Back in their room, Luan Xie couldn't shake the unsettling sense of familiarity he felt toward the hooded man. It gnawed at him, making it impossible to focus on anything else. He sat on the edge of the bed, his thoughts tangled as he replayed the evening in his mind, searching for answers that wouldn't come.
He Shun, who had been quietly observing him, finally spoke up. "Are you still thinking about that man?" he asked, his voice tinged with a hint of irritation as he stepped closer.
Luan Xie looked up, meeting He Shun's gaze. He could see the concern in his eyes, but there was something else there too—something that made Luan Xie's heart skip a beat. "He just feels very familiar," Luan Xie admitted, his distress clear in his voice. "I can't explain it, but it's like I've met him before."
He Shun's expression darkened slightly, a flicker of something unspoken passing over his features. Without warning, he stepped forward and grabbed Luan Xie's chin gently but firmly tilting his face up so their eyes locked. The closeness between them sent a jolt of electricity through Luan Xie, his breath catching in his throat.
"I'm also familiar to you," He Shun said, his voice low and intense. His eyes bore into Luan Xie's, as if trying to remind him of what they shared, of the connection that had brought them together.
For a moment, the world seemed to narrow to just the two of them, the tension in the room shifting into something deeper, something charged with unspoken emotion. Luan Xie could feel the warmth of He Shun's breath against his skin, the strength in the hand that held him in place.
Luan Xie's heart pounded in his chest, the distress he had felt earlier now mingling with something else—something he couldn't quite name. "He Shun…" he began, his voice barely more than a whisper.
He Shun's grip softened, his thumb brushing lightly against Luan Xie's jaw. "You're here, with me," he murmured, his tone softer now, almost pleading. "Don't let him distract you. Focus on us on what we're here to do."
Luan Xie swallowed hard, his thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and something close to longing. He knew He Shun was right—they had a mission, and they couldn't afford to lose sight of it. But the intensity in He Shun's eyes, the way he was holding him so close, made it hard to think clearly.
"I know," Luan Xie finally said, his voice steadying as he tried to push aside the lingering thoughts of the hooded man. "I'm with you, He Shun."
He Shun searched his eyes for a moment longer, then slowly released his grip, the tension between them easing but not disappearing entirely. "Good," he said softly, stepping back, though the connection between them still lingered in the air.
As they settled into the room, the weight of their mission hung over them, but so did the unspoken words, the emotions that had surfaced in that brief, intense moment. Luan Xie knew that whatever lay ahead, he wouldn't be facing it alone—and that thought brought him a sense of comfort, even as the mysteries around them deepened.
He Shun had momentarily forgotten who Luan Xie really was—a figure from another time, a man with a dark past and a reputation that would make most people shudder. But in that moment, none of that mattered. He had reached out to Luan Xie, not as a villain, but as someone who had become more to him than just a mission partner. He had expected resistance, maybe even anger, but Luan Xie's response surprised him.
As He Shun stepped back, he searched Luan Xie's eyes, half-expecting the fiery temper he had been warned about. Yet, Luan Xie remained calm, his gaze steady and thoughtful. It was a reaction that left He Shun wondering if he had somehow seen past the villainous facade to the person beneath.
Luan Xie, too, was surprised—surprised at himself. He had always been aware of the darkness within him, the cold, calculating part that had defined him in another life. He was used to keeping people at arm's length, to lashing out when he felt threatened.
But now, standing before He Shun, he felt something he hadn't anticipated—he felt vulnerable. And it wasn't just the physical closeness that had caught him off guard; it was the growing affection, the tender emotions he hadn't expected to feel for someone like He Shun.
He had braced himself to react with anger to push He Shun away before he could get too close. But instead, he found himself softening, leaning into the warmth that He Shun offered. It was as if the walls he had built around his heart were crumbling, and in their place, something new was taking root.
He had always been strong, unyielding—but here, with He Shun, he found himself wanting something different. He wanted to protect this man, to be close to him in a way that he had never allowed himself to be with anyone else.
Luan Xie's heart was a mess of confusion and longing, but underneath it all, there was a growing realization that scared him more than anything else—he didn't want to fight this. He didn't want to push He Shun away. For the first time in his life, he wanted to hold onto someone, to let them in.
He looked into He Shun's eyes, searching for something, anything, that could tell him what the actor was feeling. But He Shun's expression was unreadable, as if he, too, was struggling to make sense of what was happening between them. The tension in the room was still there, but it had shifted—now it was less about the mission and more about the connection that was blossoming between them, fragile but undeniable.
"I don't know what's happening to me," Luan Xie whispered, his voice trembling with emotion he could barely contain. "But I think… I think I'm starting to care about you, He Shun. More than I've ever cared about anyone."
The words hung in the air, vulnerable and raw, a truth that neither of them had been prepared for. It was a dangerous thing, this feeling that was growing between them, but it was also something that neither of them could ignore.
He Shun's heart raced at Luan Xie's confession, the weight of those words settling deep in his chest. He hadn't expected this, hadn't expected to feel so much for someone who was supposed to be nothing more than a villain from another time. But now, hearing Luan Xie's voice, seeing the fear and hope in his eyes, he realized that it didn't matter who Luan Xie had been in the past. Here and now, he was someone who had captured He Shun's heart in a way that no one else ever had.
Without thinking, He Shun closed the distance between them, gently cupping Luan Xie's face in his hands. "You're not alone in this," he said softly, his voice full of warmth and sincerity. "I care about you too, Luan Xie. More than I ever thought I could."
Luan Xie's breath hitched at the tenderness in He Shun's touch, the way his heart seemed to beat in time with the actor's. For a moment, the world outside their room faded away, leaving only the two of them, standing on the brink of something new, something that could change everything.
Luan Xie wasn't someone who wore his emotions on his sleeve. He had learned long ago that showing vulnerability was dangerous, a sign of weakness that others could exploit. So even though He Shun's words stirred something deep within him, he kept his expression carefully neutral, the familiar mask of indifference slipping into place.
He wasn't used to this, to someone seeing past the walls he'd built around himself. The way He Shun looked at him, with such earnestness and care, was unsettling in a way that Luan Xie couldn't quite articulate. It was like He Shun was trying to reach into a part of him that he had long since buried, a part that he wasn't ready to confront just yet.
Luan Xie's thoughts churned, the conflicting emotions making his chest feel tight. He wanted to push He Shun away, to retreat back into the safety of his own solitude where he didn't have to deal with the messy, complicated feelings that were starting to emerge. But at the same time, there was a small, stubborn part of him that didn't want to be alone anymore, that was curious about what it would feel like to let someone in.
He glanced at He Shun, who was still standing close, watching him with a mixture of concern and something else—something that looked like longing. Luan Xie quickly averted his gaze, not wanting to linger on that too long. He wasn't ready to acknowledge whatever was growing between them, not when he himself wasn't sure what it was.
"I'm fine," Luan Xie finally said, his voice cool and controlled, the words as much for himself as they were for He Shun. "We have more important things to focus on right now."
He Shun frowned slightly, sensing the distance Luan Xie was trying to put between them, but he didn't push. He could tell that Luan Xie wasn't ready to open up, that the trust between them was still too fragile. But even so, he wasn't discouraged. He could see the cracks in Luan Xie's armour, the way his eyes betrayed more than his words ever could. He just needed to be patient, to give Luan Xie the space to come to terms with his own feelings.
"Of course," He Shun replied, his tone gentle, even as he took a small step back to give Luan Xie the space he needed. "We'll focus on what's in front of us."
Luan Xie nodded, relieved that He Shun didn't press the issue. He needed to keep his emotions in check to stay focused on the task at hand. There was too much at stake for him to get distracted by feelings that he wasn't ready to deal with.
But as He Shun turned away, giving him a moment to collect himself, Luan Xie couldn't help but feel a pang of something—regret, maybe, or a longing he wasn't quite ready to name. He didn't know what the future held, but for now, he would keep his guard up. It was the only way he knew how to survive.
Even so, as he watched He Shun move around the room, there was a small, unspoken promise that lingered between them, one that Luan Xie wasn't ready to break just yet. He didn't have to trust completely, didn't have to show his hand. But maybe, just maybe, he could allow himself to hope.