Chapter 8: Green Eyes (8)

Since that day, several days passed without Shen Qiuxun seeing Xu Zhiyuan.

He strongly suspected the guy was planning to welch on his debt. He also thought something was off with Jace and wanted to warn Xu Zhiyuan.

The pharmacy had been incredibly busy lately, keeping Shen Qiuxun working overtime for days. When he finally got a day to rest, he walked home to his rental along the small path, feeling a thick, gloomy cloud hanging over his head.

Stepping into the building, he could smell the aroma of cooking from far down the corridor. His stomach growled. In his mind, he complained to the System about whose dinner smelled so delicious, leaving their door open like that to disturb the peace.

Opening his door, he was shocked to find the delicious smell was coming from his own place! On the tiny table, there were actually four—no, one, two, three, four—dishes! And they all had meat!

They looked amazing, perfectly plated with vibrant colors and mouthwatering aromas.

Shen Qiuxun’s eyes glinted green with greed, but he managed to keep a shred of composure. Cautiously, he retreated outside, checked the door, and entered again, confirming he wasn’t dreaming. Just then, Xu Zhiyuan emerged from the bedroom.

He was wearing a slightly faded black long-sleeved shirt, his silver hair falling softly, his shoulders broad and legs long.

“Can I eat?” Shen Qiuxun’s perpetually listless eyes finally lifted to give the man a proper look, a hint of curiosity in them, as if his reflection was finally registering.

That single glance made Xu Zhiyuan’s heart quiver. He touched his own chest, his expression strange, then said in a deep voice, “Mm… it’s compensation. Just a little compensation for you.”

Shen Qiuxun pulled out a chair and sat down, clenching his fists with a bit of excitement. He pondered for a moment. “Which restaurant? This dump has a cook this good?”

He had assumed this place only had bell peppers harder than rocks and tech-synthetic meat with zero meat flavor.

Hearing the praise, Xu Zhiyuan took a seat, folding his arms across his chest, and lifted his chin with restrained pride. “I borrowed a friend’s kitchen. I only had these few ingredients, so make do.”

“You made this?” Shen Qiuxun asked skeptically.

“If you don’t want it…”

Shen Qiuxun nodded quickly. “I want it, I want it!”

He was silent for a moment, then asked, “Where’d you get so much money?”

“?” Xu Zhiyuan rubbed his chin. “On credit… don’t worry, I’m not asking you to pay it back.”

“Oh.” That’s fine then.

Xu Zhiyuan glanced at him, saw his intensely focused gaze, and felt a warmth rise in his chest. He cleared his throat lightly to suppress a smile, controlling the excitement in his voice. “It’s only because you took care of me a few days ago… mm.”

Honestly, Shen Qiuxun couldn’t quite grasp what he was beating around the bush and hinting at. But that wasn’t important. He just kept nodding. “Mm, mm, mm, good, good, good, whatever you say is right, I definitely won’t overthink it.”

Xu Zhiyuan stole a glance at him, catching the bright gleam in his eyes hidden beneath his fine, dark hair. He noticed the thick, black lashes, the straight nose, the small tip, and his excessively pale skin—only the tip of his chin held a faint blush.

Just watching him quietly, Xu Zhiyuan’s adam’s apple bobbed. He could hear his own heartbeat pounding faster and faster.

Shen Qiuxun’s facial expressions weren’t very rich, but the relaxed set of his brows and eyes showed his good mood perfectly. He stood up and leaned over to get bowls and chopsticks from the cabinet.

Xu Zhiyuan was sitting right next to the cabinet. His mind was wandering through strange thoughts, and when he suddenly saw Shen Qiuxun leaning towards him, his brain short-circuited. The polite refusal he’d prepared died in his throat, his ears flushed red, and he finally closed his eyes in embarrassment, his heart unsettled and restless.

If Shen Qiuxun tried to kiss him… what kind of reaction should he show?

Actually…

He spent a while thinking anxiously with his eyes closed, his heart burning with heat. But after waiting for what felt like ages, he cautiously opened his eyes a sliver, only to find Shen Qiuxun had already moved back. That alluring scent had faded until it was barely noticeable.

Opening his eyes fully, he realized the man was now holding bowls and chopsticks, piling meat from the plates into his own bowl.

Xu Zhiyuan looked up at the bowls and chopsticks on the cabinet. Something seemed to dawn on him, and his expression shifted from blue to red. Finally, he glared indignantly at the oblivious Shen Qiuxun.

The System, which had witnessed everything:

【.】

‘Don’t bother me, I’m eating.’

【I hate that you’re a block of wood.】

‘What do you know? The famous literary figure Sanmao once said: If there is an afterlife, I want to be a tree, standing for eternity, with no posture of joy or sorrow. Half of me peaceful in the dust, half flying in the wind. Half casting shade, half bathing in sunlight. Extremely silent, extremely proud. Never relying, never searching.’

Shen Qiuxun continued eating, even closing his eyes to recite the passage with deep emotion. Then, in a cold, hard tone, he addressed the System: ‘You garbled mess, do you even understand the principles of us wooden blocks?’

【.】

The two finished the meal, each preoccupied with their own thoughts. When it was over, Shen Qiuxun, full and satisfied, stretched lazily. Even his attitude towards Xu Zhiyuan improved significantly, and he was willing to offer a few flattering words. “Ah, your cooking is amazing. If I could eat this every day, I’d have no regrets in life.”

Xu Zhiyuan’s lips tightened into a serious line as he reached down and picked up a bag at his feet, handing it to Shen Qiuxun.

“Here.”

Shen Qiuxun took it, opened it, and found the robot that had served as a weapon. It had been completely restored, showing no trace of its previously broken limbs. The surface was clean, the colors vibrant, looking far more advanced and pristine than before.

And… he pressed the button on the robot’s leg. A blue light flickered, and the robot raised its arm. “Hello there, little friend! I’m Happy Robot Model 389, nice to meet you!”

“…” So it was a robot meant to entertain children.

Huh, he even managed to repair the functions.

“I know it was me who broke it. It’s been fixed and returned to you. As for the other… things, I will compensate you for them. So, I suggest you forget about what happened a few days ago and keep the secret safe.”

Xu Zhiyuan cautiously tried to soften his wording, worried it might upset Shen Qiuxun. He only saw Shen Qiuxun looking down, his bangs hiding his eyes, making his expression unreadable.

A bitterness spread again in his heart, like sharp wire slicing through it, filling it with a fine, dense pain. Xu Zhiyuan blinked slowly and shifted his gaze to the wall behind Shen Qiuxun.

The white wall was stained with chaotic, messy black smudges, like a tangled knot with no logic to be found.

“So when are you paying me back?” Shen Qiuxun looked up, expressionless, and tilted his head towards his own room.

Hearing this, Xu Zhiyuan’s ears instantly turned red. The cold, hard expression he’d been wearing shattered. Naturally, he recalled certain images, and the things he had destroyed… He wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

He leaned back in his chair, raising an eyebrow. “How much do you want?”

Shen Qiuxun pondered for a moment, deciding to extort a large sum. “Sixty.”

“?” Xu Zhiyuan, who had been prepared for Shen Qiuxun to demand an outrageous amount, paused. He raised his hand to check his own balance. “I… I don’t have that much on me right now… Tomorrow. I’ll give it to you tomorrow.”

“What about your blanket?”

“Just keep using it for now.”

“Thanks.” Shen Qiuxun felt sleepy as soon as he finished eating. He raised a hand to rub his eyes, stifling a yawn. A glistening tear remained on the back of his hand. Dragging his tired steps, he carried the bag back to his room.

Xu Zhiyuan caught sight of that tiny drop of moisture. It felt like a hot brand pressed against his chest. His grass-green eyes stared intently at the retreating figure. He almost wanted to stand up, but in the end, he said nothing. He silently got up to clear the remaining dishes. The image of that glistening drop on the back of Shen Qiuxun’s hand kept flashing in his mind, searing him until he almost trembled. Had he… cried?

Had his tone been too harsh? Was Shen Qiuxun that upset?

For the first time in his life, Xu Zhiyuan felt a little lost. He almost went straight after him but stopped after two steps. A dark shadow stirred deep in his eyes.

After a moment, he strode forward and grabbed Shen Qiuxun’s wrist.

Shen Qiuxun turned back, confused. Suddenly, he felt a warm bracelet placed in his hand. It was a string of irregular metal beads—dark green, black, and deep purple. The signs of wear were very heavy; it had clearly been worn for many years.

His wrist was slender and pale, like the finest warm jade.

“This is… if you ever need help with anything, just bring this to find me.” Xu Zhiyuan looked at the bracelet and suddenly felt it suited the delicate bones of that wrist perfectly. His voice was low. “No matter what it is, I’ll get it done for you.”

It was an immensely serious promise.

Such grand words.

Shen Qiuxun lifted his hand to examine the bracelet, wanting to return it.

But he only saw the man’s back.

Xu Zhiyuan cleared the bowls and chopsticks silently, his mind full of thoughts. After washing up, he returned to his room, took off his shirt, and sat on the bed. He looked at the spot on his wrist where the bracelet used to be, lost in thought.

It was a gift his mother gave him when he was young. He had worn it for over ten years… He must have lost his head to just give it away like that.

Just then, his lightbrain flickered. Xu Zhiyuan came back to his senses and pressed the call button. A nonchalant male voice came from the other end. “Young Master Xu, did you enjoy your meal?”

“Mm.”

It was Xu Zhiyuan’s friend and strategist, Jiang Shiyan.

Xu Zhiyuan answered so frankly that the other man was a bit speechless. “Tsk… Young Master Xu, if I recall correctly, you’re an interstellar fugitive right now, with a bounty in the tens of millions.”

“Yep.” Xu Zhiyuan sprawled back onto the bed, thinking about the feel of the mattress next door. A mix of emotions washed over him.

“Your brothers are fighting tooth and nail over the family inheritance, and you, an exiled fugitive, go through all the trouble of contacting me. You don’t ask for weapons, classified intel, or reinforcements. You ask me for fresh meat, vegetables, and that broken, expensive, useless X Crystal?”

Xu Zhiyuan frowned, a little impatient. “Get to the point.”

“Young Master Xu, it’s been three years.”

“…Mm.”

Neither needed to elaborate on what those three years signified. The enemy had been running free on the Capital Planet for three years. It was time for them to pay the price.

Xu Zhiyuan turned over, pausing for a moment. “I had another episode.”

“What? Why are the episodes getting more frequent… Did anything bad happen? Tch, that dear uncle of yours has a death grip on the specific medicine, not letting a single dose leak out. Probably guarding against you… Does that condition of yours get worse over time? When you have an episode, even dozens of Alpha bodyguards can’t stop you…”

“I didn’t lose control.”

The rambling male voice stopped, sounding somewhat incredulous. “Didn’t lose control? You… did you find the specific medicine? Where were you when it happened?”

Xu Zhiyuan was silent for a moment. “Mm, anyway, the point is, I stayed lucid.”

The male voice was very puzzled. After a long silence, he asked hesitantly, “Stayed lucid… what does that mean?”

“…Maybe.” Xu Zhiyuan pressed his lips together. His grass-green eyes fixed intently on the door panel, remembering again that pattering rain.

That cold, yet gentle lake.

“You’re acting really strange.”

“It’s nothing. Let’s not talk now, I’m going to sleep.” Xu Zhiyuan closed his eyes, trying to push away the various images in his mind.

He’s just a Beta. And he likes me.

Xu Zhiyuan covered his eyes with both hands, his ears burning. The corner of his mouth unconsciously curved upwards. He likes me.

“Wait, no, hey, you…”

…

Back in his room, Shen Qiuxun flopped onto the bed, his eyes unfocused. ‘See? I told you this mission was impossible to complete.’

【.】

He let out a pretend sigh, his tone full of grief. ‘He will never like me.’

【I’ll immediately petition for your immediate execution.】

Shen Qiuxun rolled his eyes hatefully. ‘I hate you, I will never forgive you.’

After a moment of silence, he stared at the ceiling. “Wasn’t there something I was going to tell Xu Zhiyuan?”

The System was just thinking about it when it noticed its Host had already drifted off to sleep at some point.

The stray hair on his forehead had parted, his long, dark lashes resting against his eyelids. His skin was pale, making the dark circles under his eyes stand out sharply. His lips were pressed together, his breathing light and shallow. Clearly, he had been exhausted by the day’s work.

The System simply watched quietly through the night.