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Assistant: Title: Autumn Empire
        Author: EmpressFiend EmpressFiend 
        Chapter: 1/74 
        Summary: “Muqiu!!!”Ye Xiu froze. That name. That voice. It couldn’t be a coincidence.____Time-Travel Fix-It.Pre-GPA SMQ, YX and SMC time-travel to the future and meet the newly-retired YX (& SMC). The Glory Alliance isn't ready. Are you? (Bonus platonic slow burn YeTwins/Trio.)
        Contents: Chapter 1: Prologue
    

    


      
        
          
          (See the end of the chapter for  notes.)
          
      
  

  
  
    
    (December)
   

  Click, click. Tap, tap.
A rhythmic stream of clicks and taps filled the silence of the small room that was bare of any furnishings aside from the very basic; only the computer set-up boasted any lustre. The near gory display on the monitor’s wide screen served as the lone brightness in the sea of darkness save for the pitiful embers that glowed from a burning cancer stick. Next to the mouse was an ash tray already half-full of ash piles which crumbled into a heap when the door burst open.
  Bang!
Unperturbed, the room’s original occupant didn’t so much as blink in surprise and their rhythmic sound continued to flow smoothly. Seconds passed going onto a minute, another, and then the catchy visual of victory flashed on the screen. Finally, the newcomer was acknowledged with a simple, “Arrived?”“Arrived,” was the equally simple reply.Golden eyes peeked through the fringes of messy black hair as a pale neck stretched to look sideways at where the newcomer remained standing by the threshold. “Want to play a game?”“No,” the newcomer shook her head, lustrous orange-blonde curls flowing gently from the move.Silence reigned for a while before another probing question was offered up: “something wrong?”“Is it okay…” With a gentle swing, the door slid closed and privacy was once more ensured. “If I do something selfish? It’s just, I don’t want to betray you… But, Xiu-ge, I don’t know… for how long…”The atmosphere in the room turned oppressive for a single breath but only for that short period.Gently, Ye Xiu smiled and assured, “do what you want and don’t worry about me.”A sniff was all the warning Mucheng gave before she flung herself into the other’s arms.Ye Xiu wrapped his arms securely around his pseudo little sister, a helpless smile on his lips as he combed his fingers through her long, silky hair. His heart felt like it had been wrapped around a string and weighed down by a rock. But he didn’t bother voicing out anything less than approval for whatever Mucheng wanted to do. Still, he had to ask one thing, “You’re not being forced, right?”“No,” Mucheng’s answer was mumbled but clear, her face pressed against his chest.“Okay,” Ye Xiu accepted this quietly and didn’t say anything more. Selfishness, betrayal, neither of those meant anything to him where Mucheng was concerned. If he was the only obstacle on her path and if she wasn’t being forced then he wouldn’t interfere and would gladly let her do as she pleased. *~*~*~* The new owner of One Autumn Leaf arrived under the cover of darkness, flashy blonde hair muted under the low-lighting of Excellent Era’s conference room, and surrounded by a newly-acquired posse of bootlickers along with their malicious backer. But rather than feel humiliated and upset, Ye Xiu merely felt a foreboding sense of disappointment as he stared at the team he had tried his hardest to whip into shape – and the state of the Club he had helped build from the ground up.Manager Cui Li straightened up from beside the rookie, his ghostly-white skin and sickly sallow cheeks complimenting his flat frame tucked into a neat suit. “Ye Xiu, the Club has decided that transfer player Sun Xiang will take over your position as Captain. From now on, Sun Xiang will be in control of your account One Autumn Leaf.”No advanced notice, no tact. How very like Cui Li.Su Mucheng, who had followed after Ye Xiu into the room, finally looked up from her phone which she had been fiddling with. Her normally warm expression replaced with an incredibly cold sneer.A shiver ran down the spines of everyone in the room save for Ye Xiu and one ignorant person.Clueless and too wrapped up in himself, Sun Xiang smirked arrogantly and drawled, “Brother Ye, I’ve just arrived and I already took over your position. Sorry,” he tacked on carelessly in contrast to his gleeful tone but through all this, he only spared Ye Xiu a glance as his gaze was focused on Mucheng’s body.“Brother Xiang, with those words, this position definitely suits you!” Liu Hao, the snake, crowed.“Right,” Guo Yang picked up after easily, “some people are already old and out-of-date!”“One Autumn Leaf deserves a better commander so that our abilities can be displayed!”Manager Cui Li, smirking slightly, spoke up above the rest, ordering, “Ye Xiu, hand over your card.”‘Hand over your card,’ what a normal string of words and yet this was what hit Ye Xiu the hardest. To give up his faithful companion of many years, the avatar that had stood by Autumn Tree’s side since the first server and that wielded the first weapon Su Muqiu had ever created - solely for his use too. He swallowed hard and slowly reached into his pocket to take out his precious silver-white account card.Body strung taut and self-control wound tight like an iron-fist, he walked over to where Sun Xiang sat like a king on what had originally been his chair as Captain. His fingers shook slightly as he offered his card and in the few moments it took to steady himself, the card was already taken away.“Yes! It’s mine!” Sun Xiang exclaimed triumphantly with a grin. He turned back to Ye Xiu with an unholy gleam in his eyes. “Your hands are trembling, Brother Ye. How can you be a player like this?”Ye Xiu ignored the schoolyard taunt and fixed his expression to impassivity, his eyes briefly flashing golden. “Sun Xiang, do you like Glory? If you like it, then treat everything as glory, not boasting.”For a moment, Sun Xiang didn’t react, dumbfounded. But a second passed and he turned furious. “What did you say to me? What does this have to do with you? Mind your own business and retire!”“Take care of it. That weapon is more precious than you,” Ye Xiu muttered under his breath and moved away, putting his back to the majority of the room’s occupants. His eyes caught Mucheng’s.“Ye Xiu!” Manager Cui Li suddenly called out.Frowning, Ye Xiu stared deeply into Mucheng’s eyes for a while longer, concerned about the anticipatory glint in her eyes. His name was called again, this time nearer, and he looked back.“The Club doesn’t have any competitive cards to give you. You will serve as a training partner first!”‘Serve as a training partner’? For the person who built the first and only dynasty in the Alliance, Glory’s original number one, touted Glory Textbook and Battle God, to become a training partner?What a joke.“Oh! Glory Professional Alliance’s number one training partner!” Sun Xiang laughed interestedly.Ye Xiu laughed mockingly right back, his heart encased in ice. “I’m cancelling my contract.”“Cancelling your contract?” Manager Cui Li’s vindictive emotion shifted into a thoughtful one.“Excuse me,” Mucheng suddenly said, startling everyone. However, she merely exited the conference room without another word, leaving behind a stunned and bewildered crowd.Ye Xiu frowned harder at her sudden departure but returned to the matter at hand. “Well?”“Right! Finally, this is the Ye Xiu I recognize! Then, let’s talk about the penalty fee! Do you even know how much it is? Frankly, you’ve done so much for so many years, if you want to leave, let’s discuss!”“Don’t bother. Tell it to me straight,” Ye Xiu ordered.Manager Cui Li shortly exposed a sneer. “It’s simple: announce your retirement.”
  BANG!
Everyone in the room flinched then flinched again when they saw the new arrival.“What…” Ye Xiu stared blankly at the identical face staring coolly right back at him. His eyes slid over to Mucheng’s subdued yet anticipatory and victorious smile. “You…” He thought back to her words a few months back and could only shake his head helplessly. “This… this is what you meant by that?”Ye Qiu entered the room with feline grace and immediately eyed the rest of the room with disdain.“Stay out of this,” Ye Xiu told his little brother.“You stay out of it,” Ye Qiu retorted carelessly and stepped past to face the manager himself. “Mr. Cui Li, stop gaping. It’s unsightly. Hurry up and produce Ye Xiu’s contract before I call in my lawyers.”Manager Cui Li snapped back to the present and fixed his glasses. “You’re not authorized –,”“Overruled,” Ye Qiu interrupted mercilessly and produced an official paper out of the stiff black folder he carried. “I have the power of attorney. Ye Xiu’s signature is right here. I can sue you and Excellent Era if you continue to harass him and force his hand. The contract. You have five minutes.”Ye Xiu snatched the official paper from the table and froze. “Mucheng…” She had made him sign something a few weeks ago and he hadn’t bothered double-checking. It was Mucheng after all.“Four minutes,” Ye Qiu narrated ruthlessly.Manager Cui Li’s sickly pallor deepened and he fleed the room, nearly tripping in his haste.“Now,” Ye Qiu sat down and crossed his legs, his hands clasped together as he eyed the new Excellent Era team with the attitude of an entomologist to bugs. “What shall I do with you?”“F@ck! Who the f@ck are you?” Sun Xiang finally exploded.“Keep it civil, swine,” Ye Qiu insulted. He turned to Mucheng, completely bypassing a blank Ye Xiu.Mucheng smiled sweetly. “I want to cancel my contract too.” She whipped out a copy of her own contract from behind her back like magic and passed it over. “Can you please do it for me, Qiu-ge?”“You – !” Sun Xiang turned red, almost puce in anger. “Hey!” He cried out demandingly.Neither Ye Xiu, Ye Qiu nor Mucheng paid him any attention. “What are you doing?” Ye Xiu couldn’t take it anymore. “Don’t be so hasty!”“Hasty?” Mucheng asked sunnily, her smile so bright that it was sharp.Ye Xiu paused, unused to having that deadly smile directed his way. His hesitation was enough to cut his presence out of the conversation as the door opened again and a harried Manager Cui Li entered to slam a few papers onto the table. He could argue his way, he knew, but that was only his pride talking and really, since this was Mucheng’s decision, didn’t he already decide to let her act freely?“Hmm…” Ye Qiu rifled through the papers and then whipped out a blank check. He quickly wrote on it and signed his name with a flourish before sliding it over. “Ye Xiu and Su Mucheng’s penalty fees for cancelling their contracts. I’ll be in touch soon to purchase Dancing Rain.”Manager Cui Li, though pale and dazed, deserved his position. He shot up in alarm without preamble and protested, “Su Mucheng is not under your jurisdiction! And we will not be selling!”“Oh?” Ye Qiu smiled leisurely and produced another official paper. “She also granted me the power of attorney. And you will be selling Dancing Rain to me one way or another.” He stood up languidly, movement akin to a panther, and shuffled the relevant papers back into his black folder before he decisively pivoted. “Brother, Mucheng, your personal effects should be packed up by now. Let’s go.”“Okay!” Mucheng chirped, smiling smugly.Ye Xiu wordlessly followed them both out, leaving behind the gob smacked team and manager.Well, regardless of how his end with Excellent Era came about as well as his own sentiments, Ye Xiu could appreciate the art of creating chaos and turmoil with the use of just a few words and actions.He and Ye Qiu… they were truly twins. *~*~*~* It was a crisp, cold night with the wind blowing through the road and between the buildings with much force, ruffling the trio the moment they stepped out of Excellent Era’s building. They huddled together unconsciously to protect from the chill, Ye Qiu at the front wearing a thick coat and Ye Xiu at the back in his typical thin clothing, then made their way over to the car idling away at the curb.Behind that car was another, this time bigger and likely filled to the brim with his and Mucheng’s belongings. Ye Xiu couldn’t remember the last time he experienced the sheer power money wielded, had practically resolved to ignore money since he’d run and on his pursuit for glory, so it was with mild yet muted bemusement that he watched a few bodyguards open the car doors for them.No, he hasn’t missed any of this at all. However, he wouldn’t deny that he felt marginally less tense being outside with the amount of bodyguards that Qiu-di had escorting them to the car. He’d become far too used to being the only protector around for Mucheng (and Muqiu, though with his best friend it went both ways) that he’d forgotten what it was like to not be so alert and concerned.Just as these thoughts passed his mind, he heard the heart-jolting and sickeningly familiar sound of a car going out of control. The screeching began from a distance then grew closer within a mere second. He jerked in surprise and whipped around to find the source as his heart jack-rabbited inside his chest, only to see a scene so hauntingly similar to the one that had occurred all those years ago.“Muqiu!!!”Ye Xiu froze. That name. That voice. It couldn’t be a coincidence.Before Ye Xiu knew what he was doing, he was sprinting towards the disaster rather than away, his ears ringing with the echo of his late best friend’s name called by a voice so familiar and from the alarmed shouts behind him. Still, all he cared about were the continuous cries up ahead from – He came to a halt, stunned disbelief coursing through his body as he stared at the trio across the street.He stared hard and intently, so much so that he didn’t notice the car sliding towards him.“GE!”
  SCREEEEEEECH! BOOM!
The world tipped over, spun and crashed. Ye Xiu groaned in pain, body curled up in a fetal position, covered by the weight above him. His mind reeled from the sudden impact, unable to keep up, yet his eyes never wavered from the trio across the street who stared back at him in surprise and horror.Within the next two moments, multiple things happened.Ye Xiu’s face was forcefully tilted up and he realized that his little brother had thrown them both away from the incoming car’s trajectory. Mucheng ran over, tears already streaming down her cheeks, her eyes so bright that they sparkled in the night. A group of bodyguards followed after her and fanned out protectively to prevent anyone from approaching but they were a little too late.The trio who were the source of all the commotion had already walked over, pace neither too fast nor too slow, their faces betraying their confusion. Ye Xiu stared at them intensely as he gently pulled himself and his twin up to a sitting position, his eyes hungrily, desperately, taking in the trio.“G-ge?!” Mucheng cried out.“Oh my god,” Ye Qiu muttered, eyes narrowed. “Who..?”Ye Xiu swallowed past the stone in his throat. “Muqiu..?” He asked, voice trembling and so close to breaking, filled with hope, trepidation, fear and everything else. In all honesty, he knew who he was looking at. He knew all three of them. But it was so impossible and he… he needed confirmation.“Hi…” Muqiu greeted automatically. “You’re…” He glanced at his male companion. “Wow.”“Right,” the male companion said briskly, “what’s the year?”“Year? You think we time-travelled?” Muqiu snorted, recovering quickly.“But ge,” the other companion tugged Muqiu’s sleeve. “She looks like me,” she pointed at Mucheng.Muqiu’s eyes raked over Mucheng curiously. “Er… I guess?”“Year,” the male one repeated in a bored tone.“…” Ye Qiu slowly stood up, looking incredibly suspicious and done. “You, you’re… eighteen?”The male nodded. “And you?”“We’re twenty-five,” Ye Xiu answered in his little brother’s stead as he too stood up. His arm ached a little from its intimate experience with the road but he was otherwise fine. “Time-travel, huh?”“Seriously?” Muqiu gawked. “Where’s older me then?”Mucheng choked wetly and bowed her head.“Oh,” the male one’s expression sharpened. “The accident…”“What?” Muqiu questioned.“You… it’s a good thing we time-travelled. You were about to get hit.”Muqiu jerked in surprise and looked in askance at the steaming car a few feet away. “Oh.”“But you’re okay, ge, right?!” the female companion demanded.“I’m fine,” Muqiu reassured a bit distractedly. “In one piece,” he continued.“So… Xiu… ge,” the male one tried out, “what now?”Ye Qiu sighed and snapped his fingers to gain everyone’s attention. “Get in the car first,” he instructed then whirled around and stalked back towards the idling car without waiting for a response; one bodyguard detached from the formation to shadow him on his way back.“We should go,” Ye Xiu murmured, shifting to the side and raising his arm to curve around the air behind the trio’s back as a subtle push. The trio looked at him for a moment but didn’t say anything and quietly made their way to the car. He followed suit, Mucheng falling into step beside him. *~*~*~* Once inside the car, both sets of trio naturally gravitated towards opposite ends of the car; Ye Xiu, Ye Qiu and Mucheng sat on the same row as the car’s doors whilst the other three sat in the row behind the driver’s seat. With such a convenient arrangement, Ye Xiu didn’t bother being polite and resumed staring at Muqiu, unable to tear his gaze away even in the face of the other’s discomfort.That face, that smile, that innate brightness…Ye Xiu had missed Muqiu so dearly and to see him again, alive and well… his heart ached with the hurt of tragic memories at the same time as it radiated sweet pain from the joyful reality in front of him. Time-travel or whatever it was, he didn’t care. Muqiu was back with him, real and just present.“We’re here,” Ye Qiu broke the silence and exited the car before any bodyguard could open itYe Xiu nudged the door he was resting against open and helped Mucheng out, his attention divided between making sure she disembarked safely and watching the younger trio slide out. They made their way to a tall upscale building made up of clean lines and architectural flair, past the doorman up front and the lobby concierge. Ye Xiu suspiciously squinted. This was an apartment building?“Come on, it’s cold,” Ye Qiu half-complained.They followed after him, the current circumstance too out of the norm for any of them to voice out any objections. Ye Xiu faithfully watched over their group from behind until their positions were all reversed upon entering the lift at which point he could only continue to stare by shamelessly looking over his shoulder or using the elevator’s reflection. He chose the latter option. He had his limits too.Ye Qiu continued to lead the way once they stepped out onto a well-lit hallway though it wasn’t necessary. That there was only one door available for what they knew was a generously-sized floor area was quite telling enough on its own in more ways than one. Still, they were guided through a modern foyer, past an open dining room and into a minimalistic living room where they all sat down.And… nothing.With a slight clear of the throat, Ye Xiu broke the silence. “Muqiu...” He trailed off, perplexed, as he eyed the two next to his best friend’s younger self. “Younger… Xiu. And… Little… Mucheng…”Someone snorted.“What’s the last thing any of you remember?”Younger Xiu’s lips curled up on one side. “We were about sign our contracts.”“Little Mucheng was with you?“No,” Younger Xiu replied with a slight frown at the younger girl. “Muqiu went to get his ID card then, next thing I know, we were in the middle of the road and a car was spinning towards Muqiu.”Ye Xiu nodded as he reached over to squeeze Mucheng’s hands. She offered him a tremulous smile.“I died? In this… timeline?” Muqiu clarified with a worried furrow to his brows.The silence that descended again was enough of an answer.“We’ve established that they time-travelled then?” Ye Qiu switched topics. “Xiu-ge?”Ye Xiu hummed. “No other explanation.”“Alright,” Ye Qiu sighed. “They’re going to need IDs. What names do you three want?”Muqiu raised his brows in question. “Uh…”“You can use your own name if you want,” Ye Xiu told him knowingly.“Good!” Muqiu sighed in relief.Ye Xiu smiled slightly. “Younger Xiu… how about Xiu’er?”“Fine,” the newly dubbed Xiu’er agreed.“What about me?” Little Mucheng pouted. “Can I still be Mucheng?”“How about Yucheng?” Mucheng spoke up for the first time since their arrival.Muqiu’s gaze slid back over to her with undisguised fascination.“Yucheng?” Little Mucheng tried out. “Why Yucheng?”“Because… the Glory character modeled after us is called Mu Yu Cheng Feng.”“Dancing Rain? Okay! I’ll be Su Yucheng!” Yucheng accepted readily.Mucheng smiled, a fond touch to her lips. “Okay, Little Cheng.”“How do you want this to go?” Ye Qiu cut in again. “For the lineage records.”Ye Xiu blew out a long breath. “Muqiu and Yucheng can be filed under Mucheng. As for Xiu’er…”“Long lost blood brother?” Ye Qiu suggested almost challengingly.“You think you can do that?” Ye Xiu challenged right back. “What will you tell our parents?” Ye Qiu shrugged. “Let me take care of that.”“How much power have you gained? How much freedom?” Ye Xiu demanded.“Come back and find out,” Ye Qiu retorted. “In any case, I’ll take care of it. For Mucheng too.”“So, a lot,” Xiu’er concluded.“This apartment is yours; it was bought in your name, Xiu-ge,” Ye Qiu stood up, obviously preparing to escape. “Do whatever you want. I’ll have your new identifications delivered later. Good night.”“Ah, he escaped,” Xiu’er observed carelessly once the front door clicked closed. “How’s EE?”“My home is your home. Make yourselves comfortable,” Ye Xiu declared then made his own escape. He wasn’t in the mood to explain what had been happening in Excellent Era to the innocent younger trio and he needed some time alone to come to terms with the long night he had just experienced.“Oh, he escaped too.”
  
  

    
      
        
        
          
  Fun Fact: The name "Xiu'er" is a pun. YX meant "er" as in "二" and is essentially calling younger!YX, "Ye Xiu the Second" or "Second Ye Xiu" but "er" is also "儿" which is used as an endearment. On the other hand, YQ's thinking of "er" as in "珥" for younger!YX's legal name. But naturally, all the Ye in the room understood YX's joke.
 
  (From here on, you'll see "Xiu'er" and "Xiuer" depending on who is calling/thinking about younger!YX.)'
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