Obsessed with a High-Ranking Esper (BL)-Chapter 232: I love you

Yu Xi’s arms locked around Jian Ci, his breath ragged, his heart pounding so hard it hurt. Just the thought of what might have happened that night, of how close he had come to losing him, made his chest seize.

If he hadn’t been near enough, if he hadn’t intervened, Jian Ci might have slipped away forever.

He held him tighter, as though sheer force could anchor Jian Ci to this world, as though letting go for even a second would mean watching him vanish.

It wasn’t until warmth streaked down his chin that Yu Xi realized he was crying. The tears had come unbidden, silent and unstoppable. He blinked, startled, and wiped at his eyes with a shaky sniffle.

Jian Ci, still fragile in the aftermath of his collapse but no longer critical, looked up at him. His gaze was hazy, but his hands were steady as they cupped Yu Xi’s face. Slowly, tenderly, he leaned forward and kissed away the tears. Then his lips found Yu Xi’s.

This kiss was different from the last one that had been hungry, desperate and urgent. This one was soft, tentative and comforting. Jian Ci’s palms cradled Yu Xi’s face as though he were something precious, fragile and irreplaceable. Their tongues entwined, and instead of stopping, the tears flowed harder, falling freely between them.

When their lips parted, Yu Xi pressed his forehead against Jian Ci’s, stroking his hair with trembling fingers. His voice broke as he whispered, "I love you. I love you so much."

He said it again, and again, each repetition raw and unrestrained, pulled from the deepest part of his heart. His voice trembled, but he didn’t care.

It was against the oath he had sworn but Jian Ci wouldn’t remember this moment. He wouldn’t recall the words and so Yu Xi let himself be free, let himself confess what he had buried for so long. For once, he didn’t hold back.

***

Yu Xi was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling in deep, exhausted rhythm.

Last night he hadn’t even eaten. He lay sprawled across the bed utterly exhausted.

In another room, Jian Ci stirred awake. His eyes blinked against the dim light, and as he sat up, disorientation washed over him. He looked down at himself, realizing his uniform had been changed. His voice came out hoarse, muttered under his breath. "Shit."

For a moment, he couldn’t remember what had happened. His mind was blank, a haze. Then a sharp sting on his lip made him gasp, his fingers brushing against the tender skin.

The door slid open. Jian Rui and Jian Wei stepped inside. Jian Wei carried a couple of injectors, while Jian Rui had a nutrient supplement in his hand.

Jian Wei crossed the room and sat beside him on the bed, his expression tight. "How are you feeling?"

Jian Ci let out a bitter laugh. "Like shit... It happened again, didn’t it?"

Jian Rui’s voice was clipped, matter-of-fact, "Mum said she told you what Alarna did. You went berserk... You even fucked up her flowers and broke her things."

The words hit Jian Ci like a blow. His memory snapped back into place, and guilt flooded him. He lowered his head, his voice trembling. "What about my lip? What happened?"

Jian Wei shrugged, his tone deliberately casual. "Who knows. You probably bumped into something."

Jian Ci rubbed his temples, groaning. His body tensed as Jian Wei pressed the injector against his arm. He hissed at the sting, but didn’t resist.

Jian Rui tossed the nutrient supplement at him, his voice firm. "Drink that. By the way... Lord Leung and his entire family are going down as we speak. So don’t go anywhere for the next few days."

Jian Ci caught the supplement, staring at it blankly before saying "I should speak to her."

Jian Wei didn’t hesitate. He pressed another injector into Jian Ci’s arm, the sting sharp. "What is there to talk about? By the end of the day she will be in a fucking labour camp."

Jian Ci winced, rubbing the spot, but his eyes burned with something darker. He didn’t want to see Alarna for closure. There was no closure to be had. If he saw her, he might kill her outright, and that would be too easy. Too merciful.

What he wanted was the truth. He wanted all the details of that night because the more he thought about it, the more the pieces didn’t fit. Something about the way it had unfolded made no sense, and Alarna was the only one who could fill in those gaps.

But Jian Ci knew his brothers would never let him go after her.

When Jian Rui had said the Leung family was going down, he hadn’t been exaggerating. Overnight, their entire empire collapsed. StarNet was flooded with exposés from multiple outlets, each one tearing apart their shady business dealings. Evidence poured out in waves. It was undeniable and impossible to refute.

The authorities moved swiftly. The crimes weren’t just corruption. They were treasonous acts against the imperial lord himself. That meant the entire family was implicated, no exceptions.

A massive manhunt was launched. Lord Leung’s family and business associates were dragged from their mansions, stripped of their wealth and dignity.

Alarna, pale and trembling, was shoved toward the armored prison transport. Terror twisted her face, and in desperation she cried out, trying to use Jian Ci’s name as a shield.

But Jian Ci wasn’t there. And even if he had been, he would not have saved her.

She had no idea her misdeeds had already been dragged into the light. She still carried herself with arrogance.

"Please cooperate or we are going to use force," the armed soldier warned, his tone clipped but steady.

Alarna’s eyes blazed. "Don’t you dare touch me! His High Highness will ruin you!"

She kicked and squirmed, thrashing wildly, but the soldier’s grip was iron. No matter how she twisted, she couldn’t break free.

Desperate, she summoned her guide psychic power, aura flaring as she tried to strike him. But the soldier was an esper, and they had come prepared. The shimmering shields around them absorbed her mental assault effortlessly, leaving her power useless.

When she realized she couldn’t break through, her fury only grew. She fought violently, clawing, screaming, until the soldier lost patience. With a swift motion, he pressed her to the ground, his knee pinning her back. A sharp crack echoed as her arm broke under the pressure. Alarna’s scream tore through the air, shrill and pained.

Another soldier stepped forward, calm and efficient.