Four takes her hand. “Do not go, not without me.” Already, his grip is weakening, his skin turning translucent. His time is up; he must return tothe underworld. “Wait for me to return. I will be back as soon as I can.” Something feels wrong. Four fears that if he leaves, he shall never see her again. But the tug from the underworld is unbearable, the black silk around his neck sears his skin.
“The summons comes from Emperor Burning Flame himself,” she says, a catch in her voice. “His general will escort me. I must go to the gates. If I do not, it will make things difficult for Shifu and the cultivators.”
“My love—”
Lei Ying smiles. A smile that is brighter than light. “We will meet again.”
12
Yiran
The prayer halls and columbarium niches were quiet. Yiran timed his visits to the temple on weekdays when there weren’t as many devotees. He stared at the metal plaque with a photograph of a smiling young man. He could never think of anything meaningful to say when he came here. He had only known Eddy for a day. But it was a day that had changed everything.
Sighing, he stuck the joss sticks into the incense pot and gave a curt nod to Eddy’s plaque. “See you next week, friend.”
He was barely out of the temple grounds when a long-limbed figure stepped out from the line of trees along the path.
Yuki.He was holding a paper cup with an oversized straw stuck in it and was underdressed for the weather as usual: light jacket, no gloves or scarf, and a bare head. His hair had grown longer, just grazing his collarbones, and for a split second, Yiran had a bad desire to run his fingers through it.
What’s wrong with you?Yiran scolded himself. He wasn’t used to feeling such a strong physical pull toward anyone, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it.
Batting his lashes, Yuki cooed, “Someone’s been ignoring my calls.”
“What are you doing here?” Yiran said, glancing around nervously.
Yuki blinked like an innocent maiden. “Nothing much. Been chilling, shopping...” His smile turned mischievous. “Hunting humans.”
Yiran didn’t know how serious Yuki was about the last thing. Even though Yuki claimed he had some control over his hunger for yangqi, allowing him to roam the streets freely without getting tempted by people around him, the Hybrid still had to find a way to sustain himself now and then. But Yiran didn’t want to think about that. Instead, he found himselftaking in the close fit of Yuki’s jeans and the drape of his silky shirt across his narrow waist.
Stop staring, you imbecile.Annoyed with himself, Yiran snapped, “How did you find me?”
“You weren’t at school today, but everyone else was. I figured you probably ditched your classes and your little princely posse, which means you could’ve gone to the gaming café. But if you went to game, Theo would’ve gone with you. Plus, it’s a weekday, and you only come to the temple on weekdays, so here I am.” Yuki tapped his head proudly. “The power of deduction.”
It was creepy how he knew Yiran’s habits so well, and even creepier that Yiran found it mildly flattering.
Yuki placed the cup in Yiran’s hand. “Winter melon tea with bubbles and nata jelly. Careful, it’s hot.”
Their fingers brushed, cold against warm. Despite the heat from the cup, a delicious shiver skated across Yiran’s skin.
Yuki’s brow furrowed as Yiran stood stiffly. “I got it right, didn’t I? You said this is your favorite drink in cold weather, and it’s freezing today.”
It was suddenly hard to look Yuki in the eye. Low temperatures didn’t affect Hybrids, so Yuki would’ve had to take the extra step of checking the weather today. And Yiran hadn’t expected him to remember such a small detail. Heck, Yiran didn’t even remember telling Yuki about his taste in bubble tea.
He’s only doing this because he wants something from you.Though Yiran wasn’t quite sure what thatsomethingwas yet.
“You got it right,” he finally said.
Looking pleased, Yuki cocked his head. “Does Eddy’s family know it was you who secured the columbarium spot so Eddy could rest with his father?”
“Of course not.”
“Let me guess, they don’t know it was you who sent in that generous donation at the funeral wake either.”
Yiran didn’t reply.
“Aww, look at you, carrying out such noble deeds without asking to be recognized. The kind andhonorableSong er shaoye.”
Yiran walked away. The thing about Yuki was that there was a double meaning in everything he said. Sure, the Hybrid had a sharp tongue, but his words didn’t always match what he really thought or felt. It was up to Yiran to read between the lines.
