Chapter 35: Be Honest (TEOTW)
The windows and doors of the research institute were all fitted with multiple layers of precision locks and the thick walls naturally had strong soundproofing. As Jing Xia followed Ji Chuancheng with a puzzled look into the adjacent room, it was only when he gently closed the door and saw Ji Chuan heng earnestly locking it again that he realized the seriousness of the situation.
The inner room had no windows and seemed to be used to store some herbs and test tubes. Jing Xia stood with his back to a wall full of jars and bottles, looking up as Ji Chuancheng approached step by step—his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, his expression serious and finally stopping about half a meter away from him.
A faint medicinal scent mixed with a hint of bitterness wafted in the air, causing Jing Xia to furrow his brow involuntarily.
"A'Chuan?"
With a clear and elegant frown, Ji Chuancheng looked at Jing Xia earnestly, and after a long time, he sighed softly, "Have you been hiding something from me, Jing Xia." The last two words were pronounced heavily, each syllable carrying a hint of pressure.
Jing Xia trembled.
He rarely saw Ji Chuancheng being so serious with him. Even in his past life, this person had only called his name so seriously once—during the second Beast Tide battle when he was injured due to carelessness.
His mouth twitched slightly uncontrollably, Jing Xia widened his eyes and smiled, "What else could I hide from you? Haven't I told you before? If there's anything I'm hiding, it must be that I forgot, but it doesn't matter." He stared firmly into Ji Chuancheng's eyes, his gaze sincere.
The room fell into silence, the old-fashioned light bulb hanging from the ceiling emitting a yellowish glow, casting a shadow on Ji Chuancheng's face. With a straight nose, deep eyes, tightly pursed lips, he seemed a bit displeased yet still as indifferent as usual.
After locking eyes with him for a while, Jing Xia couldn't help but speak first, changing the topic, "A'Chuan, do you think Su Weishang might have dual abilities? But I've never heard of this before. There were so many ability users in the S City Base before but none of them were said to have dual abilities. Could it be a mistake, or..."
"What's the deal with that S-rank mutated white lotus?"
His low-pressure magnetic voice interrupted Jing Xia's words.
Shock and disbelief were clearly visible in Jing Xia's eyes, his mind suddenly blank, but he quickly snapped back to reality. He smiled faintly, "Why are you suddenly bringing this up? Didn't I tell you before? It was during the last mutant beast war that I participated in. I was caught off guard and ambushed by it. You don't need to blame yourself; at that time, you were supporting N City and not at the S City base."
A fleeting expression of disappointment and then quick concealment flashed in Ji Chuancheng's profound eyes. He sighed softly and still asked, "Is it Su Weishang Wei?"
"Bang!"
Jing Xia quickly bent down to stabilize the glass vial he almost knocked over with his foot, then remained in a half-crouched position, unsure of what to do next. He dared not look up to see the other's expression, nor did he dare to deny it.
The heavy atmosphere seemed to freeze the air. Jing Xia lowered his head to look at the faint brown liquid in the vial by his feet, ripples forming on its surface from the recent impact, reflecting his bewildered expression and—
Ji Chuancheng's helpless and sad figure!
A strange feeling surged in his mind, and Jing Xia suddenly clenched his fists, standing up abruptly. "A'Chuan, I'm sorry. I hid this from you. You're right, it's Su Weishang."
After everything was said and done, Jing Xia felt a sense of relief.
The inexplicable desire to conceal this matter completely vanished, and now, looking back, he felt somewhat arrogant for not wanting to tell the other about his dirty laundry.
With a sigh, Jing Xia smiled faintly, "It's been a long time now. Apart from that moment, there's really nothing else. You don't have to worry about it too much. I won't give Su Weishang any chance to turn things around. And now, what's more important is the first Beast Tide battle in half a month. That's the most important thing right now. My issues are insignificant compared to the people of S City. I think we should prepare in advance and—"
"They are not more important than you."
The voice abruptly stopped, and Jing Xia stared at the other as he was suddenly pulled into an embrace.
Strong arms wrapped around his waist, exerting great force as if trying to embed him into their chest. The intense heartbeat seemed to echo in his ears, giving him a strange warmth. Perhaps because they were too close, the hot and delicate warmth transmitted through their thin clothes, causing a faint blush to appear on Jing Xia's fair cheeks.
He wanted to push away but strangely, he felt unable to control his body. His hands naturally wrapped around the other's waist. When his fingers touched the slightly curved spine for a moment, he felt Ji Chuancheng's body tremble, then increase the strength of the embrace.
After hesitating for a long time, Jing Xia sighed, "I'm sorry... A'Chuan."
The people who could hurt you were usually the ones closest to you.
Just as Wu Jiqing had let down his trust, making him feel the helplessness of being abandoned.
Just as he hadn't revealed everything to this man, also making him feel cold and helpless.
With a low "hmm" from his nose, Ji Chuancheng buried his face in the youth's shoulder, not speaking anymore. At this moment, Jing Xia felt a bit strange about the ambiguous atmosphere—
This didn't seem like a hug between brothers but rather...
Jing Xia immediately suppressed this strange thought in his mind.
He thought for a while, then patted Ji Chuancheng's back comfortingly and joked, "Alright, I've apologized too. Don't be angry. If you really want to be angry, well... I can't help it."
After a long time, just when Jing Xia was about to push him away, he suddenly heard a low chuckle in his ear. The warm breath sprayed on his earlobe, making him feel a slight warmth.
Angrily pushing him away, Jing Xia exclaimed, "What are you laughing at! Do you think I can't blow you up, fry you, and roast you?!!!"
With this shout, the beautiful scene in the room shattered.
Being pushed away suddenly, Ji Chuancheng looked at Jing Xia with a smile for a long time. There seemed to be a starry brilliance in his deep black eyes, and he shook his head helplessly, "So, it's really Su Weishang."
Jing Xia was stunned, "You didn't know?"
"I didn't."
"...”
Jing Xia angrily left, saying, "This is unbearable! You actually tricked me! You actually tricked me!!! Ji Chuancheng, I'm telling you, we're not done yet! Give me back the guilt I just had, quickly give it back to me!!!"
Ji Chuancheng held Jing Xia's wrist and pulled him back as he turned away. Seeing the youth's anger and embarrassment, he coughed lightly, concealing the smile in his eyes, and asked, "What's the matter with Su Weishang? "
With a cold snort, Jing Xia still felt a bit resentful, but he had to honestly answer, "What else can it be? He's just like today in the sparring area, suddenly gaining amazing powers. He used to be weaker than me but he suddenly sucked me in, I fainted and then that was it." As he spoke, he crossed his arms and turned his head away, not looking at the man in front of him.
The gaze lingered on the young man's reddened ear for a long time, seemingly reminiscing about the deep embrace just now. Ji Chuancheng lightly traced his fingers for a moment but then, as if nothing had happened, he asked in a normal tone, "Was there no warning like today? Are you sure he doesn't have dual abilities?"
Jing Xia pondered for a while and finally nodded seriously, "I think he doesn't. If we have to say he has dual abilities, then his other ability would probably be mysteriously pulling people in and then throwing them away? Isn't that too strange?"
Ji Chuancheng furrowed his brows in deep thought and remained silent.
"Oh, by the way! If we have to say, he has another strange thing. Every time we traveled from B City to S City, whenever he went to look for food, he could always find it," Jing Xia couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. "The things in supermarkets and stores were already gone, and even if we were lucky to find some food occasionally, we couldn't take much. But he could always find it. Isn't that also considered an ability?"
Ji Chuancheng's cold eyes widened, his brows furrowed tightly as he remained silent. Meanwhile, Jing Xia continued to smirk, "It's just the way things are. Our team tends to be closer to him and distant from me. Even Wu Jiqing's attitude towards him became better and better during our journey to S City."
Ji Chuancheng's tone became serious, "I'll handle this matter, you don't need to interfere."
Jing Xia was startled, "What do you mean I don't need to interfere? This is my business, it's none of your concern."
As soon as these words fell, the entire room suddenly fell silent. Jing Xia looked at Ji Chuancheng's increasingly solemn expression and couldn't help but swallow nervously. The coldness that seemed tangible between his eyebrows and eyes didn't seem directed at Jing Xia, but it made him involuntarily shrink his neck.
"Your business is my business."
His throat felt dry, and Jing Xia wanted to argue, but seeing the unwavering gaze from Ji Chuancheng, he closed his mouth and secretly decided to personally resolve the matter between himself and Su Wei.
Forced laughter escaped Jing Xia's lips as he awkwardly changed the subject, "By the way, do you think Su Wei might have dual abilities too? It's so strange. If he does have dual abilities, why is his ability value so low? Shouldn't it be combined, like... 11 = 2 or something?"
"It can't be tested."
Jing Xia was puzzled, "What do you mean it can't be tested?"
Ji Chuancheng looked quietly at Jing Xia, his eyes showing a hint of kindness as he blinked at the young man's confused expression. He gently explained, "Dual abilities can't be detected by the machines in the research institute. They can only display one ability and its value."
Jing Xia was surprised, "How do you know?"
With a slight smirk, Ji Chuancheng didn't directly answer that question. He lifted his right hand slightly, instantly attracting Jing Xia's gaze. Before the young man could ask, Ji Chuancheng's fingers slightly contracted, and a perfectly round water sphere floated above his palm.
The water sphere was magnificent, with a deep blue shimmering aura that reflected different colors from every angle under the light, leaving Jing Xia wide-eyed and speechless.
"You... You... You have dual abilities?!!!”
Chapter 35: Be Honest (TEOTW)
The windows and doors of the research institute were all fitted with multiple layers of precision locks and the thick walls naturally had strong soundproofing. As Jing Xia followed Ji Chuancheng with a puzzled look into the adjacent room, it was only when he gently closed the door and saw Ji Chuan heng earnestly locking it again that he realized the seriousness of the situation.
The inner room had no windows and seemed to be used to store some herbs and test tubes. Jing Xia stood with his back to a wall full of jars and bottles, looking up as Ji Chuancheng approached step by step—his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, his expression serious and finally stopping about half a meter away from him.
A faint medicinal scent mixed with a hint of bitterness wafted in the air, causing Jing Xia to furrow his brow involuntarily.
"A'Chuan?"
With a clear and elegant frown, Ji Chuancheng looked at Jing Xia earnestly, and after a long time, he sighed softly, "Have you been hiding something from me, Jing Xia." The last two words were pronounced heavily, each syllable carrying a hint of pressure.
Jing Xia trembled.
He rarely saw Ji Chuancheng being so serious with him. Even in his past life, this person had only called his name so seriously once—during the second Beast Tide battle when he was injured due to carelessness.
His mouth twitched slightly uncontrollably, Jing Xia widened his eyes and smiled, "What else could I hide from you? Haven't I told you before? If there's anything I'm hiding, it must be that I forgot, but it doesn't matter." He stared firmly into Ji Chuancheng's eyes, his gaze sincere.
The room fell into silence, the old-fashioned light bulb hanging from the ceiling emitting a yellowish glow, casting a shadow on Ji Chuancheng's face. With a straight nose, deep eyes, tightly pursed lips, he seemed a bit displeased yet still as indifferent as usual.
After locking eyes with him for a while, Jing Xia couldn't help but speak first, changing the topic, "A'Chuan, do you think Su Weishang might have dual abilities? But I've never heard of this before. There were so many ability users in the S City Base before but none of them were said to have dual abilities. Could it be a mistake, or..."
"What's the deal with that S-rank mutated white lotus?"
His low-pressure magnetic voice interrupted Jing Xia's words.
Shock and disbelief were clearly visible in Jing Xia's eyes, his mind suddenly blank, but he quickly snapped back to reality. He smiled faintly, "Why are you suddenly bringing this up? Didn't I tell you before? It was during the last mutant beast war that I participated in. I was caught off guard and ambushed by it. You don't need to blame yourself; at that time, you were supporting N City and not at the S City base."
A fleeting expression of disappointment and then quick concealment flashed in Ji Chuancheng's profound eyes. He sighed softly and still asked, "Is it Su Weishang Wei?"
"Bang!"
Jing Xia quickly bent down to stabilize the glass vial he almost knocked over with his foot, then remained in a half-crouched position, unsure of what to do next. He dared not look up to see the other's expression, nor did he dare to deny it.
The heavy atmosphere seemed to freeze the air. Jing Xia lowered his head to look at the faint brown liquid in the vial by his feet, ripples forming on its surface from the recent impact, reflecting his bewildered expression and—
Ji Chuancheng's helpless and sad figure!
A strange feeling surged in his mind, and Jing Xia suddenly clenched his fists, standing up abruptly. "A'Chuan, I'm sorry. I hid this from you. You're right, it's Su Weishang."
After everything was said and done, Jing Xia felt a sense of relief.
The inexplicable desire to conceal this matter completely vanished, and now, looking back, he felt somewhat arrogant for not wanting to tell the other about his dirty laundry.
With a sigh, Jing Xia smiled faintly, "It's been a long time now. Apart from that moment, there's really nothing else. You don't have to worry about it too much. I won't give Su Weishang any chance to turn things around. And now, what's more important is the first Beast Tide battle in half a month. That's the most important thing right now. My issues are insignificant compared to the people of S City. I think we should prepare in advance and—"
"They are not more important than you."
The voice abruptly stopped, and Jing Xia stared at the other as he was suddenly pulled into an embrace.
Strong arms wrapped around his waist, exerting great force as if trying to embed him into their chest. The intense heartbeat seemed to echo in his ears, giving him a strange warmth. Perhaps because they were too close, the hot and delicate warmth transmitted through their thin clothes, causing a faint blush to appear on Jing Xia's fair cheeks.
He wanted to push away but strangely, he felt unable to control his body. His hands naturally wrapped around the other's waist. When his fingers touched the slightly curved spine for a moment, he felt Ji Chuancheng's body tremble, then increase the strength of the embrace.
After hesitating for a long time, Jing Xia sighed, "I'm sorry... A'Chuan."
The people who could hurt you were usually the ones closest to you.
Just as Wu Jiqing had let down his trust, making him feel the helplessness of being abandoned.
Just as he hadn't revealed everything to this man, also making him feel cold and helpless.
With a low "hmm" from his nose, Ji Chuancheng buried his face in the youth's shoulder, not speaking anymore. At this moment, Jing Xia felt a bit strange about the ambiguous atmosphere—
This didn't seem like a hug between brothers but rather...
Jing Xia immediately suppressed this strange thought in his mind.
He thought for a while, then patted Ji Chuancheng's back comfortingly and joked, "Alright, I've apologized too. Don't be angry. If you really want to be angry, well... I can't help it."
After a long time, just when Jing Xia was about to push him away, he suddenly heard a low chuckle in his ear. The warm breath sprayed on his earlobe, making him feel a slight warmth.
Angrily pushing him away, Jing Xia exclaimed, "What are you laughing at! Do you think I can't blow you up, fry you, and roast you?!!!"
With this shout, the beautiful scene in the room shattered.
Being pushed away suddenly, Ji Chuancheng looked at Jing Xia with a smile for a long time. There seemed to be a starry brilliance in his deep black eyes, and he shook his head helplessly, "So, it's really Su Weishang."
Jing Xia was stunned, "You didn't know?"
"I didn't."
"...”
Jing Xia angrily left, saying, "This is unbearable! You actually tricked me! You actually tricked me!!! Ji Chuancheng, I'm telling you, we're not done yet! Give me back the guilt I just had, quickly give it back to me!!!"
Ji Chuancheng held Jing Xia's wrist and pulled him back as he turned away. Seeing the youth's anger and embarrassment, he coughed lightly, concealing the smile in his eyes, and asked, "What's the matter with Su Weishang? "
With a cold snort, Jing Xia still felt a bit resentful, but he had to honestly answer, "What else can it be? He's just like today in the sparring area, suddenly gaining amazing powers. He used to be weaker than me but he suddenly sucked me in, I fainted and then that was it." As he spoke, he crossed his arms and turned his head away, not looking at the man in front of him.
The gaze lingered on the young man's reddened ear for a long time, seemingly reminiscing about the deep embrace just now. Ji Chuancheng lightly traced his fingers for a moment but then, as if nothing had happened, he asked in a normal tone, "Was there no warning like today? Are you sure he doesn't have dual abilities?"
Jing Xia pondered for a while and finally nodded seriously, "I think he doesn't. If we have to say he has dual abilities, then his other ability would probably be mysteriously pulling people in and then throwing them away? Isn't that too strange?"
Ji Chuancheng furrowed his brows in deep thought and remained silent.
"Oh, by the way! If we have to say, he has another strange thing. Every time we traveled from B City to S City, whenever he went to look for food, he could always find it," Jing Xia couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. "The things in supermarkets and stores were already gone, and even if we were lucky to find some food occasionally, we couldn't take much. But he could always find it. Isn't that also considered an ability?"
Ji Chuancheng's cold eyes widened, his brows furrowed tightly as he remained silent. Meanwhile, Jing Xia continued to smirk, "It's just the way things are. Our team tends to be closer to him and distant from me. Even Wu Jiqing's attitude towards him became better and better during our journey to S City."
Ji Chuancheng's tone became serious, "I'll handle this matter, you don't need to interfere."
Jing Xia was startled, "What do you mean I don't need to interfere? This is my business, it's none of your concern."
As soon as these words fell, the entire room suddenly fell silent. Jing Xia looked at Ji Chuancheng's increasingly solemn expression and couldn't help but swallow nervously. The coldness that seemed tangible between his eyebrows and eyes didn't seem directed at Jing Xia, but it made him involuntarily shrink his neck.
"Your business is my business."
His throat felt dry, and Jing Xia wanted to argue, but seeing the unwavering gaze from Ji Chuancheng, he closed his mouth and secretly decided to personally resolve the matter between himself and Su Wei.
Forced laughter escaped Jing Xia's lips as he awkwardly changed the subject, "By the way, do you think Su Wei might have dual abilities too? It's so strange. If he does have dual abilities, why is his ability value so low? Shouldn't it be combined, like... 11 = 2 or something?"
"It can't be tested."
Jing Xia was puzzled, "What do you mean it can't be tested?"
Ji Chuancheng looked quietly at Jing Xia, his eyes showing a hint of kindness as he blinked at the young man's confused expression. He gently explained, "Dual abilities can't be detected by the machines in the research institute. They can only display one ability and its value."
Jing Xia was surprised, "How do you know?"
With a slight smirk, Ji Chuancheng didn't directly answer that question. He lifted his right hand slightly, instantly attracting Jing Xia's gaze. Before the young man could ask, Ji Chuancheng's fingers slightly contracted, and a perfectly round water sphere floated above his palm.
The water sphere was magnificent, with a deep blue shimmering aura that reflected different colors from every angle under the light, leaving Jing Xia wide-eyed and speechless.
"You... You... You have dual abilities?!!!”
