Chapter 25

Chapter 25

A moment of silence hung in the air.

Qiao You lowered his gaze to the charming swirl of hair on the boy nestled in his arms. Their legs were intertwined, the boy's nose resting against his heart. The steady thrum of his heartbeat mingled with the boy's warm breath, creating an inexplicably pleasant sensation.

A faint smile touched Qiao You's lips. "Are you upset with me, junior?" he asked.

Lan Yexing's nostrils were filled with a dizzyingly delightful, cool fragrance. It was as if he heard Qiao You's words through the young man's broad chest and the bones beneath. His ear tips tingled, inexplicably warm. He twitched his lips, attempting to push Qiao You away, his voice a mix of helpless resignation and muffled complaint. "No, I'm not. I won't move anymore. Just let go of me."

Qiao You chuckled softly, then, surprisingly compliant, released his hand. Lan Yexing bent his uninjured leg, using it to push himself up and stand.

Then, he extended a hand to the young man still on the ground.

Qiao You raised an eyebrow, readily taking Lan Yexing's wrist. As he rose, he deliberately applied a little extra force. Lan Yexing stumbled, almost falling back into his arms, but managed to regain his balance at the last second.

Oblivious to Qiao You's playful mischief, Lan Yexing brushed leaves from his clothes. "Senior, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Shouldn't he be in the auditorium, listening to speeches from successful alumni?

"Just passing by," Qiao You replied.

The "clown show" in the stands had been utterly tedious, prompting his early departure for a stroll nearby. That's when he'd stumbled upon Lan Yexing scaling the wall.

At that moment, Qiao You's gaze fell on Lan Yexing's left leg. "Hey, you're bleeding," he stated flatly.

Lan Yexing started, following Qiao You's gaze. Due to his recent movements, his left pant leg had ridden up slightly, exposing his ankle. A thin trickle of blood snaked down from a wound on his knee. Only then did a sharp, stinging pain register in his knee.

Lan Yexing blinked. "Oh, you're right."

He was about to say he'd just buy some medicine and bandage it himself once he was outside, when the tall young man pulled something from his sports bag. Then, Qiao You knelt before him again, his voice calm yet commanding: "Don't move."

With that, Qiao You's large, cool hand firmly enclosed Lan Yexing's pale ankle.

Lan Yexing's body stiffened at the cool, authoritative grip. His eyes widened abruptly, and he instinctively tried to pull back, but his ankle was held fast, making movement impossible.

Qiao You's unhurried voice reiterated, "I said, don't move."

As he spoke, his long fingers moved deftly, meticulously rolling up Lan Yexing's pant leg inch by inch. He then saw that above the boy's ankle—an ankle that seemed perfectly formed for his grasp—was a beautifully shaped, exceptionally fair and slender calf. His knee was already swollen and red, with blood still oozing from the broken skin.

Lan Yexing looked at the young man. "Senior, I can actually—"

Qiao You had already efficiently cleaned the blood with an alcohol swab and was now spraying an aerosol onto the wound. He looked up at the boy, a faint smile playing on his lips, and used a phrase the boy himself had once uttered: "Junior, I thought that at a time like this, 'thank you' would be the appropriate first response."

Lan Yexing's eyebrow twitched, but he finally, obediently, ceased his attempts to resist. He murmured softly, "...Thank you, then."

Qiao You had already lowered his head again to apply the medicine, then affixed a large bandage to the wound, saying indifferently, "You're welcome."

Finally, he paused subtly, his gaze lingering on the boy's gleaming white calf and the ankle that, having just been held, already bore faint red finger marks. Only then did he lower the boy's pant leg. He then efficiently and methodically put away his supplies and stood up.

Lan Yexing looked at him. "Senior, do you often get injured playing soccer? Is that why you carry such a comprehensive first-aid kit?"

Qiao You smiled faintly. "Competitive sports offer no shortcuts."

Sports like soccer forbid the use of psychic power. No matter how gifted an individual might be on the field, there are no easy paths. As long as one plays, injuries are inevitable.

That's precisely why he found it so uniquely appealing.

Though his appreciation was limited to that.

Lan Yexing nodded earnestly, then glanced at the nearby fence. "Senior, I need to go home and feed my cat, so I should get going."

Qiao You smiled again. He'd known it.

"Go ahead," he said indifferently.

Lan Yexing hummed and headed towards the fence. Despite his injured knee, he scaled it with practiced ease and landed lightly. Standing outside the school, he waved at Qiao You through the fence, offered a soft smile, and then departed.

Qiao You watched the boy leave, then turned and walked away.

...

After tending to his cat, Lan Yexing recalled Qiao You's message from the previous night: "I don't mind trying it." Uncharacteristically, he didn't head straight back to school as usual. Instead, he went to buy some of the recently popular alley pies.

Upon returning to his dorm, he shared some pies with Jian Si and Jiang Xiaozhou. He placed Qiao You's portion in the mini-fridge for safekeeping, then messaged Qiao You: "Senior, are you free tomorrow?"

Qiao You's reply came swiftly: "Yes. What's up?"

Lan Yexing: "A return gift for the bread."

Qiao You: "Junior, you'll probably be climbing the wall again tomorrow, so let's meet there. (smile.jpg)"

Lan Yexing: "..." He couldn't shake the feeling that Qiao You was teasing him maliciously, but he had no proof.

Still, it was fine. After all, he wasn't the one who had to travel further.

So he replied with a time, then went to prepare for bed.

After his evening routine and changing the dressing on his knee wound, he received another mission from the system: "In three days, the second-year students of the Business School will embark on an off-campus activity, collectively attending a financial summit in another city. During the conference, an alpha using hypnotic psychic power will infiltrate Qiao You's room to attack him. This alpha is one of the conference participants. Please prevent this 'capture' event from occurring while ensuring your own safety."

Lan Yexing's expression hardened.

Jiang Xiaozhou was in the bathroom at the moment, so Lan Yexing directly asked, "Where is that alpha now?"

System: "My information indicates that conference attendees, including Yan Wentian, have begun checking into the conference hotel as of today. That alpha is among them, and his room number is 603."

Lan Yexing's eyes turned cold, and he nodded, an idea already forming in his mind.

The system, a little concerned for Lan Yexing, continued, "What do you intend to do, host?"

Lan Yexing sat at the table, already on his phone, searching for train tickets from Central County to that city. He said calmly, "I'll simply deal with him in advance."

Although Xingdu University maintained strict closed management, students were permitted to request leave from their respective colleges for important matters. Securing two days off shouldn't be difficult for him.

System: "Host, please be extremely careful."

Lan Yexing had already booked his ticket for the following evening. He reached out and covered the watch face on his wrist, saying gently, "I will."

He was about to put his phone away for the night when a news alert popped up on the screen:

Qi Zhong, now under police custody, had been discharged from the hospital and was being transferred to the police station. The hospital entrance was swarming with reporters. Qi Zhong, like a madman, roared at them, claiming that someone in that sea area must have modified his body and urging them to pressure the police to apprehend the culprit who had harmed him.

His terrifying face was gaunt, with sunken eye sockets and bloodshot eyes. "I'm a space-type psychic! I'm most sensitive to space! The human body is also a type of space, so how could I not have felt that my body had been tampered with? Someone is trying to harm me! I'm dying of discomfort! Go and catch him quickly!"

The doctor beside him helplessly stated that his body had been examined and found no problems, only that he had suffered severe asphyxiation from being entangled in seaweed due to his own actions, which led to some neurological issues.

The police also informed reporters that two of the three victims were non-psychic users. Although the third victim was a noble with psychic power, his ability was akin to "levitation" and couldn't possibly achieve what Qi Zhong claimed. Therefore, Qi Zhong's statement was entirely baseless.

A police officer explained, "We investigated thoroughly. That student's psychic power can only affect inorganic matter. Since childhood, at most, he could only make a pencil float in his hand for one minute."

...

Lan Yexing read, startled. He still didn't know what Qiao You had done to Qi Zhong, but it seemed that even a space-type psychic like Qi Zhong had some reaction to Qiao You's actions.

But fortunately, no one (including himself) knew Qiao You's true psychic power. This was truly a blessing.

Lan Yexing turned off his phone, got into bed, and peacefully closed his eyes.

...

The next morning, Lan Yexing contacted Yang Qing for a certificate. Yang Qing, believing he had genuinely decided to visit a large hospital outside for his pheromone allergy, readily provided it. Lan Yexing easily secured two days of leave.

After a full day of classes, Lan Yexing went to the secret meeting room at the campus hotel that evening to meet Leon.

Besides Leon, several silent alpha psychic attendants were present in the meeting room.

The young man with brown curly hair and freckles wore an amiable smile, yet his gaze, cold as ice, locked onto the boy as he took his seat before him.

Lan Yexing looked at Leon calmly, cutting straight to the chase: "You know me, and you know about Xiao Song, right? What role are you playing in this?"

Leon shrugged, a smile playing on his lips. "You're very clever. But unfortunately, Student Lan, I'm no mastermind, nor do I know the full scope of the incident. I merely know of your existence, that dial, and your objective. Anything more, I cannot disclose."

Leon leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, chin propped on his clasped hands, scrutinizing Lan Yexing. "Student Lan, the secret I can offer you isn't related to this—what I'm offering is far more tempting, a bargaining chip you absolutely cannot refuse."

A cold smile also touched Lan Yexing's face. "Oh?"

Leon stared directly at him. "Student Lan, you don't belong to this world, do you?"

Lan Yexing's pupils abruptly contracted. Simultaneously, the wall directly opposite them subtly warped for a fleeting moment, like an illusion, unnoticed by anyone.

Observing the boy's expression, Leon's face settled into a determined smile. "Do you know, Student Lan," he began, "the essence of space-type psychic power isn't to create space, but to link spaces. However, weak space-type psychic power can only randomly link a very small space in another world, and that space has boundaries—for example, the otherworld space that idiot Qi Zhong linked is like a small room. You can touch the boundaries after entering, which means you cannot go to the otherworld through the otherworld space he linked; you'll only be trapped in that room."

Leon stared at Lan Yexing, his smile deepening. "And the most powerful space-type psychic power can link open otherworld spaces, capable of both pulling people from there to here and sending them back. Student Lan, one of my psychic powers is space-type, and because it's too powerful, it has usage restrictions."

Leon continued, "Three months from now, when you have your winter break, I'll be able to use it once. As long as you don't interfere during this time and help my people pursue Qiao You, I'll send you home then. What do you think of this bargaining chip?"

Lan Yexing's body stiffened, and his eyes widened abruptly. His mind buzzed: What was he talking about?

He could send him... home?

Almost instinctively, his hand went to the dial on his right wrist.

Leon, noticing his movement, continued, his voice a seductive whisper, as if a devil were tempting him: "Student Lan, as long as you can go back, you can continue your original happy life. Everything here, including Qiao You and that dial, you can treat as a dream you had. You can choose to forget everything in the dream without any moral burden."

Leon: "Student Lan, will you make this deal with me?"

With that, he fixed his gaze on the boy opposite him, whose eyes were slightly lowered and whose expression was obscured by his bangs, confidently awaiting his answer.

Silence permeated the space.

After an unknown duration, Lan Yexing finally looked up, his expression blank, and met Leon's gaze. "I refuse," he stated.

Leon frowned in disbelief. "What did you say?"

Lan Yexing's voice was calm and unwavering. "You're lying, aren't you?"

Leon's red eyes narrowed sharply.

Lan Yexing continued, "Perhaps there truly is a space-type psychic user who can achieve such a feat, but it's not you, is it? Your psychic power doesn't encompass space, does it?"

Qiao You had acted against Qi Zhong. Even at Qi Zhong's low level, he was sensitive enough to space to perceive that something was wrong with his body. If Leon was truly such a powerful space-type ability user, how could he have been completely unaware of Qiao You's two attacks on him?

Moreover, if Leon were truly such a powerful space-type psychic, Qiao You, being so intelligent, wouldn't have attacked him in such a casual manner.

A thought struck Lan Yexing, and he lowered his eyes, a fleeting soft expression crossing his face. "Besides," he said, "even if you really could send me home, I wouldn't agree to make a deal with you, and I certainly wouldn't help your people pursue Qiao You."

As he spoke, his expression slowly hardened, becoming resolute and cold. "None of you deserve even a glance from Qiao You."

He wouldn't abandon Xiao Song just to go home, nor would he help these ill-intentioned individuals get close to Qiao You just to return home.

Leon's tense facial muscles twitched. The amiable smile vanished completely from his face. His red eyes, like a venomous snake, fixed on the boy. "You're smarter than I thought, Student Lan," he hissed, each word distinct. "Aren't you afraid that I'll just make you disappear?"

Lan Yexing had already risen, his gaze sweeping coldly over Leon. "You can't either, can you? Am I right?"

If Leon truly possessed the power to make him disappear, such a sinister individual would never have bothered with a deal; he would have acted long ago.

Lan Yexing lowered his eyes in thought: So, the one who equipped him with the system and issued the missions must have had a disagreement with Leon, and their status was higher than Leon's. They were suppressing Leon, which is why Leon couldn't attack him or prevent him from completing the missions.

Leon's breathing suddenly became ragged, fueled by extreme anger. He glared at Lan Yexing with a sinister intensity, but Lan Yexing met his gaze without flinching. "Since Mr. Leon chose to deceive from the outset," Lan Yexing stated calmly, "there's no need for this conversation to continue. I'm leaving. Goodbye."

With that, Lan Yexing picked up his canvas bag and exited the room without a backward glance.

The moment he closed the door, a resounding "bang" echoed from within the room as Leon furiously hurled a teacup against the now-closed door.

...

Stepping out of the hotel, Lan Yexing took a deep breath, gazing at the beautiful sunset painting the sky. He immediately felt much better.

His hand found the lunchbox containing beef pies in his canvas bag, and a faint, gentle smile touched his lips.

He strode purposefully towards the meeting spot he'd arranged with Qiao You.

After delivering the pies to the young man, he would catch tonight's train to another city to deal with that alpha strategist.

He had already arranged for his neighbor, Grandpa, to look after his cat for the two days he would be away.

...

Lan Yexing walked and pondered. When he reached the small grove, there were still about ten minutes until the appointed time, but Qiao You was already there.

The tall, golden-haired young man stood beneath a golden cedar tree, his feet rustling softly in the fallen leaves. He was as handsome as a prince from a fairy tale. His calm, indifferent green eyes were like a beautiful, cold lake, yet when they met Lan Yexing's gaze, ripples like a spring breeze melting snow would appear.

A gentle expression involuntarily softened Lan Yexing's face, and he strode purposefully towards him.

When he stood before the young man, his breathing was a little short from the long walk, and his cheeks were slightly flushed. Yet, his light-colored eyes sparkled as if they held the stars of the night sky.

Then, he took the lunchbox from his canvas bag, handed it to Qiao You, tilted his head, and smiled softly. "Senior, my friends and I have already eaten some. This is really delicious, you should try it—"

Qiao You, however, did not take it. He simply lowered his eyes and gazed deeply at the beautiful and vibrant boy before him, as if, in that instant, the entire world consisted solely of the person standing there.

As if driven by some uncontrollable emotion, he extended his large hand, placed it on the boy's black hair, and gently yet restrainedly ruffled it.

Lan Yexing froze, stunned. "Huh? Senior, what's wrong?"

For Qiao You, a person with such strong boundaries, to make such an overstepping gesture—had something happened to him?

Worry slowly surfaced on his face. Lan Yexing was about to ask again—

Qiao You, who had just extracted material from the wall in the adjacent room and overheard the entire conversation, once again locked his gaze on Lan Yexing with a cage-like intensity, as if pouring all his attention onto the boy before him.

After a long moment, he finally removed his hand and said with a slight smile, "Nothing, I just saw you were in a hurry and your hair was messy. I helped you fix it, junior."