Two Lovers At Sunset

Jing Yi opened his eyes to a beautiful painting. It showed a garden with flowers he had never seen before, on the right side glittered the surface of a lake and a pavilion stood next to it. Everything was tinged in the red glow of the evening sun. It gave one a warm but also a lonely feeling.

Jing Yi wanted to look further around but he still couldn't move his body. No, not just that. His body was moving of its own accord! He panicked and tried to wrest control over it back but it was impossible.

He watched on helplessly as he unhurriedly placed down the brush as if he himself had just painted this picture. His movements seemed to slow even more and finally, his lips parted and Jing Yi heard himself sigh.

Just when his body wanted to turn around a pair of strong arms snaked around his waist and held him in place. Jing Yi felt the broad chest in his back and a smile tugged at his lips.

"That's beautiful," came a man's voice from behind him, the person's breath tingling his ear.

This voice … it sounded somehow familiar but he couldn't associate it with anyone. Maybe it sounded a bit like his fiance? But since when had Qiu Ling sounded this … serious?

"You forgot something, though." The man continued to hold him in place with one arm while he picked the brush up with his other hand. The tip lightly touched the screen and the silhouettes of two people emerged.

They sat in the pavilion, a tea set between them. The smaller person had picked up the pot as if he wanted to pour them a cup of tea but the way he held his head made obvious that he wasn't paying attention to the tea at all. Instead, he looked at the man across him as if he was the most important thing. The man seemed to look back at him, instantly diffusing the lonely feeling and making this the scene of two lovers meeting at sunset.

"You're surprisingly good at this."

Jing Yi wanted to frown but still couldn't. This didn't sound like his voice. It was similar but not the same. What was happening?

He couldn't ask his questions, though. His body leaned back against that broad chest, lowered his hand and stroked the arm around his waist. Black fabric. Could this really be Qiu Ling? He liked to wear black clothes, too. That at least would explain why he felt this man to be so familiar even though he hadn't even seen his face.

Yes, somehow, he felt oddly at ease in his arms. His feelings of confusion and loneliness, they were all gone as soon as this man had wrapped his arms around him and murmured those words into his ear in that deep voice.

But maybe those weren't his own feelings? Maybe he was forced to feel this just how his body was forced to move?

A pair of thin lips pressed against his cheek and pulled him out of his thoughts before that warm breath tingled his skin again. "There are some things I'm especially good at painting. I guess it's true that practice makes perfect."

Jing Yi felt his mind go blank and foreign thoughts invading it. Does he mean he painted us together very often? A feeling of sweetness arose in his heart with this thought. He clearly liked this idea very much.

That person behind him chuckled. It was deep and … unbelievably seductive. No, this couldn't be Qiu Ling. He had spent more than a year with him already. He would know if his fiance could sound like that. So this … was somebody else?

Jing Yi felt a feeling of dread arise in his heart but it was drowned out by the sweetness the person controlling him felt. Yes, he was sure that somebody must have taken over his body. Hadn't Shao Hai and Xiao Dong told him of such stories? Then … did this person intend to ruin his relationship with Qiu Ling for this man behind him? He couldn't let that happen!

Another kiss landed on his cheek before that person whispered into his ear once more. "So, why did you still paint an empty pavilion?"

Jing Yi lowered his head and turned it sidewards, hiding even the last bit of his expression from that person behind him. He didn't know what to say, although the answer in his heart was crystal clear: I was afraid there might be a day when there is only one person in that pavilion again.

The man behind him also didn't say anything. But he didn't pull back, instead, he hugged him even tighter and put his chin on Jing Yi's shoulder. It instantly made his body relax again. He downright melted into the man's embrace.

The two of them stood there, closely tied together as if they never wanted to let go of each other. The more at ease they felt, the more Jing Yi wanted to escape, though. He couldn't let this go on! He was engaged to Qiu Ling. How could he let another man get this close to him? He somehow had to escape!

He tried to move his body but it still wouldn't listen to him. Don't even speak of his limbs, he couldn't even twitch a brow. His mind wasn't much better. He could still think his own thoughts but every now and then one of that person flashed across his mind and his feelings seemed even stronger than Jing Yi's own.

The man behind him lightly sighed and lifted a hand to grab his chin. "I'll always be at your side. Whether it be this life or the next … I'll always stay with you." He made him turn his head and bent forward his breath nearing Jing Yi's lips. "I love you."

Jing Yi panicked. No! His body didn't listen to him, though. That man's lips met his and his soul shook. This was … too familiar as if it had really happened, as if … this was destined to be.