On the balcony, Lian Qiguang casually draped the jacket in his hand over the metal railing. Wearing only a shirt, he lay prone on the edge of the railing, expressionless as he looked at the red moon in the sky. The wind stirred the messy strands of hair at his forehead, brushing against his skin, a little itchy.
He let out a light breath. Lian Qiguang leapt onto the railing and lay down lazily. Having moved away from the noise of the banquet, the silence at this moment made him somewhat drowsy.
Someone! The suddenly appearing aura made Lian Qiguang’s heart tighten, but his face still showed little change. He slowly turned his head and, following the aura, looked over expressionlessly.
In the darkness, a tall man slowly walked out. As the man approached, Lian Qiguang could clearly see his appearance. The man was about 2.3 meters tall, wearing a black military uniform. His broad, solid build faintly revealed tightly packed strong muscles. A sharp, clean crew cut, tanned skin, slightly pressed lips that carried a faint coldness, and deep, sharp eyes hidden with killing intent—he looked like a beast ready to strike. This person was none other than Xiahou Shaoxuan.
Xiahou Shaoxuan looked at Lian Qiguang without speaking. Lian Qiguang also just looked at him like that. For a moment, there was silence between the two.
After a long while, Xiahou Shaoxuan extended a hand, his deep voice carrying its usual command. “Come down.”
Lian Qiguang looked expressionlessly at the outstretched palm and said calmly, “Who are you?”
“You don’t know me.” A trace of amusement flashed in Xiahou Shaoxuan’s eyes. Normally, Lian Yucheng should not have failed to tell him such basic information.
Ignoring the man in front of him, Lian Qiguang slowly turned his face away and continued to look expressionlessly at the moon in the sky.
“Hey! Why do you think the moon is red?” A hint of confusion appeared on Lian Qiguang’s otherwise expressionless face.
Xiahou Shaoxuan followed his question and looked up, saying indifferently, “It has no meaning.”
“………………”
Lian Qiguang turned back.
Xiahou Shaoxuan loosened his collar slightly, unfastening two buttons at random. “Any color is fine. It has no meaning.”
“I think,” Lian Qiguang tilted his head, “it must be stained red with blood.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan paused slightly.
Lian Qiguang raised a hand to shield his eyes, looking through his fingers at the crimson moon. He said flatly, “Although I never really cared, compared to the apocalypse, this time is truly too happy. So happy that it feels like a nightmare, a nightmare that could wake up at any moment.”
“The apocalypse has already ended for three thousand years,” Xiahou Shaoxuan stated calmly.
“Three thousand years… that’s really long,” Lian Qiguang murmured.
“Come down,” Xiahou Shaoxuan ordered again in a low voice.
Lian Qiguang turned back and looked at him expressionlessly. “Come down, it’s dangerous.”
“Are you worried about me?” Lian Qiguang looked at Xiahou Shaoxuan, and for the first time his always expressionless face showed a hint of surprise, as if he had heard something unbelievable.
“You’re surprised?”
“Mm.” He nodded blankly. “First time being worried. A little rare.”
First time?
Xiahou Shaoxuan slightly furrowed his brows, clearly dissatisfied with that answer.
“Hey!” Lian Qiguang called out. When Xiahou Shaoxuan looked over, he tilted his head, a flash of something like mischief appearing on his face. Under Xiahou Shaoxuan’s gaze, he suddenly flipped his body, and like a white bird with broken wings, he fell downward.
“You!” Xiahou Shaoxuan’s heart jolted. He rushed to the railing, about to jump down—only to see the youth supporting himself with one hand on the lower edge of the balcony, his slender body lightly suspended in midair.
“So you really were worried about me.” Lian Qiguang thoughtfully nodded.
“Get up here!!” Xiahou Shaoxuan reached out and pulled the troublemaking youth back up, his voice suppressed with anger.
“Are you going to hit me?” Lian Qiguang tilted his head in curiosity, noticing the faint flames in Xiahou Shaoxuan’s eyes.
Xiahou Shaoxuan gave him a cold glance and forcibly suppressed the urge to properly deal with him, turning to leave.
“If you stay with me a little longer, will you eventually want to hit me?” Lian Qiguang’s voice continued.
Xiahou Shaoxuan stiffened and stopped.
Without noticing the tightly clenched fists, Lian Qiguang said seriously, “Before, someone… said that if they stayed with me a little longer, they would want to hit me.”
“………………”
“But they couldn’t beat me,” he added, nodding as if it was meaningful.
“You think I can’t beat you?” Xiahou Shaoxuan turned back, staring at him unkindly.
Lian Qiguang pointed at his broad chest expressionlessly. “You’re very strong.” Then he pinched his own arm. “I’m very thin. One of your fists could flatten me.”
“So what?” Xiahou Shaoxuan raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t you understand?” Lian Qiguang tilted his head, then raised two fingers, impersonating tearful streaks under his eyes. “I’m begging for mercy.”
“………………”
A breath got stuck in Xiahou Shaoxuan’s chest, unable to rise or fall, making his head ache.
Meanwhile, the people watching nearby were already laughing so hard they were rolling on the ground.
“Are you touched?” Lian Qiguang tilted his head.
“Why would I be touched!” Xiahou Shaoxuan gritted his teeth.
“I begged you for mercy. Don’t you feel a sense of accomplishment?” After all, he was the strongest human. How many people wanted him to beg for mercy? Whoever made him beg would become the new strongest.
“Then I’m sorry, I feel absolutely no sense of accomplishment,” Xiahou Shaoxuan’s voice dropped like ice shards.
Even those monitoring them shivered.
“You’re really dull,” Lian Qiguang said flatly in disdain.
I’m dull?!
“………………”
Xiahou Shaoxuan felt another surge of blockage in his meridians.
After an unknown amount of time, Xiahou Shaoxuan finally suppressed the anger in his heart. But seeing that still expressionless, even somewhat innocent face, he felt a vast emptiness and helplessness rise again.
Is this my wife? The person I will live with for a lifetime?
Is being this “stupid” really okay???
With a soft sigh in his heart, he looked at the message on his optical brain: the old man had come out, and the banquet was about to begin. Xiahou Shaoxuan extended his hand and said in a deep voice, “Come here.”
Lian Qiguang looked at his hand and shook his head expressionlessly. “I already begged for mercy. I can’t beat you.”
“………………”
“Come here. I won’t hit you,” Xiahou Shaoxuan said, stepping forward and grabbing him by the back of his collar.
“Don’t hit my face. I still need to marry a wife tonight,” Lian Qiguang said calmly, covering his face.
“………………”
Xiahou Shaoxuan’s hand tightened around his collar, barely restraining the urge to pin him down and teach him a lesson.
After a long while, a cold voice like midwinter drifted into Lian Qiguang’s ear.
“My name is Xiahou Shaoxuan.”
Lian Qiguang carefully moved his fingers to peek through a gap, looking up at the strong man towering over him. He tilted his head, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.
“A familiar name.”