After their chaotic chase along the shoreline, Yetao halted abruptly, his patience finally exhausted. The sun caught the amber flecks in his eyes as he turned to face his pursuer.
"I truly want to give you a proper punch," he muttered, his voice carrying on the salt-laden breeze, "but I'll settle with this for now, since we need to escape this place." With a casual flick of his wrist—elegant yet deadly—Yetao summoned his fox fire. Azure flames materialized from thin air, dancing toward the still-running Yuchen.
The flames caught Yuchen's attire before he could register what was happening. His eyes widened in shock as the ethereal fire licked at his sleeves. Without hesitation, he pivoted and plunged into the sea, disappearing beneath the rolling waves. Moments later, he resurfaced with a dramatic gasp, his clothing now extinguished but thoroughly soaked.
"Gege!" he yelled, pushing wet hair from his eyes. "Are you trying to kill me here?"
Yetao's lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk. "That's the punishment I'm giving you for disrespecting your elders," he replied with mock severity, though pleasure at his successful retaliation gleamed in his eyes.
Yuchen rose from the water with as much dignity as he could muster, but the charred remains of his sleeves betrayed his feat. Saltwater dripped from his form, creating dark patches in the sand beneath his feet.
Assessing the damage, Yetao sighed and traced an intricate magic circle in the air with practiced precision. Light gathered at his fingertips before materializing into a fluffy scarf of the most exquisite quality.
"Cover yourself with this for now," he offered, his earlier irritation softening into concern. "I'll procure new garments once we leave this place."
At the mention of departure, both Yuchen and Bambam flinched visibly, guilt darkening their features. They shared a knowing glance, heavy with the unspoken truth that escape might not be as simple as Yetao believed.
Masking his discomfort, Yuchen forced a smile and gently declined the scarf. "It looks too fluffy—it doesn't suit me," he said with affected casualness.
Yetao's brow furrowed in annoyance. "Fluffy? This is my favorite possession." His voice carried a hint of wounded pride. "I always keep it in my inventory for safekeeping. You clearly don't appreciate its value." With a slight pout, he removed his own outer garment and draped it over Yuchen's shoulders instead.
"Doesn't everyone use their inventory primarily for weapons?" Yuchen asked, accepting Yetao's clothing with a grateful nod.
Before he could fully secure the garment, Bambam's hand shot out, gripping the fabric with unexpected force. His smile remained fixed, but his eyes burned with a possessive fury directed solely at Yuchen. "You dare wear Taotao's clothes? "his gaze demanded silently.
Yuchen merely smirked in response and pulled harder on the garment. Neither man relented, and with a sound that sliced through the coastal ambient noise, the fabric tore between them.
Yetao's sharp intake of breath was the only sound for several heartbeats. His gaze hardened as he stared at Bambam, who suddenly found the distant horizon tremendously interesting.
"Why did you pull it?" Yetao's voice was dangerously calm.
Bambam cleared his throat uncomfortably, then removed his own immaculate outer garment and offered it to Yuchen in silent reparation. Yuchen accepted it with poorly concealed triumph, mouthing "Now roam shirtless" to Bambam before donning the clothing.
When Yuchen turned back to Yetao, he was puzzled by what he saw. Yetao was struggling to maintain his composure, his gaze determinedly avoiding Bambam's half exposed torso while a telling flush crept across his cheeks.
Bambam noticed this reaction and a slow, knowing smirk spread across his face. With deliberate grace, he leaned toward Yetao until his lips nearly brushed the shell of his ear.
"I simply didn't want another man wearing garments infused with your scent," he whispered, his breath warm against Yetao's skin.
The effect was immediate—the blush that had begun on Yetao's cheeks now blazed to the tips of his ears. He stood frozen, caught between indignation and something far more complex.
With the same unhurried confidence, Bambam took the fluffy scarf still clutched in Yetao's hands and delicately wrapped it around Yetao's neck. He moved with careful precision, avoiding direct contact yet maintaining an intimacy that charged the very air between them.
Yetao's eyes sparkled with an emotion he couldn't quite hide, causing Bambam's heart to stutter in his chest. Recognizing his own vulnerability, Bambam withdrew quickly, feigning sudden interest in a distant tree.
Yuchen observed this exchange with growing dismay, his fist clenching at his side. The sight of Yetao—his gege, his protected one—flushing at the attention of the vile demon lord was almost more than he could bear.
Thio, standing forgotten nearby, watched his parents' interaction with the world-weary resignation of someone who had witnessed such dancing around feelings countless times before. He sighed deeply, a sound too ancient and knowing for his childish form, utterly unnoticed by the adults entangled in their complicated emotional web.
Yetao cleared his throat, turning away from Bambam's intense gaze to address Yuchen. "Let's not waste any more time. We should leave this island," he said, his eyes sparkling with renewed hope now that help had arrived.
Yuchen paused, his mind racing to concoct a convincing deception. "Gege, the thing is..." he stuttered, unable to meet those trusting eyes.
Yetao tilted his head, confusion furrowing his brow. "What is it?"
"I actually came with an artifact, but..." Yuchen's voice trailed off, heavy with fabricated hesitation.
"But what?" Yetao prompted, his earlier enthusiasm giving way to concern.
Yuchen forced himself to continue the lie. "I accidentally broke it. It won't work anymore." Each word tasted bitter on his tongue, but he maintained his facade.
Shock washed over Yetao's face. "What do you mean? How did it break? Where is it?" Panic edged into his voice as he realized their primary hope for escape had vanished. He grabbed the artifact from Yuchen's hands, examining it with desperate intensity.
"It looks perfectly fine," Yetao observed, turning the object over in his hands. Determined to test it, he channeled his energy into the device.
The artifact reacted violently, emitting a sharp electric shock that traveled through Yetao's hand. He groaned as pain seared his palm, the skin instantly reddening.
Both Bambam and Yuchen lunged forward in unison, their rivalry momentarily forgotten in their concern. They reached for his injured hand, but Yetao yanked it away from both of them.
"How are we going to escape, then?" Distress threaded through his voice. "Can you create a teleportation formation?"
Yuchen shook his head regretfully, maintaining his deception.
The weight of their situation crashed down upon Yetao. His legs gave out beneath him as he crouched on the sand, staring at his burned palm with vacant eyes. In that moment, his worry was not for himself or his injury, but for their seemingly impossible escape.
Thio approached quietly, his small face solemn with concern. He reached for Yetao's injured hand with unexpected gentleness.
Yetao's lips curved into a soft smile despite his distress. "This is nothing, Thio. Mommy will heal in no time," he reassured the child, trying to mask his pain.
Thio captured Yetao's hand between his tiny palms. A soft light pulsed between their joined hands, radiating warmth and healing energy. When the glow faded, Yetao's burn had disappeared completely.
"How did you do that?" Yetao asked, awe replacing his earlier despair.
Thio simply giggled in response, his eyes crinkling with childish joy as he repeated, "Mommy," as if that explained everything.
Impressed by the child's unexpected abilities, Yetao gathered Thio into his arms. "You are the only reason I don't despise this island," he whispered, planting a kiss atop the child's head. "My cutie has such remarkable talents." He pinched Thio's plump cheeks affectionately, causing the child to beam with pride.
From a short distance away, Bambam observed their interaction with an expression that spoke of ancient memories. He closed his eyes briefly, as if the sight was simultaneously precious and painful. Yuchen noticed this flicker of emotion but chose to ignore it, filing the observation away for later consideration.
After a period of affectionate pampering, Thio drifted to sleep in Yetao's protective embrace, exhausted from his display of healing magic. Yetao gazed at the setting sun with a melancholy that deepened the gold in his eyes.
Bambam and Yuchen had disappeared briefly, using the opportunity to send a message to Lucas via Bambam's glass snake. When they returned, they found Yetao seated at the shore's edge, his legs extended toward the lapping waves, sighing with such profound melancholy that even the ocean seemed to respond by crashing against his feet in sympathetic rhythm.
They took their places beside him, one on each side like unwitting guardians.
After witnessing yet another soul-deep sigh, Yuchen nudged Yetao playfully. "Gege, my ears might take flight from all your sighing," he teased.
Though visibly annoyed, Yetao lacked the energy to spar verbally. Instead, he retreated into silence, his gaze fixed on the horizon where sky met sea in an ambiguous line.
"Will we ever escape this place?" Yetao asked finally, his voice barely audible above the waves.
Yuchen exchanged a meaningful glance with Bambam before answering. "Probably."
"When?" Yetao pressed, still staring at the darkening sky.
"When the barrier breaks," Yuchen replied with deliberate vagueness.
Yetao slid him a sidelong glance. "And when do you expect this barrier to break?"
"When it cracks," came Yuchen's unhelpful response.
Undeterred, Yetao continued, "When will it crack?"
"When the barrier is about to break," Yuchen answered with infuriating circularity.
Bambam turned away to conceal his amusement at this absurd exchange. This kid knows how to handle Taotao remarkably well, he thought, before a darker question intruded. But how? Were they this close before? The thought transformed his mirth into something sharper, more possessive.
As if sensing Bambam's shift in mood, Yetao smacked Yuchen's head with surprising force. "That's another punishment for disrespecting your elder," he declared.
Bambam's jealousy subsided slightly. Perhaps it's fortunate I said the truth about my age, he thought with wry relief.
"My aunt will overturn mountains if I miss my ascending ceremony," Yetao lamented, his bottom lip forming a slight pout as worry creased his brow.
"When is it scheduled?" Yuchen inquired.
"Twenty days from now," Yetao replied, his voice tight with anxiety.
Bambam's eyes darkened with concern as they rested on Yetao's profile. Gradually, that concern hardened into determination—a silent vow that he would protect Yetao this time, regardless of the cost.
"Don't worry, gege," Yuchen reassured him. "The wolf lord will handle the situation. Now that I've located you, he can track me easily."
A flicker of hope illuminated Yetao's features, tentative but present.
Witnessing this, Bambam felt the crushing weight of guilt, knowing that he was responsible for Yetao's captivity. Yet he remained resolute—Yetao's imprisonment was necessary for his protection. I'm sorry, Taotao, he whispered in the private chambers of his mind, his gaze softening with affection as it lingered on Yetao's profile.
Night descended, wrapping the island in velvet darkness.
Morning arrived with golden light but failed to dispel Yetao's melancholy. He spent the day by the shore, absent-minded and listless, his eyes constantly drawn to the endless waves that represented both boundary and potential freedom.
As Bambam and Yuchen stood at a distance, conflicted and concerned about how to lift Yetao's spirits, they noticed Thio approaching with determined strides, his childish face set in an adorable pout. Though clearly reluctant, the child seemed resolved to speak with Bambam.
Bambam narrowed his eyes in curiosity before crouching to meet Thio at eye level. The child's pout deepened, but he reached out unexpectedly and grasped Bambam's hand.
Shock widened Bambam's eyes—his son, who had shown nothing but disdain, was finally initiating contact. But before he could savor the moment, he felt a peculiar drain as Thio absorbed his energy.
What happened next defied all natural laws. Before their astonished eyes, Thio's form began to change—limbs elongating, features maturing, height increasing—until a teenager stood where the child had been moments before.
Yuchen's jaw slackened in disbelief.
The adolescent version of Thio glared at Bambam with eyes that held centuries of knowledge. "Don't mistake this for acceptance," he stated coldly. "I only want Mommy to be happy." Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode into the dense woods, his body language clearly warning against pursuit.
Bambam watched his retreating figure with an expression of profound recognition, as if witnessing the echo of a scene that had played out long ago. His right eye brimmed with a single tear as a smile ghosted across his lips. "Both of my sons care so deeply for their mother," he murmured, voice thick with emotion.
Yuchen, who had overheard, turned to him in surprise. "Both of your sons? You have another child?"
Bambam's smile deepened with reminiscence. "Yes. Another mommy's boy."
Approaching Bambam with narrowed eyes, Yuchen demanded, "If you already have a loving family, why do you persist in pursuing Yetao gege?"
The fierceness in Yuchen's gaze irritated Bambam, but he merely rolled his eyes, considering Yuchen is just a little kid to him. "Why do you care?" he deflected, attempting to end the conversation by turning away.
Yuchen's hand clenched into a fist, but he forced himself to remain calm. Bambam, despite everything, remained their only hope for saving Yetao—a fact that burned like acid in Yuchen's heart but could not be denied.
Thio gathered beautiful flowers and leaves, weaving them into a delicate wreath. As he imbued it with energy, the wreath began to glow with a soft pink light. Satisfied with his creation, he exhaled in relief and reverted to his child form. He approached Yetao, who was staring blankly at the sky, and presented his gift.
Yetao's face brightened as Thio placed the wreath atop his head. Immediately, a pleasant energy surged through him, filling him with boundless happiness and possibility.
"Thio, it lifted my spirits so much. What did you do?" Yetao asked, kissing Thio's forehead. He lifted the child, swinging him through the air while laughing joyously.
The commotion attracted Bambam and Yuchen, who approached with curiosity and surprise at Yetao's unusually high spirits.
"Didn't that kid grow up a moment ago? Why is he a child again?" Yuchen puzzled aloud as they drew closer.
They stood stunned at the sight of Yetao wearing the flower wreath, his face flushed with happiness as he continued twirling and laughing.
"Why don't you join me?" Yetao called to them.
Yuchen was suddenly suspicious. "Gege being happy isn't bad, but... something feels wrong."
Bambam noticed the wreath emitting a strange pink energy and immediately suspected the cause. He turned to Thio, who was struggling in Yetao's enthusiastic play.
"Did you imbue the wreath with your shell's qi?" Bambam asked knowingly. Thio averted his gaze, confirming Bambam's suspicions.
With a frustrated sigh, Bambam rescued Thio from Yetao's grasp while Yuchen steadied the dizzy child. Bambam then removed the flower wreath from Yetao's head and cast it to the ground.
"Why did you take it? Thio gifted it to me," Yetao pouted, attempting to grab Bambam's hair. Bambam caught his hands, restraining further attacks.
Annoyed, Yetao summoned fire, but Bambam countered by manipulating water to block it.
"Is he drugged?" Yuchen asked in confusion.
"Yes," Bambam replied simply, continuing to defend against Yetao's attacks.
Yuchen looked accusingly at Thio. "Just what did you do, little one?" But Thio's expression revealed he hadn't anticipated these effects.
Working together, Bambam restrained Yetao while Yuchen sealed his powers. Yetao began to sniffle in frustration.
Concerned he might cry, Bambam turned Yetao to face him, cupping his cheeks. "...Sm...od," Yetao mumbled, looking downward.
"What?" Bambam asked, trying to see his face.
When Yetao finally looked up, his eyes sparkled as he declared, "You smell good," and began sniffing Bambam, who flinched in surprise.
"Taotao... can you move?" Bambam's voice stuttered.
Understanding his assignment, Thio quickly retrieved the flower wreath and manipulated its qi before placing it on Yuchen, who immediately fell into a deep sleep. Transforming into his teenage form, Thio carried Yuchen away from the pair.
Bambam blinked in confusion until Thio mouthed, "One chance," before departing. Understanding dawned—Thio was playing matchmaker.
"Leaving Taotao with me in this state is..." Bambam mumbled, watching Yetao's flushed face still sniffing him, "...dangerous." He blushed and looked away.
"You smell like the mountains. I miss my aunt," Yetao said, his excitement fading to sadness as tears welled in his eyes. He embraced Bambam tightly. "I miss her so much," he sobbed, burying his face against Bambam's chest.
Though startled, Bambam understood Yetao's pain—a free spirit confined to an island. Feeling guilty, he returned the embrace and patted Yetao's back comfortingly.
After crying for a while, Yetao looked up with swollen eyes. Bambam gently wiped away his tears, cupping his face.
Studying Bambam closely, Yetao said, "You know what? I don't know you from before. But you do make my heart flutter."
The unexpected confession made Bambam's heart race. Finding Bambam's surprised expression amusing, Yetao rose to his tiptoes, pulled him closer, and placed a quick kiss on his lips.
Bambam froze in shock.
"You always did whatever you wanted before. I wanted to try it once too," Yetao smiled playfully, attempting to step away. "It doesn't feel bad seeing your funny expression right now."
But Bambam pulled him back. "Remember that it is you who broke the rule," he said before kissing Yetao deeply.
This time, Yetao embraced it fully, wrapping his arms around Bambam's neck and returning the kiss. Whether influenced by the magical wreath or the natural resonance of their hearts, they had taken their first step toward their intertwined fate.