A few minutes passed, but nothing appeared from within the fog. Shen Yuan glanced at the fortune teller in doubt and tried focusing more on the crystal, but still, nothing happened.
He huffed and retrieved his hand, causing the fog to disperse. "I guess you're a scammer after all."
"Interesting." The fortune teller tilted their chin up a slight angle. Shen Yuan could feel their gaze observing him from under their hood. "The crystal only offers its wisdom to those who wish to know. After all, there is no use showing them to those who already know what it has to offer, is there?"
Shen Yuan didn't give any reaction and only shifted his eyes towards Ji Zhixuan. The man's thoughts were obscured under his lenses, but his solemn silence gave him all the answers he needed.
"I had thought that you are ill-fated lovers, but it seems like one of you is simply cursed by the other."
The fortune teller moved to take their silver only for a fan to sweep it from under their fingers. Shen Yuan flicked it into his palm and returned it to Ji Zhixuan. "If you can only tell that far, then you're only a third-rate fortune teller at best. 1 silver is overpriced for such a misleading insight."
"What?" A tinge of anger colored the fortune teller's ever-calm voice.
"Then, how about you answer my question? If you prove yourself and win, I'll pay you 100 gold. But if you lose, well…" Shen Yuan tapped his fan onto his chin and curled a cold smile. "How about you give me your tongue and help me contribute to society by preventing a quack fortune teller from spouting nonsense?"
"Alright, fine." The fortune teller accepted the challenge. "But I don't need your spare change. If I win, you will have to apologize on your knees for calling me a quack."
"Fine by me." Shen Yuan flipped his fan open and leisurely asked, "Now, tell me. Where do I come from?"
"Are you underestimating me!?" The fortune teller slammed their fist to the table.
Shen Yuan simply shrugged and motioned at the crystal ball, prompting them to start scrying.
The fortune teller lowly laughed and whisked their sleeves back before giving their full attention to their crystal ball. They cast a short chant and waited for the result only for the fog to persist, revealing not a sliver of insight.
They frowned and tried again, their unblinking eyes drilling holes into their crystal ball, but even after chant after chant, not the faintest vision was given to them. Their back gradually sweated cold.
What was this? Why wasn't it giving them any answer?
"Hurry up. We don't have all night." Shen Yuan clung his arm around Ji Zhixuan's and rested his head on his shoulder in boredom. "Don't worry, I won't lie. Just say what that ball of yours tells you."
"Y-You…!" The fortune teller jumped up from their seat and their hood fell back, revealing the white-haired elderly woman under it. She pointed at Shen Yuan indignantly. "You're a demon! A devil! You don't belong in this world, do you!?"
"Even if I am, that doesn't answer my question, does it?"
"Where else could you come from? You're a denizen of hell!"
"How wrong and unoriginal." Shen Yuan sighed in disappointment. "You can take her away now, Ji Wu."
Ji Zhixuan had long been unamused since the other called Shen Yuan a curse and even dared to tell him to kneel in apology. With a wave of his hand, Maid Lin appeared behind the fortune teller and struck her by her neck.
"Gakh…!"
Her eyes rolled back and she fell unconscious to the ground with a dry thud.
"Collect her end of the deal and feed her to the dogs."
"Yes, Young Master."
Ji Zhixuan pulled Shen Yuan away and this time, Shen Yuan compliantly followed. He studied Ji Zhixuan for a while and finally asked, "What did you see earlier?"
"It doesn't matter, does it? That fortune teller is a quack after all. Don't think about it anymore."
"If what you saw is actually true, what would you do?"
"…There were 2 visions." Ji Zhixuan stared into an unknown distance. "You looked exactly the same in both as you are right now. Those can't be our past lives."
"They maybe were for you. But for me, this life, those previous ones, and the next ones to come are all the same."
Ji Zhixuan thought of something and stopped to look at Shen Yuan. "The day we first met, at the canal… It wasn't a coincidence, was it?"
"I thought you'd never realize." Shen Yuan innocently laughed. "Between the two of us, only I can find you after all."
"That sounds unfair."
"You have different faces every time while I look the same all the time, just like what you said. It's only fair. If I have a different face, do you think you'll be able to recognize me?"
Ji Zhixuan traced Shen Yuan's features and stopped at his arched lips. "I can recognize your smile anywhere."
"What? Is my smile crooked or something?"
"Yes. And I love it." Ji Zhixuan hooked Shen Yuan's chin up and pressed a brief kiss on the corner of his lips, ignoring the passersby around them.
"I don't know if I should feel happy about that." Shen Yuan frowned in doubt. His smile was never less than perfect.
Ji Zhixuan only chuckled in response.
They continued their stroll with lighter hearts and bought a serving of bite-sized mooncakes before Ji Zhixuan guided Shen Yuan away from the street and went up a nearby hill.
At the very top, where the moon hung close above them, a table full of wine and delicacies was prepared. A smaller table was arranged aside for 2 sets of rectangular paper, ink, and brush with a pair of lanterns placed underneath.
"Let's first write our wish. We'll attach them to the lanterns and send them to the sky." Ji Zhixuan handed the brush and paper to Shen Yuan.
"Is this a mid-autumn festival thing?" Shen Yuan couldn't imagine Ji Zhixuan suggesting they do something like this because he wanted to.
"It is." Ji Zhixuan started writing on his paper. "It's believed that the moon is the closest to land right now. At first, only farmers fly their wishes hoping the moon goddess will bless their crops, but it became its own thing."
Shen Yuan stared at the blank paper unsurely. He had never even written a birthday or congratulatory card for anyone. Not to mention, knowing the truth of this world broke the immersion. He couldn't think of anything to write.
An idea popped up in his head, and he went to Ji Zhixuan. "Are you done?"
"Mn. Are you done as well?" Ji Zhixuan grabbed the lanterns from the ground and gave one to Shen Yuan.
"No, I can't think of anything." Shen Yuan took his lantern and offered the end of the attached string to Ji Zhixuan. "So, share yours with me. Two is better than one, right?"
Ji Zhixuan's eyes softened under the moonlight and took it. "Alright. Hold the paper for me."
Shen Yuan nodded and held the paper for Ji Zhixuan while he tied their strings together. He curiously flipped it over to read it and warm sweetness trickled into his chest.
'Don't let our destiny separate. Protect the unison of our fate.'
Once Ji Zhixuan secured the paper onto the string, he lit up their lanterns, and they went to stand near the edge of the hill. The full moon shone above them like a pearl on a still dark sea while the city lights glimmered below them like golden fireflies.
They let their lanterns go and watched them float away, sailing forth toward the boundless night.
"Don't worry, Ji Wu." Shen Yuan slipped his hand into Ji Zhixuan's and interlaced their fingers. He gave him a confident smile. "I'm not bound by the shackles of fate and I'm here to free you from it."
Ji Zhixuan's gaze trembled. Not a prickle of doubt denied the thumping of his heart. Something inside him believed beyond rationality that his lover truly came to save him.
He claimed Shen Yuan into his embrace and poured his love with a kiss. He never felt so frustrated that he couldn't love him more, that they couldn't connect deeper. The more their tongue entangled and the more fervent their breath became, his dissatisfaction only grew stronger.
This man deserved all of him.
If it was his fate to die for him, then so be it. He would let him eat his flesh if he so desired it.
Shen Yuan wrapped his arms around Ji Zhixuan's neck and pressed their body even closer. The surge of burning energy crashing into his psyche penetrated his soul, bathing him in its feverish passion.
He could feel it. Ji Zhixuan was giving himself to him.
When they finally parted, they saw each other's flushed faces and swollen lips and couldn't help but laugh. Ji Zhixuan wrapped Shen Yuan tighter in his arms as if he would lose him the second he let him go. "Marry me, Shen Yuan. I don't care what our fate will be. I want to love you entirely with what time I have."
"Yeah, I'm also about to go insane." Shen Yuan flumped his head to Ji Zhixuan's shoulder and rode the heat down. "One condition. Private wedding."
"Couldn't agree more." Ji Zhixuan kissed Shen Yuan's hair in satisfaction.
No eyes other than his deserved to see how beautiful his lover would be in a wedding dress.