Seize the Throne

Chapter 30: Someone he can rely on 

After the trip to the snow-capped mountains was over, Kou Li immediately threw himself into work, spending most of his time in the laboratory every day.

This made Bian Yi feel somewhat uncomfortable, or more precisely, it reminded him of a period of time when they had just finished their honeymoon.

At that time, Bian Yi had taken two months off for their honeymoon. In the first week after their wedding, they were like a couple in a honey jar, so sweet that their teeth hurt.

After a week, Bian Yi started to feel a bit overwhelmed. However, it was a sweet trouble, and Bian Yi still enjoyed it. Then, after a month, the sweet trouble escalated into sweet fear.

Kou Li was really too much for him, and he just couldn’t keep up. He would collapse every other day, and it was too much for him.

Kou Li received the sign from his lover and quickly ended their private world and returned to work.

At first, Bian Yi felt relieved when Kou Li started working, but this easy happiness didn’t last for more than a few days. With empty time and no Kou Li by his side, Bian Yi felt uncomfortable.

So, he unknowingly began to look forward to Kou Li’s return from work every day. Later, because he realized that he looked like a lonely housewife waiting for her husband to come home, Bian Yi immediately asked Nie Fang to get him a script and found something to do.

Later, it became a very ordinary post-marriage life. They both had their own jobs. Sometimes Kou Li would work overtime or go abroad for business trips, and Bian Yi would have to go to the film set or travel out of town. They spent a lot of time apart every year.

However, it was precisely because of time and distance that every encounter, reunion, follow-up, and visit they had would reignite their passion like it was when they were newlyweds.

Bian Yi still remembers the day when Kou Li had to go to work after their honeymoon. In the morning, Kou Li gave him a morning kiss and left without telling him. Bian Yi didn’t know until he woke up at noon.

Bian Yi also remembers how he felt at that time. At first, he felt relieved, but after a while, he became angry. Although Kou Li may not have wanted to disturb him while he rested, he should have told him where he was going.

Now when Bian Yi looks back, he understands why Kou Li didn’t say anything at the time.

He was afraid that he would become too clingy.

So, when he saw Bian Yi’s “unwillingness,” he immediately restrained himself and kept his distance from him.

He’s always like this.

At this moment, Bian Yi was standing in the room that Kou Li brought him to see in the previous life, which was filled with trophy shelves for Xiao Shu.

The room is still empty now, after all, their Xiao Shu is still only in kindergarten.

But it’s not completely empty. Kou Li has already built several shelves as if he’s already prepared for what will be placed on them.

And those shelves are not empty either. There’s a photo on one of the shelves that Xiao Shu can reach now.

It’s a picture of Bian Yi, Kou Li, and Xiao Shu together.

Bian Yi is not sure if Kou Li put the photo there or if Xiao did it himself.

After looking at the photo for a while, Bian Yi left the room.

He went downstairs and had the auntie prepare two lunches for him.

His time is very free now, and he has no plans to work again – his life cannot return to normal until he deals with that system.

So, Bian Yi played a single-player game on his phone on the sofa in the hall, waiting for his lunch to be ready. When it was done, he had it packed and had the driver take him to Kou Li’s lab.

Just like before, he was bored at home – in fact, he missed Kou Li – so he went to bring Kou Li lunch.

Bian Yi also remembered that when Kou Li saw him back then, his expression was only slightly surprised and didn’t show much reaction. At that time, Bian Yi was a little disappointed.

But when he opened the lunchbox and told Kou Li to wash his hands before eating, the man did go wash his hands obediently. But when he came back, he didn’t enjoy his lunch, but instead pressed Bian Yi against an empty lab table.

That was the moment he showed his lack of control, which was like his true emotions.

Since then, that lab has become a taboo switch for Bian Yi. He feels ashamed when he goes there but feels like he’s missing out if he doesn’t – after all, Kou Li doesn’t wear his lab coat and uniform at home.

Bian Yi doesn’t want to admit that he’s thinking about that man now, nor does he believe that he is. He just feels bored at home and the house is empty without Xiao Shu.

And he hates the kind of loneliness that feels like he’s the only one.

But when he stood at the entrance to Kou Li’s lab with the permission card he was given, he stepped back.

To enter Kou Li’s lab, there’s an elevator at the outermost part, not high, just three floors, and it takes less than a minute to get there.

It’s lunchtime now, and the people working here are either eating or still immersed in lab work, and there are no people to be seen in the corridor. Plus, they all know who Bian Yi is, and he’s obviously here to bring lunch to the big boss, so no one is going to come forward and lead him – it wasn’t Bian Yi’s first time here.

Bian Yi held the box in his hand and his face was pale.

He felt that the emptiness in his house was not a joke or a metaphor, but a real sense of emptiness. When there was no one around, he would feel like he was in an expanding dark room.

When he was in a place with no one around, he would at most feel uncomfortable. But for the small, enclosed elevator, Bian Yi was very clear that he was afraid of it.

Previously, whether it was Nie Fang, Kou Li, or an assistant, Bian Yi was not alone and could ride the elevator normally. But now, there was only Bian Yi.

He took a step back, thinking that he should find the stairs or someone to go with him. Just as Bian Yi took a third step back, the elevator door suddenly opened.

Kou Li immediately noticed that Bian Yi’s face was not good, and his gaze was fixed on him, or rather, on the elevator door. Before the door opened, there was only the elevator there. And Bian Yi’s steps were moving backward.

Kou Li’s gaze fell on the box in Bian Yi’s hand, and he bit his tongue. The pain kept him calm and suppressed his urge to go crazy.

“How did you come over here?” Kou Li put on a gentle smile, and took the food box from Bian Yi’s hand as if he didn’t notice anything, “It’s quite heavy. Have you eaten yet?”

Bian Yi blinked his eyes twice, and his gaze shifted from the elevator behind Kou Li to his face, “Not yet.”

“Let’s go, let’s eat first.” Kou Li smiled and took Bian Yi to his lounge, walking up the stairs.

Bian Yi pursed his lips, allowing Kou Li to pull him along. He could feel a slight warmth from Kou Li’s hand, not quite enough to be warm, but it inexplicably put him at ease.

Bian Yi gazed at Kou Li’s back, the man’s waist and back were very attractive, and just looking at it gave people a strong sense of security. It seemed like he was always worthy of relying on, worthy of wholeheartedly trusting.

Just like when he impulsively went on that island adventure, Kou Li used his uninjured hand to wipe away his tears and soothe his trembling body. He lightly said to him, “It’s alright, I’m here.”

Even though they were both scarred now, this man was still here.

Bian Yi forced a smile, tightly holding Kou Li’s hand as they walked side by side. Kou Li hesitated for a moment, then tightened his grip on Bian Yi’s hand.

Perhaps because their hands were tightly touching, they slowly began to warm up from the palms.

On the other side, Jian Yi also held Jiang Shi’s hand.

This was not because Jian Yi was frivolous, but because Jiang Shi suddenly had a splitting headache and almost fell to the ground. Jian Yi just happened to catch him.

Jiang Jie, who hurried over, felt a twinge in her forehead. If she didn’t know her Xiao Shitou’s innocence, she would have suspected that this was a standard seduction move.

The incident began ten minutes ago.

This was a very ordinary commercial street, not too crowded but not too empty either. Unfortunately, Jiang Shi’s car had some trouble at this location. Fortunately, nothing serious happened, and the driver parked the car on the side of the road.

Jiang Shi needed to meet with a famous and talented teacher who had a big temper. He didn’t have time to come to the company to teach, so anyone who wanted to learn from him, including students from other companies, had to go to him for classes, and it was a strict schedule.

At this moment, their car couldn’t move, and Jiang Jie didn’t dare to hail a car to take them away. If they met an abnormal driver, it would be dangerous, as there was an incident a few days ago where a girl taking a taxi was almost extorted.

So they could only wait in the car for their people to arrange another car.

Fortunately, they left early and still had time before their teacher’s class.

Then, Jiang Shi saw Jian Yi.

There was a convenience store at the intersection where their car was parked, and when Jian Yi got off the car to buy something there, Jiang Shi saw him.

Jiang Shi was still in the car and had no plans to go out and say hello. He and the other person were strangers, so there was no need to greet each other. He could just watch from the car.

At this time, the book inside Jiang Shi spoke seriously to him for the first time.

[I warn you, stay away from this man!]

Me?

The first thing Jiang Shi noticed was the use of the word “me.”

“I” could represent many things, but most obviously and clearly, it was something with “self,” and once something became self-aware, it was no longer just an inanimate object.

Then, it was not just a book.

Or maybe it was not even a book but something disguised as a book with self-awareness.

Jiang Shi was still thinking about this when he saw a man pass by Jian Yi’s side, and from his angle, he could clearly see the man stealing Jian Yi’s phone and wallet.

Jiang Shi couldn’t sit still and saw the thief preparing to pass by their side. Jiang Shi immediately opened the car door and rushed towards the man.

Jiang Shi’s speed was too fast, and the thief’s attention and guard were all on Jian Yi, so he did not expect someone to rush out from the side and was caught off guard by Jiang Shi.

Jian Yi, who was still drinking water, was also stunned when he saw the commotion here. He didn’t know what had happened yet and heard Jiang Shi shout at him, “Sir, he stole your things!”

Upon hearing this, Jian Yi quickly reached into his pocket and frowned.

At this moment, the thief lifted the rock off his body and tried to escape. Jianyi only had a bottle of water in his hand, which he accurately threw at the thief’s calf just as he stood up.

The thief’s legs went weak and he knelt heavily on the ground.

Then he was caught.

Jian Yi retrieved his belongings and smiled at Jiang Shi, “Thank you, I almost lost something important.”

Jiang Shi’s mind was filled with the word “handsome”. This man was handsome, his throwing action just now was handsome, and his smile was even more handsome.

Ah! He was going to die!

Looking at him in the car and now, it was still different. Up close, he was simply devastating!!!

Jiang Shi had a lot to say in his mind, but he replied shyly, “It’s nothing, glad to have helped.”

Jiang Jie had also gotten out of the car and her legs were a bit weak. She wanted to scold Jiang Shi for being so bold, but she was afraid of being recognized by the people around her.

However, before she could approach, she saw Xiao Shitou that was still laughing suddenly turn pale. He held his head in his hands, seeming to be in extreme pain, and was about to fall to the ground.

To be honest, he was just laughing a second ago. This change in attitude was too sudden and seemed deliberate.

But Jiang Jie quickly realized that Xiao Shitou was very innocent and unlikely to fall on purpose to be helped up. He must have been injured just now and was unable to stand now.

Before Jiang Shi fell, Jian Yi caught him and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Did you get hurt just now?”

Jiang Shi looked at Jian Yi, and opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t, it hurt so much. It felt like his brain had been pricked with fine needles, too painful.

The book that had always been present in his mind, but ignored or overlooked by Jiang Shi, now had a strong sense of existence:

[I warned you, don’t get close to this man! It’s better not to have a next time, otherwise, the punishment won’t be just like this.]

Jiang Shi’s heart tightened.

Sure enough, it wasn’t just a book, it was really a bad thing that wanted to control him. If he didn’t listen to it, he would be punished.

How disgusting.

How could such a thing exist?

Disgusting. The word touched the nerves of the system – if it had any.

It was very angry, and it argued with Jiang Shi, but it always lost.

It didn’t want to argue now, it was easier and more effective to use this method.

Jiang Shi’s headache intensified, he couldn’t stand steady and his vision began to blur.

Jiang Jie was scared and wanted to scream, she covered her mouth tightly.

Jian Yi checked Jiang Shi’s pulse, his face rarely serious: “Something’s not right, we need to go to the hospital for a check-up.”

After speaking, he carried Jiang Shi horizontally, his car was parked nearby.

Jiang Shi unconsciously grabbed Jian Yi’s clothes. Just as he was about to pass out from the pain, he heard the book in his mind speaking.

It was very surprised: “Favorability 85??? How…”

After the surprise, it laughed nervously: “Haha! So this pervert likes this type!”

With likes come weaknesses, and humans with weaknesses are easy to deal with. 

This is something that the system, who has had many hosts, knows very well. 

At least this new host is somewhat useful. If it can successfully capture and manipulate Jian Yi, there should be a lot of energy stored within him, which it can back up and use to find a better host for control. 

Or perhaps it can just use him up and use his shell to get close to Kou Li and Bian Yi, which would be extremely convenient.