SS-Class Guide - Chapter 6

“Let’s break up,” An Yuan said.

A heavy silence filled the room.

The two had been together for many years, and despite countless arguments, they had never reached the point of a breakup. This was the first time.

An Yuan was not someone who suggested breaking up lightly. He had thought about it before but never voiced it because he knew it would damage their relationship. Now, however, he was truly exhausted.

For a brief moment, Gu Hanqing’s cold, stern face flickered with shock.

After a moment, Gu Hanqing spoke. “An Yuan, do not speak out of anger.”

Before An Yuan could respond, Gu Hanqing continued, “The things that happened to A-Yuan recently are truly unfortunate. I have to take more care of him right now.”

An Yuan remained silent.

“Wait a little longer,” Gu Hanqing went on. “Once things settle down and I send him away, I will bring you back immediately, alright?”

“Gu Hanqing, I am very calm right now,” An Yuan replied. “We are both already very exhausted. Let’s just leave it at this.” He turned around and walked out of the room, step by step.

Gu Hanqing watched An Yuan walk out of the master bedroom.

In that instant, he had the illusion that An Yuan wasn’t just leaving a bedroom, but walking out of his world entirely.

Driven by instinct, Gu Hanqing followed him.

In the living room, Ning Yuanqiao whispered, “Lord An Yuan, I am so sorry. Please do not misunderstand. It is all because of me that you two are fighting.”

As a Guide, An Yuan’s hearing was far superior to that of an average person.

Even though An Yuan and Gu Hanqing had kept their voices as low as possible in the bedroom, it was inevitable that Ning Yuanqiao would overhear them from the living room. In fact, if there were any S-level or SS-level Sentinels or Guides in the vicinity, they likely could have intercepted the conversation from a distance as well.

An Yuan glanced at Ning Yuanqiao without a word. He retracted his gaze and walked out of the house he had lived in for two years.

Gu Hanqing spoke comfortingly to Ning Yuanqiao. “A-Yuan, do not overthink it. This has nothing to do with you. There will not be a problem between An Yuan and me.”

Ning Yuanqiao looked at them both uneasily. He appeared anxious yet seemed not to know what to do.

Gu Hanqing followed An Yuan out the door and said, “An Yuan, if you need anything over the next few days, let me know. I will have it sent to you.”

A single door now stood between An Yuan and the place he had lived for years. He thought to himself that, in the end, this house was never truly his own.

An Yuan forced himself to stay composed. He had to. When a mental barrier collapses, the resulting pain is extreme. Since he was not in a white noise room, the impact on him would be infinitely magnified.

“No need. You can just throw everything away,” An Yuan said softly as he pressed the elevator button.

Before Gu Hanqing could speak, An Yuan added, “If you had not been in such a hurry to make me leave, I actually could have called a cleaning service to clear everything out myself.”

Gu Hanqing frowned. “An Yuan, do not talk to me out of spite.”

An Yuan smiled. It was the same expression he wore when facing others from the Sean Temple: gentle, yet layered with a sense of detachment. “Lord Gu Hanqing, please go back. Guide Ning Yuanqiao should not be kept waiting.”

Intimacy is built up bit by bit, but distance can be created in an instant.

With a single expression and a formal title, he had reverted to their old dynamic. He used “You” in the formal sense rather than the casual “you,” and added “Lord” after his name. Those were the titles they used the year they first met.

It was the way they spoke when they were strangers.

Gu Hanqing looked back for a moment and asked, “An Yuan, where do you plan on going now?”

The sphere of influence for the An and Wen families in the Central District was located toward the south of the Jingye District, about three to four hours away by high-speed rail. However, in such a competitive work environment, people living in the Central District often spent six or seven hours commuting daily for work.

If he were an ordinary person without a place to stay, he might check into a hotel. But An Yuan was not an ordinary person; he was an S-level Guide.

To stay at a hotel, the building would first have to have a white noise room. Secondly, if his identity were revealed, a crowd of Sentinels would likely swarm him, begging for mental grooming. It would bring immense chaos to his life.

Ruling out hotels, his only other option was a friend.

An Yuan looked at Gu Hanqing and said, “There is no need for your concern.”

The elevator arrived. He stepped inside and pressed the button for the underground garage. Until the doors closed, he could feel Gu Hanqing’s gaze fixed upon him.

An Yuan let out a soft breath.

Stepping into the underground parking lot, the sweltering summer air hit him. The muggy, humid atmosphere made him feel physically uncomfortable. Getting into his car, he wondered where he should go now. Anywhere was fine; he just did not want to stay in this area anymore.

He started the engine, drove out of the residential complex, and pulled over at the curb, still contemplating his destination. After a moment of thought, the only person he could think of was Wen Xiuyan.

An Yuan sent Wen Xiuyan a message. He asked, “Are you busy right now?”

A moment later, An Yuan received a phone call from Wen Xiuyan.

Wen Xiuyan’s gentle voice came through the line. “A-Yuan, what is wrong?”

An Yuan had been managing his emotions well until he heard Wen Xiuyan’s voice. In that instant, he felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest. He took a deep breath, struggling to steady himself. “Xiuyan, where are you?”

“I am home,” Wen Xiuyan said.

In the background, a familiar voice shouted, “Lord Xiuyan! Do not be on the phone during a rare gathering!”

An Yuan recognized the voice. It was an S-level Sentinel from the Sean Temple. An Yuan realized Wen Xiuyan was likely attending a party.

On the other end, Wen Xiuyan clearly realized the noise in the background would give him away. “A-Yuan, I am on my way home now.”

An Yuan said, “I am not in a hurry.”

Wen Xiuyan replied, “I have been on missions lately, so I think I need to get some rest today anyway.”

An Yuan remained silent.

Wen Xiuyan asked, “A-Yuan, should I come find you?”

An Yuan hesitated, then said, “Xiuyan, I want to ask a favor of you.”

“What is it?”

“Could I stay at your place for a while until I find a new house?” An Yuan asked.

There was no immediate answer.

An Yuan waited for two seconds, his eyelashes fluttering slightly. A drop of rain fell onto the windshield. Summer night rain always arrived without warning.

An Yuan thought to himself, Am I being a bother? He said, “Sorry, Xiuyan. I did not consider your feelings. I will find someone else.”

“No!” the person on the other end blurted out. His voice was much louder than usual.

An Yuan was stunned. Despite being on the phone, this was the first time he had heard Wen Xiuyan speak with such volume. Clearly, the people with Wen Xiuyan were also startled. Someone whispered in the background, “Wow, this is the first time I have seen Sentinel Xiuyan react so strongly!”

Wen Xiuyan quickly regained his composure. He told the others, “Sorry, you guys keep drinking. I have something important to take care of.”

An Yuan started to say, “Xiuyan, I…”

Wen Xiuyan interrupted him. “Where are you now? I will come pick you up.”

Wen Xiuyan arrived quickly.

Most Sentinels and Guides from the Sean Temple lived in the Jingye District, and their gatherings were usually nearby. Gu Hanqing lived in Building 37, while Wen Xiuyan lived in Building 39. They were quite close.

An Yuan once had a crush on Wen Xiuyan. It was because he liked him that he deliberately kept his distance. Later, even though he knew Wen Xiuyan had moved out of the Wen family home, he had never visited. This was his first time.

The residential complex had a uniform renovation style; the layouts were identical. The difference was that the apartment where An Yuan had lived Gu Hanqing’s place was filled with the traces of daily life accumulated over time. In contrast, Wen Xiuyan’s apartment felt like no one lived there. It was clean, spotless, and cold.

“Do you want to wash up first?” Wen Xiuyan asked.

An Yuan was covered in sweat. His bangs were stuck to his face, and his clothes were damp. He looked very frail.

An Yuan paused. “I did not bring a change of clothes.”

“If you do not mind, you can wear mine for now?” Wen Xiuyan offered.

An Yuan smiled. “Come to think of it, I used to wear your clothes all the time when we were kids.”

“I will go get them for you.”

“Thank you.”

Wen Xiuyan brought back a white long-sleeved shirt and black athletic pants. An Yuan did not think anything was wrong at first. He took the clothes into the bathroom to shower. As the cool water washed away the sweat, he felt his exhaustion being rinsed away.

Deciding to draw a line with Gu Hanqing was easier than he had imagined. There were lingering attachments and regrets, but he was simply too tired. He did not want to argue with him anymore.

After drying off, An Yuan put on the shirt. A question mark slowly formed in his mind.

Wen Xiuyan was tall with long legs, standing at 189 cm. Though he looked refined on the surface, beneath his clothes, he possessed the powerful physique typical of Sentinels. An Yuan was 178 cm tall. Between his busy work schedule and his natural lack of interest in exercise, he was quite thin.

Wearing Wen Xiuyan’s shirt, it felt at least two sizes too big. The collar was loose, threatening to slip off his shoulder at any moment, and the hem reached down to his thighs. An Yuan felt a bit strange. He had worn Wen Xiuyan’s clothes before, but he had not realized that in just a few years, Wen Xiuyan had grown so much taller and broader than him.

As An Yuan fastened the buttons, he felt confused. Theoretically, should Wen Xiuyan not have given him pajamas? Why a dress shirt? He then tried to put on the loose black athletic pants. As soon as he pulled them up, they slipped right back down.

An Yuan’s eyelid twitched. After a moment of thought, he tied a knot at the side of the waistband and walked out of the bathroom.

Wen Xiuyan told An Yuan to sit on the sofa. An Yuan swallowed the words “Can you give me a different set of clothes?” and sat down.

Wen Xiuyan said, “The higher the level of a Sentinel or Guide, the higher their requirement for fabric quality. These are the two items I find most comfortable.”

An Yuan thought that Wen Xiuyan was explaining why he had provided such unique attire.

“A-Yuan, your buttons are misaligned. Let me re-button them for you,” Wen Xiuyan said.

An Yuan froze. He looked down and realized the buttons and holes were indeed mismatched. Just as he was about to say he could do it himself, Wen Xiuyan had already moved.

The distance between them was very close. An Yuan could feel Wen Xiuyan’s warm breath on him. He felt awkward and nervous. One by one, Wen Xiuyan slowly unfastened all the misaligned buttons on An Yuan’s shirt, then refastened them correctly. He even fastened the very top button at the neck.

Wen Xiuyan looked up at An Yuan, took a tissue, and wiped the sweat from An Yuan’s forehead. “Are you hot?”

An Yuan looked at the air conditioner; it was set to 22°C. Wen Xiuyan lowered the temperature by two degrees. “I will dry your hair for you.”

“No need.”

“Before you started dating Gu Hanqing, I used to dry your hair all the time,” Wen Xiuyan said.

That was true. However, after starting a relationship with Gu Hanqing, An Yuan had stopped engaging in any behavior that crossed boundaries.

Wen Xiuyan added, “You look exhausted. As your best friend, if I do not take care of you now, when will I?”

An Yuan gave a small smile.

After that, the only sounds in the room were the hum of the air conditioner and the hairdryer. Because his mental barrier was unstable, An Yuan’s senses were sharper than usual. He could clearly feel the warmth of Wen Xiuyan’s fingers, the sensation of his hands running through his hair, and the gentle touch of the cool air from the dryer. It felt comfortable.

An Yuan instinctively closed his eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, the phone vibrated. Someone was calling. The sound of the hairdryer stopped, and silence returned to the room. Both of them looked at the phone screen. Two words were displayed: “Hanqing.”

An Yuan was stunned for a moment. How long had it been since Gu Hanqing had actually called him?

Wen Xiuyan asked, “Do you need me to step away?”

An Yuan shook his head, picked up the phone, and hit decline.

As they sat together on the sofa, Wen Xiuyan asked, “Have you eaten?”

An Yuan had no appetite and did not want to eat, but he knew if he said no, Wen Xiuyan would insist. To keep things simple, he said, “I have eaten.”

As soon as he spoke, the phone vibrated again. It was Gu Hanqing again. An Yuan hesitated, then blocked Gu Hanqing.

A long while later, An Yuan received a private message from Gu Hanqing. The previous message between them was An Yuan asking if he was coming home tonight. The newest message was Gu Hanqing telling him to pick up the phone.

An Yuan typed out a reply: “Sentinel Gu Hanqing, if there is any work-related business in the future, please contact my assistant. I hope that outside of work, we no longer have any contact.”

After sending the message, An Yuan blocked and deleted Gu Hanqing. He hoped that in the future, they would have no private contact, nor was there any need for it. When love is gone, one must leave decisively.

An Yuan’s eyes were slightly red. He ruffled his hair with his hand. His white hair already carried an air of fragility; his natural white hair made him look like thin ice in winter, so delicate that a single breath might shatter it.

“A-Yuan, what happened?” Wen Xiuyan asked.

An Yuan looked at Wen Xiuyan. Their eyes met.

An Yuan’s voice was calm as he said, “I think Gu Hanqing and I are actually not suited for each other.”

“I have thought you were not very suited for a while now,” Wen Xiuyan replied.

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