Wen Zui did not know how he eventually fell asleep. There were no tissues on his nightstand, so he simply had to endure the sticky discomfort.
When he opened his eyes again, Yun Qi was gone.
Everything he had done the night before, fueled by sudden lust, came rushing back into his mind like a tidal wave. He reflexively pulled at his pants and, as expected, saw the dried stains.
It was not a dream?
His face instantly flushed a burning red. Yun Qi’s beautifully shaped lips flickered before his eyes, and those white droplets on his skin felt as though they were still merging with him.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
Wen Zui rushed into the bathroom, determined to destroy the evidence and crush the memory in his mind forever. He vowed never to think of it again.
After taking a cold shower in the middle of winter, his skin was slightly flushed. Once he dressed, a faint burning sensation lingered. He tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his T-shirt and stepped out of the bathroom, only to see Yun Qi lying in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, basking in the sun.
The cold winter sunlight hit Yun Qi’s face like light reflecting off crystal-clear snow. He glowed faintly, as if the heavens favored him exclusively and had applied a special filter just for him.
The marks from the punishment that had covered Yun Qi the day before had entirely vanished. He had returned to his state as a high and lofty immortal. Wen Zui froze in his tracks until Yun Qi slightly turned his head and spoke.
A brand-new loose-leaf notebook, smelling of fresh ink, floated toward Wen Zui. He caught it instinctively and realized it was a handwritten “Encyclopedia of Basic Taoist Spells” authored by Yun Qi.
In an instant, all other thoughts were tossed to the back of Wen Zui’s mind. He was so happy he could jump. He bowed toward Yun Qi with a wide grin.
“Master is above; please accept your disciple’s bow.”
Having said that, he walked to the refrigerator, intending to make a sumptuous breakfast to reward Yun Qi.
Yun Qi squinted in the sunlight, his lips curving into a smile as he watched Wen Zui put on a green apron with cat ears that read “Liu’s Bun Shop.”
A second later, Yun Qi appeared behind Wen Zui. Taking advantage of his height, he wrapped his arms around the boy.
“How does it feel to be in heat toward your Master?”
Clang!
The rice cooker liner in Wen Zui’s hand slipped and hit the floor with a deafening thud.
“You… you were not asleep yesterday?” Wen Zui spun around, his confidence crumbling. He did not dare look at Yun Qi, leaning his hands against the kitchen island as he calculated an escape route.
The teasing he expected did not happen. Yun Qi stepped back slightly, let out a soft laugh, and tapped Wen Zui on the nose. “I only lost my spiritual power; I did not die.”
“However, I heard that humans stay in heat all year round. You are still young; you should learn moderation, understood?”
Yun Qi arched an eyebrow, let his gaze travel downward, patted Wen Zui’s cheek, and walked away, leaving Wen Zui standing there dazed.
Did he care or not? Wen Zui wanted to chop off his own hands, but he also felt this was not entirely his fault. Who told Yun Qi to make him eat so much mutton? This was a normal reaction for a man!
As for Yun Qi, he could not quite explain his own feelings either. In his life as a snake, the first two hundred years were spent in ignorance, and the following eight hundred were spent solely on cultivation. Aside from occasional visits to the mortal realm, he had never been this intimate with anyone outside his sect.
He only thought that Wen Zui at that moment was very beautiful.
With his narrow eyes squinted, flickering with desire, and his face flushed red, Wen Zui had bitten the hem of his shirt to keep Yun Qi from hearing him. Sweat had dripped from his forehead down to his collarbone, gleaming like a piece of delicious honey cake.
“System, are all humans like this?”
The “CP-Breaking System” was also new to the job. Although it had been blocked the previous night, it had guessed most of what happened.
After thinking for a moment, it shook its head firmly. “Host, have you forgotten that the male lead fathered one hundred children? He is a human stallion! Seven times a night! You must not slack off; you must separate him from all the women around him!”
…
After breakfast, Yun Qi caught Wen Zui while he was studying hard. “Let us go out for a walk. Absorbing the essence of the Sun and Moon is beneficial for your cultivation.”
“Really?” Wen Zui held his introductory textbook and looked up at Yun Qi like an unintelligent kitten, naturally allowing his master to rub his chin.
And so, they went out.
Yun Qi had a clear destination in mind. He headed straight for the Baiyun Intersection. For several days in a row, this was where they went. Even if Wen Zui were a fool, he would have started to get suspicious.
Just as Wen Zui was frowning and observing Yun Qi, the green light turned on. An old man in a black shirt suddenly collapsed in the middle of the road.
Passersby hesitated, likely fearing a scam, and chose to look away.
Wen Zui was anxious and rushed forward, carrying the old man to the roadside to begin CPR. Yun Qi pulled out a bottle of fast-acting heart-saving pills he had prepared in advance. With quick movements, he dislocated the old man’s jaw and popped a pill inside.
Soon, the old man’s heartbeat began to steady, though he remained semi-conscious.
Wen Zui called an ambulance immediately. Still worried, he followed the ambulance to the hospital. Once the doctor announced that the man was out of danger, Wen Zui relaxed and prepared to take Yun Qi home.
“Dad!” “Father!” “Old man!”
With three distinct shouts, two men—one fat and one thin—and a woman with heavy makeup burst into the room. They threw themselves by the bed and wailed loudly. It seemed like a competition to see who could cry the loudest; they were nearly lifting the ceiling of the small ward.
Wen Zui frowned. Unable to take it anymore, he tapped loudly on the steel bar of the hospital bed to get their attention.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” The fat man stood up aggressively and glared at Wen Zui.
“The patient needs rest. Please be quiet,” Wen Zui replied. He had no desire to answer questions and turned to leave, but the woman suddenly blocked his path.
“Brother, this young man is probably the kind soul who saved Dad. Be polite.” The woman flipped her hair, intentionally provoking her brother.
“What ‘kind soul’? There is no such thing these days!” The thin man stepped toward Wen Zui, trying to look intimidating. However, he only reached Wen Zui’s shoulder, and with the six-foot-two Yun Qi standing nearby, his threat level was zero. It was actually quite comical.
Realizing this, he coughed awkwardly and said, “Did you hit my dad and now you are trying to escape responsibility?”
“I am telling you, no way! You are paying for lost wages and medical expenses. You are not going anywhere!”
“That is right! Pretending to be a Good Samaritan—how malicious!” the fat man added.
Wen Zui was almost moved to laughter by his anger. He scoffed and grabbed Yun Qi to leave, but Yun Qi’s goal was not yet achieved. He could not leave just yet.
Yun Qi calmly steadied Wen Zui and kicked the thin man in the knee. The man collapsed to the floor, howling in pain.
“Help! Someone is committing murder!”
“Guilty conscience, are you? Do not think you can leave!” The fat man rushed over and was predictably knocked down by another kick from Yun Qi.
The ward was as noisy as a wet market. Fortunately, the two neighboring beds were empty, or things would have been even more complicated.
The old man on the bed finally blinked his eyes open and witnessed the farce.
Crash! A glass cup shattered at the fat man’s feet. The old man’s commanding gesture immediately silenced the three middle-aged infants. A second later, they were all kneeling by the bed, crying.
“Stop crying!” The old man’s voice was weak but carried authority. The three stopped making any noise instantly.
“Thank you for saving this old man. If not for you, I do not know if I would have kept my life today.”
Seeing the old man’s sincere gratitude, Wen Zui felt much better. He nodded politely and turned to leave.
“Wait! Young man, do you have any wishes? Perhaps I can fulfill them.” Seeing that the two had no intention of asking for a reward, the old man’s admiration grew, and his tone became even more sincere.
At that moment, the ward door opened again.
A young man in his early twenties ran in, drenched in sweat. He ignored everyone and rushed to the bedside. Seeing that the old man was fine, he turned to Yun Qi and Wen Zui.
“Thank you for saving my grandfather!” He bowed sincerely twice and reached out to shake their hands. Yun Qi avoided the gesture inconspicuously.
The young man was not embarrassed; instead, he introduced himself. “My name is Luo Shen. I am twenty and still in university. Can I call you both ‘Brother’?”
Luo Shen acted with such grace and poise that he did not seem to belong to the same family as the previous three, which left Wen Zui somewhat shocked.
“I am Yun Qi, and he is Wen Zui. It is a pleasure to meet you.” Surprisingly, Yun Qi introduced them both, his eyes curving into a smile as if he wanted to build a good relationship with the young man.
Wen Zui glanced at him suspiciously and began to examine the newcomer. He looked decent enough, but surely he was nowhere near as good as himself? Why was Yun Qi making that face?
“It is a pleasure to meet you. Why don’t we exchange contact information? We would like the chance to properly repay you later.”
As soon as he spoke, the three who had been forced into silence could no longer contain themselves. They rushed forward, surrounding Luo Shen and began nagging him.
“Xiao Shen! You are still young and do not know how dangerous the world is. How could these two be good people? They look suspicious!” The fat man spoke while clutching his thigh, glaring at Yun Qi.
“First Uncle, Second Uncle, Third Aunt. Apologize,” Luo Shen said calmly.
The three wanted to speak further, but a single look from him silenced them.
“We are sorry,” the three said in unison. They scurried away, but not before Third Aunt whispered in Luo Shen’s ear, “We apologized, so make sure the living expenses are transferred to the card on time next month! I have a bag I need to buy!”
Luo Shen nodded. The ward was suddenly left with only four people, and the world finally became quiet.
“We were just passing by; we truly do not want anything. You and your grandfather should not take it to heart.” Wen Zui spoke decisively and pulled at Yun Qi to leave.
“Then let us exchange contact information. If you ever need help in the future, you can find me.” Luo Shen opened his phone, ready to scan their QR codes.
Before Wen Zui could refuse, Yun Qi spoke first. “Exchange it with him. I do not have a phone.”
No phone? Everyone present wore a different expression of confusion.
Even if he did not want to add them as friends, did he really have to come up with such a lame excuse?