2.9 Stay The Night

[System notification: Ding! You have purchased a temporary skill "Time Rewinder" for 5 seconds.]

[System notification: Ding! You have purchased a temporary skill "Time Rewinder" for 5 seconds.]

[System notification: Ding! You have purchased a temporary skill "Time Rewinder" for 5 seconds. You have gone back 15 seconds in time! The remaining points you have is 1020. Thank you for your patronage.]

The scene in front of Lu Yizhou turned into a blur and when he blinked, he was once again standing atop of the roof, a gentle breeze caressing his long hair. With a speed as fast as he could muster, he jumped across the trees and broke into his room through the window and discarded the clothes that were stained with blood. After that, he dashed to the bathroom and switched the water temperature to the lowest and let the bitingly cold water fall on his body. The series of movements were completed in less than 10 seconds.

[666: …]

By now, 666 was already numbed by Host's excessive squander. It had just been two weeks and more than 600 points were gone. 666 knew it shouldn't be too happy that fast to get only 1500 points as a reward.

[666: Host, Theodore is coming.]

It was late summer so the cold water was more refreshing rather than freezing. It sobered his mind up a bit and when he looked into the mirror, the eyes that were reflected there were no longer crimson but his usual silvery pupils. A sigh of relief escaped Lu Yizhou's lips and he raked his fingers through his wet hair, noticing his nails had also returned to normal.

Knock-knock-knock. "Raphael…?" Theodore's voice rang out softly. "Are you asleep?"

Lu Yizhou opened the door, clad only in black satin bathrobe—the only piece of clothing he could find as soon as possible—revealing a huge expanse of his pale chest, still with droplets of water cascading down his body. Under the dim moonlight, he was akin to a merman that had come up to the surface, gorgeous and enchantingly beautiful. Just one glance from those piercing silver eyes were enough to hook someone's soul.

Theodore instantly forgot what he was coming for. His heart thudded inside the ribcage and he only remembered to take a breath when his chest started hurting. He lowered his eyes, suddenly feeling so conscious of the other's strong presence. He had always known that Raphael was attractive but he didn't expect that he would be THIS attractive. "You... You're showering? At this time?"

Lu Yizhou gave a low hum, the mere sound caused Theodore's ears to tingle all over. "Do you need something, Young Master? I apologize for showing you such an inappropriate look. Please give me a moment to change—"

"No!" Theodore rebuked before his brain could process. If Raphael changed into his usual uniform, how could Theodore admire his body?! "Y—You don't need to change! I—I am not that petty to berate you for something so simple." He cleared his throat, eyes darting around. "Anyway, I grant you permission to look atrociously improper right now. Just for tonight!"

Lu Yizhou raised a brow. Did he feel guilty to come and bother him in the middle of the night? How adorable. "Are you unable to sleep, Young Master?"

"E—En." Theodore only wore his sleepwear that was wide in collar and when he lowered his head like that, Lu Yizhou could catch a glimpse of his fair nape, looking especially luscious under the night. His fangs throbbed. He had no idea whether it was the night working or because he had just smelled blood, but it seemed harder to control himself than before.

He took a step backward. "Do you need something from this servant, Young Master?"

The thought of Alfred's visit kept on haunting Theodore's sleep and even made its way to his dream. In that, Raphael was the same as his previous servants, turning his back on him only with the promise of a few gold ingots. He woke up with cold sweat all over his back and was suddenly filled with a pressing urge to see Raphael, even disregarding Ben's rule that it was inappropriate for a young master to visit his servant's living quarters. At first, he thought he would be satisfied to catch a sight of Raphael's face but now that he stood in front of that man, he didn't want to leave just like that.

He grumbled in a sulking tone. "You aren't even planning to invite me in? It's cold out here."

"You want to come…" Lu Yizhou sucked in cold air. "...in?" He racked his brain to remember. Did he own something that could expose his identity? No, Raphael only had a set of clothing and a few gold ingots on his body.

[666: Host, your bloodied shirt!]

Lu Yizhou cursed under his breath. How muddled had his head become that he forgot this important thing?

Sensing his hesitation, Theodore glared, greatly offended. "What? You don't want to let me in? Do you have some unspeakable secrets you can't let me know?" His tone rose higher and higher.

"No, of course not." Lu Yizhou shook his head helplessly then opened the door wider, gesturing ahead. "Please come in." He waited until Theodore entered before closing the door behind him, lips pressed tight together.

Theodore stood in the middle of the room and glanced around curiously. He had seen the servant's room countless times before but somehow, everything became different as soon as he recalled that this was Raphael's room. It was cramped, just a little bit larger than his own bathroom and the only furniture Raphael owned was only the basic necessities; bed and closet. The scent that he could only smell on Raphael if he stood close to the man filled the entire room as if embracing him, making Theodore's heart race even faster. It was the exquisite and sweet scent of roses.

A crumpled shirt was thrown on the bed and Theodore chuckled because of that. "I didn't expect that you could be this messy. I have always thought that you're a neat and refined man."

"My apologies." Lu Yizhou said and without a change of expression, snatched the shirt and threw it into the basket in the bathroom. "I have embarrassed myself in front of Young Master."

[666: Fyuhh *wipe sweat* 666 is going to get a heart attack if this goes on.]

"It's okay, I shall forgive you for this small mistake." Theodore's mood turned for the better, happy that he could learn something new about Raphael. It made him feel closer to that man somehow. He sat on the bed and ran his palm on the mattress which felt rougher than his own. But this was Raphael's bed so he was willing to endure the hardship for a while.

Seeing Theodore making himself comfortable atop of his bed, Lu Yizhou had a perplexed look. "Are you going to stay the night, Young Master?"

Theodore scowled. "I can't?"

"No, it's not like that." Lu Yizhou held his head in exasperation. "My bed is hard. Young Master's back will hurt if you lay there for the whole night."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Theodore spoke impatiently, his light brown eyes blazed in irritation as if saying that he wouldn't receive any rejection. "Dry yourself and come up here. If the bed is hard, then I only have to lay on you."