Mirage

For a better set of this chapter I leave you the name of the songs that Shuoyue sings:

1 * Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms 01 Chilly

2 • Love Catastrophe [Male Version]

*The delicate music of the flute next to the guqin began to flood the place, and the doors in front of the palace courtyard finally opened revealing the famous Divine Moon, Shuoyue began to walk to the rhythm of the music towards the interior of the place, he has his eyes closed giving a sense of mystery and calm as he moved in such an elegant as well as delicate way.

When Bai Zhen saw him with beautiful jet-black hair enter, he sighed with relief, he was not the boy he thought he would be. The young dancer's attire was very dazzling at night, drawing everyone's attention.

Madam Li took advantage of the fact that everyone had their eyes on the minor to leave the place through the back to coordinate with the others who were waiting to go and present when it was their turn to enter.

The musicians were spreading out in various places away from the boy to give everybody the same experience. Shuoyue felt his heart in his throat and was somewhat nervous without knowing why if he had already danced in front of a lot of people.

When he reached the center of his small and improvised stage with the paper flowers around him, he takes a deep breath and sighed to calm down before he bent down and start his presentation.

Shuoyue was supposed to sing all the song by himself but he changed it, and he asked a girl from the brothel to help him so they made a beautiful duet; when it was his turn to sing he got up with one of his fans in hand, he unfolded it at the same time he started singing; with the sound of the flute and the Guqin was the movement that he gave the fan, gracefully waving the fabric material that it had.

His voice was heard throughout the place and left more than one stunned, it was a delight to listen to Shuoyue's delicate and harmonic voice, even Prince Xichen observed the boy's act with an astonished expression. That song was from a love story and the lyrics were etching deeply in Xichen's heart.

Shuoyue began to move to the music, singing and playing with the fans to open them, letting the wind flutter the cloth while he shaped them into the silhouette he wanted to show. When the girl sings Shuoyue flaunts the steps of the choreography, he opened another fan playing with both of them to make a kind of wings of a butterfly.

He turned and jumped a little to seem like he was flying, almost at the end of the song he settled in front of the royal family and sit down opening his eyes very slowly finishing the last sentence, looking directly at the sky.

The moment Xichen saw the other open his eyes and see that intense green color just like Lan Yue's eyes, he didn't even expect the applause of everyone present, he got up faster than a gazelle and approached the other to remove the veil that was covering Shuoyue's face.

Xichen's heart stopped for a moment, he was identical to Lan Yue, he could be her lost twin if he did have one… he even had the same beautiful mole in the same place under his left eye… Xichen couldn't believe his eyes, he felt that it was a mirage.

Xichen approached the opposite to look closely at his eyes touching his face with his free hand but for his part, Shuoyue had been shocked to see the opposite, it was him, that man of his dreams who cried while holding him like the most precious thing in the world but…. Who was he? Why he was looking at him with those intense golden eyes?

Shuoyue's hand goes to the other's to barely caress his backhand with his fingers, although they could not remain in their bubble for long since the young prince of the water kingdom got up to approach Xichen, touching his shoulder with one of his hands.

Shuang Hua was enraged with jealousy when someone else had captured Xichen's attention and more because that person had the same appearance as Lan Yue, Shuang Hua could imagine what was going through Xichen's mind only by how he reacted, but he was not going to allow that boy to steal the prince's heart.

"Xichen you should let the dancer continue the show"

Shuang Hua looked at Xichen with a nice smile making him come back to reality, when Xichen heard the voice of the opposite, he finally reacted and immediately moved away from Shuoyue a little, apologizing very embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to stop you"

"Don't worry, I can assume that you enjoyed my performance, right?"

"Of course, it was very beautiful… young master Shuoyue" Xichen's voice had a warm tone as he said his name, it was as if with that he could find out if Shuoyue was his beloved Lan Yue or not.

"Only Shuoyue it's ok" he smiled unable to look away.

"Xichen…" Shuanghua insisted in a whisper after a short awkward silence.

"Mm?" Xichen replied without looking at him

"Xichen… what a nice name" Shuoyue adjusts a strand of his hair behind his right ear, glancing at the other.

When Shuoyue said the prince's name, Xichen was surprised by the loving tone Shuoyue used, it was the same his partner used to use.

"Xichen… if you don't let go of the boy, he won't be able to continue…"

Tired of being the third wheel Shuang Hua spoke again making Xichen realize that he was still holding the other's hand, he swallowed hard because he didn't want to let him go.

Xichen felt he would lose him if he release Shuoyue, it wasn't a nice feeling, and instead of letting him go the prince tightened his grip a little more making Shuoyue aware of that slight tremor the other have, not understanding the reason Shuoyue squeezed Xichen's hand too trying to comfort him.

"Xichen, are you alright? You're shaking" Shuoyue approached the opposite to whisper those words near to him.

"I…. I'm fine" he replied with that insecure tone.

Xichen's words did not convince Shuoyue because it seemed that he was afraid to let go of his hand as if he could disappear into thin air, his insides felt strange, and for some reason, he wanted to hug the opponent and kiss him...

Shuoyue reacted to his own thoughts before committing a discourtesy so he cleared his throat and took the other's hand better.

"Don't worry… I can stay here as long as you need"

Xichen was a little embarrassed to hear the boy's words, he seemed like a small baby who didn't want to let go of his mom but with Shuoyue's words he felt relieved and slowly began to let go of him playing with his fingertips before walking away completely, Xichen was going to say something to him when he felt a big hand on his free shoulder making him turn around immediately.

"Ye Hua!"

"Xichen, happy birthday!"

Xichen smiled happily when he saw his best friend, his confidant, his partner in pranks whom he also considered his brother, Ye Hua, the "illegitimate" son of King Lu Huā, although the king himself suspected that he was not his son since Ye Hua had a long purple hair and red eyes.

Xichen hugged him tightly, it made him very happy to see his best friend again, Shuang Hua joined the talk, and taking advantage of the moment Shuoyue quietly retired to prepare the next number with some surprise to hear that Xichen was the prince.

Everyone present had seen the behavior of the young prince with astonishment but Zhao and the king were the most surprised about the young man who was identical to Lan Yue but the fact that he was similar did not mean that he was the same person and they feared that Xichen would see the young man as a replacement.

Xichen reacted late realizing that Shuoyue had disappeared from his sight but he knew that he would still be around the palace so he just had to wait to see him again. Xichen invites his friend Ye Hua to his table to talk but Shuang Hua tried to join them although Xichen asked him politely to leave them alone for a couple of minutes, with a fake smile and his anger inside him Shuang Hua agrees and went back to his table to sit down.

...

The celebration was taking place cheerfully and pleasantly, Xichen was in a better mood thanks to the presence of his friend, although Xichen was more interesting in seeing Shuoyue again than in the chat with Ye Hua.

"Hahaha Xichen, what's wrong? Who shot your heart that you're so distracted?"

"What are you talking about? I just want to see the performance of the artists"

"Of course, especially to a certain boy artist" Ye Hua mentioned mockingly to his friend.

"Oh shut up"

Ye Hua just laughed a little, he was Xichen's childhood friend so there was nothing he didn't know about him, he was the one who encouraged him to date, Lan Yue because he noticed how they looked at each other.

After Lan Yue's death, Xichen had never shown interest in anyone not even in his younger half-brother Shuang Hua who was deeply in love with him, and when Lan Yue died Shuang Hua was comforting Xichen during the funeral, and almost a whole year after that tragedy.

Ye Hua saw his friend surprised that his eyes were looking desperate for someone.

• After a while Shuoyue went out to sing another song, he sit in front of the Guqin that had been prepared for him, this was a small last-minute change since he had seen Xichen so upset he wanted to do something for him. Although he had not practiced that song he managed to convince Madam Li to let him play.

When Shuoyue sit down, Xichen wanted to go to him but Ye Hua stopped him.

"Relax A-Chen let him start and then you can talk to him"

"This song is one of my favorites... and I would like to dedicate it to the crown prince as a birthday gift"

He bowed slightly to the royal family before beginning to play, his fingers moving smoothly and delicately.

Shuoyue took a little breath before starting to sing, as soon as his voice was heard it made everyone was shocked because all know what the song meant to Xichen.

Xichen could not take his eyes off the young man, he never imagined that he would hear that song again... it was also Lan Yue's favorite song, and the boy in front of him was singing it with the same sad feeling that his couple did.

Shuoyue continued singing feeling a lump in his throat with sadness as if he had already sung that song to someone before, Shuoyue looked at the prince for a brief moment letting the air move his hair without noticing that someone was looking at him with deep hatred and an incredible thirst for revenge for stealing Xichen's attention.

To be continue