The Noble Male Academy's Detective

Search tool: https://mbd.baidu.com/ma/s/7jZf9TAX — Detective at Noble Male Academy, Chapter 10

10

[Huh??? Have you two gotten close enough to hold hands???]

[Also, in the original novel F4 didn't seem like this at all — they were unusually proper, and at the start they pursued romance through normal means...]

'......'

This time he genuinely had no idea.

His dealings with F4 were limited to the last encounter and this one.

The rain was still falling. Separated by an armrest, Ji Yue said nothing — he only looked at the other's hand with quiet hesitation.

Ji Yue had a face that left a strong impression. Pale, delicate, damp hair-tips clinging to his cheeks; the rain seemed to make him look a little fragile, yet the cool, watchful expression in his eyes offset that entirely.

'I was simply curious why you wear gloves — I was wondering what kind of accident left those scars,' he said, explaining why he had been looking at the hand.

The scars had stirred something in Ji Yue's thoughts. Why would a person hide those two wounds? Li Xihé had a similar habit — every piece of clothing he owned was high-collared.

[Because they're hiding their pain! They suffer, they repress it all!] the System explained in its peculiar cadence.

If that was so, then what was the reason for baring such a thing to someone else?

Facing that ring of scar tissue, Ji Yue carefully extended his index finger and let his fingertip brush lightly against the other's palm.

An uneven, rough texture — nothing remarkable.

The instant He Yuanxi closed his fingers, Ji Yue's hand was already gone, slipping free like a bird startled from a mountain branch.

[What strange little game are you two playing?]

He Yuanxi lowered his head and unhurriedly pulled his glove back on, offering an explanation: 'The injury was because of something at home.'

A power struggle among the wealthy elite, then.

That fell outside the scope of what a detective needed to record. Ji Yue's interest evaporated at once; he turned to look out the window, where a streetlamp bloomed with hazy light in the rain. They were almost home.

'You can drop me off here. Thank you.'

The car stopped in front of the small villa. Ji Yue stepped out and moved to return the cashmere Coat, but He Yuanxi told him to keep it on: 'Take an umbrella before you go.'

He knew Ji Yue had a boyfriend, but that was fine.

A black umbrella opened in his hand. By now the rain had weakened considerably. Ji Yue rounded the corner to his front gate, and the headlights behind him began to dim as the sound of the departing car faded into the distance.

Unexpectedly, there was a figure standing before the villa's courtyard gate.

Silver-grey hair, cropped short, sticking out in all directions — as if it were an outward symbol of some restless irritation.

Si Jing was pacing back and forth in the rain, umbrella in hand, its edge not even covering his shoulders. At the sound of the car and approaching footsteps, he stopped and looked over.

'You're back?'

Si Jing strode forward. The moment he saw Ji Yue soaked from head to toe, his brow furrowed tight and his voice dropped: 'How did you get this drenched? Didn't you bring an umbrella? Are you cold?'

He fired off several questions at once. Ji Yue didn't take any of them in — he was only wondering why Si Jing was here.

[Exactly! How did the top student know you hadn't come home?]

'A little strange.'

[Very strange!]

Ji Yue decided to bring him inside.

'I'm going to shower.' Ji Yue shrugged off the Coat and handed it to the household robot. 'Have you been waiting downstairs this whole time?'

'I sent you messages and you didn't reply, so I got worried you hadn't made it back.'

'......'

Just for that reason — waiting downstairs?

Suspicious.

Ji Yue had never been one to check his messages.

'I'll make some ginger soup. Remember to bring an umbrella next time — the island's rainy season is almost here. I'll make dinner for you while I'm at it.' No one had asked Si Jing to do any of this, yet he walked into the kitchen with complete ease, tied on an apron, and opened the cupboard in one fluid motion to retrieve a small pot and a spatula.

[Hmm??? The top student is very familiar with your kitchen — that's not right!]

The scent of ginger drifted into the bathroom. After his shower, Ji Yue towelled his hair and glanced first toward the kitchen: soup was simmering on the stove, and Si Jing was chopping vegetables. Seeing him emerge, Si Jing said, 'Sit for a bit — I'll have dinner ready for you.'

'......'

'It's already half past six. I'll call you when it's done.'

Si Jing said this, then checked his watch and glanced toward the living room. Ji Yue had settled comfortably into the sofa, towelling his long hair — a deep-green, plush sofa that nearly swallowed the boy whole; from a distance you could only make out his head and a pair of slender pale legs peeking out.

Si Jing rolled up his sleeves, baring his firm forearms, and opened the kitchen refrigerator. He took out the few things left inside and began arranging the cookware; the faint clinking of metal blended with the murmur of the news channel.

Ji Yue listened quietly to those sounds, turned his face to the side, and caught Si Jing's busy silhouette in the glass door.

[Ugh, he's completely like a live-in attendant! The top student really does treat you like a friend!]

[If the lovesick F4 ever saw this, they'd definitely come to resent you!]

'If so, that would fit part of the plot.'

[After what happened today, the story is more or less entering the obsessive-love arc. The first to turn dark is Yan Min!]

The news channel happened to be covering the Yan family's affairs at that very moment — it played for only a few minutes before being cut off, the screen going briefly black, then switching to the tired old story of a primary-school child helping an elderly woman cross the road.

F4, born of families that could blot out the sky with one hand — in the end, they would get everything they wanted.

Half an hour later, Ji Yue received the dinner Si Jing had made: two dishes.

His cooking was quite good — light and clean in flavour.

The original novel had never mentioned this.

[There are many details that never make it onto the page! After all, they are real people.]

Ji Yue ate in the Restaurant while Si Jing tidied the living room cushions — patting the flattened ones back into shape, smoothing the pillowcases straight.

Tonight Si Jing had shed that pitiable, helpless quality he usually carried, as though he had returned to something closer to his true self.

Which one was the real top student?

[Both of them, of course — including the version in the original novel. That is also a part of him. Just as the version of you that exists in each person's eyes is also a part of you.] The System suddenly turned philosophical.

'Why aren't you eating dinner?'

Ji Yue asked him, biting the handle of his soup spoon.

'I'll make something when I get home.' Si Jing gave a soft sound of acknowledgement and glanced at him once more. 'I'll head off now — remember to drink the soup.'

As always, he had no intention of staying. Si Jing quietly opened the door and stepped out.

A few seconds later, a bolt of lightning split the sky. Ji Yue glanced toward the window — it was still raining outside.

[If you don't call the top student back, he'll get soaked again!] the System reminded him.

So he opened the door, meaning to call Si Jing back.

As it happened, Si Jing hadn't left yet — he had just pressed the elevator button and turned at the sound: 'What is it?'

'The rain is heavy. Come back inside for now.'

'Ji Yue, it's inconvenient... I was already imposing on you last time.' Si Jing lowered his head slightly. 'I don't want to be a bother.'

'It's fine.'

The faint glow of the elevator panel flickered in Si Jing's eyes, kindling a dim, murky light — like a flame burning in shadow.

Ji Yue went to dry his hair, a robot trailing behind him holding the hair dryer. His damp hair curled and lifted in the hot air, swaying like seaweed in the tide.

The wet black strands lying flat against the nape of his neck made that small patch of skin look even more pale and smooth.

Si Jing silently looked away and searched the room for something to do — otherwise he would have no choice but to sit on the sofa.

......The bathroom?

Just then a robot came out from inside, carrying a basin of Ji Yue's wet clothes.

Si Jing stared at that basin, his expression shifting — on top of the pile was an unfamiliar Coat, several sizes too large.

It was unmistakably not Ji Yue's style. It belonged to some unknown man.

Si Jing felt grateful to whoever had wrapped Ji Yue in that Coat in the rain and driven him home — and hated that another man's clothing had been on his body.

Who on earth was it?

'Ding-dong —'

The doorbell rang from outside.

Ji Yue looked through the peephole. It was Yan Min.

——————

'Since you have a guest, should I leave first?' Si Jing asked quietly.

The doorbell kept ringing. Ji Yue didn't answer him — he only looked toward the front door.

Had Yan Min come looking for the top student?

[Oh — and now Yan Min finds out he's here with you! F1 is truly furious now!]

'Yan Min isn't my guest.' Ji Yue said to Si Jing. 'The rain hasn't stopped — sit down for now.'

F4 needed to be with the top student — that was the true principle holding this world together.

He turned toward the door and said, 'Come in.'

The moment the door opened, the hallway lights flickered on and off, plunging Yan Min's face in and out of darkness. Though he carried himself with a scholarly air and said a polite 'sorry to intrude' before stepping inside, he still gave off an impression of elegant menace.

'Is something the matter?'

Ji Yue didn't close the door — he simply stood to the side and asked.

'I ran into you on the beach earlier. I was worried the rain tonight might have stranded you, and I couldn't find you there.'

Yan Min said this while his gaze made an unhurried sweep of the living room.

Ji Yue's home, for once, had the feel of a life being lived: dinner on the table, a towel draped over the sofa armrest, robots going about their tasks — and a young man inside the apartment.

'You had dinner together,' Yan Min said to him.

Si Jing answered before Ji Yue could: 'Not quite — I know my place. I wouldn't just do things he hasn't asked for.' He gave a light, self-deprecating smile. 'Can't be helped. Blame the rain for being so heavy today. I'll pray for clear skies every day from now on.'

Yan Min nodded. 'You're right.'

The sharp scent of ginger soup was spreading through the room, mingling with the damp smell of rain.

[What are they saying? Is Si Jing clarifying that the two of you are just friends?]

Ji Yue hadn't quite followed, but his gaze drifted left, then right toward Si Jing. Catching the System's prompt, he echoed it in a flat, even tone: 'We're just friends. Don't read into it.'

'The rain's let up a little — I'll head out.' Si Jing picked up his keys, gave them a small swing, and smiled. 'See you tomorrow.'

Ji Yue watched him walk out through the door. Someone stepped up behind him.

A few strands of Ji Yue's half-damp black hair curled around Yan Min's fingers, as though twining themselves around him; he smoothed them out and laid them against Ji Yue's cheek.

Yan Min followed the hair downward until he met a pair of eyes carrying a faint question.

Ji Yue asked him, 'Aren't you going down too? He'll be gone soon.'

A calm tone — as though there were nothing at all ambiguous between him and the top student. As though he had simply, one-sidedly, drunk a bowl of ginger soup.

Was that really all.

——————

BBS Forum

Trending / TOP...

Thread title: Rainy night, villa, luxury car...

0L: School beauty, just how many good older brothers do you have? Say something... (sobbing) (fist)

1L: OP is unwell — what did school beauty even do wrong! He literally just breathes and people come flocking (angry) (angry)

2L: Are you sure it's just breathing? (confused) (confused)

3L: School beauty is simply a little curious about these people — it's not like he said he likes any of them. They're the ones who got itchy and misread the situation (hand over mouth laughing) (hand over mouth laughing)

4L: Exactly, and nobody's heard him confess to any guy either (angry) (angry)

5L: But school beauty seems to like the top student the most... he's already brought him home several times. First love really is different~?

6L: School beauty even specifically asked a stranger whether the top student had been bullied by F4 — looked really worried. And he introduced the top student to He Yuanxi, the fleet sponsor, talking up how outstanding he is... caring so much about his future... school beauty, I'm literally crying... you have no idea the top student is a scheming little green tea (sobbing) (sobbing)

7L: Speaking of which, both Yan Min and the top student went to school beauty's place last night — did they really not come to blows? (confused) (confused)

8L: You'd better not fight and scare school beauty — if you want to fight, go do it in the basement~~ (sobbing)

9L: Ever since the top student visited school beauty's place twice, he's been walking on air and acting all smug. 'A man in high spirits is a man in luck' — I genuinely can't stand it... (nauseated) (fist)

10L: So what's the deal with He Yuanxi and school beauty — driving him home in the pouring rain... hmm...

11L: Can't it just be that school beauty got bored of the old ones and wants something fresh! Noble Male Academy has no shortage of men.

12L: If that's the case... school beauty is such a little troublemaker... (hot) (hot) (tongue out)

13L: Naughty school beauty, please be careful... don't crash and burn... I'm praying for you!