Chapter 364: The Seventh Day in the Struggle for Supremacy World

Chapter 364: Day Seven Inside a Hegemony-Building Novel

Bai Ji sat there, listening to An Yi's words and looking into those eyes brimming with gentle warmth, the tension he'd been holding seeming to ease for a moment.

A flicker of something deeply complicated crossed his eyes.

His gaze lingered on An Yi's strikingly handsome face for a brief instant, then lowered, hidden beneath his long lashes.

He rose to his feet, his faded blue scholar's robe draping down with the movement, his lean frame standing before An Yi.

Then he stepped back half a pace, raised his hands, sleeves draping down, and bowed deeply to An Yi with solemn formality.

When he straightened, the usual gentle smile had faded from his face, replaced by a look of solemn gravity.

He lifted his eyes, gazing steadily at An Yi, and spoke: "Ji thanks my Lord for the grace of recognizing my worth."

He no longer called him "Master An," but had switched to "My Lord."

Those two words meant more than just confirming a superior-subordinate relationship—they were also a political declaration of allegiance and loyalty, meaning Bai Ji had formally placed himself within An Yi's camp, tying his intellect, schemes, and even his future to An Yi's fortunes for the time being.

Reader comments:

"Hahaha, I knew it! So this is the male lead's future boss!"

"These two are exhausting to read, I'm tired just from watching them talk."

"The way they address each other is hilarious, I'm dying. Before pledging himself, he's 'Brother Bai,' but right after, it's 'Ruzhi.'"

"Tsk tsk, why is the male lead the one offering himself? Shouldn't An Yi be the one begging him to join, like Liu Bei visiting Zhuge Liang three times?"

"Because the male lead was in love at first sight! (dog emoji) (crying-laughing emoji)"

"Don't say that, something feels wrong again! (screaming) (horrified)"

"Oh, it won't happen. What are you afraid of, commenter above? Does the author really dare write gay romance? No way! He's just pandering to the fujoshi crowd! I've seen this a thousand times, heh! Author! (I see through everything.jpg)"

"'Holding the reins of the overall plan'! That's giving him a huge amount of power! Even if it's just verbal for now."

"Obviously, the male lead can't be just some minor aide. He's definitely going to be core staff to satisfy us readers!"

"..."

An Yi stayed seated, accepting Bai Ji's bow.

He didn't immediately get up to help him, since this was the proper etiquette for establishing the master-subordinate bond.

He nodded slightly, his smile warm, clearly showing acceptance and approval.

"Ruzhi, please get up." Only after Bai Ji straightened up did An Yi speak softly: "From now on, I'll be relying on Ruzhi a lot."

The gentle smile at the corner of An Yi's mouth deepened a little as he reached out and made a gesture of support toward Bai Ji's arm, which hadn't fully straightened from the bow.

His fingertips brushed the other's forearm through the fabric of the worn scholar's robe.

The sensation registered, and something stirred in An Yi's heart.

The arm beneath the fabric wasn't as thin and frail as it looked.

Though he couldn't tell precisely through the layers of cloth, the force and shape conveyed by that brief contact were nothing like the soft, limp weakness of a truly frail scholar.

On the contrary, the arm's muscles were smooth and firm, holding a restrained elasticity and strength that belonged to someone trained in martial arts.

That makes sense.

An Yi pulled his hand back, expression unchanged, as if the touch had been casual.

He recalled Bai Ji's gait from earlier—his steps showed a stable stance, his breathing long and steady, his fingers well-defined, with what seemed to be light calluses on his palms.

How could a strategist who'd traveled alone for four years, crossing north and south, moving through mobs, and dealing with all kinds of people, really be frail?

Beneath this seemingly fragile exterior lay a soul that combined wisdom, martial skill, and unyielding will.

Perhaps the sickly, scholarly air was itself part of a carefully crafted disguise meant to lower people's guard.

The original novel had never mentioned that.

An Yi acted as if he'd noticed nothing unusual, his tone casual: "In the future, just be at ease. No need for such formality."

Bai Ji straightened up in turn, and the distance between them was now closer than before.

An Yi could clearly see the other's robe hem casting a faint shadow on the floor.

Bai Ji looked up, meeting An Yi's gaze.

At this close distance, An Yi could even see his own clear reflection in those calm, dark brown eyes—the moon-white robes, the warm smiling face, and those placid eyes.

Bai Ji's gaze lingered for the briefest moment, then quickly dropped, hiding a flash of something almost fervent in his eyes.

He stepped back half a step, re-establishing a polite distance, and resumed his previous posture.

However, An Yi keenly noticed that the edges of Bai Ji's normally pale ears seemed tinged with a faint, almost imperceptible flush.

That hint of color vanished in the candlelight, quickly swallowed back into his usual pallor.

An Yi: "..."

He narrowed his eyes and reached up to touch his face.

"Propriety cannot be discarded." Bai Ji's voice was a degree lower than before, his head slightly bowed: "Thank you, my Lord."

"As you wish." An Yi smiled nonchalantly, not pressing the matter.

"Ruzhi has just arrived in Yuncang; the journey must have been exhausting." An Yi looked at Bai Ji: "I've already had the 'Qinshu Study' in the eastern courtyard prepared. It's near the bamboo grove, quiet and elegant, and close to my own residence—convenient for discussing matters later. Ruzhi should go rest first, and this evening I'll arrange a simple family dinner to welcome you properly."

"Thank you for the arrangements, my Lord." Bai Ji responded before him, straightening his back, his voice already back to its steady, clear tone.

An Yi then turned and called over the servant who had been waiting in the corridor outside the flower hall: "Escort Mr. Bai to Qinshu Study. Take good care of him—don't neglect any of his needs."

"Yes, young master." The servant replied respectfully, offering Bai Ji a salute: "Mr. Bai, please come with me."

Bai Ji bowed once more in farewell, giving An Yi a deep look before following the servant out of the flower hall and into the dim, shadowed corridor.

An Yi stood still, watching Bai Ji's retreating figure gradually disappear into the shadow of the wisteria trellis at the corridor's turn.

Only when the figure was completely out of sight did the gentle, spring-breeze smile An Yi had maintained all along slowly fade, disappearing without a trace.

He reached up and touched his face again.

Really?

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In the days that followed, An Yi's daily routine was in no way disrupted by Bai Ji's arrival.

He still rose at the same time each day to attend to his affairs.

Then he handled the many matters that needed to be settled before his departure: meeting with certain elders and old friends he had to personally say goodbye to; reviewing the handover lists for parts of the An family's properties and contacts in Yuncang; holding deeper private talks with his father, An Zheng, to finalize methods of passing information and evacuation routes for emergencies; and even finding time to comfort his younger brother An Jin, who was anxious about leaving his parents and familiar surroundings, as well as dealing with his mother Dong Yi's meticulous care and endless nagging.

Tsk, pretty busy indeed.