Chapter 177 – I Like You

Chapter 177 - I Like You

The storm raged outside, making the room seem darker and quieter by contrast, so much so that even the faint rise and fall of breath could be heard. Xing Yuan stared unblinkingly into Lu Yan's eyes as he slowly leaned in closer. He waited silently for the other to flee in terror or push him away in disgust. He had rehearsed countless scenarios in his mind, each one deepening his curiosity.

Lu Yan clearly recognized Xing Yuan as well. The tips of his fingers, hidden under the covers, tightened imperceptibly, his thoughts unknown.

"Rumble!"

A bolt of lightning suddenly split the sky, illuminating the bedroom as bright as day. Xing Yuan's cold, stern face was bathed in light and shadow, cut in half by the stark contrast. Suddenly, he felt a forceful push on his shoulder, causing his heart to sink uncontrollably—

Lu Yan was still afraid.

For some inexplicable reason, Xing Yuan suddenly had no desire to dodge. He allowed himself to be pushed aside by the other in the darkness, the corner of his mouth tugging upward. But instead of the man's panicked retreat, there was a sudden warmth covering his lips. The other skillfully pried open his teeth, hooking his wet tongue.

Xing Yuan's pupils contracted, his eyelashes fluttering violently for a moment. Clearly, he hadn't expected this reaction from Lu Yan. He moved instinctively but was only held tighter, the kiss becoming almost painful at the base of his tongue.

Lu Yan really didn't know what to do anymore.

Should he pretend to be scared? He feared it would hurt Xing Yuan, but if he acted surprised, he didn't know what expression to wear. Asking questions seemed inappropriate, but not asking them also felt wrong.

All his words and feelings were contained in that single kiss.

It was clear that Xing Yuan wanted to speak. Several times, he tried to turn his head to avoid Lu Yan's kiss, only to have his chin firmly gripped by the other. The person held him tightly, as if ignoring the tail beneath him. Their bodies pressed together in the darkness, inseparable.

"Hush, don't talk," Lu Yan whispered.

There was no need for words; their unspoken understanding was enough.

Xing Yuan raised an eyebrow, determined to speak nonetheless. "I'm a Wanderer. Aren't you afraid of me?"

Lu Yan's expression shifted subtly before settling into resignation. "It's fine, I'll get used to it."

There was no running away now.

Xing Yuan snorted, thinking how this person usually threw sweet nothings around without a care, yet now it was just about getting used to things. He wrapped his arms tightly around Lu Yan's waist, like a snake coiling around its prey, burying his face in the crook of the other's neck. The vulnerable throat was right before his eyes, tempting him. His voice was hoarse:

"It's just getting used to it. You're still afraid of me."

Lu Yan stroked his hair. "If I was afraid of you, I wouldn't be holding you."

Xing Yuan looked up at him. His red eyes shimmered with an indescribable light in the darkness, sparkling: "Then say you like me."

Lu Yan's lips pursed tight. He didn't want to say it, but seeing Xing Yuan's eager insistence, he finally chuckled. "Alright, I like you."

Finally satisfied, Xing Yuan fell silent. He lowered his head, lost in thought. His chest was filled with an inexplicable emotion, so much so that even his decaying heart seemed to grow something akin to flesh. He frowned.

Hmm, it was a little uncomfortable.

Lu Yan asked, leaning close. "You didn't eat my brother, did you?"

Xing Yuan's gaze wandered, remembering that he might have taken a bite: "He's tied up outside. Should I untie him?"

Relieved, Lu Yan replied, "No, leave him until tomorrow. As long as he's alive, it's fine. It's late, let's sleep."

He had initiated the conversation, but then turned to go back to sleep. Xing Yuan, of course, wasn't going to let him off easily. "Why is your brother a Wanderer?"

With his eyes closed, Lu Yan answered, "I don't know. I've already raised him this big, I can't just throw him out now."

Xing Yuan's tone was skeptical. "You don't know why your own brother is a Wanderer?"

Lu Yan finally opened his eyes to look at him. "If I don't know why the person I share a bed with is a Wanderer, how would I know why my brother is one?"

Xing Yuan was speechless.

Although it wasn't quite appropriate to think this way, he couldn't help feeling that Lu Yan was pitiful. In the darkness, Xing Yuan kissed the man's lips, his voice seductive. "It's fate. We were destined to be a family."

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel regretful. If Lu Yan was also a Wanderer, they would truly be of the same kind.

The crimson moon had long been obscured by dark clouds. Perhaps another batch of Wanderers had completed their ascension. Xing Yuan represented the strongest among them, while Lu Xiaozhao represented the slowest to awaken. Now both had successfully ascended, not to mention the other Wanderers.

The Chancellor completely ignored all opposition from the outside world, forcibly sealing all entrances to Sky City and suspending the issuance of passes. He allowed the residents of Devil City to gather on Cloud Road in endless protest, with online disputes nearly crashing the internet.

"Protest! Why withdraw all armed forces stationed in Devil City?! Why suspend the issuance of passes to Sky City?! The authorities must give us an explanation!"

"What impact has the red moon had?! Why aren't public announcements being made now?! Has Sky City abandoned Devil City?! We have the right to know!"

The entrance to Sky City bordered Cloud Road. What was once a wide, bustling street was now packed with people. They held banners high in protest, their voices hoarse from shouting. The patrol soldiers guarding the perimeter remained unmoved, holding their guns expressionlessly. Whenever a Wanderer flew by, it was immediately shot down with a swift sound.

The representative sent by Devil City was a refined-looking man. Standing on steps made of stacked shipping containers, he held a megaphone and shouted repeatedly, his hastily written speech drenched in palm sweat, the ink smudging into a blur. Yet, as time passed, no leader was willing to come forward for negotiations. Only the guards changed shifts again and again.

Liu Xuyang's despair grew. If the officials of Sky City were willing to send someone to negotiate, they could further discuss matters. But now, the other side was simply refusing to show up, playing dead. The number of Wanderers was increasing, spreading outward from the contaminated area. The outskirts of the city were no longer habitable. Many residents preferred to abandon their homes and camp out on Cloud Road rather than stay. All industries were nearing collapse, and within a few months, even eating and drinking would become problems.

How did it come to this?

Liu Xuyang and the other representatives had protested with megaphones for an entire day. Now, swallowing felt like knives scraping his throat, his mouth filled with the taste of blood. His vision darkened, and he struggled to stand straight. However, he stumbled and fell from the container.

This action ignited the crowd's anger. Death and despair hung heavy in the air, driving them to curse and wail. Countless people surged forward in a tidal wave, attempting to break through the checkpoint. No matter how Liu Xuyang tried to stop them, it was useless:

"Come out!! Why are the authorities hiding inside, pretending to be dead?! Come out!!"

"There are so many people in Devil City. Are you going to watch them die with your own eyes?!"

"Adults can stay out! What about the children?! You've withdrawn the armed forces. How are we supposed to live?!"

"I worked so hard to save up time credits. Why are you suspending the issuance of passes?! Aren't you giving us any chance to survive?!!"

There were too many people trying to breach the checkpoint. The patrol soldiers outside had no choice but to fire warning shots into the air, yelling hoarsely, "Everyone, step back! Anyone who takes another step forward will be shot immediately!!"

Unbeknownst to them, these words did nothing to deter the crowd. Instead, they fueled the fire of their rage, making the people charge even harder.

"Shoot me! It’s death either way when the wanderers come in a few days, might as well make it quick!"

"Is your gun for aiming at your own people?!"

"You sold your conscience to the dogs!!"

The patrolling soldiers were shaken but didn’t dare to really pull the trigger. They could only raise barriers and caution tape to keep the crowd at bay. Just then, dozens of green trucks suddenly approached from afar, their engines roaring particularly loud in the night.

The crowd subconsciously stopped, countless eyes fixated on the vehicles, wondering if the Chancellor was inside. However, as doors opened one by one, out stepped researchers in white protective suits and goggles. Each held a pure black metal briefcase, which they opened orderly along the perimeter of the defense checkpoint, standing one meter apart. They squatted down to pre-prepared energy card slots, inserting large silver batteries that required both hands to hold, connecting them with wires.

The sheer number of researchers was alarming, almost encircling the entire Sky City, causing an eerie silence to fall over the crowd.

What were they doing?

The crowd didn’t know, watching helplessly.

Lu Yan had come out late at night to hunt wanderers; one more Tier 4 would upgrade his ability. But he hadn’t expected the cloud road to be filled with protesting citizens. While others didn’t understand, he did. Those briefcases likely contained the power cells for the P.B. barrier. Once activated, it would completely isolate Devil City.

As if an eternity or just a moment had passed, when the researchers finished installing the energy cells, the patrolling soldiers outside suddenly stepped back in unison, standing behind the checkpoints. Simultaneously, a blue energy shield emerged from thin air, like translucent glass dividing the two cities.

The crowd parted, revealing a hunched black figure—the Chancellor. Supported by He Zhu, he stood atop the defensive wall, his elderly voice carried by a microphone to everyone:

"Citizens, I apologize for meeting you this way. I know what follows may be hard to accept, but it’s a last resort. Believe us, we’ve made every effort…"

Suddenly, many helicopters appeared overhead, dropping supplies box by box. The whirring of their rotors stirred a swift wind, making eyes water.

"The disaster brought by this red moon is far worse than before. Countless wanderers are advancing quietly. When the red moon ends, they will launch a terrifying attack on humanity, and there aren’t enough ability users…”

He stood high above the dense crowd, rain falling damply. The chill seeped through clothes into skin, the energy shield isolating those outside Devil City, yet not blocking the despairing, fearful eyes.

"Starting today, Sky City will no longer intervene in any safety issues concerning Devil City. All entrances will activate the P.B. protection shields, strictly prohibiting entry or exit. Until the red moon disappears, we will prioritize evacuating children without self-care abilities from Devil City…"

The rain grew heavier, the night darker, the moon redder. Waves of sorrow and tears swept through the crowd, suffocatingly silent.

"During this period, we will continuously drop free supplies. When the red moon disappears, the P.B. protection barrier will seal the final gap forever, allowing no one in or out…"

The Chancellor paused, then slowly bowed deeply to the crowd below, remaining for a long time: "Fellow citizens, I am deeply sorry. May humanity, may Sky City and Devil City, may all living beings survive this calamity!"

The air was eerily still. The crowd was stunned by the news. Although rumors said Sky City had abandoned Devil City, witnessing it firsthand was different. Their anger and sadness reached extremes, leaving them speechless.

Helicopters continued dropping supplies, but the neatly arranged boxes lost their allure, akin to a final meal before death.

A thinly clad mother hugged her bewildered child tightly, a middle-aged man supported his elderly parents, young men clenched fists at their sides—anger, frustration, helplessness. Faces blurred in the rain, only eyes brighter than embers remained visible.

They looked up at those above, until someone stepped out from the crowd, a young voice resolute and desperate: "Humans will survive—!"

It was a young boy, who should have been full of vigor but was instead frail and ragged. He stared at the Chancellor, eyes sharp with youth: "I don’t believe Devil City will perish without your protection. We lack abilities, but we have numbers. We can protect ourselves!"

"Even if only one person survives in this city, Devil City hasn’t lost!"

Those tattered figures stood like nails in the storm, thin, rusted, yet tenacious. Patrolling soldiers on the defense wall watched silently, some with trembling hands holding guns, powerless to act as the energy cells unfolded blue shields, isolating their fellow citizens.

When the last gap remained, a black figure leapt nimbly off the defense wall, like a stone breaking the water’s surface in the stillness. Everyone looked, seeing a tall man. Against the stormy backdrop, he removed his hat, letting rain soak him:

"I can protect you."

Xing Yuan and other ability users stood atop the defense wall, ready to prevent unrest, but hadn’t expected Lu Yan to suddenly emerge from a corner. His eyelids twitched—what was going on? Was Lu Yan abandoning family and brother?!