Concealment

"Ah—"

Mian could tell that the embarrassment and anger flashing in Aise's eyes right now weren't faked. No one would feel great about having someone else see them in such a state.

"Sorry, Mr. Aise." Mian offered an explanation anyway, his voice unconsciously softening as if he were embarrassed himself. "I didn't mean to peek."

"Heh." Aise responded with a cold, humorless laugh.

"But... did you set all this up today?" Mian asked, glancing around curiously at their surroundings. "What happened?"

"I didn't expect you to be able to get in, either." Aise's face gradually regained its composure. He was still in that small, childlike body, but the contrast between his youthful appearance and his mature, slightly sardonic tone gave Mian a strange sense of dissonance.

Mian asked, "Where is this?"

Aise didn't bother to hide it. "This is my dream."

Mian nodded. It wasn't entirely unexpected. Still, being inside someone else's dream—especially Aise's—was a novel and bizarre experience.

Then Mian paused. "Mr. Aise... you dream too?"

Aise looked at Mian like he was an idiot.

Mian realized he'd asked a pretty dumb question and scratched his head. In his eyes, Aise was still some kind of mysterious, terrifying existence—hard to associate with an ordinary person.

Besides, until now, Aise had always been the one invading Mian's dreams while he slept. He never thought they'd have the roles reversed.

"But Mr. Aise, why do you look like this?" Mian couldn't help glancing again at Aise, who was still in the form of a child. Soft hair, round cheeks—a far cry from the somewhat gloomy young man he remembered.

"Does it matter?" Aise shot back impatiently, clearly not wanting to dwell on the subject. "Can you control what you look like in your dreams?"

Aise had always been the one entering Mian's dreams, but this time... he really had been feeling tired. He'd only rested for a moment, and he hadn't expected Mian to slip in while he was vulnerable.

"Uh... nothing. I just think you look pretty cute like this." Mian foolishly blurted out, making Aise's eyebrows twitch involuntarily.

Having someone see him in his child form was embarrassing enough. But for this guy to actually comment on it like that...

"Are you naturally averse to acts of closeness?" Mian suddenly asked, referring to everything he'd just witnessed.

"Yeah. I'm a natural-born demon, only interested in blood and killing. Got a problem with that, Mr. Mian?" Aise's eyes glinted dangerously. He'd always spoken casually to Mian before, but this time he used a term of respect.

Mian sighed. "Ah... I was just thinking, that must have been really tough for you. Holding on alone for so long."

Aise paused slightly, as if he hadn't expected that kind of response from Mian.

"I've felt what you feel... that urge to kill you shared with me. Musen was the one who suppressed it for me." Mian recalled the memory. "You're really something, Mr. Aise. Being able to suppress that urge all by yourself for so long..."

"Hmph. Pretty words don't mean much." Aise let out a cold laugh.

"No... I just think, maybe I can understand you a little bit." Mian explained hastily. "Maybe you're not as hateful as everyone thinks."

Aise's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Oh, really? Are you sympathizing with me? Then how about giving me your body?"

"But Mr. Aise... I still think you don't belong in this world." Mian shook his head seriously. "And I won't give up my body. I have my own parents, my own life."

"Must be nice to hear."

"Yeah. Compared to you, I've been really lucky." Mian gathered his words. "So I genuinely admire you, Mr. Aise. I don't think I'd have done as well as you if I were in your situation..."

"Just because you watched one of my dreams... don't think you understand me." Aise clearly had no interest in continuing the conversation.

Aise lifted his hand slightly toward Mian. Then Mian felt a spinning sensation, an intense dizziness washing over him.

The scenery before him began to warp and shatter, dissolving into patches of color that were eventually swallowed by darkness.

On his bed, Mian's eyes shot open. His chest rose and fell slightly from a brief moment of breathlessness.

Above him was a ceiling that was unfamiliar but gradually becoming recognizable. Moonlight filtered through the window, casting vague patches of light on it.

Mian let out a long breath and instinctively wiped his forehead. His hand came away cold and damp—covered in cold sweat. The lingering sense of being forcibly ejected from the dream still throbbed faintly in his temples.

"What's wrong? Bad dream?" Came Musen's concerned voice from beside him.

Mian turned his head. On the bed, the bald, muscular priest was lying on his side next to him, one fist supporting his cheek, eyes fixed on Mian with a piercing gaze. His posture was like a meditating Buddha statue, pondering in repose.

Seeing Mian awake, Musen grinned broadly, revealing a row of big front teeth. Moonlight reflected off his bald head like a glowing lightbulb.

"Uh... Mr. Musen, why are you in my bed?" For some reason, Mian clutched the blanket tighter around himself.

"Don't worry, I just climbed in." Musen explained with an utterly untroubled expression, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

That's the point? Mian's mouth twitched.

Still, Musen's bronzed, muscular body gleamed under the moonlight like dazzling diamond, making it hard for Mian to look away.

"I saw you seemed to be in pain, thought something might be wrong." Musen studied Mian's body. "I was about to go get Xia Lun and the others."

Mian thought back. That sensation of being forcibly expelled from the dream by Aise really hadn't been pleasant—like a whole night of drinking and throwing up.

"Thanks for your concern, Mr. Musen. I'm fine." Seeing how worried the other man was, Mian let go of that strange feeling and showed a hint of gratitude in his eyes.

"How do you feel now? Any discomfort? Need a healing spell?" Musen offered eagerly.

"Uh... no thanks."

Mian thought for a moment and decided it was better not to mention what had just happened. He'd keep it from Xia Lun and the others for now...