MCL CH33

Chapter 33: “He really has the potential to be a henpecked husband…”

“You know, if you had just asked Assistant Ju to tell me, a kind and understanding person like me would have completely understood.”

Samuel leaned back on the sofa, his long legs crossed at a comfortable, leisurely angle. His gaze fell on Lin Xi without any hesitation, while his composed and generous words were directed entirely at Yan Xingzhou. 

“Yan, I can guarantee that of all the people you know, I am absolutely the one who wants to see you, this iron tree, bloom again the most. At the funeral, you were still feigning unfamiliarity with this Mr. Lin, but look, it had to be me who saw through everything long ago.”

Yan Xingzhou sat on the other side and glanced at Lin Xi next to him, his eyes carrying a pointed meaning: “I’ve always thought that your Chinese language teacher would be immensely proud to know you have such deep proficiency in this foreign language.”

“Don’t think I can’t hear your sarcasm, Yan.” Samuel didn’t mind at all. He elegantly tossed his gorgeous, dazzling golden hair. “I firmly believe he would be proud of me. After all, I’m using many idioms by analogy. A linguistic talent so rare is completely worthy of his praise.”

Yan Xingzhou slightly turned his head to look at Lin Xi: “Is that so?”

Samuel also followed his gaze: “Isn’t it?”

Being watched by two of the world’s top X-ability users, Lin Xi just cleared his throat unhurriedly: “Gentlemen, instead of this, perhaps we can discuss another matter?”

Samuel made a gentlemanly “please” gesture: “Such as?”

Lin Xi looked up: “Such as I can prove to you that yesterday, Mr. Yan and I were indeed not too familiar with each other.”

Samuel’s expression froze slightly. He looked at Lin Xi, then at Yan Xingzhou, and his expression gradually turned into one of curious inquiry: 

“Then allow me to ask a humble question. What exactly happened last night that made you so familiar that you slept in the same bed and still refused to get up by noon?”

Ju Ze happened to be coming over with a stack of documents. He stumbled unexpectedly, and all the papers scattered across the floor with a rustle.

He immediately bent down to pick them up, but also subtly took two steps closer.

Lin Xi smiled and blinked, answering with a question instead: “What do you think?”

A subtle silence fell for a few seconds. Samuel’s gaze swept over the suspicious redness faintly visible on both their collars. The end of his voice distinctly lengthened: “Oh~~~~~”

He put on a profound expression and gave a thumbs up: “Say no more, I understand.”

“…”

Yan Xingzhou silently held his forehead, finally speaking again: “Did you suddenly come to find me today just to see when I would wake up?”

“Of course not.” After the reminder, Samuel finally remembered the main reason he came. “I don’t have much time. Let me see him quickly, otherwise, if Aris comes looking for me, I’ll have to leave immediately.”

Yan Xingzhou sneered: “So the diplomat doesn’t know you came to my place. You really did abuse your ability to sneak here.”

Samuel showed strong dissatisfaction with Yan Xingzhou’s choice of words: “How can visiting our dearest be called ‘sneaking’?”

“Dearest?” Yan Xingzhou glanced at Lin Xi again: “I’ve wanted to ask for a long time. In places I don’t know about, your relationship seems to have developed a bit too quickly. Since when did he become ‘your dearest’?”

Lin Xi, who had been watching the show, was speechless: “…”

Didn’t this guy Samuel call everyone ‘dearest’? How is this my fault?

“Dearest Yan, if you’re jealous, I can completely certify you as my only ‘dearest’.” Samuel was very accommodating. He got up and walked straight to Yan Xingzhou, about to pull him up from the sofa. “Don’t be so petty and nitpick over such details. As I said, I’ve been waiting downstairs for so long, and my time is running out. Let’s hurry, okay?”

Yan Xingzhou immediately grabbed Samuel’s hand, about to refuse, when he heard Lin Xi next to him also slowly agree: “We really should hurry. After all, I’m also very much looking forward to it.”

Yan Xingzhou: “…”

After a moment of silence, he finally stood up: “Let’s go.”

Samuel was about to follow when he saw Lin Xi also stand up, and his steps halted.

He pointed uncertainly and asked, “Is he coming… too?”

Lin Xi also looked at Yan Xingzhou in a questioning, very innocent way: “Is there something I can’t see?”

“…”

Yan Xingzhou glanced at the teasing smile hidden deep in his eyes: “No. Here, there will never be any secrets you can’t see.”

Samuel’s expression gradually changed from surprise to amazement.

It was still the same room as last night. Sunlight streamed in from outside, making the materialized reality inside even more realistic.

As soon as Samuel entered, he gave the “Lin Xi” inside a warm hug.

Lin Xi leaned against the door, watching his old friend pull the “himself” and start pouring out his troubles. He spoke to Yan Xingzhou: “Does he come here often?”

“Occasionally,” Yan Xingzhou replied. “When the news first reached Country A, Samuel was also very displeased with the joint office. But his status is what it is. A small mistake could escalate into a conflict between countries, so he could only suppress his anger and come to me secretly. And that’s when he stumbled upon it.”

Lin Xi’s eyebrow slightly raised, his eyes still curved in a smile, but his tone didn’t reveal too much emotion: “So three years ago, you had already created this place.”

After a brief silence, Yan Xingzhou replied: “I know what you’re going to say.”

Lin Xi lowered his eyes, covering the smile that had unconsciously disappeared.

Yes, if even he knew, how could Yan Xingzhou not know?

[X-Ability: Materialization] is the ability to materialize anything from a thought.

This ability, which is at the absolute top of the food chain, allows Yan Xingzhou alone to possess the power of a thousand soldiers. But once this ability resonates with dream-based abilities, the backlash on the recipient is also immense.

To completely manifest a human’s or creature’s dream into reality is essentially a complete dissection of the deepest spiritual level. The deeper the obsession, the easier it is to fall. Once you can’t bear it, you will be permanently trapped in the spiritual world and unable to escape, often losing your sense of self completely.

Back at the joint office, Yan Xingzhou’s interrogation methods were the nightmare of all prisoners. Lin Xi couldn’t even remember how many applications he had approved for transfer to independent insane asylums.

At the time, no one expected that one day, Yan Xingzhou would use his ability on himself.

Three years. A full three years.

The fact that he could still remember who he was could even be considered a miracle.

“Stop smiling.”

“What, do I look like I’m smiling?” Lin Xi slowly looked up. Although the curve of his mouth remained, the look in his eyes was indeed a cold and clear one.

“…”

After a brief moment of eye contact, Yan Xingzhou spoke: “I will tell Samuel that this is the last time he’ll come here.”

Lin Xi raised an eyebrow with a half-smile: “Oh?”

Yan Xingzhou: “Because there’s no need for it anymore.”

Lin Xi looked at him steadily, his tone softening a little: “If I remember correctly, Mr. Yan also has a private medical team.”

Yan Xingzhou: “I’ll have Ju Ze compile all the medical reports from these years.”

Lin Xi nodded, not being polite: “Assistant Ju will be busy again.”

Samuel seemed to have finally finished his monologue. When he turned around, he saw the two of them still standing at the door: “Yan, you… can I take this as a sign of favoring the new and forgetting the old?”

He had actually prepared himself when he came, but since entering the room, the reaction Lin Xi gave was completely different from what he had imagined. At this moment, he was also full of doubt: “Mr. Lin, don’t you have anything to say?”

“Me?” Lin Xi returned a faint smile: “I don’t think so.”

Samuel was at a loss for words and looked at Yan Xingzhou again.

The latter was blunt: “From today on, this room will be permanently sealed. So, Samuel, from now on, unless it’s a matter of great urgency, you don’t need to come running to me anymore.”

The sudden news was like a bolt from the blue, causing Samuel’s pupils to contract slightly.

But looking at Lin Xi next to him, he still swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. After turning them over a few times, he spoke again: “Of course, I understand that harmony in a loving relationship is very important. I’m happy for you, Yan, but I have one last question.”

He looked at Lin Xi, then at Yan Xingzhou, and asked slowly: “The investigation, you’re still going to continue, right?”

Yan Xingzhou: “Of course.”

“Alright then, I have no other questions.” Samuel said this, and when he looked back at his former “friend,” there was an undeniable reluctance in his eyes. He finally took out his phone from his pocket and began to take a photo with a sigh: “Never mind, just for the memories.”

His phone rang at that moment.

Yan Xingzhou saw Ju Ze’s caller ID and answered.

Ju Ze’s voice quickly came from the other end of the line: “President, the joint office has compiled and sent over the documents you requested. Would you like to confirm them now?”

“The joint office?” Lin Xi looked at Yan Xingzhou: “What documents did you ask them for?”

Samuel was right there and instantly realized what important news this was. He immediately stopped taking photos and looked over: “Did Gu Baiqiu act so quickly?”

“He probably knows that delaying is useless, so it’s better to get it over with.” Yan Xingzhou held the phone to his ear and said to Ju Ze on the other end: “Go to the study and get ready. We’ll be there soon.”

“Oh, dearest Lin, I will forever remember every wonderful meeting with you.” Samuel reluctantly gave his soon-to-be “farewell” friend a final hug. He then picked up his jacket from the side and put it on. When he looked up, he saw Lin Xi, and his steps subtly halted. “Is Mr. Lin… coming too this time?”

Yan Xingzhou: “Of course.”

Samuel was on the verge of saying something but ultimately looked at him with a sigh of emotion: “I’ve actually wanted to tell you this for a long time, Yan. You really have the potential to be a henpecked husband.”

At this point, his tone changed. As his long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of danger subtly leaked out from his usual pleasant expression: “But after all, this is a matter of great importance. I hope this time, just like in the past, you haven’t made the wrong choice, otherwise…”

At this moment, Lin Xi had a faint guess as to what was happening.

He simply returned Samuel’s warning with a smile, his expression appearing even more harmless: “Please rest assured, sir. I have always cherished my life.”