“It’s been ages since we last met. You ought to buy me a drink for that.”

Yang Jiahe tapped Xi Xianqing on the shoulder with her fingertip. “Honestly, I barely recognized you earlier. I mean, someone like you enjoying a holiday in District Two, flirting by the pool no less.”

“But then I thought about it again. Since you’re currently undergoing an assessment, your being in District Two makes sense. That’s why I came over to confirm.” As she spoke, her gaze flitted by the pool, an expression of surprise flickering in her eyes. “I saw the news and found out you suddenly had a flash marriage. What’s the story? Did love hit you like a—”

“Teacher Yang,” Xi Xianqing cut her off with a slight push of the drinks menu toward her. His tone was calm. “What would you like to drink?”

Yang Jiahe burst out laughing, shook her head, and cheerfully pointed out two c0cktails to the bartender.

Yang Jiahe had been Xi Xianqing’s mentor at the Design Academy. Straightforward and passionate by nature, her design style was avant-garde and bold.

She was touring multiple districts to exhibit her work, and this month, it happened to be District Two’s turn.

As top-tier jewelry designers, people like her had an exceptionally sharp eye.

After some small talk, Yang Jiahe’s focus locked onto the wedding band on Xi Xianqing’s hand. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Hold on, is that… could it possibly be the blue diamond from the Kurite mines in District Four—the ones that are completely depleted now?”

Xi Xianqing didn’t say anything. Yang Jiahe immediately took his quietness as confirmation, gasping dramatically as she grabbed his hand for a closer inspection.

“This flawless clarity, this vivid fancy blue grade… In recent years, only two blue diamonds of this quality have even appeared at auction. So one of them ended up with you, kid?”

Yang Jiahe muttered enviously, her eyes practically glowing with jealousy. “Ugh, this is infuriating. Your collection level is catching up to an industry veteran like me.”

“Ai, no,” she said, a sudden thought dawning on her. “You said it’s your wedding ring. So does that mean your partner has one too? Don’t tell me you bought… both?”

Xi Xianqing neither confirmed nor denied it.

“These rings could buy a building… no, probably an entire small neighboring planet. Your extravagance is unbelievable.” Yang Jiahe stomped her foot, and her Iris spiritual manifestation swayed along with her movements. “Oh, right. Is your lover also from District Six? How’d you two meet ah?”

“Wedding rings and such tend to draw media attention, so they can’t be anything too careless.” Xi Xianqing said, effortlessly steering the conversation away. “He’s from District Seven.”

Yang Jiahe was taken aback. “Oh my gosh, my gosh. Not only is he stunningly good-looking, but you’re telling me he’s a xueba1Top student. too?”

“No wonder he managed to charm our little son Xi into believing in love. Aren’t you going to introduce him to your mentor?”

She fiddled with the lemon slice on the rim of her glass, teasing as she leaned slightly past Xi Xianqing to glance toward the poolside. Her expression shifted subtly. “Ai… what’s happening there?”

Xi Xianqing followed her gaze.

Just minutes ago, Zhu Ming had been sitting alone by the pool.

At some point, a bespectacled young man with a scholarly and earnest demeanor had appeared by his side.

The young man looked highly excited, bending over as he clutched Zhu Ming’s arm in an overly humble manner, eagerly asking him something.

Zhu Ming’s expression revealed a hint of subtle helplessness—it seemed he wasn’t quite equipped to deal with the young man’s enthusiasm. Nevertheless, after a brief pause, he managed a polite and gentle smile, responding with a few words.

The next moment, Xi Xianqing saw the bespectacled man plop down right by the edge of the pool. He released his guinea pig spiritual manifestation, his face full of hope as he stared intently at Zhu Ming.

Zhu Ming appeared hesitant for a moment. Finally, he nodded slightly and let out his own white fox.

Xi Xianqing watched as the plump guinea pig cheerfully rubbed itself against the fox’s tail with its round body.

“You probably don’t remember me.” The young man said nervously, adjusting his glasses. “I’m Qian Duo from K University. A few years ago, at the Psychospiritual Medicine Research Conference, you gave a lecture on behalf of T University and visited our group. You even shook my hand back then.”

During his years at the academy, Zhu Ming had attended countless lectures—if not a thousand, then certainly several hundred.

He could only attempt an awkward but polite look of recollection. “En… K University, you say…”

Qian Duo prompted him. “Yes, during that lecture, at the midday tea break, there was a salad that wasn’t very fresh. One of the professors ended up with a stomachache halfway through his presentation, and he had to dash to the restroom, farting like crazy!”

Zhu Ming instantly remembered, “Oh, oh, it was that one ah”

The name of District Seven’s perfect-score medical examinee wasn’t an empty title—Zhu Ming knew he had garnered quite a lot of fans among young students. However, when they’d met in the past, it was always at formal academic settings where everyone was suited up and conducted themselves with the utmost decorum.

At this moment, though, Zhu Ming was sitting by the pool, dripping wet, with his legs still soaking in the water—a rather awkward scenario.

Yet Qian Duo didn’t seem to mind at all. He sat casually by the pool’s edge, gripping Zhu Ming’s hand tightly, while the guinea pig by his feet gazed up with sparkling starry eyes.

“Our research group focuses on developmental defects in rodent-type spiritual manifestations. The foundation of our project is actually based on several of your earlier papers!”

He then rattled off the titles of two papers, and Zhu Ming nearly blacked out on the spot.

Because these were from his earliest research days, they belonged to a level of black history that had been hidden for a long time.

At this moment, Zhu Ming was certain—the young man in front of him was undeniably an avid fan. It was clear he’d just entered the research institute, brimming with enthusiasm and longing for academic pursuits.

For a moment, Zhu Ming saw a reflection of his younger self. The thought left him somewhat dazed, and he smiled faintly. “Rodent-type spiritual manifestations are indeed a fascinating field. However, later on, the academy encouraged me to switch research directions, so I left it behind.”

He grew curious. “That said, it seems K University is quite well-funded. To sustain a team in such a niche field is impressive.”

Qian Duo scratched his head. “Hehe, well, actually, our group’s funding is pretty pitiful. But my father is a shareholder of the university and funded the construction of a teaching building, so things in the lab have been doing quite well now.”

Zhu Ming; “…”

As expected, the people you meet in a vacation resort are never ordinary.

Encountering his academic idol had Qian Duo too overwhelmed to stay calm. In no time, he spilled all the details of his current project, their techniques, and more.

Seeing that he was even about to disclose the laboratory door password, Zhu Ming quickly intervened. “Enough, enough. It’s fine to tell me, but if someone with ill intent overhears, you and your mentor’s efforts from the past few years will be for nothing.”

Only then did Qian Duo hastily slap a hand over his mouth.

After a moment, he seemed to recall something and looked at Zhu Ming expectantly. “So… will you ever return?”

Zhu Ming was slightly stunned, “What?”

Qian Duo gazed into Zhu Ming’s eyes. “After your accident, you went into recovery. Our mentor has been trying to collaborate with you ever since, sending numerous emails to your academic email address.”

“If you ever feel like returning to research, our team would always welcome you!” Qian Duo added cheerily, “Just a few days ago, our group got a new experimental lab pod. If you need any other instruments, I can even ask my dad to get them for you!”

Zhu Ming couldn’t help but laugh.

He knew it would be difficult for him to return to the large-scale environment of a research institute. Yet, he didn’t want to extinguish the passion of a budding academic star.

In a gentle tone, he said, “All right, I’ll think about it. But for now, I believe I should head back to my room.”

“Of course, of course. Please remember to check your email oh.”

Suddenly, Qian Duo glanced at the wheelchair not far away. “Oh, are you getting up now? Let me help you!”

Zhu Ming: “It’s fine, I—”

Just as Qian Duo’s eager hands reached out again, Zhu Ming had no chance to respond before something soft and dry suddenly landed on his face.

His vision was suddenly plunged into darkness.

Bewildered, he instinctively grabbed it and looked down, only to realize it was a large bath towel.

Turning around, he saw that Xi Xianqing, now changed into dry clothes, had silently approached and was standing behind him and Qian Duo.

Xi Xianqing calmly retracted his outstretched hand and asked coldly, “Had enough chatting?”

Zhu Ming clutched the towel tightly. His gaze reflexively flicked toward the bar in the distance, where the woman Xi Xianqing had been conversing with earlier was no longer present.

He withdrew his gaze and let out an ‘en’, “Go back.”

Without a word, Xi Xianqing lifted Zhu Ming from the poolside and settled him into his wheelchair.

It wasn’t the first time Xi Xianqing had carried Zhu Ming into his wheelchair. Yet for some reason—perhaps an illusion—Zhu Ming noticed that Xi Xianqing’s hand gripping his waist seemed to exert a strangely intense pressure.

As soon as Zhu Ming’s butt touched the seat, Xi Xianqing’s hand abruptly let go.

Zhu Ming lowered his head to put on his shoes and socks. When he raised his eyes again, he saw Xi Xianqing already striding away from the pool without looking back.

Behind him, Qian Duo still didn’t forget to wave his hand at Zhu Ming and loudly reminded him “Don’t forget to check your email oh, Professor Zhu!”

Zhu Ming flashed a polite smile at him.

Once out of the pool area, Xi Xianqing strode ahead with long, brisk steps while Zhu Ming followed in his wheelchair.

Neither spoke, and the silence stretched taut as they made their way back to the hotel villa.

Upon entering, Xi Xianqing went straight to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and pulled out a bottle of chilled water. Meanwhile, Zhu Ming stopped in the foyer, using the bath towel to dry his hair.

Xi Xianqing took two sips of water and stood in front of the island counter in the dining room, never speaking.

Zhu Ming set the now-damp towel on his lap and exhaled soundlessly, deciding to head to the bedroom to change clothes.

Just as the two were about to brush past one another, Xi Xianqing abruptly spoke. “You people from District Seven sure like to plan ahead ah.”

Zhu Ming didn’t understand and stopped his wheelchair, “What?”

“The agreement spells it out very clearly. For this year, you’re supposed to act as my personal doctor.” Xi Xianqing said darkly, “It’s only been two months, and my treatment progress is utterly stagnant, yet you never miss a single offline consultation.”

“And now, it seems, you can’t even wait to start finding your next one.” He sneered, “Truly living up to the District Seven reputation—meticulous to the extreme.”

“…What are you talking about?”

Zhu Ming was baffled. “And what do you mean by utterly stagnant? Didn’t I just hand you the freshly prepared medication this morning?”

Under normal circumstances, Zhu Ming might have detected something off in those words.

However, his mood wasn’t great to begin with, and being subjected to a vaguely yin and yang didn’t help. Without overthinking, he simply followed his gut and shot back.

“The agreement is very clear too.” Zhu Ming maneuvered his wheelchair to face Xi Xianqing directly. “After marrying me, you’re required to fulfill the obligations of a loving partner to deceive my aunt.”

Xi Xianqing’s movement of drinking water paused and turned his head, “And?”

“So, I’d appreciate it if the Young Master Xi could be mindful of his conduct in public in the future.”

Zhu Ming said with composure, meeting his gaze. “Don’t let the media capture anything that could raise suspicions and alarm my aunt.”

Xi Xianqing frowned. “What conduct… who are you talking about?”

Zhu Ming paused. Gradually, he began to sense something amiss. “Then what did you mean… by next one just now?”

The two stared at each other, brows furrowed, realizing there seemed to be some misunderstanding between them.

It was a matter that could have been cleared up with a single sentence, yet neither wanted to be the one to speak first. It was as if whoever clarified first would lose this game in general. The room fell into an almost suffocating silence.

“I’m going to continue drawing now.”

Xi Xianqing looked fixedly into his face and said word for word, “Just so you know, I prefer quiet while working, so I hope you don’t don’t barge in like you did this morning.”

“Not interested, I’m going back to my own room as well.” Zhu Ming’s heart was also in turmoil, pulling the corners of his mouth into a faint, strained smile. “Rest assured, unless I need to inspect Dish Soap’s state, I have no intention of setting foot in your room again.”

Xi Xianqing’s face sank in a split second.

His chest rose and fell soundlessly, his jaw tightened, and he then turned his head and left.

Hearing the muffled sound coming from Xi Xianqing’s bedroom door slamming heavily shut, Zhu Ming’s mouth stiffened silently and the smile on his face gradually faded.

He maneuvered his wheelchair back to his own room, closing the door behind him, and found himself overwhelmed by the absurdity of it all, chuckling softly in disbelief.

Extremely immature.

Taking a deep breath, Zhu Ming changed out of his soaking wet clothes.

After hesitating for a moment, he picked up his phone again, logging into his long-unused academic email account.

The mailbox was unsurprisingly filled with hundreds of emails.

Notifications about his papers being cited, invitations for lectures at prestigious universities… He scrolled down indifferently, noticing a few emails from K University’s domain.

His finger hovered over the screen for a moment but ultimately refrained from opening them. Instead, he shut off the phone.

Zhu Ming has never regretted the choices he made.

From the early days of his research institute to hosting live-streamed consultations and now as a private doctor, he has always pursued what he loves—just in different ways.

Even now, when he found himself in an inexplicable cold war with one of his most significant experimental subjects.

The physical exertion by the pool was just too much, and physical exhaustion drove Zhu Ming to curl up on the bed.

The white fox placed its soft tail obediently over its owner’s wrist. One person and one fox nestled together on the bed, falling asleep face to face.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but in his sleep, he faintly heard a knock at the door.

Some remnant of consciousness surfaced in his dream, and he reasoned that it couldn’t be Xi Xianqing voluntarily knocking on his door—it had to be his imagination. Drowsily, he turned over and remained adrift in slumber.

But the knocking persisted, growing progressively urgent.

Zhu Ming finally opened his eyes, sitting up and casting a hesitant glance at the door.

It was already evening. Zhu Ming turned on a desk lamp, moved into his wheelchair, and rolled over to open the door.

—It was Xi Xianqing standing in front of the door.

Zhu Ming was stunned at first.

He stared at Xi Xianqing’s face for a while before hesitantly speaking, “What… happened to you?”

Zhu Ming was indeed surprised when the big young master took the initiative to come to the door.

But the reason he asked this was because Xi Xianqing was visibly not in a normal state—his face and ears were an alarming, almost burnt-looking red, and his forehead was slick with tiny beads of sweat. Moreover, as Zhu Ming opened the door, he distinctly heard Xi Xianqing let out a harsh, labored breath as if struggling unbearably.

The next moment, Zhu Ming felt a large hand grip his shoulder firmly—

Xi Xianqing leaned in close, his breath scorching as he practically snarled through gritted teeth as he questioned, “What did you add to the medicine you gave me?”

Medicine? What medicine?

Pressed abruptly against the back of the wheelchair, Zhu Ming’s mind went blank. “What medicine are you talking about? Are you referring to the neuroactivator I gave you this morning?”

Xi Xianqing glared at Zhu Ming for a few seconds before suddenly lowering his head, eyes shut, breathing heavily and unevenly.

Zhu Ming noticed a bead of sweat slowly trailing down the bridge of his sharp, high nose.

Pride was ingrained in the handsome young man’s bones, making it nearly impossible for him to admit that something was wrong with his body. But it seemed he was really at his wits’ end. Reluctantly, he bit his lip in frustration, exhaled shakily, and turned aside to reveal what was behind him.

Zhu Ming’s pupils shrunk in an instant.

“This can’t be.” He muttered.

—In the living room behind Xi Xianqing, a green peac0ck, its long plumes dragging and its wings beating wildly, was frantically flying about, crashing back and forth like a headless chicken.

Author’s Notes:

Dish Soap: They say I can’t stand up properly, so I’ll show you now! (*｀ω´)