Chapter 17
A gentle touch.
Warm, like sunlight…
Xue Changyi was immersed in a dream. Sunlight? How long had it been since he had felt the sun? Perhaps never, since the beginning of time. He always stood in the shadows, beneath his black umbrella, only gazing at the sun from afar.
“Mm…” Xue Changyi sighed softly, and the warmth and tingling on his lips faded.
Wu Mu’s stolen kiss was interrupted. He quickly lifted his head. Xue Changyi hadn’t woken up, only murmured in his sleep. But Wu Mu’s guilt made even the usually calm and collected Director General of the Supervisory Department jump.
“So warm…” Xue Changyi mumbled in his dream, nuzzling unconsciously. “More…”
Wu Mu lowered his head. “What did you say?”
Xue Changyi, still asleep, murmured, “So warm… more, more…”
Rumble—
Wu Mu’s gaze darkened, like an abyss, like a crashing wave, like a whirlpool. He lowered his head again. The only sound in the quiet dormitory was the sound of their quickening breaths…
Xue Changyi had a dream.
He dreamt he was trapped in a deep sleep, unable to move, not even a finger, unsure when he would wake up.
But soon—the darkness was torn apart, and a ray of light shone through, warm and comforting, sunlight. Xue Changyi greedily absorbed the sunlight, warmth flowing through his body, reviving him, thawing him, filling him with an unprecedented satisfaction.
More…
He wanted to be closer to that radiant light, even if it meant being destroyed, even if it meant being reduced to ashes.
“Mm…” Xue Changyi sighed, slowly opening his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the hazy setting sun.
Sunset? Xue Changyi was stunned, sitting up abruptly. He felt slightly dizzy from lying down for so long.
A hand reached out to steady him. “Don’t get up, you haven’t recovered yet. Lie down for a while longer.”
Xue Changyi turned his head, almost thinking he was seeing the sun from his dream.
—It was Wu Mu.
Wu Mu sat by the bed, legs elegantly crossed, a book in his lap, as if he had been reading and had simply noticed Xue Changyi waking up.
Xue Changyi looked at him, his gaze moving down to the book. He raised an eyebrow. “Minister Wu, you’re holding your book upside down.”
Wu Mu: “…”
Slap!
Wu Mu closed the book and placed it aside.
“Ahem…” Wu Mu’s expression remained unchanged. “Are you feeling better? You’ve been asleep for a while.”
“What time…” Xue Changyi was unusually disoriented. “What time is it?”
Wu Mu glanced out the window. The school bell was ringing. “School just ended.”
Xue Changyi’s confusion deepened. “I was unconscious for the entire afternoon?”
Wu Mu nodded, picking up a glass of water from the desk. “Would you like some water?”
Xue Changyi couldn’t hide his surprise. “Usually I’m unconscious until the next morning, or even longer. Why did I wake up so early today… Ow—”
He unconsciously touched his lips, wincing at the stinging, burning sensation, as if the skin was chapped.
Could it be… Xue Changyi wondered, that the weather was too dry, and his lips had cracked?
Wu Mu, seeing him touch his lips, coughed softly.
The color had returned to Xue Changyi’s lips, a vibrant red against his pale skin, giving him an unexpectedly alluring appearance.
Wu Mu said casually, “It’s probably because I’ve been in the dormitory.”
Xue Changyi’s attention was diverted, and he stopped touching his swollen lips, looking up at Wu Mu.
Wu Mu’s true form was the three-legged Golden Crow, the sun. Although he wasn’t in his true form, the warmth emanating from him was undeniable, unlike his cold exterior.
Xue Changyi had overexerted himself using the Thousand Demon Eyes and needed to replenish his energy. Usually, he couldn’t touch Wu Mu, as physical contact would cause him to absorb too much energy and get “burned.” But when his energy was depleted, it was different. He needed Wu Mu’s energy, the more the better.
Wu Mu completely ignored his previous flustered behavior, simply giving a concise explanation.
Xue Changyi nodded. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. After all, Cheng Jiao went missing during my PE class. I’m partly responsible.”
A silence fell between them, the sound of their breathing clearly audible.
Wu Mu sat back down, seemingly trying to appear relaxed, picking up the book again and flipping to a random page.
The novel disguised as Underworld Primary and Secondary School Physical Education and Health Manual didn’t have the serious content of a textbook.
—”So warm, more, please, satisfy me…” “Pale arms entwined, soft lips offered. Gasps mingled.” “The once aloof and untouchable Yama, now writhing and whimpering, insatiable, like a greedy kitten…”
The words painted a vivid picture in his mind, overlapping with the image of Xue Changyi.
Slap!
Wu Mu slammed the book shut, tossed it onto the desk, hesitated, then picked it up again and placed it in the bottom drawer, locking it for good measure.
Xue Changyi: “…” What was he hiding? A classified document from the Supervisory Department?
Knock, knock, knock—
Someone knocked on the door.
“I’ll get it.” Wu Mu opened the door.
“Boss?!” Leopard Tail’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re awake? You woke up so quickly! I thought you wouldn’t wake up until tomorrow night! Boss, you have no idea how pale you were, like… huh?”
Leopard Tail’s voice trailed off, pointing at Xue Changyi’s lips. “Boss, your lips are so red… and swollen?”
Wu Mu: “…”
Xue Changyi touched his lips, feeling a stinging, burning sensation, and a lingering tingling, but he couldn’t see if they were swollen.
Wu Mu quickly changed the subject, glancing outside. “Come in.”
There were others outside the door. Besides Fish Gills and Leopard Tail, the students of Class Nine were also there.
“Teacher Xue!” Xiang Yu was the first to rush in. “Teacher Xue, are you alright? I heard you were sick, is it serious?”
Since the rice-planting field trip to the Chu-Han Contention era, Xiang Yu had become Xue Changyi’s devoted fan. Hearing that Teacher Xue was sick and couldn’t come to class, he had been worried sick, practically flying over to visit.
Xiang Yu reached out to touch Xue Changyi’s forehead. “Do you have a fever?”
Xue Changyi instinctively leaned back, avoiding his touch. He disliked being touched, partly due to his aloof nature, and partly due to his constitution as a spirit stone, which constantly absorbed external energy.
“I’m fine,” Xue Changyi smiled. “No fever, I’ve recovered.”
Xiang Yu was still worried. “Teacher Xue, you seem so delicate, unlike us rough and tumble types. You must take care of yourself, don’t push yourself.”
Xue Changyi maintained his smile. “Thank you, I’m really fine.”
Wu Mu stood to the side, his gaze fixed on Xiang Yu’s hand. “Don’t crowd around the bed, there’s no ventilation.”
“Teacher Xue…” a small, timid voice called out—Cheng Jiao.
Cheng Jiao stood shyly at the back, his small stature almost completely hidden by the others.
Clutching the hem of his clothes, his head lowered, looking utterly contrite, Cheng Jiao whispered, “I… I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know Teacher Xue would… would get sick looking for me.”
“It’s alright,” Xue Changyi said. “I’m your substitute homeroom teacher, it’s my duty to take care of all of you. Don’t feel bad, and besides, I’ve recovered.”
Cheng Jiao pouted. “I won’t run away again…”
Xue Changyi looked at Ying Zheng. “As the acting class president, and Cheng Jiao’s older brother, please keep an eye on him. He’s the youngest in our class.”
Ying Zheng nodded. “Understood, Teacher Xue.”
Cheng Jiao looked at Xue Changyi in surprise, murmuring, “Teacher Xue…”
Cheng Jiao’s greatest fear was losing his family. He had confided in Xue Changyi, and although Xue Changyi’s words sounded like a typical homeroom teacher’s instructions, they were actually creating an opportunity for Cheng Jiao to be closer to his brother.
Cheng Jiao choked back a sob, his eyes brimming with tears.
“Teacher Xue, Leopard Tail is our substitute Chinese teacher today!”
“I heard he used to teach PE?”
“Do we still have to hand in homework tomorrow?”
The students chattered for about forty minutes, pushing Wu Mu’s patience to its limit, before finally preparing to leave.
“Teacher Xue, take care.”
“Yeah, don’t push yourself if you’re not feeling well tomorrow.”
“We’re leaving now, Teacher Xue, get some rest.”
The students left, and the dormitory finally quieted down.
Fish Gills opened his mouth, as if to say something, but glanced at Wu Mu and hesitated.
Fish Gills had been with Xue Changyi for a long time, a trusted subordinate of the Tenth Court. Xue Changyi knew him well, his calm and cautious nature.
So, Xue Changyi smiled and said, “Minister Wu, would you mind fetching a kettle of hot water downstairs?”
Wu Mu picked up Xue Changyi’s thermos. It was heavy, full.
But he didn’t refuse, nodding and leaving the dormitory silently. Click—the door closed.
“Tell me,” Xue Changyi said. “What is it that you couldn’t say in front of Minister Wu?”
Fish Gills’ expression turned serious. “Boss, we inquired, and it’s true that the Central Office ordered the health checkup for Class Nine, but…”
Fish Gills glanced at the closed door. Wu Mu had just left through that door.
“But,” Fish Gills’ expression grew even more serious, “the samples weren’t sent back to the Central Office. They were sent to… the First Supervisory Department.”
Xue Changyi’s eyes narrowed, and he murmured thoughtfully, “Wu Mu.”
