ABRIWMTHM Chapter 65

Shi Xing didn’t know what to do, so he went to the bathroom, twisted a towel for Chi Yao, and then returned to the bedroom. He brightened the lights a bit; it was fine in the dim light, but as soon as the brightness increased, Chi Yao’s facial details could no longer be hidden—his lips were pale, and his skin was soaked with cold sweat… it was really bad.

Chi Yao was also aware, “Turn the light down after you finish. It’s uncomfortable when it’s too bright.”

Shi Xing adjusted the light back down.

He crouched in front of Chi Yao, holding his hands, trying to tap into Chi Yao’s mental sea.

He got in, but within moments, he was immediately bounced back out by the contract.

The energy within the mental sea was several times more chaotic and violent than Chi Yao had shown. Countless energy whirlpools formed and collapsed, and in the intense fluctuations, the contract was uniformly handling the situation, refusing Shi Xing’s interference.

Of course, it was highly likely that it sensed Shi Xing’s mental power had low endurance and determined that he couldn’t help.

Shi Xing felt uncomfortable.

He attempted to inject his mental power into Chi Yao’s mental sea again. Chi Yao didn’t stop him, just lowered his head and watched him. After a short while, their intertwined hands began to sweat lightly again, and Shi Xing suddenly realized something was off.

Chi Yao’s mental sea energy was already very chaotic. At this moment, even if his mental power was gentle, as long as it couldn’t completely resolve the problem and soothe Chi Yao’s mental sea, it would just become a burden on the highly perceptive Chi Yao.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Shi Xing frowned.

“It’s okay.”

Chi Yao’s voice was soft, with no blame in it, which made Shi Xing feel even worse.

“I just want you to feel better.”

Chi Yao: “I know.”

The more he explained, the more it felt like he was seeking comfort from Chi Yao, so Shi Xing fell silent.

After a while, Chi Yao took the initiative to say, “The leakage of mental power has gotten worse, can you seal it with a barrier?”

Chi Yao didn’t want Xu Jin, Yan Changyue, and Bi Zhou coming over one after another.

Since it was beyond his control, it was better to lessen the worries of two people if possible.

Shi Xing tried to do so.

Throughout the process, his gaze was fixed on Chi Yao’s face. When the barrier contracted and Chi Yao couldn’t help but furrow his brow, Shi Xing keenly sensed something was wrong.

Without asking Chi Yao, he instinctively didn’t believe Chi Yao would tell the truth. He felt Chi Yao’s mental sea and tried to establish and then dissolve the barrier. He found that when the barrier was in place, once the leaked mental power was trapped inside, the energy accumulated in a small range, causing Chi Yao’s mental sea to be even more unstable. But if the barrier was opened and the mental power was allowed to disperse, this problem wouldn’t exist.

After thinking it over, Shi Xing decisively canceled the barrier.

Chi Yao sighed inwardly.

Not only was he smart, but he also practiced on his own, and he hadn’t even asked him.

As for Chi Yao’s own condition, he wasn’t sure he could keep a straight face without revealing any emotions.

The broken mental sea was influenced by the chaos, and the cracks were widening and shrinking. This feeling was probably akin to being stabbed in a wound again, comparable to a secondary injury.

Chi Yao: “Can we make a deal…”

Before he could finish, Shi Xing rejected him firmly, “No.”

Chi Yao was helpless, closed his eyes, and spoke with an agitated tone, “I haven’t finished my sentence yet.”

“I won’t open the barrier again, no need to say more.”

Shi Xing insisted, “Based on how you feel, if you don’t want to see Attendant Xu, Attendant Yan, and Bi Zhou, I can help you refuse them later.”

Chi Yao sighed.

Shi Xing knew full well that wasn’t what he meant.

After a moment of silence, Shi Xing felt he had been too forceful and softened his tone, “Are you angry?”

“No.”

Shi Xing looked deeply at Chi Yao, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Chi Yao said slowly, “Just being here is enough.”

Shi Xing was not one to take no for an answer.

He found something he could do, twisting the towel to wipe the sweat from Chi Yao’s face and neck.

After several rounds, Shi Xing asked Chi Yao if he wanted to lie down on the bed, receiving a negative response.

He always felt there was still something he could do, but for a moment, he couldn’t think of anything. After a good ten minutes of twisting towels, he ended up squatting in front of Chi Yao with a pair of sea-blue eyes fixed on him, showing concern.

After an unknown number of times, Chi Yao asked him, “Aren’t you tired?”

Shi Xing was taken aback.

“Squatting, isn’t it tiring?”

Chi Yao: “You can find a place to sit, don’t do this; I just don’t want to move.”

Shi Xing pursed his lips, “Not tired.”

After a pause, he softly said, “I feel more at ease watching you; you don’t want to see me, do you? Am I bothering you by squatting like this?”

“Not at all.”

Just thinking about Shi Xing’s worried gaze being about himself, Chi Yao couldn’t help but find it endearing.

Shi Xing continued to squat there, and as he did, he actually started to notice something.

The hand he had been holding tightly was relatively dry.

Chi Yao was leaking mental power all over, the cold sweat was a manifestation of the leaking mental power, but the hand he was holding wasn’t sweating much at all…

After some thought, Shi Xing grew bold and reached both hands to touch Chi Yao’s face.

Chi Yao was startled for a moment, Shi Xing held it for a while and then asked, “Does it feel any better?”

Chi Yao felt it, “It’s a bit cooler.”

The illusory heat under his skin faintly disappeared.

“How about this?”

Shi Xing began to absorb Chi Yao’s mental power, but just as he made a move, Chi Yao instinctively furrowed his brow.

Shi Xing didn’t dare to move wildly and abandoned the idea.

Chi Yao still provided feedback, “It feels better, but I can feel my mental power being stripped away.”

In other words, while it felt better, it was also uncomfortable on the other hand.

He had already limited the amount he was absorbing, so it seemed that actively absorbing still wasn’t the right option…

Shi Xing sighed, placing his hand on Chi Yao’s forehead. Chi Yao once again felt that refreshing sensation.

“Is this more comfortable?”

“Physically, yes.”

Shi Xing: “My skin is unconsciously absorbing your mental power.”

It’s a characteristic of mature Blue Star humans; they crave energy and their skin involuntarily absorbs the mental power they come into contact with.

Shi Xing was also absorbing the mental power released into the air by Chi Yao, but he felt the closer he got to Chi Yao to absorb this mental power, the lower Chi Yao’s mental power density would be around him, which would lesser the impact on his own mental sea.

“Just a moment.”

Shi Xing opened the room’s ventilation to try to dilute the energy density in the bedroom by bringing in fresh air.

When he returned, Shi Xing stood in front of Chi Yao but this time didn’t squat.

Suddenly, Shi Xing asked, “Am I heavy for you right now?”

Chi Yao felt uncomfortable, not immediately comprehending the deeper meaning behind this question, “Not really, how heavy could you be?”

Shi Xing took a deep breath, “Then, I apologize, Your Highness.”

Chi Yao was taken aback, and the next moment, Shi Xing leaped into him.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, and Shi Xing leaned over and tightly embraced him, sitting on… his lap.

It wasn’t heavy, but this position…

Chi Yao pushed Shi Xing, but Shi Xing refused to budge, hanging on tightly while asking, “Am I too heavy?”

“It’s not about being heavy or not.”

Chi Yao’s voice had already gone hoarse, and with Shi Xing gripping tightly, his breath brushed against Shi Xing’s ear. Shi Xing could feel the tremble of Chi Yao’s back, obviously…

Chi Yao: “You don’t have to force yourself to make me feel comfortable.”

Shi Xing stubbornly replied, “I’m not forcing myself.”

After a moment of silence, Chi Yao was almost able to hear Shi Xing’s heartbeat, beating through the layer of sleepwear.

Shi Xing thought Chi Yao would say something more, but after a moment, Chi Yao closed his eyes and only said four words, “Don’t regret it.”

Shi Xing: “I won’t.”

As soon as the words fell, Chi Yao wrapped his arms around Shi Xing’s waist, resting his face against Shi Xing’s shoulder, and Shi Xing froze.

The two were hugging tightly, and the temperature was consistently maintained in the room due to climate control, with the light sleepwear feeling thin, Shi Xing… could feel a lot.

He could feel the muscle lines of Chi Yao’s body, on his arms, and the heat of breath that splattered onto his clothes.

Shi Xing closed his eyes, his heart racing.

Chi Yao was uncomfortable, just holding Shi Xing like this, leaning on him.

After a while, Shi Xing finally felt he could speak, “Feeling… better?”

His voice was still tightly strained.

“Yeah.”

Chi Yao spoke, his breath hitting Shi Xing’s shoulder again, causing him to shiver.

“Is the sweating better?” Shi Xing tried to find a topic.

Chi Yao replied honestly, “I don’t know, but I feel better inside.”

Shi Xing: “…”

Forcing himself not to think about the deeper meaning of that statement, Shi Xing straightened his posture, holding Chi Yao’s face to make eye contact, pushing up and down. His heart contracted; this was the first time he was gazed up at by those smoky gray eyes, and it was due to the peculiar situation.

He touched Chi Yao’s cheek, and Shi Xing let out a breath, “The sweating is better.”

It should be effective.

But Chi Yao didn’t care much, nodding, his arm tightening, and the next moment, the man’s face fell on Shi Xing’s chest.

“Your heartbeat is so fast,” Chi Yao said.

Shi Xing felt Chi Yao’s high nose brush against something, and before he had a chance to pull back, Chi Yao’s forehead rubbed on his clothes. Shi Xing jolted, and this time, he clearly felt that it indeed brushed against… His back shivered again, shyly saying, “Your Highness.”

Chi Yao’s voice carried a hint of danger, “Don’t move around.”

Shi Xing dared not move anymore.

After a while, Chi Yao suddenly asked him, “What does it smell like?”

Shi Xing was confused, gripping Chi Yao’s shoulder, “W-what smell?”

“Your mental power, what does it smell like?”

Blue Star humans can sense the taste of mental power. Previously, Chi Yao had heard Shi Xing describe it, but at that time, he hadn’t wanted to know; now he was curious.

Shi Xing was thrown off by the question and only after Chi Yao repeated it did he manage to speak, “You… your mental power is very high-level, very thick, and… very comfortable to absorb.”

“Like it?”

Shi Xing’s ears turned beet red, realizing what it meant to dig his own grave.

Chi Yao, however, became particularly assertive at that moment, leaning in again, asking once more.

Knowing there was no way around it, Shi Xing closed his eyes, “I like it.”

It was a normal question; it was his thoughts that weren’t normal.

Chi Yao was satisfied, nodding, “Mm.”

“So, it doesn’t taste like food, does it?”

“Maybe. There’s a bit of a cooling sensation.”

“Like that.” The word “like” made Chi Yao seem to obtain some sort of answer.

In a flurry to change the topic, Shi Xing said, “You don’t have to specially use your mental power to feed me; I just need red ore. Blue Star humans absorb a lot from the mental power of Empire people when unconsciously in contact… of course, this situation counts as well.”

Chi Yao laughed a little, quickly replying, “But I want to feed you more than just mental power.”

Shi Xing’s mind suddenly crashed.

The words were said so softly and quickly that it stopped Shi Xing’s heartbeat.

Chi Yao had no intention of continuing; Shi Xing didn’t dare to ask.

After a while, Shi Xing shifted his body, struggling, “Your Highness, can we change positions? I feel uncomfortable.”

“Sure.”

As he spoke, Chi Yao straightened up, and the next moment, Shi Xing froze all over.

Chi Yao buried his face in Shi Xing’s neck, lips also landing there, and he could feel it.

“Your Highness…”

Shi Xing started to stutter.

As if he knew what Shi Xing was going to say, Chi Yao refused this time, “We won’t switch; I’m uncomfortable and don’t want to move.”

Once he spoke, things became worse; Shi Xing felt the breath on his skin, but he feared the touch of something other than lips.

Shi Xing fell silent, unable to speak, feeling ashamed.

Fortunately, after all this time, with the contract’s adjustments, Chi Yao’s mental sea finally began to stabilize.

After another ten to twenty minutes, Chi Yao’s mental sea stabilized.

Shi Xing let out a sigh of relief.

During that time, he was tightly held by Chi Yao, experiencing a sensation of being a doll.

However, the next moment, Shi Xing stilled again, not just him stiffened; his face turned bright red.

Chi Yao looked up, suddenly leaning back down into their previous embracing position.

Shi Xing received a chaotic kiss on his neck.

It was particularly hot.

And it wasn’t over.

The second kiss fell just below his ear.

“Good night, Xingxing.”

As the hoarse voice sounded, the scorching breath seeped into his ear, and in an instant, Shi Xing felt himself reacting.

Chi Yao fanned the flames, laughing, “Your ears are so red, it’s kind of cute.”

Cute, he wanted to kiss.

This night was destined to be chaotic.

But perhaps because the middle part had been so torturous, once he got into bed, fatigued, Shi Xing, who thought he would have insomnia, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

The first day had been too chaotic, hence the next day he woke up late.

With the late rising benefit, he could have breakfast all alone without facing His Highness.

And he did not need to ponder what His Highness had meant last night.

However, calmness was destined to be short-lived. During the morning class, halfway through it, the Elders Council issued a document opposing Shi Xing’s empowerment to gain political power.

The formal document took effect the moment it was sent out.

After learning of this, Shi Xing went to Chi Yao’s study, pushed the door open, and saw Chi Yao reading the document sent by the Elders Council.

Upon seeing Shi Xing, Chi Yao glanced at the dark circles under Shi Xing’s eyes and the fair neck before handing the document to him.

Shi Xing frowned.

Chi Yao seemed unconcerned, “It’s normal. It was bound to be sent out eventually. They just didn’t want to fall out with me, so they held off.”

“I guess they discussed it with the Senate first; the Elders Council issued it first, and the Senate will follow later.”

But without recognition from these two organizations, exercising administrative power would be nearly impossible.

Shi Xing looked at Chi Yao in confusion, “Then… should we wait for them to send it?”

Chi Yao still remembered Shi Xing’s words about wanting to try, so he calmly said, “There’s still a way, but it’s a matter of civil service and requires some cleverness.”

Shi Xing was puzzled, but Chi Yao did not continue explaining.

The next day, Chi Yao woke Shi Xing, who had finally slept well, and took a flying vehicle to a villa in the Imperial Capital.

Looking at the grand mansion, Shi Xing asked curiously, “Are we going to meet someone?”

Chi Yao nodded, “The formal document from the Senate won’t be out for another half month.”

“Today, we’re meeting someone who might change the Senate’s mind; many active senators were promoted by him.”

Chi Yao gave Shi Xing a faint smile, “The former Speaker of the Senate, Chang Quan.”