Chapter 80: Covenantor (III)

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Chapter 80: Covenantor (III)

Shang Ke chose a window seat in a café near County Hall, leisurely sipping his coffee while browsing the web.

He casually opened one of the latest posts, titled “Guys, a UFO Appeared in Downtown Baoya County Today! Come Look!!!” The moment he saw what was inside, Shang Ke nearly spat out his coffee. The post contained a video of his driving earlier that day. Because the car had been moving so fast, however, the recording captured only a few seconds.

That was hardly enough to stump the all-powerful internet. A dozen or so replies down, someone added another clip that could almost be joined directly to the original, bringing the footage to a little over ten seconds. In the video, Shang Ke’s hovercar streaked like black lightning through rows of densely packed buildings, twisting and darting at terrifying speed. At first, most viewers could barely tell what they were looking at. Then an expert broke the footage down frame by frame, clearly displaying the car’s route, angles, and various high-difficulty maneuvers.

A hair’s breadth of error could lead to a thousand miles of difference. Every turn, roll, drift, and adjustment had been timed with exquisite precision. Watching it was breathtaking—the driving could only be described as godlike!

【I’m on my knees!】

【Great God, please accept my knees!】

【Those driving skills are basically playing chicken with Death!】

【That was way too cool! Somebody identify the driver—I’m going to beg them to take me as a disciple!】

【…If I’m not mistaken, that license plate seems to belong to that lord.】

【！！！】

【!!!】

【As expected… only a godlike driver is worthy of that godlike lord.】

……

…

Once people realized the car belonged to Lu Xiufan, the post’s popularity skyrocketed. Evidently, Lu Xiufan was extremely famous among ordinary people, and even his driver had been deified by association.

Shang Ke was reading with great interest when he suddenly sensed someone approaching. Looking up, he saw two burly, impeccably dressed men stop beside his table, one on either side.

Shang Ke said nothing. The handguns concealed beneath their clothes told him everything he needed to know.

It was only his first day as Lu Xiufan’s driver, yet he had already been dragged into the line of fire twice on the man’s behalf. No wonder the System had classified this as a difficult world. As long as he stayed beside Lu Xiufan, he could become cannon fodder at any moment.

“Come with us.” The burly man aiming a gun at Shang Ke threatened coldly.

Shang Ke moved his coffee cup closer to the edge of the table, his face completely expressionless.

“Move!” the man hissed, menace flashing in his eyes.

Shang Ke slowly rose, his peripheral vision sweeping across the corridor behind the man. Not a single person was there. Perfect. His gaze sharpened. The instant he stood, both hands seized the gunman’s wrist; with a twist and pull, he stripped the weapon from him. He then kicked the man viciously in the groin and, in the same motion, slammed his head down onto the coffee cup. With a sharp crack, the glass shattered across the man’s face, sending him howling in pain.

The second man reacted and started raising his gun, but Shang Ke was already one step ahead, the stolen weapon pressed against his throat.

“You…” The man tried to bluff out a threat, but Shang Ke gave him no chance to continue. The butt of the handgun slammed heavily into his forehead, knocking him unconscious on the spot.

Then Shang Ke called Lu Xiufan.

Lu Xiufan was currently discussing that morning’s attack with members of the security division. The attackers had used unmanned vehicles, and although the wreckage of one hovercar had been recovered, they still had no way to identify the people behind it.

One of the officers sighed. “If only we could catch one or two of them in the act.”

The words had barely left his mouth when Lu Xiufan received Shang Ke’s call: 【Sir, I caught two criminals at XX Café. Please send someone over to collect them.】

Five minutes later, Lu Xiufan arrived at the café with more than a dozen guards. Shang Ke was sitting quietly on a sofa, chin propped on one hand as he gazed at the street outside. Warm sunlight bathed his entire figure, seeming to gild him in a faint layer of gold.

Two black handguns and more than a dozen golden bullets were neatly arranged on the table.

Beneath the table, the two burly men were piled together, half sprawled against the sofa opposite Shang Ke and completely motionless. They were obviously unconscious.

The guards immediately stepped forward and hauled the two men away. Before leaving, several of them could not resist giving Shang Ke curious looks. He was neat and immaculate, his bearing refined enough to resemble a pampered young nobleman. It was difficult to imagine that he had just effortlessly taken down two well-trained men.

“Are you hurt?” Lu Xiufan walked up to Shang Ke, his gaze sweeping over his entire body before finally settling on his face.

“No.” Shang Ke turned toward him and calmly met his eyes.

The man was almost a full head taller than him, with a gaze as sharp as a blade. Combined with his powerful build, he projected an intense sense of pressure. No wonder so many people feared him. It was probably not merely because of his status and position—Lu Xiufan himself possessed an intimidating aura with considerable destructive force.

“Come with me to County Hall. From now on, don’t go off alone.” People had never lasted long at Lu Xiufan’s side. Anyone close to him could become a target for his enemies. He had assumed Shang Ze would wait in a lounge at County Hall, not wander off to drink coffee. The Covenantor he had hired this time seemed rather different from the others.

Shang Ke raised no objections and followed Lu Xiufan out of the café.

Lu Xiufan walked ahead, listening to the steady, unhurried footsteps behind him, and suddenly thought that having a Covenantor like this at his side might not be bad at all. Shang Ze knew how to treat injuries, possessed extraordinary driving skills, and was clearly an excellent fighter. More importantly, he was not afraid of Lu Xiufan in the slightest. Lu Xiufan could no longer remember how many years it had been since someone had dared interact with him as though he were simply an ordinary person.

He had encountered plenty of Covenantors before. Although they supposedly had no emotions, they still displayed unusual reactions around him—avoidance, stiffness, distance. None had ever been as calm and natural as Shang Ze.

The two criminals Shang Ke captured provided Lu Xiufan’s people with numerous useful clues. They were confident it would take only a few days to follow the trail back to the mastermind.

After an entire day of work, Shang Ke finally drove Lu Xiufan back to the villa after nightfall. This time, Nan Te and Yin Chi were not with him; two other members of the Royal Guard had taken their place.

“Master, you’re back.” Butler Fei Lin took Lu Xiufan’s coat with a smile. “I’ll have the cook prepare dinner immediately.”

“Not hungry,” Lu Xiufan replied in a low voice.

With that, he went directly to his bedroom.

“Did something happen today?” Fei Lin asked Shang Ke.

“No.” Shang Ke walked past the butler and departed with the same aloof indifference as Lu Xiufan.

Fei Lin was thoroughly depressed. One taciturn master in the house had already been enough. Now he had gained an equally taciturn assistant. Was peaceful domestic life still possible?

Shang Ke returned to his room, took a shower, and lay on the bed for a while before suddenly feeling that something was wrong.

Ah! He had been so busy acting cold and aloof that he had completely forgotten he hadn’t eaten.

Shang Ke checked the time. It was already past ten at night. He smacked his forehead, jumped out of bed, and headed for the kitchen.

The cook had already gone to bed, so Shang Ke had no choice but to fend for himself. Fortunately, with his Cooking skill, he could satisfy his appetite whenever he wanted. He had no intention of making anything complicated: a plate of fried rice, a bowl of warm soup to settle his stomach, and two refreshing cold side dishes would be enough.

Shang Ke sat on the steps outside the kitchen, quietly enjoying his dinner while admiring the beautiful night.

“What are you eating?” A deep voice suddenly sounded behind him.

Shang Ke had not yet swallowed the mouthful of rice he was eating, so he could only hold it in his mouth as he stood and turned toward the newcomer.

Lu Xiufan saw Shang Ke standing on the steps with a plate in his hands, his cheeks slightly puffed and a grain of rice still stuck to his lips. Although his face remained completely expressionless, the sight was unexpectedly adorable—like a cat caught sneaking food and desperately pretending nothing had happened.

“Is there any more?” Lu Xiufan asked.

“Hmm?” Shang Ke took a moment to realize he meant the fried rice, then replied, “No. If Sir would like some, I can make another serving.”

“Mm.” Lu Xiufan nodded and shifted aside to let him pass, then walked over to the step where Shang Ke had been sitting and sat down.

Shang Ke quickly prepared another plate of fried rice and carried it out of the kitchen, only to find Lu Xiufan sitting alone on the steps, back perfectly straight as he stared at the night sky like a statue. Shang Ke had no idea what he was thinking.

Shang Ke suddenly thought that this man looked terribly lonely. He wanted to stay beside him and share that loneliness. But every time Shang Ke encountered this man, the man eventually had to endure the pain of losing the person he loved. Rather than making him suffer that loss again and again, perhaps remaining lonely would be kinder.

In this world, Shang Ke was destined to die. Even if he completed all three missions, this body still could not live beyond thirty-five. Since that was the case, he should stop provoking this man. For Shang Ke, staying by his side and knowing that he was safe and well would be enough.

Shang Ke suppressed those thoughts, walked over to Lu Xiufan, and handed him the plate.

“Thank you.” Lu Xiufan accepted the plate and began eating.

After the first bite, Lu Xiufan paused. Then his eating speed noticeably increased. Together with the cold side dishes, he finished enough fried rice for two people within only a few minutes.

Shang Ke collected the empty dishes and brought him a bowl of warm, stomach-soothing soup.

Lu Xiufan held the bowl, warmth seeping steadily into his palms. He lowered his eyes toward Shang Ke beside him. At night, the young man somehow seemed different from how he was during the day—like the soup in Lu Xiufan’s hands, light and mild yet carrying a quiet warmth.

Lu Xiufan looked away and slowly drank his soup, savoring the rare tranquility.

For some reason, today’s fried rice seemed especially delicious. Lu Xiufan felt he could easily finish another two servings and fell into a serious internal struggle over whether to ask Shang Ke to make him another plate.

In the end, he chose silence and continued being a dignified, absolutely-not-greedy prince.

That night, he had a dream in which Shang Ke wore an apron and prepared an entire table of golden fried rice for him… (Shang Ke: Could you have a little more ambition?!)

“Master, you seem to be in a very good mood today?” Fei Lin entered Lu Xiufan’s bedroom carrying the clothes he had prepared and found him standing by the window with relaxed features, the usual cold severity around him replaced by a rare sense of peace.

“Mm.” Lu Xiufan did not turn around. With both hands resting on the windowsill, he continued looking outside.

Fei Lin followed his gaze and realized that Lu Xiufan was not looking at the garden scenery at all.

He was looking at the person in the garden.

Shang Ke was beside a flower bed helping the gardener transplant flowers. Both hands were covered in soil, and his movements were so practiced that he seemed even more skilled at tending plants than the gardener himself.

Fei Lin was privately impressed. The Covenantor they had hired this time truly was extraordinarily versatile. Whatever task he undertook, he seemed able to handle with ease.

He was about to offer a few words of praise when he noticed the way his master was looking at Shang Ke—with a warmth and intensity Fei Lin had never seen before.

Fei Lin’s heart jolted. Could Master possibly…? No. Impossible. Lu Xiufan knew exactly what Shang Ke was. There was no way he would knowingly allow himself to fall into a relationship destined to end in tragedy.

Fei Lin did not care about Shang Ke’s sex.

He cared about his lifespan.

I’ll keep watching for now. His master had never fallen for anyone before. Perhaps Fei Lin was simply imagining things.

Reassuring himself with that thought, Fei Lin said, “Master, it’s getting late. Please get dressed.”

“Mm.”

After breakfast, Shang Ke resumed his duties as driver and took Lu Xiufan to County Hall. Over the next several days, Lu Xiufan brought Shang Ke with him wherever he went. Ever since the previous high-speed escape, Shang Ke’s reputation as the “God of Driving” had spread throughout the Royal Guard. Seeing him get along so naturally with Lu Xiufan only made the guards admire him more. Although Shang Ke always kept everyone at a distance, plenty of people still tried to get close to him.

That lasted only until they accidentally learned that he was a Covenantor. After that, their enthusiasm abruptly died away.

Everyone knew Covenantors had no emotions. Even if you tore out your heart and handed it to one of them, you would receive nothing in return. Most people had long since grown accustomed to treating Covenantors like robots: when they needed something, they sought them out; when they did not, they ignored them.

That was exactly Shang Ke’s situation now. Whenever Lu Xiufan handled official business, Shang Ke simply stood idle nearby. People came and went around him constantly, yet not one of them stopped to speak with him.

Shang Ke could not help wondering: did Covenantors truly possess no emotions whatsoever? Could they really remain untouched by the prolonged indifference of everyone around them? Did being unable to recognize those feelings mean they could never suffer from them?

Shang Ke felt that this itself was a form of suffering—a pain that could never be expressed or released.

Because perhaps they did not even know whether they were truly alive, much less what they were living for…

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