Watching Xinyuan fix the bedroom door while he ate was a remarkably good sight for Wenzhi.

They had finally returned to their original house back in Sector one. After a thorough cleanup, they had spent the past four days completely holed up inside.

Wenzhi only ventured out occasionally to gather food, ensuring they remained entirely unseen.

In the meantime, Wenzhi had stayed in touch with Chenxi. Chenxi, Luhan and Ruixin had already crossed paths with Jiang Zhaohe. She had tracked them down, still effortlessly playing the part of the perfect, loyal friend.

For now, everyone was playing along with her lies, keeping her close while monitoring her every move.

Xinyuan was shirtless, the dark chain tattoo on his back flexing beautifully as he fitted a door into the broken frame.

Wenzhi watched the entire process with great satisfaction.

As Xinyuan finished, he picked up the heavy tool box and turned around. His warm brown eyes still held a very faint, pleasant tinge of crimson beneath the surface. His brow creased in deep thought for a split second before those familiar dimples broke through his serious expression.

"I’m done," he said.

"I can see that," Wenzhi replied, taking another bite of his food.

Xinyuan chuckled softly. He walked out to put the tool box away, and when he returned, he shut the newly installed door and deliberately turned the deadbolt, locking them in.

He marched straight toward the bed where Wenzhi was sitting with his back pressed comfortably against the wooden headboard.

Xinyuan crawled up and laid his heavy frame right on top of him, pressing his face directly against Wenzhi’s stomach.

Wenzhi completely ignored the needy display, moving his bowl around Xinyuan’s head to continue eating his meal.

"Shall we go see a movie?" Xinyuan suddenly asked into the fabric of Wenzhi’s shirt.

Wenzhi paused. "Why..."

Xinyuan immediately raised his head, resting his chin on Wenzhi’s abdomen to look up at him with those bright, intensely focused eyes. "It will be a date. A movie date."

"A movie date..." Wenzhi repeated the words slowly, his brow furrowing. "We aren’t having a movie date, Xinyuan. The entire world is completely crazy right now. There aren’t even any cinemas operating."

"Notice how you aren’t actually rejecting the date idea itself," Xinyuan pointed out, a smug, boyish grin spreading across his face.

Wenzhi held his gaze, his tone flattening. "We aren’t going on a date."

"We can watch old movies. There aren’t any recent releases anyway, so we can just download an old film," Xinyuan pressed, entirely unbothered by the rejection.

Wenzhi blinked at him, completely stoic. "We aren’t having a date."

"But if there weren’t monsters, or rifts, or the High Families trying to kill us... we would have gone on a real date by now, wouldn’t we?" Xinyuan’s voice dropped into a much softer tone.

Wenzhi pressed his lips together, and set the empty bowl aside.

Xinyuan used the distraction to push himself fully upright. Straddling Wenzhi’s lap, he pressed his palms against the headboard on either side of Wenzhi’s shoulders, leaning his face in until they were inches apart.

"Maybe we could go on a completely different type of date right here," he whispered, his eyes dropping to Wenzhi’s mouth.

Wenzhi immediately slapped his palm over Xinyuan’s lips, effectively shutting him up.

"We aren’t going on a date," Wenzhi said firmly, his thumb brushing against the Esper’s cheek. "And besides, it’s almost time for your next scheduled guiding session."

Xinyuan’s eyes narrowed into a playful, frustrated frown, clearly tired of Wenzhi’s constant deflection. But as his lips curved against Wenzhi’s palm, it was glaringly obvious that the Esper had absolutely no intention of giving up on his Guide.

Wenzhi pulled his hand away, and the moment his palm left his mouth, Xinyuan rushed out the words before he could be cut off again.

"Do you want to go on a date with me? Please? Just once. Wenzhi.... I promise I will treat you so well. Please?"

Wenzhi let out a deep, quiet sigh and looked away, his gaze drifting toward the newly repaired door.

"When you are in better shape," he murmured softly, "maybe we will."

"You could just say yes," Xinyuan pouted as he leaned his forehead against Wenzhi’s, brushing their noses together. "Say yes, please. It’s really not that difficult."

Wenzhi raised both hands, cupping the Esper’s jawline, his thumbs smoothing over the skin. "Maybe."

Xinyuan let out a breathy laugh, entirely amused. "I am literally begging you, and all I get is a maybe?"

Wenzhi rolled his eyes, dropping his hands from Xinyuan’s face. "Take what I give you, Xinyuan."

"Mmmh." Xinyuan lowered himself down completely until his head was resting comfortably on Wenzhi’s stomach, his face buried against the soft fabric of his shirt.

Wenzhi didn’t push him off. He raised his hand, lazily raking his fingers through Xinyuan’s thick, dark hair.

Soon, Xinyuan let out a heavy, hot breath against his skin, his shoulders relaxing.

Wenzhi threw his head back against the headboard, letting out a heavy, exhausted breath of his own.

He knew he liked Xinyuan. So why did he keep fighting it over and over again, building walls when he knew damn well he couldn’t escape the pull?

If.... If they had met under entirely normal, boring circumstances, if they were just two regular people in a world that wasn’t actively tearing itself apart, would they have still ended up exactly like this?

Maybe...

Within minutes, the heavy rhythm of Xinyuan’s energy smoothed out completely. His breathing evened, and he fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, entirely calmed by the touch of Wenzhi’s fingers in his hair.

Eventually, the quiet warmth of the room pulled him under, too.

When Wenzhi finally woke up, the bedroom was completely dark. He was pinned in a tight, suffocatingly warm embrace, their legs completely tangled together under the sheets. Xinyuan had his arms locked around Wenzhi’s waist, his face buried deeply into the crook of his neck.

Wenzhi tried to move, but the grip was like iron. The only thing he could freely move was his arm, which instinctively found its way back to the back of Xinyuan’s neck.

"Are you awake?" Wenzhi’s voice came out thick, heavy, and rough with sleep.

"Mmmh," Xinyuan grunted into his skin, refusing to move. If anything, he only tightened his grip, pulling Wenzhi flush against his bare chest.

Wenzhi let out a heavy sigh. His fingers trailed up to the sensitive skin right beneath Xinyuan’s ear, lightly tickling him to force him to break the hold.

Xinyuan let out a low, breathy laugh against his throat, the vibration sending a faint shiver down Wenzhi’s spine. "What are you doing, Freckles?"

"Checking if you’re awake," Wenzhi muttered. "Let go. I need to get my phone."

Xinyuan grumbled but slowly, reluctantly uncoiled his arms. Wenzhi rolled to the side of the mattress and pushed himself up into a sitting position, his bare feet hitting the cool floor. He reached across the nightstand and grabbed his phone, tapping the cracked screen. The digital clock illuminated the dark room.

1:00 AM.

Wenzhi blinked. They had slept straight through the evening.

But as his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the screen, his gaze locked onto a notification sitting at the top of his feed.

[Unknown number: Are you ready to meet, Lin Wenzhi?]