I feel my cheeks heat; my heart races uncontrollably as Zhan's arm wraps around my waist. He moves close, almost plastering himself to my front and leaving featherlight kisses on my lips before moving to my cheeks. I stop breathing and close my eyes. I know I should stop him. I had many questions, after all. But the feel of his lips and his warmth were too good to refuse. So I shamelessly stand there, basking in the love that he was showering on me.

Sooner than I wanted, however, he stops, and cupping my face, he looks into his eyes, "I am sorry, YiJun. I couldn't keep away any longer." He whispers in my ear before looking apologetically at me. "Next time, I will ask for permission before I touch you, alright?"

The heat in his eyes as they linger on my lips before looking into mine stir more than just emotions. I realize that I liked this Zhan more than the one without his memories; I nod.

He sighs contently and sits on the floor, gesturing for me to join him. 

 "There is a bed right there. Why are you sitting down?"

"I have my reasons." He replies, cheeks coloring, "Please, cooperate."

"Fine." I sigh and join him.

"YiJun, I know you have no reason to believe what I am about to tell you, but I swear that everything I am about to tell you is the truth."

I nod; he continues, "When I was around five, my aunt Wei Lai fell sick mysteriously. My father did everything in his power to help her, but no one was able to heal her. Desperate, for she was to marry the second prince of Dezhutang soon, my father invited alternate medicine practitioners."

"Mn?"

"Witches and sorcerers. Magic users."

"Oh."

"I don't know how many of them tried to cure my aunt, but one day father told me that aunt Lai had recovered. I was obviously over the moon. I adored her. That evening despite being forbidden to meet her, I snuck into her room."

"Why were you forbidden to meet her?" I ask, curious and his brows crease. "The woman who cured her had instructed my father to keep my aunt in seclusion for a few days. No one except the gypsy woman was allowed to enter her chamber."

I nod.

"That day, when I went to see her, I saw something that I shouldn't have. On the bed lay a sickly woman dressed like my aunt. Soon, my aunt joined her. This woman, who looked like my aunt, was dressed like a gypsy. She muttered something, and a red glow started emitting from my aunt's palm and entered the woman on the bed. When the glow was gone, my aunt smiled at the woman on the bed and said, "Goodbye, Princess Lai. Thank you for this beautiful body. I shall use it well." With that, her eyes glowed red, and the figure on the bed caught fire. She thrashed on the bed but couldn't leave it. I saw her mouth open and close, but nothing came out." Zhan stops. There are tears in his eyes as he looks at me, "Do you understand what I saw that day?"

I feel anger and disgust. My heart breaks when I remember that Zhan must have been just a child when he had witnessed this gruesome act. I nod. "I am sorry for your loss." I pause, "You don't have to continue... "

Zhan shakes his head, "I want you to know everything." He states sincerely and continues, "After that day, things looked normal on the outside, but I began to notice things that no one could. My father began to change, almost becoming a puppet in my aunt's hands. He lost interest in court matters, delegating his duties to his subordinates, and started spending time alone. What he did there, I don't know. No one knew, except for my aunt, who had stationed a maid to look after him."

"Soon, aunt got married and left for Dezhutang. But even after that, things didn't go back to normal. A few days after the wedding, my mother had a miscarriage and passed away soon after. It was like she had cursed us."

"The only thing I wanted was my family, or what was left of it, back. But when I tried to reach out to my father, I was stopped. By then, everyone was working for my aunt, who used to visit us once a month. The only one who believed me was my nanny, who had seen through her. When I expressed my desire to learn the art of medicine, she helped me."

As Zhan went on, I felt like his story parallelled mine on many levels.

"One day, a few years ago, my aunt came to me and offered me a drink. 'You have come of age.' she said, and I pretended to drink it. That night she stationed a maid outside my chamber. I overheard their conversation and started acting accordingly. I started staying indoors, ordering drinks, and spending time with women. No one except my nanny knew the truth. You see, what these women said after spending nights with me was lies that I had planted in their minds to hide my true motives. Every night, I ventured outside to search for anyone who could help me with an antidote to cure my father. However, I failed."

"So, you drugged the women!?" I ask, feeling uncomfortable at the thought of women spending time with my man.

Zhan ge huffs, "Are you feeling jealous, YiJun?"

"Of course not! I am merely concerned... "

"I didn't touch them. The drugs were harmless. I deceived them but did not hurt them." He clarifies, holding my hand, "Trusts me, YiJun. You are the only one I have ever felt attracted to."

I nod.

"A month or so ago, my father saw me the first time in years and told me that I was to get married to my aunt's niece, princess YiJuan."

"What!?"

"Yes, he told me that you were a real beauty. I had no choice but to agree. I was also surprised to hear that you had agreed to this alliance. After all, I knew what news was circulating throughout the kingdoms. It looked more and more like you were either working for my aunt or were under her control. However, I wanted to know for sure. So on the day I was supposed to receive you, I left the palace disguised as one of the palace servants, intending to test you." He pauses and smiles, "As you know, that didn't happen."

I nod. "So, what do you think, am I a true beauty?" I ask, smirking. He doesn't answer; he just leans in and kisses my forehead, "You don't look like the beauty I was expecting to meet, but you are a true beauty."

I feel wetness on my cheek and wipe it hastily, "Zhan ge, I will make sure you get your dad back."

He nods, "Yes, it doesn't feel so impossible anymore." He beams at me and kisses my cheek.

"You didn't ask for permission!"

"I don't think I need it. Do I, YiJun?" His heated gaze bores into my soul, making the situation in my pants unbearable.

Fuck propriety!

I push Zhan on his back and pull myself on top of him. "Zhan ge, you may not be a saint, but I am the shameless one here." I lower myself over him and watch his eyes widen.

Not wanting to freak him out too much, I kiss his forehead. He parts his bow-shaped lips and closes his eyes. His long dark lashes fan his fair, flawless cheek, and I find myself kissing his eyelids, cheeks, and the corner of his lips. "Zhan ge?"

He opens his eyes and smiles, "What?"

"I want to kiss you, may I?"

His smile widens, and his palm moves to the nape of my neck. He nods.

I don't know who makes the first move, but a split second later, we are kissing. It's simple and sweet at first, but then Zhan opens his mouth and traces my lips.

It is an entirely new territory for me. I just let Zhan take the lead then. He kisses my lower lip and looks me in the eye. I can hear our hearts beat in sync with each other.

I wonder why he had stopped and repeat what he had done barely seconds ago. He gasps, and the next moment he has me pinned under him, "YiJun, we really shouldn't."

"Are you kidding me, Zhan ge!?" I exclaim, "You should have thought about- Mm!"

His lips capture mine, and his tongue invades my mouth. All thoughts fly out of my mind leaving only lust behind. I snake my tongue out, meeting his, and reverse our position once again.

I pull at the belts of his robes, and he lets me. I kiss his cheeks again before moving to his sharp jaw and slender neck. I expose his collar, something that I have wanted to do for a while, and kiss every inch of smooth tantalizing skin I can get my mouth on. 

 "YiJun.... " He moans; his brows crease.

Why does he look like he is in pain? 

"Zhan ge, do you not like this?" I ask, stopping myself. He gulps and shakes his head, "How long have you been a man?"

What kind of dumb question is that? And why does it matter? 

He chuckles, "It's just that your actions are not...Never mind." He says, as if changing his mind, and brings his hand to my shoulder. But before he can do that, I intertwine our fingers and lower myself over his chest and continue my shameless act.

"YiJun, stop..." He whispers, urging me to look at him.

"Why?"

"I.. I... "

"Oh, dear! What's happening here!?" I hear Weredra exclaim and push myself off Zhan.

"Weredra!" I exclaim and make a move to close her eyes. She ducks and shakes her head at us disapprovingly, "YiJun, are you trying to corrupt my poor innocent Senior gege."

"We... I- It's not."

"Save it." She states and smirks. Zhan misses it. "My innocent eyes are ruined forever." She pouts.

"Meimei, I am sorry... " He apologizes sincerely. "We shouldn't have... It was not YiJun's fault."

Poor Zhan, he was yet unaware of Weredra's mischievous ways. "She is an ancient creature of magic, Zhan ge." I try to explain, but Weredra interrupts again, "That doesn't mean my eyes have witnessed such shamelessness before."

Zhan sighs, and in a stern big brother voice, he commands, "YiJun, Weredra, let's go to sleep."

I automatically plop down next to Zhan, but he shifts away, "You will sleep with Weredra."

"I agree." Weredra chirps, and that's how I end up on the bed with Weredra instead of on the floor cuddling with Zhan.

"Will you be visiting the queen tonight?" Weredra asks as soon as we have made ourselves comfortable.

"Yes, I presume that Lung Chi will meet her at the same time as last night."

"YiJun, can't I tag along?" Zhan asks. 

 It's not me, but Weredra who answers, "Senior gege, you can't. The magical cloak isn't big enough to hide both of you." 

Weredra proceeds to tell him everything about herself, starting from how we had met and what I had wished for on the day I had rescued her. She finishes by telling him how she had begun to lose her memories and magic and how the wrist band kept her connected to me. 

 As soon as she finishes, I remember that something was bothering me, "Weredra, you told me that there would be consequences if I were to break the rules, then how come I haven't changed back into a woman."

"That's something that is puzzling me as well."

"What do you mean?"

"YiJun, I told you before, I did not change your gender. When I first met you, you were a man."

"That's impossible, Weredra. I can prove it to you. Bring my things back."

Weredra snaps her fingers and is back with my sack. I rampage through it and pull out my wedding dress.

"Look. I was wearing these when I left the palace that day."

Weredra examines it. "I don't know...all I know is I gave you the mask to hide your identity and made Senior gege lose his memories when you rescued him."

"Why!?" Both Zhan ge and I ask simultaneously.

"YiJun, would you have tagged along with him if he told you who he was?"

She looks at Zhan, "Would you have found us if you wouldn't have fallen in the river?"

Both of us shake our heads.

"Sometimes, true love needs help too." She says, shrugging her shoulders, and I have to admit she was right.

{Word count: 2145}