When Shen Buqi was about to leave for work, he saw that the door to the neighboring room was still tightly shut.
He paced around the doorway for a few turns, sighed, found a piece of paper, and wrote down a note telling Ji Weishi that he was heading to work and reminding him to eat the food on the table.
Then, he slipped out of the house on tiptoe.
When he arrived at the workplace, even though it was very early, the boss was already sitting by the entrance going over the accounts. Seeing him walk in, the boss looked up with a faint smile. “Coming in so early today? Don’t tell me it’s to discuss the contents of those books with me?”
Shen Buqi shook his head, then nodded again. Putting down his black bag, he pulled out several books that he hadn’t understood the previous day and answered honestly, “I understood some of it. These are the ones I didn’t understand. I only want to ask about what I didn’t understand, not everything.”
Casper froze for a moment, then his emerald eyes flickered playfully. “Alright. Sometimes I really… tsk, the way you speak just gets to me.”
Shen Buqi didn’t understand the emotion behind his words. Intent on his goal, he flipped open a book. The page displayed an extremely explicit, graphic scene. Casper, who was somewhat nearsighted, leaned in closer and jolted back in shock, thankfully, he had mentally prepared himself beforehand.
He cleared his throat. “Ahem. This… you don’t know what they’re doing? I remember you took the physiological hygiene classes during compulsory education, right?”
Shen Buqi nodded. “So, is this what the teacher referred to as ‘sex’?”
Whenever he asked a question with absolute sincerity, his peach-blossom eyes would subconsciously widen slightly, becoming perfectly round.
Looking first at those clear, round eyes and then looking back at the highly explicit illustration, a faint, hidden sense of guilt arose in Casper’s heart.
He nodded, stating casually, “Yes, this is it.”
Shen Buqi asked again, “Then what does this have to do with being in a romantic relationship? Why do the people in here start doing this when they are dating?”
Casper suddenly raised his head, staring straight at Shen Buqi. “Remember how I told you before that you don’t love Ji Weishi? Do you know why now?”
Shen Buqi shook his head. Casper’s fingertip slid over to the illustration. “Because love and sex go hand in hand. Without sex, it isn’t love.”
Recalling those disgusting, unspeakable words and scenes, Shen Buqi felt a wave of nausea.
He fell silent for a moment before asking, “But I want to be with Ah Shi. Being with Ah Shi feels very comfortable.”
Casper smiled faintly. “Then do you want to be with Mimi? If Mimi left, would you be sad?”
After a moment of thought, Shen Buqi nodded. “Yes, I would.”
“See, that’s the answer to your question. Is there any difference between how you treat Ji Weishi and how you treat your cat?” Casper picked up his teacup, blew away the floating foam, and said unhurriedly, “I supported your relationship before because I thought maybe you could come to understand love. But looking at it now, you still don’t get it.”
This topic was far beyond his scope of understanding. Shen Buqi slowly recalled past events in an attempt to find some answers, but his mind was in a chaotic jumble, offering nothing.
In the end, he shook his head and said firmly.
“Even if I don’t understand, I still want to date A-Shi.”
Casper looked toward the entrance, his gaze drifting slightly into the distance. “Sure, if you want to date him, go ahead. Either way, I’m standing on your side.”
Shen Buqi frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
The door opened with a sharp clack. Looking up, Zhao Er walked in. There was a ring of bruising around her neck, and her smile toward them carried a hint of strain.
Casper didn’t answer Shen Buqi’s last question. Instead, he handed Zhao Er a jar of medicine and told them both to go to their workstations to wait for the shift to start.
Returning to his station, Shen Buqi remained deeply submerged in Casper’s words, unable to extricate himself.
The workplace was always dim and devoid of light. He closed his eyes, feeling as though he were sinking into an ocean, unable to breathe.
He didn’t know where this suffocating feeling came from, nor where it was heading.
In a daze, his mind drifted back to two days ago at the amusement park, standing before that obnoxious Alpha.
The Alpha’s words had been full of contempt, mockery, and disdain, as if Betas were already the most pitiful creatures.
Then what about himself?
He wasn’t even a Beta.
Then there were Chen Zixuan, Zhao Er and Aitis, their words replayed in his head over and over again.
Those thoughtless words were like heavy trucks driving straight into his chest, crushing his heart repeatedly until the pain left him speechless.
Shen Buqi finally understood his boss’s words in hindsight.
The boss was on his side, which meant the boss hadn’t considered A-Shi’s feelings at all. Thus, Shen Buqi could freely continue the relationship, but what about A-Shi?
Perhaps the boss was right. A-Shi wasn’t happy.
If a physically deformed monster kept someone confined while they were injured, treating them just like a pet cat…
Shen Buqi didn’t dare think any further down that path.
He opened his locker and immediately spotted that exquisite, beautiful piece of purple flint, gleaming with a faint fluorescence.
This was something he had prepared for himself, it was also meant to be made into a ring. It was only because he had overheard a couple talking while getting food that he realized rings needed to be a pair to have any meaning.
So, he had prepared one for himself too.
But now, this ring seemed to have no purpose.
Because even if they continued dating, he wouldn’t have the courage to wear it.
Shen Buqi slowly pushed the piece of purple flint back into the depths of the locker.
Turning around, he met Chen Zixuan’s hesitant, shy gaze. He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Chen Zixuan split her mouth into a grin, though her smile looked rather strained. “Brother Shen, I’m leaving my books in your care. I forgot to thank you yesterday. Really, you are my brother for life, wahhh!”
Shen Buqi: ?
He nodded, returned to his seat, and began tinkering with a small scale mecha. Chen Zixuan followed him over, incessantly muttering about something he couldn’t quite follow.
Suddenly, Shen Buqi spoke up, “Can I ask you a question?”
Chen Zixuan immediately squatted down, looked up, and said respectfully, “Please, ask away.”
Shen Buqi bit his lower lip, pretending to ask casually, “If your partner treats you very well, but they treat you essentially the same way they treat their cat, would you still want to keep dating them?”
“Oh, so that’s it…” Chen Zixuan pondered for a moment. “If it’s in the 2D world (fiction), I’d think it’s pretty cute. But if it’s in the 3D world (real life), uh, I don’t think I could accept it.”
She shook her head while adding a disclaimer: “Of course, I’ve never been in love, so I don’t understand these things very well. Did you run into some kind of trouble, Brother Shen?”
Shen Buqi stared intently at the mecha in his hands and slowly shook his head.
Time always passed quickly during work hours. By the time it was time to clock out, Shen Buqi began to dawdle again.
Except yesterday he had felt unwell, today, he was simply afraid.
Afraid that he would lose Ji Weishi.
He packed up slowly and took another look at the purple flint in his locker, pushing it even deeper inside.
As he sluggishly turned around, a hand with well-defined knuckles was extended right in front of his eyes. Around the jade smooth wrist hung that glowing blue identification bracelet.
Feeling a sense of avoidance, Shen Buqi slowly and reluctantly raised his head. First, he saw the slightly upturned corners of a mouth, a high bridge of a nose, and then those beautiful, deep eyes, with dark pupils shining brightly.
The voice seemed to reach his ears in slow motion, washing over him gently. “I’ve come to take you home, boyfriend.”
With a loud thump, Shen Buqi felt as though his heart was about to explode. On the other hand, panic began to set in.
Because now, whenever he interacted with Ji Weishi, he feared that his lover’s hidden dissatisfaction with him would deepen.
How did the book put it again? Disappointment accumulates bit by bit.
If it reached a breaking point, wouldn’t he really have to break up with A-Shi?
Although Shen Buqi’s mind was filled with twisted agony, his hand acted entirely honestly, wrapping right around the other’s hand.
A scalding, burning body heat spread rapidly from the point of contact.
By the doorway, the boss was still smiling amiably. “Hurry up and go get some food. In a while, all the food will be snatched up.”
Within the Alliance, the fact that Ji Weishi was in District 7 was no longer a secret. However, because Qin Che and the Arbitrator of District 4 had both taken action, the other districts didn’t dare do anything rash, they could only watch with gnashing teeth, waiting for an opportunity.
Furthermore, the decree that had been issued could not be revoked. More than half of the population in District 7 had poured outward through the opened gates. The other districts had no choice but to implement strict residency requirements, which barely managed to drive half of them back, making District 7 look at least slightly less deserted.
Hearing the boss’s words, Shen Buqi instantly grew anxious. If they couldn’t get food from the cafeteria, wouldn’t A-Shi have to eat his cooking again?
Even though he couldn’t taste flavors himself, he had tested his food on Mimi before. Mimi had been highly dissatisfied with his cooking, meowing resentfully and only swallowing a tiny bit with great reluctance.
A-Shi probably only ate those meals to keep him from feeling sad.
Thus, Shen Buqi gripped Ji Weishi’s hand tightly in reverse and hurriedly rushed toward the public cafeteria.
Looking down at their tightly clasped hands, Ji Weishi smiled silently.
When they arrived at the cafeteria, it was predictably crowded. Shen Buqi told Ji Weishi to find a place to sit and wait for him, even pulling out a wet wipe to clean the seat for her.
However, Ji Weishi shook his head gently. “I want to stand here with you.”
He was still so gentle. Shen Buqi stared at that smile, lost in thought. Maybe I’m just overthinking things. A-Shi might not be forcing himself to tolerate me at all. A-Shi did say he wanted to be with me before, after all.
A lazy voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts. “Shen Buqi, I have something to discuss with you. Come over for a moment alone, and let the Alpha next to you go beg for food by himself.”
A figure with broad shoulders and a narrow waist stood in an open space, naturally drawing everyone’s gaze. It was Qin Che again. He seemed to have had no time to manage his hair recently, and the long locks now reached his waist.
Inexplicably, Shen Buqi found this silhouette familiar, yet he couldn’t recall where he had seen it before.
Qin Che just let him stare without trying to hide.
Shen Buqi wanted to refuse, but after reflecting on it, he felt it wouldn’t be right.
After all, A-Shi’s life had been saved by this person. Though he was typically numb and aloof, he had never liked owing favors to anyone.
Squeezing Ji Weishi’s tense fingertips reassuringly, he stood on his tiptoes and whispered into Ji Weishi’s ear, “A-Shi, I’ll be right back. You can line up by yourself first, or wait for me to come back so we can line up together, okay?”
Ji Weishi remained as magnanimous and accommodating as always, nodding his head.
Shen Buqi quickly followed Qin Che outside. Qin Che walked briskly, turning a corner toward a quiet area before coming to an abrupt halt.
Shen Buqi almost crashed right into his back.
Qin Che stood still for a moment, then sighed. “I have something I need your help with. But I heard you don’t really like courting trouble, so you can name your terms.”
Shen Buqi processed his words and nodded. “Tell me what it is first.”
Qin Che said, “Originally, I wanted Ji Weishi to do this, but I figured he probably wouldn’t agree, so I came to ask you. I heard you’re quite well-known in District 7. Can you help me find someone?”
Shen Buqi was utterly bewildered. Well-known?
Setting aside whether this claim of being well-known was true or false, asking him to look for someone sounded completely absurd. He could barely even remember his coworkers’ names.
Just as he was about to shake his head, an urgent female voice suddenly rang out. “Brother Shen, come quickly! Something happened to Brother Ji!”