Chapter 15 : Be My Family’s Son!

“Hanqi-ge!!”

A crisp shout snapped me out of my thoughts.

Stopping at the crosswalk, I turned around just as a soft figure crashed into my arms.

Alarm bells blared in my head.

Oh no, not another immortal who knows about the Sephirian Continent?

I’m super busy—assassination attempts, please take a number and queue up in Paris.

As I braced for a chokehold or grapple, I felt tears soaking my chest.

“Long time no see, A-Han.”

A more mature voice sounded beside me, making my heart skip. Smiling wryly, I looked up, still holding the girl in my arms.

“Uh, it hasn’t been that long, Ningxi-jie.”

…

“Those bags look heavy. Let me carry them.”

Walking side by side, I glanced at the silent Gu Ningxi and used my free hand—the one not being clung to by Ye Yushu—to take her bags.

Gu Ningxi blinked, then her eyes softened with a smile.

“Alright. They’re for you anyway.”

What?!

I nearly dropped them. Peeking inside—snacks, clothes, daily essentials…

“I picked the snacks!”

Ye Yushu, gripping my arm like I might bolt, pressed her budding chest against me with that distinct teenage softness—nice, soft, a bit firm.

“Oh, thanks.”

I smiled, pulling a candy from my pocket—a gift from Liu Senyao-senpai, who’d come with Jiang Xiang-senpai to the milk tea shop.

Peeling it open, I held it to her mouth.

“!” Beaming, Ye Yushu chomped the candy, accidentally—or maybe not—sucking my fingers too, her tongue brushing my fingertips.

“Thanks, Hanqi-ge!”

Her pure, unclouded happiness made me feel a bit ashamed.

She definitely didn’t mean to suck my fingers; I’m the sleaze for even thinking about it.

Chanting “I’m not a lolicon” in my head, I pinched Ye Yushu’s cheek, like I used to when Ye Qingshu first invited me to their house.

“…”

Plip.

Crystal droplets fell on the back of my hand—not rain, that’s for sure.

“Hanqi-ge, it’s been so long since you fed me candy.” Ye Yushu looked up, her jade-like face marked by my pinch and two clear tear streaks.

“It’s been almost three years…”

To me, it feels like much, much longer.

After things got awkward with Ye Qingshu, I still hung out with Ye Yushu and Gu Ningxi, even accepting their invites when Qingshu wasn’t around, passing things through them—but it wasn’t the same.

“I thought you didn’t want to be close anymore because I grew up.”

“Huh?” Making her daughter cry in front of her mom, I panicked.

“No, no, it’s just, uh, middle school got busy. My grades aren’t as good as Qingshu’s or Mu Ziqing’s, so I’ve been drowning in studies…”

“Qingshu told us why you two drifted apart and what she did.”

Gu Ningxi spoke softly beside me.

Qingshu, you traitor! Spilling embarrassing stuff like that?!

Now your mom’s calling you by your full name—happy now?

I looked up awkwardly. Gu Ningxi’s a fun adult—when I was little, she insisted I call her “sister,” not “auntie.”

For someone so gentle-looking yet lively and open-minded to use Qingshu’s full name, things must be rough for her at home.

“I’m sorry, A-Han. I thought you two just grew apart, maybe felt shy or awkward, so I didn’t ask properly…” Gu Ningxi’s face twisted in pain, her voice trembling as she apologized.

“Can you forgive a negligent old auntie like me?”

I shook my head quickly.

“Ningxi-jie, don’t say that. There’s nothing to forgive. You never did anything wrong—neither did Qingshu. No one did.”

Smiling gently at Ye Yushu, who was sniffling and clinging to my sleeve, I continued.

“It’s just that everyone has their own choices.”

I set the bags down, crouched, and ruffled her hair.

“Like when Ningxi-jie let an orphan like me eat at your house. Didn’t plenty of gossipy aunties think you were after my parents’ inheritance, or finding a live-in son-in-law for your daughters?”

Looking up at Gu Ningxi, I went on.

“To those aunties, your kindness was pointless. But to me, I’ve always been grateful from the bottom of my heart. I’m a weird guy, but if I have any normal traits, it’s because you gave me a warm home when I was young.”

A faint plum-blossom scent enveloped me.

This time, I was the one pulled into an embrace.

“Mom, that’s sneaky!”

Ye Yushu’s voice came from beside me as gentle pats, like soothing a baby, landed on my back.

“You’re saying this to cut ties with us, aren’t you?”

I relaxed my tensed body from the sudden hug.

“No way, Ningxi-jie, I’ve always—”

“You know, A-Han, when you lie, you tense up, then act super relaxed to seem carefree.”

I gently broke free, smiling wryly at her.

“Ningxi-jie, I…”

As if to cut me off, Gu Ningxi looked into my eyes, enunciating each word.

“Zhu Hanqi. Would you… be our family’s son?”

My eyes widened.

Ye Yushu let out a startled yelp.

“Mom!!”

…

That scared the hell out of me.

After saying goodbye, I got home and touched my chest lightly.

For a moment, I was terrified Gu Ningxi would ask that haunting, nightmare-inducing question about the Sephirian Continent.

“It’s practically PTSD.”

Rubbing my brow, I plugged the USB drive from Jiang Xiang-senpai into my computer.

Gu Ningxi’s question? Obviously, I declined.

It’s obvious, right? Agreeing would just be asking for trouble—what’s the upside?

I feel a bit guilty toward Gu Ningxi, who’s always cared for me, and Yushu, who loves clinging to me, but I’ve fully adapted to—hell, I enjoy—this solitary life.

Here’s to a life free of ties!

Browsing the data on my computer, I frowned.

“They’re real pros at this, but they cover their tracks well. No wonder Jiang Xiang-senpai couldn’t pin them down.”

Some people are gifted at villainy—geniuses, even.

But.

I chuckled, closing my laptop.

A genius among villains is just the entry ticket to face a Demon King.

“Based on their past rumor patterns, they’ll move to the next phase—blackmail—soon. Before that, I need to…”

Musing alone in a quiet room, I tend to talk to myself, as if the sound helps me objectively evaluate my ideas.

Ding-dong.

An untimely doorbell interrupted my thoughts.

Who’s visiting at this hour?

I peeked through the peephole.

…Shen Yingxu?

Busted, doxxed! Flying-Knife Girl’s here to wreck my house!

“Zhu Hanqi’s not home,” I said seriously through the door.

“Save the clowning for later.”

Shen Yingxu cut me off with an irritated tone, banging the door twice.

Terrifying. This attitude’s rare for her… or maybe not that rare.

Worried she might do something drastic, I couldn’t let my loyal door—serving me faithfully all these years—get smashed.

“What’s up?”

Opening the door, I braced for a sudden attack.

“I’ll keep this short!”

Shen Yingxu slipped inside, slammed the door shut with practiced ease, like she’d done plenty of shady handoffs.

A refined young lady shouldn’t be this good at covert ops… Guess her time in that world was rough.

Before I could tease her, she spoke up.

“The rumormongers have candid photos of Ye Qingshu!”