"I tripped and fell," Mo Fei said bluntly.
Chen Yu and Sima Li looked at each other.
Chen Yu held out his arms. "Put me down."
Sima Li released him.
Chen Yu straightened his clothes, then turned to Yichen with narrowed eyes. "Yichen, who knew there was some good in you?"
Yichen smiled. "I am a benevolent person. Magnanimous by heart. When have I ever not been good?"
Sima Li coughed gently.
Chen Yu turned away in disgust.
Mo Fei stared at Yichen.
Since when did he learn how to bullshit?
"Anyway," Sima Li said, walking over to Yichen, "my schedule is clear today. You can't say no to whatever fun I've planned for us."
Yichen said nothing.
Sima Li's gaze slid between him and Mo Fei, and his smile widened. "With the way you were holding him, I thought you two were having a lovers' quarrel."
Yichen and Mo Fei looked at each other.
"What?" Yichen said.
"Eww, no!" Mo Fei said at the same time.
Yichen nodded, pleasantly satisfied with the immediate rejection. Then it clicked. His head turned slowly.
"Eh? What do you mean, eww?" He sounded offended.
Mo Fei ignored him and turned to Chen Yu instead.
"He's not wrong, though," Chen Yu said, leaning closer to Mo Fei. "Are you two secretly together? Don't worry, you can tell me." His gaze moved to Yichen. "Even though your choice is questionable."
Yichen's hand curled into a fist.
"No, no, no." Mo Fei raised both hands immediately. "You've got it all wrong. We are not in anything like that."
He glanced at Yichen.
Tall. Hot. Sexy.
Not my type.
Besides, I have no interest in men.
"I like women," Mo Fei announced cheerfully. "Plump breasts, a sizeable waist to grab, tall slender legs, necks long like a... "
"Okay, we get it," Yichen cut in. His voice was sharp.
Mo Fei blinked at him.
Why was he so worked up?
He had literally just cleared the air.
"Well, if you say so," Chen Yu said with a shrug.
Yichen stared at Mo Fei.
He did not know why the outburst had escaped him. It had simply come out before he could stop it. Hearing Mo Fei list his type in women, so casually and with such shameless enthusiasm, had irritated him.
No.
Irritated was too mild. It pissed him off.
"You say that," Sima Li said, clearly unconvinced, "but you're still here."
"Uhm." Mo Fei cleared his throat. "My apartment is being fixed."
Then he explained what had happened... the wire, the spark, his unfortunate confidence, the explosion, the smoke, and the tragic attack on his hair.
Chen Yu and Sima Li listened in silence.
By the time he finished, Chen Yu's expression had turned grave.
"Feifei," he said, "that was reckless."
Mo Fei rubbed his head. "Tell me something I don't already know." He looked up.
His eyes caught Yichen's.
Yichen was staring at him.
Mo Fei paused.
Was he still upset? What had he even done to him? And why was he looking at him like that?
Yichen looked away first. The strange softness in his gaze disappeared, replaced by his usual cold arrogance. "If you're done blabbing, leave."
He turned and walked off.
Chen Yu grabbed Mo Fei's hand at once. "Come on. Let's leave the icy prince to his dark cave."
Before they could leave, Sima Li grabbed Mo Fei's hand.
"Wait."
Mo Fei and Chen Yu stopped.
Sima Li opened his mouth. Then closed it.
"Uhm…"
Mo Fei stared at him.
Sima Li scratched the back of his neck. "Ah." He exhaled. "Have you… seen Louis recently?"
Mo Fei tilted his head. "No. Why? Is something wrong?"
Sima Li shook his head quickly. "No. It's just that…" He paused, searching for the right words. "I saw him two days ago. We drank, and I haven't had time to thank him yet for getting me home safely."
"Well, if I see him, I'll let him know," Mo Fei said.
"Or you can get his number and do that yourself," Chen Yu added.
Sima Li's face brightened. "Yeah. That would be great." He looked at Mo Fei. "You don't mind?"
"Nope. I'll send it to you."
"Thanks," Sima Li said.
Mo Fei and Chen Yu left.
As the door closed behind them, Sima Li stood there for a moment and scratched his neck again.
He remembered drinking with Louis.
Bits of it, anyway.
The quiet bar. The bitter drink.
The candy Louis had given him afterwards.
After that, everything turned foggy.
When Sima Li woke up the next day, he had found himself on the floor of his own apartment with no memory of how he got there.
If Louis had brought him home, then he needed to thank him.
Properly.
Meanwhile somewhere in Beijing...
"Achoo!"
Louis sneezed. He rubbed his nose. "Mm, is someone talking about me?"