The room felt quieter after he left. Not silent.just… missing something. Suo Ran stood there for a moment, staring at nothing in particular, as if his mind hadn't quite caught up yet. Then he exhaled slowly and shifted his weight. "…He really just left."
There was a faint disbelief in his voice, like he was still expecting the door to open again out of sheer inconvenience.It didn't ofcourse it didn't. Suo Ran clicked his tongue under his breath and turned away, running a hand through his hair. "Unbelievable."
He walked a few steps across the room, then stopped, then turned back again.restless without quite realizing it. "Go ahead, send location, wait here…" he muttered, tone dry. "What is this, some kind of field trip?"
A pause. "…Do I look like someone who waits obediently?"
The answer was obvious ofcourse he will not.
Suo Ran frowned slightly at the floor, then huffed a quiet breath. "And 'it's safer'…" he added under his breath. "Right. Because clearly he's the only one capable of surviving anything." He stopped near the table, fingers tapping lightly against the surface before stilling. The irritation was there.
His brows drew together faintly.
"…Then what's actually bothering me?"
The question slipped out before he could stop it.
Suo Ran straightened a little, almost immediately dismissing it. "Nothing," he muttered. "It's just him being annoying."
A beat. "…Again."
He turned away, pacing back toward the window. Outside, the city moved like alwayssteady, predictable, unaffected unlike him.
Suo Ran leaned lightly against the glass, arms crossing loosely. "Splitting up for no reason," he went on, quieter now. "Doesn't explain. Doesn't answer. Just decides."
His gaze unfocused slightly.
"…And expects me to go along with it."
A small scoff escaped him.
"Yeah, that's not happening."
But even as he said it he hadn't followed he was still here.
Suo Ran stilled slightly. "…Tch."
That realization didn't sit well. He pushed off the window, walking back toward the center of the room, slower this time.
"Whatever," he muttered. "He said he'll send the location."
A pause. "…Eventually."
Another pause. "…Hopefully before next year."
That earned a faint, dry huff from him.
His thoughts didn't stay there they shifted.
It back to earlier that moment.
Suo Ran's fingers twitched faintly at his side before he noticed and stilled them. "…And what was that about?"
His voice dropped slightly. The memory didn't blur. If anything, it felt sharper now.
That grip firm. Suo Ran frowned faintly.
"He doesn't act like that without a reason."
Which meant there was one.
He just hadn't said it. "…Or couldn't," Suo Ran added under his breath, though he didn't sound convinced.
He stopped near the table again, gaze dropping briefly. "What if I can't let go…"
The words came out quieter this time, like he wasn't sure he should be repeating them.
Suo Ran let out a short breath.
"…That still doesn't make any sense."
He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly dissatisfied.
"Let go of what?" he muttered. "My wrist? That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?"
A beat.
Then, dryly. "…Should I be impressed?"
Silence. Suo Ran glanced away, expression tightening just slightly because that wasn't what it felt like and he knew it. His jaw shifted faintly. "…Then what was it?"
That question stayed.
Suo Ran exhaled slowly and turned away again, pacing once more but slower now, more thoughtful. "And now this," he added. "Leaving alone like that."
A pause. "…Didn't even explain properly."
Another pause. "…Didn't even look back."
That one came quieter almost absent.
Suo Ran stilled mid-step his brows drew together faintly, like he'd caught something he wasn't supposed to notice.
"…Why does that matter?"
No answer. He looked away quickly, clicking his tongue.
"It doesn't."
A beat. "…Obviously."
Silence stretched. Suo Ran walked back to the table, grabbing his bag and unzipping it, this time actually starting to pack.
"Fine," he muttered. "Go alone. Do whatever you want."
He folded a shirt badly then shoved it in.
"See if I care."
Another item. "…I don't."
He paused. Then added, flatly. "…At all."
The words sounded convincing enough until he stopped moving again. His hand rested against the edge of the bag, unmoving.
"…Tch." Suo Ran straightened abruptly, like he was annoyed at himself now.
"This is stupid."
He grabbed his phone from the table, glancing at the screen.
There was no message and no location.
Suo Ran stared at it for a few seconds.
Then unlocked it. he opened the chat his thumb hovered for a moment before he started typing. Where are you?
He stopped. The words sat there incomplete.
Suo Ran stared at them, expression shifting slightly. "…What am I doing?"
A second later, he deleted the message.
The screen cleared. He stared at it a moment longer before locking the phone and tossing it lightly back onto the table.
"He said he'll send it," he muttered. "Then I'll wait."
A pause. "…Like he told me to."
That didn't sound right.
Suo Ran frowned slightly.
"…Since when do I listen to him?"
Another pause.
He didn't answer that either Instead, he turned back toward the window, slower now, quieter but this time, he didn't look outside.
His reflection met his gaze instead.
"…This is temporary," he said under his breath.
"Once we regroup, everything goes back to normal."
A beat. Then, quieter. "…Right?"
The question lingered.
And for some reason It didn't feel as certain as it should have.
He was still standing near the table, still half-turned toward the door Cai Lang had walked out of, still holding that same restless tension in his shoulders and yet something about him felt sharper noe like irritation had settled into something quieter and harder to ignore.
His phone vibrated. Suo Ran didn't react immediately this time. He glanced at it once.
Then looked away then back again.
"…If this isn't important," he muttered under his breath, already reaching for it anyway.
He picked it up, barely checking the screen before answering.
"What. There was a brief pause on the other end.
Then. "…Did I catch you at a bad time?" Lian Ziho's voice came through, calm as always, but just slightly more attentive than usual.
Suo Ran exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair. "No."
A beat. "…Yes."
Another pause.
"…Something happened," Lian Ziho said.
Suo Ran closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, expression tightening just slightly. "…Sorry," he said after a moment, tone shifting not softer, but less sharp. "Didn't mean to snap."
"That's fine."
A small silence followed then Suo Ran added, quieter. "…There are just some people I can't understand."
Lian Ziho didn't hesitate. "…You mean Cai Lang."
Suo Ran let out a short breath, almost a laugh but there wasn't much humor in it.
"Who else?"
"What happened?"
Suo Ran leaned back against the table, gaze drifting briefly toward the door again before settling somewhere unfocused.
"He told us to leave the hotel."
"Us?"
"Yeah."
"Past tense?"
"…He already left."
There was a brief pause on the other end.
"…He left already," Lian Ziho repeated.
"Yeah."
"Alone?"
"Of course alone," Suo Ran said dryly. "Apparently that's his new habit."
A faint pause. "…Did he say why?"
"No."
"Not at all?"
"He said there's a reason," Suo Ran replied, tone flattening again slightly. "Then didn't explain it."
Another pause then. "…And you let him go."
That made Suo Ran's expression shift.
Just slightly. "…What was I supposed to do, tie him to a chair?" he shot back. "He already decided."
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?"
A brief silence. Then, more carefully.
"…Did anything happen before he left?"
Suo Ran's grip on the phone tightened faintly.
"…No."
He answered quickly Lian ziho noticed it but he didn't call it out this time but the pause that followed Said enough.
"…He asked me to wait for you and Jun Wei," Suo Ran added instead, like redirecting the conversation. "Said I should come with you later after he sends the location."
"When?"
"He didn't say."
"Where is he going?"
"I don't know."
"Why didn't he tell you?"
Suo Ran let out a quiet, humorless breath.
"…That's a great question."
"…Is something happening?" Lian Ziho asked, voice lower now. "Something he didn't want to say?"
Suo Ran frowned faintly, gaze dropping.
"…He said nothing."
"That doesn't mean nothing is happening."
"I know that," Suo Ran snapped lightly. "But he didn't explain anything. Just decided and left."
A pause. "…That's not like him," Lian Ziho said.
"No," Suo Ran muttered. "It's not."
Another silence.
Then "…When are we leaving?" Lian Ziho asked.
Suo Ran blinked faintly at the shift.
"…Leaving?"
"Yes."
"Now, apparently."
"And where are we going?"
Suo Ran let out a short laugh dry, quiet, edged.
"…I don't know."
A beat.
"…You don't know."
"No."
"He didn't tell you."
"No."
"…At all."
"No."
A longer pause followed.
Then "…Ask your friend Cai Lang," Suo Ran said flatly. "He didn't explain anything to me."
Silence.
Then, sharper "…I'm nothing in his eyes anyway." That slipped out before he could stop it.
The moment it did Suo Ran stilled because that wasn't what he meant to say.
The line stayed quiet for a second too long.
Then "…That's not true," Lian Ziho said.
Suo Ran let out a quiet breath, shaking his head slightly even though the other couldn't see it. "You didn't hear him."
"I don't need to."
"Yeah, you do," Suo Ran muttered. "Because from where I was standing, it sounded pretty clear."
"What did he say?"
"He didn't say anything," Suo Ran replied. "That's the point."
A pause.
"…Explain."
Suo Ran pushed off the table, pacing once across the room again.
"He just decided," he said, tone tightening slightly. "Said 'stay here,' 'wait for them,' 'it's safer' like I'm just supposed to listen without asking why."
"That doesn't sound like he's dismissing you."
"It sounds like he doesn't trust me."
"That's different."
"Is it?"
"Yes."
Suo Ran stopped walking.
"…Then what is it?"
Another pause. Lian Ziho didn't answer immediately this time because there wasn't an easy answer.
"…If he didn't trust you," Lian Ziho said slowly, "he wouldn't have told you to stay. He would've told you to leave."
Suo Ran frowned slightly. "That doesn't make sense."
"It does."
"How?"
"Think about it," Lian Ziho continued. "If something is actually dangerous, splitting up only makes sense if he's trying to control the risk."
Suo Ran's expression shifted slightly.
"…So what, he's taking the risk himself?"
"Possibly."
"That's stupid."
"Maybe."
"Not maybe," Suo Ran said flatly. "It is."
A faint pause.
"…Unless he thinks it's necessary."
That quieted him. suo ran exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through his hair again.
"…He could've just said that."
"Yes."
"But he didn't."
"No."
Another silence.
Then "…So what now?" Suo Ran asked.
"We regroup."
"With what information?"
"Whatever we have."
"That's not much."
"It's enough."
Suo Ran scoffed lightly. "You're starting to sound like him."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You shouldn't."
A faint pause.
Then "Jun Wei wants to say something."
Before Suo Ran could respond
"Gege!!" Jun Wei's voice cut in, louder, more immediate. "Why does it sound like everything went wrong the moment we left?"
"Because it did," Suo Ran replied flatly.
"I knew it," Jun Wei muttered. "I knew something was off."
"You say that about everything."
"Because everything is off!"
"That's not how that works."
"It is for me!"
Suo Ran let out a quiet breath, the edge in his expression easing just slightly despite himself. "…Why aren't you in class? "
"Our math teacher is sick so we left early "
"You are not lying right?"
" I'm good boy! I don't like lying."
"That's good."
"Gege you said angry gege left alone? Where did he go?"
"…JUN WEI ....Is this how good boy talk about elders? ."
"Sorry, gege. I didn't mean it!"
A faint pause.
Then "…are we leaving again ?" Jun Wei asked, tone dropping slightly.
"…Yeah."
"Why again?"
A brief silence followed then Jun Wei added, quieter "…You okay?"
Suo Ran stilled slightly.
"…Why wouldn't I be?"
"No reason," Jun Wei said quickly. "You just sound… I don't know. More annoyed than usual."
"I am annoyed."
"Yeah, but this feels different."
The line shifted again as Lian Ziho took over.
"…We'll meet soon," he said. "Stay where you are for now."
Suo Ran frowned slightly. "…He told me to stay too."
"And?"
"And I don't like it."
"I know."
A pause. "…But do it anyway."
Suo Ran exhaled slowly, gaze drifting toward the door again. "…Fine."
"Good."
"And if he doesn't send anything?"
"He will."
"You're very confident."
"Yes."
"…Annoyingly so."
"I've been told."
A faint pause.
Then "…Suo Ran."
"What."
"…Don't overthink it."
He stilled. "…Too late."
The call ended not long after that.
The room fell quiet again but this time.
—
Elsewhere cai Lang didn't stop walking.
The street stretched ahead of him, steady and unchanging, but his pace remained consistent measured, controlled.
His bag rested against his shoulder, grip firm against the strap.
His expression Zunreadable but his thoughts not as still.
"…Not being able to let go," he murmured quietly under his breath. The words sounded different now.
Like he was testing them jis fingers flexed slightly as if remembering something then stilled again.
"…That wasn't supposed to happen."
"How can I face him now? "
His gaze shifted slightly to the side, scanning the street without fully turning his head.
Nothing unusual snd yet he didn't relax.
"…If it spreads…"
The thought didn't finish didn't need to.
His jaw tightened faintly. "…Then distance is better."
A pause. "…Safer."
Another step.
"…For now." But even as he said it something in his expression shifted.
Because Zhe knew that wasn't the full reason. His grip tightened again.
"…It's easier alone," he said quietly.
A beat.
Then, almost inaudible "…Right?"
The question lingered.
And for the first time since he left cai Lang slowed.
Cai Lang's steps were steady, the strap of his bag brushing lightly against his shoulder. His mind, however, wasn't on the streets, on the moving crowd, or even the familiar pattern of his route. It was on the phone in his pocket.
He didn't need to check it. He already knew who it was.
The call came through just as he passed the corner near the small convenience store. He didn't answer immediately, just let the vibration settle against his leg. A brief glance at the screen confirmed it: Lian Ziho.
"…Already informed him," Cai Lang murmured under his breath. Great. Not that it mattered he had expected the call eventually.
He stepped to the side, pulling the phone from his pocket, voice low and calm. "Hello?"
"Cai Lang? Are you listening?" Lian Ziho's voice came through sharp, precise, almost testing him.
"Yes," Cai Lang replied immediately.
"What suo ran said it's true?"
"Yes" he said without thinking.
"It's for our safety."
There was a pause on the other end. Then Lian Ziho asked cautiously, "Only for safety reasons, nothing else, right?"
Cai Lang's eyes narrowed faintly as he walked past a cluster of pedestrians. A pause a calculated one before he said, "…Of course. What else should it be?"
The answer was firm, almost natural. He didn't want to give more, didn't want to allow curiosity to lead the conversation.
"Where are we going now?" Lian Ziho asked, and the slight tremor of curiosity in his voice was noticeable.
Cai Lang's expression didn't change, but his thoughts briefly flickered to the apartment his home. "…My house."
There was a faint, surprised intake of breath. " your house? are you sure?"
"Yes," Cai Lang said evenly. "We'll go to my home. You can come with Suo Ran and Jun Wei. I'll be there."
Another pause. Then Lian Ziho's voice softened slightly, almost like a note of relief. "Okay… I have something to do. See you at home."
The line went dead. Cai Lang slipped the phone back into his pocket without a pause in his stride.
Suo Ran had just set his bag down again when his phone buzzed. He glanced at it. Lian Ziho. He rolled his eyes and answered with a dry, "What now?"
"Suo Ran," Lian Ziho said, voice quick, "just to confirm… Cai Lang he said he wants to go to his house. Not some temporary place, his actual home."
Suo Ran froze mid-step, phone still pressed to his ear. "…His… house?" The words sounded sharper than intended. "…You're serious?"
"Yeah. He said it himself. He'll be there first. You, me, and Jun Wei follow after. He'll text the location if anything changes."
Suo Ran ran a hand through his hair, letting out a slow exhale. "…Unbelievable. Of course he does something like this. Leaves the hotel, doesn't explain, and now expects us to just… follow him to his home?"
Lian Ziho's voice was calm. "…Exactly. You okay?"
Suo Ran leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. "…Okay? Sure. Fine. Totally fine. It's not like I needed explanations anyway." His tone was clipped, but his jaw tightened faintly. I don't even know why it bothers me so much, he thought. He's always like this… but something about this about leaving like that feels different.
"And Jun Wei?" Lian Ziho asked. "Is he ready?"
Suo Ran groaned. "…He'll be bouncing off the walls, as usual." A small, reluctant smile tugged at his lips. "…I guess I'll corral him. Or try."
"Alright," Lian Ziho said. "Then let's meet him at the car in twenty minutes."
Suo Ran clicked his tongue. "…Right. Twenty minutes. No idea where he's going, but okay. Great plan."
He ended the call and tossed the phone onto the table. Jun Wei's small face peeked around the corner. "Are we going to a castle?"
"Nope," Suo Ran replied, crouching slightly to meet his eyes. "…Just cai Lang ge home."
Jun Wei's eyes widened. "…His home? Can I see his secret treasures?!"
Suo Ran chuckled despite himself. "Maybe. If we survive the journey there first."
Jun Wei giggled, tugging Suo Ran's sleeve. "I like adventures! Can I run super fast?"
"…You can try," Suo Ran said dryly, shaking his head. "Just don't get lost."
With that, the trio gathered their things, Jun Wei bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, Suo Ran muttering to himself the whole way out, and Lian Ziho calmly leading them through the streets.
Suo Ran's thoughts were still tangled with Cai Lang the abruptness, the calm decisiveness, the way he left without explanation. Why does it always feel like he's three steps ahead? Suo Ran wondered. And why do I let it bother me this much?
The city lights flickered softly on the pavement as they walked. Jun Wei chattered continuously. "Do you think he has a giant TV? Or a secret lab?"
Suo Ran shot him a mock glare. "…Secret lab? Really? He's not a super villain, you know."
Jun Wei looked scandalized. "Not a super villain? Then he must be a super spy!"
Lian Ziho rolled his eyes, hiding a smile. "…Spy or not, he'll probably just make us sit in his apartment like ordinary humans."
Suo Ran muttered under his breath, "…Extraordinary humans following orders again."
Jun Wei pouted. "…I like following orders! Sometimes!"
Suo Ran couldn't help the small laugh that escaped. "…Sometimes, huh? You're going to be the most obedient kid on the planet, then."
The trio moved steadily, Suo Ran occasionally glancing at his phone for a message from Cai Lang, but none came. Of course he wouldn't text. Not until he's ready, Suo Ran thought with a dry sigh.
Finally, they reached the apartment building. The street was quiet, and the evening breeze stirred gently through the trees lining the pavement.
"Alright," Lian Ziho said, crouching slightly to check the door. "Key's in the lock."
Suo Ran raised an eyebrow. "…He really just leaves the key?"
"Seems like it. Guess he trusts us not to destroy the place," Lian Ziho said, smirking faintly.
Jun Wei jumped up and down. "We get to go inside! I wanna see!"
Suo Ran muttered dryly, "…Somehow I doubt you're going to see much besides… furniture."
Jun Wei gasped dramatically. "Furniture can be adventures too!"
With a soft click, the door swung open.
The apartment was empty, quiet, and orderly. A faint scent lingered in the air, subtly familiar and strangely comforting.
Suo Ran set his bag down, scanning the room. "…He's not here yet."
Jun Wei's small voice piped up, "Then where is he? Did the dragons eat him?"
Suo Ran shook his head with a smirk. "…No dragons. Just him doing whatever he does."
Lian Ziho stepped inside, closing the door gently behind them. "…Probably planning something. He always does."
Suo Ran muttered under his breath, leaning against the counter. "…And never explains it to anyone. Classic."
Jun Wei flopped onto the sofa. "I hope he comes soon! I'm hungry and ready for adventures!"
Suo Ran glanced at him. "…Adventures are a lot more fun when someone explains them first."
Lian Ziho smirked. "…Or when you don't follow orders blindly."
Suo Ran rolled his eyes. "…Yeah, yeah. Blind obedience is my specialty."
The three of them settled into the apartment, waiting. Quiet, empty, orderly. Suo Ran's thoughts drifted again to Cai Lang, the morning's tension, and the unspoken reasons for everything.
A sudden, sharp knock at the door made all three jump slightly. Suo Ran's hand instinctively went to the door handle.
He opened it.
And there, framed in the doorway, stood Cai Lang. Calm, composed, and holding his bag over one shoulder.
But he wasn't alone. Behind him, just out of the corner of Suo Ran's eye, stood someone else tall, quiet, and unreadable.
Suo Ran froze, his thoughts halting mid-step. Who is that? And why…
Cai Lang's gaze met his briefly, steady and unreadable as always, while the figure behind him remained still, silent, watching.