A dark aura flowed around Zao Xing as he looked directly at Ye Delun. The smile on his face was so stiff that it could have been chipped away with a chisel. "I'm afraid your discussion time is over and it's time for you all to head home." He said.
Ye Delun and Yang Lan both paused their conversation and remembered where they were.
[+50]
[Your favorability with 'Yang Lan' has increased dramatically! Work hard, Ye Delun!]
['Yang Lan' thinks that your excited side is cute and likes the fact that the two of you have common interests!]
His eyes caught onto the rising meter at the side of his vision. The vibrant red matter rose until it stopped around a quarter through. A bunch of mini flowers and sparkels emerged and a celebratory tune played. But then another message arrived.
[The character 'Zao Xing' is heartbroken by the fact that you've shown 'Yang Lan' your smile, but not to him!]
[The character 'Zao Xing' wanted to hide you out of reach from other preditors!]
'...Other preditors?'
"..." How was he supposed to react to this?
After the good conversation with Yang Lan, a miniature smile remained on his face, and his normally dark eyes had shined with enjoyment. With this leftover expression, he looked towards the tall host who was already looking at him.
[The character 'Zao Xing' is entranced by your expression!]
[+30]
[The favorability has already hit the max on this character, it can not go further!]
The fake expression on Host's face smoothed slightly and his creased brows evened out.
"It's that time already?" Xiang Tingfeng spoke out quietly.
Duan Li sat up from her spot and walked towards Host in her impractical heels. "Let's get this over with." She spoke dully.
Host smiled and said sarcastically, "I like your enthusiasm."
Li Yusheng also stood up from his spot and walked towards Host. Ye Delun noticed how he left a lingering glance on Yang Lan before looking away. Yang Lan also looked his way with worry.
Shen Lin sighed and joined them. Her eyes meet Yin Meng's gaze and they sent each other a silent message.
"The rest of you can join Gao Shunyuan and he'll bring you to your respective rooms." And after sending Ye Delun a glance, he turned around and let the three people follow him.
"Please follow after me." Gao Shunyuan said as he stepped out from the shadows. Yin Meng glared in his direction with his sharp eyes to try and hide the fact that he flinched at his sudden appearance.
Again, the five of them walked down the maze of corridors. Ye Delun didn't think it was all that bad. He spent the time watching the walls and tracing the patterns with his mind. But Kang Maixiu, who had already known all about the house's labyrinth-like trait, still let his face turn into a scowl and sweat pool at his forehead. His head was hurting from trying to remember the way that they had come. Xiang Tingfeng at his side looked at his childhood friend exasperatedly and tried to encourage Kang Maixiu to watch his foul language.
Yin Meng, at first, tried to memorize the path like he tried before. But just like how it was back then, the unrealistic amount of paths and turns threw him off. It was out of pure luck and confidence that he was able to make it back on his own yesterday. He had seen the pattern in the turns and was able to use that to get back. But the pattern has changed into something completely different and not at all in pattern form.
But as if Gao Shunyuan had a map of the house layout in his mind, he always was able to make all the right turns. Instead of dropping them off at an intersection like last time. He personally delivered them to their doors. First at Xiang Tingfeng's, then Kang Maixiu's, and then Yin Meng's, who gave Gao Shunyuan a look of malice as a pardoning gift.
With only Yang Lan and Ye Delun left. Gao Shunyuan took one last random turn and delivered himself to the same end of the corridor that Ye Delun's room was located.
"Thanks." Ye Delun gave Gao Shunyuan a sluggish wave goodbye and closed the door behind him. Leaving the young white-haired male to deliver Yang Lan by himself.
Zao Xing wasn't there yet and the light of the moon outside was the only thing that lit up the room. Ye Delun spotted a fresh tray of cookies on the table. This time, a different flavor. Looking up closely at them, he recognized them as chocolate chip. And although it was simple, it was a huge upgrade from the plain cookies from before.
But when he reached out to grab one, a hand firmly grabbed onto his wrist and pulled it back. Ye Delun's head followed the hand up to the owner's face and saw the familiar mask of Zao Xing's. His warm smile seemed a little flat as he held up Ye Delun's hand for him to see.
"You shouldn't eat with such dirty hands." He said. It was only then that Ye Delun remembered the blood that was covered over his hands. It was dried and hidden in the crevasses of his hand. A lot of it was on his pants, where he had wiped at to clean the blood off.
"Oh yeah. I forgot." He told the man. Along with his hand and pants, the bottom of his shoes was stained as well.
Zao Xing let out an exasperated sigh and led Ye Delun to the side of the room. And out of Zao Xing's pure thought, a door fabricated out of nowhere. While Ye Delun looked impressed with the creation of the random door, Zao Xing didn't at all seem fazed and opened it.
It led to a bathroom. With fancy floor tiles and an impressive-looking bathtub. Zao Xing led him to the large sink at the side and turned on the facet.
After testing the water's temperature, he put Ye Delun's hands under the water. "Here, watch your hands."
Ye Delun brought his mind back from admiring the room and paid attention to the water running through his fingers. "Okay."
"And use this soap." Zao Xing held out a soap dispenser. "Put your hands out." Ye Delun did and watched as he pumped some soap into his hands. His eye behind the mask studied Ye Delun's hands and narrowed at the blood underneath his fingernails.
"Give me." He said as he took Ye Delun's hand and wiped them together. "You have to make sure you get underneath the nails too." He lathered up the soap to the point that Ye Delun couldn't see the original color of his skin as it was covered in the soap.
Zao Xing laughed lowly and let Ye Delun have control over his hands again. "Now put them under the water to rinse them off. Then once you dry them, you can have the cookies."
"Alright, thank you." Ye Delun said appreciably. Zao Xing only smiled broadly and told him, "There's no reason you have to thank me. I'm only doing what's best for my master."
Ye Delun seemed blinded by his warm smile. And for some reason felt the need to hide his face. He felt a little awkward at Zao Xing's works choice, so he focused on handwashing instead. But as he turned, a message covered his sight.
[+10]
[The favorability has already hit the max on this character, it can not go further!]