Di Gaohun Has Entered The Chat

Di Gaohun was not amused.

When he came up the corridor to make sure Xin Tuyong wasn't slacking off, he saw just what he wanted to prevent: Xin Tuyong was slacking off and looking down the hall to some of the few rooms he wasn't allowed in.

But something was off. Xin Tuyong was pale and seemed to tremble.

'Is he sick? Or feeling guilty maybe? He probably broke something... Was he thinking about trespassing those rooms?'

As Di Gaohun stood and watched from a meter away, Xin Tuyong seemed absorbed in whatever his eyes searched for over there.

And as he turned towards Di Gaohun, his entire being flinched and his body dropped.

Di Gaohun threw down the clipboard he carried in one hand and unsteadily caught the falling mass using both hands.

The clatter of the clipboard was the loudest sound the house had experienced in a long while, attracting the attention of a certain someone down the hall.

"Xin Tuyong--hey! Xin Tuyong! Wake up! Are you okay?" Di Gaohun gently shook the man he held up. No response. "Huan Mao!"

Her head poked through an open door with a playful smile. "Yes?" Her smile spread to a grin as she caught sight of Xin Tuyong, passed out in Di Gaohun's arms.

Almost immediately, Di Gaohun knew what was up.

"Your little games are affecting your employees," he gritted out. "What if he got hurt? You'd have to compensate him for his injuries and the budget is tight enough."

She laughed. "He would have been fine had you not showed up. Besides, I was ready for anything. It gets boring sitting at a desk all day -- can't I have a little fun on my break? Just take him to his room to recuperate. Paid leave for today and tomorrow."

Di Gaohun's eyebrow twitched. She really wasn't going to take responsibility for her actions? What did he do to deserve the punishment of being a caretaker?!

"And what about me?"

"Paid leave for the next two hours, and then back to work."

Huan Mao watched in amusement as Di Gaohun hauled Xin Tuyong carefully down the stairway.

She wasn't worried about the weight considering how slim Xin Tuyong was. He was almost skin and bones compared to the fit Di Gaohun, and nearly half a head smaller. They'd be fine.

...

Di Gaohun was eventually able to wrestle the fainted Xin Tuyong into his own room, which had no locks. The employees' quarter was not designed for privacy, but rather transparency.

Sweeping aside the bed sheets, he laid Xin Tuyong down with as much care as his aching muscles could allow.

He silently cursed Huan Mao. He could almost be considered a housekeeper with how often he had to clean up after her messes.

Di Gaohun pulled the blanket across Xin Tuyong's sleeping form and sat on a chair near the bed.

He cooled himself off after a long while, then proceeded to watch his underling carefully.

Xin Tuyong's eyes moved rapidly underneath his pale eyelids. His eyebrows tensed as he dreamt fitfully. Sweat began to collect at his brow and his breathing became unsteady.

'Ha, none of my business. He'll wake up soon if he's not a weakling.'

As time carried on, Xin Tuyong was on the cusp of hyperventilating and Di Gaohun could no longer sit idly by.

He kneeled by Xin Tuyong's side and gingerly took hold of one clammy hand. Di Gaohun felt his nose wrinkle in disgust but fought the urge to recoil.

Xin Tuyong flinched at the contact, but as Di Gaohun kept his hand cradled in his own, he was not as tense as before.

Di Gaohun began to rub Xin Tuyong's hand, heating it and calming the person it belonged to.

Still, the shivers remained in his body.

Di Gaohun released the hand and returned it to its former position beneath the blanket. He leaned over Xin Tuyong body, hesitating.

'If he wakes up, this will be hard to explain... Oh well, it's for his own good.'

Di Gaohun took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed the sweaty face of Xin Tuyong.

Then he took the man's face in his warm hands and pressed his lips lightly against his forehead, stroking his hair like a mother would to her sick child.

His knees were going numb on the hard floor, so he sat beside him on the bed to continue comforting him. Xin Tuyong's arms wrapped themselves around Di Gaohun's waist and he froze in fear.

'Is he awake???'

Xin Tuyong remained still and breathing deeply, so Di Gaohun continued soothing him until he relaxed into almost complete stillness.

As Di Gaohun went to kiss his forehead one last time before leaving, a devil seemed to lead his impulse, and he brushed his lips across Xin Tuyong's own.

Di Gaohun pried Xin Tuyong's arms away from him and put space between them. He shocked himself with his actions.

'If he's awake, he could sue me, if not, I'm lucky and will have to live with my crimes.'

With the elegance of a newborn stag, he covered Xin Tuyong up to the neck with the blanket and nearly ran out of the room.