Chapter 389: The Thirty-second Day in the Struggle for Supremacy World

Chapter 389: The 32nd Day of Transmigrating into a Hegemony Struggle Novel

That afternoon, the sun was shining pleasantly outside. After finishing his official duties, An Yi was suddenly in the mood for a stroll.

He stood up and said to Bai Ji beside him, "Ruzhi, come take a walk with me in the garden."

Bai Ji, who had been lost in thought, was caught off guard by the call. He quickly replied, "Yes."

Behind the courtyard where An Yi resided, there was an exquisite garden with a flowing stream, rockeries, and lush plants, giving it a peaceful, elegant feel.

At this time, the peach and pear blossoms were in full bloom, a mix of pink and white, with petals drifting down everywhere.

The two walked one behind the other along the winding gravel path.

The guards followed at a distance, keeping a respectful distance.

The spring breeze was gentle, carrying the fragrance of flowers.

An Yi walked ahead, his black wide-sleeved robe gently swaying in the breeze, his stance as straight as bamboo.

Bai Ji lagged half a step behind, his eyes couldn't help lingering on that figure, his heart aching with a mix of bitterness and longing that was about to spill over.

When they reached a six-sided pavilion by the water, An Yi stopped and turned to look at Bai Ji.

"Ruzhi." An Yi's voice was as soft and pleasant as a spring breeze over a zither: "You've seemed uneasy lately. What's troubling you?"

Bai Ji was silent, then kept his head down, his voice dry: "Lord... is my Lord planning to marry?"

"Marry?" An Yi stepped forward, closing the distance, and could clearly see Bai Ji's lowered eyelashes: "Where did you hear that?"

Bai Ji quirked the corner of his mouth, then quickly let it fade: "It's going around everywhere."

An Yi also smiled: "What would you do if I really were to marry?"

"..." Bai Ji opened his mouth, then went quiet again.

He looked at An Yi, and after a long moment, lowered his gaze: "Lord... could you not marry? Could you... not marry someone else?"

Seeing him like this, An Yi's inner sigh deepened—he was truly heartbroken.

He reached out and cupped Bai Ji's face, making him lift his head to meet his eyes.

This was far too intimate a gesture, and Bai Ji froze completely, forced to meet An Yi's clear, deep gaze.

"Look at me, Ruzhi." An Yi's voice was very soft: "Tell me, what are you thinking? Why don't you want me to marry someone else?"

The warmth of his fingertips made Bai Ji's whole face tingle.

Bai Ji looked at the face so close to his—the one that haunted his dreams—and saw his own reflection in those eyes: pale, flustered, infatuated... every emotion exposed.

He suddenly smiled, raised his hand to cover An Yi's fingers on his cheek, and rubbed against them gently.

"Lord... An Yi... Chuwei." Bai Ji's voice sounded: "I'm in love with you."

"I want..." A burning intensity rose in his eyes: "Chuwei, I want to stay by your side forever, want to be the only one you see, want to have all your attention and closeness."

"I'm in love with you, Chuwei, I love you." He said.

"I can't stand seeing you close to others, or even marrying and having kids—I'm so jealous!"

"If only it were me! I've even hated that I wasn't born a woman... I thought about hiding it, about staying behind you and serving you like this, but I can't... Just thinking about you being close to someone else, I... I want to kill them!"

"Chuwei, Chuwei... I love you."

As his words faded, the garden went silent.

Only the rustle of wind through the branches and the faint sound of water remained.

The guards' eyes went wide!

What... what the hell is going on?

Is Mr. Bai confessing his love to the Lord?

Oh my god!

Cha Jiang felt like his soul was about to leave his body—this... this Mr. Bai is so bold!

He actually dares to offend the Lord!

The Lord definitely won't agree to this!

Now that he's angered the Lord, he'll probably be pushed out of the inner circle, right?

Really... really reckless!

Cha Jiang lowered his head, not daring to look over there.

He just thought about what he'd do if the Lord lashed out in a moment.

When he finished speaking, Bai Ji smiled and looked at An Yi.

An Yi, my An Yi, what will you do to me? Reject me? Scold me? Banish me completely? Or... keep me by your side as a lover?

Bai Ji was dazed for a moment—would he be willing to be a lover with no status, hidden in the shadows forever?

Of course he would.

But... would An Yi be willing?

An Yi's hand still gently held Bai Ji's chin. He shifted slightly, but Bai Ji only gripped it tighter.

An Yi simply raised his other hand, brushing his fingertips over Bai Ji's reddened eyes, wiping away the tears that were about to fall.

"I see." An Yi's voice carried a barely noticeable softness: "I don't plan to marry."

Bai Ji's eyes went wide, staring at An Yi in disbelief.

An Yi pulled his hand back, clasped his hands behind his back, and let his gaze drift to the falling petals outside the pavilion, his tone gentle: "My mother did bring it up, but I turned it down. For now, I have no such plans. In the future..."

He paused, then turned back to Bai Ji: "In the future, I won't marry either."

He suddenly smiled mischievously: "If you were really a woman, I wouldn't be this close to you."

He won't marry.

An Yi won't marry.

And... he's close to him.

So An Yi really did prefer men after all. How wonderful—thank goodness he wasn't a woman.

Bai Ji's heart, after a momentary pause, began to pound wildly. His blood raced, quickly flushing his pale face with an excited red.

"Chuwei... is—is it what I think it means?" He could hardly believe his ears.

Seeing his dumbfounded, incredulous look, An Yi couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.

Hearing An Yi laugh, Bai Ji's ears itched, and he couldn't help but tilt his head to the side.

"Yes." An Yi repeated calmly, a smile in his voice: "It's exactly what you think it means."

Bai Ji was dizzy from the sheer force of his happiness. He stood there at a loss, wanting to hug An Yi, kiss him, say something, do something—anything to express the wild joy and gratitude inside him—but he was too clumsy to know how, fumbling about on the spot for a moment.

In the end, all he could do was let out a foolish sigh: "Chuwei..."

An Yi watched him fuss, amused by that direct, burning gaze, and felt a quiet thrill stir inside him.

He cleared his throat, looked away, and gazed out at the water beyond the pavilion.

Pretty cute.

Bai Ji took a deep breath and edged forward a small step, drawing closer to An Yi.

He could smell the clean, crisp scent coming off An Yi and feel the steady rhythm of his breathing. He opened his mouth, his voice dry and careful: "Chuwei... I—can I..."

He wanted to ask, can I come closer? Can I... touch you?

An Yi seemed to read his mind.

He turned his gaze back, landing on Bai Ji's lips, slightly pursed from nerves, then met his deep brown eyes full of longing.

Suddenly, a playful, mischievous smile curved the corner of An Yi's lips.

He leaned in, bringing his mouth close to Bai Ji's ear, his warm breath grazing the sensitive shell of it, and asked in a low voice only the two of them could hear:

"Looking at me like that, Ruzhi... are you thinking of giving me a kiss?"

Bai Ji's breath hitched, and then he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Yes, Chuwei, I want to kiss you. No, I don't just want one kiss—can I?"

An Yi narrowed his eyes at him, straightened up, and pulled back a little. He reached out with cool fingertips and gently tapped Bai Ji's burning cheek.

That touch made Bai Ji's whole body tremble.

Then, before Bai Ji could react, An Yi rose on his tiptoes, and a kiss as light as a feather brushed across Bai Ji's brow.

Warm, soft, and gone in an instant.