After finally getting home, Li Xian had intended to go straight back to his Bedroom, but he spotted something in a nearby corner.
"...?"
He bent down and picked it up. It was the Doll Cat he had sent Ji Xie after.
The doll's body was intact, with only a precise opening at the back of its head. The bones inside were gone.
"Why did you toss it here?"
Li Xian looked up at Ji Xie.
Ji Xie took the doll from him and replied:
"Just tossed it wherever."
That certainly sounded like something Ji Xie would do, but Li Xian still wondered how he had managed to "just toss" the doll somewhere like this.
"Did anything happen while you were chasing this doll?"
After returning to the Bedroom and closing the door, Li Xian continued questioning him.
"Nothing special."
Ji Xie showed little interest in the subject. After fiddling with the doll for a moment, he tossed it aside and urged:
"There are only a few hours left before dawn. Get some rest while you can."
Li Xian studied Ji Xie for a little longer, finding his attitude slightly odd. But he couldn't tell whether he was imagining things, so he set his doubts aside for now and lay down on the bed.
The next morning, sunlight woke Li Xian. He drowsily looked beside him, then shot upright in bed.
Ji Xie was gone?
Li Xian scratched his messy hair, looked around, and called hesitantly:
"Ji Xie?"
The room was silent. No one answered.
So Li Xian climbed out of bed and checked every room before belatedly realizing:
What was he looking for him for?
There was nothing urgent, and the two of them didn't need to be together every second.
Once he realized that, Li Xian went to