Since Cheng Li had informed him about the autumn recruitment being shifted to an earlier date, Jian Xie had to prioritize improving his skills.
Although time was tight, he really didn’t want to see the scene he had imagined before.
It was terrifying.
Judging by the reactions of the investigators he encountered; the commotion was no less than that of celebrities revealing their relationship to the world.
And it was tomorrow.
Jian Xie propped his chin up, listening absentmindedly to the physics teacher’s lecture on the podium. Although he was sitting in the classroom, he kept twirling the pen in his hand and gazing out the window, using the clear sky to clear his thoughts.
From what he could see right now, he has these abilities:
First, he could now actively choose to eat monsters, but time was too tight, and he hasn’t tried it yet.
Then, he could unleash a pseudo-hell from his body, dragging monsters into the space he has constructed.
How to construct it was also a question.
“……”
Since he only got them yesterday, he didn’t really know how to use them yet…
Could all of these really be tried and tested in such a short time?
This was not a question, but rather the next item on his agenda.
Even someone as big-hearted as Jian Xie knew that he couldn’t just brush this off like he had with Cheng Li and the others before. He could tell from his intuition that Cheng Li and Yu Jinghe were the type to keep secrets, so he turned a blind eye to Qin Zhuo’s behavior during those times.
After all, this was his body which he controlled, so he knew that the other party would float freely in the air during the conversation and intimidate the poor investigators.
But the Supernatural Management Bureau was not all made up of such simple personnel.
…there were even things that aren’t human.
After considering everything, Jian Xie pulled out a scrap paper from under his notebook and wrote a line with his pen.
[I have something I would like to ask your opinion about.]
【Just say it.】 It’s voice was lazy, like a beast that hadn’t had enough sleep. 【I won’t object.】
Jian Xie stared blankly and raised his eyes toward the source of the sound. He saw a cloud of fog gathering beside him. Through the blurry outline, he could make out that It was sitting on the windowsill. Taking advantage of the fact that no ordinary people could see It, It rested It’s chin on It’s hand and stared at Jian Xie for an unknown amount of time.
He had considered whether the other party would find it boring to follow him around all the time, but now it seemed that It had It’s own ways of entertaining Itself.
[Don’t scare me like that inside my body.] Jian Xie wrote, [Do you remember the Special A-Class at the subway station? Because the other party ran away, we wasted a lot of time.]
If he learned anything from that, it was how to fish with a hook and bait.
Playing weak and inconspicuous and packaging oneself as prey, was a very practical tactic.
For example, Dr. Li, who came willingly, was also attracted by Jian Xie’s flesh and blood. Rather than scaring him away like the eyeball monster with mysterious powers, they did not alert him. Instead, they waited until Dr. Li entered the trap before taking action, making the whole thing go much more smoothly.
[I’ll take care of it myself.] He wrote this sentence with greater force.
After a moment, Qin Zhuo clicked It’s tongue.
【Alright.】
Although it seemed as if he was being controlled by Jian Xie, he did not offer any objections, just as he had said earlier that he would agree to Jian Xie’s request.
However, it was not entirely unconditional, because after making the promise, It suddenly narrowed It’s eyes.
【Excuses.】
【In fact, it’s because you’re worried that I’m inside you which might cause trouble for your position at the Supernatural Management Bureau in the future, right?】
Jian Xie: “…”
Qin Zhuo jumped down from the windowsill and bent down to look at Jian Xie sitting on the chair. He could see the other’s dark red eyes, like dried bloodstains, through the layer of black fog enveloping his body as they drew closer and closer, staring intently at him without blinking, and filled with strength and savagery.
Jian Xie maintained his balance, preventing himself from leaning backward and showing a position of weakness.
The sound of the lecture gradually became indistinct, the temperature in the room seemed to rise, and the air between the two became tense.
Qin Zhuo stared intently at him, as if trying to find any trace of a lie on his face.
“That’s right, you’re correct.” Since they were in class, Jian Xie moved his lips and talked quietly, admitting it calmly. “I’m human, so I speak between the lines. I just don’t like it.”
If it weren’t for Qin Zhuo, he actually didn’t intend to let others like Cheng Li or Fu Huanyu know about his abnormality. It was the aura he leaked that frightened the two of them.
After all, before all of these, he had originally intended to just take on a part-time job.
Although he was getting stronger, it didn’t necessarily mean he wanted to show off. Jian Xie still planned to study hard and get into a top university.
【……】
Indeed.
Jian Xie has been rejecting It all along.
Whether it was the stiff reaction to receiving a gift, being asked to put on and take off a watch, or conversations that did not touch on his private life.
As a terrifying force that crushed everything in its path, Qin Zhuo has always appeared overly arrogant, constantly looking down on these creatures that he considered meaningless. Because he could easily possess everything, he has no idea how to obtain anything.
But it was not that simple. Humans were complex creatures.
Especially Jian Xie before his eyes.
Even after a year of observation, It was unable to accurately define this seemingly fragile human being, but It knew one thing for sure: It wanted It’s feelings to be reciprocated, not just remain in a so-called symbiotic relationship. They must establish a deeper connection.
Jian Xie was locked in a hot scorching gaze, as if wanting to devour him, but he did not avoid It’s gaze and instead held it.
I like it, I like the way you look back at me like that.
【I’ve made up my mind.】
He seemed to have uttered these words on a whim, yet they gave the impression that he was about to announce something significant. The previous sense of pressure that had been building up gradually disappeared, leaving only a playful tone. 【I have a very profitable deal for you. Are you interested?】
The tone seemed to like that of an evil force tempting people to fall into depravity.
Jian Xie glanced across his body to the podium. The teacher oblivious to what was happening in the back of the classroom.
Their posture was really awkward. Due to the position of his desk, he seemed to be completely trapped between the other’s chest and the corner of the wall.
Jian Xie shifted his body slightly but quickly suppressed the urge with his inner rationality. He knew very well that he was in class, and if he pushed his chair back and stood up, he would definitely attract everyone’s attention. So, he forced himself to look at the board and maintain a normal expression.
[What are you talking about?]
He casually mouthed the words as he copied the notes on the board.
The moment he finished speaking, Jian Xie’s eyes, which had been fixed on the blackboard, were blocked, as if the other party was dissatisfied that he could still spare the energy to look elsewhere.
Then, the black fog in front of him cleared, a force grabbed his left hand and forcefully pulled him to the edge of the chair. He could feel that he had touched something extremely cold, and the sudden chill made him shiver slightly. His fingers instinctively tried to curl up but were stopped.
Being too sensitive to the outside world, Jian Xie’s skin almost immediately felt like it was electrocuted and covered with goose bumps.
Just as he lowered his head to get a clear view of the scene before him, a look of utter astonishment flashed across Jian Xie’s eyes for the first time.
His entire body was about to explode. He forgot that he was in class and almost blurted out his question without thinking.
“You…”
【Shh.】 The other person squeezed his fingers to stop him from speaking.
There was a slight itching sensation.
From a simple perspective, it was an overly beautiful face, but the eyebrows and eyes appeared gloomy and unruly while the dark red eyes added a touch of eeriness and danger.
It was a strange young man.
But, wait, it was absolutely impossible for humans to have such a low temperature, and those eyes…
Jian Xie’s rational mind immediately rejected this speculation.
He should have withdrawn his hand, but he completely forgot to do so, instead staring at the face that was so superior it instantly captured his attention.
The other person’s profile rested against his palm, their eyes slightly narrowed, resembling a docile pet. Their slender fingers intertwined with his, their fingertips touching and overlapping in an ambiguous manner. The black fog that lingered around his body in all directions made the identity of the mysterious man obvious.
“……”
This was the first time Jian Xie saw Qin Zhuo’s appearance.
He had seen the tentacles reaching out from the black fog, the strange and unpredictable figures darting by like lightning, and even the terrifying pressure exerted on the other investigators the moment It appeared. He had also seen the terrifying appearance of numerous monsters, so he was already prepared for the other party’s extremely SAN-reducing appearance.
According to his observations, based on the premise that the uglier the monster, the stronger its abilities, even if the hands he saw before were quite attractive, it would already be commendable if Qin Zhuo’s appearance was above average.
However, he never imagined that it would be so similar to humans, even surpassing those movie stars.
It seemed that some misunderstanding had arisen because Jian Xie had stared silently for too long. Qin Zhuo let out a ‘tsk’ and said listlessly, 【I knew you wouldn’t like it.】
He still hadn’t let go of Jian Xie’s hand and instead gripped it even tighter while glancing at his own body with disgust.
Human limbs devoid of any intimidating presence, standing at just 1.9 meters tall16’2. Bruh, “only”? I’m not even 5’5, and what height do you wanna be, 9 feet? XD. Compared to other creatures, this resemblance would never evoke fear or dread in humans. There was no cowering or submission where one dared not meet with a direct gaze. Such a form was not only incapable of matching any superior strength but also failed to induce any sense of reliability in Its human counterparts.
If possible, he would rather hide himself in the black fog than let Jian Xie see him like this.
【It’s ugly.】
It didn’t sound fake at all; the other really meant it.
Jian Xie’s mouth twitched: “…”
He was taken aback by this very pretentious remark and didn’t know how to respond.
But this face—a strange thought popped into Jian Xie’s mind— completely hit his aesthetic sensibilities…
He used all his strength to stop himself from blurting out, [So you think I’m ugly?] Otherwise, the atmosphere between them, holding hands like this, would have been ruined… Although it didn’t seem like much now, Jian Xie felt he still had to struggle a little.
[What you were about to say,] he broke the sticky atmosphere, [what kind of deal is it?]
Qin Zhuo sneered and said, 【Because of their descent, even the weakest incarnations cannot roam this world.】
Based on an evil god’s abilities, It could indeed don a disguise and break through the limitations of time and space to come to this world in multiple incarnations, which was known as “descending.”
Incarnation, or the creation of a doppelganger, was a way to weaken It’s power in order to blend into other dimensions. It’s true form could float in space or even fall into a deep sleep, but It’s doppelganger could move about freely, just like another version of Itself in another world.
However, the reality was that even a fragment of Qin Zhuo’s power, which only possessed a portion of his strength, was rejected by the natural laws for violating the principle of conservation of energy.
It was precisely for this reason that It was summoned yet attached Itself to Jian Xie instead.
【I need you to help me find materials for a body.】
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Zhuo let go of his hand and stood up again.
It then sat back down the windowsill by Jian Xie’s desk.
Almost immediately, all the black fog that had dissipated began to gather once more, its blurry edges completely shrouding the figure.
This gave Jian Xie a special feeling, that only he was worthy of seeing the other’s astonishing appearance. Similarly, only when holding Jian Xie’s hand could Qin Zhuo reveal his true form rather than just a blurry black mist and find his place in this world.
Qin Zhuo’s gaze came from the black mist, appearing even more intense and exposed than usual.
…It was as if Qin Zhuo was deliberately emphasizing their relationship in this way.
Jian Xie pinched his burning earlobe, turned her head back, and carefully wrote a line on the paper with his pen.
[What do you want to do with your body?]
He did not forget the other person’s identity.
But soon, Jian Xie regretted asking the question, because Qin Zhuo immediately rested his chin on his hand and said lazily, 【Of course, it’s so that I could get rid of everyone around you without restriction, get close to you, see you anytime I want, and it wouldn’t cause any trouble for your identity.】
Jian Xie, who was clenching the pen in his hand: “…”
Sure enough, It was still nitpicking about what he had said earlier.
And to say something like that to him without any care was really unfair.
【As for what you can get.】
It stared intently at Jian Xie with a hint of madness in It’s eyes, and spoke with a smile that was not quite a smile, 【I can give you my heart. If you crush it, I will die, and you can use that to command me to do anything. How about it?】
A note from the author:
“About Being an Evil God Who Desperately Wants to Fall in Love, Regardless of Life or Death” by Qin Zhuo
Translator Xena’s other works: https://ko-fi.com/xenatl/gallery
– Just click the pictures and the link will show <3
