[Code Name: Kite / Quan Guang] Autumn's Withered Fruit

"I'm becoming more and more like him, aren't I?"

Years had passed since they last met, and Sun Quan had changed a great deal. His voice had grown low, and his methods had become so devious they made people sigh.

But some things were familiar, like the way his gaze always seemed to conceal a great many things, and his cool, detached manner... And then there was his appearance.

Sun Quan looked more and more like Sun Ce.

Even their height was similar. The King of Guangling had to look up to meet his cold green eyes.

Unwilling to strain her poor neck, the King of Guangling discreetly took half a step back. With a calm, easy smile, she tried to make conversation. "Zhongmou, you've grown so much." A gust of river wind made her cough. Her next words came out indistinctly. "...It'd be nice if you were a little taller."

It'd be nice if I were a little taller, the King of Guangling thought. Being a head shorter than him makes it hard to speak with confidence.

She was sure she hadn't said anything wrong, but Sun Quan's voice turned icy. "A little taller, so you'd have an excuse to mistake someone else for him, replace the fake in the Embroidered Clothes Tower, and find someone who looks even more like him?"

...What was he even talking about? The King of Guangling didn't understand, so she pretended not to hear and smoothly changed the subject. "The riverside isn't the place to talk. Everyone, please come back to the residence with me."

Sun Quan stared at her for a moment, then led the people of Jiangdong after her.

*

"When she was with my elder brother, she saw the tender shoots of spring and looked forward to the day they'd grow into flourishing branches. When she looks at me, all she sees is autumn, with all the leaves fallen.

"I'm a fruit on a branch that no one notices. No matter how hard I try or how much I grow, all she remembers are the tender leaves of spring, the fallen leaves of autumn, and the bare branches of winter." Sun Quan spoke coldly. His eyes seemed to hold hatred, but when one looked again, there was nothing but indifference.

"But my elder brother is dead." He changed tack, then repeated himself. "I respect him, but this is no longer the spring of new leaves, nor the summer of thick branches. This is autumn, the season of fruit."

He lowered his gaze. "What's the point of yearning for spring over and over again in autumn?"

This blurb was posted on September 17, 2024.

A Quan-Guang story set up by a Ce-Guang relationship. The whole story is made up and takes place after Sun Ce's death. Just read it for fun, and please forgive the lack of logic.

A little bullying of Ling Tong, who looks a lot like the Sun family (sorry, Brother Ling). Also, the King of Guangling's flirtatious reputation remains intact (hint, hint).

The King of Guangling is referred to directly as the King of Guangling, in the third person. The perspectives alternate between the King of Guangling and Sun Quan.

This is exactly the dark younger-man romance I want, with this deliciously twisted love-hate dynamic. I'm writing this for my own enjoyment.

I like Sun Ce a lot, so he'll feature heavily. In comparison, Sun Quan's feelings will seem especially twisted, but that's exactly why I ship Quan and Guangling.

Theme: Is there always someone new to replace the old?