Chapter 164: Doubt

Chapter 164: Doubt

Sky City, seemingly prosperous, is in fact a world of the survival of the fittest, where every corner reeks of coldness and reality. The denizens of Devil City, weak and impoverished, can only be devoured by monsters, while those above the clouds, rich and powerful, remain drunk on life even when disaster strikes.

Behind the ethereal and sacred clouds lurks a law of the jungle more terrifying than any primeval forest.

The Special Abilities District is the most sacred existence in the hearts of every special ability user, and those ranks are another manifestation of their ambition and status. Years ago, it was Xing Yuan who broke the rules to ascend to K1, forcing Chong Yuan to settle for second place. Now, with someone else coming up to overshadow him, how could he accept it?

Silence flowed through the air; in the vast private room, the only sound was that of chopsticks clinking against bowls. Lu Yan observed everyone's reactions without showing his own, finally noticing that only Lu Xiaozhao was engrossed in devouring a large lobster, his brows furrowed. Under the table, Lu Yan gave him a not-so-gentle kick.

What a hopeless case, still eating at a time like this!

"Ahem! Ahem! Ahem!"

Caught off guard by the kick, Lu Xiaozhao burst into a fit of coughing, drawing everyone's attention. But thanks to this interruption, the tense atmosphere eased somewhat.

Xing Yuan leaned forward slightly, resting his interlocked hands on the table. As if he had heard something amusing, he stared unblinkingly at Chong Yuan, his tone sending shivers down one's spine. "Are you teaching me what to do?"

Chong Yuan sensed that Xing Yuan might be angry and reined in his arrogance, adjusting his posture subconsciously. "I'm just worried about you. If that newcomer comes, they'll truly be your equal."

"It has nothing to do with you, meddling in things that don't concern you."

Xing Yuan's tone was mocking, sparing no face for Chong Yuan. When he had risen to power, Chong Yuan had acted similarly, and Xing Yuan had ruthlessly beaten him until he was barely alive, only then did he submit. It seemed that after all these years, some things never changed.

Seeing Chong Yuan silenced, no one dared to bring up the matter again. They continued eating as usual, their ability to change expressions was top-notch. Xing Yuan glanced casually around and noticed that Lu Xiaozhao had food smeared all over his mouth, while Lu Yan hardly touched his food. He raised an eyebrow faintly. "Is the food not to your liking?"

Quite picky, aren't you?

Lu Yan shook his head with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "Nothing, I'm full from watching the show."

It was interesting that everyone at the table wanted him dead.

Xing Yuan had long been eager to leave. Seeing that Lu Yan and Lu Xiaozhao were nearly finished eating, he got up to leave, bidding farewell to Luo Yang and exchanging a few meaningful glances.

"Xing Yuan sure knows how to play the field, with two brothers."

Luo Yang whispered to Yan Feng, thinking that this man either abstained completely or went all out once he indulged. No wonder he looked so drained today on the defensive wall, he must have been worn out in bed.

Xing Yuan certainly wouldn't let Lu Xiaozhao stay at his house, but since he was Lu Yan's brother, he couldn't be left to wander the streets. Across from the restaurant was a five-star hotel, and he booked a suite for two months. By then, the apartment procedures should be almost complete.

When Xing Yuan was settling the bill, Lu Yan held back his wrist. "Let me pay. You shouldn't have to spend all your money."

Although Lu Yan didn't hesitate to take money from Xing Yuan, he usually paid for himself whenever possible. Xing Yuan, however, flipped his wrist and tossed his bank card directly to the waiter, his words carrying a hidden meaning. "No need to fight over it, there will be a time for you to repay me."

Lu Yan wondered if he meant repayment in flesh?

Lu Xiaozhao didn't understand these subtleties; he only knew that someone was paying. Looking around, he asked curiously, "Brother, are you staying with me?"

Xing Yuan shifted his gaze indifferently, though he said nothing, booking only one room already spoke volumes about his attitude. Lu Yan casually ruffled Lu Xiaozhao's hair, his smile enigmatic. "You're staying alone. I have something to take care of."

Saying he had something to take care of, there was actually nothing serious.

Returning to the place where they spent the night yesterday, they embraced each other without even turning on the lights upon entering. Their heartbeats pounded like drums. Xing Yuan was still angry about Lu Yan leaving without a word that morning, frowning deeply. "Let go!"

Though he couldn't see Lu Yan's expression clearly in the darkness, the other party was likely smiling. "Still angry?"

Xing Yuan's tone was icy. "What are you laughing about?"

Lu Yan countered, "Can't I laugh?"

Xing Yuan gritted his teeth. "No!"

He took this matter very seriously; Lu Yan's laughter seemed disrespectful.

Lu Yan also knew that what happened this morning was his fault. It was their first time, which should have been significant for both of them. The sugar daddy had taken the initiative to be on the bottom, yet Lu Yan had left before dawn. Anyone would be upset.

Lu Yan pressed Xing Yuan against the entrance, his face devoid of a smile, but his voice carried a hint of amusement. "I was wrong. How do you want to punish me?"

Punish?

Xing Yuan hadn't thought about how to punish him, he couldn't exactly execute him, could he? He recalled something, casting a faint glance at Lu Yan. He was still unhappy about being dominated yesterday, sneering. "Fine, then today I'll be on top, and you'll be punished by being on the bottom. How about that?"

Lu Yan was slightly surprised. "Can you handle it?"

Xing Yuan didn't catch the undertone in his words, frowning. "As long as you can handle it."

Alright then.

Lu Yan agreed to this arrangement with a subtle attitude. He tentatively wrapped his arms around Xing Yuan's waist, finding that the resistance was less intense than before. Seizing the opportunity, he kissed over.

Now feeling like the "attacker," Xing Yuan was particularly proactive. Tilting his head to return the kiss, he lifted the hem of Lu Yan's shirt, his fingertips skillfully roaming over the other's body, taking full advantage. His face flushed red.

Lu Yan picked him up face-to-face, stumbling towards the bedroom. Muffled voices were drowned in their lips. "Did it hurt yesterday?"

Xing Yuan could barely remember, after all, a wanderer's recovery ability far exceeded that of ordinary people. Still, he bit Lu Yan's shoulder fiercely and cursed. "It hurt, you liar!"

Lu Yan said, "It doesn't matter if it hurt, as long as it felt good."

After speaking, he gently pinched Xing Yuan's chin, forcing him to look up. Leaning over, he kissed him soothingly. Recalling something, he asked with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "By the way, during the meal today, did that person want you to kill a lightning ability user?"

Dazed by the kiss, Xing Yuan lazily narrowed his eyes, but his mind was unusually clear when he spoke. "Mind your own business."

Lu Yan chuckled, thinking that his mouth was pretty tight. In the darkness, he slowly traced Xing Yuan's waist with his fingertips, seemingly nonchalant. "Those fights are so scary. That lightning ability user didn't offend you, why make an enemy for no reason?"

Good grief, if Xing Yuan wanted to kill him, he might actually succeed.

Xing Yuan scoffed. "Didn't offend me? He's offended me in so many ways, he's practically stepping on my head."

Lu Yan drawled, "Maybe he respects you quite a bit."

Xing Yuan lifted his eyelids, revealing a faint impatience: "You've never seen it, how do you know? Stop prying."

It's not much of a deal to always take the other person's side.

Don't look at Lu Yan being humiliated now; he makes up for it tenfold, a hundredfold in bed at night. Xing Yuan shivered all over, and even in the darkness, the blue veins on his forehead could be seen bulging, sweat dripping down his jawline, his eyes red, whether from anger or grievance: "Didn't we agree that you'd be on the bottom?!"

Lu Yan lay lazily below, raising his hand to wipe away the tears at the corner of his eye, his fingertips warm and soft: "Aren't I on the bottom?"

Xing Yuan was so angry that his whole body trembled, now wanting to transform into his original form and kill him: "I didn't mean this kind of bottom!"

Seeing that he seemed really angry, Lu Yan slowly sat up. He wrapped his arms around Xing Yuan's waist, kissing away the tear marks at the corner of his eye, smiling and soothingly coaxing him: "Why don't you know what's good for you? The one who puts in the effort is the most tired, isn't it better for you to lie comfortably?"

His voice always carried a bewitching charm, his handsome face under the moonlight adding to its allure. His long, beautiful hands gently cupped Xing Yuan's face, touching and kissing again and again. Who could resist the gentle coaxing of a handsome man?

Just as Xing Yuan was about to say something, Lu Yan sealed his lips with another kiss, one that took away even his breath. He unconsciously softened his waist, humming and reaching out to wrap his arms around Lu Yan's neck. Thus, their positions were reversed, returning to the scene of the first night.

In the following days, Lu Yan served his sugar daddy very comfortably. The originally luxurious but empty apartment gradually filled with signs of life, and many things appeared. For example, an entire row of clothes belonging to him appeared in the closet, a new sports car appeared in the garage downstairs, and countless other miscellaneous items.

Now there was only one word to describe Lu Yan's current state: decadence.

He had clearly come to pay off his debt, yet it seemed like he owed more and more?

After nightfall, Lu Yan lay in bed scrolling through his phone. It had been a long time since he last logged onto the platform. His number of fans, which had originally been over 800,000, suddenly skyrocketed to nearly two million. All of his few works on the homepage were featured prominently, and the hottest replay was the one where he unleashed a major move in Sky City to clear out the wanderers. Its views had already surpassed ten million, and there were even official comments supporting him in the comment section.

The most prominent of these was the comment from Sky City's official account, now pushed to the top:

"(Cheering) (Blowing trumpet) Awesome! Little Lu fighting alongside Sky City's warriors! Let's all cheer together!"

This comment wouldn't have received backlash if anyone else had posted it, but unfortunately, it came from Sky City's official account, which made it seem particularly irritating. Most of the replies were netizens piling on with criticism:

"Shoulder-to-shoulder combat my grandmother's leg! You weren't around when it mattered, but here you are trying to ride the wave of popularity!"

"The Devil City was almost overrun by wanderers before, and we didn't see you 'fighting shoulder-to-shoulder' then. What's the point of cheering?"

"Even a streamer knew to go to the front lines to clear out the wanderers. Official, tell us loudly what you've been doing?!"

"Sick of seeing you. Unfollow and thumbs down in one go. Back off!"

Sky City's official account was scolded mercilessly, showing the boiling public resentment. Although Sky City had indeed been preoccupied during the wanderer invasion, they had also been indifferent to Devil City's plight in general. Their attempt to jump on the bandwagon at this critical juncture was bound to draw criticism.

A significant portion of Sky City's operations relied on Devil City's support, after all, there was no farming possible above the clouds, nor were there enough diligent peasants inside. Since the near breach of the city last time, many people in Devil City had been threatening to strike. The officials had been trying to appease public sentiment, but to no avail. The leaders above were getting so anxious that they were breaking out in cold sweats.

When Xing Yuan entered the room after his shower, he saw Lu Yan lounging on the bed playing with his phone. Upon noticing Xing Yuan's approach, Lu Yan tossed his phone aside: "Finished your shower?"

Lu Yan had eyes that looked deeply even at dogs. Whenever he was alone with Xing Yuan, his gaze would never stray to anything else. Xing Yuan couldn't help but feel that his online dating luck wasn't bad; he had hit the jackpot.

Xing Yuan still had water droplets on his body. His black robe was half-open, revealing a sexy collarbone. When Lu Yan went to kiss him, he surprisingly refused: "Not tonight, I have something I need to go out for."

Something?

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan looked up at the sky outside in confusion. The red sun anomaly had long passed, and the wanderers had retreated. The clouds had finally returned to a reassuringly dark hue, quiet and cool. He asked curiously:

"What do you have to go out for in the middle of the night? Cheating?"

Xing Yuan heard this term for the first time, finding it both novel and infuriatingly funny: "So what if I am cheating?"

Lu Yan smiled at him and winked: "Nothing, just come back early."

Xing Yuan's expression darkened: "You're not angry?"

Lu Yan thought there was nothing to be angry about, but he couldn't say that out loud: "What's the use of being angry? I can't beat you anyway."

Xing Yuan felt that he was full of twisted logic, frowning: "When have I ever beaten you?"

Lu Yan grinned: "Not beating me now doesn't mean you won't in the future."

Xing Yuan found Lu Yan's smile particularly charming, like a fox, but sweeter than a fox, making his heart itch. He reached out to pinch Lu Yan's chin, leaning in for a deep kiss, his voice low: "I'm going out for a night hunt, I'll be back in a few hours."

Lu Yan expressed doubt: "Night hunt? Really or not?"

Night hunting was purely voluntary, not a task forced upon them by higher-ups. Why would Xing Yuan suddenly want to go out for a night hunt without any reason?

Xing Yuan frowned: "Don't you trust me?"

Lu Yan thought there was no point in arguing with him. Xing Yuan wouldn't lie about something like this. He nodded perfunctorily: "I believe you, I believe you. Hurry up and change your clothes and go out."

Xing Yuan could see right through his insincerity, snorting as he went to the dressing room to change. Through the connecting corridor, Lu Yan saw him put on his neat combat uniform, thinking it was pretty cool. This was the first time he had seen Xing Yuan button his shirt so neatly in the time they had known each other. Was it because of the recent temperature drop?

Lu Yan got out of bed and walked over, leaning against the door frame and asking curiously: "Dressed so neatly?"

Xing Yuan replied indifferently: "Devil City's situation hasn't been too good recently. Many people are protesting that Sky City doesn't care about their lives, demanding a strike. The higher-ups have ordered us to go out tonight to exterminate the wanderers, and they've sent a TV crew to film interviews to calm the public mood."

In other words, since he was going to be on TV, he had to dress more formally.

Xing Yuan finished putting on his coat, and when he turned his head, he saw Lu Yan leaning against the door, lost in thought. He stepped forward, suddenly struck by a whim: "Why don't you come with me?"

The other party had never seen him on a night hunt before.

Little did he know that his words startled Lu Yan, who instinctively straightened up: "I'm coming along? No need, right? Fighting and killing isn't suitable for me."

Xing Yuan raised his eyebrows faintly: "Weren't you suspicious that I was cheating? It's better to see it with your own eyes, anyway. There's a filming crew nearby, you can just stand with them and watch the show. You don't have to get involved yourself."

Lu Yan's eyelids twitched, feeling that Xing Yuan must have misunderstood something: "No, I didn't suspect you of cheating, really."

"I know."

Xing Yuan looked at him with a half-smile: "I'm not comfortable leaving you at home alone. I'm worried you might cheat."

Lu Yan didn't seem like someone who would be easy to handle, so it was more reassuring to keep him within sight.