CHAPTER 63: WHO BULLIES WHO EXACTLY

AN: Happy Wednesday. This author is writing a mini project for straight romance and would like to ask you guys a favour, if you don’t mind reading some straight romance. Please check it out if you can. It’s called MMA Champ And Her Contract Mafia Husband. I appreciate it so much. Anyway back to our regular program. Happy reading!

***

Eros had actually transcended the oath, an oath forged in blood and bound by the highest psychic seals known to Virelia. He had declared himself a crusader, a purifier of corruption, and for a moment, it looked like he would succeed.

His power was unmatched, his charisma terrifying. Cities fell, courts trembled and the High Celestial Council was nearly dismantled.

Then he vanished without a trace. It was as though he never existed. To this day, Eros remained on Virelia’s most wanted list, a ghost etched into the nation’s nightmares.

"Don’t worry," Jian Rui said, voice calm. "I have another way to keep him under check."

Amelia narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"

Jian Rui pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek and smiled, lips sealed. He turned and walked away, leaving Amelia flabbergasted. But the truth was heavier than his silence.

If Yu Xi was anything like Eros, if that same storm brewed beneath his skin, who would save Jian Ci if Yu Xi ever turned? Who would protect his brother from the same fate their mother suffered at the hands of their father?

Jian Rui entered the observation deck and looked down.

Yu Xi sat below, drenched in sweat, tying his hair back into a ponytail. His breathing was steady. His posture relaxed.

Jian Rui furrowed his brows having just realised something. In all these months, Yu Xi had trained like a beast. But not once had he asked for professional guidance. Not once had he taken stabilizers and that only was enough to unsettle him.

His head tilted slightly, his expression unreadable as he leaned against the console. He saw a guide approach Yu Xi, hesitant but hopeful, offering a bottle of electrolytes.

Yu Xi looked up, accepted it with a curt "Thanks," and turned his gaze away without another word.

The guide lingered a moment too long, clearly interested, but Yu Xi’s stone-faced indifference made it clear that he wasn’t interested in him.

Jian Rui tapped his communicator and called Jian Wei.

"Tell me you’re coming back today," Jian Wei said immediately, voice frazzled.

"Why?" Jian Rui asked, distracted.

"What do you think? Ah-Ci is getting on my fucking nerves. He is breathing down my neck, causing trouble. How did I even survive before Yu Xi came? I am suffering."

Jian Rui barely registered the rant. His mind was still on Yu Xi’s quiet rejection. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Um... why hasn’t Yu Xi requested guidance?"

Jian Wei was about to explode, ready to unleash another tirade until he heard the question. He paused, then scoffed.

"Because he doesn’t need it yet," he said, tone flat, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Jian Rui’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Isn’t it unusual?" he asked quietly.

Jian Wei’s voice crackled through the communicator. "Well, the whole point of Gander’s research was to create a powerful esper who didn’t need guidance for long periods. A normal esper needs guidance every few weeks, sometimes even sooner depending on stress levels. But from the records, someone like Yu Xi can go for a year. Maybe more."

Jian Rui’s eyes narrowed. "Or he doesn’t need a guide at all."

Jian Wei laughed, sharp and incredulous. "That’s absurd."

But the laughter faded slowly and uneasily.

"Then again," Jian Wei muttered, "Gander was absurd. So maybe it’s not far-fetched."

He sighed. "Quickly bring him back here."

"Yeah," Jian Rui said, distracted.

Just then, the lab door opened and Jian Ci came skidding in, breathless. "I heard Yu Xi’s name! Is he coming back?"

Jian Wei stared at him. "..."

He had never wanted to beat Jian Ci so badly in his life.

Without hesitation, he picked up his notepad and flung it across the room. Jian Ci caught it with ease.

"The both of you are so mean to me," Jian Ci pouted. "Just because I’m younger doesn’t mean you should bully me."

Jian Wei blinked. That was the worst joke he had heard all year.

"Who bullies who between us?" Jian Wei muttered, glaring at his younger brother.

Jian Ci, unusually subdued, placed the notepad back on the workbench and sighed. " Wei Wei, I was wrong."

Jian Wei’s eyes narrowed. It was too easy. Jian Ci never conceded without a fight. That meant only one thing, he wanted something.

Sure enough, Jian Ci slid onto the stool beside him, resting his chin on his palm. "So... when is he coming back?" Jian Wei smirked, realization dawning. There it is. He could have told him the truth but Jian Wei wouldn’t skip an opportunity to make him miserable.

"Next week. Rui-ge said they are busy with something."

Jian Ci groaned like his soul was leaving his body. He slumped forward onto the table, arms sprawled, and let out a muffled sigh. "A whole week..."

Jian Wei raised a brow. "Why do you even care? When he is here, you are always glued to that game. You have got plenty of friends on Star Net. Chat with them."

Jian Ci didn’t lift his head. "You wouldn’t get it."

It wasn’t about hanging out. It was about knowing Yu Xi was nearby. It was like a quiet reassurance.

Jian Ci stood up, dragging his feet toward the door. "I am going to bed."

Jian Wei called after him, "What about dinner?"

Jian Ci waved a hand without turning around. "Not hungry."

Jian Wei blinked. Oh, this is serious.

Besides the constant nagging, there was another downside to Jian Ci being in a mood. Which was that he stopped cooking.

The android housekeeper’s meals were technically perfect, but they lacked the warmth, the flair, the soul that Jian Ci infused into his dishes. Jian Wei had been suffering in silence, and now he regretted not telling him the truth that Jian Rui was coming back today.

***

Hours later, the elevator doors opened. Jian Rui and Yu Xi stepped out, the air shifting with their arrival. Yu Xi’s eyes lit up the moment he crossed the threshold, clutching a small bag of Jian Ci’s favorite snacks. He didn’t even wait for instructions. He was already heading upstairs.

"You should come to the lab later," Jian Rui said casually.

"Yeah," Yu Xi replied, already halfway up the steps.

He reached Jian Ci’s bedroom and pressed the panel. "Ci?"

But there was no response. Yu Xi called him through his communicator. From the hallway, he could hear the faint buzz of the device inside. Assuming Jian Ci was asleep, he said, "I am coming in," and stepped through the door.

The room was dark.

He turned the corner, and stopped short. Jian Ci was there, sitting on the chair, earphones in, eyes closed, completely absorbed in stroking his hardness. Yu Xi stood there frozen before rushing out.