Chapter 42: Don’t Be Afraid of Me Part 2

“That was an accident!!!” Li You shot to his feet in panic. “How was I supposed to know you were showering?? You didn’t even lock the door!!”

Li Ye nodded. “Yeah, I didn’t lock the door. But I don’t recall giving Kairien permission to let anyone into the back room.”

Li You guiltily averted his gaze, his momentum halved. “Well, Mr. Kairien just opened the door for me. He didn’t know I was human…”

“You’re right.” Li Ye nodded again. “So it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left it unlocked.”

“…” Li You scratched his cheek and sat back down. “Don’t say that. You’re not at fault. It was mine.”

“No, it’s mine.” Li Ye said calmly. “For letting you in and showing you your bro is a monster, scaring you like that.”

“I never said that! Don’t go imagining things!” Li You lightly rapped the table twice, looking like a stern little judge. “Student Li Ye, you’re not allowed to call yourself a monster!”

“Got it, Teacher Li You.” Li Ye smiled, passed over the picked crab meat, and returned to the topic. “You really want me to teach you?”

“Yeah.” Li You fed himself some crab meat. “You teach me workouts, Teacher Moger teaches combat, and I’ll grow fast for sure.”

“Alright.” Li Ye agreed, then reminded him. “Your current build is well-proportioned—not fat, just lean. Eat properly. Don’t crash diet just to rush results.”

Li You glanced at the crab meat in his hand. “I know that. I promise no dieting.”

“As long as you’re not treating this meal like your last big one.” Li Ye said.

Li You, whose thoughts were seen through, guiltily took a sip of water and chuckled twice. “Nah, really not.”

Li Ye passed over the fish with bones picked out. “I believe you.”

Li You eyed the piling food in front of him. “…Bro, you feeding me like a pig?”

Li Ye shook his head. “Like a cat.”

Li You huffed and fed himself a bite of fish.

Fresh and tender with a light fragrance—he really did love fish the most!

By the time the meal ended and they returned to the Imperial Palace, it was already late at night. Li You’s sleeping palace had been restored exactly as before, right next to Li Ye’s.

In the dead of night, the long corridor glowed under silvery blue light. At the other end stood floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the garden.

The faint floral scent wafted on the night breeze—perfectly subtle and relaxing. It was ideal for sleep. Li You was about to push open his door when Li Ye, standing at the entrance to his own sleeping palace next door, suddenly called out.

“Li You.”

Li You, who had pushed the door open, paused and turned sideways. “What’s up?”

Li Ye stood at the boundary of light and shadow, his deep eyes fixed on the boy. “You’re really not afraid?”

Li You paused, realizing what his bro was asking. He turned fully to face him. “I’m not afraid of you. Bro, you’re the most important person in my life. No matter what you are, I’ll never be afraid of you.”

“Got it.” Li Ye pushed open his own sleeping palace door and said to him, “Go rest.”

Li You watched his bro enter the room, a faint unease stirring in his heart.

He knew his bro really cared about this. Even after he’d said it many times, the other hadn’t truly relaxed.

Li You returned to his room and wandered around.

It was exactly like his old sleeping palace—no detail out of place.

He rolled around on the big bed, kicked off his shoes and padded across the carpet, frolicking in this space that was all his until he had his fill. Then he grabbed his robe and went to shower.

After emerging from the bathroom, he sprawled on the bed in a starfish pose, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, rolled over hugging the quilt, then suddenly sat up and looked around.

He didn’t see the box from the Illusion Realm that Li Ye had used to hold his relics.

Li You was very curious about what his relics actually were.

After thinking, he got up, went out, arrived outside Li Ye’s sleeping palace, and lightly knocked twice. “Bro.”

No one answered. He waited a moment before pushing the door open himself and standing in the familiar room, looking around. He did not see Li Ye’s figure.

He walked a bit further inside before hearing the sound of water from the bathroom. He immediately stopped in his tracks, turned around, and returned to the living room. He did not sit down. Instead, he clasped his hands behind his back and paced around Li Ye’s bedroom like he was on patrol.

He paced countless circles, but Li Ye still had not finished bathing and come out. Bored, Li You kicked at the carpet with the tip of his shoe as he kept glancing toward the bathroom. He also looked down at the light brain on his wrist.

More than an hour had already passed.

“Really fighting a water battle in there?”

Li You paced in place. After thinking it over, he still headed toward the bathroom. He stood outside the door and gently knocked with the back of his hand. “Bro?”

There was no response.

Li You waited a bit, then knocked twice more. This time, his voice was a little louder. “Bro, aren’t you done bathing yet?”

There was still only the patter of water inside, nothing else. That steady sound of the shower made Li You inexplicably uneasy. His emotions gradually frayed as he pressed his hand to the door handle and tried calling out again. “Brother, what are you doing?”

Still, there was only silence.

Li You directly tried the door handle, but it would not turn. His brother had locked the door.

“Li Ye!” Li You completely panicked. He shook the door handle forcefully and pounded on the door. “What’s wrong with you?! Are you okay?!”

Just as he was pounding on the door, a dark shadow appeared on the frosted glass door. Then, with a click, the door opened. Hot steam poured out, accompanied by the fragrance of body wash.

Li You, whose hand was still on the door handle, stumbled inside with the momentum of the door opening. Right after, a pair of scalding hands gripped his waist. Even through the silk sleep robe, he could feel that burning heat.

He did not have time to react before a powerful force pulled him into the bathroom.

In the steamy, fog-shrouded enclosed space, Li You was pressed against the white porcelain wall dotted with water droplets. Li Ye, right in front of him, rested his head on Li You’s shoulder. His hot, unsteady breaths all sprayed into Li You’s neck.

Li You froze. His raised hands did not know where to go. His fingers tensed up, curling into fists. In the hazy light and shadows, he glimpsed the large expanse of totem on his brother’s back slowly moving. Looking down, he saw a tail dragging on the floor.

It resembled a dragon tail, flickering with phosphorescent light.

Li You’s eyes widened. He reached out to touch Li Ye. “Bro, what’s wrong with you? Don’t scare me!”

His hand moved upward, wanting to cup Li Ye’s face to check on him, but he touched a pair of scalding horns instead. His hand trembled slightly as he pulled back a little, then immediately cupped the other’s face again. His arms wrapped around Li Ye’s neck, and he pressed his face close to the other’s. “It’s me, Li You. Brother, it’s Youyou. Talk to me.”

“…” Li Ye opened his eyes. His right eye was bright red, and his left eye had already turned ink black. He tightly hugged Li You’s waist and kept calling Li You’s name from his mouth.

“I’m here.” Li You held him, trying hard to stand on tiptoe. The bathrobe on his body was already soaked with water, sticking uncomfortably to his skin, but he had no mind to care about that at all.

Li You was very uneasy. He recalled the scene he had foreseen, and the ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger.

The two embraced for a long time, so long that Li You’s entire body was imbued with Li Ye’s temperature and scent. Li Ye’s fluctuating emotions never stabilized. Somehow, the clothes on Li You’s body had slipped halfway down his shoulders, and both his shoulder and neck bore clear bite marks from Li Ye.

Li You buried his face in Li Ye’s shoulder. His mind was probably muddled by the heat—he did not even know why he had gotten entangled with the other like this. In his mind, he tried hard to trace back the reason, but his hand was already being guided by Li Ye.

Li You’s face flushed bright red. In his ear was his brother’s heavy, scorching breaths, each one making his heart fall into turmoil.

He had no idea how to do it. He could not even grip it properly, not even with both hands. Li You did not dare to look. He buried his face in his brother’s shoulder, eyes squeezed shut with lashes trembling nonstop. He was so weak and limp that he had no strength left. He could only mumble, “My hand hurts…”

Li Ye turned his face, his nose tip pressing against Li You’s earlobe. He wrapped his own hand around Li You’s and rasped in a hoarse voice, “Sorry.”

Li You kept his face buried, rubbing against the other’s shoulder and shaking his head nonstop.

Li Ye’s temperature covered both the palm and back of Li You’s hand, scorching hot. The raised veins on his palm were distinctly felt.

Amid the chaotic, intertwined breaths, Li You heard Li Ye say to him.

“Youyou, don’t be afraid of me.”