Han Jin spat a mouthful of blood, collapsing to the ground, trembling as he looked at the glasses-wearing boy before him.
An Qingyu regarded Han Jin as if he were looking at a lifeless object.
Qiye had only asked him to teach the man a lesson.
So he could not kill this insignificant pest who had disrupted their meal.
At least, not in front of Qiye.
An Qingyu turned and came to Lin Qiye’s side, in a tone seeking praise.
“Qiye, it’s all taken care of.”
Lin Qiye clapped his hands, the crisp sound echoing.
“Perfect teamwork. Qingyu, well done.”
An Qingyu smiled shyly.
He was happy.
Qiye had praised him.
Han Jin clenched his remaining teeth, his face full of unwillingness.
“You have no sense of martial ethics! You actually used forbidden grounds!”
Under the effect of the Domain-Suppressing Stele, no one was supposed to be able to use forbidden grounds.
Although he didn’t understand why these two monsters could.
If he reported this to the authorities, perhaps they would be punished.
Lin Qiye tapped Han Jin on the ground with his toe.
“Oh, right, I forgot to remind you. I’m from the Sunshine Psychiatric Hospital.”
The other meaning was clear:
A psychiatric patient beating someone isn’t under the jurisdiction of the prison guards, so put away your little schemes.
Lin Qiye swiftly and decisively jabbed a chopstick into Han Jin’s right shoulder.
“Disabling one of your arms is your warning.”
Han Jin immediately let out a cry of pain.
Lin Qiye stepped around the prisoners sprawled across the floor in all directions and walked toward the cafeteria exit.
An Qingyu narrowed his eyes, staring at the chopstick lodged in Han Jin’s right shoulder. He suddenly reached out and gripped the exposed part of the chopstick.
A little embarrassed, he twisted his wrist, listening to the sticky sound of flesh being disturbed.
“Sorry, Qiye, that stab wasn’t precise.”
“But now your arm is completely useless.”
Han Jin’s face went pale from the pain, cold sweat streaming down.
That single chopstick from Lin Qiye had at least given him a taste of retribution.
Yet the glasses-wearing boy in front of him seemed to deliberately prolong the torment, slowly increasing the pressure on the chopstick.
“Dare to disturb me and Qiye again, and next time it won’t be as simple as disabling one arm.”
An Qingyu rose and went to find Lin Qiye.
Han Jin watched the boy’s departing back, a chill running through his heart.
A madman… truly a madman.
The icy look in An Qingyu’s eyes melted instantly into spring water when he saw Lin Qiye at the cafeteria doorway.
“Qiye, were you waiting for me?”
Leaning against the doorframe, Lin Qiye’s hair fluttered in the breeze.
“Yes, I want to find a place with you to work out our escape plan.”
An Qingyu considered this and said,
“Then let’s go under the shade of a tree in the corner of the free activity area.”
And so,
Under the tree’s shade, the two boys sat cross-legged facing each other.
Lin Qiye tapped his fingers lightly on the ground.
“Qingyu, what information do you have about the Fasting Institute?”
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves,
The sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting mottled patterns across Lin Qiye’s face.
An Qingyu gazed at him under the shade, feeling as if the boy were a living painting, breathtakingly beautiful.
Somewhat absent-mindedly, he answered,
“There’s a human-level peak powerhouse, Master Chen is in charge. The chances of escaping are extremely slim.”
Qiye’s lips, bathed in sunlight, looked even more rosy.
They seemed so inviting to kiss.
Perhaps An Qingyu’s gaze was too intense.
Lin Qiye noticed the steady attention and looked puzzled. “Qingyu, why are you staring at me like that?”
Something had landed on his face.
As An Qingyu reached up to brush it off, his fingers lingered for half a heartbeat longer than necessary. “Nothing, just a leaf.”
The dry, yellowed leaf crumbled into powder in his palm.
Lin Qiye found it odd. It was just a leaf on his head, why not take it off quickly?
And why keep staring at him?
Or perhaps…
An Qingyu wanted to see him react, suppressing a smile in his heart.
Thinking this, Lin Qiye fell silent.
An Qingyu was quite sly.
Lin Qiye glanced down at his watch. “Free activity time is almost over. Let’s head back.”
An Qingyu replied softly, “Alright.”
Whatever Qiye did, he would follow.
After they returned to the ward and finished washing up,
An Qingyu, as always, heated a cup of milk.
“Qiye, drink it while it’s hot.”
“Thanks.”
Lin Qiye reached out, took the cup, and drank it in one gulp.
He had to admit, the milk’s sleep-inducing effect was quite good, he started feeling drowsy shortly after drinking it.
Lin Qiye yawned and snuggled under the covers.
Before long, he had fallen into a deep sleep.
ᘻᘿᓍᘺ
The next day.
When Lin Qiye woke up, he felt completely refreshed, having slept very well.
“Qiye, how did you sleep last night?” An Qingyu asked, fastening the last button of his white coat.
Lin Qiye answered honestly: “Rested well. The milk’s sleep effect is really good, I feel like I could sleep well every night.”
An Qingyu paused for a moment as he adjusted his cuffs. “That’s good. Looks like my efforts weren’t wasted.”
He hadn’t rested at all the previous night.
After washing up, the two headed to the cafeteria.
As soon as they stepped over the threshold, a dark sea of people surged out from both sides.
Nearly a hundred inmates bent at a ninety-degree angle in unison.
Their voices were extremely respectful, and their faces carried obsequious smiles.
“Boss An, Boss Lin, the food is ready. Please, have a seat.”
Lin Qiye froze, frowning. “What’s going on here?”
An Qingyu crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, calmly observing the scene before him.
A prisoner wrapped entirely in bandages patiently explained,
“Because you defeated Han Jin yesterday, the leader of the Fasting Institute must change.”
“Right, please, this way for your meal.”
The inmates made a “please” gesture, their posture almost as if they wanted Lin Qiye and An Qingyu to step over their backs to get through.
An Qingyu nudged Lin Qiye’s waist with his elbow.
“Qiye, don’t you think with them acting like this, it almost makes us feel like an emperor and empress?”
Lin Qiye looked at the overly obsequious inmates in front of him and nodded in agreement.
“Indeed, it does… but I’m the emperor, of course.”
The title of emperor was like confirming who was the true leader, he couldn’t hand that over to An Qingyu.
A kingdom could only have one emperor.
An Qingyu lifted the corner of his lips, his tone teasing. “Then I’ll just have to be the emperor’s empress.”
Lin Qiye heard this and felt pleased with An Qingyu’s tact.
As for the so-called “empress,” he only thought An Qingyu was joking with him.
After all, it was common for guys to call each other pet names.
He had seen plenty of that in his college dorm, so he didn’t think anything was unusual.
Lin Qiye stretched out his long legs and walked forward.
“Now this emperor is going to dine..”
Even the inmates next to him obligingly made a “yes, sir” sound.
An Qingyu watched Lin Qiye’s upright figure, his expression subtly shifting.
He guessed that in Qiye’s eyes, his earlier comment had been just a joke.
But jokes, if repeated enough, would eventually become reality.