"Care for a drink?" Wei Yanchi invited him.
Beautiful and dangerous, Mr. 39 studied him warily with dark green eyes, just as he had at their first meeting.
The bar glittered with lights and decadent luxury. Candles flickered among beautiful men and women who flirted with one another, whispering sweet nothings they had no intention of honoring. It lent the atmosphere between the two of them a hint of intimacy, too.
Mr. 39 sat across from him, blue-green fruit wine swaying in his clear glass, translucent and gleaming. His long hair hung loosely, and he said nothing.
Wei Yanchi lounged forward in his seat, propping his cheek on one arm and mussing his hair in the process. His eyes curved slightly as he watched 39 across from him.
He raised his other hand, loosely tracing the face of the man he loved from across the table.
"Eldest Senior Sister says I have a pretentious literary streak. Second Senior Brother says I'm a little lunatic. Only Fourth Senior Brother got it right. Really, I'm just a romantic."
Wei Yanchi narrowed his eyes slightly, like a cat dozing.
The voices in the bar faded into background white noise.
The music softened, as though the scent of roses were spreading through the air.
The bartender arrived carrying a tray with a glass of reddish fruit wine and a bouquet of roses, their petals brilliant scarlet.
Wei Yanchi picked up the roses and waved them before the man opposite him, their petals blocking their view of each other.
"The first time I saw you, I thought roses suited you perfectly. Red ones, especially. If you were willing to put a touch of red on your lips, you wouldn't look so unapproachable."
Wei Yanchi smiled. "Ah, sorry. But to return to what I was saying,