Yuan stayed silent for a few seconds.
His eyes were fixed on the road, hands steady on the steering wheel, but his mind was somewhere else entirely. Everything that had just happened the gunshot, the instinctive way he had dragged Sylas down, and now this ridiculous drive was piling up in his head.
What am I even doing..?
He clenched his jaw and turned the ignition. The engine came back to life, and the car rolled forward smoothly.
Sylas leaned back in his seat, tilting his head slightly to the side. That familiar, irritating smirk appeared on his lips.
"So," he said lightly, amused,
"where are you kidnapping me to this time?"
Yuan didn't answer.
He drove as if Sylas didn't even exist.
"Are you trying to silence me by ignoring me?" Sylas continued.
"That's pretty cruel, you know."
Still no response.
Yuan was looking for something.
His eyes scanned the roadside through the windshield when he spotted a flickering sign in the darkness. Some of the letters were burned out.
A small lodging house.
Cheap.
Remote.
Perfect.
Yuan turned the wheel and pulled over.
When the car stopped, Sylas looked around.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then his face twisted in pure disgust.
"…What is this place?"
Yuan opened the door and stepped out.
Sylas followed, stepping out of the car and glancing around with clear disdain. This place was nothing like the world he was used to.
"Why did you bring me to a dump like this?" he said bluntly.
Yuan was already walking toward the entrance.
He shouted back over his shoulder,
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? COME ON."
Sylas hesitated for a moment, then walked in with exaggerated arrogance. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes swept over the interior.
Old carpet.
Narrow hallway.
A faint smell of dampness.
"…Unbelievable," he muttered.
"This place is dirt poor."
Yuan stopped at the counter and turned to face him.
"You're staying here tonight," he said flatly.
"Go rent a room."
He gestured toward the desk.
"Hurry up."
Sylas' eyebrows shot up.
"What?"
"Are you joking?"
"You're seriously going to leave me here?"
"Of all places, you chose this filthy little hole?"
Yuan was about to reply when-
"Yuzi," Sylas interrupted with fake politeness,
"if you don't have money, you could've just told me. I'd pay."
There was a brief silence.
Then
SMACK.
Yuan slammed his hand against Sylas' shoulder.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?"
"I DIDN'T CHOOSE THIS PLACE FOR FUN!"
"I BROUGHT YOU HERE BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!"
"SO SHUT UP!"
The clerk behind the desk flinched.
Sylas fell silent.
He scowled.
But he didn't argue anymore.
They rented a room.
They walked down a dim, narrow hallway. The lights were weak, the walls thin. With every step, Sylas looked more uncomfortable.
When they entered the room
Silence.
There was only one bed.
Yuan stepped inside and glanced around. He turned toward the door, about to leave
When Sylas grabbed his wrist.
Yuan immediately pulled his hand back.
"What are you doing?" he said coldly.
Sylas frowned.
"Where are you going?"
"I can't stay here alone. You know that."
Yuan let out a mocking breath.
"What, can't you take care of yourself?"
"And you're supposed to rule a country?"
Sylas clicked his tongue, then suddenly grabbed Yuan again.
"You brought me to this dump," he said arrogantly.
"Take responsibility."
He pulled Yuan into the room and shut the door.
They ended up standing far too close.
Yuan shoved him back at once.
Then he noticed the bed.
One.
Single.
Bed.
He sighed deeply.
Without hesitation, he threw himself onto it, lying face down.
"Go sleep on the floor or something," he said into the pillow.
Sylas stared at him, stunned.
"…Are you serious?"
A second later
Sylas dropped himself right on top of Yuan.
Yuan froze.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
"GET OFF ME!"
Sylas was grinning, deliberately putting his weight on him.
"Don't you know how to share a bed?" he said teasingly.
Yuan growled and pushed himself up.
"GET-"
Using all his strength, he shoved Sylas away.
THUD.
Sylas hit the floor.
The room went quiet.
One second passed.
Two.
Then
Sylas laughed from where he lay.
It wasn't a loud laugh.
But it was genuine