.
Unfortunately, it had also been a week without results. Not that Wei had expected much, actually he had always known that he could never give the king what he wanted, but he also knew that the king wouldn't be at all pleased and he would be punished.

If he found someone that he could bring back to the king, maybe that would appease him, but Wei knew that the chances of that happening were basically zero.

He should have been relieved when he sensed a Dixingian presence, but he wasn't.
This meant that he probably wouldn't see Yunlan today, his time as Shen Wei was nothing but a dream, his real life as the Envoy was here to claim his attention.
There was a Dixingian around and he needed to find it.

He did that easily, no Dixingian could hide from him; the guy tried to escape after recognising in him the feared King's Envoy, but he had no hope against him. Wei touched him to sense his past actions, the man was a traitor of the crown but didn't really hurt anyone ever, he simply spoke ill of the king, trying to get people to rebel until the king's spies reported on him and he ran away, helped by the Ghost.

This was why he was here, the envoy was supposed to learn about the Ghost and about the hidden magic door; he should also bring this man back so that the king might make an example out of him, which he knew would mean torture and death, but to Wei the guy was not a criminal, he had done nothing but speaking the truth.

The king would have probably been pleased, he would be able to torture him and get all the information he had on the Ghost and the second door, but Wei didn't want that happening.

There was a reason if he had always failed to find the ghost. He couldn't let the king learn about the ghost, come what may he could never do that.

If he didn't take the man back to Dixing, the king would be angry and he will be punished, how much more of that could he take?

But knowing what bringing him back meant, could he really deliver him to the king? Could he live with that? He sighed, knowing the answer all too well.
He had been punished so many times, what will it be once more?

~~~~~

Seeing a strange figure in black after a scared man, someone called the police. Sid heard of it at the same time the police got the call, they constantly monitored every call in case it was related to one of their cases, so when Lin Jin's machine beeped in alarm and Yunlan read the description of the man, they accepted the call and he hurried there personally.

The moment Yunlan arrived at the given location he spotted him immediately. The Envoy.

Yunlan saw him holding a trembling man who kept yelling and struggling to break free; he didn't know what the envoy's intentions were but he couldn't risk it.

"Stop!" he shouted to alert him of his presence, and then he said, "Who is that man? What has he done? I can't let you hurt him in front of me, if you don't release him now I will have to shoot you, and I don't want to."

Wei hadn't expected to meet Yunlan today, but the last thing he wanted was to fight him; Wei looked at him as if he was a mirage, and wanted so desperately to run to him and never let him go.

He let go of his grip, murmuring to the man, "Run. Run! before I change my mind," and the guy did.

Yunlan had been staring into those eyes, thinking that he might be going mad; could it really be a fragile look the one he was staring at? The Envoy was feared by many, Yunlan had seen him kill the man that had hurt him right in front of his eyes, and now here he was, thinking that he had beautiful eyes, and a look so vulnerable that he wished to wrap him into his arms and cuddle him to oblivion.

When the envoy released the scared man, Yunlan sighed in relief.
The worst had been avoided, but he couldn't just let him go, many people had seen him take a hostage and were now watching what was going to happen. He had to take him into custody, at least make a show of it, so he got closer, walking slowly, making sure not to look like a threat, and said in a low voice, "Please, trust me."

The Envoy had no reason to trust him, and yet against all odds the envoy didn't react, didn't move, he let Zhao put handcuffs on him and take him away.

The crowd appeared to be satisfied, and dispersed quickly, each of them going their own way.

Zhao didn't really know why he cared so much, but he did, and felt incredibly attracted to this mysterious man's eyes.

They walked slowly side by side, and nature being what it is, Yunlan just couldn't help it.

"It’s not too bad, is it?" he teased, referring to the handcuffs. "Personally I don't mind being chained to you," he added with a smirk and a wink.

Wei felt bothered, more than he'd like to admit. Yunlan didn't know that the Envoy and Shen Wei were the same person, so why was he acting like that? Did he like to tease everyone? All those things that he had said to Shen Wei, were they truly felt or was it just his habit to flirt with anyone?

"Do you talk like that to all? Is there no-one that is special to you?" he asked, his voice cold and suffered.

Yunlan was hit by those words, they were true, what was he doing? He thought of Shen Wei, he did think of him as special, there was no relationship between them - yet, he added in his mind -  but he really liked him, so what was this all about? Sure, he always went after his person of interest with all he got, but never before had he flirted with two people at the same time, he was always the faithful type, so why was he now flirting with this man?

His face changed expression, no more playful as its usual but pensive; he took off his jacket and put it on the envoy's shoulders, lowering the hood over his head so that people wouldn't notice his strange outfit and most of all his mask, and they kept walking in silence a bit more, then he turned into an empty alley and stopped. Wei didn't say anything, just waited.

Yunlan took off the handcuffs. "I'm sorry," he said, startling him. "You are right, there is someone that I like, and I shouldn't..."

Wei's heart was racing, but now Yunlan looked into his eyes. "There's just something about your eyes, I can't explain why I'm so drawn to them... to you..."

Wei's heart was thundering in his chest, their eyes were locked and he couldn't take his away, he gave up and didn't even try, right now nothing else mattered but those eyes on him, Yunlan's face was so close, those lips so tempting...

He said, "Trust me," back at him, then: "Close your eyes," and Yunlan did. Wei's mask disappeared and he slowly leaned down to press his lips on Yunlan's.

What was he doing? He shouldn't be doing this, his life wasn't free, but Yunlan was here and he wanted this so much... he moved his lips over his, Yunlan moaned and opened his mouth for him.

Wei went for it, tasting his mouth was the best thing he ever experienced in his entire life, kissing Yunlan was like a drug, he felt inebriated, his hands moved and his fingers entangled themselves in Yunlan's hair.

Yunlan had wasted no time in responding to the kiss, he kept his eyes closed and felt just as inebriated as Wei did. They kissed for two whole minutes before Wei came back to his senses and parted from him.

He murmured, "I can't," and disappeared.

Yunlan was left there, confused. He could still feel the sensation of the envoy's lips on his, and he thought again of Shen Wei, did he like two people?

He saw his own jacket on the floor, picked it up and went back to Sid.