Gojo Satoru froze for a moment, then laughed: "Because I feel like it."
Just like that?
Just like this." Gojo Satoru rubbed his hair, his movements very gentle, "So don't overthink it, just accept it obediently.
His hand slid down from his hair, gently brushing over Tu Bai's nape.
Then, his fingertip inadvertently brushed against the top of the spine—the most sensitive energy convergence zone of the Rabbit Demon's true form.
Tu Bai shuddered all over.
It felt like an electric shock, surging up from his spine and instantly spreading through his entire body. He froze completely, his breath hitching for a moment.
Gojo Satoru felt his trembling and paused his hand: "What's wrong?"
.. No," Tu Bai's voice trembled slightly, "It's just.. I'm a little cold.
Gojo Satoru looked at him and didn't press further. He withdrew his hand and patted Tu Bai's back: "Hurry up and get up on the bed."
.. Mm.
Tu Bai turned around and swiped his card to enter the building. Before the elevator doors closed, he saw Gojo Satoru still standing outside, hands in his pockets, watching him.
The elevator ascended. Tu Bai leaned against the wall, his hand touching the back of his neck.
The warmth of Gojo Satoru's finger still lingered there.
And that Moment just now, that feeling like an electric shock.
He closed his eyes.
It seems.. something is really a bit incorrect, he thought.
Chapter 19
On the morning of Day 2, Tu Bai was woken up by a headache.
His temples throbbed with pain, his mouth felt dry, his head felt as if it were stuffed with cotton. He lay on the Bed, staring at the Ceiling for a long time before the memories of last night slowly began to piece themselves back together.
A candlelight dinner. Peach Fruit Wine. Nonsense about the Carrot Field.
And.. in the hallway, the way Gojo Satoru's hand brushed against his nape.
Tu Bai sat up abruptly, his ears turning red in a moment.
"What was I doing.." He covered his face, thinking back to how he had asked, "Why are you so good to me?" last night, how he had almost lost his footing and leaned against Gojo Satoru. It was too embarrassing.
The Mobile Phone vibrated on the bedside table. Tu Bai grabbed it to take a look; it was a message from Gojo Satoru.
[Are you awake? If your head hurts, I have medicine.]
The message showed it was sent at eight in the morning, it was now ten-thirty. Tu Bai stared at the Screen for a few seconds, the Temperature of Gojo Satoru's arm as he supported him last night flashing through his mind, along with that sentence, "Because I felt like it."
His Finger hovered over the keyboard, but in the end, he still typed two words:
[It's fine.]
The reply was a bit cold. But the truth was, she really didn't know how to face Gojo Satoru right now.
Gojo Satoru replied instantly: 【Really? You drank quite a lot last night.】
Tu Bai: 【Really.】
Gojo Satoru: 【Then should I come find you this afternoon? I don't have any missions today.】
Tu Bai frowned: 【No need, I need to review; I have an exam next week.】
Gojo Satoru: 【I'll study with you~ I don't have anything else to do anyway.】
Tu Bai wanted to refuse, but Gojo Satoru sent another message: 【Besides, you left a file with me yesterday. That Cursed Tool Design Drawings—aren't you going to look at them?】
.. True. Tu Bai remembered that he had been in a daze when he returned last night, it seemed he had left the folder in the car.
He sighed: [What time?]
Gojo Satoru: 【Two o'clock? I'll bring you some hangover soup while I'm at it. It's my family's secret recipe, super effective~】
Tu Bai stared at the words "my family's secret recipe" and froze for a moment. Gojo Satoru rarely mentioned matters concerning his family. He replied: 【Oh.】
---
At two in the afternoon, the doorbell rang right on time.
Tu Bai went to open the door. Gojo Satoru was standing outside, still in that same casual outfit: a white hoodie, black trousers, sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He was carrying a thermos and a paper bag in his hands.
Yo." Gojo Satoru walked in with a smile. "Does your head still ache?
"Much better." Tu Bai closed the door.
Gojo Satoru placed the thermos on the desk: "Hangover soup, drink it while it's hot." He then pulled a folder out of the paper bag, "Your documents."
Tu Bai took it: "Thank you."
Don't be so polite~" Gojo Satoru walked naturally to the side of the sofa and sat down, leaning back. "Don't you need to review? Go ahead and review, I'll stay right here and watch over you.
Tu Bai glanced at him: ".. Don't you need to go back?"
No need, I'm quite free today." Gojo Satoru pulled out his Mobile Phone. "You do your revision, I'll do my thing. We won't disturb each other~
That being said, Tu Bai always felt somewhat uneasy. He walked over to the desk with his book and sat down, opening his notes, but he couldn't concentrate.
The room was very quiet, with only the sound of turning pages and the occasional sound of Gojo Satoru using his Mobile Phone. Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling onto the Desk, warm and cozy.
Tu Bai forced himself to keep reading. Next week's exam was very important, covering classical Japanese literature; he had spent several days memorizing excerpts from The Tale of Genji, but now his mind was a complete blank.
"The Tale of Genji, I see." Gojo Satoru's voice suddenly rang out from behind him.
Tu Bai jumped in surprise and turned his head. Gojo Satoru had approached at some unknown point and was now standing behind his chair, leaning over to look at his open book.
"You startled me," Tu Bai said.
Sorry~" Gojo Satoru laughed, his hand resting naturally on the back of the chair, "I've read a bit of it too. Murasaki Shikibu really writes well, it's just that the character relationships are too messy.
You've read it too?
At least I am the Strongest," Gojo Satoru said. "Naturally, that applies to all aspects.
Tu Bai was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected Gojo Satoru to be a serious reader—he had always thought Gojo Satoru was the type of guy who crushed everything through sheer talent alone.
"You.. like reading?" Tu Bai asked.
Occasionally," Gojo Satoru said. "I'll read a bit during the gaps between missions. Novels, history, philosophy, that sort of thing.
As he spoke these words, his hand slid down from the back of the chair and rested naturally on Tu Bai's shoulder.
Tu Bai's body stiffened.
Gojo Satoru felt it, but he didn't pull his hand away; instead, he gently squeezed his shoulder. "You're very tense here. Is the pressure from reviewing too much?"
.. A little.
Relax," Gojo Satoru said. "You're so smart, you'll definitely do well on the exam.
His hand pressed against Tu Bai's shoulder with moderate force, which indeed had a relaxing effect. However, Tu Bai's attention was no longer on his revision at all.
He felt Gojo Satoru's hand was very hot, the warmth transmitting through the fabric of his clothes. There was also Gojo Satoru's breath as he spoke, brushing against the side of his ear, making him feel a bit ticklish.
Senpai.." Tu Bai said softly, "I can't review like this.
"Oh? Then what should I do?" Gojo Satoru's voice carried a hint of a smile.
Just.. don't touch me.
Gojo Satoru paused, then withdrew his hand. However, he did not walk away, remaining standing behind Tu Bai.
It was quiet for a few seconds.
Tu Bai looked back at the book, but he couldn't process a single word. He felt Gojo Satoru's gaze falling on his back, as if it had physical weight.
Then, Gojo Satoru spoke.
Xiao Bai.
Hmm?
Is your back very sensitive?
Tu Bai's hand trembled, the pen fell onto the Desk.
He slowly turned his head to look at Gojo Satoru. Gojo Satoru was also looking at him, his sunglasses sliding down slightly, revealing icy blue eyes from above the lenses, his gaze filled with inquiry.
"Why.. do you ask?" Tu Bai heard his own voice sound a bit dry.
Last night," Gojo Satoru said. "When I touched your nape downstairs, you trembled.
He reached out and placed his hand naturally on Tu Bai's nape, just like he had last night.
"Here?" Gojo Satoru asked, his Finger pressing lightly.
Tu Bai froze completely.
The nape is one of the Rabbit Demon's sensitive areas, but it is not the most sensitive. The most sensitive part is the entire spinal line—from the nape to the coccyx, it is the core pathway for Demon Power circulation.
"I.." Tu Bai wanted to speak, but his throat tightened.
Gojo Satoru's hand did not pull away; instead, he slowly stroked down along the line of his spine.
The movement was very light, very slow.
The palm pressed firmly against the spinal ridge, sliding all the way from the cervical vertebrae down to the coccyx.
Tu Bai's mind went "buzz."
It was as if a switch had been flipped.
Demon Power—exploded completely out of control.
Silver Light Flakes erupted from him, bursting through the entire room like fireworks. The Desk, chair, floor, Ceiling—the surfaces of everything began to shimmer with silver light, Constructions flickered in and out of existence uncontrollably.
A chair turned into the shape of a Carrot.
The pen holder on the desk turned into Rabbit Ears.
Silver Vine Patterns formed on the Window.