CHAPTER 127: STALKER ALERT

"Come on tell me," Jian Ci muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.

Jian Rui, pulling off his shirt, waved him off. "Go and play games or something. He won’t come back tonight anyway."

Jian Wei chuckled from the doorway, amused at the sight of Jian Ci drooping like a wilted flower.

"You two are in cahoots, aren’t you?" Jian Ci accused, spinning around with narrowed eyes.

"Stop crowding my room and find something else to do," Jian Rui replied firmly, his patience thinning.

Jian Ci pouted, dragging his feet as he walked out. Passing the console table, he glanced at the ornate clock and tipped it slightly, a petty act of dissatisfaction. He flicked off the lights before leaving, muttering under his breath.

"Childish," Jian Rui sighed, shaking his head.

Back in his room, Jian Ci slumped onto his bed, burying his face into the mattress. He groaned loudly, telling himself he would wait for Yu Xi to show up on his own. Yet the hours stretched endlessly, and by the next day, restlessness gnawed at him.

Almost as if they had predicted his mood, Jian Rui and Jian Wei left the house early, before he even woke up. With no one else to pester, Jian Ci wandered to his mother’s room. He slumped onto the chaise, limbs heavy, staring at the ceiling. His sigh filled the quiet space, the weight of waiting pressing down harder than he cared to admit.

Seraphyne appeared in the room, her presence calm yet commanding. "Why are you here?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of suspicion.

Jian Ci lifted his head from the chaise, frowning. "What do you mean why I am here? I am here to spend time with you."

Seraphyne crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. "You only come down here when you are having a crisis."

"I do not," Jian Ci protested, sitting up straighter.

"Which of your brothers made you angry this time?" she pressed.

"None of them," Jian Ci replied quickly. "I just came to hang out with you."

Seraphyne tilted her head knowingly. "So it’s Yu Xi."

Jian Ci sat up fully, waving his hands. "No, no, I just want to hang out."

"Alright," Seraphyne said with a small smile. "Do you want to play chess with me?"

Jian Ci sighed, his frustration bubbling. "I just don’t get it. Why wouldn’t he tell me he had a girlfriend?"

Seraphyne paused, her expression unreadable. "..." She finally spoke, her voice calm but firm. "Why should he tell you?"

Jian Ci blinked, caught off guard, his mouth opening but no words coming out.

He groaned into the cushions, his voice muffled but full of frustration. "He is my best friend. He should have at least said something. It’s been almost twenty-four hours and his communicator is still off. Does he not care that I am worried sick?"

Seraphyne sat quietly for a moment, her expression unreadable. "..." Finally, she spoke, her tone calm but firm. "You do realize that your friends need space too. Friends can have secrets. They don’t have to tell each other everything."

Jian Ci lifted his head, his eyes wide with stubbornness. "Maybe, maybe... or, hear me out—we can be the type of friends that do tell each other everything."

Seraphyne pressed her lips together, exasperation rising. She was about to reveal the truth, that Yu Xi was with his sister not girlfriend, when Jian Ci suddenly sat up, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.

Seraphyne didn’t like that smile at all.

"Mum, I am going out," Jian Ci announced, already halfway to the elevator doors.

"Wait—" Seraphyne called, but he had bolted, his footsteps echoing in the room.

She sighed, leaning back in her chair. Why bother telling him? He would find out soon enough, and when he did, he would embarrass himself spectacularly. Perhaps that was the lesson he needed.

***

Jian Ci left home with restless energy, his destination already decided though he wouldn’t admit it aloud. Where exactly was he heading? The mall, right in the middle of the elite district.

Why? Because Yu Xi was far too noticeable—his presence always drew attention, and it didn’t help that he had a beautiful girl clinging to his arm. Jian Ci knew immediately where to find him.

The mature thing would have been to stay home, to let Yu Xi enjoy his time without interference. But did Jian Ci do that? Of course not. His feet carried him straight to the mall, his mind buzzing with indignation.

Only when he was already there, weaving through the crowd and hunting them down, did he pause to think: wasn’t this... creepy? Common sense whispered that it was, but the thought vanished the moment he spotted them.

Yu Xi and the mysterious girl walked hand in hand, her laughter bright as she tugged him toward a clothing store. Jian Ci’s chest tightened. I buy him clothes, he thought bitterly. Shopping had always been their thing, their ritual. And now Yu Xi was doing it with someone else.

Unable to stop himself, Jian Ci slipped into the store, lurking between racks of fabric, watching them like a damn stalker. His heart pounded, torn between jealousy and the absurdity of his own actions. Yet he couldn’t look away.

The girl was practically glowing with excitement as she pulled out one clothing piece after another, each more horrid in Jian Ci’s opinion than the last. He knew Yu Xi wouldn’t like them, his taste was far more refined, but Yu Xi indulged her anyway, smiling softly and saying he would try them.

What struck Jian Ci most was the gentleness in his demeanor. Yu Xi was always kind, but here he was even more tender, tucking her hair back when it fell into her face, reminding her to watch her step as she darted between racks.

Jian Ci found himself oddly impressed. This version of Yu Xi was intriguing, almost foreign. As Yu Xi examined a shirt she had picked, she leaned in close, whispering something. From Jian Ci’s angle, it looked like they were about to kiss. His heart lurched, and he stumbled forward, the hangers clanking together loudly.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, lowering his head. The noise drew their attention for a fleeting moment, but when they turned back to each other, Jian Ci exhaled in relief. Thank heavens he had changed his face, otherwise Yu Xi would have recognized him instantly, and explaining why he was here would have been impossible.

Peeking again, Jian Ci’s nerves spiked when a salesperson suddenly approached. "Sir, are you in need of assistance?"