Nothing Lasts Forever

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/43203042.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: Gen
Fandom: 山河令 | Word of Honor (TV 2021)
Character: Ye Baiyi
Additional Tags: Drabble, Drabble Collection, Post-Canon, Implied one-sided Ye
Baiyi/Rong Changming
Language: English
Collections: Ye Baiyi Week 2022
Stats: Published: 2022-11-22 Completed: 2022-11-27 Chapters: 7/7 Words:
700

Nothing Lasts Forever

by laurus_nobilis

Summary

A drabble collection for Ye Baiyi Week 2022.

Notes

As the summary says, this is a drabble collection for YBW2022. I might add tags as the
week goes on.
 Day 1 - Sweet

It was very self-indulgent. One could even say wasteful. Ye Baiyi himself probably would have,
not that long ago.

But what was this new life of his for, if not indulging?

He watched the vendor fold Dragon's beard candy into countless delicate strands. It looked good.
He soon discovered it also tasted good. Too bad it wouldn't last long…

There was some philosophical nonsense there, something about the dragon's white beard and the
passage of time. But Ye Baiyi was done with philosophical nonsense and pushed that thought
away.

Instead, he stuck around to buy a second batch of candy.

 Day 2 - Spicy

The waiters were staring at him in horror. Some of the costumers were starting to whisper, too.
Rude. Still, Ye Baiyi could not care less.

"This is what you call spice?" he said. "I want real flavor!"

"Sir, you already…" The waiter talking to him trailed off, intimidated by his glare. "I'll bring you
our spiciest dish if you insist, but are you sure you can keep eating?"

Ye Baiyi looked at the pile of bowls on his table. It wasn't even one of the biggest ones he'd
caused.

"Do you want to get paid or what? Go get it."

 Day 3 - Bitter / Time

Ye Baiyi was determined to try everything the rest of his life had to offer, good and bad, but that
didn't mean he had to like all of it. There were things that even he would wrinkle his nose at.

This tea was as bitter as medicine. A small taste was enough: that counted as trying. There was no
need to waste any more time on it.

And wasn't that an idea? His time could be wasted, now, no longer as endless as the sun and the
wind.

He smiled to himself. Better fill it with things he enjoyed, then.

 Day 4 - Salty / White

Looking at the snow brought back memories. The town became slowly covered in white and that
made it look quieter, lonelier. Snow always made it so easy to feel like the world was somehow
more distant.

Except, this time, that distance was only a vague impression. Ye Baiyi was no longer stuck at the
top of a mountain. Now he watched the snowfall through the window of a warm, comfortable inn,
trying to enjoy his salted vegetables soup in peace in spite of the loud and annoying young people
around him. It almost made him miss the mountain's silence.

Almost.
 Day 5 - Animal

A dog had started following him since he'd reached this town. Ye Baiyi, not being a particularly
friendly person, had no illusions as to why. It wasn't as if the mutt liked him. He just happened to
be carrying food on him.

"Go away," he said. "If I feed you, you'll stick around even more, so I'm not feeding you. Go
bother someone else."

That was far too complex for a dog to understand, it seemed, because it didn't leave. It just stood
there, wagging its tail like a fool.

Well. Perhaps throwing it just the one meatbun wouldn't hurt.

 Day 6 - Travel

Ye Baiyi moved from one town to another, without any rhyme or reason. He had no plans and no
duties. It made no difference to him where he spent the next few days. And besides, wasn't he old
enough to do whatever he wanted? After all that time stuck in the same place, it was good to
wander around while he still could.

He wasn't even alone now. That stubborn dog had decided to follow him for easy food.

"I can't believe I have a dog now," he muttered. "You'd laugh, Changming."

Then again, that sounded like a good thing.

 Day 7 - Free Day

The dog stared at him for so long that Ye Baiyi gave up and threw him a piece of meat. He was
getting soft in his old age.

"Don't get too attached," he said, knowing full well that it was too late for that warning. It was the
principle of the thing. "What are you going to do when I'm gone, hm? You'll probably outlive me."

What a strange thought that was, being outlived by someone. He'd always been on the other side of
that. It would be nice, he thought, to try something new.

But maybe not just yet.

Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!