It takes Yao Shen a long time to reply, and in that time he feels Xin Hulei's gaze on his lowered head.
Before he can come up with something to say, Xin Hulei texts him.
[Xin Hulei: Nevermind, get some rest, we'll talk tomorrow]
Yao Shen's head shoots up the moment the message arrives, he wants to explain himself somehow, but Xin Hulei is no longer looking at him. His face is braced on his open palm as he looks out at the speeding scenery, the streetlights reflected in his dark eyes.
Across from Yao Shen, Tan Liansi is giving him a contemplative look, her eyebrows drawn.
Yao Shen really isn't going to get into her good graces anytime soon.
The worst part is that he would have liked to sleep over at Xin Hulei's apartment. It feels like they have had barely any time together.
Xin Hulei so selflessly helped him when he told him about Ye Fang's fears, it feels cruel to dismiss him.
He doesn't know what to say now to dispel the awkwardness.
In the end, he doesn't text Xin Hulei again for the remainder of the train journey.
---
There are cars already waiting for them as soon as they arrive in Hengdian.
Each of them is escorted to their own car with their respective assistants and personnel, without as much as a brief goodbye.
No one knows what's going to happen yet, so everyone is stepping on eggshells. It's easy to assume that their agencies will not be pleased, so both the assistants and security are keeping tight-lipped until they have more information.
Even Bi Jialu who is usually so friendly, doesn't speak a single word to Yao Shen all the way to the hotel.
He's sure they did the right thing, but he understands everyone's apprehension -- they're probably worrying if this will impact their own livelihood, if the agencies will blame them for not noticing any of this happening right under their noses.
"Have a good night, Lulu," Yao Shen says, when he steps out of the car. "I'm sorry for the confusion this all caused. If anyone tries to cause trouble for you, just blame it all on me."
Bi Jialu gives him a slight smile from the corner of her lips. "Goodnight, laoshi, get some rest."
Yao Shen should heed her words and go straight to bed, but he's still thinking about that text from Xin Hulei that he never answered.
He could text him again and ask him to come pick him up, but that feels a little like imposing.
He has a better idea, and a System ability that can come in handy.
---
It's a shame that 'Underground Level Access' can only take him to the Underworld. It would be extremely convenient for Yao Shen to open a door right outside Xin Hulei's own, bypassing the inconvenience of being recognized.
He can use the next best thing though, which is hailing a ride to Xin Hulei's neighborhood, and then using invisibility to run all the way up to his building and floor.
By the time he knocks on Xin Hulei's door he's panting from the effort, and no longer invisible -- all in all a wild success.
Xin Hulei gives him a confused look when he opens the door. "Did you run all the way here from the hotel?"
Yao Shen makes his way past Xin Hulei and inside the apartment. "Yes, so you should feed me and let me crash here." He collapses on the sofa with a tired sigh. Moments later, Heimao bounds over to him and bumps his head against Yao Shen's cheek.
Xin Hulei watches the scene from the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. "I thought you didn't want to come over."
From the sofa, Yao Shen gives him a pleading look from beneath his eyelashes. "A lot happened today," he says, in lieu of any further explanation.
He can't explain everything to Xin Hulei, it's too much. The threads of their past seem too tangled to unscramble now, he wants to ignore all of it. He just wants them to be two actors embarking on a very unwise no-strings attached relationship.
No kings here, just stars.
The thought makes him smile to himself, which in turn makes Xin Hulei mirror his amusement.
He closes the door and makes his way to the kitchenette. "What do you want to eat?"
Yao Shen turns himself around on the sofa, and supports his arms on the armrest facing the kitchen counter and Xin Hulei. "Whatever is fine, everything you make is delicious."
Xin Hulei starts taking ingredients out of the cupboards and ties back the longer strands of his hair in a small loose bun on top of his head. Some of the shorter hairs come loose, framing his face and softening his sculpted jade features.
"How did you become such a good cook?" Yao Shen asks, watching Xin Hulei move in the kitchen, eyes glued to the play of muscles under his smooth skin, left bare by his loose tank top.
Xin Hulei lights the electric stovetop and shrugs. "Yan Shuyi loved eating but he was a terrible cook. I learnt to make all of his favorite dishes, and from then on everything else was easy."
Hearing Yan Shuyi's name makes something hot and acidic coil in Yao Shen's stomach. He regrets having asked in the first place.
He changes the subject. "What are you making me?"
Xin Hulei gives him an amused look. "Tell me what's your favorite food, and I'll make it for you."
A surge of heat suffuses Yao Shen's cheeks, making him lower his head in embarrassment. Xin Hulei must be aware of the implications of asking that on the tail of the revelation of why he learned how to cook.
"It's too complicated, just make me a stir fry and I'll be happy."
Xin Hulei doesn't press the issue, but the tiny smirk at corner of his lips doesn't disappear.
---
They eat in front of the TV, watching the rerun of yet another dating show.
Yao Shen struggles to eat with Heimao making himself comfortable in the space between his crossed legs.
"Is he always this clingy?"
Xin Hulei shakes his head. "He's been acting very clingy with you lately, if anything, he's been more distant with me lately."
Yao Shen's mind flashes back to those odd weibo posts, by the account with the display name Heimao.
And yet, Heimao isn't any different from any other cat he has seen -- his behaviour is very cat like.
Yao Shen puts it out of his mind, and gets up to help Xin Hulei load the dishwasher.
He's washing his hands on the sink when he feels Xin Hulei coming up behind him, and boxing him against the marble counter.
"Did you just come over to eat my food and sleep in my bed?" Xin Hulei asks, his chest pressed flush against Yao Shen's back.
Yao Shen wants to turn around but one of Xin Hulei's hands snakes around his waist and keeps him in place with a strong grip around his hipbone.
"It's very rude to show up uninvited without a gift for the host," Xin Hulei continues, his voice lower and more gravelly.
Yao Shen's breathing is coming up in short pants, and he can't resist pressing up against Xin Hulei, feeling the hard lines of his body digging into him, pushing him into the counter and immobilizing him.
"What gift do you want, for your hospitality?" Yao Shen asks, his throat clicking.
The fingers on his hipbone tighten, and Xin Hulei pulls him back against his pelvis, so that Yao Shen can feel the hard length of his cock digging into his ass.
"I think you only have one thing you can pay me with," Xin Hulei says, whispering the words into Yao Shen's ear, nipping the edge of his earlobe.
The implications are so filthy that Yao Shen can't help letting out a moan. Imagining Xin Hulei throwing him down onto his bed and demanding payment from Yao Shen's body, again and again.
He doesn't want to dally on the past, but he does wonder about what the two of them got up to in that brothel.
"You can, if you want," Yao Shen says, his breathing ragged. He reaches backwards with one hand to hold on to Xin Hulei's tank top, to keep him pressed closely against his body. "You can do whatever you want with me."
Yao Shen loves and fears the idea of making himself vulnerable like that, in equal measure. At once terrified and thrilled by the prospect of giving himself up to Xin Hulei -- of letting him take control for Yao Shen's pleasure.
Xin Hulei seems to like the idea as well, because his hands grow restless on Yao Shen's body, hungrier, slipping between his shirt to get at skin, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.
"You mentioned something about a spreadsheet..." he says, snaking one hand up Yao Shen's chest to roll the pad of his thumb over a hardened nipple.