Chapter 38: Yaoxing Academy 38 Part 1

“You’re coming home with me today!”

In the villa, Xun Qian paced irritably around Xun Ji’s bed, showing none of the composure expected from the head of the Xun Conglomerate.

“No more Lu Zhou, no more Lin Yule—neither of them!”

Xun Ji weakly held his forehead. “Brother, you’re making me dizzy.”

Xun Qian stopped abruptly and hurried over in a few strides to touch his forehead. “Is the fever still there? Lie down and sleep some more.”

Xun Ji unhappily pushed his brother away, his tone full of self-reproach. “I don’t even know how those two are doing. In the end, it’s all because of me…”

Xun Qian was exasperated. “Those two are tough as nails—they won’t die. Lin Family’s helicopter fished them out and took them to the hospital. You should worry about yourself instead. Your body’s in this state, and you still went climbing the lighthouse in the rain? Don’t you want the life you just clawed back?”

Xun Ji looked at him wistfully. “Brother, this life I just clawed back always gets me scolded…”

Xun Qian choked, his expression shifting several times before he finally softened his voice in apology. “Sorry, Brother didn’t mean to snap. I’m just worried you’ll get dragged down by them.”

“Brother, you’re right. I’ve stayed on the Sea Island too long—it’s time to go back.” Xun Ji unceremoniously instructed his brother. “Arrange it for me when we get there. Keep it low-key, but make sure there’s some ceremony to it.”

Xun Qian was puzzled. “Arrange what? What ceremony? Didn’t we just have your birthday banquet?”

“It’s not a birthday banquet.” Xun Ji’s eyes sparkled. “It’s my wedding with Lu Zhou.”

Silence.

After a long moment, Xun Qian squeezed out a sound through gritted teeth. “What did you say?”

Xun Ji had anticipated his brother’s reaction. If he’d had any other choice, he wouldn’t have resorted to this.

Xun Ji glanced at the System Panel, where the Protagonist’s Blackening Value read: 90%.

All his previous efforts had gone down the drain in an instant. When he first saw that Blackening Value, Xun Ji nearly blacked out. But upon reflection, Lu Zhou’s Blackening Value seemed to have completely broken free from the plot’s control—it revolved entirely around him.

When he made Lu Zhou his boyfriend and spent every day together, the Blackening Value plummeted. When Lu Zhou had an episode and went to get revenge on Lin Yule, only to discover their relationship and be ordered to save him, the Blackening Value skyrocketed.

Both Lin Yule and Lu Zhou were too unstable. Leaving them in the same world meant that night’s plot could replay at any moment. He had to send Lin Yule away quickly. And to rapidly clear the Blackening Value, he needed a heavy dose of medicine.

“I said, I’m marrying Lu Zhou.” Xun Ji said seriously. “It’s urgent—do it as soon as we get back.”

Xun Qian nearly laughed from sheer anger. “Do you know who you are? The Little Young Master of the Xun Conglomerate, rushing into marriage like this—with a Poor Kid who has nothing? Have you been watching too many melodramatic TV dramas lately?”

“Didn’t he team up with you to crush the Xue Family and snatch a bunch of their business?” Xun Ji muttered in rebuttal. “He’s practically a rising star in the business world now—not a Poor Kid anymore. He can support me just fine.”

“Xun Ji!” Xun Qian completely forgot his earlier apology for his tone as his temper flared. “Even if he devoured the entire Xue Family, to the Xun Family, he’s still a Poor Kid!”

Xun Ji pulled the blanket over his head and started throwing a tantrum. “I don’t care—I’m marrying him, right now!”

Xun Qian’s head throbbed. He hadn’t stopped Xun Ji from dating Lu Zhou before. For one, he admired Lu Zhou’s methods and how he doted on Xun Ji. For two, he vaguely felt his little brother didn’t truly love Lu Zhou—it was probably just a fling that would fizzle out.

He’d never imagined his brother would fall into this cliché of a rich beauty marrying a Poor Kid. If he’d known Xun Ji was so smitten with Lu Zhou that he wanted to marry him… Wait, smitten?

A flicker of suspicion crossed Xun Qian’s brow. He patted the mound of blanket. “Didn’t you force Lu Zhou to jump into the sea to save Lin Yule? Who do you actually like?”

Xun Ji yanked the blanket off and stared at his brother in disbelief. “Brother, you’re so nosy.”

Xun Qian pressed. “Don’t dodge the question. Tell me clearly.”

Xun Ji sighed. “I only see Lin Yule as a little brother. I couldn’t just watch him die.”

“Then what about Lu Zhou? What do you see him as?”

Xun Ji fell silent.

What did he see Lu Zhou as?

The Protagonist. A Task target. A special NPC from the book’s world…

—“If you can save him alive… Lu Zhou, try being the most important person to me.”

That sentence was utterly superfluous for the plot, for the Task.

He could have let go of Lu Zhou’s hand, could have not said it. But he did.

The moment Lu Zhou turned and jumped into the sea at his command, Xun Ji admitted—a flicker of hesitation stirred in his heart.

Or perhaps even earlier, on the Bell Tower at Yaoxing Academy, when Lu Zhou intended to untie the Safety Rope, he could no longer view Lu Zhou as a mere unrelated NPC.

The emotions from Lu Zhou were too intense, too real—he couldn’t ignore them.

So when Lu Zhou confessed for the first time and kissed him, he didn’t pull away. The most logical reason came to mind: for the Task.

But deep down, Xun Ji asked himself—were there really no ways to reject Lu Zhou’s feelings and still complete the Task?

There weren’t, or had he never even considered them?

He didn’t know if one day he’d feel the same intense emotions for Lu Zhou. But when he spoke those words, it was like striking a spark in the endless blizzard.

Flickering, fragile, warm.

A faint anticipation rose in him.

“I don’t know,” he answered Xun Qian, each word earnest and honest. “I don’t know what he means to me right now, but I want to try—make him the most important person in my life.”

*

Xun Ji left the Sea Island and returned to the Xun Mansion with Lu Zhou.

The good news was that neither Lin Yule nor Lu Zhou had died, though their injuries were severe. With time, they’d recover.