The next morning, after Lin Qiye finished washing up and stepped out of the bathroom, he noticed the dark circles around An Qingyu’s eyes.
“Qingyu, I feel like you’ve got dark circles. Didn’t sleep well?”
“Don’t worry, Qiye,”
An Qingyu rubbed his temples, “maybe it’s just that my energy and blood have been a little low recently.”
Since Lin Qiye woke up,
An Qingyu had barely slept a proper night.
During the day, he was busy planning the jailbreak with Lin Qiye, and at night, handling other important matters.
On top of that, he had to take care of all abnormalities before Lin Qiye even woke up.
An Qingyu took a box of medicine from the cabinet and took a pill himself.
Almost immediately, the fatigue vanished, and he looked far more energized.
Lin Qiye naturally noticed the change in An Qingyu’s face and became curious about the contents of the box.
“Hmm, what’s that?”
An Qingyu’s slender fingers snapped the lid of the medicine box shut.
“It’s a drug I developed. Its effect is to provide energy and eliminate fatigue.”
“And it can also enhance physical endurance, allowing the user to engage in continuous activity for seven days and nights without feeling tired.”
Lin Qiye couldn’t help but ask further.
“They say every medicine has some toxicity, doesn’t this have any side effects?”
A dark glint flashed in An Qingyu’s eyes.
“Hmm, if heightened sexual desire counts as a side effect, then yes, it does have one.”
Lin Qiye instinctively glanced at An Qingyu, then lowered his eyes.
After a moment, he awkwardly looked away.
“Yeah… that makes sense.”
He wished he hadn’t been so curious.
Talking about this kind of thing with a good brother felt a bit uncomfortable, even embarrassing.
An Qingyu, however, remained completely composed.
“As a normal male, it’s not unusual to have a reaction in the morning.”
Lin Qiye nodded.
“True enough.”
He guessed that in a scientific prodigy like An Qingyu’s eyes, the concept of normal embarrassment probably didn’t exist at all.
Suddenly, Lin Qiye became curious.
Could someone as calm and self-controlled as An Qingyu ever fall for someone?
He quickly dismissed the thought.
A scientific eccentric like An Qingyu surely didn’t have someone he liked.
An Qingyu pulled a sheet of paper from the drawer, placed it on the desk, and began sketching with a pencil.
“Qiye, this is the general layout of the Fasting Institute, combined with the information we’ve previously gathered.”
“To escape, we’ll need an opportunity.”
Lin Qiye looked up at An Qingyu.
“I was thinking the same thing.”
The two boys exchanged a smile. Nothing was said, yet they both understood each other perfectly.
That night, the light in the room inexplicably went out.
Lin Qiye furrowed his brows, sensing something was wrong.
“Something’s happening at the Fasting Institute.”
Vines from An Qingyu’s sleeve shot out uncontrollably, brushing past Lin Qiye’s wrist like feathers.
“And the Domain-Suppressing Stele has been broken, so I can use my Forbidden Domain ability now.”
A faint ticklish sensation ran across Lin Qiye’s wrist.
His eyes glimmered with a soft golden light in the darkness, and the spiritual energy within him began to fluctuate.
“I sense that most of the prisoners have escaped their cells.”
He lifted the corner of his mouth in a small smirk.
“Looks like a good opportunity for a jailbreak.”
An Qingyu took a few steps forward but stepped on a wobbly chair leg and stumbled.
Following his instinct, he reached out blindly to grab something to steady himself.
Accidentally, he caught hold of Lin Qiye’s collar.
“Sorry, Qiye, it’s hard to see in the dark.”
Losing his balance, An Qingyu fell against Lin Qiye.
He pressed both hands against Lin Qiye’s chest to steady himself, inadvertently clutching him.
“Ugh…”
Caught off guard by the sudden weight, Lin Qiye let out a faint moan.
Hearing that soft sound, An Qingyu felt a pull in his chest, his body instinctively alert.
Qiye’s voice… so pleasant.
If the situation allowed, he truly wanted to…
“It’s okay, Qingyu. It’s not your fault. No one expected the power to go out.”
Lin Qiye extended an arm to help stabilize An Qingyu.
As An Qingyu got back on his feet, his lips brushed lightly and swiftly against Lin Qiye’s ear.
Lin Qiye’s body shivered instinctively, before he could even react.
An Qingyu pulled back at the right moment. He straightened his posture, his voice calm and utterly emotionless:
“Let’s go, Qiye. We’ll go outside and check the situation.”
Seeing An Qingyu react this way, Lin Qiye assumed that what had just happened must have been an accident.
But thinking back to the warm, tingling touch near his ear, he felt a shiver run through his whole body.
So ticklish.
An Qingyu had touched a sensitive spot.
With that thought, Lin Qiye got up and headed toward the door of the ward.
Behind him, An Qingyu followed, as if suddenly dropping all pretense. Behind his glasses, his eyes burned with fervent intensity.
Qiye’s reaction… so adorable.
Watching Lin Qiye’s back, An Qingyu lightly licked his lips.
The two of them stepped around the scattered debris on the floor and made their way toward the main gate of the Fasting Institute.
Several prisoners surged forward, launching an attack on the gate.
An Qingyu crossed his arms, his expression calm as he observed the scene:
“These prisoners are trying to break through the defenses and escape.”
“So, Qiye, should we join them next?”
“After all, escaping together with a group increases the chances of success, right?”
Lin Qiye shook his head:
“No. We’re joining the Night Watch side, helping them suppress these prisoners.”
An Qingyu’s reaction was unsurprised, as if he expected Lin Qiye’s answer. He smiled, lifting the corner of his lips:
“Qiye, I knew it. You wouldn’t just stand by and let these heinous criminals escape.”
“Even though our goal aligns with theirs, to leave the Fasting Institute—”
“You, as a member of the Night Watch, would never forget your duty.”
“Qiye, seeing you like this… it’s truly captivating.”
“I really admire you.”
An Qingyu made no effort to hide his praise for Lin Qiye.
In fact, no matter what choice Lin Qiye made, he would unwaveringly stand by his side.
Lin Qiye accepted the compliment without hesitation:
“Thanks for the praise. But right now, we have more important matters to deal with.”
With a thunderous crash, the Night Watch’s defenses were torn open by the prisoners, leaving a gaping breach.
The prisoners gazed at the gate, so close now, their eyes burning with the frenzy of longing for freedom.
Lin Qiye descended from above, blocking their path, his tone calm:
“Night Watchman Lin Qiye.”
A sense of fear inexplicably rose in the prisoners, but with victory almost within reach, none of them wanted to give up the escape now.
“Don’t be afraid! The Domain-Suppressing Stele is destroyed; this kid might not even be able to stop us!”
“Yeah, at worst we take him out too. After all, he’s already killed plenty before coming to the Fasting Institute.”
An Qingyu stepped to Lin Qiye’s side, his gaze cold and piercing as he scanned the surrounding prisoners:
“Anyone touches him, and I will kill them.”