Obsessed with a High-Ranking Esper (BL)-Chapter 174: Confrontation

AN: I had too much wine on new year’s. This is how much I could write. Sorry guys. Happy reading.

Yu Xi stared at his communicator, lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. The forums were already buzzing.

"Looks like Alarna has finally tamed tenth."

"They have been close since childhood. It was only a matter of time."

"Close where? Didn’t you see Jian Ci was never close to her and when she bought things for him, he would give them away?"

"Power couple of the year?"

"Power couple where?" Yu Xi scoffed, thumb flicking through the posts. The wording was too careful, too conveniently vague. The posts where anonymous with no direct claims, but the implication was clear. Alarna was staking her territory, and she was doing it with the subtlety of a knife in the dark.

He sneered thinking that’s my man and said man was currently curled up beside him, fast asleep, one arm draped over Yu Xi’s waist like a possessive vine. His breath was warm against Yu Xi’s neck, his hair a soft mess against the pillow.

Yu Xi’s irritation simmered. Or maybe it wasn’t irritation. Maybe it was jealousy. Sour and sharp, curling in his gut like smoke. He gently lifted Jian Ci’s arm off him.

Jian Ci made a small, disgruntled sound in his sleep and promptly rolled closer, wrapping both arms around Yu Xi’s waist and pulling him in tighter.

Yu Xi: "..."

Then the alarm rang. Yu Xi didn’t bother with his usual soft coaxing. "Jian Ci. Get up."

"Mmm... five more minutes, Little Xi," Jian Ci mumbled, nuzzling into his neck like a sleepy cat.

The next moment, there was a thud. Jian Ci landed on the floor in a heap of limbs and blankets. "Ah aaaaahhhhhhh!" he wailed, flopping dramatically. "You kicked me!"

Yu Xi sat up, unimpressed. "Stop fooling around and get ready. We are heading back to the academy."

He stood, grabbed his clothes, and walked into the bathroom. The door clicked shut before it was locked.

Jian Ci, "..."

He blinked in confusion and suspicion. Yu Xi never locked the bathroom door. He used to change in front of him without a second thought. Now Jian Ci wore high-collar shirts, long sleeves, and evasive glances. Jian Ci had let the bruise he saw on Yu Xi before.go. But now? Now he was determined to find out what happened.

Jian Ci waited for the sound of the water to stop running for a while before it stopped.

As soon as it stopped he flopped onto the floor like a professional scammer, clutching his backside with a theatrical grimace.

Yu Xi stepped out of the bathroom, towel slung around his neck with a robe covering his entire body.

He froze. "..."

Jian Ci groaned, still holding his butt. "Ow..."

Yu Xi sighed, already seeing through the act. But that face, pouty, pitiful, eyes wide with faux betrayal, was hard to resist.

He walked over, crouching beside him. "Aww, where does it hurt?"

"Why do you care?" Jian Ci muttered. "You pushed me."

"I said sorry," Yu Xi replied, voice softening. "Let me see. Where does it hurt?"

"Here," Jian Ci said, pointing at his butt while subtly trying to peek down Yu Xi’s collar. But the shirt was too high, too tight. There was no luck.

Yu Xi raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to kiss it better?"

Jian Ci, distracted, nodded absentmindedly,.still trying to catch a glimpse. Then his brain caught up.

His eyes widened. "Ah—no! I feel better now!" nHe scrambled backward on all fours.

Yu Xi stood, arms crossed, grinning like a cat with a cornered mouse. "Come here. Let me help you get better. Let me kiss your ass."

"No, you pervert!" Jian Ci laughed, bolting for the door. He flung it open and sprinted into the hallway—only to nearly crash into Jian Wei.

Jian Wei had just stepped out of his room, coffee in hand, when he heard the words kiss your ass and pervert echoing down the corridor. He froze.

Jian Ci skidded to a halt, beaming. "Good morning, Brother!"

Then he vanished into his room. Jian Wei stood there, blinking. Steam still rising from his mug. "...I must be hallucinating," he muttered and took a long, long sip of coffee.

***

When Jian Ci said nothing would change, he meant it. He proved it the next morning.

Yu Xi sat at the edge of the bed, still towel-drying his hair when Jian Ci appeared behind him with a comb and a small bottle of serum.

"Sit still," Jian Ci said, voice gentle but firm.

Yu Xi blinked. "You don’t have to—"

"I always do your hair after you shower," Jian Ci said, already parting the damp strands with practiced fingers. "Why stop me now?"

Yu Xi didn’t argue. He sat quietly, letting Jian Ci smooth the serum through his hair, fingers deft and careful. The silence between them was soft, companionable and familiar.

***

Downstairs, breakfast was already laid out. It was all Jian Ci’s doing, of course. He had made Yu Xi’s favorite: steamed buns, soft-boiled eggs, and a delicate jasmine tea he had steeped to perfection. He even poured it for him, adjusting the cup’s position so Yu Xi wouldn’t have to reach.

Jian Wei and Jian Rui sat across the table, watching. They didn’t say anything, but they exchanged a glance.

If anyone walked in right now, they would assume Jian Ci was doting on his boyfriend. And they wouldn’t be wrong.

After breakfast, Jian Ci stood and stretched. "We are heading out."

"I am coming with," Jian Rui said, rising. "I need to speak to Uncle."

Jian Ci nodded. "Okay."

He turned to Yu Xi, eyes narrowing slightly. "Wait for me in the hovercar. I will be right back."

Yu Xi and Jian Rui stepped into the sleek black vehicle, the doors sealing with a soft hiss. As the engine hummed to life, Jian Rui pulled up a file on his communicator and sent it across.

"I sent you something," he said. "It’s the compensation we drafted. Let me know if there’s anything you are dissatisfied with."

Yu Xi glanced at the file, then shook his head. "It’s not necessary."

Jian Rui’s voice was calm, but firm. "If you don’t take it, it’ll make my mother and me uneasy. I know what my brother is like when he is in that state... I will have to trouble you to guide him again in the future."

Yu Xi sighed. He knew Jian Rui wouldn’t let this go. "Alright. I will take a look at it later."

Jian Rui visibly relaxed. "Good."

He tapped another file. "I have also arranged some guide classes for you during the vacation. Don’t worry about Ah-Ci, I will come up with an excuse for your absence."

nYu Xi nodded. "Alright."

Jian Rui leaned back, satisfied.

The door slid open again. "I got it!" Jian Ci announced, holding up a thin silver headband like it was a trophy.

Jian Rui blinked. "Got what?"

"This," Jian Ci said, stepping forward. He gently slipped the band into Yu Xi’s hair, pushing the shoulder-length strands away from his face. "There. After classes today, we should go get you a haircut."

He twirled a lock of Yu Xi’s hair around his finger, clearly indulging himself.

Jian Rui looked away, unsure where to rest his eyes. The intimacy was... a lot.

But Yu Xi didn’t flinch. He let Jian Ci do whatever he wanted.

***

At the Imperial Academy gates, Jian Ci and Yu Xi stepped out of the hovercar, waving goodbye.

Jian Rui stayed behind, watching them disappear into the crowd of students.

He lowered his head and lit a cigarette, the flame catching with a soft hiss.

His mother’s words from the night before echoed in his mind, about Yu Xi’s state and the anomaly no one could predict. He exhaled slowly, smoke curling around his face.

Yu Xi wouldn’t accept the compensation he had prepared, but Jian Rui had doubled it anyway. It was the only way he could think to ease the weight pressing on their family’s conscience.

As for Alarna...

He wasn’t going to let her enjoy this farce of a relationship in peace. He knew she hadn’t helped Jian Ci and he was going to make sure she knew he knew. His communicator buzzed. It was a message from the Chancellor.

Chancellor Lasson: Alarna is at my office.

Jian Rui took another drag, eyes narrowing.

He typed back: I am coming.

And flicked the ash into the wind.

***

Jian Rui strode across the polished marble corridor toward the Chancellor’s office, his boots echoing with clipped precision. The morning sun filtered through the high windows, casting long shadows across the academy’s administrative wing.

Chancellor Lasson was already waiting outside, pacing with the nervous energy of a man who had too much to say and not enough time to say it.

When he spotted Jian Rui, he rushed forward. "Finally! What took you so long? We have assembly in twenty minutes."

Jian Rui offered a polite bow. "Apologies for the delay, Uncle."

Lasson waved a hand. "No, no, no need for that... but Alarna and Jian Ci? Really?"

"Uncle," Jian Rui said, voice low in warning.

Lasson raised his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. I just think they’re a terrible match. Just saying. It’s a pity that Yu Xi boy isn’t a guide—they would have been perfect for each other."

Jian Rui’s eyes narrowed, his glare sharp enough to cut glass.

Lasson coughed. "Alright, alright. I am just saying... those two look like they’re dating. If I didn’t know better, I would think they were already married."

Jian Rui said nothing. He simply turned and walked into the office.

Alarna was seated primly on the edge of the Chancellor’s guest chair, her posture demure, her expression carefully composed into something between obedience and fragility. She looked up as Jian Rui entered, eyes wide with feigned surprise.

"Your Highness," she said, rising with a subtle wince.

Jian Rui noted the movement. The slight grimace. The way she shifted her weight as if in pain.

She was playing the part well. If he didn’t know better, he might have felt sorry for her. But he did know better. He walked to the desk and leaned against it, arms crossed, gaze cool.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked flatly. "Which part of your body did my brother injure?"

Alarna blinked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

Jian Rui didn’t wait. "I know you didn’t guide him." Her eyes widened, just for a second.

He pressed on. "You don’t need to pretend with me. I already know the truth. Yu Xi administered the suppressant. He contacted me the moment Jian Ci stabilized. You took advantage of the moment and inserted yourself into the narrative."

Alarna’s lips parted, but no words came. She had anticipated this. She had known it was only a matter of time before someone pieced it together. But she hadn’t expected Jian Rui to confront her so directly.

Still, she had her own cards to play. She smiled, soft and slow. "You are right. I didn’t guide him. But I was there and I will say I saw what happened."

Jian Rui’s jaw tensed. Alarna stepped closer, voice a velvet threat. "Jian Ci’s mental breakdown was abnormal. At most, he should have calmed in the presence of a guide. But he didn’t."