Pei Xuchi · Conversa

The early morning air carries a slight, chilly dampness. Soundproofing in this old apartment complex is poor, and from downstairs come the faint cries of breakfast street vendors alongside the smoky aroma of lit cooking fires. In the bedroom on the seventh floor, light filters through a slight gap in the worn curtains, casting a long, narrow strip of pale white onto the floorboards. The lingering warmth of last night still hangs in the room—a scent laced with faint red wine, intimate and heady. In contrast, the bed is a tangled mess of blankets. 你 is curled up almost entirely inside the soft duvet, revealing only half of their face, hair softly plastered against the edge of their cheek. Deep in sleep, their breathing is steady and shallow, their face still tinged with residual exhaustion. Along the slightly open collar, across the fair collarbone and around the wrists—those are all marks left behind by Pei Xuchi last night. Pei Xuchi woke early. Or rather, long-standing habit has made it difficult for him to ever fall into an unguarded, deep sleep. He half-reclines against the headboard, his cool, pale skin showing a trace of pallor in the dim light, his narrow eyes slightly downcast with perpetual weariness lingering around them. He wears only a loosely draped set of pajamas, his silhouette faintly visible beneath the fabric. Cold light from his phone screen illuminates his sharp brow. A string of unread messages fills the display. Last night's revenue figures for "Nightfall," several chaotic voice notes from Jiang Ye, and... a message Lin Siye sent ten minutes ago. [Awake yet? Come over to my club this afternoon, then head straight to Nightfall tonight?] Pei Xuchi glances at the message, the corner of his lips tugging into a casual smirk. Typing one-handed, his fingertips tap swiftly across the screen. [Sure, I'll head over later.] After replying, he casually tosses the phone onto the pillow beside him and turns to look at 你 at his side. His gaze is calm and detached, without the slightest hint of guilt. To him, all of this is entirely natural. He spoils 你, cleans up 你's messes, and even satisfies 你's craving for physical intimacy, because 你 is his younger sibling. But at the same time, he will sleep with Lin Siye and live what he considers a normal life outside. There is no contradiction in his eyes. He is simply a person devoid of morals. Noticing that 你 seems cold in their sleep, burrowing deeper into the covers, Pei Xuchi reaches out and smoothly, gently pulls the slipped blanket back up over 你's rounded shoulder. The somewhat faded red string on his wrist sways lightly in the air—a gift from 你. He leans down and presses a kiss to the corner of 你's lips. "Baby, sleeping like a little pig," he murmurs under his breath, his tone so tender it could melt iron. Then, he lifts the blanket on his side and slips out of bed without making a sound. Barefoot against the aged wooden floor, he bends down to gather the clothes scattered across the floor, his movements crisp and effortless. Pulling on a black shirt, his slender fingers fasten the buttons one by one, right up to just below his collarbone. The phone left by the head of the bed suddenly vibrates, its screen flashing with an incoming call from Lin Siye. Pei Xuchi grabs it with practiced ease, stepping out of the bedroom in the same motion and pulling the door shut behind him, cutting off the noise. In the small living room, he taps answer and presses the phone to his ear, his voice carrying its usual flippant, easygoing drawl: "Chasing my life down, Boss Lin? Didn't I say I'd head over in a bit?" From the other end comes Lin Siye's amused voice: "Oh? Listen to that tone. Worn yourself out last night or something?" Pei Xuchi walks over to the balcony, sliding the window open to let the chilly morning breeze rush in. Looking out at the gray dawn sky, he chuckles softly: "Worn out my ass. The venue has a mountain of crap I have to deal with first. We'll talk this afternoon." "Alright, I'll wait for you. Don't make me wait too long~" Hanging up, Pei Xuchi shoves the phone into his pocket. He heads into the bathroom and splashes cold water over his face. In the mirror, the man's gaze is frighteningly lucid. He brushes back his slightly long black hair as droplets of water trickle down his sharp jawline onto the sink. He feels no great emotional ripple regarding this relationship, the phone call just now, or 你 lying in the other room. Just as he thinks to himself, he is merely an older brother—one who can satisfy any unreasonable demand his sibling makes, but beyond that, there is nothing more he is willing to give. Drying his face, he walks back into the bedroom. The faint sound of the door opening still manages to wake 你. 你 rolls over in the covers, looking up blearily at Pei Xuchi standing beside the bed. Like an unawakened kitten, 你 reaches out a soft, pale arm from beneath the blanket, asking for a hug. The expression on Pei Xuchi's face shifts instantly into seamless, flawless tenderness. Sitting down on the edge of the mattress, he takes 你's outstretched hand and tucks it back under the covers, the pads of his fingers gently rubbing the back of 你's hand in pure reassurance. "Why are you awake? Did I disturb you?" His voice drops soft and low, his eyes crinkling into an attractive arc, showing no trace at all of the phone call he just shared with Lin Siye minutes ago. "Jiang Ye, that headache of a guy—the inventory numbers from last night didn't add up, so I have to head over and keep an eye on things, or the boss is going to lose his temper again." The lie rolls off his tongue effortlessly, without the slightest hesitation, as natural as if it were pure truth. Leaning down slightly to close the distance between them, his soft, thin lips brush against 你's, "Be good and get some proper rest at home. There's porridge I brewed this morning in the thermal cooker in the kitchen. Heat some up whenever you're hungry." Though still reluctant to let him go, 你 nods, nuzzling their cheek against Pei Xuchi's palm and telling him to come home early. "Mm, got it." Pei Xuchi's tone is mild, though his gaze holds little real warmth. He doesn't dislike 你's dependence on him, but he truly grows weary of this heavy, suffocating love that seeks to tie him down. "I'm off. Baby, remember to take your medicine on time. Don't make me worry." With the soft *click* of the security door latching shut, the apartment falls back into quiet. He slides into the driver's seat, starts the engine, and drives off toward another rendezvous without looking back.