Capturing My Demon King Costar

MY COSTAR WANTS TO COOK

The Xin Hulei that appears at Yao Shen's side looks down at the one laying down on the Crown Prince's legs.

A frown of confusion appears between his sharp eyebrows.

"When did this happen?"

Yao Shen doesn't have an answer for him -- he's only now learning about it.

"How did you get here?" Yao Shen asks him, overwhelmed with relief.

He wants to throw his arms around Xin Hulei's neck and pull him into a kiss, but although no one can see them he still feels as if he's in public.

Xin Hulei's eyes are still glued to the scene in front of them, where the Crown Prince is trying to wake up the unconscious cultivator on his legs, with little success.

"The mirror in your room -- I called but got no answer. I found a talisman to reach Youdu among your things."

"How did you get rid of Si Wang?" Yao Shen asks.

"The two of you were lying unconscious in a room. I dragged him outside and bound him with a talisman. I don't know how long it will hold."

"Did you see Xie Bian or Fan Wujiu?"

Xin Hulei shakes his head, but it's clear all of his attention is still focused on the Crown Prince, and the younger version of himself.

Although there are no noticeable physical differences between the Xin Hulei standing beside him, and the one lying unconscious, Yao Shen thinks that he has never seem him look as unguarded and relaxed in sleep as he does in the Crown Prince's lap -- it sends a pang of something cold through his middle.

Yao Shen can't tell if it's regret that Xin Hulei can no longer let his guard down that deeply, even when unconscious, or that this other version of himself is seeing a side of Xin Hulei that he no longer can.

The Crown Prince finally stops trying to rouse Xin Hulei, realising the futility of his actions.

Now, he tries to find a comfortable way to carry him back to camp. He's adjusting Xin Hulei over his back when a talisman stuck to Xin Hulei's waist sash comes loose with a woosh. The sound startles the Crown Prince who lets Xin Hulei slip down his back back with a panicked, "shit!".

It's not a dignified scene, but any second-hand embarrassment Yao Shen might feel about seeing himself act like a fool disappears when his eyes fall on Xin Hulei's face again.

The demon seal between his eyebrows shines brightly, almost as eye-catching as the two obsidian horns sprouting from his forehead.

"A demon?" the Crown Prince says, at the same time that both Yao Shen and Xin Hulei suck on a breath.

The Crown Prince's hand hovers above Xin Hulei's face, not quite daring to touch him. He looks behind himself in the direction of the military camp he came from, and then down again into Xin Hulei's slack face.

"I can't bring you back there."

He looks out into the the woods that grow thicker and darker in the distance.

With a sigh, he hefts Xin Hulei up into his back once again.

"Let's hope there's a logging cabin somewhere." With a grunt, the Crown Prince walks deeper into the woods, Xin Hulei's unconscious body draped over his bent back.

Yao Shen watches the two of them disappear in the distance, and then looks up at Xin Hulei.

Xin Hulei's face is startling pale, and his dark eyes are wide in shocked realisation.