Shao Xinyuan could feel hot rage crawling through his veins.

Wenzhi was lying. He could tell, and it wasn’t just irritating, it was provoking.

Did Lin Wenzhi take him for a fool? Did he think he was just some muscle-headed, sex-crazed Esper with zero awareness?

As his grip tightened on Wenzhi’s wrist, the screams in his head finally vanished. Even when the chaos tried to rush back, it couldn’t reach him. Not while he was holding him.

He refused to let go. Not now. Not ever.

Wenzhi didn’t move, simply meeting his gaze with those dull grey eyes. After a long moment, he looked down at the hand gripping his wrist and said, "Let go."

Xinyuan’s jaw tightened. "No."

A breath left Wenzhi slowly, his chest rising and falling as if he was forcing himself to stay calm.

"I’m not leaving." His voice was flat. "Did I say I was? Everyone is so obsessed with making me your guide. Do you honestly think Shen Jue would settle for only one year?"

Xinyuan blinked.

...That made sense.

But... Doctor Bai’s voice echoed in his head.

Wenzhi had killed the personnel sent to bring him in back at Jia’ang City.

Xinyuan understood the reality. Guides died around him far too easily and far too often.

But Wenzhi didn’t.

So why... Why was he still trying to leave?

"Let me fucking go!" The sharp snap cut through his thoughts. "You’re hurting me."

Xinyuan froze. He let go instantly, pulling back as if he’d been burned. He took one step back, then another, putting distance between them.

Wenzhi rubbed his wrist, his face hardening into a look of disgust.

Xinyuan stared. He tracked every detail of that guarded, freckled face. It was only when the silence became suffocating and his chest began to ache that he finally turned and walked away.

~°~

Xinyuan’s chosen room was ready, his clothes already set out. They were familiar and functional, mostly training gear. He didn’t have much else to his name.

"Ugh..." He exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair before pulling his glasses off, tossing them aside.

The quiet didn’t follow him into the room. It never did. The second he was alone, the noise returned, louder and more punishing than it had been before.

A sharp beep cut through it.

Xinyuan checked the holographic display on his wristwatch. It was an immediate assignment notice for the Rift Suppression Corps. He had been placed on a top-ranked Esper team, ending his streak of solo missions.

Xinyuan stared at the assignment notice without expression. After a moment, he slowly raised his eyes to look back at the door he had just walked through.

"Should I go back?" Xinyuan closed his palm over his watch and leaned back against the bed, eyes falling shut.

Wenzhi was all he thought about, but he forced himself to stay put. When exhaustion finally claimed him, he fell into a deep sleep, only to wake to a familiar silence. He knew that feeling. His eyes snapped open.

Wenzhi was there, his wavelength already coiling around him. He stood across the room, yanking a camera loose from the shelf before dropping it to the floor and crushing it beneath his foot.

The sharp crack echoed.

"You’re destroying them?" Xinyuan pushed himself upright instantly.

Wenzhi glanced at him, unfazed.

"Yes," he said flatly. "I don’t want anyone spying on us during guiding sessions. It’s creepy."

He didn’t stop. He snatched the broken device, slammed it again, making sure it was completely useless.

Xinyuan watched.

The researchers would see this.

But Wenzhi didn’t care.

...Interesting.

Wenzhi moved again, heading toward the far corner. His gaze lifted, locking onto the camera lodged high in the ceiling.

He scoffed. "That one’s just insulting."

Then he looked back at Xinyuan. "Can you get me up there, Sleeping Beauty?"

Xinyuan paused. He didn’t get the nickname, but it beat being called a subject or a weapon.

Besides, Lin Wenzhi thought he was beautiful.

...He didn’t dislike that.

Xinyuan focused, and the air shifted as gravity bent to his will. Wenzhi’s body lifted clean off the ground. He went rigid with surprise before an amused huff escaped him. "...Okay, that’s actually cool."

Xinyuan didn’t say a word. He could have easily crushed every camera in the house with a thought, but he preferred this. Keeping Wenzhi close.... right within his range.

Carefully, Xinyuan maneuvered Wenzhi to the ceiling. Wenzhi pulled a hammer and struck the camera repeatedly until it broke.

Once the device fell, Xinyuan brought him back down slowly, keeping his balance perfectly steady.

The moment Wenzhi’s feet touched the ground, he looked at him.

"I got all seventeen," he said, matter-of-fact. "Including the one over your bed."

He swept up the broken pieces and threw them into a plastic bag before heading for the door.

"I made food," he called back casually. "Come eat if you want." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Just like that, he was gone. The door clicked shut behind him.

Xinyuan smiled brightly and moved on to the bathroom, taking his time in the shower. The water ran hot, steam curling around him as he stood under it, letting the noise in his head dull just a bit.

When he stepped out, droplets traced down his skin, catching along the lines of his body as he reached for a towel. He dried his hair before dragging the towel down over his shoulders, his chest, and his abdomen, muscle flexing with each movement.

Across his back, a chain tattoo stretched in a Y-shape; two ends hooked over his shoulder blades, while the final length ran straight down his spine.

Xinyuan pulled on a pair of loose pants, the fabric sitting low on his waist. He adjusted his glasses and stepped out, fingers combing lazily through his damp hair.

The warm, rich scent hit him before the sight did.

He followed it into the kitchen where Wenzhi stood by the counter, flipping an omelette before sliding it onto a plate.

"...That smells amazing?" Xinyuan said, settling into a chair.

Wenzhi didn’t respond right away. He looked up and let his eyes travel over Xinyuan twice in a very flat, judging manner. "Why aren’t you wearing clothes?"

Xinyuan blinked. "I want to seduce you."

Wenzhi’s eyes dropped again, taking in his body like he was assessing something mildly inconvenient rather than impressive.

He turned back to the stove.

"It’s not working," he said calmly. "Put on a shirt."

Xinyuan sank his teeth into his lower lip, faintly disappointed. "...I don’t really have clothes."

That made Wenzhi look at him again.

He picked up the plate and pushed it across the counter toward him.

"Eat," he said. "We’ll go shopping later or something."

A small smile curved Xinyuan’s lips.

He isn’t leaving.

The thought settled in quietly.

Xinyuan picked up his fork and began to eat. Wenzhi watched him with a focused, careful intensity.

As Xinyuan looked up, their eyes met. "Aren’t you eating?"

"I already ate," Wenzhi replied, his gaze steady. "Focus on yours."

Xinyuan nodded and took a bite. "...This is amazing."

His eyes lit up. "So much better than those dried bars at the facility."

"There’s no chef like me," Wenzhi tilted his head, studying him. "So enjoy it, Sleeping Beauty. Like it’s your last meal."