Settling Scores

Tang Wulin huddled at the far end of the sofa, clutching a cup of water, too afraid to look at Gu Yue.

Gu Yue leaned against the back of the sofa. She had lowered her crossed legs and swapped to a cup of hot tea. The white porcelain cup was scalding to the touch, but she did not care. Her fingertips rested on its rim as her silver-purple eyes stared blankly at the streetlamp that had just lit outside the window.

Tang Wulin sneaked two glances at her. She glared back the first time. The second time, she did not glare, merely lowered her eyes—and that only made him more nervous.

The doorbell rang.

Not a knock—a doorbell. It chimed, the final note drawn out long, as though someone had kept a finger pressed on it.

Tang Wulin felt as though he had been granted a pardon and sprang to his feet. "Coming, coming!"

He shuffled over in his slippers and peered through the peephole. Xie Xie stood outside, carrying an insulated bag in one hand and waving his phone with the other. The moment he saw a shadow behind the peephole, he broke into a wide grin and exaggerated the words with his mouth. "Boss! Eastsea City specialty!"

Tang Wulin opened the door.

"What are you doing here?" He took the bag and lowered his voice, using his back to block the view into the living room. He tried to convey through body language: The atmosphere is wrong right now, so keep your mouth shut.

How could Xie Xie possibly understand that? Wearing a gaudy light jacket, with his hair spiked up by gel, he stepped over the threshold and headed inside without even changing his shoes. "What, Gu Yue isn't home? Then us guys can have a little—oh,