12

"Why did you change it?" Ruo Chen rasped out as he fought back to the urge to let his tears fall. He sort of knew the reason, it was probably due to Ye Ran's attachment to him as a friend. 

After all they had lived together for a full year and Ye Ran having not experienced the concept of a friend before, could only try his best to hold onto Ruo Chen. Even if it meant discarding his lifetime worth of efforts. 

Ye Ran knew he was blessed, so this small resonance change would not affect him. Plus since he has no idea of the real identity of Ruo Chen, he has no idea why Ruo Chen was so grieved by the fact he changed his resonance as it would only be wiping out at most 2 years of foundation.

But Ruo Chen did knew how much he casted away, it wasn't just two measly years.

"To go to the same school as you." Ye Ran said frankly. This whole situation eluded him so he decided to be straightforward and to speak his mind.

Ruo Chen only sighed at the confirmation, there was nothing he could do now.

RIP to those op moves that I'll never see.

He paid his respects in his mind before beckoning Xiao Pang over. Ye Ran didn't get a good look of the wolf before and it was only now that he realized it was a desolate fog wolf. 

His expression froze for an instant before quickly returning to his usual tranquil one. Ruo Chen knew that it would be awkward but it wasn't like he could just order Xiao Pang to change in front of Ye Ran.

"It's late, let's go back." Ruo Chen said in a defeated tone as he mounted Xiao Pang while waiting for Ye Ran to sit behind him.

Ye Ran had to hesitate for a bit before sitting behind him. Xiao Pang whimpered at the weight but thankfully it would be just a short trip due to the wolf's amazing speed and that they were still kids and not too heavy.

***

The ride home was silent as neither of them wanted to speak. Ruo Chen was in his own mind as he thought of what Ye Ran would miss out on. Going to the school of flames was out. He grimaced at that thought as Ye Ran would not be thought by Feng Hao Yu again.

But then again, he believed that Ye Ran was reborn, so what could Ye Ran be taught about anyway. It was just that he himself wanted to see how the world renowned teacher looked like. He had wrote him to be a peerless beauty in the book and he crafted the personality to be that of his favourite teacher.

Ruo Chen also never wrote a school for dark energy and he was at a lost as to where they would go. 

He could only shake his head in regret to everything that has happened.

Ye Ran who was planning for his own future saw Ruo Chen shaking his head and felt himself tense up. Is it really that big of a deal? What if he hates me from now on? This made his thoughts go in a disarray, he didn't want to be hated by the only person he cared about.

He wanted to ease Ruo Chen's worries but he did not know how to say it without making it seems like he was crazy. In his perspective, he couldn't just say 'This is not a setback, I'm actually blessed by the...and it won't affect my strength.'. That would come off as him being too confident of himself and too unlike that of a 13 year old.

Both of them could not reveal their true identities and secrets to each other which led to many misunderstandings as such.

After much thinking, Ye Ran decided to hug Ruo Chen, something he has never initiated before. He remembered how he himself would always feel relaxed after being hugged by Ruo Chen, so he wanted to try it.

However, just as his arms were about to wrap around Ruo Chen, they had already reached the house and Ruo Chen swiftly hopped off of Xiao Pang, leaving Ye Ran to wrap his arms around air.

"..." 

Ye Ran's ears turned red as he face planted into Xiao Pang furry back. Ruo Chen who didn't hear Ye Ran get off of Xiao Pang turned around with a questioning look.

In his eyes, he saw it as a sweet reunion with a long lost friend as Ye Ran was raised by the desolate fog wolf for around 5 years. He must have missed the one who raised him. Ruo Chen thought in his mind as he decided to head out first to let Ye Ran enjoy this moment by himself.

Mean while, Ye Ran was only hugging Xiao Pang due to his own foolishness as he did not realize they had already reached the house. A small part of him was happy to see the desolate fog wolf but he knew it was not the same one who had raised him, so his head was only filled with his embarrassment. He felt a bit relieved hearing Ruo Chen walk away as he did not want to be seen so red.

And so, one left and one stayed, with both of them thinking about different things.

***

The sun was almost up when they finished washing up and neither of them wanted to sleep as their minds were each racing with thoughts of their own.

So they decided to start training early while there was still a bit of darkness of the night. Since both of them resonated with dark energy, they were suited to train at night where dark energy was dense. This would make it so that it will take lesser time to take in energy as well as receive a boost in their attacks.

One needed to wait for at least two years for their body to adapt to a resonance change after using the fruit and during these two years, they had to moderate the amount of times they used their core and energy. 

Ruo Chen wrote a letter to his parents of the change to let them change their training schedule to a one that comprised of more physical training rather then more on their core. Of course in his letter he stated that he only knew of this vulnerability after asking around as he was not taught of this before.

He then had to act again before Ye Ran by asking what changes he experienced after the resonance change. Ye Ran said what he would experience while explaining that he knew because he had sneakily read some books of his brother's.

Ruo Chen nodded in agreement with the words but he knew it was all a lie as Ye Ran would only know of the fruit when he was in school. This further solidified his belief that Ye Ran had been reborn.