"I hate to break it to you, Yaras?, but you’re the one who has me in a complicated position."
Rong Yizhan’s jaw ticks slightly. He shifts, intending to step back and cool off. Xin Linhua has other plans.
The moment he moves, Xin Linhua flips the uno reverse card right in his face.
He grabs Rong Yizhan’s arm, twisting behind the man and pinning his face to the wall instead. He chuckles in amusement as he locks Rong Yizhan’s arm behind him.
"Yaras?, oh Yaras?." He leans in "For someone so small and fragile, you’re stronger than you look."
"Let. Go."
"Make me." Xin Linhua lowers his head "Do you know how much fun I’m having? Now, since this is how you like things, maybe this position will convince you to start answering questions."
Rong Yizhan keeps mute, struggling to break free from the deadlock. Xin Linhua doesn’t move an inch, if anything, he braces himself with one hand on the wall and keeps Rong Yizhan pinned with the other.
"What the fuck is up with you?" Xin Linhua frowns "You won’t let me guide you, you’ll rather go through torment and torture all in the name of medical guiding. You don’t want to form a bond with me, yet you need me. Admit, Yaras?, you fucking need me."
"Get off me!"
Xin Linhua staggers back, his hold loosen on his prisoner.
"That was cute." Xin Linhua closes in again "But trust me, you’ll have to beat my ass to escape me."
"Gladly."
A fist flies out so fast, Xin Linhua can’t dodge it in time. The hit lands squarely on his jaw.
He staggers once again, his head tilting to the side with force. Rong Yizhan hadn’t held back. The impact is greater due to how Xin Linhua was moving when the hit arrived.
"Haha!" Xin Linhua’s laughter is anything but amusing "And here I thought your punches would be as soft as you."
He wipes the blood from the corner of his lips, swiping his bangs back.
"Don’t worry, I’ll try not to hit your face."
The two quickly engage in a scuffle. Punch, kicks, grappling one another.
Like Xin Linhua said, he refrains from hitting Rong Yizhan’s face. After all, fighting is prohibited in dorms, take it to the arena if you’ve gone a bone to pick.
Even though he earned a cut to his lips, he already plans to lie that it happened during the scuffle after the rift opened up. Rong Yizhan will not be able to give such an excuse.
Xin Linhua ducks beneath the incoming fist, his hair whipping across his cheek. Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
Rong Yizhan’s elbow comes next. Xin Linhua twists aside just in time, evading the hit by a small margin.
Another punch comes straight for him but Xin Linhua catches Rong Yizhan’s wrist and stares at him incredulously.
"Are you seriously trying to break my nose?" He shoves him back gently "This feature is one of the things I have going for me."
Rong Yizhan yanks his hand free, his tony icy and dark.
"You attacked me first."
"Only because you’re a stubborn asshole!"
Rong Yizhan’s fist shoots toward his face once again. Xin Linhua’s eyes widens.
"My face! Damn you!"
He slips sideways, narrowly avoiding the punch, before retaliating with a kick aimed at Rong Yizhan’s ribs.
Rong Yizhan blocks it.
Xin Linhua immediately pulls his next strike at the last second, redirecting his fist toward Rong Yizhan shoulder instead of his jaw.
Rong Yizhan notices. His fingers twitch as he dodge the attack. He pauses for a moment.
"You’re holding back." He voices out.
"Obviously." Xin Linhua flexes his fingers
"Why?"
Xin Linhua gives him an exaggeratedly offended look.
"If I give you an obvious wound, we’ll have a hard time explaining." He rotates his shoulders "Besides, if I hurt your pretty face, I’ll still be the one on the losing end."
Rong Yizhan’s expression darkens, his fist comes flying toward his face again.
This time, Xin Linhua grabs his fist and pulls him forward.
Rong Yizhan is caught off guard, his body crashes straight into Xin Linhua’s, who imprison him in a tight hug.
"Let go!"
"Mm, lemme think about it..." Xin Linhua lowers his gaze "No. You’re cuter when you act out, y’know."
"Mm? Nah! Once is enough, twice is an impossible phenomenon." Xin Linhua chuckles "Besides, if I die, who will guide your grumpy ass?"
The moment he finishes speaking, the ra?ar on his wrist comes off. A thin, almost invisible streak of hazy blue smoke swirls around his arms and Rong Yizhan’s figure. He’s guiding.
Rong Yizhan begins to struggle harder. For a guide, Xin Linhua is annoyingly strong. For someone without any abilities, his strength is even more infuriating.
He said he’d never guide Rong Yizhan forcefully, he said he’d never do something the youth hates. How fast he ate his words.
"Yaras?, don’t look at me like I betrayed you." Xin Linhua has a wounded look on his face "You forced my hands. We have to awaken your ability and we have to form a bond. You were the one who bargained for this when you went up again Chen the other day. Now you’re trying to resist. Doesn’t work that way."
"Xin Linhua. I’m going to kill you."
"Kill me?" Xin Linhua sneers "Do you know how long that line is? You’d have to get to the back of it. Maybe by the time I’m old and crooked, you’ll get your chance."
Xin Linhua slips the ra?ar back on. Just two minutes of guiding. It’s not enough, but for someone who’s actively trying to kill him, he’ll stop here for today.
"So, are you going to try to kill me if I release you?"
"Let go of me."
"Sounds like you will." Xin Linhua glances at the door "Guess I have no choice but to remain in this position up until I drag your ass to the Administration Building."
Rong Yizhan flinches. His fist clenches so tight, his nails dig into his palm. He suddenly feels drowsy and tired.
"I won’t..."
"What did you say?"
"I won’t kill you, let go of me."
"Remember what you said, Yaras?."
Xin Linhua braces himself. The moment he releases Rong Yizhan, he shifts into a defense stance.
Rong Yizhan smooth out the crevices and wrinkles from his lounge wear.
"So, Yaras?, what’d you say? Still gonna try to kill me?"
Rong Yizhan stares at him, really stare at him. He rubs his wrist.
"Touch me again and you’ll regret it."