MCL CH46

Chapter 46: Wake Up. You’re Not Like Them Anymore…

After everything, the two only came downstairs once they had each washed and changed, their bodies fresh with the clean scent of shower gel.

Ju Ze was already waiting, having finished his other tasks. At a glance, he caught sight of the faint traces of red still lingering at the corners of their lips. Behind his glasses, amusement flickered briefly, and he took the initiative to greet the two — clearly teasing with deliberate emphasis:

“President Yan, Mr. Lin. Long time no see.”

It hadn’t really been all that long since he had tactfully left them to their “private time”, but with the way he stressed his words, the meaning was obvious.

Yan Xingzhou cast him a sideways glance. “Looks to me like you don’t have enough work on your plate.”

“How can you say that? I haven’t slept in days,” Ju Ze played along, taking the chance to complain while the man seemed in a decent mood. “With N City’s frequent rift outbreaks lately, the Administration has already swapped out four or five sets of monitoring-defense protocols. To meet their requests as fast as possible, the company’s approval chains have all been put into overdrive. On top of supervising that, I still have to keep up with your increasingly complicated daily schedule.”

“Enough.” Yan Xingzhou chuckled lightly, interrupting him, “I’ll have Finance adjust your salary at the end of the month.”

Ju Ze smiled warmly. “Thank you, President Yan.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” Yan Xingzhou lowered his gaze, tapping on his phone before forwarding something over. “You’ll need to handle the tickets for the day after tomorrow’s flight.”

Ju Ze glanced down, immediately understanding. “Got it.”

Leaning lazily on the stairway railing, Lin Xi watched Ju Ze stride off at once with efficient sharpness. His eyes curved faintly. “That assistant of yours, where on earth did you manage to dig up such a rare gem?”

Yan Xingzhou looked up at him. “Why, you want him?”

“I like him, sure. But I’m not the type to steal another man’s treasure.” Lin Xi bent down slightly, and from that angle his view hooked right into Yan Xingzhou’s. His hand cupped the man’s jaw and tilted it up, dropping a casual peck on his lips. “Besides, if we’re measuring usefulness… the best I’ve ever had is still you.”

The kiss left only a faint warmth and the fresh trace of scent from their shower.

Yan Xingzhou’s eyes softened with the faintest smile. “My honor.”

Two Days Later.

N City International Airport.

Under the Administration’s involvement, fear over the frequent rift incidents had begun to settle. Citizens were slowly resuming normal daily life.

In the bustling departure hall, a tall figure crouched down in front of a lost child, smiling as he waved a lollipop.

“Don’t worry, little one. We’ll find your mom soon. For now, how about a piece of candy with your big brother, hm?”

Beneath a black cap and oversized sunglasses, Lin Xi’s striking mismatched eyes were hidden. Still, his vivid red hair cropped short behind peeked free, setting off the sharp lines of his face. His tall, lean frame drew more than a few stares from passersby.

The boy’s anxious expression from losing his mother didn’t change when he saw the lollipop. Instead, his wide eyes stayed fixed on Lin Xi’s face. “Big brother… you’re really pretty.”

Lin Xi chuckled. “Mm, I’m pretty, and you’re sweet. Such a good tongue.” He unwrapped the candy and placed it gently between the boy’s lips, tousling his soft black hair. “To have raised a child this well-behaved, your mother must be a very gentle person.”

That shifted the boy’s focus; he nodded earnestly, full of pride. “Of course she is!”

Lin Xi’s expression softened further, his lips curving at the child’s innocent earnestness.

Until—

A voice echoed in his mind.

[Tsk. Well-behaved, not well-behaved—doesn’t matter. You noticed too, didn’t you? This child’s an ability-user as well.]

[Human evolution is really something. Used to be rare for people to awaken so young. Now it’s getting earlier and earlier.]

[But it won’t matter in the end. Awakened humans are still no more than a drop in the ocean. When our kind fully descends upon this world… all those fragile ordinary humans will still—]

[Heh heh… I wonder if this boy’s mother is an ability-user. If not, she’ll cry even harder, won’t she?]

Lin Xi lowered his lashes, answering silently:
So you like the sound of crying? If you want, perhaps I can make you cry loudly—any time I please.

There was a stunned pause, then the voice squealed in disbelief:

[Wha—?! You’d threaten me over some random human you don’t even know?! After all these days with Yan Xingzhou… don’t tell me you still think you’re the old Chief Lin? Wake up. You’re not one of them anymore. Didn’t you notice? Just now, when you looked at that boy, your gaze was exactly like his when he looked at the candy. You’ve already started to hunger for food.]

Adjusting his sunglasses calmly, Lin Xi’s mental reply was flat.
I don’t need pointless reminders.

[Heh. We’ll see.]

As the final whisper faded, Lin Xi’s eyes fell lightly on the lollipop in the boy’s hand. The candy was beginning to soften, releasing a sweet scent. And yes… it did have a tempting allure.

“Mr. Lin—the boy’s mother has been found.”

The voice behind snapped back his thoughts. Turning, Lin Xi saw Ju Ze hurrying over with a breathless woman in tow.

The moment she reached them, the woman swept the boy into her arms, checking him frantically before collapsing in relief. She thanked Lin Xi profusely.

“No need,” Lin Xi said softly, glancing at the time. “We need to board now.”

As he turned to leave, his gaze flicked sideways across the woman. Just as the parasite had suggested—the boy might have awakened young, but his mother was an entirely ordinary human. In a world of creeping radiation and mutation, such people were heartbreakingly vulnerable.

On the way to the gate, Lin Xi sensed the pulsing presences of other ability-users in the crowd. Some bore small changes to eye color or hair, easily spotted. Others looked no different at all. But regardless of outward appearance, to him, the resonance of their powers was obvious. His sensitivity to ability fluctuations had heightened once again.

“Thank you for your trouble, Assistant Ju. We’ll take it from here—you can head back.” With that farewell, Lin Xi wheeled his luggage toward the boarding gate.

The new identity papers arranged by Gu Beiqiu passed inspection flawlessly. Boarding was smooth. Soon seated, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Yan Xingzhou.

Surprisingly, minutes passed without reply.

Lin Xi frowned slightly at the dark screen. From experience, this wasn’t at all like Yan Xingzhou’s efficiency.

Something wrong?

He glanced out at the quiet sky, just about to call when a voice at his side interrupted him:

“My seat is inside. Could you let me through?”

The voice was unmistakably familiar.

He turned. As expected, Yan Xingzhou’s calm, unreadable face stared back at him.

Lin Xi froze in surprise, then suddenly laughed. “Of course.”

Once all passengers had boarded, the aircraft lifted off. Lin Xi’s eyes shifted sideways again, watching the man at the window.

“President Yan.”

Yan Xingzhou turned, eyes calm. “Mm?”

A smile tugged Lin Xi’s lips. “You didn’t mention we’d be flying together today.”

“I told you,” Yan Xingzhou said simply.

Lin Xi arched a brow. “Oh? When was that?”

“I told you I’d make some adjustments to my plans,” the man replied with utter composure. “This is the result of the adjustment.”

Lin Xi, who had seen all manners of excuses and evasions, still found himself impressed. Rarely had he seen anyone lie with such calm, unruffled logic.

His grin widened. “So this is just business, then—President Yan heading to J City on a trip?”

Leaning closer, his tone turned drawn out and teasing. “But tell me, why would the almighty head of Wanyuan Group—who could fill a whole first-class cabin with a finger snap—end up here in cramped economy seating with me?”

Their eyes met. Yan Xingzhou calmly reached out.

He plucked away Lin Xi’s cap. The vivid red hair beneath tumbled free. Fingers threaded gently through the strands. His voice softened, carrying a warmth he never showed elsewhere:

“Because in first class… there is no you.”

The cool curve of his lips faintly lifted. “Is that answer satisfactory?”

“Of course,” Lin Xi murmured, letting him slowly smooth his hair down. “You’ve always known how to satisfy me. But showing up like this with no warning at all… should I take it as ‘revenge’ for my own decided actions before?”

Yan Xingzhou gave a soundless chuckle, lips curving. “Just returning the favor.”

Knew it, Lin Xi thought.

Watching the man’s serious concentration as he adjusted his hair, Lin Xi said no more.

On his refusal to take any losses, Yan Xingzhou had never changed in the slightest.

No wonder in the United Administration he had long carried the half-joking reputation of “most unapproachable colleague” — even against the likes of Su Qiuyin.

Hardly undeserved.