Chapter 31 Part 2
Shi Xu stared at the photo for a moment. More messages arrived.
[Gu Sui: Wife, why… are you… ignoring me? Are you… busy?]
[Gu Sui: Day N without Wife, miss Wife~]
[Gu Sui: Wife, come home… early tonight! Try my… little buns~ [shy puppy.gif]]
Shi Xu: “…”
The gif made him think inappropriate thoughts.
He covered his forehead, feeling hopeless.
This Gu Sui was toxic.
To prevent further distraction, he replied curtly: [Busy, don’t bother me.]
His phone buzzed instantly—
[Gu Sui: Wife… so mean… QAQ]
Another buzz—
[Gu Sui: But… I love it~ O3O]
Shi Xu: “…”
He returned to the security room just before his shift started. Cheng Fan was gone. Xiao Liu was eating lunch in front of the monitors. Seeing him, he smiled, his mouth full. “Captain Shi.”
Shi Xu hummed in response, unaware of the earlier argument.
Xiao Liu finished his lunch, throwing away the trash. He returned with a worried expression, hesitant to speak.
Shi Xu noticed. “What is it?”
Xiao Liu stammered, “Captain Shi, Cheng Fan… he… he told everyone…”
Shi Xu: “Told them what?”
Xiao Liu: “That you’re working here as a security guard, and… that you have a partner, and… that you’re getting married…”
Shi Xu remained calm. “Is that so?”
Xiao Liu: “Aren’t you worried?”
This was huge news. Considering Shi Xu’s fame, the internet would explode. Surely, this would affect him and his partner?
Xiao Liu: “I tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen…”
“Let him say what he wants,” Shi Xu said indifferently. “I told you, it’s not a secret. I’m not a celebrity. I don’t need to hide anything.”
Xiao Liu didn’t say anything else, only feeling envious of Shi Xu’s mysterious partner.
Being with Captain Shi must be wonderful!
Having decided to take responsibility for Gu Sui, Shi Xu no longer hid his relationship. He wasn’t treating it as a secret, telling Xiao Liu casually, knowing it would eventually become public. He just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
Nor did he expect the sudden influx of messages from people in his contact list, all wanting to know who his partner was.
[Captain Shi, are the rumors true? Are you really getting married?]
[Captain Shi, nice weather today, huh? So, is it true about you having a partner?]
[Captain Shi, I just caught a huge fish, super fresh! Are you free? I can deliver it to your house. If not, is your partner free?]
The news of his impending marriage overshadowed his new job as a security guard. Everyone was more interested in his partner’s identity, only a few curious about his career change.
Amidst the inquiries about his partner, a different message caught his attention.
[Director Shen: Shi Xu! You’d rather be a security guard than work for me!!! Do they pay you more?! Or are they nicer to you than I am?!]
He could sense Director Shen’s fury even through the text.
He wanted to say yes, his new salary was double his previous one, and the job was much more relaxing.
But he decided against it. Despite the urge to tease Director Shen, he didn’t reveal the truth.
…
Shortly after Shi Xu resigned, Lin Quan returned to City S, resuming his duties after his brother’s funeral, taking over as captain.
He knew from the start that being captain wasn’t easy, the position subject to constant scrutiny.
With Shi Xu’s exemplary performance as a predecessor, Lin Quan’s path was even more difficult.
After just two days, he was overwhelmed, the doubled workload exhausting him. What was even more tiring were the constant whispers.
“Vice-Captain Lin is capable, but he’s still not as good as Captain Shi.”
“He’s not Vice-Captain anymore, he’s Captain Lin now. Correct yourself before he hears you.”
“I’d like to, but he’s so weird. He hated being called Vice-Captain, and now he hates being called Captain!”
“He’s always comparing himself to Captain Shi, always trying to be better. Look what happened to his brother after offending Captain Shi. He should know his place. Captain Shi became captain without any abilities. He’ll never surpass him.”
After his brother’s death, Lin Quan seemed to have changed, his usual arrogance replaced by a quiet resignation.
Previously, he would have confronted those gossiping about him.
But now, he felt numb.
On his first day, Qi Yu visited him, saying pointedly, “Shi Xu gave you this position.”
Lin Quan knew it was a malicious jab, and it stung.
Without Qi Yu’s reminder, he wouldn’t have known that the position he coveted was a discarded handout from his former enemy.
Was Shi Xu pitying him?
Or mocking him?
Probably both.
But he couldn’t confront Shi Xu like before.
He had to atone for Lin Zhi’s crimes. Lin Zhi was dead, but his actions couldn’t be erased.
They both owed Shi Xu. Further conflict would only diminish his already wounded pride.
Lately, he kept asking himself: Why did Lin Zhi become like that?
He slowly arrived at an answer: He was responsible.
He hated Shi Xu, constantly badmouthing him in front of Lin Zhi, planting the seed of obsession.
He couldn’t control his own negativity, poisoning his brother’s mind.
He failed to notice his brother’s descent, failed to save him.
It was his fault.
And now, he was paying the price.
“I heard Captain Shi is working as a security guard at Jinzhu Bay. What’s going on? Giving up a promising career for that disaster zone? Is he crazy? Did Lin Zhi’s illusion damage his brain?”
“I heard he’s getting married. His partner’s worried about his safety, so he had to change jobs.”
“But a security guard? He could find something better. With his family background, he doesn’t even need to work.”
“I’ve always thought he was just lucky, born with a silver spoon, enhanced his body after a trip to the rift. They say he’s an ordinary human, but is he really? What’s the difference between him and an esper? They keep emphasizing he’s ordinary, just to create hype.”
“It’s good that he’s gone. At least we don’t have to endure his training anymore. I wanted to die during his sessions. He treated us like Variants, not humans!”
Lin Quan stepped out of the shadows, only to be stopped. He turned, seeing Qi Yu’s grim face.
Qi Yu sneered. “There’s no point arguing with them. With your position, they’ll apologize and pretend to agree, then continue badmouthing you behind your back. They’ll never change.”
Lin Quan took a deep breath. “Have they always been like this?”
Qi Yu: “Always.”
Lin Quan fell silent.
“Always” meant Shi Xu had endured this constantly.
Dealing with his and Lin Zhi’s antagonism, and his subordinates’ two-faced behavior.
Being captain wasn’t easy.
He realized this for the first time.
The term “esper” created a divide between them and ordinary humans.
Espers were a minority, proud of their abilities, their egos inflated by admiration, unwilling to be subordinate.
These people were a prime example. They refused to acknowledge their inferiority to Shi Xu, an ordinary human, unwilling to be controlled. But they were powerless to resist, like insects hiding in the shadows, whispering their resentment.
Putting himself in Shi Xu’s shoes, Lin Quan finally spoke, after a long, internal struggle. “I don’t think Shi Xu’s choice is wrong.”
Qi Yu was surprised by his words, and by his lack of anger when mentioning Shi Xu.
Qi Yu asked, “What choice?”
Lin Quan: “Getting married, living a normal life. Being a security guard isn’t bad either.”
Qi Yu hissed, impressed. “You’re finally making sense.”
Lin Quan: “…”
At exactly 5 pm, Shi Xu left the security room.
He should have waited for Cheng Fan to take over, but Cheng Fan didn’t appear.
Not wanting to waste time, and the rules being lax, he left, Xiao Liu offering to wait for Cheng Fan.
Shi Xu thanked him and left.
He didn’t see Gu Sui at the entrance.
This wasn’t the first time, but it still felt strange.
People always wanted better, discarding the inferior once they had the best.
He ignored the slight pang of disappointment, expecting to find Gu Sui in the living room, but he wasn’t there, nor in the dining room or kitchen. He returned to the living room, wondering if he should check upstairs.
A familiar gaze settled on his back. He immediately knew who it was.
His phone buzzed. He didn’t turn around, taking out his phone instead.
[Gu Sui: Wife, are… you… still busy? When… you’re… not… can I… bother you?]
