Ren barely slept. The image of Li Wei's smirk, the heat of his touch, the whisper that still curled in his ears—You'll beg for me before this is over—echoed endlessly in his head.
By morning, his body still ached, his steps unsteady as he walked to school. Every shift of his hips reminded him of the dream-turned-reality, sending humiliation crawling up his neck. He tugged his uniform jacket tighter, hoping no one would notice the faint marks still hidden beneath the fabric.
Just… act normal, he told himself. Pretend nothing happened.
But the moment he stepped into the classroom, his heart dropped.
Li Wei was already there.
He sat at a desk by the window, sunlight pouring across his golden eyes, making them glow like molten fire. His posture was perfect, composed, like he had every right to be in the mortal world wearing a school uniform that clung to his tall frame.
Ren froze in the doorway. His pulse pounded in his ears. No. Not here. Not in front of everyone.
As if sensing his arrival, Li Wei turned his head. Their gazes locked—Ren's panicked, Li Wei's sharp with amusement. A small, knowing smirk curved his lips, one that promised secrets only the two of them shared.
Ren's throat went dry. He stumbled to his seat, refusing to look at him again. But it didn't matter. He could feel Li Wei's gaze burning into him, scorching him with the memory of chains and fire and possession.
"Ren?" Hana, his childhood friend, leaned closer, frowning. "Are you okay? You look pale."
"I—I'm fine," Ren stammered quickly, forcing a smile. But his hand shook as he gripped his pen, and the faint tremor in his body betrayed him.
Li Wei's low chuckle drifted across the room, soft enough that only Ren seemed to hear. His voice was velvet and command, curling into Ren's ears like smoke.
"You can't run from me, beloved. Not here. Not anywhere."
Ren bit his lip hard, trying to ignore him, but every nerve in his body was on fire. He had never felt more trapped—caught between the normalcy of school life and the serpent who had already claimed him in the shadows of his dreams.
And worst of all, Li Wei looked completely at ease, as though this classroom was nothing more than another hunting ground.