Xia Xianning didn’t refuse; he raised his hand and suddenly grabbed Luo Mingbai’s wrist.
Slightly stunned, Xia Xianning quickly pressed Luo Mingbai’s hand on the contract.
Luo Mingbai immediately tried to pull away: “Hey, Xian Ning!”
Xia Xianning released his hand and smiled softly, “It’s the same whoever signs.”
His smile was gentle and beautiful, catching the City King off guard.
He quickly recovered, swept his sleeve, and collected the contract, coldly snorting, “Since that’s settled, you two should stop now, right?”
Xia Xianning threw the soul-collecting bottle, which hit the City King’s tablet, causing his wrist to shake slightly as he hastily secured it, glaring at Xia Xianning.
Luo Mingbai formed two mudras, chanting, “Celestial Mysterious Sect, witness my divine powers, by the name of the True Monarch, command the divine sword to return, swift as law!”
A golden spell shot to the sky, brightening the dark rainy sky. The clouds broke, rain stopped, and clear skies emerged with sunlight. The sword light streaked like a falling star, condensing into a three-foot blue sword in Luo Mingbai’s hand.
Luo Mingbai handed the sword to Xia Xianning, smiling lightly, “The City King is right, we’re even.”
But I hope you won’t obstruct us like this next time. To be honest, though I look handsome and gentle, my temper isn’t great.”
The City King’s expression darkened but said nothing. Luo Mingbai and Xia Xianning got in the car, which started smoothly and soon disappeared from view.
Then with a “crash”, the City King’s tablet broke.
The City King, stunned, suddenly remembered Xia Xianning’s earlier hit with the soul-collecting bottle and couldn’t help but spit, “Damn, those Long Flow Sect guys are nothing good!”
Luo Mingbai, looking back through the car window, almost died laughing, and punched Xia Xianning, “You’re really something!”
Xia Xianning replied, “Likewise, I’m not as good as you.”
“You’re such a faker. With no one around, you’re back to being disrespectful.”
Luo Mingbai pursed his lips, “The Underworld’s habit of pushing blame to the human world is endless. I think we should suggest to Lu Heng that when he takes office, we change our sect’s motto to ‘Don’t mess with us, or we’ll root you out completely’ – sounds more domineering.”
Xia Xianning sincerely said, “I think he might choose to resign.”
Luo Mingbai laughed, “That nitpicker! He’s just too troublesome!”
Xia Xianning’s small apartment was very close to the shooting base, and they quickly arrived.
After going upstairs and entering the room, Luo Yingbai discovered that the place was not large and had very few pieces of furniture, probably a place Xia Xianning himself rarely visited.
Luo Yingbai snapped his fingers to open the window for ventilation and asked with a smile, “How did you get this apartment?”
Xia Xianning replied, “A college classmate works in real estate. When he couldn’t sell it initially, I bought a unit.”
Luo Yingbai nodded and asked, “Xianning, can I take a shower? I really want to shower!”
Xia Xianning answered, “Sure.”
Luo Yingbai casually took off his shirt, tossing it onto a chair. Bare-chested, he found one of Xia Xianning’s short-sleeved shirts to wear, saying, “What a tiring day. I’m exhausted.”
Xia Xianning glanced briefly before quickly averting his eyes, but his mind was filled with the image he had just seen. They had shared beds and bathtubs since childhood, so seeing Luo Yingbai undress was nothing new. However, now that he understood his own feelings, this ordinary action suddenly felt different.
Xia Xianning couldn’t help remembering the last time he touched that skin – smooth, delicate, slightly cool in the summer, gradually warming to his temperature…
Xia Xianning suddenly turned and entered the bathroom without looking back.
When Luo Yingbai turned around, he saw the door slam shut. “What are you doing?” he called out. “I want to shower, brush my teeth, and sleep!”
Xia Xianning’s voice came from inside: “Wait, I’m going to shower too.”
Luo Yingbai tried to push the door, discovering Xia Xianning had locked it. Water sounds came from inside. “I can brush my teeth next to you, that won’t affect anything, right? Let me in—”
Xia Xianning responded: “It will. It’ll affect my performance.”
Luo Yingbai couldn’t help laughing. “Are you going to roll around and spin while showering? What performance?”
Xia Xianning ignored him and submerged himself in the tub filled with cold water.
With nothing interesting in the small apartment – just one room, a living area, and a bathroom – Luo Yingbai sat in the hall waiting. Bored, he walked to the bathroom door and leaned against it. “Xianning, done yet?”
Xia Xianning: “…I’ve been here less than a minute.”
“You’re so fierce today,” Luo Yingbai dramatically said. “Isn’t this the same person who said ‘Luo Yingbai, I like you’ just the other day? They say people get clingy after getting together, but you? After confessing, you’re acting like we’re strangers. Xianning, you’re something else.”
“He hadn’t even gotten together with Luo Yingbai yet.
Luo Yingbai’s eyes sparkled with a smile, his tone light. The phrase “you’re something else” sounded soft, lacking any real threat, instead carrying a subtle hint of intimacy that drifted through the bathroom door into Xia Xianning’s ears.
Xia Xianning cut to the point: “Are you bored because your phone’s out of battery? There’s a charger in the drawer under the TV.”
Luo Yingbai: “…Hmph, I won’t charge it. Who said I wanted to charge? Oh right, you said you’d sing me a song today and haven’t yet!”
Seemingly annoyed, Xia Xianning didn’t respond. Luo Yingbai chuckled and quietly plugged in the charger. Suddenly, Xia Xianning’s humming softly emerged.
The bathroom door had delicate, perforated floral patterns that weren’t soundproof, so Luo Yingbai could hear Xia Xianning’s song clearly.
He was singing an old song called “Lucky Star”:
“…Every time I’m in pain and angry, you tell me not to fall, we’ll never need to say sorry… …Every time I can’t see the future, every time I want to give up midway, I remember not to let you down, loving you means I need to try harder…”
The song was low and melodious, nostalgic yet not sad.
Leaning against the wall with hands in his pockets, Luo Yingbai listened with a subtle smile. Luo Yingbai knew he was capable of many things and sang beautifully.”
But after being captivated for a moment, Luo Yingbai suddenly realized something was wrong – Xia Xianning had come in to shower, not sing, so why was there a song but no water sounds?
Worried, he pushed the door forcefully, and the lock gave way. Xia Xianning was leaning in the bathtub, startled by Luo Yingbai’s entrance.
“What?” he asked.
Luo Yingbai rushed over, touching the bathwater and finding it cold. Moreover, the water wasn’t clear but had a faint reddish tinge.
Frowning, he said, “I knew something was off with you. I’m going to tell you something! What are you doing hiding here? Are you hurt? Bleeding and soaking in water!”
Crouching by the bathtub’s edge, his face full of concern, Luo Yingbai’s “innocent” large eyes bore into Xia Xianning. Bare-chested and exposed, Xia Xianning felt immense pressure and said, “Just a scratch on my back. The wound isn’t wet; that’s blood around the injury. Please go out. I’ll be done soon.”
Luo Yingbai also discovered that Xia Xianning was wrapped in a specially made waterproof bandage from his chest to his back. It seemed the injury was located here; no wonder he was eager to take a bath first. From his strong voice, it appeared to be only a superficial wound, but definitely not light; otherwise, Xia Xianning wouldn’t have hidden himself to treat the injury.
