Talking about who knows how to have fun, Hedgehog sure does, especially when this proposal got both Si Di and Xiao Zhenyun intrigued.
But despite the excitement, Xiao Zhenyun wasn’t in such a rush. He wasn’t keen on a live performance. Plus… he hadn’t taken any medicine.
Si Di had the same idea. Stimulating, sure, but after a moment of excitement, he calmed down. He wasn’t keen on this public display. Comparatively, he preferred being in warm, quiet, and comfortable places, slowly talking love with Xiao Zhenyun.
Seeing that it was almost time, the hosts and venue providers stood up to give a brief opening speech for the gathering. It wasn’t much, just about enjoying food, drinks, and having fun. They also mentioned there were plenty of singles looking for company, and if they hit it off, they could head upstairs. There was also a communication area provided by the organizers, but they asked not to occupy it for too long and to clean up the rooms before leaving.
“Seems quite civilized,” Hedgehog muttered.
Si Di knelt on the blanket, hands intertwined as a pillow, resting his head on Xiao Zhenyun’s lap. He had been in this position with his eyes closed for quite some time now. Xiao Zhenyun knew he wasn’t asleep, after all, even though the gathering wasn’t exactly noisy, there were murmurs everywhere, and occasional bursts of laughter and applause, not exactly favorable for a sentinel’s nap.
He placed his left hand on Si Di’s shoulder and slowly played with a strand of silver hair at the nape of his neck.
“What about the mission target?” Xiao Zhenyun whispered softly to Hedgehog, leaning in slightly.
“It’s time to stay calm. If there’s no word saying he won’t come, then he’ll definitely show up,” Hedgehog said.
He patiently waited, like a venomous snake biding its time beneath a disguise. He got up halfway through to survey the food area, bringing back some desserts and drinks, delicately picking up a cherry with a fork and feeding it to Xiao Zhenyun.
A plate full of various pastries and fruits sat there, but Hedgehog picked out a cherry. The reason? Right in front of them, a pair of lovers had been feeding each other cherries with their mouths for nearly half an hour, finishing an entire plate. From the moment they sat down, they were all lovey-dovey, and it was hard to tell if the cherries were tasty or if they just enjoyed the kissing.
The kicker was when Hedgehog noticed one of them, a plainly but uniquely dressed person with a small bracelet, who deliberately snuggled into their master’s arms and blew a kiss to Hedgehog, like a smug little parrot, nodding his head.
You think I can be outdone by this?! Hedgehog angrily fed the cherry to Xiao Zhenyun.
Faced with this malicious feeding, Xiao Zhenyun instinctively pressed his lips together, his entire body rejecting the gesture. Hedgehog immediately threatened in a cold voice, “Eat it!”
Xiao Zhenyun bit into the cherry with a look of resignation. But Hedgehog wasn’t satisfied and asked, “Can you tie a knot in the cherry stem with your tongue?”
“I can maybe spit out the pit.”
“Useless.”
To avoid being the only one scolded, Xiao Zhenyun patted Si Di’s back. “Can you?”
Si Di pretended not to hear, staying still with his eyes closed, continuing his relaxing pose. An S-class sentinel playing deaf could only mean he wasn’t interested in joining this silly conversation. However, when Xiao Zhenyun offered him a cherry, Si Di, eyes still closed, opened his lips without hesitation and took it in, even teasing Xiao Zhenyun by gently biting his fingers.
Hedgehog scoffed, took a cherry stem, and put it in his mouth. After a while, he spat out a neatly tied knot.
This dark sentinel had some skills…
Even the smug little parrot across from them conceded, giving Hedgehog a thumbs-up before focusing back on flirting with his partner. Hedgehog felt a burst of satisfaction and eagerly dug into the cake.
Not long after, the sleepy Hedgehog suddenly became alert and turned his head. Si Di also opened his eyes from his spot beside Xiao Zhenyun’s leg. Xiao Zhenyun felt the powerful, tense muscles under his palm and sensed something was up. At that moment, a few cheers erupted from the center of the crowd. Xiao Zhenyun put down his glass just in time to see four or five people passing by in a group.
The leading man wore a golden mask and had short, slightly curly dark brown hair. Closest to him was a slightly taller man with black hair, gazing at him with intense, deep affection in his bright, dark eyes. Trailing behind them were a masked man and woman, with the masked man doing most of the talking while the woman occasionally chimed in. The curly-haired leader would respond now and then, while the black-haired man remained silent throughout. They made their way to the inner part of the mansion, likely heading straight to greet the host.
Hedgehog didn’t speak but exchanged a glance with Xiao Zhenyun and Si Di.
Target confirmed.
The black-haired, black-eyed man’s face lingered in Xiao Zhenyun’s mind, striking a chord of familiarity, though he couldn’t place why. It wasn’t as if they had met before… was it?
“Do you know his name?” Xiao Zhenyun asked quietly.
“The client only provided photos, no names,” Hedgehog shook his head. “Why?”
Xiao Zhenyun didn’t explain further, only saying, “Curious.”
“Curiosity is a dangerous thing in our line of work. The more you know, the more dangerous it gets. Don’t ask unnecessary questions.”
Before he finished speaking, Si Di couldn’t resist giving him a punch, his expression clearly saying: “Stop wasting time and go get them.”
Hedgehog shot him a look: It’s still early, let’s observe a bit more.
A short while later, the host of the party came out with the curly-haired man, excitedly introducing him to the crowd through a microphone. He was Harold Xiu, a big shot in their circle, known for being picky about his partners. Two years ago, he had chosen a new one, the tall, black-haired man.
He then expressed sincere gratitude for Xiu traveling all the way from abroad, encouraged everyone to continue enjoying the party, and handed the floor back to the crowd.
Xiao Zhenyun noticed the black-haired guy whisper something to Xiu and point to a distant area. The host and the group with them immediately began chatting excitedly, agreeing with the black-haired man’s suggestion, and they all headed down the stairs to the basement.
Without hesitation, Hedgehog’s figure vanished into the crowd of onlookers, blending in as he made his way to the mansion’s lower level.
“The black-haired guy said he saw someone with boxing gloves and asked if there was a place for boxing,” Si Di explained as he leaned close to Xiao Zhenyun’s ear. “The others said yes, there’s a proper ring in the basement. The black-haired guy said he wanted to play, and his curly-haired partner agreed… Oh, and the curly-haired guy called him Xiao Pei.”
“Xiao Pei…” Xiao Zhenyun nodded, standing up without further thought. “Let’s go check it out.”
Si Di had no objections.
The boxing ring area was much noisier than the first floor, with the sound of fists landing on flesh ramping up the adrenaline. Xiao Zhenyun glanced back at Si Di to check his state. Si Di subtly closed his eyes for a moment, signaling he was fine.
Xiao Pei, the black-haired man, was changing clothes in the preparation area. He had an impressive physique, clearly someone who worked out regularly with well-defined muscles and smooth lines. Meanwhile, his partner sat leisurely in the audience, chatting casually with others.
Xiao Zhenyun was about to ask Si Di what they were discussing when the host, taking advantage of a break in the match, stood up and shouted, “Xiu says his partner is very skilled. He advises anyone planning to challenge him to be prepared.”
The crowd erupted with jeers and boos, particularly from one spot where the shy civet sentinel was standing in the middle.
“Oh, no special individual is allowed to compete,” the host said, pretending to be stern. “That’s against the rules.”
Xiao Pei, brimming with energy, stretched his muscles and nonchalantly asked the host, “What level is he?”
The civet sentinel didn’t need the question repeated; he heard Xiao Pei and held up a hand to indicate a C level. Xiao Pei let out a dismissive laugh and beckoned him with a finger. Even the most introverted and shy sentries have a natural competitive streak, and the civet was immediately fired up by this challenge. He turned to his partner, seeking permission to compete with a look.
While his calm and gentle masked partner shook his head, he stepped forward to talk to Xiu. From the lip reading, it seemed Xiu was indicating it didn’t matter, but he still reached out and touched the civet sentinel’s ear, declining the challenge on behalf of the sentinel.
The reason being, it wasn’t suitable for a special individual to fight ordinary people.
Xiao Pei continued to taunt, “Just a C-level sentinel, afraid, huh?”
The civet sentinel’s tail bristled, but his partner continued to intervene. After all, it wasn’t appropriate for a sentinel to fight ordinary people, regardless of the outcome.
Before long, another burly man with a collar stepped into the ring to challenge Xiao Pei. After several rounds of intense fighting, the burly man was defeated.
Then two others stepped up, only to be defeated as well.
Below the stage, Xiu handed Xiao Pei water, asking if he was tired. Xiao Pei arrogantly replied that he had just warmed up and could handle ten more rounds.
Xiao Zhenyun and Si Di were engrossed in the spectacle until they noticed Hedgehog in the corner gesturing to them.
“What are you doing?” Hedgehog mouthed. “Get him off the stage! How can I make a move if he keeps fighting? If we wait any longer, they’ll leave!”
“…,” Si Di cleared his throat and exchanged a glance with Xiao Zhenyun before raising his hand silently.
The crowd parted to make a path for them to the preparation area and the front row of the viewing section. Xiao Zhenyun felt a sudden wave of embarrassment. It wasn’t that he wasn’t used to being in the spotlight. After all, he had transformed from an ordinary office worker who would panic and blank out when held at gunpoint, nearly scared to death, into the composed and cool-headed guide he was today, capable of keeping his calm in any situation after experiencing a series of life-threatening events like plane crashes, kidnappings, and assassination attempts.
The embarrassment stemmed mainly from the fact that… while the partner of C-level sentinel refused to participate due to racial differences, here was Si Di, an elite S-rank sentinel, about to step into the ring and play the underdog. It felt like blatant bullying.
Xiao Zhenyun temporarily took a seat behind Xiu at the last minute, deliberately choosing a seat farthest away from Xiu in this prime viewing area. After all, he was wearing a fake mask, and Xiu was a big shot. If he sat too close and his act slipped, it could bring trouble.
He glanced at this man who had brainwashed a straight guy like Xiao Pei into his exclusive possession. Well-dressed and with decent looks, Xiu had blue-purple eyes visible under his mask and he even turned back to Xiao Zhenyun with a polite smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Meanwhile, in the preparation area, Si Di shed his layers of ‘bamboo skin’ clothing. Xiao Zhenyun could feel the surrounding gazes becoming much more eager now.
…So, the reason Si Di wasn’t as popular as Hedgehog earlier was because he dressed too conservatively?
One of the helpers trying to hand Si Di his boxing gloves attempted to take advantage of the situation, but the silver-haired man seemed to have eyes on his back. With a casual turn, he avoided the contact and took the gloves, heading to the ring.
Xiao Pei was currently in excellent condition, his eyes sparkling with excitement and his body covered in a sheen of sweat.
In contrast, Si Di stood in the corner, his expression cold, his body clean, without any preparatory movements—like a snow-covered pine tree.
Xiao Zhenyun had been worried that a sentinel like Si Di, whose every move could result in casualties, wouldn’t understand the rules of boxing.
But he had been overly concerned; Si Di adapted remarkably well.
In the second round, after just four minutes, he launched a fierce attack on Xiao Pei, knocking him down with a punch. However, Si Di had held back, Xiao Pei got up before the referee could start the count, smiling dangerously as if to say, “Interesting.”
Indeed, it was interesting. The man in front of you could easily knock you to the ground with a single slap, leaving you unable to get up, but now he had to control himself and stage a back-and-forth fight with you. Could it be any more interesting?
Xiao Zhenyun watched quietly as Si Di performed, when suddenly, a shadow loomed over him from the side. Frowning, he looked up to see a masked stranger sitting beside him. Though he was mostly a stranger, Xiao Zhenyun recognized him as one of the two followers of Xiu.
“Hello,” the man greeted, surprisingly initiating conversation. “What’s your name?”
“Grasshopper,” Xiao Zhenyun uttered the code name he had prepared for years.
The man chuckled softly. “I’m Louis.”
Hearing so many names at once, Xiao Zhenyun found it hard to keep track.
“I’m here with Xiu… we’re good friends.”
Xiao Zhenyun understood this sentence, realizing that Louis wasn’t well-known himself and was leveraging Xiu’s name to boost his own status.
Since Hedgehog hadn’t been around for a while, and the person most closely associated with him was Si Di, Xiao Zhenyun initially suspected that Louis might be interested in Si Di. He kept this in mind and smiled politely, “Hello.”
“You don’t seem like a master,” Louis suddenly remarked, scrutinizing Xiao Zhenyun with a piercing gaze.
These words were like a bolt of lightning, causing Xiao Zhenyun’s pupils to constrict slightly. Fortunately, Hedgehog had helped him disguise his eyes with a slit, so no one could detect his reaction through such a narrow gap.
Discovered? Xiao Zhenyun’s heart pounded. Had Xiu noticed something and sent his friend to warn him?
Maintaining his composure, he stayed silent, listening as Louis lowered his voice and continued, “You’re too thin, too pale, your neck is delicate… you have a refined fragility. You’re perfect for being turned into a mess…”
Xiao Zhenyun’s lips tightened into a straight line, the lewd and insulting suggestion making his previously gentle and calm demeanor shift abruptly.
On stage, Si Di sensed something and turned his gaze towards Xiao Zhenyun. Dissatisfied with Si Di’s distraction, Xiao Pei angrily threw a punch, which Si Di, even while distracted, effortlessly dodged.
Seeing Xiao Zhenyun’s anger, Louis sat up excitedly, breathing heavily. “Alright, don’t be mad. I admit it, it’s me who wants to be turned into a mess by you… Your aura is just too captivating. The moment I walked in, you were the first person I saw…”
“…We’ve got a conflict of interest,” Xiao Zhenyun said.
“I’m fine with that,” Louis said urgently. “I used to be with Xiu for a while, but after he got Duan Pei, he stopped taking other partners. That’s when I became a master. If you’re willing, I can be your partner.”
“Duan Pei?”
Louis gestured towards the stage, implying the obvious: the real name of the black-haired man, Xiao Pei, was Duan Pei.
Duan Pei…Duan Fei?
Xiao Zhenyun understood why he found the task target of Hedgehog, the black-haired submissive, familiar… He looked a lot like Duan Fei, a student from the National Defense Academy and a primary school classmate of Xiao Jiali, who was known to be as capable as special individuals.
After Xiao Jiali’s death, Duan Fei was severely injured and recuperated for several months, during which Xiao Zhenyun lost contact with him. He hadn’t expected Duan Fei’s name to reappear in his mind in this way.
“What’s his relationship with Duan Fei?” Xiao Zhenyun asked directly.
Louis looked puzzled. “Who’s Duan Fei?”
“A highly skilled military academy student,” Xiao Zhenyun explained, “My partner was nicknamed ‘Xiao Fei’ because he could fight against special individuals.”
Louis obviously didn’t catch Xiao Zhenyun’s reference and just laughed it off, steering the conversation towards his familiar territory. “So, will you agree to give it a try with me?”
Before Xiao Zhenyun could respond, a cold and deep voice answered for him:
“He won’t agree.”
Si Di, who knows when, had already finished the match and was now looking down on them from above.
The author has something to say:
Hedgehog: Not bad, not bad, all three of us have caught someone’s eye, our charm is quite something.