Wei Ying and Lan Zhan took pictures of their gifts to show them to their families after watching at the snow. Although the former put his away once they were done, Lan Zhan kept his new bunny sweater on. He had also taken out one of the rabbit pens to use it as they spend the rest of the evening finishing up their homework.

Wei Ying couldn't help but smile at that. Knowing that he loved his presents made him incredibly happy for the second time that night.

He realized then that had been days - perhaps even weeks - since he genuinely felt like this for more than an hour. He hoped that he would much more often.

Lan Zhan eventually went to bed nine o'clock as usual, but Wei Ying wasn't very far behind him. He studied for a quiz he would be having for Computer Graphics the following morning before doing the same at ten thirty.

As he pulled the blanket over him after giving Lan Zhan a kiss, he thought of everything that happened that evening. From their candlelit dinner, to the opening of their gifts, then the last few hours. Another smile spread across his face, and he prayed again that they would have more times like this. In fact, he hoped that tonight's peacefulness would last for the next several days.

With that in mind, Wei Ying closed his eyes and snuggled into his fiancé. And in no time at all, he was drifting off to sleep.

Then, all of a sudden, he was standing outside. In the middle of his old block, to be exact. It was daytime, but the overcast sky above made it hard to determine what time it actually was.

He looked at his phone to find out. It was four in the afternoon, November of 2016.

Chewing on his lip, he slid it into his pocket. He also glanced at his right hand, where his engagement ring was on the finger beside his pinky. The ring finger on his left hand had all but lost its imprint.

It took everything in him to swallow the lump of anguish that crept up his throat. He nervously adjusted the coat that Jiang Yanli gave him back when he first started college as he walked over to the house that used to be his home.

Deep down inside, it still was, and it always would be. Even if he no longer resided in it. He knocked on the door and waited, shifting from one foot to the other.

After a moment it opened, and Lan Zhan appeared. His brows furrowed a half inch more when he saw him.

"Wei Wuxian. What are you doing here?" he inquired tonelessly.

Either way, it still hurt that he didn't call him Wei Ying anymore.

He swallowed again, then bowed his head. "Hi."

"...Hello. Is there something you need?"

"...No. I just...I was in the neighborhood, and I just wanted to...see how you were. It's...it's been a while."

Lan Zhan pursed his lips. "Mmm," he grunted. "I am fine. I hope you are well?"

"I...I guess I'm okay."

But he wasn't. Truthfully, he was feeling like shit right now.

Lan Zhan hummed. "That is good." He made to close the door then. "If that is all, I must go. You should too."

He rose his hands to stop him. "No, wait! Wait! I...I also wanted to say that...I miss you. And I'm...I'm sorry that it didn't work out between us," he confessed.

There was a brief silence before Lan Zhan nodded once. "Mmm. I was too. But it is understandable why it did not. Everything got out of hand. It became too dangerous for us to be together. And with all that, I eventually fell out of love. Ending our engagement was the best course. It wouldn't have been fair or safe for us to keep it going."

Lan Zhan's voice had no underlying malice. Nor was it cold or angry. It was just matter-of-fact.

However, that didn't stop every word from feeling like a needle in his heart, especially since they were true.

"But do not get me wrong," Lan Zhan continued. "I still care about you. And I will always wish you the best. But it cannot be as it was between us. Not anymore."

He bowed his head once more. "I know, and I understand. I don't expect us to go back to the way we were either."

"Mmm. Well...I have to go now."

"Okay...but..."

Lan Zhan rose an eyebrow questioningly.

"Can I...Can I have something as a...reminder that we used to love each other, at least? It's fine if you don't want to give me anything because I still have my ring. Either way, I promise not to bother you again after this. I'll stay away for good and not come back. I know that's how you want it to be," he said resignedly.

For a moment, Lan Zhan only stood there. He was just about to say nevermind and leave, thinking that he was planning to refuse, when the former spoke.

"Very well."

He watched as Lan Zhan turned to the side, then held out his own old engagement ring.

He hesitated. A part of him didn't want to take it, but he chose to nevertheless. As he did, he noticed that another ring was where it used to be.

Ignoring the second pang in his heart, he backed away and nodded. "Thank you," he mumbled.

"Mn. I still have a few things you gave me. So do not worry over that. I will not forget you. Or our time together."

Hearing this made him feel slightly more better. The last thing he wanted was for him not to remember that. "Okay. I won't either. And...well...I guess this is good-bye, then, Lan Zhan."

"Mn. Good-bye, Wei Ying."

As Lan Zhan said this, an arm slid around his waist. A jewel sparkled from the ring finger on its left hand. After that, the door closed.

His vision blurred with tears as he stared at it.

That was it. There was nothing more to do. Lan Zhan had moved on. And he needed to as well, even if the thought of doing so shattered his already broken heart.

He wiped his eyes as he turned to walk away from the house for the last time, then froze.

Right there in the street stood Wen Chao. A twisted, evil smirk was on his face. The sky was now filled with rolling, black-gray clouds as it began to darken.

His sorrow was instantly replaced with overwhelming fear. He whirled around to call for Lan Zhan, to scream for his help, but he was yanked backwards as soon as he opened his mouth.

"I told you that he wouldn't want you after he found everything out," Wen Chao sneered in amusement as he dragged him away. His breath reeked of liquor. "I'm just surprised that he stayed with you for weeks instead of dumping you on the spot. I would have. You are nothing but a weak, stupid, pathetic, disgusting half-faggot whore! But don't worry. You belong to me now!"

"Never! I never will! Get off of me, you fucking bastard! Let go of me! Lan Zhan!" he bellowed as he struggled and tried to punch him. However, he noticed that the house was rapidly shrinking; it was moving farther away with each passing second.

And behind him, an alleyway was getting closer just as fast.

The alleyway.

No. He didn't want to go in there again. He knew what would happen if Wen Chao made it there.

He turned back around, continuing to fight against him. "No, no, no. Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan! HELP ME! Please, help me! Wen Chao's got me! Get him off of me!"

The door didn't open. It only became smaller.

"LAN ZHAN!"

"Shut the fuck up! And what's this?" Wen Chao demanded.

He felt something being ripped out of his hand. He looked up to see him examining the rings with revulsion.

"Hey! Those are mine!" he yelled, attempting to pull his arms loose so he snatch them back.

Wen Chao scoffed and waved them in his face. "What do you need them for? What's the point in having them? Your precious ex-fiancé dumped you! He doesn't want you anymore! It's over! These rings mean nothing!"

He watched in horror and rage then as they were hurled away. There was a final glimmer of silver, ruby, and sapphire before the rings clattered into a sewer.

Everything went still. He could only gape at the spot where they disappeared for what seemed like an eternity.

After that, he scowled. Those rings meant the world to him. He only had a few special things left from his relationship with Lan Zhan as it was.

He really tried to beat his ass that time! Unfortunately, Wen Chao slammed his head against the alleyway's wall at that moment. He cried out in pain as he did it thrice more and shoved him onto the ground.

He winced as his knees scraped against the rough pavement. In the corner of his eye to his left, he could barely just see Lan Zhan's house. It appeared to be somewhat closer now, but it was still too far out of reach.

Nevertheless, he braced himself to stand. He had to get to the house. It was deserted where he was. No one else could hear him or help him.

"Please...Lan Zhan..." he gasped as he propped himself up on one knee.

There was a blow to the side of his head, making him collapse again.

"Didn't I just tell you that he dumped you? That it's over?" Wen Chao snarled as he roughly pulled down his jeans, punching his hands when he tried to yank them back up. He also punched him on the head a second time. "He can't help you anymore, and he won't either! And as I said before, you belong to ME!"

And then he dove towards him, a glint of silver flashing from his hand.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! LAN ZHAN, PLEASE!" he shouted, covering his head with his arms.

"Wei Ying!" a familiar voice called out to him. He instantly recognized it.

"LAN ZHAN, PLEASE HELP ME!" he wept.

"I'm here, Wei Ying. I'm here. You are having a nightmare. I need you to wake up for me. Please, baobei."

Minutes beforehand - Lan Zhan's POV, third person

Lan Zhan wasn't certain of what was bringing him out of his slumber first. It may have been Wei Ying talking, or the bed's restless movements.

Either way, he knew that something was wrong from his distraught voice. Perhaps that was what woke him.

He opened his eyes to see Wei Ying mumbling in his sleep, looking...heartbroken? He tried to make out what he was saying, but it was incoherent.

Lan Zhan sat up with a concerned frown. "Baobao?" he whispered.

Wei Ying didn't answer him, only continued to mumble.

"Baobao?" He shook his arm gently. "Baobei?"

He didn't respond to that either.

Lan Zhan didn't know if he should keep trying to wake him up or not. He was clearly having a dream that was made him unhappy. And while nothing seemed to be the matter other than that, he didn't want to allow his dream to continue regardless. Not when it was causing him so much misery.

As he reached this conclusion, his hesitation ended.

This was especially so because he noticed that Wei Ying had stopped mumbling in that instant too. He also saw him turn pale, his expression frozen with fear.

And then...he abruptly began to scream.

"...never will! Get off of me, you fucking bastard! Let go of me! Lan Zhan!" he yelled, punching into the air.

Lan Zhan jumped back, startled.

This was no dream.

It was nightmare.

"No, no, no. Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan! HELP ME! Please, help me! Wen Chao's got me! Get him off of me!" Wei Ying shouted next.

Lan Zhan sprang back into action, doubling his efforts to rouse him. He had to try not to do anything that would make the situation worse.

"I'm here, baobei. I won't let him hurt you. Come on, wake up," he told him in a firm, but soothing voice. He shook him gently once more.

But again, Wei Ying didn't hear him or open his eyes.

"LAN ZHAN!"

"Yes, I'm here. I've got you, baobao. I've got you. It will be all right. Please wake up."

Wei Ying reached out to grab at something. "Hey! Those are mine!"

Lan Zhan had no idea what "those" were. But from the stunned horror that appeared on his face after that, he understood that "those" were important.

"...Wei Ying?"

As if on cue, his expression darkened with an furious scowl. He looked as if he were about to murder someone.

Not good.

Lan Zhan knew that the person he was really angry at was Wen Chao, of course, and not him. Nevertheless, he moved away some, but still remained close enough.

Wei Ying could become aggressive. And if so, he would have to subdue him in a way that wouldn't harm or frighten him.

However, this ended up being unnecessary. Wei Ying's face crumpled with a pained grimace instead. Then he seemed to attempt to hoist himself up.

Lan Zhan leaned forward. Was he finally awake?

"Please...Lan Zhan..." he breathed, his eyes still shut.

No. Unfortunately not.

He opened his mouth to call to him again, but Wei Ying suddenly rolled over and threw his arms over his head in a panic.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! LAN ZHAN, PLEASE!"

"Wei Ying!" Lan Zhan exclaimed in alarm, following after him.

"LAN ZHAN, PLEASE HELP ME!" Wei Ying sobbed.

"I'm here, Wei Ying. I'm here. You are having a nightmare. I need you to wake up for me. Please, baobei."

"GET OFF ME, ASSHOLE! YOU'RE HURTING ME!"

"Wei Ying!"

"STOP! PLEASE, JUST STOP!"

Lan Zhan carefully turned him back over and shook him again. "Baobao, please wake up."

"Please...Lan Zhan...somebody...anybody...please help me..." Wei Ying cried quietly, tears running down his face.

His own heart broke at the sight.

"I am here, baobei. I will help you. Everything will be okay soon. I promise. I just need you to wake up for me. Please, open your eyes," he murmured softly.

Back to normal POV

Hearing this, Wei Ying startled awake with a loud, shaky gasp. He panted heavily as he took in his surroundings with frantic disorientation.

The brick wall of the alleyway faded from his vision, and he could see that he was in his and Lan Zhan's bedroom. His cheeks and forehead were damp with tears and cold sweat.

"Wei Ying?"

He jumped a bit and pivoted to find Lan Zhan staring at him, his brows creased in worry. Then he glanced around him a second time, hoping that he wasn't still dreaming.

The latter caressed his arm and gently brushed away his tears. "Everything will be all right, baobao. You are here with me. We are in our room. You are safe. I have you. And I love you," he whispered, bending over to kiss him. It was as if he knew what he was thinking.

Reassured by his words, Wei Ying finally started to calm down. His heart was soon no longer pounding, and he was able to catch his breath. After that, he used his sleeve to wipe away the sweat.

He had just put his arm down when a glimmer caught his eye. Looking down, he saw the faint moonlight shining on his engagement ring.

He rose his left hand up to his face and turned it over several times. He still wasn't quite awake, so he was blank with shock, believing that he truly had his ring thrown away. Then he clutched Lan Zhan's left hand to see if his own was there too.

It was.

Wei Ying closed his eyes as he silently started to cry once more.

Lan Zhan having already broken up with him...

Them saying a last good-bye...

Lan Zhan having a new significant other.

Wen Chao dragging him away from the house...

Their rings falling into the sewer...

And then...

Well, he didn't want to think about what Wen Chao did afterwards again. Or about Lan Zhan not helping him the whole time.

It felt like all of that had actually happened. But thankfully, it was still December of 2014, and not the year 2016.

Lan Zhan scooped Wei Ying up to hold him close. He knew what occurred towards the end of his nightmare, but he didn't know how their engagement rings were involved. Not right then, at least. However, he was able to make a few guesses.

"I am here, my love. I have you," he repeated, kissing him again as he rocked back and forth. "I know your dream seemed real. And that it was terrible. But it was a dream. Only a dream. Everything will be all right."

Wei Ying dug his fingers into his shirt. "I know...just...keep holding me...don't let me go...don't leave me...please don't leave me," he wept brokenly, his voice muffled by his chest.

Ahhh.

Lan Zhan figured that this was one of the things that may have happened in his nightmare. But that, and the fear in his voice, still tore his heart apart yet again.

And he also desired nothing more than to beat Dream Lan Zhan black and blue for even thinking about leaving him. The same went for Wen Chao, both his nightmare version and his real-life one.

"I will not, baobao. Remember what I told you. I have no intention of going anywhere. No matter what," he reassured him.

Wei Ying let out another sob, this time in faint relief.

It was a while before he was able to calm down again. Lan Zhan embraced him with another kiss and helped him sit up, but kept his arm around him.

"Are you feeling a little better now?" he queried, still concerned.

Wei Ying hesitated before shrugging. "Just a little," he replied truthfully.

"Mmm. Would you like some water? I have my bottle on the drawer. You may have it if you want."

This question made him notice that his throat was rather dry.

"...Yeah. I could use some, actually."

"All right."

Wei Ying accepted the bottle when he gave it to him and took a few long, shaky sips. After that, he buried his face in his knees.

Lan Zhan rubbed his back comfortingly. "Is there anything else you need? Or would like? I can get it for you," he murmured.

He shook his head. "No. Not right now."

"Very well. And I know you are likely expecting me to ask about your nightmare. But you do not have to discuss it. Not until you are ready."

"Okay. Thank you."

Wei Ying was glad he said this. The idea of talking about Wen Chao...forcing him to go through that a second time was just as traumatizing as it would have been if he had did it in real life.

He certainly wasn't looking forward to telling Lan Zhan that he fell out of love with him and ended their engagement either. Or that he had a new fiancé. He knew that this would greatly upset him.

And just imagining how he would react once he was told that he didn't help him, or even open the door when Wen Chao was pulling him away from the house, and then...

Wei Ying choked back a sob. That had been the worst part of the nightmare.

Of course, he knew Lan Zhan. And he knew that even if he did leave him, he would never allow anyone to harm him. And definitely not in the way Wen Chao had. That was how he was.

Nevertheless, he still wished that he had saved him. That he had beaten Wen Chao up and gotten him away from that creep.

But then he considered the possibility that Lan Zhan may not have heard him. And if he hadn't, it explained why he did none of that. Plus, there was no one else around either.

That was the only good thing about this was that it was just a dream. A terrible one, yes, but still a dream. He wouldn't have known what to do if it were real.

Especially not if Lan Zhan left him. That would utterly destroy him, and he would never be able to recover from it.

Dealing with everything that was happening right now was starting to become overwhelming enough. Without him...it would be unfathomable. Even with his family helping him, he knew he would never completely be able to do it.

However, with him there, Wei Ying believed that enduring all of this was possible. It would be quite some time before life returned to normal again, of course. And he knew that the healing process would be difficult and lifelong. He didn't start it yet, but he eventually would at some point.

It would all be fine.

Lan Zhan kissed him softly then, breaking him out of his reverie. "No need to thank me, baobei. Just keep that in mind. And know I will listen when you are prepared to tell me about it," he murmured as he placed his head against his.

Wei Ying nuzzled him as his eyes filled with tears again. He loved him so much. "Okay. And I will," he whispered.

They continued to sit there for a while, lapsing into silence. Then they eventually laid down, remaining in each other's arms as they tried to go back to sleep.

Yet, in spite of how exhausted they were, they were still awake by the time they had to get ready for school.

Author's Note: From happiness and contentment to this so quickly. Even though I knew it was going to happen, I still think it sucks. I just want to give them both the warmest hugs I can. And as much as I would love everything to get better quickly as much as you all do, we're not even halfway up this roller coaster yet. But as mentioned in the chapter, everything eventually will, just not for a long time.

I will try to post the next chapter as soon as possible. But if it takes longer to work on, I will definitely attempt to have it done by or on April 7th, which will be this fic's third anniversary! However, if the next chapter is out sooner, I will try to have the chapter after next posted on April 7th. There's still a lot more to go, but I will try to work on this one and my other fics more often if it's possible. Good-bye for now, and I hope you enjoy your week!

Oh, and in the nightmare scene, Lan Zhan saying "Good-bye, Wei Ying." wasn't an accident. He said that to let Wei Ying know even if he was no longer with him, he still had a place in his heart. But of course, being it's a nightmare, it doesn't do much good considering what happened after that.