He turned to run, but people were surrounding him from all directions. Those people were wearing Jujutsu Headquarters uniforms, their faces were blurred, only their mouths were moving, incessantly repeating those words.
Drag him out..
Kill him..
Monster..
Tu Bai held the Baby tightly in his arms and retreated, retreating, until his Back pressed against the cold Wall. There was no way out.
Those people reached out their hands, trying to snatch the Child from his arms.
No—!
Tu Bai snapped his eyes open.
The Bedroom was pitch black. He panted, his chest heaving violently, his back drenched in cold sweat. He instinctively reached out to feel beside him—it was empty.
Gojo Satoru was not on the Bed.
Tu Bai sat up, his Heart still racing. The fear from the dream still lingered in his body, leaving his Fingers cold. He hugged his knees and buried his face in them, taking deep Breathing, trying to calm himself down.
A few seconds later, he heard the sound of the door being gently pushed open.
He raised his head. Gojo Satoru stood at the door, holding a cup of water in his hand. He had clearly been awakened by Tu Bai's cry; his hair was a bit messy, the collar of his pajamas was open.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Gojo Satoru walked in, placed the mug on the nightstand, sat down at the bedside.
Tu Bai nodded, saying nothing. He still hadn't quite recovered, his body was still trembling slightly.
Gojo Satoru looked at him, not asking what he had dreamed about. He reached out and pulled Tu Bai into his arms, one hand lightly patting his back.
It's okay now," Gojo Satoru said, his voice low and exceptionally clear in the quiet Bedroom. "I'm here.
Tu Bai buried his face in his shoulder, smelling the familiar, clean scent on him. That scent allowed him to slowly relax, his body ceasing its trembling.
Gojo Satoru kept gently patting his back, his movements slow and rhythmic. After a while, he began humming.
The tune was still wildly off-key, making it impossible to tell what song it was. But he hummed very softly and slowly, acting like a gentle form of white noise in the darkness.
Tu Bai closed his eyes. The aftereffects of the nightmare still lingered, but they were being gradually dispelled by this embrace and the off-key singing.
He felt Gojo Satoru's hand change from patting his back to lightly stroking his hair, his fingers occasionally brushing against his ears. His ears twitched and then hung softly down.
Go to sleep," Gojo Satoru said, his Voice even lower, "I'll watch over you.
Tu Bai did not move. He maintained this position, listening to Gojo Satoru's heartbeat and feeling the heat in his embrace.
A long time passed, so long that he thought Gojo Satoru might have fallen asleep too, before he finally let out a soft hum.
Gojo Satoru said no more. He simply continued humming that tuneless song, his hand gently stroking Tu Bai's hair.
A bit of moonlight leaked in from outside the window, casting blurry spots of light onto the floor.
In this embrace, Tu Bai slowly felt sleepiness returning. Before his consciousness faded, a thought flashed through his brain.
If one day, Gojo Satoru was no longer here..
He didn't dare think any further.
He gripped the corner of Gojo Satoru's clothing tightly, as if grasping at the last straw of salvation.
Gojo Satoru's humming paused for a moment. Then, he hugged Tu Bai even tighter.
That night, Tu Bai did not have any more nightmares.
But what he didn't know was that after he fell asleep, Gojo Satoru gently released him, covered him with the Pillow, then picked up his Mobile Phone and walked to the balcony.
In Tokyo at three in the morning, it was so quiet that only the occasional sound of a car could be heard in the distance.
Gojo Satoru dialed a number. The Phone rang twice before being picked up, a woman's lazy Voice came from the other side: "It's so late, is something wrong?"
Mei," Gojo Satoru said, his voice kept very low but carrying a cold texture, "Help me check who submitted that report from Jujutsu Headquarters today.
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the Phone, followed by a light chuckle: "What, is your little Rabbit being watched, you finally can't sit still?"
Cut the crap," Gojo Satoru said. "Name your price.
Oh, how generous." Mei's Voice still carried a hint of laughter. "But I suggest you calm down. Although that report was worded harshly, there hasn't been any substantial action taken yet. If you jump out now, it will only make them focus on him even more.
Gojo Satoru said nothing. He gripped his Mobile Phone, his Ice Blue Eyes as deep as a cold pool in the night.
Of course, if you insist on investigating, it's not that I can't take the job," Mei continued. "Same old rules: pay the deposit first, I'll give you whatever information I find.
Send me the Account," Gojo Satoru said. "I want the results within three days.
So urgent?" Mei paused. "Fine, since you're a regular customer. But Gojo, I have to remind you, you can protect him for a moment, but you can't protect him for a lifetime. As long as he is by your side, he will always be a target for those people.
I know," Gojo Satoru said, his voice terrifyingly calm, "so I don't plan on letting things continue like this forever.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the Phone. Then Mei said, "Understood. I'll send the Account to you immediately. Also.. good luck."
The Phone hung up.
Gojo Satoru put down his Mobile Phone and leaned against the Apartment Balcony railing. The night wind blew over, feeling a bit cool. He looked up at the night sky; the light pollution in Tokyo was too severe to see any stars.
He thought of how Tu Bai had been trembling during his nightmare just now, those red Eyes that had widened with fear.
He also remembered being at Jujutsu Headquarters today, where those old men held their so-called "reports" and spoke in a condescending tone, saying, "If they are not of our kind, their hearts must be different."
Gojo Satoru closed his eyes, when he opened them again, there was no Temperature within them.
He turned and walked back to the Bedroom, quietly closing the door. Tu Bai was still sleeping, curled up, his hand unconsciously clutching the sheets where he had just been lying.
Gojo Satoru sat by the bedside, reaching out to stroke Tu Bai's hair, his fingers brushing against those two soft Rabbit Ears.
The Ears twitched, but he did not wake.
Gojo Satoru stared at Tu Bai's sleeping face, watching him for a long time.
Then he lowered his head and restrainedly placed a kiss on Tu Bai's forehead.
Don't be afraid." He said in a Voice that only he could hear, "No one can take you away from my side.
No one will.
Chapter 28
Tu Bai's appetite was getting worse and worse.
It wasn't the kind of stomach-churning nausea associated with Morning Sickness, but rather a loss of appetite just by looking at food; he would feel full after only a few bites, trying to force even one more bite made him want to vomit. For three consecutive days, he only drank half a cup of milk for breakfast, ate a few bites of rice for lunch, barely managed to force down some vegetables for dinner, while hardly touching any meat at all.
Gojo Satoru saw it all. He began bringing back various kinds of food, pudding from one shop today, cake from another tomorrow, a newly released fruit tart the day after. Tu Bai would accept them every time, say thank you, then set them down after only a bite or two.
"Doesn't suit your taste?" Gojo Satoru asked, his brows furrowing slightly.
Tu Bai shook his head: "No, it's just.. I can't eat it."
Gojo Satoru stared at him for a while, saying nothing. On Day 2, he returned later than usual, carrying a plastic supermarket bag in his hand. Tu Bai heard the Water Sound of washing and cutting things coming from the Kitchen, along with the sound of Gojo Satoru's somewhat clumsy voice, seemingly checking his Mobile Phone.
Half an hour later, Gojo Satoru came out carrying a plate and placed it on the Coffee Table in front of Tu Bai.
In the plate were sliced apples, but they had been carved into the shape of rabbits—they could barely be recognized as rabbits, with one ear larger than the other and the eyes carved crookedly, making them look a bit ridiculous.
"What is this?" Tu Bai asked, staring at the plate.
Rabbit Apple," Gojo Satoru said, sitting down beside him with a hint of pride in his voice. "I learned it online. They say it can stimulate the appetite.
Tu Bai picked up the fork and poked one of the "Rabbits." The apple was very fresh; the cut surface was slightly oxidized and yellowish, but the shape of the Rabbit Ears could still be seen—even if they were crooked.
He speared a small piece and put it into his mouth. The apple was very sweet and very crunchy.
"How is it?" Gojo Satoru asked, his Eyes shining as he looked at him.
Tu Bai chewed on the apple without saying a word. He picked up another piece, then another. The Rabbit Apples on the plate were eaten away by him bit by bit, until finally, only a pile of small apple cores remained.
"Is it delicious?" Gojo Satoru asked again.
Tu Bai looked up, gazing at Gojo Satoru. There was a hint of anticipation on the man's face, along with a trace of lingering nervousness from his lack of experience. He was wearing loungewear with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a bit of apple juice clung to his fingers, glistening under the light.
Tu Bai suddenly laughed.
It wasn't his usual polite, restrained smile, but a genuine laugh; the corners of his mouth curled up, his eyes crinkled as well. He looked at the remaining apple cores in the plate, then looked at Gojo Satoru, let out a laugh.
Gojo Satoru froze for a moment, then started laughing along as well: "What are you laughing at? It's my first time making this, it's already pretty good, okay?"
Tu Bai was still laughing, but as he laughed, he felt his eyes grow a bit hot. He lowered his head, staring at the plate, his fingers unconsciously picking at the edge of the fork.
"Thank you," he said softly, his Voice a bit hoarse.
Gojo Satoru reached out and rubbed his hair, saying, "Don't thank me. It's enough if you can just eat a bit more."
Tu Bai did not look up. He felt his eye sockets getting hotter and hotter, as if something was about to surge out. He blinked hard, forcing that sour sensation back down.
Can't cry. There is no reason to cry.
He was just.. just a little tired.
---
Two more days passed, Tu Bai noticed the changes around the Apartment.
It wasn't a blatant change, but rather a subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation of energy. It was like a thin film enveloping the entire Apartment. He walked to the window and reached out to touch the glass—his fingertips felt a slight resistance, along with a trace of familiar Cursed Energy belonging to Gojo Satoru.
A Barrier, it was a Barrier far more powerful than the previous one.
Tu Bai withdrew his hand and stood by the window, looking down at the Street below. The Afternoon sunlight was beautiful, pedestrians came and went, the traffic moved slowly. Everything looked perfectly normal.
But he knew that something had changed.
At the very least, he could no longer go out as freely as before.
During dinner, Gojo Satoru brought up this matter.
It hasn't been very peaceful outside lately." He said casually while serving food to Tu Bai, "There are a few Curse User Groups causing trouble, Jujutsu Headquarters is also acting crazy. Try to go out as little as possible lately. If you need to buy anything, tell me, I'll go buy it.
Tu Bai lowered his head to eat the food in his bowl, not responding.
Especially on the day of your first prenatal checkup," Gojo Satoru continued. "I will accompany you, but you must be careful on the road. I have already spoken to Ieiri Shoko, she will arrange a private consultation room so that no one will disturb you.
Tu Bai put down his chopsticks: "I can go by myself."
No," Gojo Satoru said, his tone gentle but brook no refusal, "It's dangerous outside. I'm worried.
Tu Bai raised his head and looked at Gojo Satoru. The man was wearing sunglasses, so he couldn't see his eyes clearly, but he could feel that persistence.