Poisoning Xinyuan had been Wenzhi's first thought. It was simple and efficient but pointless.
It was common knowledge, canon, even, that ordinary toxins did nothing to Espers. Their bodies burned through it like it was nothing. Only substances derived from rift monsters had any real effect, and those weren't exactly lying around in a kitchen.
So he improvised.
The tranquilizer had been easy enough to get. He stole from Mo Yiran and Song Mei's supplies while their backs were turned, choosing one strong enough for high-ranking Espers and designed to force a shutdown without triggering backlash in theory.
In reality, Wenzhi wasn't entirely sure it would work on him, so he watched carefully.
Xinyuan sat across from him, eating like nothing in the world mattered, his warm brown eyes bright and expression open. He was still shirtless.
Wenzhi looked away, then looked back, then immediately looked away again.
