Yanjun lounged in a comfortable armchair in a large, white marble corridor. His fingers absentmindedly playing with his purple hair. His best friend, Zhangjing, was sitting beside him, nervously biting his lip. Zhangjing looked at his purple haired friend who looked like he didn’t have a care in the world and his already thin patience snapped.

 

“You could at least pretend to be nervous.” He snipped. Yanjun gave him a lazy grin. “I think you're nervous enough for the two of us and you didn’t even do anything wrong.” He said before a large set of double doors at the end of the corridor slowly started to open. Zhangjing jumped to his feet as if he had been electrocuted while Yanjun slowly stood up as if he had all the time in the world.

 

A tall, brown haired figure approached them. He stopped before them, first looking at the nervous Zhangjing before looking at the grinning Yanjun. “How pissed is he?” Yanjun asked, making the newcomer shake his head. “I thought he was going to rip out all his hair. He’s really pissed.”

 

“Have you tried talking to him to calm him down, ChengCheng?” Zhangjing asked. ChengCheng sighed. “I tried. Thankfully I managed to stop him from coming to find you himself.” He said, giving both of them a tired look. “Zhengting always gets himself worked up about these things. I’ll let him rant it out and everything will be fine.” Yanjun said confidently as he started walking down the corridor towards the large, open doors. ChengCheng and Zhangjing exchanged a look before following after Yanjun.

 

Yanjun stepped through the doors into a brightly lit room. There were windows encompassing one of the walls, the curtains framing them, blowing on a gentle breeze. In front of the windows was a desk with a handsome dark-haired man sitting behind it. His expression was stormy as Yanjun smiled at him. “ZhengZheng!” Yanjun said brightly as ChengCheng and Zhangjing entered the room behind him, both wincing at the use of the nickname. “How are you? You’re looking good, have you been working out?” he asked, his attempt at flattery falling flat as Zhengting’s face darkened.

 

“You have missed every single class you’ve been assigned to this month.” Zhengting said through gritted teeth as ChengCheng moved to his usual spot by his side, while Zhangjing stood beside Yanjun, who still had a careless smile on his face. “Now that’s not completely true. I did make it to a few… well maybe a couple.” He said nonchalantly. Zhengting slammed his hand down on his desk, “This isn’t a laughter matter, Yanjun.” He ground out. He grabbed a pile of papers from his desk and brandished them in front of him. “Do you have any idea how much paperwork I've had to deal with because of you?” he asked.

 

Yanjun opened his mouth to answer, but a swift elbow to the ribs from Zhangjing stopped him. “It was rhetorical.” He hissed. Yanjun rubbed his side where Zhangjing had hit him. “A decision has been made.” Zhengting said as he flopped back in his chair, dropping the papers back onto his desk. “You're being assigned to a human on earth.”

 

The smile finally fell from Yanjun’s lips. “Wait, you’re telling me that I have to be someone’s guardian?” he asked incredulously. Zhengting pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to fend off his oncoming headache. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Until further notice, you have to be with them, acting inconspicuously as their guardian angel.”

 

“That’s bull!” Yanjun shouted. Zhengting shot him a hard glare. “Language.” He reprimanded as Yanjun supressed the urge to let lose some of the more colourful swear words he knew. “There has to be some way to change this decision.” He said, running his hands through his hair. Zhengting sighed as he picked up a golden envelope. “I’m afraid it’s already out of my hands. I tried to get them to let you off with being my messenger boy for a month, but they wouldn’t have it.” He said as he extended the envelope towards Yanjun who glared at it. “You have two days to prepare for your trip.” He said, his voice dropping and laced with guilt as Yanjun snatched the envelope from him before storming out of the office.

 

Zhangjing looked at the tired looking angel behind the desk. “Is there really nothing he can do about it?” he asked, looking out of the door where Yanjun had just exited through. Zhengting shook his head wearily. “I really did try to talk them out of it and that having someone like Yanjun as a guardian over one human was a waste of his talents, but they’ve had enough of his attitude. They want him to realise that just because he got promoted that he doesn’t just have the right to do whatever he pleases.”

 

Zhangjing sighed. “I hope nothing goes wrong, for both their sakes.” He said as he followed the path Yanjun had taken out of the office.

 

 

 

 

Yanjun stood in the middle of the new apartment which he would be calling home for the foreseeable future. “It could be worse.” Zhangjing said as he shuffled around the apartment, looking through each of the rooms. Yanjun huffed as he dropped his duffel bag at his feet, moving to look at the dull view of the city out of the window. “It could also be better.” he grumbled. Zhangjing gave his friend a look before sighing quietly “I don’t want to say I told you so…”

 

“Then don’t.” Yanjun said a little more harshly than he intended before letting loose a sigh and running his hand through his hair. “Sorry, I’m just pissed.” He grumbled. Zhangjing came to stand beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know. But just bear with it for a while. You know Zhengting will fight to get you back up once everything calms down a bit. Who knows? Maybe Linkai will pull another one of his pranks and he’ll be the one getting punished instead of you.” Yanjun smiled at his friend’s words.

 

“So, what’s your charge like?” Zhangjing asked curiously. Yanjun removed the golden envelope that Zhengting had given him from his back pocket and handed it to Zhangjing. He pulled out a photograph and nodded appreciatively. “She’s cute.” He commented as he flipped over the photograph to read her profile. Yanjun only smirked as he grabbed his bag and took it into his bedroom to start unpacking his belongings.

 

Zhangjing whistled lowly. “Damn.” He muttered as he read through the girl’s profile. “She's been through a lot.” He said quietly as he stopped by the entrance to Yanjun’s new bedroom. Yanjun hummed absentmindedly in agreement as he placed his t-shirts into a drawer. He figured that he’d have plenty of time to read her profile later and had only given it a cursory glance. “How do you think her personality will be?” Zhangjing asked as he tucked the photo back into the envelope. “Who knows?” Yanjun said as he hung up his jeans. “She might be one of those types that hates the world because of what she's been through or maybe she's one of the bubbly ones that doesn’t let the world get her down. I guess I’ll find out when I meet her.” he said as he closed the wardrobe door.

 

A noise from outside the apartment startled the two of them. They heard a female voice through the thin walls and exchanged a look. “No time like the present to introduce yourself?” Zhangjing suggested. Yanjun sighed and made his way to the front door of the apartment. He opened it to reveal the girl from his photograph fumbling through her bag, most likely trying to find her keys while trying to balance a load of groceries.

 

“Need some help?” he asked. She turned to face him at the sound of his voice and Yanjun noted that she was prettier than her photo. “Oh, hey. I didn’t know anyone had moved into that apartment yet.” She said as she manoeuvred her groceries onto one arm, extending her hand for his. “I’m Wang YuYan, nice to meet you.” She said brightly. Yanjun shook her hand, a charming smile on his face. “I just moved in today.” He said, his interest piqued by the pretty girl in front of him.

 

She flashed him a warm smile. “Well, welcome to the building.” She said as she shifted her bags. Yanjun noticed the movement and swiftly took the bags from her. “I’ll hold these for you so that you can get your keys.”

 

“Thanks.” She said as she found her keys and opened her door. She took her bags back from him and gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks for your help. I guess I’ll see you around.” She said as she stepped into her apartment. “Not if I see you first.” She chuckled at his words as she closed the door. Yanjun returned to his apartment where Zhangjing was standing with an incredulous look on his face. “What?” Yanjun asked innocently as he made his way to the kitchen. “You’re supposed to protect her, not flirt with her.” he sighed.

 

Yanjun picked up an apple and took a bite. “Well, I can’t protect her if I don’t get to know her. Unless you want me to stalk her around the city like some kind of ert?” Zhangjing balked at his words before chuckling and shaking his head.

 

 

 

 

Over the following days, Yanjun tried to bump into YuYan as often as he could, without making himself look weird or make it seem like it was on purpose. He smiled at her as they rode in the elevator together, both heading out. “Are you heading to work?” he asked, noting her uniform. She nodded as she stifled a yawn. “Yeah, I’ve got the early shift this week.” She said as she adjusted her bag strap to stop it from slipping off her shoulder. “Why are you up so early?” she asked, looking over his casual clothes. “I’m just going for a run.” He answered. “I need to work hard to keep up this stunning figure you know.” He said teasingly making her laugh. A smile crept onto his face at the sound of her laugh.

 

No matter what cheesy line he threw at her, she always laughed. Her reactions had him intrigued, she wasn’t put off by his confidence, nor did she seem to be taken with him. It made him want to spend more time with her to see what other kinds of reactions he could elicit from her. Even though he had initially never wanted to become someone’s guardian, he couldn’t help but become more and more interested in her. A fact which had not gone unnoticed by Zhangjing who visited him as often as he could.

 

When the elevator doors opened, Yanjun gestured for her to step out first. She dipped her head in thanks as they both left their building. Yanjun quickly fell into step beside her. “Where do you work?” he asked. He already knew the answer as he had given the profile that Zhengting had given him a cursory glance, but he knew that he couldn’t exactly tell her that. Plus, it was a good way to start up a conversation with her. “I work in a small veterinarian clinic not too far from here.”

 

He nodded, “Ah, you must really like animals then?” he commented. Her face instantly lit up as she nodded. “Yeah, I’ve always loved animals from when I was a little girl.” He gained confidence from her positive response to his questions. “Did you have many pets growing up?” he asked.

 

Her smile faltered for a second. If he'd blinked at the wrong time he would have missed it, but he had definitely seen a flash of pain across her face for a split second. “Ah… no. we couldn’t have any pets when I was growing up.” she said, her smile seemingly more dimmed than it had been before. Yanjun found himself frowning, feeling guilty for causing her change in mood. “I’m a dog person myself. Not that I have anything against cats, but I just prefer dogs, you know?” he said, hoping to boost her mood again.

 

She smiled at him, her moment of pain seemingly forgotten. “I can just imagine you with a dog. I bet you'd be one of those guys that acts all tough but would have the cutest dog in the block.” She teased. Yanjun chuckled and elbowed her playfully. “What do you mean ‘acts’ all tough? What are you implying?” he teased. She gave him a grin. “I’m saying that while you pretend to be all suave and charming I bet that underneath all that you're a big softie.”

 

Yanjun pulled an over exaggerated shocked face as he looked around them. “You can’t go around saying things like that! I’ve got a reputation to uphold!” he joked, once again relishing the sound of her laugh as they stopped outside of a small building. “Well, this is me.” she said as she nodded towards the building. “Ah, this looks like a nice place.” He said as he looked through the large windows. The atmosphere was warm and friendly. He had expected it to have a more clinical feel to it, but instead it had an almost homely feel.

 

“I hope you have a great day.” He said, flashing her a dimpled smile. She returned his smile with one of her own. “Thanks, you too. Enjoy your run.” She said before giving him a wave and heading into the clinic. He stood outside for a moment, watching as she started chatting with the handsome man behind the reception desk. He frowned a little as she laughed at something he said, her hand raising to cover . “Jerk.” He muttered to himself as he grumpily stuffed his hands into his pockets and made his way back to his apartment.

 

When he arrived back at his apartment, he opened the golden envelope and took out Yuyan’s photograph, studying the picture of the pretty girl for a few moments before flipping it over to look at her profile which was written on the back. He read through the carefully written profile before one part in particular caught his attention.

 

Yuyan’s parents died in a fire when she was five years old. With no other living relatives, she was sent to an orphanage where she lived until she was eighteen years old.

 

Yanjun frowned. He hadn’t expected her to have had such a hard start in life. A rush of protectiveness flowed through him. He knew that he had been sent down here to help her and protect her, even if the exact details weren’t clear to him. This new revelation further cemented his desire to protect her. “I don’t want her to be sad again.” he said to himself as he flipped the photograph, looking into her warm eyes. “I’ll protect you.”

 

 

 

 

From then on, Yanjun made it a habit to leave his apartment at the same time as her every morning. He had quickly memorised her shift patterns and made sure that he caught the elevator with her every morning before walking her to work. YuYan wasn’t blind to this fact, but she never called him out on his obvious act as she liked spending that short time with him every morning. She had quickly grown used to seeing the handsome man every morning, who was always ready to flash her a disarming, dimpled smile that made her weak at the knees.

 

 

 

One night after she had finished working, she sluggishly made her way home. It had been a long shift and her last patient of the day had really sapped what little strength she had left. She wiped a stray tear from her face as she turned the last corner onto her street. She heard a familiar voice call out her name. She looked up to see Yanjun in front of her, grocery bags in hand and a concerned look on his face. She quickly swiped away the tears on her face before giving him a weak smile. “Hey, Yanjun.” She greeted.

 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice full of concern. “Ah, sorry.” She quickly apologised. “It was my last patient. I’ve known him since his family moved into the area two years ago. He was a lovely lab but he was old.” Her voice broke on the last words and Yanjun didn’t need her to say anymore. He carefully put his bags on the ground and took the final steps between them and pulled her into a hug. One of his arms circled her waist, the other cradled her head against his shoulder. She didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around him as she started to openly cry against his shoulder.

 

He held her close, whispering soothing words to her, encouraging her to let out all her emotions. “It must have been so hard for you.” He whispered against her hair as her sobs quietened to sniffles. “This part of my job never gets any easier but I always need to hold it in in front of the people who have brought their pets in.” she admitted quietly as Yanjun took a half step back to look at her. He gently wiped away a stray tear from her cheek, his fingers lingering against her cheek. “You're such a warm and caring person.”

 

A faint blush forced its way onto her cheeks from his sincere words as she tried to hold his gaze but failed. Yanjun smiled and picked up his grocery bags with one hand, his other hand slipping into hers. “You’re going to eat with me tonight. I promise I’ll make you something delicious and we can watch whatever you want to feel better. I think I might even have some ice cream left in the freezer if Zhangjing hasn’t eaten it all, that pig.” He said as he led her towards the elevator, reaching out with their joined hands to press the button to call the elevator.

 

YuYan smiled at him, thankful for his words and his actions. She shuffled a little closer towards him, something about the handsome man making her feel at ease and not at all embarrassed that she had just burst into tears in front of him in the middle of the street. When they reached their floor she reluctantly pulled her hand from his. “I want to have a quick shower and get changed.” Yanjun nodded in understanding. “No problem. I’ll get started on dinner. Is there anything you don’t like?” he asked. She shook her head. “Not really, I’m not that picky with food.”

 

Yanjun nodded. “Good. Now go get ready, I’ll leave the door unlocked for you.” He said as he pulled out the keys for his apartment. YuYan gave him a grateful smile before entering her own apartment. Yanjun waited until she had closed her door before he went into his apartment and dumped his grocery bags in the kitchen before rushing into the living room. He started grabbing the empty food wrappers from his coffee table, cursing himself for not tidying up the night before. He tore through the apartment like a tornado, making sure that everything was clean and tidy before YuYan came over before he finally made his way into the kitchen to start cooking.

 

Not long later, he heard a knock at the door, followed by YuYan's voice. “Yanjun?” she called as he stuck her head through the door. He stepped out of the kitchen, a smile already on his face. “Come in.” he said as he waved her in. She stepped into his apartment and glanced around, surprised by how neat his space was. “Thanks for inviting me over.”

 

“No problem. I couldn’t leave a lovely lady on her own after a hard day like that.” He joked with a wink as he went back into the kitchen. YuYan felt her heart skip a beat. How was it that Yanjun knew exactly when to be funny and when to be serious? When he had consoled her outside of their apartment building he had known exactly what she had needed at that moment and had held her in the safest embrace. No one had ever felt so safe. So warm. So… at home. And now he knew that she wanted to forget about what had happened during the day and had returned to his normal, joking self.

 

She followed him into the kitchen, surprised to see him chopping up some vegetables with ease. Yanjun noticed her staring and couldn’t help but smile. “You're impressed, right?” he teased. She leant over the counter to examine his work, “Honestly, yeah. I thought you were gonna be all talk and that we would be eating instant noodles or something but this looks like you're actually gonna cook something.” Yanjun scoffed playfully, “As if I would serve you something as ordinary as instant noodles. Just you wait, you're in for a culinary delight.”

 

YuYan couldn’t fight the smile that crept onto her face. “Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked. Yanjun shook his head. “Just keep on watching me in awe, it’s a real ego boost.” YuYan laughed and playfully punched him on the arm before jumping up onto a spare space on the counter, content to watch him cook.

 

Yanjun was thankful that he had chosen that particular day to go to the grocery store, otherwise all he would have been able to offer her was instant noodles and he felt like he'd never be able to live it down. Not long after she claimed her space on the counter, YuYan started playing some music from her phone and he couldn’t help but absentmindedly sing along. “You have a nice voice.” YuYan commented from her spot on the counter. Yanjun approached her, a cocky smirk on his face. “I know.” He teased as he suddenly crouched down in front of her making her jump as he opened the cupboard underneath her.

 

He grabbed what he needed before standing back up, only inches away from her face which was scarlet from the sudden proximity. “Seasoning.” He said as he flashed the jar of spices in front of her before pulling away from her. She barely resisted the urge to pull him back to her. She shook her head and pinned her hands under her thighs before she did something stupid.

 

Yanjun couldn’t help but smile to himself at her reactions. No matter how hard she had tried to hide it, he had seen the flash in her eyes when he had stood up in front of her. Taking that first step back from her had been harder than he had anticipated, and a part of him screamed at him to close the distance between them again, but this time not to leave even a hairsbreadth of space between them. He shook his head to clear away those thoughts as he focused on the food in front of him.

 

He quickly finished up his cooking and split it between to bowls. “Done!” he said as he held up the two bowls in front of her. He smiled at her expression. “Ooohhh, I’m impressed!” she said as she jumped down from the counter. “But now it’s time for the real test.” Yanjun laughed as he placed the bowls onto his small table, setting them next to each other rather than across from each other, subconsciously wanting to be closer to her. “I can guarantee that even though it looks fantastic, it tastes even better.”

 

He pulled out a chair, gesturing for her to sit. She took the offered seat with a smile as he sat down beside her. “Dig in.” he said, gesturing towards the food. Despite his bold claims, he felt nervous. Usually when he cooked anything, it was for himself and Zhangjing, who ate anything, but this time it was different. He ignored the little voice in his head that said it was different because this time he was cooking for her. She carefully took a bite, enjoying the uncharacteristically nervous look on Yanjun’s handsome face as he waited for her verdict.

 

She purposely kept her expression neutral, enjoying teasing him. “Well?” he asked nervously, her silence making him worry. “Is it bad? Should we just order takeout?” he blurted out and her eyes crinkled as she started laughing. Yanjun blinked at her, “What’s so funny?” he asked. “Oh my god, I tried to hold it in.” she said in-between chuckles. “Your expression was priceless!” she teased. A smirk slowly crept on Yanjun’s face as realization seeped into him. He leant back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “You were just messing with me?” he asked, basking in the sound of her laugh. Happy to see her smiling again. He wanted to protect her smile.

 

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” She said as she wiped away a stray tear. “You were just staring at me so intently.” She said as another wave of giggles took over her body. Yanjun chuckled, “I don’t know. I go and make you a nice meal and this is the thanks I get?” he said teasingly. “If that’s the case then maybe you don’t want to eat my food?” he said as he jokingly reached out for her bowl but she wrapped her arms around it protectively. “I will fight you if you steal my food.” She warned playfully. Yanjun chuckled and sat back in his seat. “Oh, you and Zhangjing need to meet.” He mumbled to himself as she took another bite.

 

“Seriously though, this is so good.” She said appreciatively. “I’m a pretty hopeless cook, so it’s nice to get something so nice made for me.” Yanjun warmed at her words. “Then how about I teach you how to cook?” he offered, barely even registering the words that were coming out of his mouth. He just felt the need to grab the opportunity that had been presented to him. “Seriously? But I’m honestly terrible.” She warned. He leant in closer to her, enjoying the hitching of her breath from his close proximity. “Don’t worry. By the time I’m done teaching you, you’ll be Michelin star worthy.” He said, flashing her a dimpled smile.

 

 

 

“Yanjun, I swear I will murder you.” Zhangjing growled as he stood in Yanjun’s kitchen, hands on his hips as he watched Yanjun embarrassedly look at the burnt cookies in front of him. “Why do you even want to learn how to cook anyway? You can make a couple of dishes and you said that you like having takeout? So why the sudden need to learn how to cook every dish in the cookbook?” he asked as he threw away the burnt food in despair. “I promised YuYan I'd teach her how to cook.” He said as he grabbed the flour and started measuring again, determined to have a new dish to teach her when she visited him that evening after her shift.

 

“Ahh, now it all makes sense.” Zhangjing said as he handed him the sugar to weigh. “Shut up.” Yanjun warned as he side-eyed his friend who only held his hands up in a show of innocence. “What did I say? Not a single thing. Nope. Not a single comment about how you are gonna teach someone to cook when all you can make it one pasta dish, eggs and instant noodles. But did I say anything?” he said as he started fussing with the ingredients on the counter. Yanjun huffed, “You know, for someone who didn’t say a single thing you sure are saying a lot.” He grumbled. Zhangjing chuckled, “Just make sure you get those eggshells out of your mixture.” He teased as he watched his friend’s earnest attempt to learn how to cook.

 

 

 

Over the following weeks, Yanjun seriously studied cooking from Zhangjing, determined to impress YuYan with his skills. He watched as Yanjun fussed between the three pots that were cooking simultaneously. “I’ve never seen him so serious about anything before.” He said aloud as he watched Yanjun check his recipe for what must have been the twentieth time. Yanjun's phone beeped with a message but he was too focused on his cooking to notice. “You’ve got a message.” Zhangjing said as he picked up the slim device, handing it over to Yanjun whose face lit up as soon as he saw who the message was from. “Let me guess, YuYan?” Zhangjing teased.

 

Yanjun only nodded, an excited smile on his face as he replied to her message before returning his phone to Zhangjing. “She's running a little late. Which is actually good because it’ll give me more time to make sure that everything is perfect.” He said as he returning to his boiling pots, making sure to stir them well. Zhangjing rested his chin in his hand, “You’ve really warmed up to her, haven’t you?” he asked. Yanjun nodded, his focus still on his cooking.

 

Even without being able to see his face, Zhangjing knew that there was a smile on Yanjun’s face. He slipped off his chair and picked up his jacket, his smile fading slightly as he looked at his friend. I hope Yanjun remembers that this is all only temporary…

 

“Yanjun…” he said, his voice uncharacteristically quiet, which instantly caught Yanjun's attention. “Yeah?” he said as he turned off the burners. “You know that this… whatever this is… won't be forever, right?” Yanjun tensed as the weight of Zhangjing’s words settled over him. “I know.” He said, his voice tight, his hair covering his eyes. “But I want to do what I can for her whilst I’m here.” He said his tone betraying the calm expression on his face. Zhangjing clapped him on the shoulder. “Just don’t get in any deeper, it will only end up hurting the two of you.” He said as he gave Yanjun's shoulder one final squeeze before leaving the apartment.

 

 

Yanjun barely heard the sound of Zhangjing leaving as his words swirled around in his mind. He knew fine well that he wouldn’t be able to stay with YuYan forever. Eventually, his punishment would be lifted and he would need to return and YuYan would have to continue her life on earth… without him. The thought made white hot anger course throughout his veins. His hands clenched into fists. Although he would never had admitted it, his feelings for YuYan had grown passed that of a guardian and their ward.

 

 

 

 

Despite Zhangjing’s warnings, Yanjun insisted on spending as much time as possible with YuYan. He had made it his personal mission to make her smile at every opportunity. But he could never fully shake the knowledge that one day, this happy illusion he had created would come crashing down around him. The thought terrified him. Would YuYan miss him if he disappeared? Or would she get on with her life as if he had never existed? These thoughts often kept him up until the early hours of the morning.

 

In this particular morning, YuYan was curled up by his side on the couch. She had come over to his apartment the night before, as had become a routine between the two of them. He had cooked dinner for the two of them, with only a little help from Zhangjing before they settled down on the couch to watch a movie together. YuYan had only made it half an hour into the movie before her head had landed on his shoulder. He smiled down at her, as he carefully wrapped his arm around her, letting her rest fully against him as she slept, blissfully unaware of the turbulent thoughts running through Yanjun’s mind.

 

He fell asleep when the sky had started to lighten, his arms wrapped around her in a protective embrace, as if he couldn’t let her go.

 

She was the first to wake up, blinking at the now familiar space. She had grown accustomed to falling asleep in Yanjun’s apartment that she didn’t question it when she awoke there. She stifled a yawn and adjusted her position to better look at Yanjun’s sleeping face. It didn’t cross her mind to remove herself from her position on top of him as she rested her hand under her chin to give her a better view of his face.

 

She frowned as she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. “What time did he sleep at?” she wondered aloud as his eyes flickered open. His gaze immediately landed on her and he gave her a sleepy, dimpled smile. “Morning, gorgeous.” He greeted as he tightened his grip around her. She smiled at the term of endearment. He called her that more than he used her name these days and although she would have normally protested the nickname, coming from him, she found herself unable to tell him to stop. Coming from him, it was special and it made her heart skip a beat.

 

“Morning.” She greeted, unable to tear her gaze away from his dimple. He chuckled at her. “They’re cute, right?” he asked, widening his smile to make his dimples more pronounced. She nodded, reaching up to poke one with her finger. “Very.” She replied as her fingers lingered over his soft skin. “Should I make us breakfast?” he asked, beginning to move to sit up. She quickly shook her head and wrapped her arms around him to stop him from moving. “Five more minutes.” She said, snuggling in against his chest.

 

Yanjun chuckled, the sound vibrating throughout her body. “Whatever you want, gorgeous.” He said as he placed a loving kiss on the top of her head before letting his eyes slip closed once again.

 

 

 

 

 

He was numb. Everything around him seemed to be going in slow motion and in hyper speed all the same time. His vision trembled, his ears refused to hear. He didn’t feel the impact as he fell to his knees on the hard concrete. He didn’t notice the concerned faces of the people around him as he stared brokenly in front of him.

 

A hand on his shoulder brought the world back into focus. He looked up at the stranger, concern showing on his face as he crouched down beside him. “Are you okay? Do you need me to phone an ambulance? Do you need to go to the hospital?” he asked, speaking slowly and clearly as if he feared Yanjun wouldn’t understand his words.

 

“Hospital.” Yanjun said, the word sounding foreign and ominous on his lips. “Hospital.” He repeated, his thoughts kicking into overdrive as he threw himself to his feet, the kind stranger grabbing his arm to steady him. “Yes, do you need to go to the hospital?” he asked again, phone in hand. The words fell on deaf ears as Yanjun frantically looked from side to side, his skin slicked with sweat. “I need to get to the hospital.” He murmured before taking off down the street, ignoring the shouts of the stranger behind him.

 

He barely registered the burning sensation in his lungs. He didn’t notice that he was close to passing out. Nothing mattered. Except her.

 

He burst through the doors of the emergency room, earning a few shocked gasps and even more hard looks from the patients that littered the room. He ran to the reception desk barely stopping in time, his body bouncing off the counter. “Wang YuYan!” he shouted, his voice raspy as he tried to catch his breath. “Wang YuYan!” he repeated to the flustered receptionists. “Hold on a moment, Sir.” One of them said as she typed YuYan’s name into her computer.

 

Yanjun gripped the desk in front of him as he greedily pulled in breath after breath, his heart hammering against his ribcage. “She’s still in surgery.” The receptionist said hesitantly, as if afraid of how Yanjun would react to her words. “Where?” he asked, his eyes already darting around, looking for a sign that would point him in the right direction. “I’m sorry, but what’s your relationship to the patient?” she asked.

 

Yanjun focused on her, his grip tightening on the desk. “I’m all she has. She has no family.” He said as the first tears freed themselves from his eyes. “I’m all she has.” He said again, his voice breaking on the last word, his head falling forward as he tried to control his emotions. “Down the corridor to the left. You can’t go in but there's a small waiting room outside.” The receptionist said sadly.

 

Yanjun left the desk without another word, blindly following her directions. He stopped when he saw the door to the operating room, a red light flashing above the door signalling that there was a surgery in progress. He stood in front of the door, as if his presence alone would be enough. He longed to push the doors open and see her with his own eyes, but he couldn’t risk disturbing her surgery.

 

And hour passed before his legs couldn’t support him anymore and he sank into one of the chairs that lined the wall. His head hung forward, his hands fisted in his hair, pulling on the strands as the words from the phone call he received earlier ran through his mind.

 

A mugging

Stabbed

Hospital

Get here now

 

He screwed his eyes shut against the pain. “How could something like this have happened to her? Why her? Who would ever hurt someone so kind?” a sound from the end of the corridor caught his attention, his head snapping up as the door to the operating theatre opened, an exhausted looking doctor stepping through the door.

 

Yanjun jumped to his feet and rushed towards the doctor. “How is she? Is she alright? Can I see her?” he asked the questions so quickly that his words almost became one. The doctor gave him a sympathetic look. “Are you her boyfriend?” he asked, his voice weary. Yanjun nodded. “I am. Please… is she okay?” he pleaded. The doctor gave a heavy sigh as he rested a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know if you're a religious person or not, but either way, I suggest you pray.” Yanjun stumbled back a step at his words as if he had been physically struck.

 

“She’s being moved to another ward for observation, but she was badly injured. We’ve done everything we can for her. I suggest you go to her as soon as she's settled.” The doctor said as he gave Yanjun’s shoulder one final squeeze before leaving him in the sterile corridor alone.

 

A nurse appeared by his side some time later. “Are you Miss Wang’s boyfriend?” she asked gently, afraid to startle him. He nodded mutely and she gave him the same sympathetic look the doctor had given him. “Shall I take you to her room?” he nodded again, not trusting himself to speak. He followed her down the corridors, each one blending into the next. The nurse stopped outside of a nondescript door. “She’s inside.” She said gently before leaving him.

 

He stood as still as a statue. His fingers on the handle of the door, afraid of what he would see inside. He finally gathered his courage and opened the door, stepping into the dimly lit room. He slowly approached her bed, the quiet beeping of her heart monitor the only sound in the room. He stopped by her bedside, grimacing at the wires and tubes attached to her body.

 

He tentatively reached out, taking her hand into his. “YuYan…” he whispered. He could see the bandages that had been wrapped around her torso from underneath her hospital issued gown. The pale material paired with the pale bedding only served to drain the little colour from her skin. He gripped her hand harder as his breathing quickened with panic. “YuYan, you have to wake up.” he begged as he brushed her hair away from her face. “Please.” He begged, his voice breaking.

 

A sob escaped him as he dropped to his knees by her bedside. “I’m supposed to be your guardian angel. How could I have let this happen to you?” he sobbed. “How can I call myself a guardian when you're lying here like this?” his voice rose as anger rushed through him. Anger at whoever had hurt her and at himself for not being able to stop it.

 

“You can’t die. You have to wake up.” he shouted as tears continued to run down his face. “Sir?” Yanjun didn’t acknowledge the voice. “Sir, I know this is a difficult time but I need to ask you not to shout. It’s disturbing the other patients.” Yanjun continued to ignore the voice as he brought YuYan's hand up and pressed a kiss against it. The nurse sighed and left the room, leaving Yanjun to his pain.

 

 

 

 

Five days had passed since she had been attacked. Five days since Yanjun been anywhere except the hospital. Zhangjing had finally tracked him down and insisted on bringing food and clean clothes, forcing Yanjun to use the small shower room to clean himself up but he knew his friend was in pain.

 

YuYan’s condition had worsened. The knife she had been stabbed with had been dirty and it had caused an infection, one that her body was too weak to fight off.

 

Yanjun said nothing as he soaked his small towel in cool water before placing it on her forehead again, in an attempt to lessen her fever. He frowned at the sweat that covered her skin, making her thin gown and hair stick to her. Zhangjing sighed as he looked at his friend. “Yanjun, why don’t you go get some fresh air?” he suggested, the deep circles under his friends eyes making him worry. “I’ll go outside when she does.” He rasped, his throat protesting to the lack of water and disuse.

 

Zhangjing sighed again and forced a bottle of water into Yanjun’s hands. “Drink. What use will you be if you pass out?” he chided. Yanjun drank the entire bottle in one go, his eyes barely leaving YuYan’s still body for a second.

 

“I failed her.” he said, his voice weak. Zhangjing gripped his shoulder. “No, you didn’t. This isn’t your fault. There's nothing you could have done.” Yanjun scoffed at his best friend’s words. “I’m supposed to be her guardian angel but look at her. She's been unconscious for five days because I didn’t protect her.” he hung his head in shame.

 

Zhangjing opened his mouth to scold his friend when the heart monitor next to YuYan's bed began beeping irregularly. Yanjun’s head snapped up at the sound. “YuYan?” he cried, his eyes wide as her breaths became more laboured. “YuYan!” he shouted as the door slammed open behind him. He was shoved out of the way by several bodies. “YuYan!” he shouted as a male nurse held him back to stop him from interfering.

 

Yanjun and Zhangjing looked on helplessly as a doctor and a team of nurses checked over YuYan. “She's going into shock. Get the two of them out of here!” the doctor roared as another nurse rushed forward to help pull a screaming Yanjun out of the room.

 

Zhangjing pulled him down the corridor, fighting with his best friend to stop him from running back into YuYan's room. “Stop!” Zhangjing shouted. “If you go in there now you're only going to distract the doctors from doing their jobs!” he roared, hoping that his words would register with Yanjun. He hauled him back another step. “Let them do their jobs! Let them save her!” he pleaded as Yanjun suddenly went slack in his arms. He struggled against the sudden weight in his arms as they both toppled to the floor.

 

“She's going to die.” Yanjun whispered. “She's going to die and it’s going to be all my fault.” Yanjun pulled at his hair, desperate to find a solution. “Yanjun…”

 

“Don’t say this isn’t my fault. I have to do something…” Despair gripped him until he suddenly had a thought. “I need to see Zhengting.” He quickly got to his feet. “Zhengting? Why?” Zhangjing asked as he got to his feet. Yanjun didn’t reply as he took off down the corridor, Zhangjing following closely behind him.

 

 

 

Zhengting was sitting in his office, calming reading through some files as his doors were suddenly thrown open. “What the…” he flinched as Yanjun stormed to his desk, slamming his hands down on the dark wood. “I need your help.” He said, not caring about how desperate he sounded. “Yanjun, what on earth is going on?” Zhengting asked as he put down the file he had been reading. “She's going to die and it’s all my fault. I need to stop it.”

 

“Wait, who is dying? What happened?” Yanjun cursed loudly. “I don’t have time to explain everything!” he shouted as he started pacing the luxurious office. “You assigned me to be YuYan’s guardian and unless you help me, I’m going to fail that mission.” Zhengting gave him a sympathetic look as he started to catch up with Yanjun's outburst. “Yanjun, you know we’re not supposed to interfere.” He said gently.

 

Yanjun growled and barely resisted the urge to push everything off of Zhengting’s desk. “I know there's a way. There's an old incantation. It allows an angel to give up their immortality to help a human.” Zhengting paled at his words. “How do you know about that?” he asked. Yanjun smirked faintly, “I’m a lot smarter than you give me credit for.” He said as he approached Zhengting’s desk again. “Please. Let me do this. I can’t let her die.”

 

Realisation flashed through Zhengting. “You love her.” he stated simply. Yanjun didn’t hesitate to nod. “I do. I love her more than anything. She doesn’t deserve to die before she's even had the chance to live. You know her background. You know the horrors she faced after parents died. All of the children in that orphanage were practically tortured day and night and yet somehow she still managed to become such a kind person. After all she went through, it would have been so easy for her to become a person without any love in her heart, but instead she is a kind and pure soul that deserves to experience the type of love that she shows to others.”

 

Zhengting bit his lip as he considered Yanjun’s words. He was unaccustomed to the handsome angel speaking so passionately. “You know what’s involved with the incantation?” he asked. Yanjun nodded. “I know all of the risks.” He said firmly. “Then you know that there's no guarantee that it would even work? That there's every chance that you could die?” he pressed. Yanjun growled in frustration. “I said I know!” he shouted, trying to bite down on his temper. “I know that it will be excruciating. I know that the chances of it working are a million to one. I know that I’ll probably die but do you know what’s worse?” he asked as he grabbed his shirt right where his heart was. “The pain I’m in now.” He said, his voice wavering. “The pain of doing nothing and knowing that every second I waste is a second closer to YuYan possibly never waking up again. If there's even the smallest chance of me being able to save her, I’ll take it. I’ll take on any pain if it means she’ll be okay.”

 

He held Zhengting’s gaze for a few tense moments before he sighed. “We’re going to need six more to help us.” He said. “I know just the people.” Yanjun said as he made for the door. He paused and looked back just before he left the room, “Thank you, Zhengting.” He said before he disappeared from the office. Zhengting sighed and leant back into his chair. “This is going to give me a mountain of paperwork.”

 

 

 

Yanjun felt sweat slide down his temple. He was standing on an altar, Zhengting, Zhangjing and five other of his fellow angels and friends standing in a circle around him. “Are you sure about this?” Zhangjing asked. Yanjun nodded, his lips pressed into a tight line. Zhangjing exchanged looks with his friends. Yanjun had gathered them all and begged them to help. They were all aware of his feelings for YuYan and each of them were unable to deny his earnest request. “Ok, lets proceed.” Zhengting said as he lifted the hood of his robe, the others following suit.

 

Yanjun grit his teeth and closed his eyes, ready for anything as he focused his thoughts on YuYan. He heard his brothers begin to chant, quietly and slowly to begin with, but slowly building in volume. He grunted as his body began to grow uncomfortably warm. He fell to his knees as the heat increased tenfold. He bit back a scream, fearing that his brothers would stop and would interrupt the incantation.

 

The pain passed unbearable. He felt like his body was bearing seared from the inside. He fell forward, his hands pressing into the stone beneath him. The chanting was blurred in his ears. He could barely hear anything over the sounds of his own screaming. With one last scream of YuYan’s name, everything turned black.

 

 

 

 

 

A pair of brown eyes opened slowly, blinking at the bright lights overhead. “Doctor? The patient is awake.” A bright light was flashed into his eyes which squinted against the light. “You’re finally awake.” The doctor said with a smile.

 

Yanjun slowly sat up, trying to process his surroundings. “Don’t hurry yourself. Just take your time.” the doctor said as she filled in some notes on a chart. “Everything looks good but you should rest some more.” She said with a smile. “I’ll be back to check on you again soon.” Yanjun watched as she left the room, leaving him alone.

 

Yanjun looked down at his body which felt heavier than normal. “What’s going on?” he wondered as he examined the IV needle in his arm. He grimaced at the sight and pulled the needle from his skin, letting it drop to the floor beside him. His thoughts slowly came back to him, one thought stronger than the others. “YuYan.” He threw off his covers and stepped out of his bed, cursing as his legs wobbled beneath him.

 

He ignored the slippers that had been placed by his bed, his thoughts only on one thing. He stumbled to the door, pausing to take a steadying breath before he opened the door and stepped out into the familiar hospital corridor. He looked from side to side to get his bearings, spotting the sign to the elevator. He made his way there, all his focus on finding YuYan.

 

He arrived at her floor, the cold biting into his feet, but he ignored it as he made the short walk to her room. He didn’t hesitate to throw the door open revealing a neatly made bed and an empty room. “What… no.” he said as he took a step into the room, looking around as if she would appear out of thin air. “It can’t be…” tears welled up in his eyes, making the room blurry. “I was too late.” He sank to his knees as despair flooded through him. “I was too late.”

 

Yanjun choked out a sob, his chest clenching painfully. He struggled to pull in a breath as a hand landed on his shoulder. “Yanjun?” his eyes snapped open as he turned to the owner of the familiar voice. YuYan was crouched beside him, still in her hospital gown, but without any tubes or wires connected to her. Unlike the last time he had seen her there was colour in her face.

 

“YuYan?” he whispered, as if speaking too loudly would make her disappear. She smiled at him and nodded. “It’s me.” she confirmed as she reached out and grabbed his hand. Her grip was lacking her normal strength, but compared to her corpse like look from before, he would accept it. “What happened?” he asked as he grabbed her hand like a lifeline.

 

“No one knows.” She said. “The doctors said they were sure I wasn’t going to make it. After I got stabbed I got some kind of infection and it caused my body to go into shock. The doctors were convinced that I wasn’t going to make it. My heart stopped but they managed to start it again and then they said that my heartbeat was stronger than ever. My body fought off the infection as if it had never been there and I woke up. They said its some kind of miracle.” She said with a laugh.

 

Yanjun reached out and cupped her cheek. “Are you really, okay?” he asked. She gave him a warm smile, covering his hand with her own as she nodded. “I’m going to make a full recovery apparently.” A laugh escaped Yanjun’s lips. “I wasn’t too late.” He whispered. YuYan cocked her head to the side, “Too late for wha-“ she let out a yelp of surprise as Yanjun pulled her against him, his lips meeting hers in a desperate kiss. He pulled her as close as he could, as if she would disappear if he released her. He poured all of his emotions into their kiss, not caring that they were currently on the floor of a hospital.

 

He pulled back, his hands cupping her cheeks. “Wang YuYan, I love you.” He declared loudly. She smiled widely as his words. “I love you too, Lin Yanjun.” Yanjun flashed her a dimpled smile before pulling her into a tight embrace.

 

 

That night, Yanjun crept into her room at night. She giggled at him as he curled up against her on the too small hospital bed. “The nurses are gonna scold you for sneaking out of your room.” She teased as she snuggled against his chest. Yanjun chuckled, his fingers running down her back, careful to not aggravate her injuries. “It’s okay, I promised her that I'd introduce her to Zhangjing if she let me sneak out.” YuYan laughed at his words as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

 

“You know, the nurses told me that you were hear every single day and night.” She confessed into his chest. He nodded. “They said that Zhangjing had to force you to eat, that you wouldn’t leave my side for a single second.” He nodded again, pressing another kiss to her hair. She snuggled in against him. “I can’t believe you made yourself sick because of me.” she grumbled.

 

“What are you talking about?” he asked. She pulled away from him to give him a hard look. “Well look at you. Did you or did you not wake up in a hospital bed a few hours ago?” she asked. He nodded. “The nurses told me that they found you unconscious in the corridor. They said it was because you hadn’t been taking care of yourself.” She said, a note of guilt in her voice. Yanjun gave her an embarrassed grin. There's no way he could properly explain the real reason why he had been found in the corridor like that, he knew he would need to play along with her story. “Don’t ever let yourself get hurt because of me again, okay?” she said firmly.

 

He gave her a smile before stealing another kiss from her. “Okay, okay.” He said as he shuffled his position to help her lie more comfortably against him. She curled against him again. He felt her breaths slowly even out as she started to fall asleep. “Yanjun.” She whispered sleepily. “Yeah, gorgeous?” he whispered back. “I think you might just be my guardian angel.” She mumbled, her words slurring with sleep. “I think it was because you were next to me that I was able to recover.” She mumbled. Yanjun kissed her hair again. “I’ll always be by your side.” He promised as sleep finally claimed her.

 

“I’ll always be your guardian angel.”