Chapter 173: Sleepless Night

Chapter 173: Sleepless Night

"You tried to peel away my monstrous skin to glimpse what's hidden inside, only to find a rotten heart that no longer beats, but loves you day after day..."

Is it possible between human and monster?

Lu Yan sat on the sofa, munching on chips while watching TV, his mind wandering to all sorts of things. After returning from Devil City, Xing Yuan went straight to meet with the Chancellor and hadn't returned all day. He was likely discussing matters concerning Si Duo. The gloomy sky suddenly began to rain, water droplets sliding down the glass window, leaving a winding trail behind.

After much thought, Lu Yan still found the situation absurd. He decided to call Lu Xiaozhao. It took three rings before the call was answered, a drowsy voice coming through the receiver: "Brother, what do you want at this hour? I was sleeping..."

Ignoring his complaints, Lu Yan frowned and lit a cigarette. "I have a question for you. Answer honestly."

Lu Xiaozhao lay in bed like a turtle, eyes closed, half-asleep. "Ask away."

After all, he had been cooped up in the hotel recently, not causing any trouble. He spent his days sleeping, so Lu Yan had no reason to scold him.

Lu Yan considered his words carefully before asking, "It's about... when you became a Wanderer, did you develop any habits or instincts different from humans?"

Lu Xiaozhao opened his eyes in confusion. "Why are you asking?"

Was his brother planning to eliminate him out of righteousness?

Lu Yan slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, switching the phone to his other ear, expressionless. "Want to know why? Should I come to the hotel and tell you in person?"

At these words, Lu Xiaozhao instantly perked up, shaking his head vigorously. Jokingly, if Lu Yan came over, he'd surely get a beating. He stammered, "Actually, there's nothing much... just sometimes at night, I really crave human flesh, the kind of hunger that gnaws at your heart. And I can't help grinding my teeth."

Lu Yan knew about Lu Xiaozhao's nighttime teeth-grinding. That night they slept together in the hotel, Lu Xiaozhao ground his teeth all night until Lu Yan slapped him into silence.

Lu Yan pressed, "Just that?"

Lu Xiaozhao thought for a moment. "My legs sometimes uncontrollably turn into a tail when I sleep."

Lu Yan: "Anything else?"

Lu Xiaozhao: "My eyes sometimes turn red."

Lu Yan: "Go on."

Lu Xiaozhao: "I can't sleep at night and hate sunlight during the day."

Lu Xiaozhao: "I have a particular fondness for the smell of blood, craving it intensely."

Lu Xiaozhao: "When the red moon rises, I become very sleepy, like a snake hibernating. Several times, I couldn't control myself from transforming back to my original form while sleeping."

Lu Xiaozhao rattled off several points in one breath. As Lu Yan listened, he grew increasingly perplexed. He hadn't paid much attention to such details, but Xing Yuan seemed to have none of those traits. Could he have guessed wrong?

Lu Yan furrowed his brow. "Are you sure you're not fooling me?"

Lu Xiaozhao swore by the heavens. "Absolutely true! If I'm lying, you can beat the s**t out of me!"

"I find that disgusting."

Lu Yan's face twitched as he stubbed out the cigarette. Just as he was about to say something, a sound of a door opening came from outside. It must be Xing Yuan returning. He quickly hung up the call and walked out.

Xing Yuan had been in meetings all day, his eyes now rimmed with faint dark circles. His handsome, sharp features were now tinged with fatigue and languor. He shed his black uniform jacket onto a coat hanger, leaning against the entranceway as he slowly removed his shoes. Catching sight of Lu Yan walking out, he raised an eyebrow. "Who were you on the phone with just now?"

Lu Yan pulled him into his arms. Although tall and slender, Xing Yuan was still shorter than Lu Yan and lighter than most men his age. With a little effort, Lu Yan could easily lift him with one hand.

"It's nothing. I was worried about my brother and called him."

Xing Yuan rested his chin on Lu Yan's shoulder, too tired to even lift his eyelids. Only then did he remember Lu Yan had a younger brother staying at a hotel. He gave a faint hum before saying, "Things aren't peaceful lately. If it doesn't work out, bring him here to stay."

Sky City was about to make a major move soon. The core area where Xing Yuan lived had tight security, far superior to any hotel.

Lu Yan carried him into the living room, stumbling and accidentally falling onto the sofa. When he tried to get up, Xing Yuan hooked his legs around his waist, clinging tightly. They had no choice but to maintain their intimate position while speaking.

Lu Yan kissed Xing Yuan's eyes. "No need. Let him stay at the hotel for now."

Xing Yuan's sense of private territory was strong; he hated having relatives over. The housekeeper had to leave immediately after buying groceries and cooking meals, not allowed to linger for even a second. Lu Yan didn't expect him to be willing to bring Lu Xiaozhao over for his sake.

Although Xing Yuan was a Wanderer, he wasn't entirely unreasonable. First, he sniffed Lu Yan's collar like a puppy, detecting the scent of smoke. Then he slowly licked and kissed his Adam's apple, casually revealing a shocking piece of news. "The outer perimeter of Sky City is about to fall. A fight is likely to break out. Have your brother move here as soon as possible. The core area has heavy military protection, at least ensuring safety."

Hearing this, Lu Yan froze. Despite guessing the reason, he feigned surprise. "Sky City is about to fall? Why?"

Xing Yuan said expressionlessly, "Don't ask too much. Knowing more won't benefit you."

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow lightly, thinking that if he didn't inquire, he wouldn't. He had plenty of other sources of information. "You've been working hard all day. Go take a shower and get a good night's sleep."

Xing Yuan was lethargic, looking like he didn't want to move at all. He gently nudged his cheek, his dark gaze landing on Lu Yan's pale neck. He said ambiguously, "I'm hungry."

Lu Yan didn't think much of it. "Should I cook for you?"

"..."

Xing Yuan had no interest in human food. He craved fresh flesh and blood at all times, a symptom that became more pronounced after the red moon appeared. He sat up from the sofa, his tongue darting out like a cold-blooded serpent to lick Lu Yan's throat, so fast that even the person involved didn't react:

"No need. I'll go take a shower. Wait for me in bed."

The implications of this sentence were clear.

Lu Yan sat on the sofa, watching Xing Yuan enter the bathroom, feeling a chill run down his spine. He glanced at his phone screen, seeing a string of question marks from Lu Xiaozhao:

"??? Brother, why did you suddenly hang up?"

Lu Yan thought, of course he had to hang up, otherwise, he'd be the one getting hung up. He rapidly typed a message, sending Xing Yuan's address: "It's not safe outside recently. Move to this place tomorrow."

Lu Xiaozhao sent another question mark, clearly clueless about Lu Yan's sudden midnight madness: "?"

Lu Yan sent a shushing emoji, then turned off his phone. Coincidentally, Xing Yuan emerged from the bathroom in a bathrobe, steam rising around him. His short, jet-black hair was wet, dripping with water, giving off a cool yet seductive vibe.

"Why didn’t you wait for me in bed?"

Xing Yuan muttered with a frown, seemingly unhappy. He walked to the sofa and leaned over, staring intently at Lu Yan. His voice was low, half reminding and half warning: "I know you secretly went out last night to exterminate the wanderers. Stay at home honestly during this time. Don’t let me catch you running around, did you hear me?"

Lu Yan asked with interest, "You’re a psychic, I’m also a psychic, we’re the same. Why can’t I go out?"

Xing Yuan scoffed, "Who’s like you."

He was a wanderer, while Lu Yan was a fragile human.

Because the sofa was wide enough, it didn’t matter that they weren’t on the bed. Lu Yan had the matter of Xing Yuan possibly being a wanderer on his mind. His kisses were inevitably more hesitant than usual. Xing Yuan, perhaps influenced by the blood moon, showed a hint of ferocity, kissing fiercely and deeply. The clashing of lips and tongues hinted at a tinge of blood.

That hint of rust-like taste stimulated him. A dark glint flashed through his pitch-black pupils, revealing a crimson hue under the crystal chandelier light.

Lu Yan noticed this and inwardly cried out in despair. Was Xing Yuan really a wanderer? But he still refused to give up hope. What if it was due to the light’s refraction?

Xing Yuan sensed his evasion and silently gripped Lu Yan’s chin, the force somewhat painful. He asked without revealing any emotion, "What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking… the sofa might be a bit small."

Lu Yan held his hand, kissed it a few times, then carried him towards the bedroom. It was pitch black inside. When rolling around on the bed, one couldn’t see anything, sparing them from wild thoughts.

After hours of tossing and turning, Xing Yuan finally fell asleep. He lazily sprawled on Lu Yan, licking the residual bloody taste between his lips. There was always a feeling of scratching an itch through thick boots.

Wanderers who liked someone should keep them safely in their stomachs. But then they wouldn’t be able to touch or kiss them anymore. Xing Yuan couldn’t help but feel a faint regret.

Lu Yan lay awake, completely devoid of sleepiness. In the late hours of the night, Xing Yuan suddenly emitted a series of soft crunching sounds from his mouth. They sounded like teeth grinding, yet not quite. More like the sound of wanderers chewing on flesh and bones, making one’s scalp tingle.

"Crunch…"

"Crunch…"

Forget it, maybe Xing Yuan was dreaming about eating something. Didn’t he say he was hungry earlier? Even though he ended up eating nothing.

Lu Yan tried to reassure himself, pulling the blanket that had slipped off Xing Yuan up higher. He hugged the other and continued sleeping. In his sleep, Xing Yuan felt comfortable, subconsciously rubbing against Lu Yan twice. Under the blankets, he entangled the other with both hands and feet.

Entangled.

Entangling…

Lu Yan finally couldn’t hold it together. His usually calm expression now subtly showed signs of cracking. Because what he felt entwining him under the blankets wasn’t two legs, but something indescribable—soft, icy cold, long, like a snake’s tail…

Coiling around his muscular waist, again and again, only loosening slightly when reaching his calves.

Even if Lu Yan was a vegetable, he should have realized something was amiss. He secretly glanced at Xing Yuan in the darkness, then lifted a corner of the blanket, hesitantly stretching a hand inside.

In a daze, he didn’t know where he touched. Xing Yuan suddenly frowned, letting out a somewhat impatient tut. The tip of his tail flicked, and the decorative post at the foot of the bed snapped in half.

"Snap."

The wooden carved decorative ball fell onto the soft woolen blanket, making no sound at all.

Lu Yan froze. He felt dizzy, struggling to breathe, unsure whether it was from fear or being entangled. His mind kept repeating two words:

Finished, finished, finished, finished!

Xing Yuan was actually a wanderer! He had actually slept with a wanderer?!

Lu Yan considered himself quite adventurous, but never to such an extent. What could he do now? Running away wasn’t an option, nor was staying. If Xing Yuan found out, would he kill him to silence him? After all, if the news that Xing Yuan was a wanderer got out, it could lead to fatal consequences. If the other party didn’t trust him, his fate would surely be grim.

That night felt like an eternity for Lu Yan, his heart growing increasingly alarmed. Xing Yuan, on the other hand, had a rare good night’s sleep. When dawn broke, there was no sun. The red moon still hung in the sky, amidst continuous drizzle, strangely eerie.

Xing Yuan’s tail had unknowingly transformed back into legs. He woke up groggily from his slumber, only to find Lu Yan staring at him. His voice was sleepy and puzzled, "What are you doing?"

Xing Yuan, just waking up, looked like a lazy big cat, rubbing against Lu Yan’s shoulder. His eyes were dazed, looking surprisingly cute.

Lu Yan’s gaze softened, suddenly unable to say anything. He ruffled Xing Yuan’s hair, "Are you well-rested?"

Xing Yuan stretched, "It’s alright."

Lu Yan patted his back, "Get up, wash your face, and eat breakfast."

After speaking, he threw off the blanket and got out of bed, preparing to go to the bathroom to wash up. However, before he could stand steady, he stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud. Xing Yuan, startled by the noise, instinctively sat up and asked, "What happened?"

"…"

Lu Yan slowly exhaled, "Nothing, I accidentally tripped."

Xing Yuan originally intended to reach out to help him, but seeing that Lu Yan seemed fine, he lay back down again. His tone was disdainful, "Did you just borrow those legs from someone? You fell into Luo Yang’s arms last night, and now you’re falling on the floor today. Is it your legs or your waist that’s the problem?"

Lu Yan’s eyelids twitched, "Do you think there’s a problem with my waist?"

Xing Yuan recalled how he was thoroughly exhausted on the bed yesterday, his gaze drifting, "Then it must be your legs that have a problem."

Damn it, Lu Yan couldn’t help cursing inwardly. Whose legs could walk normally after being entangled by a snake’s tail all night? He admired the other’s bravery! It was fortunate that he was a psychic with good physical fitness. Anyone else would have had to amputate their limbs that very night!

Lu Yan dared not speak his anger, limping out to brush his teeth and wash up, supporting himself on the wall. Xing Yuan lingered for a while before getting up. When he came out, he saw Lu Yan sitting on the sofa watching TV, not even talking to him, as if he was angry.

Xing Yuan bit his toothbrush, raising an eyebrow. He deliberately approached him and asked, "What are you watching?"

Lu Yan’s tone was curt, "The Legend of White Snake."

Xing Yuan furrowed his brows, "What’s it about?"

He never watched human TV dramas. What was this Black Lady, White Lady? The names sounded strange.

Lu Yan: "A story about a snake marrying a person."

Xing Yuan was astounded by humans’ bold tastes, "A person marrying a snake? How does a person marry a snake?"

Lu Yan didn't know how to explain the situation, so he simply changed the channel. By a strange coincidence, the new channel was airing a "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" episode, with eerie and terrifying scenes.

Xing Yuan: "What is this again?"

Lu Yan: "A tale of a marriage between a ghost and a human."

Upon hearing the words, Xing Yuan glanced at the television, then at the handsome profile of Lu Yan, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked out of curiosity:

"Is there a TV series where someone is with the wanderer?"

Lu Yan: "……"