Crimson Flame Fruit.
The moment he caught that sickly sweet scent, reminiscent of rotting fruit, the name of this poisonous fruit flashed through Xi Xiuran’s mind.
In the original novel, the Crimson Flame Fruit looked almost identical to the rare and precious Coral Fruit; even their fragrance and texture were similar. However, it was a toxic fruit containing a unique neurological toxin. While not particularly dangerous to ordinary people—at most causing a few days of headaches—it was a lethal poison for someone like Shi Xingzhou, who was in a Mental Riot Phase with a damaged Mental Sea.
Forget eating it; just smelling it for too long could cause his mental power to spiral into a violent, uncontrollable frenzy.
F\*\*k, someone is trying to sabotage my Imperial Golden Thigh!
This plot point didn’t exist in the original story. Shi Xingzhou had never attended a palace banquet in the book, so this was likely the “butterfly effect” caused by Xi Xiuran’s own transmigration.
Xi Xiuran immediately turned to look at Shi Xingzhou. The Admiral’s expression remained unchanged, his lips wearing that habitual faint smile and his starry eyes half-lidded. It was impossible to tell his mood. He was nonchalantly twirling a black ring that had appeared on his left thumb at some point.
He didn’t look affected at all, but Xiuran’s intuition screamed that he was.
Holy crap, he’s not going to go crazy and kill everyone in the next second, is he?!
Recalling the novel’s description of Shi Xingzhou’s SSS-rank mental power—how he could essentially detonate the entire planet if he chose to self-destruct to end his extreme agony—Xi Xiuran broke into a cold sweat.
Sob, I’m sitting so close. If Big Boss Shi really loses control, I’ll be the first one to get cooked…
This is too tragic. I haven’t even officially become a wealthy, pretty widow yet, and I’m already about to kick the bucket.
Wait! Xi Xiuran’s eyes lit up. The Big Boss can’t eat it, but I can!
He was only a B-rank Omega; his mental power was like a dried-up creek—it couldn’t stir up a ripple if it tried. What was one Blazing Fruit to him? Even if he ate the whole plate, he’d just be stuck in bed with a headache for two days. With Interstellar-era medical technology, it wasn’t like he’d actually die.
Big Boss Shi, I will definitely protect you!
Under the table, Xi Xiuran secretly clenched his small fists and gave them a determined pump.
Suddenly, under the stunned gazes of everyone present, Xi Xiuran reached out and pulled the plate of poisoned snacks—the ones meant for Shi Xingzhou—directly in front of himself. He made a domineering gesture, like a kitten protecting its food bowl. He tilted his head toward Shi Xingzhou, meeting those deep, orange-red eyes. His long lashes fluttered as he said bashfully, “Admiral, I’m a bit hungry. Let me have this plate of snacks, too.”
As he spoke, he had already picked up a piece. Operating on the principle that “as long as I eat fast enough, no one can steal it,” he was about to shove it into his mouth when he felt something strange.
He looked down, and his pupils dilated in shock.
A wisp of faint, emerald light was dancing on his pale fingers, seeping into the pastry. A strange sensation washed over him—he could feel the Crimson Flame Fruit’s toxins within the snack simply vanishing.
This is…
Xi Xiuran froze as a piece of information surfaced in his mind. In the later stages of the original novel, when the “dog author” hit a writer’s block, they pulled a “Mental Power Mutation” out of their hat. There were four such special abilities. The protagonist[1]the Shou jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2100770_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2100770_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); possessed “Extreme Crisis Intuition,” which allowed him and the ML[2]the Gong jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2100770_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2100770_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); to kill the Zerg Queen and ascend the throne.
The author hadn’t detailed the other three, only mentioning that one of them could purify and dissolve mental attacks and all types of toxins.
This is that special ability! But why is it appearing on me?
Xi Xiuran was bewildered. His gut told him this power must never be exposed; he had to hide it immediately.
But as it turned out, the more nervous a person is, the more likely they are to mess up. He tried desperately to retract the green light, but he couldn’t stop it.
That wasn’t even the worst part.
Perhaps because he had suddenly awakened this power, his meager mental energy was drained instantly. His body began to overheat, and his strength vanished.
It’s over. If I collapse in public right now, what if someone notices something is wrong?!
Beside him, Shi Xingzhou’s deep eyes narrowed, and a flicker of surprise crossed his icy depths.
He twirled the black ring on his thumb and put it away with a touch of regret. He had expected some drama at the palace banquet and was prepared to handle it, but he hadn’t expected his “useless vase” of a partner to notice the trap, let alone try to eat the poison on his behalf.
He certainly hadn’t expected the boy to awaken a legendary special ability.
His partner was truly full of little surprises.
“However, this ability cannot be discovered by others…” The corners of Shi Xingzhou’s mouth curved slightly. He suddenly reached out and pulled the collapsing Xi Xiuran into his arms. Amidst the youth’s gasp of surprise, the two were pressed tightly together.
Xi Xiuran was forced to sit in the man’s lap. He wanted to move, but realizing how dangerous this posture was, he froze, stammering, “A-Admiral Shi—”
Shi Xingzhou looked down at the person in his arms. The youth was staring at him with round, cat-like eyes, his body stiff like a kitten pinched by the scruff of fate’s neck. He wanted to move but didn’t dare, a faint pink flush rising on his pale cheeks.
So well-behaved. So small. Incredibly light.
And… quite nice to hold.
Shi Xingzhou suppressed the strange stirring in his heart, ignoring the panic in the boy’s eyes. His deep-red lips parted as he let out a sigh that sounded like a mix of helplessness and compromise. “Fine. I’ll feed you.”
Xi Xiuran’s brain was still muddled. Before he could process what was happening, the man’s warm, moist breath brushed against his sensitive ear as he spoke. That single touch felt like an electric shock; his head went “boom,” and he forgot everything about abilities or toxins. He was only aware of the cool, forest-pine-and-cedar scent emanating from the man.
“Fe… feed me?”
“You’ve been holding it for so long without eating; did you not mean for me to feed you?” Shi Xingzhou raised an eyebrow with a half-smile. He held Xi Xiuran’s hand—which was still clutching the pastry—and used his own formidable mental power to cloak the faint green light. He brought the snack to Xi Xiuran’s lips.
The man coaxed in a low voice, “Open up.”
Xi Xiuran’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Bewitched by the close-up view of that god-tier face and the man’s deliberately lowered, gentle voice, he lost all reason and obediently opened his mouth.
The Crimson Flame Fruit pastry was crystal clear, with a translucent gel-like body encasing the bright red fruit. As Xi Xiuran took a light bite, his pale pink lips were stained with clear syrup and red juice. They looked moist and vivid—even more enticing than the treat itself.
Shi Xingzhou watched him. Even after Xi Xiuran had finished the small piece of pastry, he didn’t retract his hand. Instead, he seemingly accidentally brushed Xi Xiuran’s lips, his thumb repeatedly grazing one spot.
It was the exact spot where the youth had secretly touched his own lips earlier.
Indeed, they are very soft. Warm and soft. I wonder what they taste like.
Xi Xiuran, utterly dazed by Shi Xingzhou’s “charms,” mindlessly crunched through the rest of the snacks. He swallowed them without even tasting them. In his hazy state, he felt his lips were a bit itchy and subconsciously licked them. His tongue suddenly brushed against something, and his eyes snapped wide open.
Shi Xingzhou’s movements also paused.
The soft tip of the tongue glided across his fingertips. The touch was moist and warm, very soft, and also very ticklish—a ticklish feeling that traveled all the way to the bottom of his heart.
Shi Xingzhou didn’t say anything, retracting his hand with his usual expression. Xi Xiuran, however, nearly experienced a complete social death. His entire ears had turned red. What did he just do?
Before Xi Xiuran could find a suitable hole to crawl into, Shi Xingzhou actually picked up another pastry, placed it in Xi Xiuran’s hand, and spoke in a soft, gentle voice: “I’m hungry too. Feed me, Consort…”
Xi Xiuran: “…”
This ‘you feed me, I feed you’ routine—what kind of third-rate dog-blood romance drama is this?
Xi Xiuran barely managed to recover a bit of his senses, thinking: I have absolutely no strength right now, how am I supposed to feed you? Moreover, even if I can remove the toxins from the Blazing Fruit, I can’t hide the emerald light. If it gets exposed…
Wait. Xi Xiuran lowered his eyes to look at the newly grabbed pastry in his hand. He found that the toxins inside it were dissolving, but the emerald light at his fingertips seemed to be cloaked by something. He could clearly feel it, but he realized he couldn’t see it. Only then did Xi Xiuran notice that the strength in his entire body had returned. His legs were no longer weak, his head no longer hurt, and his body was no longer running a fever.
Energy fully restored!
Xi Xiuran had an epiphany. Big Boss Shi was “charging his battery” here, and casually “fishing”[3]baiting the culprit jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2100770_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2100770_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); on the side.
Then, of course, he would cooperate.
Xi Xiuran curved his lips into a smile, feeding the completely purified pastry to Shi Xingzhou’s lips, calling out softly, “Your Excellency the Admiral.”
“Sorry to trouble you, Consort.” Shi Xingzhou smiled and, guided by the youth’s hand, took a slow, deliberate bite of the pastry.
The bright spring afternoon sunlight was radiant but not glaring. It spilled down like fragmented, flowing gold. The ethereal, handsome youth sat cradled in the man’s lap. The handsome, noble man sat with a languid posture, one hand loosely wrapped around the youth’s waist. He lowered his eyes, enjoying the pastry the youth fed to him. A few stray strands of hair by the youth’s ear were stirred by the gentle breeze, brushing against his fine, porcelain-like cheek.
This scene looked far too much like a vividly colored painting. Whether it was the people seated at the dining table or the servants waiting around them, everyone stared in stunned silence.
Ying Huachi, who had been feigning indifference while constantly stealing glances, instantly froze in place. His mind continuously replayed the image of the youth’s cheeks flushed crimson, and those moist lips stained red by the fruit juice.
Ying Huachi’s heart pounded like a beating drum. For a moment, he actually couldn’t articulate what he was feeling.
This shouldn’t be happening. I’m not the type to be attracted by superficial appearances. Furthermore, the one I’ve always loved is the gentle and kind Mengchen. How could I possibly be attracted to Xi Xiuran, a person with nothing but an empty shell?
A sudden burning sensation flared up at the back of his neck, and Ying Huachi abruptly snapped back to his senses.
So it was the influence of my susceptibility period…
Ying Huachi inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Looking again at the two still embracing each other, he sneered with disdain internally. Sitting in an Alpha’s lap in broad daylight in front of an audience—truly as shameless as ever.
Ying Huachi was just about to retract his gaze when he was caught off guard, once again meeting Shi Xingzhou’s half-smiling eyes. Terrified, he immediately withdrew his gaze, not daring to spare another glance in that direction.
Shi Xingzhou merely shot Ying Huachi a glance before his deep gaze swept past him, turning toward the head seat, landing on the young man wearing the non-prescription glasses.
The two locked eyes across the space, their gazes clashing invisibly.
In less than two seconds, the Emperor somewhat wretchedly averted his gaze, lowering his eyes to conceal the horror and disbelief within them.
How could it be useless?
T/n: Please Vote on NU to support the novel. You can support the original author here. Happy Reading 💅
References[+]