The drive back to the hotel is silent and awkward.
Yao Shen is in a terrible mood, and he shuts down every attempt at a conversation that either Gao Wu or Xin Hulei start.
Xin Hulei says good bye as soon as they leave the car and saunters off somewhere else. Yao Shen knows he's just going to step out of view long enough to teleport himself back to his apartment.
Gao Wu sighs self-consciously as soon as it's just him and Yao Shen alone. "That didn't go exactly how expected it to," he says, rubbing the back of his neck.
Some of Yao Shen's bad mood dissipates. He shouldn't take out his frustration with Xin Hulei on Gao Wu, who has been nothing but nice and considerate to him.
"It's not your fault," Yao Shen says, trying to inject his voice with a note of warmth. "Next time we'll tell Xin laoshi that he can't come."
Gao Wu perks up at that, the corners of his lips twitching up. "There will be a next time?"
