Yu Jiu shook his head, swaying his fingers near his ankle to make a gesture indicating he could not walk.
“Is your foot injured?”
Yu Jiu nodded.
The dim, half-lit light cast a stark shadow across Ling Xiye’s face, making his sharp, three-dimensional features look even colder. The expression in his eyes was hidden in the darkness, and Yu Jiu could not make it out clearly.
Was he going to be abandoned again?
After all, Ling Xiye looked like he did not want to deal with him at all.
The sprain on his ankle throbbed dully. Yu Jiu frowned and shifted his ankle backward, trying his best not to touch the wound.
Ling Xiye took in every little movement Yu Jiu made. The wound probably hurt a lot; his pretty face looked aggrieved, and he shrank back like a small animal, hiding the injury behind him as if trying to avoid being found by a hunter.
If he were left here alone, once the beasts arrived, he would not be able to run or call out. He would just huddle here in a tiny ball, waiting to be caught by the monsters.
Yu Jiu had no idea what was going on in Ling Xiye’s mind. He only saw Ling Xiye suddenly squat down in front of him.
The young man’s body had not fully matured yet, and his build was not as broad as Lu Shiyue’s. The outline of his back bones was distinct, but it was still straight and sturdy.
“Get on. I will carry you.”
Yu Jiu leaned dizzily against Ling Xiye’s back. The young man’s clean, cold scent enveloped his entire body. Ling Xiye carried him steadily, and even on the mountain path, he did not feel any bumps.
He heard Ling Xiye’s strong heartbeat, thumping rhythmically one beat after another.
He was already sleepy, and after tossing and turning all night, coupled with the sound of the heartbeat, his thin eyelids fluttered. Finally, unable to fight off the drowsiness, his eyelids closed completely, and he rested his head in the crook of Ling Xiye’s neck, falling fast asleep.
Without a shred of vigilance, Ling Xiye glanced sideways at Yu Jiu’s serene sleeping face. How can he trust others so easily? Is not he afraid I will sell him off?
He had noticed earlier that Yu Jiu was sleepy, his head bobbing against his neck, the soft ends of his hair occasionally brushing against that patch of skin.
His uniform had a high collar, but even through the thin layer of fabric, Ling Xiye felt a tingling itch.
He could only see a small portion of Yu Jiu’s face. His eyes were gently closed as he slept quietly, making almost no sound. In the quiet night, one had to listen closely to catch his soft, even breathing.
With each breath he exhaled, that indescribable fragrance drifted over in waves, not as pungent and rich as perfume.
The person on his back was also light, carrying almost no weight, clinging to him softly like a boneless creature.
When Yu Jiu opened his eyes again, he found himself back in the town. On both sides were shops with their doors tightly shut at night, overlapping with the route he had taken to the mountainside park during the day.
In the distance, he saw a storefront shining with light along the street.
Since it was lit up so late, it had to be the town’s inn.
Only then did Yu Jiu realize belatedly that Ling Xiye had never asked him where he wanted to go. Back then, he had been in pain and cold, so he had forgotten to mention it.
“Wow, 091, he is so smart. He knew where to send me without even asking.”
Yu Jiu shared his discovery with 091 in amazement.
091 did not want to dampen the spirits of its somewhat slow-witted host. In truth, the moment Ling Xiye found him, he had already confirmed his identity as a tourist.
It chanted silently in its heart: It is fine. Being a bit slow makes the baby even cuter.
As they drew closer, Yu Jiu saw that a group of people had gathered in the inn’s lobby.
Lights blazed bright, and shadows flickered everywhere.
At a glance, he spotted that arrogant red head. He seemed to be arguing with someone, looking extremely angry, full of agitation and impatience.
“If you cannot find him, do not expect me to help you anymore.”
Lu Shiyue was unilaterally chewing someone out. Those people were the other players led by Yan Xiao, and the magician was nowhere to be seen; his figure was absent from the lobby.
Yan Xiao kept his head bowed, almost touching the floor. The man standing before him exuded an overwhelming, furious aura, and Yan Xiao did not even dare make eye contact.
After the monster snatched Yu Jiu away, Lu Shiyue’s first reaction was to give chase. However, several players were severely injured and physically exhausted. To avoid encountering other dangers deep in the mountains at night, Yan Xiao had practically knelt before Lu Shiyue to pull him back.
As for Yu Jiu, if he perished in a game quest, even Ning Jue would not say much upon finding out; it could only be blamed on his own bad luck and poor skill.
Yet Yan Xiao hadn’t expected that after dropping them off, Lu Shiyue would fly into such a rage, even using task progress to threaten all the players into waiting until dawn to search the mountain.
Even within the Sharp Blade team, people disliked the vase. Since they had managed to shake him off, losing him meant good riddance.
Yan Xiao only dared to think these thoughts in his heart. If he voiced them aloud, he had no doubt Lu Shiyue would skin him alive.
At that moment, the inn’s front door was pushed open from the outside. The wind chime hanging from the eaves chimed crisply, and a gust of cold air rushed in.
Lu Shiyue’s eyes landed on Yu Jiu first. He looked like he had just woken up from sleep, his green eyes still hazy, a faint red indentation pressed into his soft cheek against his fair skin.
Aside from being slightly disheveled, there were no traces of him having been bullied.
After confirming that Yu Jiu was safe and sound, Lu Shiyue noticed the person who brought him inside: a cold-faced, handsome young man wearing a neat uniform, carrying Yu Jiu steadily on his back.
Lu Shiyue did not even care about the system’s critical NPC prompt ringing in his ear. He only found the dependent way Yu Jiu leaned against someone else extraordinarily glaring.
He had not been dragged back to the monster’s nest to build a home, nor had he been bullied by the monster; instead, he was leaning on another man with a completely dependent and delicate posture.
Hh.
He really had some skill.
Yu Jiu clearly saw Lu Shiyue’s expression change. From the anger before he noticed him, to a momentary release of tension, and now to the familiar, unmasked impatience, he quickly looked away from Yu Jiu and landed his gaze on Ling Xiye’s face.
Ling Xiye did not care about the tourists in the inn. Interacting with them outside of designated scenic areas violated regulations, and today was his sole exception.
He did not care about the disputes among a roomful of tourists either, until the one who looked like the leader cast a gaze full of implicit hostility toward him.
Combined with the red-haired man’s look at Yu Jiu, Ling Xiye sneered inwardly. Could this be the wealthy benefactor who abandoned his little lover, only to worry and search for him after tossing him away? Truly useless.
Yu Jiu slid down from Ling Xiye’s back. He had been meaning to express his gratitude, but before he could make a move, Lu Shiyue strode over.
The man made a forceful move, his broad palm grabbing Yu Jiu’s wrist and pulling him behind him. With a sideways turn, he blocked Yu Jiu from view and cut off his chance to say thank you.
Ling Xiye was momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered. The benefactor possessed a rather strong sense of possession, not even letting others touch him.
Blocked behind him, Yu Jiu could only reveal half his face. Looking at that delicate, tender face that seemed ready to drip water, Ling Xiye looked away.
Clearly someone else’s property, already played with by others, he had no reason to care.
“Please keep a better eye on your friend in the future. Wild beasts roam the mountains at night, and we take no responsibility if accidents happen.”
Ling Xiye spoke in a strictly professional tone, but his voice was unkind, dripping with mockery toward Lu Shiyue.
He could not even keep track of a person; what kind of benefactor was he?
Lu Shiyue caught the sarcasm in the other’s tone as well. He had no intention of entangling himself with an unknown NPC. Besides, since he was a critical NPC, he could settle this score later.
His shoulders and build were slightly taller and broader than Ling Xiye’s. Relying on his physical advantage, he took a step forward, wearing a forced, humorless smile as he suppressed the surging anger in his chest.
“Thanks for the reminder.”
Yu Jiu was completely blocked behind him, unable to see the hidden clash between the two men, and could only hear a polite-sounding conversation.
The wind chimes rang once more as Ling Xiye pushed the door open and left, his handsome, clean-cut figure blending into the night, gradually fading away into the distance.
Before he could even say thank you, Yu Jiu felt a mild sense of loss.
Lu Shiyue turned around to see Yu Jiu biting his lip, his lower lip rubbed to a vibrant red, his face full of disappointment and regret.
“Are you really that reluctant to part with him?”
The words tumbled out before his brain could process them.
“I really underestimated you. You managed to find someone to take over so quickly, and a critical NPC at that.”
“Your clothes are even torn.” Lu Shiyue only now noticed that Yu Jiu’s collar was wide open, damp hair ends clinging to his cheeks, and the soft flesh on his neck still covered in red marks.
Clearly, it was left behind by someone biting that tender spot, grinding with their teeth, and sucking hard to leave those kiss marks.
Whether they were left by the monster or that NPC named Ling Xiye, he had no idea.
“You were just dragged away by a monster, but anyone not knowing better would think you were played with by it.”
He unconsciously closed the distance to Yu Jiu, leaning down, his body tense as he stared at that striking red mark with a vicious tone.
“It is even rubbed red. Did you let that NPC suck on you too, apart from the monster?”
Smack!