Chapter 56 – “You are not him.”

Returning to the new room arranged by Gu Mijing, Tang Qing sat down with a still unsettled mind.

Upon seeing the human looking distressed, Xiao Mi jumped into his arms and rubbed its round head against him.

Tang Qing absentmindedly petted Xiao Mi, lost in thought.

Who else in this base has wood elemental abilities? Chen Ji has earth abilities, the male and female leads have fire and water, Xiao Lu also has fire abilities, and Lord Xuan has dark abilities…

Speaking of which, what exactly does dark elemental belong to? Logically speaking, Lord Xuan should have had other abilities before awakening his dark powers, right? But from what he had seen of his abilities, it was probably related to bats, dark particles, and didn’t seem to have much to do with vines.

What was he thinking? Tang Qing couldn’t help but shake his head. He was being too self-absorbed. Lord Xuan clearly liked girls, so how could he possibly have feelings for him?

Oh right, there’s also the newcomer, the team leader Li Ruiming with metal abilities, Lu Yining with healing abilities, and just like himself, belonging to the wood element.

Tang Qing remembered Lu Yining’s small arms and legs, how pale his face had turned when Lord Xuan pinched him… People shouldn’t be judged by appearance, but it shouldn’t be that bad, right?

But that person must have been afraid of Gu Mijing, which was why they stopped when they heard him call out his name.

It seemed like he would have to stay closer to Gu Mijing in the future.

“Sigh…” Tang Qing sighed heavily, unintentionally tightening his grip on Xiao Mi, causing it to yelp in pain.

“Oh, sorry Xiao Mi.” Tang Qing picked up Xiao Mi, comforting it by rubbing its round head and kissing its forehead apologetically.

Being cajoled by the handsome man, Xiao Mi had no choice but to forgive.

“Huh, this cat…” Lu Zefeng casually glanced at Xiao Mi and froze.

“What’s wrong?” Tang Qing asked in confusion.

“This cat is the orange cat that Lord Xuan has been searching for, right?” Lu Zefeng looked at Xiao Mi and explained, “For years, Lord Xuan has been searching for an orange cat with a mole near its eye, and it has to be chubby.”

Tang Qing remembered the room full of chubby orange cats when he first arrived at the city. And Lord Xuan’s expression when he noticed the mole near his eye. No wonder Gu Mijing had taken Xiao Mi from the female lead the moment he saw it.

So, was he now a stand-in for Xiao Mi?

Tang Qing incredulously picked up Xiao Mi, carefully examining it over and over again, unable to imagine what special abilities this chubby cat possessed to capture Lord Xuan’s attention for so many years as his white moonlight¹its those unattainable first loves kinda thing.

In the end, he could only rub Xiao Mi’s chubby round head and sigh deeply, “Cats can be deceiving too.”

In the evening, Gu Mijing came to Tang Qing’s room.

“Tang Tang, are you getting used to living here?”

“It’s pretty good,” Tang Qing replied.

“If you need anything, feel free to find me anytime,” the man said casually.

Tang Qing nodded gratefully.

“By the way, Tang Tang, would you like to live alone in this room in the future?”

The events of noon were truly absurd. And with Tang Qing’s abilities growing stronger, he was worried that what he had done to Tang Qing would eventually be exposed. Tang Qing always slept next to him without any defenses, making it difficult for Gu Mijing to control himself.

“No, I can’t.” Nervously grabbing the man’s sleeve, Tang Qing, with eyes filled with trust, looked up at him anxiously, “Lord, can I continue sleeping with you? I have a good sleeping posture and I don’t snore.”

He dared not be alone now, fearing encountering that vine pervert again.

Seeing Tang Qing’s full trust in him, Gu Mijing remained silent.

Seeing him hesitate, Tang Qing couldn’t help but bite his lip, scrunch up his little face, slightly pout, and tried to act cute, “Really, can’t I?”

“Of course you can, Tang Tang, you can move back tomorrow.” The man finally agreed, and Tang Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

Afterward, Gu Mijing took out a blue velvet box from his pocket. “I brought you a blood jade.”

Tang Qing had already accepted two blood jades from him, so he was surprised, “Lord Xuan, there’s no need, you should keep it for yourself.”

Ignoring his refusal, Gu Mijing continued, “I got this in the afternoon, I modified it for you.”

After saying this, he opened the box to reveal a ring inside. A silver, sleek ring, exquisitely crafted, with a dazzling blood jade that resembled a green gemstone set on top.

Looking at this priceless ring, Tang Qing felt a bit embarrassed; it was too precious. Moreover, rings often held symbolic meanings.

Gu Mijing said calmly, “For convenience and discretion, I had it made into a ring for you.”

The man took Tang Qing’s left hand. These hands, unscathed in the apocalypse, were soft and delicate, with slender and fair fingers that looked exquisite. While the emerald green ring might appear slightly dark in someone else’s hands, it shone brightly on his, making his hand glow with radiance.

Seeing the ring in his hand, Tang Qing was touched. Gu Mijing had been the kindest person to him since he transmigrated. He couldn’t help but ask, “Lord Xuan, do you like girls?”

The man looked at Tang Qing and thought the young man might be suspecting him, so he answered without hesitation, “Yes.”

“Oh.” Tang Qing was prepared for this answer, so he nodded, unable to express his true feelings.

In the evening, as Tang Qing passed through the hallway, he encountered Lu Yining again.

This person just wouldn’t go away.

Tang Qing tried to avoid him, but Lu Yining walked straight towards him, holding a drink in his hand, and smiling, he said, “This drink is really good, Young master Tang, would you like to try it?”

Tang Qing couldn’t be bothered to entertain him and directly refused, saying, “No need, move aside.”

However, Lu Yining grabbed Tang Qing’s hand and persistently said, “Just try it, I won’t poison it.”

Tang Qing grabbed Lu Yining’s hand and forcefully pulled away, his face cold as he said, “Are you crazy? Get out of my way.” He pushed Lu Yining hard, causing him to stumble back several steps.

Ignoring Lu Yining, Tang Qing skirted past him and returned to his room.

“How did it go, did you succeed?” Li Ruiming came out from the side, asking anxiously.

“You’re so anxious,” Lu Yining sneered, took a sip of his drink, and said, “Like a monkey.”

Li Ruiming reached out to touch Lu Yining’s shoulder, trying to please him, “Come on, Ning Ning, tell me.”

Lu Yining gave him a disdainful look, wiped his hands with a wet wipe, and said, “I rubbed the powder on my hands. If he touches me, he’ll definitely pass out soon.”

Li Ruiming burst into laughter, “Well done, Ning Ning. So, tonight is the night of Lord Xuan’s ‘Divine Punishment’?”

Lu Yining nodded, “Yes, it’s exactly a month since the last time. You go find Tang Qing, and I’ll go find Lord Xuan.”

Li Ruiming thought of that stunning profile and the beautiful, delicate young man, his heart wavering. This Lord Xuan, having such a beautiful person all to himself. If they weren’t going separate ways tonight, he wouldn’t have had a chance to get close to that beauty.

In the bases he had been in before, the leaders would gather beautiful people for the enjoyment of the others, unlike Lord Xuan’s strictness.

After he had his way with that person, that person wouldn’t dare to make noise. If anyone found out about it, with Lord Xuan’s status, he would probably discard that person and find someone new. Of course, if Lord Xuan didn’t want that beauty anymore, Li Ruiming would consider taking over.

On the other side, Lu Yining watched Li Ruiming’s lecherous and despicable behavior and felt disgusted. If it wasn’t to get close to Lord Xuan again, he wouldn’t want to collaborate with this person.

Undoubtedly, Lord Xuan was the most powerful existence in the apocalypse. If one could become the person Lord Xuan had been searching for, it would be the height of wealth and power in the apocalypse. Thinking of the handsome silver-haired man with impeccable features, his cold and stern face, Lu Yining couldn’t help but feel weak in the legs.

That Tang Qing was just exceptionally beautiful. In this past month, his abilities had advanced, now a Level 2 Healing user. He believed he could successfully get closer to Lord Xuan this time.

Tang Qing returned to his room feeling a bit dizzy.

Lu Yining was definitely up to something. His eyelids felt heavy now, unable to keep his eyes open. If he wasn’t a Healing user who could slowly break down toxins, he would have passed out by now.

“L… Xiao Lu.” He tried to call for the guard to come in, but he felt weak all over, his voice barely a whisper.

At that moment, the door opened.

Tang Qing struggled to lift his head, but the person who entered wasn’t Lu Zefeng.

Lu Zefeng had only recently been promoted to Level 3 and was no match for Li Ruiming. He had been knocked out cold at the door.

…

At that moment, as the clock struck twelve, Lu Yining executed his old plan once more, incapacitating the guard at Lord Xuan’s door. With the key Li Ruiming had stolen for him, he opened Lord Xuan’s door.

“Who’s there?” The man’s voice was as cold as ice.

Lu Yining tugged at his collar, revealing his collarbones, and said, “Sir, I’m here to help you.”

Gu Mijing’s head was pounding as if it was splitting open, his eyes bloodshot. Impatiently, he casually picked up something from the table and hurled it towards the door, “Get out!”

Dodging the object thrown at him, Lu Yining gathered his courage and approached, speaking softly, “Lord, I am the person you’ve been looking for. My abilities have advanced now, I can help stabilize your mind.”

He squatted in front of Gu Mijing, revealing the mole near his eye and a vulnerable part of his neck. He knew this posture would trigger the man’s protective instincts the most.

Seeing the mole near Lu Yining’s eye, Gu Mijing had a moment of distraction.

He remembered that young man with the pair of trusting eyes. Although he appeared soft and easily deceived, he was always trying to protect himself. Every time he looked at him, his eyes were filled with trust and reliance.

Seeing Lu Yining’s expression soften, he reached out his hand, intending to use his abilities on the man.

Bang!

A dull sound echoed as a vase was fiercely smashed on Lu Yining’s head, shattering into pieces.

Lu Yining lifted his head in disbelief, but his eyes were obscured by the blood streaming down, unable to see clearly, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

“I said, get out.” The man’s voice was cold, filled with disgust.

Lu Yining’s face was covered in blood, and the man grabbed him by the neck, lifting him off the ground. He couldn’t breathe, his once handsome face now flushed and distorted in pain.

The man’s eyes were bloodshot, watching him expressionlessly, as if observing a fly.

At that moment, Lu Yining felt a strong sense of impending doom.

With his eyes narrowing, the terrifying pressure emanating from Lord Xuan made one tremble uncontrollably, his voice sinister and cold:

“You are not him.”

Author’s note:

Tang Tang: I’ve become a stand-in for Xiao Mi!?

Xiao Mi: Haha, don’t drag me into your love affairs, thank you.

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  its those unattainable first loves kinda thing