It hit Vigil square in the chest, freezing him mid-sentence. His breath caught. Jian Ci stepped between them without a word, his presence like a wall of steel. Vigil instinctively took a step back, his smirk faltering.
Jian Ci's glare was lethal. Vigil swallowed hard, the bravado draining from his face. He turned and walked away, fast.
Jian Ci sneered after him, then turned to Yu Xi's back. "What did that idiot say to you?"
Yu Xi's hand was still clenched at his side. He exhaled slowly, loosening his grip. "Nothing."
Jian Ci didn't buy it. He stepped closer, took Yu Xi's hand without asking. Yu Xi flinched, startled, but didn't pull away.
Jian Ci gently pried open his fingers. Deep crescent shaped marks marred his palm, red and raw.
"Why would you hurt yourself like that?" Jian Ci murmured, rubbing his thumb over the marks with surprising tenderness.
Yu Xi didn't answer. He just looked at him, eyes unreadable. Then, quietly he said, "Thought you would be kissing Alarna."
