SS-Class Guide - Chapter 7

The decoration style in the Jingye District was almost identical from house to house.

An Yuan moved into the guest room. He was the very first guest to stay at Wen Xiuyan’s home, which meant the house was minimally prepared; there was only a single set of bedding in the master bedroom.

Fortunately, the guest bed, the living room sofa, and the resting area in the white noise room were all standard features of the fully furnished unit. Wen Xiuyan had initially insisted that An Yuan stay in the master bedroom with him, but An Yuan refused. No matter how close their relationship was, An Yuan did not believe he could share a bed with Wen Xiuyan.

Out of necessity, Wen Xiuyan went to the supermarket to purchase essential items, such as fresh bedding. An Yuan originally wanted to go with him, but Wen Xiuyan declined, citing a perfectly valid reason: An Yuan looked exhausted and needed to rest.

While waiting for Wen Xiuyan to return, An Yuan thought to himself that he should prepare breakfast the next morning. However, when he opened the refrigerator, he froze. At a single glance, the contents were clear: there was nothing but mountain spring water. He silently closed the fridge, having gained a basic understanding of Wen Xiuyan’s solitary lifestyle.

Wen Xiuyan returned much later that night. After the bedding was laid out, An Yuan closed his door and prepared to sleep.

The next morning, An Yuan woke up early and entered the living room only to find Wen Xiuyan cooking. The entire kitchen was a mess, looking as if it had endured several consecutive disasters. Wen Xiuyan wore his usual calm smile, appearing perfectly composed as he spoke in a smooth, gentle voice, “A-Yuan, wait just a moment; breakfast will be ready soon.”

An Yuan’s eyelid flickered. Watching Wen Xiuyan, he realized once again that such is life. Anyone can survive without anyone else. For instance, having just ended a relationship, he had not even had time to dwell on Gu Hanqing before being startled by the present situation. He felt that he could not possibly eat this “soon-to-be-ready breakfast,” otherwise, he and Wen Xiuyan would likely end up going to the hospital hand-in-hand.

After a moment of silence, An Yuan asked, “Where did these ingredients come from?” They certainly were not in the fridge yesterday.

Wen Xiuyan remained remarkably steady. “They were in the refrigerator.”

An Yuan knew Wen Xiuyan was lying, but he did not understand why. However, there was no need to expose such a trivial matter. He entered the kitchen and helped Wen Xiuyan clean up. An Yuan inquired, “How do you usually handle breakfast?”

Wen Xiuyan replied seriously, “My culinary skills are actually quite good; I usually cook for myself.”

An Yuan remained silent. He truly did not understand why Wen Xiuyan felt the need to tell such an outrageous lie. With An Yuan’s help, the kitchen was quickly tidied. At the same time, various appliances began to beep. The rice cooker, the steamer oven, and the microwave all contained food. An Yuan’s scalp felt a bit numb, fearing that Wen Xiuyan’s destructive power had radiated in all directions, but to his surprise, Wen Xiuyan opened the rice cooker and served two bowls of congee.

Judging by the aroma, it was preserved egg and lean pork congee. He opened the steamer to reveal buns and mantou, and the oven contained desserts. On the surface, the food looked perfectly normal.

An Yuan felt a sense of trepidation. As they sat at the dining table, Wen Xiuyan said calmly, “I made these after waking up this morning. Since you are staying here for a while, I will make breakfast for you every day.” He paused before adding, “I have a natural talent for cooking. These took less than half an hour to prepare; it was very quick.”

An Yuan thought to himself that only someone who knew absolutely nothing about cooking could say something so ridiculous. Making handmade buns and mantou required hours just for the dough to knead and rise, let alone the steaming time. Despite this, An Yuan had no intention of exposing him. He sincerely believed Wen Xiuyan was saying this simply to ensure An Yuan did not feel burdened by staying there. They really were good brothers.

An Yuan took a spoonful of congee. Wen Xiuyan asked, “Is it to your taste?”

An Yuan looked up at him. Wen Xiuyan smiled and said, “If it is not to your liking, I can try a different method tomorrow.”

An Yuan thought, “It would not be a different method; it would be a different restaurant for takeout.” Instead, he said, “No need, I like it very much.”

“I am glad you like it,” Wen Xiuyan replied.

After breakfast, An Yuan took his dried clothes out of the dryer and went to his room to change. They took the elevator down together. An Yuan had planned for them to drive their own cars, but Wen Xiuyan said, “Let us go to the Thean Temple together and come back together in the evening.”

An Yuan hesitated. “I might have to work overtime.”

“Whether it is you or I working late, we can just wait for one another,” Wen Xiuyan added. “Besides, we need to buy some things on the way back.”

An Yuan agreed. “Alright.”

Sitting in the passenger seat on the way to the Thean Temple, An Yuan felt a momentary lapse in focus. This was how it used to be during the honeymoon phase with Gu Hanqing; Gu Hanqing would drive while he sat in the passenger seat. No matter how late they worked, as long as they were both at the temple, one would always wait for the other so they could return together. Eventually, without them even noticing when it started, they began returning separately. Life feels unchanged day by day, but when looking back, one realizes it has transformed completely.

Half an hour later, they arrived. It was peak hour at the Thean Temple, and they encountered many colleagues. One Guide asked in confusion, “Lord An Yuan, did you arrive with Lord Xiuyan?”

Before An Yuan could answer, Wen Xiuyan smiled gracefully and replied first, “An Yuan is staying at my house for the time being. It is more convenient for us to commute together.”

More people were curious and wanted to press further, but An Yuan skillfully steered the conversation away. They took the elevator up, and An Yuan and Wen Xiuyan parted ways at the 98th floor.

Upon entering his studio, An Yuan found his two assistants already there. He took the roses out of the vase, trimmed the stems, and changed the water to extend their life. The office was already clean. Xing Lulu walked up to him, her eyes sparkling. “Lord An Yuan, Lord Gu Hanqing contacted me yesterday!”

An Yuan’s movements faltered. He looked up, his ice-gray eyes meeting hers. Xing Lulu had worked for him for over two years, ever since his graduation. She never tired of looking at his face, finding his beauty breathtakingly delicate at close range.

“Lord Gu Hanqing asked me where you are staying,” she said. “He wants to organize the items you need and send them to you.”

An Yuan’s brow furrowed imperceptibly. His original plan was to let Gu Hanqing throw everything away, but that no longer seemed like a viable option. At the very least, it was not good for Gu Hanqing. Perhaps the presence of An Yuan’s things in the house was a source of distress for him. An Yuan decided he would contact Gu Hanqing and go over at noon to clear everything out.

He took out his phone to call him, only to realize he had blocked him. Just then, Xing Lulu asked cautiously in a low voice, “Lord An Yuan, may I ask, about you and Lord Gu Hanqing?”

An Yuan paused, then said, “We broke up.” Since the whole Temple knew of their relationship, it was best to let the news of their split spread through Xing Lulu.

Xing Lulu’s eyes widened. “You broke up?”

An Yuan nodded. Almost instinctively, Xing Lulu exclaimed excitedly, “That is great!” She even clapped her hands.

An Yuan stared at her. Realizing her reaction was inappropriate, Xing Lulu’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. “Lord An Yuan, please do not misunderstand! I just feel that you are the best person, and you deserve the very, very best! And that definitely does not include Lord Gu Hanqing!”

Once the roses were tended to, Xing Lulu left the studio. An Yuan had a premonition that the news of his breakup would soon spread through the Thean Temple and subsequently to the major powers of the Five Districts. He sighed softly; he had initially been reluctant to go public with the relationship specifically to avoid the aftermath of a breakup, yet he was now facing exactly what he had feared.

He picked up the studio phone and dialed a familiar number. Gu Hanqing’s voice sounded tired when he answered. “An Yuan, please do not be impulsive or angry. A-Yuan and I,”

An Yuan interrupted him. “Whatever is happening between you and Ning Yuanqiao has nothing to do with me.”

The other end went silent. An Yuan continued, “My assistant said you contacted her wanting me to clear out my belongings as soon as possible.”

“No, An Yuan, do not misinterpret me. I just thought,”

An Yuan cut him off again. “Is noon today alright? I will go over and pack my things.”

He heard Gu Hanqing take a deep breath. “Fine. At noon, then. I will go back as well so we can have a proper talk.”

“I do not think there is anything to talk about, but fine,” An Yuan replied.

As the time for the morning meeting approached, An Yuan hung up. Today’s meeting was a large-scale joint session between the Hall of Divine Martial Arts and the Hall of Divine Healing. A massive crowd gathered in the auditorium. SS and S-rank Sentinels and S-rank Guides sat in the front rows, Guides on the left, Sentinels on the right. The Sentinels outnumbered the Guides by more than ten to one, reflecting the current reality of the Five Districts.

Before the meeting started, everyone was chatting. An S-rank Guide sitting next to An Yuan, Bai Jinghui, tapped him. “An Yuan, yesterday was Qixi. I heard you left early. Did you have a date with Sentinel Gu Hanqing?” He gestured toward Gu Hanqing, who was sitting in the same row.

An Yuan’s expression became strained. Just as he was wondering how to answer, an A-rank Sentinel nearby shouted, “I heard Lord An Yuan and Lord Gu Hanqing broke up!”

The room fell into a collective gasp. “Is it true?” “Did they really split?” “Wow! That is fantastic!”

An Yuan was speechless. Usually, people encouraged reconciliation, but in his case, it was a landslide of support for the breakup. It felt as if everyone was genuinely happy about it. He felt countless gazes turn toward him, some curious, some joyful, some eager. Most of them were clearly delighted.

Bai Jinghui whispered cautiously, “Is it true? Did you really break up?”

Though he kept his voice low, the superior hearing of the Sentinels and Guides ensured everyone heard him. The venue fell silent. Suddenly, Gu Hanqing stood up from the Sentinel section. He stared directly at An Yuan, a cold aura emanating from him.

An Yuan knew Gu Hanqing wanted to clarify or deny the rumors, but he felt it was unnecessary. An Yuan broke into a beautiful smile and said, “Yes, Sentinel Gu Hanqing and I have had an amicable breakup. Even so, we remain friends. I hope our colleagues will not misunderstand the situation.”

With the confirmation directly from An Yuan, the Guide section remained relatively calm, but the Sentinel section erupted in cheers. Gu Hanqing’s face was dark as he glared at An Yuan.

The only three SS-rank Sentinels in the Temple sat in the same row. To Gu Hanqing’s left was Wen Xiuyan, and to his right was Jing Lan. Both Wen Xiuyan and Jing Lan released their auras, surrounding Gu Hanqing as a warning not to act rashly. The atmosphere in that small area was so tense that it felt as if combat could break out at any second.

Wen Xiuyan smiled at Gu Hanqing with a look of pure sincerity. “Sentinel Gu Hanqing, congratulations on your breakup.”

Jing Lan, the Sentinel from the Ninth Underworld District known for being eccentric, antisocial, and ruthless, narrowed his eyes and echoed, “Congratulations, Sentinel Gu Hanqing.”

Just then, the four Hall Masters entered the room. Gu Hanqing sat down, his face sullen. The meeting began, focusing on the war against the Zerg Queen. Ideally, this would be their final battle; even if it were not, they had to deal a heavy blow to the Zerg to buy the Five Districts more time.

Currently, the struggle against the Zerg was becoming far too difficult; every battle was a war of attrition, and if it continued, they would eventually face an impossible disadvantage.

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