XIAO-XIAO WAS DRESSED casually, which immediately threw Xingyu off. He stared at his younger brother, took in the long-sleeved t-shirt, the slacks, the distinct lack of suit. He didn’t know why he was so surprised; he’d seen Xiao-Xiao in all kinds of casual clothes. It wasn’t like they grew up wearing suits, after all—but he hadn’t seen him in anything but suits or pajamas since he came back. Just the sight of it made Xingyu want to wrap Xiao-Xiao in his arms, hug him as tight as he could, promise him the world. He looked beautiful. He looked like he could be just a normal university student. He looked like he could be free of the List someday.

“I’ll skip the small talk,” he said once Xingyu and Weiran got settled in the chairs Xiao-Xiao set up. Xiao-Xiao himself just leaned against the end of the bed, his ankles and arms crossed. “Tell me why you’re investigating the List.”

Weiran’s head turned, probably trying to make eye contact with Xingyu, but Xingyu ignored him. “We’re trying to bring it down.”

“The entire List? Why?”

Xingyu wished he could read anything on Xiao-Xiao’s face. “Because it shouldn’t exist.”

“But why you two in particular?”

“Are you really asking that? You know what Ba did to me. You know what he made me.”

Xiao-Xiao blinked slowly at him. “I’m well aware.” His voice was soft. “So, what, you want him dead now? You could just kill him. Why go after the entire List?”

“They’re just going to keep making more monsters like him. Like me.”

Xiao-Xiao just stood there for a minute, his gaze boring into Xingyu. It struck Xingyu then that it wasn’t only Xiao-Xiao’s expressions that he couldn’t understand anymore—he couldn’t understand any part of him. The way his mind worked, the way he looked exhausted when he thought no one was looking, the depth at which he was involved with the List. It was all a mystery. Xingyu didn’t know his didi at all.

Xiao-Xiao said, “What about you, Zhang Weiran? Did Xingyu promise you something in exchange for your…help?”

That made Weiran bristle. He’d been on edge since they stepped into the hotel, but he seemed even more on edge now, like he was just one wrong word from either fleeing or screaming. “It’s mutually beneficial. We both want the List gone.”

“What’s your stake in all of this?”

In his lap, Weiran’s fingers tangled together. He looked at Xingyu again, his expression uneasy, and Xingyu nodded at him. “They’re responsible for my parents’ deaths.”

“Well, what did your parents do?”

Weiran shot out of his seat but Xingyu caught his arm before he could surge toward Xiao-Xiao. Xiao-Xiao didn’t even flinch. “Sit down,” Xingyu said.

“Xingyu—”