Chapter 27: Let Me Stay (Part One)

Ji Xun had never taken such a quick shower; in just ten minutes, he was out, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts.

He stood there with dripping wet hair, only to see Zhao Zhanlei lounging with his legs crossed, fiddling with a fighter jet model. He seemed remarkably at ease. Seeing him not doing anything useful, Ji Xun asked, "Did you find it?"

"Huh?" Zhao Zhanlei set the model down, looked back at Ji Xun, and said, "Go dry your hair. I've looked, but haven't found anything for now. It’s no big deal; I’m staying to sleep with you tonight anyway. If anything happens, I’ll take the hit for you."

Ji Xun felt anxious, but it seemed he had no other choice.

The atmosphere at dinner was very harmonious. Ji’s mother prepared several dishes, serving them to her son and then to Zhao Zhanlei. Zhao Zhanlei held out his bowl to receive them, thanking her repeatedly.

When they were nearly finished, Ji’s mother lowered her eyes and gently kicked her husband’s foot under the table. Ji’s father understood immediately and said to Ji Xun, "Xiao Xun, Dad knows you’re afraid of bugs. Although we didn't see anything this afternoon, since you insist, I’ll let Shiyue stay in your room tonight. It’s best if nothing happens, but if something does, I can get there immediately."

Ji Xun bit his chopsticks. "No need, I’m having Stone sleep with me tonight."

"Have him sleep with you?" Ji’s father laughed. "You’re how old now, still needing someone to sleep with you? Aren't you afraid of people laughing if they hear about it?"

Ji Xun replied, "Then let's just make sure they don't hear about it." He added, "I won’t say anything, Stone won’t say anything, and you and Mom shouldn’t say anything either. Who would know?"

Ji’s father was speechless. Unable to win the argument, he turned to his wife.

Ji’s mother took over the task, smiling slightly at Zhao Zhanlei. "Is Xiao Lei staying to keep our Xunxun company tonight?"

"Xunxun said he’s scared, so I’m here to keep watch for him," Zhao Zhanlei said. "It’s just that I’m a restless sleeper. Does the family have a mat or something? I’ll sleep on the floor."

Sleep on the floor? Ji Xun would never allow that! He had asked for Zhao Zhanlei specifically because he felt insecure; if Zhao were on the floor, what would be the point of him being here at all? But Ji Xun stayed silent. Once the door was closed, it wouldn't matter what anyone else said; only his own word would count.

After dinner, Ji Xun brought Zhao Zhanlei upstairs. Before long, a light-grey coyote pushed open the bedroom door, its tail wagging as it kept looking back to see if the little lop-eared rabbit was following. Ji Xun looked up and saw his father had also reached the doorway.

Ji’s father coughed lightly and said, "Better let Shiyue stay. If something goes wrong, you two kids might not be able to handle it."

Ji Xun retorted, "Didn't you say you didn't believe me earlier?"

Ji’s father immediately replied, "How could Dad not believe you? It’s just that we searched and didn't find anything, but thinking it over, it's better to be cautious when it concerns your safety."

Ji Xun hummed with satisfaction, thinking, *That’s more like it. If you’d done this earlier, I wouldn't have had to call Stone.*

Ji Xun climbed into bed early. He sat cross-legged against the wall, listening to Zhao Zhanlei talk about a new mecha he was learning to pilot—one that could transform into both a fighter jet and a submarine. It sounded incredibly cool. He mentioned that there was one parked on the top floor of the Fu family estate, and that he would get "Brother Hang" to take him to see it sometime.

Ji Xun said, "Then what are we waiting for? We can go anytime."

Zhao Zhanlei said excitedly, "That won't work! We have to wait until Uncle Fu isn't home. I've already talked it over with Brother Hang!"

Seeing the way Zhao Zhanlei spoke about Fu Shuhang with the devotion of a true best friend, Ji Xun remembered something. He narrowed his eyes, then flashed a very kind smile, patting the spot next to him. "Stone, come sit over here. I have something to tell you."

Seeing his expression, Zhao Zhanlei felt a sense of foreboding. "What do you want to say? I can hear you just fine from here."

The smile vanished from Ji Xun’s face. He said coolly, "Are you coming over or not?"

Zhao Zhanlei thought, *You’re practically forcing me here. Do I even have a choice?*

Zhao Zhanlei finally walked to the side of the bed and sat down, but the moment he did, he was caught completely off guard as Ji Xun lunged at him! Using the standard takedown technique taught by his physical education instructor, Ji Xun pinned Zhao Zhanlei beneath him. He shouted bitterly, "You traitor! I knew you were in cahoots with Fu Shuhang all along!"

With his arms pinned behind his back and Ji Xun sitting on his spine, Zhao Zhanlei cried out his innocence: "It's not me! I didn't! You can't accuse me like this!"

"Accuse you? You knew the 'second awakening' was fake and deliberately didn't tell me, just to watch me make a fool of myself in front of Fu Shuhang! Now he uses it to mock me every chance he gets. You’ve made me lose all my face!"

Zhao Zhanlei felt aggrieved. "How was I supposed to know you were serious? I thought you were joking."

Ji Xun found this incredible. "How could anyone joke about revenge?"

Zhao Zhanlei was about to say, *Fine, I get it now, I'll be sure to warn you next time*, but he didn't get the chance. The bedroom door was pushed open from the outside once more.

Ji Xun thought it was his parents coming back for something. He looked up, only to see Fu Shuhang. For some reason, Ji Xun felt so guilty he practically bounced, immediately rolling off Zhao Zhanlei.

"H-Hang, Brother Hang..." Ji Xun stammered, breaking into a cold sweat. *Oh no, oh no, did he hear everything I just shouted?*

Meanwhile, Zhao Zhanlei remembered the fierce, bloodthirsty way that great white tiger had lunged at him when he was checking the window earlier. He gulped and decided to play dead, hoping that if he stayed motionless on the bed, Fu Shuhang wouldn't notice him.

Fu Shuhang didn't look at Ji Xun; he only looked at Zhao Zhanlei, who was sprawled out on the bed. "I went to your house to find you, and your mother said you were with Ji Xun."

The statement lacked a subject, but it was clear who it was directed at. Seeing that playing dead wasn't working, Zhao Zhanlei buried his face in the quilt and muffled, "You were looking for me, Brother Hang? What for?"

Fu Shuhang didn't answer, only asking, "Why are you here?"

"Oh," Zhao Zhanlei turned his head, his voice clearer. "Xunxun saw a bug egg, a really big one, but when he went to look closely, it disappeared. He’s scared of bugs, so I came over to help him check."

"A bug egg?" Fu Shuhang said coldly. "Insects only have eggs."

Zhao Zhanlei: "..."

Ji Xun defended himself at the right moment: "But it was an egg! A huge one!"

Fu Shuhang looked at Ji Xun, who was wearing little shorts and sitting cross-legged next to Zhao Zhanlei with his straight, pale legs exposed. He pursed his lips and looked away, pretending he hadn't seen. He walked over to the chair across from the bed and sat down. "How big?"

Ji Xun: "As big as a basketball!"

Fu Shuhang scoffed.

"Don't believe me, but I'm certain it was a Zerg egg!"

"The Zerg can't even get near our star sector. They’re wiped out dozens, hundreds of light-years away."

"But it was really big."

Fu Shuhang looked at Zhao Zhanlei: "Did you find it?"

"No..."

"If you haven't found it, why aren't you going home?"

Zhao Zhanlei was about to speak, but Ji Xun cut him off: "Why should he leave? If that egg could disappear suddenly, it could definitely reappear suddenly too! What if it shows up again?"

"Are you really afraid of an egg by yourself?"

Ji Xun thought of that terrifying, massive egg. He pursed his lips in annoyance and scooted closer to Zhao Zhanlei.

Fu Shuhang couldn't watch any longer. He stood up and walked over to Zhao Zhanlei. Zhao Zhanlei had been thinking about how soft and fragrant the little guide’s bed was, and how comfortable it was to lie there...

But the next moment, he felt a chill down his spine. He turned his head and saw Fu Shuhang walking toward him with an expressionless face. Startled, he jumped off the bed and scrambled a few meters away.

This frightened Ji Xun, who quickly said, "Hey, Stone, why did you run off?"

Zhao Zhanlei did some exaggerated stretching. "I was a bit stiff, just loosening up."

Fu Shuhang sat down in the spot Zhao Zhanlei had just vacated. Seeing this, Ji Xun thought, *Anyone will do*, and without a second thought, he scooted over toward Fu Shuhang. "Brother Hang, you believe me, right?"

"Believe what?" Fu Shuhang’s voice was devoid of emotion. "This afternoon it was a lion cub, tonight it’s an egg, and both disappeared suddenly without anyone else seeing them. Doesn't the problem lie with you?"

Ji Xun froze.

"I heard your mother and father helped you look?"

Ji Xun: "...Yeah."

"If they couldn't find anything, it means there’s nothing there."

Ji Xun pouted. He felt Fu Shuhang wasn't making any sense—this person was clearly just here to tear him down! But as he thought about it, he suddenly remembered what Zhou Xiaoyun and Zhu Liying had said earlier: "Could it be that you were drinking at the celebration party last night?" "Did you go to bed very late?" "Hahaha, and you said you weren't drinking! You only get blackouts when you drink!"

Drinking? Blackouts? Ji Xun began to seriously recall the events of last night. He did seem to have had some strange experiences that should have been very memorable. But for some reason, he woke up the next morning and remembered nothing. When he woke up, he felt incredibly relaxed, yet his whole body ached as if he had been in a fight.

What actually happened last night? The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt. It seemed this was the first time in his memory that his father had taken a day off work, the first time his mother hadn't woken him up for school, and the first time they had allowed a powerful guide like Uncle Gao to enter his mental domain.

*There must be something fishy when things are this abnormal.*

"Xunxun? Xunxun?"

"Ah!" Ji Xun snapped back to reality and looked at Zhao Zhanlei, who was calling him. "What is it?"

"I was saying, since Brother Hang is here, I’ll head back."

"Ah... don't go!" Ji Xun immediately jumped off the bed to grab the departing Zhao Zhanlei, saying, "Brother Hang isn't sleeping here tonight!"

Fu Shuhang showed no emotion on his face. "You were planning on having him sleep here?"

Again, the sentence lacked a subject. Zhao Zhanlei felt his scalp tingle. He stammered, "Brother Hang, I—I was going to sleep on the floor."

After saying it, he felt Fu Shuhang’s attitude today was very strange. He didn't know who had been so forceful before, even trying to push him and Ji Xun together. Thinking of this, he suddenly found the courage to speak up loudly, "But Auntie didn't let me! She said the floor was cold and told me to just sleep on the bed with Xunxun. We’ve been close since we were kids, right, Xunxun?"

Ji Xun didn't know why Zhao Zhanlei was suddenly saying all this, but he nodded in agreement.

Fu Shuhang just watched as Ji Xun held onto Zhao Zhanlei’s arm, and said nothing more.