.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

It didn’t take long before Zhen Xue found himself in a predicament, right where he wanted to be. He darted past the fallen crates, laughing at the footsteps pounding loudly after him. Gathering a crowd was easy enough when you're the most wanted criminal in Cassanova. Maybe the title wasn’t so bad.

The plan was simple enough. He just needed to stir up trouble long enough for the royal guards and Ming Yi to arrive and save the day, and then he could slip away unnoticed. 

So far, the plan was going rather well. Every time his pursuers got close enough, he created a distraction to keep a safe distance from them, luring them in the direction he wanted.

With his mind already calculating his next move, he passed through a group of merchants who were attending to their stalls. 

They jumped back in alarm as the chaotic scene unfolding before them, eyes widening in horror.

Many of them flashed him a glare, which he offered an unapologetic smile, not concerned in the slightest. Maybe he’s spent too much time in this world, full of danger, to be bothered by something so insignificant.

The marble buildings towering around him become a blur as he runs past, their jutted edges leading to paths that traverse deeper within Cassanova. He could hear glasses clinking together and people talking nearby from the local cafe, but he didn’t concern himself with them, focusing on his situation at hand. 

Not much longer now. He could hold out until then. The tiredness he felt from earlier didn’t go away. This type of exhaustion wasn’t normal. He could always tell the difference whenever his condition got worse. 

His bone felt heavier with every step he took, still he didn’t give up.

Pushing through the discomfort, he grit his teeth, throwing himself into the wind with one foot in front of the other. 

The breeze that swept across his skin and through his hair tasted like the revenge he longed for. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d run this fast, nor felt this free. It was sort of exhilarating and eased his tiredness for a moment, allowing him to focus. 

His heart nearly stopped as a hand grabbed hold of his arm, yanking him backwards. 

His jaw set. Zhen Xue leaned into their pull, dipping underneath his captor’s hold to twist himself free.

In that moment, the clear blue sky took his breath away, time seeming to slow down just for him.

He pulled out the cube invention from his pocket and everyone froze, watching on as though they might die. Zhen Xue stared back with a breathy smile, toying with the object in his hand, much like he was playing with their fear.

With a simple flick of his wrist, he tossed the object into the air, watching the sunlight reflect on the bronze surface before dropping back into his hand. “Fools. Do you understand who you’re messing with?” he goaded them, tilting his head with a cool smile.

The crowd looked uncertain about what to do. An older man stomped forward, shoulders shaking from rage. “How can you live with yourself after what you’ve done?! So many lives are gone because of you!”

Zhen Xue’s eyes widened momentarily as the man lunged for him at surprising speed. 

He sidestepped, watching coldly as the man stumbled over his feet. He picked his eardrum nonchalantly, hardly breaking a sweat. “You were saying? Maybe I heard wrong.”

A woman stepped forward to help the man stand back up. “Brandon, are you okay?!” The man struggled to rise on his left foot, slumping back down on the ground. The scene was so pitiful, Zhen Xue grew tired from watching them.

He took a step backwards, intending to lead the crowd where Ming Yi and the Royal Guards waited, when a faint tug of his clothes made him freeze in confusion.

There below was a little boy staring at him in tears. His voice trembled. “Why did you kill my big sister?” 

Zhen Xue’s resolve spiraled like a blow to his chest, recognizing this boy’s grief like his own. “Ming Yi...” he said reflexively, wanting to escape, but then remembered Ming Yi wasn’t there.

No matter where he looked, a pair of grief-stricken eyes stared back at him—like he became the very thing he hated. He grew nauseous, wanting to lean over and wretch with images flashing through his mind of his siblings lying in a pool of their own blood. “You should’ve died too,” Zhen Zhi told him in his dreams. 

Yes, perhaps if he had, then more people wouldn’t suffer.

“Ah!! Help me!” A man with a silver mask stumbled through the clearing to hide behind him. 

His eyes widened, his breath hitching as he recognized Li Wei. 

He glanced down the street where Li Wei came from, half expecting to find someone chasing him, but there was no such person. In fact, it was so quiet that Zhen Xue realized Li Wei wasn’t running from anything at all.

“Good sir, what is the matter?” Brandon asked, taking a step towards Li Wei. He recovered too fast for Zhen Xue not to notice. “Can’t you see the situation? That man you hide behind is a known criminal of our kingdom.”

“Don’t bother,” the woman beside him huffed. “That young man has been senile for a long time. He wanders the streets, humming a strange tune and always wearing that mask. He can’t tell what’s good for him.”

Her statement made Zhen Xue pause, but he didn’t comment.

Brandon sighed. “Well, we can’t just leave him there.”

At their attention, Zhen Xue instinctively raised his arm, shielding him behind the sleeve of his robe. He glanced back to find Li Wei hunched over, trembling like a leaf. His lips curled upward at the sight. “He’s my hostage.”

Li Wei froze from his trembling mess, making Zhen Xue’s smile widen further. 

“You heard me,” Zhen Xue said, returning to face the crowd. “Nobody will touch him.”

Despite the woman’s claim that Li Wei was hopeless to save, no one made a move, afraid of having a human life on their hands.

Not even Calisaya, who remained watching from afar, attempted to save Li Wei. The fact they claimed to be on morally higher ground, yet would do nothing but watch someone in danger, twisted his stomach with unbridled anger at every one of them.

A series of footsteps approached the scene, alerting Zhen Xue that it was time to go. Ming Yi no doubt discovered something happened, bringing the royal guards to him instead of their meeting point. 

Good. They would handle the situation. Zhen Xue just hoped his effort was enough to secure their trust in Xu Yang.

He grabbed Li Wei’s hand, pulling him down the road from which he came. 

When they found a secluded spot, he looked back at Li Wei, finding him clutching his free hand to his chest, attempting to catch his breath. Li Wei’s sapphire eyes shifted, staring back at him from underneath his mask. 

They were such a crystal clear blue that his heart skipped a beat. His golden curls were thrown about in organized chaos, paired with his long white clothes that didn’t have a spot of dirt on them despite the filthy roads they had just traversed. On the spur of the moment, it dawned on Zhen Xue that he was still holding Li Wei’s hand. 

He quickly let him go, turning away to clear his throat. “You may leave.”

Li Wei breathed a laugh that tickled Zhen Xue’s heart. “Darling, if you’re trying to seduce me, I’ll have you know you’re doing an excellent job of it.”

His ears flushed with heat, thrown completely off guard. He stared at him, flabbergasted. “You’re the one that approached me!”

Li Wei’s gaze lit up with amusement at his reaction. “Hmm,” he said sweetly, with consideration. “That’s not what I recall. Didn’t you kiss me on the cheek when we met?”

“That... That clearly wasn’t me! You must’ve seen someone else.” His heart was going to explode. As he took a deep breath to calm himself, a breeze swept across his skin and to his horror, Li Wei leaned in close. 

He stumbled backwards, unable to catch his balance. 

Li Wei caught him by the waist. 

At his flustered state, Li Wei smiled, placing a gloved finger to his lips to shush him, and right after he did so, a series of footsteps rushed past their hiding spot.

Never mind being spotted, he was going to die from this interaction alone.

“I must admit...” Li Wei said, looking down at him through lowered lashes. His gaze dropped to his lips for the briefest of moments. “This isn’t how I imagined our first date, but I’m willing to make do.”

The tension was thick between them until Li Wei stepped away when the danger passed. 

He began to count to ten, trying to calm down, but failed dramatically. “Make do of what?! With who...?”

Li Wei paid no attention to his recovery. “You’ve gained quite the following since we last spoke. Should I be jealous, dear?” At Zhen Xue’s flustered expression, Li Wei smiled. “How interesting that a supposed villain cares more for a bystander than the people who claim to be on a morally higher ground. That raises some questions.”

Oh, he was clever. His response made him even more attractive. He lifted his chin and smiled. “And you speak awfully clearly for a madman.”

“Dear, I am mad,” Li Wei replied with a laugh that’s far too sweet to be innocent. “People just underestimate the extent of my madness.”

Not expecting him to be so blunt, Zhen Xue huffed a laugh. “Oh really? You sound perfectly sane to me.”

Li Wei returned his gaze with confidence. “Do you want to find out?”

“Maybe I do.”

Li Wei flashed him a delighted smile that made Zhen Xue feel like he got baited onto a fish hook. Well, not that he minded since it was him. “How about a little game?” Li Wei suggested, moving his hand under his chin with practiced ease. “You can decide for yourself whether I’m mad. And based on your deduction, I’ll offer my help.”

An alliance with the Unruly and the Intelligence Guild would certainly put his mind at ease. Zhen Xue already decided, but Li Wei’s game sounded too interesting not to indulge. “And should you find out I’m mad instead? What do I offer?”

Li Wei looked taken aback, like he hadn’t thought that far. He hummed in thought for a moment. “A favor will do.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. He should’ve expected a non literal answer. Without further commentary, nor concern what that favor might be, he offered his hand. “Consider yourself a deal.”

Li Wei stared at his hand, something dark flashing in his eyes, before accepting the gesture.

Zhen Xue shook his hand in return, surprised how nimble his fingers were and how cold they felt. Was he normally this cold? He wanted to warm them up, but their hands parted as the thought appeared.

“Shall we grab some tea and chat?” Li Wei tilted his head with a vague smile, returning to his usual self. “I know a delightful little place around the corner that should help your fatigue.”

At the suggestion, his shoulders sagged in relief. With everything going on, he hadn’t taken a moment to breathe since this morning. He gave a tired smile, nodding his agreement. “A tea break would be wonderful.”

Li Wei hummed in acknowledgment. “If I meet your criteria, we can have you meet the other church members later. How does that sound?”

Such a sly old fox... Was he saying that to tease him? Missing this chance to tease him back would be a mistake. “Oh?” Zhen Xue said in jest. “You’re already taking me to a church for marriage? How forward of you.”

He thought he heard Li Wei laugh, but maybe it was just his imagination. “Is that an offer, dear?”

“I don’t know. Is it?” he asked with more nonchalance than he felt. He tried to envision Li Wei’s expression behind his mask. Was it stoic, flustered, or full of excitement? For the briefest of moments, he longed to remove his mask and find out.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Li Wei returned a mysterious smile, taking the lead. His hips swayed teasingly as he walked ahead, luring Zhen Xue along behind him.