Yu Xi tossed it into the trash, turned to walk away, then hesitated. What if someone saw it? What if Jian Ci asked? The risk was too high.
He retrieved it and shoved it deep into his pocket. The lab incinerator would be safer.
Yu Xi slipped downstairs, avoiding the lounge, and entered the lab. It was empty. He walked toward the incinerator, heart thudding.
Just as he reached it, Jian Wei’s voice rang out. "Hey."
Yu Xi froze, muscles stiff.
Jian Wei eyed his back suspiciously. "Why are you sneaking around?"
Yu Xi quickly palmed the bracelet deeper into his pocket. "Nothing. I was just... looking for you," as he turned around.
Jian Wei nearly dropped his tablet when Yu Xi turned to face him. "What the hell happened to you?" he yelled, eyes wide.
Yu Xi blinked, startled. "Huh?"
It wasn’t a grotesque appearance, but for someone like Yu Xi, usually pristine, composed, and radiant, it was alarming. His eyes were ringed with deep shadows, lips torn at the edges like he had bitten down on them in his sleep, and his complexion, normally flushed with healthy color, was pale as moonlight. If Jian Wei didn’t know better, he would think Yu Xi had been ravaged by a beast and left for dead.
Jian Wei rushed to the mini bar, pulled out a high-grade nutritional drink, and shoved it into Yu Xi’s hands. "Here. Drink this."
Yu Xi took it, hesitating. "Do I look that bad?"
"You look like you didn’t sleep a wink," Jian Wei said bluntly.
Yu Xi sipped the drink, the warmth settling into his chest. He did feel a little better.
"You sure you are okay?" Jian Wei asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I am good," Yu Xi replied, though his voice lacked conviction.
"Sit. Let me run some tests."
Yu Xi was about to refuse when Jian Ci burst in. "Why are you yelling? Is Little Xi okay?"
Then he saw Yu Xi’s face, and his heart clenched. He rushed over, cupping Yu Xi’s cheeks, nearly squishing them. "Are you unwell?"
Yu Xi: "..."
Seriously. How was he supposed to answer that?
"I am fine," Yu Xi said, voice steady despite the exhaustion dragging at his limbs.
Jian Ci didn’t look convinced. He leaned in closer, eyes narrowing with concern. "Your lips... what happened to them? Are you allergic to something? Did something bite you? Did you eat something weird? Wait, was it the cake?"
It was a rapid-fire barrage of questions, and Yu Xi could barely keep up. In his head, he muttered, Yes, something bit me, and that something is you.
He was just about to brush it off with a vague "it’s nothing" when Jian Rui strolled into the room, took one look at Yu Xi, and blurted, "Whoa, who did you kiss last night?"
Everyone froze.
"...What?" Jian Rui asked, blinking at the sudden silence. "Why are you all looking at me like that? It was a joke."
Yu Xi felt the blood drain from his face. He had been exposed. He would rather die on the spot than admit to anything.
He opened his mouth to lie—something about falling out of bed and biting his lip—but Jian Ci beat him to it.
"Don’t be ridiculous," Jian Ci said with a scoff. "Who in this house would have the nerve to kiss Yu Xi? He probably got bitten by something. Right, Little Xi?"
Yu Xi: "..."
The bug theory was decent. Except... where would a bug have come from?
"I fell out of bed last night," Yu Xi said finally, voice calm. "And bit my lip. It should heal soon."
What puzzled Yu Xi most was the bite mark.
Normally, his body healed fast—too fast, sometimes. But the spot where Jian Ci had sunk his teeth last night was still raw, faintly swollen. It throbbed like it had been etched into him with something deeper than flesh.
"How old are you, still falling out of bed that easy?" Jian Ci teased, rummaging through the drawer for ointment.
Yu Xi turned his head slightly, only to find Jian Rui staring at him with narrowed eyes. Yu Xi: "..."
Even Jian Wei was watching him with a raised brow, arms crossed like he was waiting for a confession.
Only Jian Ci was oblivious, bustling about with a q-tip and tube in hand. He squeezed a dollop of ointment and held it up. "Look up. Let me apply it."
"I will do it," Yu Xi said quickly, reaching for the q-tip.
But Jian Ci dodged his hand with a grin. "It will be much better if I do it."
Yu Xi relented.
Jian Ci leaned in, close enough that Yu Xi could see the tremble in his eyelashes. Any closer and they’d kiss, just like last night. Yu Xi’s heart pounded against his ribs, a frantic rhythm he couldn’t calm.
Then Jian Rui said dryly, "You two look like the opposite of each other."
Jian Ci, finishing the application, blinked. "What do you mean?"
Jian Wei squinted at Jian Ci, then at Yu Xi, and back again. "You should have woken up with a massive hangover and whining like a banshee, but you are bouncing around like you didn’t drink at all last night. Meanwhile, Yu Xi looks like he got hit by a shuttle pod. Why is that?"
Jian Ci shrugged while applying some more. "Maybe he didn’t sleep well."
Yu Xi, silent, thought Yes. He didn’t sleep well. Because someone kissed him, and that kiss had replayed in his mind all night, tangled in every breath, every heartbeat.
"Maybe if he eats breakfast, he will feel better," Jian Ci added, standing and grabbing Yu Xi’s wrist. "Come, let’s go eat."
Yu Xi rose, but Jian Ci’s gaze dropped to his wrist. He suddenly froze.
There were faint bruises—finger-shaped, like someone had gripped him too hard.
Jian Ci’s smile faltered. His mind raced. It couldn’t be Jian Wei; he was too gentle, too weak to overpower Yu Xi. That left only one possibility.
Jian Ci’s eyes flicked to Jian Rui as they walked out, his expression sharp, accusing. It was as though he was saying, "I know you are hiding something."
Jian Rui, catching the look, blinked. "...What are you glaring at me for? You don’t want your eyes anymore?"
Jian Ci didn’t answer. But the suspicion lingered, heavy in the air.