QT: Don't fall in love with the Male Lead

Chapter 109: Don't be blindsided

tw: mild sexual content

---

Xi Zirui is draped across Han Yu's chest, trying to get his erratic breathing under control, and pondering the wisdom of asking the question jumping around in his mind.

Han Yu is leaning back against the pillows and running his fingers over Xi Zirui's messy hair, sometimes stopping to play with a random strand.

"I can hear Xi Zirui thinking," he says, tugging the lock between his fingers fondly.

Xi Zirui supports his chin on his laced fingers and looks up at Han Yu from beneath the fan of his lashes.

"You really are, like a human in many...ways," he says, half curious half mortified. 

The trickle of warmth dripping down his thighs is inescapable, but he can't help wondering what purpose it serves.

Han Yu chuckles and runs the pad of his thumb across Xi Zirui's bottom lip. "It's a mineral and vitamin solution, with many benefits for humans. It's good for Xi Zirui."

Ok, nevermind, Xi Zirui can't continue this line of questioning without dying.

How Han Yu can say that kind of thing with a smile on his lips, he'll never understand.

"Xi Zirui doesn't know a lot about Androids," Han Yu says, as if musing aloud while resuming his gentle petting of Xi Zirui's hair. "Am I the first Android he meets?"

Xi Zirui lowers his eyes, looking down at Han Yu's smooth chest. "Uhm, you can say that."

He hopes Han Yu never finds out Androids have been illegal for 60 years, much less that he might be one of the remaining few, if not the last one.

It might be selfish of Xi Zirui not to tell him, but he doesn't want him to experience that loneliness.

Who would want to be the last of their kind?

He sighs against Han Yu's skin and drops a kiss across his collarbone. 

"You know, it's unfair that you did all that work and yet didn't break out in a sweat," he says, trying to leave his more morose thoughts behind. "I'm all sticky."

Han Yu grins at him. "I can lick Xi Zirui clean if he wants, my saliva has disinfectant propri-"

Xi Zirui claps both hands over Han Yu's mouth preventing him from finishing that terrible sentence.

"Just carry me to the shower so I don't drip your 'nutritional solution' all over the floor."

He can see the corners of Han Yu's eyes crinkle in glee at the idea.

---

Over the course of the next few days they settle into a comfortable routine. 

They allow the delivery route to set their destination.Xi Zirui delivers the packages to their owners, some of them extremely shady individuals, most of them stuck up rich assholes with expensive hobbies that require inter-spacial transportation.

Xi Zirui doesn't have much to complain either way. 

It's not a terrible job, as far as these things go. He spends more time in transit than actually delivering anything, and his contact with the clients is minimal.

Shen Yun hasn't given them trouble yet, and for the time being they seem to have evaded Su Xueyi, for good.

All in all, life is really peaceful aboard the Irregular. 

With one exception.

"Why can't I go with Xi Zirui?" Han Yu asks, wrapping his arms around Xi Zirui's waist from behind and keeping him in place in front of the hatch door leading out of the ship. "I promise I won't steal another cat."

As if on cue, Little Thunder lets out an hiss and starts scratching Xi Zirui's pilot chair as if it has done him personal harm.

Xi Zirui pats Han Yu's fingers above his waist. "It's not that, I told you it isn't safe."

He turns around in Han Yu's embrace to smile up at him. "Because you're stolen, remember?"

In the past, that was a sure way to drag an amused chuckle out of Han Yu and a capitulation, but now his eyebrows knit in frustration and he lets out a deep sigh.

"How can anyone tell I'm stolen? Won't I be just another Android to them?" he asks, lowering his forehead against the back of Xi Zirui's head. "I want to go with Xi Zirui, this ship is so small. We could see the sights in Kappa-Nu."

Kappa-Nu is the station Xi Zirui is going to make his latest delivery to. They could see Neptune's shifting blue currents while making the approach to the landing platform -- Xi Zirui can only guess how much more spectacular the view will be from one of the station's viewing decks.

He doesn't begrudge Han Yu for wanting to stretch his legs and see more than the inside of their cramped little ship.

But the truth is that Xi Zirui can't risk him. It was already a close call back in Teta-Pi.

With a heavy heart, he turns around in Han Yu's arms and lifts himself up on his tiptoes to place a gentle kiss against Han Yu's soft lips.

"Maybe next time," he says, cupping Han Yu's sharp jaw. "I need you to keep an eye on the ship."

It's obvious that Han Yu thinks his excuse makes no sense, but he doesn't press the issue.

His hands fall away from Xi Zirui's waist and he nods in understanding, his gaze downcast.

"Next time, then," he says, sparing Xi Zirui a wan smile.

---

Xi Zirui takes some time to make his way through the winding streets of Kappa-Nu, which are all narrow and encroached by towering buildings covered in plants -- authentic vertical gardens. Unlike Teta-Pi where everything was horizontal, here everything grows vertically, the higher the better.

It makes for impressive sights, especially with the large vines and moss covering entire sides of the towering buildings. 

Finally, he manages to make sense of what the tracker is telling him and delivers the package to the right address.

Granny Ma gets the door, smiling cheerily as soon as she sees him. 

"Oh, my teas!" She turns around to shout for someone inside her apartment, "Xiao Gou, come help granny."

Xi Zirui's heart does a painful somersault inside his chest before he even sees Xiao Gou's prickly head. 

The little boy barely spares him a glance, trying to pry the large package from  Xi Zirui's arms to carry it inside his house. "I can do it," he says, smiling back at his grandma.

Xi Zirui chuckles. "You're a very strong boy," he says, and unthinkingly reaches forward to pat his bald little head.

His hand gets slapped away before he can even make contact. 

"What makes a spacer like you think he can touch my grandson?" 

Granny Ma's eyes shine with unbridled outrage. Xi Zirui recoils, stammering for something to say.

She pushes Xiao Gou back inside the apartment and glares at Xi Zirui. "You better leave Kappa-Nu, before I call station police, we don't like your kind here."

Xi Zirui makes his way back to the Irregular in a daze, after Granny Ma slams the door shut in his face.

It seems that the divide between spacers and stationers is greater than he anticipated. 

He's only sorry he didn't have more time with Xiao Gou, it's been so long since he last saw him.

---

Xi Zirui steps inside the Irregular feeling as if he's carrying a heavier burden than when he left with Granny Ma's package.

It's a good thing Han Yu didn't go with him, and was spared from experiencing that arbitrary display of hostility. Better if they leave this station as fast as possible, incredible vistas of Neptune or not.

"Han Yu?" he calls, as soon as he walks into the ship.

Ni Ni chimes, as if sounding an alarm throughout the cabin. "He left."

"What do you mean he left?"

"He was sitting on the pilot's chair. Ni Ni didn't notice at first, but he was looking through the ship's messaging system. By the time Ni Ni cut his access he had already read something that deeply upset him."

Xi Zirui's heart sinks. What could have he found?

Did he find out about Androids becoming illegal?

Something worse?

He rushes to the pilot chair and takes a seat. "Pull up the last files he accessed," he says, staring fixedly at the holo screen.

Ni Ni shows him a series of open windows, and it takes Xi Zirui some time to recognize what he's looking at.

It's emails. The original's emails, talking with clients about his smuggled goods.

Xi Zirui scans the screens quickly until a name draws his attention.

Shen Yun.

"Oh fuck," Xi Zirui says, with a groan of dismay.

[I got your fucking Android. Wasn't easy, so I expect a higher payment than we agreed on. Ten thousand credits won't cut it after the shit I went through. He's in good condition, as I'm sure you'd like to know before you hack the damn thing to pieces. ETA, 4 weeks. Xi Zirui.]

As if that isn't bad enough. Shen Yun's answer is also there, the characters bright against the dark screen.

[If its parts are all attached and functioning as expected, you can name your price. See you in 4 weeks. Shen Yun]

Judging from the dates the original's first email was sent, the four weeks are coming to an end tomorrow.

No wonder Han Yu wanted to get away from Xi Zirui. He needs to find him and clear things up before anyone finds out what he is.

He's just stepping outside the hatch door when the sight of a shining pair of steel-toe  boots brings him to a screeching halt.

"Looking for something?" Su Xueyi asks, grinning while holding up an unconscious Han Yu by the collar of his jumpsuit.