Wenzhi knew the script had already gone off track. But not like this.

Shao Xinyuan had a brother? That had never existed in the original novel.

Speechless for the first time, Wenzhi turned his back on the conversation and began to walk.

Xinyuan followed without a word.

They took the back route into the building, avoiding the main corridors. Wenzhi used his watch to bypass each access point until they reached the elevator.

Inside, silence.

Xinyuan’s eyes drifted down to Wenzhi’s ankle. On the restraint.

There was a strange tension in his features. He looked tight and conflicted, like he was caught in the middle of an argument only he could hear.

Wenzhi brushed it off, but his composure broke as he let out a sharp, sudden sneeze.

He frowned.

Great. A cold.

Standing in the rain had finally caught up to him.

This body was fit, agile and still annoyingly fragile.

His past body had been better. Even with the psoriasis.

The elevator doors slid open.

They stepped out and followed the map Duan Ze had sent, stopping in front of the office.

Wenzhi knocked.

The door opened.

Duan Ze smiled, then paused as his eyes flicked to the shirtless Xinyuan.

"...wow," he said after a beat. "That explains the shirt."

They stepped inside.

The office was spacious, polished and clearly assigned to a high-ranking Esper. But there was no one, aside from Duan Ze.

He grabbed a black shirt and handed it over. "Don’t worry, it’s clean. It belongs to Kaiwen."

Xinyuan nodded and pulled it on. "Thanks."

Duan Ze turned to Wenzhi, his brow furrowing as he stepped in, pressing a palm to Wenzhi’s brow. "You’re burning up."

"Well, I—"

"Take your hand off him." Xinyuan’s voice cut in sharply

Duan Ze froze and pulled his hand back at once. "...Sorry."

Wenzhi closed his eyes briefly.

Right. That again.

He exhaled and glanced at Xinyuan.

"He touched my forehead, sleeping beauty," he noted dryly. "Are you going to bite me there, too?"

Duan Ze blinked. "...What?"

Then he noticed it. The bite mark on Wenzhi’s arm.

He went very still. And kept his mouth shut.

It was the natural order of things. After all, an Esper’s obsession with their Guide was a documented side effect of survival.

A Guide did more than just touch. They pulled them back from the edge of the abyss, cleansing their mental decay and realigning their shattered wavelengths. It wasn’t just skin-to-skin contact. It was something far more invasive... a resonance that reached for the soul.

Xinyuan didn’t just see a guide in Wenzhi. He saw the end of his pain, the object of his want, and the absolute core of his salvation.

Wenzhi didn’t know that.

Or maybe... he just didn’t care.

"How are you even alive?" Duan Ze asked, the words rushing out. "Ru Yi said you submitted a resignation. You didn’t even wait for me to get back from that mission. And then the Director said you died in an accident."

He shook his head, still trying to process it. "When Pei Luo saw the news and said that the guide in Xinyuan’s arms was you, I thought he was lying."

Xinyuan crossed the room in silence. He claimed a spot on the sofa, his eyes never leaving Wenzhi.

"I did resign," Wenzhi exhaled. "But the CEA took me. Made me his guide. They put a restraint on me."

Duan Ze froze. His eyes widened as he glanced at Xinyuan, then back at Wenzhi.

Wenzhi gave a short laugh. "Don’t worry about him. Just talk."

Duan Ze hesitated, then lowered his voice.

"There are rumors... Halo is already under CEA control. That’s how they accessed us so easily. The Director’s been hiding it."

Wenzhi wasn’t surprised. Not anymore.

"What about Pei Luo and Ru Yi?" he asked.

"They transferred here too," Duan Ze replied. "They said staying at Halo... reminded them too much of you."

A faint smile tugged at his lips. "We thought you were dead, Wenzhi. We’ve been mourning this whole time."

His expression softened. "I’m glad you’re alive."

It was... warm. That kind of concern.

Wenzhi looked over at Xinyuan. He was staring Duan Ze down with a cold, naked jealousy that he wasn’t even trying to hide.

Wenzhi clicked his tongue lightly.

"Anyway," he said, pulling the conversation back. "The Old Blood faction is after me."

Duan Ze’s expression sharpened instantly.

"One of their Espers took your appearance and approached me earlier," Wenzhi continued. "But I knew it wasn’t you."

"What?" Duan Ze’s eyes widened. "What’s going on, Wenzhi?"

"I don’t know," Wenzhi said, exhaling sharply.

Duan Ze’s gaze shifted to Xinyuan. "Is this because of him?"

Xinyuan’s expression darkened. He rose to his feet.

"This guide can’t help us, Wenzhi. We should go to—"

"Every single thing that’s gone wrong for me is because of you, Shao Xinyuan!" Wenzhi’s voice snapped through the room as he turned on him fully.

Xinyuan froze. "I—"

"If you care so much," Wenzhi cut in, his voice sharp, "then break this restraint and go back to the research facility. Go be their lab rat again. Let them tear your brain apart instead of dragging me into it."

Xinyuan’s lips pressed into a thin line. His hands clenched at his sides.

"Get out." A controlled chill entered his voice as he spoke to Duan Ze.

The pressure in the room spiked, pressing down on them with a heavy, dangerous intent.

Duan Ze hesitated, feeling the weight of it but he didn’t move. "Wenzhi."

Wenzhi exhaled, not looking at him. "I’ll be fine."

"I’ll be right outside," Duan Ze said quietly.

The door opened and closed behind him.

Silence settled again.

Xinyuan’s gaze lingered on the door for a moment and snapped back to Wenzhi.

He crossed the space in two steps and grabbed his arm. Hard.

"I understand," The words came out strained, his voice tight with tension. "You’re frustrated. You don’t want to guide someone like me. In your eyes, I’m no different from the things that come out of the rifts."

His grip tightened. "I know what I’ve done. I know how many I’ve killed. How many cities...."

He breathed heavily. "Because of me, the government trapped you. Because of me, my brother almost killed you. I see it, Wenzhi. I’m not blind."

"Then let me go." Wenzhi tried to pull free. He didn’t succeed.

"I can’t. I’m selfish, Wenzhi," Xinyuan’s voice turned dangerous. "You’re the only one who can calm my mind. Why would I let that go?"

Wenzhi gritted his teeth, the tension in his jaw sharp enough to ache. Xinyuan sighed, his hand drifting up to trace the freckles on Wenzhi’s cheek, but Wenzhi lashed out, slapping the hand aside.

The rejection was sharp, and in response, Xinyuan’s grip tightened.

"You shouldn’t worry so much, Freckles," he murmured, his voice dropping to a low, possessive hum. "I’ll kill anyone who tries to separate us. You are safe with me, okay?"