CHAPTER 43: ALARNA

AN: Hello lovelies. I am still trying to fix my upload time. I hope you had a great weekend. Happy reading!

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Jian Ci grabbed Yu Xi by the shoulders and shook him with giddy excitement, his grin stretching wide. "You saw it coming! I didn’t even notice Gigento overheating. You are like a psychic mech whisperer!"

Yu Xi blinked, a little dazed by the sudden jostling. Jian Ci had lost the bet, but he didn’t seem to care. He was too enthralled by Yu Xi’s quiet insight.

"What would you like?" Jian Ci asked, eyes bright, voice warm.

Yu Xi stared into those eyes, the kind that always seemed to laugh even when silent. "I will tell you when we get home."

Jian Ci nodded, still smiling. "Okay. Whatever you want, I will give it to you."

Then his gaze shifted past Yu Xi, and the smile faltered. A familiar figure was walking toward them.

Her halter crop top shimmered with iridescent defiance, clinging to her like armor forged from starlight. The ruched mini skirt moved like liquid chrome, each step a ripple of controlled chaos.

Her combat boots thudded against the floor, unapologetic and heavy. Her shoulder bag swung low, catching the arena’s pulse in its metallic gleam. Her narrow-tinted glasses shielded her eyes cool, unreadable and precise. She didn’t walk. She prowled.

Yu Xi followed Jian Ci’s gaze and felt his heart sink. "Do you know her?"

Jian Ci didn’t answer right away.

Yu Xi looked down, the joy of the moment slipping through his fingers like sand. They had been having such a good time, but of course, someone had to come along to ruin a perfect day.

"Kind of," Jian Ci finally replied, his tone breezy but noncommittal.

The girl’s lips curled into a smile. "Hey, Jian Ci. It’s been a while."

No one around Jian Ci ever called him by his title. That’s because he hated it. He preferred to be just Jian Ci, no pomp, no ceremony.

"Alex, right?" he guessed, tilting his head.

She laughed, a melodic sound that turned a few heads. "No, it’s Alarna."

Leung Zetian Alarna to exact. She was the daughter of Lord Leung, a high-ranking member of the High Celestial Court. But to most, she was just Alarna sharp-tongued, radiant, and impossible to ignore.

The girl beside her tugged at her arm, pouting. Alarna gestured. "This is Cindy."

Cindy beamed and waved as she said, "Hie!"

Alarna’s gaze shifted to Yu Xi and asked, "And this is...?"

"This is my close friend, Yu Xi," Jian Ci said, voice steady.

"Nice to meet you," Alarna said, her tone polite but probing.

"Nice to meet you too," Yu Xi replied, his voice cool, his posture rigid. His aura was imposing, but he kept it leashed.

"Can we join you?" Alarna asked, already sliding closer.

Jian Ci glanced at Yu Xi, a silent question in his eyes. "Sure."

What could Yu Xi say? Refusing would be rude.

Alarna settled beside Jian Ci, her perfume subtle but sharp. Cindy plopped down next to Yu Xi, practically vibrating with excitement as she stared at him. Yu Xi remained a brick wall barely acknowledging her.

Alarna tilted her head. "I thought he was a guide."

Jian Ci chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "He is the same height as me. How could he be a guide?"

Yu Xi didn’t respond. He was too busy observing her. He was too sensitive to people’s emotions towards him given where he grew up. Alarna’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, and her posture, though relaxed, was too calculated.

He could tell she didn’t like him. He could feel it in the way her gaze lingered just a second too long, in the subtle tension in her jaw. And they had only just met.

Jian Ci glanced at the girls. "Do you want anything?"

Alarna gave a casual shrug. "I am fine with anything."

"Me too," Cindy chimed in, her voice light and cheerful.

Jian Ci looked at Yu Xi, and their eyes met brief and silent. Jian Ci tapped the floating screen and placed an order without asking.

Alarna turned to Yu Xi and asked, "You don’t want anything?"

Yu Xi opened his mouth, but Jian Ci beat him to it. "I know what he likes."

Alarna tilted her head. "You two have a really good relationship."

"Yeah," Jian Ci said simply.

Alarna’s smile tightened. She hadn’t come here by chance. She had known Jian Ci would be here and had planned for this chance encounter. What she hadn’t planned for was him bringing someone.

If he had been alone, she would have ditched Cindy without a second thought. She was hoping to get close to him and start something but now she was forced to improvise.

The waiter arrived with practiced grace, placing the drinks on the table with a quiet nod. Yu Xi’s gaze fell on the sweet citrus concoction set before him bright, fragrant, and completely wrong. Before he could reach for it, a pair of long, slender fingers lifted the glass and replaced it with a chilled iced tea.

Jian Ci leaned in slightly and said, "It’s unsweetened."

Yu Xi’s voice was flat. "Thanks." But inside, his nerves sparked like live wires. The gesture was simple, yet it unraveled him.

Alarna bit down on her straw, her lips curling into a smile. She reached out and touched Jian Ci’s shoulder, her fingers resting there with casual familiarity. "Which military academy are you joining?"

Jian Ci turned to her, oblivious to the tension building beside him. "Imperial Academy. You?"

Alarna’s eyes lit up. "Me too."

Yu Xi’s gaze dropped to her hand still on Jian Ci’s arm and his chest tightened. His heart felt like it was clawing its way out of his ribs.

Cindy turned to him, her voice syrupy sweet. "What about you, handsome guy?"

Her gaze was magnetic, her smile designed to disarm but Yu Xi felt nothing. His heart didn’t flutter or stall. It was just static.

"I will be right back," he said, rising abruptly.

He needed space. If he didn’t calm down soon, his psychic energy might rupture the room. And that hand... that hand... that was still on Jian Ci might get chopped off by his psi blade.

Jian Ci looked up, mouth half open to ask where Yu Xi was going, but the words never made it out. Yu Xi had already turned, his figure retreating with quiet urgency. Jian Ci frowned, sensing something off but not quite grasping it.

Alarna watched Yu Xi disappear and felt a prickling dislike bloom in her chest. Something about him unsettled her. He was too quiet and expressionless making it hard for her to read him.

"I didn’t expect Gigento to win," she said, trying to steer the mood elsewhere.

"Yeah, me too," Cindy echoed, twirling her straw.

Jian Ci smiled, but his thoughts were elsewhere. "Me too. But Yu Xi saw something I didn’t. He predicted Gigento would lose."

Once Jian Ci started talking about Yu Xi, he couldn’t stop. "He is so smart. No, he is a genius."

Alarna tilted her head. "That’s impressive. Is he single?"