Free Web NovelChapter 128: What Do I Want?
Wenzhi’s eyes narrowed at the glowing screen.
[Wenzhi: Who are you?]
[Unknown Number: I have your friends. I prefer that you come alone to the location I am going to send you. And when I mean alone, I mean without Shao Xinyuan. If you do that, your friends will be spared.]
Wenzhi’s pupils contracted sharply. His friends? Did this bastard mean Duan Ze, Fu Muhan, Ru Yi, and Hanmei?
"Wenzhi?" Xinyuan’s sleepy, low voice rumbled from the blankets at the exact same moment Wenzhi’s thumbs flew across the keyboard.
[Wenzhi: Are you talking about Duan Ze and Ru Yi?]
[Unknown Number: Will you come or not? I will hurt them.]
[Wenzhi: do not take well to threats. If you threaten me, I am not going to listen to a single thing you have to say, even if you truly have them.]
Without waiting for a reply, Wenzhi mute the device, tossing it face-down onto the nightstand with a clack.
If this bastard were stupid enough to kill Duan Ze, they would simply have to answer to the wrath of Kaiwen.
Wenzhi wasn’t about to play into an obvious trap.
He exhaled a slow breath and rolled back onto the mattress, only to be instantly grabbed by Xinyuan.
The Esper’s warm hand slid effortlessly up beneath the hem of his shirt, splaying flat against his bare skin, while his face buried itself right back into the crook of Wenzhi’s neck.
"I don’t ever want to leave this room," Xinyuan breathed against his throat.
Wenzhi let out a soft sigh. Abandoning his rigid posture, he raised his hand to the Esper’s bare back, his fingertips gently trailing down the line of his spine, tracing the chain tattoos against the skin.
"We don’t have to," Wenzhi whispered quietly, the words slipping out before his usual defenses could stop them. "At least, not right now. We can stay here for a while."
"Okay," Xinyuan murmured, planting a soft, lingering kiss right against his pulse point.
Wenzhi closed his eyes, a small, genuine smile curling the corners of his lips in the dark. "But what if a rift suddenly tears open right in our living room?"
Xinyuan let out an exaggerated groan. He dragged his head up, meeting Wenzhi’s gaze with a thoroughly disturbed look on his face. His dark hair was sticking out in every direction. A chaotic masterpiece courtesy of Wenzhi’s fingers.
"Do you want a rift to appear, Freckles? We shouldn’t jinx ourselves," Xinyuan scolded softly, though his eyes softened. "It’s nice here. It’s significantly nicer than the last time we spent a long while in this house."
Wenzhi gave him an unimpressed look. "I don’t think there is a single difference between then and now. You are just as suffocatingly clingy."
"And you are noticeably less difficult," Xinyuan countered instantly. "Just a tiny bit, though, since you still haven’t officially agreed to our date. Which we will be going on. And then we’re going on a dozen more after that." Excitement danced in his gaze despite the crimson tinge in his irises.
Wenzhi blinked, his jaw tightening slightly. "I am not less difficult."
"So you are fully aware that you are difficult," Xinyuan caught him, cocking his head to the side with a smug grin stretching across his handsome face.
Wenzhi breathed in deeply. "I am not... Get off me."
"No, no, I’m sorry, I take it back," Xinyuan laughed and melted back down, burying his face right back into the crook of Wenzhi’s neck.
Wenzhi rolled his eyes at the ceiling, but his hand betrayed him, his fingers automatically finding their way back into the dark strands of Xinyuan’s hair. "You don’t have to apologize, idiot."
"Hmm." Xinyuan snuggled closer, wrapping his limbs around Wenzhi like he was a giant, personal security blanket. "I love you."
Wenzhi’s heart skipped a beat at the sudden, casual confession.
His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. For a terrifying second, his lungs completely forgot how to process oxygen. His chest tightened as his heartbeat accelerated to a frantic pace.
Xinyuan slowly raised his head back up. "Your heart is beating so fast, baby,"
Wenzhi frowned, his face fiercely flushed in the dark.
What the hell was going on with him? Why did a simple, three-word confession from a shirtless Esper had his chest feeling like a war zone.
"I... I know." Wenzhi’s mouth felt incredibly dry.
"You don’t have to say it back right now," Xinyuan whispered softly. He leaned in, his lips gently pressing against Wenzhi’s.
It was a slow, careful kiss, entirely devoid of the frantic hunger from the cavern. It was tender, patient, and grounded, and Wenzhi melted into it immediately, his tense shoulders finally dropping against the pillows.
When Xinyuan broke the kiss, his lips lingered just an inch away. "I love you," he repeated.
If it was biologically possible for Wenzhi’s heart to accelerate past its current speed, it definitely did.
Xinyuan noticed instantly, a grin spreading across his face.
"I love that you let me affect you," he muttered. "It’s so... I don’t even know what word to use for it. But I love it."
Wenzhi wanted to scoff. Xinyuan was a force of nature who could literally level the entire world and yet here he was, completely domestic, snuggling and teasing his Guide in a dusty bed in the middle of the night.
But if Wenzhi was being entirely honest with himself, he loved the effect he had on Xinyuan just as much. He loved that he was the only source of peace for him.
"Why do you say that?" Wenzhi asked. "What’s so special about me that has you so... like this?"
Xinyuan paused. The teasing grin faded from his lips, replaced by a look of genuine surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected Wenzhi to actually dig deeper into the sentiment, and he took a long, quiet moment to genuinely think about it before he spoke.
"Regardless of how we met, it’s just... it’s nice seeing you," Xinyuan said softly. "You’re a strong-willed person. You never let anyone break you down, no matter what they throw at you. And you always know exactly what you want..."
"What do I want?" Wenzhi interrupted smoothly.
He found the Esper completely, utterly adorable in this state. He splayed his palm flat against Xinyuan’s forehead, his fingers sliding backward to playfully ruffle the dark, messy strands of his hair.
Xinyuan stared down at him, his expression suddenly looking incredibly innocent. His brow pulled together as he tried to process the question, but he was evidently getting distracted and entirely hypnotized by the smooth, rhythmic way Wenzhi was touching him.
Wenzhi’s fingers trailed down to the tip of Xinyuan’s ear, a small smirk playing on his lips. "What do I want, Shao Xinyuan?"
