shifted slightly upon hearing the call. Without rising from the bed, he could spot locks of golden hair sticking up from the other end. With a little movement, sea blue eyes came into view as the child crawled over to the man.

Confusion stirred as Zhou Jian propped himself up, his hand naturally resting on the soft and seemingly glowing strands.

"Xiao Shuang, what's wrong? Why aren't you asleep?"

It was midnight, the door to the next day, and it was welcomed by the silver moon floating high above. It's subtle glow illuminated the figures as the hush of wind lulled many across the planet into their slumber.

Contrary to this, two little seas darkened and a frown crept on Zhou Shuang's face. His chubby hands grabbed his father's shirt tightly, leaning into the warmth.

"Couldn't sleep."

Fondness seeped into the man's eyes as Zhou Jian tightened his hold on the boy. Lying down, he adjusted them so that his son lay on his chest before gently patting the small head. The fidgeting boy was quickly calmed as the rhythmic beats of a drum flooded his ears from the sturdy chest below him.

Moments passed as the room grew dim, caused by the black silk covering the moon swiftly. The sea's restlessness within the Zion had just calmed when a small storm formed, passing over the waters and waking the sleeping waves.

"Daddy?"

"Mm?"

"Is something wrong?"

The man's face scrunched up slightly.

"No...why do you ask?"

Zhou Shuang raised his head a bit as the round eyes, unusually dim for a child, studied his father's face, watching the bemusement grow as his small voice spoke.

"You're married...but Mum isn't here...I thought you slept with him."

Zhou Jian's body tensed slightly yet his orbs only reflected the plump face, the turmoil of the inner sea covered by foggy purple glass.

[Chen Xiang? ]

The Demon Emperor seemed to be at a loss for words, his mouth shut while he gazed, unfocused, into curious blue eyes. An excruciatingly long time passed before a deep voice sounded, yet it didn't address the son's confusion.

"Xiao Shuang...what do you think of A Tao?"

Unaware of the man's apprehension, the little boy blinked and his eyes twinkled a bit. There was not a moment of hesitation before Zhou Shuang answered, a lighter expression etched into the small face.

"Papa is great! I hope he can stay forever! I love his kisses."

"..."

After a few moments, a sigh escaped his lips, the phoenix eyes fluttering closed for a moment to hide the crack. The Zion lightly patted the golden locks, words tumbling around his head, only settling once he spoke.

"You're only four...yet you're not as blind as me."

Noticing the slight tilt of Zhou Shuang's head, indicating his bewilderment, Zhou Jian couldn't hold back a small smile.

[ He's still just a child though...naive, innocent and oblivious to the truths of the world...incredibly precious. ]

Love swirled in the purple eyes as the father planted a kiss on his son's head. The weight in his heart lifted seeing the child's adorable expression as the boy clumsily returned the kiss.

Smiling, Zhou Jian patted the child's head, believing it was time for them to sleep. Just as the father had closed his eyes, Zhou Shuang once again gave him a fright.

"Do you love Mama more than me?"

The Zion looked at his child, speechless.

An incredibly long time passed but he still couldn't find a way to answer. Noticing the hesitance, the sea blue eyes watered slightly.

"It's fine Dad, you don't have to reply."

"Mm."

.

...At that time, I had felt relief...If only I had understood that I had rejected my child salvation.

Believing that an answer of where my affections lay, whether him or his mother, would have troubled such a young child who should be uncaring and free, I made things worse.

I made him unwilling to open up to me, unwilling to trust me...

If only I had answered honestly. If only I did not worry so much to reveal the turmoil within me. If only I had not tried to hide my true thoughts on his mother.

He would not have suffered so much...]

"A Jian?"

.

"A Jian?"

Phoenix eyes fluttered open and were met with the sight of two galaxies gazing upon him. A pause of silence came as the mental fog cleared, the Zion breaking the waters, resurfacing into the present.

In the next moment, his arms reached out and pulled the other down into his embrace. The pale face flushed red instantly when their lips clashed but the silver eyes quickly shut closed as he savored the kiss.

Greedily nipping and licking the plump lips, the older boy rained down his fever of affections. A sweetness filled the Celestial as his arms wrapped around Zhou Jian's neck.

Unfortunately, their heated exchange barely lasted before Wang Tao tapped his boyfriend's shoulder. With a slightly pout, the Zion it released him, but not before stealing one last kiss.

Some amusement flashed across Wang Tao's face before he noticed his boyfriend's strange expression.

"Did you sleep well?"

Wang Tao held some worry as he took Zhou Jian by the hand, leading the boy out of the car. Zhou Jian only nodded once they began to stroll towards the mansion door.

[He's unusually quiet. ]

Tilting his head slightly, the Celestial eyed his lover for a moment.

"?"

Wang Tao quickly shook his head at the questioning look yet he had a hunch about the problem. The Celestial opted to remain silent for the time being, turning his attention to observing the servants rushing across the halls as the two made their way upstairs.

Shutting the bedroom door behind him, the Zion's purple eyes shifted downwards to meet golden ones.

"Afternoon cutie."

The older boy picked up the fur ball with a slight smile, running his hand on the tiny head as he greeted their kitten. As Vanilla nuzzled into the embrace, Zhou Jian sat on the bed beside Wang Tao, the Celestial reaching out to spoil the kitten further.

Within a few moments, the Zion placed Vanilla down before leaning back into the soft mattress of the bed. Wang Tao looked down at the other and couldn't help but comment,

"You seem tired."

"I do?"

Zhou Jian raised a brow at this. Wang Tao lay down beside him, propping his head on his shoulder to admire the handsome face.

"Mm, you looked like you were thinking of something."

"I was."

"Really?"

Zhou Jian smirked seeing the other so curious.

"But I won't tell you~"

"What? Why?"

Kissing the pouting lips, the purple eyes overflowed with fondness.

"Because you'll only worry about useless things that are unimportant."

Wang Tao was unable to comprehend what the older boy meant but he decided to drop the matter. Lying down, he wrapped his arms around the Zion and idly fiddled with the ends of the black hair.

The silver eyes scanned the other, his eyes gentle.

[ Sometimes it's really hard to believe that he's mine...mine...I can't help but like how that sounds. ]

Wang Tao rested his head in the crook of the neck and unable to resist, he began to nibble the flesh softly.

Purple eyes snapped open.

"A Tao st-"

A whine sounded from the Celestial at his lover's attempt to halt his actions. Helpless and indulgent, Zhou Jian gave way, doing his best to ignore the heat.

Unfortunately or fortunately - Zhou Jian was indecisive on the matter - they were soon disturbed by a sudden knock on the door.

"Please excuse me, Young Masters, but the Madam wishes to speak with Young Master Jian."

With a frown, Wang Tao pulled back as the Zion sat up. Rubbing the silver head to comfort the other, Zhou Jian exited the room to follow Butler Lin to his mother.

With a huff, the Celestial ceased pouting. A blank expression settled on his face as Wang Tao glanced around the room before suddenly looking down.

[ Ah, I'm still in uniform. ]

Taking a quick bath and changing into black pants and a hoodie, Wang Tao grabbed his phone from the dresser. Beckoning Vanilla, he crawled under the sheets, stroking the kitten curled up beside him as he browsed on the screen.

Meanwhile, Zhou Jian had arrived at the drawing room a floor below, Butler Lin departing after a curt nod to him.

Turning his attention to the door, the Zion breathed in to controll his growing irritation before pushing open the wooden doors and entering.

"Greetings to mother, I...Why is she here?"

The slight upturn of his lips promptly dropped when Zhou Jian caught sight of the extra party in the room.

A young girl, looking roughly the same age as Zhou Jian, sat beside Madame Zhou with a gentle smile. Her round green eyes immediately brightened upon the boy's arrival.

"Zhou Jian, mind your manners! Fen er just came to see you, how could you treat her like that?!"

"Aunty, there is no need to shout at him like that. I'm sure he was just surprised."

Madame Zhou revealed a gentler expression at her words, lightly patting the girl's brown hair. Having calmed down, she rose to her feet and made her way towards her son, the teenage girl following behind.

"Zhou Jian, you remember Su Fen, right? Look at what a fabulous young girl she has become, beautiful don't you agree?"

"Personally, I think she's uglier than last time."

The teenager shot a dark look at the two females before swiftly turning around to leave. Recovering from her shock, Su Fen hurriedly reached out to grab his hand.

"Jian Ge, wait!"

"Fen er!"

The red haired woman shrieked, rushing over to the stunned girl. The mother was overcome with rage as she carefully helped Su Fen off the floor.

"Zhou Jian, apologize right this instance!"

Her words reached deaf ears.

Purple eyes were fixated downwards as the Zion irritatedly wiped his hand on his shirt. The tremble of his hand was almost unnoticeable, but it quickly flared the anger in Madam Zhou when she caught it.

Controlling the morbid thoughts she was having of a certain silver haired boy, she dusted off Su Fen attentively, comforting the shaken girl.

Closing his eyes for a moment, the Zion breathed in before staring at the pair. Shutting his mouth before he blurt anything too offensive, Zhou Jian took the opportunity while his mother was distracted to leave, slamming the door behind him.

.

.

.

"Vanilla, do you like vanilla?"

Wang Tao chuckled at his question as gold eyes stared back at him. The Emperor couldn't help but become a bit embarrassed when his kitten shot him a look, however he laughed at it afterwards.

[ I wonder if not liking it would be considered as her disliking herself? ]

Shifting his body, the Celestial scooped her into his arms and gave Vanilla a kiss. Lying on the bed, silver eyes stared at the ceiling in a daze.

[ I wonder what A Jian is discussing with his mother...I hope she's not forcing her opinion on wanting him to be straight again. It would be worse if she was there...Su Fen...that would be weird...

.

.

.

"A Tao wake up~"

"Mm~Cant you to on your own?"

"No, I'll be bored without you."

Turning over, silver eyes stared at him blankly and Zhou Jian couldn't help but show a frustrated expression at the unwillingness in them.

"You know...I bought this really nice vanilla cake the other day. It's quite big but I guess I can eat it myself."

Shooting a glare at the older boy, Wang Tao couldn't help but give in, sitting up quickly at the mention if cake.

The Zion didn't know what to say, he expected this but it was still shocking how easily the Celestial got baited with food. With an indulgent smile, he rubbed the silver hair, much to the other's contentment.

[ He's so much like a cat. Wouldn't it be funny if he had an actual cat, I bet they would act the same. ]

Smiling to himself, Zhou Jian dragged his friend to get ready. A while later, the two were dressed nicely with black pants and a purple and black shirt respectively.

"So do you know who's coming?"

Wang Tao glanced at his friend as they walked through the halls, making their way downstairs. Madame Zhou had told them of a visitor stopping by, ordering Zhou Jian to be especially nice to them.

The Zion shook his head and a short silence passed as he led them to the garden. The area was very neat, the bushes well trimmed, the flowers blooming and the sunny atmosphere made it a good day to be out there.

"Mother wants me to wait here."

Nodding, Wang Tao walked over to the small gazebo, sitting on one of the two chairs around the small table and the older boy followed. It was only a few moments after they sat when a servant brought over a few snacks as well as the cake.

Zhou Jian smiled, watching the silver eyes light up as Wang Tao cut himself a piece. He was smiled brighthly when the Celestial waited a bit longer to eat, giving the Zion a piece too.

The two are the cake in a comfortable silence, watching the birds and squirrels playing in the garden, when they were interrupted.

"Young Masters, the guest has arrived."

Bowing to the two, the young man stepped aside to reveal a girl. She was shorter than the two, but her bubbly aura and confidence made one easily overlook it at first glance.

She stepped forward, holding what looked to be a gift box in her hand, drawing near to the two. Observing the two boys, she couldn't help but blush a bit.

"Hi, my name is Su Fen. I'm 13."

[ She's our age...Those green eyes and even the brown hair... they're all too familiar. ]

Wang Tao wasn't the only one who thought so, obvious to him from the troubled look that flashed across the purple eyes the moment he laid his eyes on her.

An awkward silence passed as the one who normally initiated conversations didn't respond, forcing Wang Tao to say something.

"Su as in the Su family?"

"Mm-hmm, one of the third most powerful families like you two, so I bet we'll get along great!"

With a bright smile, the girl came even closer, her green eyes shining with excitement.

Finally snapping out of it, Zhou Jian asked the young man nearby to bring thier guest a chair before turning his attention back to her. Putting on a smile, he stood up and introduced himself.

"I'm Zhou Jian and this is Wang Tao, my best friend. We're also 13."

Nodding, she sat down seeing that the chair arrived and the Zion did as well.

"So I wanted to bring you a gift but I didn't know what you like. Since my family is famous in the beauty industry, I got you this."

With a smile she pushed the black box towards Zhou Jian. Wang Tao watched his friend, quickly picking up on the discomfort and couldn't help but recall the first world.

"...Thank you. that was very thoughtful of you. Maybe I'll open it later."

"No! You have to open in now. I want to see if you like it!"

With a pout on her face, she wined. Unsure of what to do, Zhou Jian thought off how to refuse when she grabbed his hand.

"Open it please~"

Instead of being roped in by her sparkly eyes as she'd hoped, Zhou Jian felt goosebumps rise as he quickly pulled his hands away. He really wasn't one for physical contact, only 3 people have ever been an exception.

Zhou Jian thought it over a bit before unsuredly glancing at Wang Tao. When the Celestial shot him a look, he was reminded off his mother's words, reluctantly agreeing and opening the box.

After pulling off the ribbon, he lifted up the cover to reveal 4 items, cologne, body spray, hair spray and an air refresher.

Wang Tao leaned closer, peeking at the items in the box before glancing at the anticipation on Su Fen's face.

"These are products from our line Emperor Suite. Do you like it?"

Zhou Jian didn't answer.

Confused, the Celestial glanced at his friend only to become extremely worried.

The Zion still held the cover in his hands, yet he was gripping it so tightly it was about to break. Noticing that the boy looked a bit pale, bemusement rose in Wang Tao.

Thinking for a moment, Wang Tao excused them before he quickly pulled the dazed Zhou Jian up, hurriedly bringing him to their room.

Closing the door behind him, he sat the boy down on the bed, pulling the cover out of his hands before sitting down beside him.

A silence passed before Zhou Jian leaned his head on the boy's shoulder, his eyes closed. As Wang Tao rubbed his head gently, Zhou Jian spoke softly.

"Could you sing for me?"

He didn't get a reply but he soon heard a soft melody flow out, and Zhou Jian eventually calmed down.

"A Jian...what's wrong?"

A long while passed before a voice spoke up.

"Do you remember what I told you the first time you brought me a gift."

"Mm."

"But you don't know why..."

"No...you never told me."

"I didn't think I'd ever have to. I'd hoped that I'd buried that memory but...I remembered today."

"Because she got you a gift?"

"Mm, but that's not what caused this."

"...Was it...the gift?"

"Mm."

Zhou Jian's eyes narrowed contently as the warm hand rubbed his hair. Closing his eyes once more, he recalled that memory that he'd hidden in his heart worlds ago, even before he met the Celestial.

"I'm sorry."

Wang Tao frowned.

"Sorry for what?"

Zhou Jian sat up, his purple eyes staring into silver ones.

"I caused you such trouble over a gift. I feel pathetic."

"It couldn't be nothing for you to react so badly...trauma, it isn't something you can dismiss so easily."

A silence passed as the Zion took in those words. Zhou Jian knew he was right. He'd ignores this trauma of his the whole time, but instead he should've worked on it.

[ Now I've embarrassed myself infront of A Tao...and probably offense our guest.]

Sighing, the Demon Emperor rubbed his forehead.

[ I should explain...]

Hesitance flashed through his eyes for a moment but Zhou Jian finally made up his mind.

"A Tao...Would you like to know?"

The Celestial looked at the other, nodding quickly. Getting the response, the Zion took a breath before he spoke...