Chapter 35: What makes you think he’s any good

Xu Lin quickly rode back the way he came.

The wind whipped against his face. His breathing was rapid. He’d promised Ji Jixuan he wouldn’t leave the mountain without permission, and now he’d broken that promise.

He couldn’t suppress the panic and guilt surging through him.

After twenty minutes of riding, he burst out of the hidden path and back into the familiar mountain. He didn’t have time to relax—he suddenly remembered Shuangshuang’s bike was still parked on the roadside. If he left it there, Ji Jixuan would definitely find it.

He had to go back. He pushed the bike deep into the woods, covering it with large branches just in case.

After that, he wiped the sweat from his brow, rolled up his sleeves, and raced back to the villa.

When he spotted the villa in the distance, he licked his dry lips.

It’s fine, it’s fine. He probably hasn’t—

Arrived.

His heart stopped.

A car he knew all too well was parked at the entrance.

Ji Jixuan was already home.

Hadn’t he been coming back late for the past few days? Why was he so early today?

Xu Lin sniffed his clothes.

He’d had barbecue and smelled like it. He’d hoped to get home first to shower and change. Fortunately, the wind had mostly blown the smell away.

He took off his jacket, turned off the phone Shuangshuang had given him, and hid it in the flowerbed.

After a quick check to make sure he was presentable, he took a deep breath and went inside.

As he slowly changed his shoes at the entrance, he noticed the ring box on the cabinet was empty. Ji Jixuan had taken his ring out.

He was definitely home.

Xu Lin peeked in—no sign of him in the living room. Was he in the study?

Good.

He ran barefoot to the second-floor closet. He’d just taken off his shirt when a warm weight pressed against him from behind, pinning him into the wardrobe.

He was buried under a pile of clothes, unable to see. He struggled to pull them off and found himself looking up into Ji Jixuan’s eyes.

“You scared me…”

Ji Jixuan asked, “Where did you go?”

“Out. For a walk.” Xu Lin cleared his throat. “Where else would I go?”

He pushed at Ji Jixuan’s chest. “Let me up.”

Ji Jixuan didn’t move. Instead, he pressed down harder, burying Xu Lin in the clothes, and nuzzled into his neck, sniffing.

Xu Lin’s scalp prickled. His heart leaped into his throat. He swallowed, unable to blink.

After a long moment, Ji Jixuan murmured, “It’s gone.”

“Gone… what’s gone?”

“My scent.” As he spoke, he bit down on Xu Lin’s neck.

No slip-up. He’d passed.

Xu Lin silently let out the breath he’d been holding.

---

After a round of messing around, Xu Lin was too exhausted to lift a finger. Ji Jixuan carried him to wash up, and the hot water only made him drowsier.

By the time he was tucked into bed, he was nearly unconscious.

“Xu Lin.”

He could hear Ji Jixuan calling, but he couldn’t open his eyes.

The room fell quiet. Then, a few minutes later, something cool brushed against his lips, a slightly hard object tapping against his teeth and touching his tongue.

Xu Lin opened his eyes.

Ji Jixuan sat by the bed, a bit of white cream on his index finger, smiling at having woken him.

Xu Lin licked his lips. Sweet.

Whipped cream.

A freshly opened strawberry cake sat on the nightstand.

Xu Lin’s eyes lit up. He sat up eagerly.

Ji Jixuan handed him a small spoon. Xu Lin scooped up a bite and stuffed it in his mouth, smiling so wide he couldn’t stop.

“Do you like it?”

Xu Lin nodded eagerly. “Why did you suddenly buy this?”

“I heard…” Ji Jixuan paused. “This shop is very popular, and the cake is good. I thought I’d bring some back for you to try.” He added, “Don’t you like strawberries?”

Xu Lin’s heart warmed. He hugged Ji Jixuan’s waist, nestling into him. “Thank you, Xuan-ge.”

He ate happily, then remembered Ji Jixuan hadn’t had any. He scooped up some cream and held it to his lips. “Try it. It’s sweet.”

Ji Jixuan shook his head. “You eat it.”

Xu Lin ate about half, then couldn’t finish. Not wanting to waste it, he said he’d put the rest in the fridge for tomorrow. As he started to get up, Ji Jixuan stopped him. “I’ll do it. You sleep.”

Xu Lin obediently burrowed back under the covers.

Downstairs, Ji Jixuan put the cake in the fridge and closed the door.

He stood there, unmoving. Slowly, he raised his hand and looked at the cream on his finger. After a moment, he put it in his mouth.

Xu Lin’s bright eyes flashed in his mind. “It’s sweet.”

He couldn’t taste anything. Yet his tongue seemed to pick up something strange.

Back in the room, Xu Lin was already asleep.

Ji Jixuan sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping slightly. He studied Xu Lin’s features intently, then leaned down until their noses touched, stopping just as their breaths mingled.

He whispered, “Xu Lin.”

The sleeping person didn’t respond.

Ji Jixuan continued. Reaching out, he turned off the bedside lamp.

The room was swallowed by darkness.

---

The next morning, they were both still asleep when Ji Jixuan’s phone buzzed on the nightstand. A message appeared on the screen. Neither of them moved. Then a call came through.

Ji Jixuan clicked his tongue, grabbed the phone, and answered. “Speak.”

Xu Lin, half-awake, lifted his head groggily.

A man’s voice came through the receiver. Xu Lin couldn’t make out the words, but Ji Jixuan’s brow gradually furrowed.

“Got it.” After the caller finished, Ji Jixuan hung up, threw off the covers, and got out of bed.

Seeing his expression, Xu Lin asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Ji Jixuan bent down, cradled Xu Lin’s face, and kissed his forehead. “I have to go out.”

“Not staying for breakfast?”

“No.”

“I’ll walk you out—”

He’d barely propped himself up when Ji Jixuan pushed him back under the covers. “No need. Sleep more. It’s early.”

Xu Lin stayed under the blanket, only his eyes showing, watching Ji Jixuan dress piece by piece, walk out of the room, and disappear.

Ji Jixuan took two steps outside, then stopped, looking at the ring on his finger. He turned back, took it off, and placed it in the ring box at the entrance.

Click. The lid closed.

---

The Ji family estate.

The butler spotted Ji Jixuan’s car from afar and approached, opening the door. “Mr. Zhuang arrived early this morning. He’s been in the eldest young master’s room for about an hour.”

“Mm.” Ji Jixuan went upstairs and pushed open Ji Hongyun’s door. A man in his forties sat beside the hospital bed.

Hearing footsteps, the man turned and smiled. “Jinxuan, you’re back.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“No, not long.” The man patted the blanket over Ji Hongyun. “Things have been quiet at the base, so I thought I’d come see him and talk about your project.”

Zhuang Xun had been Ji Hongyun’s deputy officer, having served alongside him through life-and-death situations. They were close friends. After Ji Hongyun destroyed his gland, Zhuang Xun visited every year.

“I received what you sent me,” Zhuang Xun said. “The drug testing department gave good feedback. If the tests pass, we’ll run trials on a group of Alphas first. If there are no issues, we’ll move to mass production.”

“Good.”

When Ji Hongyun had first come home, Zhuang Xun had visited and met Ji Jixuan once or twice. Even as a child, Ji Jixuan had been unusually mature, calm no matter what, his face always cold and sparing no smiles.

Though brothers, Ji Hongyun had never been able to hide his arrogance, while his brother seemed gentler and more refined.

“Your brother is nothing like you,” Zhuang Xun had remarked back then.

Ji Hongyun had burst out laughing, nearly hysterical. He’d said something in reply, but Zhuang Xun couldn’t recall what.

Coming back to the present, Zhuang Xun looked at the grown Ji Jixuan.

He smiled. “I’ve been meaning to ask—what made you decide to develop this? A lot of people were surprised and full of praise when they found out that suppressant came from you.”

“Your grandfather heard about it too. So—is one Ji Gong not enough for the Ji family? Are they getting a second?”

“Is that so?” Ji Jixuan smiled. “He knows?”

Zhuang Xun, seeing his smile, thought he was happy and smiled back. “Of course. It’s good news—people should know. And since he’s your grandfather, he must be proud of you.”

Ji Jixuan smiled but said nothing.

He walked to the bed, staring at the unconscious Ji Hongyun.

Zhuang Xun studied Ji Jixuan’s profile and saw something that made his smile fade. Up close, he noticed that though Ji Jixuan looked like he was smiling, his eyes were like a frozen lake—no warmth at all.

Ji Jixuan finally answered his earlier question. “It just seemed unfair.”

“Unfair?” Zhuang Xun asked.

Ji Jixuan said, “KW-02 is only effective for Alphas below S-rank. There should be a drug for all Alphas, including S-rank.”

Knowing Ji Jixuan’s rank, Zhuang Xun assumed he was advocating for S-rank Alphas.

But then Ji Jixuan continued, “New products replacing old ones is the natural upward trend of this world.

“KW-02 has its value, but that value will disappear once something new appears. The new replaces the old—that’s the natural law of the biological chain. Does one KW-02 think it can stay on the throne forever?”

In that moment, Zhuang Xun felt Ji Jixuan was implying something more. He wasn’t just talking about a drug.

He seemed to be referring to someone.

But the moment passed, and it felt like an illusion.

Zhuang Xun stayed a little longer, then got a call and had to leave.

Before going, he said to Ji Jixuan, “I’ll contact you if anything comes up.”

“I appreciate your help.”

“Don’t mention it.” Zhuang Xun patted his shoulder. “You’re Hongyun’s brother. I’m on your side. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll do my best to assist you.”

As Zhuang Xun stepped out, he looked back.

On the high steps, Ji Jixuan stood at the top, looking down.

Zhuang Xun turned away and followed the butler out.

He got into his car and lit a cigarette, taking a long drag to shake off the strange feeling.

As he started the engine, it suddenly came back to him.

He remembered how Ji Hongyun had replied to his remark, “Your brother is nothing like you.”

Ji Hongyun had laughed scornfully, “That kid, with the same Ji blood as me, what makes you think he’s any good? He’s just a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’ll be even worse than me. Holds grudges, pays back every slight. Don’t let his looks fool you, or he’ll chew you up and spit out the bones.”