Chapter 364 - Sneaking in

Chapter 364: Chapter 364 - Sneaking in

Shao stood outside the gates of Jai’s mansion with an empty food container hanging uselessly from one hand.

Jai was already halfway to the front door.

He looked back.

Shao was still there.

Jai walked another few steps, then glanced over his shoulder again.

Still there.

By the third time, Shao knew perfectly well what he was doing. Jai wasn’t checking whether he’d left. The little bastard was looking because he knew Shao hadn’t moved and was enjoying it.

Their eyes met across the yard.

A smile tugged at Jai’s lips.

Then he turned around and continued toward the house.

Shao’s fingers tightened around the metal gate.

Ever since they’d returned to the base, this had become their miserable routine.

Jai lived here with his father and grandfather while Shao stayed at Yunfeng’s mansion. The houses weren’t even far apart. Shao could stand on Yunfeng’s property and see this one. Yet somehow Shinju had managed to turn those few hundred meters into an impenetrable barrier.

There was always work during the day. Patrols, clearing the compound, repairing defenses, moving supplies. When Jai wasn’t doing that, his father seemed to have developed an uncanny ability to know exactly where he was.

At night, Jai was expected home.

Alone.

Shinju didn’t care that his son was an adult. He didn’t care that the apocalypse had ended most normal rules of courtship. Apparently, zombies could destroy civilization, governments could collapse, entire cities could fall, and General Shinju would still make damn sure nobody was sneaking into his son’s bedroom.

So Shao delivered food.

Far too often.

Nobody had commented on why a man of his size and strength had suddenly become personally invested in transporting bowls and containers between neighboring houses, though Yunfeng had given him a very knowing look yesterday.

Shao didn’t care.

It was sometimes the only chance he got to see Jai.

Unfortunately, the encounter never lasted long enough.

Today had been particularly bad.

Jai had taken the container, deliberately brushed his fingers across Shao’s palm and quietly said, Thanks, delivery boy, before walking away.

Delivery boy.

Shao stared after him.

Jai glanced back one more time.

That smile was still there.

The gate groaned.

Shao looked down.

The metal bar beneath his palm had warped inward.

He immediately let go.

Great.

Now Shinju had another reason to kill him.

Shao exhaled heavily and finally turned away.

"Shao."

He stopped.

Jai was running back toward him.

He glanced over his shoulder before slipping through the gate and grabbing Shao’s wrist.

"Come."

Shao didn’t move immediately. "Your father?"

"Busy."

"With what?"

"I don’t know. Being terrifying somewhere else." Jai tugged him. "Do you want to come inside or do you want to stand here looking abandoned for another ten minutes?"

"I wasn’t looking abandoned."

"You looked like a dog someone left outside."

Shao’s eyes narrowed.

Jai grinned. "A very large dog."

"You’ve been looking back at me since you walked away."

Jai’s expression didn’t change. "I was checking whether the large dog knew how to go home."

"You came back."

That finally caught him.

Jai’s mouth opened, then closed.

Shao lifted an eyebrow.

A faint flush appeared across Jai’s cheeks.

"Shut up and come inside."

Shao followed immediately.

Jai shot him an annoyed look. "You could at least pretend you needed convincing."

"I don’t."

That only made Jai’s ears redder.

They slipped into the house together.

The mansion was nearly identical to Yunfeng’s, with the large main room and kitchen on the ground floor and the bedrooms upstairs. Grandpa Kailun used the smaller downstairs room, which meant the person they really needed to avoid was currently only a few meters away.

Shinju’s voice came from the kitchen.

"Father, where are the dried mushrooms?"

Grandpa Kailun answered from somewhere deeper inside the house. "How would I know?"

"I left them here."

"Then perhaps they disliked your cooking and escaped."

Jai stopped.

Shao nearly walked into his back.

Jai slowly turned his head and pressed one finger against his lips.

Shao looked at the finger, then at him.

Jai mouthed, Quiet.

Shao leaned closer. "I’m not the noisy one."

Jai’s eyes widened.

He immediately shoved a hand against Shao’s chest.

Shao’s mouth twitched.

Jai pointed upstairs with considerably more aggression this time.

They crossed the living room.

Halfway there, a cabinet opened in the kitchen.

Jai froze so abruptly that Shao had to catch his waist to stop them colliding.

Shinju muttered something.

Jai grabbed Shao’s hand and practically hauled him toward the stairs.

They made it upstairs without being seen, hurried down the hallway and slipped into Jai’s bedroom. Jai quietly closed the door behind them before leaning against it.

For several seconds, he simply breathed.

Then he looked at Shao.

The grin returned.

"You’re a terrible influence."

Shao stared at him. "You dragged me inside."

"Because you looked pitiful."

"You ran after me."

"Don’t ruin the story I’m telling myself."

Shao stepped closer.

Jai’s grin faltered slightly.

"T-this is my room."

Shao glanced around.

It was undeniably Jai.

A jacket had been thrown carelessly across the back of a chair. A weapon sat within easy reach of the bed. Old photographs occupied one shelf alongside things Jai had brought back after returning to the compound. There were signs everywhere of the life he’d lived before the apocalypse, pieces of him Shao hadn’t seen before.

Jai caught him looking.

"Don’t judge the mess. I wasn’t expecting company."

"You invited me."

"Very illegally."

"Should I leave?"

Jai immediately caught his shirt.

"No."

The answer came so quickly that Shao looked down at his hand.

Jai followed his gaze.

He didn’t release him.

Instead, he lifted his chin. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You have that look."

"What look?"

"The one where you think you’ve won something."

Shao stepped closer until Jai’s back met the door.

"I did."

Jai swallowed, though the challenge remained in his eyes. "What exactly did you win?"

"You came running after me."

"That again?"

"And now you’re holding onto me."

Jai glanced down.

His fist was still wrapped firmly in Shao’s shirt.

Instead of letting go, he deliberately tightened it.

"There. Now I’m doing it on purpose."

Shao’s composure finally cracked.

His arm went around Jai’s waist, pulling him flush against him.

Jai sucked in a breath.

The teasing expression remained, but it was considerably less convincing now.

Shao lowered his head.

"Your room isn’t what interests me."

"Oh?" Jai murmured. "And here I was hoping you’d compliment my decorating."

"It’s the person living in it."

His mouth brushed the side of Jai’s neck.

Jai’s fingers tightened.

Shao kissed the same spot again, slower.

A soft, breathy sound escaped Jai before he could stop it.

Both men froze.

Jai’s eyes widened.

Shao lifted his head.

From downstairs came the faint clatter of something being set on the kitchen counter.

Jai immediately covered his mouth.

Shao stared at him.

Jai stared back.

"Quiet," Shao whispered.

Jai lowered his hand. "You’re very smug for someone hiding in my bedroom from my father."

"You’re the one making noise."

"Because you’re—" Jai stopped himself and narrowed his eyes. "You know exactly what you’re doing."

Shao kissed just beneath his jaw.

Jai’s breath hitched again.

"That," Jai whispered accusingly. "That is exactly what I’m talking about."

"Then I’ll stop."

Shao stepped back.

Jai stared at him.

Shao waited.

"You’re serious?"

"You told me to stop."

"I did not."

"You just complained."

"I was providing feedback."

"Sounded like a complaint."

Jai grabbed his shirt again and pulled him close. "Do you need written instructions?"

"Maybe."

"I’ll write them on your forehead."

Shao finally laughed.

Jai looked unbearably pleased with himself.

Then he rose onto his toes and kissed him.

Whatever amusement Shao had been feeling disappeared.

His arm tightened around Jai’s waist.

It had been too long since they’d been able to do even this without someone interrupting. Every brief meeting at the gate, every accidental touch while working, every time Jai had passed close enough for Shao to catch his scent and then continued walking had been building into something neither of them had properly acknowledged.

Jai apparently had no intention of being patient about it now.

He pulled back only far enough to breathe.

"You know," he whispered, "for someone who keeps bringing me food, you’re very bad at giving me what I actually want."

Shao’s eyes darkened.

"You enjoy provoking me."

"Obviously."

"Why?"

Jai’s smile turned wicked. "Because you’re fun when you stop pretending you’re calm."

Shao stared at him for a long moment.

Then he caught Jai by the waist and lifted him just enough to make him gasp.

Jai immediately clamped a hand over his mouth.

Shao leaned closer.

"Still fun?"

Jai’s eyes were bright.

"Very."

That answer almost destroyed the last of Shao’s restraint.

He set him down carefully, but his hands remained firmly around Jai’s waist. For a moment, neither moved.

Then Shao’s expression changed.

Jai noticed.

The heat was still there, but something heavier had entered his eyes.

Jai’s smile faded slightly. "What?"

Shao’s thumb moved along his side.

"I missed you."

The simple admission landed harder than any flirtation had.

Jai stared at him.

Shao wasn’t someone who filled silence just because it existed. If he said something, he meant it.

Jai’s voice softened. "You see me almost every day."

"Seeing you across a garden isn’t the same."

"You could’ve said something."

"To your father?"

Jai snorted. "Okay. Maybe not."

Shao’s gaze stayed on him.

"And after you collapsed..."

Jai immediately knew.

His expression changed.

"Shao."

"You scared me."

The words came quietly.

Jai didn’t joke this time.

Shao’s hand slid around to his back, holding him closer almost unconsciously. "You went completely limp. I knew you were breathing. I could feel it. Still kept checking."

Jai’s chest tightened.

"How many times?"

Shao didn’t answer.

Jai’s eyes narrowed. "Shao."

"A lot."

Something inside Jai softened painfully.

"You big idiot."

Shao frowned.

Jai touched his cheek.

"You could’ve told me."

"What would that change?"

"I could’ve made fun of you sooner."

Shao gave him a flat look.

Jai smiled, but it didn’t quite hide the emotion in his eyes. His thumb brushed slowly across Shao’s cheekbone.

"I’m okay."

"You don’t know when to stop."

"I know."

"You nearly buried half the damn field along with yourself."

"But I didn’t."

"Jai."

"All right." Jai sighed and leaned his forehead against his. "I’ll be more careful."

Shao clearly didn’t believe him.

Jai frowned. "What? You want blood?"

"I want you to mean it."

That wiped away the last of his teasing.

Jai looked at him properly.

"I mean it."

Shao’s shoulders loosened slightly.

Jai watched him for another second before his familiar smile slowly returned.

"Besides, I can’t die yet."

"Why?"

Jai curled his fingers into Shao’s collar and pulled him closer.

"I’ve barely gotten you into my bedroom."

Shao stared at him.

Jai’s grin widened.

"There. That face. That’s why I like teasing you."

Shao kissed him before he could say anything else.

Jai melted into it almost immediately, laughing softly against his mouth before remembering they were supposed to be quiet.

Somewhere downstairs, Shinju called, "Jai?"

They sprang apart.

Jai’s face went white.

Shao looked toward the door.

"Jai!"

Jai grabbed Shao’s arm.

"Don’t move."

"Where exactly am I supposed to go?"

Jai looked around his bedroom.

His gaze landed on the wardrobe.

Shao followed it.

"No."

Jai’s eyes lit up.

"Absolutely not."

Footsteps sounded downstairs.

Jai grabbed him.

"Shao, if you love me, get in the wardrobe."

Shao stared at him in disbelief.

Jai was already trying to shove a man nearly twice his width toward it.

"Move!"

For the first time since entering the room, Shao genuinely regretted following him inside.