Yixing stood up from the ground. It’s too late already; they need to get back to the chambers before any of the other servants or the Empress herself found out. He held the necklace tightly in his hands as he called out the prince, telling him that they will need to get back soon. Yixing slipped the necklace into the pocket of his pants and helped Yifan up.

“Don’t you wish to get out of this palace? Isn’t it… suffocating?” Yifan asked abruptly during their way back to his chamber.

“I wish I could,” Yixing replied after thinking, afraid he might spill out the secret hidden within him that he loves the prince. “I wished I could explore the world.” With you, Yixing said lastly inside his mind.

Yifan nodded his head at Yixing’s reply and walked calmly down the bridge that connected the unknown large field they visited a while away. His footsteps began to be same with Yixing’s, both silent due to their own minds talking to them. The prince took another shortcut to his chamber to avoid conflicts and trouble the next morning and Yixing learns them, observing each step they took so he could escape here for a while, alone and unknown with no problems dragging him back but just silence embracing him. 

Yixing opened the door for the prince, lighting the room and helping the prince to remove his coat.

“Do you wish to sleep now, Your Highness?” he asked as he placed the coat at the hangar.

Yifan nodded without a word.

The servant smiled at the prince softly and prepared the clothes for him before making his bed. He bowed down at Yifan and went off to leave, closing the door after him as quietly as possible. Yixing’s shoes tapped bluntly against the floor as he went to his room he shared with the other servants. I hope no one’s still awake, he thought to himself as he slowly opened the door before he saw the face he wouldn’t want to see at this moment. He nearly groaned at the sight of him.

“Where were you?” Baixian asked, “It’s late already.”

“The prince couldn’t sleep so I accompanied him before he got sleepy,” Yixing lied, his back facing Baixian as he fixed his own bed.

Well then, you should sleep soon. Look at those eyebags forming under your eyes.” There’s a tone in Baixian’s voice that hinted that he knew something behind Yixing’s words, but Yixing guessed he decided to let it go. Yixing breathed out a sigh and nodded at his friend.

“Goodnight.”

--

There’s a jolt that ran through Yixing’s body before he woke up. He looked out the window, seeing the sun rising then running his eyes through the room to find out that none of them are awake yet. He thanked silently in his mind before lying back on his hard bed and felt how tired he was. Nonetheless, he will need to get up and do the normal job a servant would do. He knows that the others would wake up on their own so he headed off to the bathroom they all shared to prepare for the new day.

“You’re up early,” Sehun said nonchalantly as he straightened out his blankets on his bed. 

Yixing eyed him suspiciously, wondering if he really knew that he went back to their room late or Baixian had told him about it. “I had to,” he replied after a few seconds. He patted Sehun’s back before he went off to wake the prince up.

He knocked softly on the prince’s door before entering the room, because maybe the prince might be up on his own. There have been times where Yifan had woke up earlier than Yixing, so he had made it as a habit to knock to play safe. There stood the prince with new clothes for the day, dazing at one corner with a sleepy face.

“Morning, Your Highness,” Yixing called out to the prince for his attention, surprised that the prince had changed already. 

Yifan jolted up from his daydream and smiled softly at the presence of his servant.

“I have an idea for today,” the prince said and observed Yixing first before getting up from his bed.

--

Yifan grabbed Yixing’s wrist, dragging him out of the room with a bag in his hands. Looking around to spot for any lurking people, he went off as soon as he deemed the route clear. He knew inside of Yixing’s mind was a whole lot of unanswered questions, but he’ll answer them later. He walked to a shortcut leading their way to the train station, stopping by the counter to buy tickets for both of them. As soon as he got the tickets, he slung the bag on Yixing’s shoulder.

“Where are we going? We should go back now! The Empr–” Yifan immediately covered Yixing’s mouth the moment he nearly spoke of the word ‘Empress’. 

“We’re going somewhere else from here. We’re going on a trip!” he said with a huge smile on his face, and dragged Yixing inside the train, showing the officer their tickets before entering.

“If I ever get scolded because of you,” Yixing starts, but Yifan managed to cut him off, “I’ll just explain to her that I initiated the trip, problem solved.”

Yifan can sense that Yixing’s going to nag to him all day long, telling him to get back to the palace before his mother finds out about it and blah blah blah so he immediately grabbed the loaf of bread served to them and stuffed them inside of Yixing’s mouth before he starts again. He smirked in victory once Yixing’s words get mumbled. 

“Say one word again and I’ll leave you at the place we’re going alone with no one to neither help nor find you.”

The prince chuckled softly when Yixing immediately quieted down.

The journey on the train wasn’t long. Well, for Yifan that is. Yixing was constantly squirming in his seat, wondering if they have reached or not. Remembering the words the prince said to him, he secretly pouted but at the same time, he smiled at the thought of him and the prince alone together on a trip. He remembered the necklace he had safely put around his neck under the collar of his shirt and smiled sheepishly. All of a sudden he was dragged once again by the tall prince and he groaned out.

“We’re here.”

Yixing must have focused too much on the way Yifan grasped his wrist tightly because even if he loved the tingly feeling in his stomach whenever Yifan touches him, the grip on his wrist hurts and oh my. This place is beautiful. His jaw dropped and he settled down on a seat next to Yifan.

“Is today my birthday or something? Yesterday you took me to a big field and gave me a necklace, now you’re taking me out for a trip?” Yixing asked, admiring the view it had. It was different from the same old view he saw every day.

“I just wanted to fulfill your wishes,” Yifan said with an expressionless face while letting out a few packed biscuits from the bag on Yixing’s shoulder.

Yixing got up from his seat, leaving the bag behind and ran around the place. No one was there, so he ran from corner to corner, feeling the fresh wind brushing against him coolly. 

“Yixing, get back here. I want to tell you something,” Yifan called out, standing up.

“What? Just tell me here!” Yixing replied, his voice echoing.

“Here?” Yifan shouted back. He saw Yixing nodding in return.

The prince stood still as he hesitated to tell his servant what he wanted to tell him. Would it be too dangerous? What if more conflict and problems rise after this? He groaned in frustration and decided just to tell him.

“I like you.” It’s not really loud, but it’s enough for Yixing to grasp it for a second, or so the prince thought. Yifan waited for a few moments but when there’s no reaction, he sighed and placed the pack of biscuits back into the bag.

“We’re going,” he shouted to Yixing. He could hear a distant ‘Now?’ before there’s a pant behind him. He nodded in reply and walked off first. “Before the Empress finds out.” 

--

Sorry for missing an update last week! I'll make it up by posting Chapter 3 this Wednesday or Thursday followed by another update by latest, Sunday if I could! Thank you for subscribing, all and I really appreaciate all the comments you gave me! I will reply to them real soooooon! And I hope you like this chapter! :D