Chapter 349: Return to the City

Chapter 349: Back to the City

Lu Liu realized Qi Yi’s cakes were actually delicious.

While Qi Yi worked in the kitchen, Lu Liu lurked by the door, quietly observing as Qi Yi took off his coat, pulled his shoulder-length hair into a little bun at the back of his head, and put on an apron before expertly steaming, baking, and mixing.

Lu Liu: "Wow."

He thought to himself. Though Qi Yi had always been good-looking, right now, he seemed even more attractive than before.

A weird vibe radiated from the sentinel, filling the room with the scent of sugar and cream. A certain gentleness had softened his usual sharp edges, like a knife dipped in shiny honey. For a moment, Lu Liu could hardly connect this man with the ruthless sentinel from the story.

He thought to himself, "So Qi Yi is actually this good at cooking?"

In the story, he had never cooked for anyone.

An hour later, a mango cake was placed on the table.

Qi Yi took off the apron and casually hung it nearby, relaxing his stiff posture. Pretending not to notice the peeking guide, he called out casually, "Alright, come eat."

Lu Liu paused for a moment before moving to the dining table, grabbing a knife and fork, and happily cutting into the cake.

Qi Yi sat across from him, a faint smile on his lips. He propped his chin on one hand, crossing his long legs as he absently swiped through his tablet. Yet his gaze kept drifting to the screen’s reflection—where the guide was happily eating, like a guinea pig hoarding food.

"I’m done."

After Lu Liu finished eating, he sat quietly across from the sentinel, waiting to see what came next. But Qi Yi naturally took the empty plate, tossed it into the sink to wash, and said nothing about what came next.

Lu Liu actually felt a bit guilty. Eating someone else’s food, sleeping in their space, and now having them wash the dishes—he cautiously kept a careful distance as he asked, "Can I go back to the cell?"

Qi Yi didn’t even look up. "No need."

Lu Liu muttered, "Then where should I sleep?"

"Where you slept yesterday, you’ll sleep today."

Yesterday, the guide had slept in the sentinel’s bed.

Lu Liu’s voice grew even quieter. "What about you?"

Qi Yi: "The sofa."

He looked away and cleared his throat, explaining, "There are no spare rooms on the ship, and it’s not good for recovery. This is just a temporary arrangement. Things might change later."

Lu Liu: "Oh."

Feeling indebted, Lu Liu felt too guilty to argue. He had never been a roommate before, so he could only follow Qi Yi’s lead—whatever the sentinel said, he obeyed without question, acting extra obedient.

While Qi Yi worked in the living room, Lu Liu sat on the sofa, hands politely on his knees, waiting for him to finish.

Under these circumstances, Qi Yi couldn’t concentrate.

The sentinel took a deep breath, pressing his fingers to his temples. "You’re still recovering. Go wash up and sleep early."

So Lu Liu hurried off to take a shower.

And Qi Yi’s mind got even more distracted.

Listening to the sound of running water, he suddenly heard the bedroom door creak open. The guide poked his head out and said, "Goodnight, Qi Yi."

"......"

The sentinel was at a loss for words.

His throat went dry, leaving him speechless, only to hear the guide ask, "Where’s Caesar?"

Qi Yi hesitated for a long beat before realizing it was the cheetah’s name.

He felt a twinge of irritation, thinking, "Even that thing has a name now?"

Then, a swirl of gray mist coalesced, transforming into the cheetah. It padded toward the guide, pausing uncertainly before stopping in front of him.

After their mental link, Caesar no longer dared to rub against the guide’s legs.

But Lu Liu didn’t care about any of that. Before him was a delightfully scritchable cat head, so the guide crouched down and gave it a vigorous scratch, laughing, "Goodnight, Caesar!"

When it came to the cheetah, he couldn’t muster his usual deadpan expression.

"......"

The warm hand petting his Spirit felt like it was caressing the back of his own head. Qi Yi stiffened, almost fumbling his tablet.

He thought with mild dissatisfaction: Lu Liu’s "goodnight" to Caesar was far more enthusiastic than the one he gave to its owner.

While the sentinel sulked, the culprit remained oblivious. Yawning, Lu Liu leisurely returned to bed.

Lu Liu had always been carefree. He was out cold within minutes of hitting the sentinel’s bed. Meanwhile, Qi Yi fidgeted on the cramped sofa.

The sofa was a bit short, barely accommodating a man over six feet tall. Qi Yi shifted restlessly, unable to resist glancing at the bedroom door.

The guide’s guinea pig Spirit usually emerged at night.

The cheetah crouched beside him, eyes glued to the door crack. But by four in the morning, nothing had happened.

Inside the guide’s Spirit Sea, the guinea pig burrowed under its tiny blanket.

Ever since learning that the guinea pig was his Spirit and that the Qi Yi in his dreams was the real one, Lu Liu refused to let it out.

—Licking the sentinel’s fingers or something? That’s downright weird!

He’d be seen as a pervert, right? He’d definitely be seen as a pervert!

Completely unaware, he had no idea two sets of glaring eyes were fixed on the door crack.

Qi Yi thought, "Ugh, and I even got the cream ready."

It was sitting in the fridge.

So, the next day, Qi Yi showed up to meetings looking sleep-deprived.

The next few days were uneventful. Qi Yi continued bringing fruits and making cakes, sharing the same space with the guide, trading casual ‘good mornings’ and ‘good afternoons’. Lu Liu took over dishwashing duties—in short, they settled into a roommate rhythm.

One day, after work, Qi Yi brought out a small chocolate cake. Watching Lu Liu, he offhandedly mentioned, "The White Tower sent a new envoy."

Lu Liu: "Mhm."

The guide barely registered the comment.

—What did the White Tower’s envoy have to do with him? Right now, all he wanted was to eat cake!

Qi Yi: "Bai Wen has been detained by me. Given his actions, I cannot agree to let him take over the White Tower."

Lu Liu: "Uh-huh, uh-huh."

Qi Yi: "Currently, there are only three SS-level Guides in the White Tower: you, Bai Wen, and your mentor."

Lu Liu came from a middling background—unlike Bai Wen, who came from a noble family, or Qi Yi, who rose from poverty. With Bai Wen as the shining example, Lu Liu naturally had no claim to the White Tower's succession rights and was just a high-ranking figurehead.

Lu Liu: "Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh."

Qi Yi paused, acting casual as he asked, "So, would you like to become the White Tower's successor?"

"...?"

Lu Liu was just spearing a piece of mango with his fork. He pointed at himself in confusion, "Me? Me?"

This wasn’t part of the original story.

He scrambled to remember the original story.

In the original story, Lu Liu died early. Due to the White Tower's aggressive stance, after the conflict, Bai Wen got off scot-free. Later, the Dark Sentinels and the White Tower remained stuck in a standoff, with frequent clashes, until they finally forced the White Tower to amend its laws, regulating the chapters on Spirit Sea manipulation.

But since Lu Liu was already dead by the latter half, the plot glossed over the details. He had no idea how long the stalemate lasted or how tumultuous the process was. Lu Liu chewed his mango, hesitating.

This wasn't his storyline. Besides, the position of White Tower Chief was far too important—it should go to someone truly exceptional, right?

Someone like Xiao Shao or Xie Shu, outstanding talents who shone in their respective fields. Not someone like him, barely passing with 60 points, messing up tasks constantly as a system.

And... was Qi Yi really giving up on killing him?

Lu Liu: "QAQ."

His spoon fell with a clatter. Angrily, he took a bite of the chocolate, imagining it was the Sentinel across from him.

"You don’t bite the hand that feeds you." Lu Liu had no choice but to give real thought to the Sentinel's offer. "Me? Am I really capable?"

Qi Yi: "Yes. Everyone wants you to take the role."

Lu Liu: "Who’s ‘everyone’?"

Qi Yi: "My adjutant, my doctor, my gunner... and..."

He didn't continue.

In this situation, having Lu Liu as Chief could prevent many conflicts.

Dark Sentinels were inherently averse to Guides. Whether it was Qi Yi or Ji Xiuyun, most Guides drew nothing but exhaustion and disgust from them. Yet, one Guide had weaseled his way into their ranks, getting even the fox and rhino to sweet-talk, coaxing the leader of the Dark Sentinels to bring chocolates and bake cakes.

He was one of the White Tower's highest-ranking Guides, yet he’d somehow charmed his way into their favor within the Sentinel faction. Qi Yi could always sniff out malice—if it were Bai Wen, he’d sooner die than let them near him. But with Lu Liu, he had never detected even a trace of ill intent. The Guide's heart was as gentle as his little guinea pig, giving off a vibe of pure harmlessness.

Qi Yi had heard that in ancient times, when Sentinels and Guides formed one-on-one bonds, it was often the Sentinel who proposed. They’d kneel on one knee, like some storybook knight, pledging a lifelong vow to their Guide. In the past, Qi Yi would’ve laughed at the idea. But now, he thought, if the Guide were Lu Liu, he might just be willing to go through with the ritual.

And at this critical juncture, with tensions at a breaking point, if Lu Liu was willing, he could become the perfect go-between for Sentinels and Guides, sparing them much suffering.

Lu Liu made a face. "I might not do well."

Qi Yi leisurely picked up the fallen fork and placed it back in Lu Liu's hand. "You'll do better than Bai Wen."

Hearing this, Lu Liu didn't deny it.

He was confident he could do better than scum.

The guide finished the last bite of his small cake: "Lemme think about it."

Qi Yi nodded, and Lu Liu hurried into his room, locking the door before contacting his brain trust.

Lu Liu: "Biubiu, everyone, do you think I can be the Chief Guide of the White Tower?"

Xiao Shao popped up with a question mark, sarcasm on the tip of his tongue, but before he could speak, Jiang Xun stopped him.

Jiang Xun: "You can, 66, if you want to."

Lu Liu: "But I have almost no relevant experience."

Leadership, planning, diplomacy, negotiation—none of these were within his current skill set.

Jiang Xun: "I can help. If not, I can ask our teachers. Plenty of others in the group could help too."

After unlocking the "Wise Emperor" Title, Jiang Xun was quite confident: "The key isn’t whether you can, but whether you want to. 66, do you want it?"

Xie Yu once said that now, Lu Liu could do anything he desired. He could take Bai Wen's place, assist any sentinel on the ship who had been kind to him, or even help thousands of others not on the ship who were suffering.

So, very softly, he nodded.

Lu Liu said, "I do."

Thus, when the second round of negotiations began, Qi Yi put forward his condition: as a sign of truce, he insisted that Lu Liu take over leadership of the White Tower as its new Chief.

The White Tower side was unaware of Qi Yi and Lu Liu’s relationship, assuming only that he was dissatisfied with Bai Wen. Though the old Chief was reluctant, he didn’t obstruct the process. And so, Lu Liu’s storyline took another twist—Bai Wen, who should have successfully escaped blame and returned to the White Tower, ended up imprisoned, while Lu Liu, who should have died, was now returning as the successor.

They scheduled the return for three days later.