Lu Zhi, balancing the power gap between talking back and admitting defeat, decisively chose the latter.
The autumn sunlight in the afternoon was like faint light, with withered yellow leaves carpeting the lake. Within the rippling mirror-like surface were two inseparable side profiles.
Lu Zhi leaned his back against the tree trunk, his chin held tightly. He was forced to tilt his head back, his eyes half-lidded. His dark irises seemed to gaze into Shen Qi's silver-gray eyes with a tipsy haze. His lips unconsciously pressed together, and he opened his mouth to meet the other's, his voice possessing a lazy, husky tone as if waking from a drink. "I just called you a mad dog, you can call me Lu the Mad Dog too, I don't mind... mmm..."
His nose was bitten, something Lu Zhi hadn't expected. He didn't get to say the rest of his words.
Until a hand slid into his clothes from behind his waist, Lu Zhi almost jumped up. The autumn sunlight wasn't hot, but his waist felt as if it had been scalded.
If he hadn't heard the conversations of passing students, Lu Zhi wondered if Shen Qi would have stopped voluntarily.
When he met Shen Qi's eyes, which had transformed into silver rings with a coppery-gold iris, Lu Zhi already had his answer. Even as Shen Qi held him tightly, his hot breath tickling Lu Zhi's ear, he didn't dare to move an inch.
Ahem, men understand.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Qi finally released him, even gentlemanly smoothing his clothes and buttoning them up. His expression returned to its usual cool demeanor. "There have been quite a few apostles from foreign divine realms entering the country these past two days. If you go to Sleepless Island, you're likely to run into them."
Lu Zhi knew Shen Qi never spoke useless words. "Sleepless Island is one of the Twelve Sacred Islands, but it hasn't appeared with a Divine Tower. Are the apostles from foreign divine realms going to Sleepless Island because the Divine Tower will appear soon? Which one of the Twelve Zodiac signs will it be?"
Shen Qi: "It's more fun to explore it yourself."
Meaning he wouldn't tell him, and he had to discover it on his own.
Lu Zhi pouted and walked towards the spatial gate leading to the academy side-by-side with Shen Qi. Suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, he turned his head sharply to look at Shen Qi, his eyes widening considerably. "Shen Qi, do you know why my brother was injured?"
"Mm," Shen Qi didn't deny it. He frankly stated, "It's not important."
"How is that not important? You specifically mentioned the apostles from foreign divine realms and said they entered the country these past two days, isn't that clearly reminding me that my brother's injury was caused by them!" Lu Zhi, having gained a deep understanding of Shen Qi, guessed it almost perfectly. His angry cheeks puffed out, and he indignantly sent a scolding text message to Lu Chengxuan.
Shen Qi's lips curved into a smile.
Lu Chengxuan, who thought he had successfully kept it from his brother, fell into thought upon seeing the nearly hundred-word text. He immediately realized the reason for the leak must be Shen Qi and gnashed his teeth in secret.
"President, are you really not telling Little Lu anything?" Li Mei glanced at the screen as she passed behind him.
Lu Chengxuan found a cute, pouting emoji and sent it, saying expressionlessly, "Wait a little longer." He turned to Chu Shiling. "How is it? Have you found out the origin of that group?"
Chu Shiling replied without looking back, "Almost. That group... Hmm? Interesting, they seem to have bought long-distance bus tickets to Kunsa Tower."
Kunsa Tower, a region of ethnic minorities at the border between deserts and mountains.
Lu Chengxuan lowered his gaze, his fingertips tapping his knee pausing. "Prepare the car. I want to see what they're up to."
"Got it, President. Should I notify Guozi?" Li Mei asked before going upstairs, referring to Lan Guoguo, who had been missing for some time.
"No need," Lu Chengxuan frowned.
Mu Sen, who rarely spoke, hesitantly raised his thick arm. "Guozi, Guozi seems to have gone on vacation."
"Strange, Chief. Have you noticed that since your brother Little Lu returned, Guozi seems to have become very unusual?" Chu Shiling, staring intently at his laptop and typing rapidly, suddenly turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "I think we need to pay more attention. You know Guozi has a rather special ability."
Chu Shiling stroked his chin. "I remember the last time it was triggered was three years ago?"
Lu Chengxuan's eyes flickered slightly. He suddenly lit a cigarette, took a puff, and exhaled, the smoke swirling. After a long pause, he said hoarsely, "Guozi is hiding something from us."
"President, aren't you too slow?" Li Mei, who had finished packing, walked downstairs and handed her luggage to Mu Sen. "If Shiling's guess is right, then the person triggered... hiss, wouldn't it be Little Lu?"
Big Mu Sen didn't understand and obediently helped Li Mei carry her luggage out.
"Although I'm reluctant to admit it..." Lu Chengxuan extinguished his cigarette and stood up. "With that guy, Little Liu won't be in danger."
Chu Shiling shrugged. "Well, let's hope so."
They all knew that "that guy" referred to Shen Qi. If even Shen Qi couldn't protect Lu Zhi, then there would probably be no safe haven in Huaxia.
...
The cost of the chartered flight to the Sleepless City was fully covered by the wealthy academy.
In the bustling airport, a group of handsome men and beautiful women attracted a lot of attention. As soon as Lu Zhi entered the airport and saw his classmates gathered, he secretly wondered if the academy's admissions also considered looks.
If nothing else, each of them was exceptionally handsome and beautiful.
"Are everyone here? Register." Wang Caotian excitedly boarded the plane first and took his seat.
Jiang Yue tapped Lu Zhi's back from behind him. "Why don't I see the Shen big shot? Aren't you two inseparable?"
Since that night around the bonfire on the beach, their relationship was considered tacitly public.
Lu Zhi: "He's busy with something. He said he's taking another flight, so we don't have to wait for him."
Although everyone was curious and wanted to ask how they got together, upon seeing Yan Shao's smile, they recalled the phrase "got in through the back door" from the beach and silently closed their mouths.
The flight was at eight-thirty in the morning and took four hours to reach the Sleepless City. During the journey, Wang Caotian and Jiang Yue chattered endlessly, already planning where to go after landing.
Lu Zhi squinted his eyes, looking at the white clouds drifting past the plane window. He felt the lively chatter beside him was like a lullaby, and he dozed off again in a daze.
Four hours later, the plane landed at the Sleepless City airport on time.
"I heard Sleepless City is also called the paradise of rodents. Everyone here raises a pet, but it can only be a rodent."
Lu Zhi, who was yawning, immediately became alert. He looked at Wang Caotian. "You're saying people here raise rats?"
Was the zodiac of this Sleepless City rat?
Wang Caotian: "I heard it from people online, I don't know if it's true?"
A boy muttered, "Rats, why would anyone like rats? Don't you find them disgusting?"
Indeed, in real life, rats were widely disliked.
Unlike Sacred Island No. 7, which was covered in lush green trees, Sleepless Island's peaks and forests were all a favored golden color. At night, the entire island would sparkle, like an island of gold in the darkness.
"Look."
As the group walked out of the airport and prepared to take the shuttle bus to the hotel, they were drawn by a giant hovercraft flying overhead.
Lu Zhi looked in surprise at the advertisement on the hovercraft – a white chinchilla. The advertising slogan was: [Rat Emperor Concert].
Lu Zhi: ???
Amazing, Rat God!