After giving a generic statement about what happened that night at the police station, Ao Bing made his way to the hospital. The officers had mentioned an increase in criminal activity throughout the city, with several reports of violent outbursts in the past few weeks—many of them eerily similar to what had happened at the orphanage. Random groups of people, seemingly possessed by an unseen force, attacking bystanders or property, leaving destruction in their wake. The police were baffled, chalking it up to gang violence or a rise in organized crime.

What the police couldn’t see was what Yi Zichen could—the red aura, the demonic influence twisting the minds of innocent people. The realization that more attacks like this one had been happening—and that Yi Zichen had been left vulnerable in the middle of it—only intensified Ao Bing's guilt. If he hadn’t let his emotions get the better of him earlier, Yi Zichen might not have been there alone to face the possessed group of humans.

When he finally reached the hospital, Ao Bing hesitated just outside Yi Zichen’s room. The door stood ajar, a pale beam of fluorescent light spilling into the dim hallway. He could hear Yi Zichen speaking to the nurse inside, his voice steady, but tinged with exhaustion. Taking a deep breath, Ao Bing pushed open the door and pulled back the curtain.

Ao Bing’s gaze immediately landed on Yi Zichen, who was standing by the bed with his shirt half on. His entire left shoulder and arm were exposed, revealing a full sleeve of intricate tattoos that ran down from his shoulder to his wrist. The tattoos were a striking mix of delicate lotus flowers intertwined with bold ocean waves, their patterns flowing like those found in traditional Japanese paintings. There were soft clouds that wrapped around his bicep which transitioned to the crashing of waves down his forearm. Yi Zichen, oblivious to Ao Bing’s gaze, finished putting on his shirt.

Despite the clear pain he was in, Yi Zichen grinned at Ao Bing as he entered the room, his gaze flicking to the X-ray hanging on the wall.

“Only one broken rib,” Zichen said with a hint of pride. “The others are just bruised.”

Ao Bing’s eyes fell to the bruises around Zichen’s neck, deep and dark from where the possessed man had almost strangled him. Zichen, noticing Ao Bing’s stare, waved it off with a casual shrug. “Oh, this? It’s nothing.” He finished awkwardly buttoning up his shirt, trying to downplay the damage.

“The orphanage is safe,” Ao Bing said, his voice steady but firm. “There were no signs of demonic energy lingering when I left. I made sure of it.”

Yi Zichen let out a long breath. “Thanks,” he muttered, the word heavy with unspoken gratitude.

The nurse entered, handing Yi Zichen a small tube of ointment for the bruises and giving him strict instructions to take it easy for the next few days. Yi Zichen nodded, clearly eager to leave. As the nurse left, Ao Bing stayed near the door, running a hand through his hair as he replayed the events of the evening in his mind.

“Listen, I’m sorry,” Ao Bing said quietly, his voice heavier than usual. “For earlier. I shouldn’t have—”

Yi Zichen cut him off with a dismissive wave.  “I know we should probably talk about all the shit that just went down,” he said. “But right now, I’m starving and just want to get home.”

Ao Bing nodded and offered to help get a cab and find something for Yi Zichen to eat.

The cab ride back to Yi Zichen’s condo was quiet, the tension between them mostly gone. As they passed through the streets, Ao Bing noticed how quiet the city seemed, but his mind kept drifting back to what the police had said about the rise in strange, violent incidents. It wasn’t just an isolated attack tonight—this was happening all over the city. And with the police oblivious to the demonic presence behind it, things were only going to get worse. It had been so easy to dismiss the rising chaos in the city as background noise when he was focused solely on Ao Qin. But now, with Yi Zichen directly in the crosshairs and the signs of a larger threat growing clearer, he couldn’t ignore it any longer.  

They made a brief stop at a late-night convenience store across the street from Yi Zichen’s condo to grab some pork baozi and a couple of beers. Sitting outside the store under the flickering streetlight, they ate in silence. The quiet between them wasn’t uncomfortable, just reflective, as both were processing the weight of the evening’s events.

Ao Bing glanced at Yi Zichen, watching the way he winced slightly when he moved. His eyes drifted up to Yi Zichen’s face, catching the dim glow of the streetlight flickering over his features. The vibrant greens and yellows in Yi Zichen’s eyes seemed muted now, softer, almost dull compared to how they had gleamed under the sunlight earlier. Was Ao Bing imagining things? Or was the brightness of Yi Zichen’s eyes only brought out in full by the sunlight? He felt his mind spiraling again, and quickly stopped himself from thinking any further.

Yi Zichen, sensing the weight of the atmosphere, broke the silence with a groan. "Man, I feel like I’ve aged five years tonight. Turning thirty-five was already bad enough." He rubbed his shoulder, wincing again. "Everything just aches more and more. But I guess you wouldn’t know about that, huh?” Yi Zichen said, biting into his pork bun. “Being a god and all. Bet you don’t ever feel pain. Probably never get sore, never—"

Ao Bing cut him off. “Gods feel pain, too.”

Yi Zichen’s eyes flicked toward Ao Bing, surprised by the serious tone. But before Zichen could respond, Ao Bing’s expression softened, and he took another bite of his pork bun and passed Yi Zichen another beer.

Yi Zichen opened up the can of beer, and Ao Bing noticed that his hand was trembling slightly. The events of the night kept playing in Yi Zichen’s mind—the red aura, the possessed people, the demon lurking in the shadows. His childhood home, the orphanage that had taken him in after his parents died, had nearly been attacked. It was unsettling in a way he couldn’t shake.

Yi Zichen let out a slow breath, running a hand through his hair. He looked like he wanted to ask something more, to dig into what had happened, but his shoulders slumped, too tired and overwhelmed by everything that had unfolded. He took another bite, more out of routine than hunger.

“Don’t worry,” Ao Bing said, his voice gentle, a reassurance that carried more weight than his usual calm demeanor. “I’ll make sure nothing happens to those kids.”

The sincerity in his tone cut through the quiet, and Yi Zichen’s eyes flicked up to meet his, caught off guard by how genuine Ao Bing sounded. Yi Zichen hadn’t realized how badly he needed someone to tell him it was all going to be okay.

“Thanks,” Yi Zichen murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ao Bing didn’t say anything else, just nodded.

The flickering streetlight cast long shadows across the pavement, and for a brief moment, Yi Zichen’s eyes caught the light again, but this time Ao Bing didn’t linger on them. Instead, he let the quiet between them settle back in. 

As Ao Bing walked Yi Zichen to his door, he couldn’t help but notice, for the first time, just how much taller Yi Zichen was—almost half a head taller than him. It wasn’t something he usually paid attention to, but it was hard not to notice it, standing side by side in front of Yi Zichen’s front door. 

Yi Zichen turned to him with a tired smile, leaning against the doorframe.

“Thanks for dinner,” he teased, flashing a playful grin.

Ao Bing raised an eyebrow. “Dinner?”

Yi Zichen shrugged, still grinning. “Pork buns and beer. It counts as dinner.” He exaggerated a playful flutter of his eyes, adding with a smirk: “Does this count as our first date?”

Ao Bing sighed, too tired to fully engage with Yi Zichen’s teasing. After all that, this kid still managed to have the nerve to flirt.

“Get some rest,” Ao Bing replied. “I’ll tell Sun Wukong to come by tomorrow morning, after you’ve had a chance to get some sleep. You’ll need to tell her about what happened tonight.”

He glanced at Yi Zichen, taking in the scratches on his face and the dark bruises around his neck. This mortal—this mortal child, really—hadn’t asked for any of this. Seeing him like this, still trying to joke despite everything, made Ao Bing’s heart twist in a way that left him feeling unsettled.

Yi Zichen didn’t notice the shift in Ao Bing’s expression, already leaning back into the entryway with a casual wave. 

“Okay, okay. Tell your friend to bring coffee tomorrow when she gets here.”

As soon as Yi Zichen closed the door to his condo, Ao Bing pulled out his phone and dialed Sun Wukong. 

Sun Wukong picked up on the first ring. “What happened?” she asked, her voice sharp with concern. “Erlang Shen and I noticed some activity by the orphanage where that kid volunteers.”

Ao Bing rubbed the back of his neck, glancing back at Zichen’s door as if still watching over him.

 "There was another attack," he said, his voice steady but weary as he explained everything that happened.

“I'm coming there now,” Sun Wukong said, her voice brimming with urgency.

“No,” Ao Bing cut in, looking up at the night sky as he gathered his thoughts. "Not tonight. Let him rest. Come by in the morning."

Sun Wukong hesitated, taken aback by the unusual tenderness in Ao Bing’s tone. 

"Alright," she finally said. "Morning it is. You sure he doesn’t need someone watching over him tonight? We can call Erlang Shen and get some surveillance on his place."

Ao Bing let out a slow breath, knowing that it was the right move, even if part of him didn’t want to admit it. "Have Erlang Shen set up the surveillance, and tell him to alert us if anything happens. I’m not far from Yi Zichen’s place, so if something goes down, I can get here fast."

Sun Wukong raised an eyebrow. "You’re awfully protective all of a sudden," she remarked. 

Ao Bing clenched his jaw but didn’t respond to the comment directly. That night, the demon had nearly broken into the orphanage, just a doorway away from a group of innocent children. Yi Zichen had been the only thing standing between them and disaster. If Ao Bing hadn’t shown up, the outcome could have been much worse. He didn’t want to admit how much that fact bothered him.

 "I guess…there’s no way around getting involved now,” Ao Bing finally said.

Sun Wukong stayed silent for a moment, absorbing the weight of his words. “I’ll handle the surveillance,” she said finally. “I’ll let Erlang Shen know, and we’ll make sure he’s covered. Call me if anything happens before morning.”

After hanging up with Sun Wukong, Ao Bing lingered for a moment longer, his gaze resting on the door to Yi Zichen's condo. He stood there, still and watchful. 

Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared into the night.