Chapter 139 - My Costar Disappears

The experience of being back in his apartment after everything that happened is surreal. Yao Shen feels as if days have passed since he was last here -- a combination of seeing his first life's memories with the exhaustion of all that happened in Youdu afterwards.

He pulls Xin Hulei by the hand and lets himself crumple on the sofa. He uses Xin Hulei's body as his own personal body pillow and throws his legs all over his lap.

Xin Hulei holds onto one of his bony ankles with an amused smile. "His Highness can't treat his subjects like this."

"His Majesty should shut up and just stand there looking pretty," Yao Shen says, giving him an amused look from his prone position.

"If I'm 'Majesty' and you're 'Highness' that means I outrank you," Xin Hulei says, nonchalant. His fingers tighten on Yao Shen's ankle feeling the smoothness of the skin over the sharp bone. 

Yao Shen throws one arm over his eyes and lets out a long-suffering sigh.. "Sure, you outrank me, I'm still calling the shots."

Xin Hulei's fingers drift from up his ankle toward his calf, kneading the skin and dragging on the fine hairs of Yao Shen's leg. "As long as I get to call the shots in one specific area, I'll let you do as you like."

His roving hands' suggestive touch doesn't escape Yao Shen, who raises one foot playfully against his chin. "We'll see, maybe if you're a very good boy..." 

Yao Shen's own words make him blush a little, conjuring up all kinds of scenarios. He clears his throat and changes the subject. "What are you going to do about the other demons now? The crowd that hangs around 'Heaven on Earth'?"

Xin Hulei frowns. "I suppose I should tell them. Liansi won't be happy that all of this happened behind her back."

"It's not like we had wifi in Youdu to send her a message," Yao Shen says. "She'll get over it."

Xin Hulei hums, more thoughtfully than the situation requires. "The question now is how to get everyone who might want to go to Youdu there. Leaving it is easy, the problem is finding an entrance."

He has a point. As far as they know there was one transportation talisman that Xin Hulei used up when trying to rescue him, and the doors Yao Shen can open, but which are tied to him -- and he has no interest in becoming the Underworld's doorman.

"We'll think of something," Yao Shen says, sitting up on the sofa, and pressing himself against Xin Hulei's side. "Now that Si Wang knows I'm not on his side there's nothing to hide anymore, maybe we could..." he trails off, while hooking his fingers on the collar of Xin Hulei's shirt.

Xin Hulei pulls Yao Shen's fingers away from his shirt, one corner of his lips pulling up. "I don't want to have him listen in while I make you fall apart."

Yao Shen sucks on a breath, and something flashes in Xin Hulei's dark human eyes, a slash of crimson that reminds Yao Shen of his demon appearance. 

"Then, take me back to your place," Yao Shen says, looping his arms around Xin Hulei's neck.

Xin Hulei lowers his lips against Yao Shen's in a sweet, fleeting kiss. "I will, but first I need to talk with Tan Liansi. Heimao and Jincan too."

Yao Shen lets himself fall backwards with a groan. "I suppose I'll have to waste away here. Waiting for your return."

He gets a kiss on the forehead for his dramatics. "You do that. I'll be back soon."

The next moment Xin Hulei is gone, and Yao Shen is alone in his apartment with no idea of how to keep himself busy.

---

He checks with Bi Jialu that nothing fell apart while he was away. She doesn't have any news for him. His schedule is still free, but the agency can find him a few workshops if he's worried about being out of the public eye for too long.

Yao Shen changes subjects quickly after that. He'll take the rest and stop complaining.

The day goes by without him hearing anything from Xin Hulei -- which doesn't bode well for whatever conversation he had with Tan Liansi.

Yao Shen expects to hear something from him the next day, but it comes and goes without another word.

He tries to call during the day but doesn't get any answers. Texting doesn't yield any replies either. No matter how busy he is, Xin Hulei wouldn't go so long without giving Yao Shen some sort of explanation. He knows Yao Shen would worry.

[Little Menace: Is Hulei still with you?]

[Liansi: No...I thought he was with you?]

A cold dread seeps into Yao Shen's bones. He's worried something might have happened. There's no other reason why Xin Hulei wouldn't have met with Tan Liansi while keeping Yao Shen in the dark.

[Little Menace: he was supposed to meet you to tell you about some management changes in Youdu]

[Liansi: wtf does that mean?]

[Little Menace: That's not important right now. Can you come pick me up, and then take me to his place? I'm worried something might have happened.]

He doesn't get a reply, but moments latter Tan Liansi appears in his living room in a flurry of snowflakes that melt as soon as they touch the floor.

"What have you gotten him into, now?" 

Yao Shen ignores the judgement in her eyes and clasps her on the shoulder. "I would also like to find out." He shoots her a pointed look. "Can we go, now?"

She rolls her eyes and takes them away.

---

Moments later Yao Shen finds himself in Xin Hulei's Beijing apartment, looking even more like a travel bag exploded all over it than usual.

"What's all this mess?"

Yao Shen is shocked she can tell the difference.

To him, the most glaring sign that something is wrong is the fact that neither Jincan or Heimao have come to sniff out who showed up without previous warning.

"Ge, are you home?" Tan Liansi asks, cupping her hands in front of her mouth.

The silent house doesn't answer her.

Yao Shen's apprehension grows. There's no reason why the three of them would be gone.

He and Tan Liansi split up and start searching around the house. Predictably, Tan Liansi loses patience fast and starts pulling drawers out of place and banging closet doors open, like a rampaging elephant.

Yao Shen moves to Xin Hulei's bedroom, ignoring the sounds of her rampage. The bedroom looks like it's been riffled through the most. The closet doors are wide open, with several hangers thrown on the floor.

The sight of the lacquered wooden box open on the bed makes Yao Shen's breath freeze in his throat. More so when he sets it upright and all the contents spillover, including the jade waist token.

He picks it up and inspects it, running his finger across the smooth, mutton-fat surface.

Xin Hulei would never leave it so carelessly behind, even if he was in a hurry, he would take it with him.

Which must mean he was taken against his will.

But by whom? Si Wang is a ghost king, he can't leave Youdu. Maybe he could have found help, but in such a short time...

Yao Shen remembers Gao Wu's cryptic texts, and his fear that he might have been involved with Si Wang in some way.

He goes back to the living room at the same time that Tan Liansi comes out of Jincan's and Heimao's bedroom.

"Something really fucked up happened here," she says, running her trembling hands through her long hair.

Yao Shen is inclined to agree.

Not knowing what else to do he texts Gao Wu.

[Little Menace: hey, have you heard from Xin Hulei?]

He shows Tan Liansi his screen and together the two of them wait in tense silence for a reply.

When his phone finally vibrates with an incoming text Yao Shen almost drops it on the floor.

[Cute didi: Gege is closer to him than I. I have no idea]

[Little Menace: We had a photoshoot scheduled, but he's not answering his phone and if we don't leave soon we'll be late]

[Little Menace: thanks for your help didi. maybe I'll go to his apartment and check if something happened]

[Cute didi: maybe he's already on the way]

[Little Menace: maybe gege should wait a little longer, or go ahead without him]

Tan Liansi let out a loud breath from her nostrils. "Motherfucker, why would you say that unless you didn't want anyone to come here and see this mess?"

Yao Shen agrees with her, which is why he pressures Gao Wu.

[Little Menace: I'm actually really worried, I haven't heard from him in days, and I'm actually considering calling the police]

The little bubble showing that Gao Wu is typing appears and disappears several times before a reply finally arrives.

[Cute didi: Gege is in Beijing too, right? Can we meet?]

[Little Menace: I don't know didi, I'm really worried about Hulei, I don't know if I can until I know what happened to him.]

Gao Wu doesn't try to convince him, instead he sends a location marker.