Lin Wenzhi was a sight.

The black tank top and heavy pants suited him, but the real draw was his arm. There, for all to see, was the bite mark Xinyuan had left earlier. It stood out against Wenzhi’s pale skin like a fresh brand.

Honestly, the sight triggered something. He felt a savage hunger clawing at his throat, a need to act. But he clamped down on the impulse. He shoved the feeling into the dark, burying it deep beneath a mask of control.

Especially when Wenzhi turned, slid a plate of food toward him without a word, grabbed his own, and walked straight into the living room.

Xinyuan followed with his plate in hand.

Wenzhi had already settled on the sofa, leaning back as he switched on the TV.

He didn’t look at him. Not even once.

Xinyuan moved to sit and stopped as Wenzhi’s cold gaze flicked up.

A silent warning.

Don’t even think about it.

Xinyuan snapped upright. He didn’t move an inch, just stood his ground with the plate gripped firmly in his hand.

Wenzhi looked him up and down, his eyes pausing on his naked torso. "Didn’t you go shopping?"

"I did."

Wenzhi rolled his eyes and looked back at the TV.

"Last night in Belium City," the reporter’s voice cut in, "the public received confirmation that the disaster-class Esper, Shao Xinyuan, has now been assigned a guide and permitted increased public activity."

A footage played.

Dark miasma rushed across the screen, violent, overwhelming, snatching crawlers mid-motion and dragging them back into the rift.

Another clip of Wang Chenxi stepping out with Han Suye beside him.

Then... Xinyuan. Emerging from the rift with Wenzhi in his arms.

Wenzhi’s face was hidden, pressed into him, completely obscured from the cameras.

The rift sealed behind them.

All of a sudden, the camera zoomed in, trying to catch a glimpse of Wenzhi’s face.

But Xinyuan’s mist flared instantly, swallowing the frame. And when it cleared, they were gone.

"According to the CEA," the reporter continued, "this marks a turning point in coordinated rift suppression. Authorities assure the public that stronger protective measures are now in place."

The broadcast continued.

Wenzhi had stopped chewing.

Slowly, he turned his head.

Xinyuan was still standing, eating quietly. The glow of the TV reflected faintly in his eyes.

He looked completely unbothered by the footage.

Wenzhi looked away, finished his food in a few quick bites, then carried the plate back to the kitchen.

The tap ran. Water against porcelain.

He started washing.

Xinyuan followed. "There’s a dishwasher," he said, pointing.

"I need to think," Wenzhi muttered.

Xinyuan tilted his head, genuinely curious. "You think better while washing dishes by hand?"

No answer.

Silence stretched between them, broken only by running water. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Xinyuan moved into his space, their shoulders nearly brushing. He reached for a plate, ran it under the stream of water, and tucked it into the drying rack.

Wenzhi exhaled sharply. Annoyed.

"...Didn’t you say you wouldn’t invade my space?" he snapped. "You’re stabilised now, aren’t you? Go away. I’m tired."

He turned but Xinyuan stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"Do you have a cold?" he asked.

Wenzhi’s hand moved.

He grabbed the nearest knife and drove it straight into Xinyuan’s stomach.

A clean, solid hit.

Xinyuan stiffened.

The impact registered instantly and sharp pain followed.

He staggered back while Wenzhi just stood there, watching and waiting for him to fall.

Xinyuan didn’t.

Instead, a rough chuckle escaped his lips. The knife shifted with the motion, making it hurt more but he didn’t stop.

He reached down, gripped the handle and pulled it out.

The blood surfaced only to be trapped as the cut sealed itself. Cells raced to bridge the gap, knitting the skin back into a perfect, unbroken line until the wound vanished entirely.

Wenzhi’s shoulders dropped in defeat.

"...Damn," he muttered under his breath.

He turned away but Xinyuan moved again, faster this time, blocking him once more.

He lifted the knife toward Wenzhi.

There was still blood on the blade.

"You can stab me again," he said, almost gently. "If it makes you feel better. Go on."

"Are you insane? I literally just put a blade in you and you’re asking for more?" Wenzhi stared at him in disbelief. "Do I need to aim for your neck to get through to you?"

Xinyuan lowered his hand slowly.

"...But you’ll leave," he said, quieter now, "if I remove the restraint."

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Xinyuan turned his head quickly toward a faint and rapid beeping sound.

He moved in a blur, dragging Wenzhi away just as the kitchen erupted in a violent blast.

Walls shattered. The entire space, from kitchen to dining, collapsed in a violent burst of debris and dust.

Wenzhi, mid-struggle, froze. "...What the hell?"

Muffled voices followed. Filtered through masks.

"Did we hit them?"

"No bodies. We’re going in."

Xinyuan’s muscles tensed.

There were at least twelve men there. All armed.

His first instinct was to tear them apart.

They had almost killed Wenzhi.

But the moment his grip loosened, Wenzhi slipped away.

Xinyuan followed immediately.

They reached the garage, both dropping low, keeping out of sight.

Wenzhi went straight to his bike, fingers brushing over it briefly before his jaw tightened.

"My bike’s too loud," he muttered. "The noise will give me away."

Xinyuan frowned. "Why are you saying me and not us?"

Wenzhi didn’t look at him.

"Because you can tank gunfire," he said flatly. "I can’t."

He swung onto the bike then paused.

Footsteps.

They both heard it.

Wenzhi clicked his tongue softly and stepped off the bike immediately, moving to the side of the door they’d entered through.

Xinyuan stayed back, hidden in shadow.

The door creaked open.

One of the masked men stepped in and stopped.

Too late.

Wenzhi grabbed the man’s gun, ripped it from his grip and drove a brutal kick straight between his legs.

The man folded instantly, a choked sound slipping through the mask as he dropped to his knees and Wenzhi didn’t hesitate.

His hand shot up, gripped the man’s head and snapped.

A sharp, clean crack.

Xinyuan flinched at the sheer force behind it.

Wenzhi exhaled as he slung the gun over his shoulder and turned, those grey eyes landing on Xinyuan.

And for a moment, just a moment, Xinyuan forgot about the enemies.

The danger. The destruction.

Because all he could think was, I’m in love.