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The sun slowly sank to the horizon, casting Bridon into beautiful orange hues and long shadows.
A young man slowly wandered through the city, eyes tracking over the buildings he walked past until English faded into familiar Chinese when he passed beneath the paifangs.
He didn't have to search for long before he stepped into a side-alley and towards a door that most people would've easily missed it if they weren't locals. Tourists, certainly, wouldn't find their way here easily. Slowly, his steps carried him into the bar.
Up on the ground floor, games of mahjong were held between old acquaintances. Glasses of fine wine were clinked together between friends and coworkers. Laughter spilled from those who were already tipsy. Incense and alcohol filled the air and mixed in the most comforting of ways.
It felt almost like coming home, stepping inside.
Those visiting the bar had not even the hint of an idea what was happening beneath their feet. The young man, however, wasn't here for the regular bar experience. Instead, he flashed his ID to a man standing by a door in the back.
The guard, for that was the closest description he found fitting, had reached for the door handle the second he'd seen him, but satisfaction curled in the younger man's chest all the same when he saw him hurry.
Slowly, he went down a narrow hallway that ended in winding stairs, the place he was seeking a well hidden secret. Let his hand drag along the railing as he descended beneath the facade and into the darkness.
A quiet melody wafted through the air, even before stepping into the hidden room, as calm and serene as the smoke curling in the basement beneath the bar, beckoning him closer to the source of the music.
There were people, most laying on the floor. Their heartbeats slow and calm. The ones who still feebly clung to consciousness failed to notice the door open, swayed as if not yet aware that they too would soon join the ones who'd already lost their footing.
They were like sheep, ready to be slaughtered.
In the middle of the room sat what he could only call a ghost, idly plucking the strings of a guzheng. The melody curled around him as invitingly as the smoke that seemed to lure him closer.
Silently, he leaned against the far wall and crossed his arms rather than to indulge his urge to keep walking. Watched the redhaired ghost play. Surely he'd been noticed by now, even if his eyes remained closed, lost in the song he was bringing to life.
It was terribly risky, stepping into a crowd and to play like that when he was supposed to be nothing but a decaying corpse. So beautifully. So memorable. The closer he listened, the more he couldn't help but think that it was the beautiful ghost who pulled the strings rather than himself.
And perhaps there was some truth to that. Here, surrounded by women and men who would willingly sell their souls for another shot, another high, it was a dead man who had them all wrapped around his finger.
Though, perhaps calling him a demon was more accurate. After all, he certainly could kill anyone in the room with ease. They would be none the wiser to the danger until it was too late. Especially in this state.
He wouldn't put it past the redhead, he'd seen him do it before.
The last tunes faded, only to be replaced with a new melody. One he was by far more familiar with. A love song, in such a place? Really? And such an old one, at that... Still, he found himself humming along.
If he hadn't known better, he would've chalked it up to coincidence. But then he looked closer at the most dangerous man of Bridon's underground, eyes traveling up from the nimble fingers dancing across the guzheng, along arms covered by sheer white sleeves - fading to black towards the shoulders - and to the other's face.
Liu Xiao found himself grateful for the dim lighting of the room, as well as the smoke curling around them. His heart stuttering in his chest as the blood shot to his face. He must've looked akin to a tomato, embarrassingly enough.
His beloved ghost was looking right at him, crimson eyes glittering with silent amusement. His lips faintly upturned into a Cheshire smile.
Suddenly, the change of tune seemed logical. The thought striking Liu Xiao was anything but: Is he trying to serenade me?, he wondered, and forced himself to act as calm as he could.
And Vein, with a damning little chuckle that he could see and imagine from spending far too much time with him but not actually hear, started to sing.
It would've worked, if he weren't already in love with the ghost.
Slowly, his steps carried him closer. Vein never faltered, but his smirk evened out into something almost painfully soft and fond. It suited him just as much as bloodstains did... but this was something only few were allowed to see.
Liu Xiao's lips twitched in held-back amusement when he spotted a much shorter person leaning against the redhead's side, heartbeat slow and steady but not as sluggish as those of the people surrounding them.
He couldn't help but think of a rabbit willingly curling up next to the wolf that could rip it's head off, and promptly decided that he spent too much time around Vein.
His gaze snapped back up to the man's face, and he decided that this man was neither ghost nor demon, but perhaps a siren luring in his prey.
The redhead kept playing a calming tune, even after he stopped singing. Tilted his head inquisitively, like a too-big cat. Slowly, Liu Xiao reached out to grasp his chin, grinned in faint amusement at how easily the older man leaned into the touch.
He really was just a big cat, wasn't he?
"Didn't I tell you to stay out of trouble?" he asked, unamused. He didn't as much as bat an eye when Vein turned his head and bit the hand holding his chin. His teeth, sharp as they may be, didn't break skin. It almost tickled, really.
His favorite redhead chuckled, fingers finally stilling. Despite the room falling silent, aside from heartbeats and the faint sound of breathing surrounding them, Liu Xiao still felt as though the strings had been stripped away from him and woven around Vein's fingers instead.
With a barely hidden smile, his siren stopped pressing his teeth into Liu Xiao's hand. "They won't remember, sweetie. Even if they did, they're high as kites~" he sounded all too pleased with himself, eyes gleaming mischievously. "But if you're that worried about it coming to light that I'm alive..."
The silver fan snapped open a mere inch from Liu Xiao's face in a threat that was more playful than serious. He glanced down at the weapon, unbothered. "Next time, dear" he slowly pushed the fan away, eyes drifting back to Vein's side. Lips tugging into a disapproving frown. "Did you seriously convince her to take drugs?"
Vein waved his hand dismissively and snapped his fan shut in the same motion. "Of course not, who do you take me for?" he asked, sounding offended. His heartbeat remained steady, though. He gently shook the young woman by her shoulder, but only managed to make her curl further against his side.
With an exasperate sigh he shook his head, trying his hardest not to look fond and failing miserably. "Pulled too many all-nighters again, and I may have let her have a glass or two too many" he admitted with a shrug. "But some alcohol and a little tune does wonders to put someone to sleep~"
Liu Xiao fought an undignified snort. Eyes dancing across the drug addicts scattered about the room. If it weren't for knowing that the most dangerous person in the room was his dear siren, he'd have disapproved of letting her be around these people.
"And what's their excuse?" he asked, starting to grow more amused rather than annoyed at the situation he'd walked into.
With a hum, the redhead pushed the guzheng away carefully, to allow himself room to stand, and picked up their little bird in the same fluid move. "I felt like an audience, and they seemed quite captivated~ and if you were any fun, you'd have let me have some more fun too" he complained half-heartedly, pouting as if he weren't a twenty-seven year old man.
The dark haired man scoffed, but his lips quirked into a helpless smile. Saying no to his beloved redhead was impossible, sometimes. So, he held out his arms. "Give her here" he said, trying to pretend as if ordering Vein around didn't feel like dancing around carefully laid strings and trying not to get tangled up further.
For a moment, the man securitized him. Then, he seemed to decide that he liked what he saw and carefully transferred Aì Jinyan into Liu Xiao's waiting arms. Vein kissed her temple, then kissed Liu Xiao's cheek.
"I'll only take a couple minutes, dear Xavier~ wait upstairs for me, hm?"
And what could he do, but to listen to the beautiful siren he called one of his beloveds?