Tao had a different method of getting away from all the drama back home. He had decided to go on a cruise to refresh himself and try and forget what had happened. He hadn’t been dating for as long as his other friends, but was still just as devastated.

He had been enjoying his time on the cruise and it was going to come to an end in two days. So, Tao decided that he would spoil himself. He ordered some room service because he wasn’t bothered to go out and find one of the restaurants on the cruise.

He waited for about twenty minutes until there was a knock at his door. He was definitely not ready for what he saw next. In front of him, at his cabin door, was a man in a waiter’s uniform, who looked exactly like his deceased boyfriend – Wu Yifan. He took several steps back, too confused by what he was seeing. Maybe he was experiencing sea sickness for the first time and hallucinating. Yeah, that was it - a hallucination.

However, everything the man seemed to do defied Tao’s thoughts. The man closed the cabin door behind him, locked it, began to walk towards Tao and was now inches away from Tao’s body. He didn’t realise it until he began speaking, but Tao’s breathing had become ragged. “W-who are you?” he asked.

“That’s good. At least you know that I’m not him. It’s also good that you can still speak without fainting,” he said almost seductively. The voice was all too familiar to Tao and it made him fall onto his bed. “So, Huang Zitao, I’ve been watching you ever since the day you got onto this cruise. Considering that I know the reason why you came on this cruise, you don’t seem to have achieved your goal. That is, refresh yourself and forget, right?” he asked.

Tao could barely breathe knowing that this person before him not only looked and sounded like Yifan, but he was almost the same sort of person as well. He seemed to like teasing Tao obviously but subtly making it clear that he was the dominant one in the room.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he answered himself. He pulled out a chair from the small table beside him and sat down. “Now I’m guessing either your mind has just gone blank or you just have too many unanswered questions and that’s why you’re so quiet. Well, Yifan told me that he wanted you to be protected and cared for by me. Honestly when I first met him, I thought I was looking into a mirror of some sort. He was quite like me, even if I do say so myself. We are so much like each other that we seem to fall for the same kind of people,” he explained.

Before Tao could say anything at all, he was kissed by this person. He didn’t know how else to react than push him away. He ran out of his cabin and was quite thankful that he had his cardkey in his pocket. He ran all the way out up onto the deck.

He hadn’t even realised how dark it had gotten and was surprised by the slightly chilly breeze. For some reason, there didn’t seem to be many people on the deck. He heard soft footsteps approaching and turned around. “Look, I get that you’re scared and confused, but it’s dangerous to be out at this time,” the man said.

Tao took as many steps back as the man did forward – until he hit the railing of course. Tao just couldn’t think straight at all. There was this man who was right in front of him who claimed not to be Yifan, yet he spoke, looked and behaved like him. This must’ve been a nightmare or dream of some sort. If this wasn’t a hallucination then it must’ve been because he was asleep.

The man in front of him sighed, “Look, this is all real. You are definitely not dreaming and nor are you hallucinating. I’m definitely not Yifan because I’m,” the man stopped abruptly. He glowed for a moment and then suddenly there was a brown coloured fox with seven tails looking straight at Tao, “A fox. I know this is probably making you even more confused, but you have to trust me. If you don’t trust me, then at least trust what Yifan told me.” The man changed back into his human form, “Please, protect and care for Tao as long as possible and stay with him so he won’t get lonely. I would hate to see my beloved hurt and unable to move on. If he can move on that would be great, but I want someone to be by his side. Can you please do that for me?” he recited.

Tao wasn't exactly sure, but he saw the man's eyes glisten over. He pushed himself off of the railing slightly and took only a step forward. "So, you were being sincere this whole time?" he asked. "You weren't just trying to trick me right?"

"Now, why would I trick someone I- ?" he stopped himself f