After the decision was made in Ximen Xueya's heart. He waited for the father and son who were taking their time bathing. Half an hour later, Cao Junye went out of bath wearing a bathrobe on him while carrying a freshly bath baby little bun on his arms. Ximen Xueya smiles at seeing this scene between parent and child.
Cao Junye, who noticed Xueya smiling at them, approached him and gave the baby to him to dress.
"Please put the clothes on him. I need to take mine in the wardrobe." said Cao Junye who passed baby Chino to Xueya and didn't forget to lean down and kissed Xueya's cheeks.
The two of them haven't officiated their relationship yet but Cao Junye was already allowed to hug and steal kisses to Xueya. Clearly they both like each other and he likes the little bun as well. Their relationship has been quite good lately especially after the dad and son stayed at his mansion for a few months.
Xueya received the baby and dressed him as he was told to. Chino was giggling the whole time as his daddy put his new green dinosaur onesie on him. It didn't take long for Xueya to coax the sleepy child to sleep.
Cao Junye joins them on the bed after wearing his black pajamas that are in the same style as Ximen Xueya's white pajamas. With the sleeping baby at the middle, Junye noticed Xueya looking at him.
"What's wrong?" asked Junye with a small smile.
Xueya hesitated but still made up his mind. "Can I talk with you for a moment? Privately, please."
Cao Junye was a bit bewildered with this sudden request from his beloved but still agreed. He showed him the way to his office. They were both wearing night clothes which is why Cao Junye turned on the heater in the office. Then they sat together on the empty couch in the room.
"This is the most private place in the mansion, my office. No one could hear our conversation in this room. Baby~ is there something wrong?" asked Cao Junye as he pulled Xueya, wanting to let him sit on his lap.
But sadly the latter isn't willing and let Xueya sit beside him instead.
Cao Junye instead held Xueya's waist as he sat together with him on the couch.
"Baby you can tell me anything you want? As long it isn't illegal I will listen…" said Junye.
Once the word illegal was spoken Xueya's body stiffened for a moment, of course this didn't escape Cao Junye's eyes. He narrowly stared at Xueya who was beside him.
With a slightly dark face Cao Junye spoke, "Did you really do something illegal?" he asked as he didn't notice his expression and tone slowly turning icy.
Ximen Xueya immediately felt that the temperature in the room dropped and the hands wrapped on his waist slowly receding. He held Cao Junye's hand with both his hands with an extremely worried expression on his face.
"What did you do?" asked Cao Junye on his face, a sternness that could be obviously seen.
Ximen Xueya tried to explain right away. "Please listen to me first. It's just a bit of hacking." he honestly answered.
When the word hacking was mentioned the expression on Cao Junye turned even chilly and frigid. The gentle eyes that used to look at Xueya had turned indifferent and gauging. "Hacking is an illegal crime that can put you to jail for decades. Why did you do it!?"
"Please… Please calm down and listen to me first. A'Ye listen to me first okay?" said Xueya as he desperately held Junye's hand which was pulled away from his hands. Once he lost the warmth he held in his hands Xueya felt something stabbed his heart directly causing unimaginable pain. It left him stunned and dazed at this moment.
Cao Junye even stood up and moved away from him. Within those purple eyes were emotions full of disappointment and hidden anger. For someone like him who grew up in the military what Junye hates is that most are those who break the laws.
To him unlawful men were nothing but just criminals.
If it is another person he would have thrown that man straight to jail at this moment. But now that person happened to become someone he loves the most, he couldn't believe what was happening in front of him. Because of disbelief and anger, he started doubting even Xueya's feelings for him.
He is sure that someone like Ximen Xueya who is notorious in his own field would be an intelligent person. He thought that someone like this who is liked by the Head State person and the Prime Minister wouldn't be someone who would do illegal things such as hacking. It is because he believes this that the pain of feeling betrayed made him turn deaf to Xueya's pleas.
"A'Ye… I'm begging you. Please listen to me first please. I have a reason for this!!"
"No matter what reason it is I don't want to listen. Illegal things are crime. What you did… is against my doctrine. Ximen Xueya I don't want to listen to your explanations!"
"This is extremely important! Why can't you listen to me first!!?"
Ximen Xueya's pleading words turned to tantrums because his lover is not even willing to listen to his explanations. Clearly he is so biased with things like righteousness that he isn't even listening to his words. Because of this Xueya started to lose his temper.
Cao Junye who had grown up to be a complete stern man couldn't listen to Xueya's unreasonable blames. As an authoritarian Cao Junye couldn't accept this mistake Xueya had made.
Retorted Junye, "I told you I wouldn't listen. You are nothing but a criminal now! As a general I wouldn't listen to your lies. Be thankful that I am not putting you to jail at this moment!!!" He yelled at Xueya.
Ximen Xueya was rendered speechless just now. He couldn't believe the words of his lover who had exchanged words of love with him countless times to call him a criminal without hesitation. What was it that he said just now? I should be thankful that he didn't throw him to jail!? These words means that Junye was not only unwilling to listen to his explanation, he doesn't even trust his words at all.
These hurtful words were like knives that stabbed his heart multiple times. Not only that, obviously Cao Junye is in rage right now. There's an obvious disgust within those purple eyes as he looks at Xueya. It made him unable to breath properly and his tears just fell uncontrollably from his tanzanite orbs.
"I… I was… only…" mumbled Xueya between his whimpers.
Hearing no retort from Ximen Xueya made Cao Junye uncomfortable. He turned around to check on his lover only to see his beautiful face covered in tears. There is only emptiness and loneliness within his eyes. He looked dazedly as if he couldn't believe his words just now. Now seeing Xueya's miserable expression made Junye feel really bad in his heart. He tried reaching out to him only for the latter to dodge his touch.
There's a clear avoidance and distance between them right now. Ximen Xueya took a deep breath to calm himself down after avoiding Cao Junye's touched.
"X-Xueya…" calls Cao Junye but as if Xueya couldn't hear him, he just walked past him.
This time Cao Junye could only watch as Ximen Xueya walked away from him and left the room in silence. Once Xueya left the room, Cao Junye fell tiredly at the couch behind him. He lowered his head to his hands as he sighed. There's a clear distress in his aura. He could still remember the words he said to his beloved just now. He accused him of being a criminal when all Xueya did is say that he did a bit of hacking.
But after thinking about it for a while, Xueya had been by his side all this time and hadn't seen him touch any computers at all. How could he be the one doing the hacking. He must have asked others to do it for him but he called him a criminal without a second though just now.
Then that scene of endless tears from Xueya rendered him speechless. The guilt within his heart wormed inside slowly eating his heart. But even if he talks to Xueya right now there is a huge possibility of the man not listening to him at all.
Cao Junye murmured, "Tomorrow… Tomorrow I will apologize. Then I will listen to him…" He could only sleep in his office afraid of seeing Xueya's detached gaze on him.
Cao Junye didn't know that tomorrow was already too late. Because the other man had already decided to leave the place as soon as he could.
On the other hand, Ximen Xueya carried his son in his arms after changing their clothes. He left all information he had System Yue gathered about pre-apocalypse to the table in the guest room in the General's Mansion.
[H-Host is this alright? To leave without telling everyone…]
"It is fine. I'm a bit tired. I need to go somewhere… quiet."
[But host how about the General?]
"I've already tried my best to explain it to him. He didn't even want to listen. I had no other choice but to leave. If fate allows then… we should be able to meet… in the future." murmured Xueya.
Carrying Ximen Chino in his arms, Xueya uses his Teleportation skill and directly transports himself and his son to that seaside villa they've rented the last time. This time he bought the villa on spot after bothering the owner in the middle of the night. He had given him twice the amount of the villa's original price and the owner happily sold the house to him.
No one knew how Xueya fought the sadness in his heart when he put his son and himself to sleep that night. Only the sound of waves lingering in their ears calms Xueya's nerves as he tries his hardest to fall asleep. As he closed his eyes only the tears in reality made one see his sadness coming from his heart. He is obviously heartbroken for the first time.
When morning arrives, Xueya and his son spend time talking the whole morning before baby Chino accepts the situation of being separated from his father once again. He was sad that he wouldn't be able to play with father Junye anymore but he couldn't let his daddy live on his own. Just now his daddy asked him if Chino wants to stay with. Whether it's his daddy or his father? Chino could only choose one.
Remembering that in this world his daddy only has him, Chino didn't hesitate to choose his daddy instead of his father. He could see how sad his daddy is. His Uncle Yue explained to him that his daddy and father fought and it would take a long time for them to be together again. That is why until then Chino could only stay with his daddy. Moreover the apocalypse is coming, Chino decided to prepare for his most anticipated fighting battles with zombies instead.
—
At the same time.
Cao Junye is currently standing in front of the door to the room beside his own. This is the guest room he had prepared for Xueya and Chino to stay in. But lately the two have been sleeping in his own room together with him at night. This guest room has become rarely used since then.
When he woke up as soon as the sun had risen, he saw that no one was sleeping on his bed. The bed was neatly cleaned up and the blanket was left properly folded. Seeing this Cao Junye felt unease for a moment. He looked for the Old Butler Wu and asked if someone had left the mansion or the subdivision at dawn.
The butler had replied honestly that he noticed no one had left the mansion. He had also asked the soldiers guarding the subdivision's gate if someone's car had passed through their checkpoint and received a report that no one had left last night.
After receiving this report Cao Junye sighed in relief for a moment. He thought that Xueya must have taken the child and left his place in anger last night. Hearing this report the beating of his heart calms down. Now he is standing in front of the guest room door intending to pull Xueya for a serious talk once again. This time he is willing to listen.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
No one spoke from inside the room. Junye thought that Xueya was not speaking because he was still angry. He could only talk from outside the room.
Cao Junye spoke, "Baby~ I'm sorry about what I said last night. Can you please forgive me? I was so angry last night but thinking the whole night about it I know it wasn't your fault. I will listen to you now. Please talk to me once more."
But there is only silence as reply to him.
"Baby~ are you there? I'll open the door now."
He did as he said. Opening the door to the room, Cao Junye entered only to see the same empty place like how his bedroom was left clean. There are no traces of someone staying inside the room. The blanket was neatly folded above the bed and the pillows were placed upright at the head location. He opened the wardrobe and saw it empty. He ran towards the bathroom and saw it dry and clean, obviously unused.
Cao Junye panicked as he looked around the room for Xueya and Chino's traces only to find nothing. Once he approached the bed he saw a folded letter placed at the side table under Xueya's phone which he gave to him. This is a special phone with a customized locator inside. This will allow him to locate Xueya and Chino easily as long as they have this. It is also a satellite phone that will never lose a signal anywhere in this country. He gave this to Xueya to keep him safe in case they were kidnapped or something bad happened to them.
Now seeing this phone here made Cao Junye uncomfortable. With his hands slightly trembling he read the letter Xueya had left obviously for him.
Contents of the letter:
'I and Chino should go now. Thank you for taking care for us this past few months. The time was short but it was full of happy moments. I and Chino had enjoyed your accompaniment all this time. But we could no longer bother you anymore.
I guess our personalities aren't compatible after all. So forget about everything about us. We can't stay and you cannot accept me. I could only leave.
Thank you for everything.
As thanks I left you a gift that will inform you about the future events. It's in this phone. I had passed the same information to the Head State and the minister. You would be receiving a summon as soon as possible. Please don't look for us. Well you would be busy until then, there would be no time for you to waste to look for use.
I guess this is a goodbye.
I had loved you, Cao Junye.
Sadly we are not meant to be.
Goodbye my Love.
-Ximen Xueya-'
Cao Junye couldn't believe what he just read. He was shocked to his core as if something inside him is being ripped apart. He felt he had lost it and that a gaping hole was left inside his chest. He could hardly breathe as he tried to hold back his swirling emotions.
He was shocked to his core that he didn't even hear his Old butler saying that the Head State and the Prime Minister are summoning him and Ximen Xueya. He didn't know how he did it, his body moved on his own and left the mansion to answer to his summons.
