Chapter 64 - SIXTY-FOUR

Chapter 64: Chapter SIXTY-FOUR

"Your Sentinel...may not be who he says he is."

Xin Linhua slowly sinks back into his seat. His eyes are unfocused, like he’s far away somewhere else.

He grips the armrest tight, refusing to let his brother’s words get to him.

"Okay. I get it. Yaras?...has his own secrets, I shouldn’t pry into it or try to uncover them. He’ll tell me when it’s time."

"Xin Linhua!"

"Older brother, he has never tried to hurt me before." Xin Linhua continues "Yeah, he’s enigmatic and a bit...off, but he’s still my Sentinel."

"Your argument is profoundly flawed."

"I know, but I can’t leave him. His wavelengths are bad enough as they are, it’s hard to keep them in check. He’s triple S, you should know how much he suffers daily. If I leave him and he goes rogue, that’s on me."

Xin Linhai wants to say something, but Xin Linge holds him back.

"You don’t want to break off your pairing?"

"No."

Xin Linge says no more. He lowers his head and continues eating.

Xin Linhua suddenly feels uneasy.

The Xin brothers are known for three things.

Their force in the business world, their versatile personality and the most famous one of all– their ruthlessness.

It’s said that it’s easier to offend a local gang, you might lose a few fingers. But if you offend a Xin, death will be a more blissful experience than an encounter with them.

Thinking about all this and every other thing he has witnessed himself, Xin Linhua shudders.

"Brother..." Xin Linhua reaches out across the table "You’re not planning anything, are you?"

Xin Linhai stares at the hand Xin Linhua is gripping. He adjusts his glasses with the other.

"Plan? What are you talking about?"

Xin Linhua’s heart stutters. Rather than feeling rest assured, panic kicks in instead.

"You can’t touch me." Xin Linhua tightens his grip "Please."

"Why?" Xin Linhai raises his head and stares straight into Xin Linhua’s eyes "Just tell me why. If you give me a good reason, I’ll reconsider."

Xin Linhua has no words. He has given every reason he could think of since the start of this conversation and his brothers literally threw them out the window.

"If you touch him, it’ll affect me."

The two brothers freeze up.

"You–"

"He bonded." Xin Linhua straight up dropped the white lie "If you touch my Sentinel, I’ll go rogue or probably suicide. So you can’t."

Xin Linhai’s eyes are frightening. Behind those glasses, his hazel eyes are sharp with a murderous light. Xin slowly retrieves his hand in fear.

"What the fuck were you thinking!?" Xin Linge flies into a rage "You can’t just bond with anyone!"

"Why the fuck not!" Xin Linhua retorts "He’s my Sentinel. Mine alone!"

"So." Xin Linhai suddenly grabs his brother’s hand "You actually slept with him?"

"Wait, what? Fuck no!"

The room goes quiet. Xin Linhua seems to realize something. Damn this quick mouth of his!

"Heh!" Xin Linhai releases him "Yet, you claim to have bonded? Your pairing alone is not strong enough, yet you bonded with him? You really would say anything to save his skin, wouldn’t you?"

"So that’s how..." Xin Linhua suddenly snaps back "Brother–"

"Save it." Xin Linhai raises his hand "I won’t do anything to him for now."

"For now?"

"Not good enough?"

"Good! Very good!" Xin Linhua flashes a thumbs up.

"Eat your food."

"Yes, sir!"

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Safe to say, the dinner went fairly well.

Xin Linhua kept worming his way into his brothers’ mind, pleading them to spare his Sentinel.

After the dinner, the brother go their separate ways.

Xin Linhua returns to the institute, probably to reconcile. He even bought a present.

The two brothers can’t bear to watch, so they leave him at the store entrance and walk towards the company building.

They had planned to return home instead, but they still have a bit of work to do. Xin Linhua is the only one who’s carefree enough to go pick fights with people– they’re drowning in paperwork instead.

"So, you’re really going to let the kid off?" Xin Linge asks as they turn at an intersection.

"I promised after all, I shouldn’t go back on my words." Xin Linhai replies with a sigh.

"Well, I guess he’s right about something..." Xin Linhua exhales "He has never tried to hurt Hua’er. If anything, he seems... protective."

"I did get that feeling from the second meeting." Xin Linhai agrees "He was standing behind Hua’er, but he couldn’t rein in his aura. That’s how I knew he was present."

"Is that a good thing, or should we be worried for our little brother’s safety?"

"We’ll observe for now."

"If we take actions later, Hua’er might hate us." Xin Linge’s breathe forms a small fog in front of him "One can sell your little brother off, and he’ll still help them count the money."

"He’s oblivious at times. That Sentinel is poisoning his mind slowly."

"You think so?"

"Mm. That little rascal can’t tell his feelings apart, so now is the best time to get rid of him before things get more complicated."

"But if we do that, Hua’er will hate us for life! Forever! What if he leaves home?"

"That might not–"

Xin Linhai suddenly stops. His gloved fingers twitch in his coat pocket.

"What is it–"

Xin Linge’s back goes rigid.

The two brothers have walked into a familiar alleyway. Just two more buildings and they’ll be at Xin Corporation.

"You should be back at the institute." Xin Linhai calmly turns around "Hua’er just left to reconcile. He even got you a gift."

"Is that so?"

A familiar but unfamiliar voice travels through the quiet and dimly lit alley.

In the shadows, a man slowly walks towards them, hands behind his back. He strides forward with a calm and steady gait. His face comes into light.

"Phantom." Xin Linhai faces him "You live up to your name. You followed us for so long, and I couldn’t tell."

The familiar white blindfold. The black combat outfit that blends with the dark. That unshakeable feeling one gets in his presence. Rong Yizhan stands before them with a neutral expression.

"Good evening." He greets.