Intro
One evening, his grandkids asked him, "Tell us about the first person you had a crush on!"
He smiled indulgently at them. "Hmm..."
"Grandpa..." The children groaned. The youngest child, Weikang, climbed onto his knee and gurgled happily.
His smile trailed off when he wondered what answer to give them. "Is Weixiong Grandmama home?"
"No..." They shouted, feeling something creep up their spine when he got up slowly to close the door.
Wang Junkai settled comfortably in his chair. "Well... there was someone before."
The oldest, Xiaoming, about eleven, opened his eyes wide. "Is it a boy?"
Wang Junkai hesitated. "We'll just refer to my crush as a 'he'."
The most mature, Cenlin, who was seven at the time, gasped. "Oh my gosh!"
Wang Junkai leaned back slowly and thought back.

All the way on the other side of the world, Wang Yuan was just waking up. His wife smiled at him from her side of the bed. "Good morning!"
Wang Yuan smiled sleepily and leaned over to kiss her. "Good morning, darling."
They went through their daily morning routine before sitting down at the porch. Their grandchildren were coming to see them today.
Meiling had to go to the market to buy some ingredients to make the children cookies, so she kissed Wang Yuan goodbye and after a few nags on his part decided to spend some time walking around.
His five grandchildren came not quite some time after. They crowded around him, wanting to hear a story.
"Tell us about the first person you had a crush on!"
Wang Yuan smiled indulgently. "Hmm..."
His smiled trailed off when he wondered what answer to give them.
"Come on, Grandpa..." The children groaned.
Wang Yuan smiled mysteriously at them. "One reason why?"
"Because we're bored!"
The youngest, Meizhen, crawled onto his lap and smiled her most adorable smile ever. "Please?"
Wang Yuan laughed before sinking into his walking chair and thought back.

#chapter1
Five days before the masquerade ball Wang Junkai rolled his eyes at himself in the mirror. "I look like a freak."
"No you don't!" His maid, Auntie Yolly, bustled about, fussing over his jacket. "You look very handsome."
Wang Junkai tapped the feathered mask on his head. "I want something plainer."
Auntie Yolly bustled back to the drawer and pulled out another ridiculously sequined and glittery mask. "How about this one?"
Wang Junkai walked over and selected a black mask, no sequins or glitter or feathers on it, plain black with a white ribbon at the back. He put it on and turned to face the mirror.
"I want this one." He said finally, turning to admire himself in the mirror.
Auntie Yolanda nodded. "You look very handsome."
Wang Junkai nodded, pleased.

Wang Yuan swallowed. First time going to a ball.
Five days before the masquerade, he was standing in front of his mirror, checking his second-hand suit and tie. "Mom? Can you help me sew up this part?"
His mother rushed into the room, her sewing basket in one hand. "Of course. Take off your jacket."
Wang Yuan slowly removed the black cloth and gave it to his mother before turning and selecting a plain white mask. Nothing on it, no sparkly sequins or glitter or anything. A crude black string tying it together.
Wang Yuan tied it and looked at himself in the mirror. "Why do I have to go?"
"Because you are the only person in the family who is eligible to attend and isn't working," his mother said softly. She said everything softly nowadays. Wang Yuan was growing worried.
"Mom? Are you okay?"
His mother smiled at the face in the mirror. "Of course I am. So excited that my little boy is going to his first ball!"
Wang Yuan couldn't help but smile.

One day to the ball Wang Junkai walked about the castle watching the servants hurry about sweeping up miniscule specks of dust on the floor and in the corners, or converse quietly with the musicians about what songs to play.
He climbed over the wall to the garden behind the locked door. It sounded like something out of The Secret Garden, he thought laughingly to himself.
He had this small space all to himself, and it was his own space. No one else knew about it, not even his father and mother.
Wang Junkai sat down on the swing, feeling the sun shine on his hair. It was burning.
He sat and wondered what amazing people he would meet. Dukes and Duchesses from other countries? Maybe royals from other lands?
Most probably commoners from around here.
Wang Junkai was fascinated with commoners. They managed to live such a meager life while he was having good fun in the palace. It made him feel like crying.
He helped out whenever he could. The old folks loved him... He'd always tell them stories whenever he came.
A pattering of footsteps rushed by, and Wang Junkai stopped his swinging for fear of being found out. Princes do not climb over walls, he reminded himself. Use the key.
But it feels so much more fun!
Wang Junkai stood up and went to walk by the rose bushes he planted. At the very end of the path were his favourite flowers, dandelions flying in the breeze. Wang Junkai planted them when he could.
Now he couldn't but he stayed and watched them and their little "kids" fly away in the wind.
It was enchanting, but lonely.

One day to the ball Wang Yuan was sitting on the train, his suitcase above him and an old woman beside. His grandmother.
"Aren't you excited, little Yuan?" She asked, smiling at her grandson.
"Y-yes of course." Wang Yuan stuttered slightly.
His grandmother patted his back gently, like when he was a kid and she used to do that whenever he drank too much milk and started to cough.
"It'll be okay," she said. "You'll be meeting the royal family! How wonderful will that be!"
Wang Yuan smiled. "And you will be spending a luxurious seven days and six nights in a five star hotel, which made us wait ages before we could afford."
His grandmother laughed. "I am looking forward to it!"
Wang Yuan nodded before looking out of the window. It wasn't overcast and it wasn't very sunny either. It was sort of... in the middle.
Wang Yuan dislikes in the middles, so he turned his head away.
He the white cloth mask in his hands. The ball was only for seven days.

On the ball itself Wang Junkai was being fussed over in his room. So many people ran about trying to make him look even better, and one even took away his black mask, and he couldn't condone those type of actions.  He rescued it, of course.
He look at himself in the mirror. Too many clothes, too much fronts on himself that he didn't even recognise the person in the glass.
"Well?" Auntie Yolly trilled, turning him around. "Don't you look handsome?"
Wang Junkai thought he looked ugly, extremely ugly, but if other people thought that he looked handsome he'll just bear with it for the next few days.
The servants all "wowed" and exclaimed over his clothing.
Wang Junkai dismissed them and sat down on his bed. Eighteenth birthday. Eligible to get a wife.
He heard about this in fairy tales. The prince need to take a bride, he chooses a commoner, they fall in love, something bad happens, but they always get back together.
Wang Junkai smiled to himself. This was exciting and also very much horrible.

On the day of the ball itself Wang Yuan dressed himself in his modest suit and tie and asked his grandmother how he looked.
"You look very handsome, don't worry, little Yuan." She said, smiling.
A ping from his phone started him. He picked it up and saw a call from his mom.
"Hi, Mom. I was starting to go out."
"Okay, have fun darling, just one thing. If you meet the crown prince, stay away from him."
Wang Yuan thought that was an odd thing to say. "Why?"
"Just to it and you'll be fine." His mother sounded worried, sick.
"Okay. Mom, take care of yourself."
They both hung up after "Goodbye" and Wang Yuan set off towards the castle.
Stay away from the prince.

Wang Junkai pressed his way through the crowd, so many people were in his way. They didn't recognize him as the prince, which he felt as lucky. He was treated like any other person.
Wang Junkai thought that he was the only one at the ball with a plain mask, but someone else caught his eye. Another person, a boy, wearing a plain white mask with a black string at the back. Brown eyes.
He was so obviously a commoner it hurt. His suit and tie were second hand, probably third, and his mask was home-made. It was a crude mask.
Wang Junkai still made his way towards the boy.
"Hi..."
The boy looked started. "Oh, hello."
"Can I try to guess who you are?"
The boy's mouth curved into a smirk, like he didn't think Wang Junkai would guess his name correctly. "Sure."
"Liu Zhihong?"
"Nope."
"Tian Yuwen?"
"No..."
Wang Junkai grumbled. "Fine. Can you tell me what's your name?"
"You tell me yours first." The boy looked like he was about to laugh.
Wang Junkai leaned over and whispered his name into the boy's ear.
When he drew back the boy's face was bright red. "Oh..."
He had the sense not to say it out loud. Suddenly the boy looked uncomfortable. "I... I should go..."
Wang Junkai leaned forward and grasped his wrist loosely before he could go. "Don't... is it because I told you I'm the prince?"

The warning swirled in Wang Yuan's mind.
Stay away from the prince.
Those black eyes looking from the mask looked like fathomless black holes, but they were warm enough. Wang Yuan was getting lost in them, and he wasn't used to the feeling.
Now he let the prince go so close to him and he behaved inappropriately, what with the "tell me your name first" and all the other words...
Wang Yuan was in turmoil and the prince seemed to know it.
"Don't go..."
Wang Yuan slipped his fingers gently out of his grasp. "Don't worry, if you need me I'm in the ballroom," he replied softly. "I just need some peace to myself."

He could have understood, and he could have not, but either way as he watched the mysterious boy slip away from him, he felt something in his chest fall down to talk to the fishes, ah no, it never did.
The dance started and Wang Junkai stood by the sidelines to watch the people dance. He looked for the boy in the white mask, but somehow he just couldn't find him. And suddenly everyone was wearing white masks, making it even more harder for him to find him.
Wang Junkai finally found him near the balcony, talking to a senior. He paused, smiling at him.
The senior nodded before walking away, and later it was just the two of them.
"Hello..." He hesitated slightly. "Junkai. Can I call you that?"
Wang Junkai blinked before smiling and nodding. "It's been pretty long since I heard that..."
"Hmm? Then what do most people call you?"
"They usually call me 'sir' or 'Prince Wang'."
They talked, talked the longest conversation that Wang Junkai had always wanted to talk to someone with, someone who could laugh bit still look so refined, someone who wouldn't laugh at his weirdness.
It was nice, it was happy. It was different from all the other conversations he ever had with people. He didn't feel lonely anymore.

Their conversation ended when a woman caught hold of Wang Junkai's attention, and Wang Yuan slipped away without him knowing.
He walked to the table and selected a strawberry tart. Tasting the glaze, Wang Yuan felt himself frown slightly. This definitely wasn't by the palace cooks. This tart had originality, it didn't have the unattractive lumps of sugar like the strawberry tart he used to treat himself to on his birthday. He should know, he worked there before. At the palace kitchens.
A servant hurried forward. "Sir? You do not like the tart?"
Wang Yuan smiled at her. "No, quite on the contrary, I like it a lot. Who made this tart?"
Maybe it was something in his tone, or the mask on his face, that made the servant tell him. He did ask his mother to make it out of leftover cloth from the Mad Hatter's workshop, after all. Everyone knew they held magic.
"It was done by the Duke's daughter?" He mused quietly. "Thank you very much."
The servant nodded. "If you excuse me, sir, I need to be back in the kitchen."
He nodded and watched her scurry back to the kitchen. It must be nice having helpers, he thought quietly to himself. No need to get your hands dirty cleaning out the sink or washing the dishes.
He saw a pale-skinned girl heading gracefully towards the table. Wang Yuan moved aside but by accident came face to face with her.
"Excuse me," he murmured, turning to leave before someone wrapped their fingers around his wrist.
Something jolted up his arm. He spun around. The girl asked softly, "Do you like my tart?"
"'My tart'?" Wang Yuan said confusedly. "You're the Duke's daughter?"
She nodded shyly. Wang Yuan immediately sank into a low bow...
Before having her pull him up by his shoulders. "How are my tarts?"
Wang Yuan took another bite of the tart. "Very nice. I like the glaze. And the strawberries!"
"Different from the palace cook's tarts?" She sounded anxious.
"Yes." Wang Yuan said.
She looked happy and relieved. "Do you know if the King has tried them yet?"
Wang Yuan shook his head. "I just came here..."
"Oh..." The girl was slightly downcast but she popped up again. "What's your name?"
Wang Yuan pressed his mouth upwards in a smirk."Isn't the whole point of a masquerade ball to not reveal yourself?"
She giggled. "Smart."
Wang Yuan extended his hand politely. "Would you care for a dance, my lady?"
She, twittering, placed her hand in his, and he whisked her off to the dance floor.
But on his mind, not at the back, he was looking for Wang Junkai. The tart felt slightly like cardboard now.

Wang Junkai caught sight of the boy in the white mask. He realised that he didn't know his name, so he tried to make his way over the dance floor, but another girl, about his age, grabbed his hands.
"Hello," she whispered softly, "would you care for a dance?"
And so Wang Junkai had no choice other than to go with her.
It was awkward, it was quiet, it was silent, bit at the same time it was relieving. All the other women had tried to engage him in conversation, and it was tiring.
After a thousand years, the dance ended and they released hands. She suddenly said, "May I know who you are?"
"Isn't the whole point of a masquerade ball not to reveal yourself?" Wang Junkai said laughingly.
They were silent. "My name's Weixiong."
Wang Junkai nodded. "Unique name."
They separated and Wang Junkai walked off, still looking for the boy until he felt someone tap his shoulder. He spun around and came face to face with him. "Hello!"
"Hi," Wang Junkai said, feeling his face break into a smile.
They stayed the rest of the ball together, just talking. It was so fun, having someone to talk to for once. Wang Junkai actually didn't feel lonely for the second time in that ballroom.
All too soon the ball ended, and while Wang Junkai was called onto the stage Wang Yuan disappeared.
Wang Junkai searched the room with his eyes, but suddenly that plain mask was nowhere in sight.
His heart sank.

Wang Yuan took that moment, when Wang Junkai wasn't looking, to run out of the ballroom and back to the hotel his grandmother stayed at. He unlocked the door and found her sleeping, still in her clothes, the television on showing an old Chinese movie.
He smiled before covering her with a blanket before letting himself into the shower.
The hot water sprayed onto him and he thought back to that night.
我听见下雨的声音
Wang Yuan grabbed his phone, which was covered with a waterproof case. "Hello?"
"Yuan darling?"
"Hi mom!"
He quickly showered while talking to his mother, his phone propped up against the mirror.
His mother asked suddenly, "Did you meet the prince?"
"Yes." He said softly, truthfully, reluctantly.
"Did you stay away from him?" Her voice was worried, scared.
"I don't think he's all that bad..." Wang Yuan said, thinking about the conversations they had.
His mother sounded so defeated, so sad that Wang Yuan felt like crying. "So you had a conversation with him?"
Wang Yuan kept silent but nodded at the phone.
"Okay... just be on your guard around him, little Yuan," she said, her voice seemingly choked with tears. "Mummy loves you."
Wang Yuan ducked back into the shower to wash away the tears on his face. "I love you too... Mummy."
The call ended.
Wang Yuan changed into his pajamas and lay on his bed, facing his grandmother, who was facing the ceiling.
He was facing the right.
He imagined how the ball would have gone without Wang Junkai. Very long and very boring for sure.
And who was the Duke's daughter?
What was her name?
Why did she go so close to him, so obviously a commoner?
And, why can't he get Wang Junkai out of his mind?
He imagined a boy, black mask, warm eyes, and fell asleep.

Wang Junkai waited until all the guests had left before taking a shower. He washed himself while listening to his favourite song.
听见下雨的声音
想你用辰语 说爱情
幸福也可以 很安静
我付出一直 很小心
Wang Junkai received a call. "Hello?"
"Dear, there's some food downstairs if you're hungry." His mother sounded tired. "If you need anything, just ask Yolanda."
Wang Junkai said, "Sure, love you Mom, goodnight."
She replied with a "Goodnight dear" before hanging up and Wang Junkai dried himself and changed into pajamas before padding downstairs and eating a tart.
He chewed before shrugging. It was cold. An unattractive lump of sugar here and there, but other than that, it tasted the same.
He went to his room, feeling even more lonely than before. Imagining how the ball would have went without the mysterious boy didn't make his feelings any better.
He lay down on the bed, facing the left.
And who was this Weixiong?
Did she have a title? Was she invited?
Why did she suddenly grab his hands?
And, why can't he get that boy out of his mind?
He imagined a boy, white mask, black eyes, and fell asleep.

As if they were side by side, they fell asleep.

_________

the song is Jay Chou's "Hear The Rain Fall" (周杰伦的“听见下雨的声音”）