The Gloomy Paper-Man Came to My Door to Pursue His Love - Chapter 20

“Is that so?” Xi Li’s voice was low, and he felt a sudden, inexplicable tightness in his chest. “You want to leave that badly?”

Qin Fei did not answer immediately. He stood by the door, his silhouette framed by the dim light of the corridor. The distance between them felt much larger than the few meters of floorboards separating them. “It is not about wanting to leave, Mr. Sha. It is about the rules of the game. If I am caught here, the mission fails.”

Xi Li let out a short, cold laugh. “The mission. Is that all this is to you?”

Qin Fei turned to look at him, his expression unreadable. “What else would it be?”

The silence that followed was heavy, punctuated only by the distant, rhythmic footsteps of the guards. Xi Li felt a surge of irritation. He was an Imperial Prince, a commander who had led armies, yet here he was, trapped in a digital body, being treated with cold politeness by a player who once called him “husband” with such reckless abandon.

“Fine,” Xi Li said, his voice hardening. “I will lead them away.”

He moved past Qin Fei, his wet clothes heavy and cold against his skin. As he brushed past, a faint scent filled the air. It was the scent of Qin Fei’s pheromones, a delicate, lingering fragrance that seemed to cut through the digital artificiality of the room.

Xi Li froze for a fraction of a second. The scent was intoxicating, pulling at instincts he had tried so hard to suppress. He glanced at Qin Fei, but the other man seemed unaffected, his gaze fixed on the hallway.

“Wait here,” Xi Li commanded.

He stepped out into the corridor. The guards were approaching the corner, their armor clanking softly. Xi Li did not hesitate. He deliberately knocked over a decorative vase placed on a pedestal near the door.

The sound of shattering porcelain echoed through the silent hallway.

“Who goes there?” a guard shouted.

Xi Li did not wait for them to reach him. He took off in the opposite direction, his boots heavy on the carpet. He led them through a series of winding turns, his knowledge of the castle’s layout—downloaded instantly into his mind, giving him a clear advantage.

He led them toward the kitchens, ducking into a servant’s passage just as the guards rounded the corner. He waited in the shadows, his heart rate steady despite the exertion. To him, this was child’s play compared to the battlefields of the Empire.

Once the guards had passed, Xi Li made his way back to his room. He expected Qin Fei to be gone, having used the distraction to slip away to his own quarters.

But when he opened the door, Qin Fei was still there.

He was standing by the desk, looking at the parchment Xi Li had written. He looked up as Xi Li entered, a strange flicker of emotion crossing his face before it was replaced by that same polite mask.

“You are back,” Qin Fei said.

“Why are you still here?” Xi Li asked, closing the door behind him.

“The guards doubled back,” Qin Fei explained. “It was safer to stay put.”

Xi Li walked toward him, the water from his clothes still dripping onto the rug. He stopped a few feet away. “The way is clear now. You should go.”

Qin Fei nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Sha. I appreciate the help.”

He moved toward the door, but as he passed Xi Li, he paused. He looked down at the soaked clothes Xi Li was wearing, then back up at his face.

“You should change,” Qin Fei said softly. “You will catch a cold, even if you are just a collection of data.”

Before Xi Li could respond, Qin Fei was gone, the door clicking shut behind him.

Xi Li stood alone in the quiet room. He looked down at his hands, then at the spot where Qin Fei had been standing. The scent of pheromones still lingered in the air, a haunting reminder of the person who had just left.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, his mind racing. The intimacy level was at 80 percent, yet the gap between them felt wider than ever.

“Mr. Sha,” Xi Li whispered to the empty room. He hated the name. He hated the politeness. Most of all, he hated the fact that he cared.

He lay back on the bed, ignoring the dampness of his clothes. He closed his eyes, but all he could see was the overlapping shadow of two people who looked like they were embracing, but were actually worlds apart.