Chapter 40: The Instructor’s Beagle Pups Part 2

The boy froze.

Lin Jianxi went on, “There are already so many people who hurt you. At least be kind to yourself.”

“…”

Lin Jianxi leaned in a bit closer. “What’s your name?”

“Xu Hui.”

“Which ‘Hui’?”

“The unlucky one.”

“It should be the ‘Hui’ from biding your time.” Lin Jianxi spoke patiently. “Say it again.”

“…The ‘Hui’ from biding your time.”

Lin Jianxi smiled softly. “There we go. Training starts the day after tomorrow. Get out on the field today and tomorrow—run a few laps to warm up—”

Before he could finish, an empty mineral water bottle tumbled down from atop the wardrobe and rolled to a stop by Lin Jianxi’s foot.

It looked awfully familiar.

Lin Jianxi couldn’t quite be sure if it was the one he’d drunk from—all the bottles looked the same…

But Xu Hui’s panic gave him away.

Xu Hui lunged to pick it up, but Lin Jianxi snatched it first. His gaze shifted to the wardrobe.

That dorm search… they’d skipped this room.

Silence fell.

The quiet was so thick you could hear a pin drop.

Lin Jianxi rose slowly and approached the wardrobe. Xu Hui grabbed his arm in a flash. “I’m sorry…”

“Sorry for what?” Lin Jianxi turned around. “I’ll just put the bottle back. It fell on its own—you didn’t make it drop.”

Lin Jianxi deliberately chuckled. “Don’t tell me you can control it with your mind.”

“…”

“Instructor!!!” Someone shoved the door open. “Instructor, I finally found you!!!!”

Lin Jianxi jumped. “What’s wrong?”

The guy immediately fell quiet and murmured, “Well, the trainees went out for some fun today, and then because of… some stuff—but they didn’t do anything wrong! Anyway, they beat a guy up, and now… the cops have them pinned down in the restaurant.”

Lin Jianxi: “…”

Ah.

What a headache.

That was what Lin Jianxi mulled over on his way to the restaurant.

—A pack of beagles.

He had just stepped into the restaurant and started up to the second floor when several men in black suits blocked his path.

Hm? Was this what police uniforms looked like in this world?

Lin Jianxi started to explain. “I and…”

Before he could finish, one of the trainees next to him snapped impatiently, “Out of the way. If you’re not cops, you don’t get to stop us.”

The men in black stayed silent.

Lin Jianxi arched a brow slightly. Not cops? Then what—bodyguards? So the guy who got beat up had protection… Looked like he had some real pull, which made this mess trickier to sort out…

He was still pondering when voices drifted down from upstairs.

It was Xu Song’an, his tone laced with faint amusement. “Open your eyes wider. How else am I supposed to flick my ash?”

Other voices followed.

“Easy now, haha. Don’t do anything rash.”

“Yeah, let’s all sit down and talk this out?”

“He just had one too many.”

Xu Song’an: “He had too many. I didn’t. So I’m perfectly calm. What’s wrong with wanting an ashtray?”

“…”

~~~

“Ah? Xu Song’an’s bodyguards?” The trainee gaped in shock. “He moves fast.”

Lin Jianxi said nothing. He simply shoved the bodyguards aside. They moved to block him—

Lin Jianxi met their eyes.

The bodyguards froze on the spot. A moment later, realization dawned. “Ins… Instructor?”

Lin Jianxi barely remembered these two. He’d only led two batches of trainees so far—one handed down from the original host, which he’d managed for just a few days, and the current group.

That first batch from the original host had been a handful of wild horses. In those few days, Lin Jianxi had learned how to channel a cold, ruthless instructor whose strikes really stung.

Trainee: “The hell? You know it’s the instructor and you’re still blocking him?”

Bodyguards: “Well…”

Seeing their hesitation, Lin Jianxi asked, “What went down upstairs?”

Trainees: “…”

Bodyguards: “…”

Lin Jianxi raised a brow. “Hm? Cat got your tongues? Can’t I know?”

“It’s just… you know…” The trainee hemmed and hawed. “Those kinds of things. You get it, Instructor.”

“Are they up there having an orgy?”

“No no no, not that!”

“Oh.” Lin Jianxi’s face turned icy. “Then I don’t get it. Hint again—see what happens.”

Trainee: “…”

~~~

Half an hour earlier.

The trainees had rolled into the restaurant, ordered a mountain of food and drinks, and settled in for a long afternoon yak. Then noise erupted from the next table over—

Man: “Lin Jianxi. You know the guy, right?”

“Heh. Who doesn’t? Guy’s got a reputation.”

“He was my bodyguard for a bit. What’s your point? Seemed decent enough—capable. Just way too into his husband. Tsk. Offered him top dollar to be my VP, and he shot me down. Shame.”

Man: “Sure, he’s got the looks—pretty face, killer body. But everybody knows how he threw himself at Shen Yuxiu back in the day. Just chases money while acting all holier-than-thou—”

“Come on, that’s not fair. What if he found his true love?”

“Honestly, it’d be easier if he was just after cash. I’d marry him in a heartbeat.”

“Picture it: coming home to him every day. Dress him up in different outfits… A qipao would look perfect on him. House would be paradise, his scent everywhere. You ever catch his pheromones? One of a kind. Nothing compares. That smell’s all his.”

“Fuck…”

The man grinned. “He loves money. Give it a shot—maybe he’ll come running to you.”

Across the way, the trainees fell deathly silent, faces darkening with every word.

In the hush, one trainee shot to his feet—only to get yanked back by the guy next to him. “Don’t drag the instructor into this.”

“But—”

“Fuck.”

“What? What happened?”

The trainees whipped around. There was Xu Song’an, arm slung casually over the man’s shoulder, flicking ash from his cigarette right into the guy’s bowl.

Trainees: “…”

The man slammed the table and lurched to his feet. Xu Song’an blinked innocently. “Hey, what gives? I wasn’t done flicking.”

“You got issues?”

Xu Song’an yanked him forward by the collar, leaning in close. “Ash isn’t done. Now what? Got any holes to catch it for me?”

“You mothe—”

Xu Song’an jammed the lit cigarette toward the man’s eye. In the dead silence, he glanced at the others. “You lot got any bright ideas? Think his eye makes a good ashtray?”

“You…”

Someone grabbed the rising man, whispering urgently, “Stay out of it. You can’t handle this guy.”

Xu Song’an kicked the man’s chair flying, then nodded at a few trainees to pin him down. He crouched beside the guy, drawling lazily, “Left eye? Or right?”

“…”

“Both your peepers are worthless anyway. Might as well blind you proper. No point keeping ’em otherwise.”

~~~

Once Lin Jianxi heard the full story, he knew the bodyguards wouldn’t budge. So he bellowed up the stairs, “Xu Song’an!”

His voice rang out clear and commanding. Part of the crowd were his trainees; the rest had crossed paths with him before. Almost everyone recognized it on the spot.

The instant he spoke, Xu Song’an’s voice cut off. The peacemakers shut up too. Even the breathing in the restaurant seemed to lighten.

A long moment passed.

“The instructor’s here…”

“Why hasn’t the instructor come up?”

“I’ll go get him.”

A trainee hurried downstairs and blinked at the bodyguards. “Eh? Whose are these?”

The bodyguards exchanged a glance, as if they’d received some silent message, and stepped aside to make way for Lin Jianxi.

One of them even whispered, “Sorry.”

Lin Jianxi ignored them and followed the trainees upstairs. There he saw Xu Song’an quietly rise to his feet and stand beside the man, head bowed, lost in his own thoughts.

Lin Jianxi crouched down and peered into the man’s eyes. His condition looked poor.

“Someone take him to the hospital.”

…

The trainees fell silent.

Lin Jianxi turned to them. “What’s the matter? Won’t you even listen to me? Is Xu Song’an your instructor, or am I?”

The trainees erupted in a chorus of chatter.

“But the guy’s got such a foul mouth.”

“Serves him right.”

“Who’d wanna take him? Total bad luck.”

…

“Did I ask what kind of person he is?” Lin Jianxi said sternly. “What are you all babbling about?”

…

Lin Jianxi repeated himself: “Take him to the hospital.”

Only then did the trainees shove one of their number forward. He grumpily hauled the man to his feet and dragged him downstairs.

Lin Jianxi’s physical condition had been off lately; even standing up proved a bit difficult. He sensed a change at the nape of his neck. Casually, he snatched a trainee’s jacket and draped it over his shoulders before stepping right up to Xu Song’an.

The jacket hung loose on him, emphasizing how slender Lin Jianxi truly was. He tilted his chin up just a touch and fixed Xu Song’an with a steady gaze, saying nothing.

“…Sorry,” Xu Song’an murmured without meeting his eyes, head still lowered. “I got impulsive.”

“Should I punish you, then?”

“Yeah.”

“Got anything to say in your defense?”

… Xu Song’an let out a self-destructive sigh. “No. That’s just who I am. When the impulse hits, I wanna hurt people. I know there are probably better ways to handle it, but I just can’t stop myself from lashing out.”

He met Lin Jianxi’s eyes. “Instructor, I asked you before—do you know what my dark side is? This is it. This is the ugliness I keep buried. When someone pisses me off, I’ll do anything to get revenge. I’ll torment them… hell, I’ll even want to—mmph.”

Lin Jianxi clapped a hand over Xu Song’an’s mouth.

The scent of pheromones lingered on Lin Jianxi’s palm. At such close range, it flooded straight into Xu Song’an’s nostrils and seeped into every corner of his body. His mind boomed like thunder—

“Calmed down now?” Lin Jianxi asked.

Xu Song’an nodded dazedly.

In the instant before Lin Jianxi pulled his hand away, he delivered a light slap to Xu Song’an’s cheek.

“That’s your punishment,” Lin Jianxi said, pinching his chin. “For talking yourself down like that—and doing it no matter who’s around.”

“…Anything else?”

“Nah. You’re sorry, so why punish you more?” Lin Jianxi released his chin and headed to the dining table. He addressed the trainees. “You’ve ordered a ton. Any recommendations? I haven’t eaten yet.”

…

…

“Ah, yeah, yeah! Instructor, have a seat right here. Everything on this side is killer.”

The trainees ushered Lin Jianxi to the middle of the table. He picked up his chopsticks and said offhandedly, “Someone go drag that daydreaming kid back from over there. He’s got no soul left. What’s he thinking about?”

Daydreaming kid?

A trainee hesitated. “Xu Song’an?”

Lin Jianxi glanced up, a carrot dangling from his chopsticks. “Who else? Everyone here’s right here. Who’s spacing out besides him?”

“Oh, right.” Lin Jianxi asked, “Whose jacket is this I’m wearing?”

One trainee raised his hand sheepishly.

Lin Jianxi said, “I’ll get you a new one tomorrow. I’m keeping this.”

A faint snicker rippled through the group.

The trainee pulled a long face. “Aw, come on.”

Lin Jianxi set down his chopsticks. “What? Can’t bear to part with it?”

“I… I’ve gotten attached to it,” the trainee stammered. “I like my old clothes, that one especially… I…”

Someone piled food onto Lin Jianxi’s plate. “Instructor, just eat. Don’t mind him.”

“Why not?” Lin Jianxi took the trainee at his word and hesitated. “You really that attached?”

The trainee nodded furiously.

Lin Jianxi shrugged. “Fine, I’ll wash it and give it back.”

The trainee deflated.

After a beat, he mumbled, “Actually… I’m allergic to tap water. Can’t wash my clothes… I only do it once a year, tops. Instructor, just hand it back later as-is. Please don’t wash it. Seriously—if you do, I’ll drop dead right here on the spot.”

Washing it would strip away the scent. Boo hoo hoo…

Lin Jianxi: “…”