Chapter Text
A hand curling into a fist, Lu Guang stares helplessly at the barrel of the gun pointed towards him.
Things were going the exact same way they had in the original timeline, but so much had changed in this one. The end result should not be the same. And yet, here he was, surrounded by fallen photos behind the counter, broken glass scattered on the floor around him.
In a few seconds, Cheng Xiaoshi would appear in front of him, and the bullet destined for Lu Guang would lodge itself into his partner’s abdomen, ultimately killing him.
Lu Guang’s breath hitched at the unavoidable future. This was his last try. There was no going back this time. There were no more photos he could use to save Cheng Xiaoshi.
Lu Guang didn’t even want to think about what he would do if he’d fail. He’d gone back countless times, and altering fate seemed as impossible as it had in his first ever dive. But this really was his last chance to avoid living in a world without Cheng Xiaoshi.
His heart sank at the prospect. Was it all useless? Were all his tries always destined to fail? Was he inevitably going to have to wake up every day with the consequence of his failures? In a world where Cheng Xiaoshi no longer existed–?
Fuelled by despair, Lu Guang lunged forward, an arm outstretched to get that god awful weapon away from him and the person he had sworn to protect.
The red-haired executioner grinned, finger tightening on the trigger, and the fateful bullet launched.
Lu Guang flinched as Cheng Xiaoshi appeared (as expected), this time much closer than any other timeline, Lu Guang’s nose pressing against the other’s back. Lu Guang felt a searing pain as the bullet meant for Cheng Xiaoshi shot straight through his own hand reaching around, and he winced as he heard the bullet fall to the ground.
“Lu Guang!”
Hearing his name, Lu Guang looks up, grimacing, to see Cheng Xiaoshi kick the weapon out of Vein’s hand before the intruder grabs Cheng Xiaoshi’s ankle, flinging him over the countertop, sending him landing heavily onto the floor beyond it.
Lu Guang couldn’t help but stare. Although he had been tossed around in the Studio like in the first timeline, Cheng Xiaoshi had not been shot. His cause of death had not happened.
Yet… Lu Guang thought bitterly as he saw Vein rushing to collect his weapon.
“Lu Guang!”
Lu Guang turned his head to the side, seeing Cheng Xiaoshi’s eyes widen with panic and concern.
“Your hand–”, Cheng Xiaoshi began.
“It’s fine.” Rising up to stand fully, Lu Guang ignored the blood dripping down his left hand and the pain jolting up his arm. “Call Captain Xiao. Or Qiao Ling. Anyone.” He pushed down the high that threatened to take over him when he once again realised that he’d managed to eliminate Qiao Ling’s death node.
He still had to save Cheng Xiaoshi.
Lu Guang turned back to latter, a mix of hope and fear making his breath catch.
He had never gotten this far before. Each time, Cheng Xiaoshi would always have either been fatally injured or died by now, whatever the scenario. If he survived just a bit longer, or if help arrived quickly, he would avoid the death node Lu Guang had been striving to destroy for years.
But Vein was still here. He was still the decisive factor in each of Lu Guang’s dives. And each time, he always had a hand in Cheng Xiaoshi’s death.
Lu Guang looked at Cheng Xiaoshi. Really looked at him.
He watched as clumsy fingers fumbled over his phone, rushing to input his passcode.
He saw the terror in his eyes as he heard Vein crash into the coffee table to grab his gun.
He stared back as Cheng Xiaoshi snapped his gaze from his screen to look right into Lu Guang’s eyes. By then, Cheng Xiaoshi’s eyes were blown wide with fear, for himself yes, but for Lu Guang too. They both knew how dangerous their situation was, one significantly more so than the other.
But the fear in his eyes, those usually bright and mischievous eyes, was more unbridled than anything he had seen when looking at Cheng Xiaoshi before. Like in every other timeline, Lu Guang swore to himself that he wouldn’t fail. But this being his final chance for a future, his resolve came back tenfold. He would create a future in which Cheng Xiaoshi no longer needed to look so afraid. He would eliminate the cause and make sure his partner would make it past this wretched night.
He would not fail.
Tearing himself away from Cheng Xiaoshi’s terror-struck face, Lu Guang leaped around the counter and around the corner to the sunroom just as Vein started running back with his weapon back in hand.
Barely registering the loaded gun in front of him, Lu Guang grabbed at Vein’s wrist and pulled it over his shoulder before leaning back on one leg and delivering a well-aimed kick to the taller man’s stomach.
The red-head grunted, then snickered before yanking his arm back, pulling Lu Guang along. Lu Guang felt his balance shift and started falling towards Vein before the world blurred and his back slammed into the wall. The photos on the wall shook, some falling and causing more broken glass to spread over the ground.
Winded and slightly dizzy, Lu Guang groaned before throwing out his arm to his side and grabbing at a picture on the wall. He winced; the pain from his injured hand lancing up his arm as soon as he tightened his grip on the photo frame. Gritting his teeth, he swung his arm around, smashing the glass from the photo against the side of Vein’s head.
Destabilised and clutching his head, a trickle of blood running down the side of his face, Vein staggered backward and fired his gun.
The bullet hit the ground missing Lu Guang, but the sound of it being fired was enough to get him back on his feet, firmly grabbing onto the intruder’s collar, then twisting his own body to give him enough momentum to push him back toward the sunroom and away from Cheng Xiaoshi.
Panting hard, Lu Guang clutched at his injured hand and blinked rapidly to make his surroundings stop spinning. He looked ahead of him, seeing Vein straighten up, his eyes narrowing and hand tightening on his gun as he glared back at him.
Lu Guang tensed. Vein was right in front of him, but what could he do? He didn’t have Cheng Xiaoshi or Qiao Ling’s martial prowess. He couldn’t fight someone armed with a gun, especially not with his hand becoming more and more slippery with blood by the second. But if he couldn’t do that, then wouldn’t that mean that he’d lose–? He couldn’t afford to lose.
Even knowing that, he couldn’t move when he saw Vein start to raise his gun. His feet were rooted to the spot when his opponent slowly took a step closer to him. His blood ran cold at the sight of the devil’s smirk, knowing there was no longer anything he could do–
Hearing a faint clap from the counter, Lu Guang inhaled sharply as Cheng Xiaoshi suddenly appeared behind Vein, kicking him hard in the side and sending him crashing into the wall of the Studio.
Instantly, Lu Guang rushed in to grab their attacker’s wrists, immobilising the hand holding the gun to the wall as Cheng Xiaoshi punched him repeatedly, leaving dark bruises on Vein’s face.
A sudden pressure in his abdomen made Lu Guang gasp and hunch over, having received a blow from Vein’s knee in his stomach hard enough to wind him. With the grip on his wrists weakened, Vein ripped the hand holding his gun free and began to swing his weapon toward Cheng Xiaoshi.
No!
Panic flared within Lu Guang as he saw the death node make its way to Cheng Xiaoshi and he sidestepped rapidly, facing Vein and grabbing his forearms before pulling them up and aside, away from his best friend and hovering over him instead. Red eyes met grey and Vein’s smile widened into a grin before he angled his wrist downward and shot.
…It hurt.
He wasn’t sure where exactly, but it hurt.
The shock from the pain’s intensity coursed through his body and sent him to his knees, then falling onto the floor of the Studio face down. He tried to push himself up, but realised he didn’t have the strength to do more than lift his hand. He winced when he felt something wet and warm on his cheek, not needing to see it to know it was his own blood, becoming a pool as he lay on the floor.
He felt something soft and firm grasp his shoulder, whilst another delicate pressure made itself known on his other side as he was gently flipped to lie on his back. Blinking a foggy haze away, he coughed wetly, tasting iron on his tongue and feeling the scarlet liquid drip out of the corners of his mouth.
Now that he was on his back, he was able to pinpoint the source of the pain to the middle of his chest. Focusing more on that area, he realised bemusedly that it felt both incredibly warm and scarily cold.
He groaned as a pair of hands pressed down hard on his chest, and weakly blinking his eyes open again, he managed to make out a figure kneeling over him. The person’s mouth was moving, so they must be saying something, but why couldn’t he hear them? Their mouth was moving quite a lot though, and they were visibly shaken, so he tried to focus on the sound of their voice.
“Lu Guang…! Lu Guang!”
Ah.
Cheng Xiaoshi.
Wait.
Cheng Xiaoshi?
If Cheng Xiaoshi was here and alive, then where was Vein? In all timelines, Vein never left before he was certain his target would not survive. But then if Cheng Xiaoshi was–
He coughed, bringing up more blood, and subsequently feeling the pressure of Cheng Xiaoshi’s hands on his chest increase from his frantic movements, but also strangely decrease as he felt himself become more distant from the pain.
Lu Guang’s eyelids fluttered in understanding.
He was going to die.
It felt… strange. He was used to being the one in Cheng Xiaoshi’s position, trying desperately to keep the other alive whilst being horribly aware that his efforts were futile. Being on this end now, he couldn’t help but let the tension in his body present from his first dive slowly start to ease.
He was going to die. Not Cheng Xiaoshi. Him. Lu Guang.
After countless dives, after seeing too many of Cheng Xiaoshi’s deaths, he had finally managed to save him from the death node.
By taking it for himself.
He found it harder to breathe, but couldn’t tell if it was from the bullet wound in his chest or from his throat tightening with emotion.
This was… good, right? Cheng Xiaoshi could finally survive this horrible night and make it to September 13th.
…Without him.
…
Although not ideal, it was better than seeing Cheng Xiaoshi fall at Vein’s hand again. Better than having to see his breathing stop. Better than feeling his power flow into his own body, signaling his failure.
This was an acceptable outcome.
He knew it was.
But he couldn’t stop his vision from clouding when he realised this would be the last he would see of Cheng Xiaoshi. The man he had always returned for. The one who made all the dives and all his failed attempts worth it if it meant he could see him again in another timeline.
It was an acceptable outcome. But he truly wished they could have had more time. Better luck. A kinder future, rather than one that ended one way or another before the 13th of September.
Lu Guang tried to lift his hand, but only managed to barely lift his fingers off the ground. Cheng Xiaoshi seemed to have noticed, because he took his hand in his own and cradled it on his cheek. Lu Guang felt wetness there. Was Cheng Xiaoshi bleeding too? Lu Guang squinted, but didn’t manage to see any trace of red on the other man’s face.
Lu Guang opened his mouth to speak but blood bubbled in his throat, causing him to tilt his head and cough, a small scarlet stream escaping and joining the accumulation of blood on the floor. Turning his head back, he mutedly realised that his sight was blurring at the edges.
“Cheng Xiaoshi.” His voice came out raspy.
The other was freely sobbing now, tears falling down his face and panic clear in his gaze as his hand holding Lu Guang’s trembled.
“Cheng Xiaoshi”, he repeated, appreciating how the name rolled off his tongue, determinedly ignoring how much effort it took to so much as whisper. “I’m sorry. I’m… sorry. But–” he broke off with another cough as he choked on his own blood, refusing to acknowledge how much it took out of him to do so. “But, I’m so happy you’re okay.”
Lu Guang could see how badly Cheng Xiaoshi was shaking, and he even seemed to be biting down on his lip to stop himself from crying louder, at the risk of missing Lu Guang’s words. Despite the despair undoubtedly filling his best friend, Lu Guang couldn’t help the small smile on his face.
Was it selfish of him to be relieved? Was it cruel of him to find solace in seeing Cheng Xiaoshi breaking down over him instead of having to see the life fade from his eyes once more?
Not counting his decision to dive back in each timeline, Lu Guang decided that he could indulge in his selfishness for what would be the last time as he let a genuine smile brighten his pale face. Gently rubbing his thumb on the other’s tear-stained cheek, Lu Guang sighed with relief, murmuring a soft “Thank goodness” as he felt his remaining strength slowly drain from his body.
It wasn’t painful. It wasn’t anything in fact, not like he could feel anything anymore. The only thing he could feel was a wave of great tiredness, and a slight chill overtaking him, even with his Sun adamantly holding him close. Maybe that was the only thing he wished could have stayed with him. Cheng Xiaoshi’s warmth. But maybe… maybe knowing he was alive was enough. Maybe he… had done enough.
…
—
…
He couldn’t breathe. He felt like he’d died.
He couldn’t move.
All he could do was stare at Lu Guang’s lifeless body now laying beneath him in a pool of his blood.
Stare was all he could do, but he couldn’t see; as if the constant tears running down his face would let him anyway.
Inhaling shakily, the air caught in Cheng Xiaoshi’s throat, and he noticed he was inhaling again. Then again. That was too many. And too quickly. And too shallow. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t rip his eyes away from the faded grey ones silently watching him.
He waited for them to blink.
They didn’t.
They wouldn’t.
Not anymore.
But they had to. That’s what he told himself. How could Cheng Xiaoshi survive without those eyes? Dull grey eyes that used to meet his own dark ones, brightening each time they did. Now they remained empty, devoid of emotion or any sign of life. Which made sense, considering the one they belonged to was now dead.
But that couldn’t be true.
Surely not.
Barely a few hours ago, they had been full of life as they watched Cheng Xiaoshi bounce towards them. How could so much change in such a small amount of time?
A dream– no, a nightmare.
But he dispelled it the instant the thought arose. His mind threatened him with nightmares often, but this was far too painful. The hand he was still subconsciously squeezing was too cold. The blood covering his hand on Lu Guang’s too still chest was too real. The surge of unfamiliar power he felt as Lu Guang’s breathing stopped was too oppressive.
He wanted to scream but couldn’t utter a sound.
He wanted to cry but he no longer had the strength.
He wanted Lu Guang but he was no longer there.
Even as he’d watched the light disappear from his eyes, Cheng Xiaoshi did not stop calling out to him. Did not stop pleading with him to hang on. Repeating that he would be fine until his voice grew hoarse from his sobs, until his throat went raw from his desperate cries, until his face went slack with horror and his body all but collapsed onto itself when he realised he was gone.
Part of him was confused.
Lu Guang knew he was about to die. So why…
Why did he look so… relieved? Why did he say he was happy? How could he say that when he must have known he wouldn’t survive?
Truth be told, Cheng Xiaoshi didn’t really care.
All he knew was that one of the two people who had been closest to him, had looked after him, had cared for him, had loved him more than he could have ever deserved, was now gone. Despite promising to stay with him. And there was nothing he could do to bring him back.
Nothing.
…
But…
He could find him.
He could go back and find him. Find him, and find a way to stop this. Because regardless of how time works, this should not have happened. It never should have happened. Neither Lu Guang nor Cheng Xiaoshi deserved this, that he was sure about.
He had had this thought before, when he had believed Lu Guang hadn’t survived the stab wound courtesy of Li Tianchen. That time, he had managed to stop himself from going back.
But now…
Things weren’t the same. Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang had overcome nearly dying together. They had grown closer than ever before. From helping each other through difficult nights, to one of them holding the other as they struggled to breathe due to whatever cruel reality their mind had come up with. Just… being there when the other needed them. Cheng Xiaoshi realised that it was something he could no longer live without. Not with the way his body felt like it was also bleeding, his heart no longer beating in his chest. As if the gunshot had killed them both.
So he would go back. And fix this. This awful reality he had found himself in.
A world without Lu Guang. One that shouldn’t exist. No matter what his rules said.
…
By the time Cheng Xiaoshi sat with his back against the counter and a photo in his hands, it was 00:15 on September 13th.
Cheng Xiaoshi breathed shakily. Looking to his side, he saw Lu Guang’s body still laying on the floor next to the stairs, eyes open and unseeing, yet with the ghost of a smile on his face as though he had just accomplished something he had been trying to achieve for a long time.
His hand trembling slightly, Cheng Xiaoshi reached out to take Lu Guang’s, flinching slightly at how cold his hand had become. Gently squeezing before letting go, Cheng Xiaoshi laid the photo on his lap and lifted his hands.
“I’m coming, Lu Guang.”
He brought his hands together.
At 00:16, with the distant echo of police sirens approaching, he was gone.