MCL CH38

Chapter 38: Who Made a Rule That You Can’t Find a 53-Year-Old Beau…

The few short seconds felt like a century to everyone.

Yan Xingzhou frowned after hearing Lin Xi’s words. When he looked back, he did not hide the dissatisfaction in his eyes.

In comparison, the latter’s expression was obviously much more innocent. He even put on a somewhat dazed look, as if he were extremely overwhelmed by the sudden confirmation of his status. “Since when did I become Director Yan’s boyfriend?”

Yan Xingzhou was silent for a moment before answering, “You can consider it to be starting from now.”

The people from the United Administration, spread out, only felt more disheveled in the wind as they watched the two gaze at each other as if no one else was there.

Is this, is this… is this really the kind of sweet talk that Yan Xingzhou is capable of saying?!!

It was clearly a scene of dazzling extravagance at the banquet, yet this corner, secretly watched by countless people, seemed to fall into a silent, dead stillness in an instant.

Gu Beiqiu lowered his eyes to look at Yan Xingzhou, then at Lin Xi. It was impossible to tell from his lowered gaze whether he was relieved or solemn.

Although they had previously conducted an identity investigation on this Mr. Lin, the current situation was clearly somewhat beyond their expectations.

Yan Xingzhou was very attentive to this Lin Ni; this was something Gu Beiqiu had heard from Su Muyin long ago. This had made them subconsciously suspect that this Lin Ni was part of some future plan of Yan Xingzhou’s. But now, looking at it, could it be a purely emotional bond?

This man, has the iron tree really bloomed?

The moment he thought of connecting the words “in a relationship” with Yan Xingzhou, even Gu Beiqiu felt an extreme sense of disconnect.

As the two continued to act as if no one else was there, he casually took a glass of champagne from nearby and walked over to sit down slowly on a sofa to the side.

The others from the United Administration exchanged glances, and the moment the atmosphere turned heavy, they tactfully left.

Yan Xingzhou glanced up at Gu Beiqiu, looking very dissatisfied with his killjoy-like action. “Adjutant Gu, you seem to be as tactless as ever.”

Gu Beiqiu was noncommittal about this teasing. “I thought that by choosing to attend the banquet today, you had already tacitly agreed to this conversation.”

Yan Xingzhou commented unhurriedly, “And you are as wishful-thinking as ever.”

“Whether it’s wishful thinking or not, you and I are both very clear,” Gu Beiqiu said with a slight smile. His gaze swept over Lin Xi, and he took the file his adjutant handed over and placed it in front of Yan Xingzhou. “Since I sent out the invitation, I will of course show Director Yan some sincerity. Although I’m not clear on what difficulties your… mm, boyfriend has that require him to rearrange his identity, but for the sake of having served together in the United Administration, I’m still very willing to help with this small favor.”

Sitting beside them, Lin Xi had already reached out and taken the envelope. After opening it, he saw, as expected, the ability file belonging to “Lin Ni.”

His gaze swept over the age column, and he casually handed it to Yan Xingzhou.

Gu Beiqiu watched as Yan Xingzhou’s gaze fell on the file, his expression sincere. “After all, for the president of the esteemed Wanyuan Group to have a 53-year-old boyfriend, if word of this gets out, I’m afraid it will attract a lot of unnecessary attention. Especially those people from the Supervision Administration. In recent years, they have been swamped with chasing down escaped evolvers, and with the number of criminal ability users on the rise, they will inevitably pay excessive attention to this kind of questionable file information. If they were to hear some rumors and take him to the station to assist in the investigation, and during that time, their suspicions grew and they lost their sense of proportion, that wouldn’t be good.”

Yan Xingzhou had finished reading the contents. “I’ve long heard of the Supervision Administration’s style of doing things. I don’t need anyone to specially remind me of this.”

As he spoke, he placed the file back on the table, his expression completely indifferent. “Besides, I don’t see what problem there is with this file that is so serious as to require the intervention of the Supervision Administration.”

Gu Beiqiu had considered several possibilities during the negotiation, but he didn’t expect Yan Xingzhou to be able to lie with a straight face like this. His brow furrowed slightly. “Don’t you think the discrepancy in the age column is a bit too obvious?”

“Age?” Yan Xingzhou gave a silent smile. “Who made a rule that I can’t find a 53-year-old boyfriend of a fine age?”

Gu Beiqiu was at a loss for words for a moment.

The accompanying adjutant beside him was even more speechless.

Clearly, he also hadn’t expected that someone could be so brazenly shameless without batting an eye.

After a long while, Gu Beiqiu said in a deep voice, “You know, this isn’t just about age.”

“Of course. The Supervision Administration has the right to investigate ability users with abnormal files. A seemingly ordinary age issue, once investigated deeply, could very well lead to a series of deeper criminal incidents. That’s what you want to say, right?” Yan Xingzhou said, a faint mockery in his eyes. “But although we haven’t known each other for long, as far as I know, this boyfriend of mine has always been law-abiding and enthusiastic about helping others. He is a completely outstanding citizen who abides by the law. There is no need to worry about this aspect at all. What’s more, taking a step back, these things don’t even need to be considered.”

The corners of his mouth hooked into a meaningful smile. “If I resolutely refuse to hand him over, what can the people from the Supervision Administration do? Are they going to write a report and send it to the United Administration headquarters, requesting to send people to enforce it?”

The originally pleasant exchange, with the fall of these words, made the atmosphere instantly tense and hostile.

Although it was a very roundabout expression, from between the lines of Yan Xingzhou’s words, he was telling Gu Beiqiu one thing—it was meaningless to try and use some small tricks, because in his eyes, the United Administration never had any capital to negotiate terms with him from the very beginning.

A flicker passed through the depths of Gu Beiqiu’s eyes.

Originally, he hadn’t expected to be able to control someone like Yan Xingzhou with just a small piece of identity information. It was only after seeing the unusual relationship between the two at the banquet today that he had a whim to try. And now, this attempt had undoubtedly ended in failure.

So, I really have to prepare for the worst-case scenario?

His eyelids drooped slightly, and his expression gradually became solemn.

He opened his mouth, about to say something, when he heard someone let out a faintly dissatisfied “Tsk.”

Gu Beiqiu’s expression paused slightly. When he looked up, he saw Lin Xi, who had been listening on the side all along, showing a dissatisfied expression. “The Executor has already gone this far for you, why did you still refuse him?”

When these words came out, the end of his tone was clearly raised.

Lin Xi’s brows were slightly furrowed, as if in a pout, as if in anger. Paired with those heterochromatic eyes that were staring straight at him, even Yan Xingzhou was clearly stunned in place for a few seconds. “…”

After a moment, he reminded, “You shouldn’t call him Executor.”

Lin Xi still held a wine glass in one hand. His breath, carrying a faint scent of alcohol, grazed past Yan Xingzhou’s nose at this close distance. “You just said you were my boyfriend, and it’s not like you don’t know how troubled I am by this identity issue… Mmm, now that the Executor is finally willing to take the initiative to help, why did you refuse?”

He seemed a little drunk. As he leaned over, his whole body was almost pressed against Yan Xingzhou’s. His other hand, not holding the wine glass, was restlessly tugging at his collar, his voice softening to the extreme. “I don’t care. You said that as long as I was with you, you would solve all my troubles for me. You can’t… you can’t just not acknowledge it after putting on your pants. You can’t!”

Gu Beiqiu: “…”

What about putting on pants?

“…”

Yan Xingzhou was silent for a few seconds. “Don’t call him Executor.”

Lin Xi stared at him, his eyes slightly narrowed. “Alright, I won’t call him that. I’ll call you.”

He leaned in. At such a close distance, their lips could touch at any moment. “Director Yan, to be a man, you have to know how to take responsibility.”

Gu Beiqiu’s adjutant, standing to the side, trembled slightly, and the briefcase he was holding almost fell to the ground.

Gu Beiqiu’s expression also went blank for a distinct moment.

Based on his previous understanding, if anyone had dared to act like this towards Yan Xingzhou, they probably would have been thrown 108,000 li away long ago.

However, right now, Yan Xingzhou only sighed silently, took the man who seemed to be a little drunk by the arm, and looked up. “Speak.”

Gu Beiqiu, for a rare moment, was a bit slow to react. “…What?”

“The terms,” Yan Xingzhou said with a sneer. “Solving the file issue was just a chip to test the waters. I accept it. But if you want what’s in my hands, Adjutant Gu, shouldn’t you show a little more sincerity?”

Gu Beiqiu looked at Yan Xingzhou, seeming to only now finally remember that this person, through and through, was a businessman. “Since it’s a transaction between both parties, you can directly state your demands.”

Yan Xingzhou met his gaze and didn’t beat around the bush any longer, getting straight to the point. “For the Central Research Institute to be able to get the United Administration to mediate on its behalf is quite a feat. Whether it’s business or other matters, I’ve never liked to take advantage of others. Actually, my conditions are also very simple. First, you need to arrange a foolproof identity for my boyfriend, and this matter cannot be known by anyone else. Second, I can cooperate with the institute’s project, but for all the experimental equipment required, our Wanyuan Group must be the sole supplier.”

“Such a big appetite,” Gu Beiqiu said with a smile. “The experimental equipment required for the world’s top research project is not an easy thing to achieve.”

Yan Xingzhou was noncommittal. “If even the Wanyuan Group cannot provide it, I’m afraid the Central Research Institute won’t be able to find any other partners either.”

Gu Beiqiu thought for a moment and said, “I will confirm with Professor Shen.”

After speaking, he slowly stood up. In the process, he once again glanced at Lin Xi, who was leaning against Yan Xingzhou. “But regardless of the outcome, as I said before, I will do my best to satisfy at least the first condition.”

Yan Xingzhou: “Then I’ll have to trouble you.”

Gu Beiqiu: “You’re welcome.”

Watching the two figures leave one after the other, and after the surroundings were once again left with only the two of them, Yan Xingzhou then lowered his gaze to the person in his arms. “Satisfied now?”

Lin Xi, who had been lazily leaning there all along, opened his eyes. Under the light falling from above, his slightly smiling eyes no longer showed any hint of drunkenness. “What, are you unhappy?”

“No,” Yan Xingzhou replied. “I just feel that the bond between a teacher and a student is sometimes truly touching. Even now, you are as tolerant as ever towards your former adjutant. I just don’t know if, one day, when he finds out you sold your charms to get him out of a jam, he will know how to be moved to tears of gratitude.”

“I don’t know if Gu Beiqiu will be grateful.”

Lin Xi glanced at Yan Xingzhou faintly. He raised an eyebrow silently at the man’s passive-aggressive tone. “But I do know that when I was selling my charms just now, a certain someone seemed to be quite receptive to it.”

Yan Xingzhou: “.”

He changed the subject without a trace. “Do you think Shen Nanyang’s side will agree?”

“They probably will.”

Lin Xi readily agreed. “After all, right now, he doesn’t have any other choice.”

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