Wei WuXian's POV

Location: Earth. 96th Dimension

I didn't have to wait long after returning home for Dimples to find me.

"Weren't you supposed to come for me tomorrow?" I asked, passing him a cup of tea which he sipped like royalty. Maybe he was royal, wherever the hell he was from.

"Yes, but I didn't see the point of waiting. I could sense that you were ready."

Acknowledging his reply with a nod, I fell silent. He didn't attempt to fill it with words either. The peace lasted till nothing but tea leaves were left to tell the tale of the liquid that had occupied the cup moments ago.

"That was refreshing." He announced, cradling the cup. Then slowly placing it back on the table, he reached for my hand, "Wei WuXian, I am sorry for your loss." He said uncharacteristically before schooling his features, "Let's see if we can make it all better, shall we?"

I nodded.

A snap and a half of the devil's fingers transported us to what I knew was the Great Wall of China. I had always wanted to come here with Ah-Wang.

Dimples patted my head; he was a foot shorter than me, so it took him standing on his tip-toes to do so. "If you are successful, you still might be able to do that."

I quirked a brow. "I would appreciate it if you would keep out of my mind." I tried my best to sound polite, but it came out sarcastic and rude as fuck.

'Wei WuXian, try not to crap on this chance.' I scolded myself, lest it was the one way to turn back time. 'Don't be in a hurry to die!'

"Unfortunately, darling, I can not oblige. It's in my job description. I can't turn it off." He shrugged; his eyes drifted to the horizon. I caught a faraway look in his eyes. It was a blink-and-miss moment, but when he met my eyes again, there was only mischief. "So, do you have any questions before you take the plunge?"

"Plunge?" I parroted. Something in the way he had said the word worried me.

"Yep!" He popped the P.

"Figuratively, I presume?" I asked, doubt creeping into my mind.

"Yes, of course," he replied, and pausing for a split second, chirped, "-and literally."

"I am sorry, but what the fuck do you mean?" We were on the Great Wall of freaking China, and it sounded like he needed me to jump off it.

"Well, there is plunging involved." He replied casually.

"Please be more specific." I urged, and he walked a few feet away. "You didn't think this would be easy, did you? How can I trust you to do your best if you don't prove yourself worthy?"

"You didn't say anything about jumping to my death!" I accused, and he laughed. It came from deep within him like I had cracked the joke of the damn century.

It turned freaky when he abruptly stopped. "You have been wishing for death since the accident, Wei WuXian. Your heart is no stranger to me. And you are absolutely right about me not warning you about the dangerous situations this deal would invariably put you in, but I figured you wouldn't have a problem with it. It's not like you have anything left for you here now that he is dead." He reasoned, searching my eyes, "Think about it. What have you got to lose? I have seen your future, Wei WuXian, and trust me, my offer is in your best interests."

I couldn't fault him for what he had said, and the fear that had taken hold of me ebbed away. Still, despite the jumping part, it sounded a little too simple.

"Well, there is another thing."

"What's that?"

"You are not doing it alone."

"Wh-"

"There will be someone waiting for you on the other side. You will have fourteen days to get the man to watch the sunset with you. But be aware. In doing so, you are not allowed to fall in love with him. That's the only rule."

Was he kidding me? That was the challenge!? I thought he knew everything about me; probably not. Nonetheless, it was good to cover all the bases. It prompted me to enquire, "What if I fall in love?"

"Then it's game over for you, buddy. You will return to your home... alone."

It felt like he was hiding things from me. Details I should know before taking the plunge. After all, if I was to jump, there was a chance that I would end up dead.

"If I wouldn't have shown up," Dimples spoke with an air of confidence. "You wouldn't have this chance to save a life. You do remember how things got this way, don't you? His life," The man in white patted my back comfortingly. "-has already been forfeited by you, Wei WuXian. The day you lost control of your bike, the fates took matters into their hands."

My heart clenched and broke all over again. If I had kept the shields of my helmet lowered, the rays wouldn't have blinded me, I wouldn't have lost control, we wouldn't have hit the car, and Wang wouldn't have turned us over in time to take the hit that was destined for me.

Spit burned my throat as it made its way down. It was unfair. He did it to save me. This was my chance. If Dimples was being truthful, I owed it to my Wang. Didn't I? "This is not a joke, right?"

"Tsk. Tsk." Dimples clicked his tongue, "Wei WuXian, who else do I need to turn to dust to make you believe me?" He asked, eyeing the group of teens walking towards us.

I shook my head, "Please, don't." I had cost three people their lives already, and I didn't want more blood on my hands.

"Fine. So you believe me then?"

"Yes."

"Remember, whatever you do, don't fall in love."

"I won't." I answered with confidence, no, overconfidence, and added, "I can't." I was positive that I wouldn't fall in love again, at least not in this lifetime.

"Great!" The stranger rubbed his palms together, and then...nothing.

I waited for a few, hoping for him to return from wherever-the-fuck he had zoned out to, and when he just stood there looking at the horizon, I demanded, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, is it?" He replied, but not to me. His eyes were fixed at a point just over the edge of the wall. "Sure, I can wait." He nodded and finally turned to me, "The technician is working on it. It might take-" He stopped abruptly; touching his finger to his ear, he bobbed his head, "Thanks, Su!" His orbs glassed over, or so it seemed, and a moment later, an antique-looking mirror materialized where he had been looking moments prior. Lying on its back, it floated in thin air before rising to face me, just out of reach.

Dimples' smirking eyes held mine and challenged, "Do you dare to step off the wall, Wei WuXian?"

Gearing to go, I nodded curtly, "Just tell me when."

Dimples clapped and instructed, "Excellent! Now take a step off the edge."

If he thought I would chicken out just because he had asked me to jump off the wall, he had another thing coming. I took a deep breath and did as told. It surprised me when I landed on a solid but invisible floor. The move put the mirror within reach. Without looking back, I asked, "Now what?"

The man floated next to me and wiggled his brows. "Touch it, and dive in."

It's a fucking mirror, asshole!

Dimples shook his head disappointedly, "Your temper and tongue were always the worst of you."

Why is he talking about me like he has known me forever?

I signed before recalling that he could read me like an open book. Fuck.

Waving his hands dismissively, he added, "Never mind. Just give us a good show, will you?"

Show!?

"One more thing, stop calling me dimples. It makes me sound like a wuss. I am Meng, Meng Yao."

"Oh. Okay."

And I am Bond, James-

"I am betting on you, Wei WuXian. Don't let me down." He yells as if from afar. "What are you waiting for, Wei-"

I tuned him out and touched the spotless surfaces of the mirror. It rippled like water, distorting my reflection in the process. Ah-Wang's smiling countenance fluttered across my mind's eyes. "Dr. Wang, I will try my best and give it my all in the name of love." I declared, and before my reflection could resume its form, I dived in.

Splash!

*****

Chapter Word Count: 1448
Word Count so far: 9725

[A/N:- Prompt No. 29 can be found in the last paragraph of this chapter.]