Evanheiler: "..."
Evanheiler: "."
"Waterdrop Garden 2202" was an asset belonging to 'Enan Valen.' Five years ago, when Lei Ting first came to this place, Evanheiler had been the one to share the access permissions...
"This guy... did he end up inheriting my estate after all?" Evanheiler let out a soft, huffing laugh as he landed on the balcony.
"No," the mechanical voice of 'Tianhe' denied the claim. "Administrator 'Yangxing' did not accept your inheritance, regardless of which identity it pertained to."
"Then this..."
"This apartment is still under the name of 'Enan Valen,'" a voice rang out from not far away. "Theoretically, there is no relationship between him and me that could support a legal right of inheritance."
Evanheiler turned his head. He found he was able to move again.
He saw Lei Ting dressed in neat, casual clothes. The tall, sturdy young man stood amidst the golden brilliance permeating the air, watching him...
Yes. Although Lei Ting still wore his visor, Evanheiler knew he was being watched.
That invisible gaze was like a painter looking at his painting, a collector looking at his treasure, the sunlight watching a breeze, or the earth watching its boundless sky.
...No, that wasn't right.
Evanheiler instinctively tilted his head, avoiding the gaze.
He could sense cherish, tolerance, and adoration within it, yes. But beyond that—beyond the gaze of a man looking at his lover—there lingered a trace of indelible restlessness, a sliver of hatred devoid of boredom.
A hatred born of that very affection and their shared past.
It was like a needle hidden in one's clothes, leaving the legendary esper momentarily speechless as a pang of melancholy and pain rose in his heart.
"...Yangxing," Evanheiler heard himself say, "what are you thinking?"
"Hmm?" Lei Ting arched an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips. "What do you mean, 'what am I thinking'? What are you referring to?" He spoke slowly and deliberately. "It is difficult for me to understand when you express yourself like that, Mr. Evanheiler Kang."
"..." Evanheiler gave a short laugh. "You've learned to play dumb like a politician. That's good."
"Why do you think it's 'good'?" Lei Ting asked with a smile. "Also, won't you come in and sit? Don't worry; although I rarely mentioned the past over the last two years, no one dared touch your things. Your room remains exactly as it was. The domestic robots clean it; while I can't guarantee it's spotless, it's in good shape overall..."
The locking mechanisms of the super-powered armor released automatically. The plating folded away, revealing Evanheiler’s face.
He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated under the weight of that smile and the growing ache in his heart.
Lei Ting didn't seem to expect a response. He simply stepped forward, casually draping an arm over the shoulder he had caressed countless times. His hand soon slid naturally down to Evanheiler's waist, his warm strength supporting the older man's stride. He led Evanheiler into the room, making it so he barely had to exert any effort—yet simultaneously, this strength controlled the direction of his path.
Evanheiler said nothing. He wisely maintained his silence, stowing away the armor now that control had been returned to him.
Soon, he too was revealed in casual attire. His shirt, trousers, and solemn black coat made him look as though he were prepared to attend a funeral.
"I come back here to stay for a while every year," Lei Ting said, walking into the room with practiced ease. He gestured for a service robot to pour Evanheiler a glass of hot water. "Sit."
"..." Evanheiler sat down somewhat stiffly. For some reason, he felt like a guest, yet also like he was on a blind date.
Fine, two unfunny jokes.
But as he watched Lei Ting walk into the semi-open kitchen to slice fruit with perfect naturalness, he truly felt it: more than himself, Lei Ting seemed like the master of this house...
Looking around, it seemed as though nothing had changed, yet everything had.
He recalled how little he had actually 'lived' here in the past. In the intervening years, Lei Ting had infused the space with a sincere, warm atmosphere of daily life. Such an atmosphere was rare in interstellar society, yet he had felt it during those days on the Ring World.
Ha. The strongest man in the galaxy, an ambitious man preparing to correct and control his entire race, was actually a person full of domestic warmth, tenderness, and goodwill.
Evanheiler couldn't tell if this was a tragedy or a joke.
Such thoughts brought a chaotic swarm of emotions that few could endure for long.
Thus, as Lei Ting brought out a plate of expertly sliced fruit, Evanheiler, sitting on the sofa, could no longer restrain himself. "Lei Ting... what exactly are you thinking? And what do you intend to do?"
Lei Ting leaned over to place the fruit plate on the table. "Is this question coming from Evanheiler, or from 'Xingliu'?"
"Is there a difference?"
"Don't play dumb, Evan," Lei Ting chuckled.
"...Fine." Evanheiler sighed. "It is 'Evanheiler Kang' asking you this question."
"Given that 'Evanheiler' and 'Xingliu' are in collusion, my answer is: 'I am doing what I must.' Such as fulfilling my duties and obligations, protecting the lives of the people and my own, being with my lover... things like that." Lei Ting smiled at Evanheiler, his dark visor reflecting brilliant, soft gold and a sea-like blue.
Evanheiler knew he was being guarded against. He could swear that if he had given a different answer, Lei Ting’s words wouldn't have been much different.
He sighed. "You must have a grander goal, Lei Ting."
"I do, and I'm keeping it a secret." Lei Ting actually admitted it. He even leaned back into the sofa, crossing his legs with righteous confidence. "I've hidden it from everyone. Why should I tell you specifically? I have no reason to."
Evanheiler was left speechless. The statement was so logical that he, a man who valued his dignity, couldn't find another reason to press the issue.
Lest he forget, he was currently a captive—a traitor who had walked into a trap and been caught. Lei Ting only showed him a kind face because of their past.
To put it bluntly, Lei Ting was currently showing favoritism.
This was perhaps the first time in his life he had acted out of personal bias. Though he had handled the matter efficiently, it wasn't exactly subtle, but it had achieved its purpose.
If Evanheiler were only Evanheiler, he would have welcomed Lei Ting's feelings, because he too... forget it, to be honest, he quite missed that time on the Ring World.
And if 'Xingliu' were only 'Xingliu,' he would likewise view this with optimism—this was 'Yangxing'!
If the Human Federation were a game dungeon, 'Yangxing' would be the undisputed BOSS. In fact, a standard level wouldn't even be worthy of him. If he were a BOSS, he would be the 'Final King' sitting at the very end of the game, seeing off wave after wave of players!
If one could tie down such a person with a single relationship, anyone who didn't do it would be a fool.
But here was the problem: Evanheiler was both that former wealthy scion 'Evanheiler Kang' and the 'Final King' of the Resistance—or rather, the 'Rebel' dungeon. He was the combat-power BOSS responsible for conquering the world from the opposite side of 'Yangxing.'
Even though this BOSS had been taken down by 'Yangxing' in a single encounter... the issue of their opposing stances still stood between them.
The contradiction was frozen there, difficult to dissolve.
At this moment, 'Xingliu's' instincts as a soldier and a fighter were trying to inject more deliberate manipulation into this relationship, while 'Evanheiler' repeatedly told himself: *No. I can't. I must not.*
The success rate was too low. Even trying wouldn't give the Resistance any advantage... he thought. *Then stop thinking about those things. At least—at least for today, as a captive, I don't want to hurt this person anymore.*
And how he wished he could think that way for more than just today.
"Tell me about your people," Lei Ting said.
This time, he didn't try to press close to Evanheiler with intimacy as he used to, regardless of where they sat.
Instead, he leaned back in the sofa next to Evanheiler in a relaxed posture, stretching out his long, athletic frame and casually undoing two buttons at his chest that were nearly straining to pop.
Evanheiler’s posture, however, was no longer as relaxed as before. He lowered his head in silence, hands clasped with elbows resting on his knees. He answered calmly, "I will not provide any information about them, nor will I answer any questions regarding them."
"Expected." Lei Ting gave a short laugh. He casually opened his light-computer and pulled up an interface, placing it before Evanheiler.
"...?"
Evanheiler blinked, looking up.
He saw the game interface for *Galactic Superwar*. Or rather, the name-entry screen during character creation.
And that character was the very one he had set up for Lei Ting's account all those years ago.
He looked at Lei Ting in shock.
Even though five years had passed, and despite the changes in stature, aura, power level, and personal status, Lei Ting still met his gaze with a smile.
"What?" the Acting Speaker of the Federation asked. "Do you have trouble coming up with names, Evan? If that's the case, I can try to do it myself."
He added meaningfully, "This is the first game I've ever played, after all."
"..." Evanheiler took a deep breath. He almost stumbled as he stood up and retreated two steps, staring fixedly at Lei Ting's visor. Suddenly, the man felt like a stranger.
He tried to fathom this young man—tried to guess what kind of psychological state would lead someone to do something so chilling.
A short-lived species, for some reason, keeping a specific piece of software on his light-computer frozen on a single interface for five years.
Evanheiler stared at the device and suddenly remembered that when he had seen Lei Ting in deep space recently, the external light-computer he wore hadn't been this one.
Compared to this instrument, which was starting to become outdated, that had been a newer and better model.
Which meant...
"...You specifically kept it until now?" Evanheiler asked, his voice hoarse. "Why? This game undergoes maintenance roughly every two and a half years... How did you keep it on this screen?"
For the first time, a sliver of true fear toward Lei Ting rose in his heart. It wasn't the instinctive reaction to the pressure of a higher-ranking esper's power as before, but rather... fear of this person, and of that heart that had once been as magnificent as the sun but now seemed shrouded in a dark, murky mist.
"..." Lei Ting tilted his head, offering a noncommittal smile.
"I gave them better server state-maintenance technology," he said. "Don't be afraid. I designed that myself during my time off in the first two years. It didn't involve any classified documents..."
Evanheiler opened his mouth, but found he could say nothing.
He looked at Lei Ting, a heavy sense of powerlessness welling up within him, as if something were pulling at both his heart and his limbs, dragging them downward.
Perhaps it was panic, or perhaps it was guilt.
Most likely.
In the room, the handsome, tall man slowly retreated, a few strands of silver glinting under the lights amidst his blonde hair.
"You don't like it?" Lei Ting stood up and asked softly.
As he spoke, a trace of a smile remained on his face. But Evanheiler couldn't smile at all.
He had backed up against the shelving unit he had personally bought and installed years ago. In the next instant, a flash of golden light appeared, and Lei Ting was suddenly standing before him. He looked down from his height, his visor directly facing those eyes marked by wrinkles, gloom, exhaustion, and turbulent alarm.
*So beautiful,* he thought.
Then, he raised his hand, calmly catching an object that had fallen from the shelf. He turned his head and lowered his eyes, looking at the darkness that blinded him.
"To be honest, I've imagined the scene of your return many times..."
The tall man murmured, his voice low and gentle, a lock of jet-black hair sliding over his shoulder.
"In ten thousand imaginings, you were unhappy in ten thousand ways. Because you still have your unfinished business. Even if you return to my side, even if your lifespan is extended, as long as your comrades aren't dead and your team hasn't disbanded, you will miss them infinitely—miss the days you spent fighting among them after leaving me."
As he spoke, his gloved thumb slowly brushed over the shiny, beautiful trinket in his hand. The rough fabric delicately caressed a bite mark that shimmered with gold.
"I know that staying here will make you very unhappy. You will be angry, restless, fearful, and worried. You will even try to make me lower my guard so you can find a chance to escape and never come near me again."
Lei Ting spoke as he slowly leaned in, his voice growing lower and closer to Evanheiler.
"The light of 'Xingliu' does not belong to the Federation; you were coerced. You stopped loving this place long ago, so leaving it was as simple as leaving me." He said, "Did you know? After you left, I watched a lot of entertainment. In those stories, every tale of 'love' and 'sex' told me that in this life, there are some things you cannot force...
"...But I thought, I cannot listen to them. I cannot let go... because I simply cannot."
"..."
Evanheiler leaned against the shelf, his entire body stiff. He looked up at the fearsome 'X' shaped visor and the sharp lines of the lower face beneath it.
Setting aside his superpowers and status, whether in intellect or appearance, Lei Ting could be described as sexy and full of attraction. Evanheiler was the person in this world who had most felt this singular inner strength.
But at this moment, an uncontrollable panic made him unable to maintain his image of 'composed even as a prisoner,' and he instinctively recoiled from this power.
Because he saw what was in Lei Ting's hand.
It was a shiny, golden alloy handicraft—
—It was an apple with a bite taken out of it.
"Did you know? I am facing a complex external situation. This world has not given me the chance to soften... Some things are going to fall; they are going to leave me. And if they leave me, they will likely—or inevitably—shatter on the ground."
Lei Ting leaned into Evanheiler's ear, whispering low.
"So, now, even if forcing it is wrong, I can only continue to be wrong, 'Uncle.'
"No, saying it that way is actually a bit hypocritical...
"It would be better to say—"
He turned his head and kissed the corner of Evanheiler's eye, causing the body in his arms to tremble.
"—I *will* force it," he said.
***
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