That night at the Pei family banquet, Qiu Yuan found the Cutter after learning that the assassination of Gerald had succeeded.
The other party was hiding inside the body of a silver-haired bionic humanoid. Qiu Yuan could tell it was even a butler-type bionic man, which made the Cutter appear especially ridiculous.
Qiu Yuan said coldly, “You’d better explain to me why so much time was wasted for no reason.”
The bionic man swept its inorganic gaze over him and walked straight past him.
The Cutter always worked alone and never communicated with others.
Qiu Yuan knew its temperament, so he didn’t expect the Cutter to give any proper explanation.
Besides, he wasn’t technically the Cutter’s direct superior.
His relationship with the Huozhong Organization was one of mutual benefit and cooperation at best. When necessary, the Cutter was expected to follow his orders.
Like tonight, when coordination was required between the tentacles and the Cutter, the Cutter should have followed his instructions and escaped as soon as the mission was complete. If they had delayed even a little longer, the Federation military would have arrived. They were short-handed, and since he was exposed, Qiu Yuan couldn’t guarantee the Cutter would’ve been able to retreat intact.
Of course, even if Qiu Yuan analyzed all of this out to the Cutter, this mutant wouldn’t have listened. He wouldn’t have understood. He was nothing more than a killing machine that followed orders.
The hallway was narrow and dim, lit with only two wall lamps.
The bionic man brushed past Qiu Yuan without a glance, heading toward the end of the hallway that opened to the outside world, into the boundless darkness beyond.
Thick shadows coiled in the night sky.
Qiu Yuan turned around.
A powerful and swift tentacle shot out like an arrow released from its string, instantly coiling around the bionic man’s neck.
It was almost as if he meant to kill. The tentacle wound around the bionic man’s neck like a coiled dragon, and cracking noises came from the machine underneath.
The shadow that was laying on the carpet slipped free.
A massive, black-armored mutant let out a low, threatening growl at him.
Qiu Yuan sneered. “You’re finally showing yourself. If Mother knew you were still alive, and had turned into this half-human, half-ghost thing…she’d probably regret letting you take part in her lover’s experimental project, right…Gege?”
His tone rose at the end, laced with mockery and amusement.
The mutant had already lost all its memories from its human days. It lunged at Qiu Yuan.
But it was too late. The coiled tentacle had already read the memory chip at the back of the bionic man’s neck. The data traveled through the nervous system and was transmitted to the main brain.
Qiu Yuan’s smile grew wider. He tossed the bionic man body back to the other party.
The bionic man now looked damaged.
The synthetic skin on its neck had necrotized, and electrical currents sparked chaotically, making crackling sounds.
Qiu Yuan reminded him indifferently, “You’d better go get repaired, so you can hurry back to your ‘master.’”
The mutant’s pitch-black carapace gleamed like armor. It gave Qiu Yuan one last look.
………
Qiu Yuan knew a few small details about Xin Hexue’s life.
For instance, he called a mechanical cat a dog, knitted sweaters for pets, easily fell asleep on the couch at night, and…because he would faint with just three fingers, according to standard Alpha measurements, it was probably physically impossible for him to have a real relationship with one.
That last detail was something he accidentally glimpsed from the memory chip.
He hadn’t originally intended to pry into the young man’s privacy, but most of the key scenes stored in the bionic man’s chip involved Xin Hexue, while the rest were of a quiet villa.
What was interesting was that he caught a glimpse of the pretentious Xi Zhengqing from a corner of the bionic man’s memory. When pretending to be Pei Guangji, this guy would even deliberately pretend to be mute in front of Xin Hexue. The scene was particularly hilarious.
Xi Zhengqing probably thought his plan was flawless, switching perfectly between the roles of the boyfriend and the boyfriend’s childhood friend. Since Pei Guangji was still lying in the ICU, Xi Zhengqing acted even more brazenly.
But when Qiu Yuan saw through the memory chip that, once, Xi Zhengqing unknowingly mixed up the clothes he wore between the two identities—he wore the same coat he had on the last time he appeared as “Pei Guangji”.
Xin Hexue treated him as Xi Zhengqing because of the artificial eye and gold-framed glasses.
“Actually, you can tell the difference between Pei Guangji and Xi Zhengqing, right?”
Qiu Yuan asked quietly.
Xin Hexue’s fingers that were hanging at his side twitched slightly. His face remained indifferent. “Mr. Qiu Yuan, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Please don’t say things that are baffling. If there’s nothing else, I’m going back to my room to rest.”
When he heard Qiu Yuan’s words, Xin Hexue’s mind did indeed waver for a moment.
He didn’t know how Qiu Yuan had found out about this.
Strictly speaking, today was their first meeting. But Qiu Yuan seemed to know many more details about his relationship with Xi Zhengqing.
That meant there was already an information gap between them.
But he didn’t yet know where the flaw was.
Xi Zhengqing couldn’t be so stupid as to lay his cards on the table and tell Qiu Yuan everything himself. This had to be something Qiu Yuan discovered on his own. Did he plant a spy beside Xi Zhengqing?
The realization that things were not entirely under control and that there was always a risk of spiraling out of hand, made Xin Hexue feel very uneasy.
Qiu Yuan crossed his arms and watched Xin Hexue leisurely, not missing a single change in the young man’s expression.
[Qiu Yuan love value +1]
Xin Hexue asked K: [What’s Qiu Yuan’s current love value?]
K: [3… wait, no, 24?]
Even K’s cold, inhuman mechanical voice sounded a bit surprised.
Xin Hexue’s mind moved. “Mr. Qiu Yuan, were you also present at Pei Ying’s coming-of-age banquet last time?”
Qiu Yuan raised his brows. He had sharp sword-like brows, and though the first impression he gave was of blond hair and blue eyes, his features still carried an Oriental charm, so he was clearly mixed-race.
“Of course. And it’s not like I meant to see Xi Zhengqing trying to kiss you in the corner of the garden,” Qiu Yuan shrugged, then recalled something and his smile deepened. “Oh, wait, didn’t you call him… ‘Guangji’ then?”
Xin Hexue’s calm reaction made Qiu Yuan certain that although this Beta had face blindness, he was indeed capable of telling Pei Guangji and Xi Zhengqing apart. Otherwise, if it were anyone else, upon discovering that their boyfriend’s childhood friend had impersonated the boyfriend to get close to them, and realizing they had been deceived by sugar-coated lies…at that moment of revelation, no one would have remained so completely unshaken.
Xin Hexue: “Peeking is not a good habit.”
Qiu Yuan: “Compared to Xi Zhengqing openly flirting around in an open place like the gardens… I think I must have some redeeming qualities.”
Xin Hexue walked toward him step by step. Qiu Yuan was slightly surprised for a moment but still cooperated by backing up against the wall.
On the surface, the blonde Alpha appeared to be cornered against the wall by the black-haired young man in front of him, even though he was a head taller than the Beta.
Xin Hexue caught a faint scent.
It was like the deep blue of the distant sea, where white waves crashed against moss-covered cliffs. The weather was good, the sun hung high, and the intense sunlight brought out the salty dampness of the ocean.
He had smelled it before.
Xin Hexue lifted his thin eyelids. His eyes were beautifully shaped, the upper eyelid like a crescent moon.
He looked into Qiu Yuan’s eyes and spoke coldly, “I mean, I hope your tentacles can be more polite. Peeping will get you made into little meatballs.”
The tentacles seemed to know the young man was talking about them. The two culprits perked up, completely ignoring the main brain’s commands and revealing themselves just like that.
Having been electrocuted to a crisp by a hundred thousand volts, and then soaked in repair fluid to recover, the dead flesh on the festering wounds had fallen off and the newly grown flesh was clearly brighter than the rest of the body.
One of them leaned forward and gently touched Xin Hexue’s finger.
A sticky sensation.
Xin Hexue immediately frowned. He distanced himself from Qiu Yuan as if avoiding something filthy and said, “Disgusting.”
Qiu Yuan felt he ought to sever his connection with the peripheral nervous system and draw a clear line.
If he had done that sooner, the following embarrassing situation wouldn’t have happened.
The tentacle that had just been called disgusting by Xin Hexue was, in fact, a copulatory appendage responsible for courtship and reproduction. Instead of feeling ashamed by the insult, it trembled with excitement.
Affected by the sub-brain, Qiu Yuan abruptly raised his flag.
“…”
[Qiu Yuan love value +2]
[Qiu Yuan’s current love value: 40]
………
The conversation between Qiu Yuan and Xin Hexue in the hallway was interrupted when Zuo Yongyan suddenly showed up.
The tentacles vanished, and Qiu Yuan put his sunglasses back on.
When Zuo Yongyan arrived, he didn’t notice anything strange at all. The atmosphere between Xin Hexue and Qiu Yuan looked like two people greeting each other after meeting for the first time. If there was anything odd, it was probably just Qiu Yuan wearing sunglasses indoors, but he was already used to that.
He introduced himself to Xin Hexue enthusiastically.
Later, the four of them had lunch together in a private dining room at the restaurant.
The atmosphere was peaceful, as if it were truly just a normal get-together, with Xi Zhengqing bringing a new friend to introduce to their circle.
Qiu Yuan had already uncovered nearly half the truth, but Zuo Yongyan still knew nothing. He diligently picked food for Xin Hexue, showing the eagerness of someone meeting a good looking new friend.
Xin Hexue and Qiu Yuan tacitly acted as if the conversation in the hallway had never happened.
Qiu Yuan pretended not to know Xin Hexue was playing Xi Zhengqing like a fiddle, and Xin Hexue pretended not to know that the one sharing a meal at the same table was a mutant species.
Although it was a bit troublesome, Qiu Yuan still went through the effort to erase the surveillance footage of that hallway to make sure no traces were left and avoid headlines like “Mutant Species Infiltrate Federation Core Zone; Heir to the Qiu Family Is Actually an Octopus”, making the front page of every newspaper the next day.
Qiu Yuan had always been curious about what happened at the Pei family banquet that made the two tentacles cut off contact with him and return covered in wounds.
The standard voltage level commonly used in households shouldn’t have been enough to injure the tentacles so badly.
Now, it seemed like there was a possible suspect.
But the other party looked like a completely unarmed, weak, and harmless human.
Qiu Yuan contacted the Cutter.
He requested the Cutter to report Xin Hexue’s daily movements, and unsurprisingly, was rejected.
The Cutter was busy acting as Xin Hexue’s bionic butler.
Meanwhile, Xi Zhengqing was still feeling fortunate.
Back then, he allowed the reporters into the villa in hopes of testing Xin Hexue’s attitude toward their relationship. He just didn’t expect Xin Hexue’s frightened reaction to be so severe. While he had been worried he might have overplayed his hand, Xin Hexue still said he was glad they had lunch together before they parted.
Xi Zhengqing took the chance to invite Xin Hexue to the next gathering.
He believed that since the young man didn’t show any sign of resistance after what had happened at the resort, it meant there was a possibility. He began to ask Xin Hexue out frequently, striking while the iron was hot with hope of changing the nature of their relationship.
At a charity gala, Xi Zhengqing bid on a necklace, which was said to be an antique necklace of a royal family from the eighteenth century, symbolizing the hundred-year love between a king and queen who stayed devoted until old age. That’s why the necklace was named the Heart of Eternity.
Xi Zhengqing gave it to Xin Hexue.
The aquamarine pendant in the center sparkled dazzlingly, and the surrounding specks of white diamonds looked like loyal followers gathered around the central blue gem.
As Xi Zhengqing reached from behind to put the necklace on for Xin Hexue, the young man raised his hand and gently stopped his movement.
The young man lowered his head, his fingertips slowly brushing the moonstone he was already wearing.
That necklace was also a gift from Xi Zhengqing, but that had been during their first meeting. Xi Zhengqing was still using Pei Guangji’s identity, and it was given as a birthday present.
Xin Hexue frowned slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, he gave Xi Zhengqing a reluctant smile. “Zhengqing, your gift is too valuable, I’m afraid I can’t accept it…”
During the auction segment of the charity gala, Xin Hexue had accompanied Xi Zhengqing, and this necklace named the Heart of Eternity had been sold for a sky-high price.
Xi Zhengqing’s smile faded a little as he stared intently at the moonstone necklace.
Xin Hexue must have thought it was Pei Guangji who gave it to him. Without doing anything, he had once again helped Pei Guangji score points.
Xi Zhengqing smiled gentlemanly, pretending not to understand Xin Hexue’s tactful refusal. He naturally placed the Heart of Eternity back into its velvet gift box and said, “No matter what, when I bid on this necklace, I was thinking of you, and I intended to give it to you.”
His words held deeper meaning, using the necklace to subtly express his feelings.
“If you don’t want it, then it has no value staying by my side.” Xi Zhengqing held the velvet box, his expression slightly disappointed. “But I also don’t have the habit of regifting precious things. If you won’t take it, I’ll just get rid of it.”
This last sentence sounded more like throwing it away or destroying it.
There was a trace of reluctance in the young man’s eyes, so he had no choice but to temporarily accept it.
A look of triumph flashed through Xi Zhengqing’s eyes.
Xin Hexue softened his tone and smiled at Xi Zhengqing. “Alright then, I’ll keep it for you for now. If someday you want to take it back from me, I will return it to you.”
[Xi Zhengqing love value +1]
[Xi Zhengqing Current Love Value: 90]
………
Xi Zhengqing was already able to enter the villa freely. He had even been in Xin Hexue’s room.
This meant that in Xin Hexue’s heart, his position was becoming increasingly important, and he could even be allowed into his private space.
Xi Zhengqing had always been somewhat concerned about Xin Hexue’s mental state.
Because Xin Hexue almost never went out. Aside from his special invitations, the hidden reason for not going out was probably that troubling face-blindness. Xi Zhengqing had already discovered a pattern before…when Xin Hexue went out, he relied heavily on the people around him, as if treating them as his anchor. Familiar features gave him a sense of security and allowed him to calm down.
Xi Zhengqing was worried that if this continued for too long, Xin Hexue’s condition would deteriorate. After all, he had previously developed some degree of social anxiety due to school bullying during high school.
Since Xin Hexue was unwilling, Xi Zhengqing never forced him to seek psychological counseling.
But he still consulted a psychologist.
In this situation, it would be best for Xin Hexue to develop a stable and long-term healthy hobby.
But what surprised Xi Zhengqing was that from the beginning until now, he had never seen Xin Hexue show a particular preference or passion for anything.
Even when it came to the archery practice back at the mountain resort, Xin Hexue seemed to like it at first, but when it was mentioned again later, his tone was indifferent.
Maybe he had only agreed to try archery back then because he didn’t want to spoil the fun.
Xi Zhengqing finally couldn’t help but ask, “What do you usually like to do?”
Xin Hexue shifted his gaze away from the mechanical cat and fixed it on Xi Zhengqing. “What do I like to do…?”
He looked a little dazed. “I wake up at seven or eight in the morning, make food for Little Dog, take a walk in the garden, then read a book… and go to bed at ten?”
A very regular routine, but that seemed to be it. From his state, Xi Zhengqing couldn’t tell if there was anything he was particularly enthusiastic about.
It was just the necessary daily rhythm of living in this world.
Xi Zhengqing: “I mean, a hobby.”
When Xin Hexue heard this, he was silent for a long time, as if lost in thought.
After a long time, so long that Xi Zhengqing thought he had forgotten the original question, Xin Hexue finally looked at him and said, “Does acting count?”
Xin Hexue looked a bit shy and awkward as he pulled out a movie he had acted in during his youth.
“You probably haven’t seen it.” He introduced it to Xi Zhengqing a little sheepishly. “That was when I was in District Twelve. A director found me and hoped I could act in his project.”
Xin Hexue had already told Xi Zhengqing about his past, including his gambling-addicted adoptive father, being found at a garbage station, the chaos of District Twelve’s slums, and later how Pei Guangji brought him to District One.
Xi Zhengqing had seen that movie.
He had specifically looked it up after their first meeting in order to learn more about the young man’s past.
But this time, he still pretended to know nothing.
This time, Xin Hexue watched the movie with him. The two of them curled up on the sofa. It was a movie from several years ago, back when there wasn’t even holographic projection technology. The District Twelve in the film wasn’t as chaotic as it was now.
The movie’s ending theme began to play.
Xin Hexue lowered his lashes. He had looked a little sleepy just now, but when he talked about acting, the light returned to his eyes. “I like the state of acting. Each character is vivid. During filming, the costumes are tailored to each role, like special symbols. I just need to immerse myself in the character I’m playing, that’s all. Others are the same too…everyone is a vivid, talking symbol with a personality. I’m no different from anyone else.”
This kind of experience seemed to give him a strong sense of security, allowing him to enjoy it without being troubled by the defect of face blindness.
“At the time, the film crew also supported me to go to District Six to complete my studies. The director promised to work with me again after I became an adult.” As he spoke, Xin Hexue’s tone became depressed. “But all these years, there’s been no contact. Maybe it’s because I’m not suitable anymore, and I’ve lost that spark I once had.”
Xi Zhengqing suddenly said, “That’s not true.”
He couldn’t bear to hear Xin Hexue belittling himself like that.
“The director was Yun Zhiming, right?”
He had looked into it, but he still confirmed it with Xin Hexue.
When he saw Xin Hexue nod, Xi Zhengqing said, “He died in an accident two years ago.”
Xin Hexue showed a trace of sorrow and regret. “Is that so? I didn’t even know… He was my favorite director. His style was very unique.”
Xi Zhengqing paused, then said to Xin Hexue, “Qiu Yuan was his student.”
