Now that their appearances had changed, the two of them no longer had to worry about causing a commotion.
However, plenty of people were still looking at them, so Xi Yu put their masks back on.
Perhaps because the supermarket was too crowded, Lu Zhixing became unusually quiet. Xi Yu rarely went grocery shopping and couldn’t cook, so he had trouble figuring out what to buy. He ended up wandering around the snack section instead.
In the end, Lu Zhixing couldn’t stand watching him any longer. He went to the fresh food section and bought the ingredients they would need to cook tomorrow, seemingly having completely forgotten that he had claimed he couldn’t cook.
Xi Yu didn’t think anything was wrong with this. As far as he was concerned, these were things Lu Zhixing had known how to do all along. They should be ingrained in his subconscious just like his work-related skills.
They bought so many things that the supermarket’s staff offered to deliver everything to their home.
By the time the two of them arrived home, it was almost ten o’clock. Xi Yu took a hot shower and then lay down on the bed.
In winter, taking a bath was no longer just about getting clean. It was about stepping into hot water and feeling as though all the cold had been driven away.
Xi Yu was a little tired. Work was exhausting, and grocery shopping was exhausting, too.
He urged Lu Zhixing, “Hurry up and take a shower. Let’s go to bed early tonight.”
Lu Zhixing didn’t move. He sat on the edge of the bed, watching Xi Yu’s face.
Ever since they had gotten into the car, Xi Yu had switched their appearances around.
But Xi Yu’s words kept echoing in his ears.
That breathtakingly beautiful, almost demonic face he had seen today was Xi Yu’s true appearance.
“Hurry up,” Xi Yu mumbled, giving him a little push without even lifting his eyelids.
Only then did Lu Zhixing move. He picked up his pajamas and went into the bathroom.
The steam from the previous shower had yet to dissipate. Humid warmth enveloped him, and beneath the scent of dry rose from the body wash, there was a faint fragrance of pear blossoms that was almost impossible to detect unless one paid close attention.
Hot water poured over his head, trying to drive the cold out of his body.
The skin on the surface of his body had been relieved, making the cold growing inside his heart feel all the more distinct.
It wasn’t Xi Yu who was cold toward him. Rather, none of Xi Yu’s affection had ever been meant for him.
He didn’t even know what Xi Yu truly looked like.
Half asleep, Xi Yu felt someone slip into bed beside him. A pair of large hands immediately wrapped around his waist.
“Gege,” Lu Zhixing murmured beside his ear, his voice gentle. “You still haven’t told me about our past.”
Xi Yu was so sleepy that he didn’t even open his eyes when he spoke. Consequently, he failed to notice the sinister, almost ghostlike expression on Lu Zhixing’s face.
“I’ll tell you tomorrow. Tomorrow, okay? I’m so sleepy.”
“But I want to hear it.”
Lu Zhixing pulled Xi Yu into his arms. Light, scattered kisses landed at the corner of his lips, while one of Lu Zhixing’s hands loosely encircled his neck.
Lu Zhixing particularly liked this gesture. It made him feel as though he could completely imprison Xi Yu.
That neck was so slender. It would take only a little force to snap it. That waist was so soft, as though it could endure anything.
“I want to hear it,” Lu Zhixing coaxed in a seductive, sweet voice. “Hubby.”
The tingling sensation spreading through his body drove away half of Xi Yu’s sleepiness.
He really couldn’t resist that.
But the story was a long one. Xi Yu waved his hand, and the Liu Ying Mirror appeared in midair.
“Watch it yourself. I’m going to sleep first.”
Xi Yu rolled over, leaving Lu Zhixing plenty of room.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lu Zhixing propped his chin in both hands and watched the memories of the two of them in Xi Yu’s mind unfold inside the Liu Ying Mirror.
It was like a long, sorrowful romance film. Both protagonists were willing to sacrifice themselves for love. After enduring all kinds of trials and tribulations, they were finally on the verge of reaching a happy ending.
As long as he recovered his memories and became Zhi Li, he could add the final stroke to complete their happy ending.
But jealousy was like a vine that had come into contact with water, growing wildly and uncontrollably.
He didn’t remember the past. He only knew that he was an independent individual.
The people in the Liu Ying Mirror had nothing to do with him. He had no memories of them, and he knew that all the affection Xi Yu showed him now was meant for the person inside the mirror.
Xi Yu slept very restlessly. He kept feeling as though a mountain were pressing down on him, making it difficult even to breathe. He couldn’t break free or escape.
When Xi Yu opened his eyes, he stared blankly at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling. Several seconds passed before he slowly looked at the ‘mountain’ crushing him.
He looked at Lu Zhixing, who was practically lying on top of him, and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
That wasn’t all. Lu Zhixing had also pinned his hand down, their fingers interlocked.
Xi Yu used a little spiritual power and finally managed to breathe properly. He pushed Lu Zhixing aside, then carefully climbed out of bed, intending to go downstairs for a glass of cold water.
The moment he opened the door, he came face-to-face with Luo Cheng’an, who had just emerged from his room with his hair sticking up in every direction.
With a loud bang, Luo Cheng’an immediately slammed the door shut. His expression also looked somewhat unnatural.
Xi Yu stared at him in confusion. “Why did you slam the door so hard? You’re going to break it.”
“Did I? I didn’t notice.” Luo Cheng’an smiled awkwardly. “I’ll be more careful next time.”
Some rustling sounds came from Luo Cheng’an’s room. Xi Yu furrowed his brows and was about to ask about them.
But Luo Cheng’an hooked an arm around Xi Yu’s shoulders and steered him downstairs. Before Xi Yu could say anything, he asked, “What are you doing out here?”
Xi Yu promptly forgot about the noise.
“Getting some water. Did you come back last night?”
“Yeah.” Luo Cheng’an took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and tossed it to Xi Yu before opening one for himself. “There was a wrap party yesterday. I drank a little, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Xi Yu gulped down more than half the bottle in one go before the restless heat inside his body finally eased a little.
He blinked and looked at Luo Cheng’an, then suddenly said, “You seem…”
Before he could finish, a brief, sharp scream came from upstairs.
Xi Yu’s heart sank. He hurried upstairs without a second thought, failing to notice Luo Cheng’an’s stiff, deathly pale expression.
He watched helplessly as Xi Yu disappeared up the stairs to the third floor. Unable to contain himself any longer, Luo Cheng’an hurled the bottle in his hand to the floor. After a few seconds, he cursed under his breath, then ran upstairs with a dark expression.
…………….
At the bedroom door, Xi Yu stared in astonishment at Shen Tan, who was lying on the floor. His gaze moved from Shen Tan’s tear-streaked face to the open collar of his shirt, where a distinct bite mark was still oozing blood.
Finally, Xi Yu turned to look at Lu Zhixing, whose face was expressionless.
Lu Zhixing pointed at Shen Tan. “He’s trying to frame me.”
Luo Cheng’an came upstairs, strode past Xi Yu, grabbed Shen Tan by the collar, and threw him back into the room.
With a dark expression, Luo Cheng’an looked at Xi Yu and explained the situation.
“I drank too much last night. He took it upon himself to bring me home. Nothing happened between us.”
The moment Luo Cheng’an finished speaking, Shen Tan poked his head out of the room and asked timidly, “Senior, your underwear is a little tight on me. Can I change into another pair?”
Xi Yu’s eyes widened slightly.
The muscles in Luo Cheng’an’s forehead throbbed. He grabbed Shen Tan by the hair and said to Xi Yu, “Let’s have lunch together at noon. I have something to deal with right now.”
With another loud bang, the bedroom door slammed shut.
Immediately afterward, a series of crashes and bangs came from inside, accompanied by several furious curses from Luo Cheng’an.
Xi Yu pulled Lu Zhixing back to their room, still finding the whole situation hard to believe.
When Shen Tan had suddenly shown up before, Xi Yu had already vaguely sensed that something was off between the two of them. However, he hadn’t been able to pinpoint exactly what was wrong.
But after seeing them like this today, along with the bite mark on Shen Tan’s collarbone, Xi Yu would have been incredibly oblivious not to figure it out.
Previously, he had assumed the two of them had some kind of grudge against each other. Now, it seemed that wasn’t the case at all.
He had already noticed downstairs that Luo Cheng’an seemed very different since returning this time. He no longer looked as dejected and gloomy as before. Instead, he seemed more alive.
Now that he thought about it, Shen Tan was probably the reason.
After a moment of silence, Xi Yu quietly asked Lu Zhixing, “What did you mean when you said he was trying to frame you?”
Lu Zhixing spread his hands. “I opened the door. He looked at me, then fell to the floor and started screaming.”
Xi Yu frowned. “Is something wrong with his head?”
“He probably wanted people to find out that he and Luo Cheng’an slept together last night,” Lu Zhixing said after thinking for a moment.
“And?” Xi Yu asked, puzzled. Then he noticed the bloodshot veins in Lu Zhixing’s eyes. “Didn’t you sleep well last night?”
Sleep? How could he possibly have slept? Lu Zhixing thought.
He had spent the entire night watching the past between Xi Yu and Zhi Li. He had seen Xi Yu willingly enter the formation to save Zhi Li. He had seen Huaixi, disguised as Luo Cheng’an, oppose Zhi Li.
The source of Luo Cheng’an’s hostility was laid out clearly in the Liu Ying Mirror, along with his true identity.
The Heavenly Emperor Huaixi had also fallen under Xi Yu’s spell.
Lu Zhixing understood Shen Tan all too well. His appearance was a warning to a romantic rival. Even though Xi Yu had never considered Shen Tan a rival, Luo Cheng’an liked Xi Yu. That was why Shen Tan had chosen this method to expose his relationship with Luo Cheng’an to Xi Yu.
Lu Zhixing didn’t think Shen Tan’s methods were crude or underhanded. As long as they achieved the desired result, that was what mattered.
There was nothing wrong with using every possible means to get the person you loved.
Lu Zhixing didn’t mind giving Shen Tan’s plan a little push. After all, Luo Cheng’an was an obstacle in his eyes, too.
“They slept together, and Shen Tan even has a bite mark on his body.” Lu Zhixing lowered his head, pretending to be embarrassed. “It seems they’re together now.”
“Oh, oh, together… Together?!” Xi Yu froze. “What do you mean, together? Do you mean together together?”
Xi Yu could hardly believe it. Who was together with whom?
Luo Cheng’an and Shen Tan?
The Heavenly Emperor Huaixi and the Demon King Mingye.
Those old fuddy-duddies in the Ninth Heaven would flip their tables over this.
Luo Cheng’an had looked as though he was about to beat Shen Tan to death. Xi Yu thought it seemed much more likely that Shen Tan was simply clinging to him one-sidedly.
Lu Zhixing didn’t answer. Instead, he lowered his head, pulled open Xi Yu’s collar, and gently bit his neck.
A slight sting spread through Xi Yu’s skin. He blinked.
“If you truly hate someone, you wouldn’t bite them in a place like this.”
Xi Yu thought about it. If someone he truly hated touched him, he would find it disgusting, let alone allow that person to bite his collarbone.
But the mark on Shen Tan’s collarbone had been so deep that whoever had bitten him seemed to hate him so much they had wanted to tear a piece of flesh right off his collarbone.