Huo Hao took a leave of absence.
Sick leave.
As always, the system’s feedback was utterly useless. Apart from some vague statements, there was no constructive response whatsoever.
After a week of agonizing contemplation, Xia Yan finally mustered the courage to invite both protagonists out at the same time over the weekend.
It was a Chinese restaurant they often visited in the past. After ordering, the server quietly exited the private room and closed the door behind them, leaving a small, secluded space.
The atmosphere turned subtly heavy and awkward.
Xia Yan held a cup of Longjing tea, sipping lightly. His rosy lips were tinted with a glistening sheen of water. His gaze shifted back and forth between the two, sneaking glances at them.
Li Xiangze wore a white shirt and light gray casual pants. His demeanor was gentle, with a smile playing on his lips.
Huo Hao, freshly recovering from an illness, looked pale. His chestnut curls drooped lifelessly over his brow, giving him the pitiful appearance of a house cat abandoned by its owner.
Though they were two vastly different people, Xia Yan couldn’t help but notice a subtle yet gloomy aura they both shared.
They deliberately chose seats far away from each other. When their gazes accidentally met, they each displayed an identical expression of loathing and disdain.
It was as though they couldn’t wait for the other to disappear but were forced to endure their presence.
And yet… they used to get along well.
Thinking about how they were now both his “boyfriends,” Xia Yan couldn’t bring himself to ask why. Feeling guilty, he rubbed his nose and cautiously began, “Um… we…”
Crap! How was he supposed to say this?
The system had sent over all sorts of strange problems. Who exactly was the Supreme God between the two of them? If he asked outright, wouldn’t they think he was crazy?
The young man bit his lip, unable to string together a coherent sentence for the longest time.
Instead, his naturally charming peach blossom eyes darted back and forth between the two, as if reluctant to part with either, pleading deeply with his gaze to keep them both.
Who could refuse him?
Even the most cold-hearted killer would likely succumb to his gaze.
Li Xiangze and Huo Hao exchanged a glance, the mutual hatred, tolerance, and compromise evident in their eyes.
Li Xiangze spoke first, “Yan Yan, you don’t need to worry.”
“?”
He continued tactfully, “You can have both of us.”
“???” Xia Yan froze, dumbfounded. “Huh?”
Huo Hao closed his eyes, sighing: “…If it’s him… I can barely tolerate it.”
“Ah? Ah???” Xia Yan spent a good thirty seconds regaining his composure before hesitantly asking, “Are you two suggesting I cheat?”
Li Xiangze: “Not exactly.”
Huo Hao: “…It’s complicated. Being with us both doesn’t count as cheating.”
“…”
Xia Yan was utterly baffled.
Dating two boyfriends at the same time—why wouldn’t that count as cheating? Raising his hand, he said, “Hold on. Give me a moment to process this.”
In the long silence that followed, even as the waiter finished serving the dishes, Xia Yan poked at the steamed bass on his plate with its lifeless gaze, gritted his teeth, and finally spoke up, “I— I can’t. This isn’t right.”
“Have you two been brainwashed or something? Why on earth would you propose something so ridiculous?”
Huo Hao opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything that might shatter Xia Yan’s worldview even further, Xia Yan quickly stood up. “I’m going to the restroom. You two stay here and clear your heads.”
At the same time, he needed to clear his own.
The restroom was at the end of the private dining corridor. Xia Yan splashed his face with cold water and stared blankly at his reflection in the mirror. His thoughts wandered far away, riddled with frustration.
Huo Hao clearly didn’t want to break up. If he went back on his promise to date him now, it would obviously hurt him.
And Li Xiangze… was the reincarnation of Tu Xi and possibly him.
Wait, wasn’t Huo Hao also starting to regain memories?
Ugh!!! What kind of messed-up world was this?
Xia Yan buried his face in his hands. He was just an innocent high school student! He should be focusing on his studies instead of getting tangled up in such complicated emotional dramas!
Hold on a second!
That’s right!
What’s a high school student doing dating in the first place? Studying is the only way forward!
Instead of getting caught up in the mess, it would be better to break up with both of them. After all, the task was already complete. Next, he would focus on preparing for the college entrance exams. Anything else could wait until afterward.
Avoidance might be shameful, but it was effective.
Having finally thought of a solution, Xia Yan let out a deep sigh of relief, his steps back to the private room noticeably lighter.
Since they arrived early, the restaurant was still fairly quiet, and even though the door to the private room was made of thick solid wood, faint voices could still be heard from inside.
Ordinary people probably wouldn’t have been able to make out anything.
But Xia Yan, having traveled through several worlds, had a soul far stronger than that of an average person. Over the days since he returned, his soul power had been subtly reshaping his body, enhancing his senses, memory, and awareness far beyond normal.
He wasn’t someone who liked eavesdropping on others’ conversations, but the things those two were saying were just… just so strange!
“…It seems like Yan Yan can’t accept the idea of being with us,” came a voice.
“Mm.” Huo Hao nodded weakly. “He’s a good kid. That’s why no matter which world we’re in, we’d fall for him.”
Li Xiangze replied, “Or is it that fragments of the other worlds have influenced us in this one?” He paused briefly before continuing, “It’s such a joy to see Yan Yan at eighteen again.”
Xia Yan was shocked. Again???
“In the timeline of the previous iteration of this world, Yan Yan secretly ran away. We weren’t awakened back then, and so much time was lost.”
The Xia family had intentionally hidden themselves, keeping him out of reach.
Huo Hao thought back to the last life when he’d finally found him, only to hear the news of his death. His heart ached sharply at the memory, and his brow furrowed. “Let’s not talk about that. Let’s focus on how to convince Yan Yan to agree to be with both of us.”
“…We can’t exactly tell him that we’re actually the same person, just fragments of the same soul.”
“…”
Xia Yan: [Wait, what? Voldemort???]
System: [The fragments of a Supreme God!!!]
Xia Yan: [What the hell?]
The system, now excited, explained: [In some special worlds, the Supreme God will split off a fragment of their soul to embed into that world, erasing all memories. Host, you’ve hit the jackpot!!!]
[?]
[With the Supreme God as your boyfriend, you’ll be unstoppable!]
Xia Yan’s mind was spinning, turning into a muddled mess. Unable to make sense of the situation, he decided to take the direct approach. Without hesitation, he pushed open the door, closed his eyes, and blurted out, “I heard everything you said. Fess up, or else… or else…”
He panicked and shouted, “Or else I’ll break up with both of you!”
Fragment #1, Li Xiangze, quickly seized on the key point: “If we’re honest, you won’t break up, right?”
Fragment #2, Huo Hao, added, “We were planning to tell you after the exams, but since you’ve already heard it, there’s no point in hiding it now.”
Xia Yan: “?” Wait, he might have… said the wrong thing.
After an explanation from the two protagonists, Xia Yan finally pieced together what was going on.
In all the worlds he had previously traveled through, the protagonists—both the gong and shou—were played by the Supreme God, who had locked away their memories. All of those worlds had been carefully chosen with one purpose: to date him.
If, in any of the worlds, the two personas truly fell in love, they would provide Xia Yan with a wealth of points to resurrect him and allow him to return to his original world. Meanwhile, the fragments of the Supreme God in that world would gradually awaken.
Now, both Huo Hao and Li Xiangze have regained the memories of Tu Xi, Ludwig, Ian… and others.
Huo Hao pleaded, “We’ve been in love for three lifetimes, hundreds of years. Yan Yan, you won’t abandon me, will you?”
Before Xia Yan could respond, ‘they’ answered for him.
Li Xiangze said, “Mm, Yan Yan won’t.”
“…” Xia Yan gritted his teeth. “Get away from me, both of you!!!”
–
Recently, the biggest source of entertainment for the students at No.1 High School was speculating about who Xia Yan was dating.
Some guessed it was Huo Hao because he had the natural advantage of being in the same class and sitting next to Xia Yan. The two were always seen together, so they must be a couple.
Others guessed it was Li Xiangze because, without fail, he came to find Xia Yan during breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. On top of that, he’d gone out of his way to help the Xia family solve a major issue. Would he really go to such lengths if they weren’t dating?
Neither side could convince the other, leading to heated debates.
A younger student couldn’t resist and secretly asked Xia Yan, “Senior, who are you dating right now?”
Xia Yan paused for a moment, then calmly replied, “I’m single.”
“Huh?” The girl was stunned. “So you didn’t choose either Huo Hao or Li Xiangze?”
“Them?” A faint smile appeared on Xia Yan’s lips, and his dark eyes sparkled as he answered steadily, “I’ll be with one of them when the two of them become one.”
The girl let out a wail. “That’s impossible!”
“Who knows.”
Xia Yan narrowed his eyes, noticing the two approaching in the distance. Li Xiangze stepped forward, blocking the girl’s line of sight, and asked in a low voice, “What were you talking about?”
Huo Hao followed closely behind, his amber cat-like eyes glaring at the girl with hostility.
Mistaken as a love rival, the girl froze. “…”
“Nothing,” Xia Yan replied with amusement, patting Huo Hao’s curls to soothe him. After settling things, he waved to the girl. “We’re leaving now.”
The girl waved back numbly, watching the trio walk away in their usual close-knit manner. Frustrated, she tugged at her hair. “Why aren’t they dating???”
It didn’t make sense—she simply couldn’t figure it out.
Only much later, when the three were still inseparable but hadn’t taken on any lovers, did she realize that they might be exploring a very different kind of relationship.
The End.
😂
POLY????