Chapter 51
After dinner, they stayed at Ye Xuan’s parents’ place for a while longer.
There was no entertainment in the base, nor the pleasure of tending flowers or raising cats and dogs.
On the days Ye Xuan was not around, Father Ye and Mother Ye’s daily routine was to guess what kind of life their son was living, waiting dully for the sky to darken.
It was not easy for Ye Xuan to bring his friends over, so naturally, Father Ye and Mother Ye were happy to chat with them.
As they chatted, the conversation turned to family matters and then to Ye Xuan’s childhood.
“When Ye Xuan was little, he was like a wild monkey. He and his cousin spent all day making trouble in the streets. He was a well-known little tyrant in the surrounding villages. After he grew up, he actually became more restrained and quiet.”
Quiet? Xia Chenxi did not think so. When Ye Xuan had been a reserve team member, he had beaten Quan Guanxi into a pig’s head all by himself.
There was faintly still the style of a little tyrant.
In Sunday’s challenge match, this little tyrant might shine again.
Having old matters brought up, Ye Xuan coughed awkwardly.
“Mom, how long ago was that? What’s there to talk about?”
Mother Ye doted on her son, so she stopped talking about the past.
“Fine, fine. If you won’t let me talk, I won’t talk.”
Nan Yunzhou looked at Ye Xuan. “You were that amazing before? Why can’t you let us hear what you did?”
“There’s nothing worth hearing. It’s just the story of a little tyrant punishing hooligans.”
There was also subduing vicious dogs, teasing scammers, taming troublemakers…
What was there to say about the ridiculous things he had done when he was young and hot-blooded?
Only children would think those things had heroic spirit.
Xia Chenxi said to Father Ye and Mother Ye, “I heard from Ye Xuan’s team leader that he performed very well on this mission.”
Father Ye smiled and patted Ye Xuan. “As expected of my seed. You handle things beautifully.”
Mother Ye also smiled, but there was a faint worry in her eyes. “Little Xuan, just do your best within your ability. Don’t force yourself.”
“I know, Mom.”
Ye Xuan did not want to talk too much with his parents about his missions.
On one hand, he was afraid they would worry. On the other hand, he was afraid they would not understand.
This new concept of ability users probably sounded like superheroes to his parents.
But when carefully distinguished, they were different. Rather than explaining it to them, it was better to let them think he had been chosen because of his outstanding ability.
Father Ye was not feeling well, and Mother Ye also looked tired, so the three of them said goodbye and said they would come again next time.
Once they left the door, Xia Chenxi and Nan Yunzhou stopped pretending. The two began mocking each other with veiled sarcasm.
Nan Yunzhou: “Some people are so good at currying favor. Why don’t they curry favor with me?”
Xia Chenxi: “Who are you?”
Nan Yunzhou: “Still pretending.”
Xia Chenxi: “Same to you.”
Ye Xuan took a deep breath, then flashed away right in front of them, disappearing without a trace.
They had seen the people, and the gifts had been delivered. If those two wanted to quarrel, they could quarrel by themselves. It would be best if they fought until the sky collapsed and the earth went dark, until they could not quarrel anymore.
Nan Yunzhou was dumbfounded. He had heard that Ye Xuan had become a space ability user, but he had not known Ye Xuan could shrink distance like that. The space ability users he had seen could at most become a little faster. Someone like Ye Xuan—he truly had never seen before.
Compared with Nan Yunzhou, Xia Chenxi was much calmer. He pressed the elevator button. In any case, once he went back, he could still see Ye Xuan.
“Xia Chenxi, I have no grudge against you. Why are you targeting me like this? You insist on competing with me for Ye Xuan. Fair competition isn’t impossible. But Ye Xuan will definitely choose me instead of you. You’ve noticed it too, right? Ye Xuan admires the strong.”
Xia Chenxi walked into the elevator and turned to face Nan Yunzhou. He looked at Nan Yunzhou coldly, making Nan Yunzhou feel as if he were being looked down upon.
“Ye Xuan does admire the strong, but he definitely hates people who approach him with impure motives.”
The elevator doors slowly closed, cutting off their gazes.
Nan Yunzhou kicked the wall and pressed the elevator button. He did have impure motives toward Ye Xuan. He had no choice but to do the mission assigned to him by the base.
And what about Xia Chenxi? He had stayed by Ye Xuan’s side for so long. Were his motives pure?
When Xia Chenxi returned to the dorm, Ye Xuan had already finished washing up and was sitting on the sofa.
The family compound was far from the dorm. Walking back on foot, and alone at that, was torture.
“You’re back.”
Xia Chenxi changed his shoes and ignored Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan sat up straight on the sofa.
“Are you angry that I came back first? I was the cause of the argument, so I thought if I came back first, maybe things between you two would ease up a little.”
Looking at it now, it seemed to have only gotten worse.
“Xia Chenxi, are you angry?”
Xia Chenxi remained silent.
Ye Xuan lowered his feet from the sofa and asked again, “Xia Chenxi, are you angry?”
If he teased this fool any longer, Ye Xuan would start overthinking again. Xia Chenxi raised his head and smiled faintly. “I’m not angry.”
“You’re really not angry?”
“Then I’m angry.”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Had Xia Chenxi learned face-changing from Sichuan opera?
“You ran pretty fast, leaving me alone to walk the night road. You didn’t even know to ride an electric scooter over and pick me up.”
Ye Xuan had actually thought of it, but the moment he returned to the dorm, he felt exhausted all over. He lay on the sofa and did not want to move at all. Even washing up had taken him forcing himself to gather energy.
Strangely enough, after he finished washing up, he became completely energetic again.
“Rest early. Also, about Nan Yunzhou…”
Xia Chenxi organized his wording in his stomach. If he spoke too bluntly, it would sound like he was deliberately slandering him.
“Just keep an eye out.”
“Got it.”
The next day, Ye Xuan went to the training field with Xia Chenxi as usual.
On the way to the training field, they unexpectedly ran into Nan Yunzhou.
Nan Yunzhou smiled and greeted Ye Xuan. “Good morning, Ye Xuan.”
“Good morning.”
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“Pretty well.”
Xia Chenxi interrupted their conversation. “If I remember correctly, Training Field One and Training Field Two are not on the same route.”
Nan Yunzhou secretly gritted his teeth, but his face still carried a smile. “They aren’t. I came here especially to see Ye Xuan.”
“Then you really like looking for trouble when there’s nothing to do.”
Xia Chenxi’s tongue was as poisonous as ever.
Guan Yu appeared with his fiery red hairstyle, darting between Ye Xuan and Xia Chenxi.
“What are you standing here for? Training is about to start.”
Seeing Nan Yunzhou, Guan Yu greeted him. “Yo, Nan Yunzhou, you’re here too.”
Nan Yunzhou did not want to pay attention to this person. The moment this person appeared, he felt uncomfortable all over.
Maybe this was the legendary incompatibility of auras.
“Ye Xuan, I’ll go first. See you this afternoon.”
The ignored Guan Yu was not embarrassed. It was normal for a special combat team member to be a little proud.
He spoke on Ye Xuan’s behalf. “Okay, see you this afternoon.”
Nan Yunzhou glanced at him. “I was talking to Ye Xuan.”
Then he turned and left.
Nan Yunzhou’s appearance reminded Guan Yu of the Samoyed he had once raised.
Other people raised Samoyeds known as smiling angels. The one he had raised was cold and arrogant, always looking at him through its nostrils.
Yet he had liked it very much and had always served it good food and drink.
Then one day, it ran away and could not be found no matter how he searched.
His friends all scolded it as an ungrateful wolf.
Guan Yu only felt regret. It must have been because he had not treated the dog well enough, so the dog had run away.
Nan Yunzhou disliked him now. It must also be because he had not yet seen Guan Yu’s reliable side as a friend.
One day, he would see it.
