The lights had dimmed to their automatic energy-saving mode, and only two computers were still powered on. Jiang Xiao Shuai had just finished rendering his final sequence when the door creaked open.
He didn't look up. "Da Wei, if you came back to tease me again, I swear—"
"Sorry to disappoint," came a low voice, warm and amused.
Xiao Shuai's head snapped up.
Guo Cheng Yu stood in the doorway, hands in his jacket pockets, damp from the evening mist. His black hoodie hung loose over a grey T-shirt, and his fringe was messier than usual. His eyes scanned the room, then settled on Xiao Shuai with a smirk.
"You're alone?" he asked.
Xiao Shuai blinked, then looked around as if surprised to find the lab so empty. "Apparently."
"Lucky me."
Xiao Shuai rolled his eyes. "What did you actually forget this time? Your charm?"
Cheng Yu stepped closer, gaze teasing but more focused than usual. "Ouch. You wound me."
"You wound me by showing up."
"That's rich coming from someone who's been thinking about me all day."
Xiao Shuai's hand froze mid-air on his mouse.
Cheng Yu leaned on the desk beside him, close enough for his scent—fresh rain and something faintly citrus—to reach. "Wu Suo Wei says your ears turn red when I'm mentioned."
"That traitor," Xiao Shuai muttered under his breath.
Cheng Yu chuckled, low and delighted. "You do blush easily."
"I'm not blushing. It's hot in here."
"It's freezing in here."
"Maybe you're just always cold-blooded."
Cheng Yu laughed, throwing his head back. "There it is. That sharp little tongue of yours. I've missed it."
"Stop saying things like that," Xiao Shuai said, quieter this time.
"Why?" Cheng Yu asked, softer now too. "Do they make your heart race?"
Xiao Shuai opened his mouth—then closed it. "You're messing with me again."
"Maybe." Cheng Yu's eyes met his, serious beneath the playful smirk. "Or maybe I actually came back because I wanted to see you."
There was a pause. A breath. The quiet between them crackled with something that felt dangerously close to real.
"I can leave if you want," Cheng Yu said, his voice gentler now. "I just... thought you might still be here."
Xiao Shuai swallowed, unsure how to answer. "Well. I'm here."
Cheng Yu smiled, softer than before. "Good."
For a while, they said nothing.
Then Xiao Shuai stood up abruptly, backpack slung over his shoulder. "Walk me back to the dorms or don't. But decide now."
Cheng Yu blinked, surprised.
Then he grinned.
"Lead the way, Director Jiang."