"Fine, I will protect you!"
Lu Ze stared intensely into Xie Qi’s eyes, his gaze firm and profound, as if he could peer through his pupils into the deepest corners of his heart.
Looking at the earnest Lu Ze, a warm current surged through Xie Qi’s heart, like a clear spring flowing through him. The sensation was strangely familiar, as if someone had made a similar promise to him once before, though no matter how hard he tried to recall, he could not remember who.
However, in that instant, Xie Qi realized he could no longer view this world merely as a mission; every person here was real. Likewise, he could no longer see Lu Ze simply as the protagonist of the world, but as a person of flesh and blood, of passion and loyalty. A person he could no longer ignore.
Just as Xie Qi’s thoughts were drifting, Lu Muyang’s voice, thick with a nasal twang, suddenly cut in: "Thank you... I won't ever call you a pretty boy or say you’re being pretentious again."
Hearing this, Xie Qi was rendered speechless. Was that really the image he had in his eyes? But he had no time to dwell on it, for he suddenly felt dizzy, his vision blurred, and he nearly collapsed.
Lu Ze, standing nearby, reached out to steady him in a hurry.
"…I’m fine."
Xie Qi regained his balance and let out a surprised exclamation. He looked at the liquid in his hand that hadn't spilled, and held it up before Lu Ze once more. "If you don't drink it now, it will congeal. Don't waste it."
Lu Ze took the cup directly from Xie Qi’s hand and passed it to Lu Muyang. "I don't need it. You two handle this yourselves; don't let his good intentions go to waste."
With that, Lu Ze helped Xie Qi over to the bedroom they had been in earlier and had him sit on the clean chair. "Wait for me here," Lu Ze said, rising to head toward the bathroom. Yet, just as he took a step, a warm hand gripped his wrist tightly.
"Why don't you need it?" Xie Qi looked up into Lu Ze’s eyes, failing to understand why he would refuse a method that could rapidly increase his level and restore his abilities.
"I’m not as weak as you think."
"I know, but your ability has been depleted enough. I cannot let you expend more energy on my account."
"It's just a tub of water, how much energy could that possibly take?"
"There is no room for negotiation on this. Either you wait until you've rested, or you restore yourself to your best state right now." Before the words had fully left his lips, Xie Qi had already moved to undo the bandages on his own wound.
Seeing this, Lu Ze reached out to stop him in alarm. "What are you doing?"
Xie Qi replied calmly, "Restoring your power while my wound hasn't fully healed, of course."
"You're insane!"
"Who is really the one acting insane? Have you not noticed how pale you look right now? You’re just forcing yourself to hold on."
Caught in his own trap, Lu Ze felt his resolve waver. "I only want to help you; I don't want you to get hurt."
Xie Qi shook his head. "I also wish to help you. If you refuse to accept my help, then I certainly won't accept your kindness either."
Lu Ze felt a pang in his heart. He understood that Xie Qi was looking out for him, and if he didn't accept, Xie Qi might really be stubborn enough to do as he said. But he couldn't bear to watch Xie Qi bleed.
Just as Lu Ze hesitated, Xie Qi suddenly leaned in close. That already handsome face was now so near that Lu Ze was taken aback.
"Well? Have you considered it?" Xie Qi’s voice carried a hint of seduction as it drifted into Lu Ze’s ear.
Lu Ze’s heart rate accelerated uncontrollably. He could even feel Xie Qi’s warm breath brushing against his cheek. This unusual sensation caused his heart to tremble, and a strange emotion welled up within him.
Driven by an impulse he couldn't explain, Lu Ze asked, "Is there another way?"
"What?"
"Must it be blood? Is there nothing else?"
Lu Ze’s words left Xie Qi stunned; he clearly hadn't expected such a question. He hesitated for a moment, then replied with a touch of uncertainty, "…Perhaps… I suppose it might work…"
However, the moment Xie Qi finished speaking, Lu Ze kissed him without a shred of hesitation. Their lips pressed firmly together, their breaths mingling. Throughout the entire ordeal, Xie Qi remained in a state of utter shock, his face filled with astonishment.
After what felt like an eternity, Lu Ze pulled away and fled into the bathroom, leaving only one person behind, completely bewildered.
Xie Qi lay back on the chair, his face flushed crimson, his hands tightly covering his mouth. He screamed internally: he had been forcibly kissed?! Had his innocence as a man just been lost like that?!!
Even though he was often alone with the protagonist, even though he harbored a slight interest in him, and even though he often spoke with a frivolous, teasing tone, he had really only been joking!
However, when 948 heard Xie Qi’s mental cries, it muttered under its breath: "Is it really that big a deal? It’s not like it's the first time."
"What did you say? Speak up."
"Ahem, I said you brought this on yourself. I warned you long ago not to provoke him if you didn't mean it."
"948, are you looking for a beating?"
"I think you were enjoying it yourself, weren't you? I didn't see you push him away."
No sooner had 948 finished speaking than its presence vanished into the air, as if it had never been there at all.
Xie Qi was left alone, standing there with a dazed look in his eyes, as if his soul had left his body.
Xie Qi subconsciously reached out to touch his lips, as if the temperature and sensation of Lu Ze’s touch still lingered there. The scene from moments ago replayed in his mind, and a myriad of emotions surged within him.
Yes, why hadn't he pushed Lu Ze away? If it had been anyone else, let alone a forced kiss, if someone had dared to even harbor such impure thoughts toward him, he would have beaten them until their own father wouldn't recognize them.
Yet this time, facing Lu Ze’s sudden assault, he had no intention of resisting, and had even felt a strange sensation deep down.
Just then, Lu Ze pushed the door open and emerged. Their eyes met, then quickly darted away.
"It... it's done."
Lu Ze said this and fled in a panic without looking back.
Xie Qi, who hadn't even had the chance to speak, watched the closing door and walked toward the bathroom with a sigh.
However, the moment Xie Qi stepped into the bathroom, the sight before him made his eyes widen. The entire room had turned into a watery kingdom; water covered the floor, leaving almost nowhere to stand. Not only that, the bathtub was overflowing, the water spilling over the edges and cascading onto the tiles.
Xie Qi stared at the chaotic scene, stunned for a moment, before the corners of his mouth curled up into a faint, low chuckle.
The worry in his heart gradually dissipated, replaced by relief at Lu Ze’s current state. Clearly, Lu Ze’s ability had recovered, and it seemed even more powerful than before. It was just that this recovery seemed to have been a bit excessive, resulting in this rather comical scene.