Princess Xu

The sky had grown dark once more, and Xu Rouguang was watching over Lai Mingjie at the hospital. He was staring at his sleeping face, so peaceful... as if he was happy. He then reached out to stroke at those strands stuck to his forehead. He then began rubbing Lai Mingjie's face to his content.

"You sure love taking advantage of me when I'm sleeping..." The demon king murmured before his eyes slowly opened. He was feeling a lot better now that he was secretly healed, but he still had his arm in a cast. Since he could use his other arm now, he went to grab Xu Rouguang's cheek and pulled on it. "You rascal! You think you can get away with this tonight!"

"Haha, be careful, Jie. Your other arm might break, too." Xu Rouguang chuckled as he pried Lai Mingjie's hand off of his face. He then held it tightly with both of his hands. "Jie, I'm happy you're feeling a lot better now."

"Right, I got my ass kicked again." Lai Mingjie shrunk back into the pillows behind him. "Did you get the parcel?"

"Yes, but I handed it to Auntie Qiu when I ran into her that morning." He brought the hand to his face, lightly rubbing his cheek at the back of it. "I felt my energy hidden in the aviators being expended. It will only happen when you're in danger. I was so scared..."

Lai Mingjie moved his hand and petted the general. "Nah, the worse that could happen is me getting buried underground until my time is up. No need to rush all the time..."

Xu Rouguang held onto the hand and slipped it down his head. "I don't want you getting hurt, Jie... Emodao. Please let me be more responsible for your safety. I thought I'm supposed to be your bodyguard." He closed his eyes and ran his lips along Lai Mingjie's knuckles. "I can't imagine you getting hurt again and again."

"Haha, you can say that all you like, but you have to admit that they'll only strike when we're not together." Lai Mingjie didn't fight Xu Rouguang's action; neither did he take his hand back. "I'll be fine, I guess. Right... I don't think Botangca even visited me. Damn woman."

"She was the one who brought you here." Xu Rouguang lowered the hand and only held it with both of his. His eyes dimmed as they started to chat about the situation. He had to tell Lai Mingjie about the doctor's suggestion and the company's permissions. He even talked about how Dunzhao disappeared and how he was trying to find how he escaped.

All the while Lai Mingjie was peacefully listening.

The general was still thinking about what Botangca had said. He looked at the hand he was holding and pursed his lips at Lai Mingjie's silence. Upon a whim, he raised his gaze and spoke with a smile, "Jie, you're feeling too calm for someone who almost died today."

"Calm? I'm not calm. I'm just... meditating. Right, I'm meditating." Lai Mingjie chuckled, his hand held by Xu Rouguang suddenly squeezed his hold. "I can't go wild right now. My body's not ready to take my rage yet."

"I see. How are you meditating? Thinking of some... thing?"

"Not exactly, but I feel fine seeing you around."

"Huh?" Xu Rouguang twitched softly. He then made a bitter smile that Lai Mingjie wouldn't see. "You weren't... you didn't seem to be reliant on my presence to feel fine. There must be something..."

"What exactly are you trying to get out of me?" Lai Mingjie frowned and opened his eyes. Something felt wrong, and even an idiot would notice Xu Rouguang was behaving weirdly. "Did Botangca say something that's making you feel insecure?"

Xu Rouguang looked away and dared not to answer. Would it be too overbearing to make Lai Mingjie explain about this phantom princess? It was supposed to be his own business anyway. Then again, Xu Rouguang was beyond salvation; he was too jealous for his own good.

He shut his eyes and lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry, I just... Miss Botangca said something about a phantom princess you dream about. I just thought she might be... h-haunting you... today..."

Lai Mingjie glared at the man and groaned as he made a sour face. "Wow, go ahead and get jealous over some chick I don't even remember where I saw. Yeah, she's making appearances, but I'm not that into it." He delivered it straight, but he knew that was some lie. Not that into it? He kept on drowning whenever she's around. He could even go crazy even though he couldn't properly describe her face... her eyes... her voice...

A ridiculing snort was stifled, and Lai Mingjie didn't have to be a genius to figure out that Xu Rouguang didn't buy it. He turned back to the general who was only staring at his hand. The demon king slipped his hand away and petted the general again. "Don't fall too much. Without your memories—"

"I don't need to find my memories for this." Xu Rouguang somewhat growled. "I know what I said when we first met, but I'm beginning to be sure that... that I'm not forcing myself to like you because I remember you..." He lifted his head and glared at the demon king. "Emodao, be honest with me. Are you really not taking my advances seriously?"

Instead of conflict in stirred feelings, Lai Mingjie was definitely terrified of Xu Rouguang right now. He had never seen these eyes on him even when he was thrashing the demons in the club or stabbing thugs in the streets. It was the same eyes as that maniac General Xu. With the added emotions in Lai Mingjie's vocabulary, that mysterious terrifying gaze seemed to be deciphered slowly.

General Xu Rouguang wasn't looking at him like a headhunter finding prey; he was staring at him like how a real demon would stare at an immortal princess. It was greed and thirst at its finest mix, borderline voracious as well.

The demon king had to act fast to counterattack. He slid his hand down to cover Xu Rouguang's eyes, making the other guy flinch. Lai Mingjie roared, "I'm not answering that, you idiot! Also, it's your fault for leaving me alone! Do you think I'd like to lie down here lifelessly? She only appears when I'm feeling too much more than I could handle. If you're here, I wouldn't have felt so helpless!

"Don't you ever leave me alone like that again!" Lai Mingjie took his hand back, gritting his teeth. "I'd rather get fetched by someone I know than drown in a feeling I don't know where I picked up, okay? Could you stop doing that now?

"I want my smiling, kind, sweet... loving Princess Xu... not some girl whose face I can't recall..."

He then hit Xu Rouguang's face with his palm again. "Say something. Remember, this isn't a confession."

A chuckle escaped his lips, and Xu Rouguang could only laugh. He then took a hold of his hand again before moving closer more than he should. His face loomed before Lai Mingjie's, which the other didn't fight. Xu Rouguang then rubbed his nose against Lai Mingjie's cheek. "I don't want to be that Princess Xu right now. I really wanted to kiss you, Emodao."

Without any words, Lai Mingjie moved his own head to brush their lips together. "That phantom princess is really tempting to dream about and all... but I'd still prefer someone I can kiss, too, you know..."

"Then I'll keep on being steps ahead of her."

Xu Rouguang's hold on Lai Mingjie's hand tightened as he locked their lips again in a hot kiss the latter gave permission to. Lai Mingjie's eyes fluttered into a close as he chose to get carried away by a flood of warmth and comfort. Since when did he feel so well-taken care of in Xu Rouguang's arms?

Before he lost consciousness, he still saw a glimpse of the phantom princess as if she was the one kissing him instead. She pulled back and foxily smiled like how Xu Rouguang would... before she grabbed his neck. Her image started distorting into something else, but Lai Mingjie finally fell asleep.

'I've been waiting for so long to see you again...'