CH 41

xiao zhenyun repeatedly muttered, “i’m worried,” “i’m anxious,” “i can’t sleep at all,” but his eyelids, in all honesty, grew heavier with each passing moment. in the end, he stopped struggling, as if he had already achieved a mental victory through verbalized worries, and contentedly surrendered to sleep.

si di remained seated at the bedside, watching xiao zhenyun’s restless sleep on the sea of dreams.

finally, he couldn’t resist gently covering xiao zhenyun’s eyelids with his palm, and in the next moment, the man on the bed fell into a deep sleep.

tian lu and tai ji stood by the bed, their movements synchronized, as they observed si di tucking xiao zhenyun in, arranging the scattered black strands of hair. si di couldn’t help but pinch the guide’s cheek, playfully tracing his lower lip with his fingertip, before taking out his terminal to capture several rare pictures of his peaceful sleeping face.

“he’s quite handsome, isn’t he?” si di smiled and asked, though it was unclear who he expected to answer.

tian lu and tai ji: “…”

afterward, si di stood by the french window for a while, staring at the unrelenting downpour. then, he headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

his terminal kept receiving messages: colleagues with whom he had been cooperating for some time inquired if he had safely arrived, while a dolphin sentinel informed him that his spirit form had detected something resembling a clue to si chu at the ocean floor.

si di walked out of the bathroom, steam rising, with the only bathrobe draped over xiao zhenyun. for the lower half, he had to settle for a towel, as he quickly responded while blow-drying his hair.

compared to xiao zhenyun’s flawless, fair skin, si di’s complexion boasted a healthy, attractive wheatish tone. his muscular physique displayed smooth lines, free from any scars – his sentinel constitution made scarring nearly impossible. he was an elite among s-rank sentinels.

his spiritual domain was riddled with holes, but his physical form was untouched.

as the mechanical arms delivered his freshly laundered attire, he transformed from a nearly naked man back into the fully armed sentinel, the deep-colored trench coat accentuating his tall frame. si di returned to the bedroom, leaving a glass of warm water. as he turned around, he saw xiao zhenyun half-awake.

“i’m leaving.”

“…”

“rest well.”

“don’t go,” xiao zhenyun turned over, burying himself beneath the warm blankets. his voice muffled under the layers, “the rain won’t stop until tomorrow morning.”

“…” si di furrowed his brows slightly, but before he could contemplate further, he felt a sudden tug on his trailing black tail. when he turned, he saw the stag biting onto the tip, trying to grab his attention.

as he looked over, tian lu proudly stamped his hooves, raising his antlers, indicating he’d been cooped up in this room for far too long and wanted to explore the world outside.

tai ji wagged his tail again, nuzzling against tian lu’s body with his long snout.

si di smiled, closed the bedroom door, and turned off all the lights in the room, leaving a tranquil darkness behind.

xiao zhenyun stopped resisting the sleep demon, mainly because he thought that ‘a sleepless night due to anxiety’ only amounted to six words in this tens of thousands of words-long narrative. most of the novel’s scenes were concentrated on how the two main characters on the isolated island were lovingly entwined. so, he believed that the bulk of xiao zhenyun’s plotline had concluded, and a good night’s sleep would pose no problems…

no problem at all… right?

at 5:30 in the morning, xiao zhenyun woke up with an inexplicable premonition. he was first surprised that he could wake up naturally at such a magical hour, and then, following the routine, he dialed the emergency rescue team’s phone number, which he had harassed countless times the day before.

the intern who answered the call had really not slept all night and had been waiting for news. this time, he didn’t use the seven words, ‘understood, stay calm, help is on the way,’ to pacify xiao zhenyun. instead, he excitedly announced, “chairman, great news! an hour ago, the rescue team assessed that the weather and sea conditions met safety standards, so they assembled and set off by boat. the latest report we received is that they’ve already made contact with the stranded individuals and are actively engaged in the rescue.”

“…” xiao zhenyun sat up in bed abruptly, “they set off?! an hour ago?”

as per the original plot, the rescue team was supposed to depart after 6 o’clock.

“yes, the operation is proceeding smoothly. about two hours ago, a sentinel’s and guide’s dolphin spirit and turtle spirit transmitted messages that they suspected they’d located signs of the stranded individuals on a small uncharted island. the rescue team immediately took action, charted their course, and set off by boat an hour ago.”

“haven’t i repeatedly expressed my desire to join the rescue team on the boat? why didn’t you inform me earlier?” xiao zhenyun’s tone turned icy. he furrowed his brow, donned his coat, and used a mechanical arm to maneuver himself into his wheelchair.

the intern seemed to have anticipated xiao zhenyun’s anger and cautiously explained, “it was captain si’s orders…”

“who?”

“captain si di… he’s the overall commander for this rescue mission. he decided the departure time for the boat, and he also mentioned that you’ve been overly worried, experiencing anxiety and loss of appetite, and he requested that we do not disturb you.”

“…”

after a long silence, the intern asked tentatively, “chairman xiao?”

“it’s fine.” xiao zhenyun hung up the call with a throbbing headache.

the other side immediately said goodbye happily, thinking that before the team left, captain si had said that if the chairman caused trouble, they could report his name. unexpectedly, this trick actually worked.

xiao zhenyun wheeled around his room for a while and then, as if struck by an epiphany, he gazed out the window at the faint dawn breaking on the deep blue horizon. at first, he was shocked by the rare beauty of the sight, calmly admiring it for a minute. then, he began to ponder why he considered the sunrise so unusual.

— because he was a night owl, rarely getting up early.

so why had he woken up before 6 am today?

— because of the plot mission.

was he perhaps becoming too dedicated lately? xiao zhenyun mused, his thoughts taking an unconventional turn. it was strange to him that he got up before 5 in the morning to carry out a plot mission, which was utterly inconsistent with his real character.

with this shift in perspective, xiao zhenyun felt the pressure lift entirely; after all, if the sky fell, the world administrator would have it covered.

he relaxed his mind, reached for a pack of cigarettes from the bedside table, sat by the french window, and gazed at the calm sea beyond the drizzling rain. where deep blue and darkness met in the play of light and shadow, his long, thick hair cascaded over his shoulders. he half-closed his eyes and exhaled a puff of smoke…

and then, happily, he drifted back to blissful sleep.

time passed quietly, and by 8:30 in the morning, xiao zhenyun had received ten text messages that were dripping with frustration:

i’m going to kill si di!

why didn’t you stop him?

i’m going to kill si di!!!!

xiao zhenyun was leisurely enjoying the breakfast delivered to his room when he responded with a voice message: “how could i have stopped him? he didn’t consult anyone before coming over, and the moment he appeared, he drained my spiritual energy as if he’s a starved pig for three years. after he’s done, he tossed me on the bed, and ran off to rescue his little brother. xiao nian, i’m just a weak guide; i can’t…”

xiao nian: “…”

xiao nian: “can’t you at least save some of your spiritual energy for yourself and not revitalize him so vigorously? he’s just loitering here, not doing anything useful, and causing chaos everywhere!”

“i don’t have much spiritual energy to begin with. he slurps it all up in a gulp, and he’s an s-class sentinel. a little bit of my spiritual energy can’t power him for a month. what can i do?”

“then, can’t you use your personal charm to keep him in bed, lost in pleasure, so he forgets about rescuing his damn little brother?”

“…” am i holding the script of an evil concubine who brought disaster to the country?

“go fix this now!” xiao nian roared.

as the words left his mouth, the sound of xiao jiali’s footsteps and his clearly just-awakened hoarse voice came through the call, “nian nian… who are you arguing with?”

xiao nian replied coldly, “an insurance salesman.”

xiao zhenyun: “…”

at 9:30, the powerful roar of engines drew nearer. people waiting at the shore raised their heads, and a medium-sized boat with a red bottom and white body appeared on the glistening coastline. its hull resembled a sharp knife, parting the waters and leading a swirling flock of seagulls in its wake.

many sharp-eyed sentinels had already spotted the figures on the deck and rose to their feet, waving and clapping their hands. some even cheered with outstretched arms, creating a moving and uplifting scene.

the director pushed xiao zhenyun’s wheelchair to the front, facing the sea breeze with a serene smile and a straight posture. he waved gracefully, exuding a vibe like a positive and energetic red propaganda poster.

xiao zhenyun had foreseen that this dear brother would ensure he got the full experience of the sea breeze upfront. he had tied up his long hair to prevent it from flying into his mouth or turning him into a wild-haired madman in the gusty wind.

si chu and ye feiran came down from the boat hand in hand, their injuries tended to, their faces clean, but their clothes crumpled, and their hair in disarray, resembling a bird’s nest.

despite the violent encouragement of the crowd, the two of them blushed with shyness but held each other’s hands in a tight grip, not letting go.

xiao zhenyun couldn’t witness their tender scene in the mountain cave where they had slept so soundly. however, the current situation was enough to cut deep into his heart, leaving him feeling desolate, frustrated, and confused.

“how did it come to this…” he mumbled. the director, curiously bending down against the sea breeze, shouted loudly, “chairman, what are you saying!!”

xiao zhenyun was busy with his act and didn’t pay him any attention.

he seemed to have been scorched by si chu and ye feiran’s intimacy, and his eyes dropped in turmoil, his eyelashes quivering like startled butterflies. “why, just why? i love you deeply, but i never get your response.”

director: “…?”

“some people, some things, perhaps they shouldn’t be forced. if others have never known your feelings, why should you burden yourself with unrequited love.”

director: “…?”

director: “chairman…?”

“love, it’s a mysterious thing, isn’t it? it wells up from who knows where, deepening with every step. the feeling of being cherished must be wonderful, right? i wish i could be cherished by someone in the same way.”

director: “…”

what’s wrong with this guy??

si chu thanked many colleagues who were concerned about his health, and suddenly noticed xiao zhenyun not far away. he rushed over, pulling ye feiran along. “little uncle!”

xiao zhenyun instinctively avoided si chu’s gaze, but then forced himself to meet it. he was jealous of the guide who could openly appear beside si chu in the public eye. he forced himself to show his usual warm smile. “xiao chu…”

“little uncle, my brother got hurt—”

“…” xiao zhenyun suddenly snapped out of his melancholic thoughts, his brows sharp. “what? where the heck is he?”

the author has something to say:

zhenyun: it’s a complicated and tangled world.

hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). i hope you enjoyed the story! if you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! check out the link below for early chapters.  (๑>ᴗ