Xinyuan’s office was pristine, defined by sleek surfaces and a minimalism so sharp it felt aggressive. This was the sort of sanctuary reserved exclusively for high-ranking Espers.

A small automatic cleaner hummed quietly across the floor.

The only normal thing in the room.

On the couch, Shao Xinyuan lay asleep. Or, something close to it.

His body was relaxed. But the wavelength around him wasn’t. It pulsed darkly... Unstable like heat distortion in the air, bending everything around him out of shape.

Wenzhi approached slowly.

"...Hey," Then, with faint irritation threading through his voice, "Are you awake, sleeping beauty?"

Shao Xinyuan’s eyes opened slowly. His arm, previously resting over his temples, slid down as he blinked up at Wenzhi and he pushed himself upright.

That dark red bleed in his gaze was wrong. He looked distant, hovering in that strange space between being there and being gone. It was like his awareness was tangled in a hazy, drunken fog.

Wenzhi’s eyes narrowed as he realized what he was looking at.

A backlash.

The kind that amplified raw need until it became a fever, turning the esper into a predator driven by nothing but possession and a singular, jagged fixation.

"Freckles...?" Xinyuan murmured, his voice rough, unfocused as he rubbed at his eyes.

Wenzhi exhaled, already annoyed. He stepped closer.

"You left without eating the food I made," he said flatly. "Do you know how disrespectful that is? There are people starving out there."

"I..." Xinyuan started but stopped because Wenzhi was already in front of him.

He nudged Xinyuan’s knees apart with his leg and stepped in, closing the distance completely. Then, without hesitation, he cupped his face.

Xinyuan froze, looking up at him. And that expression...

It wasn’t just want. It wasn’t just need.

It was indeed an unwavering fixation.

"...Look at you." Wenzhi scoffed under his breath. "All that staring just because you want something."

A soft, almost boyish smile touched Xinyuan’s lips. But his movements told a different story. As his arms wound around Wenzhi’s waist, pulling him in, the illusion of innocence vanished.

"I want you," His voice was barely a breath, dangerously sincere. "Don’t leave me... please."

His fingers dug in just a little deeper. "You tried to leave last night..."

He was struggling to string the words together, but the accusation in them was clear enough.

Wenzhi froze. "...You knew."

Xinyuan’s nod was the trigger. For a fleeting moment, Wenzhi’s composure cracked. A wave of raw embarrassment washed over his freckled face, snapping the cold logic he usually held so tightly.

"If you knew I put something in your food," he said, staring at him like he’d lost his mind, "why did you eat it?"

Xinyuan didn’t hesitate. "Because you made it."

Wenzhi’s face creased with disbelief.

"Stop," he muttered, already regretting asking. "Don’t say things like that."

His hand lifted, covering Xinyuan’s eyes. "And stop looking at me like that."

A chuckle escaped Xinyuan’s lips.

"...It’s quiet," His arms tightened again, pulling Wenzhi closer, anchoring himself.

His head tilted, brushing closer to his abdomen, seeking his guide. "Please... guide me, Wenzhi."

Wenzhi smiled and leaned in close, their breaths brushing. "I want you to do something in return for me."

Xinyuan’s interest sharpened instantly despite the haze in his eyes. He tipped his head back, eyes locked on Wenzhi. "What is it?"

"My restraint." Wenzhi gestured to his leg. "You’ll break it for me."

Xinyuan followed the motion, studying it with quiet curiosity before nodding.

That was all it took.

In the next second, he yanked Wenzhi forward. The sudden force knocked the air from him, and he barely had time to react before he was pulled into Xinyuan’s lap.

Wenzhi’s eyes widened briefly. No matter how many times it happened, he doubted he’d ever get used to that strength. Xinyuan held back well, too well, enough to make him forget Espers like him were super strong.

He leaned in first this time, closing the distance and pressing his lips to Xinyuan’s, initiating the guiding fully. The response was immediate. Xinyuan rushed into it, taking control just as quickly, the intensity sharp and consuming.

Xinyuan’s hands moved to his sides, gripping, then sliding, tugging at his shirt as their breaths grew heavier, mixing in uneven rhythm. His fingers slipped beneath the fabric, brushing against bare skin, drawing a visible shudder from Wenzhi as goosebumps rose in their wake.

With a quiet insistence, Xinyuan pushed the fabric higher.

Wenzhi didn’t stop him.

The shirt came off, leaving his skin exposed, freckles scattered across his collarbones and trailing downward. Xinyuan’s eyes focused on them instantly, lighting up with undeniable fascination. It was like he’d found something worth devouring.

He leaned in without hesitation, his lips brushing over Wenzhi’s skin, tracing those scattered marks slowly, mapping them, memorizing them, while Wenzhi tensed under the contact, caught between control and the unsettling intensity of being studied so closely.

He bit down on his lower lip, his eyes slipping shut, his face flushed as he fought to keep quiet. His chest rose and fell heavily.

"Your heart is beating so fast," Xinyuan murmured, his breath hot against his skin.

"Shut it... just focus on taking what you want," Wenzhi snapped, his voice rough, unsteady.

Xinyuan didn’t reply.

Instead, he dipped his head, taking one of Wenzhi’s sensitive peaks between his teeth before closing his mouth around it, drawing on it slowly.

The sharp, overwhelming sensation hit instantly and Wenzhi gasped, a low sound slipping past his lips as his back arched.

Xinyuan’s hand pressed firmly against his back, holding him in place, keeping him from pulling away as he continued. When he moved to the second peak, giving it the same attention, Wenzhi’s restraint thinned even further, his breathing breaking into uneven bursts.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Wenzhi clung to logic.

The stabilizers. The injections. The citrus-bitter aftertaste still lingering faintly on his tongue from earlier.

He had actually prepared....

He knew something like this could happen. Anything could happen!

But knowing didn’t make it easier. Not when an Esper was treating his body like something to savor, like he’d found something addictive.

Wenzhi swallowed hard.

Being turned on wasn’t even a strong enough word for this.

Without warning, Xinyuan tightened his grip and lifted him effortlessly.

Wenzhi barely had time to react before he was laid back against the couch, the impact soft but disorienting. Xinyuan followed immediately, hovering over him, pressing in, forcing his legs apart as he settled between them.

Those wild, unstable eyes were locked entirely on him.

Xinyuan pulled his own shirt off in one smooth motion. The chain tattoo along his back and spine glowed faintly red, mirroring the intensity in his eye as his muscles shifted beneath his skin.

Then his attention dropped again. Back to Wenzhi.

He reached out, grabbing Wenzhi’s arm, his fingers trailing slowly along it with a thoughtful expression.

"You know...." His voice held a soft, melodic tone that set Wenzhi on edge. "Only I should be allowed to touch you, Wenzhi."