Chapter 15
Wen Linyu had expected Gu Chi wouldn’t leave easily, but he hadn’t anticipated this level of shamelessness.
Gu Chi was no longer sitting in his seat. He had realized that forcing Wen Linyu to sit on his lap in front of so many people had crossed a line, even though he still didn’t understand the nuances of romantic affection.
But his instincts warned him that continuing down this path might lead to future regret, or perhaps being incinerated by some unknown fire.
Cultivators trusted their instincts. They were a form of premonition.
However, Gu Chi didn’t give up so easily. Although he no longer forced Wen Linyu onto his lap, he remained invisible, occasionally harassing him.
He would whisper in Wen Linyu’s ear, commenting on a classmate’s large nose or the teacher discreetly picking his feet under the desk, or he would simply blow on the back of his neck.
Whether it was his words or his breath, hot or cold, Wen Linyu would involuntarily shiver.
This reaction amused Gu Chi. Why hadn’t he noticed how cute his little apprentice was before?
Yes, cute. Gu Chi realized that whenever he touched Wen Linyu, a certain emptiness within him was filled with a strange, yet pleasant emotion.
Besides enjoying Wen Linyu’s sensitive reactions, he discovered a new fascination during the last morning class—hair.
Wen Linyu’s hair, although short, was soft and pleasant to touch. He liked twirling it around his fingers, creating the illusion that he was also holding Wen Linyu captive.
It turned out that having an apprentice wasn’t just rewarding, but also entertaining. He should have taken more.
But the thought was immediately followed by a frown. He had mentored many subordinates, some of whom could be considered apprentices, but imagining their faces in that role filled him with disgust.
No, unless they were all Wen Linyu.
The Demon Lord didn’t dwell on this. He simply knew that being around Wen Linyu brought him pleasure. Living in the moment was the way of a demonic cultivator.
Wen Linyu endured the morning classes, wanting nothing more than to fight Gu Chi.
But with so many people in the classroom, a fight would inevitably cause collateral damage.
If his teacher were here, he would be scolded again for prioritizing others over himself. He still hadn’t achieved true ruthlessness. He could harden his heart towards those who had wronged him, but he couldn’t bring himself to harm innocent bystanders.
Teacher…
Thinking of his teacher and his current predicament, Wen Linyu felt a pang of disappointment. Disappointed that his teacher wasn’t here, and disappointed in himself for not being strong enough. If he had cultivated harder, wouldn’t he be free from this torment?
He didn’t wallow in negativity. It wouldn’t help.
Instead of dwelling on negative emotions, he focused on how to rapidly increase his cultivation, or how to send Gu Chi back to his own world.
There were methods for rapid cultivation advancement, but most were wicked, involving sacrificing ordinary people, like those demonic cultivators. Others were extremely dangerous, each attempt a gamble with death.
Wen Linyu wouldn’t cross that line. The demonic path was out of the question. Moreover, given Gu Chi’s stance on demonic cultivation, even if he abandoned his conscience, it wouldn’t end well.
As for the dangerous methods, those were worth considering.
He also thought of another option—the system. It had brought him to Gu Chi’s world and back.
If he could find it, he could make another deal to send Gu Chi back.
This was the safest and least risky option. The only difficulty was finding the system.
Lost in thought, he noticed Gu Chi walking beside him, no longer concealing his presence. He strolled casually through the school grounds, his demeanor so natural that passing teachers and students simply assumed he was a faculty member.
It was lunchtime and break time, giving Wen Linyu a brief respite, a chance to think—at least he was out of the classroom, no longer trapped between Gu Chi and the narrow desk.
Invisible to others, but acutely aware of Gu Chi’s presence, he had been mortified.
The school had three cafeterias. Wen Linyu chose the largest, a three-story building with different menus on each floor, offering a wide variety of choices for students and teachers. The other two cafeterias were smaller, one of them even offering a la carte service comparable to upscale restaurants.
Wen Linyu chose the largest one simply because it was crowded.
Gu Chi, retaining a semblance of human decency, refrained from touching him in public, allowing him to eat in peace.
Or so he thought. Gu Chi’s hand reached out, stopping him from eating a mouthful of food.
Wen Linyu, exasperated, slammed his chopsticks down: “What now?”
First breakfast, now lunch? Was he a child?
Gu Chi stared at the discarded food, then gestured with his chin for Wen Linyu to look: “Don’t you hate Sichuan peppercorns?”
Wen Linyu paused, looking down. There were indeed two peppercorns in the dish.
He wasn’t allergic, but as a child, Wu Shuhao had force-fed him a handful of peppercorns, covering his mouth to prevent him from spitting them out. The burning, numbing sensation, the feeling of suffocation, had left a deep impression, making him tremble at the mere sight of a peppercorn.
Although he had grown up, and his teacher had trained him for ten years, he still disliked them.
But how did Gu Chi know?
Wen Linyu picked out the peppercorns, his confusion mixed with a strange unease.
He hadn’t had time to think about it before, but now, the odd feeling intensified.
He had impersonated Gu Chi for ten years and had never heard anyone mention him having any romantic interests in men. Moreover, there were no personal belongings of another person in any of Gu Chi’s residences. He clearly lived alone and was fiercely territorial.
With Gu Chi’s status, power, and wealth, if he truly had such desires, he wouldn’t be alone.
So when had he become fixated on him? Or was this all just revenge? Revenge for an outsider occupying his body for ten years?
Wen Linyu shook his head. He couldn’t understand Gu Chi’s motives.
He finished his lunch under Gu Chi’s unwavering gaze, acutely aware of the curious glances from passersby.
Gu Chi’s stare was far from discreet. Wen Linyu could hear the whispers.
“Holy shit! Is that a new teacher? Why is he staring like a creep?”
“Doesn’t look like a teacher. Is he the new owner of the equestrian center?”
“Nonsense, I know the owner. He’s in his forties, and even he wouldn’t dare harass students like that!”
“Hey, the one being harassed looks familiar!”
“Yeah, the guy who beat someone half to death at the school gate on Monday. This creep is brave. He’s definitely going to get punched!”
Wen Linyu sighed, putting down his tray and leaving the cafeteria. He wanted to punch someone, but he couldn’t win right now.
Afternoon break was spent in the dormitory. The dorms were decent, four students per room, equipped with air conditioning and showers. Although small, the beds, desks, and wardrobes were of good quality, providing each student with personal space. Comparable to, or even better than, university dorms.
Wen Linyu didn’t interact with his roommates. He had always been an outsider and still preferred solitude.
Especially with a certain someone constantly by his side.
Gu Chi was invisible again, his presence perceptible only to Wen Linyu.
The beds were single. As soon as Wen Linyu lay down, a body pressed against his back. He took a few deep breaths. Thankfully, Gu Chi didn’t make any further moves, only his arm possessively draped across his waist, pulling him close, his hand gently stroking his hair.
Wen Linyu relaxed slightly, unaware that his roommate was staring at his bed in horror.
The roommate truly felt like he had seen a ghost— Help! Wen Linyu entered alone, lay down alone, but why does it look like two people are in his bed?!
Holy shit! A campus ghost story in broad daylight?!
