Chapter 18 - From Time Immemorial, Deep Love Has Never Won. Rather, It’s Cheap Words That Get the Job Done.
Translated by Eve
Edited by Karasunofight
TN for the chapter title:
Apparently, this comes from a Chinese manhua creator hahaha. I thought it was some old song. What it means is that those who are sincere and work hard and invest their efforts in a relationship never get rewarded. Instead, it’s those that say flowery but insincere words that gain the hearts of the one they desire. I tried to make it rhyme ‘cause it read all poetic…. Please don’t hurt me I tried my best T^T.
Xie He tightly closed his eyes, eyelashes trembling faintly, lips pale.
The memories he painstakingly tried to forget, all of it came rushing back— all the pain, the sadness…and the happiness, the excitement…their extremely high compatibility….
Xie He abruptly bit his own tongue. The pain sobered him as the taste of blood filled his mouth. He said, “Let go of me.”
Zhou Yizhe’s actions halted. He seemed to hesitate. When he caught a glimpse of the blood seeping out from the corner of Xie He’s mouth, he startled and let go instinctively. This man, who was always calm and steady, was rather flustered and helpless at this moment, “I’ll let you go, so don’t be impulsive!”
“You should leave,” Xie He glared at him with a cold gaze. His voice was low and tone monotonic, “Do you want to be seen by Zhou Yian? Do you want to destroy me once again?”
“No…I…” Zhou Yizhe’s lips moved. He who had always known what to say unexpectedly was left speechless now.
In truth, I have always wanted to love you properly.
A moment later, Zhou Yizhe retreated one step. Upon this retreat, his tall and erect body seemed to enter a different world that was enshrouded in darkness and deathly stillness, covered in a layer of decay. It was just one step, but the distance between them seemed as great as that between life and death.
Zhou Yizhe’s profound gaze focused on Xie He, who remained motionless. Soon after, without a word, he turned and left.
He thought… this time, he ought to give up.
【444：Host dada, what are you doing, ah! There’s just one more point, ah, why are you forcing him to go away?(⊙﹏⊙)b】Even though he was a system, he still felt sad upon seeing this, OK? Zhou Yizhe, this insufferably arrogant person…Zhou Yizhe was made so obedient…he’s come and gone so many times…..
【Xie He：I already know how to get that one point.】
【444：Then why didn’t you directly go get it?】
【Xie He：It’s not the right time. Right now isn’t the time for it.】
【444：Then when would it be the right time? (￣△￣；)】
【Xie He：In your opinion, if Song Ruyi wanted to lay her hands on me, when would be the best time to do that?】
【444：Of course it’s when you’re alone!】
【Xie He：Correct. I think that right now is a suitable time for that. You should know, before this, Zhou Yian always stuck close to me. He was always present every night. She absolutely won’t do anything in front of Zhou Yian, and won’t do anything when Zhou Yizhe is present either as she’s afraid of him. But right now, this is an extremely rare golden opportunity for her.】
【Xie He：If Zhou Yizhe doesn’t follow, then you immediately have to wake me up. Remember this, OK!】
【444：Oh…+_+】This is too big a leap from the previous topic. He felt completely stupefied, ah! Host dada, aren’t you awake right now? Just how can I wake you up?
【Xie He：You’ll understand soon. There is no such thing as coincidence in this world, only meticulous planning.】
Before 444 came back to himself, two men whose faces were covered by black masks jumped in through the windows and quickly pounced on Xie He.
Xie He seemed to have no reaction. A towel covered his nose and mouth, and then everything went black as he fell to the ground unconscious.
444：……
The taller man of the two took out some rope and firmly tied Xie He up. Soon after, he told the thin man who had come with him, “Go. Pack up all of Zhao Qing’s belongings. Make it look like he left home overnight.”
“OK,” The thin man laughed ‘hei hei’ and very efficiently packed up Zhao Qing’s belongings. While he packed, he chatted, “This youngster doesn’t look like much. He’s not all that good-looking, yet was unexpectedly able to make the Zhou Family’s two brothers give up everything else for his ‘pretty’ face.”
“He looks average, but maybe he’s really energetic in bed,” The tall man carried Xie He, a sinister smile on his face.
“Tsk, tsk, alright. I’m done packing!” The slim man dragged Xie He’s suitcase and smiled, “If this is what Zhou Yian sees when he comes back, he’ll only think that Zhao Qing didn’t want to be a burden to him, and that he secretly left out of shame.”
The two people smiled at one another, and then took Xie He and his suitcase away that very night.
After Zhou Yizhe left Xie He’s place, every step was heavy like they weighed three hundred thousand jun.
Each time a spark of hope lit up, or he wanted to believe in his own lies, reality always gave him a resounding slap in the face. This…was probably his punishment for his past crimes: to forever lose the person he loves.
And he could do nothing but receive this punishment without any resistance.
Zhou Yizhe stopped walking. He looked back at Xie He’s house from afar. The light in that tiny apartment had already been turned off. He fell silent for a few seconds, then gave a call to the people he had arranged. From now on&#k2026;he would never see Xie He again. It was only if he didn’t see him, could he make sure that he wouldn’t disturb him.
From today on, Xie He would have Zhou Yian by his side. He had to accept this.
He realized that the one who would give Xie He happiness was not him.
However, what was unexpected was that the call sounded a few times, but didn’t go through. Zhou Yizhe began to get impatient. Soon after, he seemed to think of something, and his expression suddenly changed. He quickly ran back towards Xie He’s house! He saw that the people he had arranged had all been knocked unconscious. Their wallets and wrist watches were all taken as if they had been robbed…however…the alarms went off in Zhou Yizhe’s brain. How could there be such a coincidence!
He knocked on Xie He’s door with all his strength, but not a single sound came from inside. Zhou Yizhe’s face darkened, and he kicked against the door, directly knocking it down.
The room was completely dark. He turned on the light. Everything seemed normal inside. It was just that he didn’t see Xie He as if he had left out of his own volition….
…………………………
Xie He opened his eyes in a daze. He laid on the floor, wrists and feet bound. From the slight rocking, he deduced that he ought to be on a boat right now.
The man standing guard saw that he had awoken and grinned at him.
A flash of fear that was just perfect for this situation flitted across Xie He’s face, “W-who are you? What did you kidnap me for….”
“What, don’t you know who wants to take care of you?” The man let out a ridiculing smile. His coquettish gaze fell onto Xie He’s body, “Your looks are alright, but you’re not too bright. Anyway, that’s fine…in any case, there won’t be any opportunity for you to use your brain in the future.”
“W-what are you going to do?!” Xie He nervously watched the man stand up and approach him.
“Dropping you off,” The man took a few dumbbells from the side and patiently tied them with rope around Xie He’s arms and legs. With a smile, he laughed, “In a bit, I’ll throw you into the ocean to sink. No one will be able to find you. Relax, it won’t be painful. I’ll knock you unconscious first.”
Xie He did his best to struggle, but he had just been drugged, so he didn’t have any strength. Very quickly, he was rendered unable to move by the heavy dumbbells. His face was pale, and he faintly gasped. His eyelashes drooped halfway, and there was a layer of mist over his usually limpid eyes. His weak body laid on the ground without any strength, slightly curled . His back that was stretched taut looked like a bow.
When the man saw this, he felt that there was a peculiar beauty to him. His expression changed, “Getting a closer look, you’re actually not that bad looking.”
Xie He looked up and stared at him with a gaze full of fear and hatred.
“Really such a pity…” The man smiled, “Since you’re about to die, I’ll kindly tell you why. What you did wrong was make Zhou Yian fall head over heels for you….but you needn’t worry. Zhou Yian won’t know about your death. He’ll only think you left him. When he sees that you’ve abandoned him, he definitely won’t make a fuss about leaving and will obediently return home to inherit the Zhou Family’s business.”
“Y-you’re Song Ruyi’s person…” Xie He looked at him in shock.
”So you’re not that stupid after all,” The man stood up, “Alright. It’s about time. Time to send you off.”
Xie He shut his eyes, an expression of despair on his face.
At this time, a sudden knock sounded on the door.
The man impatiently said, “Who is it? Come in.”
The door was pushed open, and the sound of footsteps entered. Originally, the man had his back to the door, but when he heard the sound of footsteps…This wasn’t right! He turned around and saw an unfamiliar man quickly rush towards them like a cheetah, who had suddenly escaped! The man had yet to make a sound when a fist smashed into his temple, and he fell to the floor powerlessly.
Xie He opened his eyes and looked at the person who had come incredulously, “W-why are you here….”
Zhou Yizhe was wet from head to toe. His black hair stuck to his forehead; his long and narrow eyes were sharp; the thin lips below his high bridged nose was drawn into a tight line; his expression was grave. He raised his index finger to his mouth, telling Xie He to stay quiet. He then quickly dragged the man to one side and fished out a gun from the man’s body while he was at it. He then untied Xie He and whispered, “Listen for my instructions. Don’t make a sound.”
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from outside.
Xie He immediately held his breath and nervously stood behind Zhou Yizhe.
“Da Ge, what are you doing? What was that sound just now?” The thin man shouted while approaching. However, when he reached the door and didn’t hear a response, he suddenly became alert. He didn’t come any closer and fished out his gun, holding it in his hands. He said once more, “Da Ge, why won’t you talk?”
Meanwhile, Zhou Yizhe suddenly exposed half his body from behind the door and took a shot!
The thin man hadn’t expected that someone had snuck onto the boat. He was caught off guard, and Zhou Yizhe gained the initiative by striking first. The thin man’s shoulder was hit, and he ran back from where he had come from at once. As he ran, he shot at Zhou Yizhe!
“Close the door and wait here!” Zhou Yizhe’s expression was chilly. After he gave Xie He instructions, he quickly chased after the thin man.
Before Xie He could respond, he saw Zhou Yizhe’s body disappear down the corridor. He immediately shut the door. Outside was quiet again, but very quickly came sounds of gunshots. Immediately afterwards, there was an explosion.
A while later, footsteps came from the corridor once more.
Xie He looked at the door nervously.
“Open the door, it’s me,” Zhou Yizhe’s voice came through.
Xie He quickly opened the door. When he saw Zhou Yizhe, his heart dropped in a split second, and he looked at him with worry, “A-are you OK….”
Zhou Yizhe’s expression was normal. He calmly took hold of Xie He’s shoulder and whispered, “We have to leave quickly. This boat is going to sink. The lifeboats are at the back.”
His tall body, even if it was just the view from behind, gave people an incomparable feeling of security. Without any hesitation, Xie He followed after him.
The two people worked together to lower the lifeboat. Not long after they departed, the boat they had just been on gradually sunk until it was no more.
It was the middle of the night at this moment. The bright moon hung in the night sky. Xie He, having narrowly escaped from death, turned to Zhou Yizhe, fixing his gaze on the man’s sharply defined face and fell silent for a moment before saying, “Thank you….”
Zhou Yizhe smiled. Wearing a smile on that grave and stern face of his made him seem exceptionally gentle under the night sky.
Xie He paused, “Why did you come…” Zhou Yizhe had clearly been rejected, clearly knew he hated him, so why would he put himself in danger to save him…. When he thought of this, his eyes reddened.
“Don’t cry,” Zhou Yizhe reached out to wipe the corner of Xie He’s eyes.
Xie He didn’t avoid him. He firmly stared at him.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t make you devote your body to me. So, don’t cry,” Zhou Yizhe said.
The heavy atmosphere seemed to be dispersed by his words. Xie He glared at him. This man, even at a time like this, was still in the mood to crack jokes!
Zhou Yizhe’s eyes became even more gentle. He softly said, “I’ll make sure you get back safely.”
I’ll make sure to bring you back to Zhou Yian’s side safely.
It was probably because it was too warm by Zhou Yizhe’s side, but Xie He slowly fell asleep. The next day, he was awoken by the sun. His skin had been burnt slightly as it was faintly red, and his lips were chapped from dehydration.
He blinked a few times, and his vision gradually cleared. He saw Zhou Yizhe sleeping beside him. He pushed at Zhou Yizhe for a while, wanting to wake him up. But after looking at him, he realized that Zhou Yizhe’s condition wasn’t normal! Zhou Yizhe’s face was pale, eyes tightly shut; his breath was weak, and he didn’t budge in the slightest.
Xie He accidentally bumped into his abdomen, and his palm felt sticky. When he carefully examined it, he saw that his hand was covered in blood. It was only then that he realized that Zhou Yizhe had been shot in the abdomen! Because he wore a dark-coloured suit, and because last night had been nighttime, in his moment of desperation, Xie He hadn’t noticed this at all!
Xie He was at a loss. A thought he had never considered suddenly popped up. Zhou Yizhe was going to die?
This man…was going to die here….
Xie He suddenly leaned over and seized Zhou Yizhe’s shoulders. With a hoarse voice, he yelled, “Wake up, wake up! You can’t sleep!”
He didn’t dare shake him too much, so he could only call him nonstop.
Zhou Yizhe was half-conscious. He could faintly hear someone calling his name. At times, this voice sounded as light as a feather, as if it was blown over by a slight breeze, scratching at his heart. At other times, it was like a heavy hammer, pounding down against his heart. This was the voice of his beloved…he wouldn’t be mistaken.
Zhou Yizhe slowly opened his eyes and saw the face that was very close to his. That pair of eyes were full of anxiety and worry at this moment.
Zhou Yizhe couldn’t help but smile slightly. Turns out he’s worried about me….
“I’m fine, don’t worry…someone will come rescue us…” His throat was so dry; it felt like it would exude fire. He was hurt all over. However, his feeble voice was still steady as if he still had everything under control, and patiently comforted the other.
The tears in Xie He’s eyes dripped down, “You’re hurt…there’s so much blood….”
“It’s but a little injury. I won’t die from it…” Zhou Yizhe looked at him. The pair of black eyes on his pale face were still bright and full of expression, carrying a bit of a smiling expression, “Hey, will you deceive me just once more? Tell me you love me….”
“Even at this time, you still feel like saying such things!” Xie He suddenly got angry.
“I did my best to save you, and you aren’t even willing to tell me a lie,” Zhou Yizhe raised an eyebrow, looking like a rascal, “Wait until we get back. You definitely won’t even be willing to see me.”
“You!” Xie He raged.
Zhou Yizhe shut his eyes in vain. Actually, it had exhausted all of his strength to say that bit.
He was very clear on his body’s circumstances. He was going to die from shock and dehydration—probably wouldn’t be able to hold on until help arrived…but he didn’t want the youth to know this.
If he died, the youth would no longer have to feel pained nor hesitate. He could happily be together with Zhou Yian…if he could have that kind of ending, then there was nothing he couldn’t accept.
It was just unfortunate that…even in the final moments before his death, not even a lick of his wishes were fulfilled….
Zhou Yizhe was muddleheaded. He wanted to sink into oblivion once more, but suddenly felt a pair of soft lips against his own. He abruptly opened his eyes and fell into the youth’s pair of water-like pupils.
Xie He gently lowered his head and kissed him. This kiss was as superficial as the touch between a dragonfly and the water’s surface—nothing but a single, light touch.
He gazed at Zhou Yizhe with a profound expression, “I loved you once….”
Zhou Yizhe thought that at this very second, time and space had stilled. The youth had said that he had once loved him, not the phony lie that was ‘I love you’. When he said these words, he was earnest. His eyes did not hold a trace of resentment or anger, nor did he look like he was compromising with him.
Perhaps he really had loved him for a moment before, perhaps his heart had really been moved for an instant.
After receiving this answer, he felt that he had no more regrets in life.
【Ding. The target’s Favorability Value +1. The current Favorability Value is 100.】
【This world’s target, Zhou Yizhe, has been captured. Obtained 10,000 experience points. Zhou Yian, a significant character to the target, has been captured. Obtained 8000 experience points. The total amount of experience points gained in this world is 18,000.】
【444：Host dada, you can choose to leave this world now or stay for three days. 】
【Xie He：After leaving this world, this body will immediately die, right?】
【444：…Yes.】
【Xie He：I understand.】
Xie He slowly sat up. His back stilled, completely straight. He then used a serene and indifferent gaze to look at Zhou Yizhe.
All of a sudden, he revealed a smile.
It was the first time Zhou Yizhe saw the youth make such a smile. On his quiet and exquisite face, a cold, pretty, but flirtatious beauty seemed to blossom. He saw a sharp, ruthless, and decisive expression in the youth’s eyes. Soon after, the youth bit down on his own wrist.
【444：Alert! OOC Alert! Current OOC is at 5%!】
Xie He turned a deaf ear. He bit hard onto the flesh of his wrist. Fresh blood burst out like mad, but he looked as if he didn’t feel any pain at all. He then brought his wrist that had blood flowing out of it to Zhou Yizhe’s lips.
Xie He looked at Zhou Yizhe’s startled expression and smiled slightly, “You’ll be able to wait for help to arrive.”
“No…hurry and wrap that up!” Zhou Yizhe shouted in a stern voice. He didn’t know where he had found the strength, but he managed to turn his face away in protest.
With one hand, Xie He supported Zhou Yizhe’s neck. He firmly allowed the blood from his wrist to accurately flow into the other man’s mouth. Meanwhile, it was the first time for the currently weak Zhou Yizhe to not have any leeway to resist the youth’s actions. He could only use his reddened eyes to stare firmly at the youth.
The scalding blood flowed down his throat uncontrollably. His mouth and nose were filled with the fatally sweet fragrance of his blood.
The blood was like lava, scorching his organs, and had a miraculous effect on alleviating his hunger and thirst.
Xie He hung his head, eyelashes trembling. His lips carried a contradictory smile: affectionate but ruthless.
【444：Current OOC is 8%. The current body has suffered severe blood loss. It will die in approximately half an hour. 】
【444：QAQ Host dada, what are you doing, ah…..】
【Xie He：Shouldn’t you have been upgraded to level 2 by now? 】
【444：Yes….】
【Xie He：It seems your IQ still hasn’t been upgraded.】
【444：╭(╯^╰)╮If you’re like this, I’ll really get mad!】Baby’s mood is really bad right now!
【Xie He：OK. It’s actually really simple. As long as I chose to leave this world is half an hour, all will be well. 🙂 】
444：So you put yourself through that pain for no reason? ？(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
The author has something to say:
Dundundun~~~This world has ended. The next chapter will give a conclusion to the Zhou brothers after President Xie’s departure (it’s more or less an extra). After that, we’ll begin the new world.
President Xie finally can finally go teach people at school la 233333
Campus PLAY immediately begins now!
Although this scum author does not update quickly, but look at this scum author working her heart out for this uninterrupted daily updates! Don’t stock up or else I’ll look at you with tears /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~. I need comments as motivation to update!!!! Don’t leave me here all on my lonesome….
Eve: I will admit that most of this chapter got my heart in pieces…then I read the wrist part and was not impressed with the medical information in this story LOL. You’re…very…VERY unlikely to die from blood loss in that manner, not to mention how hard you’d have to bite to even get any blood flowing…yikes. Anyway, ZYZ actually made me (and prob XH) kind of like him at the end. And 444 remains my fave system ever. So cute, referring to himself in 3rd person. See you guys next week with more tears and a new arc!
Kara: I’m devastated by the inaccuracy and unnecessary tragedy. Of course, he got shot! XH, you can make all these power plays to crush my heart, yet you didn’t realize that he was shot!!!! I’m bitter, but looking forward to the next arc….ヽ(●ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ●)ﾉﾟ