Villain Saving System (BL)

2Lu Yizhou knew that there's no way he could remember. However, as he stared into those oblivious amber eyes with no hint of recognition whatsoever, it still made him feel unsettled, more than he could admit. Those years they had spent together in each other embrace, the rare and precious moments, the warmth and affection, all of that was gone in a blink of an eye.       0

For Lu Yizhou, it was just yesterday he woke up with his lover draped across his chest, defenseless and vulnerable, with Lu Yizhou's arms holding him close. Alas, the day hadn't even passed yet and they had returned to being a pair of strangers. He was wary of Lu Yizhou, vigilant eyes following his every movement as if he expected that Lu Yizhou would spring up in the next second to draw his sword and attack him. Lu Yizhou could sense it somehow, even though he put on a feeble and helpless appearance, that Heimo's mind was racing to find ways to… to escape from the current situation? Or maybe…he might still be thinking of ways to kill him. The revelation added to his devastation.     

He let out a quiet sigh as he returned to the cave with a few weird looking pheasants that he managed to hunt. The forest was almost deserted due to the purple tiger and the strange birds were all Lu Yizhou could find. Heimo was asleep when he entered — at least, his eyes were closed, breathing long and deep. But when Lu Yizhou started to prepare the chicken, he could feel Heimo's eyes on the back of his head. He pretended that he sensed nothing.      

Scrutinizing the pheasants once again, he could feel himself frowning. Why were all animals in this world so weird? The bird's beak was translucent blue and its feathers were soft and fluffy, and when it reflected on the fire, it took on a pearlescent rainbowish glow like the edge of the diamond that caught on sunshine. Lu Yizhou paused amidst his movement of plucking the bird's feathers. Was this really safe to eat…? What if it was poisonous?     

[666: Errr…wait a minute, Host! 666 is skimming through 'The Encyclopedia of Cultivation World's Fauna', just give 666 a few minutes!]     

A soft cough sounded behind him and Lu Yizhou turned to see Heimo sitting up, a fist forming in front of his lips presumably to hide his smile. Alas, the crinkle on the corner of his eyes had given him away. He looked healthier, albeit his face was still a little pale. "Gong-zi… Jingxue-Jun, do you need this humble one's help?"     

Lu Yizhou blinked slowly.     

"Ah, you can't expect yourself not to be recognized when you're looking like that, can you?" He chuckled. The flame crackled higher, adding on a rosy sheen on his cheeks. "This humble one apologizes, he is too muddleheaded to recognize the esteemed Jingxue-Jun earlier. Anyway…" He cleared his throat and asked tentatively. "Did you catch the young celestial phoenix for this humble one…?"     

[666: AH! He's right, Host! It's indeed the celestial phoenix! With translucent blue beaks and rainbow-colored feathers, it's an exotic and rare animal! Its feathers are priceless treasure and its meat was soft, tender and juicy. It's a heavenly cuisine that many sought after! It was said that eating celestial phoenix's meat, even if just a small mouthful, will cure all kinds of poisons! The animal itself is an extremely rare variety that can only be seen once every fifty years! Holy, Host, how could you manage to catch three?!]     

[They're running under my feet.] Lu Yizhou deadpanned.     

[666: Ah, 666 remembers that but… *huff*]     

Lu Yizhou gave Heimo a small nod. "For you."     

The blush on Heimo's cheeks deepened. "It's too much trouble, really. Jingxue-Jun must have put in quite a lot of effort to catch them."     

Lu Yizhou didn't mention how the birds were practically prowling right in front of his very eyes as if begging him to hunt them. He merely shook his head. "No trouble at all. If you eat this, then you will recover faster."     

"Ah, Jingxue-Jun…" Heimo buried his face into his palms and whined embarrassingly. "How can this humble one repay you if you keep on like this?"     

Lu Yizhou let out a tiny sigh and deemed it unnecessary to respond to Heimo's inquiry. The more Heimo put on an act, the more dispirited Lu Yizhou was. He knew that Heimo deliberately acted weak to make him lower his guard but it just reminded him again and again how Heimo assumed he was untrustworthy. Lu Yizhou wanted to assure the other man that he could relax, that he need not be so wary around him, that harming him was the last thing Lu Yizhou wanted to do. Yet he knew it was impossible when it came to them. He was the Black Demon, practitioner of the outlawed demonic cultivation whilst he was the exact opposite. He was supposed to not be able to stand their very presence. It was no wonder that Heimo acted like that, he tried to tell himself.     

He returned to roast the chicken. The young celestial phoenix's meat was still very tender, thus in no time at all, it was half cooked, oil coating the surface of the skin in a tantalizing sizzle and a delicious aroma wafted out around the cave. Heimo was attracted by the mouth-watering smell and moved closer. He intently eyed Lu Yizhou's dexterous fingers, a flicker of unreadable look on his eyes. "That looks very… delicious, Jingxue-Jun."     

Lu Yizhou hummed and lifted one of the fully cooked meat from the fire. Instead of handing it to the other, he slowly peeled them apart into smaller pieces on the large leaf. "Lu Yizhou."     

Heimo blinked. "...Huh?"     

"There's no need to be so formal." Lu Yizhou handed the plate-leaf to him, his silver eyes bore down on Heimo. "You can just call me 'Lu Yizhou'."     

Heimo's eyes widened in disbelief as he registered the meaning behind Lu Yizhou's words. His lips parted and he seemed to have stopped breathing. Lu Yizhou held his gaze firmly, trying to convey the extent of his sincerity. It was Heimo who looked away first. He coughed into his fist before it turned into a high-pitched laugh. When he spoke, his eyes darted everywhere but the man beside him. "A…Ahaha! That—That's not a very good thing to do… this humble one isn't worthy to—"     

Lu Yizhou tore his eyes away to flip the almost burned meat, trying and failing to hide the despondency in his tone. "Is that so." Usually, he was better at masking his emotions. But this was none other than his lover, the person he had slept and woke up to every single day for almost two decades, if he didn't count their time in the previous worlds. This was the person who knew him the best, who could pick up the underlying emotion beneath Lu Yizhou's aloof exterior. Lu Yizhou couldn't deny him and he certainly couldn't treat him like a stranger.      

Even if the other had no memory of him at all.     

Bitterness soaked the tip of his tongue and he willed himself to focus on the task on hand so that he didn't do anything stupid on impulse. Something like pulling Heimo into his embrace and feeding him like he was a big baby.     

"I mean!" Heimo suddenly exclaimed in a loud voice before he visibly shrunk back when Lu Yizhou's eyes moved back to him. He wrung his fingers and the little gesture reminded Lu Yizhou with a painful pang of Ren Zexi's subconscious little habit when he was nervous. With nothing to do, Heimo started to shove the meat pieces into his mouth and chewed. Lu Yizhou wanted to warn him that it was very hot yet it seemed like Heimo couldn't feel a thing judging from how he shoved it into his mouth, again and again.  "T—This humble one is certainly unworthy but if Jingxue-Jun—" He cleared his throat and peeked at Lu Yizhou beneath his fluttering lashes. "If… Lu Gong-zi insists…"     

"Lu Yizhou," he asserted firmly.     

Heimo took a deep, deep breath and mumbled in a very low voice that would have gone unnoticed if not for Jingxue-Jun's high cultivation. "...Lu Yizhou. Lu Yizhou." He rolled the name around his tongue as if tasting it and a sense of satisfaction bloomed inside Lu Yizhou's chest. That's a little step forward. Heimo gave a chuckle, almost nervously. "It's such an honor, this humble one will surely cherish the opportunity."     

Lu Yizhou let out a tiny, subconscious smile and heard Heimo's breath hitch on his throat.      

"You…" He probed, flustered. "You don't want to ask this humble one anything? My name or why was I injured and who did that to me…?"     

Of course. Of course, he wanted to do that. There's nothing Lu Yizhou wanted more than to know everything there was about him. He badly wanted to chase after those who had injured Heimo, and he wished to know in depth what had transpired in Heimo's life to make him who he was today. But the questions were too much, too intrusive and asking it meant that Lu Yizhou would give away the fact that he knew Heimo's true identity.      

He had to take it slow if he wanted to gain Heimo's trust yet it had robbed almost all of his willpower to pretend that he didn't care. He had almost forgotten how it felt when his heart contained nothing, when there was still nothing that he cherished and feared to hurt more than anything. So Lu Yizhou merely inhaled deeply and tempered his urges. With the most nonchalant tone he could offer, he said, hoping that Heimo didn't notice the slight tremble on his fingertips. "If you wish to tell me, you will."     

He still hadn't dragged his eyes from the fire, not trusting them to mask the turbulent emotions that were wrecking through his chest.     

Beside him, Heimo was silent for a few beats before he gave another chuckle. This time, quieter and with more bewilderment that he could let on. "Jingxue-Jun, you're really… different from what I have heard of you."     

Lu Yizhou resisted the need to correct Heimo's address of his title. Fortunately, Heimo added in the nick of time, with a lingering sigh laced in his tone. "You're so good, so thoughtful and gentle. How can anyone say you're as cold as the snow?" He leaned forward a bit and Lu Yizhou stared at the closing distance between their shadows that were reflected on the opposite wall. "Or could it be… do you only act like that around this humble one?" He teased, fully expecting Jingxue-Jun — the noble and righteous Jingxue-Jun — to rebuke him of his shamelessness the very next second.     

Instead, Lu Yizhou shot back. "It's good that you know it."     

Heimo choked on his breath. "H—Huh?!"     

Lu Yizhou's eyes abruptly turned sharp and his hand went to his sword that was leaning against the wall. In a blink of an eye, he had stood up in alert. "Stay here." He said to the frozen Heimo and stalked out, toward the voices he had heard approaching the cave.      

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Mini theater     

Heimo: *flirts*     

LYZ: *flirts back*     

Heimo: !!! *dies* Abort mission! Abort mission!     

Round 1: Heimo vs LYZ 0-1