The sound of the alarm woke him. Lu Shen set the book down on the coffee table, ran his hands over his face, and stood up. He put the water on to boil and went to get ready. He had an appointment in less than an hour on the other side of the city.
He picked up his phone and texted Zeyang: "They tested the barrier around my house. Everything's fine. I restored it."
He hadn't even had time to set the phone down before it rang.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. Everything's fine. I've already mended the weave, don't worry."
"When did it happen?"
"Last night."
"You just found out now? Did you call the police?"
"No, last night. And no, I didn't call anyone—I wrote to you. Nothing happened. The cut was small; I don't think they intended to get in. They left right away."
"You were in the house?"
"Yes, Zeyang. But nothing happened. They left immediately."
There was a pause on the other end. "Lu Shen, next time call before you decide to face criminals on your own, okay?"
The sorcerer smiled at the other man's softened tone, realizing he had unsettled him. "Okay. If they show up at my door, I'll call you."
A sigh. "Thank you."
"Thank you. Have a good day at work."
---
Zeyang ended the call, frustrated and worried. He couldn't tell whether Lu Shen had too much faith in his own abilities, whether he truly believed what had happened hadn't been dangerous, or whether he simply didn't trust him. One thing was certain: he was a difficult person to get close to.
He drank the last sip of tea, left the cup in the sink, and went out.
He took the motorcycle despite the cloudy sky—he didn't want to get stuck in traffic.
He arrived in front of the sorcerer's house just as his car was leaving the gate. He stopped before being seen and waited for him to drive away, then checked the magical mesh surrounding the villa. He immediately recognized the restored section, because it shone more brightly. The rest was intact: a shimmering, iridescent weave.
Like Lu Shen. It was his energy—vivid.
A droplet slid down the visor of his helmet, and he started the engine again, hoping to reach the office before getting soaked.