If Yin Mingzheng wanted to avoid anyone in the base from coming into contact with Shi Qing, Leyou Yuan would be the one at the forefront.
Leyou Yuan could be considered one of the most confident second-generation elites within the base.
His father was one of the rare influential figures in the base who not only held real power but also willingly went out to fight the Insectoids in person. He was often absent from the base, and when the Insectoids attacked, Leyou Yuan was in his rebellious phase. Many years had passed since then, but he still seemed stuck in that phase, engaging in all sorts of reckless behavior. He had even built most of the entertainment facilities in the inner city area.
Why did they say he was the most confident? It wasn't just because his father held a high position in the base, but also because he possessed a rare ability among these second-generation elites, and it wasn't some useless and feeble ability. On the contrary, it was a high-level fire-based ability.
Combined with Leyou Yuan's knack for making money, he had staked a claim to a large piece of land when the base was first established. When the inner and outer cities were eventually built, he made a fortune, and when star currency began circulating, it turned out that he had more money than many influential figures in the base.
With wealth, a powerful ability, and his influential father backing him, Leyou Yuan lived a comfortable life. He gathered a group of second-generation elites every day to have fun and seek entertainment. Even if the Insectoids were attacking, it was only a matter of them not being able to go wherever they pleased. The base was big enough to accommodate their extravagance.
The reason why various gaming consoles were still popular in the base was because of the influence of these second-generation elites.
Yin Mingzheng and Leyou Yuan had been arch-enemies from the beginning.
Of course, it was a one-sided enmity from Leyou Yuan's perspective.
Initially, his reason for resenting Yin Mingzheng was quite simple. Anyone who couldn't see their own father for half a month, and when they finally met, all they received were criticisms for being a worthless slacker, would not like it when someone like Yin Mingzheng suddenly appeared. His father would work alongside Yin Mingzheng every day, praising him incessantly, and even saying, "If my son Leyuan were half as good as you." Leyou Yuan naturally disliked Yin Mingzheng.
He was the "child from another family," even though, both in the past and now, he couldn't be considered a child anymore.
When they first met, Yin Mingzheng was busy improving his strength to defend against the Insectoids, so he didn't have the time to play house with a teenager who was still caught up in adolescence.
It was precisely because of Yin Mingzheng's dismissive attitude towards him that Leyou Yuan's resentment grew stronger.
If Yin Mingzheng did well, Leyou Yuan would do poorly, and if Yin Mingzheng didn't do well, Leyou Yuan would excel.
When he found out that Yin Mingzheng had sacrificed himself foolishly, Leyou Yuan celebrated for three days straight. If it weren't for Leyou's father returning at the right moment, he would have continued celebrating until Yin Mingzheng returned.
As someone who considered dealing with Yin Mingzheng a lifelong mission, even though Yin Mingzheng was never afraid of these provocations, with the arrival of Shi Qing, he had to worry about whether Leyou Yuan would take advantage of his absence to bully Shi Qing.
He took every precaution, and wherever Shi Qing went, he would assign an ability user to protect him. However, Leyou Yuan still found an opportunity.
In front of the red convertible, the man held the broken game console in his hand, his face dark and serious. He didn't even glance at the triumphant Leyou Yuan. Instead, he looked directly at Shi Qing and said in a low voice, "Shi Qing, get out of the car."
"Oh."
The young man, who was clearly not dressed in clothes bought by Yin Mingzheng, didn't seem to realize the situation and obediently started to unfasten his seatbelt.
"Don't."
Leyou Yuan, grinning, reached out and blocked Shi Qing's hand. With a provocative tilt of his chin, he looked at Yin Mingzheng with a self-assured expression. "Shi Xiaoqing and I made plans to go dancing today. Even if General Yin is Shi Xiaoqing's brother, you shouldn't interfere with his plans, right?"
He emphasized the word "brother."
After saying that, he noticed that Yin Mingzheng's face had darkened even more, and his smile became even more arrogant. "Our agreed-upon time is almost here, so as not to inconvenience General Yin, I'll be on my way."
With that, he waved and made a farewell gesture, then started the car. In an instant, the convertible shot out at high speed, Leyou Yuan's red hair fluttering in the wind, looking even more provocative in Yin Mingzheng's eyes.
But the extraterrestrial youth seemed oblivious to the situation and obediently stayed in the car, smiling innocently as he turned to Shi Qing. "Goodbye, Mingzheng."
Leyou Yuan was driving away, and in the blink of an eye, the man who had been following them was already in front of the car.
The loud noise came from his hand forcefully pressing down on the car's hood, forcibly stopping the convertible that was still in motion.
The red sports car, now abruptly halted, emitted white smoke.
Yin Mingzheng stood in front of the car, watching as Shi Qing, who was clutching Leyou Yuan's arm, seemed as if he had been startled. There was a hint of sadness in Yin Mingzheng's eyes for a moment.
His expression was still normal, and his tone was neither high nor low when he spoke. It could even be described as gentle, "Shi Qing, get out of the car."
Shi Qing stared blankly at the man, as if he hadn't fully grasped the situation yet.
It was normal not to react quickly, especially since this was the first time the human hero had displayed such dominance in front of him.
Leyou Yuan was also taken aback.
He had taunted Yin Mingzheng so many times before, but because of Leyou's father, Yin Mingzheng had never taken him seriously or directly confronted him.
At this moment, he realized how terrifying Yin Mingzheng could be when he was truly angry.
Although he had been frightened by that split second just now, seeing that Shi Qing also seemed bewildered, Leyou Yuan felt a pang of sympathy. He quickly reverted to his carefree expression and leaned back, saying, "General Yin, Shi Qing and I had plans today. He's grown up now, and I know you care about him as his brother, but isn't this a bit too much?"
After saying this, he turned to the bewildered Shi Qing and asked, "Isn't that right, Shi Xiaoqing?"
Yin Mingzheng remained silent.
He just stared coldly at Leyou Yuan, and with a slight increase in pressure from his hand placed on the car's front, in full view of the public, a large hole gradually melted through the car's hood in his hand.
Leyou Yuan stared at the hole and swallowed hard.
This was a threat!
This had to be a threat!
Was he actually afraid of Yin Mingzheng's threat?
Leyou Yuan raised his chin provocatively once more. "I genuinely like Shi Xiaoqing. Whatever you do won't stop me from pursuing him."
As soon as he uttered the word "pursue," it seemed to open some terrifying floodgate. The man's expression instantly turned sinister, and without any additional movements, there was another deafening roar that reverberated in the ears of those around them.
The red car's front end had completely melted.
Shi Qing, who was wearing a seatbelt, was fine. He simply leaned forward with the car, but his bottom remained firmly seated in the chair.
Leyou Yuan, on the other hand, had a much tougher time. Being a reckless person by nature, he hadn't bothered to fasten his seatbelt. When the front of the car melted, he tumbled down from the seat with the steering wheel still in his hand.
Leyou Yuan, clutching the steering wheel, managed to get up after struggling for a while. But then, a man in a long black windbreaker approached the seat and effortlessly unfastened the safety belt around Shi Qing's waist. With the seatbelt undone and no support, Shi Qing slid down.
Yin Mingzheng easily caught his little prince in his arms, but as he held him, he furrowed his brows slightly, sensing a faint fragrance emanating from Shi Qing. He had never used perfume himself, and he knew Shi Qing didn't either. So, it was evident that someone else had sprayed this perfume on him. Leyou Yuan, who had been known to make carefully selected expensive choices for Shi Qing, had sprayed this particular scent. However, the subtle, pleasant fragrance seemed to make the human hero uncomfortable, as if a mighty lion had discovered a foreign scent on its territory, triggering a sense of territorial intrusion.
This was provocation. If he were a real lion, he would have gone mad, digging up the offender who dared to defile his territory.
Yin Mingzheng wasn't an animal; he was a person who could control himself. So, he just held his little prince in his arms and looked at Leyou Yuan, who was currently cursing and shouting angrily, including insults to Yin Mingzheng himself.
Yin Mingzheng didn't react to Leyou Yuan's provocations but focused his attention on Shi Qing.
"Yin Mingzheng!! How dare you destroy my car! Let me tell you, no one in this base, not even me, Leyou Yuan, fears you! Unless you step over my dead body, you won't take Shi Xiaoqing away today!"
Seeing Yin Mingzheng's cold gaze fixed on him and feeling the sudden pressure increase as the man's hand rested on the car's front, Leyou Yuan felt a moment of fear. But the next second, he regained his composure and stood his ground, raising his chin defiantly.
"What? Do you think I'll release him just because you're glaring at me? You may not know, but I'm aware of all the shady things you've done, and Shi Xiaoqing is a prime example. How did you talk to him? You claimed to be his brother, treating him like that?!"
"I saw that Shi Xiaoqing was too naive and pitiful to talk to you before. Since you're here today, I'll be clear. Shi Xiaoqing, everything that Yin Mingzheng did to you before..."
Leyou Yuan couldn't finish his sentence because Yin Mingzheng suddenly raised his hand.
Leyou Yuan was left speechless, his eyes wide open, and his body stiff. He focused on his lower body, which was almost like a chicken's eyes now. The whole base knew that Yin Mingzheng's ability manifested as a black mist. If even a little of that mist touched something or someone, be it human or insectoid, they would be reduced to ashes in minutes. And right now, there was a small cloud of black mist hovering dangerously close to Leyou Yuan's lower regions, not in a still state but swaying as if it were about to touch his clothes.
Any movement could mean a lifetime of consequences.
Leyou Yuan froze in place, too afraid to move. He even took short, shallow breaths, afraid that making any sudden movement might end his happiness prematurely.
The one responsible for this tormenting situation simply gazed coldly at Leyou Yuan. His grip on Shi Qing was firm as he warned with an authoritative tone, "There won't be a next time."
He didn't specify what "next time" meant – whether it was about Leyou Yuan attempting to pursue Shi Qing again or trying to expose Yin Mingzheng's lies. He left those details unspoken.
None of the people in the vicinity, including Leyou Yuan himself, dared to speak up. They watched in silence as the black mist dissipated after Yin Mingzheng walked away. When they looked up, they only saw the corner of his black windbreaker flying with each step he took.
Yin Mingzheng remained silent throughout the journey. Shi Qing, nestled in his arms, seemed to sense his anger and didn't chatter like he usually did when Yin Mingzheng returned from going out.
When they arrived home, Yin Mingzheng gently placed Shi Qing on the bed. There was a moment of silence, and then he asked in a low voice, "Leyou Yuan said you lied to me. Is it true?"
Yin Mingzheng was about to help him take off his shoes when he heard the question. He froze for a moment and then responded hesitantly, "He said you didn't want to acknowledge our relationship and that's why you told Cheng Jun you see me as a brother. Is that true?"
Seemingly sensing something from Yin Mingzheng's silence, the usually cheerful youth fell silent as well.
Yin Mingzheng kept his head down and didn't see the expression on Shi Qing's face until a tear fell onto the back of his hand, making him aware that Shi Qing was crying.
"Shi Qing..."
Yin Mingzheng reached out his hand, wanting to hold him, but he hesitated, unsure if he still had that right.
"You never wanted to be my partner."
Tears welled up in the foreign boy's eyes, and they dripped onto Yin Mingzheng's hand, feeling like molten lava landing on his heart.
It hurt, and Yin Mingzheng found himself speechless. It was as if his entire being was being crushed by a giant hand, making it difficult for him to speak.
He wanted to say it wasn't true, but he realized he couldn't refute it.
The pain felt like he was being tightly squeezed.
Yin Mingzheng had never experienced such feelings before. He wasn't stupid, and he understood his own emotions. When he realized he was willing to give up everything just to see Shi Qing stop crying, he understood.
He had fallen in love with Shi Qing.
As this realization settled in his heart in less than a minute, the human hero experienced a happiness he had never known before.
Everything suddenly became clear to him.
He didn't need to overthink it or plan for the future.
He just wanted to be with Shi Qing.
"Shi Qing..."
Yin Mingzheng extended his hand and gently wiped away the tears. Looking into Shi Qing's reddened eyes, he opened his mouth to speak, "I was wrong."
"But I've figured it out now. I like..."
"You're a liar!"
The previously pitiful, crying youth suddenly stood up from the bed, increased his weight, and pressed Yin Mingzheng down on the bed.
"Ugh..."
With even more weight than before, Yin Mingzheng was nearly out of breath. "Shi Qing, listen to me..."
"I won't listen! You're a liar!"
Shi Qing's fair face was filled with anger. He grabbed a pillow from the bed and started hitting Yin Mingzheng forcefully with it, shouting, "Liar! Liar!"
Yin Mingzheng was completely subdued, helpless against the relentless pillow attacks. He could only take shallow breaths and tried to speak, "Listen to me, calm down... Ugh! Just calm down."
"You calm down yourself!"
The youth threw the pillow onto Yin Mingzheng's face. "I don't want you. I'll find someone else to be my partner!"
With that, he pressed down on Yin Mingzheng even harder before finally jumping off him and storming out of the room.
It was a struggle, but Yin Mingzheng managed to free himself from under the pillow. His chest ached from the pressure, and he covered his still-painful chest, as if he had just discovered his own feelings.
Empty, lost, and bewildered.
Author's Note: Within less than a minute of realizing that he liked Shi Qing, Big Yin discovered that Shi Qing had run away from home.
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