Lin Luxi didn’t just win this match, he also proved to everyone that he had absolutely no romantic feelings for Gao Keyun.
If you truly care for someone, you would never lay a hand on them. And judging by Lin Luxi’s fierce offensive, it wasn’t affection he felt, it was practically hatred.
The happiest of all were the fans who had bet on Lin Luxi to win. Every single one of them made a profit, celebrating as if it were the Spring Festival.
Lin Luxi was thrilled too. He had bet on himself, and the money was already in his account. In an instant, he had become a millionaire.
Not long after, it was Yue Xinghe’s turn to compete.
Using his light-brain’s projection function, Lin Luxi created a massive banner. Red letters floated in the air, surrounded by colorful fireworks.
【Yue Xinghe is the best in the world, handsome and unbeatable!】
The enormous text was impossible to ignore.
As if that weren’t enough, Lin Luxi added loud, enthusiastic cheers: “Go, go, go!” Nearby fans of Yue Xinghe, unwilling to be outdone, followed suit. The stands lit up with projections of all shapes, sizes, and colors, accompanied by their passionate shouts.
On the stage, Yue Xinghe couldn’t help but smile. It was as if a mask of false geniality had cracked just a little, revealing something more genuine beneath.
Even facing Zhou Ziheng, a brother from his previous life who had been bribed into betraying him, Yue Xinghe found the sting of disgust slightly dulled.
Zhou Ziheng, overhearing Lin Luxi’s enthusiastic cheers, frowned. With a look of concern for Yue Xinghe, he said, “Xinghe, you need to be careful of Lin Luxi.”
Yue Xinghe didn’t respond.
Thinking Yue Xinghe didn’t believe him, Zhou Ziheng stepped closer. “Don’t you know him by now? He’s been quiet these past two days, he’s definitely scheming something. Remember how people used to come looking for trouble every few days? It was always because of him.”
Zhou Ziheng repeated himself, “Xinghe, watch out for Lin Luxi. Don’t let his current innocent act fool you. He’s just trying to lower your guard.”
Zhou Ziheng went on, quietly badmouthing Lin Luxi, completely unaware that the smile at the corners of Yue Xinghe’s mouth had faded.
A few minutes later, Zhou Ziheng reluctantly stopped, then solemnly asked Yue Xinghe not to hold back.
He had known Yue Xinghe for a few months and was aware that Yue Xinghe treated others with sincerity, especially his friends. Even toward someone like Lin Luxi, he showed remarkable patience.
Just in case he won and people said Yue Xinghe had gone easy on him, Zhou Ziheng made his request clear in advance. He spoke cheerfully and warmly, but deliberately loud enough for at least the front rows to hear.
He was confident in his abilities. And wasn’t Yue Xinghe known for being good to his friends? Surely, he’d hold back a little. After all, they both had S-rank physiques. What did it matter if their mental strength differed by a rank? Fists were what truly mattered.
Yue Xinghe’s lips curved slightly. “Don’t worry. I’ll give the match the respect it deserves.”
The match began.
A few minutes later, it ended.
Just as he had promised, Yue Xinghe showed no mercy. With a smile still on his face, he beat his opponent so badly that he couldn’t even recognize his own parents. Ribs broken, coughing up blood, Zhou Ziheng was carried off the stage by the medical team in utter disbelief.
The audience erupted in noise.
“I remember Yue Xinghe’s opponent had S-rank physique too. The only difference was his mental strength, A-rank instead. So how did he end up looking like a weak chicken?”
“That’s terrifying. He didn’t even last a few moves against Yue Xinghe. Are all freshmen this scary now?”
“Formidable! Zhou Ziheng was just unlucky. Yue Xinghe is just too strong. He anticipated every move Zhou Ziheng was going to make, like Zhou Ziheng was throwing himself into defeat. It’s kind of funny, but also kind of brutal, what’s up with that?”
“Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter. Who still remembers Zhou Ziheng bragging online a few days ago about being close friends with the great Yue? And now he’s been beaten black and blue and carried straight to the infirmary.”
With the matches over for the day, it was getting late. Lin Luxi and the others left the contestants’ area and headed to the exit to wait. Before long, they spotted Yue Xinghe.
He wasn’t alone. Several pretty girls surrounded him, chatting and laughing, their admiration and longing evident.
As the male lead of a harem-style novel, Yue Xinghe certainly had no shortage of romantic attention.
But knowing that these very people, driven by obsession and rejection, would eventually descend into madness under the author’s pen, any trace of envy Lin Luxi might have felt evaporated.
This wasn’t a stroke of luck. It was a disaster waiting to happen.
If the male lead felt nothing for these people, would their betrayals even hurt him?
Probably not.
He made up his mind. He would cut off the male lead’s ties with these people. Once the main plot was over, he would introduce him to someone with no prior role in the story, someone who would never betray him.
Lin Luxi snapped his fingers. Perfect.
As the group drew closer, Lin Luxi caught bits of their conversation. They were talking about the upcoming freshman dance.
All four or five of them, each with the looks of a goddess, were inviting Yue Xinghe to be their date for the event. They gazed at him expectantly, their expressions so delicate and pitiful that anyone would find it hard to refuse.
Lin Luxi noticed the helpless look on Yue Xinghe’s face. By nature, Yue Xinghe wasn’t one to turn hostile unless pushed past his limits, which made him seem tolerant and indulgent.
Like the sun, warm to all, but without distinction.
But unlike a central air conditioner that indiscriminately warmed everyone, Yue Xinghe always maintained a safe distance of at least twenty centimeters from any woman, never overstepping the boundaries of a normal platonic relationship.
The fact that he could face so much temptation without wavering was one of the reasons Lin Luxi held him in such high regard.
The goddess-like girls clung to Yue Xinghe’s arms, tugging him back and forth. The usually composed male lead looked uncharacteristically helpless.
Lin Luxi didn’t jump in immediately. For some reason, watching this scene made him want to laugh.
It was only when Yue Xinghe cast him a look that seemed to plead for help that Lin Luxi finally stepped in.
“Sorry, ladies, but he’s already got plans with me that night.”
These girls had noticed Lin Luxi and the others when they arrived, but they genuinely looked down on someone like him, so they had ignored him. Now that he had spoken up, and in front of Yue Xinghe, no less, they couldn’t pretend he wasn’t there. One by one, they turned to Yue Xinghe for confirmation.
“Oh, come on. The freshman dance is such a rare occasion. Xinghe, you could dance one song with each of us, right?”
“Yeah, yeah! Everyone in the freshman class will be there. It’s a great chance to meet new people. I know the son of an interstellar diplomat, I could introduce you!”
“And I know the heir of the XX Group. Their company just released a new mech. If there’s one you like, I could give it to you, as long as you agree to dance the first dance with me.”
As for Lin Luxi’s claim that Yue Xinghe already had plans with him?
Among so many exceptional women and such promising opportunities, anyone with sense would know which choice to make.
They didn’t think offering Yue Xinghe resources and connections was anything extraordinary, nor did they believe that accepting would make him some opportunistic person. They knew Yue Xinghe’s character well enough to be confident in their approach.
People like them, those in higher social circles, those who moved among the upper class or were part of it, were far from the naive, simple-minded types often depicted in novels.
And with Yue Xinghe’s talent and potential, he deserved all of this.
In a world that revered strength, everyone aspired to power.
A double S-rank genius was a rarity, unseen in nearly two hundred years. Now that they had finally found one, they weren’t about to let him go easily.
Lin Luxi’s simple statement wasn’t enough to deter them.
They clung to Yue Xinghe’s arms, coquettishly pressing him. On the surface, Yue Xinghe looked troubled, as if not sure how to refuse. In fact, he genuinely couldn’t speak at that moment.
Too close.
The air was thick with cloying floral perfumes. Soft female skin pressed against his arms. Their graceful figures occasionally brushed against him…
Yue Xinghe fought back the rising nausea in his chest. His already unstable mental strength was teetering on the edge of collapse.
“……” He furrowed his brows slightly, his gaze half-lowered. A perfect smile curved his lips, but his long, thick lashes effectively masked the impatience and indifference lurking beneath.
Lin Luxi sensed something was off and, without thinking, blurted out, “Alright, I’ll be honest with you. That day, he’s already got plans with his girlfriend. He really doesn’t have time.”
The girls were stunned.
“What?”
“Since when does Yue Xinghe have a girlfriend? Why didn’t I know?”
“You’re lying to us, aren’t you, Lin Luxi? You’re so spiteful, just because your own love life failed, you can’t stand to see anyone else happy!”
The girls chattered away like a flock of chicks. Lin Luxi felt like his head was about to explode. He had no idea how Yue Xinghe had managed to endure them for so long.
“Don’t believe me?” Lin Luxi gestured toward Yue Xinghe. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
He shot Yue Xinghe a quick look.
Yue Xinghe, of course, nodded in confirmation. Disheartened, the girls knew there was no point in lingering. They excused themselves to nurse their wounded pride, secretly vowing to keep a close eye on who Yue Xinghe’s “girlfriend” really was. If she wasn’t exceptional enough, they would never accept it.
After all, no matter how solid the wall, a good shovel could always break through.
This was merely a tactical retreat. They wouldn’t give up so easily.
With that, the group finally made it back to the villa without further incident.
The moment Yue Xinghe stepped inside, he headed straight for the second floor. Lin Luxi, still in high spirits after his winnings today, decided to treat everyone. He had been craving a famous restaurant he’d heard about, the same one the male lead frequented in the original novel, said to have incredible food.
He waved grandly. “Come on, dinner’s on me. Order whatever you want.”
Chris and Qin Hao were both still reeling from his match earlier that day. After placing their orders, Chris couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer. “Lin Luxi, how did you suddenly become so strong?”
Qin Hao sat across from them, calm and composed, showing no interest in the answer.
This guy was here as a plant, of course, he had some skill. What surprised Qin Hao was that Lin Luxi didn’t even try to hide it. He had some nerve.
Lin Luxi knew this question would come sooner or later, but coming up with a convincing reason wasn’t easy.
“Um…” He hesitated for a moment, letting their curiosity build. Then, a sudden spark of inspiration hit him. “It’s obviously because of my relentless hard work!”
“…”
Chris let out a sigh. “If you don’t want to say it, you don’t have to be so evasive.”
She looked like she wanted to press further, but since she was about to eat his food, she let it go.
Half an hour later, the food arrived.
Lin Luxi sent Yue Xinghe a message but got no response.
After a moment’s thought, he grabbed a large bowl, filled it with clean portions of the dishes before Chris and Qin Hao could dig in, and headed upstairs to knock on the master bedroom door.
Worried that Yue Xinghe might be in the bedroom and wouldn’t hear him through the small living room and the door, Lin Luxi knocked loudly.
Nearly a minute passed in silence before the door finally opened.
Yue Xinghe stood in the doorway, only half his face visible. His voice came out a bit hoarse. “What is it?”
His tone was low and laced with exhaustion.
Lin Luxi could tell something was off, but he didn’t show it. “I sent you a message earlier.”
Yue Xinghe glanced at his wrist, realizing only then that his light-brain had been destroyed by his mental energy earlier. “Oh, it’s charging. I didn’t see it.”
“It’s nothing important.” Lin Luxi lifted the bowl in his hands. “Dinner. Your favorite restaurant, my treat.”
Yue Xinghe, who had just spent over half an hour in the bathroom throwing up, went rigid. His fingers on the door handle tightened silently.
His body was healthy now, but he had carried over certain issues from his past life, all of them psychological.
Getting too close to women made him physically nauseous. And food that had been handled by someone else always made him wonder if something had been slipped into it.
The male lead of this story, the ultimate pinnacle of potential and strength, stared at the large bowl in Lin Luxi’s hands. The enticing aroma of the food wafted toward him. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
His mouth felt bitter. His throat ached.
Author’s Note:
A random thought came to mind.
Lin Luxi: “Darling, time to take your medicine.”
Yue Xinghe: “…”