Chapter 9

Editor and proofreader: Oceanblue

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The moment Gu Shenyuan faced the enemy’s attack, he thought of Ye Qingyun.

In terms of both looks and talent, Ye Qingyun was top-tier. Plus, he couldn’t fight, making him a prime target.

Gu Shenyuan didn’t care whether others on the ship lived or died, but Ye Qingyun had to be safe.

Stepping out of his room, Gu Shenyuan didn’t know where Ye Qingyun was staying, but given   Ye Qingyun’s looks and talent, he should be on the same floor.

Gu Shenyuan’s plan was solid, but after searching the entire floor, he still didn’t find Ye Qingyun.

“Where could Ye Qingyun have gone?”

With a dark expression, Gu Shenyuan stepped out of the last room and heard footsteps approaching from around the corner.

He retreated into the room, half-closing the door and peering out with one eye to assess the situation.

Soon, he saw someone being chased by another person, running toward him.

One was Ye Qingyun, and the other was a visibly anxious individual.

Gu Shenyuan watched as Ye Qingyun led the person away from his room, running in the opposite direction. In an instant, a thought struck him.

Gu Shenyuan always guessed people’s intentions with the worst assumptions, and he had never been wrong.

If Ye Qingyun was bringing a bad person toward his room, there could only be one possibility.

He wanted to push him out to take the fall.

Gu Shenyuan had encountered this kind of situation before, but back then, those people had underestimated his strength and were easily wiped out.

Now, this scene almost overlaps with those past events.

A cold smile appeared on Gu Shenyuan’s lips, and he even felt a bit eager to see Ye Qingyun’s expression when he opened the door and found him absent.

But Ye Qingyun was still useful to him; he couldn’t just kill them as he had before, nor could he let them fight each other. He had to save Ye Qingyun.

Gu Shenyuan opened the door and was about to step out when he saw Ye Qingyun run past his door without looking back, not giving any hint to his pursuer, leading the enemy away directly.

The scene before him intertwined with memories from the past, causing Gu Shenyuan to grip the doorknob tightly, frozen in place.

When Gu Shenyuan snapped back to reality, he saw Ye Qingyun being pinned to the ground, about to face humiliation.

Yet, even in that situation, Ye Qingyun didn’t plead for mercy nor did he throw him under the bus to avoid humiliation.

“Why? Didn’t he dislike him?”

“Why not lead the enemy to him?”

Gu Shenyuan couldn’t figure out the answer. He killed the enemy and watched Ye Qingyun’s retreating figure, and without thinking, he immediately followed.

But this time, Gu Shenyuan realized that his reason for following Ye Qingyun was not purely because he found him useful; it was mixed with other motivations.

—

Ye Qingyun noticed that Gu Shenyuan was following him. He didn’t want to talk to him for now, instead carefully observing his surroundings, searching for a relatively safe place.

Strangely, wherever he wanted to go, which had previously been filled with sounds of fighting, would quiet down as he approached.

Peeking cautiously, he saw that the people were all lying awkwardly on the ground, lifeless.

Ye Qingyun moved forward, discovering that whenever he aimed to go somewhere, everyone there would be dead by the time he arrived.

Ye Qingyun wasn’t foolish; with a little thought, he figured out who was behind it.

“Was it you?” Ye Qingyun looked at Gu Shenyuan.

Gu Shenyuan didn’t speak, but his demeanor indicated agreement.

Ye Qingyun snorted disdainfully on the surface, but in reality, cold sweat began to trickle down his back.

Was Gu Shenyuan this powerful in the original story? Could he instantly control his powers to kill so many people from a distance?

Fortunately, he still had some use for Gu Shenyuan; otherwise, if Gu Shenyuan ever felt annoyed with him, he could easily kill him in the middle of the night, and no one would know.

As Ye Qingyun pondered this while walking forward, he suddenly heard Gu Shenyuan say, “Do you like me?”

Ye Qingyun: “……???”

Ye Qingyun looked at Gu Shenyuan in disbelief, suspecting he had misheard.

Gu Shenyuan’s expression remained neutral, making it impossible to discern his thoughts. Ye Qingyun confirmed, “Did you say I like you?”

Gu Shenyuan didn’t deny it.

This was the only reason Ye Qingyun might choose not to expose him.

Strangely, at this moment, Gu Shenyuan didn’t feel the usual disgust he experienced when he knew someone had feelings for him.

Ye Qingyun: “……”

Ye Qingyun was truly taken aback. He knew this was a cliché romance novel and that Gu Shenyuan was the protagonist, but Gu Shenyuan shouldn’t be so narcissistic as to think everyone liked him, right?

Though most major characters in this book had a liking for Gu Shenyuan, the character he was playing genuinely didn’t like him at all.

“What are you talking about?” Ye Qingyun said incredulously. “Where did you get the idea that I like you? In your dreams?”

Ye Qingyun firmly emphasized his stance: “I dislike you. If it weren’t for Pu Tian, I wouldn’t even come to teach you.”

Gu Shenyuan fell silent. He certainly knew that Ye Qingyun liked Pu Tian and asked, “Why didn’t you run into my room earlier?”

The question had come full circle, returning to this point. Ye Qingyun hadn’t expected Gu Shenyuan to care so much about this. He couldn’t possibly reveal his original thoughts; otherwise, his character would collapse.

“At that moment, who could think of you?” Ye Qingyun scoffed. “Do you think you hold any weight in my heart? I should think of you while escaping for my life. Self-important.”

After saying that, Ye Qingyun continued walking ahead, clearly annoyed at being alongside Gu Shenyuan.

Gu Shenyuan watched Ye Qingyun’s retreating figure and pressed his lips together.

It wasn’t like that.

He knew that when people were in crisis, their first thought was how to survive. They wouldn’t overlook any means available, especially something as convenient as this, which was practically handed to them.

Combining this with Ye Qingyun’s earlier awkward concern for him, the answer was clear.

Ye Qingyun was too kind of a person; although he disliked Gu Shenyuan, his underlying kindness prevented him from dragging him into danger at a critical moment.

Gu Shenyuan lowered his eyes, recalling something his grandmother had taught him long ago.

“If one couldn’t bear solitude and needed a partner to get through life, they should find a kind person. Even if they couldn’t help but develop feelings for that person, a kind person wouldn’t commit any wrongdoings because of that affection.”

Gu Shenyuan had never taken those words to heart before.

He had been able to endure loneliness and had never thought of finding someone to partner with, nor did he trust people. He didn’t believe there were such things as “good people” in this world.

No, perhaps there were, but he had always had terrible luck. Even if they existed, they wouldn’t be someone he would encounter.

Yet now he had met one.

Gu Shenyuan was unsure how he felt inside; only one thought flickered through his mind.

“Someone like this… shouldn’t like someone as useless as Pu Tian.”

“There were many better options.”