RIACMET chapter 265

 

“Hahaha…”

Qian Lang burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking.

“I can tell you’re perfectly fine with letting him control you.”

It’s a bit of a shame, but not much. After all, he was just another one of those “ladder climbers.”

His parents had passed away, he had no close relatives nearby, and he was young, rich, and handsome. There were even certain circles that offered special courses just to get closer to Young Master Liao.

Unfortunately, Young Master Liao didn’t play by the rules. To avoid trouble, he transformed from a figure in need of protection into one who provided it, becoming his own bodyguard’s partner.

“Well, Brother Zhao never really fusses over me. That’s just how he is…”

Liao Yu grinned and trailed off mid-sentence. He suddenly recalled Zhao Lei’s hesitation during their phone call earlier. For some reason, he had frozen. Things he had previously brushed aside surfaced in his mind.

Even after they got together, not much had changed between them. Aside from sharing a bed and the occasional urge to bite, Zhao Lei didn’t show much attention.

The good thing about this kind of relationship was that it was relaxed for both of them. The downside, however, was that it was easy for someone thick-skinned like him to miss the more delicate emotions that should exist between lovers.

Qian Lang’s words shook him awake. Lately, whenever Zhao Lei reminded him to take it easy during their gaming sessions, his tone had seemed slightly off. He seemed to be preaching sincerely… but he actually sounded annoyed.

[Game Over]

“Ah, damn! Brother Yu, why did you suddenly stop moving? Did it lag?”

Blood splattered across the screen as the game ended in failure. Qian Lang turned his head and saw Brother Yu wearing a confused expression.

Liao Yu rubbed his forehead.

“Sorry, sorry. I suddenly remembered something and blanked out.”

“Alright, no worries. Let’s try again.”

Qian Lang smiled and turned back to the screen. He got ready to restart.

However, Liao Yu shook his head and declined.

“Nah, let’s play tomorrow. I just remembered that I have something to take care of.”

He put down his controller, took out his phone, and checked the time. It was still early.

The excitement of slaying a boss had quickly turned into boredom.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Qian Lang looked a bit confused. It wasn’t even ten yet. Usually, they’d play games until midnight. They also had access to walkie-talkies and trackers in the room to monitor the base.

No one was required to use them—it was all voluntary. However, with so many people, things sometimes got a little wild.

Liao Yu flashed a bright smile.

“Nope, just personal business.”

It wasn’t anything major. He could have waited for Zhao Lei to come home and found the right moment to bring it up. But he didn’t want to.

The whole point of being in a relationship was to bring joy and comfort to an otherwise bleak world. If your partner was stressed and unhappy, it meant that you weren’t doing your part well enough.

Zhao Lei is different from Brother Cheng. After years of getting along, and with his bodyguard status, he can’t use the same repressive methods as Brother Cheng.

“Got it.”

Qian Lang scratched his head, glanced at the screen, and said,

“My superpowers are showing signs of a breakthrough, so I’ll need to start training alone tomorrow. Brother Nian asked me to stay in a designated training warehouse until everything stabilizes to avoid any runaway energy causing issues.”

When superpowers reach a certain level, the crystal core cracks and reassembles. The process was risky. Even though his superpowers weren’t offensive, if they spiraled out of control in a crowded place, it would be a huge problem.

Liao Yu patted him on the shoulder.

“No worries. We’ll play again once you’ve made it. We have time. With my godfather’s purification ability, your breakthrough should go smoothly. It’ll keep you conscious and prevent your powers from going haywire. You’ve got this.”

“Yeah, I trust Brother Nian, too.”

After leaving Qian Lang’s dorm, Liao Yu drove straight to the new district where Zhao Lei’s team was patrolling that night.

——

Zhao Lei looked surprised when he was stopped.

“Young Master Liao Yu, why are you here all of a sudden?”

“There’s something I wanted to ask you.”

Liao Yu replied with a smile and greeted the other new recruits who had been chosen for the squad.

They responded and continued their patrol.

Once they were gone, Zhao Lei asked again.

“What’s going on? Couldn’t you have just told me over the phone?”

Liao Yu didn’t even get out of the car. Leaning an elbow on the window, he tilted his upper body out and stared at him.

“I missed you. It’s kind of hard to explain over the phone.”

“… ”

Zhao Lei stared at him for a moment. Then, he walked around to the passenger side, opened the door, and got in.

“Did something happen?”

If something seemed out of the ordinary, then something was probably wrong. In a flash, dozens of worst-case scenarios flashed through his mind. He even remembered this young master’s “habits” before the apocalypse. Whenever he got into trouble, he’d act all sweet and innocent.

“No need to panic. I just missed you.”

Liao Yu could tell what he was thinking at a glance and found it amusing.

Come to think of it, they hadn’t flirted like this in a while. Lately, they had both been busy with their own responsibilities. They were starting to feel like an old married couple—first brothers, then partners, and now back to brothers again.

Zhao Lei leaned in and hugged him.

“I’ll be busy for a few more days. Once I’ve settled in with the team, I’ll adjust my schedule so we can sync up again.”

“It’s fine. It’s not because you’re busy…”

Liao Yu nodded and hugged him back. After a moment of thought, he finally spoke up.

“Brother Zhao, it’s my fault. I’ve been spending a lot of time with Qian Lang lately, and I didn’t consider how you might feel about it. I’m sorry.”

He could never say that in broad daylight, but now felt like the right time. He didn’t act spoiled or dramatic; he just apologized sincerely.

In a relationship, emotions don’t need to be justified by big principles or grand logic. Love is selfish and possessive by nature, and it always takes priority.

“…”

Zhao Lei wanted to brush it off, but the words got stuck in his throat. Unconsciously, he tightened his arms around him. The truth was, it had been bothering him. He had been in a bad mood lately, so he said,

“I don’t want to stop you from hanging out with your friends, especially the people you knew before the apocalypse. I understand that fate brought us together. But I’d be lying if I said I felt okay thinking about your old streaming days together. Young Master, Qian Lang likes you. I can see it, no matter how well he hides it.”

It might have sounded like gossip, but that was how he genuinely felt.

Liao Yu pushed him slightly and said seriously,

“I’ve already explained everything to him. It was something he said, totally unintentionally, that made me realize what was going on.”

He then told Zhao Lei honestly about his conversation with Qian Lang and added earnestly,

“I only saw him as a friend, someone I was familiar with. That’s why I never gave it much thought. Plus, we shared the same hobbies and interests, so I kind of got carried away. In the future, though, if anything ever makes you uncomfortable, just tell me directly. I’ll change. Nothing’s more important than you.”

He admitted that, since he was in a same-gender relationship, his sense of boundaries wasn’t as developed as Jiang Nian’s.

It was also his first time falling in love. He had always been the center of attention, so he had a lot to learn.

“All right.”

Zhao Lei smiled. The anger in his chest disappeared. Someone who seemed emotionally clueless could still be considerate sometimes.

After resolving the misunderstanding, sharing a kiss, and offering each other comfort, Liao Yu headed home.

Love was love, but it shouldn’t interfere with business. Neither of them was the clingy type. If they wanted to spend more time together in the future, their most important task was to take care of their duties now.

…

Qian Lang was training in a secure facility to advance to the next stage of his superpower, so Liao Yu decided not to play games with him for the time being.

Zhao Lei’s schedule had also changed.

All of Team 017 had become supervisors of the base’s superpower corps, and they were busy but fulfilled.

Everything went smoothly for a few days until Qian Lang called on Liao Yu for help.

“Brother Yu, I successfully broke through with my superpower. Brother Nian used purification to help me stay in control, but my superpower accidentally affected him too. You know how my ability shrinks biological entities proportionally…”

“What the hell?!”

Liao Yu, who had been freezing a giant block of ice in the water chamber, suddenly withdrew his powers and stormed out, phone in hand.

“You hit my godfather with your powers and turned him into a figure!?”

What a surprise!

“I didn’t know it’d turn out like this. The energy flowed through his ability, and I just forgot for a second…” Qian Lang said anxiously. After a pause, he added,

“Brother Nian is unconscious right now and wrapped in clothes. I didn’t dare call Brother Cheng. Please help me.”

Liao Yu sighed.

“We can’t keep this quiet. The best option is to come clean with Brother Cheng right away. Otherwise, we’re both screwed. Just don’t touch my godfather before I get there. I’m on my way.”

“All right, I’ll call Brother Cheng now.”

Qian Lang immediately dialed Cheng Jing. But, nervous as he was, the first thing he blurted out was:

“Brother Cheng, Brother Nian has become a figure. Please come quickly!”

As soon as he said it, he realized he had misspoken and quickly added,

“Brother Nian got caught while helping me break through my superpower. He’s been shrunk. Please come.”

Cheng Jing remained calm on the phone.

“Don’t touch him. I’m on my way.”

Qian Lang: “Okay…”