THE BLACK MOON

'Wait a minute!' Lin Jing can't let the situation slide without resistance. However, science is his life and he can't let anyone intrude his pace without explanation. 'To believe that this time is reset, there should be a trigger for the process...The time is moving in a constant flow from past through the present to the future, there is no way it could veer around back without any reason...'

'Unless...Someone break the constant wave...' Zhao MingAn suddenly said, his face seems straight but his close people know that the young man is currently trying hard to suppress his unsteady emotions.

'Huh?' Now, everyone looks at the young man. If it's about making a crazy hypothesis, this young man has no different from his elder brother.

'Time travel...' Zhao MingAn said, again, flatly, 'That will create a violation of causality that leads into the possibility of a temporary paradox...'

'You meant like grandfather paradox...' Lin Jing's lamp is somehow switched.

'True...' Zhao MingAn lifts his lips corner a little, the fact that his elder brother will not just suddenly leave without prior notice makes him relieved.

'Geez, why do I just realize it now? Xiao Zhao, you are a genius...' Lin Jing seems excited, pats Zhao MingAn's back happily.

'Feel better?' Shen YeZun caresses Zhao MingAn's shoulder. Zhao MingAn could finally let his happiness leak out even a little, squeeze his lover's hand in his shoulder while the other fondled the sleeping Xiao Cài. Somehow, looking at the three together like this is just like looking at a picture of a small family.

'Hold for a second!' Da Qing cuts the discussion, 'Can you both use our language? I can't comprehend what you talked about since earlier...I bet that the only person who knows what you both talking about is just Professor Shen...' He protests. Lin Jing and Zhao MingAn turn their head only to find every eye looking at them, some demanding an explanation while the others could care less about the theory but the reason for their happiness.

'Well...Just like Lin Jing Ge said that time is a continuous sequence of existence that is, apparently, irreversible-'

'Apparently...' Shen Wei cuts Zhao MingAn's words.

'Yes...Apparently...' Zhao MingAn nodded.

'So it means that, in some case, time could be reversed?' Shen Wei asked.

'Not reverse but reset...' Lin Jing corrected, 'Because time is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to compare the duration of events or interval between them...'

'The problem is that to reset time is not mean that the time will move backward because, in general relativity, time is also considered as a dimension just like space...' Zhao MingAn said, 'The one that moves backward and forward, up and down or right and left is matters inside the dimension, not the dimension itself...That is why I said that someone may be breaking the constant wave...' He proceeds.

'So you want to say that someone did a time travel to reset the time?' Zhao YunLan asked.

'Not reset the time but to change the history...' Lin Jing said, 'Just like Xiao Zhao said that time travel will create a violation of causality that leads to a temporary paradox...Like the story about someone who wants to kill a certain person by doing a time travel and killing that certain person's grandfather...That way, the certain person will never exist...The history is rewritten...'

'Is that even possible? Doing the time travel?' Chu ShuZhi is curious, 'Even among us, DiXing, there is no one with that kind of power...'

'That's possible, with deep research and adequate tools but that is just a one-way ticket...' Zhao MingAn replied to the question. 'Well...I don't say that is what was happened with our planet but that is the most reasonable explanation...' Zhao MingAn stretching his body, somehow his cheerfulness is returned without him even realizing it.

Zhao YunLan fell silent as he heard these explanations. Somehow, they remind him of the Regent's story. 'Talking about changing the history...Is it possible...' He is not even finished his sentence when he lifts his eyes, 'Madame Gwang-'

Zhao YunLan almost asks about something when Gwang Li lifts her hand, 'Chief Zhao...If everything is answered easily then no mystery needs to be solved. Besides, something that easily comes will go in the same manner...I'm just a hermit, all I can do is just help you to find the right path...Many things, you need to find the answer by yourself...' She smiled.

'I understand...' Zhao YunLan lifts his painful smile.

'Madame Gwang...About Zhang JiKeng...' Shen Wei said as if mend Zhao YunLan's disappointment. 'He said that everything that happens with him is started with Blue Tree Meadow...Can you explain to us, what happens between Zhang JiKeng and Blue Tree Meadow?'

Gwang Li smiles once again, 'When Mr. Zhang came to me and asked for my help, he asked me to promise that I will never mention anything about what happened...I can't take back my words even though he already passed away...' The lady said, 'In this case, I deeply apologize...'

'No, it's alright. I don't want to trouble you...' Shen Wei lowered his gaze understandingly.

'However, I can give you some clues...' Gwang Li said suddenly, 'To learn more about this case don't use your eyes. Or should I say that your eyes are your enemy as not everything you see is the reality because the truth is mostly hidden under the appearance...' Gwang Li takes a deep breath as she proceeds, 'Those who powerful not always fully comprehend their capability, they who seem powerless many times hiding their potential...' Listening to the lady, everyone only can fell silent. The meaning of the words seems so deep yet they don't understand the meaning.

'My lady...' They are in the middle of the quietness when a fox comes closer to them. The fox's golden amber fur, glittering beautifully under the lanterns' shine. The fox strides towards Gwang Li, whispering something.

Gwang Li smiles, 'Someone is coming for the little fellow...' She said. Everyone turns aside, finds two figures of adult kappa.

'They are...' Shen YeZun wondering.

'It's time to wake up the little kappa...' Gwang Li replied. Zhao MingAn squeezes Xiao Cài softly, even though they've been looking for the little kappa's 'society' but somehow, his heart feels so heavy.

'MingAn...' Shen YeZun patted his lover's back softly.

The young man nods then tenderly shakes the little kappa's body, 'Xiao Cài...' He whispered. Xiao Cài wriggles, rubbing his nose like something is annoying his peaceful sleep. 'Xiao Cài...' Zhao MingAn called the little kappa again but this time, Xiao Cài opens his eyes slowly. Zhao MingAn supports the baby's neck and helps him to clean his eyes, everyone who sees the young man can see the genuine affection inside his manner.

Zhao MingAn takes a deep breath, lifts the baby kappa, and lets him see who's coming for him. And soon after Xiao Cài recognized the two kappas, he is chipping happily, flapping his web hands as if he wanted to rush towards them. Zhao MingAn's heart pangs but he passes the little kappa to the adult kappas.

Xiao Cài happily reaches for his parents and just like a lost child that eventually sees their parents, Xiao Cài chirping continuously like telling them what he came through. But suddenly, after sometimes chit-chatting, Xiao Cài's happy face changes. He turns his face and looks at Zhao MingAn and Shen YeZun, climbs down from his parent's hugs, and walks wobbly towards the two men.

'Xiao Cài!' Zhao MingAn caught the little kappa. 'What's happened?' He lifts Xiao Cài to his embrace. Xiao Cài starts to chirp even though he knows that no one knows what he meant but like to understand what the little kappa meant, Zhao MingAn hugs Xiao Cài tightly. 'It's okay, Xiao Cài...Back with your family is the best thing for you...' Zhao MingAn gulps as he tried hard to keep his voice steady, 'We will miss you but we know that you will be even happier...Besides, I will visit you someday...'

Xiao Cài nuzzles the strong chest before him, clutching to Zhao MingAn's shirt. Zhao MingAn caresses the baby kappa's head, pats it softly. There is only silence between them but everyone around them could feel a deep sorrow that engulfs both creatures with different species, even Guo ChangCheng can't hold back his tears. 'Go, Xiao Cài...I'll see you again sometime soon...' Zhao MingAn forces a smile.

Shen YeZun takes the baby kappa from his lover's hug, 'Xiao Cài...I know that you love us and we also love you dearly but our habitats are very different...All that we can give you is just artificial, not the same as your natural environment...' He caresses Xiao Cài's head, 'Besides, we will visit you regularly...' He glances at the adult kappa that nodded as if giving their agreement. 'We will bring you a lot of cucumbers...How about that?' Shen YeZun asked with a funny face makes the baby kappa lift his smile and nod. Zhao MingAn couldn't stop himself, hugs Xiao Cài and his lover at once as he hides his secret tears.

Finally, Shen YeZun returns the little kappa to his parents. After bowing to Gwang Li and bowing to both saviors of their son, the kappa family walks away. Xiao Cài waves his small hand continuously at Zhao MingAn who also keeps waving his hand with glistening eyes, holding back his tears as strongly as he could. Sees his little brother, Zhao YunLan couldn't help but sigh. 'Do you know, for someone who wants to turn him into a cap cài, you look awful...' He patted his younger brother's back.

'Can you stop adding the frost to the ice!?' Zhao MingAn growled under his breath. 'Xiao Cài is a good boy...' Zhao MingAn is nearly crying.

'Well...People said that what you hate the most will be what you love dearly...Seems like it's true...' Zhao YunLan snorted, 'Honestly, I don't see this coming a few weeks ago...' He strides away before his younger brother shouts at him. Glances at his younger brother who he just gain back keep waving his hand to the little kappa that just left them, Zhao YunLan can't stop smiling at the paradox.

'Because every objective we have is answered, we have no reason to keep imposed on you...Madame Gwang, please excuse us...' Shen Wei lowered his head and Gwang Li replied with a nod. Shen Wei turns his face to see Zhao YunLan who now stands by his side, 'Let's go...'

'Sure...' Zhao YunLan nodded to the lady before following Shen Wei.

'Chief Zhao...' Gwang Li's call stops Zhao YunLan's feet, even Shen Wei is halted as they look at the lady. 'The real danger is not these cases but what hides behind them...The universe is always searching for balance...The end of one is always open to the beginning of the other, life is a chain of cause and effect nonetheless...' Supported by the foxes, the lady stands up and slowly turns around. Lifts her face to see the sky, the lady says again, 'Everyone, please notice...The black moon is about to come...Watch your steps and stay together because, in this crucial moment, unity is the most important...' Two foxes help the lady to enter the hut while the other one turns into a beautiful lady and leads the group to the way out.

'My Lady will enter her meditation since tomorrow night...We will not open to visitors until she is finished...' The fox lady said when they got out from the forest, 'You are Guo ChangCheng?' She looks at the timid young man.

'Ye...Yes...' Guo ChangCheng answered stuttering.

The fox lady takes something from under her robe and gives it to the scaredy-cat young man, 'Here, it's yours...' A golden-colored neckless with a small rectangle pendulum.

'This...This is...' Guo ChangCheng asked when he received the neckless.

'That thing is initially yours...You will find out what is it by yourself...' The lady smiles, 'Alright then...See you in another time...' She bows to the group then disappeared inside the light.

Soon after the lady is gone, the situation back to the dark and eerie jungle once again. Shen Wei glances at the group, 'It's dark already, let's go back...' And they all walk back to the car. Different from the time they left for the Blue Tree Meadow where there were so many chit-chats, the home journey is so quiet. Nobody says anything, just silence reigning as everyone is drowned in their thought.

**********THIS STORY IS STOLEN BY NOVELHD, PLEASE JUST READ THE ORIGINAL IN WATTPAD OR AO3 **************

'Are you alright?' In front of their apartment door, Shen Wei pats Zhao YunLan's head as he keeps lowering it.

'Many things confusing me even more...' Zhao YunLan leans on the wall.

Shen Wei lowered his gaze while lifting his lips corner, 'If the answer is easy to get then it won't be a mystery...' Lifts his eyes and softly touches Zhao YunLan's cheek, 'Just take a rest...Do you need anything? Want me to prepare some food?' Zhao YunLan looks at Shen Wei's eyes, this man is indeed his Shen Wei makes he can't help but snort. 'What?' Shen Wei frowned.

'No...I just feel that you are more and more like your old self that I knew...' Zhao YunLan chuckled.

Shen Wei sighs, 'Zhao YunLan, I always feel that you stir up my jealousy in purpose so many times...' He smiles, gazes at Zhao YunLan with unsmiling eyes.

'Jealousy?' Zhao YunLan is even more confused, 'You jealous of yourself?'

Shen Wei strides to the confused man, trapping Zhao YunLan between the wall and him. 'I don't like you talk about another man, even he is my old self...Do you understand?'

'Huh-' Zhao YunLan has no time to surprise as Shen Wei kisses him, devours his lips as if wants to crush them. 'Damn!' Zhao YunLan pushes the man, 'Do you intend to suffocate me?' He gasps.

'Wei Wei...' Liu AnHe's soft voice is strong enough to startle the two men.

'AnHe...What are you doing here?' Shen Wei asked.

'Shen Wei...' Zhao YunLan holds the man's arm, 'She is a lady, don't use a straight ball...' Somehow, Zhao YunLan could feel that Shen Wei is very flat.

'It's better than run around the circle...' Shen Wei calmly replied.

'Wei Wei...You just kissed him...' Liu AnHe looks in shock.

'I am...This is what we are...' Shen Wei said makes Zhao YunLan has an urge to drown the man somewhere.

'I see...' Liu AnHe lowered her gaze, 'So Wei Wei is that such person...' She nodded, 'Then, Wei Wei should have told me earlier!' She sounds so upset.

'Huh?' Now, Zhao YunLan is in shock.

'I'm sorry...' Shen Wei lowered his gaze.

'Fine then...I'm leaving...' She turns around.

'AnHe...Where are you going?' Shen Wei asked.

'Find a man who still thinks that I'm pretty...' Liu AnHe answered.

'Let me take you-'

'No need! I have a driver with me...' Liu AnHe throws her hair backward, 'Wei Wei is useless for me now...' She strides to the stairs.

'That's it?' Zhao YunLan gap.

'I told you, it's better than run around the circle...' Shen Wei smiled.

**********THIS STORY IS STOLEN BY NOVELHD, PLEASE JUST READ THE ORIGINAL IN WATTPAD OR AO3 **************

'Drive!' Liu AnHe said soon after she get in the car. When the car drives far enough, she takes her phone, 'Hello, babe...I already know who is Zhao YunLan for Shen Wei...You will never believe me...' She smirked.

'Good...' The hidden young man replied, 'I too have something to discuss with you...'

'About what?' Liu AnHe takes off her hat and wipes her thick makeup.

'Shen YeZun...' The hidden man said.

The black moon, in other words, the new moon is an astrology phenomenon where the sun and moon are aligned on the same side of the earth. However, the black moon is not exactly the new moon but is referred to as an additional new moon that appears in a month or a season, it also referred to the absence of the full moon. In astrology, the black moon symbolizes the rebellion where the primitive side of humans is resurrected...

**********THIS STORY IS STOLEN BY NOVELHD, PLEASE JUST READ THE ORIGINAL IN WATTPAD OR AO3 **************Picture credit to daily express