One hour earlier.
Qiu Yue stirred awake with a quiet yawn, stretching his arms lazily above his head until his joints popped. The bed creaked beneath him as he rolled onto his side. Another day in hell. He blinked a few times, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
But something was off.
There was a strange weight in the room—like someone had been staring at him for too long.
He frowned and reached for his glasses on the nightstand. As soon as he slid them onto his face, the blurry figure across from him came into sharp focus.
Shao was sitting on the edge of his bed, unmoving.
Watching him.
His eyes were wide open, glassy, ringed with deep, dark circles. They looked like they hadn't closed all night.
"…Did you not sleep?" Qiu Yue asked, blinking back confusion.
"I didn't," Shao replied. His voice was flat. His eyes didn't move.
Qiu Yue slowly sat up, watching him with a skeptical look.
"I need a favor," Shao said suddenly. "You can't reject me."
