"Mu Chen told me everything. I can't imagine how difficult it is to lose your parents, but it's not right to force your emotional dependence to other people." Shen Yuan let out a helpless sigh. "How about you use this time to reflect on yourself? You'll understand Mu Chen is doing this for your own good."
"…"
"Do you hear me?" Shen Yuan reached out and cupped Zhou Yi's cheek. "Until you resolve things with Mu Chen, I'm going to have to keep my distance from you."
"Why…" Zhou Yi gripped Shen Yuan's hand, his face twisted in indignation. "Why do you trust him but not me?"
Shen Yuan winced in pain, but this time, Zhou Yi didn't let go. He yanked him forward and confined him in his arm with deadlier strength. His glare, swirling darker into the abyss, chilled Shen Yuan down his spine.
If Zhou Yi was a vulture, he would be convinced he was about to be devoured. He couldn't hide his smile, crooked with a tinge of salacity.
"I see." Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes. "You listen to power."
"I do." Shen Yuan didn't deny it and inched closer, only leaving a paper-thin gap between their lips. "And right now, Mu Chen held more weight in my judgment over your…well, unsatisfactory performance."
Zhou Yi watched unblinkingly, transfixed by the raw, undisguised figure. He knew there was something hidden behind that insincere smile of his. Yet somehow, its beauty remained the same.
No, it became even more alluring. Like the deceptive sweetness of poppy and the addictive intoxication of euphoria.
"I like the way you look when we first met, Zhou Yi. I did tell you that, didn't I?" Shen Yuan traced the corner of Zhou Yi's eye. "You have the capability. Why are you letting others trample you?"
"I told you—"
"Deep down you know, don't you? Master Mu didn't take you in because he cared about you. It's only because you're directly related to the main family. If you probe a little, I wouldn't be surprised if they had something to do with your parents' death."
"…" Zhou Yi's expression tautened.
"Be selfish, Zhou Yi. Take what you want. Dispose of everyone who's in your way. Only that way everything will be as it should be." Shen Yuan pushed him back to bed and kissed a warning to his ear. "Don't make me wait long. I hate people who don't respect my time."
In his rumination, Zhou Yi watched Shen Yuan slip out of his arms and pick up his bag. With one last tempting smile, he walked away, like a butterfly fluttering out of his dream.
He stared at his palm and grasped the softness left behind.
***
Shen Yuan stepped out of the bathroom in his bathrobe, freshly steaming. He picked up the glass of wine from the dressing table and stepped out onto the balcony. As he sipped on his drink, he swept a glance at the tinted window car a block away from his house and feigned ignorance.
For an A-grade power user like him, seeing 500 meters radius in the dark wasn't much of a problem, much less anything closer. He gave credit for the effort though. Regular humans wouldn't notice it.
After Mu Chen's chauffeur dropped him off at his rented house two days ago, he had planned to go to the hotel only to have this pest stalking him. It didn't take him long to guess whose people it was and what they were ordered to do.
Well, he didn't particularly hate perverts—since he was one himself—and he didn't have anything else planned after visiting Zhou Yi, so he let them be. Since he expressed his concerns over him and knowing what he told him, there was also a very low chance Mu Chen would make any big move on him after hospitalizing him unless he found out about his fully recovered body, but Zhou Yi wouldn't let that happen.
Zhou Yi hadn't come to school ever since. It was only normal if he was still injured, but since he wasn't, he must be planning something. He looked forward to seeing what he had in store.
His communicator rang, and he looked to see the person himself called. He detached the slender earpiece connected to the side of the screen and placed it into his ear, automatically answering the call.
"What's up?"
"I just want to inform you of our schedule tomorrow. I'll be picking you up at nine."
"Sure. I'll be ready by then."
"What are you doing? I hope you're not planning to stay late."
"Nothing. Just lying in bed, watching TV. I'll eventually fall asleep." Shen Yuan suppressed his laughter with another sip of his wine. Let's see who could be more shameless.
On the other side, Mu Chen looked at the picture of the very same person lounging on the balcony with a glass of wine in his hand. He could very clearly see the grin on his face as he blatantly lied.
"Is that so? What are you watching?"
Shen Yuan rested his sight on the car for a fleeting second, startling the man behind the camera, and shifted away as if nothing happened. "True crime documentary."
Receiving the picture, Mu Chen touched those mirthful eyes through the screen, rousing heat into his gaze. "How scary."
"Is it? I quite like it."
"What part of it?"
"The story." Shen Yuan swirled the last of his drink and downed it. He licked a spill off the corner of his lips. "Real criminals direct the best movies. You can also learn from their mistakes without actually doing them."
"And why would you?"
"You'll never know, right?"
Ding. Dong.
Shen Yuan turned his attention to the front gate to see a figure in black walking away. He wore a hoodie on top of his hat and covered his face with a mask, making it impossible to make out his features.
He went inside to put down his glass and change out of his robe, purposefully staying near the window. Picture after picture was sent to his audience's screen, capturing every second difference.
Mu Chen rested his thumb under his chin, his finger brushing against his lips while his eyes traced every inch of the naked figure as if he could taste the flavor of the other's skin with it.
His body craved him, but it wasn't hunger. His teeth longed for his dewy, supple flesh but at the same time, he couldn't bear the thought of damaging him. He wanted to explore every piece of him, savor both his sweetness and bitterness, and intertwine their ribcage with each other so that he couldn't leave.
It would be a pity, but he would have to kill the photographer after this. This view should belong only to him.
"You sound busy." Mu Chen grabbed his drink and wetted his dry throat before continuing. "What are you doing?"
Shen Yuan didn't miss the hoarseness in Mu Chen's voice and inwardly chuckled. Seems like he enjoyed the view. "Going downstairs. Are you going to sleep?"
"Not yet. I'm still reviewing the proposal for the school festival."
"You told me to sleep, but you're working overtime yourself."
"I'm training myself for the future to come."
Reaching the front gate, Shen Yuan opened the side door and looked around, but the person was already gone. When he looked down, he saw a sealed cardboard box with no label in front of the door.
He picked it up and brought it inside. It didn't weigh much, almost as light as an empty box, but he confirmed there was something inside with a light shake.
There wasn't much stuff in the house since he had only bought it, and the only thing he could open the seal with was the knives in the kitchen. He placed the box on the island table before getting a knife and started unboxing it.
"I got a package. You're not going to make me wear something weird tomorrow, are you?"
"A package?" Mu Chen frowned. "No, I didn't send any. Is there no sender on it?"
"No. It's a blank package."
"I don't think you should open it."
"Too late." Shen Yuan ripped the seal and opened the box.
"…You have no sense of self-preservation, do you?"
"Don't pretend like you're not curious too." Shen Yuan dug out the packaging foams until his hand touched something solid and fished it out. It was a dark blue, velvet box, big enough to fit a bracelet. "It's a jewelry box."
He opened it and froze.
Not hearing anything, Mu Chen straightened up in his seat. "What is it?"
Shen Yuan slowly picked up the severed finger. The cut was cleanly wrapped with gauze, not a speck of blood seeped through. It was frozen in a slightly arched angle and from the size, it was highly like to be a pinky finger of a man.
And settled near its base was his ring.
"It's from a friend of mine. They left a note inside." He read the card inside the box. "They really know how to prank people."
'I'm coming.'
"Your friend has bad taste." Mu Chen faintly sighed.
"They know me well." Shen Yuan pressed the card onto his lips with a thoughtful smile. "They sent me some nice ingredients. How about you have breakfast with me tomorrow?"
"Sure. I'll look forward to it."