Lu Zhi: !!!
He had never encountered such an awkward, ambiguous, and suffocating position. Lu Zhi wanted to break free from Shen Qi's restraint but felt the futility of a mayfly trying to shake a great tree.
Lu Zhi's gentle nature turned irritable, and he angrily demanded, "Let go!"
However, the more he struggled, the tighter their bodies pressed together, and the harder he was pinned. Even turning his head became an impermissible act. His chin was controlled by Shen Qi's cold fingers, their noses almost touching, and his eyes were forced to meet Shen Qi's directly, unable to escape, not allowed to escape.
"Tell me, who are you." Deep within Shen Qi's pupils, a bright moon seemed to hang, pure and flawless, but beneath the moon lay a dark swamp, endless and bottomless. Once trapped, one could never escape.
Lu Zhi felt a terrifying sense of being seen through, of being exposed. Shen Qi's eyes held a magical power that captivated his mind, drawing him in uncontrollably. His soul plunged from the bright moon into the dark swamp, sinking continuously. Darkness invaded his senses; he saw no way out, only the cold and lifelessness lingering around him, as if he were in another dead, silent place.
There was no life, only him, alone, waiting for something, hoping for something. The long wait tormented him, driving him mad.
Suddenly, in the darkness, Lu Zhi heard a voice, unfamiliar yet seemingly familiar.
The voice seemed to contain all the warmth in the world, dispelling the endless darkness and cold. A beam of light broke through the darkness, leading him out, and with a sigh that sounded like both lament and joy, it said, "So, you were hiding here..."
Lu Zhi was panicked and confused. He realized his perspective was wrong. He thought he was the one waiting in the darkness, but he discovered he was the one who had walked into the darkness, bringing the light, embracing the child curled up in the dark.
He also saw the child he was holding open a pair of crimson-gold blood-red eyes and quietly look at him…
"Ah—" Lu Zhi suddenly opened his eyes, sitting up abruptly on the bed. Tiny beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his breathing was disordered and rapid, as if he had woken from a very long dream.
But Lu Zhi knew with absolute clarity that it wasn't a dream. Instead, it felt like something he had experienced before.
Lu Zhi, somewhat dazed, turned his head to look at the bright sunlight outside the window, repeatedly echoing Shen Qi's question, "Who exactly are you?"
"Lu Zhi, you're awake." Lan Yu Shan pushed the door open and walked in, wearing a pair of headphones and carrying a bowl of porridge.
"Why am I here?" Lu Zhi finally came to his senses and looked around the room. It seemed to be the school infirmary. He distinctly remembered Shen Qi pressing him against a wall and interrogating him. What was happening now?
"You really scared us." Lan Yu Shan opened the porridge and handed it to Lu Zhi.
Lu Zhi took it, said thank you, and asked, "Where is Shen Qi?"
Since Shen Qi became the new student counselor, Lu Zhi had always respectfully called him Teacher Shen. Now, he was using his name directly.
But Lan Yu Shan, being somewhat carefree, didn't pay much attention to this and replied, "You suddenly fainted, and it was Teacher Shen who carried you here to the infirmary. The school forums are going wild right now."
Lu Zhi scooped a spoonful of porridge and instinctively asked, "What forum? What's going wild?"
Lan Yu Shan handed him his phone.
Lu Zhi put down the porridge and scrolled through it. Seeing the forum content, he looked bewildered. "What kind of nonsense is this? Me and Shen Qi as a CP? A gay relationship? I'm straight."
The hottest post on the forum read: Shocking! Shen Male God actually has a wife!
A high-definition, completely unedited photo appeared on the screen.
It was Shen Qi carrying Lu Zhi, taken by someone as they left the clock tower and entered the campus entrance.
The discussion thread below had already reached over a thousand replies. Many were inquiring about Lu Zhi's identity and his relationship with Shen Qi. There were also many gushing about the CP pairing, as well as sharp remarks and taunts about "clinging to fame."
However, the highest proportion of comments asked: "Lu Shou Shou, is Shen Gong good? Can he last long!"
Seeing this, Lu Zhi's entire face went numb. He finally understood the suffocating feeling of a mute person eating bitter yellow root – unable to speak of his suffering. After a long while, he could only manage a wry chuckle and say, "Doesn't the school manage this? This is all utter nonsense."
How could he and Shen Qi be in such a relationship!
"Freedom of speech, freedom of speech. It's not causing any actual harm, just gossip. The school doesn't interfere with this kind of thing." Lan Yu Shan patted his shoulder sympathetically and said, "It's just that Teacher Shen is a talented idol male god admired by all teachers and students. It'll blow over in a while."
Before returning Lan Yu Shan's phone, Lu Zhi glanced at the time. He estimated that he had entered the clock tower at noon, and it was now three in the afternoon. His unconsciousness wouldn't have lasted more than two hours.
"Oh right, Teacher Shen was originally supposed to stay here with you, but he was called away for something urgent." Lan Yu Shan raised his hand to adjust his headphones. They weren't the small Bluetooth earbuds, but the over-ear type commonly seen in internet cafes.
Lu Zhi noticed Lan Yu Shan fiddling with his headphones quite frequently. Each time he moved them slightly away, he would show a look of discomfort and confusion. His eyes flickered, and he instinctively asked, "Is your extraordinary ability related to hearing?"
Lan Yu Shan, instead of looking pleased, wore a bitter expression. "Yes. Even with these headphones on, I can still hear people drinking and chatting in the City of Dream Whales above the sea."
Lu Zhi was astonished and quietly estimated the distance. "Your hearing range is nearly twenty kilometers!"
Lan Yu Shan nodded. "Teacher Shen said that once I learn to control this ability, I'll be able to use it at will, and then I won't hear some… cough, cough…"
Lan Yu Shan changed the subject. "You still don't know Luo Shi Yu and Gu Wei Yu's abilities, do you? Gu Wei Yu has gained enhanced strength and speed, and Luo Shi Yu is the most formidable. He can control ice elements, making him the magician I've always dreamed of!"
Lu Zhi thought that Luo Shi Yu was indeed the most powerful and talented among them.
"Lu Zhi, what's your ability?" Lan Yu Shan's question caught Lu Zhi off guard.
"I don't know either." Lu Zhi lowered his eyes and looked at the emerald green ring on his right index finger, saying, "Perhaps, I failed and didn't receive the Life Tree's approval."
Lan Yu Shan fell silent, regretting asking so many questions.
*Click.*
The door was pushed open from the outside. Lu Zhi looked up and saw Shen Qi enter. His usually calm eyes once again showed tension and vigilance.
"You're awake." Shen Qi walked in as if nothing had happened, his cool, clear aura carrying a hint of blood. Even Lan Yu Shan, whose senses had heightened after gaining extraordinary abilities, could smell it. He felt Shen Qi's immense power even more clearly and nervously said, "I-I have something else to do, I'll be going now. Goodbye, Teacher Shen, goodbye, Lu Zhi."
Lu Zhi watched Lan Yu Shan's hurried departure speechlessly, just like in the clock tower.
*Screech.*
A metal chair was pulled out, scraping against the floor with an ear-piercing sound. Shen Qi sat down, crossed his legs, and placed his hands on his knees in a relaxed posture for conversation. His silver-gray eyes locked onto Lu Zhi's dark, bright eyes and asked, "Do you know what a God's Imprint is?"