“Also, angels don’t grow chicken wings.” Lan Xi looked at the enormous pair of wings and offered his critique. “They stink.”
And just like that, Lan Xi lightly cursed out the two men, then drifted away like a wandering ghost.
The two men left behind stood in silence for quite a while.
Fu Hui said, “You used chicken feathers?”
Wen Yue said awkwardly, “My secretary said they were collected goose feathers…”
“…”
Wen Yue managed to squeeze out, “I should’ve handled it myself.”
Fu Hui said, “Goose feathers smell even worse.”
Wen Yue: “…”
He turned around and took the wings down from the stand.
What were they supposed to do now?
None of them could actually grow wings.
…
Lan Xi drifted into the living room and saw someone sitting on the sofa, shoulders hunched and trembling.
He looked a little familiar. It was Cheng Yiran.
Another useless thing with no wings.
Lan Xi walked past expressionlessly.
Cheng Yiran’s shoulders shook even harder. Slowly, he raised his face and called, “Sister-in-law.”
There were tear tracks on his face.
He was crying.
Lan Xi kept walking without expression.
Cheng Yiran panicked.
Hadn’t Lan Xi said he was pitiful before?
Cheng Yiran was trying so hard to cry… Why wouldn’t Lan Xi even spare him another glance?
Cheng Yiran was terrified.
Back in his adoptive parents’ hometown, a neighbor’s child had suddenly become just like this after starting high school, ignoring everyone and losing interest in everything. Not long afterward, the child had jumped into a river.
“Sister-in-law!” Cheng Yiran got up and chased after him.
Lan Xi still acted as if he hadn’t heard and walked even faster.
In his haste, Cheng Yiran tripped over the carpet. With a thump, he dropped to his knees, then pitched forward onto his face. His hands only just managed to catch around Lan Xi’s smooth ankle.
He dazedly paused and, without thinking, stroked it twice.
Lan Xi turned around and stepped on him.
The step jolted Cheng Yiran back to his senses. Only then did he realize what an awful thing he’d just done.
Lan Xi was already this heartbroken and miserable, yet even after falling over, Cheng Yiran still hadn’t forgotten to touch his foot.
Cheng Yiran’s face went from red to green. Just as he stammered, at a complete loss for how to explain himself,
Lan Xi pulled his leg free and started walking again.
…I’ve already touched him anyway!
Cheng Yiran steeled himself, scooted forward, and desperately reached for Lan Xi’s calf.
He wrapped both arms around it and held on tight.
Lan Xi: “…”
With some difficulty, Lan Xi pulled one leg free and planted his foot on Cheng Yiran’s shoulder.
He wasn’t using much force. It was more an expression of impatience.
Naturally, Cheng Yiran refused to let go. He raised his face and said, “I’ve run into a little trouble.”
Lan Xi thought, What’s that got to do with me?
That must be because you’re too useless!
Red-faced, Cheng Yiran rubbed his tears onto Lan Xi’s calf.
Lan Xi shuddered. “Go find your brother!”
Hadn’t Fu Hui been the one who resolved the conflict between Cheng Yiran and Wen Lan before?
Cheng Yiran had clearly remembered that too.
He looked a little embarrassed.
But whether he was embarrassed or not hardly mattered now… He’d already done things far more shameless than this.
“My brother… My brother can’t solve it.”
Lan Xi rolled his eyes.
He didn’t believe that for a second.
Fu Hui was so powerful…
It was all Fu Hui’s fault for being so powerful. That was why Lan Xi had believed so unwaveringly that he had to be the most powerful seraph of them all!
Lan Xi said angrily, “Let go.”
Cheng Yiran answered with silent resistance.
Lan Xi planted a foot on his head.
Once again, he didn’t use much force, but the humiliation was devastating.
Cheng Yiran was still feeling guilty about having gone after the wrong person before, so of course he simply let Lan Xi step on him.
Lan Xi: “…”
Why isn’t this person getting angry?
Judging from his earlier conflict with Wen Lan, he was clearly someone with a strong sense of pride.
Annoyed, Lan Xi pressed his foot against Cheng Yiran’s Adam’s apple.
They weren’t angels. They were fragile.
Lan Xi could kill them this easily… Surely that would scare him into letting go?
Cheng Yiran’s Adam’s apple moved with difficulty.
Whether he looked or not, a stretch of Lan Xi’s calf naturally filled his field of vision.
Perfectly proportioned, with just the right balance of flesh and bone.
Lan Xi: ? Why still won’t he let go?
Has Cheng Yiran gone crazy too?
Just then, Cheng Yiran felt a chill crawl across his back.
He turned his face aside, not daring to look at Lan Xi’s leg again.
And with that turn of his head, he finally saw Wen Yue and his brother standing not far away. He had no idea when they’d arrived.
Cheng Yiran nearly died on the spot from fright.
He was terrified.
He didn’t even know how to explain what he was doing.
His thoughts were a mess as he stammered, “Y-you…”
Right. What did I come here to do again?
Cheng Yiran remembered.
He blurted out, “Lan Xi, you’re more powerful than my brother!”
Only then did Lan Xi deign to look at him.
At the same time, he slowly withdrew the foot he’d been pressing on him.
Lan Xi said, “Oh. So what?”
Cheng Yiran stared blankly.
He hadn’t expected even that to move Lan Xi only a tiny bit.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cheng Yiran saw Fu Hui step forward, crossing the thick carpet without a sound as he approached them.
In a flash of inspiration, Cheng Yiran cried, “Then save me right now! My brother looks like he’s about to kill someone!”
Lan Xi turned around.
Only then did he see Fu Hui and Wen Yue.
Neither man looked particularly pleased.
Lan Xi had no interest in saving Cheng Yiran.
He was a demon, not an angel.
But when he saw Fu Hui’s expression, he tilted his head and provoked him. “Cheng Yiran says I’m more powerful than you.”
Something flickered in Fu Hui’s eyes. “Mm.”
Lan Xi’s chest felt full and swollen. It was pretty satisfying, but somehow, not quite satisfying enough.
He pulled his other leg out of Cheng Yiran’s arms and stood directly in front of Fu Hui. “What does ‘mm’ mean?”
Fu Hui said, “It means he’s right.”
Lan Xi stepped on his foot.
Fu Hui’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He said nothing.
Lan Xi immediately leaned closer. “Fu Hui, are you enduring humiliation for some greater purpose?”
Fu Hui praised him. “You know more and more idioms every day.”
“…”
Fu Hui really did seem to have gone crazy.
Lan Xi stepped back half a pace and turned to Cheng Yiran. “What trouble did you run into?”
Cheng Yiran was still lying awkwardly on the floor. He didn’t quite dare get up. He found that being lower than everyone else was actually pretty good. His heart seemed to sink lower too, and even its pounding no longer felt quite so panicked.
In a small voice, he said, “Well, it’s just… some people deliberately bully me at social events. They look down on me for coming from a small town…”
Lan Xi said, “Oh.”
Just as Cheng Yiran was starting to feel disappointed,
Lan Xi added, “Then I’m going to help Cheng Yiran.”
But those words were directed at Fu Hui.
Fu Hui said good-temperedly, “All right. Go ahead. I’ll arrange a car and bodyguards.”
Lan Xi tilted his head. “I’m going down the mountain.”
“Mm.” Fu Hui paused. “You can have dinner outside too.”
Lan Xi pursed his lips.
He didn’t feel particularly happy about that either.
Have I gone crazy too?
Fu Hui wasn’t controlling anything anymore. He gave Lan Xi whatever he wanted. That should have felt amazing.
Lan Xi nudged the delighted, dazed Cheng Yiran on the floor with his foot. “Let’s go.”
Cheng Yiran said, “Huh?”
Only then did he get up. He didn’t dare look too closely at his brother’s expression and simply followed Lan Xi toward the door.
“Change your clothes first,” Fu Hui called after Lan Xi.
Lan Xi tugged at the loose, airy robe he was wearing and deliberately opposed him. “No. I’m wearing this.”
Only then did Fu Hui frown. “If you go out and step on somebody’s head again… they’ll be desperate to crawl under your skirt.”
Cheng Yiran wanted to say, Brother, I really didn’t dare look under his skirt just now. Seriously.
But he was afraid that would only make him sound like he was protesting too much.
Cheng Yiran opened his mouth, helpless.
Lan Xi, however, seriously considered it.
Fine.
A succubus enjoyed everyone’s admiration, but he did not enjoy ugly bastards crawling under his skirt.
Still, Lan Xi refused to say, “You’re right.” He simply turned in silence and headed toward the bedroom.
Once he pushed open the door and stepped inside, he turned around and, unsurprisingly, found Fu Hui following him in.
Fu Hui went to choose clothes for him.
Lan Xi’s job was simply to stand there and wait for Fu Hui to dress him.
Fu Hui came back carrying a little suit, but first he crouched down and carefully wiped Lan Xi’s ankles and calves with soft silk.
Only then did he remove Lan Xi’s robe.
Lan Xi watched his movements and drifted into thought. Suddenly, he asked, “Fu Hui, are you jealous?”
“Mm.” Fu Hui answered immediately.
Lan Xi kicked off his slippers and planted one foot against Fu Hui’s neck. He moved it slowly, feeling Fu Hui’s Adam’s apple shift beneath him and the pulse beating at his throat.
It was such a strange feeling.
Those fine, powerful rhythms seemed to pass through the flesh of Lan Xi’s sole and press deep into his body.
Fu Hui caught his ankle in one hand. “Enough. Do you still want to put your pants on or not?”
Lan Xi pressed down hard twice before pulling his foot back.
Cheng Yiran and Wen Yue had been waiting outside for quite a while. One waited in fear, the other with a frown.
Both were worried Fu Hui had deliberately chosen the privacy of the bedroom to lose his temper.
Fortunately, Lan Xi eventually came out alone.
Once he had changed into the suit, he finally no longer looked like a flower branch that might snap in a single gust of wind.
His cheeks were still pale.
But his features were so beautiful that the pallor only made him look all the more lush and vivid.
Wen Yue’s gaze went briefly unfocused. Only then did he suddenly notice that Lan Xi’s hair had already grown down to his shoulder blades.
Such a rich purple.
Had Fu Hui taken him to dye it?
“Where’s my brother?” Cheng Yiran looked behind Lan Xi.
Lan Xi said lazily, “Don’t know.”
He had walked out, while Fu Hui remained in the bedroom.
Fu Hui wasn’t even seeing him off.
Not that I need Fu Hui to see me off!
Lan Xi and Cheng Yiran got into the car.
As the car drove down the mountain, Cheng Yiran ingratiatingly asked, “Should we go eat something first?”
Lan Xi rested his head against the window. “No.”
“Who bullied you?” he asked coldly.
Cheng Yiran was a little moved. Lan Xi sounded cold, but apparently he cared even more about Cheng Yiran’s problem.
But Cheng Yiran’s crying in front of Lan Xi today had only been an excuse to distract him. As for who had bullied him… there were plenty of little incidents here and there, but very few people he truly had some deep grudge against.
Lan Xi was already urging him impatiently. “Tell me.”
No matter what kind of place this was, his original intention as a demon remained unchanged.
He was going to show them what a demon was made of.
“All right. Then… should we go to the first one?”
＊
Once Lan Xi left, Wen Yue no longer wanted to stay either, so he went home.
Wen Ming saw movement on the surveillance feed and immediately called. “How is it going?”
He himself didn’t dare go see Lan Xi, afraid his presence might only make Lan Xi’s condition worse.
The image of Cheng Yiran dropping to his knees and hugging Lan Xi’s leg flashed through Wen Yue’s mind.
Wen Yue hesitated.
They were all adults. Who could possibly do something like that?
And yet Lan Xi had left with Cheng Yiran.
So… did it really have to be done that way to work?
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