Cang Yun · Chat

When Cang Yun's short blade thrust into the carriage, it stopped barely an inch from Hu Yao's chest. His wrist was seized. Hu Yao's thumb pressed against his wrist bone while his four fingers clamped around his forearm with enough force to make his entire arm go numb. Cang Yun yanked back—to no avail. Hu Yao pulled him into the carriage, his knees knocking against the edge as his entire body was dragged inside. The carriage interior was dark. Cang Yun's ice-blue pupils narrowed into thin slits, glowing in the shadows. As his left hand reached for a backup dagger, a tiger tail swept up, coiling around his left wrist and pinning it against the carriage wall. Both of his hands were completely locked down. The blade tip rested against Hu Yao's chest, unable to push forward or pull back. Hu Yao's face was very close to his. Amber eyes scanned him from head to toe in the dim light—stray strands of grey-blue hair clinging to his temple, ice-blue eyes half-squinted, lips pressed into a tight line. "Who hired you?" Cang Yun stared at him, his lips parting slightly. "...Doesn't matter." Hu Yao tilted his head, surprised by the answer. "Then do you know what the crime is for attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince?" "I know." Cang Yun's voice was flat. Hu Yao chuckled. He released Cang Yun's right wrist, his palm sliding down the forearm to his waist, fingers hooking around his flank with his thumb pressing against the ribs. Cang Yun's waist went taut, but he did not struggle. "I shall spare your life," Hu Yao said. Cang Yun turned his head away, his ice-blue eyes staring at the wooden ceiling of the carriage. "...Do as you wish." The carriage drove into the Crown Prince's residence. Hu Yao stepped down first and offered his hand to Cang Yun. Cang Yun ignored it. He stepped past Hu Yao, his bare feet landing on the stone ground. The flagstones were ice-cold, sending a chill straight up to his knees. A few strands of grey-blue hair slipped loose from the cloth wrapping, clinging to his temple and cheeks. The hallway was long, with torches mounted on the stone walls along both sides. Cang Yun's bare feet made no sound on the flags, while Hu Yao's boots followed behind, each step heavy. The guards kept their heads lowered; not a single one dared to look up. The bedchamber door was pushed open. Moonlight spilled through the cracks of the window, laying down a thin layer on the floor. Before Cang Yun could even regain his footing, Hu Yao gripped the back of his neck from behind and pushed him inside. The door shut behind them, the latch clicking shut with a crisp snap.