SS-Class Guide - Chapter 8

The morning meeting concluded, and the crowd began to stream out of the hall in groups.

Wen Xiuyan and Jing Lan stood like pillars on either side of Gu Hanqing. Jing Lan, ever the lone wolf, looked at Gu Hanqing and said, “Together.” His expression was stoic and his voice was like ice.

Gu Hanqing had a premonition that if he tried to step forward, Jing Lan would block his path.

Wen Xiuyan wore a faint, elegant smile, his voice as smooth as jade. “Let us go together.”

For the first time, the three Double S-rank Sentinels of the Temple of Theon, who historically had a terrible relationship, were walking as one.

Gu Hanqing was speechless.

The obstruction from Wen Xiuyan and Jing Lan forced them to slow down. By the time Gu Hanqing looked forward again, he could not even see the back of An Yuan’s head.

In the crowd, someone whispered, “I always thought the three Double S-rank Sentinels hated each other. I guess that was not true?”

This rumor quickly reached An Yuan, who had left the meeting room early. Surprised, he turned to look back. Normally, he was surrounded more by Guides than Sentinels, but this time, he saw a sea of Sentinels ranging from their teens to their thirties, all S and A-rank.

Seeing An Yuan look over, these Sentinels immediately began to show their favor. Suddenly, a Sentinel thrust a bag of items into An Yuan’s hands.

An Yuan asked, “Ah?”

The S-rank Sentinel, whom he had met a few times, said, “Lord An Yuan, this is for you. I hope you like it.”

An Yuan started to protest, “No, I cannot.”

Afraid of rejection, the Sentinel blurted out, “Do not overthink it! This is just a thank-you gift for the stabilization you did for me recently.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned and ran.

Following this, many others tried to stuff things into An Yuan’s hands. What started with Sentinels soon turned into a mob of Guides doing the same. An Yuan’s eyelid jumped. He quickened his pace and hurried back to his studio on the 98th floor. His colleagues were a bit too enthusiastic today.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in,” An Yuan said.

Xing Lulu entered carrying three bouquets of flowers. An Yuan’s expression stiffened.

“Lord An Yuan, these are from Sentinels Zhang, Bai, and Kai,” Xing Lulu reported.

They were all roses, vibrant, fiery red roses.

An Yuan glanced around. The two bouquets he had received yesterday were already a hassle to maintain; now there were three more?

“Return them,” An Yuan said.

Xing Lulu looked troubled. “That might be difficult.”

“Why?”

“Well, those three gentlemen said they were heading out on a mission and will not be back for a while.”

An Yuan figured by the time they returned, the flowers would be long dead. He sighed softly and said, “Lulu, do not accept any more gifts.”

“I did not want to!” Xing Lulu complained. “But they just drop them and run. I have no way to stop them.” She added in a tiny voice, “There is one more.” She shuffled slightly to reveal yet another bouquet of red roses.

An Yuan was silent.

This time, he did not even want to ask who it was from.

Xing Lulu’s face flushed. “Lord An Yuan, this one is from me! It represents my love for you, as bright and burning as a red rose!”

An Yuan paused, then said, “Bring it in.”

Xing Lulu’s eyes lit up.

An Yuan’s lips curled into a smile. “Unbind all of these. Use Sentinel gifts as the reason, and help me arrange them into vases to be sent to other studios.”

Instantly dejected, Xing Lulu gave a limp “okay” and began processing the flowers with him.

A Sentinel arrived for a pre-scheduled stabilization. An Yuan engaged him in the usual pre-session talk. Yesterday, he would have had no desire to speak, but today his emotions were stable enough that he was willing to say a few words.

The man before him was a newly graduated S-rank Sentinel, the top student from one of the ten great Sentinel-Guide academies. He was handsome and, before entering society, had considered himself a peerless genius. Since joining the Temple of Theon, he had been consistently overshadowed by the three Double S-rank seniors. Despite this, his arrogance had only grown.

An Yuan recalled the Master of the Divine Martial Hall saying that this Sentinel’s competitive nature would drive him until he reached Double S-rank himself. The Temple needed people like him.

An Yuan smiled gently. “Has anything pleasant happened to you lately?”

“I am happy! Truly, very happy!” Que Wenxan’s eyes shone brightly.

Sensing his genuine joy, An Yuan’s smile deepened. “Congratulations.” A Sentinel in a good mood made the stabilization process much easier.

Que Wenxan blurted out, “Yes! Because you and Gu Hanqing broke up!”

An Yuan’s eyelid twitched.

In the corner of the studio, the two assistants were still drowning in flowers. They suspected that if this kept up, there would not even be a place to stand. Hearing the Sentinel’s comment, they paused their work, shared a glance, and then went back to unbinding bouquets.

Suddenly, Que Wenxan grabbed An Yuan’s hand. An Yuan looked down at his captured hand. Simultaneously, both assistants shot lethal glares at the Sentinel. If looks could kill, he would have been sliced into pieces by now.

Que Wenxan raised his voice. “Lord An Yuan!”

Technically, they should have been in the white noise room. However, since Que Wenxan was already holding his hand, An Yuan decided to start the stabilization right there to save time. His mental energy, fine and dense like water droplets, began to seep into Que Wenxan’s mental landscape.

At that moment, Que Wenxan was so swept up in his own excitement that he did not even notice the intrusion. He only felt a subtle, extreme comfort. “Lord An Yuan, can I call you Brother?”

“No,” An Yuan refused flatly.

Que Wenxan’s eyes widened with sincerity. “Lord An Yuan, please believe in me! I will work incredibly hard. I will become a Double S-rank Sentinel soon and surpass Gu Hanqing, Wen Xiuyan, and Jing Lan to become the best in the Five Districts!”

An Yuan sighed softly and sped up the stabilization process. Que Wenxan’s grip on his hand tightened.

Xing Lulu could no longer hold back. She grabbed a vase, looking ready to bash someone with it. Seeing this, An Yuan’s lip twitched. “Lord Que Wenxan, please let go of me.”

Reluctantly, the Sentinel released his grip.

“Your stabilization is finished,” An Yuan said in a strictly professional tone. “You can check how you feel. If you have other needs, talk to my assistant.”

Que Wenxan was stunned. “It is already over?”

“Yes,” Xing Lulu interjected. “If Lord An Yuan says it is over, it is definitely over!”

Que Wenxan looked at her and saw the vase held high above her head.

An Yuan lied calmly, “Please do not misunderstand, Lord Que. Lulu was just thinking about where the best place to put this vase would be.”

Xing Lulu nodded in agreement. “Yes.”

Que Wenxan looked enlightened. “Oh, so it is a serious matter that requires holding it directly over my head to think.”

Lulu put the vase down awkwardly. An Yuan skillfully steered the conversation back to work before the assistants forcibly escorted the Sentinel out.

Once the chaos of the morning passed, Wen Xiuyan contacted An Yuan to invite him to lunch. An Yuan declined. He planned to go to Gu Hanqing’s house during the break to pack his things. Wen Xiuyan insisted on going with him to help.

An Yuan did not think he needed help, but he did not refuse. He had known Gu Hanqing for eight years and shared many memories, but he was a decisive person. Once his mind was made up, he left no path for retreat. He did not know if he would ever love again, but he was certain he would never go back to Gu Hanqing.

He planned to hire a cleaning service to clear out everything that belonged to him. If there were shared items, he would leave them if Gu Hanqing wanted them; otherwise, everything would be disposed of.

He told Wen Xiuyan about the packing but kept his plan to visit a real estate agent to himself. He could not live in Wen Xiuyan’s guest room forever.

As they took the elevator down, An Yuan’s mental barrier wavered. Fragments of conversation from the building drifted into his mind.

“Lord An Yuan and Gu Hanqing broke up. So many people in the Temple have started making their move.” “Of course! So many people love him, Sentinels, Guides, men, women. He belongs to everyone now!” “He has been with Wen Xiuyan these past two days. I am worried they will end up together.” “Impossible! They grew up together, slept in the same bed as kids. If they were going to be together, Gu Hanqing would not have stood a chance.” “True, they are basically brothers!”

Then, a familiar voice, Gu Hanqing’s.

Gu Hanqing: “A-Yuan, I need to go back home at noon.” Ning Yuanqiao: “To see Lord An Yuan?” Gu Hanqing: “Yes.” Ning Yuanqiao: “I am so sorry. Because of me, there is a misunderstanding between you two.” Gu Hanqing: “It is fine. He will understand.” Ning Yuanqiao: “If he will not forgive you, take me with you to apologize.” Gu Hanqing: “That will not be necessary. An Yuan is not that petty.”

Suddenly, Gu Hanqing’s voice turned worried. “A-Yuan, what is wrong?” Ning Yuanqiao: “I am okay, just a bit dizzy. I will go to the hospital myself. You go back, do not keep Lord An Yuan waiting.” Gu Hanqing: “It is fine. I will take you to the hospital first.” Ning Yuanqiao: “No, do not do that. Lord An Yuan will really be angry.” Gu Hanqing: “He will not.”

An Yuan re-established his barrier, cutting off the sound. Wen Xiuyan took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from An Yuan’s forehead. “You should go to the hospital.”

An Yuan shook his head. “I am fine. I need to deal with the things still at Gu Hanqing’s.”

When they arrived at the Silent Night District, the cleaning crew An Yuan had hired was already waiting. An Yuan used his fingerprint to enter the home where he had lived for two years. Having been away for only one day, it already felt strangely foreign.

“When is Gu Hanqing coming?” Wen Xiuyan asked.

“He is not,” An Yuan replied. He began directing the cleaners to remove everything of his.

First, the clothes. During their honeymoon phase, Gu Hanqing loved buying clothes for An Yuan. The closet was packed with them. An Yuan did not intend to keep a single piece. Then there were the gifts: watches, brooches, ties, belts, items both useful and purely decorative.

Then, the photos. Photos were harder to categorize. An Yuan hesitated, then decided to call Gu Hanqing using Wen Xiuyan’s phone, as he had already blocked him.

The call connected. Gu Hanqing sounded frustrated. “Are you with Wen Xiuyan?” he demanded.

An Yuan remained silent.

“Did you sleep at his house last night?” Gu Hanqing’s voice rose.

“Sentinel Gu, that is none of your business,” An Yuan said calmly. “I called to ask about our shared items. Do you want to keep them, or should I dispose of them?”

Gu Hanqing snapped, “A-Yuan is sick. I am busy right now. Do whatever you want with the things.” He hung up.

The dial tone hummed in An Yuan’s ear. “Okay,” he whispered, though it was unclear who he was saying it to.

He instructed the cleaners to burn all the photos and shared items. The three-bedroom apartment, plus a white noise room, was over 200 square meters. It was spacious for two people, but filled with the remnants of their eight years together. Once his belongings and their shared items were removed, the space felt more than half-empty.

The cleaners were efficient. Within thirty minutes, it was done.

Wen Xiuyan looked at An Yuan. “Lunch?”

An Yuan shook his head. “I want to go to a real estate agency.”

Wen Xiuyan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You plan to leave?”

“I cannot keep bothering you,” An Yuan said as they went down to the parking garage.

“You are not bothering me,” Wen Xiuyan insisted. “I enjoy cooking. If you stay with me, I can make you breakfast and dinner every day. Would that not be nice?”

An Yuan thought of the mess in the kitchen that morning, the breakfast they only safely ate because of takeout. “Xiuyan, we are close, but I cannot stay forever.”

“But I want to be with you,” Wen Xiuyan said.

An Yuan sighed. “It would be inconvenient for you. You might want to bring someone else over.”

“I will not,” Wen Xiuyan interrupted. His gaze was intense and sincere. “Whether in the past or the future, I do not think I will ever bring anyone else home.”

An Yuan lowered his gaze.

“Only you. I will only ever bring you,” Wen Xiuyan added.

Silence fell between them. Finally, An Yuan spoke. “Xiuyan, do you know why I left his house yesterday?”

“Why?”

Recalling that moment still sent a pang through An Yuan’s chest. “Because he told me to go.” He looked up into Wen Xiuyan’s eyes. “That was Gu Hanqing’s house. That was his home.”

Wen Xiuyan took a deep breath and pulled An Yuan into a gentle embrace. He understood An Yuan’s heart better than anyone. As a child, An Yuan had lived in the An house where his father did not love him, his stepmother ignored him, and his half-brother was hostile. It was supposed to be his home, but it offered no security. He used to run to the Wen house, but that was not his home either.

Later, with Gu Hanqing, An Yuan probably thought he finally had a place of his own. But it was not. It belonged to Gu Hanqing. And when Gu Hanqing told him to leave, he had no reason to stay in someone else’s place.

“A-Yuan, live with me,” Wen Xiuyan said. After a pause, he added, “I can transfer the house to your name.”

An Yuan refused. Under his persistence, they went to an agency. With his earnings from the Temple, An Yuan moved quickly and bought the apartment directly above Wen Xiuyan’s. They were now neighbors.

At 5:00 PM, Gu Hanqing returned to the Silent Night District with Ning Yuanqiao.

“Hanqing, I am so sorry,” Ning Yuanqiao said apologetically in the car. “I have caused a rift between you and Lord An Yuan.”

“A-Yuan, you did nothing wrong. I will explain everything to him.” At a red light, Gu Hanqing gently stroked Ning Yuanqiao’s hair. “Just focus on getting better.”

“Okay,” Ning Yuanqiao said, his eyes welling with tears. “I do not know what I would do without you.”

“There is no without me. I am right here.”

They arrived at the building and went upstairs. Gu Hanqing opened the door with his fingerprint. It was the same place, but the atmosphere had shifted entirely.

Gu Hanqing’s brow jumped. He had a sinking feeling. The house, normally full, felt hollow and empty.

The pillows An Yuan had bought were gone. The framed photo of them above the sofa was gone. Everything that belonged to An Yuan and everything they had shared had vanished.

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