Xiao silently waited in the bedroom, his gaze fixed on the closed bathroom door. His mind was racing with impatience. The sound of the shower running in the background was only doing so much to muffle the anxious thoughts swirling in his head. Each minute that passed felt like an eternity.

As the minutes ticked by, his mind began to fill with doubts. Why was Aether taking so long? Was he avoiding him? Was there something he wasn't telling him?

With every passing second, Xiao's unease grew stronger. He tried in vain to calm his racing thoughts, telling himself that there was no logical reason to worry. But the doubts wouldn't quit and he found himself clenching his fists.

The sight of Aether's phone sitting on the nightstand suddenly drew Xiao's attention. The screen was lit, signaling that it was unlocked.

A pang of guilt hit him, a part of him knew he should respect Aether's privacy, but the nagging feeling in his gut wouldn't let him. He took another glance at the bathroom door, confirming that Aether was still occupied and wouldn't come out anytime soon.

Just a quick look, he reasoned with himself as he reached for Aether's phone.

He clicked on the messages app, the list of conversations appearing on the screen. A quick glance showed that it was mostly group chats and work-related texts.

Nothing suspicious so far. But he had to be sure so he continued.

But before Xiao could investigate any farther, the sound of the bathroom door opening made him froze in place. His head whipped around as Aether emerged from the bathroom.