Xu Zhuo was shocked and enraged.
Without caring if he might cause the other pain, he grabbed Du Ziyu's shoulders, forcefully pulling him away. Their lips separated, and Xu Zhuo even tasted a faint metallic flavor, but it was quickly washed away by the torrential rain.
"Calm down!" He let out a beast-like growl from his throat, his eyes blazing as he stared at the other person, while moving his pelvis as far back as possible to catch his breath from the accidental discharge zone.
Du Ziyu hugged his neck tightly with both arms, tilting his fair face upward. His eyes were almost unable to open due to the rain, but he stubbornly blinked away the raindrops and glared at Xu Zhuo with indignation in his eyes.
His wet hair stuck to his forehead, his pale lips had a small cut, oozing a little blood that immediately blended with the rain, trickling down along his jaw and slender neck, disappearing into the pure white collar, making him seem like a delicate flower ravaged by the wind and rain.
Xu Zhuo's anger surged, then dissipated. The pitiful appearance of the other person made it difficult for him to maintain his sternness.
But he was still very displeased.
What exactly had triggered Du Ziyu? He was being reckless, irrespective of the situation!?
Just as he was about to scold him with a furrowed brow, he faintly heard someone shouting amid the sound of the pouring rain, coming closer and closer: "... Er Shao... where..."
Someone was approaching!
Xu Zhuo's mind was momentarily heated, and under the impulse, he lifted the person in his arms, and swiftly hid behind the vines, squeezing into the crevice formed by the wall.
The space was too tight, so he had to press Du Ziyu against the wall, facing each other. Unfortunately, the sensitive part of each other unavoidably touched. Although separated by several layers of clothing, the soaking wet clothes were of little use.
It seemed like that thing had startled Du Ziyu, who began to struggle in panic.
"Someone, don't move!" Xu Zhuo squeezed out the words as a warning from between his teeth. How audacious to provoke oneself in such a situation! Now, he was scared, just a moment ago, he was so bold!?
Du Ziyu was frightened by his fierce and evil appearance, and immediately stopped moving. His occiput pressed against the rough brick wall, facing aside, biting his lip while glowering at him, not even willing to close his eyes when the rainwater hit them.
"Er Shao... are you there?"
The approaching figure seemed to have taken a turn in a different direction halfway.
Xu Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief, noticing his dissatisfied expression. He remembered that rainwater was acidic and harmful to the eyes, so he lowered his voice, "Close your eyes."
Du Ziyu glared at him.
Helplessly, Xu Zhuo sighed, covered his eyes with his left hand, and protected them from the rain. Raindrops hit his back, flowing down like a waterfall along his fingers. Du Ziyu's long eyelashes brushed against her palms, itching. Fortunately, he seemed to be surprised by Xu Zhuo's actions and did not struggle.
When he was quiet, he was very likable. Xu Zhuo had a deep skin tone, and his hand was large, covering most of the other person's face. This made his face appear even fairer and more delicate, and his thin lips unusually obedient, with faint bite marks remaining on them, making him look so...
Xu Zhuo suddenly averted his gaze, turning his head to look at the adjacent brick wall. His throat rolled - that was close, he felt that the swelling part was getting restless again.
"The rain is continuously pouring..." Under this summer downpour, Xu Zhuo kept track of the sound from outside, gradually hearing the raindrops hitting the umbrella, the brittle sound of broken branches, and an elderly voice.
"He's not here."
"Where could he have gone?" another voice, likely a woman, asked.
"The young master is going to be angry again."
Silence lingered for a while.
"Let's search again."
The sound of the rain hitting the umbrella faded into the distance. After waiting for a while, Xu Zhuo came out of his hiding place.
He grabbed Du Ziyu's arms, pulling him away from himself. Observing him, soaked and shivering, his eyes red, he felt a headache coming on.
He sighed again and said, with no room for argument, "Let's go back to your room."
*
Du Ziyu's bedroom was also on the second floor, and fortunately, they did not encounter anyone on the way. They entered the room and closed the door, and Xu Zhuo instructed, "Go take a shower."
Du Ziyu's previous demeanor suddenly vanished. He glanced at Xu Zhuo and then entered the bathroom.
Xu Zhuo didn't have the energy to ponder the other's thoughts. He was being tormented and was unable to contain himself, wanting to find a way to release it immediately.
Thinking this, he called out to the person walking towards the bathroom, "Hurry up!"
Du Ziyu paused, then hurried into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.
He has quite the temper, Xu Zhuo thought, even though he looks so docile.
He was completely drenched, and water droplets fell on the carpet. Since the room was filled with fabric, cotton, and real leather chairs and sofas, he had to stand in one spot, constantly changing his posture to feel more comfortable.
Although it was called a bedroom, it was actually quite spacious. Upon entering, a small living room appeared, with the study on the left and the bathroom, dressing room, and sleeping area on the right.
Since it was managed by a servant, the room was clean and tidy but gave an uneasy feeling.
Xu Zhuo glanced around and then discovered the issue.
This room was nearly devoid of any personal touch.
This was the old residence of the Du family, where Du Ziyu had lived since he was young, yet there were no items indicating life. Regular children's toys and posters might have been hidden, but as an adult, one would have hobbies, personal items that reflect their character, but they couldn't have been completely stowed away.
Xu Zhuo turned to look at the several photo frames on the cabinet, all of which were family pictures of an elder with two youngsters. There were five in total, taken at different times, from around when Du Ziyu was about ten to when he was in his early twenties.
In a regular household, these would be heartwarming family photos. However, these five frames were arranged too neatly and deliberately, as if they were being displayed for someone else to see.
Being rather agitated at the moment and unable to think too deeply, Xu Zhuo heard the bathroom door open and looked up immediately.
Du Ziyu, wrapped in a white bathrobe, came out, steam rising off his body, his small face flushed, his eyes glancing around, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Xu Zhuo.
Xu Zhuo was about to explode, couldn't care less, and strode forward, extending his hand—
Du Ziyu shuddered all over, then was pushed aside by Xu Zhuo. "It's my turn." Then, he stepped into the bathroom, with the door slamming shut, soon followed by the sound of running water.