My Supernatural Exes Are Desperate to Win Me Back - Chapter 24 - To Their Surprise, They Both Adore the Same One...

Xie Yi thought that biting Zhan Xingye might have caused Xu Xining to be angry, at least a little.

Yet, throughout the entire day, Xu Xining showered him with nothing but adoration, not only tenderly kissing his face and allowing him to sleep in her embrace but also giving him whatever he wanted; her speech even carried an indulgent tone.

It seemed that Zhan Xingye meant nothing to her, not even worth a mention.

Xie Yi grew smug again; this was the script he was familiar with, the race he excelled in. Women always fell for him at first sight, forgetting all other men unconditionally, even the male celebrities in the entertainment industry who lived off their looks dimmed in his presence.

Xie Yi’s charm was indeed invincible!

His arrogance remained undiminished when Xu Xining carried him out the next day.

However, his arrogance subsided by three points outside the veterinary clinic.

His swagger decreased by another three points outside the veterinary surgery room.

His confidence dwindled by three more points when Xu Xining, smiling sweetly, handed the flight case to the vet saying, “Please take care of him.”

Xu Xining, peering through the cage, gently touched its small paws, speaking with pity, “Good man, don’t be afraid! Even if you lose your balls, you’re still the best man!”

Xie Yi: “???”

His last bit of confidence shattered, despair filling his eyes, the kind of despair akin to a CEO who smugly declared bankruptcy for another at dawn, only to receive a call that it was he who had gone bankrupt overnight, and the woman and child weren’t even his.

Xu Xining, are you playing with fire?

Other women dreamt of a night with him, yet she actually wanted to castrate him?!

Xie Yi glared at her, furiously clawing at the cage, roaring in frustration.

Xu Xining wiped her tears, hearing how much the child depended on her.

When Xie Yi was finally taken to the surgery room, he gave up pretending and with a slap, broke the flimsy cage – it could never have held him back anyway.

As the fox dashed out the door, the vet scrambled to catch it, but an attractive, tall man walked in.

Xie Yi casually adjusted his jacket, quietly shutting the door behind him, glanced at the vet and two young nurses, and pressed a finger to his lips, gently shushing them.

The nurses, about to scream, immediately covered their mouths.

“Very good,” Xie Yi lowered his finger, smiling, “Could you do me a favor? No surgery, but don’t tell the blonde girl outside.”

The vet struggled against Xie Yi’s allure with a confused mind, “This… isn’t right. We’re a legitimate clinic, we have protocols, and…”

Xie Yi took two steps forward, bending down to look into his eyes.

The vet leaned back as Xie Yi approached, finding it increasingly difficult to maintain eye contact with those enchanting, soul-stealing eyes, sweat appearing on his face, “Sir… please keep some distance…”

With a slight parting of his lips, Xie Yi simply stated, “Do me a favor.”

The vet, mesmerized, agreed, “Okay, okay!”

Xie Yi straightened up, pulling a rose made of large red banknotes out of his jacket and handing one to each nurse, “A little something for your trouble, please keep this a secret.”

“Thank you, thank you! We can do that! Can we take a photo with you? Can we get an autograph?”

Xie Yi, usually indifferent to ordinary women, felt a rare appreciation for their adoration and admiration, especially after the hellish experience of being sent for neutering by the girl he liked.

He sighed, lazily leaning against the wall, taking their phone cases to sign.

Amidst genuine exclamations of “So handsome!”, he couldn’t help but ask, “Really?”

The question seemed to carry a tone of sadness with it.

The great Demon King, naturally endowed with Charmed Bone, had fallen so low.

How tragic, a single word couldn’t describe it.

While Xie Yi was being taken to surgery, Xu Xining strolled the streets, buying a black shoulder bag for Zhan Xingye.

Though Zhan Xingye said it was unnecessary, she felt obliged to offer an apology since her pet had bitten him.

That evening, as Zhan Xingye was returning home with groceries, Xu Xining timed her arrival perfectly, bursting through the door and excitedly presenting the shoulder bag: “Ta-da! A gift for you.”

Zhan Xingye took it, stunned, then looked at her, equally astonished.

“Do you like it? Does your hand still hurt?” Xu Xining earnestly asked.

It dawned on Zhan Xingye that she was apologizing. He shook his head, pretending to pluck a crystal-like beautiful flower from his pocket-actually from his own body-and handed it to Xu Xining.

She had just surprised him with a gift, and uncontrollably, a flower bloomed on his tentacle.

Xu Xining’s eyes lit up, “Wow! A new no money to spend!”

Zhan Xingye was ready to enter the apartment, his hand on the doorknob, but he didn’t open it, waiting for Xu Xining to leave.

Yet, Xu Xining was busy rummaging through his plastic bag, “What did you buy? Let me see! Tomatoes, celery, ribs, white radish… Perfect! I’ll cook for you! I’m great at cooking!” she declared, rolling up her sleeves.

Zhan Xingye looked a bit panicked, “No need.”

Xu Xining insisted, “Don’t be so polite!”

She opened the door, and Zhan Xingye, unable to stop her and not daring to, was stunned.

The girl turned her head stiffly, “Xingye, is this your place?”

The living room was empty, the kitchen was empty, and the bedroom was empty.

No coffee table, no dining table, no pots and pans, no sofa, no TV, nothing!

If it weren’t for the ceiling lights and painted walls, it would have been just an empty shell of a room!

No wonder Zhan Xingye always left precisely on time, immediately closing the door behind him. As a child, he let Xu Xining run wild in his house, but as they grew up, he never invited her over.

His home truly had… nothing?!

Zhan Xingye felt guilty.

After discovering he was an Exotic Species, he stopped caring about his living conditions. Since he didn’t need to sleep, he didn’t need a bed; since he didn’t need to sit, he didn’t need chairs or tables. Regularly buying groceries was just a cover.

For several years, he didn’t even return home, working around the clock, relentlessly hunting Exotic Species.

Other employees at the Administration Bureau were worn out by his relentless pace.

The blonde girl ran into his home, took a full tour, and noticed that aside from one locked room, everywhere else was utterly bare.

Xu Xining pointed at the locked room, “What’s in there?”

Zhan Xingye, “…Personal items.”

Xu Xining spread her hands, “Where’s everything else?!”

Under her intense, interrogative gaze, Zhan Xingye felt like he was back in elementary school being scolded by her. He stood at the door, his long eyelashes casting shadows over his eyes, nervously fiddling with his fingers.

Xu Xining was livid, thinking to herself, was he really this poor?

Thinking back, Zhan’s parents had died many years ago, and his interactions with the Xu family had faded. He had been self-sufficient, paying for his own living and tuition fees, but he was still a student. How much could he possibly earn from part-time jobs?

She couldn’t help but feel angry again, punching the air, “I live just across the street, why wouldn’t you tell me?! You really see me as an outsider! How could I have known you didn’t even have a place to sit in your own home?!”

Zhan Xingye remained silent, inching forward, secretly hoping she would hit him so she could vent her anger and then calm down.

But he wasn’t actually poor.

Zhan Xingye had been working for the Administration Bureau since high school, achieving extraordinary results. Working overtime daily, he became the youngest S-rank assassin in the history of the Execution Department. At just twenty-one, he already had seven years of work experience and was both earning and saving a lot!

He also had other, less savory sources of income.

For instance, he was a bounty hunter on the dark web, hunting Exotic Species under the alias “no money to spend.”

He initially joined the dark web to gather more information about Exotic Species, but accidentally, through mere participation, he climbed to the top of the leaderboard. The average transaction was eight million, and that was considering he took on any job involving an Exotic Species harming humans, regardless of the price.

If he only selected high-paying jobs, he could make a fortune in a single night.

This level of relentless dedication scared the entire forum… He must be really desperate for money to be called “no money to spend”!

Basically, he was just an ordinary college student with an eight-figure bank account…

Xu Xining cursed herself for not caring enough about her friend. Zhan Xingye must have been too proud to admit his financial struggles. Previously, she had pressured him to buy a white mouse as compensation for his fox biting someone, probably costing him several days’ worth of meals!

She forcefully dragged him, “Come to my place! I’ll cook for you! Look at how skinny you’ve gotten!”

At the dinner table, she kept piling food onto his plate as if afraid he would starve.

Her cooking skills were hit or miss, totally whimsical. Today, the celery was perfectly cooked, but the ribs were burnt…

Zhan Xingye sneaked a glance at her and, while she wasn’t looking, shoved the burnt ribs into his mouth.

Xu Xining turned her head just in time to see the young man puffing his cheeks, swallowing the food down… bones and all!

Xu Xining was heartbroken.

How long had it been since he last ate meat? Look what hunger had done to the poor boy!

Over the next few days, Xu Xining frequently knocked on Zhan Xingye’s door, dragging him over for meals.

She also secretly informed Old Xu, who, after hearing about Zhan Xingye’s situation, was heartbroken and sent over loads of supplies overnight, along with a thick red envelope for Zhan Xingye.

Zhan Xingye silently accepted the heavy envelope, knowing well that Old Xu had worked hard to earn this money selling grilled squid. He couldn’t refuse Old Xu and could only look at him with guilt.

Old Xu thought even more deeply.

Zhan Xingye’s refusal to live in the Zhan family mansion and instead renting a small apartment suggested that he might have sold the mansion… What could have made him suddenly need such a large sum of money?

Old Xu also looked at him with guilt.

Both felt terribly sorry for themselves.

Meanwhile, Xie Yi was growing increasingly annoyed with Zhan Xingye.

Initially, when Zhan Xingye lived next door, they only saw each other occasionally. Now, Zhan Xingye was constantly at Xu Xining’s place, making their encounters frequent and unpleasant.

Xie Yi had reported Zhan Xingye’s Exotic Species identity to the Administration Bureau two weeks ago, but without evidence, he could only exert pressure as the Demon King.

The Administration Bureau promised to conduct a series of professional tests.

The results showed: Zhan Xingye was a pure human!

Xie Yi was speechless; he slammed the documents on the table, questioning their accuracy.

The director of the Administration Bureau hesitated, “You are a Demon yourself, you know how it is. Exotic Species have myriad ways to conceal their identities, and our testing accuracy can only reach 60% at best… But to be honest, the Aberration Management Bureau now has a foolproof method, and we haven’t made a single mistake in years!”

Xie Yi was thrilled, “What’s this foolproof method?”

The director weakly replied, “The foolproof method is Zhan Xingye…”

Xie Yi: “…”

The director was a seasoned old fox. He saw through Zhan Xingye’s aggressive execution of tasks and the grudge he held against Xie Yi. It was no surprise that Xie Yi came to pick a fight, so while he outwardly supported Xie Yi, his heart was set on protecting Zhan Xingye.

As he poured tea for Xie Yi, he handed over a series of documents. They were either about “Zhan Xingye winning the Administration Bureau’s Outstanding Employee Award for seven consecutive years” or about him being the “Guardian of Humanity” with his KPI metrics in the Execution Department far surpassing others. He was also the recipient of multiple awards like “Best Attendance Award,” “Best Role Model Award,” and “Most Popular Award,” and even his team was the “Best Team.”

The only issue with Zhan Xingye was his overly aggressive approach during missions, often leading to the death of Exotic Species. But doesn’t that just show his exceptional loyalty to humanity?

Such a diligent employee, in a school setting, would be the model student and student council president, a paragon for students and a favorite of teachers. How could he possibly be an Exotic Species?!

Xie Yi scoffed, grinding his teeth.

He refused to believe Zhan Xingye had no weaknesses; such a creature couldn’t possibly exist.

If only there was some revealing potion to splash on Zhan Xingye, forcing him to show his true form.

These humans treated him like a treasure, but Xie Yi was determined to make them witness Zhan Xingye’s true nature.

Before that, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

Wen Nansen suggested he confess his feelings to Xu Xining, even though she was the little heartless one who sent him for neutering. He still wanted to declare his love at her internship company.

He wanted everyone around her to know… he liked Xu Xining more than anyone else.

So, no one should even think about competing with him.

The weather had been bad all week, with dark clouds looming over the city, blocking out the sun. Thunder rumbled intermittently within the heavy clouds, and rain poured down the windows like a waterfall.

Xu Xining felt stifled in such weather, as if she couldn’t breathe, constantly feeling like she was back in that dark, suffocating stairway, with countless feet trampling over her.

Whenever thunder rolled, her typing hands would tremble slightly.

Wen Nansen advised her to go home and rest, but Xu Xining refused.

She had already taken two extra days off. The thunder was relentless; was she supposed to never go to work again? Was she some pampered little princess?

However, the recent thunder was too frequent, almost like last winter.

Last winter was when Xu Xining encountered Huo Ting, coinciding with the rare millennial thunderstorm at Huai River, sparking rumors of a master about to transcend at Huai River.

Xu Xining irritably tugged at her collar, took a few deep breaths, put on her headphones, and turned up the volume to listen to music.

Wen Nansen glanced in Xu Xining’s direction with a slight frown… The girl was hunched over her desk, organizing meeting notes, her face unnaturally pale.

Suddenly, Wen Nansen’s phone rang.

This was unusual because the only person who usually called Wen Nansen was Xu Xining…

On the other end, Xie Yi’s exuberant voice came through: “Nansen! It’s me!”

Wen Nansen smiled, “What’s up?”

Amidst the sound of pouring rain and rolling thunder, Xie Yi said, “I think you’re absolutely right! I’m about to give her a grand confession!”

Wen Nansen replied, “Good luck, and remember to be sincere.”

Xie Yi: “Just wait and see! By the way, aren’t you working at Pianyu Media? Look outside!”

Suddenly, the office was filled with exclamations, employees stood up from their desks, crowding around the windows, excitedly pulling out their phones to take pictures and record videos.

Someone tapped Xu Xining, who was hunched over her desk. She took off her headphones and looked up, stunned.

The thunder paused, and the once oppressive sky split open with a beam of light, as if a bright light was slicing through the clouds from afar.

The sides of the rift towered like an abyss, with thousand-meter-thick clouds standing majestically like mountains, sunlight casting golden edges on the clouds, pouring into the dark world below. The sacred and solemn beauty was as breathtaking as the descent of a deity depicted in classical oil paintings.

A fiery red convertible Ferrari roared through the rain, speeding straight from afar… This car was the sword that cleaved the clouds! Wherever it passed, the vast clouds retreated from its edge!

It carried the golden light as it raced towards her.

“Ahhhhhhhhhh!! Xie Yi!!! It’s Xie Yi!!!” The entire building erupted in deafening screams.

Was this magic? This was clearly a miracle!

Wen Nansen suddenly sensed something and asked the crucial question, “Dongfang, what’s the name of the girl you like?”

Xie Yi didn’t hear him at all; he casually tossed his phone to the back seat.

With one hand on the steering wheel, his hair tousled by the wind, he carried a car full of roses, the roses swaying in the wind, leaving a trail of rose petals.

Xie Yi drove all the way, stopping beneath the Pianyu Media building. By then, the clouds had completely parted, forming a golden path in the sky, the dazzling gold and vibrant red so intense it made one’s blood boil.

Amidst the frenzied screams, Xie Yi waved lazily, and the roses rose up, forming a bridge of roses, as he strode towards Xu Xining.

“He’s coming over!!! Ahhhh!”

“So handsome I could die ahhhhh!”

The screams from her colleagues nearly deafened Xu Xining.

She wasn’t fond of overly noisy scenes, but compared to the thunder, such delightful sounds couldn’t possibly annoy her.

He smiled, and it seemed the whole world would scream for him.

Xie Yi called out, “Hey, Ning.”

His voice was teasing and captivating.

He arched his charming brows, holding a large bouquet of blooming roses, kneeling on one knee amidst the sea of roses, “I chased away the thunderstorm you dislike. Could you like me a little more because of that?”

Outside the window, the clouds dispersed, the sky brightened, and against the light, Xie Yi was surrounded by roses, his always amorous eyes reflecting only one person’s shadow.

Wen Nansen silently approached, and before the cameras of the onlookers could turn to Xu Xining, he placed sunglasses on her, covering most of her face.

Xie Yi, seeing Wen Nansen, became even more delighted, grinning broadly and giving him a thumbs-up, meaning how’s my performance? Absolutely perfect! Thanks to you, my good brother!

Wen Nansen stood in front of Xu Xining, “Sorry, I’m her boss, and she’s still on work hours.”

Xie Yi: ?

Wen Nansen closed the window in front of Xu Xining.

Xie Yi: ???

Wen Nansen pulled down the blinds, the slats closing, instantly blocking Xie Yi’s charming face.

Xie Yi: ????????

Xie Yi: Hello, Wen Nansen?

Xie Yi: What the heck is going on?

Xie Yi: You said you’d wish me success!!!

Xie Yi’s high-profile confession quickly made it to the trending topics.

He thought it would be “Xieyi&XiningCPBeautifulLove” or “Xie Yi Creates Another Miracle by Clearing the Skies,” but the top three trending topics were:

Xie Yi’s Reconciliation Attempt Rejected

Who Closed The Window In Front Of Xie Yi

Crowdfunding For Window Workers For Xie Yi

Additional trending topics about Xu Xining:

What’s Ning’s Weibo Account

Ning Is An Industry Professional

Who’s The Blonde Man Beside Ning!

Teacher Wen unfortunately appeared in the frame, exposed to the public. Although it was just a blurry side profile, his superior bone structure and gentle demeanor were instantly captured by sharp-eyed sisters: Damn! Why is even a single employee at Pianyu Media so handsome!! Is it still time to submit a resume?

Thanks to Wen Nansen putting sunglasses on Xu Xining, her full face remained a mystery.

Although her blonde hair was quite eye-catching, when she and Xie Yi announced their relationship half a year ago, Xu Xining had already stunned the internet with a few paparazzi shots that didn’t show her face, making blonde hair go viral overnight.

Countless beauty bloggers followed suit, leading to a surge in blonde girls everywhere.

Although netizens were searching for her account, she wasn’t interested in becoming famous as “Xie Yi’s girlfriend.”

If she ever became famous, it would have to be as Xu Xining.

And Xie Yi, at most, was her ex.

Meanwhile, Xie Yi was in a secluded area within Pianyu Media, facing off with Wen Nansen…

Under the lush wisteria tree, Xie Yi stood in the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves, half-smiling, “Nansen.” His teeth were clenched.

Wen Nansen approached, apologizing, “I’m sorry.”

Xie Yi: “What were you thinking? Aren’t we supposed to be closer than brothers after knowing each other for hundreds of years? I know you’re old-fashioned, but I didn’t know you were this old-fashioned! You could’ve told me to wait until she got off work!”

Wen Nansen looked into his eyes, “That’s not the reason.”

Xie Yi’s carefree demeanor faded slightly, his eyes narrowing as he sensed something ominous, “…Wait, no way?”

“Yes.” Wen Nansen nodded, “Xu Xining was named Eileen in her past life… She was the love of my life.”

Xie Yi: “…”

Of all the three and a half billion women in the world, your wife had to reincarnate as Xu Xining!

Are you deliberately trying to mess with me?!

Wen Nansen calmly said, “You once taught me, there’s an old Chinese saying, ‘A brother’s wife cannot be deceived.'”

Xie Yi: “Huh? Who taught you that? It definitely wasn’t me.”

Wen Nansen: “By seniority, you should call her sister-in-law.”

Xie Yi immediately backtracked, “Well, we don’t really count as brothers.”

Wen Nansen adjusted his glasses, his deep eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses resembling a verdant pool. He calmly said, “Dongfang Xieyi, you and I both know your attitude towards women.”

Their differing views on women had already begun to show hundreds of years ago.

Back then, Wen Nansen was an immovable iron tree, while Xie Yi had already seen all kinds of beauties in the world, whether gentle or charming. But no matter how much he liked them, no woman could stay by his side for more than a month.

That’s just the kind of person Xie Yi was; he was always in pursuit of something fresher. Although women wouldn’t remain beautiful forever, there would always be new beautiful women in the world.

Wen Nansen had seen women kneeling outside a tavern, crying, seeking death, just to see Xie Yi one more time. But Xie Yi was upstairs, drinking and having fun, not looking back, carefree and wild, with a beautiful woman in his arms.

Others pursued Xu Xining, and Wen Nansen didn’t stop them; it was their freedom. If Xu Xining agreed, it was her right.

But Xie Yi was different.

He was born with too much love… to the point where he considered love a cheap thing.

“What attitude?” Xie Yi lifted his eyelids, displeased, “I’ve already told you, this time I’m sincere.”

“How sincere are you? Three months? Or half a year?” Wen Nansen’s tone was gentle yet sharp, “You just think she doesn’t like you, so she’s different from others. Dongfang, you just want to conquer her; you don’t actually like her.”

Xie Yi’s expression shifted slightly, and he sneered, “Nansen, that’s not what you said before. You said she and I were meant to be, that she’d feel my sincerity and eventually fall for me.”

Wen Nansen reminded him, “You also said before that she loved me in her past life, so she’d surely love me in this one too.”

Xie Yi scoffed, “Sorry, I’m the kind of guy who talks nonsense naturally. Are you the same?”

Teacher Wen: “…”

Do all you Demons speak so recklessly?

Xie Yi curled his lips into a playful smile, his long fingers flipping a slender cigarette, which he bit down on. A flicker of flame ignited the tip, and he exhaled a swirl of smoke that veiled his handsome face.

As Xie Yi walked past, he patted Wen Nansen on the shoulder, “By the way, a reminder, Nansen, Xu Xining is no longer Eileen. Death did separate you two.”

Wen Nansen lowered his lashes, making it hard to discern his expression.

The wind stirred the fine golden chain of his glasses, creating a soft tinkling sound.

Amidst the falling wisteria petals, Wen Nansen asked just one question, “But did she ever like you? Even for a moment.”

Xie Yi’s steps faltered, a flicker of stung anger crossing his eyes. In that instant, he was still the arrogant and proud Demon King, untouchable in his dignity.

With the cigarette dangling from his lips, he looked up at Wen Nansen, his upturned eyes brimming with mischief, “No one can take my woman. Do you want to try?”

Wen Nansen turned around, facing him from afar amidst the swirling petals, “You always call them ‘women,’ as if they’re all the same.”

His tone was calm, like a professor correcting a student’s mistake in a university lecture.

“But that’s not the case. She’s not anyone you think she is,” Wen Nansen said. “She is, and only is, Xu Xining.”

While a straight line of clear sky centered over the Pianyu Media building, the rest of Huai City remained shrouded in dark clouds and heavy rain.

This persistent stormy weather was abnormal, and the meteorological department attempted various explanations. However, the real cause stood in the courtyard of the Huo Residence, a figure in a pitch-black coat standing in the rain-Huo Ting.

His skin bore the pallor typical of a vampire, rain soaking his dark hair, tracing over his porcelain-like sharp features, drenching his cold, slender frame.

He seemed to embody only black and white hues, casting a stark shadow amidst the endless darkness and flashes of lightning, his gaze as sharp as a blade.

He continued to gaze at the tombstone-Xu Xining’s tombstone.

The recent unusual stormy weather in Huai River had one reason: today was Xu Xining’s memorial day-or so he believed.

Of course, he was unaware that Xu Xining was alive and well, making headlines with a big news story, surrounded by a Demon King who wouldn’t rest until he had her, a Spirit who crossed the barrier of death from a past life to love her, and an Exotic Species Killer sharpening his knives to eliminate the other two.

Life was nothing short of vibrant and exhilarating.

He was now deeply sorrowful, profoundly so, like a widower mourning his deceased wife… although his ‘deceased wife’ was currently entangled in a lively Shura Field with three other men.

A black bat silently descended from the eaves, landing behind Huo Ting.

It was a traditional English butler, who respectfully whispered, “Master, I wish to confirm an appointment for next month.”

Huo Ting turned his cold gaze, “Now? You need confirmation for such a trivial matter? What do I keep you for?”

“The appointment is for the graduation ceremony at Wenjuan University on June 15,” the butler said. “You mentioned attending six months ago. Should it be canceled now?”

Huo Ting was a board member of Wenjuan University, though he never cared about so-called university education, with all assets managed by the butler.

He never attended graduation ceremonies, and the only reason for this appointment was because a blonde girl had once curled up on the sofa like a cat, playfully poking him with her foot, asking, “Will you come to my graduation? We even have a costume ball. How about I do your makeup? Come on, don’t be so stiff like a dead man…”

Huo Ting was silent for a long time.

If Xu Xining were still alive… she would be graduating in June, wouldn’t she?

“I’ll go,” Huo Ting finally said, “because I promised her.”

As graduation approached, Xu Xining was busy with both Pianyu Media’s projects and her thesis defense, forcing her to pull all-nighters… all because she had too much fun during the day, taking photos and dining with her university roommates.

As a result, staying up late led her to discover something strange.

At two in the morning, Xu Xining was about to sleep and went to the kitchen for water when she suddenly heard footsteps outside the door. Peering through the peephole, she saw Zhan Xingye wearing a baseball cap, carrying the shoulder bag she had given him, and entering his home.

His white sneakers were stained with blood, and the zipper of his shoulder bag… was seeping blood.

Xu Xining: ?

Damn, that’s creepy in the middle of the night.

The next day, Xu Xining tentatively tried to invite Zhan Xingye to dinner, hoping to probe him, but he claimed he was feeling unwell and wanted to rest at home, not even letting her in to see him.

Xu Xining suspected he was injured, beaten up in the middle of the night, and so poor that he sold the Zhan’s family old house to pay off debts… Could he have borrowed from loan sharks? Did he get involved with the mafia?

Just as she feared.

A few days later, while Xu Xining was writing at home, she heard the elevator stop on the 28th floor.

Out of the elevator came seven burly men, each over six feet tall and weighing three hundred pounds, along with two bald guys with full-sleeve tattoos, left with a green dragon and right with a white tiger, muscles bulging and faces fierce, clearly part of a criminal gang.

The seven burly men crowded outside Zhan Xingye’s door, whispering among themselves, then knocked… no response.

Xu Xining grew even more alert.

She quickly messaged Zhan Xingye: [Where are you? There are some big guys blocking your door!]

These big guys were also puzzled.

“Something’s not right, the boss is supposed to be here, right?”

“Damn it, I said I didn’t want to come. Zhan-ge said not to come to his door, and besides, why did so many of us come when one would do?”

“Don’t be stupid, who dares to come alone? This is strength in numbers for courage, isn’t it? The situation is urgent, special circumstances call for special measures. The boss won’t make us run laps, right?”

The big guys recalled the terrifying memories of being trained by Zhan Xingye and began to feel their legs go weak.

They were all employees of the Execution Department of the Administration Bureau, specifically subordinates of Zhan Xingye.

Although Zhan Xingye was younger than all of them, his strength and experience earned him the respectful title of “Zhan-ge” or “Boss.”

The boss was a good guy, just a bit taciturn. If you joked with him, he wouldn’t laugh, just look at you with those overly refined black eyes.

If he valued a team member, he’d expressionlessly add sandbags to their legs during weight training.

“Only two hundred pounds,” Zhan-ge would say in a detached tone, “Add another fifty.”

The Administration Bureau had a dedicated pharmaceutical research department, and these team members were injected with serums extracted from Exotic Species, giving them muscle capabilities far beyond ordinary people… any one of them could easily break the world weightlifting record.

Yet these big guys were tormented under Zhan Xingye’s training, screaming in agony from muscle cramps every time they went downstairs.

Of course, some were defiant, and the Execution Department’s biggest tradition was watching foolish newcomers challenge Zhan Xingye.

Zhan Xingye usually didn’t get angry, just invited the newcomer to the arena and silently beat them into submission, once wasn’t enough, twice would do.

While the opponent was left with a bruised face, broken ribs, and gritted teeth, Zhan Xingye would stand aside, calmly lowering his lashes, waiting for them to get back up.

His lean body had a skeletal quality between a boy and a man, light like an unformed youth, yet containing the explosive power of a man.

The Execution Department valued violence above all, so someone like Zhan Xingye, who couldn’t talk but could fight, was especially popular, and the team held a mindless admiration for him… with a hint of masochism.

Zhan Xingye didn’t need them on the battlefield; he trained his teammates out of care and protection… once a teammate tried to escape training by secretly giving Zhan Xingye a gift, only to receive an extra ten kilometers of weighted running as a friendly gesture.

Just like how your grandma always wants you to eat more, not to turn you into a pig, on the battlefield, these big guys were no more useful than straw men.

They thought Zhan Xingye chose them because they were exceptional… in reality, Zhan Xingye patiently selected a group of muscle-bound idiots because only idiots wouldn’t question his non-human strength.

Now these idiots were crowded at Zhan Xingye’s door, sweating profusely.

The door behind them opened.

A blonde girl cautiously revealed half of her body, and compared to these fierce men, her ruffled dress made her look both beautiful and fragile, like a kitten strayed into a pride of lions.

Xu Xining cautiously asked, hiding a recorder and camera on her, clutching a phone ready to call the police, “Who are you looking for? Did you get the wrong place?”

The big guys exchanged glances, their eyes filled with excitement and joy!

Sister-in-law! This was the golden-haired sister-in-law Chen Long and Zhang Hu had told them about!!!

It was worth the trip! They met the real sister-in-law!!

They couldn’t help but start using combat sign language.

One of them made a gesture with two fingers pointing forward, meaning “Go on, go on! Sister-in-law is asking!” Another was using sign language to shout “It’s sister-in-law, it’s sister-in-law, hooray.”

This gesture was their private invention, using the right hand as a knife to chop the left palm, symbolizing that sister-in-law was their trump card, maybe she could make their boss a bit more humane, and stop the devil training.

Xu Xining: …

Their gestures looked like they wanted to chop her up and feed her to the dogs.

One of the big guys stepped forward, his voice deep and resonant, “We’re looking for Zhan Xingye, it’s none of your business.”

“You’d better pretend you didn’t see us… otherwise,” the big guy’s eyes flashed with a terrifying menace, “something very scary will happen.” Like being punished with weighted running.

Xu Xining: !

Xu Xining slammed the door shut, anxiously messaging Zhan Xingye:

[Don’t come back! It’s dangerous!]

[They threatened me to pretend I didn’t see them, or they’ll… hey?]

A loud “bang” echoed.

The stairwell door was kicked open with great force, clattering noisily, and the young man rushed back, not even bothering to wipe the blood, knocking on Xu Xining’s door, his voice slightly trembling, “Xu Xining?”

Xu Xining opened the door.

She pulled Zhan Xingye inside as quickly as she could.

In fact, she didn’t need to pull at all; the moment the door opened a crack, Zhan Xingye squeezed in.

The blonde girl leaned in with concern, lowering her voice, “What’s going on? These guys don’t look like good people. They even threatened me if I said anything, they’d… huh?”

Xu Xining didn’t finish because she was suddenly pulled over by Zhan Xingye and hugged tightly.

The young man hugged her so tightly that she stumbled, standing on tiptoe, barely keeping her toes on the ground.

His forearms crossed, tightening around the girl’s slender waist, bending down to envelop her completely, leaving only a glimpse of golden hair and bare white ankles visible to outsiders.

He held her so tightly.

As if afraid that if he let go, she would disappear.