Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"Do you like it?" Jue Ning approached, his gaze, calm and unperturbed, landing on Meng Shijiu's mask. "I bet you really like it."

—This crudely made mask really doesn't suit him, he thought.

His mind automatically pictured what kind of mask the silver-haired youth should wear—

It must be intricate, magnificent, adorned with gemstones, inlaid with luminous pearls, its elegant and mysterious patterns outlined in gold thread, the ends entwined with delicate feathers and lustrous pearls—

Only revealing the silver-haired Alpha's fair chin, pale enough to show marks from fingertips, his kissable rosy lips—and those brilliant, jade-green eyes like a deep-sea enchantress.

The three who heard his question had different reactions.

Cui Suifu stood frozen in place as if he'd seen a ghost, while even Yue Xuanli frowned in confusion.

Jue Ning's reputation within their circle was mediocre; everyone knew he was arrogant, aloof, a solitary venomous snake. No one had ever seen him pretend to be gentle and polite.

He was a composed predator, not a socialite skilled in interpersonal dealings.

Under the scrutinizing gazes of the others, Jue Ning, who hadn't appeared at St. Maria since the start of the semester, seemed utterly oblivious. His gaze fell on the hands Meng Shijiu and Yue Xuanli held, a flicker of inscrutable darkness passing through his deep black eyes—

"You two have such a good sibling bond."

As soon as these words were spoken, the first to be stunned was Cui Suifu.

Siblings?

Seeing that neither Meng Shijiu nor Yue Xuanli refuted it, Cui Suifu understood, rolling his eyes helplessly at the ceiling.

—What to do when you've entered a male rivalry with your future brother-in-law.

The Second Prince, who had been leaning towards Meng Shijiu, stood up straight.

Yue Xuanli ignored him, his wary gaze fixed on Jue Ning as he tightened his grip on Meng Shijiu's hand, which was about to pull away.

His younger brother's voice transmitted via mental energy overlapped with See's voice—

Yue Xuanli: "Do you know him?"

See: "How does he know your relationship?"

Meng Shijiu replied to See: "He investigated me."

He knows who I am. And he could even trace it to Frost.

Tsk.

—A troublesome guy.

"Can we talk alone?"

Jue Ning spoke again, not naming anyone, but everyone around knew who he was addressing.

Yue Xuanli clasped Meng Shijiu's wrist, stepping in front of him to shield him.

He narrowed his eyes, a cold glint in his dark green pupils. "What do you want to talk about?"

Cui Suifu also stood behind Meng Shijiu, looking at Jue Ning with impatience.

The air grew somewhat tense.

A few among the surrounding onlookers recognized the identities of those present, but no one dared to voice any comments.

Yet Meng Shijiu, at the center of this visual spectacle, paid no heed. He bit into his ice cream and nodded leisurely. "Of course."

See: "?"

See: "Why?"

See grew anxious. "He's dangerous."

Meng Shijiu didn't answer.

Meng Shijiu felt that the first of his three "Never" principles in life—"Never let someone else's words fall flat"—was about to be abolished.

Because he had already adapted quite well to letting others' words fall flat.

Meng Shijiu: ^^

Meng Shijiu: It feels great.

As for why?

Thinking of Yue Xuanli's affirmative reply when he asked him earlier, Meng Shijiu took another scoop of ice cream—

Since he went to such great lengths to prepare this little show, of course Meng Shijiu should properly enjoy it.

Jue Ning gave him a smile, glanced at the desserts before them, and said to the waiter beside him, "Pack one of each of these and send them to the lounge."

...

The lounge had clearly been carefully arranged.

The air was filled with the faint scent of paper, ink, and cedar that Meng Shijiu liked. A crystal chandelier hung from the arched ceiling, casting dappled light patterns on the floor. An elegant vase held several lilies, creating an atmosphere of quiet romance.

The desserts and drinks delivered by the waiter exuded a warm, sweet fragrance.

After Meng Shijiu entered, Jue Ning closed the door, stopping beside the silver-haired Alpha near the entrance.

They stood an arm's length apart.

Jue Ning's scarred hand reached for the edge of the silver-haired Alpha's black mask, his fingertips brushing over the cold metal.

"I mean no harm." As if knowing that continuing the pretense was useless, Jue Ning's voice slid over Meng Shijiu's ear like silk.

Meng Shijiu gave a faint, noncommittal nod, offering no comment on that statement.

"I apologize."

"If our first meeting left you with a poor impression, I hope I can make amends."

Even as he apologized, he performed an act that bordered on offense, his slender fingers tracing the strands of hair that fell before Meng Shijiu's mask.

The smooth silver hair slipped through his fingertips like cool moonlight, the delicate sensation stirring an indescribable satisfaction in his chest.

Though this satisfaction vanished as quickly as a drop of water absorbed by parched soil, he still curled his lips in pleasure, his snake-like cold eyes narrowing slightly.

The silver-haired Alpha didn't move, only his eyes fixed on him.

A gaze so direct and devoid of emotion fell upon Jue Ning, yet it made his whole body shudder, sending an electric tingle down his spine.

The fingertips he had on the mask trembled faintly.

Jue Ning smoothly removed the mask.

—The face beneath the mask was revealed in full.

"..."

A low, utterly unconcealed sigh, almost sated, escaped Jue Ning's throat.

See began to scream: "He's such a pervert!"

Meng Shijiu soothed: "Don't worry, I'm a pro at dealing with perverts."

See: "..."

"Are you going to greet me like this every time we meet?" Meng Shijiu took half a step back, his gaze shifting downward suggestively.

"Are you a wild dog that goes into heat at the drop of a hat?" the silver-haired Alpha asked softly.

His fingertip, separated by a layer of fabric, tapped lightly and dismissively against the spot on Jue Ning's collarbone where "bad dog" had once been carved.

The cool sensation sank into the fabric: "Can you behave yourself?"

Jue Ning's Adam's apple bobbed as he answered with an "Mm."

But at the same time, Jue Ning lowered his eyes, his gaze subtly sweeping over the silver-haired Alpha's lips as he spoke, catching that faint hint of crimson, and instinctively leaned in closer.

Meng Shijiu closed his mouth.

See: "Are you sure you're good at this?"

Meng Shijiu: "Shut up."

Jue Ning pursed his lips: "This time, I didn't release any pheromones."

Meng Shijiu was speechless: "What's your point? Do you want me to praise you for having the self-control expected of an adult Alpha?"

Meng Shijiu glanced at Jue Ning's expression. The other man clearly thought so, a hint of expectation showing in his dark pupils.

Meng Shijiu closed his eyes, unable to bear it any longer: "Get lost."

—The two instances of "get lost" that the polite and handsome Mr. Meng had uttered since arriving in this world were both bestowed upon this tactless gray-haired Alpha before him.

...

Jue Ning drew back the curtains and approached the window.

The window was opened a crack.

Cold wind and the clamor of the crowd rushed in together.

The arena had just concluded a match. A majestic golden lion had defeated Contestant No. 21.

On the sandy field, two staff members dragged the unconscious No. 21 off, leaving a gruesome trail of blood on the ground that was quickly covered by dust.

Cheers and curses intertwined. Jue Ning frowned in disgust and closed the window again; the lounge fell quiet once more.

Jue Ning turned to look at Meng Shijiu, who was standing by the vase near the door: "Care to make a bet with me?"

Seeing him finally get to the point, Meng Shijiu tilted his head, signaling him to continue.

Jue Ning: "The winner gets to make the loser agree to one condition, no questions asked."

Meng Shijiu: "A completely unappealing wager."

See: "Agreed."

Meng Shijiu: "If I lose, what do you want me to agree to?"

Jue Ning took a few steps and then stopped, his shoes making a dull sound on the floor.

"I want you to forgive me," he said.

The fragrant lilies still bore dewdrops. Meng Shijiu's fingertips resting on the petals' veins looked like a handful of snow; hearing the answer, the silver-haired Alpha glanced over.

The black-eyed Alpha rarely showed such a serious look.

"It's fine, bet or not," Jue Ning smiled, "the choice is yours."

Perhaps due to the angle, when Meng Shijiu's jade-green eyes looked over, they seemed so pale as to be almost colorless.

Jue Ning couldn't quite explain it, but when this person was expressionless, it always stirred a subtle tension within him.

Meng Shijiu: "I have an idea."

See: "What?"

Meng Shijiu: "Have Jue Ning repay a favor for me."

"Opportunistic," Meng Shijiu commented, "but I'll bet."

"What are we betting on?" Meng Shijiu walked over to Jue Ning and looked out the window with him.

A corner of the arena was visible outside.

—Contestant No. 10 and a majestic, beautiful white gyrfalcon.

"In five minutes, a new match will begin."

"We'll bet on this match."

"Bet on who will win?" Meng Shijiu asked.

Jue Ning: "No."

Jue Ning: "We'll bet on time."

Jue Ning's gaze returned to Meng Shijiu's face: "We'll bet on how long this match lasts. We'll bet on whose guess is closer."

A subtle drowsiness washed over him, as if bored by this utterly uninteresting spectacle. Meng Shijiu agreed quickly: "Fine."

Meng Shijiu said casually: "Twenty minutes."

Jue Ning rubbed his scarred knuckles, as if joking: "Then I'll guess twenty minutes... and one second."

The moment his voice fell.

The timer screen in the Colosseum began to flash.

Meng Shijiu had no interest in waiting by the window, so he walked over to the sofa.

The silver-haired Alpha sank into the soft sofa, and the drowsiness that had briefly dissipated earlier came rushing back.

But with another stranger still in the room, Meng Shijiu couldn't quite settle into a peaceful sleep.

Especially...

The silver-haired Alpha frowned, his eyes closed.

As if blundering into a damp swamp, a gaze laden with thick emotion clung to his skin like sticky tar—slimy, murky, coiling and tightening like some kind of creeping vine.

He opened his eyes.

—That shadow-like gaze vanished instantly.

Meng Shijiu looked over to where Jue Ning was.

Jue Ning gave him a gentle smile.

Meng Shijiu closed his eyes and turned his body away.

The gaze, damp with desire, settled over him once more.

Meng Shijiu: …

Meng Shijiu opened his eyes.

Jue Ning raised an eyebrow at him as usual, even asking softly, "What's wrong?"

Meng Shijiu shook his head and closed his eyes again, driven by drowsiness.

This repeated several times.

Thanks to someone's childish antics—acting all proper with eyes open and ditching the act the moment they closed—Meng Shijiu's last trace of sleepiness was completely drained.

It was like a scene from a study hall: a dozing homeroom teacher and his student secretly playing with a phone under the desk.

Meng Shijiu: …

After a moment of silence, he suddenly felt like laughing.

Because such possessive and oppressive gazes from others would usually repel him, but Jue Ning...

Seeing that he wasn't being scolded, Jue Ning now openly stared at the silver-haired Alpha's seemingly amused expression.

Like watching a kitten whose sleep had been disturbed by some clueless human.

Behind Meng Shijiu, through the glass—

The match timer displayed: 17:36:14.

Contestant No. 10 deftly dodged the diving figure of the white gyrfalcon. Both sides appeared to be in good condition.

It didn't look like the match was about to end.

Meng Shijiu suddenly spoke: "You remind me of someone from my past."

Jue Ning was a natural-born superior; most people faced him with bowed heads and bent backs. No one dared look at his face and reminisce about the past, let alone tell him he reminded them of someone.

But he wasn't angry: "Someone you were close to?"

Meng Shijiu reached up and clasped his arms behind his head.

This was actually a gesture Cui Suifu often made.

But when Meng Shijiu did it, it was languid, lacking Cui Suifu's sharp, flamboyant arrogance and vibrant vitality. It was more like a leisurely angler by the river when all sounds had fallen silent.

Indescribably distant, faint, hazy.

He rarely spoke a few words that sounded like heartfelt confidences.

Meng Shijiu: "No, there was a time I hated him intensely."

Jue Ning looked over in surprise.

"It's hard to imagine you hating someone," Jue Ning said, "especially using a word like *intensely*."

Meng Shijiu said flatly, "Later, I realized he wanted my hatred."

"Many people have performed madness in front of me, wanting an emotional reaction. Only he wasn't acting; he was for real."

Jue Ning commented, "Sounds like a madman."

Meng Shijiu shook his head.

Then he suddenly looked at Jue Ning again.

As if implying something: "He just knew very clearly what he wanted."

The two locked eyes.

Meng Shijiu's gaze crashed into a spider's web.

He casually shattered it to pieces.

Jue Ning suddenly let out a derisive laugh.

"Then he and I are not alike."

The match timer froze at 19:55:47.

The victory horn sounded, and the clamor rose once more.

The match was over.

Meng Shijiu: "."

See, not sensing any magnetic field fluctuations: "Host, you didn't use your ability?"

Meng Shijiu: "I value my life."

See: "You'd better be."

Meng Shijiu looked up. Jue Ning gave him a congratulatory smile.

He knew after all.

Meng Shijiu also smiled faintly.