There weren't many classes for the first-year students in the Individual Combat Department today, but they had fallen behind by a week before the Xie Ji, and they were sitting in their seats looking at the class notes that I had tried my best to copy for them.
Fortunately, the course has just started and is all relatively basic stuff. Although Xie Ji learns slowly, he is still able to keep up.
The students around him were all discussing today's competition, Lu Xunji's name appeared frequently, which distracted Xie Ji. He simply put on noise-canceling headphones and focused on reading.
At 3:30 PM, the class ended. Xie Ji glanced at the time but didn't rush to leave.
Jin Li came to his class looking for him, suddenly ripped off his headphones, and shouted, "Why are you still here? Aren't you going to the competition to see your Top Scorer Bro?"
"Isn't it too early?" Xie Ji gave him a strange look. "I heard from everyone that he's already secured first place, so he should be received by the Imperial Family after the competition. I wouldn't see him even if I went to the venue now."
"You really aren't worried at all?" Jin Li sighed, grabbing Xie Ji's arm and shaking it. "Look at what's going on online! Aren't you even a little bit concerned? Aren't you jealous?"
Xie Ji blinked. "Jealous?"
"Yeah, yeah." Jin Li took out her personal computer, logged onto the campus network, and edited together clips of Lu Xunji and Shen Ting's teamwork during the competition. She made them into a romantic video filled with pink bubbles, and many people were shipping them.
"But speaking of which, these kinds of competitions do tend to create couples."
Jin Li comforted him, "Because a very high degree of teamwork is required for the commander and the soldier to perform at their best, many partners develop feelings for each other because of this, so don't be too sad."
Xie Ji scratched his ear. "No, I'm not sad."
Jin Li gave him a look of exasperation, then grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "You and the Top Scorer Bro are so close, you have to hold on to this big shot! Don't let him be snatched away by someone else! Cheer up!!!"
Xie Ji didn't quite understand what he was saying.
Who wants to steal Lu Xunji?
Why are they trying to seize Lu Xunji an opportunity?
Are you going to snatch it back and use it as a magnet?
Such a niche hobby.
Xie Ji was eventually dragged to the competition venue by Jin Li.
A large number of military academy students have already gathered here, standing at the competition exit, their cameras and microphones pointed at the participants walking out of the exit.
As the sun began to set, Xie Ji glanced at the time: 4:30 PM.
Lu Xunji walked out of the competition venue, accompanied by that tall and beautiful woman.
This must be the Shen Ting that everyone's talking about.
Suddenly, the crowd on the periphery cheered. Xie Ji was pushed to the edge, and Jin Li, being short, was so jostled by the crowd that he could barely stand.
Xie Ji could only pull him outside and Lu Xunji to come out from the crowd.
Shen Ting was greeting her classmates with a bright smile when she suddenly reached out and took Lu Xunji's arm.
Lu Xunji frowned. "Let go."
"Hey, little genius, cooperate a bit! Look how enthusiastic everyone is!" Shen Ting gritted her teeth and whispered, "If you keep that cold face, everyone'll think we're breaking up. We just teamed up, and there are still many competitions to come. Let's make a name for ourselves first."
Lu Xunji didn't cooperate, expressionlessly pulling his hand away. "There shouldn't be any more."
Shen Ting's smile froze, "What do you mean?"
"There probably won't be another opportunity to partner with you," Lu Xunji said calmly. "Your reaction to orders doesn't meet my requirements, and besides, I don't like women, nor do I intend to have anything to do with you."
Shen Ting was stunned for a moment. After Lu Xunji finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the exit.
He promised Xie Ji he would return to his dormitory at 5 PM.
"Don't you have any feelings for me at all?" Shen Ting chased after her. "I don't believe it! We're so in sync! And my reactions are fast enough; you won't find a student in the entire mecha soldier department with faster reflexes than me!"
"I told you, your reaction didn't meet my expectations. Whether it's tacit understanding or my early prediction, others might not be able to tell. You shouldn't be deceiving yourself like this." Lu Xunji was a little irritated. He looked around at the crowd, and his gaze suddenly fixed on a strand of long, golden hair.
Xie Ji noticed that Lu Xunji's gaze had pierced through the crowd and landed on him. He was stunned for a moment before he reacted, quickly flashing a bright smile and waving.
Lu Xunji ignored Shen Ting and strode towards him.
The crowd parted automatically, allowing Xie Ji and Jin Li to finally catch their breath.
"Brother!" Xie Ji called out to him with a smile, patted him on the shoulder, and praised, "You were really cool in the match, bro! Although I didn't quite understand the video, everyone's praising you."
"... And what about you?" The Top Scorer Bro had just been looking impatient, lowered his eyes and reached out to take Xie Ji's hand. "Why don't you praise me?"
Xie Ji was taken aback. "Didn't I just praise him?"
"Hmm." Lu Xunji pulled him outside, whispering as they walked, "I thought you wouldn't come."
"What are you talking about! You participated in such an awesome competition, and even though you didn't tell me, I still came to pick you up and take you home." Xie Ji scratched his head. "Congratulations! But I was in such a rush just now. How about I make up for it with the gift when we get home?"
Shen Ting hesitated for a moment, then followed. "Hey, Lu Xunji! Wait a minute!"
Xie Ji shook Lu Xunji's hand. "The pretty lady is calling you."
Lu Xunji glanced at him, stopped, and turned to look at Shen Ting: "Is there anything else?"
Shen Ting bit her lower lip. "You can refuse me, but I suggest you seriously consider the partnership. It concerns our futures, so please don't let personal feelings get in the way, and there's no need to deny our understanding!"
"No need." Lu Xunji refused without hesitation. "I don't really like you, or your abilities."
Shen Ting: "..."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for the students around him to hear, and they all immediately looked at Shen Ting with pity.
She was, after all, the only goddess in the individual combat department, yet she was rejected in public—a truly unprecedented spectacle in the Imperial Military Academy's history.
Shen Ting's gaze fell on Xie Ji.
Xie Ji quickly looked up at the sky, pretending to be just a passerby admiring the view.
Seriously, can we not talk about this awkward situation while holding my hand?!
Jin Li looked at Lu Xunji with an appreciative expression, as if she were feeling very gratified.
It has to be the Top Scorer Bro! He could even reject a goddess like Shen Ting without hesitation. He truly deserves to be the man of my benefactor!
Lu Xunji pulled Xie Ji away from the scene, and neither of them spoke on the way back to the dormitory.
It wasn't until evening, when Lu Xunji had prepared dinner and Xie Ji was washing his hands in preparation for eating, that things changed.
"Is there anything you want to ask me?" Lu Xunji sat down in front of him. "I will answer any question you ask truthfully."
"Huh?" Xie Ji poked at his chopsticks for a moment, then said, "What... what does one plus two equal?"
Lu Xunji: "..."
"What is it now, young master?" Xie Ji put down his chopsticks. "Who has upset you this time?"
Lu Xunji lowered his eyes, his tone suddenly becoming aggrieved. "Say you love me."
Xie Ji paused for a moment. "No, brother, it's not time yet."
"Say you love me." Lu Xunji looked up and repeated, " Xie Ji, say you love me."
Xie Ji sighed, "I love you, okay?"
Lu Xunji: "Prove it to me."
Xie Ji was about to be driven crazy by this damned Nantong, and said speechlessly, "How do you want me to prove it?"
Lu Xunji stood up, grabbed Xie Ji's wrist, and pressed him down onto the sofa in the living room.
Xie Ji straightened himself up. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I want to feel you, Xie Ji."
"?"
Lu Xunji leaned down, his fingertips gently pressing against his soft lips and tongue. "Comfort me, use this."
Xie Ji: "..."
Lu Xunji had been working non-stop for several days, and now he had just finished a high-intensity competition. According to Xie Ji's idea, he should eat well and get a good night's sleep to recover his energy.
But Princess Bro was clearly too ahead of his time; his way of relieving tension was to have Xie Ji make him feel comfortable.
--
Xie Ji bent down and spat out the mouthwash, and Lu Xunji gave him a wet wipe to wipe his mouth.
"Can you eat properly now?" Xie Ji dabbed his burning lips with a cold, damp cloth, his voice hoarse. "What's wrong with you?"
Lu Xunji's forehead rested against his shoulder, his breath trembling.
"I love you, Xie Ji."
Xie Ji clicked his tongue, sensing something was amiss. "Are you trying to get me to ask you about your relationship with Shen Ting?"
Lu Xunji paused, then said in a low voice, "I want you to care about me."
Xie Ji understood, coughed, and pointed to the sofa in the living room. "Go change the sofa covers first; they're covered in your scent."
Lu Xunji turned his head and kissed Xie Ji's lips, then walked over and took off the sofa cover and threw it into the washing machine.
"Sit somewhere," Xie Ji said, raising his chin. "Let's chat."
Lu Xunji walked back and sat down on the small sofa, his deep purple eyes fixed on Xie Ji.
"Uh, that pretty lady..."
Lu Xunji's thin eyelids drooped down.
" Shen Ting," Xie Ji quickly corrected himself, "What did she do today?"
Lu Xunji glanced at him, then looked away. "She slipped me a letter."
"Love letters?" Xie Ji asked again, "And what about the letters?"
"I threw it away." Lu Xunji pursed his lips. "I didn't look at it."
Does she like you?
"Perhaps."
Do you like her?
A hint of disdain flashed in Lu Xunji's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.
She doesn't deserve it.
Xie Ji: "..."
I've installed it for you again.
"What do you want me to do, Lu Xunji?" Xie Ji walked up to him, cupped his face in his hands, and said seriously, "Do you want me to be jealous? To hysterically warn you not to like her? Or do you want to control your behavior and interfere with your decisions?"
Lu Xunji looked at him, her eyes filled with frantic longing and anticipation. "Yes."
"But I don't want it to be like this. I know you're amazing," Xie Ji said. "It's not surprising that anyone would like you, because you have every reason to be loved and liked."
Lu Xunji's breath hitched, his deep purple eyes fixed on Xie Ji.
Didn't I tell you not to objectify yourself?
"... Um."
" Lu Xunji, you were really amazing! You were absolutely stunning on the field today! Can you like yourself a little more?"
Xie Ji tilted his head, leaned in and kissed Lu Xunji: "Handsome guy, who's more handsome than you?"
"..." Lu Xunji swallowed hard and said in a low voice, "Do you like it?"
"Mmm, I love it!"
" Xie Ji."
Lu Xunji's words of Xie Ji were almost choked with sobs; Xie Ji had never heard such a thing before.
Before he could even feel the novelty, he heard the system's voice.
[System Notification: The target [ Lu Xunji ]'s favorability towards you has increased by 10%, currently at 10%]
Xie Ji was taken aback.
Holy crap, a positive number?
I've never seen Lu Xunji's favorability rating go up in my entire life.
Xie Ji clicked into the system panel with great uncertainty and glanced at it twice to confirm.
It's a positive number, ten percent. Although it's not much, it's definitely a significant step forward!
Xie Ji was instantly overjoyed. This was a small step for the system, but a giant leap for him!
What was once a distant goal suddenly came to an end.
If Lu Xunji hadn't been holding him, Xie Ji would have jumped up and burst into laughter.
As expected of Xie Big Ji, the top mission master in the world of quick transmigration!
He can even crack a tough nut like Lu Xunji!
Lu Xunji raised his hand, nuzzled Xie Ji's neck, and leaned down to kiss him, but was interrupted by a sound of knocking on the glass.
Xie Ji broke free from his embrace and followed the sound into the room.
I discovered that a Big Orange cat was perched outside the window where I was a cat, anxiously peering into the room and even reaching out to scratch at the window.
The noise we just heard was from it scratching at the window.
" Big Orange!" Xie Ji forgot that he was no longer the Meow Meow Cult Leader and subconsciously tried to jump onto the windowsill, but Lu Xunji grabbed him by the waist and pulled him back.
"You know them?" Lu Xunji's tone was unfriendly. "Didn't I say you weren't allowed to hang out with them?"
"This is my good friend!" Xie Ji quickly opened the window and let him in. "My right-hand man!"
At first, the Big Orange didn't realize that the room was filled with the scent of calico cats, and the eldest cat had promised yesterday to take them to fight for territory today, but there hadn't been a trace of the cat all day!
It was really anxious, that's why it came here to look for it.
But it seems there are only two humans in this house; there's no sign of a cat ever living here.
Xie Ji patted the Big Orange cat's head and held it up in front of Lu Xunji: " Lu Xunji, shall we keep it?"
Big Orange: "Meow?"
Huh? What? No, he's not here to be adopted, he's here to see the boss!
Lu Xunji glanced at the Big Orange cat, and the two of them looked at each other.
Big Orange: "... Meow..."
This human is terrifying! Help! Help! Help! He doesn't want to be a slave to that evil two-legged beast!!!
Lu Xunji suddenly smiled and said, "Okay."
Xie Ji was surprised that Lu Xunji agreed so readily, so he immediately took the Big Orange to the living room and found a cardboard box to build it a temporary nest.
"Be a good boy, and tomorrow Lu Xunji and I will go buy you some daily necessities. Don't worry, if you follow me, I'll make sure you live a life of luxury."
Big Orange: "... Meow meow meow!!"
Boss, help me!!!
A terrifying upright ape has kidnapped a kitten!!!
Since turning back into a human, Xie Ji has been unable to understand cat language.
But judging from her tone, she's so excited; she must be overjoyed!