Work Text:
Ataraxia : A state of serene calmness
It's been two hundred years since the Third World War ended and the new regime emerged. The world was remolded, countries re-bordered and cities rearranged, every continent had a Supreme Leader and for the past thirteen years, Jin Wang was one of them.
The new dictatorship labeled emotion a disease, feeling a taboo, and rebellion a crime. Those were the only notions, respectively feared, known, and punishable by death. It was believed that all disasters and misfortunes, the manmade and god-sent, are the result of human emotions, as passions overwhelm reason. Hence, The Founding Supremes established a new universal law to control the population, erasing any form of emotion from the human mind, condemning protestors as offenders, and obliging the weak to obediently comply.
Scientific research has greatly evolved along the past 200 years, many companies have created new techniques and presented new treatments to help abolish any remnants of human emotions that the ancestors left behind. Procedures varied from inflicting pain, the physical, emotional and mental, to injecting drugs, to consuming pills, all the way to electrotherapy, and much more unreasonable and painful ways...
But no treatment was as successful as the one Zhou Zishu developed. The Seven Nails.
He was only twenty-two years old when he created The Seven Nails upon Jin Wang's request. The success and effectivity of this treatment gave Jin Wang more authority in the Board of Supremes, gaining more popularity and spreading his influence beyond his originally assigned territory, making him the most powerful global leader.
In fact, Zhou Zishu had undergone other short-term procedures when he was young and had never felt any emotion that he could remember, but he developed the nails according to previous scientific findings and decided to use them on himself, consequently thriving and proving his credibility, making his creation the most requested treatment among the global population due to its simplicity and irreversible long-term effect.
The nails would be gradually placed in a person's body when they hit puberty and then the process extends along the course of months, until all seven nails are planted within the patient's body. Each nail suppresses one of the seven basic human emotions: Anger, sadness, fear, enjoyment, love, disgust and shame; thus freeing the human from any agitation or disturbance of mind, feeling, passion, or vehemence.
Zhou Zishu knew what every primary emotion is called and the sub-emotions that stem from it, but he never experienced any of what he theoretically knows. He sometimes wonders why those rebels refuse to abandon their humanity and let go of their emotions, but every time he dares to question the Supreme, he is immediately presented with the same typical argument, that emotions are the root of all calamities and shall be abolished.
Jin Wang's requests were big and endless, but Zhou Zishu didn't have the right or authority to disobey. He was Jin Wang's right hand and the leader of Tianchuang, an organization built by Zhou Zishu himself, upon Jin Wang's request as well, in charge of chasing and eradicating any rebels who dare to defy the regime.
"Zishu," Jin Wang called, gesturing for Zhou Zishu to sit across from him on the dinner table, "Have you heard of Ghost Valley?"
"I have." Zhou Zishu replied, "The rebels."
Jin Wang nodded, "We have no information about them whatsoever, except that they are growing bigger in numbers and stronger in power."
"I see." Zhou Zishu took a bite, "What do you ask of me?"
"You have a mission," Jin Wang got to the point, "take a few men from Tianchuang and go do your duty."
Zhou Zishu swallowed a mouthful and sipped some water, "If they're as secretive and dangerous as you say, it won't be ideal to 'take few men and do our duty'." He explained, toneless, "I can go myself and report back to Tianchuang."
"At least take Han Ying or Duan Pengju with you."
"No need." Zhou Zishu placed his chopsticks down and removed the napkin, nodding one last time to bid Jin Wang a formal goodbye.
"Ah, wait, Zishu." Jin Wang stopped him and Zhou Zishu halted in place, "The matchmaker results will come out soon, you must finish the mission quickly so you could come back and marry."
"Three days."
Zhou Zishu was not only capable, but also versatile and multitalented. He was skilled in politics, science, martial arts, and disguise. No wonder Jin Wang cherished him deeply; he was a weapon, fatal and indispensable. He would thank Jin Wang for giving the opportunity to shine, but he admits that most of the skills he learnt were from his master back in Four Seasons Manor, before it was destroyed by rebels.
His master had given him a special weapon, the Bai Yi sword, and Zhou Zishu has kept it around his waist ever since. Despite the innovation of modern weaponry, his master would say, a man needs a sword which only belongs to him. Zhou Zishu remembers his master's words, but doesn't recall why he said them, nor understands the depth of their meaning. But since he was well trained with swords, he kept it and thought it was more convenient than guns, Bai Yi was lighter to carry and easier to hide.
Zhou Zishu inspected his disguise one last time and strolled towards the gates of Ghost Valley, adjusting Baiyi around his waist as he stared at the big door. He knew exactly what this place is and where it is located, but decided not to waste time in telling Jin Wang what he gathered of information. Jin Wang was getting more powerful, dropping more responsibilities over Zhou Zishu's head, much more than he could handle. So he planned to quit Tianchuang soon, and he wanted this to be his last mission.
He recited his script and acted out the role in his head once again before the gates opened and he met a woman. She was tall and slim, long dark hair, big eyes, full lips.
"Who are you?" She asked, "How did you find us?"
Zhou Zishu observed her carefully and spoke, neutral, "I heard of this place and came to seek shelter."
The woman approached him and eyed him from head to toe, suspicion written all over her face. "We currently aren't accepting new members."
"Why not?" He asked, expressionless. "I am being chased, I truly need shelter."
The woman shook her head and stepped back, "You are not fooling me."
"Qianqiao?" A deep voice called from behind as a tall man approached the scene. He had shoulder length hair and a sharp jawline, long eyelashes and a fine-looking nose; but that wasn't what caught Zhou Zishu's attention.
The man was wearing red, on his eyes as well.
Red was a forbidden color, so were blue and purple and orange and yellow. These colors had been proven to have the ability to stir emotions in people and were later completely cancelled by the new law. It was illegal to wear these colors and even the rebels that Zhou Zishu had dealt with before could never get their hands on these rare materials. This man must have a wide range of influence and connections, Zhou Zishu thought, much wider than he originally assumed.
"Do we have a guest?" The man stepped closer with an evident smile on his face, his red-tinted eyes piercing right through Zhou Zishu. He flicked his fan open and idly fanned himself, circling around Zhou Zishu like a predator who just caught a prey.
"I come here to seek shelter from the system." Zhou Zishu said. "I am being chased."
The man smiled wider, "I must be fortunate to have such a gorgeous man knocking on my door." He tilted his head down slightly, the silver blade around Zhou Zishu's waist flashing a ray of reflection in his eyes, and his expression suddenly changed. "What's your name?"
"Zhou Xu." Zhou Zishu replied. Knocking on my door... Zhou Zishu replayed the sentence in his head and he was quite sure that this man is the leader of Ghost Valley.
"Zhou?" The man raised an eyebrow, "how long have you wandered, Zhou Xu?"
"Few days."
The man closed his fan and extended his hand, "Wen," He said, "Wen Kexing."
Zhou Zishu's pupils moved down to Wen Kexing's hand but he couldn't bring himself to shake it, instead he nodded and asked again, "will you allow me to stay?"
"Of course, make yourself at home." Wen Kexing said, the smile painting back his face, "come in."
"Valley Master!" Liu Qinqiao argued, "How can you be fooled by him?! He is clearly one of them! Look at him, colorless and expressionless, he probably even got the nails!"
"Qianqiao," Wen Kexing warned, voice steady and confident, "someone with shoulder blades as beautiful as his can't be denied." He mused and approached Zhou Zishu again, closer this time, looking straight into his eyes, holding the gaze longer than anticipated. Zhou Zishu stared back with hollow eyes, steady, calm and unblinking.
An evening autumn breeze passed between the two men and Wen Kexing's loose strands of hair swayed with the wind, hiding just a little of his eyes, and when the wind calmed and his hair fell back down, Zhou Zishu captured the man's eyes again and found himself unable to look away.
This man was... He was... Zhou Zishu desperately searched for an adjective when he suddenly felt a sting in his chest. A sting from the nails. A sting from the nails?! He quickly stepped back and held his breath, fighting the urge to grab his chest.
"Is Zhou Xu alright?" Wen Kexing asked, skeptical.
"Yes, yes." Zhou Zishu exhaled. "Thank you for welcoming me here." He said, changing the subject. He disregarded the earlier sudden sting, assuming that it was probably from all the smoke he inhaled on the way to Ghost Valley. Many buildings were being burnt and abolished to be reconstructed as governmental offices; Zhou Zishu didn't necessarily agree with the new administrational plan, but he knew better than to disagree or give any opinions at all.
"After you." Wen Kexing stepped aside and gestured for Zhou Zishu to enter, watching him walk inside as he followed after, his earlier smile vanishing the moment Zhou Zishu looked away.
"But master!" Liu Qianqiao shouted after him but was ignored once again.
The Ghost Valley was nothing like Zhou Zishu imagined, he was even doubtful that they welcomed him so quickly. He expected the Ghost Valley to be a military camp, training rebels to fight and attack, but what he met was a group of normal people merely doing illegal things, like reading romantic novels and listening to music. He had spent the past two weeks observing everyone and taking notes of every detail in his head, lest he'd miss a crucial clue, but he concluded nothing. Were they really as dangerous as they were claimed to be? Zhou Zishu questioned his morality.
The time interval Zhou Zishu gave Jin Wang had already ended and he wasn't back yet. That is because Zhou Zishu wasn't planning on going back. He originally wanted to finish the mission, report back to Tianchuang and resign; but knowing Jin Wang, with all the information Zhou Zishu collected and the skills he mastered, Jin Wang would never let him go easily; so he saw this as the best opportunity to defect.
The Ghost Valley sheltered more than three thousand people, but he was only introduced to Wen Kexing's inner circle, and they were all... they were... He was yet again in loss for adjectives.
Here beside him was Wen Kexing, always dressed in red or other banned colors, following him and talking nonstop or reciting poems that have long been forbidden in the new regime; and at the end of the room there was Gu Xiang, the girl in purple, fierce and mouthy, just like her Ge, as Zhou Zishu noted.
Then at the other corner was Cao Weining, the one who keeps looking at Gu Xiang and following her all around the valley, and lastly there was Liu Qianqiao and Luo Fumeng, sitting outside on the grass, chatting and laughing and Zhou Zishu couldn't stop looking at the way they laughed.
"A-Xu?" Wen Kexing waved a hand in Zhou Zishu's face, "What are you thinking?"
Zhou Zishu glanced sideways at Wen Kexing and caught him smiling, "What's that expression?"
"Mine?" Wen Kexing licked his lips, "I'm smiling because I like looking at you."
Sting. Zhou Zishu flinched but tried to conceal his discomfort. He blinked twice and turned to Wen Kexing to see him still looking back, "Will you stop?"
"Why would I stop?"
Zhou Zishu's mouth couldn't translate the words that his mind planned to say. This Wen Kexing, this Wen Kexing... The way he dressed, talked, behaved, this Wen Kexing... The way he smiled, the way he laughed, Sting. Zhou Zishu sucked back his whimper and closed his eyes; fighting the pain that doubled with each sting...
"It's a holiday, have some wine with me." Wen Kexing offered.
"Holiday?" Zhou Zishu asked, genuinely clueless. The only holiday he's ever known was The Founding Day of the regime. He took the wine from Wen Kexing's hand and stared at it, contemplating whether he should drink or not. Wine was illegal as well, since it was believed to cause people to lose control of their senses.
"It's the mid-Autumn festival, have you forgotten?" Wen Kexing smiled and clicked his glass on A-Xu's, "Tonight is the fullest and brightest moon of the year."
Zhou Zishu kept staring at the wine, tracing his thumb around the rim of the cup hesitantly. "I see. I almost forgot." He said and gulped the wine quickly, wincing at the foreign burning sensation in his throat.
"Oh?" Wen Kexing grinned, "Is the wine that strong?"
"It's fine." Zhou Zishu replied, "Much thanks."
"Ah, don't be too formal." Wen Kexing said playfully, "Everyone likes you here, make yourself at home."
Zhou Zishu eyed Wen Kexing blankly, again lacking the words, he then turned his gaze back to the two women laughing outside. "What are they doing?" He asked.
"Them?" Wen Kexing glanced outside, "They're laughing."
"Only laughing?" Zhou Zishu furrowed his brows, "Why?"
"They're happy." Wen Kexing parted his lips to say more but sealed them back.
"Happy?" Zhou Zishu stared, "So happiness makes people laugh like that?"
Wen Kexing went silent for a while, "No, love." He then simply said. "Love makes people happy, so they laugh like that."
Sting. Zhou Zishu's reflex was faster than his self-control and he quickly pressed a palm on his chest. This was not the first time or second time the nails stung and he was growing concerned. The first time the nails stung was the first day he arrived to Ghost Valley, when he looked into Wen Kexing's eyes and saw him looking back. The second time was when Wen Kexing recited him poetry, the third time was when Gu Xiang called him ugly, and the fourth and fifth and sixth times were just now, the most painful being the last, when Wen Kexing mentioned the word love...
"Are you alright, A-Xu?" Wen Kexing placed his hand on Zhou Zishu's shoulder and-
Sting. "Don't touch me!" Sting. "Fuck!" Sting. Zhou Zishu stood up and pressed hard on his chest, breathing heavily. The nails are designed to expand when they detect an emotion or a sub-emotion, and shrink at the loss of it, eventually taming the person back to numbness. But the possibility of a person having an emotion after getting the procedure was zero to none, so how is this possible?!
"A-Xu?" Wen Kexing called again, holding Zhou Zishu steady. "What's wrong?"
Sting. Sting. Sting. "Don't touch me!" Zhou Zishu yanked himself away before feeling yet another sting.
"Zhou Zishu!" Wen Kexing shouted, startling everyone in the room, including Zhou Zishu.
Sting.
Everyone left the room when they saw Wen Kexing's reaction, leaving the two men alone. Zhou Zishu steadied himself by the edge of the table and looked up at Wen Kexing, they stared in silence until Wen Kexing broke the ice. "You have the nails."
Zhou Zishu nodded.
"You are the leader of Tianchuang."
Zhou Zishu nodded again.
"Your real name is Zhou Zishu."
Zhou Zishu sighed and sat down in defeat. "How did you know? When?"
"I know you're wearing a disguise." Wen Kexing said, pouring himself another cup of wine then abandoning it for the whole bottle.
"Valley Master Wen is smart and observant." Zhou Zishu praised. Wen Kexing was indeed smart, but breaching through such disguise and exposing his identity was beyond what a mere smart person can do and Zhou Zishu was impressed.
"Overpraised."
"You've known all along." Zhou Zishu determined, "Why did you let me stay without exposing me?"
"Show me." Wen Kexing spoke vaguely. "The nails."
Zhou Zishu rolled his eyes. Sting. "You must be crazy?"
Wen Kexing overlooked the remark and grabbed Zhou Zishu's shirt, "Show me the nails."
"Are you fucking crazy?!" Zhou Zishu seized Wen Kexing's wrists and glared at him. Sting. "What do you think you're doing?!" Sting.
"I- I... A-Xu..."
Zhou Zishu shoved Wen Kexing back and fixed his clothes, seating himself back down calmly. "Rest assured, I will not report back to Tianchuang, I decided to defect and I will leave here in the morning. You have my word."
"Leave? Why are you defecting?"
"I am incapable of holding bigger responsibilities in the future, and knowing the Supreme, he won't let me go easily." Zhou Zishu shrugged in defeat, "I have no choice... And although you have many illegal activity going on here, I don't see how your people can be dangerous to the supreme rule, I don't see a need to destroy your shelter." Sting. Remorse.
The tension in the air thickened as Wen Kexing found himself speechless, such a rare state for him to encounter. He sat down and leaned closer, lifting his hand reluctantly to touch Zhou Zishu's face, "A-Xu, show me your real face..."
Zhou Zishu felt Wen Kexing's touch on his face and his heartbeats quickened. Sting. Sting. Sting. He backed away and clutched his chest again, the stinging got more painful each time until they were replaced with pure shocks of pain. "Wen Kexing..." He whispered, "Stay away from me..."
"Do they hurt...?" Wen Kexing asked softly.
Shock. Shock. Zhou Zishu stood up and walked few steps away from Wen Kexing, the pain almost unbearable. "Stay away!" Shock. Zhou Zishu didn't know what was causing the nails to inflict their pain, he didn't know which emotions were triggered or why, he only knew that it mostly happens when Wen Kexing is close and he needed to stay away. He was utterly confused and the more agitated he was, the harder the nails stung.
"A-Xu..." Wen Kexing didn't dare to step closer, "Won't you lay down ?"
Zhou Zishu waved his hand, dismissing Wen Kexing's help as he sat down slowly, trying to adjust himself to the sudden pain. "I'll leave in the morning."
"Stay..." Wen Kexing pleaded, "I won't tell anyone..."
Zhou Zishu looked back at him and he yet again couldn't pinpoint his own emotion, but the nails kept stinging. "Why?"
"You have nowhere else to go, stay." Wen Kexing breathed, "A-Xu..."
Wen Kexing was right, Zhou Zishu had nowhere else to go now that he chose to defect. But would staying with the rebels be ideal after he just got exposed? Or could he just fake his death and blame it on them? Or would he be dead either way whether he chose to leave or stay? He was dead as dead can be, he thought... Which made him wonder how it is like to feel alive, like in those novels he secretly read for the purpose of 'research', to smell the rain and feel bliss, touch a lover and feel safe, listen to music and feel it in his soul. He lost himself in thought when a sudden hand peeled off his disguise.
And "Oh." Was all Wen Kexing could say.
"Lao Wen..." Sting.
"A-Xu..." Wen Kexing could hear his own heart beating. It's him, it's truly him. Zhou Zishu...
"Lao Wen..."
"Who dares to look at the moon when a beauty like you exists on earth...?"
Sting.
Wen Kexing wasn't easily fooled as Zhou Zishu thought he would be; apparently he had known his identity all along, but what Zhou Zishu couldn't comprehend was why Wen Kexing chose to keep him, or maybe- why Zhou Zishu himself chose to stay.
It's been a month and the stinging in Zhou Zishu's chest was a daily and nightly routine; his body's pain tolerance adjusted to the pain, and the once forbidden wine now became his anesthesia. The nails in his chest would've expanded three millimeters by now, he calculated. But despite the sudden shocks of pain, he felt... He felt... He still couldn't find the words, because he didn't know which words could describe what he feels.
"How are you feeling?" Wen Kexing asked, replacing the empty wine bottle with a new one. "Wine helps, doesn't it?"
"I don't know." Zhou Zishu replied, voice full of frustration, "I don't know how anything feels like."
"Are you in pain?" Wen Kexing sat down, eyes full of sincerity and concern, maybe longing.
"No." Zhou Zishu lied. "They don't hurt anymore."
"Do you want me to teach you?" Wen Kexing asked vaguely, ignoring the obvious lie.
"What?" Zhou Zishu furrowed his brows.
"Emotions." Wen Kexing smiled, lifting his hand to Zhou Zishu's forehead, softly rubbing the crease between his eyebrows, "Confusion."
"Lao Wen!" Zhou Zishu slapped Wen Kexing's hand away but the other only smiled fondly.
"Annoyance. Irritation."
Zhou Zishu listened carefully, suddenly cherishing the emotion despite the unease it carried. "Oh..."
Wen Kexing stood back up and walked behind Zhou Zishu, mischievously brushing light fingers along his neck. "A-Xu... Your skin is so soft..."
Sting. Zhou Zishu shivered, his cheeks suddenly burnt bright red. He didn't know why Wen Kexing made him feel this way, he didn't know what the feeling is or what it meant, but it wasn't always bad... No, it was never bad. "Lao Wen!" He quickly shrank away from the touch, "Do not touch me!"
"Nervousness. Shyness."
"I don't believe you! I've read about these emotions, I can't possibly be feeling shy with you..." Zhou Zishu avoided Wen Kexing and turned away, "it's unreasonable."
"Denial. Agitation."
"Stop, I don't want to listen anymore... I've already betrayed the regime, I don't need to become one of you."
"Guilt. Regret?" Wen Kexing questioned, unsure of his theory.
"Not regret." Zhou Zishu looked up at Wen Kexing, "I've read about regret, it's not regret..."
"What then...?"
Zhou Zishu sighed, searching in the list of emotions he'd memorized to find the suitable word. It took him a while but Wen Kexing was patient, and then Zhou Zishu finally grasped it. "Relief..." He said.
"Oh..."
"Who are you, Wen Kexing? Why did you offer to let me stay?" Zhou Zishu asked.
"I'm just a generous man." Wen Kexing smiled coyly, "Why did you stay when I offered?"
"I don't know, don't ask me such questions!"
"A-Xu, your emotions are really heightened, you get annoyed so easily..." Wen Kexing joked.
"I-"
"Wenwen!" A slightly younger man that Zhou Zishu hadn't seen before barged into the room, "Wenwen, I've searched the whole valley for you and finally found you here!" The man panted.
"Zhang Wei," Wen Kexing's expression changed but Zhou Zishu didn't know why, "What are you doing here? Why did you come?"
"Wen ge, can we talk in private? I know messed up, but I promise I'll listen to you from now if you give me a second chance. It's been long since you saw me! A month maybe? I missed you~"
Wen Kexing stiffened, he took glimpses between the man and Zhou Zishu, licking his lips nervously. "Uh, Zhang Wei. This isn't a good time, I'll find you later."
But Zhang Wei couldn't read the room. He quickly ran to Wen Kexing, pleading and tugging his sleeve, whining coquettishly to let give him a second chance. "Please~ Wenwen, I'll be good... It's been long~"
Zhou Zishu stared. He stared silently and the shocks of pain turned from discomfort to agony, but he showed no reaction. He only knew that he wanted to grab Zhang Wei by his neck and throw him to the end of the room, slam him against the wall, maybe break his skull or maybe stab him with his sword, or maybe burn him alive.
"Zhang Wei, not now..." Wen Kexing grimaced, his eyes focused on A-Xu's, but A-Xu wasn't looking back.
"But Wenwen~~" Zhang Wei whined, holding Wen Kexing's hand but failing to drag him away.
Zhou Zishu didn't know what possessed his body, but he wasn't in control of it. He breathed heavily, hands trembling and lips shuddering with emotions he once again couldn't identify. "Wen Kexing." He threatened. He couldn't swallow the scene, he couldn't see someone else touching Wen Kexing, no one should touch him, no one should be this close to him, no one should whine to him or cling onto him, Wen Kexing should be for Zhou Zishu only- only-
"A-Xu, calm down..." Wen Kexing shook off Zhang Wei but the latter stuck to him again, whining endlessly.
"Wenwen~~"
Zhou Zishu was overwhelmed and the pain was excruciating, his limbs acted on impulse he didn't know he could have and snatched Wen Kexing away from Zhang Wei's grip, pulling him possessively to his side, squeezing his arm with force he couldn't suppress.
"Ah-A-Xu!" Wen Kexing winced.
Zhou Zishu glared at Zhang Wei who was stunned as well, "Do not. Touch him." Zhou Zishu said.
"Who are you?" Zhang Wei asked. "Leave Wenwen alone!"
Zhou Zishu's grip on Wen Kexing's arm tightened and the other was sure his skin is now bruised. "A-Xu, it hurts..." He tried to free himself but there was no use, "A-Xu, control your emotions... My dear, A-Xu."
"Lao Wen..." Zhou Zishu exhaled, letting go of Wen Kexing's arm. "I don't know what's happening... I don't know what I feel... Who is he?! What does he mean?! I feel so strange! I can't see him touching you! What does he mean- Wen Kexing!"
"Calm down, calm- A-Xu!"
But Zhou Zishu was far beyond the ability to calm down. He grabbed Wen Kexing with his shoulders and the other seemed frightened, "You can't be touched by someone else! Wen Kexing!" Zhou Zishu shouted, "Tell me why I feel like this!? Tell me!"
Wen Kexing's eyes widened, but he didn't have the courage to assume what A-Xu feels, not to him, at least. "I... I don't know..." He stuttered, "A-Xu..."
"I want to-" Zhou Zishu couldn't continue his sentence before the sudden shocks of pain struck him again. He gripped his chest and panted, "I- I... I feel-"
"A-Xu..." Wen Kexing was helpless, eyes full of worry.
"I want to- I..." Zhou Zishu could almost cry, the emotional overwhelm blinding his senses, "I need to- I want to...." He suddenly pushed Wen Kexing against the wall and he wanted to press his lips into his so badly but he didn't know why. He just wanted to feel his lips and his neck and his skin and let everyone know that Wen Kexing can't be touched by anyone who's not Zhou Zishu himself.
"A-Xu..." Wen Kexing stood still, "What are you..."
Zhou Zishu traced his hand over Wen Kexing's face, down his chin, along his neck... And he grabbed his neck, but the touch wasn't rough or suffocating, it was simply possessive. "I don't like this feeling." He whispered against Wen Kexing's lips. "Of someone else around you."
Wen Kexing swallowed, his adam's apple moving under Zhou Zishu's hand. He glanced down at Zhou Zishu's grip and then back up at his eyes, and his lashes flickered, "J-Jealousy..."
"Why...?" Zhou Zishu leaned closer, his lips almost touching Wen Kexing's, "Why do I feel it...?"
"I don't know."