The phone vibrated again in Fu Pei's hand.
This time, neither of them needed to look at the screen to know who was calling.
Fu Pei silently passed the phone over.
Guiying lowered his eyes to the familiar name for several seconds before answering, quietly lifting the device to his ear as he leaned against the edge of the bedside cabinet, closing his eyes to steady his breathing before speaking.
"...Liuxian."
His voice was still slightly hoarse, though it no longer carried the helplessness from moments earlier.
On the other end of the line, Liu Liuxian didn't waste time asking whether the rumors were true.
His first question was whether Guiying was alright, the concern in his voice impossible to conceal despite the thousands of kilometers separating them.
Guiying listened quietly until Liu Liuxian finished speaking, his grip around the phone gradually loosening as the concern in the man's voice traveled through the receiver.
