Chapter 36 Part 1
Inside the security room, a transparent barrier covered the window. The heater was off, but the temperature steadily rose.
Gu Sui sat in the chair, Shi Xu trapped between him and the desk, his arm resting on the back of Shi Xu’s chair, not even allowing him to lean back, possessively controlling him, their bodies touching.
From the moment they entered, the kiss hadn’t stopped.
Shi Xu didn’t protest, and Gu Sui wouldn’t stop.
Shi Xu’s eyes were half-closed, his mind still somewhat clear despite the intensity of the kiss. He liked to observe the person he was kissing, curious about their reactions.
His fingertips brushed against Gu Sui’s neck, feeling the heat radiating from his skin, the rapid pulse beneath his fingers, as if trying to break free, to touch him directly.
Gu Sui gently nibbled on his lips, their noses brushing against each other, beads of sweat mingling, intertwined, just like them.
Shi Xu didn’t protest, and Gu Sui wouldn’t stop until he did. Just before his lips became swollen, Shi Xu signaled him to stop.
Gu Sui, still holding him close, nuzzled his face like a dog receiving affection, his lips peppering Shi Xu’s eyes, cheeks, nose… every inch of exposed skin.
Shi Xu endured the onslaught of kisses, his gaze fixed on Gu Sui’s swaying hair.
After a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse. “What do you like about me?”
Gu Sui stopped, lifting his head, meeting Shi Xu’s gaze, seeing a rare seriousness in his eyes.
Shi Xu had asked this question before.
Then, Gu Sui hadn’t given a concrete answer.
To a pollutant, liking someone was instinctual, not requiring a reason.
Humans, however, always sought explanations, needing a concrete answer, even Shi Xu.
But this side of Shi Xu, this almost human curiosity, made Gu Sui’s heart flutter. It meant Shi Xu cared.
If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t ask such a childish, earnest question. It wasn’t like him.
Gu Sui gently tilted Shi Xu’s head back, kissing his nose, licking away a bead of sweat.
“Pollutants like shiny things. Wife… is… very shiny… to me.” He didn’t realize his own eyes were even more dazzling, compared to Shi Xu’s comparatively duller ones.
Shi Xu chuckled. “Is that how you see me?”
Gu Sui hugged him tighter, kissing the upturned corner of his lips. He had always wanted to kiss Shi Xu while he was smiling.
He liked Shi Xu’s smile, wanted to taste it, and now he finally had, just as delicious as he imagined.
“Yes, sparkling… I like it… so much…” He gazed at Shi Xu adoringly.
His infatuation, his longing, his desire, his love, all genuine.
One day, in the rift, the SSS-class pollutant opened its eyes, seeing a luminous object. Upon closer inspection, it realized it was a human.
It had seen countless humans, all fragile, their initial bravado replaced by fear and cowardice within the rift, their vulnerabilities exposed, crying and begging before the pollutants they so despised.
But this human was different.
From the moment he saw Shi Xu, he was captivated.
The gems in the rift paled in comparison to Shi Xu’s brilliance.
He desperately wanted to possess this gem, to keep it, to cherish it.
His gem, and his alone.
Gu Sui was about to kiss him again, but Shi Xu covered his mouth.
Unfazed by the passionate declaration, Shi Xu asked, “What if I become an ordinary person?”
Gu Sui blinked, confused. “What… do you… mean?”
Shi Xu didn’t answer immediately, closing his eyes, his forehead touching Gu Sui’s, a gesture Gu Sui often initiated.
Doing it for the first time, Shi Xu realized it was even more intimate than kissing, more fulfilling.
Their breaths mingled, their hearts beating as one.
—Captain Shi deserves praise and recognition. Even after death, he should be remembered. I won’t let you tarnish his name.
—Shi Xu, you have to work hard, constantly strive for more, never be complacent. You deserve to be at the top. You have the potential.
—With Captain Shi around, we feel safe. He’s the strongest. There’s nothing he can’t do.
—Captain Shi is here! We’re saved!
—Captain Shi is our hero!
—Captain Shi, Captain Shi, Captain Shi…
Higher-level pollutants could read minds. Gu Sui could, but he wouldn’t invade Shi Xu’s mind without permission, and he didn’t need to. Understanding Shi Xu through his ability wasn’t enough. He wanted to understand him as a human.
He believed he could, and he did.
This was the first time he truly heard Shi Xu’s thoughts, understanding his inner turmoil.
Shi Xu was constantly burdened by the expectations of others.
He finally understood Shi Xu’s question.
“What if I become an ordinary person?”
“Do… you… also… think about… this?”
Gu Sui’s tone held no mockery, but Shi Xu chuckled self-deprecatingly. “People tend to overthink when they relax. I’m just an ordinary person after all.” Not invincible, not unflappable, just better at enduring than others.
He had also felt despair and heartbreak after his siblings’ deaths.
He had also felt fear and dread upon discovering the truth about his brother.
He had also cried after killing his Variant brother.
His heart also raced under Gu Sui’s relentless pursuit.
Gu Sui smiled. “You’re right. You’re just an ordinary person.”
Shi Xu paused.
Gu Sui cupped his face, his voice soft. “I’ve never thought about that question. Because I knew from the start that you’re an ordinary person, without abilities. But you shine brighter than anyone. I don’t know what you mean by ‘ordinary,’ but I think your existence itself is extraordinary.”
Shi Xu lowered his gaze, contemplating his words.
Gu Sui lifted his chin, following his gaze, asking cautiously, “Are you worried that if you’re no longer the admired captain, no longer capable of killing pollutants, no longer strong, I won’t like you anymore?”
Shi Xu’s expression hardened, his eyes turning cold.
He disliked Gu Sui’s words, as if he cared about Gu Sui’s affection.
Gu Sui kissed him gently, hugging him tightly, his voice firm and reassuring. “If that happens, I will protect you.”
He didn’t say “I like you” or “I love you,” but his words were more comforting than any sweet nothings.
Shi Xu’s hardened heart softened.
Gu Sui loved kissing him. It was his way of expressing affection, but it was too much for Shi Xu, overwhelming.
He endured another long, passionate kiss. When he finally caught his breath, Gu Sui, tireless, was nibbling on his earlobe.
Shi Xu didn’t bother stopping him.
His hoarse whispers echoed in his ear, clinging to him. “Like you… I like you so much… I’ll never let you go…”
Such heavy love.
Shi Xu tilted his head back, his neck exposed, exhaling shakily. “Disgusting.”
Gu Sui’s love intensified, his eyes filled with adoration. “Yes, I like you too.”
Shi Xu chuckled softly.
Shi Xu had informed Qi Yu about Cheng Fan and Xiao Liu via text. An hour later, he still hadn’t received a reply.
Even if Qi Yu was busy cleaning up the mess, he should have responded by now.
He waited a little longer, then called him. The phone was off.
Something was wrong.
He told Gu Sui to go home, going to the hospital to find Qi Yu. Just as he left the house, he saw Qi Yu, covered in dirt and grime, walking towards him.
Qi Yu’s subordinates trailed behind him, equally exhausted and dirty, their white uniforms stained black.
The bureau chose white for their uniforms because it easily showed stains, a simple way to detect contamination.
Shi Xu knew what this meant. They had battled countless pollutants.
He rushed over. “What happened?”
Qi Yu, equally exhausted, wanted to lean on Shi Xu, but his soiled uniform prevented him. He leaned against a plane tree, catching his breath before explaining, “We were tricked…”
Qi Yu’s subordinates had received a false alarm. The S-class pollutant had stolen a communication device from an esper at the hospital, sending a fake message to lure Qi Yu there.
They walked into a trap.
“It can not only split, but also rewind time…”
The S-class pollutant couldn’t rewind everyone’s time. Its ability had limitations, its range limited to the hospital.
The moment they entered, they were trapped in its domain.
The entire hospital, including Lin Quan and Qi Yu, had 11 espers. Even an S-class pollutant couldn’t defeat them all at once.
So it separated them.
After Qi Yu and Lin Quan killed the pollutant, its remaining fragments rewound time, sending them back to before the kill, trapping them in an endless loop, draining their strength.
Only by simultaneously eliminating all its fragments could they stop the time loop and escape.
“How did you escape?” Shi Xu could imagine the danger. He knew the solution, but he was curious about their method.
Qi Yu’s excitement faded, his voice tired. “Lin Quan figured it out.”
Lin Quan’s ability allowed him to transform objects into weapons. Qi Yu had just learned that during the fight, Lin Quan’s ability evolved. Previously, he could only control three weapons at once. Now, he could control twice as many, and the range of his ability increased.
There were five pollutant fragments in the hospital. After locating them, Lin Quan transformed the five rooms they were in into weapons, killing them simultaneously.
Shi Xu: “Lin Quan’s ability is its natural counter.”
“Tell me about it.” Qi Yu rubbed his arms. “I was in one of those rooms. The walls were covered in guns. I thought I was going to be Swiss cheese. Luckily, the bullets avoided me.”
Shi Xu: “Lin Quan isn’t the type to hold grudges, and he wouldn’t dare.”
Qi Yu agreed. Despite his previous antagonism towards Shi Xu, Lin Quan wouldn’t deliberately sabotage his teammates.
He looked at Shi Xu, curious. “What would you have done?”
“That pollutant was clever. It knew we were trying to lure its fragments into one room. No matter what we did, it wouldn’t leave, trapping us separately.”
Shi Xu caught a falling leaf, his voice casual. “Escaping is simple.”
Qi Yu: “Oh?”
