the citizens and Zhan."  Xiao Cheng cheers to all the present citizens on the grand dinning hall. The feast was grand, and people were enjoying it so much. Zhan now changed his heavy suit to a comfortable one since he always hated those unnecessarily luxurious one. 

Yibo wasn't eating anything as his mind was in complete mess that time. Like the one he was searching for  had been in front him all the time? Zhan was the target and he was supposed to lure,  make him fall in love with him but look at his stupidity  he had been pushing him away all the freaking time. What the-

"Didn't like the food?" At the sudden intrusion in his thought, Yibo flinched. If it wasn't a known voice, the owner of the voice would have been landed on the ground already.

"Can you not startle me like this all the time?" Yibo said frustrated but immediately regretted.

"You don't like it? I mean me disturbing you?" Zhan said as he took a chair beside Yibo. Yibo took a corner table what no one generally would choose. But at least it helped Zhan to find him faster.

For a single moment, Yibo wondered who was the prey and who was the predator. Wasn't it supposed to be him who should chase Zhan, not the vice versa? Then why did he keep pushing away. He was trying so hard to not lure, to concentrate on the gradation on their false  relationship, but he just couldn't.

"It's your palace, who am I to tell you to move? And as you know there's a saying, while in Rome do as Roman's do. So I'm in place to tell you leave."

"Woah, now that's interesting."

" I think that's not."

"So I guess you had enough time to have what you wanted.  How about I give you tour of this palace? I'm pretty bored now."

At every step Yibo was failing in his mission. He was supposed to make him fall in his trap but things were happening in opposite way. 

"Umm, well if you insist then I would love that but won't it problematic for you? You're the prince and ..."

"oh so you do know I am the prince  but you still behave with me like that? You indeed have guts huh, I'm fully impressed."

For some reason, though he knew it wasn't a complement rather a pure tease but Yibo felt shy and unfortunately his ear tips turned red. Zhan noticed it immediately and smirked in his mind. Obviously he wouldn't catch the thief rather would love to enjoy the show.

"And?" Zhan said as he placed his chin on his palm leaning on the table.

"What and?"

"You were saying : you were the prince and? that's the and I'm talking about. You remember it now?"

"Oh. umm, yeah as I was saying  you're the prince and today is your birthday so people might need you and if you get busy while showing me the palace that will be offensive..."

"you are absolutely right but you took the point in  the wrong way. Since it's my birthday I have the full freedom to live my life, I can spend it with whoever I want however I want wherever I want." He said with a pursing lipped smile. 

It took a while for Yibo to ponder over what prince Zhan just said. What an irony! where Zhan was supposed to be one to have boundaries, Yibo was the actual one who was struggling to let himself free from his thorny circumstances. Also surprisingly, this is the first time while the other person was talking so much and making Yibo speak of his mind. This is not good at all.

" Then is it yes or no from you? come on hurry up, it's getting late."

"Umm, okay then."

"then let's go." Zhan said. While dragging Yibo.

"Is it a rule or something  to wear gloves as a prince?"

"well, I don't know but I don't like to touch people unnecessarily."

" Oh." Yibo said while being dragged by Zhan. This prince is really something else. The more Yibo knew the more he fell in the abyss of his mind.

In the way they came across many people and Zhan always showed respect to them but never leaving Yibo's hand. Yibo was getting shy at Zhan's behavior but  Zhan was oblivious and people didn't mind it too.

"Are you always like this? you just drag people with you?"

"Well, nah. I just do with people from my comfort zone."

"like your family friends?"

"umm, you can say so. Though Fei and I mostly fight."

"Fei? is that the girl from the forest back then?"

"yeah- wait how did you know Fei was there? You followed us?"

"Uh... umm, I- I just know."

"Well, I won't pressure you to tell you though."

"thank you."

"my pleasure."

  They were in the hallway and the dusky sunlight made the royal hallway more mysterious. But Yibo nonetheless liked it so much. Maybe Yibo would be scared to roam here alone but since Zhan- someone is with him so he wasn't scared.

"You like dusk or dawn?"

"Aren't they same?"

"No way they are same." Zhan  laughed but Yibo could feel the emptiness in his smile. He talks freely, lives freely, enjoys freely but he never laughs freely. why?

"What about you? which one do you like?"

"Well, dusk."

"May I ask why?"

"Because it's the initiation of night. And I prefer to enjoy night than day. Day is chaotic but night is serene. To me dawn is like an illusion, it gives you the lightest touch of comfort and serenity but as the time grows it shows you the cruelty of midday sun while dusk is like a lullaby, it plays and take you to deep slumber without any disturbance."

 "If that is your reason to love dusk then I would rather choose dawn." Yibo said while walking side by side with Zhan.

"May I know the reason behind it?"

"Hearing lullaby and then drifting off to sleep only to avoid the chaos isn't an option when the monstrous cruel world is waiting for you to wake up and then show its true colour. Rather than that I would like to enjoy the warmth of dawn and then prepare myself for the callousness of this world."

Zhan was so moved by Yibo's answer. Other times he would have been the one to win the debate but this time nobody won and Zhan liked it. Finally someone was being his equal.

"What's your name?" Zhan asked out of curiosity and with a hint of ... admiration.

Now this was the initial that target was growing interest on him ; so the game has began.

"Li Wei. . ." Without making any suspicion Yibo lied staring straightly at Zhan's eyes. But suddenly he felt an urge of vomiting as his stomach felt sick. There was that bright melancholy in his doe eyes which held the power to defeat any mortal being in this world. And for some reason, Yibo felt sick.  

"I see, so Li Wei it's really great to meet and talk to you. I know I was from the very first being overly annoying but it was good."

"I enjoyed your company too."

They were end of the hallway and as he opened the empty dinner hall, there stood Fei. All of them was shocked except the intelligent girl.

"Zhan, I was waiting for you. Grandfather wants to see us to have a meeting about you know what, but I didn't disturb you first since you're nowhere to be found and last that you're busy with someone else. Your acquittance?"

"More than a acquittance less than a friend."

"I don't have any interest to know what relationship you two hold, but I think we're being late."

"Let me say goodbye to Wei first. "

 Zhan then held Yibo's hand and said,

"I really enjoyed it today because of you. Since I couldn't provide you a full tour of this palace especially the library, I think I would like to have you here another day maybe for a cup of tea if you like."

The chances were coming before Yibo could have paid any effort. He quickly took the opportunity making sure it didn't look so obvious.

"I think I would like to do that ... so have a good night."

"you too have a good night and a safe journey. See you on tuesday."

Yibo nodded and then left for his home while thousands of  thoughts clouded his mind. They were vague thoughts overlapping each other but somehow he felt relaxed and euphoric yet excited at the same time. While walking on the alley, he recalled all the incidents happened today and smiled when Zhan's face with a smirk came to his mind. Unknown to him, he smiled and mumbled himself,

"He was nice."

"He was nice. you really talked a lot with him and he seemed like a good  guy too." Fei asked Zhan as he sluggishly drew his body to the room and stumped his head on the table tiredly.

"Why? don't tell me you have crush on him because I won't let you do that."

"hope it wasn't because I am interested, and it's from other way round."

"yeah, it's the other way around."

"you like him.. it's not a question and it's a statement and you're not obliged to give any reply as I know what you are."

"let's go, I know grandfather is again going to talk about our marriage today and we decided to cut it off." Zhan giggled at Fei's reply. Surely she knows everything about Zhan.

" You are going to say it today? I mean we still have time before your inauguration."

"No, I need to clear it as soon as possible. I can't wait."

"Okay as you wish... leave it any way I'm with you. by the way what's his name?"

 Zhan stopped for a second at her question and then smiled with tears brimming on the corner of his eyes and said,

" His name is Yibo. Wang Yibo. My Yiyi."