"Honoured Patron, please come this way."
The hallways of Meiyue Tower were scented with a light fragrance that Yan Zheyun couldn't place. There were three floors of private rooms, interspersed with identical hallways that couldn't be told apart without the help of a waiter. He suspected that this was the whole point.
The young waiter led them towards a nondescript door. There were no markings on it to distinguish it from the others. He pushed it open and guided them through with a polite bow towards Wu Bin. But he didn't ignore Yan Zheyun either, giving him a nod as he passed by. This was surprising, given that most people tended to gaze right through servants like they weren't there.
"Young Master Wu, would you like to order now?"
"What would you recommend?"
The waiter beamed with pride. "All our dishes are specialities, we can prepare cuisine from any region in the country. Please don't get offended if this small one boasts, but if Young Master Wu can name it, we can make it."
Wu Bin hummed thoughtfully. He tapped his fingers on the mother of pearl inlay of the circular table. "What would Yun Er like to eat?" He reached out to tug Yan Zheyun into the seat right next to him.
Yan Zheyun glanced quickly at the waiter to see if Wu Bin's overly-intimate treatment of his servant would stir any emotions. But the waiter didn't seem to notice Wu Bin's behaviour. He continued standing there with a professional, distant smile plastered on his face.
Wu Bin had to admit that he was impressed. The prodigious eldest son of the Wu Family was spending his evening dallying with a slave boy toy. This was the type of top-tier gossip that should be juicy enough to warrant a couple of obvious expression changes, at the very least. But the waiter hadn't reacted at all.
Either he was incredibly good at customer service and deserved a pay raise, or he was incredibly trained to stand back and observe so that he could report to the emperor.
Whichever it was, it didn't matter to Yan Zheyun. But a slight frisson of worry ran through his veins. If all of the staff in this inn were truly imperial spies, how on earth was he supposed to sneak out without anyone noticing? And when Wu Bin started hunting for him, would they assist him in capturing Yan Zheyun? In their eyes, Yan Zheyun's escape attempt would be an impudent transgression against his master and he would deserve to be brought back to face punishment.
Yan Zheyun wasn't sure. But he was going to seize this chance because it might well be his only. He just had to plan things out first, scope out the possibilities and ensure he reduced the risks of the endeavour to the minimum before executing his plan.
In other words, he was going to have to find an excuse to explore Meiyue Tower. If escape was feasible, then he could go ahead. Otherwise, he would have no choice but to return to the Wu Estate first and pray that he received another shot.
The thought of leaving all this behind for good sent a surge of adrenaline coursing through his body. It made him feel almost light-headed. He forgot that Wu Bin had asked him about ordering, his gaze focused on the shiny silver-green of the tabletop as he ransacked his brains for a way to leave the room without Wu Bin following.
On the surface though, this distraction made him look like a meek, obedient child. The result satisfied Wu Bin, who assumed he was still affected by the earlier incident at the kitchens, and the memory of the incident amplified his possessiveness.
"Surprise us with your best southern fare then. And bring some rice wine."
The waiter nodded enthusiastically. "Right away, Young Master. Please wait for a while, this small one will get that order sorted out for you. If you require anything, there will be someone on the corridor just outside to attend to you."
They were left alone. Wu Bin reached out and casually twined the end of Yan Zheyun's ponytail around his fingers. He seemed to have a fascination with Yan Zheyun's hair, one that Yan Zheyun didn't want to think too hard about.
"Yun Er, still thinking about that slave?" Wu Bin kept his tone light, but Yan Zheyun heard the undercurrent of danger in it. He chewed on the inside of his lip and forced himself to stay calm.
"Of course not," he replied quietly.
"Oh? Then why aren't you paying attention to Big Brother?"
Something had shifted in their dynamic. It was subtle, but the way Wu Bin was treating him now left him feeling like he was one careless step away from walking into a trap. In the past, Wu Bin had concealed his predatory nature perfectly. But now, it felt like his attempt was halfhearted like he knew that Yan Zheyun had somehow become aware of his true colours and he didn't want to bother anymore.
Yan Zheyun didn't know if he'd done something to give the game away. But he had to act like he didn't notice the change, because he was afraid that Wu Bin would suddenly say, "Well since you know what I'm really like, there's no point in even trying to pretend to be nice anymore."
"What attention does Gege want?" he said. One week ago, he would have cringed at the mere thought of addressing a man with this version of 'Big Brother'. His preferences may be male, but he wasn't the sort to be cutely affectionate. But now, he could say it without batting an eyelash.
It was just one of many things he'd been driven to do for survival. Perhaps one day he'll realise that he capitulated so much that he no longer had a baseline.
"Do you really not know?"
Wu Bin stroked a thumb over Yan Zheyun's lips, pressing down gently on the softness in a suggestive manner.
Yan Zheyun's scalp prickled. He could feel the fine hairs on his arms standing. "Big Brother," he said, willing his voice to remain even. "You know how Yun Er feels about you." He felt his teeth brush against Wu Bin's skin but he didn't jerk his head away no matter how much he wanted to. Something told him that if he openly revealed his repulsion now, Wu Bin would lose his mind.
He'd already tested this host body's strength earlier on and wasn't confident he would be able to take Wu Bin in a fight. If Wu Bin decided to attack him now, when they were both alone, Yan Zheyun might not win. And he still hadn't abandoned his principles to the point that he would be okay with the consequences of that.
"I thought I did," Wu Bin said. His words were strangely stilted. "But Yun Er, you really hurt my feelings today."
The private room was spacious, with sparse but elegant furnishings. But right now, Yan Zheyun felt like he was enclosed in a cage with a beast that was stalking him. Narrowing down on him as it waited for him to make a mistake, before going in for the kill.
He wanted an out. And he wanted it quick.
Steeling his resolve, Yan Zheyun raised his head and met Wu Bin's eyes. To Wu Bin, it was the first time in a long while that his precious pet had looked at him properly. Yan Zheyun's eyes were his most beautiful feature, bright and clear like all the trials and tribulations he had faced ever since his family's fall from grace couldn't soil him.
Wu Bin wanted to tarnish that innocent gaze himself.
"Big Brother," Yan Zheyun said, reaching out to touch Wu Bin's sleeve in a comforting gesture. "If Yun Er has upset you, then Yun Er apologises. But even if you don't like hearing this, as your manservant and someone who was once your bosom friend, Yun Er must say it."
"Don't—"
"Yun Er's feelings for you won't change. But Madam is right. You have the brightest future in the capital, Big Brother. Everyone is proud of you, including Yun Er. Marrying the daughter of an influential family for an alliance is just another important step that you must take." His eyes reddened. "Yun Er was once a nobleman's son too. I can understand your position, I know you have no choice, but I—I—"
He took a shuddery breath.
"Yun Er still has some pride left," he said helplessly.
The dim glow of lantern light was like a star in the dark pools of Yan Zheyun's eyes. Wu Bin stared, mesmerised by this beautiful boy, whom he'd wanted for so long.
He was just about to lean in and steal a kiss when a knock on the door interrupted the moment.
"Young Master, we've kept you waiting. Your food has arrived, may this small one bring it in?"
Perfect timing. Yan Zheyun had been running out of bullshit to spew.
Using the waiter's presence as an excuse, Yan Zheyun rose and went over to the door. He opened it and in flooded a couple of waiters in a neat row, each carrying a delicacy that was arranged decoratively upon ornate tricolour plates.
This was the moment. With other outsiders in the room, even if they were mere waiters, Wu Bin was unlikely to put Yan Zheyun on the spot. He bowed his head and asked, "May this servant be excused, Young Master?"
Sweat trickled down the back of his neck. From memory, this was the subtle way in which Yan Yun, when in public, would inform Wu Bin that he needed to go to the toilet. Yan Zheyun was hoping that after his previous emotional outburst, Wu Bin would take this as a sign that he wanted to go somewhere else and calm down.
In the past, Wu Bin would never even dream that his Yun Er, who so clearly idolised him, would want to run away. Where could he go? The Wu Household was his only sanctuary left. But now, Wu Bin was already showing signs that he suspected Yan Zheyun of having a change of heart. Yan Zheyun doubted he would be allowed to leave that easily.
But Wu Bin let him.
"Mm, be careful," Wu Bin said, bringing his cup up to his lips and inhaling deeply to appreciate the scent of high-quality Longjing tea. "Meiyue Tower has a reputation of being very safe, but stay out of sight of the other guests. Ask a waiter to guide you to where you need to go." He was making a tacit reference to the washroom.
Yan Zheyun nodded stiffly. "Thank you for the permission, Young Master."
As he walked through the doorway, he heard Wu Bin call his name again.
"Oh, Yun Er? I forgot to mention. Don't take too long? This young master will be very heartbroken if you were to disappear."
Yan Zheyun's blood ran cold.
——————————
Even after he was outside on the corridors, Yan Zheyun still felt suffocated, like a pair of invisible hands were permanently wrapped around his throat, tightening and squeezing until he was robbed of his breath.
Why had Wu Bin said that? For that matter, why had Wu Bin let him leave so easily?
Yan Zheyun wasn't dumb enough to pin this on sheer luck. He knew how scheming Wu Bin could be. For him to so assuredly allow Yan Zheyun out of his line of sight meant that he was confident Yan Zheyun wouldn't be able to run, even if he'd tried. This was either a false belief that Yan Zheyun loved him too much or Wu Bin had already put into place safety measures.
He didn't believe Wu Bin would be that careless.
There was one thing that Yan Zheyun had noticed about the host body that was unusual. He had searched for ages on the first day of his arrival, for a mark on his body that would denote his status as a Wu Household slave. But every inch of his milky skin had been unmarred. He'd had no memories of having been branded either, which meant that the Wu Household had purposely chosen to spare Yan Yun that humiliation.
For what reason, Yan Zheyun didn't know, but that wasn't important right now. The point was, that even without a slave mark to trace him back to the Wu Household, Wu Bin was certain that Yan Zheyun couldn't or wouldn't escape.
Yan Zheyun could only conclude that he was probably being watched.
"Eh? You're Young Master Wu's manservant?"
He looked up. The waiter who had taken their orders was standing attentively nearby, probably to wait and see if there were any further instructions from the patrons within the room. Oh, and eavesdrop on any potentially valuable conversations while he was at it.
But now that Yan Zheyun had thought about the possibility of Wu Bin sending people to monitor him, he couldn't help but regard everyone with a newfound suspicion.
[I'm going crazy. I need to get out of here. Another month with this psycho and I'll develop a paranoid personality disorder.]
"May I know where the lavatory is?"
"Ah, it's just around a couple of corners, that way, that way, then turn left, and go straight down that corridor, and then another right and then another corridor…" The waiter looked worried. "Maybe I should find someone to accompany you? I can't leave my station…but Young Master Wu would surely be concerned if you're gone long?"
Yan Zheyun's mouth pressed into a thin line. "It's okay," he said. "I can remember the way." Like hell, he could. He just needed the excuse.
He started following the directions as prompted, memorising the layout of the building in his head as he went. The place seemed way bigger on the inside than it had on the outside, but Yan Zheyun wasn't sure if this was because of a brilliant architect or if he'd actually wandered onto a hidden passage by accident.
The interior resembled a maze. There were no windows accessible from the hallway, so if he hadn't made a careful mental note, he would have lost all his bearings. But unfortunately, he didn't see any obvious way he could escape from the building itself, besides tracing his way back to the main entrance. But waltzing out of there right in the open would be too daring.
He was just about to give up and go home when a painting on a wall right at the far end to where he stood now caught his eye.