"Haldir, everyone is watching. Think of how embarrassing it would be for her to return like this. Please." Vana begged as Shen Jiyu turned to go.
Shen Jiyu frowned and looked around. A lot of people were both blatantly and discreetly staring at the both of them. "One dance!" He said and stretched his hand to the young woman.
As they moved to the dance floor and began to move according to the music, the woman smiled charmingly, "Haldir, do you remember me? I.."
"No talking either." Shen Jiyu replied sharply, cutting her off even before she got the words out. A crestfallen look appeared on the woman's face as they continued to dance without conversation.
After the dance, Shen Jiyu nodded to the woman and walked away. He mingled in the crowd, those who wanted to talk to him were a little scared of the expression on his face, they moved away, creating a vacuum wherever he went.
Where was Basil?
"Xiao Shu, did you see Basil leave?"
"He flew in the direction of your house." Xiao Shu's tone was a little off and Shen Jiyu raised his brows, he did not pursue it, also leaving the party and flying home.
When he entered through the window, the entire house was plunged into darkness. He sniffed, there was a stench of darkness, and he did not like it one bit. It completely wrecked the sanctity of his house.
"Basil! Basil!" He called again but there was no response.
"He is in his bedroom." Xiao Shu said without prompting. Shern Jiyu lit a candle stand and entered the bedroom. Basil was sitting on the bed, looking at the window.
When he entered, Basil outturned to look at him. Shen Jiyu frowned, Basil looked like a wandering ghost and his eyes were empty. Shen Jiyu frowned and reached to pat Basil's head when his lips were sealed by Basil. Basil clumsily kissed him, biting his lips slowly and sucking on them.
Shen Jiyu felt the wet, warm lips on his lips and he froze. His eyes shrank sharply, and his arms lost support, his body fell over, pressing Basil onto the bed.
Basil looked up at him, his eyes turning more moist as he circled his hand around Shen Jiyu's lips, not allowing him to leave as he deepened the kiss even more.
Shen Jiyu wanted to push him away when he saw Basil's red eyes. His heart seemed to be stabbed with something and he froze, allowing Basil to kiss him as he wished.
Basil saw the body on top of him was not reacting at all and tears ran down his eyes. He broke off the kiss but still held the hem of Shen Jiyu's clothes tightly. He would not let go, he would never ever let go, even if this person did not like him back.
"Haldir!"
"Shh!" Shen Jiyu whispered; he took several breaths as if to restrain the emotions in his heart. "It is okay." He moved to sit on the bed. "Do you want to go back to the banquet?"
Haldir did not look directly at him, as if he was disgusted. Basil gasped in pain. Did Haldir not even like him at all? Was it because his heart was so rotten and evil, so even his love is not accepted.
"Not even a little bit. I like you so much, Haldir. Not even a little bit, you can't spare a little bit of love for me."
Shen Jiyu took another deep breath as he stood up to go but he was dragged back to the bed. He raised his eyes sharply, that strength was not normal but before he could think on it, Basil asked, "Haldir! Am I not even worthy of the slightest affection?"
Shen Jiyu turned suddenly to stare at Basil, "I don't find you worthy?" He laughed to himself. Worthy? He was to be his Dao Companion, to be his husband and his lover. Shen Jiyu had been ready to live and die with him. Worthy? Basil was the most amazing person Shen Jiyu had met, the way he made Shen Jiyu's heart light up when he entered the room terrified and excited Shen Jiyu. The way he had changed in just three months, from an outcast to one of the most important people in Elvina.
"How dare you?"
Basil's mind was blank for a second when he discovered that Shen Jiyu was kissing him, his every breath filled with fervor. The kiss was intense and burning, urgent and distraught. He kissed him greedily and passionately ad if feelings that were repressed for many years were set free. Shen Jiyu bit and nibbled on Basil's lips forcefully with the ferocity of wanting to devour him into his stomach.
Shen Jiyu kissed him for a long time before he pulled back. He looked down on Basil, his flushed, raptured face, dark skin against the sky-blue bed sheets painted a picture that made his throat dry, making him want to take another breath but he restrained himself, he leaned on Basil's chest for a few seconds as if to seek solace before he moved away.
"You are worthy, Basil. You deserve everything you want."
"I just want you. Can I…Can I have you?"
"Basil, you don't want me. You don't like me. I am sure of this." It had been made very clear to Shen Jiyu just how much he was despised. Pain wrecked his body as he stood up from the bed. He needed to stay away from Basil in order to get his thoughts in order.
A string of dark energy wrapped around his wrist. The stench of the darkness that he had felt earlier filled the strand and realization finally sank into Shen Jiyu's mind. Basil had signed the contract with the Demon Elf.
He looked at the youth on the bed and saw the obsession in his gaze.
"I want you!" Basil insisted again.
He did not need the power to gain reputation, or honor. He wanted the power to keep the one person who stood by him when everyone else discriminated against him.
The moment the knowledge entered Shen Jiyu's mind, his eyes steeled, and he said seriously to Basil as he pointed to the strand of dark energy.
"This would never work on me. You should know me by now. Basil, I am too proud, I am too stubborn. I don't think I am capable of bending. I think that I would rather break than do something against my will. I can't be forced or be cajoled. The contract you signed with the Demon Elf is useless. You can't keep me like this."
Shen Jiyu felt it. The breaking of the barrier.
"Haldir…"
"Shh!" Shen Jiyu patted his head as he whispered hypnotically in his ears, "Sleep, Basil." After a few seconds and confirming that Basil was indeed sleeping. His hand pierced Basil's chest gently.