I’m No Longer Human After Being Blacklisted – CH50

Chapter 50 – I’ve Like You for a Long Time

Grandfather returned to the private room first, but Si Xu remained, watching Lin Jiu with an unreadable expression.

Lin Jiu felt uneasy under his gaze. “I just… couldn’t stand seeing him like that. He’s so old… Sorry if I overstepped.”

“It’s fine,” Si Xu said after a pause. “You know about my illness?”

“I… know,” Lin Jiu admitted reluctantly, fearing Si Xu would ask, “How do you know?” That would be hard to explain, but fortunately, Si Xu didn’t press the issue.

After a moment of silence, Si Xu sighed deeply. “I’m just afraid that after the next check-up, he’ll be even more hopeless.”

“No, there will definitely be improvement…” Lin Jiu glanced around and then peeked back inside the shop. He grabbed Si Xu’s wrist and led him upstairs. “I have a gift for you.”

Lin Jiu’s hand was cold, and Si Xu let him pull him upstairs.

“I have a kind of medicine that could help with your condition…”

Lin Jiu hesitated for a moment, then told the truth, “But it’s an unregistered product. Are you willing to try it?”

He needed to make sure. He was willing to offer it, but Si Xu had to be willing to take it.

[It’s not an unregistered product! This is from the largest pharmaceutical company in the Magic Sea Plane civilization!]

Lin Jiu immediately responded: So, can I tell him it’s from the largest pharmaceutical company of the Demon Sea Plane civilization?

[No!]

Lin Jiu: Then what do I say? Isn’t it still an unregistered product?

[…]

[Hmph!]

Lin Jiu thought for a moment: Can I tell him about the Demon-Hunting System? That would explain a lot.

[You can try to see if you can even say it. The system has a self-protection mechanism. You’re the system’s host—if you violate the rules, see what happens.]

Lin Jiu paused: Will the system take me down with it?

[Who knows.]

The system’s tone was incredibly annoying.

“I’m willing to try.”

Si Xu’s voice brought Lin Jiu back to reality.

Si Xu gave a bitter smile. “At this point, what wouldn’t I dare to try?”

He trusted Lin Jiu.

Lin Jiu turned to the bar and squatted down, pretending to look for something, while in fact, he opened his inventory and took out a basic gene enhancement serum.

He didn’t dare take it out earlier, fearing improper storage might cause the serum to spoil or have other issues. It had been safely stored in his inventory the entire time.

Lin Jiu returned to Si Xu, opening his hand to reveal a pale blue syringe. The color of the serum was beautiful, and the syringe itself was uniquely designed, small but clearly advanced technology.

Si Xu took it and studied it briefly while Lin Jiu had already prepared disinfectant cotton balls. Aside from food, everything brought from the Magic Sea Plane had to be recovered and couldn’t be left behind, including the syringe.

“I’m not good at injections; you’ll have to do it yourself.” Lin Jiu handed Si Xu the cotton ball.

Without asking any questions or saying anything, Si Xu rolled up his sleeve, revealing his upper arm. He used tweezers to pick up a cotton ball and wiped the injection site.

Si Xu was calm and methodical, but Lin Jiu was nervous. “It… it might hurt a lot…”

Before Lin Jiu could finish, Si Xu had already inserted the needle. The serum injected itself automatically, and once it was done, Si Xu pulled the needle out. Lin Jiu hurriedly pressed the cotton ball to the injection site.

“H-how do you feel?” Lin Jiu asked, extremely anxious.

Si Xu smiled. “Why are you more nervous than I am?”

“Of course, I’m nervous!” Lin Jiu said. After all, this was something used on a human body—if something went wrong, he’d be a murderer.

Si Xu handed the syringe back to Lin Jiu. “This thing works well…”

Before he could finish, his face suddenly turned pale, and he couldn’t stand up anymore. Lin Jiu dropped what he was holding and rushed to catch him as Si Xu slumped heavily against him. Supporting Si Xu, Lin Jiu led him to a chair.

“I… just need to sit for a bit…”

Finally managing to get Si Xu to a loveseat by the dining table, Si Xu collapsed into the seat, pulling Lin Jiu down with him.

Lin Jiu didn’t know exactly how much pain Si Xu was in, but it must have been excruciating. Sweat dripped constantly from Si Xu’s forehead as he clung to Lin Jiu’s arm, nearly crushing his shoulder. Lin Jiu didn’t know how long the pain would last, so he didn’t dare move, letting Si Xu hold him while he gently rubbed his back, hoping to ease the pain.

Lin Jiu frantically called out to the system in his mind: How long will the pain last?

[Asking about others’ information costs 1 magic point per question. Do you want to continue?]

Over the past few days, Lin Jiu had gathered 5 more magic points from scraps of food, giving him a total of 11 magic points.

Lin Jiu nearly shouted: Just take it!

[The pain will stop automatically once hidden genes are activated to 10%. It should take about… 10 minutes.]

Ten minutes…

Lin Jiu had never felt time pass so slowly before. Ten minutes felt like ten years.

Si Xu’s pale lips were bloodied—whether from biting the inside of his mouth or his lips wasn’t clear. Lin Jiu stared at the blood in shock—it wasn’t pure red; there was a faint hint of silver in it…

Lin Jiu blinked and looked again. It really wasn’t pure red…

His gaze shifted upwards to Si Xu’s eyes, and he was even more surprised. Si Xu’s eyes were no longer black—they had turned silver!

Lin Jiu: “…”

His mind still hadn’t fully processed what he was seeing when the system suddenly screamed excitedly in his head.

[Ahhhhhh!!! Daddy! Idol!!!! Aaaahhh >o<!!!!!!]

Lin Jiu: “…”

Lin Jiu: “…”

Lin Jiu: “…”

Lin Jiu, his brain about to explode from the system’s shouting, thought: System, have you finally lost it?

[Ahhh, it’s a living Demon Spirit! Ahhh, my idol!!! Daddy, look at me!!!!!!]

Lin Jiu: “…”

Lin Jiu: What’s a Demon Spirit?

[The Demon Spirit Clan! Before the Demon Sea Plane civilization was destroyed, they were the most powerful race! They ruled the land, they were incredibly strong, and their technology was highly advanced. They’re my idols! I never thought I’d see a living Demon Spirit in my lifetime! I thought you were the last descendant of the Demon Sea Plane, but it turns out there’s still a Demon Spirit alive!!! Ahhhh!!!! Get me an autograph! No, wait, it’s his birthday today—I need to give him a gift! The Demon Spirit Clan is best known for using Demon Spirit blades, Demon Spirit swords, and Demon Spirit bows. I don’t have enough magic points to buy a full set, but I can afford a Demon Spirit blade… Whatever, let’s go with the blade. Demon Spirit Dad wielding a Demon Spirit blade is going to be beyond epic!!!!!!]

Lin Jiu: …

Lin Jiu: …

Lin Jiu: Wait a minute, are you going to use the magic points you scammed from me to buy a gift for your idol?

[It’s not your magic points! These are all the points I’ve saved up; they’re my private property!]

Lin Jiu: May I ask where you got this “private property”?

[I can take a commission from tasks you complete, stuff you buy, and scraps you recycle.]

Lin Jiu: …

Lin Jiu: How about you give me a gift? Otherwise, I’ll feel a bit upset.

[In your dreams! If you worked harder, I wouldn’t have so few magic points. How can you even ask for a gift?]

Lin Jiu: I’m your real dad!

[Even a real dad can’t stop their kid from chasing their idol! Idol comes first!]

Lin Jiu: …

[Quick, quick! I’ve already bought it. Please tell my idol that a system really likes him and will always support him. Keep up the good work! Love you! ( ` ) heart gesture!]

Damn…

This system has really adapted to the local culture—of all things to learn, it picked up idol chasing!

The item bar floated brightly in front of Lin Jiu’s eyes, waiting for him to take out the gift. It was supposed to be a “Magic Spirit Blade,” but in the item bar, it looked like a wristband—there was no sign of it being a blade at all.

Lin Jiu: Are you sure you didn’t buy the wrong thing?

[What do you think a Magic Spirit Blade is?]

Lin Jiu: I thought it was a sword.

[This is the sword! Without magic energy to activate it, it’s just a wristband. Once activated, it’ll immediately turn into a sword! Hurry up and give it!]

Lin Jiu: System, I feel like giving this is less useful than giving him a mid-level gene booster. What do you think?

The system was quiet for a few seconds before replying weakly.

[I can’t give that…]

[Dad, I’m counting on you to take care of my idol. Please work extra hard to heal him—he might be one of the last Magic Spirits left.]

Lin Jiu: Like how you said I’m the last of the Siren race? System, don’t you think you should explain why the remnants of the Demon Sea Plane are showing up on Earth? I’m one example, and so is your idol. Doesn’t that seem strange?

[Strictly speaking, it’s not strange. When the Demon Sea Plane was destroyed, the chaotic spatial currents could have swept some survivors to Earth.]

Lin Jiu: Even so, how did they survive without magic energy?

[It’s not impossible to survive. As long as they had magic crystals to sustain them for a while, it’s possible.]

Lin Jiu: How long is “a while”?

[It’s hard to determine. The time flow between the Earth Plane and the Demon Sea Plane is different. When survivors were swept into the space-time rift, the time difference is incalculable. What you’re seeing now as the Demon Sea Plane is its rebirth after destruction, but how long that took is unknown.]

Lin Jiu: I remember you said I’m the only surviving bloodline of the Siren race. Based on what you’re saying now, I’m not really the only one, am I?

[No, you are the only bloodline.]

Lin Jiu: But that doesn’t make sense. If I exist, there must be other Siren on Earth.

Like my biological parents.

[If they haven’t awakened as Siren and only have the genes, they don’t count as part of the Siren race.]

Lin Jiu: What do you mean?

[I accessed Earth’s civilization and found historical cases like your idol’s. His situation isn’t unique. It occasionally happens in other countries too. Humans call this a “genetic disorder” that has no cure.]

[The no-cure part is true, but the disorder is false. This could be a way for the remnants of the Demon Sea Plane to preserve their bloodline—intermarrying with humans, having offspring to keep the lineage alive. When the remnant genes dilute enough, human genes take over, and they appear fully human, able to live without magic energy. Only when the remnant genes are too strong, but there’s no magic energy to supplement, does a situation like your idol’s arise.]

Lin Jiu: Are there other remnant races on Earth?

[Unless they start awakening, all I can detect are humans.]

Lin Jiu was sure there were other remnants; he and Si Xu were examples.

[Time’s up! Give the gift!]

Lin Jiu snapped out of it and hurriedly checked on Si Xu, whose eye color had returned to black.

“Are you okay?” Si Xu’s condition was stabilizing, and his heavy breathing was calming down.

Si Xu let go of Lin Jiu’s hand. “Did I hurt you?”

Lin Jiu rotated his shoulder, feeling sore and knowing without looking that it was probably bruised.

“It’s fine, nothing seems broken.”

“Sorry,” Si Xu apologized. Hugging Lin Jiu had been an instinctive reaction, the only way to draw enough strength to resist the pain.

“It’s okay. How do you feel now?” Lin Jiu asked, noticing how excited the system was—this Magic Spirit race must be quite powerful.

[Gift, gift, gift!!!!!!]

The system was bouncing around in Lin Jiu’s mind, making his head buzz.

Si Xu smiled. “I feel great—strangely great.”

[The gift, ahhhh!!!!!!]

Lin Jiu: …

Lin Jiu took a deep breath, stood up, and performed a magic-like trick, reaching into the air and pulling out a black object.

“Here’s a gift…”

[Your tone is all wrong! Your attitude is wrong! You need to seriously and carefully express my feelings right now!!!!!!]

Damn it…

[Ahhh!!!!!!]

The system launched a sound attack on Lin Jiu’s brain.

Lin Jiu: …

His head was about to explode!

He took two deep breaths and, with great formality, held the gift in both hands and offered it to Si Xu.

Si Xu raised an eyebrow.

Lin Jiu solemnly relayed the system’s words: “There’s a system that really likes you. It asked me to give you this birthday gift. It will always support you, so please keep working hard.”

Lin Jiu thought for a moment, then suddenly made a heart gesture with his fingers. “Love you~~~ ( ` ) heart!”

“Pfft… cough cough cough…”

The sudden cuteness attack was too strong. Si Xu, caught off guard, choked and coughed.

Lin Jiu’s face darkened.

“Sorry…” Si Xu struggled to hold back his laughter.

Lin Jiu looked utterly defeated. “Just laugh if you want. I can take it.”

Si Xu quickly pulled him over, doing his best not to laugh. “Since my debut, I’ve only accepted one gift from a fan, so I won’t accept this one. Please return it and thank them for their support.”

Lin Jiu: “…”

This time, the system didn’t scream; instead, it spammed Lin Jiu’s mind with ‘QaQ’ emojis.

Lin Jiu resisted the urge to toss the system out and tried to persuade him, “Just take it. This gift is a bit special.”

Si Xu stared at him, and Lin Jiu met his gaze. After a long pause, Lin Jiu suddenly remembered—was the only fan gift Si Xu ever accepted the Black Star Pearl that ‘he’ had sent? Lin Jiu knew Si Xu never accepted fan gifts, so he’d purposely had a local courier deliver it without a return address, making it impossible for the gift to be sent back. That way, Si Xu would have no choice but to accept it.

“The Black Star Pearl is really useful, thank you,” Si Xu said, watching Lin Jiu closely, not missing any reaction.

Lin Jiu: “…”

His ears instantly turned bright red.

Lin Jiu: “You’re welcome…”

Ahhhhhh!!! Why couldn’t you just pretend you didn’t know?! Why bring it up all of a sudden?! This is so awkward!

Lin Jiu screamed internally, while the system did the same in his head.

Lin Jiu felt he was only a single gift away from losing it completely.

Steeling himself, Lin Jiu said, “This gift and the potion come from the same place. It’s a weapon made just for you—you really have to take it.”

Otherwise, he worried that the heartbroken system might turn his brain into a vast ocean.

The system had spent all its saved magic points just to buy this gift. If it got rejected again, the system would be too pitiful, and Lin Jiu couldn’t bear to see it cry like a puppy.

Si Xu stared at the black wristband-like object, pondering for a moment. “Are you ‘sure’ this isn’t from you?”

He had a history of giving gifts and denying it.

Lin Jiu: “…”

Lin Jiu asked the system for its opinion in his mind. Reluctant and unwilling, the system agreed to share a little bit of the credit.

Lin Jiu: “It bought it, and I helped deliver it. So, it’s a gift from both of us.”

Si Xu paused. “Both of you?”

Lin Jiu: “Yeah.”

Si Xu leaned back in his chair. “Thanks for the thought, but I’m not accepting it.”

The system burst into loud, pitiful sobs.

Lin Jiu: …

In a rush of heat, Lin Jiu lunged forward and grabbed Si Xu’s right arm. Si Xu tried to dodge, but Lin Jiu pinned him against the seat, clutching Si Xu’s right arm tightly. The wristband-like Magic Spirit Blade wrapped around Si Xu’s wrist and instantly tightened. Now, it couldn’t be removed even if he wanted to.

Lin Jiu consoled the crying system: “There, it’s done, stop crying…”

When he looked up, his eyes met Si Xu’s deep, intense gaze. They were extremely close. Lin Jiu was kneeling on Si Xu’s lap, practically lying in his arms. Si Xu’s right arm was pinned, so he had no choice but to use his left arm to hold Lin Jiu, preventing him from falling.

Lin Jiu: …

Lin Jiu instantly wilted. “S-Sorry…”

Just as he was about to climb off, the arm around his waist suddenly tightened, pulling him closer. His neck was grabbed, and warm lips pressed down on his.

Lin Jiu’s eyes flew wide open. His mind went blank, with only the system screaming, “Ahhhh! Let go of my idol! Let me kiss him!”

Si Xu’s lips pried Lin Jiu’s open, and his mind exploded. Lin Jiu panicked, wanting to push him away, but his hands instinctively tightened around Si Xu’s clothes. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to push him away or pull him closer…

When the kiss finally ended, both of their breathing was uneven. Lin Jiu was still dazed when he heard Si Xu’s deep, raspy voice in his ear.

“I’ve liked you for a long time.”

Lin Jiu hurriedly bent down to pick up the things scattered on the floor, flustered as if he’d been caught doing something scandalous.

“Lin Jiu? Are you upstairs?” Jiang Ge called again.

“Yes!” Lin Jiu instinctively responded, then immediately regretted it, frustrated as he picked up the fallen cotton balls.

“Have you seen Ah Xu? How do you open this winged gate?” Jiang Ge asked, trying to figure out how to get upstairs.

Lin Jiu quickly finished cleaning up and pulled at Si Xu. “Hurry, let’s go down. We’ve been gone too long.”

Si Xu didn’t move, raising his right wrist. “How do I take this off?”

Lin Jiu, while trying to calm the system that was about to cry again, said, “You can’t.”

Si Xu’s expression was unreadable. “You want me to wear something you and someone else gave me?”

Lin Jiu: “There’s no ‘someone else’—it’s not a person.”

Si Xu: “…”

[ … ]

Lin Jiu scrambled to explain, “Just accept its filial piety, okay? It worked so hard to save up for this gift. If you reject it, I’m afraid it might not take it well… Oh, and it wants your autograph. It really wants one.”

Si Xu: “…”

Lin Jiu: “By the way, I’ve heard this thing is really useful. Once activated with magic energy, it’ll turn into a sword.”

Si Xu: “Magic energy?”

Lin Jiu: “It’s the unknown energy in your body. We call it ‘magic energy.’ Try it out when you have time. I hear it’s really powerful…”

Before he could finish, the wristband suddenly turned liquid, extending along Si Xu’s arm. In an instant, a sleek, impressive black sword formed!