The owner of those arms seemed to have been ready for him. He caught Bo Yi around the waist and gathered him securely into his embrace.
"Are you all right?"
He lowered his head to look at the man in his arms, his voice full of concern.
Behind them, where Bo Yi couldn't see, the woman who had already closed in on him seemed to catch some scent. She cast a wary glance at the newcomer's back and actually began retreating cautiously.
Bo Yi steadied himself against that solid chest and raised his head.
The homeowner was looking at him with concern written all over his face.
Their faces were barely a fist's width apart-so close that, if the other man breathed, their breaths would probably have mingled.
Perhaps because he hadn't received an answer, that face drew a little closer, a hint of anxiety entering his voice. "What's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?"
The breath that accompanied his words brushed lightly over Bo Yi's ear. A shivery tingle immediately spread from his ear down his neck-a completely unfamiliar sensation that clearly left Bo Yi uncomfortable.
"I'm fine..." Before the other man could speak again, Bo Yi hurriedly interrupted him, raising a hand to cover the ear nearest him.
They were so close that the back of his hand accidentally brushed the other man's soft lips.
The homeowner's gaze darkened instantly.
"Is that so..." His gaze lingered over the long, beautiful fingers before him, then traveled down Bo Yi's cheek to his lips. That gaze was so clinging that, had it taken physical form, it would probably have left an intimate trail of moisture across Bo Yi's face. Yet his words were perfectly proper. "As long as you're all right... I can rest easy now."
Whether he was slow to react or doing it deliberately, his hand never left Bo Yi's waist as he spoke. Bo Yi had to push against his chest to remind him to let go.
Only after that explicit reminder did the homeowner reluctantly release him. The warm, soft body instantly slipped out of his embrace, and the sudden emptiness made the hand hanging at his side rise reflexively, wanting to catch Bo Yi and pull him back into his arms. In the end, though, he forced himself to resist. To distract himself, he changed the subject. "What happened just now?"
He turned to survey the chaotic courtyard, strewn with broken stones and traces of water, his voice surprised. "How did this place get so messy?"
Standing beside him, Bo Yi folded his arms and watched him silently. "How long are you going to keep up the act?"
"Hm?" The homeowner turned back, seemingly bewildered by what Bo Yi meant. But once he saw the expression on Bo Yi's face, he suddenly laughed. "Oh dear..."
"You caught me~"
His expression relaxed, and his entire demeanor changed dramatically. "When did you figure it out?" He sat on the edge of the well, legs crossed and chin propped on one hand, smiling at Bo Yi.
Bo Yi tipped his chin toward the broken stones on the ground, particularly the one that had tripped him. "You did this, didn't you..."
"Hey, that's not quite fair..."
The "homeowner," or rather, Mitian, waved a hand, sounding a little aggrieved. "If you hadn't been so heartless and piled all those stones over the well... I wouldn't have had to break them to climb out."
Bo Yi ignored his affected look of grievance. He surveyed the courtyard, then turned to ask Mitian, "Where's that woman?"
"She ran away." Mitian spread his hands and, before Bo Yi could speak, said innocently, "I didn't do anything..."
Bo Yi clicked his tongue softly but said nothing more. He began walking around the courtyard, apparently looking for clues in the traces left behind.
Mitian sat leisurely beside the well, his gaze following Bo Yi as he moved. Soon, he noticed the abnormal patch of red on Bo Yi's shoulder.
"You're hurt?"
Bo Yi was examining the water stains left on the ground and only gave a perfunctory "Mm" in response. But when he stood up and turned around, he walked straight into a certain solid chest again.
Mitian gathered him back into his arms with a satisfied sigh, then stated his purpose before Bo Yi could hit him. "Would you like me to heal you?"
Bo Yi looked him up and down skeptically. "You?"
"Of course~" Mitian wasn't offended by Bo Yi's distrust. "I am an Evil God, you know~ Healing a wound takes no more than a flick of my fingers."
"Well? Want to give it a try?"
He smiled enticingly. "I'm very useful, you know~~~"
"No need. And..." Bo Yi said coldly, "could you let go of me?"
"Hm? Are you sure you don't need it?" Pretending not to hear the latter part, Mitian earnestly tried to persuade him. "Look how poor the conditions are here. You can't even disinfect your wound. What if it gets infected..."
Bo Yi's expression shifted slightly.
What this Evil God said... did seem to make some sense. After all, if his wound couldn't heal properly and he ran into another situation like today's, he couldn't keep pinning his hopes on other people.
Seeing Bo Yi waver, Mitian's smile widened. He seized the opportunity. "You're the part~ner~ I went to so much trouble to find~"
"How could I possibly hurt you~"
"After all, I want us to keep working together~"
Since this Evil God had gone that far, Bo Yi finally nodded after a moment's hesitation. He raised his hands and undid the buttons at his collar one by one. His pale fingertips looked especially suggestive against the black buttons-at least, the sight made Mitian's Adam's apple bob discreetly.
I want... those fingers to undo something else.
His collar gradually opened beneath his fingers, revealing a long, snow-white neck. The lovely, shallow hollows of his collarbones were especially tempting to lick, but a glaring bite mark on that cool, pale skin spoiled the beautiful sight.
Bo Yi swept aside the hair by his ear, tugged his collar farther to one side, and tilted his head to expose more of the wound. As a result, he missed the way Mitian's gaze instantly grew fathomlessly dark.
"Well? Can you heal it?"
"Of course." Staring at the bite mark, Mitian ran his tongue over his back teeth in displeasure.
"Oh, then hurry u-hiss... What are you doing?!"
Feeling the wet touch against his wound, Bo Yi turned his head with wide eyes. Yet the culprit seemed entirely oblivious, his face still buried against Bo Yi's shoulder.
A soft tongue swept over the sensitive wound, leaving an intimate trail of moisture.
No longer even caring about his wound, Bo Yi grabbed him and dragged him away from his shoulder.
The Evil God wasn't remotely angry at the rough treatment. As he was pulled away, he merely flicked a wisp of black mist from his fingertips. It landed silently on Bo Yi's shoulder, covering the bite mark.
"What were you doing just now?" Bo Yi stared at him darkly. "I think you owe me an explanation."
"Disinfecting it..."
The Evil God wore an innocent expression. "Don't you humans always disinfect a wound before treating it?"
Before you continue