Chapter Fifty-Five: Exposed (1/2)

Xiao Yu was shocked and at a complete loss after the sudden glaring change in brightness. At that moment, he felt like a vampire that was suddenly exposed to sunlight.

Although it was just a metaphor, the results weren’t too far off.

Even a human would feel uncomfortable if they suddenly saw light after being in the dark for a long time, much less a hamster who liked to stay in a darker environment.

A hamster should not be exposed to strong lighting – there were no exceptions to this rule.

Xiao Yu’s eyes stung painfully as he painstakingly struggled to turn around.

Under the lights, Yan Jin, who was in his sleeping attire, stood behind him silently.

That image stung him like a needle right in the eyes. Even his heart was starting to throb with pain.

Yan Jin simply stood there, as immobile as a statue.

Those deep pair of eyes were filled with a puzzled gaze. Who knows how long he had been watching.

The human and the hamster silently stared at each other.

“Fishy…”

Yan Jin was the first to speak.

“Do you have anything to confess?”

Xiao Yu did not move. His brain had completely shut down.

Why is Yan Jin standing there? Wasn’t he asleep?

What should I do? Would it be too late to throw away the iPad now? Is there any hope left if I act like I know nothing?

The confusing thoughts jumbled up against one another like a ball of yarn under the paws of a cat. It was twisted with dead ends, making people feel helpless about it.

The characters in Toxic had been revived. Without anyone to operate it, the support continued to stand motionlessly under the crystal. The archer was still shouting insults. Seeing that there was no response, he thought that Xiao Yu was scared of him and hence got even more aggravated.

However, Xiao Yu was completely unable to focus on the game. He saw Yan Jin walking step by step towards him. Every step that Yan Jin took seemed to stomp on Xiao Yu’s heart.

Thump, thump, thump.

In the silent living room, every beat from his heart seemed so heavy.

Yan Jin sat down on the sofa as he asked: “Can you speak?”

He crossed his hands and placed them on his knees. His head was slightly lowered, and his tone was ice cold as if he was conducting a negotiation where he wouldn’t allow any mistakes.

This kind of Yan Jin felt strange to Xiao Yu, yet it was familiar as well.

After a long time, Xiao Yu recalled that this was the Yan Jin that he knew from when he was still a human.

It was that young and accomplished, aloof and remote Yan Jin.

Xiao Yu was distracted for a moment – it was as if he had returned to that day when he had stopped Yan Jin and confronted him.

The Yan Jin back then also had such an expression.

Ice-cold, arrogant and unreasonable.

His eyes were like the surface of a cold lake in the frigid winter. It bore the weight of the freezing harsh winter, yet it also resembled a silent volcano that was preparing for an inevitable disaster.

The scene in front of Xiao Yu instantly became blurry.

However, the Yan Jin in his memories at this moment was that person who was slightly nasty, a little tyrannical, yet also kind of gentle at the same time. He had a meticulous mind and did things in a neat and tidy way. But when he suddenly stumbled into a difficult situation, he would be at a loss too.

The Yan Jin in his memories would not mind showing his true self right in front of Xiao Yu’s eyes. It was as if a clam had finally revealed its soft inner side.

Under the owner’s silent acceptance, he had entered the impregnable fortress that was surrounded with metal walls and witnessed with his own eyes the holy imperial place that was unknown to anyone else.

It was as if in that instant, all those beautiful memories, all the tenderness that he experienced in the past two months –

…Had been erased to practically nothing.

Only harsh chilliness was left behind.

In Xiao Yu’s memories, the two entirely different Yan Jins were now blending into one and had turned into the expressionless man right before his eyes.

Oh, damn it.

What did Yan Jin just ask me? Could I speak?

What a joke. If I could speak, why would I need to squeak all day and night?

He actually asked such a stupid question. I will ignore him.

…… How great would it be if I could speak.

That way, maybe things wouldn’t have developed to this stage.

“Squeakkkk. S-Squeak – “

Xiao Yu lowered his head as teardrops fell.

I can’t take it anymore. Hmnnnnn –

The little hamster cried till the rims of his eyes turned very red. Both his little paws were rubbing hard to wipe off his tears as he looked really pitiful.

“Squeakk-hik”

“Squeakkk…”

Yan Jin let out a sigh as he stretched his hand out and grabbed Xiao Yu from the coffee table.

“What are you crying for? Explain the situation first before you cry.” The stern tone had a slightly humorous tinge.

Xiao Yu did not hear the slight trace of ridicule from Yan Jin’s words as he continued to feel sad.

The hamster that curled himself into a ball refused to comply as he was grabbed onto the palm. He struggled to turn around and faced his butt towards Yan Jin.

Yan Jin did not mind at all. Instead, he peeked at the iPad that was on the table.

The character on the screen remained motionless at the fountain and the words that were halfway typed out in the public chat had not been delivered.

“If you can’t speak, you can type it out.”

Yan Jin took the iPad and placed it on his thighs before placing Xiao Yu on top of it.

Xiao Yu rubbed his tears away angrily as he typed on the chat column: “I want to finish the match first. I refuse to forfeit.”

After Xiao Yu typed that, he did not send the message. Instead, he moved his chubby body away and looked at Yan Jin before he pointed at the words on the screen.

Yan Jin stared at the iPad for a long time and finally said “Okay.”

Xiao Yu sniffled as he turned back to finish the match.

Five minutes later, his team had successfully lost the match with the help of their idiotic archer and absent-minded support, which ended with them dropping a bunch of crystals.

The game had ended. Xiao Yu ignored the friend requests and directly closed the game. He opened the memo app.

During this small period of time, Xiao Yu had decided on the content that he was planning to confess.

He did not plan on revealing his true identity to Yan Jin. The human Xiao Yu was still alive. He couldn’t explain the situation at all. Plus, Xiao Yu did not want to let Yan Jin know that he knew about future events. Yan Jin knew Xiao Yu as SI’s chief designer. YL and SI were evenly matched for the past few years. Yan Jin wouldn’t have any good impression of SI’s employees.

Compared to having a little intelligent demon at his side, he would probably be less fond of having a human with a questionable background by his side.

Hence, Xiao Yu’s final decision was to write on the iPad –

“I’m a hamster demon that brings good fortune, so you can’t chase me away and you must treat me well.”

After typing that, Xiao Yu turned his head back cautiously and looked at Yan Jin.

Yan Jin’s expression remained unchanged. It was hard to know whether he was mad or happy as he said a word that was hard to understand:

“Naturally.”

That meaning of the word was unclear from the start.