Kiss Me, Kill Me, Forget Me

At 3 a.m., Jiang Qi's alarm rang, waking him up. He reached out with one hand to grab the phone from the side table, turning it off quickly. His eyes shifted to Shen Yi who was lying beside him, his head resting on Jiang Qi's other arm like a pillow.

He smiled softly at the peaceful sight, and that single glance was enough to make him believe it wasn't a dream, that his Little Black had truly come back to him.

It was not more than one night that he had stayed awake thinking about him, remembering the past, and now, here he was, lying next to him again.

Jiang Qi's smile grew wider as he thought of the two days they had ahead, and even if the time was short, he was happy, because maybe, just maybe, something would change and Shen Yi wouldn't have to leave, again.

He sighed lightly, then lifted his free hand and traced his fingers gently along Shen Yi's chin, and as he did so, another smile played on his lips when an image flashed in his mind, an old memory from seven years ago.

Shen Yi had been asleep the same way back then, and Jiang Qi had been looking at him with the same eyes, as though his whole world was lying quietly in his arms.

He smiled even wider at the thought, leaned forward slowly, and placed a soft kiss on Shen Yi's forehead.

Shen Yi stirred at the sudden warmth, and when he opened his eyes, he felt Jiang Qi's lips resting gently on his skin. He didn't move, holding his breath as Jiang Qi pulled back slowly and looked into his eyes.

"Good morning, Little Black," Jiang Qi said, smiling.

Shen Yi cleared his throat, sat up straight, and replied with a hoarse voice, "Good morning."

Jiang Qi also sat up, keeping his eyes fixed on him, then asked, "Are you ready to go on a trip?"

Shen Yi looked to his side, then asked, "What time is it?"

"It's 3 a.m.," Jiang Qi said, getting off the bed, "We should leave right away."

Shen Yi didn't answer but looked at Jiang Qi's back as he walked toward the closet, his expression blank but not cold.

Jiang Qi took out a pair of blue jeans and a black jacket, then placed them on the bed and looked at Shen Yi again.

With a slight smirk, he asked, "Do you want to take a bath together?"

Shen Yi scoffed and abruptly got off the bed, walking out of the room without looking back, heading straight to the bathroom.

Jiang Qi chuckled softly and, smiling mischievously, whispered to himself, "You didn't say no, so I'll take that as a yes."

He walked out of the bedroom and stood silently outside the bathroom door, waiting until he heard the sound of running water. He then slowly opened the door, stepped inside quietly, and without saying anything, removed his clothes and stepped into the shower, standing behind Shen Yi.

Shen Yi sensed his presence but didn't react abruptly, he only turned his head slightly to the side and said, "I didn't say you could come in."

Jiang Qi stepped closer, his voice low as he whispered, "You didn't say I couldn't."

Shen Yi turned forward again and continued washing himself, ignoring Jiang Qi behind him.

Jiang Qi kept his gaze on him, watching his back, tracing down to his legs, then sighed silently, regretting his decision. He bit the side of his lower lip, took a slow deep breath, and told himself to just take a proper bath, because they had to leave soon.

Not more than thirty minutes later, both of them stood inside the same toilet Shen Yi had used before to sneak into the casino, their breaths steady as they prepared to escape. Shen Yi had the same clothes he wore the previous day, while Jiang had worn the blue jeans and black jacket.

Jiang Qi looked at the space, then at the man next to him with a light laugh, and whispered, "You're quite capable, Little Black, you went through this all just to kill me—should I feel honored?"

Shen Yi glared at him without replying, then walked over to the hood he had left in the washroom earlier, putting it on before stepping toward the small ventilation window.

He climbed up swiftly, then paused to glance back at Jiang Qi and asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Jiang Qi nodded, his voice calm as he said, "Just hurry."

Shen Yi's eyes lingered on him, looking for doubt, but once he found none, he turned and began climbing down the vent.

Jiang Qi followed closely behind, and one after the other, they landed on the ground quietly.

They moved fast but carefully, heading toward the spot where Shen Yi had left his bike, avoiding all guards and keeping to the shadows.

Eventually, they reached the bike, which had been parked a bit far from the casino to stay hidden.

Shen Yi pulled out the key and was just about to mount the bike when Jiang Qi snatched the key from his hand and said, "I'll drive." He climbed onto the bike first, turning slightly to look at Shen Yi.

"I'm the one who knows where we're going," he added with a smirk.

Shen Yi stared at him without saying anything, then climbed onto the bike, settling behind him while holding the sides and back of the seat.

Jiang Qi wore the helmet, started the engine, and the bike roared to life.

With that, they sped off into the early morning air, heading toward the outskirts of the city, feeling strangely at peace in each other's presence despite everything that had happened.

***

Far away in another office, a middle-aged man sat on a black, luxurious couch, a cigarette resting between his fingers as he took a long drag.

While the smoke curled up around him, his phone vibrated on the table, and he reached for it unhurriedly, picking it up to check the message.

The text was short and direct, from someone saved under the name "Shen Yi", and it read, 'Uncle, we need to talk. I'll come find you soon.'

The man stared at the phone for a few minutes, not moving, then he stood up and walked slowly toward the glass window behind him.

He looked out over the city that never slept, the sky just beginning to pale with the coming dawn, then dialed a number.

When the call connected, he said in a low voice, "I think it's almost time."