Xiao Shiyun left, leaving Bai Yi to daze alone in the cell. He picked up the bottle of golden sore ointment and applied all of it to his waist without restraint.
The bed was so soft it felt like sinking. A stray draft blew through the cell, flipping a page of one of the novels on the cabinet and revealing its contents. A quick glance showed it was a story about a scholar from Jiangnan encountering a handsome young master on his way to the capital for the imperial exams, only to discover later that the young master was the Emperor who had snuck out of the palace.
What kind of melodramatic plot is this? Bai Yi closed the book, feeling uninterested. He paced around the cell a few times before walking past the curtains, where the environment returned to the dull, gray reality of the prison.
He shouted at the top of his lungs, “Is anyone there? I am so bored!”
The sound of sliding chains came from the neighboring cell. An old man’s voice grumbled, “What are you shouting for? You are disturbing my sleep.”
“Were you also recently locked up?” Bai Yi grabbed the iron bars with both hands as if he had found a long-lost relative. “Hey, do not sleep! Get up and chat with me for a bit.”
“You young brat, do you even know who I am?”
“I do not care who you are. You are locked in a dungeon just like me.” Being a transmigrator, Bai Yi was not even afraid of the Emperor, let alone caring about the identity of others.
The old man laughed twice and asked, “Fine, what do you want to talk about?”
“You must know Xiao Shiyun. Maybe you were an official once. Do you know how many concubines Xiao Shiyun has?” Bai Yi was curious if his buddy was enjoying life in ancient times.
The neighbor fell silent. Finally, the old man spoke. “Xiao Shiyun? It is normal for an Emperor to have three wives and six concubines, but he has not taken a single one yet. He probably likes men.”
“What? Say that again?” Bai Yi doubted his ears. Xiao Shiyun had a girlfriend in university. How could he possibly like men?
“I can say it as many times as you want, but it remains the same. If you do not believe me, go verify it yourself.”
“How am I supposed to verify that?” Bai Yi thought the idea was absurd.
The old man gave a mysterious smile. “How about this? I will read your fortune first. What is your name?”
“Bai Yi. But should you not be asking for my birth date and time?” Bai Yi thought to himself that he had run into a total fraud, even less reliable than the old men who told fortunes under city bridges.
He did not expect the old man’s next sentence to break his composure completely. “You come from another place. You do not belong here.”
Bai Yi jumped up, gripping the bars so hard they rattled. “Say that again!”
“Are you deaf? I only say things once.”
“No, wait, how do you know that? Who are you? How do I get back?” Bai Yi asked urgently.
“Did you not just say you did not care who I am? Now I am not telling you. Getting back is not that simple. Two people came, so how can only one return? If you go back, you go back together.” The old man seemed as mystical as if he held the book of life for everyone.
Two people. Xiao Shiyun and him together. Bai Yi knew exactly who the old man meant. Since Xiao Shiyun was also a transmigrator, why did he have no memory? Xiao Shiyun acted as if he had grown up in this dynasty from childhood.
If he told Xiao Shiyun he was from another world, Xiao Shiyun would probably think he was insane and have him dragged out and executed.
The old man laughed, stroking his beard. “It is heaven’s will that you met me now. But before I tell you how to get back, let’s return to the main topic. You must first make Xiao Shiyun fall in love with you. That way, you will know if he likes men, won’t you?”
Bai Yi was in no mood for jokes. “I only want to know how to get back.”
“Why are you in such a hurry? Go complete this challenge first and then come back to me. Only then will there be an answer.”
“What challenge? I do not care if Xiao Shiyun likes men or women. Just tell me how to get back! Please, I am begging you!” Bai Yi was ready to kneel and kowtow.
The neighbor fell silent. Bai Yi was more anxious than a fish in a frying pan. “Speak to me! How do I get back? Or rather, how do Xiao Shiyun and I transmigrate back together?”
The old man said gloomily, “Fine, let me put it another way. If you tell him these things now, would he believe you or listen to you?”
“No. So, you must make him believe your words. Even if he cannot remember his origins, he must be willing to go with you of his own accord.”
“And you must be willing to take him with you. When that time comes, the two of you come find me, and I will find a way for you.”
“So, either you make him remember his origins, or you make him so reluctant to leave you that he would follow you even if he went mad. When that happens, come see me again. Do you understand?”
Bai Yi did not know what to say. His mind was a mess. Make Xiao Shiyun fall in love with him? What a joke. How could he make his best friend fall for him? It was terrifying.
“How am I supposed to make Xiao Shiyun fall in love with me? Do you not think that is ridiculous?”
“That is none of my concern. These are the conditions for your return. It must follow the principle of mutual consent. Besides, I am not going anywhere. If Xiao Shiyun does not release me, I cannot leave either. Think of it as you helping me leave, and I help you leave. It is mutually beneficial, right?”
It was clear the person next door was just as anxious to leave as he was. Bai Yi had no other choice. Even though the experience of transmigration was unique and interesting, his mother and father were back in the modern world. His family, his phone, his cat, and so many things he could not let go of were waiting for him.
Therefore, his eventual return was inevitable, and staying here was only temporary. At the same time, he bore a heavy and ridiculous mission: to make Xiao Shiyun fall in love with him and become inseparable from him so they could return.
How could it be easy to make Xiao Shiyun willing to leave with him? Leaving aside the fact that he had forgotten all his modern memories, how could an Emperor give up his empire, power, and status? That was the supreme glory that all scholars in the world struggled for. How could Xiao Shiyun give all that up for an insignificant pawn he had only known for a few days?
Bai Yi was almost ready to give up on this difficult task, but his family and friends were waiting for him. If he did not try, how would he know it was impossible? He would first pretend to fall in love with Xiao Shiyun and then launch a fierce pursuit. What if it worked?
What if that one in a million chance actually happened? Maybe Xiao Shiyun would quickly fall for him and be willing to go home.
“Fine. Then if I help you leave, you must help us leave. Is there a time limit on this?”
The old man heard him ask the key question. “Of course there is a time limit. Otherwise, do you expect me to wait for you for a lifetime? I can stay here for two years at most. If you miss the deadline, you will not be accommodated.”
“Did you not say you could not get out? When two years are up, will you be able to leave even if Xiao Shiyun does not release you?” Bai Yi asked curiously.
The old man gave a heavy snort. “Leaving? It means I am due to die.”
Bai Yi felt a jolt of panic. “You cannot die! If you die, how do the two of us get back?”
“And here I thought you were worried about my health. It turns out you are only worried about your own future. If we are talking about being heartless, it is someone like you. Do you have the heart to let an old man like me die a miserable death in prison?”
It sounded quite pitiable. Bai Yi asked for the reason. “So how did you end up in here?”
“How did I get in?” The old man gave a cold laugh. “Like a dog biting Lu Dongbin, not recognizing a good person’s heart.”
“I kindly told the Emperor about this matter, but who knew he remembered nothing? He sent men to beat me out with clubs.”
“He said I had ulterior motives, that I coveted his empire and throne, and that I was a bold remnant of a treasonous faction deserving ten thousand deaths. And so, the mission failed, and here I am.”
Although it sounded tragic, it truly was quite tragic. Bai Yi felt sorry for him for two seconds. He could not help but miss the original Xiao Shiyun. The Xiao Shiyun back then was not as twisted as he was now, being moody as if he had a personality defect.