Chapter 203

Chapter 203

The crystal chandelier crashed down with a heavy thud, its pendants shattering and scattering everywhere. In the darkness, Chen Zui’s eyes gleamed with a predatory sharpness. The timing of the chandelier’s fall was remarkably precise.

Before the fallen light had even settled, Chen Zui, swift as a leopard, leaped forward. His long arm drove the dagger in his hand towards Yue Jingcheng, who had stumbled to the ground. In an instant, the blade was at Yue Jingcheng’s throat.

Ji Yun, who had instinctively retreated when the chandelier fell, belatedly realized Yue Jingcheng might be in danger. He rushed back, his eyes straining to discern the scene in the darkness.

Yue Jingcheng, pushing himself up with his hands, his eyes wide, looked ahead. He saw a blurry human silhouette but failed to notice the dagger already poised at his neck.

Yet the dagger stopped. Just a fraction further, and it would have pierced his throat, killing him instantly.

But it stopped.

As if blocked by an invisible wall.

Chen Zui landed lightly after leaping over the chandelier, calmly accepting the situation before him.

By then, Ji Yun had also spotted Chen Zui. He was too close to Yue Jingcheng, and it was too dark for him to risk a shot. Instead, he reached out to grab Chen Zui.

Chen Zui had already concluded that killing Yue Jingcheng tonight was impossible. He strode forward with a leisurely gait, and as Ji Yun’s hand reached for him, he casually twisted his dagger and raised it for a strike.

His steps never faltered.

Ji Yun’s outstretched palm was slashed open, blood welling from the wound. Instinctively, he recoiled.

Though Chen Zui’s movement seemed casual, his combat experience and instincts were ingrained in his very bones. Ji Yun had no chance to dodge it.

Ji Yun’s gaze followed Chen Zui. Now that the other man had moved away from Yue Jingcheng, Ji Yun no longer held back. He raised his gun, aiming at Chen Zui, but just as he did, the lights suddenly flickered back on.

The hotel staff had repaired the circuit.

The abrupt brightness forced Ji Yun to squint. By the time his eyes adjusted and he locked onto Chen Zui again, Chen Zui was already near the entrance. Surprisingly, he wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Instead, he held a cigarette between his lips, turning sideways to ask the man beside him for a light. His pitch-black eyes shifted to meet Ji Yun’s gaze.

Under that stare, Ji Yun felt like an ant looking up at a beast.

Enraged, Ji Yun immediately aimed his gun and was about to pull the trigger when Chen Zui, while shielding the flame, grabbed the wrist of the man beside him and casually yanked him backward, using the man as a shield to block himself from view.

Ji Yun: !

By the time Ji Yun shifted his position, Chen Zui had disappeared from view at the entrance, leaving only a wisp of dissipating smoke behind.

Ji Yun’s grip on the gun tightened, veins bulging on his hand.

Yue Jingcheng brushed off his sleeves and strolled over to Ji Yun. His thin lips parted as he uttered a single word: "Useless."

Ji Yun’s expression darkened further.

Yue Jingcheng paid him no mind, instead gazing with interest toward the entrance.

Chen Zui emerged at the hotel’s back door. Two bodyguards lay knocked out on the ground—they had been stationed there to prevent anyone from entering or leaving due to the incident. A SUV was parked by the roadside, its passenger door open. Kuang Ye, in the driver’s seat, leaned over to look at him.

Chen Zui got into the car, and Kuang Ye floored the accelerator, merging the SUV into the flow of traffic on the main road.

Kuang Ye: "How did it go?"

Chen Zui rested his arm on the window, exhaling smoke: "Failed."

Ao Tian, perched on the steering wheel as if it were a decoration, chimed in: "It must be Ji Yun’s system providing defense for Yue Jingcheng."

Kuang Ye, unaware of what had happened in the hotel and not very familiar with the system, asked: "So, Ao Tian, can you break through his defense?"

Ao Tian: "Of course I can. Whether it’s the Transmigration Bureau or our Dark Transmigration Bureau, tech upgrades are incredibly fast. It’s just a matter of time for decryption."

Both of them looked at Chen Zui, waiting for his decision.

Chen Zui stared at the blood on his dagger: "Ji Yun is injured, which means the system can only provide defense for one person."

The car fell silent as the three of them pondered.

Ao Tian: "You mean we should…"

Kuang Ye: "If Yue Jingcheng’s defense is provided by Ji Yun’s system, then if Ji Yun dies, the defense will naturally…"

Prompted by Chen Zui, they were all on the same page.

Chen Zui wiped the blood off his dagger with a tissue: "Kill Ji Yun first, then Yue Jingcheng."

The two men and the octopus exchanged dangerous smiles. No wonder the three of them worked so well together.

While waiting for the traffic light to change, Kuang Ye plucked the cigarette from Chen Zui’s mouth. It carried a rose scent.

"So the rose scent on you comes from this cigarette?"

Chen Zui was puzzled. Did he really smell like roses?

Kuang Ye took a deep drag, feeling utterly relaxed. He grinned and said, "In those small worlds, even when we weren’t close, one thing about you always stood out to me—"

He glanced at Chen Zui: "Dude, you smell so good~ Haha~"

Chen Zui lowered his head to sniff himself, but he had just smoked, so he couldn’t tell.

Ao Tian: "Before Chen Zui’s slap arrives, a fragrant breeze comes first~"

The two of them teamed up to tease Chen Zui, who, for once, felt a bit embarrassed. He secretly sniffed himself again. Was he really that fragrant?

They changed their base of operations. In Chen Zui’s line of work, it was wise to have multiple safe houses.

They bought takeout on the way back. Kuang Ye fed Ao Tian, a scene that always reminded Chen Zui of when Xiao Luchen was just starting on solid food—the two of them taking turns feeding her.

The ruthless killer from earlier now gazed at Kuang Ye and Ao Tian with gentle eyes.

As Kuang Ye moved the spoon away, he casually wiped away the leftover bits around Ao Tian’s tiny mouth.

Ao Tian: "We’re missing some alcohol today."

Hearing his request for alcohol, Chen Zui and Kuang Ye exchanged a glance, recalling yesterday’s horrifying singing. Kuang Ye quickly said, "Drinking all the time is boring. Today, let’s try something new—super delicious milk tea."

Ao Tian: "Yay, yay!"

He raised all eight tentacles in agreement.

Chen Zui and Kuang Ye secretly exchanged relieved looks.

After eating his fill, Ao Tian grew drowsy, nodding off repeatedly. He hopped back to his room, his tiny frame looking even smaller as he jumped onto the bed.

"I’m going to sleep first. Good night."

Ao Tian yawned, closed his eyes, and fell asleep instantly.

Kuang Ye was worried that covering Ao Tian with a blanket might suffocate it, so he ended up covering it with a tissue instead. Chen Zui, who had just finished clearing the table, came up behind him and hugged him, whispering, "You seem to treat it like a child."

In Kuang Ye's eyes, Ao Tian was nothing less than a small child.

Chen Zui: "But you absolutely mustn't tell it that it's a child—this guy would get all sulky. You have to say it's a towering, manly man—an awesomely cool and handsome dude!"

He knew Ao Tian all too well.

Chen Zui: "Alright, let's head back."

The two left Ao Tian's room but left a small night light on for it.

Kuang Ye mused: "Looking at it always reminds me of you from the post-apocalyptic world. Times were hard back then, and I feel like I didn't take good enough care of you."

Chen Zui, on the other hand, felt that Kuang Ye had taken good care of him in every world, though Li Jingtang was an exception. Even after they got together, that guy had a dog's temper, always snarling. Xiao Momo was definitely the best-behaved, no doubt about it. But when it came to who spoiled him the most, it probably had to be Wang Qianjiao, given the resources and power he had.

"Baby, I'm your lover, not your child. You don't need to take care of every little thing for me."

Kuang Ye understood this logically, but he just couldn't help wanting to do more for him, to be better—otherwise, he'd feel like he was falling short.

"Thinking back carefully, life was best when I was Wang Qianjiao." Back then, he had immense power—he could protect Chen Zui no matter what and give him the very best the world had to offer.

The two agreed that the world of immortal cultivation sounded pretty fun—riding clouds, summoning wind and rain, all kinds of mythical beasts, and even immortality.

Chen Zui: "How about we go to a cultivation world next?"

Kuang Ye thought for a moment, then asked seriously, "But what if we have no talent for cultivation?"

Chen Zui snapped his fingers at him: "We have points, so that means unlimited talent."

Kuang Ye nodded slowly. That made sense. After all, going to a cultivation world would be pointless if they had no talent. Plus, he had Wang Qianjiao's memories.

Wang Qianjiao's memories were a treasure trove.

Thinking of this, he suddenly laughed. Under Chen Zui's puzzled gaze, he flicked Chen Zui's dick with his finger: "I still remember how to make this thing, including how to modify the original."

Chen Zui immediately thought of the L8 that could spray water, rotate, and even change color.

He pulled the blanket over his dick: "My dick has done nothing to you..."

Kuang Ye laughed and pounced on him: "How about modifying it to bloom like a flower? Once inside, the tip opens up like a four-petaled flower, so it can cling tightly everywhere."

Chen Zui frowned—that was just too bizarre.

Kuang Ye: "After it blooms, there's something like a suction cup inside, so that..."

Chen Zui covered his mouth. Listening any further would just kill the mood. He stared at the troublemaker, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

He pulled back the blanket and pressed Kuang Ye's head down.

"Use your mouth to properly apologize to it."

Kuang Ye licked his lips—what was called an apology was really a reward.

He not only went down on him but deliberately knelt to do it, glancing up at Chen Zui from time to time, tilting his head back slightly to let Chen Zui see how his cheeks were bulging.

He knew—Chen Zui liked it.

And he liked seeing Chen Zui pleased.

——

Inside the villa

Yue Jingcheng tossed the folder in his hand onto the coffee table. On top was a photo of Chen Zui.

He picked up a wine glass and swirled it elegantly. Interesting—a man who was supposed to be dead had come back to life like this.

Just a brief display of the other man's skills earlier had made his own bodyguards look utterly useless.

"I'm sorry, I failed in my duty. I didn't protect you well enough."

Yue Jingcheng looked down at Ji Yun, who was kneeling before him, and slowly took a sip of wine.

"Compared to you, this Chen Zui is far more interesting."

Ji Yun clenched his fists: "He wants to kill you."

Yue Jingcheng looked back at the photo of Chen Zui—the man's face was handsome, his eyes captivating, full of sparkling ambition and effortless composure.

"A dog like this is worth taming."

Ji Yun looked up sharply. On Yue Jingcheng's face, he saw seriousness and intense interest.

He wasn't joking.

"I will kill him."

"You?"

Yue Jingcheng stood up and walked over to Ji Yun, suddenly stepping on his injured hand.

"After just a few minutes of contact, you ended up injured."

Ji Yun endured the pain, stubbornly insisting, "I can kill him!"

Yue Jingcheng stared at him. He thought that if it were Chen Zui in this situation, he would never allow himself to be stepped on like this.

"Ji Yun."

Ji Yun looked up at Yue Jingcheng, the bulging veins in his neck a testament to the pain he was enduring.

Yue Jingcheng: "You're so dull."

Too dull to be worth taming.

He turned and walked back to the sofa, ordering, "Find out where this Chen Zui is now."