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“You’re running out of time Agent Han.”
Han Wenqing had worked with a lot of handlers over the years, and from any other he’d worked with, the line would have been a bark, a demand or an alarmed warning. From Zhang Xinjie, it was a matter-of-fact statement, calm and steady as his voice always was, no matter what was happening.
“Have you found the office yet?” He heard a hum from his earpiece and the sounds of fingers flying across the keyboard before Zhang Xinjie was speaking once more.
“Straight ahead and then the second door on your left. The room is empty, but the meeting won’t be held for much longer and you need to be gone before then.” Han Wenqing was abruptly reminded of why other agents preferred not to be partnered with Zhang Xinjie, as he was prone to pointing out the obvious. He found it comforting, the occasional comment reminding him to stay focused, and so he requested to be partnered with Zhang Xinjie as much as he could.
He slipped into the office, inserting the hard drive that he’d been given, waiting for the contents of the computer to be downloaded. The company, Yuan Pharmaceuticals, had been dodging inspections and paying large bribes to continue flying under the radar. When a report had finally been published, it hadn’t been out for more than 24 hours before the employee had vanished and their findings destroyed. It was enough to catch Glory’s attention and it meant that Han Wenqing had been tasked with getting the report back to his bosses so they could learn more before acting.
“There are two sets of footsteps approaching, get out of view.” Han Wenqing left the hard drive to duck under the desk just in time as the office door creaked open. He could hear soft voices and the sounds of a high giggle followed by clothes rustling. The feet approached but before they could come too close, an alarm rang out and the two startled before rushing out of the office, door clicking shut behind them.
“Thank you.” There was no real need to thank Zhang Xinjie. After all, it was his job, but Han Wenqing still wanted to give thanks for making his job easier.
“The files have finished downloading.” Han Wenqing grabbed the drive and slipped out of the door, joining the throng of employees heading out of the building before walking away entirely and heading back to Glory’s headquarters.
Ye Xiu met him in the lobby, smug smile in place as Han Wenqing headed towards his debriefing, likely pleased that he wasn’t the one who had to go speak to the higher ups. Han Wenqing didn’t break the silence, trusting that if Ye Xiu was following him then there was something the other man wanted to talk about.
He was right. “Did you hear? Apparently the higher ups want to bring some of the handlers back into the field.” Han Wenqing blinked. Everyone knew that the handlers used to be field agents before they were given the option to be a guiding voice for them instead. He’d never been given the offer and would have refused the option if it ever presented itself. He was a field agent and that was all.
“Which handlers do they want back in the field?” He couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. If Ye Xiu was bringing this to him then it would likely affect him, and his friend’s next words confirmed it.
“Wang Jiexi, Xiao Shiqin, Yu Wenzhou, they tried to convince Su Muqiu to leave tech development but he refused, oh and Zhang Xinjie.”
“Huang Shaotian won’t be pleased.” It was the only thing that Han Wenqing could think to say and Ye Xiu huffed out a sharp breath, a sound that wasn’t quite a laugh.
“I can’t believe they’re removing Xiao Shiqin as Sun Xiang’s handler.” Han Wenqing had to agree. Sun Xiang, one of the newest field agents, was volatile and rarely listened to orders. For some reason, Xiao Shiqin was one of the only agents that Sun Xiang listened to, even if it was only begrudgingly. “Are you annoyed?”
“Why would I be annoyed?” Ye Xiu tilted his head to the side as he lit a cigarette, ignoring the way Han Wenqing shot him a glare. He took a long drag and exhaled slowly before replying, paying no mind to the fact that they were nearly at Han Wenqing’s destination.
“Your favourite handler is leaving the intelligence room. You request him every time; what are you going to do without him?” Ye Xiu’s lips were curled up in a smile, mockery dancing in his eyes, and Han Wenqing refrained from rolling his own.
“Has Su Muqiu noticed your attempts to catch his attention yet?” It wasn’t often Han Wenqing could catch Ye Xiu off-guard, so he couldn’t help his amusement when his friend’s mouth opened to reply, and he walked into his meeting before Ye Xiu could say anything.
The debrief was standard: Han Wenqing handed over the information and relayed the main points of his mission before being dismissed to write his report for the archives. He met Ye Xiu as he left the office, the other agent coming to stand by his side and picking up the thread of conversation as if there’d never been a gap.
“Muqiu has been paying plenty of attention to me-”
“You mean he’s been fixing your weapons for missions, you’re such a liar Lao Ye, I can’t believe you’d lie to Lao Han like this, you have no shame, no honesty, all you do is lie, Su Muqiu hasn’t spoken to you about anything except work for the entire time you’ve been speaking to him and it’s sad, it’s so sad that you’re trying to catch the attention of someone who isn’t interested-”
“How’s Yu Wenzhou?” Han Wenqing watched as Huang Shaotian’s mouth snapped shut for a long moment before he scowled, kicking at the floor as he fell into step with the other two.
“Don’t think you can get out of admitting that Su Muqiu hasn’t paid any attention to you by drawing attention to me.” Ye Xiu tilted his head, mock curiosity written across his face, and Huang Shaotian refused to meet his eyes.
“Let’s stop talking about this, what’s the point in talking about this, Ye Xiu you owe me a spar, you promised me a spar before you left the last time and you still haven’t sparred with me, is this how you keep your word, you have to spar with me Ye Xiu Ye Xiu Ye Xiu you promised-”
“I’ll spar with you, come on.” Ye Xiu watched as Huang Shaotian bounded towards the gym, the promise of a spar making him eager. Han Wenqing frowned at his friend.
“You never give in that easily.” The other agent didn’t answer, simply following Huang Shaotian into the gym where the blond was standing stock still, all thoughts of a spar apparently wiped from his mind. Han Wenqing stared at him for a moment before he saw what the other was staring at.
It was rare for the various handlers to come down to the gym and spar. Most of them preferred to remain behind their desks, or at least, they rarely sparred while the field agents were in the room. Today seemed to be an exception, as Yu Wenzhou and Zhang Xinjie were in the middle of a spar. Han Wenqing had to admit, he understood why Huang Shaotian had finally fallen silent.
He hadn’t expected the spar to look so graceful. Every time Zhang Xinjie and Yu Wenzhou clashed, the flurry of blows was quick before they retreated once more, back to circling around one another, searching for an opening.
Yu Wenzhou spotted one first, kicking his leg out and causing Zhang Xinjie’s leg to buckle, forcing him to his knees. He capitalised on his advantage immediately, shifting to manhandle the other onto his stomach, trying to restrain his arms behind his back. Before Yu Wenzhou could get a proper grip on Zhang Xinjie, the other agent twisted violently, unseating Yu Wenzhou, giving him the advantage. Yu Wenzhou cursed as Zhang Xinjie forced his arms above his head while straddling his chest. He shifted a few times, testing out the other’s hold, searching for an opportunity to break the grip but eventually he went limp and tapped his foot three times, conceding defeat.
Zhang Xinjie helped him to his feet, but before either could speak, Huang Shaotian woke from his trance and darted over to grab at Yu Wenzhou’s arms, eyes wide and awed as he started to chatter.
“Wow Yu Wenzhou, I didn’t know you could fight like that, fight me next, fight me next, I’ve never sparred with you before, come spar with me!” Han Wenqing wondered if Huang Shaotian had thought that offer through but decided that it wasn’t his problem to deal with. Ye Xiu had already gone to sit down, Huang Shaotian successfully distracted from his promise for a spar.
“Would you like to spar?” Zhang Xinjie’s offer brought him out of his thoughts, and chancing a glance at Ye Xiu told him that his friend would not be getting up to spar with him any time soon.
“If you’re willing.” Zhang Xinjie nodded at him and Han Wenqing shrugged off his jacket and took his place on the mat. He was curious to see how Zhang Xinjie fought, knowing the best way to get a read on someone’s abilities was to fight them yourself—
Han Wenqing ducked the fist swinging towards his face, instinct the only reason he threw a punch in response, watching as Zhang Xinjie darted out of the way with ease. He took a few steps back to reorientate himself, narrowing his eyes at Zhang Xinjie, who seemed to be assessing him, waiting for his next move.He threw himself forward, shaking off his surprise in favour of attacking, fists swinging, aimed at Zhang Xinjie, who dodged the offense with ease. Han Wenqing could see something in his handler’s eyes, something he couldn’t quite place, but it had the hairs on the back of his neck prickling with warning. Zhang Xinjie seemed content to dodge his blows, blocking the ones he couldn’t avoid, and Han Wenqing blinked in surprise at the first block, feeling the solid power of his handler.
Han Wenqing couldn’t help but feel that something wasn’t right, that this was not the style of fighting that Zhang Xinjie had been using earlier. In fairness, he’d missed the majority of the spar but he was nearly certain that Zhang Xinjie was waiting for something, that he had a plan and he was just waiting for the right moment.
He sensed Zhang Xinjie’s victory before it came to pass.
Han Wenqing knew he’d made a mistake, knew that his kick would leave him off balance even if it connected with his opponent. Zhang Xinjie wasted no time taking advantage of his slip, grabbing his calf and yanking him off his feet. He collided with the mat hard, knocking the breath from his lungs and he immediately started to move, trying to flip their positions before Zhang Xinjie could capitalise on his momentary lapse.
It was too late however, Zhang Xinjie pushing his arms up into a painful lock that when used properly would dislocate his shoulders if he tried to struggle. As it was, his opponent only let the threat dangle in the air, tacitly speaking of his victory and Han Wenqing went limp against the mat before tapping out.
Zhang Xinjie stuck out a hand to help him off the mat and Han Wenqing accepted it, letting himself get pulled into a standing position. He took a moment to take in his sparring partner, as he always did after a fight, but for some reason his gaze lingered on Zhang Xinjie, trailing across his features, noting the way his throat moved when he swallowed. Han Wenqing found himself noting down the fact that Zhang Xinjie’s hair was ruffled, strands sticking messily to his forehead, his eyes were closed as he drank, he wanted to brush the errant strands back into place, moving closer-
“I yield!” Han Wenqing was startled back to reality by Huang Shaotian’s voice ringing out and although he’d never admit it, he was immensely grateful to his fellow agent for pulling him out of his head before he did something he’d regret.
Like reach out and trace the curve of Zhang Xinjie’s exposed collarbones.
“That was enjoyable.” Zhang Xinjie’s voice pulled Han Wenqing’s attention away from Huang Shaotian’s beet red face. “I wouldn’t mind sparring with you again.” Faced with the offer, Han Wenqing wasn’t sure how to react outside of a quick nod, hoping that was enough and wouldn’t give away any of his internal turmoil.
Fortunately, Zhang Xinjie was used to his taciturn nature and didn’t push, moving over to speak to Yu Wenzhou who was looking bemusedly at Huang Shaotian, who was in turn pointedly looking everywhere except at his handler.
Ye Xiu’s voice sounded at his side and Han Wenqing braced himself for mockery poorly disguised as advice or neutral commentary. To his chagrin, he was correct.
“Maybe you won’t mind your favourite handler leaving his desk,” Ye Xiu sounded like he was barely holding back his laughter and Han Wenqing kept his face carefully blank, knowing that Ye Xiu was watching him carefully for any kind of reaction. “Though you might get distracted if he’s sent out on missions with you.” Before Han Wenqing could think of a reply, Zhang Xinjie’s voice interjected smoothly, tone seemingly unimpressed, though he seemed to have missed most of the conversation, to Han Wenqing’s relief.
“Have you been listening to gossip?” The intelligence agent seemed unimpressed and he took another long drink before he spoke again, “there are no orders for us to return to the field, they simply want everyone to be prepared for the possibility.”
“Fortunate for Sun Xiang.” Zhang Xinjie let out a soft, huffed breath that may have been a laugh, the edge of a smile playing across his lips.
“You may have a point,” all three collectively remembered the mission where Sun Xiang would have doggedly pursued his target with single-minded focus all the way onto a cargo ship to Colombia if Xiao Shiqin hadn’t reined him in. How he’d managed to get the hot-headed and impulsive rookie to listen to him was still a mystery, but he’d managed it.
“So you aren’t leaving your desk Xiao Zhang? I never took you as the type who enjoyed listening to incompetent agents relying on you to rescue them with alarms.” Han Wenqing wondered how Ye Xiu had already found out about that but Ye Xiu always seemed to know everything even as it happened. Zhang Xinjie turned to give his full attention to Ye Xiu, unimpressed frown already present on his lips. Han Wenqing quashed the thought that whispered that the intelligence agent had looked prettier with the ghost of a smile.
“Agent Han didn’t need my assistance there, I chose to intervene in order to ensure the extraction was easier. It is my job to coordinate with the agent and anticipate what they might need.” Ye Xiu nodded solemnly as Zhang Xinjie left, before turning to face Han Wenqing once more.
“At least you weren’t as obvious as Shaotian,” Ye Xiu patted his arm in faux sympathy as they both looked over to where Yu Wenzhou was saying something softly to Huang Shaotian while the other agent looked as if he were about to faint or explode. He looked over at them, a request for one of them to interrupt and rescue him clear in his eyes, and he had to swallow the instinctive barrage of curses when both turned away and left him alone with Yu Wenzhou.
Who was readying himself for another spar, and Huang Shaotian pushed away his distractions in favour of focusing on the fight in front of him. He could yell at his friends later.
Han Wenqing was only slightly surprised when Zhang Xinjie paused in front of his table, question clear in his eyes. He inclined his head slightly and the intelligence agent took a seat, something hesitant in the way he paused before he spoke.
“Have you ever worked with Ye Xiu as your handler?” Han Wenqing thought back to the times he’d had Ye Xiu in his ear, occasionally chiming in with a comment, typically unhelpful, but if something went wrong, Ye Xiu’s sharp mind and lightning fast observations had saved his life before.
“I have,” Zhang Xinjie watched him expectantly and Han Wenqing realised that he was poised to take notes, waiting for him to continue. “He’s an excellent agent and one of the best handlers I have worked with.”
“You trust him?”
“I trust all the agents here,” when Zhang Xinjie aimed an unimpressed look at him he continued, “but I trust him more than most.” The intelligence agent nodded to himself, scribbling something else down in the notebook before snapping it shut.
“I had looked over the relevant missions and you two seemed to be an excellent team, but I wanted to be certain that the two of you work well together before I agreed.”
“Agreed to what?” Zhang Xinjie blinked once, as if surprised, gaze flicking up to meet Han Wenqing’s eyes.
“In the interest of ensuring that I am mission ready, I’m being assigned to your stakeout. The directors suggested that it was the perfect low-risk reintroduction to field missions.”
“They trust you that little?” Ye Xiu’s smile was bright and sly as he took a seat beside Han Wenqing.
“It’s standard procedure-” Zhang Xinjie was interrupted by Huang Shaotian catapulting himself into his seat, making the table shift a few inches from the force. Yu Wenzhou took his seat more sedately, nodding to the others while Huang Shaotian forewent any greetings in favour of launching into the news he’d been itching to tell someone all day.
“Did you hear, did any of you hear?” When he was met with an array of blank faces he huffed out a breath, shaking his head in disappointment, “ahh, do none of you pay attention to what goes on around here? Are you all too busy with your other distractions,” here, Huang Shaotian paused to eye Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu meaningfully before continuing. Fortunately, the two intelligence agents didn’t seem to notice. “Anyway, you’ve heard that some handlers are working on getting mission ready again, even if they are staying in intelligence and not going out into the field, Xiao Shiqin is one of those agents, and he’s supposed to be going on a mission with Dai Yanqi but Sun Xiang kicked up a fuss and demanded to be assigned to the mission without explaining why!” From Huang Shaotian’s grin, it was clear he had his own speculations as to why and he was merely waiting to be asked about them.
“Is this all you do with your day? Listen to and relay gossip? No wonder Wenzhou is being assigned to one of my missions and not yours-”
“Oi oi oi! How could you accuse me of that Ye Xiu, Ye Xiu you should know I work just as hard as you, I could even work harder than you, in fact I bet I work harder than you- you still owe me a spar, you have to spar with me now, after accusing me of not working hard, fight me fight me fight me-!”
“Shaotian.” At Yu Wenzhou’s quiet voice Huang Shaotian’s mouth snapped shut immediately, subsiding from where he was half out of his seat to yell at Ye Xiu more effectively.
“Did it work?” Zhang Xinjie elaborated when Huang Shaotian just stared at him blankly, “did Sun Xiang get assigned along with Xiao Shiqin and Dai Yanqi?”
“Ah, no. Apparently Xiao Shiqin went to talk to Sun Xiang later but I don’t know anything about that.”
“Mm, good.” Zhang Xinjie returned to his notebook, seemingly uninterested in the rest of the conversation, occasionally looking up at Yu Wenzhou and asking him something.
Eventually, Huang Shaotian and Han Wenqing found themselves shuffling to give the other three some space as they began discussing...something to do with the details of the new handguns that Su Muqiu and his team were developing.
“Have you tried the new handguns?” Huang Shaotian’s eyes were bright with curiosity as he craned his neck to get a better look at the diagram Yu Wenzhou was drawing. Han Wenqing glanced up from his own notes to see what the others were talking about, just in time to see Huang Shaotian’s eyes linger on Yu Wenzhou’s hands.
“I did, yesterday. They’re easier to aim with, there’s more accuracy over a longer range. Su Muqiu outdid himself with these.” Zhang Xingjie hummed as he studied Yu Wenzhou’s diagram. “Will these be ready for field use soon?”
Ye Xiu nodded, smug grin once again firmly affixed upon his face. “Muqiu reported that they’ll be ready and in the field in less than a week.” The other agents watched him, waiting for him to elaborate on why he looked so smug, “I get to be the first field agent to use them.”
“Favoritism,” Huang Shaotian grumbled to himself, but no one engaged with him and he pouted, going back to studying his own notes, lips moving silently as he read.
Eventually, the group began to split up, having other duties to attend to, and Han Wenqing couldn’t help the way his eyes followed Zhang Xinjie as he left, wondering what it would be like to work with the other agent in the field. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Ye Xiu nudging his shoulder, who seemed endlessly amused by the situation.
“You won’t be this distracted in the field will you Lao Han? After all, you have to keep your focus on the task at hand instead of musing over Xiao Zhang’s pale beauty-” Han Wenqing stood and left, ignoring Ye Xiu’s huffed laughter behind him. He was certain that he could keep his cool around Zhang Xinjie, even if he’d found himself increasingly distracted by the other recently.
Han Wenqing regretted ever agreeing to join Ye Xiu to test out the new handguns Su Muqiu had developed. If his friend had mentioned that Zhang Xinjie would also be there, he would have found a polite way to refuse the invitation. It was easier to avoid the other agent rather than spend too much time trying to keep himself level-headed and focused.
He was usually excellent at both, but Zhang Xinjie seemed to be very skilled at breaking his composure, and the worst part was that the other agent didn’t even seem to notice. Which was likely a good thing, and since Ye Xiu was too busy trying to wow Su Muqiu with his shooting, no one seemed to notice that he was more focused on watching Zhang Xinjie than testing out the handguns himself.
Han Wenqing couldn’t quite tell what it was that had his gaze sliding over to where Zhang Xinjie was standing. He wasn’t doing anything particularly exceptional, although his aim was admirable, yet Han Wenqing couldn’t stop his gaze from straying over to him over and over again.
“If you shoot me I’m going to be upset.” If nothing else, at least Ye Xiu was kind enough to keep his voice low, meaning that Zhang Xinjie would probably not hear.
“I’m not going to shoot you.”
“You do know the targets are over there yes?” Han Wenqing offered him an unimpressed stare, making Ye Xiu raise his hands in surrender before returning to Su Muqiu’s side, offering what was likely supposed to be a winning smile. Su Muqiu looked distinctly unimpressed as he returned to his notes, which did not seem to deter Ye Xiu as he pulled out his own set of notes to compare.
Ye Xiu missed the lovestruck look Su Muqiu sent him when he got a good look at the other’s observations. Han Wenqing debated pointing this out to Ye Xiu but decided that the other was smart enough to figure it out himself.
His gaze ended up on Zhang Xinjie once more and Han Wenqing came to the conclusion that it was the expression in Zhang Xinjie’s eyes that had him captivated. All his attention was focused on the target and his gaze didn’t waver for a moment. Han Wenqing knew what it felt like to have the full force of Zhang Xinjie’s focus on him from their earlier spar, and it was a heady experience.
He pulled his gaze away before he could get caught, keeping his attention on the new gun and how it felt to use for the rest of the session so that when Su Muqiu asked him for his thoughts he would have something to say.
Zhang Xinjie caught his wrist before he could leave, something that had him fighting down a flush as he turned. The other agent didn’t let go of his wrist and it had him distracted, even as he tried to keep his focus on what Zhang Xinjie was saying instead of the way his mouth moved, or his hair, or the slight pressure of his fingers—
“I wanted to ask you if you would be free for a spar, after our mission tomorrow.” Han Wenqing wasn’t sure what his expression was but it prompted Zhang Xinjie to elaborate, “you’re an excellent partner to brush up on how to overpower stronger opponents with.” Han Wenqing just nodded, unsure as to how to react.
“Of course.”
“At three then?” When Han Wenqing nodded and Zhang Xinjie smiled at him, making his brain pause for a moment before he realised the other man was still talking.
“I’ll schedule you in, thank you Wenqing.” It was a small thing, but hearing Zhang Xinjie call him Wenqing instead of Agent Han made a warm feeling flare up in his chest. He pulled his mind back to the present, wanting to run over the details of their stakeout the next day a few more times before they left.
It was a straightforward mission that came with the promise of a spar at the end of it, so Han Wenqing found himself eager for the next day to come.
Han Wenqing hadn’t expected the stakeout to go so wrong so quickly, diving behind a wall as bullets came smashing through the glass. Zhang Xinjie was pressed against his side and the moment the bullets paused, he darted out towards the corridor; expecting Han Wenqing to follow, already speaking to Ye Xiu.
“Are there any clear exits out of the building?”
“No, your best shot is climbing down the fire escape after incapacitating the one guard.”
“They knew we were coming.” Han Wenqing knew that the other two had already come to this conclusion but saying it out loud made Zhang Xinjie throw a glance over his shoulder, concern sharp in his eyes.
“There will be a vehicle ready for extraction when you make it down the fire escape. The corridor is fairly narrow with nothing to duck behind and I cannot see how armed the one guard is, good luck.” Zhang Xinjie paused in front of the door leading to the fire escape, turning to face Han Wenqing.
“What do you think we should do, Agent Han?” Han Wenqing took a breath, well aware that they’d have to move quickly to avoid the rest of the guards who were waiting to kill them or use them as leverage.
“If you cover me I can try and disarm the guard.” Zhang Xinjie frowned, displeasure at the plan clearly written across his face, but he knew that this was their best opportunity to get out with minimal injuries. He pulled his gun out of its holster and got into position, poised and ready for Han Wenqing to act.
Han Wenqing kicked the door open with a loud bang, startling the guard, and Zhang Xinjie was firing before the other could recover, not giving him an opportunity to return fire. By the time it became too dangerous for Zhang Xinjie to shoot in case he hit Han Wenqing, the other agent was already too close to his target for a gun to be effective, forcing the other to engage in hand to hand combat.
Zhang Xinjie kept one eye on the door and could hear the sound of footsteps rushing down the corridor towards them. He cursed when a new opponent arrived and used the same tactic of rushing in close and dodging his shots, which forced him to holster his gun and pulled out a knife instead. His new opponent was broad but slow on his feet, and it wasn’t too difficult to dodge his swings.
Han Wenqing found that his opponent wasn’t particularly skilled at hand to hand combat as his dodging was slow and sloppy, and it was quite easy to slam his fist into the man’s solar plexus, making him double over in pain, tears filling his eyes. He capitalised on his advantage, driving his knee up into the other’s face, causing him to drop to the ground unconscious and allowing Han Wenqing to secure his arms and legs, leaving him in an inelegant heap. His head whipped up when he heard Zhang Xinjie let out a cry of pain before there was another yell and then a dull thud.
Zhang Xinjie had one hand pressed over his shoulder while his opponent swayed on his feet for a moment from a punch to the jaw before he toppled over, hitting the ground with a thump. He hissed, cursing himself for letting the other man catch him off guard and slice him across the shoulder with a hidden knife. The wound was still bleeding, and he turned to face Han Wenqing, who had an expression on his face that Zhang Xinjie didn’t quite recognise. It looked like frustration or anger but there was a hint of something else, something that Zhang Xinjie could even call fear.
“Extraction in one minute.” Ye Xiu’s voice ringing out in their ears broke the moment and Zhang Xinjie tore a strip off his shirt and wrapped it haphazardly over the wound before heading for the exit. Han Wenqing found his eyes fixed on the small pool of blood on the ground, dark red against the blue-green tile. He was no stranger to blood, it was an occupational hazard for him, but for some reason, the fact that it was Zhang Xinjie’s blood—it made him pause until Ye Xiu’s voice rang out in his ear again.
“Lao Han what are you doing? You’re going to miss the extraction.” Han Wenqing refused to acknowledge the words, climbing down the fire escape after Zhang Xinjie, getting into the car and pulling out the bandages from the first aid kit, as the makeshift strips of fabric over the other agent’s wound was already soaked through. Zhang Xinjie went to take the bandages gratefully, but paused, wincing as the movement pulled at his wound and Han Wenqing felt the urge to intervene.
“Do you need some help?” Zhang Xinjie nodded gratefully, slumping in his seat slightly, face pale, and Han Wenqing carefully unwound the blood soaked bandages, forcing down the panic rising at how much blood was still being lost. He knew that it wasn’t life-threateningly deep even if it wasn’t trivial, he knew that Zhang Xinjie was going to be fine but he couldn’t quite squash the fear he felt. He dressed the wound as best he could with their limited supplies and ignored Ye Xiu waxing poetic about how beautiful it was that he was tending to his beloved’s wound. Han Wenqing was nearly certain that the other agent was searching for ancient poems to draw parallels to specifically to mock him.
When Zhang Xinjie tried to stand and exit the car, his face paled further and he stumbled slightly, prompting Han Wenqing to steady him, arm wrapping around his waist instinctively. He couldn’t help but notice that Zhang Xinjie was warm in his arms and he found himself hiding his reluctance once they reached the medical bay and he had to relinquish his hold on his partner.
“Thank you for helping me,” Zhang Xinjie’s eyes were earnest and Han Wenqing fought the urge to flush as he nodded sharply, unsure of how else to react. Before he could leave, Zhang Xinjie reached out to catch his wrist, tone even and level, despite the concern laced within his words. “They knew we were coming. Before we even arrived, they were ready.”
“I’ll tell them,” the look written across Zhang Xinjie’s face was dark and serious and Han Wenqing couldn’t help the chill that ran through him as they both considered the implications. “I’ll tell them.”
“Lao Han, Lao Han! Shouldn’t you be in medical, look at you, you’re covered in blood, so much blood, it’s unhygienic to walk around with open wounds you know, no matter how scary you are, you can’t scare off an injury, that’s not how anything works at all-”
“I’m fine.” When Huang Shaotian opened his mouth to protest or disagree Han Wenqing continued, “it’s Xinjie’s blood and he’s already being treated.”
“Zhang Xinjie’s blood—? But you were just going on a stakeout, you were going to sit in a building and take few photos and leave—it was such a boring mission, nothing to do but wait and then leave—why would you—what happened, it’s so much blood—”
“I don’t know.” Huang Shaotian’s expression twisted into something Han Wenqing couldn’t read with an edge of fear before his usual sunny smile spread across his face, even if it wasn’t convincing.
“You should definitely tell management about that then, I’m sure they’ll figure out what’s going on soon enough! I’ll see you later Lao Han, Ye Xiu finally promised to spar with me!” Han Wenqing watched as Huang Shaotian bolted down the corridor, seemingly buzzing with excitement. He continued towards his debriefing, turned a corner and was faced with Ye Xiu, leaning against a wall, seemingly mulling something over.
“I thought you were sparring with Shaotian.” Ye Xiu’s expression lightened at that, his smile promising mild pain for Huang Shaotian.
“Ah something came up, I asked Yu Wenzhou to take my place.” Han Wenqing couldn’t help but feel a stab of sympathy for Huang Shaotian but he was quickly distracted by Ye Xiu’s next words. “You know something’s wrong don’t you? They had to know you were coming, they didn’t even hesitate before opening fire. They were tipped off.”
“Do you think something is wrong?” Ye Xiu’s expression told him yes, before it lightened and he waved one hand, seemingly unconcerned.
“No need to be worried, don’t forget to mention it in your debrief but no worries.” He clapped Han Wenqing on the shoulder briefly before he slipped away, leaving Han Wenqing to his debriefing, and it was likely he was going to go watch Huang Shaotian try not to embarass himself in front of Yu Wenzhou and fail.
He took a breath, conversations with the three agents whirling around his head and putting him on edge before he walked into his meeting.
“How are you?” Zhang Xinjie sat up straighter when he spotted Han Wenqing entering, waving off the question with a quick answer.
“I am fine, how was the debriefing?” When Han Wenqing didn’t answer, seemingly waiting for a real response Zhang Xinjie pushed up his glasses, lips pursed slightly. Far from intimidating Han Wenqing, he simply was distracted by the shape of his lips and had to pull his gaze back to Zhang Xinjie’s eyes before the other man noticed. “I have x stitches and will be on medical leave for about a week. How was the debriefing?”
“Uneventful.” Zhang Xinjie frowned and Han Wenqing agreed with the sentiment, “they didn’t seem to be concerned.” His partner opened his mouth to speak but before he could speak, Han Wenqing was ushered out by one of the medical staff, insisting that Zhang Xinjie needed rest.
When he returned the next day, he was informed that Agent Zhang had been discharged and had already left for his medical leave. Han Wenqing couldn’t help but think that was strange. While Zhang Xinjie’s injury could hardly be called life-threatening, Han Wenqing knew it was normal for agents to be confined near the medical wing for much longer for far more superficial injuries than his partner’s.
He sent a quick message to Zhang Xinjie, sending him his well wishes as well as the get well soon messages from passing acquaintances. Han Wenqing wondered briefly why people assumed that he’d be in contact with Zhang Xinjie to the point they asked him to pass on their concern.
He didn’t have much time to dwell on it, having a training session as well as a lecture on the new handguns that Su Muqiu and his team had developed to attend. Han Wenqing knew how to use the new handguns, having been given the opportunity to test them, as well as watch Ye Xiu flirt with Su Muqiu the entire time. Han Wenqing had also been mildly distracted watching the way Zhang Xinjie handled a gun but he hadn’t shot himself or anyone while distracted and he counted that as a win.
Zhang Xinjie wasn’t sure why he’d been discharged so quickly from the medical wing and told to rest off base for the duration of his leave. It wasn’t unusual for agents to take a break from living on site, but it was typical for the individual to make the request before, to allow time for appropriate temporary housing to be found. Zhang Xinjie thought it may have something to do with his recent foray back into the field. After all, the mission had gone badly.
His phone chimed from where it was on the counter and Zhang Xinjie smiled at the messages from Han Wenqing, asking after his health and keeping him informed, knowing he didn’t like being out of the loop. It was comforting, the regular messages and updates on what was happening at the headquarters. And then, a few days before he was due back, the messages abruptly stopped and Han Wenqing stopped replying.
Zhang Xinjie tried to tell himself that it was nothing to be concerned about, that he was likely busy with his duties, or back out in the field, but he couldn’t quite shake off the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.
He was right.
Han Wenqing nodded at the handler he’d been assigned. It wasn’t strange for him to be paired with unknown handlers when Zhang Xinjie was assigned to someone else, and the others he was more familiar with were tied up with other things. He opened the mission briefing to see another stakeout, this one to gather information about possible links between Yuan Pharmaceuticals and illegal shipments of banned substances.
There was a straightforward objective: follow the cargo, find out if the suspicions of a partnership were founded and then report back so further investigations could be made. It was so very straightforward. It should have been easy.
Han Wenqing wasn’t sure what happened, wasn’t sure what went wrong but the moment he moved into position, he felt a stinging sensation on the back of his neck before the world began to get hazier and hazier.
He could feel people trying to restrain him and he fought back immediately, refusing to simply give in and let them take him, even as his vision blurred and doubled. Han Wenqing fought through the haze, knowing that if he blacked out there was no chance of him getting out of this situation. He yelled when something hard collided with his side, and he felt something give, making it nearly impossible to stay on his feet and he dropped to his knees.
Han Wenqing moved instinctively as he collapsed, sending a distress call to his handler, sending out his location and a distress signal before everything went black.
He woke up, vision still hazy from whatever he’d been injected with, to raised voices outside his room. Han Wenqing tugged at his arms futilely, realising they were bound to the wall and there was no chance of him getting free without breaking something. On top of that, despite his injuries having been treated, suggesting they needed him alive for something, breathing in too sharply still made pain lance through him, suggesting that his ribs were at least cracked. In lieu of trying to loosen his restraints, he turned his attention to the conversation taking place outside.
“You sent a ransom?!” Someone snarled, fury clear in their tone while the other voice seemed whinier, less sure of themselves.
“You didn’t tell us what to do with him! You don’t need information out of him, you work for his-”
“Shut it!” The first voice seemed slightly on edge at that, as if something that could be used against him had been revealed. “Now I have to go clean up your mess. Keep him sedated and do not contact anyone else about him!” Han Wenqing filed away the conversation as someone he didn’t recognise entered the room. As the needle pierced his skin, Han Wenqing couldn’t help but think the first voice sounded familiar and it was his last thought before everything went hazy and he passed out once more.
Zhang Xinjie returned to Glory Headquarters, fully recovered and skipping the rest of his time off, but he couldn’t help but feel that the last few days of his medical leave had been unnecessary. He got a few nods as he returned to his computer, logging on without issue. He knew it wasn’t a good habit, but every attempt to break out of it left him nervous and on edge and Zhang Xinjie found that his life ran more smoothly if he satisfied the urge to check in on Han Wenqing when he wasn’t the field agent’s primary handler.
He frowned as he pulled up the file. Everything seemed in order, nothing seemed out of place, except for the check in two days ago. The handler had logged that Han Wenqing hadn’t verbally checked in, simply pressing his communicator and nothing else. Something that he never did. Han Wenqing was a stickler for protocol; always verbally checking in and confirming his code. Zhang Xinjie glanced up when he sensed someone at his shoulder and spotted Ye Xiu leaning against his station casually, head cocked to the side, amusement playing on his lips as he got a good look at his screen.
“Xiao Zhang are you breaking protocol? I never took you for the type—” Light pressure against the other agent’s wrist had Ye Xiu pausing for a moment before continuing. “You’re usually in the gym for sparring long before I need to get you.” Zhang Xinjie knew that his schedule hadn’t been set yet, having only just arrived and having come off his medical leave early.
“Oh yes, I was a little distracted, I didn’t mean to be late.”
There was no one else in the gym when they arrived, choosing to use one of the smaller sparring areas that was further away and less convenient than the newer ones. Ye Xiu readied himself, waiting for Zhang Xinjie to do the same before he struck and the second Zhang Xinjie blocked the swing he knew they were merely putting on a performance. The kick he aimed at Ye Xiu’s knee was designed to miss but the other still made a performance out of dodging, already questioning.
“What has you on edge?”
“Han Wenqing, have you seen him recently?”
“He was sent out on a mission, a stakeout for more information.” Zhang Xinjie let himself get wrestled to the ground, keeping his voice low and barely moving his lips.
“He checked in two days ago. Non-verbally.” Without turning to look, he knew Ye Xiu was frowning, knew that Ye Xiu was close to Han Wenqing and was well-aware that he would always check in verbally. It wasn’t strange, not on paper, and Zhang Xinjie was certain that someone out there was counting on that.
“What are you going to do about it?” Zhang Xinjie twisted easily out of Ye Xiu’s grip, reversing their positions, pinning him to the ground, leaning close to whisper.
“I’m going to find out what’s going on and then I’ll act.” Zhang Xinjie rolled off Ye Xiu easily and nodded before walking away. There was a certain tightness in his shoulders that wasn’t usually there and Ye Xiu couldn’t help but hope it was just a misunderstanding. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing Zhang Xinjie if Han Wenqing was actually in trouble.
Zhang Xinjie knew that if he got caught he would likely be fired, along with everything that implied, but too much was at stake. He tried not to think about exactly why this was so important to him, not when he still wasn’t sure there was anything there. Han Wenqing’s file was easy enough to access, the details of his mission neatly laid out on the screen, the two check ins front and center, but Zhang Xinjie wasn’t reassured.
He started digging a little more, not trusting the surface and frowned when he realised that the first check in had been manually inputted, about five minutes after the signal. Usually the numbers matched perfectly, or were only off by a minute. Five minutes was long enough to raise suspicion.
There was an encryption key on the file, because of course there was. Zhang Xinjie wasn’t the primary handler and he turned his attention to breaking it. It took about half an hour to find the right code and find that a distress signal had been triggered and immediately disregarded with the check in being logged five minutes after.
He found that the handler, someone he’d never worked with before, had forgotten to turn off Han Wenqing’s GPS tracking chip, or had kept it on to ensure he’d arrived because once it reached what was apparently the final destination it was deactivated.
Zhang Xinjie memorised the address, wiped his computer clean before leaving to find Ye Xiu. His suspicions had been confirmed and he took a deep breath to try and calm himself. It didn’t work.
“If Wenzhou knows where we’re going, if it goes wrong he can send back up-”
“No, it’s strange enough that I keep coming to find you, if we both go to Wenzhou after this it will look even more suspicious.”
“Xiao Zhang-”
“It was his handler Ye Xiu. It wasn’t a mistake or a mission gone wrong. His handler ensured that he would disappear.” Zhang Xinjie took a deep breath and Ye Xiu took in how agitated the other was, his composure cracking as the conversation dragged on. “No one else can know and we have to leave now. It’s been over five days, they might have moved him by now and-”
“We’ll go.” Zhang Xinjie cut himself off and met Ye Xiu’s eyes, gold meeting green and the fine tremor Ye Xiu could see eased and Zhang Xinjie nodded.
Ye Xiu found that when Zhang Xinjie was furious he went quiet and cold. He could still feel the sharp press of the younger agent’s fingers around his wrist as he hissed out the information he’d learnt. He’d suggested going to Yu Wenzhou, to at least have some support, but Zhang Xinjie had been right when he insisted on not leaving a trail as everything pointed towards someone, most likely Han Wenqing’s handler, being the reason behind the agent’s disappearance.
All things considered, Ye Xiu was grateful that Zhang Xinjie was on his side and that he would not be facing him once they arrived at their destination.
Zhang Xinjie was vicious and Ye Xiu found himself slightly distracted from his own fight by the way the other agent’s contained power was on full display. Ye Xiu watched with fascination as Zhang Xinjie’s fist slammed into someone’s throat, leaving them choking and wheezing while he was disarmed and knocked out in one smooth blow.
From the slightly agape look on his opponent’s face, Ye Xiu wasn’t the only one who was slightly mesmerised by the way Zhang Xinjie was fighting. However, he wasn’t so distracted that he couldn’t fight and listen to Zhang Xinjie at the same time. After all, he wasn’t Han Wenqing.
“Will you be alright if I go find him?” Ye Xiu nodded, kneeing the enemy in the face and hearing something crack as blood gushed from the other’s face before he went limp, slumping to the ground.
“Go find him.” He only had to tie up the unconscious opponents and find some evidence against whoever captured Han Wenqing as proof that it was fair for them to go rogue. He wondered what their punishment would be for embarking on an unauthorised mission that Zhang Xinjie hadn’t even attempted to get permission for. Ye Xiu found himself, once again, impressed by the lengths that Zhang Xinjie would go to for Han Wenqing as he downloaded the contents of the group’s computer.
There wasn’t much, but he hoped it would be enough for them to keep their jobs.
Zhang Xinjie was honest enough with himself that he knew that there was very little keeping him calm, most of it being his own ironclad self-control. The knowledge that Han Wenqing had been missing for nearly a week without any flags being raised or concern from anyone assigned to him had his fists clenched and he tried to keep his turbulent emotions under control as best he could.
It was a relief to see Han Wenqing, despite the bruising and the visible injuries, including the bandages that suggested that the other agent’s ribs were damaged. Han Wenqing’s pupils were also dilated, which seemed to imply the other was drugged to keep him docile, and he was running a slight fever. The way Han Wenqing’s face stretched into a wide, dopey smile at the sight of him only reinforced this idea and Zhang Xinjie ignored the way his lips pulled into a smile to match Han Wenqing’s.
Han Wenqing wondered how long it had been since he’d been captured, his internal clock was usually fantastic but the repeated blows to various parts of his body as well as whatever they were injecting into him to keep him docile had him disorientated. He wondered, distantly, if anyone was looking for him. From his estimation, it had been at least five days, and as much as this mission had been risky, he was meant to check in with his handler around two days ago.
Han Wenqing thought briefly that his reputation of going up against terrible odds and coming out the victor was working against him. He couldn’t help but wonder if anyone noticed that his handler in those situations was Zhang Xinjie more often than not. He hoped Zhang Xinjie was okay, even if his injury wasn’t too dangerous, he couldn’t help his worry. Han Wenqing found himself speculating on whether Zhang Xinjie had picked up on his feelings, the other agent was always so observant, picking up on small details and Ye Xiu had kept telling him he was being too obvious.
“Maybe I have a concussion” was the next coherent thought to float through his head and Han Wenqing remembered the conversation he’d overheard, that whoever had captured him asked for a ransom.
He knew he should be connecting some dots there, that the fact they were after money before being berated, the fact that there hadn’t been any demands for information meant something, but he couldn’t quite piece together the full picture. If Zhang Xinjie was actually there in his cell and not just a figment of his imagination he’d probably be able to work it out. Zhang Xinjie was so very intelligent after all, so very intelligent and beautiful.
Han Wenqing sighed quietly, picturing the tiny furrow that formed between Zhang Xinjie’s eyebrows when he was deep in thought, sharp eyes focused on his work. He always wanted to reach out and smooth away the little frown, see if he could make Zhang Xinjie smile. He was so very pretty when he smiled, Han Wenqing couldn’t help but feel disappointed that he never got to trace the shape with his fingers.
“-Wenqing!” Han Wenqing blinked hazily for a moment and realised the Zhang Xinjie apparition was much closer than before and appeared to be undoing his restraints. He felt the urge to tell the apparition that figments of his imagination couldn’t affect real world objects but then he thought it would make the ghost Zhang Xinjie look displeased so he kept his mouth shut.
He was surprised when the ropes actually came loose and he looked at the imaginary Zhang Xinjie again. He looked different from the real Zhang Xinjie, the imaginary Zhang Xinjie had a bruise on his cheek and Han Wenqing was sad when he thought about Zhang Xinjie getting hurt, even if he wasn’t real.
“I am real,” Zhang Xinjie caught Han Wenqing’s chin and steadied his head, keeping his gaze on him, “Wenqing, this is real and you have to focus for me.”
“You said my name.” Han Wenqing couldn’t help but be pleased by that, his name sounded very nice coming from Zhang Xinjie. He had the urge to tell him this so he did and he gasped in delight when the other agent’s cheeks flushed slightly. “Pink!”
“Ye Xiu are you nearly finished, I need some help.” Han Wenqing couldn’t help but be impressed with his brain for not only conjuring up Zhang Xinjie but also Ye Xiu.
“What’s wrong with him?” Zhang Xinjie went to answer but Han Wenqing cut in first, tone serious and seemingly normal.
“Xinjie is too cute. I am distracted.” Despite the situation, Ye Xiu’s face broke out in a delighted grin and Han Wenqing frowned when he saw Zhang Xinjie sigh, reaching out to try and push his lips up into a smile. To his disappointment, the imaginary Zhang Xinjie shifted out of reach, though it was accurate to the real Zhang Xinjie and Han Wenqing was quite impressed by his brain.
“I think he may be drugged with something and I need your help to get him out of here.”
“I think you could do it yourself.” Han Wenqing leant over to his imaginary Ye Xiu to whisper, knowing that it didn’t matter because the real Ye Xiu would never hear this. “Xinjie looks very pretty when he’s fighting, it’s very nice to watch.” Ye Xiu nodded solemnly before he slung one of Han Wenqing’s arms over his shoulder, Zhang Xinjie mimicking him and they steadied Han Wenqing between the two of them carefully.
Between Zhang Xinjie and Ye Xiu, they’d managed to clear out the guards, and it was fairly simple to guide Han Wenqing to the car. Ye Xiu was delighted to find that Han Wenqing did not stop waxing poetic about Zhang Xinjie just because they were moving now.
“There’s no one for Xinjie to fight!” Han Wenqing seemed genuinely disappointed at this new development as he took in the restrained and unconscious bodies.
“Are you sad?”
“I thought I’d get to see him fight,” Han Wenqing pushed out his bottom lip in a pout. Even if it was only an imaginary Zhang Xinjie and not the real one, he was still looking forward to seeing him fight. He could hear a sigh beside him and he suspected it was Zhang Xinjie and if he had a free hand he’d try and pat the other’s head but he was reduced to simply saying the words out loud.
It took a lot of effort to get Han Wenqing in the car, mostly because he seemed insistent to stay outside to enjoy the fresh air but Zhang Xinjie managed to convince him into obedience by promising to spar with him if he finally got into the car. Ye Xiu left him to deal with the drugged agent by climbing into the driver’s seat and Zhang Xinjie would be more annoyed about it, but Han Wenqing appeared to have tired himself out.
Once Zhang Xinjie had him safely in his seat, Han Wenqing simply leaned against him, face pressed down into his shoulder at an angle that was likely bad for his neck. When Zhang Xinjie tried to shift his position so Han Wenqing could be more comfortable, he protested, refusing to relinquish his spot and Zhang Xinjie gave in. Han Wenqing’s next words were muffled against his shirt but he still caught them.
“Really like you Xinjie, even if you’re imaginary right now.” Zhang Xinjie went still, shifting to stare at the other agent, but Han Wenqing had seemingly passed out, face still pressed into his shoulder, and when Ye Xiu twisted to look at them Zhang Xinjie had a lost expression on his face.
“What did he say?” Ye Xiu watched as Zhang Xinjie seemed to be startled out of his own thoughts and he shook his head, waving away the question, turning to look out of the window. Every time Ye Xiu glanced into the back, he caught Zhang Xinjie gazing at Han Wenqing, a complicated expression twisting at his lips, seemingly a mix of hope and wariness. He couldn’t help but wonder what Han Wenqing had mumbled to Zhang Xinjie as it was rare to see his friend lose his composure. Ye Xiu remembered how the other agent had held himself after he’d figured out where Han Wenqing was and suspected that Zhang Xinjie’s calm was just easily affected by Han Wenqing.
If nothing else, the experience had taught him one thing: that if it involved Han Wenqing, Zhang Xinjie could very easily lose his cool.
Han Wenqing woke up slowly, the sound of raised voices pulling him back to consciousness, eyes still half closed, avoiding the bright lights. He could see Zhang Xinjie standing outside the medical wing, hands clasped firmly behind his back, lips pressed in a thin line, as he was seemingly berated by one of their liaisons with the true heads of the organisation. Han Wenqing focused a little more, trying to read the man’s lips and managed to catch against orders, reckless and irresponsible as well as a threat about consequences.
His brain was still slow and sluggish, but one thing was clear: Zhang Xinjie had clearly disobeyed direct orders to come and rescue him. It made something warm spread out in his chest at the thought; that he was important enough to Zhang Xinjie that he’d risk his career to ensure his safety. It was his last coherent thought before he passed out again. Zhang Xinjie’s unimpressed stare was the last thing he saw.
Han Wenqing wasn’t sure how much time had passed but as he slowly woke up once more, he felt much better than he had the last time, feeling far less sluggish and more clear-headed, as if whatever was in his system had been flushed out. He could feel something against his wrist and he looked down to see Zhang Xinjie’s fingers against his skin, fast asleep, as if he’d fallen asleep checking his pulse.
“That can’t be good for you.” And he doesn’t mean to say it out loud, and he definitely doesn’t mean to say it loud enough that it wakes Zhang Xinjie and he gets a glare aimed at him for his troubles. It was a less effective glare than usual however, the sting lost due to the fact that Zhang Xinjie was missing his glasses and his hair was ruffled.
“Do you know what else isn’t good for you?” Han Wenqing went to open his mouth but the sharp look from Zhang Xinjie suggested that it would be better to stay silent. “There are other things such as getting captured and being injected with sedatives for over five days. Or being bound for those same days with minimal food and water. Or perhaps not seeing sunshine for over five days, that is also not good for you-”
“Xinjie-” Zhang Xinjie didn’t seem to be slowing down and continued, not letting Han Wenqing interrupt.
“What else, oh! Broken ribs in a scuffle, that’s another thing that isn’t good for you, would like me to continue—?”
“You went rogue.” Zhang Xinjie’s lips parted slightly as if he didn’t know how to respond to that. The expression on his face was oddly familiar and Han Wenqing was suddenly struck with a sinking sensation as a memory came back to him. “I told you I have feelings for you—”
“You did.” Zhang Xinjie seemed to be waiting for something, and while under normal circumstances he was very good at reading the other agent, his brain was still sluggish and he could only stare blankly and hope that the other enlightened him. “Did you mean it?”
“I did.” Han Wenqing found himself without anything else to say and he may also have been a little distracted by the small, pleased smile quirking up Zhang Xinjie’s lips. “Can I kiss you?” The soft huff of laughter that escaped Zhang Xinjie had him enchanted.
“You have broken ribs,” Zhang Xinjie offered in lieu of a reply, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips, something that had Han Wenqing fighting the urge to sit up and press himself into the contact, but Zhang Xinjie was already out of reach. “I like you as well.” And as much as that was already clearly established, it still had Han Wenqing fighting down a pleased flush.
Zhang Xinjie laced their fingers together, grip firm and reassuring, and his eyes were soft and fond, smile still on his face. Despite everything still hanging over them— his broken ribs, the fact he’d been captured in the first place, why he hadn’t been rescued until Zhang Xinjie dragged Ye Xiu into his mission— in that moment, none of it mattered. Whatever was going on, they could face it together, and in that moment, in that one precious moment, everything was perfect. Zhang Xinjie’s hand was warm, he was smiling and everything was perfect.