CHAPTER 39: GETTING HARD HEHEHE

AN: Yesterday I went out and bad decisions where made. I have regrets. I apologise for being late. We will back on regular schedule. Happy Saturday!

***

"I was saving a guide in distress," Jian Ci declared, chin tilted up with theatrical pride.

Yu Xi’s heart, which had been warm and cozy just moments ago, froze over. Of course. Of course it was another guide. Another moment of charm and heroism that didn’t belong to him.

But this ache and quiet sting in his chest was the price he had to pay for liking someone so dazzling, so effortlessly magnetic.

Jian Rui sighed. "Fine, fine. I will let you go this time, but—"

"Yes!" Jian Ci interrupted, already triumphant.

"There is a but," Jian Rui said flatly.

Jian Ci leaned forward, excitement lighting his face. "Name it."

Jian Rui’s eyes narrowed. "Beat Yu Xi in hand-to-hand combat. No psychic powers."

Jian Ci turned to Yu Xi with a grin that could melt steel. "You will go easy on me, right? You will let me win?"

Jian Rui crossed his arms. "Not allowed. I know his strength. If he lets you win, you are banned from playing that game until school starts."

Jian Ci groaned. "Why are you like this? I am almost an adult."

"You know why," Jian Rui said, voice firm.

Jian Ci huffed. "Fine. I will go change. When I come back, we start."

He strode out, muttering under his breath. Jian Rui turned to Yu Xi, his gaze sharp. "Don’t go easy on him. The more competitive you are, the more he gets motivated."

Yu Xi nodded. "I won’t."

"Good," Jian Rui said, satisfied. "Make him earn it."

A few minutes later, Jian Ci stepped into the gym, dressed head to toe in his training gear. The black compression fabric hugged his frame like a second skin and his boots were laced with military precision.

His hair, once charmingly rebellious was now slicked back with frustrating discipline. He looked like someone out of a combat drama, too polished, too perfect.

Yu Xi’s gaze lingered a moment too long, a flicker of regret passing through his eyes before he masked it. He regretted not fixing that stray tuft of hair for him.

Jian Rui stood off to the side, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

"Tap out if you can’t handle it," Jian Rui said, voice clipped.

Jian Ci turned, flashing a smile so effortlessly enchanting it made Yu Xi’s breath catch. That half challenging and half warm smile was dangerous. It made Yu Xi’s pulse skip, made him want to look away and stare all at once.

Yu Xi met Jian Rui’s gaze. "Remember, you better not go easy on him."

"I won’t," Yu Xi replied, voice steady.

The sparring mat lit up, signaling the start. Jian Ci lunged first. He was fast, confident and a blur of muscle and instinct. Yu Xi dodged, pivoted, and swept low, nearly taking Jian Ci’s legs out. Jian Ci flipped backward, landing with feline grace.

He smirked. "You are surprisingly good."

Jian Rui barked from the sidelines, "Are you fighting or flirting?"

Yu Xi’s heart surged. Afraid of exposing himself, he struck. The fight unfolded like a dance fluid, brutal and intimate. Fists met forearms, knees grazed ribs, bodies collided and rebounded.

Yu Xi fought with precision, his body weaving through feints and angles, every movement calculated to disrupt Jian Ci’s rhythm. He didn’t rely on brute strength. He used unpredictability, exploiting openings with surgical finesse.

Jian Ci, by contrast, moved like a storm. He was fast, instinctive and raw. But as the match wore on, he realized Yu Xi wasn’t just holding his own. He was matching him, step for step.

They traded dominance. Yu Xi locked Jian Ci’s shoulder, twisting him down with practiced leverage. Jian Ci grunted, then reversed with a hip throw that sent Yu Xi sprawling. The mat bore the scuffs of their relentless rhythm, sweat slicking their skin, breaths coming in short bursts.

Thirty minutes passed. Jian Rui stood there watching like a coach dissecting every flaw.

Jian Ci knew Yu Xi wouldn’t give up. He was just as stubborn and just as driven as him. He had to think fast. Then, there was a flicker in his eyes. Jian Ci winced, staggered, clutching his side.

Yu Xi hesitated. "Are you—"

In a blur, Jian Ci struck. He twisted, reversed their positions, and slammed Yu Xi down, pinning him with full body weight. Their chests pressed together, breath mingling, heat rising.

Yu Xi’s blood boiled. His head buzzed with adrenaline and something else... something dangerous.

Jian Ci’s face hovered inches above his, eyes unreadable, lips parted with a smirk.

He loosened his grip. His veins throbbed, his breath came in short bursts, and the heat beneath his skin threatened to betray him. If he didn’t tap out now, he would expose everything.

He would lose his restraint and expose his longing. Jian Ci would know the way his closeness unraveled him. In other words, he was going to get hard and expose himself. He tapped.

Jian Ci rolled off, panting, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Yes," he gasped, triumphant. "Suck it."

Jian Rui rolled his eyes from the sidelines. "You cheated."

Yu Xi lay still, staring at the ceiling, heart pounding like a war drum. He was trying to calm himself, to push down the flush rising in his chest.

Jian Ci extended a hand. Yu Xi took it without hesitation, the warmth of Jian Ci’s palm spreading through his chest like wildfire. When Jian Ci let go, Yu Xi held on for a moment longer, reluctant, before releasing.

"I used his weakness to my advantage," Jian Ci said with a grin. "All is fair in love and war."

Jian Rui’s gaze sharpened. "You hear that, Yu Xi? He is your weakness." His eyes locked onto Yu Xi’s, the weight of the words sinking deep.

Jian Ci patted Yu Xi’s back. "Yu Xi wouldn’t dare hurt me. He is my best friend."

Jian Rui opened his mouth to retort, but his communicator buzzed. He checked it, brows furrowing. "You can go. But don’t stir up trouble. Be back by 9 p.m."

"Okay," Jian Ci said brightly, then leaned close to Yu Xi and whispered, "That means midnight."

Jian Rui was already gone otherwise he would have reprimanded him.

***

The spacecraft hissed as it settled onto the obsidian landing pad, steam curling around its base like breath from a sleeping beast. Its hull still glowed faintly from atmospheric re-entry, casting a soft amber sheen across the polished black stone.

The moment the hatch opened, Jian Rui emerged, flanked by two elite palace guards in midnight armor, their visors down, their steps synchronized to the beat of imperial protocol.