SS-Class Guide - Chapter 5

The system alerts in the white noise room made it abundantly clear that no matter how calm An Yuan appeared on the surface, his heart was in complete turmoil.

An Yuan took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

He wondered how many eight-year periods one gets in a lifetime. From age sixteen to twenty-four, that was the span of time he had known Gu Hanqing. How many beautiful memories can one have in a life? And how many such memories can one build with different people?

Xing Lulu frowned, her eyes filled with worry. At this moment, she felt a twinge of regret for telling An Yuan about Gu Hanqing’s affairs. But reflecting on An Yuan’s reaction, she realized he must love Gu Hanqing very deeply. She felt she had no choice; she had to tell him.

However, despite her thoughts, Xing Lulu said, “But, Lord An Yuan, perhaps there really is some kind of misunderstanding.” Her voice grew quieter as she spoke.

One should not pass judgment without knowing the whole story. Theoretically, she believed no one would have the heart to treat An Yuan this way. Yet, based on what she had seen and heard recently, she felt certain that Gu Hanqing had betrayed him. Even if it was not a full betrayal yet, he was “dancing on the edge” of it.

She believed An Yuan was the best person she knew, and she did not want him to suffer even the slightest grievance. Seeing him so exhausted by this situation made her equally heartbroken.

An Yuan forced a faint smile and said, “Lulu, I’m fine.”

As if to slap him in the face, the cold electronic voice of the white noise room rang out again. The mental barrier An Yuan had just hastily constructed was unstable; it had collapsed once more.

Xing Lulu lowered her head as if she were the one who had done something wrong.

An Yuan said, “Lulu, regardless of anything else, I am very grateful that you were willing to tell me these things.”

“No, no, it’s what I should have done,” she whispered.

An Yuan continued, “Lulu, can you keep my current situation a secret for me?” He did not want more people to see how pathetic he looked right now.

Xing Lulu nodded vigorously. “Lord An Yuan, please rest assured. I will absolutely not tell anyone else!”

An Yuan gave a soft “okay” and added, “Lulu, my emotions are a bit unstable right now. Could you please step out and let me be alone for a while?”

Xing Lulu immediately replied, “Yes,” adding, “Then, Lord An Yuan, I will cancel all of your counseling sessions for this afternoon.”

“No need to cancel.”

“But, your current state.”

“It’s fine.”

Xing Lulu did not persist. Under An Yuan’s gaze, she walked toward the exit of the white noise room. The metal doors slid open, and as she stepped out and the doors closed behind her, she heard the cold mechanical prompt once again. Clearly, An Yuan was far from calm.

On the afternoon of the Qixi Festival, An Yuan was scheduled to perform mental stabilization for four Sentinels. An Yuan sent a message to Xing Lulu, telling her to have his assistant, Ludo, lead the Sentinels directly into the white noise room.

Under normal circumstances, there would usually be a conversation outside the studio to lower the Sentinel’s guard toward the Guide before entering the white noise room for treatment. Upon learning of An Yuan’s arrangement, an S-rank Sentinel cautiously asked Ludo, “Is Lord An Yuan in a bad mood today?”

Unaware of the situation, Ludo replied, “I’m not sure.”

As they spoke, the two entered the studio one after the other. When An Yuan saw the first S-rank Sentinel for the afternoon session, his lips curled into a gentle smile. Seeing this, the Sentinel breathed a sigh of relief. He thought his earlier suspicion that An Yuan was in a bad mood must have been a misconception.

The next moment, a cold prompt echoed through the white noise room.

Detection: Dissipation of Guide’s mental power. Your mental barrier has collapsed. Please stabilize your emotions quickly. Maintain a relaxed state and establish a new mental barrier to block the trauma caused by hypersensitivity. Now providing the optimal environment for meditation.

The prompt played on a loop. The S-rank Sentinel’s expression froze.

An Yuan blinked and silently built a new mental barrier; the prompt stopped. The gentle smile on An Yuan’s face remained unchanged. He met the Sentinel’s gaze and asked, “Sentinel He, shall we proceed directly with the stabilization?”

Sentinel He replied, “If you are able, I do not mind.” But in truth, he would have preferred to reschedule.

An Yuan walked toward Sentinel He. The Sentinel paused, looking at the only two chairs in the vast white noise room. This was not his first time receiving treatment from An Yuan. In the past, they had always sat down. This time, were they going to do it standing up?

Under Sentinel He’s bewildered gaze, An Yuan took hold of his wrist. Their eyes met.

An Yuan said, “Please relax. Trust me. I am now going to enter your mental landscape.” These were the routine words he spoke every time he performed a stabilization. Hearing An Yuan’s familiar, soft voice, Sentinel He’s tension eased slightly.

The next second, the electronic voice prompted again. “Lord An Yuan, multiple collapses of your mental barrier have been detected today. Please stabilize your emotions and establish a new barrier immediately.”

Sentinel He was speechless.

Just as he was about to suggest they do this another time, An Yuan’s mental power directly enveloped him. It was an extremely comfortable sensation. This was what set An Yuan apart from other Guides. The stabilization from most Guides usually triggered some level of rejection in Sentinels, but An Yuan’s mental power did not.

According to data from the Temple of Theon, An Yuan’s compatibility with most Sentinels generally exceeded 75%. This high compatibility reduced rejection reactions to a minimum.

The session lasted about half an hour. During this time, the mental barrier An Yuan had hastily erected collapsed yet again. After a moment’s thought, he gave up and simply did not bother rebuilding it.

When the session ended, accompanied by the cold mechanical voice urging him to establish a new barrier, he smiled at the S-rank Sentinel and said, “The session is over. Do you have any other needs?”

After confirming everything was fine, Ludo led Sentinel He out. Because the pre-session talk was skipped, the efficiency was much higher than expected. After the first Sentinel left, An Yuan had Xing Lulu arrange for the second, third, and fourth Sentinels to come in immediately.

By the time all his work was finished, it was not even 4:00 PM. For once, he could actually leave work on time. But after work, where could he go?

An Yuan stayed in the white noise room to stabilize his emotions. Around 4:30 PM, his mental barrier was finally re-established. Walking out of the studio, An Yuan gave both assistants the rest of the day off. He planned to head home early.

Before leaving, acting on a sudden whim, he went up to the 99th floor. He intended to see the two Masters of the Divine Healing Hall. The Chief Master was away; only the Deputy Master was present. Although the Temple of Theon was divided among different factions across the five districts, the overall atmosphere was very good, especially toward An Yuan.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it was common knowledge that An Yuan would be the future Master of the Divine Healing Hall.

The Deputy Master smiled, stood up, and said, “An Yuan, come, have a seat.”

The Deputy Master’s office featured a full set of guest sofas. The two sat down together. The Deputy Master personally poured a cup of tea for An Yuan and said, “An Yuan, let me ask you a question.”

An Yuan’s expression immediately became serious, thinking the Master was about to ask something solemn. Then he heard, “As an S-rank Guide, what should you do if you see a B-rank or lower Sentinel nearby falling into a berserk state?”

An Yuan’s lip twitched. He tried to hold it in but could not. He said, “Master You, I just answered this question this morning.”

Deputy Master You replied, “Important things must be asked three times.”

An Yuan thought to himself that it had not just been three times, but dozens of times. Despite his thoughts, An Yuan obediently answered the question.

Master You nodded with satisfaction and asked, “What brings you here this time?”

Normally, unless there was a specific reason, An Yuan would never come to the 99th floor. After a moment of hesitation, An Yuan said, “Master You, I wanted to ask about what was mentioned in the morning meeting regarding the combat issues with the Zerg Queen.”

The smile on Master You’s face vanished instantly. “An Yuan, do not even think about participating.”

An Yuan said, “But.”

Master You said firmly, “An Yuan, anyone else can participate, but you will not. If you came here for this, then go back.”

“Master You, I did not say I was going to participate,” An Yuan said, his voice sounding a bit aggrieved.

Master You’s attitude softened instantly like a spring breeze. He smiled at An Yuan and said, “Good, good. An Yuan, it’s enough that you understand the gravity of the situation.”

An Yuan did not stay in the office any longer. He clocked out, left work, and headed home.

On the way, he received a call from Wen Xiuyan. Wen Xiuyan asked if he wanted to have dinner together. An Yuan’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Today was Qixi. What if Gu Hanqing came back? After a moment of hesitation, An Yuan declined Wen Xiuyan’s offer.

His car drove toward the Silent Night District, the most heavily guarded area in the First District. Vehicles marked with the Temple of Theon seal had right-of-way and passed through patrol checkpoints more easily. Even so, it took a considerable amount of time to reach the residence he shared with Gu Hanqing.

The Silent Night District was always like this. Leaving was easy, but entering required layer upon layer of security checks to ensure the safety of every Guide living in the area. Most Sentinels and Guides of the Temple lived in the Silent Night District, and almost every home here was equipped with a white noise room.

Upon returning home, he first went into the white noise room to calm himself. Lying on the bed, he fell into a daze and eventually drifted off to sleep.

He had a dream of the most beautiful years he spent with Gu Hanqing. The first time Gu Hanqing confessed to him. The first time Gu Hanqing slipped a ring onto his ring finger, speaking of his fears and his excitement. The first time they moved in together and the nervousness they felt. There were so many firsts between them.

An Yuan thought that this could be considered a beautiful dream. His lips curled up unconsciously. He woke up and checked the time; it was only around 7:00 PM, nearly dinner time. He walked out of the white noise room and sent a private message to Gu Hanqing.

An Yuan: Are you coming back for dinner?

He waited for about ten minutes, but there was no reply. Habit is a terrifying thing. In the past, Gu Hanqing would reply to An Yuan’s messages in seconds. Later, it became slower and slower, and now he did not reply at all. An Yuan had grown used to it.

An Yuan recalled a saying he once heard: love makes a person humble. In his view, it was not so much love as it was affection, such as familial, brotherly, and romantic affection. Having known Gu Hanqing for eight years, An Yuan was no longer sure exactly what kind of affection he felt for him.

Exhaling softly, he went into the kitchen, intending to make something simple to eat. Suddenly, a familiar sound reached his ears. Even with layers of mental barriers for protection to block out external noise, Sentinels and Guides still possessed heightened senses.

An Yuan turned off the stove and stood by the door. After a few minutes, the elevator chimed, followed by footsteps. But there were two sets of footsteps. One was Gu Hanqing’s and the other was someone else.

An Yuan frowned. The door opened.

In that instant, An Yuan’s eyes met Gu Hanqing’s. Gu Hanqing had slightly curly short black hair and matching eyes that seemed to shimmer with a white fluorescence under the evening lights, more brilliant than obsidian.

Before An Yuan could speak, Gu Hanqing pushed the door wider, clearing the entrance, and said, “A-Yuan, you go in first.”

An Yuan saw Ning Yuanqiao holding a bouquet of roses as he walked in through the space Gu Hanqing had made. An Yuan was standing right in the entryway, blocking the path.

Gu Hanqing looked at An Yuan and said, “An Yuan, move aside for a moment.”

An Yuan’s eyelid twitched. His mental barrier collapsed instantly. Collapsing outside of a white noise room was excruciating; his five senses were magnified infinitely in a split second. The clothes on his body felt incredibly coarse. Though made of the softest material, they felt like countless insects gnawing at his skin. A chaotic roar of sounds surged into his brain. Noises he wanted to hear and those he did not all hummed in his head. His nostrils were flooded with a cacophony of scents.

Almost instantly, fine beads of sweat broke out on An Yuan’s forehead. In Gu Hanqing’s eyes, An Yuan’s suffering was entirely because he had brought Ning Yuanqiao back.

Gu Hanqing spoke again, “An Yuan, move aside.” His tone sharpened. Seeing that An Yuan did not move, he frowned and gave him a push. An Yuan stumbled from the shove, steadying himself against the wall only with great effort.

Ning Yuanqiao looked at An Yuan. He looked quite young. Despite being the same age as them, his face was full of a youthful innocence, as if he had just become an adult. He said, “Lord An Yuan, I am so sorry for intruding without letting you know first.”

Gu Hanqing looked at Ning Yuanqiao and said, “A-Yuan, have a seat on the sofa. If you are hungry, check the fridge. Treat this place like your own home.”

Ning Yuanqiao gave a small acknowledgment and entered the living room. Under the weight of extreme physical pain, An Yuan forced himself to establish a thin mental barrier and looked Gu Hanqing in the eye.

Gu Hanqing said, “An Yuan, let us go inside and talk.”

An Yuan said, “Okay.”

The two entered the master bedroom. The bedroom had a large king-sized bed where they had spent two years together. An Yuan walked toward the window, looking down from the height. He asked, “Hanqing, the flowers in his hand, did you give them to him?” It was more a statement than a question.

Gu Hanqing said, “Yes.”

Before An Yuan could say anything, Gu Hanqing frowned and said, “An Yuan, I have told you before, do not misunderstand. A-Yuan and I are just friends. I gave him flowers today because something bad happened to him, and I needed to comfort him.”

An Yuan turned around, his back to the window, meeting Gu Hanqing’s gaze. He asked, “Comfort him? So you gave him roses?”

Gu Hanqing said calmly, “He likes roses.”

An Yuan was silent.

Gu Hanqing continued, “An Yuan, A-Yuan has nowhere to go for the next few days. He will be staying here temporarily.”

An Yuan took a deep breath and said, “Hanqing, I hope you understand that I do not agree. I do not like him.”

Gu Hanqing sighed softly. “I know you do not like him.” His expression looked impatient and troubled.

An Yuan fell silent.

Gu Hanqing said, “An Yuan, to avoid friction between you two, I want you to move out for the time he is staying here.”

An Yuan’s lips parted slightly. For a moment, he was speechless. Did he have the right to refuse? Could he refuse? His gaze swept around the room he had lived in for two years. This was Gu Hanqing’s house. Gu Hanqing had found this place. Gu Hanqing had asked him to move in. It was not his house.

The Five Districts did not provide legal protections for same-sex relationships. They were just ordinary lovers. Once they separated, they would be strangers with no connection. On what grounds could he refuse Gu Hanqing? When Gu Hanqing wanted to kick him out, he had no standing to say no.

Gu Hanqing said, “An Yuan, I am sorry, but I hope you can move out as soon as possible.”

An Yuan’s lashes lowered as if he were thinking. Not long ago, his dreams were filled with the beauty of their past. Now that he was awake, all that remained was exhaustion. An Yuan clenched his fists, using every ounce of his willpower not to cry. He could not cry. This was his dignity.

An Yuan took a deep breath and asked, “Hanqing, when do you think I should come back?”

Gu Hanqing’s features were cold and sharp. His black hair and black eyes made him look distant and heartless. “Once A-Yuan leaves, I will contact you immediately.”

An Yuan said, “Back then, you were the one who asked me to come here.”

Gu Hanqing said, “Yes.”

Their eyes met. An Yuan held back his tears, but under the night light, his eyes appeared exceptionally bright, his ice-gray pupils clouded as if by a thin mist. An Yuan was beautiful, unquestionably the number one beauty of the Five Districts. Even before he awakened as an S-rank Guide, when everyone thought he was a D-rank, his beauty had already been whispered about across the districts. He was a beauty so breathtaking it was startling.

At this moment, An Yuan desperately wanted to tell Gu Hanqing that when he had begged him to move in, An Yuan had only agreed after long hesitation. And now, he was telling him to leave. In that case, if he were ever asked to come back, it would be an impossibility.

An Yuan took a deep breath. “Hanqing.” His hands were trembling.

Gu Hanqing asked, “Hmm?”

An Yuan’s expression softened, and his voice was calm as he said each word clearly. “Hanqing, if you make me leave, then I.”

Gu Hanqing listened intently. Seeing that An Yuan did not continue, he asked, “Then you what?”

An Yuan said, “I will never come back.”

Gu Hanqing sighed softly. “An Yuan, do not say such things in anger.”

An Yuan smiled, scanned the room one last time, and walked toward the door. Gu Hanqing looked at An Yuan’s back and said, “An Yuan, you can pack up the things you want to take with you first.”

An Yuan’s footsteps paused. Without looking back, he said, “No need.” He said, “I am not taking anything from here. Throw it all away.”

“An Yuan.”

An Yuan turned his head, his voice flat. “Gu Hanqing, let us break up.”

Support