*Almost nineteen years before YiJun meets Wei Xian*

After having met Xian's doppelganger about fifty years ago, YiJun had decided that since he was someone who depended on human blood to survive, he should pay them back in some way. 

He had changed his name to Lan Wangji and had set up Lan Pharmaceuticals. Shen, however, had kept his original name.

Lan Pharmaceuticals had the largest research and development division in China; no one knew it's primary purpose, though. Since it's inception, Lan Pharmaceuticals had invented and developed new drugs to help humanity. No one had seen the actual owner of the corporation, and none of those who worked there were aware of how Lan Wangji looked.

It was an ordinary night. Wangji was working in the research lab when he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. The only thing that came to Wangji's mind was 'Xian....my Xian is in danger.'

The words 'Next time, find me before it's too late.' echo in his heart, and he leaves for home. He is crossing an empty patch of road when his car breaks down. The pain in his heart intensifies. As soon as he gets out of his car, the distinct smell of night creatures assaults him; it was the first time he had smelled them in almost four hundred years. 'Why are they here? What attracted them here?' Wangji thinks, following the smell and comes across a small house after having crossed a patch of farm. 

He sees two night creatures closing in on it. He walks closer and smells something else, 'Bai blood.' His eyes widen. 'Bai blood has attracted them!' He realizes. 

Out of the two creatures, one looks completely deformed while the other looks mesmerized. Wangji doesn't understand why the night creatures were merely standing outside the house without entering it. 

Then he recalls that unlike him, who is part-night creature and part wolf, pure night creatures were incapable of entering an establishment unless invited. 

Of course, it was all hearsay. But looking at the two night creatures just standing as if waiting, proved that what he had heard was true. 

Just then, he sees a man run outside. 

'Xian?' Wangji thinks, walking closer. The man's scent hits Wangji's senses, and his eyes turn red; he is not the only one affected. The two night creatures immediately come out of the shadows and attack the man with sharp nails and slicing his thigh even before Wangji can react.

The man screams in agony and falls to the ground. But fortunately, before the creatures can do more damage, Wangji stops them.

"Go inside," Wangji orders the now bleeding man; the man starts dragging himself towards the door, but before he is completely inside, the disfigured night creature escapes Wangji's clutches with swift movements and attacks the man, slicing his throat.

"Nooooooooooo," Wangji yells, launching himself on the escaped creature and slashes its neck; the mutilated creature growls, while the other one attacks Wangji and bites his forearm, and starts growling in pain.

Meanwhile, the injured man enters his home again. 

"Close the door, and stay inside," Wangji instructs, fighting two creatures at once.

Now that one of the creatures had stopped attacking, Wangji shifts his focus to the mutilated one. He holds it by its shoulder and lifts his hand to strike a final blow, when a sword pierces his back. He howls and falls on the floor. 

Wangji turns to look at his attacker, but his eyes only see a retreating back; it's a man clothed in blue robes. 

He struggles to stand up, but finds that he is incapable. The sword, Wangji realizes, was laced with silver, which was now spreading through his body, making it impossible for him to move.

He looks to the side where the other night creature that had bitten him lay and notices that it was healing. Wangji tries to move; he tries to fang out, but the more he tries to use his strength, the worse he feels. In the meanwhile, he sees the creature get fully healed; it sits up and looks at Wangji. It smirks, stands up, and advances towards the immortal with an intent to kill.

For the first time, he feels like he was not going to survive, but Wangji feels content, for he had at least saved an innocent man before dying forever. 

A moment later, he hears a woman yell, "Noooooooo." while running towards him. 

'What is she doing? She will die.' Wangji thinks and yells, "Stay inside, madam. He will kill you. I can't help you anymore."

He watches as the night creature catches sight of the woman and starts approaching her, instead of him. He tries one last time to shift, 'No. Must protect.' 

Red tears start making their way down his cheeks as he sees the creature grab hold of the woman's arm. His vision starts getting hazy, and he feels a sting in his eyes and closes them.

"Sorry, Xian. I am sorry that I failed you. Xian, I love you." He whispers. 

Just then, strong arms grip his shoulder, and he loses conciseness.

Present 

"Gege, he is not dead," Xian says confidently; Zhau looks at Xian, takes a deep breath, and stands up. "We need to send everyone home. It's not safe here anymore. " The officer suggests, and Xian nods.

They carry Shen and put him in Zhau's jeep; they walk to Jiang Residence to disperse everyone. 

"Girls and boys, unfortunately, there has been a gas leak, and it's not safe to stay here anymore." He announces, entering the home. Additionally, he flashed his badge to prove his words. Soon, the house starts emptying. 

In the meanwhile, Xian asks Jiang Cheng and Yanli to go to Mianmian's house for the night. Aware that the excuse was false, Yanli confronts Xian, "What is happening, Xian?"

"It's complicated, Shijie. I don't have time to explain right now, but I will. Soon. But right now, it's not safe for you to stay here." Xian explains. 

"What about you?" Yanli asks in a concerned tone.

"I will be staying over at Mr. Lan's," Xian answers, smiling sheepishly; Cheng's eyes widen comically, "You and Mr. Lan... Your boss?"

"Mn."

Jiang Cheng shakes his head and rolls his eyes, but doesn't comment further. 

"Don't come back till I don't tell you." Xian requests, his tone deadly serious.  

After Xian has seen his siblings off, the brothers drive down to Lan Mansion; Zhau carries Shen to their room.

"His wounds have stopped bleeding," Zhau informs.

"I think you should... " Xian trails off.

"What?"

"Gege, I don't know how I know this, but I think you should...lick his wounds and stay with him," Xian elaborates, blushing a little.

Zhau nods. He doesn't understand why he feels like he should do everything that his younger brother is telling him to do.

"Gege, the magic books that belong to our people, you said that Shen has them, right?"

Zhau nods and takes Xian to a small room in the cellar. 

"How are you so calm?" Zhau asks, wondering how Xian is keeping his cool.

"I don't know, I was freaking out too, but a few moments before they took Mr. Lan away, I felt strange, and since then, it feels like this was unavoidable. Like it was supposed to happen." Xian explains and picks up a book. He starts flipping through its pages; Zhau leaves Xian and returns to Shen. 

*Ever Night Club*

XiChen follows Gayo, carrying an unconscious Wangji to his master's office. 

As soon as they enter, Gayo gets a call. 

Once done, he shakes his head in disappointment, "Shin is having one of her episodes." He informs XiChen dejectedly. 

Since regaining consciousness, Gayo had observed that Shin kept getting attacks of insanity. She would bite and kill anyone who went to her during such times. He was not able to understand what it was that was triggering this behavior.

He had tried his best. He had used persuasion and even force to calm her down, but it had not worked.

Gayo continues, "Sending him there now would only make her kill him. We need Lan to cooperate with us. We need him to handover Lan Pharmaceuticals to us so that we can get our hands on the drug they are working on."

Jin Gayo had no idea what it was that Lan Wangji was working on, but from what he had heard, Wangji was developing a powerful weapon. 

"My boy, I feel like I don't thank you enough. It's all thanks to you that today I at least have a few of my kind on my side, working for me."

XiChen nods, "What would you like me to do with him, master?"

"Lock him up in the room next to Shin's, but don't inject him with silver. The drug you used will keep him incapacitated for a few more hours. Keep an eye on him. I want him to be able to service Shin when she comes around. I think chaining him up should suffice." Gayo crouches next to Wangji, "Why was that stupid dog so loyal to him?" Gayo wonders.

He stands next to XiChen and smiles; it's affectionate. "You look worried, my boy, are you scared that Shin will be like this forever?"

XiChen stands still and keeps looking at the floor. Gayo steps in XiChen's personal space without warning and cups his face, "Are you upset that I didn't stop Shin from kissing you?"

"No, Master," XiChen says slowly, looking into Gayo's eyes.

Gayo brings their foreheads together, "I love you. I have only ever loved you. You know that, right?" Gayo asks.

XiChen knows that it's the truth. He nods.

Gayo looks at Wangji, who is still unconscious, before pulling XiChen towards himself and bringing their lips together in a small kiss. He traces XiChen's lips with his fingertips before stepping away, "After all, our bond is unbreakable."

Gayo sighs. "Take him away." He says, looking at Wangji, "The guards will inform me once Shin starts acting sane."

XiChen nods and carries Wangji away.

*Lan Mansion*

Even after hours of reading, Xian was getting nowhere. He couldn't understand the head or tail of it. He looks at the time. 'It's 5 am, only half an hour to dawn.'

Xian decides to take a break. He walks out of the cellar, thinking of checking on Shen. He is about to knock on Shen's door, but decides against it at the last moment. He looks around and realizes that it was his third time there, and he hadn't even seen the whole house. 

He decides to take a self-guided tour of the house. He knows Wangji's bedroom; he knows what's inside it. He decides to check it out at the end. He takes a look at the whole house, but his heart is not in it. He keeps feeling that there is something he is missing. His feet subconsciously take him till Wangji's bedroom door.

Last time when Wangji had brought him there, he had not felt like stepping inside.

'We are not officially together; to enter his bedroom would be wrong.' Xian reasons and is about to leave, when something someone had told him comes to his mind. 

His inhibitions disappear, and he steps into the room confidently; it's semi-dark.

He looks at the time. 'It's almost dawn.' He notices and opens the window. His eyes get drawn to Xiao Xian's unmoving form, and he walks towards it.

He is about to touch Xian when he hears someone yell, "Xiaannn, don't!"

'Shen?' Xian wonders why Shen's voice sounds so scared. A second later, Shen enters the room, closely followed by Zhau.

Xian looks at the men questioningly, but before Shen can answer, Xian turns towards the window. "Dawn... " He whispers, as the first rays of the sun hit his face. He smiles and looks at Xiao Xian and puts his hand on Xian's forehead.

Shen tries to get the young boy away from Xiao Xian's body, but Zhau stops him by holding his arm.

"Mr. Zhu, I know what I am doing," Xian states, looking straight at Shen. He smiles again, but a second later, his face contorts in pain, and he is flung to the corner of the room.

Xian doesn't back down. He stands up and once again walks towards the body; he puts one hand on his chest and the other on the sleeping man's, "Recognize me and my blood!" He growls; Shen and Zhau fall to their knees.

Xian continues in the same confident voice, "I need you to recognize me, or both of us will lose what is ours."

Shen and Zhau watch as Xian's chest glows blue; it's the white lotus mark that is emitting the glow. The body on the bed starts glowing and emitting blue sparks.

Xian smiles, and in a soft voice, he adds, "Xiao Xian, we have waited enough. You are holding the part that has been missing. Accept me. Let us finish what we started."

{Note:- Word count 2071

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