Yao Yuxuan blinked, stunned by the absurdity of the question. Of all the things Liu Haoyu could have said, this was the last thing he expected. He opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat as he tried to process the situation. The tension in the air was palpable.
Yao Yuxuan blinked several times in disbelief. No matter how he cut it, there was just no way that this guy had just asked him if he was a man. Surely, he misheard. He took a deep breath and asked for clarification as calmly as possible. "Sorry, what?"
"You're really a man?" Liu Haoyu repeated without hesitation, turning to look at Yao Yuxuan again.
He doubled down?! He really wanted to die!
Liu Haoyu's expression shifted again, the initial confusion giving way to a complex mix of emotions that Yao Yuxuan couldn't quite read. There was confusion, yes, but also something deeper that bordered on recognition. It was as if Liu Haoyu was seeing Yao Yuxuan for the first time, truly seeing him, and it left Yao Yuxuan feeling exposed in a way he hadn't anticipated.
"Of course, I'm not a woman," Yao Yuxuan finally managed to say, his voice tinged with irritation. "What gave you that ridiculous idea? Are you blind and deaf?"
Liu Haoyu didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached out as if to touch Yao Yuxuan's face again but stopped himself at the last moment, his hand hovering just inches away. His eyes, however, remained locked on Yao Yuxuan's as if searching for something that eluded him.
Yao Yuxuan, unnerved by the prolonged silence and the intensity of Liu Haoyu's gaze, decided to push back. "Is this why you've been keeping me alive? Because you thought I was a woman?" The question was meant to deflect, to regain some semblance of control over the situation.
Liu Haoyu's lips twisted into a sardonic smile. "No," he said slowly, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "I'm keeping you alive because I enjoy the company of insufferable pricks who vomit on me."
Yao Yuxuan couldn't help but roll his eyes at the response, his earlier fear now mingling with annoyance. "You're impossible."
"You don't know the half of it," Liu Haoyu muttered, his tone lightening slightly, though the tension between them remained.
The palanquin jolted slightly as it continued its journey, the rhythmic creak of wood and the muffled sound of hooves on snow filling the silence that followed their exchange. The storm outside had lessened, but the cold still seeped into the small space, a constant reminder of the harsh world beyond their fragile sanctuary.
Yao Yuxuan finally took a long breath, his anger subsiding as exhaustion crept back in. He had neither the energy nor the will to continue sparring with Liu Haoyu, at least not for the moment. Instead, he leaned back against the wall of the palanquin; his eyes half-lidded as he gazed out the small window at the endless expanse of white.
"What happens now?" Yao Yuxuan asked quietly, more to himself than to Liu Haoyu.
Liu Haoyu, who had also settled back into his seat, closed his eyes, his expression unreadable. "Now?" he echoed, his voice soft. "Now we keep going."
Yao Yuxuan nodded absently, the answer offering little comfort but enough to fill the silence. He had no idea what awaited them at Zhonglao Center or beyond, but one thing was clear—his life was no longer his own. Whatever lay ahead, he would face it, not as a willing participant, but as a captive in a game whose rules were as unpredictable as the man sitting across from him.
As the palanquin moved steadily forward, the snow-covered landscape seemed to stretch forever, an endless journey through a world blanketed in cold and silence. The tension between the two men simmered beneath the surface, unresolved.
Yao Yuxuan had several fleeting thoughts of all of the ways he could kill this damned creature. Strangling, flaying, disembowelment, hanging, stabbing… he pictured them all with a twisted sense of satisfaction. The sick pleasure only lasted for a split second until he realized how sorry of a state his body was still in.
He closed his eyes and centered his mind, expanding his senses to every inch of his body. It was like running a scan; after a few seconds, he understood the severity of his ailments. His core was in complete disarray. Though it would almost definitely heal with time, it would likely take two weeks before he could use any low-level spells… and upwards of a month for more difficult arrays. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to cast his barrier at all anytime in the near future.
'I can't do any kind of killing with these injuries,' he lamented internally. His heart sank as he started to accept his sorry condition. 'Maybe I should just die instead?'
"Don't wear the mask when you're with me," Liu Haoyu said quietly after a while. "You're not around the emperor; he can't do anything to you anymore."
Yao Yuxuan's self-deprecating thoughts disappeared in an instant. His dark eyes shot open, and he stared at Liu Haoyu in complete confusion. "What?"
The other man's jaw clenched, and his face hardened. His light eyes grew frustrated. "I said don't wear that stupid thing around me anymore."
Yao Yuxuan had no idea what to say. All he could think was that this guy must really be insane; nothing he said ever made sense! Why would he even care if he wore the mask or not? Did he hate masks? Didn't he wear a mask most of the time himself?
Even though Liu Haoyu's reasoning was entirely beyond Yao Yuxuan's realm of understanding, he wasn't exactly displeased at the thought of getting rid of the mask. He didn't like having to inoculate himself from the world. It had become his second nature to hide and keep his identity secret.
"…Okay, I won't wear it anymore," he said with an affirmative nod after some consideration. "You've been looking at me funny. Is there something on my face?"
Liu Haoyu's expression contorted several times; he didn't seem to know what he was thinking or feeling either. After several more moments of his uncomfortable gaze on Yao Yuxuan, he heaved a frustrated sigh and pursed his lips. "No, it's not that."
"Then what is it? Am I ugly?" Yao Yuxuan pressed, growing irritated by the unending stare. His heart dropped when another thought came to mind. "…do I remind you of someone else?"
"Huh? No, no, don't be stupid," Liu Haoyu immediately waved off both of Yao Yuxuan's suggestions. Encouraged by the urge to prove the other man wrong, he elaborated, "I just don't think I've ever seen a man that I genuinely thought was as beautiful as me before."
Yao Yuxuan's face drained of all its color, then immediately flushed with warmth. His eyes widened, and his thin, pointed brows knit together. Suddenly, he had a realization. His mind wandered back to memories of his early life. Though it was infrequent, several men came seeking the company of other men at the Red Begonia.
Without thinking, he muttered concernedly, "a cut-sleeve?!"
"What the hell did you just say?" Liu Haoyu cried out in dismay, face turning red with rage… or was it embarrassment?
He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but seeing the excellent demon assassin so flustered made the accident absolutely worth it. Yao Yuxuan couldn't pass up such a perfect opportunity.
"You're… you swing that way?" He asked exaggeratedly, raising his sleeve to his face in mock embarrassment.
"What are you saying!" Liu Haoyu shouted. "Of course not! I would never…"
Yao Yuxuan shook his head and placed one of his thin hands on Liu Haoyu's shoulder. "It's okay; I grew up in the Red Begonia. I'm familiar with people like you; I would never make fun of you-"
"Shut up! I don't... I don't like men. I like women." he retorted, shoving Yao Yuxuan's hand away. "I have sex with women all the time."
Before Yao Yuxuan could bully him further, Liu Haoyu opened the door to the palanquin. The ghosts carrying it all made startled noises and quickly stopped moving. The demon lord jumped out and slammed the door with so much force Yao Yuxuan was surprised the vehicle didn't splinter into a million pieces from the impact.
Yao Yuxuan wasn't interested in women, either. In all likelihood, he was probably the one out of the two who preferred men. He had long known this about himself, though. It didn't affect him since he didn't have the luxury of being able to experience relationships or desire. So, the fact that he, himself, was likely a homosexual completely slipped his mind most of the time.
"Keep fucking moving, you useless pieces of shit." Liu Haoyu ordered hoarsely from outside of the litter. His flustered voice was quieter. "I decided to walk for a bit! I just… I just needed some fresh air. It still reeks of blood in there."
He couldn't help but smile at the demon's antics. Based on such a severe reaction, Yao Yuxuan concluded the other man probably wasn't gay. This was great news for him, since he could continue tormenting him with it!
"Y-yes, Your Highness!" the slave ghosts sobbed in unison, setting themselves in motion again. "These humble servants apologize for their incompetence!"
"…Your Highness?" Yao Yuxuan echoed the address quietly.
Was Liu Haoyu demonic royalty?!
Yao Yuxuan's Adam's apple bobbed. This bastard got more and more dangerous the more he learned about him. Not to mention he was fucking crazy!
'If I don't escape soon, I really will die!'