Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 14

Ying Feng closed the dormitory door firmly, also shutting out the lingering resentment he felt towards Ling Xiao.

He leaned against the door, taking a long time to calm his racing heart.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to settle scores with Ling Xiao. The humiliation of being beaten defenselessly in front of everyone was still fresh in his mind. But the moment Ling Xiao approached him earlier, the suppressed palpitations inside him stirred once again.

He looked down at his hands, sensing a residual tingling sensation in his blood. So, this was what it felt like to be on the verge of awakening. He hadn’t given it much thought when he learned about it in the infirmary earlier, but now it seemed unbelievable.

This was a sign of maturity among the Tianxiu people and a pivotal moment in one’s life. Facing such a bodily change for the first time, even Ying Feng couldn’t remain entirely composed.

At this moment, Ying Feng had forgotten what Yao Tai had once told him: that people nearing their awakening might find medicines ineffective. He assumed it was just hormone imbalances pre-awakening and hadn’t considered any other possibilities.

—”Don’t you feel lonely entering the pre-awakening period, yearning to share life with someone else?”

Yao Tai’s words echoed in his ears. Hesitating, Ying Feng took out a peach pit-like object from his pocket. After the day’s unexpected onslaught, it was fortunate that it wasn’t damaged.

He was here, in this academy, still in an immature state… This was all the information Ying Feng had.

But he rubbed the surface of the peach pit, wondering, ‘Who are you, really?’

A few meters away in another dormitory, Ling Xiao jolted awake from a profound dream. He was panting, his forehead drenched in sweat.

In the dream, he was entangled with another person. What started as a fight soon changed in nature. Being still immature, Ling Xiao didn’t understand the implications of the dream’s turn.

Jolted awake by the unfamiliar sensations, it took him a moment to realize he’d been dreaming.

Lying still in bed, only his chest heaving rapidly, Ling Xiao judged by the pitch darkness that it was still deep into the night. Closing his eyes, fragments of the dream flashed by—why had he dreamt such a thing?

After a while, Ling Xiao finally relaxed. Just as he tried to turn and go back to sleep, he realized he couldn’t move. Panic surged as he realized that he was paralyzed.

With each individual having their own room, Ling Xiao couldn’t even call for help in his state.

Forced to lie motionless, cold sweat dripped down his forehead, gradually cooling and chilling him. The bedsheet beneath him grew damp with his sweat, and the discomfort was palpable.

Thoughts raced through his mind, including the grim idea that he might be dying. However, the dream from earlier continued to dominate his thoughts.

After what felt like an eternity, Ling Xiao drifted back into sleep and didn’t wake up until the next morning.

Ling Xiao blinked, taking in his surroundings, then sprang up from his bed with agility.

He could move his hands and feet, and he looked at his limbs in puzzlement. Everything seemed normal, and he felt no discomfort. The bed, which was slightly damp before, had been dried by his body temperature. The previous night’s ordeal felt like a mere nightmare.

Having regained his composure, Ling Xiao quickly put the unsettling events of the previous night behind him. He grabbed two packets of food and headed out, bumping into Lan Sheng and Ping Zong, who were on their way to the cafeteria.

Despite being broke, Ling Xiao was always up for some fun. He went to the cafeteria and began eating his strawberry-flavored energy bread.

Lan Sheng couldn’t stand it any longer. “Are you on a diet? Always eating that?”

Ling Xiao, with his mouth full, mumbled, “I’m saving money.”

“For what?”

“Not telling.”

Lan Sheng lost interest. “A normal person would be full after one of those. You’re eating two? Don’t you worry about overeating?”

Ling Xiao was puzzled too. “I don’t know why, but I was so hungry when I woke up. I could even eat another one.”

Ping Zong handed him a croissant, asking with concern, “Ling Xiao, are you starting to develop?”

Ling Xiao paused, bread in his mouth. “Could it be?”

“Hah, hard to say.” Lan Sheng laughed gloatingly. “Given his level of obliviousness, he might not even realize if he’s awakened.”

“Bullshit.” Ling Xiao kicked him from below.

“It’s said that students within the academy have started awakening,” Ping Zong reminded him seriously.

“So soon?” Ling Xiao quickly finished the bread in his mouth. “Who told you that?”

“Word from the infirmary,” Lan Sheng continued. “This time, the majority affected are the eleventh graders. Didn’t Dr. Yao mention? The awakening period can spread widely.”

Most of them started their awakening period in the tenth grade. Those who progressed to the eleventh grade were either late bloomers or students who hadn’t found suitable partners. They only constituted a quarter of the tenth graders, and the number in the twelfth grade was even less.

“We don’t interact much with eleventh graders. It won’t affect us, right?” Ling Xiao asked naively.

Lan Sheng gave him a knock on the head. “Are you an idiot? There are so few in the eleventh grade. If the older students don’t have partners, of course, they’d look in the tenth grade, which is about to awaken. With interactions, it’s bound to spread. Someone like you, a single guy, is their prime target.”

Recalling the two sketchy seniors from the other day, Ling Xiao expressed disdain. “I don’t want that. I think Bikong is pretty good, so I plan to stay a couple more years.”

“A couple of years? Even if you stayed another ten, it’d be fine. I wish you to soon become the second ‘Zhen He’ of Bikong.”

“Fuck your crow’s mouth*!”

*Term used to describe someone’s mouth that’s particularly smelly, but now often used to describe a person with a particularly disdainful mouth that always says bad things. 

Unfortunately, Lan Sheng’s prediction was accurate. The second wave of awakenings started among the tenth graders who had close contact with senior students, quickly engulfing the whole campus. Lan Sheng and Ping Zong were among the first batch.

Ling Xiao had once selfishly hoped this day would come later. Yet, when it did, he could only send his blessings to his two best friends.

“When we first met ten years ago, who would’ve thought I’d be sending both of you to your wedding chamber?” Ling Xiao mused. “Of three companions, two find happiness together, leaving one alone.”

Friends who accompanied them felt uneasy seeing such a sentimental Ling Xiao. They jostled and pushed the couple into their wedding chamber—a special double room set up by the school in the infirmary building. They hadn’t expected thorough security checks where even Ping Zong and Lan Sheng’s daggers were confiscated.

“By six in the evening, all unrelated persons must leave,” the medical staff reminded. “Everything brought should be taken away. We will inspect.”

“If you didn’t know better, you’d think this is a security check before interstellar travel.”

A friend teased, “I’ve never seen someone so tactless. It’s a wedding chamber, not a sendoff. Hanging out with Lan Sheng, you’ve developed a crow’s mouth as well.”

This was their first time entering the “bridal chamber”, so they did it with glee.

“Damn, this bridal chamber is quite bare,” Ling Xiao commented as soon as he entered. There was nothing in the room but the most basic furniture, and everything was white, like a double ward in a hospital.

The others all laughed at him. “Aren’t you a bit too innocent? Isn’t it enough to have just a bed for the bridal chamber? What more do you want?”

Ling Xiao was unconvinced and muttered under his breath, “At least have bouquets of flowers or something.”

He walked around the room and finally focused on the wall.

“Do you guys find this room strange?” he asked.

“What’s so strange about it?”

“This wall,” Ling Xiao punched it hard, only raising a bit of dust, “is made of the same material as the training room. Why would they use such a sturdy material for just a bedroom?”

“Why are you concerned about that? Come drink with us.” The ‘alcohol’ they referred to was actually a low-alcohol content beverage suitable for youngsters.

Ling Xiao’s suspicion was ignored. He wanted to drag a chair over to sit but found that even the chairs in the room were fixed to the ground.

“What’s going on?” Ling Xiao pushed the chair, table, bed… without exception. The only time he’d seen furniture bolted to the ground like this was in intensive care units.

“Ling Xiao, you’re acting very strange today,” one of his classmates commented.

“Of course, his two best friends are having their coming-of-age ceremony. He might be even more nervous than they are,” another chimed in.

Ling Xiao chuckled awkwardly.

“Just come over here. We can sit on the floor. Even if you move the chair, it won’t be enough for everyone.”

Hoping he was overthinking things, Ling Xiao rubbed his nose and joined them.

Drinking too much of the low-alcohol beverage could still get one drunk. Ling Xiao, slightly tipsy, quickly forgot his previous concerns. They reminisced about the silly things they had done over the years, teasing and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.

They partied for over two hours. Before leaving, Ling Xiao hugged them tightly, crying and laughing as if they would be parting forever after this night.

In the end, a few classmates had to use all their strength to pull Ling Xiao, who clung onto his friends like a bear, away. After walking a few hundred meters outside and being hit by the cold wind, Ling Xiao’s emotions finally calmed down.

“Are you okay?” A classmate patted him on the back.

Ling Xiao waved his hand. “I’m fine, just drank too much. I’m a bit dizzy.”

“Go back to your dormitory and rest.”

“It’s still early.” Ling Xiao looked at the sky. “I want to take a walk by myself.”

Everyone else wisely left him alone. Ling Xiao wandered around the campus and ended up on the rooftop of the teaching building.

Ling Xiao’s friendship with Lan Sheng began on this rooftop. They were freshmen that year and liked to gather on the rooftop at noon, making jokes and having fun. Those were beautiful memories.

Ling Xiao climbed up to his favorite spot on the rooftop. The setting sun cast its glow on him but didn’t provide any warmth. The occasional breeze kept him awake. Lost in a daze, he heard the door squeak, and then footsteps. Someone was on the roof.

“Why are you following me?” As soon as the person spoke, Ling Xiao’s eyes widened, and his foggy mind cleared instantly.

Why was Ying Feng on the rooftop? And who was he talking to?

When the second person spoke, Ling Xiao’s expression darkened. Why did he always run into these two together?

He heard Zhu Yue stammering, “Ying Feng… I…”

Ying Feng sounded impatient. “What do you want to say?”

“Actually… I had my first awakening reaction yesterday. Dr. Yao said it was a pseudo-awakening, and I will fully awaken in ten days.”

A normal person would have offered congratulations, but Ying Feng remained cold. “So what?”

“So,” Zhu Yue mustered up the most courage he had ever had, “I am willing to give you my heart’s blood. Will you be with me?”

Ling Xiao clutched his chest tightly, wondering where this sudden pain came from.

His emotions were too volatile today. It must be because of Lan Sheng and Ping Zong, and that damn drink.

“I refuse.” Ying Feng’s voice was so cold that one had to wonder what could possibly move him. “I won’t be with you. Get that idea out of your head.”

His refusal was so direct that even Ling Xiao felt embarrassed for Zhu Yue.

Zhu Yue had probably expected this response but hearing it directly from Ying Feng was still a blow.

“Ever since the last time you saved me from the seniors, I’ve only had eyes for you. I know you’re not close to anyone, but you helped me. Does this mean that in your eyes I’m not as insignificant as others, even if it’s just a tiny bit?”

“I helped you simply because we’re classmates. I don’t regret helping you, and I would do it again. But it’s just because we’re classmates; don’t overthink it.”

“I don’t believe you,” Zhu Yue said eagerly. “If it had been someone else then, if it had been Ling Xiao, who confronts you every day, would you have stepped in without hesitation?”

“Ling Xiao doesn’t need my help,” Ying Feng said expressionlessly. “In this regard, he’s much stronger than you.”

Zhu Yue’s face turned pale. He walked to the entrance of the rooftop, hesitated, then turned around and firmly said, “As long as you’re not with anyone, it proves I still have a chance. I’ll stay in Bikong until you accept me. I hope you remember, my most precious feelings are reserved only for you.”

After saying this, he left. Ying Feng originally came to the rooftop to get some fresh air but now felt disturbed. As he turned to leave, he saw Ling Xiao sitting on a higher platform.

“You’re really heartless,” Ling Xiao said, looking down. “He was so sincere that even I was almost moved by him, yet you had no reaction.”

Ying Feng looked up coldly. “You eavesdropped.”

“I came first. How could it be eavesdropping? I’m just curious, what kind of person can move your heart? You’d spend so much money on information without knowing its authenticity; could it be that you are looking for your lover from a previous life?”

Ying Feng turned his head, ignoring him.

“I never thought you’d be such a devoted person. But what if you find them? Dr. Yao said the chances of meeting again are slim to none. Even if you find them, from their appearance to their personality, everything might have changed. They might even be someone else’s Qizi.”

Ying Feng looked displeased. “Have you said enough?”

Ling Xiao jumped down from the platform, landing right in front of Ying Feng. “Now someone is offering their heart to you, and you won’t accept. What kind of person are you looking for?”

Ying Feng didn’t want to respond. Looking at Ling Xiao, he smirked maliciously. “I don’t know. Maybe if you offered your heart’s blood, I might consider it.”

“Hah,” Ling Xiao scoffed. Just as he was about to retort, an indescribable sadness surged from his heart, leaving him speechless.

Ying Feng was taken aback. “Why are you crying?”

Ling Xiao mechanically touched his face, realizing it was wet. Tears uncontrollably poured out. After a panicked glance at Ying Feng, whose eyes showed a rare hint of surprise, Ling Xiao turned and ran, fleeing from the rooftop.

Ying Feng, left behind, looked puzzled. He unconsciously lifted his hand as if to wipe away Ling Xiao’s tears.

At that moment, he felt a strange sensation, as if air had solidified into a soft kiss on his fingers. It vanished in an instant.

Was it an illusion?

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The author has something to say:

Given the complex setting of the Tianxiu society, the technology, culture, customs, and other fields are made similar to Earth for the convenience of Earthlings to understand and not due to the author’s laziness.

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