*The title is a provocation - essentially saying: Yun Zhan, can't you get it upGet an erection.?

The originally clear sky suddenly became densely packed with clouds. The day was still bright and sunny one moment before, but right now, no trace of the sun could be seen.

The sky was dark, and so was the earth. There was an inexplicable blurring of boundaries separating the sky and the earth. It was as though a boundless chaos had been unleashed during the advent of all creation.

Xiao Liu found a quiet and concealed cave. As soon as he landed, he heard thunder and lightning behind him. His heart raced, and he lowered his head only to see Bai Fanlu had already opened his eyes for some time, and was staring intently at him.

Those beautiful eyes were illuminated solely by the afterglow of each lightning bolt, and then quickly extinguished. His dark purple pupils returned to gloom, there were no emotions flowing in them.

"..." Xiao Liu's arm tightened around him slightly.

We can’t remain near the entrance of this cave, he thought, it's going to rain soon.

Xiao Liu held back his emotions, hugged Bai Fanlu harder, and noticed that the other party did not resist. The man merely leaned in his arms in silence and didn't move.

The cave wasn’t deep, and it only took a few steps to walk into the deepest end. Xiao Liu resented that the distance was too short and he had to put down Bai Fanlu reluctantly.

"Xiao Liu…"

Bai Fanlu spoke at this moment, and Xiao Liu was stunned.

Was he still willing to call him that way? But he...was too ashamed to continue calling him ‘Gege’.

Xiao Liu pursed his lips and looked around. The cave was dark and damp, with only a stone protruding from the mud. He used a technique to dry the dead grass around it and let Bai Fanlu sit on it.

"Xiao Liu, why did you lie to me?”

Bai Fanlu kept watching Xiao Liu's movements, the tone of voice was still warm when he asked this, perhaps even gentle.

Xiao Liu faintly sensed that something was wrong. It was not just his tone, but also the look in his eyes.

"Why do you lie to me and say that you are Yun Zhan?” Bai Fanlu tilted his head slightly, with doubt on his face.

Xiao Liu's lips trembled slightly, and only then did he realise that something was wrong. Bai Fanlu gazed at him in a daze and his entire body seemed to be out of sorts.

Soul...Xiao Liu understood now that he had been robbed of his human soul. As a result, he was also robbed of a fragment of his sanity.

"Gege…" Xiao Liu was finally able to pluck up the courage and called out softly.

Bai Fanlu was still immersed in his thoughts, and he didn't even hear the youth.

"Xiao Liu, you don't have to pretend to be Yun Zhan at all. The fake 'Yun Zhan', he can't summon the bluebird, so he is also an imposter.”

"Are you afraid that he would hurt me?...I know, you are the one who warned me to be careful about Yun Zhan by sending me that piece of paper, right?”

Bai Fanlu smiled slightly, but there wasn’t any trace of smiling intent in his eyes.

"You have also arrived at Yufang City. Are you here to find me? Why didn't you come to see me sooner?”

"If only you came to see me sooner..."

"If only..."

Sooner? Then what?

Bai Fanlu couldn't seem to explain it. His babbling words got stuck there, and he showed a confused expression, like a helpless child frowning and pondering over something that was so simple but he still couldn’t understand.

Xiao Liu was heartbroken, if Bai Fanlu had become like this, Bai Junming would have caused it but with him as an unwilling accomplice.

Although the Soul Extracting Technique was powerful, to seize the soul of others can only succeed if the target’s physical body and will were both abnormally weak. Of the two, the weakness of will was most deadly.

This was why Bai Junming described the deed as easy.

"Xiao Liu, why are we here? Aren’t we building a house?”

It seemed that the question earlier had stumped the current Bai Fanlu. He couldn't figure it out and changed to an easier topic.

"Our house is almost completed.”

When Bai Fanlu thought of something, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was smiling, but at the same time, it didn’t look quite like it. He just kept on mumbling to himself.

"With a house, we can get shelter from the wind and rain...As you said, we will have our own house in the future to live with grandma as well as Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba. We will always be together..."

“…”

Xiao Liu couldn't bear it anymore, even though he was obsessed with the warmth of those words constructed by Bai Fanlu, he knew that these were nothing but beautiful dreams. Everyone was bound to wake up from them someday.

The later one wakes up, the deeper one will sink.

He had already missed it once because of his cowardice, and he couldn't make the same mistake again.

"Gege, listen to me...”

Xiao Liu knelt on one knee before Bai Fanlu, holding his hands tightly. He gazed in Bai Fanlu's eyes tenderly and the other party’s were so innocent that he had nowhere to hide.

People who were deprived of their souls end up differently. Some had amnesia, some lost their sanity, while some just became murderous monsters.

But Bai Fanlu smashed Baihua Pavilion, without hurting the people inside. In fact, he protected them. He should still have a trace of consciousness and be able to control spiritual power.

It was not too late. As long as he could wake Bai Fanlu up and return him a soul, he will return to normal.

"Gege, I really am Yun Zhan.”

Hearing Xiao Liu's words, Bai Fanlu frowned first, and reacted in a leisurely way, "Don't try to be funny! That Shidi is annoying. How can you be him?”

Xiao Liu raised his hand and touched Bai Fanlu's face, leading the man to face him directly.

Bai Fanlu was also very obedient, lowering his eyes to look towards Xiao Liu, but there seemed to be a dense fog between them that couldn't dissipate.

Xiao Liu was pained as though his heart was sliced by a knife. He gritted his teeth and said, "I know you hate me because I lied to you, that's why I had approached you in this disguise.”

Bai Fanlu froze for a while, then shook his head, "No, you are Xiao Liu.”

Xiao Liu wanted to say something else but was interrupted impatiently by Bai Fanlu, "You are clearly Xiao Liu!”

He repeated, and then as if he was pleading, "Your appearance, your name...you..."

"Yes, you accidentally swallowed a fish bone as a child and you have an older brother. You can even recite nursery rhymes, you...you are really a Xiao Liu, my Xiao Liu!”

Bai Fanlu panicked so much that he wanted to stand up. He seemed to have grasped some important clue, but accidentally lost it. He twirled his fingers helplessly, and his whole body was tense.

Xiao Liu couldn't bear to see him like this, so he straightened up and took Bai Fanlu into his arms. Then, he pressed the man’s forehead against his chest, and gently stroked his back.

It was only then that the person in his arms became quiet and his breathing gradually turned steady and slow.

"I thought about it.” Bai Fanlu laughed in relief, "You just lied to me. You are not Yun Zhan."

His tone was relaxed, "Xiao Liu, you really picked up bad habits to bully gege like this.”

"How could Yun Zhan know you? I kept you from him. If he wanted to pretend to be you, wouldn’t he have to read my mind?”

Yes, why didn't he think of this?

"You are Xiao Liu.” Bai Fanlu laughed happily.

Xiao Liu, who was hugging Bai Fanlu, now felt his own body stiffen and the hand that was patting the other’s back halted for a while.

After a moment of silence, a wry, self-deprecating smile came from the corner of his lips.

"I do know how to read minds.”

Xiao Liu let go of Bai Fanlu and stared at him seriously, "I went into your dreams and saw a child in there. He was called 'Xiao Liu'.”

"..." Bai Fanlu stared back at Xiao Liu in a daze. As soon as he opened his mouth, Xiao Liu covered his lips and shook his head.

"You and that child named 'Xiao Liu' grew up and were very close. But the both of you were forcibly separated. I have seen and felt everything you have experienced.”

"One day you became cold towards me and kept avoiding me. I had no way of getting close to you so I could only pretend to be that child who is all grown up. That way, I thought, perhaps you might let your guard down.”

Seeing Bai Fanlu's eyes flicker, Xiao Liu knew that it was almost time, and he only needed one final blow, and the man’s sanity should return.

But at this moment, Xiao Liu suddenly didn't have the courage to continue.

If he had just learned the truth, Bai Fanlu would swear at him, distrust him and draw a clear line with him. Then, he would never experience the gentleness of this person as he did right now, and even hold onto a glimmer of hope that he might forgive him.

How could he bear to look forward to this end?

Xiao Liu stood up, looked at Bai Fanlu slightly, and approached him.

"Gege. Perhaps after listening to me, you won't allow me to call you like this again.”

"Then it will be the last time I call you...Gege, can I kiss you?”

Bai Fanlu did not react as a mist was surging within his dim eyes, which were darker than the clouds and sky outside.

"If you don't speak, then I will assume that you agree.”

As Xiao Liu said this, he kissed Bai Fanlu's lips gently, before quickly moving away, much faster than ever before.

But that cheeky expression on his face after he succeeded in stealing a kiss appeared once more. How familiar, Bai Fanlu thought even as he was dumbfounded.

Even with a buzz in his ears, he could still hear the young man's voice, calmly saying, "So do you understand now? Xiao Liu doesn't exist at all.”

"He is fake, but Yun Zhan is real.”

"Gege, I am Yun Zhan.”

“…”

Bai Fanlu stared at Xiao Liu's eyes firmly, not letting any trace of emotion escape unnoticed.

But he didn’t catch what he wanted.

What did he want?

Bai Fanlu's mind suddenly swirled.

Who is he looking at?

The youth who was always smiling?

That little rascal who followed him and used every possible way such that he couldn't get rid of him?

That little puppy who always took advantage of him, who was so naive but pretends to be mature?

It was still the same—occasionally shy, but brazen most of the time. That same face who uttered "Gege, I really like you" over and over again...

That youth, he said it before.

Such clear and lingering memories, although short, carved into the mind with a knife.

Now, was he being told that they are all lies?

That they never existed?

But just now, he clearly tasted a kiss. Bai Fanlu opened his lips slightly, wanting to relish it again, but felt an unbearable bitterness on the tip of his tongue.

Without him knowing when, he had already burst into tears.

Xiao Liu raised his hand, as if he wanted to touch his face once more, but Bai Fanlu avoided him. He shoved him backwards, causing the youth to hit his back hard against the rock wall.

Xiao Liu, or it should finally be corrected to ‘Yun Zhan’—because in Bai Fanlu's eyes, the last trace of Xiao Liu’s existence that was barely maintained was now gone. One Yun Zhan was left before him.

Suppressing a few coughs, Yun Zhan watched Bai Fanlu approach him, tears scattered cleanly on that delicate face. The tenderness of the previous moment was completely replaced with a frost and a trace of extremely suppressed hatred.

"You better change back now.”

None of the words were terms used when threatening another, but his tone was enough.

Bai Fanlu had a good temper, but the more gentle a person was, the more terrifying he would become when he got truly angry, just like this moment.

The strike earlier was done with intent and Yun Zhan could feel the shift of his internal organs. His Shixiong did not show him any mercy.

Sticking out his tongue to lick the blood stains on the corners of his lips, Yun Zhan sneered, "What a pity! I can't turn back.”

"You!”

Bai Fanlu's face was sullen, and after that strike, he felt unwell and a little dizzy.

He steadied himself and spoke calmly, "Since you have seen me in a dream, you should know who I am?”

Yun Zhan must have guessed that he was not the original owner, but one who occupied this physical body. So why didn't he expose him?

Yun Zhan smiled, "It's all the same to me.”

These words seemed indifferent, but when he uttered them, the gaze he cast on Bai Fanlu did not appear as casual.

It was just that Bai Fanlu wasn't in the mood to indulge in his dumb riddles now. A sentence full of ambiguity was enough to detonate his anger.

What a scum! What does it mean ‘it’s all the same to him’?!

Bai Fanlu was already dizzy, and enraged, he felt that his head was about to split apart. He forcibly suppressed the anger that surged in his chest, and turned around abruptly.

Hitting Yun Zhan, who was in the appearance of Xiao Liu, was a psychological strain he could bear.

Moreover, his body was unwell right now but he did not want to show any weakness in front of Yun Zhan, let alone see that face again.

Bai Fanlu walked out of the cave. He only took a few steps and had to stop in his tracks.

Rain was pouring outside, and a flash of lightning illuminated his thin body in a particularly wretched state.

Yun Zhan was startled, but before he could get close, he heard Bai Fanlu say, "Don't come near me!"

His voice was trembling. The man wanted to sound fierce and firm but clearly could not give off that effect.

Yun Zhan knew something was wrong, and was about to grab him over. However, Bai Fanlu seemed to sense him approaching, and even avoided his touch as he flew out of the cave with all his strength.

But he didn’t get too far in the rain before he fell straight down. He could not steady himself, and staggered and collapsed to the ground.

Bai Fanlu grabbed the ground around him and caught a handful of wet grass.

Then, he struggled to stand up and felt his arm was pulled up by someone else. When he looked up, who else could it be besides Yun Zhan?

"Let go..." Bai Fanlu growled, but his weak panting made Yun Zhan aware of the abnormality.

Regardless of how the other party struggled, Yun Zhan pulled Bai Fanlu up. The moment he tugged Bai Fanlu into his arms, the man retaliated by punching and kicking him.

During the brawl, the two lost their balance, and Yun Zhan, tumbled after Bai Fanlu, and finally fell on him.

Bai Fanlu was pinned down by Yun Zhan and was unable to move. Yun Zhan was about to say something, but suddenly there was another lightning flash, violently illuminating Bai Fanlu's face.

His pale face was faintly flushed, and the eyelashes were drenched from the rain until they stuck together, framing his misty and dazed eyes. Bai Fanlu looked so much like a trapped beast, and even his eyes were slightly red.

He was clenching his lips so hard that a deep red mark formed. Both blood and rain now stained his lips.

Just as Yun Zhan wanted to reach out to touch his lips, Bai Fanlu shrank back abruptly, and a faint whimper came out of his throat.

His eyes began to lose focus again, his body started trembling, but not from the cold. It was the kind of trembling that he tried to suppress, but couldn't control. Even the side of his calves were gently rubbing against each other without him being aware.

Yun Zhan's heart trembled. This is...

The enchanted fragrance of Baihua Pavilion!

Yun Zhan retreated quickly.

Bai Fanlu's confused state immediately reversed when the warm body that was embracing him, suddenly moved away. He stared at Yun Zhan with shame and indignation, and forced out, "Get lost."

He was so utterly drenched and defeated by mere rain that his words bore no weight.

Yun Zhan looked at him with a complicated expression, "Let's go back to the cave, and I will purge the poison...with spells.”

"Stop being hypocritical..."

Bai Fanlu stood up in a stagger, his legs went weak but he was determined not to fall down. He didn't know where to go, but he wanted to stay away from this person, the farther the better.

In short, his goal was to find an isolated place, and then force out the poison by himself.

He had resolved something similar the last time and was certain that it wouldn’t be a problem!

Bai Fanlu maintained an unyielding stubbornness, and walked for a long time. He felt his body was sweating repeatedly in short intervals while soaked by the rain.

In the end, he didn’t get very far.

Bai Fanlu was terribly tired, and he was completely spent. When he finally came across a tree, he leaned on the trunk for support and stood under the leaves for shelter.

Should he just force out the poison here?

The moment he eased up, his feet gave way. Bai Fanlu felt dizzy and couldn't help holding his forehead with his hand. His face was now wet and sticky, and long strands of hair were now sticking to his lips. With a brush, he swiped them away.

At this, he also realised that his hair had grown too long, such that it was twisted around his arms. He flicked it away anxiously only to lower his head and notice his messy clothes and raindrops trickling down his chin. He was wretchedly drenched.

It was too embarrassing! How could he look so desperate and ghastly? He was too ugly and too useless now!

Bai Fanlu was immersed in grief. He wanted to counter his state by laughing out loud thrice, but instead, when he finally opened his mouth, only violent coughs came out.

Then, there was movement behind him, so Bai Fanlu turned his head abruptly.

A youth was standing not far away amidst the heavy rain curtain, looking at him.

Countless raindrops fell on him until a light grey outline formed, distinguishing him from the background.

He was drenched from head to toe and in a state no better than Bai Fanlu. Yet, he still stood upright, his wet clothes clung onto his body, and the contours of his figure became defined and distinct even at a single glance.

Bai Fanlu froze for a moment before realising who was standing in front of him.

Without reason, Bai Fanlu curled his lips into a smile, and said to the person, "I thought you were just a scumbag. I didn’t know you are also a wuss.”

Yun Zhan had already walked over, staring at Bai Fanlu’s malicious expression.

"Did you work so hard to drive this physical container to a dead end?”

“…”

"Ha!”

Bai Fanlu smiled provocatively, raised his jaw slightly causing raindrops to roll down his forehead and revealing the purple mark at the centre of his forehead.

At this moment, Yun Zhan suddenly felt that Bai Fanlu was different, as if...

He was good looking to begin with, and now was like a poppy flower half-bloomed amidst the rain. A flower with petals filled with dew, and with a fragrance so breath-taking that one would find it hard to avert one’s gaze. It was so bewitching that one would be tempted to pick it and hide it away from the world.

Knowing that it should not be done but do it anyway.

Yun Zhan couldn't help but get closer to Bai Fanlu. But when he was half an arm’s length away, he stopped.

"Why are you pretending to be so upright?” Bai Fanlu sneered, and stretched out his hand to grab Yun Zhan's collar, and yanked the man towards him, "Aren't you an expert at fooling others?”

“…”

"Aren't you terribly good at teasing others?”

“…”

Bai Fanlu gritted his teeth and the white was a stark contrast to his reddish lips.

This bizarre visual contrast was beautifully perfect—like white moonlight cast on a red rose or like dripping warm blood on pure white satin. It was so stimulating that one couldn't help but shudder.

Yun Zhan couldn't hear what Bai Fanlu said, so he allowed himself to be ridiculed and didn't answer a word.

He just stared at him. All he could see right now was two clusters of flames, each engulfing a person. One of them was haggard yet magnificent, as though he were a phoenix suffering in the fire to attain nirvana.

If this person was destined to suffer and burn up in flames, Yun Zhan thought, I must have been the one who set the fire.

If only he were someone else...someone else...

Yun Zhan's Adam's apple moved, but he remained still.

"Ha! What a brilliant performance! Can't keep up your act now?”

Bai Fanlu grasped Yun Zhan's clothes tightly. It was obvious that the man was weak, and he had mustered all his strength with this grip. He squeezed harder and harder until his fists were trembling violently.

Yun Zhan wanted to forcibly tug open his fists to prevent him from harming himself like this, but he couldn’t tell now if the sensation he felt on his fingertips was raindrops or blood.

There was a combination of warmth and cold.

To think that he really hated him this much. That’s fine, a little more wouldn’t hurt now.

Yun Zhan held Bai Fanlu's hand that was by his collar. He leaned in so close that their breaths mingled, and finally uttered softly, "Shixiong, I am Yun Zhan.”

"I know you are Yun Zhan!” Bai Fanlu roared, his other hand shook Yun Zhan ruthlessly, without the slightest warmth or intent to back off. He seemed to desire nothing more than to choke this man to death, but was only stopped by his exhaustion.

"..." But Yun Zhan clearly saw himself reflected in that man’s eyes. However, it was in the figure of a young man named ‘Xiao Liu’.

Bai Fanlu stared into Yun Zhan's eyes and saw that he was wavering. He added coldly, "Why?”

Not acting anymore?

Nothing else to say?

He sneered, "Yun Zhan, why are you so useless?”

As soon as he spoke, a kiss that could swallow one up fell upon his lips. It was even more intense than the surrounding violent storm, and instantly engulfed the men.

Bai Fanlu was originally the one provoking Yun Zhan and intended to anger and get rid of the man. He never expected that he wasn’t acting at all, and was instantly dumbfounded. When he came back to his senses in the next second, he just wanted to kick this person miles away.

Fuck!

How dare he try to take advantage of me?

Does doing this to anyone make no difference to him?

The total bastard and rotten scumbag of a man!

However, Yun Zhan didn't give Bai Fanlu any chance to react nor repent. He pressed on him so ruthlessly hard as if he wanted to embed the man into himself.

Bai Fanlu was almost at the point of suffocation, and his brain was spinning now due to the lack of oxygen.

He glared into Yun Zhan's eyes, and even the water droplets on their respective foreheads came into contact and merged. The deep kiss that kept changing angles, melted and blurred his vision.

But the flames in Yun Zhan’s eyes became more ablaze. It had seemingly evolved into a prairie fire that threatened to destroy the sky and the earth and soon to burn both of them up whole.

Bai Fanlu was in a daze. Xiao Liu’s eyes, too, had the warm and passionate colour of flames. He had seen them countless times before. They were just so damn familiar!

He didn’t know if it was because of his hatred or anger or simply because of the flame in the man’s eyes but Bai Fanlu also got caught up in the fire of passion. He knew that he shouldn’t, but the enchanted fragrance lingering in his body gradually diffused everywhere, surrounding the two of them.

Without knowing, Bai Fanlu raised his head and in his daze, he saw a white fog around them blurring his entire vision, engulfing the trees trembling in the wind and rain, and everything else...

When he woke up, he realised that he was leaning against the tree trunk. This time, the raindrops were light and appeared like glistening crystals on the densely packed leaves. It was as if the greyish-black tree canopy could have easily replaced the night sky, and the glistening raindrops would be the beautiful stars.

Pitter patter... Pitter patter... As the canopy was beaten by the wind and rain, the ‘stars’ swayed violently one after another, and fell one after another, occasionally dripping into his eyes.

When he blinked, it would trickle along the contours and down the corner of his eyes, over and over again.

Bai Fanlu didn't want to think about anything. Who is he, exactly?

What was he doing?

He was reluctant to think anymore.

He was too exhausted.

His heart seemed to be run over by a blunt instrument continuously, and it hurt so much that he wanted to hold his head and cry, but also wanted to yell in hatred.

Xiao Liu...Why is it you...

Why on earth must it be you...

Yun Zhan, you bastard!

I’ll kill you!

Bai Fanlu suddenly bit down, and Yun Zhan halted momentarily.

Bai Fanlu bit him desperately to vent all his anger, but no matter where he bit, the man didn’t let him go. He repeated it until his teeth hurt to the point it took away and overwhelmed the pain in his heart.

Yet, the pain only became increasingly unbearable.

Gradually, at the last moment when his consciousness dissipated, Bai Fanlu only remembered the bloody smell of it on his lips. And what else?

He didn't know, and he didn’t wish to know anymore.

The only thing left was that a certain steady stream of rain falling down on his shoulder felt both cooling and comfortable.

But in the next moment, that same rain would sink into the dirt, and he would never be able to find it again.

The rain got heavier, gradually drowning out all the sounds, and blurred the surroundings. Only the space underneath this tree was blanketed in a strange ambiguous atmosphere…

The reality was just a few things that took place amidst the mist and rain.

But who would ever know how many people dream of different dreams?