6 – Tsundere Transmigrator puts his foot down
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Final destination? Such a laughably theoretical concept.

You Bingleng had no future. His assembled points could probably buy him a second lease on life – a medical miracle, allowing him to regain use of his limbs. That is, if his original body was still alive, which was extremely doubtful, considering the amount of time that had undoubtedly passed since then.

Of course, even such things could be circumvented – death wasn’t necessarily permanent, especially not when there were higher powers at play.

But if Jixue did return to his life as You Bingleng, what even awaited him there?

Family? He struggled to even remember the faces of his parents, and friends? Had he ever had any, beyond the casual acquaintances found in neighbours and classmates and fellow students at the university?

What would he have to live for, other than work? What difference would it make, having him go back and finish medical school? Well, sure, he could undoubtedly change the lives of a few, but so could virtually anyone and⸺

Feeling a feather-light touch on his mind, Jixue couldn’t help but flinch.

[This System... wishes to respond to an earlier inquiry.]

Inquiry?

[At the beginning of our partnership, when we were merely System and Host, you wished to know the reason behind the prevalence of doctors, surgeons, agents of espionage, office clerks, and game designers within the Transmigrator ranks.]

Oh.

[Back then, this System claimed to possess no relevant data or statistics on the issue, presenting the hypothesis of stress and high-pressure work environments elevating the risk of premature death.]

Right. Something like that.

[Now, this System would like to provide a more elaborate response.]

Honestly, why bother? Jixue was already⸺

[The reason behind the prevalence of those particular vocations is threefold.]

[Firstly, they tend to die early, whether from overwork or otherwise.]

[Secondly, they’re considered a good investment, given their knowledge and skills and general adaptability.]

[Thirdly, they are still on the LATC, the List of Acceptable Transmigrator Candidates – though in truth, all medical professionals have had a heavily restricted status since before you and this System bonded.]

[As such, this System likely wouldn’t have been allowed to bond with you, had you already acquired your medical licence at the time. It might’ve been possible, but this System would’ve had to submit various applications and probably resort to bribery as well.]

[This System would’ve likely done it though. You were simply that interesting.]

Simply that⸺ what?

Jixue honestly wasn’t sure how to react to any of that – to the new information and to the potential implications. Neither did he know how to react to the strangely soothing brushes against his mind – like the mental equivalent of having his hair stroked.

Never before had System 225 engaged in such behaviour – not that Jixue could recall, at any rate. It was such a jarring change from anything considered reasonably normal, and frankly, it made Jixue a little nauseous. Even so, he steeled himself against the bubbling nausea, steeled himself against everything.

“I’m fine,” he said, as much to those supporting him as to himself. “Let’s just get this over with.”

[Yes.]

[Let’s.]

Then, everything went black.

 


 

By the time Jixue woke up, System 225 was gone – the System clearly hadn’t left though, because even though the connection had been severed, Jixue could still feel it.

As things were, Jixue could perceive a lot of things. Everything was starker, brighter somehow, and this hurt not just his eyes but his other senses as well. It was frankly a bit overwhelming, but⸺

Jixue still looked at Àiyǎn, who’d gotten his wish – and technically, so had Mingyue, albeit only in part.

“Why would it be improper?” the other suddenly hissed. “I’ve done it before!”

It took Jixue a long moment to figure out what Mingyue was on about – far too long, in his private opinion. Honestly though⸺

“I was a juvenile bird then,” he deadpanned, tugging, and Àiyǎn certainly didn’t object to having his hands guided back into Jixue’s feathers. “Besides, it’s not that kind of grooming.”

Yes, this was⸺

“You⸺” Mingyue began, bristling at Àiyǎn’s obvious amusement. “He’s taking liberties! I just⸺!”

Honestly⸺ “You say this, having sold me out in exchange for his help. You should be happy, brat. I’m actually letting him court me.”

There was little mistaking Àiyǎn’s delight, or Mingyue’s dismay.

“It’s much too soon for such things!” the brat hissed. “Stranger danger!”

Hah. Stranger danger? “Brat, Àiyǎn’s been looking out for me since long before you were even born.”

Mingyue sputtered. “But he⸺ he put that thing on you!”

Yes, and that was technically none of the brat’s business now, was it? Besides, when it came to disrespectfulness, the other didn’t have a leg to stand on!

Also⸺ “I offered up this body to him once, and he instead chose to shelter me and feed me. He didn’t even seek revenge after I practically disembowelled him. He also never attempted to feed or douse me with any of those shitty aphrodisiacs, which is more than can be said about a whole bunch of others!”

And this already put him miles above certain other acquaintances, and wasn’t that just something?

“Aphrodisiacs?”

There was a definite spike of alarm from Àiyǎn at that. Honestly though⸺ “Even Zilei⸺”

The Demon King’s fingers tightened in his feathers, pulling uncomfortably, and Jixue pulled away with an irritated huff. Because while he could deal with one needlessly dramatic individual, he had no intention of dealing with two at the same time.

Àiyǎn did seem to be the more reasonable one though, and so Jixue opted to explain.

“There was a time when Zilei and I both got doused,” he said. “It wasn’t fun. He didn’t even notice⸺”

Well, not the aphrodisiac thing at least. Anyways⸺ “I pushed him off of a cliff.”

Yes, because if Jixue hadn’t, then Jixue himself would’ve had to jump off of said cliff and into the river below, and then that fool would’ve undoubtedly followed him. And then, pulling them both out of the river, the fool would’ve undoubtedly hatched some absolutely brilliant plan of stripping and sharing body heat, instead of just requesting access to some System item!

“Nothing happened?” Àiyǎn asked, as if needing to make sure.

Honestly⸺ “Of course not. I have standards.”

Saying this, he looked the Demon King up and down very deliberately, and then spread out his wings – and as a clearly dismayed Mingyue opened his mouth, Jixue immediately narrowed his eyes at him.

“Go back to your own mate!” Jixue hissed. “Better yet, go take care of your own disciple! I’m way too old to be dealing with this shit! And you⸺”

He turned back to Àiyǎn, who had an incredibly smug look on his face. Jixue had to avert his eyes, or else he might actually punch him.

“Mingyue,” Jixue then said, calmer now. “I’ve only agreed to let him court me. I’ve yet to decide if he gets to fuck me.”

Saying this, he levelled the Demon King with a very pointed look, which promptly wiped that self-satisfied look from his face. Good.

Also, Mingyue seemed placated, and even though Jixue still had a bone to pick with him, he didn’t want to deal with the other’s dramatics right now. Thus, it wasn’t without significant relief that Jixue watched Mingyue give Àiyǎn one final murderous glare before promptly excusing himself, like he should.

And once the other was gone, the fool of a Demon King cleared his throat.

“So,” Àiyǎn said. “Should we just continue where we left off or should I leave as well?”

Jixue felt rather tempted to tell him to leave, just to see how he’d react. He wouldn’t though, because for now, he would indulge, and be indulged in return.

 


 

Naturally, Mingyue didn’t stay away for long. When he returned however, he was noticeably subdued. Granted, it might’ve helped that the Demon King was no longer in the vicinity.

“Why did it have to be him?”

Honestly⸺ “Why did it have to be Jiao Ziyu for you?”

Instead of answering right away, Jixue’s former disciple resumed his work, modifying a set of robes. He’d already cut a large hole through the back though, so it was clearly intended for Jixue.

“That bastard,” Mingyue then muttered. “Unworthy. He doesn’t deserve you.”

Honestly⸺ “It’s not a matter of deserving. It’s a matter of choosing.”

Mingyue’s expression twisted. “Then why?” he asked. “Why did it have to be him?”

Well, in truth, there were a whole number of reasons, although none of them were truly absolute. That said however⸺

“Little Yue,” Jixue said, using the old nickname that had already been passed onto another. It definitely worked though, because Mingyue’s gaze softened slightly. “Help me up.”

In truth, Jixue could’ve gotten up without anyone’s assistance. But he sensed that Mingyue needed this; that the other needed this sort of reassurance.

“Master,” Mingyue said, helping him up and making sure that he was steady.

“Help me get dressed,” Jixue said, eyeing the piece of cloth now discarded on the floor. “You were just about done with it, right?”

Mingyue quickly retrieved the robe. Then, he meticulously assisted Jixue in putting it on, incredibly careful when fitting the wings through the back. He even went as far as to help Jixue put his arms through the sleeves before pulling it closed and tying the sash. Jixue could tell that the other wasn’t quite satisfied though.

“Too plain,” Mingyue muttered at last, giving the attire one final look before lifting his gaze. Then, going against all propriety, he reached up and held Jixue’s face in his hands, staring straight into his eyes. “He’s too complacent. If Master were to become my consort, then I would’ve already commissioned him a whole new wardrobe. Jewellery as well. Silver and jade.”

“Is that so?” Honestly⸺ “Do I truly require such embellishments to be fit to stand at his side?”

Predictably, the brat faltered at that.

“Master is peerless and requires no additional embellishments,” Mingyue then clarified, still not letting go. “Master is peerless, but this humble disciple worries that the Demon King might not put in adequate efforts to ensure Master’s future happiness.”

Hah. Future happiness, huh? Such a strange, theoretical concept.

You Bingleng had no future, and that of Bai Jixue was yet to be determined. Because indeed, Jixue had formally accepted Àiyǎn’s courtship, but he hadn’t yet formally agreed to anything beyond that.

Àiyǎn obviously wanted more though.

As for Jixue, he wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted – because on one hand, there was what his hormones wanted and on the other hand, there was the rest of him.

In any case, Jixue had already decided that nothing particularly serious would happen while the Systems were still around – and since they still were, other things would have to remain on hold for now.

This didn’t stop him from considering his future prospects however.

Simply put, Jixue wasn’t exactly enamoured with the thought of becoming the Demon King’s consort. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time he’d ever occupied such a position, although his previous stints had all been of a more temporary sort.

Now however, Jixue had a whole new situation to consider, and it was one that required particularly careful consideration, given that Jixue would have a life span far exceeding that of any of his previous ones.

At the same time though, he wondered whether there was much of a need. If he grew tired of it, then he could just leave.

“Master,” Mingyue said, staring at him without providing any further elaboration. It wasn’t really necessary though, because this was something that they both knew without either of them mentioning it out loud.

Jixue had already sensed it, and with that lingering touch just now, Mingyue had undoubtedly sensed it as well.

Jixue sighed. “It’ll be fine. Got a comb?”

Predictably, Mingyue did have a comb, and every intention of using it as well – and Jixue allowed it, both because it took far less effort on his part and because it would allow Mingyue to get some of the intimacy that he seemingly craved.

Besides, it wasn’t anything unusual – they’d done this countless times in the past, and even though a significant number of years had passed since then, Mingyue worked with practiced ease, gathering most of Jixue’s hair into that usual high ponytail before securing it with a simple cord. He didn’t do so quietly however.

“Too plain,” he muttered. “Not even a⸺”

Àiyǎn chose that exact moment to reappear, holding a hair crown made out of dark blue-green jade – and Mingyue eyed it critically for a good moment before apparently deciding it would do, at least for the time being.

Then, after putting it in place, Mingyue once again excused himself, undoubtedly heading back to see to his disciple once more before the proceedings started – although calling them that was a bit much in Jixue’s private opinion. Because it was really only the Systems performing some final clean-up and damage control before leaving this world behind, potentially for good – and as someone whose connection had already been severed, these proceedings didn’t really concern him.

Jixue would obviously still attend them however.

He would obviously still attend them, if mostly to keep an ever-reckless Mingyue from trying to interfere.

 


 

While annoying, Mingyue’s wariness was still understandable. Of course, this didn’t excuse the other attempts at meddling in matters that were honestly beyond him.

Jixue could understand though, honestly. He could understand, because he too remembered, albeit from another perspective.

When System 225 had deducted all those points, it had only been fair – it had been fair, because System 225 had only done what it had said it would do, which had been completely in line with existing regulations.

No, if anything, then System 225 had risked penalties to delay this action, simply to give Jixue additional time – because their mission within that world had practically ended already, meaning that the longer they stayed, the greater the scrutiny they would’ve both had to face in the aftermath.

Jixue might not have understood this then, and he honestly hadn’t been in any condition to think about it either then or afterwards. He’d survived, sure, but only barely, and due to outside interference, System 225 had been unable to go through with that whole ‘immediate expulsion’ bit.

Instead, Mingyue – horrified, desperate Mingyue – had sought to mend the damage inflicted, and a visibly horrified Jiao Zilei had pitched in with his sizeable qi reserves. It had been too much though – too much for Mingyue, who’d acted as the conduit. He’d insisted that he could keep going, sure, but Àiyǎn had dragged him away, allowing the newly arrived Limao to take his place, stabilising Jixue’s condition before spiriting them all away.

It had certainly been a terrible experience for Mingyue. It had certainly been a terrible experience for Jixue as well, but for entirely different reasons.

All things considered, it had probably been a pretty awful experience for everyone involved – Àiyǎn included. Jixue had essentially gutted him after all, though not at that exact time but rather... afterwards. And Jixue wasn’t exactly proud of it either, because while his reaction might’ve been completely in line with what the Demon Realm considered appropriate, it had still been a pretty extreme reaction.

The Demon King clearly hadn’t learned though – or rather, it might be said that he had learned, seeing that he hadn’t made the same mistake twice. Still⸺

Àiyǎn’s hand now rested firmly on Jixue’s hip, and Jixue noted that Mingyue didn’t seem to have noticed. This was perfectly understandable however, because Mingyue was clearly too busy glaring at System 225 – and this might actually be for the best, honestly, because Jixue soon dropped his hand as well, but not to pry the other’s hand away but rather to rest his own hand on top of it.

When he did, he clearly felt it as well; that undeniable rush of delight.

Don’t make trouble, Jixue mentally conveyed only to receive quiet laughter in response.

Then, Àiyǎn promptly took hold of Jixue’s other hand, lifting it. Soon, his lips pressed against the knuckles, and Jixue couldn’t quite hold it in, and at the sound of his quiet gasp, Mingyue immediately snapped his head around to level them both with a positively murderous glare.

The glare quickly zeroed in on Àiyǎn though, and upon seeing that the other still wouldn’t let go, Mingyue narrowed his eyes and promptly reached into his sleeve, at which point Àiyǎn finally let go with a look of immense satisfaction on his face.

Childish, Jixue privately thought – and he had every right to think so, and to ignore them both in favour of watching as System 225 finished up with the other transmigrator, who – to no one’s greater surprise – had opted to stay behind, and – to the surprise of some – officially marry Youming Jun.

And while Jixue might’ve pondered the wisdom of the latter, it honestly wasn’t any of his business and the young transmigrator could’ve undoubtedly done a whole lot worse. Besides, the other staying behind was almost certainly a good thing – because this ensured that Mingyue’s attention would be split, keeping him from becoming too single-mindedly focused upon either one of them.

That said however, Mingyue would undoubtedly be more focused upon the other for now, given that there was a wedding to prepare for – and Mingyue being Mingyue, he’d undoubtedly be very involved, no matter what he actually thought of the union.

With this in mind, Jixue directed a brief thought towards Mingyue’s own mate, Jiao Ziyu, and pitied him a little.

Then, suddenly, it was over, and the Systems vanished, their tasks now completed. And even with their connection severed, Jixue still felt it; the moment that System 225 left. He keenly felt it then – the other’s absence, like a gaping emptiness within him. Perhaps it was because they’d been together for too long, becoming too intertwined over time. Or perhaps it was for entirely different reasons.

No matter the case though, Jixue definitely felt it; the moment when the last remnants of System 225’s influence faded.

Àiyǎn undoubtedly sensed it as well – or at the very least, he was aware of what was coming. Because the Demon King wasted little time hooking an arm around Jixue’s waist once more, pulling him in.

He definitely said something as well, but Jixue found that he couldn’t really focus on any of that. The words didn’t seem to have been directed at him though but rather at the others, and so, Jixue quickly filed them away as unimportant. Instead, he listened to the strong heartbeat next to his ear; nervous yet undeniably pleased.

Within moments, they were back inside the Demon King’s bedchambers. The latter were quickly sealed, additional protections quickly placed atop already existing ones with a mere wave. The other hand remained right where it was though, curled possessively around Jixue’s hip.

“There,” Àiyǎn murmured. “That ought to do it.”

Jixue certainly hoped so. He wasn’t quite sure what sort of face he was making though, but Hongyan seemed decidedly amused.

Jixue found little time to ponder it however, distracted by the sudden shift as Àiyǎn picked him up and carried him over to the bed. And Jixue allowed it, much like he had allowed a whole lot of other things. It wasn’t as though he was oblivious as to where this was all headed though. However⸺

He grabbed a fistful of cloth, physically attaching himself to Àiyǎn’s lapels as a major shiver rocked his frame.

“Cold?” Àiyǎn asked, despite knowing better. Because, holding him so close, Àiyǎn could undoubtedly feel it; the feverish heat radiating from Jixue’s skin.

“Shut up,” Jixue hissed. “You⸺”

“Me,” Àiyǎn said, and Jixue momentarily thought about strangling him, wanting to wipe that smug look off of the bastard’s face. “What about it?”

Honestly⸺

Jixue opened his mouth to speak, to hiss, but ended up just releasing an exasperated breath instead. Because there was honestly no reasoning with this bastard. There was honestly no⸺

The mattress was suddenly beneath him, and before Jixue knew it, he was lying on his back, his wings fanned out beneath him. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, certainly, and yet, Jixue didn’t move, just watched as Àiyǎn leaned in.

He soon found it quite overwhelming however, screwing his eyes shut as he turned his head to the side, scarcely able to breathe – and when he did, their breaths inevitably intermingled, as Àiyǎn brought Jixue’s face back towards him.

It was too sudden, too close, and Jixue suddenly remembered his hands, still clutching the other’s lapels. He quickly found that he couldn’t detach them however, his fingers suddenly stiff and uncooperative. But he could push upwards and did so, finding it annoyingly difficult to muster up the strength.

It wasn’t just the proximity either; that was not the cause, but rather the catalyst. The cause lay elsewhere, with Àiyǎn – with sight, sound, scent, taste, touch.

For Jixue’s heightened senses, it was simply too much – too much to deal with all at once – and so, he turned his head to the side once more, keeping his eyes open but his gaze stubbornly averted.

“Okay,” Àiyǎn said, pulling back, and since Jixue’s fingers remained firmly attached, he was pulled up along with them.

Soon, they were both sitting up, and Jixue found himself back in a fairly familiar position, pressed up against Àiyǎn’s front, one hand on his hip and the other cradling the back of his skull.

“Too much?” Àiyǎn asked.

Nodding once, Jixue then focused on breathing. This position made it easier though, and was decidedly more comfortable for his wings.

“For now,” he finally managed, relieved to find that he could finally detach his hands. “It’s just⸺”

He trailed off, not quite sure what to say. And the thoughts became increasingly distant as Àiyǎn began running his fingers up and down his neck, sending shivers of pleasure down Jixue’s spine.

“Don’t worry,” Àiyǎn murmured, a low purr in his chest. “We’ve got time.”

 

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