Dà jiā hǎo (hello everyone)! Duìbùqǐ for such a long time in not updating. I've been busy with work and taking care of my health. I'm doing a bit better thankfully. So here's another chapter for you! Also, happy Leap Day!

-Chapter Sixteen-

"So how far have you two gotten?" Fú Yáo asked curiously the next day at lunch as he, Nán Fēng, Huā Chéng, and Xiè Lián sat together to eat. "Just kissing or have you gone further?"

Xiè Lián practically choked on his bite of rice as his face turned red in embarrassment. Huā Chéng gave a chuckle from beside him at his shy frustration.

"We've kissed," the dark haired teen replied as he casually took a bite of his food.

"So you haven't done anything else?" Fú Yáo asked.

Golden hazel eyes glanced at the chocolate ones returning his gaze. Of course they'd gone a bit further with their intimate moment together. But that was something that the other two didn't need to know about. At least, that's what the silent look the other was giving him.

"I only do what Gēgē wishes me to do," Huā Chéng replied casually. "If he only wants to be kissed, then that's all I will do."

"Seriously?" Fú Yáo gave a blink at the two of them.

"So then you've only kissed?" Nán Fēng asked. Xiè Lián still remained flushed with embarrassment while Huā Chéng smiled. "You're hormonal teenagers just like the rest of us and you haven't thought about that at all?"

"As I said, whatever Gēgē is comfortable with, that's all I'll do."

"So you're saying that if he never wants to do that, you'll never do it?" Nán Fēng asked curiously, glancing at his embarrassed friend.

"Nope." Golden hazel eyes glanced at the lighter haired teen beside him. "I'd even wait a thousand years until he's ready. Until then, I'll abide by his wishes."

Xiè Lián gave a blink as he looked at the dark haired teen beside him. He already knew that Huā Chéng had been waiting and watching for over a thousand years until this point. Just hearing it made it sound so significant though. A thousand years waiting to be with him.

"Geez. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone that would be willing to not want to do something," Fú Yáo commented, waving his chopsticks in the air slightly.

"Oh really? So have you done anything with someone," Nán Fēng asked, turning his attention to the other teen. "I bet you haven't."

"I have too!" Fú Yáo replied with a huff. "I've kissed a girl."

"Really? What was her name?" Nán Fēng raised an eyebrow at him.

Fú Yáo rolled his eyes. "I don't remember."

"Oh really? That means you're just making it up then."

"I am not!" Fú Yáo gave a pout. "I bet you haven't kissed anyone!"

"I have kissed a girl!" Fú Yáo gave a disbelieving look.

"Right. And my ass is purple too."

Huā Chéng couldn't help the stifled chuckle that he gave as they continued to bicker with each other. Xiè Lián hid the smile at how his friends usually were but also remembered what Huā Chéng had said about them as Mù Qíng and Fēng Xìn always doing the same thing.

"What are you laughing at?" they both asked, turning to Huā Chéng who continued to softly chuckle.

"Nothing," Huā Chéng replied, finally giving a good laugh while waving his hand in front of him a few times. "Just you remind me of a couple of others I knew in the past that acted the same way. It was hilarious watching them."

The two of them blinked at the dark haired teen, looked at each other, then gave a small hmph to the other. Xiè Lián gave a small scratch to the back of his head while sighing in defeat at their squabbling. Huā Chéng still chuckled as he continued eating.

"Sān Láng?"

"Hm?"

"So um….h-have you um…." He gave a small stutter in embarrassment. "You've never had sex before?"

Golden hazel eyes looked to him in the dark as they laid together in Xiè Lián's bed that night; the moonlight coming in through the window to light up the room somewhat. A small blush came to his cheeks as he averted his gaze a little.

"No I haven't."

"And...if I never feel comfortable with it, you won't mind?"

Honey eyes looked back at him in the darkness before bringing his hand up to lightly brush his fingers through the younger teen's hair by his ear.

"As I said earlier today, I'll only go as far as what you are comfortable with." He gave a short pause while giving a small smile. "If that means you only want kissing, then I'll only kiss you. But if you want anything more, I'll give you more. You only need to tell me." He moved forward and gave him a soft kiss before leaning his forehead against the other teen's. "It doesn't matter what happens. My life is in your hands and I'll do anything you wish, Gēgē."

Xiè Lián gave a blink before feeling his cheeks flush with more warmth. Given that Huā Chéng had given him his bone ashes earlier, he literally meant that his life was in his hands.

"Though, I pray to never rest in peace so long as I know you are in this world and that you'll be reborn again and again. All I want is to protect you and only you. That's what keeps me in this world. You. Only you."

The dark haired teen's words from earlier came back to him. Memories of their time in Guǐ Shì too. Qiāndēng Miào and the thousands of lanterns lit for him. Over a thousand years of watching different versions of him being reborn over and over again.

Their conversation also came to his thoughts. How Huā Chéng had told him everything and seeing the pain and loneliness on his face at parts that were hard to speak of.

"And now that we're at this point, I...I don't want….I can't….I can't lose you."

"You won't lose me. Not this time."

"You're still a mortal human. The only way you'd attain immortality would be to ascend as a god."

"Or become a ghost like you."

Could he really do that? Leave this life behind and become a ghost like Huā Chéng?

"Do you know what it takes to become a ghost? Pain, regret, and bitterness so strong that your soul can't rest in peace."

"Then my reason would be to make you happy. How many times have I died and how many years have you been waiting before we got to this point? You've suffered so much for too long to just throw it all away and start over again."

Maybe he could but uncertainty still tumbled in his thoughts. He also remembered Huā Chéng's words when he first told him about the Ghost Gate.

"As soon as the Gate closes, a human can't survive in the Ghost Realm. Within a few hours, their body begins to die and it's pretty painful. Once they die, that's it. However, some also come back as ghosts too, albeit they'd start out being just Fierce level."

Basically from his words, there was no guarantee that if he were to go to the Ghost Realm that he could make that transformation to being a ghost. Huā Chéng had said pain, regret, and bitterness so strong they couldn't rest was the basis for becoming a ghost. But that was something he lacked himself. However, Huā Chéng also said the reason he stayed was because of him and only for him. And he had told the darker haired teen his reason would be to make him happy. Would that be a great enough reason to make that transformation if he were to die?

Then there was his mother and both Fú Yáo and Nán Fēng. They would be so sad that he was gone. At least he knew his friends would be. His mother….she never seemed to care much. There were certain times she seemed good but then there were times she really did upset him.

"She's just trying to look out for you."

Huā Chéng's words from what seemed so long ago when they met that night in the cave flickered across his thoughts. He had complained about how his mother never seemed happy with his grades. But Huā Chéng knew that she did care. It just seemed hard for her to show it. Still...there were times he did have thoughts of running away. He just never had a place to run to in the past. Now he did.

'Still...could I do that?' he thought to himself. 'Could I leave everything behind?' After all, Huā Chéng had also stated that with their changed state and how ghosts don't always appear human, that would make returning to their family and friends hard.

Giving a mental sigh, he decided he'd let those thoughts go for the night. After all, he had time to think it over. It wasn't like he could get into a predicament like in the past when things weren't as modern. At least, he shouldn't.

Snuggling closer to Huā Chéng, he felt the other teen wrap his arms around his waist as he tucked his chin under the darker haired boy's. Huā Chéng gave a soft smile and sighed in content.

"Get some rest, Gēgē."

"I'll try. Wǎn ān Sān Láng."

"Wǎn ān my Diànxià."

Well, that's the chapter. Got to love Fú Yáo and Nán Fēng being curious about their friends' relationship. *grins*
Also, the thoughts Xiè Lián is having about being able to spend forever with his beloved. Will he act on them? Or will he not? You'll just have to wait and see! *smiles*
Anyways, thanks for reading! I'll update soon!