Chapter 62-Don't Leave, Stay.

A.N: I really want to know if you think what they feeling now is genuine or not and also, what do you want for the upcoming updates 💜

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Yuan finally looked up and stared at him blankly, “What?”

Yiheng's eyes locked with Yuan's, unflinching and intense. "You heard me," he said gruffly, his voice filled with a mixture of pain and anger. "I love you, Yuan. The real you. The man I've come to know and care for. The man who's been by my side through all of this."

He took a step closer, closing the distance between them. His hand reached out, gently touching Yuan's cheek. "That's why it hurts so much to learn that the person I love never truly existed."

Tears roll down Yuan's cheeks, “No! I exist! I do! I lived even after dying!”

Yiheng's heart clenched as he saw tears well up in Yuan's eyes, the pain and desperation in his voice clear as day.

"I know you exist," he said softly, his thumb gently wiping away the tears on Yuan's cheek. "You're right here. I can see you, touch you, feel you. But...the person, the man I married...he doesn't exist anymore. I failed him. And that also hurts.”

Yuan's breath halted, sobs dying in his throat, “I'm so sorry! I never thought I'd end up here! I'm so sorry!”

Yuan quickly held his hands, “Y-your majesty, I-I never wanted to be a replacement! I wanted to leave so many times. I thought about it, I couldn't.”

Yiheng's heart clenched at Yuan's words, his resolve faltering slightly. He wanted to push Yuan away, to protect himself from the pain. But he couldn't. Not when Yuan looked so vulnerable, so filled with pain.

"What do you mean?" he asked quietly, his grip around Yuan's hands tightening, "Why did you want to leave? You can't leave me. Not you also.."

Yuan's breath hitched, the tears flowing more freely now. "I-I didn't think I deserved you. I'm not who you married. I'm just a replacement, a spirit, a shadow..."

Yiheng's hands trembled slightly, his heart clenching at Yuan's words. He didn't want to hear this, he didn't want to feel this hurt. But he listened, his eyes never leaving Yuan's face.

“Your majesty...I came to love Yeye. I didn't want him to lose his mother as I did. I wanted to protect him. But hearing your confession, I couldn't keep up-hic”

Yiheng's heart clenched further, his expression torn between pain and understanding. It was a bitter pill to swallow, the knowledge that Yuan had stayed for Yeye, not for him.

"So, you stayed for Yeye, not for me," he repeated quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "You didn't want to hurt him, so you deceived me instead."

Yuan’s fingers fisted, frustrated, “How many times should I tell you, I had no choice... I couldn't decide”

Yiheng's eyes narrowed, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "No choice, huh? You said it yourself, you could have left at any time. So, tell me, what exactly stopped you from telling me the truth?”

As Yuan tried to pull away, Yiheng's hands shot forward, grabbing Yuan's wrists and pulling him back. He couldn't just let Yuan walk away like this, not without answers.

"No," he said firmly, his grip tight, though not enough to hurt. "You don't get to run away now. You owe me the truth. All of it."

Yuan looked up as he stammered, “I-”

Yiheng's gaze darkened, his patience wearing thin. "Speak," he ordered, his voice sharp and cutting. "Tell me the truth. Why haven't you told me the truth this whole time?"

Yuan bit his lip and finally let go of his dam full of emotions, almost raising his voice, “Because... YOU MAKE MY HEART SKIP BEAT EVERY TIME I MEET YOU!

You smile at my silly talks, caress my face when I'm tired...you...make my heart burn…You have every that thing in you to make me lose my control.”

Yiheng's eyes widened, a wave of shock and confusion washing over him. He hadn't expected such a raw, emotional outburst.

“You...you feel that way?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his hands still holding onto Yuan's wrists. He couldn't process this new information, his mind a whirlwind mix of anger, confusion, and now...hope.

Yuan inhaled sharply and continued, “I admit, I was selfish, I admit, I wanted to stay with you…a bit longer…Every time it came to me that I am not the Yuan you assumed, it pained me to even think that you're living with the person I am not, just because of this face and this new identity… Your Majesty. I never wanted to deceive anyone. I just prioritised Yeye’s need for me over yours. I didn't know one day I'd start falling for you and end up in this mess.”

Yiheng watched as Yuan confessed, the emotional outburst making his heart clench painfully. He didn't know what to say, what to feel. He was caught between anger and sadness, between love and frustration.

He took a step closer, his hands gently pulling Yuan towards him. "You're right... I fell in love with this face, but it's not just the face," he said quietly, his voice raw with emotion. "I fell in love with the person behind it, with the man I thought you were."

“I am! I am the man you met after coming back, so you tell me. Is it me or is it Bai Yuan?”

Yiheng let out a bitter, humourless laugh. "You really know how to twist a knife, don't you?”

Yiheng's heart squeezed painfully as Yuan's words hit him. He couldn't ignore the truth anymore. Despite everything, he had fallen in love with Yuan, not  Bai Yuan. But that fact only made his pain and confusion deepen.

He exhaled sharply, his grip on Yuan's wrists tightening slightly. "It's...it's you," he finally admitted, his voice gruff and quiet. "It's you I've fallen in love with, not Bai Yuan."

Yuan was trying his best not to break down, “Then, Why are you angry with me? Your majesty, just think about my situation for once; what would you have done if you woke up one day in another man's body and found yourself in a marital life? Please!”

Yiheng fell silent, his jaw clenching as he listened. Yuan had a point, damn him. What would he have done in his place? Would he have been able to sop up the guilt and pretend to be someone else's spouse?

"I... I don't know," he finally admitted reluctantly, his voice laced with frustration. "But that doesn't make it any easier for me, you know that, right?"

That one sentence finally pulled all the strings together. Yuan's arms fell helplessly on his sides, “I see…I'm sorry...l guess, I really don't deserve someone's love,” he let out a painful laugh, “Everything is a mess because I woke up, right? I should have died.”

Yiheng's heart constricted at Yuan's words, his expression pained. He didn't like the way Yuan was talking about himself, as if he wanted to die, as if he didn't deserve love.

"Don't say that!" he said firmly, his hands moving to cup Yuan's face, forcing his gaze to meet his. "You say you don't deserve love..." His voice broke. "Then tell me, what am I feeling for you then?"

Yuan pushed away his hands, “No. Please don't confuse me. You don't understand me…”

Yiheng's hands dropped to his sides, the rejection like a physical blow. His heart screamed at him to hold on, to not let Yuan pull away. But he stayed still, his eyes locking with Yuan's.

"Then tell me," he said, his voice low and strained. "Help me understand. Tell me why you think you don't deserve my love."

Yuan stepped towards the door, dejectedly, “I don't know...I did everything possible to keep everyone happy and be happy. I failed every time, in every life. Even now, you're hurting because of me, right? I'm sorry for taking your wife's body. I'm sorry for everything.”

Yiheng felt a deep sense of helplessness as he watched Yuan move towards the door, the urge to hold on, to keep him there, almost overwhelming.

No..No..No..this was nothing I ever imagined…No…Yuan cannot leave…

"Wait!" he called out, his voice rough. "You're running away again. Just like you've been doing all this time."

He took a step forward, anger and frustration mixing in his voice. "Don't you get it? I don't care about the body! I care about you! The man I fell in love with!"

Yuan stopped to look back at him, a small painful laugh on his lips, “You're just saying that to stop me. I don't need your pity.”

Yiheng's eyes darkened, anger and frustration flaring up within him. "Pity?" he repeated, his voice a mix of disbelief and anger. "You think this is about pity? Do you really think I'm that shallow? That I'd love someone out of pity and nothing more?"

He stepped closer, his body tense with emotion. "I'm many things, but I'm not a fool. I know what I feel, and it's certainly not pity."

“Then, what about Bai Yuan?”

The mention of Bai Yuan's name caused a spark of pain in Yiheng's eyes. He knew this question was coming, he just didn't know how to answer.

"What about him?" he replied, his voice coming out harsher than he intended.

Yuan leaned back on the door as if he was exhausted and could collapse any moment, “How did you feel about him?”

Yiheng took a deep breath, the memories of Yuan stirring up complicated emotions within him.

"He... he was a good man," he said slowly, the words heavy on his tongue. "He was kind, honest and loyal. But, I couldn't spend time with him, so I don't know how I felt about him or how he saw me. One thing I’m certain is that he didn't make my heart skip a beat; he didn't make me feel alive the way you do."

Yuan stared at him, maybe searching for a little bit of hope and truthfulness in those blazing, bottomless golden eyes.

The silence that followed was heavy and tense, the weight of Yiheng's words hanging in the air. His eyes bore into Yuan's, his expression a mix of confusion, anger, and undeniable feelings.

"You asked me how I felt about Bai Yuan," he continued, his voice low, "and I told you. But that doesn't change how I feel about you. That's the problem, don't you see? You're not who you were, yet you're the one I love, the one I fell for without even meaning to."

“Are you upset that it's me?”

"Upset?" he echoed, his voice thick with emotion. "Of course I'm upset! I'm angry, confused, heartbroken. I married a man and fell in love with another man, and now I'm told that both men were never the same person. How am I supposed to feel?"

“Then, what about me? Am I not as miserable as you that the one I love is suffering because of something I never wanted to happen? You know, I never imagined to get inside another body. It was confusing and unnatural. Everyone around me was so unfamiliar. Is it my fault that I ended up in this body? Tell me.”

Yiheng's expression softened slightly at Yuan's words, his anger giving way to a flicker of sympathy. He knew Yuan hadn't chosen this, just like he hadn't chosen to fall for him.

"No, it's not your fault," he said quietly, his voice losing some of its edge. "I know you didn't plan this. But it doesn't change the reality, does it?"

“Yeah... You're right... It doesn't change anything... Well, you know what? The fact now that you're aware of the truth, it changes everything.

I'm just... sorry. that I fell in love with you..”

Yuan turned to the exit.

"Wait!"

Yiheng was immediately on the move, his long strides closing the distance between them before Yuan could reach the exit. His hand shot out, closing around Yuan's wrist, his grip tight yet not painful.

"You're not leaving," he said, his voice gruff and firm, his eyes locking with Yuan's. "We're not done here."

Yuan let out a whimper, unable to control his sadness and misery.

Yiheng's heart clenched at the sound of Yuan's whimper, but he refused to let go. He pulled Yuan closer, his other hand coming up to cup Yuan's face, his eyes searching Yuan's for a moment.

"You say you're sorry for falling in love with me," he said quietly, his thumb gently stroking Yuan's cheek, "but what about me? I fell in love with you too, remember? Against my better judgment."

Yuan slowly wrapped his arms around him, “Please...it hurts so much...trust me... please”

Yiheng froze, caught off guard by Yuan's sudden embrace. For a moment, all he could do was stand there, his arms hanging awkwardly at his sides. Then, slowly, he returned the embrace, his arms encircling Yuan tightly.

"I know it hurts," he murmured, his lips close to Yuan's ear, his voice a rough whisper. "It hurts for me too. But I can't let you walk away just yet."

“I don't want to...I don't want to leave…”

Yiheng pulled Yuan closer, his hold almost protective. "Then don't," he said, his voice firm. "Don't leave. Stay here with me. With Yeye."

He was conflicted, torn between anger and longing. He wanted to hold onto Yuan, to keep him close...but he also wanted to understand, to figure out the tangled mess that was their situation.

“I'll tell you everything.. please don't hate me...l really love you... it's painful,” Yuan’s voice desperate and mixed with sobs.

Yiheng's heart ached at Yuan's words, his eyes darkening with emotion. "I don't hate you," he said, his voice low. "I can't even if I tried. I care about you too damn much."

He pulled back slightly, just enough to look into Yuan's eyes. "Just tell me. Tell me everything.”

(2366 words)