Li Wei leaned slightly closer, his golden eyes glinting. "Does it burn?" he murmured, so quietly only Ren could hear.
Ren's pen slipped from his fingers, clattering against the desk. His pulse raced wildly, the mark on his shoulder searing as if answering Li Wei's question for him.
"H-How do you—" Ren stammered, voice trembling. He turned his head slightly, only to find Li Wei watching him with that same piercing gaze.
Li Wei's lips curved, not quite a smile, more like a predator's amusement. "You feel it, don't you? The fire beneath your skin."
Ren jerked back, chair scraping softly against the floor. "You're… crazy. I don't know what you're talking about."
Professor Han cleared his throat from the front of the class, glaring. "Ren. Quiet."
Heat rushed to Ren's cheeks as a few classmates snickered. He forced himself to face forward, pretending to take notes, though his hand shook on the page.
Li Wei didn't press further. Instead, he leaned back lazily in his chair, but his presence was overwhelming—Ren could feel his gaze tracing the line of his neck, lingering too long. The mark on Ren's shoulder throbbed harder, almost in response to that attention.
When the bell finally rang, Ren bolted upright, shoving his notebook into his bag. But before he could escape, a hand closed firmly around his wrist.
Ren froze.
Li Wei's touch was deceptively gentle, yet unyielding. He leaned closer again, his breath brushing Ren's ear, low enough that only Ren could hear.
"You can pretend not to know me," Li Wei whispered, "but your body remembers. That mark is mine."
Ren shivered, his skin erupting in goosebumps. The warmth of Li Wei's grip spread through him, both terrifying and… intoxicating.
"Let go," Ren hissed, though his voice lacked conviction.
Li Wei tilted his head, golden eyes narrowing as though amused by Ren's defiance. Slowly, deliberately, his thumb brushed against the inside of Ren's wrist, where the pulse beat frantic and unsteady.
Ren's breath hitched, his face burning. He yanked free at last, stumbling back a step. "Stay away from me."
Li Wei only smirked. "You can run, but the fire won't fade."
As Ren stormed out of the classroom, his heart hammered painfully against his chest. He told himself he hated the way Li Wei touched him, the way his words curled like smoke around his ears.
So why did his body ache for more?