CHAPTER 35: LET’S GO, ROOMIE.

Meanwhile, Jian Ci stood in the hallway, eyeing the stack of boxes that had just been delivered. Each one was neatly labeled as clothes, toiletries, personal effects. All of them belonged to Yu Xi.

He turned toward Jian Rui sitting on the couch, fingers flying over a holographic interface filled with military reports.

"Where’s Yu Xi?" Jian Ci asked.

"Probably in his bedroom," Jian Rui replied without looking up.

"I just came from upstairs. He wasn’t there."

Jian Rui paused, then said, "His room is on this level."

Jian Ci’s eyes widened. "What? There is a room right next to mine that’s free. Why not let him stay there?"

From the corner, Jian Wei looked up from where he was adjusting the servos on his exosuit. "Because it’s adjoined. And knowing you, you would sneak into his room to bother him."

That room he was refering to used to be the nursery. They were adjourned because when their mother brought them here she would sleep in the other room as it was easier for her to get to Jian Ci when he cried.

Jian Ci opened his mouth to protest saying, "I won’t bother him. I swear. He has to switch rooms."

"Ah-Ci, don’t be stubborn," Jian Rui said, not looking up from his work.

Jian Ci crossed his arms. "I will ask him. If he says yes, you can’t object."

Before Jian Rui could respond, Jian Ci was already halfway down the hall.

Jian Wei, lounging nearby with a screwdriver in hand, smirked. "Why bother? You know he’s stubborn. You always give in."

"Not this time," Jian Rui muttered, standing up abruptly.

Jian Wei raised a brow. "Why does it matter? It’s not like Yu Xi is a guide. What are you worried about?"

"You don’t understand," Jian Rui said, already moving to intercept Jian Ci.

Jian Wei tilted his head and asked, "Unless... does it have something to do with what I was about to say at breakfast?"

"No," Jian Rui snapped.

That single word was so abrupt, Jian Wei’s grin widened. He had found the ignition point.

"Okay," he said, returning to his exosuit. "Just so you know, the more you tell Ah-Ci not to do something, the more he will do it. He might even move downstairs if you insist."

Jian Rui paused mid-step. "Damn."

He slumped back into his seat, defeated. Jian Wei chuckled, the sound of metal clicking softly as he resumed tinkering.

Moments later, Jian Ci returned, gently pushing Yu Xi forward. His hands rested on either side of Yu Xi’s shoulders like a proud escort.

"He agreed, any objections?" Jian Ci asked.

Jian Rui looked up. "Even if there were, would you listen?"

Jian Ci shrugged, lips curled. "No."

He grabbed two boxes and turned to Yu Xi. "Let’s go, roomie."

Jian Rui stared after them, expression blank. He vowed to seal that door for the sake of his sanity.

Jian Wei watched Jian Ci and Yu Xi disappear up the stairs, their voices trailing behind in soft, indistinct chatter. The moment they were out of sight, he turned to Jian Rui, arms crossed.

"Do you want to tell me what’s going on now?"

Jian Rui sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You are not going to let this go, are you?"

"I am just as stubborn as Jian Ci when I want to be," Jian Wei replied.

Jian Rui hesitated, then said, "Yu Xi seems to like Ah-Ci."

Jian Wei blinked. He had expected the opposite. He expected that it was Jian Ci who had feelings for Yu Xi. After all, the way he trailed after him, the way his mood lifted in Yu Xi’s presence and the way his behaviour towards him was different, it looked like infatuation.

But knowing Jian Ci, and knowing what their mother had endured, Jian Wei had dismissed the idea. Jian Ci wouldn’t risk being with an Esper especially not with his condition. He had chalked it up to loneliness, to wanting someone to keep him company.

But Yu Xi? Liking Jian Ci? That was something else entirely.

"Are you serious?" Jian Wei asked.

"Do you think I would joke about something like that?" Jian Rui replied.

Jian Wei narrowed his eyes. "Is that what you promised him? To give him Ah-Ci?"

Jian Rui’s hand shot up, covering his mouth. "Shhh. No. He just wants to be close to him, that’s all."

Jian Wei leaned in, voice low and sharp. "You know what Mom went through. You know what happens when Espers get together. It’s a recipe for disaster."

The weight of their mother’s past hung heavy between them.

"I know," Jian Rui said, his voice low. "That’s why he will never confess his feelings. And Mom made him take the Mandate Blood Oath."

Jian Wei gasped, his hand frozen mid-adjustment on his exosuit. "Does he even know what he is signing up for?"

"You think Mum would let him go through with it without educating him?" Jian Rui replied.

Jian Wei slumped back in his seat, the weight of the revelation draining the color from his face. "I sure hope you know what you are doing," he muttered, snatching up his exosuit with a frustrated grunt and mumbling under his breath.

Jian Rui sighed, rubbing his temple. Truth was, he wasn’t sure. He only hoped he hadn’t just set a fuse he couldn’t defuse.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Jian Ci was already unpacking the boxes in Yu Xi’s new room. He set them down with a flourish and opened the first one.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

Yu Xi looked around. The room wasn’t as grand as the one downstairs, but it felt warmer, more lived-in. "I like it," he said, helping Jian Ci hang clothes in the closet.

"And guess what," Jian Ci said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Yu Xi hung a shirt and glanced over. "What?"

Jian Ci walked to a small door tucked beside the bookshelf. Yu Xi’s gaze followed him, curious.

Jian Ci opened it and beckoned. "Come on."

Yu Xi stepped forward, drawn by the quiet excitement in Jian Ci’s voice.

He stepped into the room, the door sliding shut behind him with a soft hiss. The air inside was cool, faintly scented with amber and vanilla. He glanced around, taking in the space with quiet curiosity.

"Is this your bedroom?" he asked.

Jian Ci grinned. "Yeah. Our rooms are adjoined. If you ever want to chat or hang out, just come right through."