Lin Wenzhi had never imagined his being could go this quiet. Not blank or empty, just… gone. It was as if everything that made him him had been overwritten.
He hadn't even felt this way when he realized he'd transmigrated, yet here he was, losing himself to a kiss.
His breath was stolen almost instantly, his body going rigid before melting just as fast, fingers tightening unconsciously in the fabric of Xinyuan's coat like it was the only thing keeping him grounded.
Sharp heat rushed through him. This was too much. Far too much, even if Xinyuan didn't rush.
But he didn't stop either.
He held him there, firm and unyielding, like he had no intention of letting Wenzhi pull away, his control absolute in a way that made Wenzhi's chest tighten.
Every movement was demanding like he was trying to memorize him.
Wenzhi's thoughts scattered completely.
Useless.
All he could feel was heat and pressure. And the way his own breathing had turned uneven without him realizing.
His grip tightened.
Damn it… This wasn't supposed to feel like this.
Xinyuan's fingers brushed his neck, light and careful. A shiver followed, faint at first, then snapping through his body like a live wire.
His shoulders tensed. A breath caught, then a sudden, sharp sting.
Wenzhi flinched, a soft hiss escaping him as Xinyuan's teeth snagged his lower lip.
The moment broke.
Xinyuan pulled back, slowly, reluctantly. His gaze locked onto Wenzhi, his mismatched eyes sharper, clearer.
"…Are you..." He stopped.
Wenzhi was a mess. A deep flush stained him from his freckled cheeks down to his neck. His breathing was shallow, his lips slightly parted, still waiting for a breath that wouldn't come.
Shao Xinyuan's lips curved slowly, his eyes bright as they took in Wenzhi's flushed face.
The red in his eye bled away, leaving only warm brown behind.
As if in response, the sky shifted and the storm vanished. The darkness peeled away, the violent winds dying into a hush as floating debris tumbled back to the earth, one piece at a time.
Silence followed.
Above them, the night sky stretched wide and clear, scattered with cold, distant stars. All that remained... was ruin.
Wenzhi blinked rapidly. His thoughts dragged themselves back into place, slow and heavy, like his mind was rebooting after being forcefully shut down.
The red eye was gone. The storm was gone.
…Xinyuan was stabilized.
His tongue brushed lightly over his lips without thinking. And then he froze.
Right. That just happened.
His gaze met Xinyuan's. He was still too close, watching him, and smiling.
…He had dimples.
"You're so beautiful," Xinyuan murmured, his voice low, almost dazed as he leaned in again, their noses brushing lightly. "I want more…"
Wenzhi's breath hitched. His body reacted before his brain could catch up, heat still lingering under his skin, his thoughts stumbling over themselves as he forced himself to stay still.
Dangerous. This was getting dangerous.
Before anything else could happen, a distant mechanical whir cut through the silence.
Wenzhi's head turned instantly.
He was saved!
Shao Xinyuan didn't move at first, but then a slow change bled into his expression. The softness in his gaze darkened, something colder settling beneath it as his attention snapped toward the approaching sound.
A sky ship descended softly, the wind kicking up again as it landed a short distance away.
The moment the doors opened, multiple armed personnel poured out, weapons already raised.
The suited man followed close behind.
Shao Xinyuan stood fast pulling Wenzhi up with him without effort.
Wenzhi steadied himself, clearing his throat as he shot him a quick glance.
He hesitated. Then asked anyway, "…Do you feel better?"
Shao Xinyuan froze. The question clearly caught him off guard.
He looked at Wenzhi with the stunned expression of a man facing something rare; the concern itself seemed foreign.
His lips parted, ready to answer.
click.
A dozen guns were raised, all aimed at him.
Two more personnel stepped forward, one holding a restraint jacket, another with reinforced cuffs.
A sudden hostility choked the air. Shao Xinyuan's gaze darkened until the brown was swallowed by shadow.
"Mr. Lin," the suited man greeted with a smooth smile, as if they were old acquaintances. "You have saved so many lives today."
Lin Wenzhi wasn't impressed.
The man didn't seem bothered.
He glanced at the armed personnel. "Restrain him. We're taking him back."
Wenzhi pressed his lips together but didn't interfere as he stepped back, putting distance between himself and Shao Xinyuan.
The restraint jacket was secured. Cuffs followed. And just like that, Xinyuan lowered his head. His hair fell forward, shadowing his eyes completely.
He didn't resist. He didn't speak. He didn't even look at Wenzhi. Not even once.
After everything that had just happened.
Wenzhi's jaw tightened vaguely. That… did something unpleasant to his mood.
The earlier heat lingering in his body faded just as quickly, replaced by irritation.
"I'm impressed," the man continued, drawing Wenzhi's attention back to him. "You subdued him far faster than expected."
Wenzhi shoved his hands into his pockets, his gaze flat. "You weren't expecting me to succeed."
"I wasn't expecting you to break one of my personnel's fingers either," the man replied calmly. "But results are what matters."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Shao Xinyuan has never been successfully guided. We had… ongoing arrangements with a certain S-rank guide. Confidential, of course."
Wenzhi's eyes narrowed.
Yeah. He knew exactly who that was.
Gu Luhan.
"I am here against my will," Wenzhi said bluntly.
The man smiled faintly, unfazed. "It's not every day we encounter compatibility at this level. And you've already proven its effectiveness."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a card, offering it forward. "Director Shen Jue. Central Management Authority."
Wenzhi took it, glanced at it once and looked back up, completely unimpressed. "I don't need this."
His tone was flat as he pushed the card back into Shen Jue's hand. "This was a one-time thing. Besides, there's someone else you should be using anyway. Gu Luhan. S-rank. Better fit, right?"
He stepped past Shen Jue without waiting for a response. "Now send me back to where you dragged me from. I am fucking hungry."