Chapter 35: Yaoxing Academy 35 Part 2

Xun Ji pondered thoughtfully. Lu Zhou bringing it up now must mean…

“It seems President Xun really doesn’t know.” Lu Zhou glanced subtly at Xun Ji. “That student was surnamed Xue.”

“Surnamed Xue?” Xun Qian was astonished. “Could it be…”

Lu Zhou nodded. “He was the child Old Master Xue had with his mistress in his later years. The current generation running the Xue Family sees him as a disgrace, so few outsiders know about him.”

Xun Qian seemed to recall something and frowned. “No wonder the Xue Family buzzed around like frantic flies targeting the Xun Family back then. I thought Old Master Xue had gone senile and was courting death, but there was this layer to it.”

“The Xun Family showed no mercy to the Xue Family back then, forcing them out of the country.” Lu Zhou said, “But Old Master Xue hasn’t let go of his hatred.”

“He wants revenge on the Xun Family—and especially on Xun Ji—so he chose me.”

Silence fell for a moment.

The gaze behind the silver-framed glasses turned icy cold, carrying the dignity of one in power as it bore down heavily on Lu Zhou.

“So, you’ve come back this time to harm Xun Ji?”

Lu Zhou met Xun Qian’s gaze without flinching and pushed a wooden box onto the table.

“This is the Xue Family’s birthday gift for Xun Ji. They clearly investigated me beforehand—perhaps hearing some rumors from Yaoxing Academy—and believed that only if I delivered it would Xun Ji use it.”

Xun Ji curiously reached out to open the box. “What’s inside?”

Lu Zhou grabbed his hand and pulled the box farther away.

“Don’t touch it. It’s not anything good.”

Lu Zhou carefully opened the box and held it up for them to see.

Inside was a jade bracelet, crystal clear and evidently expensive. But it was encased in a mismatched plastic seal bag.

“Did you seal it?” Xun Ji asked.

Lu Zhou nodded. “The bracelet looks fine at first glance, but every bead has been specially treated. It releases toxins when wet. I could only test that it’s highly poisonous; the exact nature requires a professional appraisal.”

Xun Ji clicked his tongue. “If I wore it while showering, I’d die without knowing it. How did you think to test it?”

Lu Zhou answered matter-of-factly, “Anything that reaches your hands, I naturally have to check.”

Xun Qian’s face turned ominously grim. “You knew about the Xue Family’s plan long ago?”

Lu Zhou shook his head, his own expression darkening.

“Until I got this bracelet, I thought the Xue Family was genuinely helping me. After noticing something off with it, I investigated starting from Old Master Xue and uncovered everything. I came back mainly to warn you to be careful of the Xue Family, and also to…”

He met Xun Qian’s gaze, sharing a tacit understanding.

“…discuss with President Xun how to eliminate the Xue Family.”

Xun Qian raised an eyebrow. “Even though they helped you?”

“I saved Old Master Xue, and he helped me—it evens out.” Lu Zhou lowered his eyes slightly. “Besides… even if it doesn’t, so what? If they want to harm Xun Ji, they’re asking for death.”

Tsk tsk tsk, as expected of the Protagonist. Xun Ji wrapped his little blanket tighter around himself.

In the original novel, Lu Zhou encountered the Xue Family and thought they’d become his benefactors, serving them loyally. Who knew the Xue Family only saw him as a knife against the Xun Family? When things fell apart, they promptly betrayed him, leading to the Xun Family making his life hell. This was another major plot point that spiked Lu Zhou’s Blackening Value later on.

But now, Lu Zhou had turned against them so cleanly, spilling the Xue Family’s entire plan.

Was this the power of love? Just give Lu Zhou a boyfriend status, place him there, and it was like auto-farming: schemes auto-blocked, key plot points skipped. All Xun Ji had to do was time a few kisses right, and the Blackening Value would drop like a match-3 game, pop pop pop.

Washing the Protagonist white was just around the corner. Xun Ji was immensely satisfied, feeling this move was utterly brilliant.

He narrowed his eyes at Lu Zhou, who was seriously conspiring with Xun Qian on how to destroy the Xue Family, and suddenly felt it was the perfect moment.

“Lu Zhou.” He beckoned.

Lu Zhou immediately abandoned Xun Qian and came to his side, leaning down slightly. “What’s wrong?”

Xun Ji pointed at his own mouth. “Kiss me.”

Lu Zhou: “…”

Xun Qian: “…”

Heat crept up Lu Zhou’s ears bit by bit. He tried to ignore the piercing gaze from behind and negotiated softly, “Can it wait? I still need to talk with President Xun…”

Xun Ji was flamboyant and unreasonable. “I said kiss now, so kiss now. Who are you to be picky?”

Xun Qian reached the end of his patience. He strode over, pushed the wheelchair from behind, and wheeled him out.

“Go back to your room and sleep. You’re a grown man who can’t even read the room and acts spoiled.” Xun Qian’s face was sour as he shoved him into the elevator.

Xun Ji looked back longingly from the wheelchair every few steps, yelling menacingly from his mouth: “Lu Zhou, you’re done for. You’re giving me the cold shoulder. You’re disqualified as a boyfriend, you…”

【Ding! Warm Reminder: Protagonist Blackening Value has reached 80%.】

【Ding! Warm Reminder: Protagonist Blackening Value has reached 75%.】

【Ding! Warm Reminder: Protagonist Blackening Value has reached 70%.】

…

Each curse dropped the value rapidly. Xun Ji stared in shock. How was it even more effective than kisses? Did Lu Zhou like this?

The elevator doors slowly closed.

“You… you…” His brain raced for more insults, eager to capitalize on this wave and clear more Blackening Value.

A hand blocked the doors, and Lu Zhou slipped inside.

“Hm? Don’t you need to discuss the Xue Family with my brother?” Xun Ji asked casually, another word popping into his head. He blurted it out: “You started it but won’t finish!”

He waited, but no prompt sounded. Had he hit the limit? Xun Ji looked up and froze at Lu Zhou’s expression.

Lu Zhou was smiling.

Xun Ji had seen many expressions on Lu Zhou: fierce, pained, heartbroken, suppressed, even enamored.

But he rarely saw him smile.

It was like clouds parting, mist dispersing, skies clearing after rain.

Lu Zhou bent down, pressed his lips to Xun Ji’s in the lightest of kisses.

【Ding! Warm Reminder: Protagonist Blackening Value has reached 50%.】

“My boyfriend was upset, so I had to coax him.” His smile reached his eyes. “Nothing else matters more than this.”