Chapter 97
While the first group of matches was underway, the participants in Group B were in the waiting room, preparing for their turn. Groups A and B were using different maps, and the tournament organizers didn’t go to great lengths to keep them secret. At this moment, the large central screen was broadcasting the live footage of Group A, allowing the participants in Group B to immerse themselves in the competitive atmosphere.
Many of the participants considered themselves seasoned warriors, but this was the first time they had encountered such a public display of affection during a live broadcast. They watched with curiosity and whispered to each other while cautiously stealing glances in a certain direction.
However, no one dared to step in that direction. The Zerg were well-known troublemakers, and while they gossiped, no one was willing to tempt fate.
The oppressive air in the area where Bai Chen was located created a dark atmosphere. His emerald green eyes were filled with a sinister and murderous emotion.
The Zerg always revered strength, yet Bai Chen, a naturally powerful warrior, had never taken an interest in anyone, even the well-cared-for young males in the group.
If it hadn’t been seen with their own eyes, Kang couldn’t believe that Bai Chen would lose control of his emotions. And for a human, no less.
Kang, who had never quite accepted Bai Chen’s authority, had to step in at this moment. “Don’t forget our mission for this trip.”
The toxic night crystals were the hope of their entire Zerg population. The final reward of this bounty tournament contained an extraordinary amount of energy, making it invaluable for their repairs. It couldn’t afford any mishaps.
“Don’t worry; I haven’t forgotten,” Bai Chen’s voice was low and husky. His gaze remained fixed on the screen, his expression oozing a sickening intent to kill. “I’m just… excited.”
He was indeed excited to the point that his hand, clutching the hilt of his sword, trembled uncontrollably.
The first group of matches was nearing its end. The time for the entire process was neither long nor short, but every scene that fell into Lu Jingning’s view, whether it was for being known as one of the two from the Bai-Lu couple holding hands from start to finish, their affectionate nicknames for each other, or their unparalleled cooperation in battle, it made Bai Chen’s eyes burn.
Even without watching the live broadcast, he could imagine the waves of praise flooding the barrage, just like the way people fervently supported the Bai-Lu ship in the past. Bai Chen could feel how pleasurable it had been when he first saw his own ship in action, and now, at this moment, he felt how oppressive it was.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the human named Wen Xingchen on the screen, and a layer of murderous intent faintly rose in his eyes.
The feeling of being coveted as prey intensified an emotion deep inside him, an emotion that seemed uncontrollably heightened by the anticipation of blood.
Finally, the matches in Group A concluded smoothly. Without any surprises, Lu Jingning’s four-person team advanced to the next round. Another experienced bounty hunter also advanced, but the difference in their fighting style couldn’t have been more pronounced.
Lu Jingning had essentially coasted through this stage, with Wen Xingchen handling almost everything he needed to do. It was as if Wen Xingchen had said that he couldn’t let his boyfriend’s hands get dirty with something like killing.
Under the classic lines of this gentle approach, they undeniably attracted a large fan base. While the viewers in the live broadcast room squealed like groundhogs, they simultaneously captured the hearts of a group of Omega fans. Each one screamed that they would find their future Alpha partner based on Wen Xingchen’s model.
Lu Jingning knew very well that this was just someone’s selfish way to satisfy their own interests, but he cooperated willingly, helping his boyfriend build this image of a perfect, caring man. He saw through it but chose not to reveal it.
When they emerged from the virtual chamber along with the other participants from Group A, they happened to meet the participants from Group B, who were about to compete. Lu Jingning was initially cheerful, but when he felt a chilling gaze on him, his instinctual reaction was to lower the corners of his mouth.
Looking up, he indeed saw Bai Chen not far away, his eyes fixed on Lu Jingning without wavering.
A look of disgust flashed in Lu Jingning’s eyes, but before he could react, his palm warmed, and a large hand firmly clasped his.
While Wen Xingchen held Lu Jingning’s hand, he exerted a slight force and discreetly moved Lu Jingning a few steps behind him, standing as a shield.
Lu Jingning looked at the tall figure, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It seemed that seeing the Zerg had dispelled some of the discomfort he felt.
Bai Chen’s gaze had been fixed on Lu Jingning, but when Wen Xingchen’s figure blocked part of his view, a hint of darkness crossed his features, and his expression grew even more somber.
As the two groups were about to pass each other, both of them unexpectedly stopped in their tracks.
Lu Jingning couldn’t help but feel a sudden jump in his heart within the suffocating atmosphere that surrounded them.
Yan Hebin had just endured a lot of lovey-dovey moments in the map, and he had no interest in such a melodramatic display of affection. He simply said, “I’m heading back,” and left with an expressionless face.
Lan Yuanzhou had no intention of getting involved in this dispute and promptly followed. “Friend, wait for me! I’m coming with you!”
Lu Jingning couldn’t leave even if he wanted to, due to the circumstances.
Perhaps sensing Lu Jingning’s internal complaints, Wen Xingchen suddenly rubbed his head gently. “Don’t worry; there won’t be a fight.”
Alright.
Since he said so, Lu Jingning decided to trust him and let go of the suspended tension.
After finishing the grooming, Wen Xingchen turned to look back. At the moment, their eyes met with Bai Chen’s, and it seemed like a spark flew between them, causing the surrounding temperature to drop suddenly.
Bai Chen’s eyelashes lowered slightly, and his sword unexpectedly flicked up without warning.
Wen Xingchen’s reaction was even faster, and in the blink of an eye, he pulled Lu Jingning back a few steps. At the same time, the sword’s tip scr4p3d the ground, creating a dazzling spark.
The commotion caught the attention of the nearby staff, and someone shouted as they ran over, “What’s going on over there? No fighting is allowed outside the competition area. Do you want to be disqualified?”
Bai Chen’s icy gaze fell on Wen Xingchen, but he smiled in a nonchalant manner. “Sorry, my hand slipped.”
Wen Xingchen reacted graciously, “It’s okay.”
He extended his hand to gently rest on Lu Jingning’s shoulder, pulling him closer. His lips curled slightly, and he spoke calmly, “I hope we won’t make such a rookie mistake when we meet on the battlefield in the future.”
Bai Chen’s expression darkened, “You too.”
Although they didn’t come to blows, those around them could feel a chill in the air. The staff shivered subconsciously, and it took them a while to realize the situation. One of them reminded Bai Chen, “Group B, get to the arena! The match is about to start!”
Bai Chen snorted and turned to walk away.
Lu Jingning watched as the irritating figure disappeared from his sight, still held securely in Wen Xingchen’s embrace. With curiosity, he asked, “Brother Wen, were you jealous when you talked to that Zerg earlier?”
Wen Xingchen squeezed a little harder, bringing Lu Jingning even closer. “The way you said that, you seem quite proud.”
Lu Jingning playfully blew a rainbow kiss. “Of course, being able to make Brother Wen, such an excellent Alpha, jealous of me, how can I not be proud?”
Wen Xingchen had wanted to maintain a serious expression, but listening to Lu Jingning’s skillful operation, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Seems like I really can’t handle you.”
Just as the emotional turmoil caused by Bai Chen seemed to have subsided, Lu Jingning was about to say something more, but at that moment, as they exited the players’ tunnel, he unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure.
Wen Xingchen, who was holding Lu Jingning’s hand, instinctively loosened his grip.
Lu Jingning noticed his change and looked up, his smile freezing uncontrollably. After a moment, he managed to say, “Ah, big brother, what a coincidence.”
“Not really, I came to find you,” Lu Jiyuan said, his gaze fixed on Wen Xingchen beside Lu Jingning. After a moment, he took a document from his briefcase and placed it on a nearby table in the rest area. Then he put a pen next to it. “I might have been a bit careless before, but considering the importance of the matter, I think we should formalize our agreement.”
Lu Jingning was full of question marks as he looked at Lu Jiyuan’s professional demeanor. He leaned in to take a look. “What’s all this?”
Lu Jiyuan intercepted him, “Wen Xingchen and I had a small agreement before. We just need to complete the necessary formalities now.”
This was truly in line with Lu Jiyuan’s style.
Lu Jingning always felt a little apprehensive when facing his big brother’s unsmiling demeanor, but at this moment, he had no intention of backing down. “Is there an agreement between you two that I can’t know about?”
“That’s correct,” Lu Jiyuan said, glancing at him. He spoke unhurriedly, “From the perspective of interstellar law, unless the initiator, which is me, voluntarily discloses the content, any form of information leakage by Wen Xingchen could allow me to hold him accountable or declare the agreement null and void.”
Lu Jingning thought to himself, “You’re more like a heartless legal machine than my big brother.” He couldn’t help but purse his lips and mutter, “If I don’t read it, I won’t read it. What’s the big deal?”
Wen Xingchen received Lu Jiyuan’s signal, walked over, and thoroughly reviewed the contents of the agreement. With a calm expression, he signed his name with the pen provided.
With Wen Xingchen’s cooperative attitude, Lu Jiyuan’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly. After confirming the agreement was correct, he seemed to remember something and turned to Wen Xingchen. “Oh, there’s one more thing.”
Wen Xingchen asked, “What is it?”
Lu Jiyuan maintained a declarative tone as if he were fulfilling someone’s request. “Father sent a communication link just now and asked me to relay a message.” Unexpectedly, Lu Jiyuan was holding up a piece of paper with the words written on it, “He wants you to keep your hands off Ning’s body. If he catches you being too affectionate again, he’ll come straight to the Imperial Navy and chop you up to feed the pigs. By ‘pigs,’ he means literally pigs. You should be able to understand.”
Wen Xingchen, Lu Jingning: “…”
This message was indeed in line with Lu Kongbin’s style.
After successfully conveying the message, Lu Jiyuan left without paying any more attention to their reactions. Lu Jingning and Wen Xingchen stood in place for a while, speechless.
After a long pause, Wen Xingchen self-reflected, “I was careless.”
He had been focused on asserting his dominance and had forgotten that the live broadcast had a broad audience, inadvertently showcasing their affection to his older brother and father-in-law. That was indeed his own fault.
Lu Jingning saw him frowning and couldn’t help but want to laugh. While restraining his amusement, he comforted him, “Don’t worry; my dad has always been one of those people who talk tough but are soft-hearted. He’s just saying it; he won’t really chop you up to feed the pigs.”
He added confidently, “Based on the scale of our live broadcast today, at most, when he comes back, he’ll rush back to the academy to give you a beating, and that’s about it.”
Wen Xingchen: “…”
According to Lu Kongbin’s combat capabilities and personality, that was probably accurate.
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!
I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!
Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!
Leave a Reply