Pei Cangyu turned his head blankly. The dog, lying at the butler’s feet, had its head lowered, let out a low, wheezing breath, and occasionally flicked its ears. It refused to look up, wearing the expression of a creature that had accepted its death.
"I don't want to kill a dog." Pei Cangyu knit his brows in disgust and turned back. "Setting that aside for a moment, can you wrap this up? I’m still bleeding here, man."
He lifted his blood-slicked index finger and gave it a little shake.
Baishi showed a rare expression of hesitation. While Pei Cangyu was still wondering what was wrong, Baishi opened his arms and slowly pulled him into a hug. Pei Cangyu froze on the spot, completely bewildered, not daring to move an inch.
He carefully weighed his options between "Are you fucking sick?" and "Are you a fucking moron?" before finally asking blankly, "...What are you doing?"
Baishi released him and glanced at his own sleeve, appearing somewhat displeased at the bloodstain left there. "You said you wanted a hug. But I don't think a hug solves any of our current problems."
...
...
Pei Cangyu finally exploded. His shoulder was still seeping blood, his left index finger was numb, and this bastard Baishi actually had the heart to pull this crap.
He grabbed Baishi by the collar. "Are you a moron? Are you playing dumb with me? Is this fun for you? Huh?! Do I have an accent? Bullshit! I don't have an accent at all! How can you not tell the difference between 'wrap it' and 'hug me'?! One is third tone, the other is fourth!"
Baishi gently took hold of the hand gripping his collar. "Actually, one is first tone and the other is fourth. You got them both wrong. Also, just now, you used the fourth tone twice."
Oh... really?
Hearing this from the top student, Pei Cangyu instinctively began to reflect on himself. He thought about it and realized, *Wait, it really was the fourth tone...*
...Like hell it matters! Is that the point right now?!
But before he could launch into his next fit of rage, Baishi had already led him into the main hall.
The hall was luxuriously vintage. A massive chandelier encrusted with gold thread and diamonds hung high from the domed ceiling. Looking up, one could see a spiral staircase winding up three stories. In the very center of the main hall, a fire crackled in the fireplace. The four walls were adorned with stained-glass windows depicting oil-painted scenes of shepherds and the baptism of Jesus. Sunlight poured through the colored glass, spilling into the room’s ancient, wood-brown interior, highlighting dancing dust motes and stirring up a subtle, archaic scent.
No one else was there.
Baishi led him to the guest seating area, where there was a long, blood-red chaise longue. Bathed in the sun, it looked warm and inviting. A golden-brown cloth was draped over the backrest, its silky texture apparent at a glance. In front of it stood a low wine rack with several bottles chilling in an ice bucket. Under the sun, the ice was slowly melting, refracting prismatic light.
It was beautiful.
Even in his bleeding state, Pei Cangyu suddenly felt struck by the sentiment.
But Baishi didn't seem to cherish the atmosphere much. He roughly snatched the cloth away and tossed it aside, yet he very gently invited Pei Cangyu to sit. The butler soon followed, opening a prepared medical kit and tending to Pei Cangyu’s wounds with extremely professional technique.
Pei Cangyu was busy taking in the mansion while Baishi watched him.
Pei Cangyu swallowed hard. "Is it... just the two of you here?"
Baishi nodded. "Though this isn't the main residence, it's safer here."
"How so?" Pei Cangyu turned back.
Baishi smiled. "Even the gates can be electrified, after all."
"Right." Pei Cangyu continued to scan the room. "It looks like an old house?"
"In a way."
Pei Cangyu chuckled. "Looks like it has a lot of rooms."
"You can choose one."
Pei Cangyu laughed. "Well, yeah. It’s not like I can choose two, right?"
He thought it was a decent joke, but Baishi’s expression remained a fixed smile, and the butler didn't even spare him a glance. So, Pei Cangyu fell silent.
After the butler finished treating his finger, he stood up. "Mr. Pei, I am very sorry, but could you please remove your shirt?"
Pei Cangyu unbuttoned his clothes carelessly. "You don't have to be so polite when you talk..."
He took off his shirt, balled it up, and tucked it under his stomach, exposing his bare upper back to show the wound.
Pei Cangyu’s wheat-colored skin stretched out in the sunlight, but before he could enjoy a comfortable stretch, he shivered. Despite the fireplace and the sun, it was actually quite cold.
Baishi draped the cloth over him.
Pei Cangyu’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. "Thanks."
The butler meticulously treated the wound and administered an emergency vaccine before standing up to take his leave.
"Where’s he going?" Pei Cangyu asked as he pulled his shirt back on.
Baishi rested his chin on his hand, staring at Pei Cangyu’s movements. "I don't know."
As he dressed, Pei Cangyu noticed Baishi’s gaze. He paused, then hurriedly sped up and changed the subject. "Actually, he doesn't need to be so formal. People don't really care about that stuff nowadays, right?"
Baishi smiled. "He’s used to it. Let’s be considerate of him."
With that, Pei Cangyu found nothing else to say.
They sat in the guest room in silence. To be precise, Pei Cangyu sat in a silent, awkward, and restless state, while Baishi simply stared at him with interest.
Being watched for so long made Pei Cangyu start to wonder, but then he felt it was unlikely. Back in middle school, Baishi never seemed to have any particular feelings for him. Could it be that he had grown more dashing and handsome over the past two years? More brave and mighty? But given his height and weight, he had nothing to do with "mighty." Or was this just Baishi’s type? Speaking of which...
Baishi finally spoke, a soft smile on his face. "For someone who isn't good at using his brain, you really never give up, do you?"
"..." Pei Cangyu turned to look at him blankly, not quite catching his meaning.
"Excuse me." A steady female voice rang out. Pei Cangyu turned his head.
It was a maid.
??? *Does this kind of setup still exist in modern society?!*
Pei Cangyu was a bit surprised. She was a middle-aged woman with a very commanding presence, wearing a professional, solid-colored uniform. A small emblem was embroidered on her chest—likely some family crest, just like the butler’s. Her hair was pinned up, and she wore light makeup, looking simple and capable.
Baishi leaned in considerately and told him, "Ms. Xu."
Pei Cangyu greeted her as usual. "Hello, Ms. Xu."
Ms. Xu didn't even look at him. She turned to Baishi. "Young Master, here is tonight’s menu."
She moved to hand it over, but Baishi raised a hand to stop her, not even taking it. "It’s fine. Go prepare some clothes for him."
Ms. Xu complied and left.
Pei Cangyu asked again, "So, are there a lot of people here?"
Baishi stood up and reached out a hand to him. "No."
Pei Cangyu felt a wave of awkwardness at the sight of his hand, so he stood up on his own. "Where are we going?"
Baishi didn't mind. "Just looking around."
They walked toward the spiral staircase. Before they stepped up, someone came forward to help Baishi take off his overcoat, but they did not follow them up.
Pei Cangyu looked up at the floor above. "Is there no one upstairs?"
Baishi nodded. "No one."
He gestured for Pei Cangyu to proceed. As Pei Cangyu stepped onto the stairs, he looked back at the person below. "He’s not coming up?"
"They aren't allowed up here."
By the time they reached the last room, Pei Cangyu had almost grown accustomed to the luxurious decor. They were all more or less the same, just with different layouts. So when Baishi asked him which one he liked, he found it difficult to choose; he hadn't remembered any of them.
"If no one really lives here, why is it kept so clean?" Pei Cangyu didn't understand.
Baishi didn't answer him, asking again, "Have you made a choice?"
Pei Cangyu asked in return, "Where do you stay?"
Baishi pointed to the largest room in the middle of the second floor. Pei Cangyu pointed as well, skipping two rooms before his finger stopped. "Then I'll take that one."
For the rest of the time, Pei Cangyu was provided with clothes and a room, even down to the underwear. However, these things were handed directly to him rather than being brought upstairs. It seemed Baishi wasn't lying about the staff not coming up. Consequently, Pei Cangyu had to make several trips up and down to set up his own room.
By the time he finished, it was dinner time. They ate at a long table. Based on what Pei Cangyu had seen on TV, he and Baishi should have sat at opposite ends, but clearly, he had no say in the matter. He was placed to Baishi’s right, eating a Western meal that seemed impossible to finish.
Pei Cangyu ate quickly; he still had to go to night self-study after this. Baishi kept his promise and had a driver take him to school.
But even once he reached the classroom, Pei Cangyu slumped over his desk. He felt like this day had been way too exhausting. His house was burned, his shoulder was injured, and his finger was broken. Fortunately, it was his left hand, otherwise, it would have affected his ability to write the final math problem.
Thinking of this, he chuckled to himself.
During Monday’s night self-study, the physics teacher was going over a test paper. Pei Cangyu’s main goal for this subject was to try and get half the points—the portion of the score that didn't filter students by intelligence but merely tested if they had put in the effort.
Then, he fell asleep.
When he woke up, the person in the seat in front of him was turning around to look at him. This guy was nicknamed Dog-leg, a man who intended to become a gambling king in the future. Right now, he was noisily shuffling a deck of cards. It was a break between classes. Dog-leg had an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth as he looked at Pei Cangyu with his head tilted.
"You're awake, Brother Pei?"
Pei Cangyu blinked sleepily.
Dog-leg took the cigarette out of his mouth and offered it to Pei Cangyu. Pei Cangyu shook his head.
"Who's giving it to you? I'm asking if you have a light. I've been sucking on this thing for ages."
Pei Cangyu lazily patted himself down. He was wearing all new clothes. "Don't have one."
Dog-leg took the cigarette and tossed it into his pencil case. "Oho, you look sharp in that outfit. Where'd you go at noon?"
Pei Cangyu couldn't be bothered to answer. He’d had foie gras for dinner, and it was making his stomach feel uneasy.
Dog-leg stopped shuffling his cards. "Seriously, Brother Pei, find me something to do on the streets. I really don't want to study anymore."
Pei Cangyu looked up at him. "Who the fuck told you I have things to do on the streets?"
Dog-leg slammed the cards down. "That’s cold, Brother Pei. You won't even tell me the truth? Didn't you go stab someone yesterday?"
"Shut your damn..." Pei Cangyu raised his voice, then lowered it. "Who told you that crap?"
"This afternoon I went to the bathroom for a smoke and saw a guy in a black hat. Looked like a real thug. He said he was looking for you..."
"And then?!" Pei Cangyu grabbed him.
"And then..." Dog-leg glanced at him. "What happened to your hand?"
"Forget that, what happened then!"
"Then he left. We saw a police bulletin saying someone was stabbed to death in Zone Z last night. You went to the station today, and then someone came looking for you. Isn't it obviously you..."
Pei Cangyu knocked him on the head a few times in frustration. "You want to stay in Grade 12 for six years too? What kind of dog-shit logic is that?"
Dog-leg picked up his cards again, looking aggrieved, and shuffled them.
"Let me ask you," Pei Cangyu looked at him. "What else did he say?"
"He just asked what your name was, where you lived, how old you were, who was in your family..."
"And you told him everything?!"
"...Could I? I don't even know where you live or who's in your family..."
Pei Cangyu breathed a sigh of relief. "He didn't do anything to you, did he?"
Dog-leg shook his head.
Pei Cangyu slumped back onto his desk. Dog-leg called out to him, "Want to play a round of 'Catch the Bamboo'?"
Pei Cangyu waved him off listlessly.
Class started.
The math teacher held a massive yellow set square and drew a huge diagram on the blackboard, starting to mark points. "Alright, I'm putting a Point Q here... Wake up, wake up and look at me! ...Then I'm putting a Point P over here... What are you laughing at? Don't laugh. Point Q has to correspond to Point P... Look at me! Students in the back row, look at me! If you don't look at me, how will you know where the P is? Only by looking at me will you know where the P is located..."
Pei Cangyu laughed along for a moment, but then a thought suddenly struck him: *The guy was asking where I lived this afternoon... but the person who burned my house was there this morning... Who was it? ...Wait, has that person been hanging around the school for that long?*
He broke out in goosebumps. He quickly pulled out his phone and started a text to Baishi, but deleted it after finishing. Typing couldn't express his worry; he decided it was better to talk in person.
As soon as class ended, he rushed out of the classroom. Sure enough, there was a car waiting at the school gate. He hopped in and felt a slight sense of relief when he saw it was the familiar driver.
The moment Pei Cangyu entered the main hall, he froze. This wasn't the magnificent mansion he remembered from the daytime. Rather, it felt completely devoid of life. He couldn't sense anyone there. The room was pitch black, with only a faint glow coming from the fireplace. Everywhere else was so quiet and dark it was unsettling. The stained-glass oil paintings that had looked vibrant and expansive during the day now felt like giants looming over him, staring down with angry eyes. The unlit chandeliers looked like the clawing fragments of some mechanical beast.
A cold, dark mansion.
"Are you back?"
Baishi’s voice came from the fireplace, still gentle and flat. Pei Cangyu hurriedly ran over.
Baishi was sitting in a chair, illuminated by the warm red and yellow light of the crackling fire. Wearing silver-rimmed glasses, he was flipping through a thick book. He looked up and smiled at him.
Even at a time like this, Pei Cangyu had to admit that Baishi was truly good-looking.
Moreover, in this strange, cold mansion, Baishi was the only familiar thing and the only source of light, which made Pei Cangyu feel a surge of emotion upon seeing him.
"Where are the others?" Pei Cangyu walked over.
"Who?" Baishi continued to flip the pages. "Mr. Bai and the others?"
"Yeah."
"They went back."
"Back where?"
"To the main residence."
"Oh." Pei Cangyu sat down on the sofa. "I thought they were... I don't know... servants who took care of you?"
"Servants... I suppose you could call them that."
Pei Cangyu turned to look at the hall. It was like a dark, gaping maw; he couldn't see a thing.
"Aren't you scared, living here all by yourself?"
Baishi stopped flipping the pages. "This place is my base. Here, I am omnipotent."
Pei Cangyu could say for certain that he heard something entirely different in Baishi’s usually calm voice—like an undercurrent surging beneath still waters.
"Speaking of which, perhaps I should be scared. Maybe this house eats people." But Baishi looked up again and smiled at him, his tone gentle once more. No face could look more sincere than his. "I hope you can stay alive and well."
Eerie. For the nth time, Pei Cangyu wanted to run away.
***
