Non-Humans Want to Fall in Love Too [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 28

As Ji Shijin woke up, the halo of the array dimmed until it merged into the ground, leaving no trace behind.

Looking through the open window, Ji Shijin watched the array and the barrier vanish. A strange sense of melancholy brushed against his heart. He lowered his head and looked at his legs, hidden beneath the fabric of his trousers, momentarily lost in thought.

Shi Yan sat beside him and squeezed his palm, signaling him not to be nervous. “The process went smoothly. Exactly three months have passed, and the death energy in your body has been completely purged. How do you feel?”

Hearing his words, Ji Shijin focused on his sensations. Whether it was a psychological effect or not, he truly felt that his body was healthier than ever before. His heart, beating steadily in his chest, felt as if it had been reborn, radiating a vigorous, newborn vitality.

He pressed his hand over his heart with uncertainty. “I feel like my body is lighter.”

It was a feeling difficult to describe in words. Ji Shijin felt that every breath and every movement was easier than before, as if a massive surge of energy at his heart was continuously providing power to his body, keeping his organs in their youngest and most potent state.

Shi Yan tapped him on the forehead with a playful tone. “Only that? Feel a bit more closely.”

Ji Shijin was puzzled. Upon waking, he indeed felt a different kind of vitality blooming throughout his body as if he were reborn, but he had not noticed anything physically different from before.

He frowned in thought and habitually placed his hands on his thighs. His fingers unconsciously pressed down, causing the fabric of his pants to sink. He pinched the soft flesh of his leg, and a slight, subtle sting of pain traveled from his fingertips.

No, that was not right. This sensation did not come from his fingers; it felt more like his legs were responding.

Ji Shijin’s eyes focused on the spot where his fingers were pressing, and his pupils suddenly constricted.

Seeing his dazed expression, Shi Yan gave a light chuckle. He pried away the hand that was still mindlessly pinching his own thigh and made the man look up into his eyes. “Feel it now?”

The rims of Ji Shijin’s eyes slowly turned red.

“My legs, just now, they had sensation. No, did I feel it wrong?”

He was somewhat incoherent. Ever since the accident in his teens, he had never felt normal sensation in his legs. That subtle transmission from the nerve endings was so foreign to him.

“Shi Yan, pinch me. Am I dreaming?”

Shi Yan looked at him with amusement and gave Ji Shijin’s forehead a gentle flick.

Feeling the sharp tap on his head, Ji Shijin blinked. A single tear rolled down from the corner of his eye. His lips pressed together and then parted, unable to stop himself from breaking into a smile.

“It is not an illusion; it is real. Do you believe me now?” After the flick, Shi Yan felt a twinge of regret and used his thumb to gently rub the spot on his forehead. “Forgot what I said before? There is nothing I say that I cannot do. Ji Shijin, do not underestimate me.”

A long time ago, Shi Yan had indeed asked him if he wanted to stand up again. But back then, how could he have dared to hold any expectations? It was already enough to live a few years longer. Shi Yan had exerted so much effort for him; how could he dare to hope for more?

But he had not expected that Shi Yan would keep it hidden the whole time just to give him such a massive surprise.

“I,” Ji Shijin’s emotions were turbulent. He opened his mouth but forgot what he wanted to say, his brain momentarily going blank.

Shi Yan thoughtfully gave him time to breathe. He lifted the man into his lap and stroked his back with long, steady motions.

“Take it easy, take a deep breath. Your legs have not been used for over a decade, after all. Recovery takes time. Do not rush; I will stay with you. We will take it slow.”

Ji Shijin leaned into his embrace, quietly inhaling his scent, and obediently replied, “Okay.”

Shi Yan touched his legs, pressing slightly on certain spots. Ji Shijin’s breath hitched, unsure of what he was doing.

“Relax,” Shi Yan coaxed softly in his ear. “I am helping you clear your meridians. It might hurt a little.”

“It is okay,” Ji Shijin opened his eyes and looked up at him. Although he was smiling, tears glimmered in his eyes. “I am not afraid of pain.”

“Mm.” Shi Yan agreed verbally, but he reached out with his other hand to cover Ji Shijin’s eyes, not letting him watch. A wisp of demon power surged from his palm, diving beneath the skin with his movements to clear the blocked nerves.

Stabs of needle-like pain were transmitted to Ji Shijin’s brain, but he did not care enough to cry out. Shi Yan’s hands moved over his legs, traveling from bottom to top, slowly approaching the base of his thighs. Beside the pain, there was a fine, dense itching sensation. That vivid touch made him want to open his eyes wide; even though his vision was shrouded in darkness, it could not dampen his soaring mood.

“Shi Yan, I can really feel it.” His voice trembled, with a hint of a sob if one listened closely. “I can feel your fingers moving.”

These legs had been useless for so long that he had almost forgotten the sense of touch and pain. At this moment, those sensations forgotten for over ten years were being remembered. Feeling the strange yet familiar touch on the skin of his thighs, Ji Shijin almost burst into tears.

Sensing his emotions, Shi Yan gently let him lean against his shoulder, using the posture to hide the loss of composure Ji Shijin did not want him to see.

Using demon power to clear meridians was a delicate and exhausting task; even Shi Yan had to concentrate fully. Because the legs had been neglected for over a decade, the muscles had atrophied. The celestial treasures within the array had nourished the bone and flesh back to health, as if they had grown anew, tender, fair, and feeling like polished jade to the touch.

Shi Yan looked straight ahead with single-minded focus. His fingertips pressed on each blocked meridian point, and the demon power seeped into the body at the point of contact, flushing through the obstructed channels before returning silently to Shi Yan’s hand.

The process of clearing the meridians took longer than Ji Shijin had imagined. At first, he had to devote most of his mental energy to dealing with the waves of stinging pain. But later, the pain became a habit. As he lay in Shi Yan’s arms inhaling that warm scent, his eyelids began to grow heavy. Despite forcing himself to stay awake, he eventually succumbed to exhaustion. His head tilted, burying itself in the crook of Shi Yan’s neck as he closed his eyes.

“Host, the mission target has fallen asleep.” 61 popped up to remind his host. Looking at Ji Shijin’s sleeping face, he subconsciously lowered his voice, forgetting that no one but Shi Yan could hear him.

Shi Yan carefully flushed the last of the blockages before withdrawing his hand. He spared a glance for 61. “I know. He slept for three months; his schedule has not adjusted yet. It needs time.”

With a wave of his hand, the doors and windows closed, and the candlelight flickered out. The small room fell into darkness, leaving only a sliver of moonlight filtering through the gaps. It was not too bright; rather, it felt very comfortable.

Cradled by Shi Yan, Ji Shijin was gently placed back on the bed. The night wind was a bit chilly, so Shi Yan shook out a blanket and tucked him in tightly, letting no draft through.

Finally, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the sleeping man’s brow, accompanied by a soft murmur.

“Goodnight, sweet dreams.”

For the first three days after waking, Ji Shijin lived in a daze. He spent nearly twenty out of twenty-four hours a day sleeping. His body had grown accustomed to that three-month slumber, and his energy was not what it used to be.

Fortunately, this situation gradually faded after three days.

Ji Shijin sat in his wheelchair as Shi Yan pushed him out the door. The scenery in front of the small hut was very different from before he fell asleep. The flowers and grass had gone through several growth cycles, and the branches of the ancient tree by the stream had sprouted new shoots.

The changing of seasons in the Demon Realm was different from human society, but from the growth of these plants, Ji Shijin could see that the climate was warming. The Demon Realm was entering its “summer.”

“When are we going back?” Ji Shijin sat by the stream, holding a fishing rod Shi Yan had made for him, staring blankly at the water.

Sitting beside him, Shi Yan stopped washing the fruit in his hands and asked warmly, “Are you tired of living here?”

Ji Shijin shook his head. “I am a bit worried about the company. Although I agreed with my father that he would help manage it for half a year, I can’t stop worrying.”

The current Ji Group had changed significantly since Ji Shijin took office; it would not be an exaggeration to say he had built it with his own hands. It was his life’s work, and after being away for so long, it was natural to be concerned.

Shi Yan handed him a washed fruit. “If you want to go back, I will arrange it. We can leave in three days at the earliest.”

Three days was enough for Ji Shijin to fully adjust his schedule. Shi Yan would also help him comb through his meridians once more to ensure there were no issues before they returned.

“Really?” Ji Shijin’s eyes lit up. He did not even care about the fruit he had bitten into; he lunged forward into Shi Yan’s arms.

As if he had expected it, Shi Yan unhurriedly reached out to catch him, not forgetting to caution him: “Careful, your legs do not have any strength yet.”

If Shi Yan had not caught him, Ji Shijin would have certainly fallen due to his inability to maintain balance.

Ji Shijin was scooped up by Shi Yan into a bridal carry. He hooked his arms around Shi Yan’s shoulders and looked down at his legs.

“It is okay. These past few days, I have gradually gained control over my legs. I will not fall.” He smiled. “Besides, do I not have you? You will not let me fall.”

Looking at that willful, child-like smile, Shi Yan gave a low sigh. He did not argue further but reminded him: “Do not think that just because your legs are better you can do whatever you want. If you truly want to stand up, you will need a long period of rehabilitation.”

Conveniently, once they returned to Chenning, they could give an explanation to the Ji family and the outside world. They would say that Ji Shijin’s surgery in Country Y was a success, re-stimulating the nerves in his legs, and that he could attempt to recover his ability to stand through rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation could be done at a specialized facility, but Ji Shijin preferred to be at home. Left with no choice, Shi Yan decided to renovate his Linjiang villa, converting a room for Ji Shijin’s physical therapy.

61, who had been assigned this task, quickly produced the design blueprints. Shi Yan transmitted them to Cheng Ci, who was acting as hard labor back in Chenning, telling him to renovate the house according to the designs as quickly as possible.

Shi Yan considered everything comprehensively. The probability of Ji Shijin’s condition being cured was one in ten thousand. The experimental technology of the medical team used as a cover was not mature yet, so there was no worry about people trying to imitate it. In the future, the public would at most gossip about Ji Shijin’s incredible luck; no one would suspect that a demon like Shi Yan had used extraordinary methods to heal him.

Furthermore, Shi Yan deliberately did not keep the news of Cheng Ci’s work a secret. If outsiders bothered to inquire, they would learn that Ji Shijin’s legs had been cured and he was returning to Chenning for rehab. From beginning to end, everything was arranged by Shi Yan. Even if suspicious people did not believe Ji Shijin had truly been cured by surgery, they would find absolutely no evidence to the contrary.

As he spoke, Ji Shijin listened quietly. These were matters he should have been considering, yet Shi Yan had silently handled everything perfectly.

“What is wrong?” Shi Yan noticed his silence and looked down to ask.

“I was just thinking,” Ji Shijin hooked his arms around his neck and suddenly leaned in very close, his eyes curving. “You are so good to me, I will not be able to live without you in the future.”

“Then never leave.” Shi Yan held him tighter. His gaze was drawn to those parting red lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed once, and he lowered his eyes to cover them, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible. “Stay by my side forever.”

Ji Shijin tilted his head back to accept the kiss, his tongue peeking out slightly, responding awkwardly yet passionately.

Sensing his initiative, Shi Yan paused for a moment before kissing back even deeper and more fiercely.

Ji Shijin was not the only one who wanted to be together forever. Shi Yan possessed a vast lifespan, but his lover only had this one short life. Even for the demons of this world, their lifespan was only a few thousand years.

Shi Yan lowered his eyelashes and called the system’s name in his heart: “61, I want to take him back with me.”

61 was so startled he stopped watching the show and dropped his snacks. He scrambled out, his mechanical voice stuttering: “What? Host, say that again. I suspect my core data is corrupted. I think I just heard you say…”

“I want to take him back to the Main World. Is there a way?” Shi Yan did not feel at all that his words had caused a massive amount of psychological trauma to the little system, so he repeated himself.

Whether it was Shi Yan’s imagination or not, 61’s round mechanical shell seemed to bristle. The little system clawed at the air in a frenzy: “Ah! Host, how can you have such a crazy idea? Life in a sub-world goes through birth, aging, sickness, and death here, that is the World Law! How could we possibly take a life from a sub-world out of here?”

“Besides, we have not even saved up enough energy to go home yet, let alone taking an extra person.”

61 just wanted to crawl into his host’s head to see what was broken: “Host, wake up!”

“What if I insist on trying?” Shi Yan’s tone was very calm. If one did not know better, they would never guess he was contemplating such a wild idea.

“Host, you,” System 61 wanted to persuade him to reconsider, but upon seeing the look in his host’s eyes as he watched the mission target, he suddenly lost his voice.

Since being created as a simple and ignorant little system, 61 had been assigned to Shi Yan. They performed missions together and went on vacations together. Whether it was rewards or punishments, they were shared. They were practically one entity.

61 had watched Shi Yan go through so many mission worlds. Because of his cold personality, he was always alone. Now, he had finally met someone who made him open his heart, someone he truly loved.

Why did it have to be someone from a sub-world?

61 was so worried his electronic hair was about to fall out.

“Oh, fine, fine,” 61 said irritably. “I can only promise not to proactively report this upwards. Beyond that, you will have to find a way yourself, Host.”

The system and the host were in a bound state and naturally shared the responsibility of mutual supervision to prevent either side from violating regulations. 61’s core was connected to the Main System; after completing the mission and returning, everything recorded in his core would be known by the Main System. Therefore, all 61 could do was enter a self-hibernation state when Shi Yan committed a violation, commonly known as: pretending to be blind.

Shi Yan felt a weight lift from his heart and expressed his gratitude to 61: “Thanks, 61. After we go back, I will transfer a larger portion of points to you. You can buy the skin you wanted.”

61 was a simple system after all. Hearing Shi Yan say this, he instantly tossed his heavy mood aside: “Really?”

He had his eye on a very expensive skin in the system mall that required many, many points. Aside from daily maintenance, he had been saving all his points just to exchange for that skin.

Noticing Shi Yan’s distraction, Ji Shijin cupped his face to look closely, frowning as he asked, “What is wrong? You look like you have something on your mind.”

Shi Yan was snapped back to reality by his call. Seeing his lover, whose personality had become much more lively as his health improved, he felt a surge of tender affection in his eyes. “It is nothing. I was just thinking of you.”

Ji Shijin was stunned for a moment. “Me? But I am right in front of you.”

“Mm.” Shi Yan lowered his eyes and pressed a light kiss on his lips, suddenly saying, “I love you.”

This time, Ji Shijin was completely stunned. Shi Yan’s sudden confession caught him entirely off guard.

Heat climbed up his cheeks, and he shyly averted his gaze, mumbling softly, “…I love you too.”