Chapter 68: Deadly Pretentious

Chapter 68: The Secretly Kinky Guy

Song Yuqing pushed Xiao Jinshi’s face away. "Stop nuzzling me, go to sleep. If you move again, get off the bed."

Xiao Jinshi, his face blocked by Song Yuqing, held him in an extremely contorted position.

Xiao Jinshi quieted down, watching Song Yuqing sleep.

Song Yuqing’s breathing was even, but his eyelashes trembled slightly, as if the warm breath he exhaled could melt him.

Xiao Jinshi asked again, "Can’t you sleep? What’s wrong?"

Song Yuqing didn’t open his eyes. "Nothing."

Xiao Jinshi spoke softly, "You’re lying."

"You trust Qi Zhengqing more, but you don’t trust me as much." Xiao Jinshi suppressed the jealousy in his heart, trying to state the facts without emotion.

But the jealousy in his tone was still impossible to suppress.

"Xiao Jinshi, shut up." Song Yuqing’s cold voice cut off Xiao Jinshi’s words.

Qi Zhengqing: "Cover Qingqing with the blanket and hold him. It’s snowing."

When Xiao Jinshi saw the message, the bitterness in his heart grew stronger.

Song Yuqing had allowed him to come up, but only treated him as a human pillow, not even bothering to explain why he was needed.

Did Qi Zhengqing know why Song Yuqing felt insecure, why he needed a hug?

He only wanted Xiao Jinshi to be an obedient tool when convenient.

Qi Zhengqing was also confident that nothing was going on between him and Song Yuqing.

Xiao Jinshi didn’t know how long he had been watching Song Yuqing before he whispered in an extremely low voice after Song Yuqing fell asleep, "Gege, are you afraid of snow?"

Knowing he wouldn’t get a response, Xiao Jinshi quietly watched Song Yuqing.

Why hide the fear? Why show vulnerability only to Qi Zhengqing?

Qi Zhengqing was not as calm and indifferent as Xiao Jinshi had imagined.

In the dark room, the alpha lay flat, his hand touching the pillow where Song Yuqing usually slept.

He knew Song Yuqing didn’t like Xiao Jinshi, nor did he like him.

It could be him, it could be Xiao Jinshi, or even Pei Huai—it didn’t matter.

He was just lucky, having accidentally touched a vulnerable spot in Song Yuqing’s heart, earning a moment of his care.

Xiao Jinshi’s body was very warm, and Song Yuqing didn’t feel as if he were falling into an ice-cold pit.

Song Yuqing opened his eyes and met Xiao Jinshi’s dazed gaze.

Xiao Jinshi had dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept all night.

88: "Wow, Qingqing, he looks like you’ve sucked the life out of him."

Song Yuqing: "..."

Just sharing some warmth—was it really that serious for Xiao Jinshi?

88 glanced at Song Yuqing again. He had slept well, and aside from his naturally pale complexion, he looked fine.

Xiao Jinshi met Song Yuqing’s gaze. "Brother, you’re awake?"

Song Yuqing’s eyes seemed to carry a hint of disdain. Xiao Jinshi: "..."

Xiao Jinshi’s heart was stung by Song Yuqing’s disdainful look. He didn’t understand—what was Song Yuqing disdaining him for?

He wasn’t allowed to touch him, so it couldn’t be that Song Yuqing thought he was incompetent, right?

Song Yuqing: "Go to Qi Zhengqing and get my clothes. I’m taking a shower."

88: "Qingqing, you’re getting better and better at bossing the dog around."

The sound of water couldn’t drown out 88’s slightly staticky, robotic voice. 88 didn’t see anything wrong with it—when it was time to use someone, they should be used.

The alphas could have their fun, so why couldn’t Song Yuqing? Qingqing worked so hard on his career—what was wrong with the alphas providing some emotional comfort?

Song Yuqing: "You talk too much."

Xiao Jinshi got up and left immediately, walking anxiously to Song Yuqing’s room and banging on the door loudly.

He showed no courtesy or decency.

Qi Zhengqing had just finished changing clothes and handed Song Yuqing’s clothes to Xiao Jinshi. "Qingqing’s clothes."

Xiao Jinshi demanded forcefully, "Divorce him."

Qi Zhengqing coldly looked at Xiao Jinshi. "None of your business."

Qi Zhengqing wasn’t about to kindly explain to Xiao Jinshi that, whether he divorced Song Yuqing or not, it would be difficult for him to earn Song Yuqing’s genuine affection. Song Yuqing’s affections wouldn’t change because of anyone’s presence.

Third match,

It was already the semifinal round.

Of the remaining four teams, only Song Yuqing’s team was left from Xinzhou.

The other teams competing today were one from Westland, and Team One and Team Eight from Sriram.

It was said that Team One from Sriram, who had been matched up against Song Yuqing’s team, had spent the entire day yesterday figuring out how to beat Number Six.

Song Yuqing’s team’s match in Sriram had also caught the attention of the Xinzhou Parliament and the Third District of Xinzhou.

Parliament members were even observing Song Yuqing’s match from the High Tower.

The High Tower was the iconic building of Xinzhou’s power center, the core of the Xinzhou Parliament. It had ten floors, with the first floor being the most basic and where most commoners started their parliamentary careers. The higher the floor, the more power one held. On the surface, Xinzhou didn’t completely block the path to advancement, giving many ordinary people an illusory dream and enticing them to climb higher. However, those who reached the seat of power were destined not to be ordinary.

The tenth floor housed the core members of the parliament, consisting of twelve council members who formed the power center and made decisions on major matters.

The parliament and the rulers of the five major districts checked and balanced each other, yet also depended on each other.

Pei Huai received a call from his father early in the morning. "You’re in Sriram?"

Pei Huai: "What’s it to you?"

Pei Wei: "..."

What kind of ungrateful brat is this! I really want to slap Pei Huai so hard he'd stick to the wall.

Pei Wei: "Since you’re in Sriram, look into Unit 6 for me."

Pei Huai felt even more annoyed at this. Originally, Unit 6 was his—he should have been the one to field it in the arena. But now, Song Yuqing had given Unit 6 to Qi Ran.

Pei Huai: "You might not believe it, but Unit 6 was made for me by Song Yuqing. I can form a neural link with it."

"Are you daydreaming? Have you lost your mind? There’s no place for dead weight like you on the team." Pei Wei fell silent for a moment. Besides, he had never heard of Alpha neural linking being a thing in Xinzhou.

Pei Huai’s face fell, and he grew flustered and angry. "I don’t know, I can’t find out. I’m hanging up."

Pei Wei: "..."

Pei Wei was seeing red. Now the Ye family was living large—anyone with a bit of sense could see the value of a robot like Unit 6.

Pei Wei, who primarily oversaw the military region, knew more or less about Sriram’s plans.

Sriram often criticized Xinzhou in intercontinental exchanges, calling them a bunch of cowardly dogs who feared death, unlike the Alphas of Sriram who fought desperately for survival.

But those Alphas from Sriram weren’t exactly fearless of death either. Instead, they sought to extend their lives through more extreme means.

Machinery was their chosen path. If flesh and blood couldn’t sustain them, then linking consciousness to machinery—continuing existence through machinery—was the method those madmen had conceived.

It was a way to handle both military needs and survival.

Alphas from Xinzhou, trained systematically, could become very powerful. But in a clash between flesh and machinery, flesh and blood were clearly outmatched.

Song Yuqing also received a call from Professor Lin.

"Professor, rest easy."

"You don’t need to say anything to them or pay them any mind."

The match hadn’t started yet. Song Yuqing stood under the pavilion’s glass roof. Sunlight streamed through the specially made transparent roof, its curve precisely calculated so that snow would slide off without accumulating.

Inside the flower hall, blossoms bloomed in vibrant clusters, a stark contrast to the cold outside—like two different worlds.

Song Yuqing stood elegantly, speaking softly to Professor Lin. "We'll discuss this when I get back."

"Unit 6, we’re here to see your mom!"

"What’s going on this time? How come Sriram’s first team has an Alpha fighting with them?"

"Probably an Alpha mentally linked to a robot. They tried it in the last tournament, but they were eliminated in the first round."

After discussions, Sriram’s first and eighth teams decided that the first team would use Alpha-robot linking in this round.

The goal was to destroy Unit 6 in this round, or at least expose its vulnerabilities for the eighth team’s benefit.

Paving the way for Sriram’s eighth team to succeed.

Unit 6 was highly intelligent, even capable of human-like thought. But how would it fare against a robot controlled by an Alpha?

Song Yuqing’s gaze fell on Qi Ran. "Do well."

Qi Ran: "I know."

Pei Huai watched from the stands as Qi Ran stood side by side with Unit 6, his displeasure peaked.

The commentator exaggeratedly announced, "Sriram’s first team is pulling out all the stops with their robotics tech—a human-machine combination against Unit 6."

"Oh, Unit 6 is also a human-machine pair."

"However, the disparity in Alpha neural strength is huge. Sriram’s first team has an S-class Alpha, while Xinzhou’s team has a C-class Alpha."

Upon sensing that their opponent was only a C-class Alpha, Sriram’s first team relaxed significantly.

Those unfamiliar with this might not realize it, but they knew that, if necessary, they could use the absolute pressure of a high-level Alpha on a lower-level one to forcefully break the connection between Unit 6 and Qi Ran.

Leaving Unit 6 isolated and vulnerable, ready to be pummeled.

"What? Since when did Xinzhou have this kind of technology? They kept it under wraps."

"Maybe the technology isn’t mature yet."

Qi Ran was a man of few words. The moment he mentally linked with Unit 6, Unit 6’s expression didn’t change.

—U_U

"Holy crap, Unit 6 instantly turned cold and aloof."

"Unit 6, are you still your mom’s simp?"

"If you can’t simp, step aside. I’ll help you simp for your mom."

Song Yuqing: "..."

Song Yuqing looked at Unit 6’s deadpan expression, as if seeing his own gloomy giant mushroom.

As soon as the match began, it was too close to call. Qi Ran and Unit 6 had high compatibility, fighting almost seamlessly, their movements clean and precise.

But the expression remained the same.

Almost kicking the opponent out of bounds.

—U_U

The opponent kicked him.

—U_U

The opponent called him trash.

—U_U

Metal armor clashed, sparks flying. Unit 6’s doll-like face was illuminated by the sparks. The arena echoed with the clanging of metal against metal.

Even the sound of impact sent shivers down everyone's spines.

"Bro, are you really that unflappable?"

"Our Unit 6 has become all aloof too."

"So smooth, so smooth—this is the kind of fight that’s satisfying as hell!"

"Damn, who made such a badass robot? This is thrilling!"

"This is our president's graduation project."

"First time experiencing what truly real technology feels like—the opponent clearly has latency issues, but the robot designed by Song Yuqing has almost zero delay. Song Yuqing, I’ll be your dog for life."

The camera cut between Six, Qi Ran, and Song Yuqing’s faces.

Both Six and Qi Ran consistently maintained the same expression throughout.

——U_U

Song Yuqing watched the fight with frosty detachment. Dressed in a simple black team uniform that accentuated his slender, delicate build, his hair fell softly against his cheeks. He lifted his gaze slightly, his amber eyes locking onto the camera lens.

It’s as if he’s looking through the camera—at them.

Specifically at everyone in Xinzhou, and at the people across all four continents.

There’s a hint of lofty superiority, aloof yet confident.

Like a divine being overlooking mortals, watching Qi Ran and Six in the arena as though they were his knights, or a creator admiring his perfect, flawless masterpiece.

A cold yet ultimate declaration.

The council members and Pei Wei were unnerved by the ambition hidden within that casual gaze.

Some even felt relieved that Song Yuqing isn’t an alpha—otherwise, he might potentially lead his robots to challenge the High Council and seize ultimate power.

They feared his capabilities yet coveted him as their ultimate weapon.

Pei Huai watched every moment of the match, growing more agitated. He realized that without being utterly obedient and compliant, he didn’t even stand a chance to stand beside Song Yuqing.

This should have been a shared memory between him and Song Yuqing.

He deserved to be the one standing by Song Yuqing’s side.

But instead, it’s that damn mutt Qi Ran.

The alpha from Team One of Sriram was being completely overwhelmed, his face dark with fury. His sheer pride refused to accept defeat by an alpha with only a C-level psychic prowess.

He saw no other option. A smirk curled on his lips as he glared at Qi Ran.

"Trash, go die," the alpha snarls maliciously.

He focused all his psychic energy to suppress Qi Ran, attempting to sever the link between Six and Qi Ran—even aiming to completely destroy Qi Ran.

But the moment his energy surges forward, it backfired with overwhelming force, throwing him off the arena. Stunned, he couldn’t believe what just happened. His eyes eventually landed on Song Yuqing. What the hell, is Song Yuqing even human? What kind of monster did he create? No one understands better than him—the rebound wasn’t due to alpha psychic resistance; it was Six’s own defense mechanism.

Immediately seizing the opportunity, Qi Ran commanded Six to dart toward the opponent’s robot. Their coordination peaked once again—swift and precise, delivering a fatal blow to the enemy robot.

Six pierced through the core of the robot, extracting its central processor and tossing it before the alpha who had been thrown off the arena.

Qi Ran glanced at Song Yuqing, who was appraising him carefully. Then, Song Yuqing’s pale lips tipped up into a faint, gentle smile, as if saying to him:

—Now, enjoy your victory.

Qi Ran’s expression remained mostly unchanged, but his heart raced wildly under Song Yuqing’s gaze, despite his calm exterior.

Six, still psychically linked to him, gave away Qi Ran’s emotions to Song Yuqing.

——o(*////▽////*)q

——Mom

The audience was still reeling from the intense, exhilarating battle—an ultimate demonstration of flawless synchronization.

It took several minutes before the stadium exploded with excitement.

The live chat exploded similarly.

"Mom!!! That was absolutely incredible!!! A C-level alpha beating an S-level alpha—I thought Song Yuqing had no capable alphas left, but it turns out his robot is the real total weapon."

"Bro, you showed no expression during the fight, but the moment Song Yuqing smiled at you, you turned into such a simp."

"If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were looking at your mom. Control your deadpan expression, ahhh! Is it that you can’t control Six, or is this what you’re really thinking, you closet sentimentalist."

"Ah, but actually, Qingqing really is his 'mom'—just a stepmom."