He Xi Qian Yu, carrying the two bags of surviving chocolates, calmly avoided the bustling crowd on the main street and turned into the quiet alley leading to the back of Anteiku.
The construction noise became distant and muffled here, and the scent of pine and paint in the air also faded considerably, replaced by the cool night air and the dampness emanating from deeper within the alley.
He pushed open the back door, deliberately lightening his steps, and walked through the edge of the still-uncleaned debris on the first floor—a caution line had been temporarily set up there, and Koma Enji was speaking in a low voice, directing several workers to carefully move a broken section of the wall.
After exchanging nods, He Xi Qian Yu walked up the familiar stairs to the second floor.
The second floor was a long, narrow corridor connecting several closed doors, with only a small window at the end sparingly letting in some city light.
Dong Xiang's door was ajar, and a warm yellow light flowed out from the crack like a thin stream, casting a hazy band of light on the floor.
"Not asleep yet, even at this late hour?" He Xi Qian Yu was somewhat surprised. There's no need to work so hard for college, is there?
"...No...movement..." Slaughter's consciousness swept through the door. "...She's asleep..."
He Xi Qian Yu's steps paused at Dong Xiang's door. He held his breath, and gently pushed the door open.
The room was small but neatly organized. A single bed was against the wall, textbooks and a few other books were neatly arranged on the bookshelf, and plain curtains hung quietly by the window.
At this moment, Kirishima Touka was sprawled on the desk by the window. A cup of coffee, long since cold, sat on the corner of the desk, next to several drafts filled with formulas.
The light from the desk lamp gently enveloped her. On the open textbook and exercise book, she lay with her face turned, resting on her slender arm. A few strands of purple hair clung messily to her flushed cheek, and her long eyelashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyes.
She was still wearing her school uniform, clearly having gone straight into studying after returning from school, without even having time to change her clothes.
Dong Xiang was in a deep sleep, even her lips were slightly parted. Her usual stubbornness and vigilance had completely vanished in her slumber, leaving only the fatigue of a girl her age. The heavy coursework of recent days had clearly drained every last bit of energy from her body.
He Xi Qian Yu's gaze lingered on her sleeping face for a few seconds, a hint of softness passing through the depths of his eyes.
He silently entered the room, placing the heavy bag of chocolates on the floor by the door with extreme gentleness, making no sound.
He walked to the desk, his movements extremely light and slow, carefully observing Dong Xiang's curled-up posture to ensure her arm wasn't numb. Then, he bent down, extended his arms, one hand very steadily passing under her slender knees, and the other gently but firmly supporting her delicate back.
Dong Xiang seemed to sense movement in her sleep, unconsciously furrowing her brows and letting out a muffled murmur. Her head instinctively rubbed against He Xi Qian Yu's neck, like a small animal seeking warmth.
This sudden intimacy caused He Xi Qian Yu's body to stiffen for a moment, and his embrace became even more cautious.
He picked her up; the girl in his arms was as light as a feather. He walked steadily, and in just a few steps, he moved from the desk to the single bed.
He Xi Qian Yu gently placed Dong Xiang on the bed, pulled the neatly folded thin quilt over her, and carefully covered her up to her shoulders, ensuring the cool night air would not invade her tired body.
The entire process was smooth and quiet, without waking the sleeping girl.
Having done all this, He Xi Qian Yu stood quietly by the bed, looking down at Dong Xiang's serene sleeping face in the glow of the desk lamp. The neon lights from outside the window passed through the thin curtain, casting shifting, hazy light spots on her fair cheeks.
Faintly from downstairs came Koma Enji's lowered but still robust commanding voice and the soft clinking of tools, forming a strange contrast with the tranquility in this small room.
"...How long do you plan to stay?" Slaughter's displeased reminder broke the momentary silence.
He Xi Qian Yu withdrew his gaze, his eyes returning to their usual calm. He took one last look at Dong Xiang sleeping peacefully on the bed, and silently exited the room.
Just before he was about to close the door behind him, a crimson tentacle emerged without warning from his shoulder blade, accurately pressing the light switch on the inner wall of the door.
"Click."
With a barely audible sound, the room was instantly swallowed by gentle darkness.
He Xi Qian Yu paused slightly, a smile playing on his lips, and gently closed the door.
He bent down, picked up the bag of chocolates from the floor by the door, and turned to walk towards his own door at the other end of the corridor.
Pushing open the door, he entered his room, placed the heavy bag of chocolates on the desk, and sat down on the wooden chair in front of it.
"...Chocolate..." Slaughter's consciousness became active.
Without needing to say more, the skin on He Xi Qian Yu's right arm suddenly violently writhed and bulged, and dark red viscous matter surged out, quickly condensing and forming in the air. In an instant, Slaughter's iconic head had materialized, diving headfirst into the open bag of chocolates.
The 'crunch-squelch' sounds of tearing packaging and crushing hard candies echoed in the small room, and the sweet scent of chocolate, mixed with a bloody smell like rusted iron, quickly spread, intertwining into a bizarre olfactory vortex.
"...Enough..." Only when the bag was completely shriveled did Slaughter's lazy voice sound in He Xi Qian Yu's mind.
No sooner had he spoken than the grotesque head rapidly collapsed like melting wax. The crimson substance quickly retracted beneath He Xi Qian Yu's shoulder skin, disappearing in the blink of an eye, and He Xi Qian Yu's shoulder returned to normal, leaving only the scattered remnants of various packaging papers on the desktop.
He Xi Qian Yu expressionlessly crumpled the packaging of the last piece of chocolate in his hand and accurately tossed it into the trash can by the desk.
He was just about to get up and open the window to air out the room—
Bang—Crash!!!
The room's window shattered in response, countless glass shards raining down like hail throughout the room.
A dark blue figure, carrying the cold night wind, violently tumbled in through the broken window, landing steadily on one knee in the center of the room.
The dark blue hoodie flapped and rustled violently in the turbulent airflow from the broken window. The hood slid back due to the violent movement, instantly revealing Wu Dao Xiangdu's young and handsome face.
He Xi Qian Yu's movements paused in surprise at this sudden, brutal intrusion, and his brows instantly furrowed.
"Hey." Ayato seemed oblivious to the mess he had caused, his gaze sharply fixed on He Xi Qian Yu, and he opened his mouth to speak.
"We need to talk..."
"Wu Dao Xiangdu!" He Xi Qian Yu's voice suddenly rose. He abruptly stood up, pointing at the scattered glass shards and the broken window still letting in cold air, and growled through clenched teeth:
"Can't you just use the damn front door?!"