NOVEL NEXT 21
Chapter 21:
Lu Xi stuffed his backpack into the desk and looked down at today’s schedule.
Astronomy, sigh.
This was a subject that gave Lu Xi a headache. It’s not that he wasn’t good at astronomy, quite the opposite, he was just too good at it.
“Nobles like to show off some obscure knowledge to demonstrate their expertise.”
“Their knowledge is extensive, they always talk about cigars with confidence, mentioning that there are eighteen ways to roll a cigar, and then solemnly elevate the most intricate rolling method to the throne of ‘proper etiquette,’ as if this is what truly defines their nobility.”
As the patriarch spoke, he took out a piece of paper, placed the tobacco on it, and with his nimble hands, swiftly folded and intertwined them, finally producing a long and slender paper cigarette.
He had a talent for origami and was quite satisfied with it. “Look, I didn’t even use scissors. If the most troublesome and expensive production method is considered orthodox, then I declare that this rolling method of mine is the most orthodox, without question.”
Little Lu Xi picked up a piece of paper and folded a star out of it.
“Oh, not bad,” the patriarch said, puffing on his slender paper cigarette. The smoke made his eyes narrow as he mumbled, “They probably don’t even know where the Lyra constellation is or how far the C-Loga galaxy is from us. If someone starts discussing those trivial matters about cigars with us, just talk to him about astronomy, and he’ll surely run away—I’m really fed up with it.”
The patriarch thought more and more that this was a good idea, so he hired an astronomy teacher for him. Lu Xi was relieved from cigars, but learning astronomy gave him a headache. Unfortunately, the teacher was strict, and over the years, those data seemed to be engraved in his mind.
But the problem was, there was a subtle deviation between the starry sky three thousand years ago and the starry sky three thousand years later.
While other classmates lamented about the vastness of the data, Lu Xi had an additional step. He had to forget all the stuff in his head first, so he wouldn’t get confused at critical moments: was that guiding star 27 light-years away or 27.12 light-years away?
Anyway, it was quite a headache.
As the start of morning self-study approached, the classroom gradually filled up with people.
With a bang, the classroom door was slammed against the wall, and Gu Qing swung his backpack over two rows of desks, gracefully landing in his seat.
He stuffed his backpack into the desk haphazardly and leaned over to ask Lu Xi, “What’s the first lesson?”
“Astronomy,” Lu Xi replied.
There was a paper package on Lu Xi’s desk containing freshly baked cookies, emitting a tantalizing aroma. Gu Qing reached out and took one, popping it into his mouth, then nudged Lu Xi with his elbow.
Lu Xi raised his head in confusion.
“Didn’t Luo Zhao send you home yesterday?” Gu Qing raised an eyebrow, gesturing with his eyes towards the empty seat next to Lu Xi, then lowered his voice mysteriously, “Did you… do it?”
Lu Xi: “…”
The dream he had finally managed to forget immediately resurfaced, and Lu Xi stiffened for a moment.
Gu Qing whistled, looking at him with envy. “Ah, that’s great. I want to do it with Luo Zhao too.”
Lu Xi averted his gaze. “I’m not interested in males.”
Gu Qing snorted disdainfully. “I’m picky when I’m full too. You’re just stirring up resentment—next time, give him to me. Let me tell you, Luo Zhao looks like the tastiest male.”
Lu Xi silently looked past Gu Qing.
Specifically, behind Gu Qing.
The tastiest male was standing in the aisle between two rows of desks.
“Please make way.”
Gu Qing: “…”
He stood up stiffly, and a hint of red appeared on his chocolate-colored skin. As Luo Zhao passed by him, he stuttered, “Luo, Luo Zhao—”
Luo Zhao looked at him inquiringly, and Gu Qing touched his nose. “You look very good today… I mean, you’ve always been pretty good, it’s just that you look especially energetic today…”
Ah, what am I saying? Gu Qing felt like dying in that moment.
But unexpectedly, Luo Zhao suddenly curved his lips, showing a smile. “Thank you, there’s indeed something good happening recently.”
Gu Qing’s mouth hung open in an unprecedentedly silly manner, as if he was being weathered away into ashes on the spot.
Ah, he smiled, he smiled, he smiled! The male smiled at me, he smiled at me, he smiled at me—
Lu Xi rested his chin on his hand, looking at Gu Qing’s rarely seen foolish expression in amazement.
Luo Zhao took a seat on the other side of him, casually picked up a textbook, and seemed to be reading it very seriously. However, upon closer observation, it could be noticed that his eyes weren’t on the book, and his fingers were lightly caressing the pages, as if hesitating about something.
After a while, he seemed to have finally made up his mind and put down the book. “Lu Xi.”
Lu Xi looked at the book, not lifting his head. “Hmm?”
Luo Zhao opened his mouth, but the aroma of the cookies in the air caught his attention. He pointed to the bag of cookies and asked, “Can I have some?”
“Hmm? Oh—help yourself,” Lu Xi replied casually. “I’ve already had some. These were made in surplus this morning.”
Originally, they were made for Xia Baiyuan, but after finishing them, he remembered that Xia Baiyuan, being a patient, shouldn’t eat such things, so he brought them here instead.
“Thank you.”
Luo Zhao whispered his thanks and picked out a whole cookie from the bag, putting it into his mouth.
Watching their extremely natural interaction, Gu Qing’s eyes widened.
Not just Gu Qing, but all the classmates were shocked.
—Why aren’t you nervous at all?! That’s a male! A male zerg!
You should take the initiative a little!
Unfortunately, Lu Xi was completely unaware of his classmates’ thoughts and acted as usual amidst their disappointed gazes.
There was no fixed content for morning self-study; they were already past the age of needing to be pushed by teachers, and everyone did the exercises they needed.
Lu Xi was reading with a headache when he suddenly heard Gu Qing’s astonished exclamation, “Holy crap,” and then saw Gu Qing placing his communicator in front of him. “Lu Xi, look!”
Lu Xi looked over, and there was a video playing on the communicator, lasting only a few minutes.
[Shocking! That zerg has returned—Combat Killstream Resurfaces!]
Lu Xi watched for a while and understood that this was a very popular type of competition in this era, different from regular combat matches. This kind of competition didn’t emphasize stopping at any point, nor were there many taboos—it was all about excitement and spectacle, maximizing the audience’s emotions.
Although injuries and disabilities were commonplace in these matches, and there were even some deaths on the spot, because of the considerable prize money, participants flocked to it like moths to a flame.
Winning meant money, being maimed meant compensation, and dying still meant a pension. It was a win-win situation.
The video was somewhat dim. As soon as the progress bar was clicked, there was a deafening cheer. Amidst the enthusiastic cheers of thousands of spectators, a tall and slender figure jumped onto the stage.
He was wearing a tight black combat suit, the kind that wouldn’t hinder movement and maximized the player’s strength. The fabric outlined his straight spine, slender waistline, and his pair of powerful-looking legs.
But he wore a gas mask on his face, covering his entire face tightly, only revealing a head of short brown hair.
His opponent, on the other hand, was an exceptionally strong zerg. He went shirtless, his fierce face filled with killing intent, and a ferocious scar ran across his entire face.
As soon as he stepped onto the stage, he raised both hands, showcasing his strong physique to the audience with a domineering aura.
The cheers immediately escalated to a higher level.
As expected of the “Combat Killstream,” the momentum is extraordinary, and the title isn’t exaggerated at all.
But Lu Xi’s gaze lingered on the zerg with the gas mask.
He stood quietly in the corner, making no movements. Yet, Lu Xi inexplicably felt a wave of familiarity, as if he had encountered such a slender figure somewhere before.
Before he could think further, the referee robot gave the command, and the battle was about to begin!
The particularly muscular zerg slightly lowered his shoulders, his back bulging like a beast ready to pounce, intimidating anyone standing before him.
Lu Xi shifted his gaze, but the slender zerg still maintained his original posture, like a leaf about to fall from a branch.
Lu Xi couldn’t help but feel a hint of worry.
It was strange; he was worried about a zerg he had never met before.
Just then, the quiet zerg suddenly turned his head, the cold gas mask facing the camera, causing Lu Xi’s hand to tremble.
It was as if they were locking eyes across the screen.
This wasn’t a live broadcast; it was just a video, and their eye contact was merely an illusion caused by coincidence.
But this coincidence brought about a very strange feeling.
Now, Lu Xi sincerely hoped that he would win.
The scar-faced zerg took a deep breath, let out a roar, and charged at his opponent! It was unbelievable that such a massive figure could move with such speed, like a swift armored vehicle. With such a vehicle, anything in its path would be crushed with unstoppable force. What chance did the slender zerg, swaying like a leaf, have against it?
Lu Xi’s hand hesitated over the pause button.
[As long as I pause quickly, he won’t get hurt.]
He could almost imagine the fate of the slender zerg being crushed by the armored vehicle. Many zergs died in such competitions, so it wasn’t surprising.
Lu Xi couldn’t help but ponder what he would do if he encountered such an armored-like zerg.
…He would use psychic attacks, haha.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t win.
But in the end, he didn’t press the pause button.
The video had a strange atmosphere; although the outcome seemed so obvious, the robust zerg appeared even more restless. His roars were excessively loud, giving off a sense of desperation.
The arena was small, and in the blink of an eye, the “war machine” rushed to his opponent!
Just as the two were about to collide, in that moment, the slender zerg mysteriously disappeared from where he stood.
The “war machine” stood there bewilderedly, his mouth emitting impatient and angry shouts, his fierce eyes searching everywhere for his opponent’s figure.
But there was nowhere to be found. Where did he go?
He couldn’t see it, but the audience could see it clearly.
The whole place fell silent.
This sudden silence made the “war machine” even more nervous. He leaned tightly against one corner of the platform, protecting his back from sudden ambushes.
“He’s—on top of his head!”
A scream erupted from the audience, and the color drained from the “war machine’s” face. He suddenly raised his head!
The brown-haired zerg, like a fish in the air, flipped his body at the highest point, gently lifting his right leg. His movements looked elegant and graceful, but for the enemy, this was the most dangerous posture.
The “war machine’s” eyes widened. He was experienced in battles and immediately reacted, crossing his arms to shield his head, assuming a defensive stance.
In the next moment, the brown-haired zerg descended like a meteor to the ground, his hair fluttering in the air—
All the potential energy of gravity pressed onto his right leg, and his heel slammed fiercely on the “war machine’s” arm, emitting a chilling “crack” sound. The robust arm, surprisingly, snapped like fragile foam!
The remaining momentum slammed straight into his shoulder and neck, pressing his entire body to kneel on the ground.
At this moment, the brown-haired zerg withdrew his right leg, returning to that vulnerable posture, quietly standing in front of the “war machine.”
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
“Uh—”
The massive body of the “war machine” collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
…
Lu Xi’s palms were sweaty.
“How was it? How was it?!” Excitedly, Gu Qing leaned over. “Did you see it?”
Lu Xi took a deep breath. “I thought…”
So, the “Combat Killstream” mentioned in the title refers to this zerg.
On the screen, the brown-haired zerg was taken to the side, while the robot referee gestured animatedly in front of him, saying who knows what, and he just listened quietly, occasionally nodding.
There was no trace of the terrifying side he had just shown.
Gu Qing slammed the table indignantly. “Ah, is there a need to show off affection like this?”
Lu Xi remained silent.
All the words got stuck in Lu Xi’s throat as he looked at Gu Qing in astonishment. “What?”
Are we watching the same video?
“Look!” Gu Qing pressed the pause button and enlarged the screen.
The video happened to pause when the zerg nodded, revealing the nape of their neck under the short hair.
Only when everything quieted down did it become apparent that the brown hair looked somewhat peculiar, as if it were…
A wig?
There were patches of dark red marks on the nape.
The marks looked fresh, definitely just imprinted, especially noticeable on the fair skin.
These marks extended downwards, disappearing into the black combat suit.
Gu Qing randomly pulled a few clips. During the fight, his movements were even more exaggerated, and one could see that the dark red bite marks even spread below his collarbone.
“Tsk tsk tsk.” Gu Qing looked at the screen with envy, jealousy, and hatred. “That must have been intense.”
He must be an incredibly delicious zerg, sob, sob, sob.
He sighed for a while but didn’t hear Lu Xi’s agreement. Turning his head, he saw the zerg with black hair and red eyes showing a faint blush on his face, his eyes flickering.
Gu Qing: “…”
You said there was nothing last night!!!
Clearly, there’s something going on!!!
You’re reminiscing, aren’t you? You definitely are, right???
Ah ah ah ah!
Gu Qing snatched back the communicator, saying irritably, “Get lost, get lost, get lost.”
Damn zerg.
—
The whole day, nothing sunk in.
He spaced out from time to time.
In Lu Xi’s mind, he kept thinking about the zerg’s neck, glowing white, and the particularly slender waistline. He felt a strange sense of restlessness, not understanding why he kept thinking about these things.
Lu Xi had no choice. He didn’t want to fail, so he had to go up to the rooftop with a telescope at night.
It was freezing in winter. He wrapped himself in a blanket, huddled in front of the telescope, squinting at the starry sky.
To the naked eye, the difference between the starry sky three thousand years ago and three thousand years later wasn’t that significant.
Standing under the starry sky, Lu Xi relaxed his mind.
He let his brain wander in fragments of memories.
Where had he met before? That slim figure hidden under the oversized coat… He hung his head low, leaning weakly against himself, revealing a fair neck glistening with sweat.
The gas mask was tightly fastened behind his head, and the messy brown wig looked fluffy.
Lu Xi lightly fiddled with the buttons, only to hear a “click,” and the metal button opened, and the gas mask fell to the ground.
The zerg slowly lifted his head, gradually revealing his full appearance.
Eyebrows fluttering, a pair of azure eyes like the clear sky on a snowy mountain, beneath the straight nose were lips as delicate as flower petals.
The zerg tilted his head slightly, the brown wig fell off, revealing a head of silver hair like moonlight.
His cheeks flushed, his watery eyes dared not meet his, just slightly parting his slender legs and softly saying:
“Have… have you seen enough…”
…
Lu Xi covered his face, emitting an aura of despair and hopelessness.
Turns out, he’s been, he’s been immersed in that dream all along!
He even overlaid Xia Baiyuan’s face onto that zerg, aaahhh!
Help!
Help!
There’s no saving me, QQ.
While he was wallowing in despair, footsteps approached from behind.
“Lu Xi?”
Speak of the devil.
Lu Xi’s back stiffened as Xia Baiyuan walked up to him, looking at the telescope. “Are you looking at the stars?”
Lu Xi nodded, his messy hair swaying in the night breeze.
The temperature dropped even further after nightfall. Xia Baiyuan only wore a thin coat over his uniform, the scarf around his neck piled up to his chin, making his voice sound muffled.
Xia Baiyuan shivered.
“Why did you come up here like this?” Lu Xi asked.
Xia Baiyuan tightened his scarf around his neck and said in a muffled voice, “I thought I could.”
Lu Xi: “…”
The history books wrote about you, in the depths of winter, still looking lively in thin coats—making countless zergs stiffen their necks for manners over warmth, so that’s how it is.
The misleading was really too strong!
Lu Xi complained in his heart, but he was decisive in his actions. He unfolded the thin blanket draped over him, intending to cover Xia Baiyuan with it. However, as soon as he opened his hands, a chilly body slipped into the blanket.
Lu Xi: “…”
Xia Baiyuan glanced at Lu Xi, who was frozen in place, then reached out and grabbed Lu Xi’s wrist to pull him back.
The two huddled together under the blanket, trembling.
Lu Xi was truly freezing. As a male zerg, he was completely weak, feeling cold even with a portable heater in this weather, shivering uncontrollably. And now, there was a freshly frozen female zerg in the blanket with him.
Adding to that, he felt guilty inside and hesitated to get closer to Xia Baiyuan. With a gap between them, the cold wind kept seeping in.
The faint scent surrounding Xia Baiyuan enveloped him, and despite feeling freezing, Lu Xi didn’t really want to leave.
The stars in the telescope flew around, like the star candies his male father made for his female father, making Lu Xi inexplicably hungry.
Well, he came here to study, so he had no reason to leave. But what was Xia Baiyuan here for?
Once he’s had enough of the cold, he’ll leave, right?
Could you please roll out of the blanket quickly, thanks.
“Do you feel a draft?” Xia Baiyuan asked.
Lu Xi stared expressionlessly at the telescope. “Don’t talk, I feel like I’m leaking everywhere right now. Your words go in my left ear and leak out of my right.”
“…”
The night wind blew for a while.
Then Lu Xi felt another body slowly move closer from the other side of the blanket, gently pressing against his shoulder.
Just a touch, but that small patch of skin felt like it was scalded by boiling water, making its presence especially strong.
His whole body warmed up.
“There’s no wind now, right?”
Lu Xi nodded slowly. “Indeed.”
So what exactly are you here for? ⊙‿⊙
Xia Baiyuan’s scarf also brushed against a small patch of skin behind Lu Xi’s ear, feeling a bit prickly.
Lu Xi tilted his head. “Doesn’t your scarf feel uncomfortable around your neck?”
“But it was free.” Xia Baiyuan’s voice was calm and rational. “Why bother so much when it’s free?”
That does make sense, Lu Xi couldn’t argue.
Xia Baiyuan looked up, the brilliant starry sky seeming within arm’s reach.
“That’s the New Dawn Star.”
Xia Baiyuan knew about the New Dawn Star. Although he just flew over every theoretical class, he still understood the basics. He turned his head. “What about it?”
The zerg with black hair and red eyes no longer looked through the telescope, the starlight shining on his face, reflecting in his crimson eyes.
“It’s exactly three thousand three hundred and seventy-five light-years away from here.”
“Exactly?” Xia Baiyuan frowned.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Lu Xi’s mouth.
Lu Xi’s lips curled up slightly.
Just right.
The star they were gazing at this moment, its light would traverse the vast universe and arrive here in three thousand three hundred and seventy-five years.
Xia Baiyuan cast his gaze upon the stars, but then directed it back at Lu Xi.
It had been shining on him throughout those… not-so-good years of his.
By the way, both of them ended up with a fever in the end.
In the medical room, Lao Yu looked at them with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Running off to watch the stars in the middle of the night? Quite romantic, huh.”
“…”
“…”
“A male zerg can’t even let out a fart, but when it comes to flirting with his brother, he’s got all the moves.”
“…”
“…”
Lao Yu handed them the thermometer. “Hold it tight for three minutes. Let’s see how high the fever is.”
Lu Xi unbuttoned his collar and obediently held the thermometer.
Lao Yu looked at Xia Baiyuan, who remained indifferent, and felt a headache coming on. “Can you please cooperate? With your mouth pouting up to the sky, what are you trying to achieve?”
Xia Baiyuan looked at Lao Yu expressionlessly and then, right in front of the two, placed the thermometer under his armpit.
—But over his clothes.
Lao Yu pushed the drawer shut in frustration. “Can’t you guys behave, just once? Can’t you?”
Lu Xi looked at Xia Baiyuan in confusion. “Won’t it be inaccurate if it’s outside?”
Xia Baiyuan snorted. “Too cold.”
Lao Yu gave the ultimate sarcastic face. “Oh, wasn’t it cold when you were on the rooftop? I thought you were quite cold-resistant?”
Xia Baiyuan glanced at him for a few seconds, then lay down on the chair, turning away from them to unbutton his collar. The fabric made a rustling sound as it moved.
Lao Yu: “…”
Hiss…
Are you really such a finicky zerg?
After a moment of thought, Lao Yu ultimately didn’t say anything. He got a headache whenever he saw Xia Baiyuan. Right now, he didn’t feel like communicating anything besides their medical conditions.
After three minutes, he looked at Lu Xi’s thermometer and gasped, “Thirty-nine degrees.”
Lu Xi hesitated. “Oh, I feel quite alright, light and comfortable.”
Lao Yu looked at him mercilessly. “So you’ve heard the call of the zerg God, have you?”
Lu Xi chuckled awkwardly.
He actually found it quite amusing.
Xia Baiyuan fared better than Lu Xi. Normally, he wouldn’t fall ill, but he had been running on empty for a while, which led to him catching a cold.
“You shouldn’t engage in strenuous activities for a while,” Lao Yu said as he wrote the prescription. “You’ve been exerting yourself a lot lately, haven’t you? You’ve come to me for bandages and medicine several times. What have you been up to?”
Xia Baiyuan mumbled, “I’ve been sparring with others, you know, Di Yan is always bothering me.”
Lao Yu gave him a cold glance. “Rest for at least a week, be careful not to have a sudden death—You, you’re his roommate, keep an eye on him.”
Lu Xi’s heart skipped a beat and he quickly agreed, “Of course.”
Xia Baiyuan turned his head, looking boredly out the window, without saying anything.
But his fingers kept scratching his palm.
He—
He had to go.
Regardless, he had to keep his female father’s life safe, his condition couldn’t worsen any further.
He lay on the chair, seeing his face reflected on the glass window.
Restless, uneasy, gloomy.
On the other chair, the black-haired zerg stared blankly at him, perhaps thinking he couldn’t see since he had his back turned, his eyes filled with worry.
People who had just met Lu Xi might be deceived by his cold demeanor and think he’s unapproachable. But only those who knew him well would realize that Lu Xi just never showed his true feelings.
Only in drunkenness or such inadvertent coincidences could one discover the softness he leaked out.
He was indeed a very gentle zerg.
Thinking like this, Xia Baiyuan shifted his gaze away from Lu Xi’s face reflected on the window and paused when he saw his own face.
He was actually smiling.
His face, which had been tense and gloomy just moments ago, had softened considerably.
Hmm…
Xia Baiyuan felt a bit nervous for some reason. He glanced at Lu Xi quietly, relieved when he confirmed that Lu Xi hadn’t noticed anything unusual about the window.
He just felt like if Lu Xi found out, it would be—
It would be very strange.
He gently reached out and pressed against his heart.
His heart was beating a bit fast, and his face felt a bit hot.