After I Stopped Being a Simp, My Husband Fell for Me on His Own - Chapter 24

In the end, Ji Xingxiao compromised.

He stared expressionlessly at the frozen bionic turtle. Inside the machine, where Yu Yi could not see, the damaged mechanical structures were being precision-repaired. Once he finished, Ji Xingxiao tossed the turtle seemingly at random into the shimmering wall of water maintained by his natural ability.

The moment the bionic turtle touched the energy-rich water, it seemed to come back to life. It paddled its limbs and began to swim with fluid agility.

Seeing it move, Yu Yi let out an excited cry. “Wow!”

But as he kept watching, something started to feel wrong. Within that beautiful, silk-like wall of water, a dull grayish-green turtle was slowly drifting by.

This was a complete waste of natural beauty!

Yu Yi looked at Ji Xingxiao with a bit of trepidation. Had he known it would look like this, he would have bought actual fish. However, the pretty fish were twice as expensive as the turtle, and the turtle had been on sale. Now he finally understood why it was discounted.

Ji Xingxiao did not offer any critique. He stood there, watching in silence for a few seconds. Then, without saying anything, he turned and returned to his room. The moment the door clicked shut, several clusters of supportive water plants quietly manifested in the water wall to cradle the turtle, unnoticed even by Yu Yi.

After returning from the Contaminated Zone, Yu Yi realized that if he wanted to gain a foothold in the Upper District, a communicator was essential.

The day after class, he went straight to a store downtown and bought one. It was the cheapest model: a tiny electronic light screen that felt thin and fragile in his hand. Yu Yi tucked it into his pocket like a precious treasure. He reached in every few minutes to confirm it was still there, terrified of losing it.

He finally understood why most communicators were designed as jewelry; a screen this delicate felt like it would melt if he breathed on it or shatter if he gripped it.

Back at the dorm, as a show of respect, Yu Yi scrubbed himself twice with soap during his shower. He almost wished he could perform a full incense ritual to welcome the device.

He lay on the sofa and powered it up. As he linked to the network, a faint bio-current flickered through his mind. A semi-transparent holographic screen unfurled before his eyes, quickly completing the iris binding and genetic data entry.

A soft electronic voice spoke in his ear: “Identity authentication successful. Citizen Yu Yi, welcome to the Upper District Network Area.”

Looking at his identity information on the screen, a strange sense of security washed over Yu Yi. Despite living in the Upper District for a while, this was the first time he actually had an identity.

He did not rush to link to the simulation pod for combat training; he wanted to understand Upper District social dynamics first. Specifically, he wanted to find a part-time job.

Recruitment information appeared in 3D holographic form. Yu Yi discovered that the wages were generally two to three times higher than what he had seen on his old, outdated phone. For the same daily-pay jobs at the same locations, the difference was staggering!

Yu Yi suddenly felt like he had been living in isolation. His previous agent must have been pocketing a massive cut of his earnings!

However, most of these listings specifically requested Alphas or Omegas, with almost none hiring Betas. Even when they did, the pay was insultingly low.

He scrolled through the flashy advertisements until his gaze landed on a listing with no gender requirement and reasonable pay:

AAA Brother Chen’s Scrap Recycling

• • Position: Sorter

• • Requirements: Good physical strength, able to adapt to the edge of the Contaminated Zone. Alphas, Betas, and Omegas are all welcome.

• • Salary: Daily pay, negotiable. Based on ability, no less than 50 star coins per hour.

The edge of the Contaminated Zone.

Yu Yi recalled how his body had not reacted at all when he was actually inside the zone, let alone the edge where there was just a bit more radiation dust. Since the daily pay was much higher than other Beta-friendly jobs, he did not hesitate and sent an application to the account named Brother Chen.

It was night, so he did not expect an immediate reply. After browsing a bit longer, he linked to the Mecha Practice Grounds. Now that his registration was complete, he could finally see the data inside.

One look was enough to send his heart racing.

Displayed prominently were countless leaderboards for leagues, challenges, and combat simulations, alongside massive prize pools. Everywhere he looked, whether it was the current live rankings or historical records, one familiar name sat at the top: Ji Xingxiao.

The name was ubiquitous.

• • Mecha CQC Kill Speedrun All-time Rank #1: Ji Xingxiao (Record held for: 2 years and 3 months)

• • Cold Weapon Combat Sim 3rd Tournament Champion: Ji Xingxiao

Yu Yi scanned down the list. Whether it was high-precision maneuvers, endurance matches, or even tactical simulations, Ji Xingxiao’s name was bolted to the top. Even for records that had eventually been broken, his name never dropped out of the top ten.

It was a terrifying track record.

Yu Yi checked the timestamps and realized these brilliant records all stopped a year ago. A year ago. He thought about it and understood why. Like him, Ji Xingxiao had just enrolled this year. However, the admissions process for the Command Academy was grueling, unlike the Defense Academy Yu Yi attended, which basically accepted anyone who paid.

Ji Xingxiao had likely abandoned online competitions a year ago to prepare for the Command Academy. His talent and natural abilities were now dedicated to the real, brutal Contaminated Zones.

From the way Ji Xingxiao had deleted his personal data from the simulation pod without a second thought, Yu Yi could see that those unreachable online records were merely a chapter of his youth.

Ji Xingxiao was a genius in every sense of the word.

Yu Yi felt a wave of embarrassment over his previous ignorance. He felt ashamed for how he had boldly claimed he did not mind the birthmark on Ji Xingxiao’s face. No wonder so many people had approached him about the engagement. Anyone would be shocked to see someone like Ji Xingxiao engaged to a mediocre Beta.

Thinking about this, Yu Yi—who had been planning to go to Ji Xingxiao to borrow the simulation pod—felt his courage waver. He dazed out for a while, checked Brother Chen’s scrap recycling for a reply, and seeing it was empty, sadly closed the light screen.

Though he felt inferior, he was not here just to look up to people in the Upper District. He was here to stay!

Bolstered by that thought, he got up and knocked on Ji Xingxiao’s door, thick-skinned as ever.

He had not seen Ji Xingxiao since the day he was forcibly marked. For some reason, the wound on the back of his neck had healed by the next day, leaving no trace. To be honest, being bitten on the neck did not feel like a big deal to Yu Yi. He did not have a gland there; to him, a neck was just a neck, devoid of any strange implications.

While the act of biting was certainly intimate, Yu Yi truly did not care much. After seeing Ji Xingxiao’s legendary records, he had abandoned any lingering delusions and was incredibly glad he had scrubbed off the scent of Ji Xingxiao’s pheromones so quickly.

Yu Yi decided he would dedicate himself to being an excellent roommate! He still needed to cling to this powerful ally, but he would do so with politeness and restraint.

He gave a polite, restrained knock and pitched his voice higher. “Hubby? No, wait. Captain Ji? Are you there?”

Ji Xingxiao had returned to his classes the moment his raging pheromones subsided.

Learning from Qin Feng that several squad members had also taken leave due to early rut cycles made Ji Xingxiao breathe a sigh of relief. However, he quickly realized he was searching for excuses for his loss of control. The mere realization made him incredibly irritable.

Perhaps what frustrated him more than the loss of control was the Beta himself.

That Beta, the one he had violently marked, remained utterly nonchalant. Ji Xingxiao could tell Yu Yi was not faking it; he genuinely did not care. This gave Ji Xingxiao a strange sense of defeat and a flare of ignored annoyance.

Today’s training ended early. Ji Xingxiao did not stay for extra practice until bedtime as usual, which surprised Qin Feng.

“Whoa, you are heading back already?”

“Yes. Is there something wrong?” Ji Xingxiao glanced at him coldly.

“Nothing,” Qin Feng muttered. “Is this just what taken guys do?”

“I think you have not trained enough,” Ji Xingxiao said flatly. “Do you have time to worry about that?”

Qin Feng felt a chill. “No, no! I just thought since you are not taking me to the Contaminated Zone anymore, I could rest a bit.”

“I never said that.” Ji Xingxiao pulled off his black training gloves. His fingers were bare; he had removed his ring immediately after the engagement ended and had not worn it since. “This was an exception. You will train as usual from now on.”

Without waiting for Qin Feng’s protests, he left the training room. Whether by instinct or intent, he skipped his usual habit of taking the main entrance and went straight to the elevator leading to the living quarters.

The way Yu Yi was acting now was technically for the best.

Ji Xingxiao looked at his reflection in the elevator’s inner wall. The seam of the mirror panels happened to cut across his face, magnifying the black birthmark on his right cheek until it looked distorted and grotesque.

Yu Yi’s words from his first day echoed in his mind: “I do not mind your birthmark.”

Ji Xingxiao tried his best not to link that memory to the fact that Yu Yi had immediately scrubbed off his pheromones, but a surge of inexplicable anger made it hard to control his emotions.

Mind it? What right does he have to mind it? Such a mediocre, ignorant Beta.

He should not have gotten involved with someone like that in the first place.

Forcing down his anger, Ji Xingxiao went straight into the bathroom. He had just finished washing up, his hair still damp, when a cautious knock came from the door.

“Captain Ji? Are you there?”

It was Yu Yi.

The droplets on the ends of Ji Xingxiao’s hair turned to ice the moment he heard the unfamiliar title. An irritation he did not even recognize flared up. When did this Beta, who called him “hubby” at every opportunity, start calling him “Captain Ji”?

Ji Xingxiao pulled the door open, face set in stone. “What is it?”

Yu Yi held up a thin card like it was a holy relic, practically shoving it into Ji Xingxiao’s face. “Look! I have a communicator!”

“So?” Ji Xingxiao glanced at the cheap device and took a subtle half-step back to create distance. “Do you have anything else to say?”

Met with such coldness, the excitement on Yu Yi’s face dimmed. He did not know what had upset Ji Xingxiao this time, and he wondered if asking to borrow the simulation pod was ill-timed.

“I…” Yu Yi hesitated. “I wanted to borrow your simulation pod.”

“Oh?” Ji Xingxiao narrowed his eyes. “You have finally decided to study?”

“Well, I just got my communicator,” Yu Yi said, seizing the opportunity with a flattering smile. “Captain Ji, don’t worry! I will definitely study hard and find a way to repay you in the future!”

Repay.

Repay him how? With what?

Ji Xingxiao instantly remembered the loss of control and the marking from the previous day. This person was simply unbelievable.

“Shut up!” Ji Xingxiao snapped, his voice rising sharply like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “Do not talk nonsense!”

Yu Yi was baffled. “What nonsense?”

“In any case, I do not need your repayment.” Ji Xingxiao stepped aside to let him in, his movements somewhat stiff.

Yu Yi did not understand the tension, but he happily entered the room.

Once Yu Yi was inside, Ji Xingxiao began to regret it. This Beta is definitely trying to seduce me!

Using a formal title to lower his guard, using the simulation pod as an excuse to enter his room, and then using ambiguous words to drop hints. This person was truly terrifying!

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