Qi Wu's voice and expression were far too earnest. In that instant, the fervent, sincere intensity of his feelings-feelings Chu Qingjiu had never possessed-seemed to pierce straight through Chu Qingjiu.
Instinctively, he sensed danger, so he took a step back, away from the tall young man who made him feel threatened.
This was uncharted territory for him. He had never experienced feelings so overwhelming and passionate, and he did not consider that a good thing.
Emotional bonds were too foreign to him. Since his master's death, he had not had a bond like that with anyone. If his relationship with Qi Wu suddenly deepened, he would not know how to handle it.
So his first instinct was certainly not to accept it and let things take their course, but to run.
Chu Qingjiu could brush off what had happened in the instance with "we're all adults here," so the way he and Qi Wu interacted had not changed.
But the situation now was different.
He could not answer.
"Qingjiu?"
"Ahem... I'm a little cold."
Qi Wu remembered that Chu Qingjiu was standing barefoot on the floor. His health was already poor; he might catch a cold like this.
"Qingjiu, come with me. We can't have you getting sick."
Chu Qingjiu did not answer. He only coughed, swaying on his feet. Qi Wu's eyes darkened, and he immediately stepped forward and scooped him up.
"!"
Startled by the sudden movement, Chu Qingjiu instinctively sought something to hold on to. He wrapped both arms around Qi Wu's neck and began coughing violently.
"Ahem... you..."
"Qingjiu, I only did it because you looked so uncomfortable. Don't be mad at me."
Qi Wu acted first and asked permission afterward, then put on a pitiful look. It gave Chu Qingjiu quite a headache.
Although Chu Qingjiu seemed aloof, he had no idea how to handle someone this clingy. Most of the time, Qi Wu managed to toe the exact line where he wanted to get angry but could not quite bring himself to.
After some hesitation, he let Qi Wu have his way. After all, aside from clinging to him, Qi Wu had no other tricks up his sleeve.
Besides, he had intended to go with Qi Wu and take a look at his organization anyway.
Otherwise, how was he supposed to live when he could not even afford his utility bills? Was he supposed to start taking commissions again?
"Ahem..."
Chu Qingjiu steadied his ragged breathing in Qi Wu's arms. Only after a long while did he speak weakly. "The two wooden puppets... help me bring them too."
That was essentially an agreement to go with him.
Qi Wu smiled happily, revealing his cute little canine teeth, looking utterly harmless. "I'll get you into the car first, then have the others carry them."
Qi Wu had not come alone. Bringing Chu Qingjiu into the organization was something everyone had agreed on, so he settled him in the back seat, then had the people who had come along put the wooden puppets in the trunk.
The wooden puppets had no faces, but they were finely crafted, with movable joints. They could be folded up, so there was enough room for them in the trunk.
Once inside, Qi Wu looked at Chu Qingjiu's slender frame, took off his jacket, and draped it over him. Then he told the driver, "Keep an eye out for a supermarket. I need to buy a few things."
Chu Qingjiu felt the lingering warmth in the jacket and caught its faint, fresh scent. He gathered it around himself until only his head remained exposed.
Through the rearview mirror, Chu Qingjiu could make out the driver's face. He had dark skin, small eyes, and a piercing gaze. What stood out most was a scar running from his right eye to his eyebrow.
He looked like a mob boss.
"Ahem..."
Chu Qingjiu coughed for a while. The scar-faced driver glanced into the rearview mirror and asked, "Have you caught a cold? Should we stop by a pharmacy?"
"No... I'm always like this. Thank you."
Qi Wu looked at Chu Qingjiu's slightly bowed head in the rearview mirror, then abruptly leaned over to block him from view.
Confused, the scar-faced driver said, "Qi Wu?"
Chu Qingjiu silently shifted to the side. Qi Wu eagerly shuffled along with him, only stopping when Chu Qingjiu could move no farther and was completely out of sight in the rearview mirror.
He turned and gave Chu Qingjiu an innocent smile, making no attempt to hide his possessiveness.
"..."
Childish brat.
Chu Qingjiu merely gave him an impassive look before looking away. He said nothing, unwilling to argue with a child.
But... he really was a little cold now.
The thin jacket had lost the last of Qi Wu's warmth and grown cold again.
Because of his excessive yin energy, his hands and feet were always icy. It would have been fine in summer, but now it was autumn, and nighttime at that.
Chu Qingjiu hugged the jacket tighter, turned his head, and started coughing, his body trembling all the while.
"Ahem..."
Qi Wu leaned close to his ear and coaxed softly, "Qingjiu, it's warmer in my arms. Want to give it a try?"
Qi Wu's voice was soft and relaxed, carrying a casual, languid temptation that sent tingles through him.
With one hand over his mouth, Chu Qingjiu turned to find Qi Wu watching him with the hint of a smile. The corners of his eyes were faintly red and glistening with tears.
A trace of cunning lay hidden in the depths of those clear amber eyes. He was just waiting for Chu Qingjiu to crawl into his arms of his own accord.
Chu Qingjiu ignored him and turned back toward the window, making it clear through his actions that he would not throw himself into Qi Wu's arms just because he was cold.
"Ah..."
Qi Wu sighed, moved closer, and gathered Chu Qingjiu into his arms, muttering helplessly, "Fine, it works just as well if I come to you."
Suddenly enveloped by Qi Wu's warm body, Chu Qingjiu felt as though that abundant heat could reach every part of him and dispel the yin energy within.
Perhaps it was all in his head, but he really did seem less cold.
His back pressed against Qi Wu's warm chest. He could almost feel the force of Qi Wu's heartbeat, along with the occasional brush of his breath against his ear, both burning hot.
It felt as though his body was about to catch fire.
Chu Qingjiu said nothing and merely lowered his head. His ears and face felt hot. Had he developed a fever?
After a long silence, Chu Qingjiu said softly, "You could actually... give me your blood."
Qi Wu's blood contained plenty of yang energy, which was just what a sickly person with excessive yin energy like him needed.
"But I want to be close to you, Qingjiu. Holding you for warmth, just like this."
"..."
Chu Qingjiu was suddenly at a loss for words. Did Qi Wu wanting to be close to him and hold him conflict with his asking for Qi Wu's blood?
He did not recall saying they could not cuddle after he drank his blood.
"How does that conflict with giving me your blood?"
"!"
Qi Wu's eyes lit up. He eagerly leaned close to Chu Qingjiu's ear and asked with a smile, "Then can I kiss you, Qingjiu?"
"...No. Didn't I say I only wanted your blood?"
Could this guy think about anything besides kissing all day?
It felt as though things were taking an increasingly strange turn. He wanted to turn Qi Wu into a puppet, his own exclusive puppet who would never lie to or deceive him. How could he let Qi Wu lead him around by the nose?
"Wah... I just want to be a little closer to you."
Qi Wu buried his face in the crook of Chu Qingjiu's neck and began making a fuss, whimpering as though he were crying, though it also sounded like an act.
"Stop nuzzling me. It tickles."
Qi Wu's hair brushed against his neck every so often, sending strange, tingling tickles across his skin. Even his voice unwittingly softened and grew husky.
Qi Wu obediently stopped nuzzling him, but kept his head buried in the crook of Chu Qingjiu's neck.
He could smell Chu Qingjiu's scent. Unlike his cool, distant appearance, it was a sweet floral fragrance that made him want to take a bite.
Chu Qingjiu felt his scorching warmth and the breath that kept spilling against his neck, bringing a tingling tickle and a heat that made his body burn.
Qi Wu's fingers suddenly began roaming up and down his back. Through the thin layer of his pajamas, that elusive sensation felt even stranger to Chu Qingjiu.
Qi Wu seemed to be murmuring something, but his voice was too quiet for Chu Qingjiu to make out. All he could feel was the occasional brush of moving lips against the crook of his neck, tickling him enough to make him shiver.
His body seemed to warm little by little, followed by a wave of drowsiness. The car moved smoothly, with little noise, yet it seemed to possess some strange power to make him sleepy.
He had rarely slept in the instance. After all, he had no longer been human, so whether he slept had made little difference.
Perhaps he had been tense for too long, or perhaps it was because he was human again. All the sleep he had missed in the instance seemed to catch up with him at once, making him sluggish.
He blinked, struggling against the sudden drowsiness, but his body seemed beyond his control. His eyelids were as heavy as lead, and he could barely keep them open.
"Qi Wu..."
He called his name very softly.
Qi Wu lifted his head and looked at Chu Qingjiu's profile, only then noticing how unnaturally flushed his face was. Even his ears were so red they looked ready to bleed.
He was like a rose tempting someone to pluck it, and Qi Wu felt that he ought to be the gardener.
"What is it, Qingjiu?"
"I'm sleepy. Let go."
Qi Wu gently guided Chu Qingjiu's head onto his shoulder and adjusted him into a comfortable position. "Go to sleep. I'll wake you when we get there," he said tenderly.
What a clingy guy.
Chu Qingjiu closed his eyes with that thought, but he was too sleepy to think much more. Soon, his breathing evened out.
Qi Wu draped the jacket over Chu Qingjiu, then slowly peeled a talisman from his back.
It was a Calming Talisman, capable of quickly soothing a person's nerves. Chu Qingjiu had looked so exhausted, as though he had not been resting properly, that Qi Wu had felt compelled to use a talisman to help him sleep peacefully.
Qingjiu looks so beautiful even when he's asleep. If anyone else sees him, will they try to steal him from me?
Looking at Chu Qingjiu's peaceful sleeping face, Qi Wu was suddenly overcome by an intense sense of danger. There were so many people at their base. Someone was bound to covet his Qingjiu.
"Qingjiu, can I kiss you? If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes."
The scar-faced driver: "..." I should be under the car, not inside it.
Before you continue