Anonymous (Prequel)

Xiao Zhan was a normal student under Fine Art department. However, due to war, he lost his family and most of his friends. That time his dream shattered and the only thing that left was their family home in Chonqing.

 

 

Until one fateful day, he met one of the officers of the CCP, Minister Tang. He offered him a job in exchange of the Minister’s support to continue his studies in college and they will even give him a recommendation to make sure that he will have a slot in the prestigious university in Chonqing. Of course, that’s not all, they will even provide him some salary for his needs.

 

 

He doesn’t have any work experience, he’s an introvert but he is good in socializing when needed and creating connection to different people. He’s one of the student councils of his previous school and has a good track record of grades.

 

The minister set his eye on him when he saw him and his artwork in a contest before. When he learnt that he was still alive the minister asked him to work for him using his works. So, whenever a high rank official asked for an artist, he usually recommend him to spy on them and or ask him to create a masterpiece and deal with them.

 

 

At first, he was hesitant to kill, but he pledges his loyalty to the country and being a patriot, he sacrificed his morality; he even enlists in the fortress in Chonqing to have an access. During that time, he witnessed a murder by a young man, the victim was a spy from Japanese Government, However the young man in suit was badly injured as well.

 

 

He approached the wounded young man as a normal student civilian, but upon seeing him closely he is familiar with him. He already saw him in Shanghai when the minister asked to coordinate with his cousin, who is the Director of No. 76, Mr. He.

 

 

Whenever the minister had errand, he tends to see the younger man after discreetly giving information to Mr. He. They are using one of Mr. He’s room as an exclusive meeting place, since Xiao Zhan is directly reporting to the minister, it was only Mr. He and the minister knew that he is a hidden agent.

 

Xiao Zhan brought the wounded Yibo to his house to tend his wounds, it was life threatening wound, fortunately due to his experience he was able to save Yibo from his deadly wounds.

 

Yibo woke up in unfamiliar room, he wanted to move but unfortunately, he was beaten so bad and having a hard time in moving.

 

“Hey hey, you should rest first! Stop moving, I know we are on a tough time, but you shouldn’t push yourself too hard, by the way I’m Xiao Zhan, you are?” Xiao Zhan said, he’s grateful that the young man already woke up, he knew his name but to avoid suspicion he still asked for his name.

 

 

But as expected, the young man didn’t answer, and it took him few days before the young man told him his name. Since he was also a student that time, as possible he is spending more time outside to give way to Yibo, he knew that the young man is secretly contacting Mr. He and Gen. Watanabe.

 

 

He also knew beforehand that Yibo has been double crossing Gen. Watanabe to gain his trust, but Yibo and Mr. He are secret agents of CCP as well in guise of working in No. 76. So, the minister asked Xiao Zhan to be a secret informant of Mr. He as well, that is why after he graduated the minister even gave him a job in municipal as a forensic artist.

 

 

Xiao Zhan and Yibo grew closer to each other, he even recommends Yibo to work in his friend’s club. He’s even updating Mr. He about Yibo’s condition, while Yibo was continuously contacting Gen. Watanabe to look like that he is still loyal to him.

 

 

About his ex-boyfriend, it was him who disposed him. He approached the guy to get some intel about the Japanese in Chonqing, fortunately the guy was interested with him to be exact he’s only interested with him because of his look and body, but nothing happened between the two of them. To be honest, Xiao Zhan was really grateful that he can use his innocent look in gaining intel, he knows that he can seduce some one, so as possible he tries to bewitched them, without harming himself.

 

Then again, he only accepts his proposal as his boyfriend due to his job and after two months of being in a relationship with that guy, he silently disposed him. Unfortunately, since Yibo and Xiao Zhan are living in the same house, it is hard to conceal his bruised face and body from their bloody fight.

 

He told Yibo that it was due to domestic violence that’s why he decided to break up with the guy. He never felt guilty disposing that guy as the guy has a violent nature as well. Fortunately, he knew how to self-defense and avoid getting hurt in the span of being in a relationship, except for their last fight.

 

 

The reason why Xiao Zhan’s is not drinking was because he has low alcohol tolerance, so whenever he met his target or in an official business, he always told them that he’s allergic to alcohol. But that night since it was their graduation night and no ‘commission’ from the minister nor Mr. He, he decided to enjoy the night and drink alcohol. He even teased Yibo on treating him some of his specialty since they booked a room on his friend’s club.

 

 

 

As expected, alcohol and Xiao Zhan are not compatible, he got drunk and passed out in the process. He woke up in his room after Yibo tucked him on bed. He received a call last night from Mr. He that Gen. Watanabe might asked Yibo to go back in Shanghai anytime soon, so without expecting anything, he’s still asked the young man.

 

“Really? Are you going to stay here forever?”

 

Yibo didn’t answer Xiao Zhan, but Xiao Zhan already knew the answer and felt and strong pang in his chest. Regardless, he chose to confess to the young man he doesn’t want to regret anything, and this is the first time that he felt this way. He pulled Yibo towards him and abruptly kiss him and circled his arms around Yibo’s neck and surprisingly Yibo also deepened their kiss.

 

 

“I like you Yibo,” Xiao Zhan said in between of the kiss.

 

 

“Mn, don’t regret it Zhan-ge,” Yibo said as he smirks and continue kissing Xiao Zhan. During that night, they both give in to the pleasure as they passionately spent the night together on the same bed.

 

 

This may not be their first kiss, but everything after that kiss was their first time. That morning Yibo also confessed to him, and both became partners who love each other. Fortunately, Gen. Watanabe didn’t call him Yibo back to Shanghai so they were able to spend their quality time, had a normal date after work and passionately work on bed every day.

 

It was tiring for Xiao Zhan to do it every day, but it was his mistake to provoke Yibo to do it every day. He even asked him if it’s possible to do it every other two days, but Yibo just said, “Every day is everyday.” It was a blissful year for both, and he was thankful that he was able to experience those things with Yibo despite of their job.

 

 

From time to he felt guilty from hiding his identity to Yibo even though they are on the same side, but he cannot tell for now, you need to fool those around you before fooling your enemy. Until that one night after he went from his work and mission, he is used to wait for Yibo as the younger man is working in the club and usually go home late.

 

 

But that night, no one came home, he already expected this but not this night. Xiao Zhan waited until morning on their table with his cooked food and cake for their anniversary. He silently lit the candle and said, “Hope we meet again, Yibo. Happy anniversary,” he blew the candle and as the darkness grows into the house, for the first time he loudly cries his heart out.

 

 

Years passed, as he continuously nurturing his skill as an artist while doing his secret mission. He decided to move in Shanghai, he’s continuously and discreetly giving intel to Mr. He to their usual room and never saw Yibo. The tension between the Japanese Government and Wang Puppet Government have grown, until one dangerous mission was assigned to him by the minister of CCP, it was to assassinate the little duke of Japan, which is the most important person of Japan in China that time.

 

 

 

The government made a reservation for party in guise of peaceful meeting, even the little duke took an interest to the famous artist, so he even invited him at home to do the commission painting on his house, specifically on his room. After some days, news spread that the little duke was assassinated. Also, that night, for the long time he saw Yibo again, silently observing him from afar, but he has things to do, so again he decided not to run towards him.

 

 

Xiao Zhan observed the habits of the little duke while he was doing his paintings, he was really into arts and paintings from different countries that is why the minister decided to give him that job. The little duke tends to touch his favorite paintings and those paintings are hanging on his room and don’t even allow his servants to touch them, so he personally hangs them on the wall as a treasured collection. Since the little duke was heavily guarded outside his room, Xiao Zhan devised a different plan to assassinate his target.

 

 

This time he decided to put a potent poison on his varnish, so even a little amount can kill its target if it was consumed, but it could kill you if you inhaled and were exposed for too long in a closed room, of course Xiao Zhan made sure that this poison was odorless. So, it took few days before the poison took effect on the little duke’s body. That’s the reason why he was able to create an alibi when the government investigated the poisoning.

 

 

Unfortunately, General Watanabe thinks otherwise. He asked some information about little duke’s visitors for the past two weeks and even asked for a private investigation to Captain Eric Wang, Yibo’s friend in No. 76. But while waiting for the result of the investigation from the little duke’s personal thing, he planned an ambush to suspected communist party, and it was only Yibo who shown up that night.

 

 

General Watanabe asked Yibo where are the other two since he became more suspicious of Mr. He as he learnt that Mr. He is also a cousin of the Minister of the China Communist Party (CCP). Yibo can only answer on behalf of Captain Eric Wang since it was his friend’s father birthday or so he thought, but unfortunately, he has no idea where Mr. He went that night.

 

 

This made General Watanabe trust Yibo more and give him more task, but he’s getting inpatient since the strongest candidate for assassination has not been dealt yet, which is the famous artist Xiao Zhan who solely went inside the little duke’s room. So, he decided to ask Yibo to invite the said man to their hide out, for a dinner and threat him. During that dinner, Xiao Zhan was nothing but happy to see again the man that he loves, even though he just received a threat from the General. The meeting ended, and Yibo drove back Xiao Zhan to his apartment.

 

“Don’t accept the commission,” Yibo said while driving.

 

“Haha, why are you worried for me?” Xiao Zhan said, as usual he is still smiling while looking outside the window.

 

“It’s dangerous, I know you are part of CCP,” Yibo said.

 

“Aiyo, so I’m really busted haha,” Xiao Zhan said. Yibo suddenly stopped the car by the half-heartly answer of Xiao Zhan and he looks angry.

 

“Did you kill the little duke?” Yibo angrily asked.

 

“Is that a rhetorical question or are you really looking for an honest answer? You are looking at the correct person, Bo-di,” Xiao Zhan saw Yibo flinched on his answer.

 

“As you know, it is hard to survive during these tough times, but I wanted to still pursue my dream to be a great artist,” Xiao Zhan added.

 

“You should have lived peacefully,” Yibo said.

 

“That’s impossible right now, I’m not even with the man that I love.”

 

“Xiao Zhan, I,” Yibo said but Xiao Zhan cut him off, he doesn’t want to hear an apology right now, especially that someone is following them.

 

“Don’t worry Yibo, don’t force yourself, I told you before I won’t ask about your job. That night I asked you if you’re going to stay with me, but you stayed silent, I already assume that you will leave me someday and tried my luck to confess to you. Fortunately, you accepted me, that blissful times that we spent together is okay with me I will not be greedy.”

 

“No, Zhan-ge, there’s still time! Do not accept his commission,” Yibo worriedly said.

 

“If ever, that I will still alive after this painful war, I think I will look for a new partner and settle down. You should do that too. At least, right now we already talked, and I think this is the best way to officially broke up, goodbye Yibo. I hope we meet again in peaceful time,” Xiao Zhan said and left the car. But of course, that would be impossible as he’s the only man he loves, Xiao Zhan thought.

 

 

That night someone ambushed Xiao Zhan in his apartment and tried to kill him, he even fakes his death and ate a pill to stop his heartbeat for meantime when he loses consciousness and hoping that Mr. He or the minister received his SOS signal in time. Captain Eric Wang asked his subordinate to dispose Xiao Zhan’s body and make it look like a suicide, but he has wound in the head, so he asked them to drop him off the building and leave a suicide note and Captain Wang left the building when he heard someone fall off the building.

 

 

Unknowingly, those people who talked to Captain Wang was already replaced by the minister’s agents and manage to save Xiao Zhan on time. While they throw a body of Captain Wang’s agent in replacement of Xiao Zhan’s body with the same physique and made sure that his face is unrecognizable and switched their clothes and ID. While the other agents were silently disposed by the Minister’s agent.

 

 

Mr. He coordinated with some of the reporter and asked them to report that the body of a renowned artist was found in front of the building lifeless and cannot even identify his face due to the damage that he suffered from falling into a building and they can only identify the body by the IDs on his wallet, clothes, and accessories that he wears.

 

 

 

The night Yibo learnt the news, he stayed in the archive room and really confirmed that it was indeed Xiao Zhan’s body based on the pictures of clothes that he wore when he drove him back into his apartment building. Yibo’s world was shattered that night, he can’t even scream, he just clenched on the newspaper and silently cry alone in that archive room. He also confronted Captain Wang in that room, he knew that he’s following them but given that at some point he trusted his friend and even asked him to spare Xiao Zhan before, he thought that he wouldn’t touch Xiao Zhan again, but it was a mistake.

 

When Captain Wang pulled the trigger of his revolver, that was when Yibo confirmed that his friend and him is not really on the same side and he was devoted to the Japanese Government. Fortunately, Yibo removed the bullet of the other man’s revolver and that was the last time Captain Wang was seen.

 

 

The news about Xiao Zhan reached Gen. Watanabe but he thought it was Yibo’s work since Captain Wang didn’t report about it. So, his trust with Yibo grew and assigned Yibo as his secretary and his double agent since General Watanabe is suspicious of the sudden disappearance of Mr. He, and tasked Yibo to look and dispose his former superior.

 

 

A bloody fight ensues the two of them and Yibo was badly injured but informed the General that Mr. He has been imprisoned and no way out as a communist and mastermind of assassination. During that fight, Mr. He advised him to give everything he got to make it more believable and asked him to never enter that locked room.

 

 

During that time Xiao Zhan was listening to them, it was their former rendezvous point to exchange intel with Mr. He, so when the minister saved him, Mr. He offered him to stay there as it was the safest location for him to hide. It was painful for him to hear that Yibo was badly beaten but it was part of the plan and restrain himself.

 

 

As a reward to Yibo’s fake loyalty, General Watanabe shows Yibo the map of Manchuria and intel about it. So, the two move to Manchuria and start their new political career. But before leaving Shanghai, he left the intel to the locked room as instructed by Mr. He, since Mr. He was currently in prison as part of the plan.

 

 

 

 

After some years, the Japanese surrender to mediate peace, resulting arresting of Japanese officers and their coalition. Unfortunately, due to the political power that General Watanabe gained, he can still freely move while in prison due to bribe and corrupt officials. When they are on the washroom, Yibo carried out his last mission and left the General on the washroom with a cut up neck, and bleeding until his last breath.

 

 

Xiao Zhan was waiting outside of the washroom to make sure that there will be no witness, even if they already bribe the whole facilities. When Xiao Zhan saw Yibo washing the blade, he disguised as a soldier and wear military helmet to somehow cover his face, he even uses his deep voice and told Yibo that Mr. He is waiting for him in a certain room. Mr. He signaled Yibo that the soldier was their ally.

 

 

After a long fight of being a double agent, Yibo held out the blade in front of Mr. He and grabbed the blade as he walks out of the room while saying, “Thank you for your hard work and sacrifices, please live peacefully from now on, you two.”

 

 

“Nice to meet you, Secretary Yibo, I’m Xiao Zhan,” Xiao Zhan said when Mr. He closed the door and Yibo hurriedly turn around and face him.

 

 

“You’re alive?”

 

 

“I’m pretty sure I’m not a ghost,” Xiao Zhan teasingly said, he wanted to lighten up the mood as this was the first time, he saw Yibo with tearing eyes. Yibo didn’t say anything but hug him tightly like he will never let him go.

 

 

“I just came from a breakup, but Secretary Yibo would you like to be my boyfriend? You are my type you know,” Xiao Zhan said happily, but Yibo flinched with the sudden declaration, did Xiao Zhan enter a relationship after they broke up? Yibo’s mind is still processing what he meant, and Xiao Zhan noticed this.

 

 

“I told my ex If ever, that I will still alive after this painful war, I will look for a new partner and settle down. He used to be a bartender and we passionately enjoyed every night when we were staying in Chonqing but he left me during our anniversary, so Secretary Yibo can you do better than him?” Xiao Zhan teasingly said. Yibo recalled what Xiao Zhan said before they separate ways the last time he saw him.

 

 

“What a coincidence, my ex told me the same thing that I should look for another partner after war and live peacefully. I should be the one asking you, can you be my boyfriend, agent Xiao Zhan?” Yibo said.

 

 

 

“Aiyoo, this happened before, I was the first to confessed but I’m also the one who will give an answer. Of course, but would you like to live with me, back in Chonqing?” Xiao Zhan said.

 

 

 

“How much is the rent?” Yibo asked back while smirking like the first time they met in Chongqing.

 

---

 

“Where do you think does Mr. He got his intel?” Xiao Zhan asked.

 

“Mn, I knew it was from one of the minister’s agents.”

 

“Of course, but since, I am directly working to the minister, only few people knew that I was part of CCP, well, only minister and Mr. He and now you, even those people who saved me never knew my affiliation with the minister and of course Mr. He knows about our relationship,” Xiao Zhan explained.

 

“Mn, that’s why he won’t let me see that locked room and even asked me to just leave the intel outside of that room.” Yibo said as he realized that it was his superior and lover’s rendezvous point for intel exchange.

 

 

“That’s why never think of cheating me okay? I would know right away,” Xiao Zhan said as he crossed his arms.

 

 

“Mn, I cannot do that, besides you are more capable agent than me, besides every day is everyday Zhan-ge,” Yibo said smugly and kissed his lover.

 

 

The two of them moved back to Chonqing, to their old house, where their love blooms and happily celebrates their anniversary together.

 

 

— Fin.