Liang Meng Yao was waiting patiently on the veranda, watching the gate that led to the main building. As he drank the hot tea, his mind swirled with thoughts. He rocked in his chair and glanced at the journal with a troubled look. It had answered many questions but raised more.

Meng Yao was glad that Jia Yi was resting comfortably in their room but he missed his wife’s calming presence. Just when he was ready to start fretting, he saw the two figures he had been waiting for walking up the path behind one of the gate servants. He immediately hurried towards them before stopping in his tracks as his eyes fell on Xiao Si.

The once beautiful and cold person he saw a few days back looked as though he was slowly fading away. His face was so pale it was nearly transparent and the cheekbones and jaw line were even more prominent now. The flames that his father had written about were nothing but dying embers now.

"Come inside!” Meng Yao urged them to speed up. “Get out of this cold and have a warm bite to eat.”

Xiao Si nodded briefly, as awkward as he had been in the restaurant. He wanted so much to connect again with his beloved child but he felt like his emotions had been frozen after the years of separation and heartbreak.

After ushering them both to seats, Meng Yao placed the dishes he had prepared before them. Xiao Si took up the chopsticks gingerly, careful to keep his clothes covering the disgusting marks that man had left on him. He didn’t want either of his sons to see them.

Meng Yao observed Xiao Si with concern. Even though he felt no connection to this man as family, it still hurt his heart to see this person looking as though he has nothing to hold on to in life.

The three ate quietly but after eating half of the food on his plate, Xiao Si stopped.

"Thank you, for the meal," Xiao Si said with unmistakable sincerity.

Meng Yao looked doubtfully at the plate that seemed to have been hardly touched. What little Xiao Si had eaten seemed to have been vegetables – the meat seemed to have been ignored. He had been observing his ‘daddy’ during the meal and thought Xiao Si was nothing like the person his father had described in the journal. What had happened? Was his father mistaken? Had Xiao Si changed?

Meng Yao picked up the plates and brought them to the kitchen. When he returned he sat quietly at the table, still lost in thought. Xiao Si looked at his beloved son silently as well. He had so much he wanted to say that it all clogged in his throat and nothing could come out. The silence felt cold and oppressive.

Huan looked between the two and felt like he was choking within this stiff aura. Shouldn’t a reunion like this be a little more affectionate?

Xiao Si placed his palm out on the table. Meng Yao was surprised and looked at Huan with a question in his eyes. Huan explained that Daddy wasn’t talking right now and wanted to write in Meng Yao’s hand. Meng Yao offered his hand forward to the other man, wondering what had caused this development. Xiao Si used his index finger trace words on Meng Yao’s palm.

"Did he die happy at least?"

Meng Yao was taken aback by the question. He thought back to his time with his father then smiled faintly with a suspicious sheen of water in his eyes.

Meng Yao took Xiao Si’s palm and replied by writing back.

"He died missing you. To the very end, he loved only you."

Xiao Si’s eyes filled with tears as he remembered his happiest memories with the scheming fox.

"What are you planning?" the younger Xiao Si asked fiercely.

"Stealing your war-loving heart, my love.” Huan answered with a cocky smile. “Yes, Prince Xiao Si of Qing, I, Liang Huan of China, love you! I will only love you."

Xiao Si blushed then turned angry.

"Don't think you can tie me down. It will never happen!" Xiao Si declared arrogantly.

Liang Huan gave a confused look then smiled tenderly.

"Why would I do that when I fell in love with your free nature in the first place? I fell in love with you for your fierceness and stubbornness and determination to be true to yourself in this world that wants to limit you. I don’t want to bind you; I want us to live freely together."

Xiao Si eyes began to sparkle as he looked at this foreign man who saw and accepted him exactly as he was. The arrogant eyes it softened as he accepted Liang Huan’s vow but Huan didn’t notice and continued to try and persuade him.

"I love the flower who has an iron will, unlike this useless man. Your Highness, you inspire me to be a better man."

Xiao Si’s hands trembled and tears began running down his cheeks. The pain of losing Huan tore at him as sharp as it had that very first day. He loved him. That man had given him the happiness he could only dream of and even in the midst of this unending pain, he could never regret meeting Liang Huan.

"Xiao Xiao, my love, please keep your distance from those men."

"It's a bit hard to keep one’s distance while being attacked," Xiao Si retorted with a contemptuous snort.

"Well – try! I don't want those strangers touching my beloved!"

"You’re quite petty, aren't you Minister Liang?"

"Hmph! You’re mine and mine alone! Aren't I allowed to be petty?"

"S-shameless!"

Liang Huan had brightened up his world but the loss of him had made it dark as well. Xiao Si could only shake with unvoiced sobs as he grieved the loss of his lover once again.

Meng Yao watched his daddy's silent tears and a thought that scared him came to mind: will he have to leave Jiajia behind in this world to one day?

The two stayed like that until Xiao Si’s tears slowed. Meng Yao built an altar for his father and he, Jia Yi, Huan and Xiao Si paid their respect to Liang Huan.

Feng Huan bowed three times before the shrine.

"Uncle, I don't know you but I want you to know I will protect your wife. I will become strong to protect Dage too," young Huan vowed seriously.

Xiao Si’s lips twitched in an unfamiliar smile as he imagined what Liang Huan would have to say about that promise.

"You want to take my wife away from me too? Eh? Over my dead body!!!"