Hu Xiaoyu buried himself greedily in the grassy, woody scent that lingered on Yu Tan's body, paying no mind to his cold words.
Yet scarcely a minute later, Yu Tan pried him off by the scruff of the neck and set him aside, striding away without a glance.
Rubbing the back of his neck in protest, Hu Xiaoyu trailed after him reluctantly.
Uncle Hong was overseeing the maids as they prepared lunch. He blinked in mild surprise when the young master returned so quickly. Hadn't he insisted on reading outside in the fresh air? Less than half an hour, and back already—strange.
Hu Xiaoyu gave Uncle Hong a bright smile, then glanced wistfully at Yu Tan's retreating back as he went upstairs. Once the man disappeared, he turned into his own room.
The cut on his ankle stung faintly. His first instinct was to summon a thread of spiritual power to heal it, but he remembered that Ah Jiu might have seen it, so he refrained. Better leave it alone.
How long did human wounds take to heal, anyway?
Later, Ah Jiu reported upstairs to ask if his boss had further instructions. Before leaving, he added, almost as an afterthought, "Boss, Hu Xiaoyu's foot is injured. Looks like something sharp cut him."
Yu Tan gave him a frosty look. "Busybody."
Still, a shard of memory surfaced: the faint crash of porcelain he had heard earlier through the monitoring device. His gaze darkened.
Ten minutes later, Hu Xiaoyu's door creaked open.
Loud, tinny sounds from a mobile game filled the dimly lit room.
On the bed sprawled a boy with legs swinging happily, utterly absorbed in his game, his mood unbothered despite the bloodied ankle.
The room itself was not small—thirty square meters at least—but compared to Yu Tan's vast suite, it looked cramped and suffocating.
Hu Xiaoyu had meant to wash his wound earlier, but a game invite from Jin Bao had popped up on his screen. Faced with the choice between cleaning blood or playing, naturally gaming had won.
The cut, half-dried and streaked with red, looked ghastly now against his pale skin.
Startled to see Yu Tan appear at his door, Hu Xiaoyu nearly fumbled his phone. His eyes darted back and forth—between his game and Yu Tan's face—in growing panic.
"Turn it off," Yu Tan said coolly.
"Ten minutes… five—hey!" Hu Xiaoyu yelped in protest as his phone was plucked neatly out of his hands.
A quarter of an hour later, a bandage was wrapped snugly around his ankle.
The antiseptic had stung, but Yu Tan's hand—despite the man's thunderous expression—was surprisingly steady and gentle.
Eager to reclaim his phone, Hu Xiaoyu pushed the first-aid kit toward him with a forced smile. "All done."
Yu Tan narrowed his eyes. "Trying to send me off already?"
Caught off guard, Hu Xiaoyu shook his head quickly, scooted over, and patted the empty space beside him. "Sit here?"
Three seconds later, the door slammed shut.
Hu Xiaoyu blinked. "Mad again?"
Still, when he touched the little bandage on his ankle, he couldn't help rolling across the bed in giddy delight—before messaging Jin Bao for another match.
Jin Bao replied with a crying emoji, then a voice note: "My agent's dragging me to set. Filming today—rain check!"
Hu Xiaoyu sent back a salted-fish emoji lying in despair, then asked if they could meet in person sometime soon.
He knew Jin Bao's acting work had been arranged by Shi Jingyang—Yu Tan's friend and Jin Bao's current partner. Though it was only a small web drama, it was Jin Bao's chance to escape the life of an MB and maybe make something of himself.
Hu Xiaoyu's own thoughts churned. If becoming a celebrity is the only way to gather spiritual energy, then even if Yu Tan objects, I'll have to do it. The human world yielded energy too slowly. Without fame, how could he restore Yu Tan's body to health? Not to mention, he still needed to start saving for Granny Cui's nursing home fees.
At lunch, the table was graced with a dish of braised fish.
Hu Xiaoyu's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Uncle Hong~"
Yu Tan cut him a glance, voice cold. "Eat."
Uncle Hong chuckled but quickly fell silent under Yu Tan's sharp gaze. The young master never touched fish—too many bones, too much trouble. The kitchen would never have served it without someone asking for it.
Hu Xiaoyu happily dug in, carefully picking the belly—soft, tender, fewer bones. After eating his fill, he pushed the plate across to Yu Tan.
The man's brows twitched faintly. He tried one bite.
The flavor wasn't unpleasant. Not as salty as he remembered, nor did it rasp against his throat until he went mute. Still, the memories were not ones he cherished.
Expression unreadable, Yu Tan shoved the plate back. "You'll move to the second floor."
"Why?"
"Are you questioning me?"
"Can I not move?" Hu Xiaoyu asked, hesitant. His current room faced the trees outside, a perfect place for absorbing natural essence.
"Ungrateful," Yu Tan snapped, his face chilling.
Hu Xiaoyu took the hint. He could stay—so long as he kept quiet.
Not wanting to test his patience, he offered quickly, "It's closer to Ah Jiu's room. Easier for us to train together as bodyguards."
Yu Tan's expression shuttered. He tossed down his chopsticks and strode out.
Hu Xiaoyu stared at his back and sighed. "… Mad again?"
Well, this time, he wouldn't coax him.
After all, he remembered a hundred years ago, when he had knocked over a teacup while Yu Tan was drawing talismans. He'd been spanked and scolded about "indulging bad habits."
Yu Tan might not remember, but Hu Xiaoyu did. Bad habits should never be encouraged.
Ah Jiu, caught between them with his bowl, muttered helplessly, "Next time, don't drag me into it."