CH 36

In the face of his nephew’s deep passion for the art of photography, Uncle naturally, wholeheartedly, assigned this hot potato to the event committee’s publicity team. The publicity team was quite sensible, except for adding this royal relative to their work WeChat group and giving a casual nod, they pretty much treated Xiao Zhenyun as if he didn’t exist the rest of the time.

Similarly, Xiao Zhenyun was very cooperative with the publicity team’s work. Any document requiring approval from all leaders, when sent to him, received an ‘OK’ reply within three seconds, firmly refusing to waste any of the team members’ time and energy.

The team dynamics were harmonious.

Competition on Si Chu’s side wasn’t fierce either. With a young sentry like him who was enthusiastic about stirring things up, there were naturally sentries who just wanted to lie low, avoiding business trips and overtime, longing only to go home and relax. His examiner qualification was swiftly approved, and the same went for Ye Feiran.

As for Si Di’s situation, it was a bit complicated. He had initially applied to become an examiner, but shortly afterward, the union restored some of the audio and video evidence related to the Storm Team’s annihilation, and there seemed to be some insider information. These days, he took a long leave from his White Tower assistant position, and he had been absent from Xiao Zhenyun’s home for several days. Si Di’s participation in live-action simulation was likely to be postponed.

Xiao Nian was quite relieved about this. He hoped that this sentinel who was like a wild card wouldn’t come in and cause trouble.

It would be even better if the other wild card sentinel could be disqualified quickly.

However, Xiao Jiali was quite outstanding. The Tower was different from the union, and sentries from all grades were full of fighting spirit for this large-scale live-action simulation exercise. In such a challenging situation, he, with just over a month of Tower enrollment, and scarce sentinel knowledge, managed to qualify for the competition.

Xiao Zhenyun was right; S-level was Xiao Jiali’s greatest weapon. But more importantly, he had achieved an extraordinarily rare high score in one of the test subjects. His resistance to the guide’s spiritual power was so mind-bogglingly strong that the instructors made an exception and accepted him.

The advantage of having high resistance to a guide’s spiritual power was that one’s spiritual domain was less vulnerable to attack. Among sentries, their physical abilities were unmatched, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that each one of them could take on ten ordinary people. The only natural enemy they had was the mental attacks by guides.

Just like when Xiao Zhenyun was trapped on the deserted island and was pushed into a corner by two sentries. Even with Si Di, they were completely powerless to fight back. However, when Xiao Jingfeng appeared, just with a single strike of his spiritual whip, he instantly incapacitated the sentries.

But the downside of having high resistance was also quite evident; he had a low sensitivity to the soothing of a guide’s spiritual power.

In simple terms, he wasn’t easily injured, but once he was injured, he wouldn’t easily heal.

Who’s the real protagonist? 

Xiao Zhenyun wondered. Why did Xiao Jiali have such an unfortunate identity (being sold), an unexpected memory loss, receiving help from a benefactor (him), awakening with rare power (S-level sentinel), and an extremely high resistance to most guides? All that was missing now was a love scenario that only a specific guide could heal him, along with an impressive family background, perhaps as a prince of a certain country, and Xiao Jiali could replace Si Chu and become the true male lead of the novel.

While Si Di was away for these few days, Xiao Nian thoroughly discussed the plot of the upcoming live-action simulation with Xiao Zhenyun.

It was divided into four main stages: the first stage was the journey to the coastal city examination area, where ‘Xiao Zhenyun’ showered Si Chu with various attentions and showed utmost hospitality along the way. At the airport, Si Chu expressed interest in a hidden figurine at the gift shop, and both Si Chu and Ye Feiran bought a box each, but neither found the hidden item. However, ‘Xiao Zhenyun’ easily drew the item on his first try and gave it to Si Chu, saying with a meaningful smile, “This is the destiny between us.”

This sentence was too ambiguous, not fitting the uncle-nephew relationship’s positioning. Added to that, Xiao Zhenyun’s excessive doting on Si Chu made Ye Feiran feel suspicious, and he began to grow wary.

The second phase occurred in the evening when everyone arrived at the examiner’s hotel. Ye Feiran raised concerns about Xiao Zhenyun’s behavior and attitude on the plane, which made Si Chu feel that he was overreacting and being paranoid. They had a heated argument, and Xiao Zhenyun took advantage of the situation, inviting Si Chu, who was feeling down, to visit the small market in town for a night out. They bought late-night snacks and alcohol, sitting on the grassy field, chatting and drinking.

Meanwhile, Ye Feiran waited alone in the hotel, and the dinner specially prepared for Si Chu had gone cold on the dining table. The novel vividly described how he gazed at the pitch-black sea outside the window, feeling lonely and sad. It contrasted with the scheming, villainous smile on Xiao Zhenyun’s face as he watched Si Chu from the side, a powerful visual image. It was not until late at night that Si Chu returned slightly tipsy, and Ye Feiran wordlessly got into bed. They engaged in a cold war, ignoring each other, and Si Chu went on to take a shower, turn off the lights, and sleep.

In the third phase, Si Chu and Ye Feiran, as examiners for the event, were responsible for inspecting the coastal areas and related islands around the exam site. Due to some special circumstances, they traveled separately in a small boat. Unfortunately, the boat broke down in the middle of the sea during a heavy rainstorm, with strong winds and high waves. They found themselves stranded on a small island, and the rescue team couldn’t reach them immediately.

As the night grew colder, they huddled together in a cave for warmth, temporarily forgetting their earlier quarrel. They chatted, counted stars, and when their feelings intensified, they kissed. They used physical activity as an excuse to stay warm, and their emotions escalated rapidly.

Meanwhile, back on land, Xiao Zhenyun had become a complete clown. When he learned that the small boat Si Chu was on had encountered trouble in the sea, he was extremely worried. He spent a sleepless night, repeatedly requesting rescue boats, and even contemplated going out to the sea himself. He yelled Si Chu’s name passionately towards the turbulent sea. The next morning, he eagerly boarded a rescue boat to the island where the distress signal was sent, only to find Si Chu and Ye Feiran sleeping peacefully in each other’s arms inside a cave.

His heart was torn, his spirit crushed, and his mind in turmoil.

As for the fourth phase, where Si Chu and Ye Feiran, as examiners, had to work in harmony to test the candidates, it had nothing to do with Xiao Zhenyun, who was part of the publicity team, and therefore, he had no role in that part of the story.

After jotting down these notes, Xiao Zhenyun couldn’t hide his furrowed brows. He picked up a cigarette and exhaled a thin wisp of smoke, his fingers tapping on the notebook.

“Is Si Chu’s hobbies getting too cute? First, the fruit frame, and now these animal figurines. Does he think he’s a pure high school girl?”

“And this storyline of getting stranded on an island and sharing warmth and kisses feels familiar. Have I seen it somewhere before?”

Xiao Nian nodded in agreement, “No need to doubt it. I think I’ve seen it too. I was on the rescue boat at the time.”

He opened a holographic search interface to check the figurine’s information, “These figurines are sold in blind boxes, and they’re currently on pre-order. The release date coincides with the day of the plane ride.”

“So, they can’t be prepared in advance at the airport, right?” Xiao Zhenyun sighed with frustration, “And the novel didn’t specify which one Xiao Zhenyun picked. How can I make sure I get the right one to give to Si Chu?”

“…,” Xiao Nian sympathized, “You could try asking someone you know if they have connections and can get you the hidden figurine directly from the manufacturer.”

“Who do I know with such connections?” Xiao Zhenyun took a drag from his cigarette, “The only person I can think of is Si Qiaorong. Are you suggesting I ask him for the hidden figurine and then use it to woo his second son?”

Xiao Nian rubbed his face in distress.

“In that case, just try your luck with the blind box,” he suggested, “It shouldn’t be a big problem even if you don’t get the first one. You can always draw it later. The key is to give it to Si Chu.”

Xiao Zhenyun pulled up a floating screen, examining the figurine’s specific information, which included 12 basic small animals, along with 1 small hidden, 1 large hidden, 1 large hidden that changes color, and 1 mysterious hidden.

“…” This took the concept of hidden edition blind boxes to the extreme.

Xiao Zhenyun had never encountered this before and didn’t quite grasp the nightmare he was about to face. Innocently, he asked, “Which edition does Si Chu want?”

“The ‘Small Hidden’ edition.”

He checked the official website’s introductory page and saw that the probability of getting a ‘Small Hidden’ was 1 in 192. There was also a warning: ‘Hidden editions are just for added fun in blind boxes, please spend wisely.’

On the day of departure, Xiao Zhenyun rarely woke up early. To emulate the storyline where he cared for Si Chu attentively on the plane, he declined the PR team’s offer to take a flight the next afternoon and went against his personal will to board the one departing early in the morning. When Xiao Nian pulled him out of bed as if plucking a radish, he radiated an intense sense of gloom and low pressure.

Playing the caring boyfriend role, according to the plot, Xiao Zhenyun brings a rich, luxurious breakfast from a fancy restaurant for Si Chu. However, Si Chu had already eaten a simple noodle and egg dish with colleagues at the airport and declined Xiao Zhenyun’s gesture. Xiao Zhenyun, feeling disappointed, forcibly handed Si Chu a plate of black truffle, caviar, wild blue prawns, and premium black pork dumplings… shrimp dumplings. Si Chu hesitated but accepted it, though he didn’t eat it himself; instead, he passed it on to Ye Feiran, who was known for loving shrimp dumplings. Ye Feiran happily devoured them.

In the novel, ‘Xiao Zhenyun’ would undoubtedly have chosen a meal for Si Chu with heartfelt love, but in reality, Xiao Zhenyun wished he could strangle Si Chu for making him wake up early. Xiao Nian didn’t count on this grumpy person being any help in the morning and got up early to prepare everything and thrust it into Xiao Zhenyun’s hands.

“Behave well,” the administrator advised Xiao Zhenyun before airport security, holding his hand earnestly. “Contact me if there are any issues.”

Xiao Zhenyun, who had woken up at 4:30 a.m. to catch the flight, didn’t really register more than a few words. After passing security, he searched for Si Chu and then smashed an obviously expensive redwood breakfast box in front of him.

Si Chu, still munching on his egg, looked up from his bowl in confusion, only to see a stern-faced King of Hell sitting in front of him.

“Eat!” Xiao Zhenyun kept it concise.

“Little uncle?” Si Chu hurriedly swallowed his egg. “Little uncle, you’re here!”

Xiao Zhenyun, who just wanted to finish the plot quickly so that he could sleep on the plane, perfunctorily skipped the stage where ‘Si Chu declined the breakfast’ and opened the food box, fast-forwarding to handing a shrimp dumpling to Si Chu. “Eat!”

“Alright, alright,” Si Chu smiled and picked up a dumpling, stuffing it into his mouth. “Delicious! Little uncle, have you eaten?”

Xiao Zhenyun: “…” No, why are you already eating?

I came too early; you haven’t eaten enough yet.

He lowered his head, but it was clear that Si Chu had already cleared the plate, leaving only a couple of drops of soup. If it had been a bit later, Si Chu might have devoured the bowl too.

Seeing Si Chu still wanting more, Xiao Zhenyun quickly took back the small bamboo basket and gestured to Ye Feiran, who was pouring hot water in the nearby tea room. “Xiao Fei, come here.”

Ye Feiran hurried over, and Xiao Zhenyun pointed to the three remaining shrimp dumplings on the table. “I brought these for Si Chu, but he insisted you love them the most, so I called you over to enjoy them.”

Si Chu: “…”

Si Chu looked at Xiao Zhenyun with eyes filled with gratitude and a hint of learning.

“Thank you.” Ye Feiran didn’t rush to pick up his chopsticks. Instead, he placed the water cup he held into Xiao Zhenyun’s lap. “Uncle, Brother Di said you’re sensitive to the cold. I noticed you checked all your luggage and didn’t pick up anything after entering the airport, so I prepared some hot water for you. The cup is brand new, so no worries.”

“Feiran, you reminded me… It seems like my brother was right. Little uncle, you don’t take good care of yourself at all.” Si Chu scanned Xiao Zhenyun from head to toe. “He mentioned that you’re physically weak but never dress warmly. He also said it gets cold on the plane and asked me to bring you a blanket. Just look at you, little uncle, you indeed didn’t bring anything. Don’t worry; the blanket is in my bag. I’ll get it for you after we board.”

“…”

Being looked after so kindly by the two younger ones, Xiao Zhenyun’s initial grumpiness faded away. He tried to regain some dignity with a hint of guilt. “There are blankets on the plane, too…”

“It can get cold after the plane lands, and I heard there might be light rain,” Si Chu unzipped his pants pocket and wagged his tail. “Although my brother didn’t mention it, I’m quite considerate myself. I brought two blankets. You can put one on your legs and wrap yourself with the other. It’ll definitely keep you warm!”

Xiao Zhenyun looked at Ye Feiran, his eyes implying: ‘You see, your sentinel friend is taking such good care of me. Shouldn’t you feel like this ‘doesn’t fit the uncle-nephew relationship’ and start to be ‘a little suspicious’?’

Ye Feiran was in the middle of eating shrimp dumplings. He received Xiao Zhenyun’s eye signal and immediately took out a box of hand warmers from his pocket. “Brother Di didn’t mention it either, but I thought you might need this, so I took the liberty of bringing them. There are two more boxes in my bag.”

“…”

The author has something to say:

Xiao Nian during elementary school recess, anxiously staring at the plot-heavy hardcover book: …

Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters.  (๑>ᴗ