"Why didn’t you say anything? You know you’re supposed to be under strict observation. Instead, you were worrying about the guide." Doctor Bai’s lips moved sharply, every word precise even from a distance.

"You shouldn’t let your guard down because of him. He is not harmless. He may be a guide, but he killed multiple armed personnel sent to bring him to you. You should see him as a threat. Stay alert. Do you understand, Xinyuan?"

From the balcony above, Wenzhi watched the exchange unfold, a cigarette lazily twirling between his fingers.

He didn’t need to hear her. He could read lips well enough.

Below, Xinyuan stood still, tall and silent, his expression caught somewhere between confusion and restraint as he looked at her.

Wenzhi exhaled faintly through his nose.

Bai Qinian really didn’t like him, and the feeling was mutual.

The contract had been signed, and the title of official guide made the arrangement look neat and clean. Everyone thought he had given in, finally accepting his role and stopping his resistance.

Wenzhi almost laughed.

He hadn’t accepted anything; he was simply repositioning.

One year. That was the agreement, the compromise Shen Jue had signed off on. A leash with a longer chain. But even that was a lie. Wenzhi knew Shen Jue wouldn’t honor it anyway.

Not that it mattered. The time was a farce, and Wenzhi wasn’t actually negotiating for less of it. He wanted the space.

Space offered distance, fewer eyes, and less control. It was enough room to breathe and, eventually, to escape.

His tapped the restraint around his ankle against the metal railing.

Clank. Clank. Clank.

Doctor Bai had stopped talking. Her shoulders rose and fell once before she lifted a hand and placed it gently against Xinyuan’s shoulder, her expression softening into something that didn’t sit right.

Wenzhi’s eyes narrowed. "...Fucking creepy."

The cigarette returned to his lips as he pushed off the railing, already turning away.

If they all expected him to stay close to Xinyuan, then Xinyuan could be useful for once.

After all, the best way to stop being watched is to act like your own guard.

It didn’t take long before a car was brought around for them.

Wenzhi didn’t miss the look Doctor Bai gave him as he stepped in. It was sharp, lingering just a second too long before Xinyuan followed him inside.

That was going to be a problem.

The door shut.

The ride was silent.

For once, Xinyuan kept his distance, seated at the far end, his shoulder nearly pressed to the door as if deliberately giving Wenzhi space.

Wenzhi didn’t question it.

He had other things to focus on.

A box rested on his lap. He flipped it open and scanned the contents. Wavelength stabilizer injections sat in neat rows next to more energy restoration pills.

He shut it again and the rest of the drive passed without a word.

By the time they arrived, the driver was already gone. There were no instructions and no escort. Just a large, clean duplex stood quietly in front of them, looking completely out of place.

Wenzhi stepped in first.

His gaze swept the space instinctively, checking corners, ceilings, and reflections before anything else registered. Then he saw the pool and the open layout. Everything was furnished and lived-in.

It was too perfect.

He moved straight past the main area, toward the garage and stopped.

His bike was there, fully restored without a single scratch left. It looked as if the accident had never happened.

Wenzhi crouched without hesitation and reached in, his fingers moving with ease to check the internal components. He went through the panel, the wiring, and the frame until nothing was left untouched. He grabbed a toolbox and worked faster, dismantling piece after piece with quiet precision.

Minutes passed. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"...Did they remove it?" The words slipped out low, more to himself than anyone else.

He straightened, rolling his shoulders once before heading to the sink, washing the grease from his hands.

The house had everything. Every convenience and every comfort was there. It was a controlled environment dressed up as freedom.

He dried his hands and picked up the box again. He headed back inside, his gaze already lifting to track corners, shadows, and placements.

He was searching for the cameras just like the one in Xinyuan’s cage room.

"Are you looking for the cameras?"

Wenzhi paused mid-step as Xinyuan’s voice came from the living area.

He turned. "...Yeah. Why?"

Xinyuan didn’t answer immediately. He simply lifted a hand and pointed.

Wenzhi followed the direction. And there, tucked subtly beside a standing lamp, a camera.

It was well hidden... easy to miss.

Wenzhi scoffed softly as he looked back at him.

Xinyuan was already moving. He closed the distance between them with slow, measured steps.

"There are three in each room," he said calmly. "Seventeen in total in the whole building. I don’t think the director took your demands seriously."

His tone was even and controlled, yet something tighter and quieter than anger or restraint was there.

Wenzhi studied him for a second, catching the shift despite the lack of a visible reaction.

He was mad.

"I wasn’t expecting him to take my demands seriously, sleeping beauty," Wenzhi said lightly. "I just needed him to get you out so you could live like a normal human. Not that you are one, but you get the point."

He stepped back, dropping onto the couch like he owned the place, the box landing beside him with a soft thud. It was comfortable.

His fingers slipped into his pocket to pull out a cigarette and a lighter. Every movement was slow and unhurried while his eyes remained settled on Xinyuan.

Xinyuan watched him the entire time.

It seemed Bai Qinian’s words got to him.

Wenzhi exhaled faintly, looking at the hypocrite before him. Xinyuan was acting as if he hadn’t killed more people than Wenzhi ever had.

The only real difference was the Esper instability and backlash. Wenzhi’s kills were for self-defense, even in his past life, though on second thought, he wasn’t counting those. That was for money.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Wenzhi muttered, lighting the cigarette. "I helped you out of that cage. I didn’t hold a knife to your throat."

Xinyuan blinked once, his gaze drifting away before snapping back to meet Wenzhi’s.

"...I don’t think I’d be angry," he said slowly, "even if you pointed a gun at me."

Wenzhi’s eyes flickered. "Oh?"

Unfortunately for you. If you get in my way, you’re on my kill list.

But that thought stayed unspoken because it didn’t matter. Nothing could kill Xinyuan, at least not properly, without taking everything else down with him.

"Why one year?" The question came out sharper this time.

Wenzhi raised a brow. "Hm?"

Xinyuan moved, closing the distance in a few quiet steps.

One hand pressed against the back of the couch, caging Wenzhi in without effort. The other reached out and pulled the cigarette clean from Wenzhi’s lips.

His expression wasn’t soft anymore. It was serious. Too serious.

"Why did you say one year?" he asked, voice lower now. "I thought we had an understanding."

Wenzhi stared at him, completely unmoved. "...You’re being delusional, Xinyuan."

He reached up, taking the cigarette back but his wrist was caught immediately.

That iron grip.

"What are you doing?" Wenzhi’s gaze sharpened.

Xinyuan leaned in closer.

"You can’t give me relief," he said quietly, "and then take it away."

His grip tightened just enough to make the point. "I won’t let you."