They lived in bliss for the next two weeks, just lazing around, surfing, swimming, fooling around in the jacuzzi, and sometimes they went to mainland to shop for groceries. And lube. Lots and lots of lube. It's like they make up for the lost time.

One day, Xiao Zhan caught Yibo sat on the couch, game controller in hand, but he abandoned it in lieu of his phone, and frowning.

"Trouble?" Xiao Zhan asked him casually, knowing that usually the frown means trouble.

"Mm, nothing that I can't handle." And he tossed the phone, then continued playing some first person shooting game. 

"I want to eat hotpot tonight, ge, let's go to mainland." His eyes still fixed to the tv.

"Okay, baobei, whatever you want." He can never say no to the little gremlin that he loved so much.

They went that night, and found a great spot in the famous hotpot place. Thankfully no one seemed to notice them.

They were in the middle of eating when Yibo's phone rang. He looked at the caller, frowned, and declined the call. 

It happened for a few more times, until Yibo silenced the phone.

"I should've done that earlier." In his haste to put down the phone, he knocked down the glass filled with soda. Xiao Zhan gave him tissues, but he declined.

"I'll just go to the toilet. Wait here, ge." He stood up and walked to the back of the restaurant where the toilet was.

Xiao Zhan waited for a beat, then took Yibo's phone, and unlocked it. Still the same passcode. His birthday.

He smiled, and opened the call log.

There must be more than a hundred missed calls from his agents, manager, assistant, his mother, for christ sake, some of them were unknown numbers, foreign numbers. He opened the messenger service, and there's a lot of chats that has not been opened since two weeks ago.

He knew he should not snooping around, but he had to know. Finally he put the phone back to the corner of the desk, and continued eating even though he lost his appetite already.

Yibo got back from the toilet, and continued eating and chatting like there's nothing happened. 

"Baobei, let's go for a walk on the beach. At this hour, there won't be that many people, what do you say?"

"Whatever makes you happy, Zhan ge." He smiled and kissed Xiao Zhan, then he held his hand out, and together they walked hand in hand, in the quiet night, on the beach. They tossed out their shoes, and played around on the edge of the sand, feeling the cold water on their feet, giggling like kids.

"Look ge, a shooting star! Quick, make a wish!"

Xiao Zhan chuckled at the child-like squeals from the number 1 heartthrob in China. 

"I already got everything I want, I don't need a shooting star." He held on to the other's big hands, caressing it fondly.

He can feel the other looked at him softly.

"Marry me, ge..."

He was expecting that. Knowing Yibo, his need of doing things in super speed, the intensity of his love, there will be no doubt that he will propose, Xiao Zhan knows that. 

He smiled sweetly, caressing the other's cheek, now flushed with excitement, waiting for his answer.

"Baobei..."

"Just say yes, ge, and I will take care of you. You don't have to be worried about anything anymore. Let me take care of you." His eyes, fierce with love and adoration, piercing straight into his soul. The straightforward, clear gaze, knowing what he wants, and will do anything to get it, how can someone not love this person? Everyone dropped dead like flies on his feet, whenever they got to know him. His gege harem. Xiao Zhan chuckled. Well, he was one of the victims too.

He hugged this lonely star, hoping that someday, someday this boy will understand, that Xiao Zhan would do anything for him.

"I love you, my lonely star, and I'm already yours since the first time we've met..." then Xiao Zhan kissed him.

Their lovemaking that night was very tender and full of promise of love, excited for the new journey that's about to come.

Can't wait for you, become my brightest star
I still want to lend you my light
Projected to you until your brilliant light
Hanging gently in the distant sky
When you are quiet, the cold galaxy in the sky
The sparkling waves are warm enough for you
When you think of that light that comes from me
I am still willing to sing for you

Twinkle and twinkling, like your body
Hidden among many lone stars, I can still find you
Hanging in the sky to shine, reflecting my loneliness
Reminding me I'm in love with a lonely star...

That night, Xiao Zhan slept like a baby. Knowing that his decision was the best thing that he would ever had to do.

-----

"Ge, ge, I'm sorry, but I have to go today." Yibo kissed Xiao Zhan's forehead. "Got something that need to be taken care of, I'll be back soon and we will plan our wedding. Okay?"

"Hmm, okay baobei, take care, did they send a car for you?"

"Yes, now go back to sleep, and I'll be back before you know it."

Yibo left, leaving behind his trademark Bleu de Chanel perfume behind.

Xiao Zhan waited for an hour to be safe, then he picked up his phone, and dialed a number that he never thought he would be using again.

-----

He was just finishing his breakfast of freshly cut fruits and yoghurt, when he heard the unmistakable sound of motorboat. Preparing himself, he walks out to the door, welcoming the guests.

"So, you've been hiding here all this time, no wonder Yibo refused to come back." Sung Joo, Yibo's hyung from his UNIQ days, and Wen Qing, Yibo's manager, came inside the house. And before Xiao Zhan could say anything, Sung Joo planted a sucker punch on his abdomen.

"That's for leaving without a word and breaking my maknae's heart."

Xiao Zhan let a gasp out, and took a deep breath.

"I deserved that."

"You deserved worse, after all you've done, you just... chose the coward way out. We all knew it was not your fault, but what we didn't get was why you ran? You could've stayed and fixed everything, it's not your fault anyway, the trend would've died down, and Yibo would still had his heart intact." Sung Joo was glaring at him.

"What's done is done. I called you guys here not to reminiscing the old times. Wen Qing, tell me why he's going to the office today." He gestured to them all to take a seat.

"You mean, you don't know? I thought he told you everything."

"Tell me."

Wen Qing sighed. She always liked Xiao Zhan, because he seemed to ground Yibo more, not letting him do whatever he wanted. So, she told him what's been going on.

"Did you know that Yibo got an offer to play a protagonist in the new..."

"Stephen fucking Spielberg wanted Yibo to join him for his next project!" Sung Joo cut Wen Qing's words.

Wow, Stephen Spielberg. What a great achievement for Yibo. He suddenly felt very proud like a mother hen.

"...but he fucking turned it down!" Sung Joo pointed his finger to him. "And do you know why, Xiao Zhan?" He's now pacing back and forth, anger seems to sizzle from his pores. "Because he fucking wanted to play house with you! Yes, you heard that right, he turned down Stephen fucking Spielberg, for you!"

"Sung Joo, calm down, there's no point of you screaming like that." Wen Qing tried to soothe him.

But Xiao Zhan couldn't hear another word anymore. He felt his heart beating faster. Yibo turned Spielberg down, because of him?

"And then, he fucking dropped the bomb that he wants to retire! Retired!! Who wants to retire in the prime of their life? He's just fucking 22 years old for fuck's sake, and he wants to retire to play house with you! I.. I can't even.." Sung Joo tilted back on the couch, hands covering his eyes.

"Xiao Zhan, do you understand what we've been trying to say?" Wen Qing touched his hand lightly. 

"I know. And that is exactly why I called you here."

They said their goodbyes in about an hour later, after Xiao Zhan's explaining about his plan. Wen Qing kneaded her forehead, while Sung Joo stood by, ready to pounce Xiao Zhan if he made one wrong move.

"Xiao Zhan, are you sure? I mean, we all knew how wrecked he was when you left a year ago without words."

"This time, I won't leave without words."

"God, this is all killing me, first, he wanted to pay some shady guy millions to set up some secret schemes for him, then he joined that godforsaken surfing reality tv, then he went MIA for almost a month. Do you understand now how stressed I am?" Wen Qing popped 2 aspirin into his mouth and dry swallowed it.

Something in Wen Qing's words caught his attention.

No way.

No fucking way.

But he acted very calm, and wrote down his letter.

This is all for the best, baobei.

And he's not even preventing the tears that came out from his eyes.

This time, I will do right by you.

-----

"Zhan gee, I'm homee...! Where are yo..." he stopped on his track when he saw the two people he avoid the most, sat on his couch, in his living room.

"What are you guys doing here? Where's Zhan ge? Why did you know that I was here?" He suddenly felt panic rising in his chest. "Where's Xiao Zhan?" He asked no one in particular.

Wen Qing, eyes somber, gave him a letter.

He panically tore it out, and started to read.

I choose you
To be no other than yourself
Loving what I know of you,
And trusting who you will become
I will respect and honor you
Always and in all ways

With you, I pledge
To repair one small piece of the world
To have and to hold. 
In tears and laughter.
For better and for worse.
In sickness and in health.
To love and to cherish.
From this day forward, 
In this world and the next ones.

XZ

He read and read and read the letter repeatedly.
But there's no explanation as of why he left.

Only a promise.

A promise that he will fulfill, no matter how long or how hard it is to do.

He wiped the tears that falling down his face, and steel his heart. 

This time, he will do everything right.