...Yum

"Ah!" Rui Ye's startled cry pierced the air as he leaped backward like a frightened cat, his once pristine white shirt now rendered translucent, revealing a patch of reddened skin on his chest and abdomen. Meanwhile, the plastic bowl clattered across the table before tumbling to the floor, leaving a trail of spilled soup in its wake. 

Rui Ye subconsciously moved to pat himself, but a large hand seized his wrist before he could make contact, followed by a stern and deep voice echoing above his head, 

"Don't," Song Zhuyu instructed firmly. "Just stay still. You will make a mess everywhere."

At first, Song Zhuyu cursed himself for being too overexcited and scaring the other person again, but when he saw the state of Rui Ye's shirt, it suddenly dawned on him that… wasn't this the perfect chance for him to examine Rui Ye's body to see if there's really a demon's mark there?!

As such, Father Song immediately adjusted his demeanor and took on a concerned stance, though his gaze never strayed far from Rui Ye's body. "Are you hurt? You should rinse yourself with cold water first. Come on, I will help you. Which way is your bathroom?"

Hmm, there's nothing on his chest. On another note, his wrist is really so bony and thin, Song Zhuyu observed thoughtfully. Is he malnourished, by any chance?

But alas, how could Rui Ye bring himself to trust this person when he was the source of the disaster to begin with? If Song Zhuyu wasn't here, then none of this would have happened! Shaking his head vehemently, he struggled out of Father Song's grasp to no avail, his frame shaking in anger and frustration, "Let go…!"

"Hey, calm down. I'm just going to— fuck!" Song Zhuyu's sentence abruptly ended with a curse as Rui Ye bit down on his hand with enough force to tear skin. Caught off guard by the sudden pinch of pain, Song Zhuyu unwittingly loosened his grip, causing the other person to slip away from him! 

And as soon as Rui Ye regained his freedom, he dashed straight toward the room on the corner left – most likely a bedroom – and slammed the door shut with a loud bang!

"Ha!" A disbelieving laugh escaped Song Zhuyu when he examined his hand which now bore a bloody teeth mark, still throbbing and pulsating in pain. Shaking the injured hand, he couldn't help but click his tongue in annoyance, "What is he, a wild animal? Damn, that little guy sure is feisty. Did he really have to bite down so hard?"

Alright, Song Zhuyu acknowledged that he shouldn't have been so rough and forceful in pressuring Rui Ye for answers just to satisfy his curiosity. Perhaps he should have taken a softer and gentler approach… make Rui Ye more comfortable with him first and gain his trust… especially considering how this may have been his first human interaction in a long while… 

For some reason, the image of the damp patch on the black cloth and the young man's pained expression flashed in Song Zhuyu's mind, prompting him to scratch his head in frustration. 

Surveying the mess on the floor, he released a heavy sigh and rolled up his sleeves. "Okay, fine, it's all my fault," he grumbled under his breath. 

Throughout his life, most people he encountered had a positive first impression on him thanks to his attractive appearance and refined demeanor. Even if some were too intimidated by his aura, he had never put them into mind. Despite the wild rumors circulating about him, he had never bothered with them nor had he gone to the lengths to clarify matters. Because he simply didn't care about others' opinion of him.

But this time… this was the first time someone had been so frightened and agitated by him, and he could bet that Rui Ye's impression on him had hit rock bottom. Yet Song Zhuyu couldn't not care about this. He had to do something to fix the problem because he still needed Rui Ye to answer his questions. 

To be put in a dilemma over how to impress someone… it was truly such a novel experience for Father Song. 

"Haa…" he released yet another long sigh as he cleaned up the spilled soup and wiped the dirty table. Rui Ye's half-eaten meal still sat untouched, and if he didn't come out soon, it was going to turn cold and unappetizing. He was already so skinny, and now he was going to waste his food as well?

After pacing back and forth for a while, Song Zhuyu finally made up his mind. He approached the closed door, raised his hand tentatively and… rapped his knuckles thrice on the wooden surface. 

Knock-knock-knock. 

Of course, there was no reply from the other side.

"I'm leaving now," Song Zhuyu said, knowing that Rui Ye would be able to hear him beyond the door. "I've cleaned up the soup, so you don't have to bother with it anymore. Make sure to finish your meal while it's still warm. Also I… am sorry for… everything."

After two full seconds of silence, Song Zhuyu turned away, grabbed his spirit artifact on the window sill, and exited the cottage without looking back.

Inside the bedroom.

Rui Ye poked his head out of the blanket burrito, straining his ears to listen to the fading footsteps. Only after the sound vanished entirely and all he could hear was silence did he slowly sit up on the bed. Using his thumb, he wipe away the bloodstains on the corner of his lip and then… he brought it to his mouth, licking off the crimson liquid. 

"...Yum."

***

The next morning, Chen Ru awoke one hour earlier than the previous day, and yet he still found Song Zhuyu already seated on the armchair, looking as perfect and impeccable as ever with a cup of coffee in his hand. In an instant, Chen Ru's gaze was drawn to the white gauze wrapped around Song Zhuyu's hand. 

"Father Song, your hand!" he exclaimed in surprise. 

"Oh, this?" Song Zhuyu responded casually with an expression that betrayed nothing. "I scalded it when I brewed coffee earlier."

Chen Ru was genuinely taken aback by that answer. Who could have guessed that someone like Song Zhuyu, who looked like he would excel no matter what he did, would also be clumsy enough to hurt himself? It sounded so unlike himself and also unexpectedly… cute.

"Is your hand alright?" Chen Ru asked in concern. "Do you need to go to the clinic? Oh, I have some burn ointment. Would you like it, Father Song?"

"You do?" Recalling the reddened skin he had glimpsed upon last night, Song Zhuyu immediately accepted Chen Ru's offer. "That would be greatly appreciated. And no, I don't think I need to go to the clinic. It's just a minor injury, after all," he cast a meaningful gaze at his bandaged hand. 

Perhaps because he was remembering Rui Ye's extreme reaction, the bitten area once again throbbed in a dull ache.