Obsessed with a High-Ranking Esper (BL)-Chapter 218: Jian Ci cursing people out

It hit Vigil square in the chest, freezing him mid-sentence. His breath caught. Jian Ci stepped between them without a word, his presence like a wall of steel. Vigil instinctively took a step back, his smirk faltering.

Jian Ci’s glare was lethal. Vigil swallowed hard, the bravado draining from his face. He turned and walked away, fast.

Jian Ci sneered after him, then turned to Yu Xi’s back. "What did that idiot say to you?"

Yu Xi’s hand was still clenched at his side. He exhaled slowly, loosening his grip. "Nothing."

Jian Ci didn’t buy it. He stepped closer, took Yu Xi’s hand without asking. Yu Xi flinched, startled, but didn’t pull away.

Jian Ci gently pried open his fingers. Deep crescent shaped marks marred his palm, red and raw.

"Why would you hurt yourself like that?" Jian Ci murmured, rubbing his thumb over the marks with surprising tenderness.

Yu Xi didn’t answer. He just looked at him, eyes unreadable. Then, quietly he said, "Thought you would be kissing Alarna."

Jian Ci snorted. "Fuck no. So I can end up on the forum and be gossiped about for the next three months?"

Yu Xi’s lips twitched. He retorted, "You are always being gossiped about."

"Yeah," Jian Ci said, "but I don’t want to keep adding to it." Yu Xi pulled his hand back and turned away, folding his arms as he faced forward in the line.

Jian Ci’s voice followed him. "Vigil isn’t a good person. Stay away from him."

Yu Xi arched a brow, not turning around. "What makes you say that?"

Jian Ci didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Yu Xi’s arm and spun him back to face him. "He is infamous for going to dirty clubs. His reputation is garbage. You should stay away from him."

Yu Xi looked at him, gaze steady. "I know. We aren’t close."

Jian Ci loosened his grip on Yu Xi’s arm, the tension in his fingers fading as he stepped back. "Good," he said, voice low but firm. "As long as you know."

Yu Xi tilted his head, eyes narrowing just slightly. "You and Alarna have kissed before," he said, tone light but probing. "So why are you shy to kiss her in public?"

Jian Ci’s reaction was immediate. He reached out and clamped a hand over Yu Xi’s mouth, eyes wide. "I never told you that."

Yu Xi pulled his hand away, unbothered. "What, should I expect you to tell me everything?"

"Yes," Jian Ci said without hesitation. "You should know everything. If I really kissed her, you would be the first to know."

Yu Xi’s lips pressed together, uncertain. Then, after a beat, he asked, "Why haven’t you?"

He already knew the answer. After the rumors about Jian Ci’s supposed impotence had spread like wildfire, Alarna had grown more desperate, more possessive. But nothing had happened between them. Not really. At most, a few hugs. The kissing part had always been a question mark until now.

Jian Ci looked away, his voice quieter. "I don’t know. It’s just... I don’t want to. Maybe I am impotent."

Yu Xi turned his head sharply, scoffing inwardly. Impotent where? He had been with Jian Ci intimately and messily, more than once. The only problem was, Jian Ci didn’t remember any of it. Not consciously.

"You are not," Yu Xi said, his voice cool. "You are just the type who needs to fall in love first before doing anything with someone."

Jian Ci leaned in, eyes narrowing with curiosity. "How about you?"

He already knew the answer. Yu Xi had a long trail of ex-boyfriends, each one leaving behind bruises and hickeys like territorial marks.

Yu Xi, caught off guard, answered without thinking. "Same."

Jian Ci’s eyes sharpened. "Liar," he said, not unkindly. "You were never in love with any of them."

Yu Xi blinked, realizing his slip. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine. You are right. I have needs, okay?"

Jian Ci didn’t respond right away. There was a strange weight in his chest, something thick and uncomfortable that he couldn’t name. He swallowed it down.

"I wonder," he said, voice lighter, "what kind of guide you would actually fall in love with." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Yu Xi chuckled, turning away. "It will never happen."

Jian Ci clicked his tongue. "Never say never."

Yu Xi’s communicator buzzed softly against his wrist. He glanced down, expecting another flood of congratulations or a reminder from the ceremony organizers. But the name on the screen made him pause.

It was Leane but he barely had any private interaction with her. Other than cordial nods, and the occasional exchanges when Elias was with her, but nothing personal. Curious, he tapped the message open.

Leane: Can we meet up after the ceremony? I need to tell you something.

Yu Xi’s brows drew together. The message was short, direct, and completely out of the blue. What could she possibly want to tell him that couldn’t wait?

He typed back: Sure. Time and place?

A moment later, her reply came through.

Leane: I will come find you after the ceremony.

That was it. That was all she said. Yu Xi stared at the message, even more puzzled than before.

Jian Ci, standing beside him and adjusting the collar of his ceremonial uniform, caught the shift in his expression. "What’s wrong?"

Yu Xi quickly locked the screen and shook his head. "It’s nothing. Just more congratulations messages."

Jian Ci didn’t press. He rolled his shoulders and exhaled. "Tsk. Can’t wait to get this over and done with."

Yu Xi gave a faint smile, but his mind was already elsewhere. It was on Leane’s message, on the strange timing, and on the quiet sense that whatever she had to say wasn’t going to be good.

***

The ceremonial grounds shimmered under the midday sun, banners fluttering in the breeze, and the air thick with anticipation. Rows of graduates stood in formation, their uniforms pristine, their expressions a mix of pride and restlessness. The ceremony was moments from beginning.

An instructor in formal navy robes strode down the line, clipboard in hand, checking names and placements. His eyes landed on Yu Xi, who stood tall and composed near the front.

"Congratulations on being the top graduate," the instructor said, his voice clipped but polite.

Yu Xi inclined his head. "Thank you, senior."

The instructor’s gaze lingered. "Have you thought about which vanguard you want to join?"

Before Yu Xi could answer, Jian Ci, standing just behind him, reached forward and patted his shoulder with casual familiarity. "He is not joining any," Jian Ci said, voice light but firm.

The instructor chuckled, clearly not taking the hint. "Well, if you are tired of following the tenth prince around, there are other employers who would appreciate your talents more."

Yu Xi’s eyes narrowed, his lips parting to deliver a sharp retort, but Jian Ci beat him to it.

With a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, Jian Ci said, "No one can treat him better than I can. So respectfully, senior—fuck off."

The words were delivered with such calm, such precision, that for a moment the instructor wasn’t sure he’d heard correctly. But then he met Jian Ci’s cold eyes, gleaming with unmasked malice, and the smile froze on his face.

He took a step back, stiffly adjusting his collar. He had only been following orders, sent by the second prince to scout promising talent. He hadn’t expected to be cursed out like a man caught propositioning someone else’s lover.