Chapter 25: “Accidentally” Kissing Your Forehead
Shen Shiyue yanked Jiang Chenyan behind him, firmly shielding him.
A notification sound popped up from the system:
[System: They’re about to fight.]
“You’re that sure?” Jiang Chenyan asked.
[System: Of course. Just watch.]
No sooner had the words been said than Shen Shiyue’s fist whistled through the air, smashing into Qi Bai’s face. Qi Bai stumbled back two steps, a trace of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.
Qi Bai’s hand, hanging at his side, clenched tightly, but in the end, he didn’t raise it.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Qi Bai didn’t strike back.
Shen Shiyue’s face was so dark it could drip ink, his eyes filled with ruthless ferocity. “I warned you. Don’t touch him.”
The smell of gunpowder in the air grew thicker. The fury in Shen Shiyue’s eyes was almost overflowing, and Qi Bai looked equally grim. Both of their expressions were unsightly to the extreme.
Jiang Chenyan knew clearly that Shen Shiyue was standing up for him. To be honest, it felt pretty good; since they’d already offended the man, might as well hit him first. Besides, Qi Bai was the one at fault for nearly strangling him.
Qi Bai’s pitch-black eyes stared straight at Shen Shiyue, his voice icy. “You certainly hold him in high regard. But what about him?”
Shen Shiyue turned his head to glance at Jiang Chenyan.
Jiang Chenyan followed up immediately, joining the fray. “Stop trying to drive a wedge between us. We’re doing just fine.”
Hearing this, the corner of Shen Shiyue’s mouth lifted in an almost imperceptible arc. He flashed a faint smile at Jiang Chenyan, but the moment he turned back to Qi Bai, the warmth vanished instantly, leaving only a mask of gloom.
His speed at changing faces was remarkably fast.
Qi Bai was so exasperated by the contrast that he let out a cold laugh. He curled his lip in mockery. “For him, you’re willing to burn bridges with us?”
These words carried an indescribable strangeness.
Jiang Chenyan and the system were both jolted at the same time, their minds filled with question marks. What did that mean?
It seemed they were falling a bit behind the plot’s development.
Shen Shiyue’s face showed no ripples. His tone was flat as he issued a warning: “I was never on your side.”
Qi Bai was thoroughly provoked by those words. His cold eyes instantly ignited with rage, and his chest heaved violently.
“Fine, Shen Shiyue. I’ll remember those words.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll remember them even more clearly than you,” Shen Shiyue said. He reached out and grabbed Jiang Chenyan’s wrist, his cold gaze sweeping over Qi Bai. “But I also hope you remember what I said.”
Qi Bai’s gaze fell on Shen Shiyue’s hand gripping Jiang Chenyan’s wrist. That intertwined posture was like a thorn, piercing his eyes until it was unbearable. His already icy gaze darkened further, tempered with frost.
Since the three of them truly couldn’t stay in the same space, Shen Shiyue didn’t give Qi Bai another look. He led Jiang Chenyan away.
The two didn’t pause for a second, disappearing from Qi Bai’s sight without looking back. Qi Bai was left standing there, his clothes fluttering in the wind, his expression growing more unsightly by the moment.
Qi Bai was usually indifferent to everything, but whenever he encountered something related to Jiang Chenyan, he was like a firecracker with a lit fuse—exceptionally easy to anger.
Even he didn’t know why.
Not far away, Ji Xuan had accidentally overheard the entire thing, and his whole body was frozen in place.
This plot was far too subversive for his understanding. His mind couldn’t process it for a moment; he felt dazed, and even his breathing became light.
How should he describe the relationship between the three of them? It was bizarre—an indescribable feeling.
Especially when he saw Shen Shiyue throw the jacket Jiang Chenyan had been wearing onto the ground, Ji Xuan caught a glimpse of the strangulation marks on Jiang Chenyan’s neck.
The red marks were deep and obvious, standing out starkly against the pale skin. His heart tightened instantly, and his pulse raced with shock.
What happened? Was it Senior Qi?
Senior Qi looked so righteous; how could he strangle someone like that? It seemed you really couldn’t judge a book by its cover; he had to stay as far away as possible. Poor Jiang Chenyan, being messed with like this.
Before Ji Xuan could straighten out his thoughts, he saw Shen Shiyue take off his own jacket and drape it over Jiang Chenyan, even pulling the collar tight. Seeing this, Ji Xuan silently looked away, no longer staring at them.
“…”
The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became. He felt no different from a voyeur. He didn’t linger any longer; as soon as he finished listening, he slipped away quietly like his feet were greased.
Back in the dorm, before Jiang Chenyan could speak, Shen Shiyue fished out a few small patches from a drawer. He carefully applied them to the wounds on Jiang Chenyan’s neck. “These are new repair patches on the market. If you leave them on for a while, the swelling will go down, and your skin will be as good as new.”
Jiang Chenyan nodded and thanked him. He planned to lie on the bed and rest for a bit, but his mind kept replaying what had just happened.
What exactly did Qi Bai mean when he said, “For him, you’re willing to burn bridges with us”?
He suspected Qi Bai had already started taking action against Shen Shiyue.
“System, we were still too careless.”
The system agreed:
[System: That Gong’s words are indeed very ambiguous. My blind guess is that the Protagonist Shou hasn’t been exposed yet; otherwise, how could the Gongs let him off so easily? Think about it—the Protagonist Shou threw a punch, which means he isn’t afraid at all. So, there aren’t any big problems for now.]
Jiang Chenyan frowned, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of his collar. He was very confused. “But don’t you think it’s a bit strange? Shen Shiyue doesn’t look like the original Protagonist Shou at all. The strength of that punch just now was pretty ruthless.” He had knocked the other back several steps.
“I even suspect he could pin Qi Bai down and give him a savage beating…”
[System: You’re overthinking it. The Protagonist Shou is the Protagonist Shou; this character has always been strong.]
[System: However, this author likes to write ‘Underworld’ style stories—the ‘High Mountain Snow’ falling from the altar, turning the Shou into a forbidden plaything that only knows how to be in heat.]
Jiang Chenyan’s frown deepened. What a disgusting fetish.
A person as pure as the bright moon shouldn’t be treated like that. No matter what, he had to stop that kind of plot from happening.
With nothing else to do, Jiang Chenyan and Shen Shiyue chatted a lot. As the conversation deepened, Shen Shiyue casually asked about Jiang Chenyan’s family, which instantly made Jiang Chenyan lose his words.
The original body’s relationship with his family was truly average. Even after he became a top-tier Alpha, the family hadn’t even called once to check on him. Currently, the balance in his card was getting lower and lower, and there wasn’t a cent of living allowance. He was basically being raised in the wild.
From this, Jiang Chenyan concluded, “I’m probably not their biological son.”
Shen Shiyue was stunned and didn’t follow up with more questions. The air was quiet for a moment.
Eventually, Jiang Chenyan broke the silence. He looked up at Shen Shiyue. “Practice combat with me. I want to beat Qi Bai next time.”
Shen Shiyue didn’t hesitate much and nodded gently. “Alright.”
The two entered the training hall. Jiang Chenyan took a half-step back and settled into a stance, glancing at Shen Shiyue to signal they could begin.
Shen Shiyue’s movements paused for a few seconds before he slowly raised his hands to meet him.
Amidst the dull thuds of their fists and feet colliding, Jiang Chenyan realized more and more clearly that Shen Shiyue was holding back with every block. It was as if he was afraid of hurting him; he was clearly going easy.
Jiang Chenyan suddenly pulled back his fist. He stood still against the overhead lights of the training hall, his face expressionless. “Shen Shiyue, don’t go easy on me on purpose. I said I want to be the one to defeat Qi Bai.”
He continued, “Don’t you want to see me beat him?”
If he was going to win, he wanted to win thoroughly, without a single drop of water.
“Shen Shiyue.” Jiang Chenyan looked up at Shen Shiyue and smiled. “We can’t lose. The same goes for the competition.”
Shen Shiyue’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was lower than usual: “Alright.” He finally understood why he was attracted to Jiang Chenyan; no one could refuse such scorching vitality.
The man always had endless energy. No matter what happened, he could always face it with a smile. Even the light in his eyes was blindingly bright.
So, Shen Shiyue began to respond seriously. His punches were very methodical, every block was precise and neat, and his strength far exceeded Jiang Chenyan’s expectations.
Jiang Chenyan’s rhythm was completely thrown off. He was momentarily flustered, barely managing to parry.
Wait? He was this strong?
“Stop.”
Jiang Chenyan moved to end the bout.
“How are you so powerful?” Jiang Chenyan panted, leaning on his knees.
Shen Shiyue wiped the sweat from his forehead and explained calmly, “I’ve been practicing since I was in primary school. You’ve probably only recently started. Still, for you to have reached this level is already very impressive.”
“Since you were a kid?” Jiang Chenyan caught the keyword and pressed, “Exactly how young were you?”
“Eight years old.”
With that number, Jiang Chenyan was completely stumped. “…”
He had been practicing for eleven years.
Seeing Jiang Chenyan like this, the corner of Shen Shiyue’s mouth couldn’t help but curve. “But it’s fine. I can teach you some technical moves and try to help you break through to the next level.”
Hearing this, Jiang Chenyan raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Instructor Shen, please guide me.”
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Chenyan was once again pinned beneath Shen Shiyue. His back was pressed against the cool floor, leaving him with only rapid, heavy breathing.
Sweat slid down his temples, tracing the exquisite curve of his brow and the bridge of his nose. His naturally cold, white skin looked translucent under the lights. Shen Shiyue propped himself up on his arms above him, staring down at him, but he couldn’t help but think of Qi Bai.
When Jiang Chenyan practiced with Qi Bai, did the other man also look down on him from such a close distance? Had he seen this look—eyes red with exhaustion, yet still refusing to give in?
At that thought, Shen Shiyue’s eyes instantly darkened.
Jiang Chenyan was completely unaware of the change in Shen Shiyue. He was so tired he had no strength left. He reached out a hand. “Can you give me a hand up?”
Seeing the hand Jiang Chenyan offered, the darkness in Shen Shiyue’s eyes grew even more intense. He reached out and gripped it firmly.
Jiang Chenyan was about to use that strength to prop himself up, but unexpectedly, Shen Shiyue suddenly stumbled, as if his foot had slipped, and fell toward him. Jiang Chenyan thought ‘oh no’ and instinctively tried to tilt his head to avoid him, but Shen Shiyue had already fallen. His lips pressed gently against Jiang Chenyan’s forehead.
Jiang Chenyan’s whole body stiffened. He could clearly feel a slight dampness on his forehead.
He couldn’t smile anymore.
“Shen Shiyue, get up quickly.”
He raised his hand to push the person off, but just as his fingertips touched the other’s shoulder, Shen Shiyue wobbled again for some reason. His entire weight crashed down onto Jiang Chenyan. The massive force caused Jiang Chenyan’s vision to go black.
He completely lost the strength to struggle and lay paralyzed on the ground. Shen Shiyue’s apologetic voice came from above: “Sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Jiang Chenyan felt a bit helpless. “I know. Just get up.”
Shen Shiyue first moved off Jiang Chenyan, and when he stood up, he didn’t forget to reach out and pull him up.
It was very late today, and Jiang Chenyan wasn’t in the mood to practice anymore. He could do it another day.
He and Shen Shiyue returned to the dorm. Whether it was his imagination or not, Shen Shiyue seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood tonight.
However, the first round of the competition was coming up soon. Jiang Chenyan and the others became busy, and they wished they could squeeze out every second for training.
The day before, the rules were announced:
The competition uses a points system. The core way to obtain points is by killing the army inside the simulator. This army is made up of real soldiers who have undergone high-intensity training. If a team member is killed in battle, they will immediately exit the simulator, and subsequent points will depend on the remaining teammates.
Members can use accumulated points to exchange for mechas. Using mechas in battle can significantly increase the efficiency of killing the army.
Of course, the most eye-catching part was the red text at the bottom.
First: In addition to killing the army, points can be obtained by killing other participating teams.
Second: The mechas exchanged this time will directly affect the subsequent ultimate test, and the ultimate test must use the mecha exchanged this time.
Teams ranked in the bottom ten will face an expulsion warning. The school does not need such trash!!!
“Students, this mock exam is especially important. To ensure fairness, we will be broadcasting on the big screen, allowing everyone to watch the situation of each team in real-time. Your families will also receive invitations to watch from the stands!”
As soon as these words were out, everyone exploded into a frenzy.
“My parents are coming? Isn’t that going to kill me? So embarrassing.”
“Don’t say that. I actually want them to see how powerful I am now.”
“I also heard that many military officers, generals, and political figures will be coming. So we should try our best to perform well.”
“Huh? I really didn’t expect it to be taken so seriously. Why?”
“Isn’t it because our school produced a few SS-level Alphas, and even one SS+? There’s no use talking more; just be careful…”
“Oh…”
Jiang Chenyan looked at the rules and frowned. “With that rule at the bottom, the slaughter between teams will definitely be fierce.”
Ji Xuan wanted to cry. “Yeah.”
But there was nothing they could do. It was set by the school.
Ji Xuan turned to look at the people beside him and asked casually, “By the way, are your parents coming too?”
Du Er was the first to respond. “Yes, they’re quite looking forward to it.”
Ling Yi also followed with a nod, giving a brief one-word reply: “Yes.”
Shen Shiyue paused, his expression flat. “I’m not sure.” Probably not; his father was always too busy to even touch the ground.
Beside them, Jiang Chenyan curled his lip. “Definitely not. We’re not close.”
The air instantly went quiet. Except for Ji Xuan, everyone had different expressions. These days, were there still people who weren’t close to their parents?
Jiang Chenyan didn’t know how to explain to them. The original body’s relationship with his parents was very strained—the kind where they didn’t say more than a few words all year round.
Especially since he had three older brothers above him. They had heaven-defying genes and had apparently all graduated from the Alliance Military Academy; they were all S-level Alphas.
The couple felt that having three outstanding sons was enough. When another was born and checks showed he was likely to differentiate into the weakest level of Alpha, they couldn’t be bothered to cultivate him.
Wasn’t it mentioned in the original text? The cannon fodder’s ending was being expelled after his identity was discovered and finally being sent to another planet for a political marriage.
It was indeed unfair, but there were many things in this world that didn’t follow logic. However, since he now occupied this body, he should put all his effort into rising to the top, standing at the highest point, and living brightly for the original body.
Helping him was also helping himself.
They looked the same and had the same name; it was a strong destiny. The original body had given him a second life, so he should cherish it.
The group chatted a bit more before heading back to their dorms to rest. Ji Xuan watched their receding backs, but a wave of regret rose in his heart.
He curled his lip in self-mockery. In the end, he was just a discarded pawn whose gland had been ruined; what right did he have to involve himself in these topics?
Just as Jiang Chenyan was about to fall asleep, his optical computer chimed a few times. A message from the school popped up, clearly stating: “Your parents will be coming.”
Jiang Chenyan stared at that line, his fingertips tightening slightly. He replied almost immediately: “How do you know they’re coming?” He didn’t even know himself.
Soon, the school’s reply came: “Student Jiang, we heard from your parents that you deleted their contact information before, so they haven’t been able to get in touch with you.”
“…”
How could they not get in touch? If they wanted to, there were plenty of ways. It was simply that they didn’t want to.
The system’s notification sound rang:
[System: Host, you don’t know the full story; please don’t judge easily. Based on known clues, the original body’s parents believed that his entry into the Alliance Military Academy would bring shame to the family. This led the original body to feel forced to leave home, cut off all ties with the family, and head to the military academy.]
Jiang Chenyan understood. “I was wondering why no one was sending money to my card.”
He should have said so earlier; he’d better hurry up and get a part-time job.
Jiang Chenyan put the school on his blacklist.
The school: “?”
On the other end, the school teacher was stunned. He looked at the man in front of him with a somewhat dodging gaze. “Your younger brother… blacklisted my contact information.”
As soon as the words were out, the air pressure around the man in the crisp military uniform plummeted. An undetectable trace of ferocity flashed through his eyes.
“Is that so?”
His voice was very cold.
It was fine. Tomorrow, he and his parents would go together to see his “younger brother” with their own eyes.
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