Chapter 11: I Really Am Very Unsuitable for Being Human

That really was a good question.

Lin Jiangye did not panic. Being tested so openly instead refreshed his impression of Yu Wangxiao once again.

This person was very sharp, and also very bold. His acceptance of things beyond common sense was far too high. Clearly, he held some unspeakable secrets.

And… Yu Wangxiao did not seem afraid of death at all. Even after asking such a rather subtle question, his right hand was still wrapped around Lin Jiangye’s waist, neither too light nor too heavy, neither too loose nor too tight.

Lin Jiangye currently still had muscle weakness, but he could break free from his embrace at any time, or aim at his vital point from close range and directly strike.

Upon learning that the life beneath a human shell had changed its core, no normal human should be this calm.

But Yu Wangxiao’s attitude was indifferent, without revealing even the slightest sense of wariness.

“I’m different from you,” Lin Jiangye tilted his head and looked into his eyes. “I asked for his opinion. Do you believe me?”

“Of course.” Yu Wangxiao nodded. After pausing, he continued asking meaningfully, “If I keep asking, will you answer?”

“…Knowing too much isn’t good for you. Besides, our relationship isn’t that close yet. I don’t trust you enough.”

According to their agreement, Lin Jiangye obediently answered truthfully.

“You don’t trust me? Mm, I have indeed done many things that made you uncomfortable. I’m sorry. We can slowly adjust to each other. We’ll eventually find a comfortable way to get along.”

His sudden apology slightly startled Lin Jiangye, leaving him somewhat confused. “I’m not uncomfortable. I’m just worried about being dragged into trouble.”

“Really not uncomfortable?”

Yu Wangxiao seemed thoughtful and slightly tightened his arm.

The feeling of being restrained was unfamiliar, but the scent on him was far too familiar, completely overpowering Lin Jiangye’s instinctive combat awareness.

Yu Wangxiao could not see it, nor could he smell it, so perhaps he would never understand just how much he resembled a plate of… luxurious delicacy most beloved by death gods.

His neatly groomed ink-black hair was meticulous, wrapped in the rich fragrance overflowing from the pink light screen. His occasionally moving Adam’s apple was full and distinct, like the tempting glass marble on ramune soda waiting to be explored.

The swollen human blood vessels and muscles were so real, rich with unique texture and warmth. They were the perfect blend of pink-white and blood-red, continuously flowing with each breath and heartbeat, like marshmallows roasted over low-temperature flames…

“I’m not uncomfortable.” Lin Jiangye forcibly resisted the impulse to bite off several pieces of his flesh. He lowered his head, pressed Yu Wangxiao’s wrist, pulled it toward himself, and softly urged, “Rub my stomach first. I’m about to faint from hunger.”

Yu Wangxiao readily complied. With somewhat stiff technique, he placed his hand over Lin Jiangye’s stomach, and the warmth of his palm quickly penetrated the fabric. “Sorry. Next time, I won’t let you go hungry for this long.”

He apologized again.

There was actually no need at all.

After all, no one could have predicted the development of events, from that cup of hot milk with a strong bitter almond scent to Old Madam Gu’s damp and splendid corpse… No ordinary guest attending the banquet would have been able to handle it quickly.

In comparison, Yu Wangxiao had already done very well, even if he was a strange human who might break the law at any moment.

Lin Jiangye no longer had the energy to guess his thoughts. He only narrowed his eyes comfortably, with no sense of distance at all, nestled his head against Yu Wangxiao’s shoulder, and openly inhaled the human’s scent.

He did not care whether the human gaze looking at him was full of hidden meaning and danger.

Knock, knock, knock.

The harmonious moment was very short-lived. Before long, an extremely light knock came from outside.

“Come in.”

The door opened at the sound, and two men in suits and leather shoes quickly walked in.

One of them was He Chen. He was dressed no differently from the servers, and with arms that looked rather slender, he carried a… huge tray.

He had not followed Yu Wangxiao’s idea of climbing over the wall to enter, nor was he wearing those pretty gold-rimmed glasses. His expression, however, was extremely sour, openly radiating resentment.

After placing the tray full of food down heavily, He Chen took a pair of rubber gloves from inside his tailcoat and put them on while saying darkly, “Boss, I brought Doctor Li. Where’s the milk with hydrogen cyanide?”

“Doctor Li?” Lin Jiangye was startled and instantly poked his head out from Yu Wangxiao’s arms.

Unfortunately, he was not the hardworking doctor from the original plot, but a middle-aged man who looked five-tenths similar to Li Yushen. His face was tired, and the outline of his dark circles was also very deep.

Doctor Li smiled kindly at Lin Jiangye. Following Yu Wangxiao’s silent indication, he picked up the milk on the table at the side.

He was also wearing gloves. He carefully fanned the air above the glass cup. As soon as he lightly sniffed it, the furrow between his brows immediately became extremely obvious.

“Chairman Yu, who have you offended recently? Such a strong concentration of hydrogen cyanide, and it still hasn’t completely evaporated even now. Smelling even a little more could cause serious trouble… Whoever did this was clearly aiming for a fight to the death.”

Yu Wangxiao did not answer, nor did he reveal the slightest surprise. He only lightly supported Lin Jiangye’s waist and pushed him forward. “Take it back. You handle it afterward yourselves. Check his condition first.”

“Ah, yes, yes.” Doctor Li immediately handed the milk to He Chen, his attitude rather doglike as he half-squatted down. “Mr. Lin, how do you feel right now? Do you have a headache, chest tightness, or nausea?”

Lin Jiangye shook his head, his tone resentful. “There was a little at the beginning, but now only hunger is left… Can I eat?”

“Ah, of course, of course. Proper energy replenishment is also very important. Observe yourself for one night after going home today. Please contact me anytime if there’s any problem.” As he spoke, he handed over a business card with both hands. “At your service whenever called.”

“…Thank you.”

After accepting the business card and staring at Doctor Li’s smiling dark circles, faint sympathy rose in Lin Jiangye’s heart.

Because his bootlicking truly was a little frightening, even if it was entirely for Yu Wangxiao’s sake.

It seemed that the large Li family of doctors was not merely Yu Lin’s friends. Perhaps they had already been inextricably connected to the Yu family from the beginning.

But within these complicated character relationships, who was the villain and who was the loyal minister… Lin Jiangye no longer had the mind to guess.

Seeing He Chen begin to deal with the corpse, he felt reassured and busied himself with eating. He became immersed in fresh shrimp covered in sauce and soft, slippery foie gras, searching for the flavor he had long craved in vanilla pudding.

Yu Wangxiao did not give him the chance to try chili peppers and directly changed the dipping sauce to a sweet one. Lin Jiangye, meanwhile, preferred dipping more into fully ripe, soft avocado mash.

This food’s texture was subtle, very much like the transparent fat that peeled away from the bodies of deep-sea fish in certain worlds after death, together with their souls. It was cold, fragrant, soft, and extremely suitable for replenishing energy.

Before officially becoming a god, Lin Jiangye’s position had been too low. He had no authority at all to taste those alien souls.

So every time he became unbearably greedy, he could only ambush the chief priest of the neighboring deep-sea department. After that great octopus fainted, he would poke open the densely packed holes in Their tentacles and search wildly for Their internal storage pouch.

…Remembering his former extremely arrogant and appetite-enslaved crazy years, Lin Jiangye suddenly put down the knife and fork in his hands with a clack and let out a long breath.

“What’s wrong?”

Yu Wangxiao had been speaking with Doctor Li. Hearing the movement, he sharply turned his head back, concern appearing in the depths of his calm eyes.

“Something like me dying inexplicably seems pretty normal too.” Lin Jiangye answered blankly.

After all, openly robbing leaders, violently beating superiors, stealing food everywhere that was outside his authority… His style of doing things over the years did seem to have major problems.

This was knowledge Lin Jiangye had learned from humans.

Although his life in the human world had been brief, it was enough for him to learn many subtle, unspoken rules through observing social interactions.

Especially with an observation target like Yu Wangxiao, whom no one could ignore.

After continuously observing until now, Lin Jiangye finally had an epiphany.

—The party with lower status, even if they possessed outstanding strength and special abilities, should not act recklessly and follow their heart without restraint. Before doing anything, they should more or less first refer to and seek the attitude of those above them.

As for his past self… he had only honestly followed written rules. As for all actions outside the rules, he had followed only his own heart. Not even his direct guide could stop him in the slightest.

Because his guide had long since become unable to beat him.

No wonder he died on the night before becoming a god. Perhaps everyone had been displeased with him for a long time and had long conspired to stop him from obtaining godhood. He simply had not noticed!

Lin Jiangye was completely immersed in replaying and analyzing things and did not realize that the atmosphere in the lounge was gradually becoming subtle.

“No one should die so easily, Tuantuan. What happened wasn’t your fault. It was my oversight. I didn’t protect you well.”

“…”

“Don’t worry. In the future, your three meals will be handled by a private chef, and Chen Ming will deliver them on time. There won’t be any more safety issues.”

“…”

“Tuantuan? Still spacing out?”

“…”

Lin Jiangye never responded. He had not heard him at all.

Yu Wangxiao chuckled softly, put down the document in his hand, and walked closer to him unhurriedly, watching Lin Jiangye’s empty-eyed dazed expression with great interest.

“Ahem, Chairman Yu, there’s something I don’t know if I should…” Seeing this, Doctor Li could not help but interrupt in a low voice.

“Say it.”

“Is Young Master Lin’s spacing-out situation common? Is the frequency high? Is there any pattern?”

Yu Wangxiao’s smile faded, and he turned his head to look over. “Not very regular, and there’s no obvious trigger. Of course, the stimulation and stress he has encountered recently… have been a bit much.”

Doctor Li rubbed his chin and frowned as he stared at Lin Jiangye. “I see. Usually, try to pay more attention to Young Master Lin’s condition and talk to him more. This isn’t very good. If it’s convenient for you, take him to Old Wang’s place tomorrow morning, just in case.”

“You mean he may have psychological issues?” Yu Wangxiao seemed thoughtful. He raised his hand and rubbed Lin Jiangye’s hair, but he did not blindly believe it.

“Short-term abnormal behavior isn’t much, but if it lasts a long time and the root problem isn’t resolved, it may develop into an actual psychological condition. By then, treatment will become a prolonged battle.

“Chairman Yu, you also know this world isn’t safe nowadays. Monsters and demons are everywhere… Only by keeping Young Master Lin in a good mental state can the two of you walk harmoniously and beautifully for a long time, right?”

Doctor Li’s tone was serious for a moment, but he quickly returned to his previous bootlicking attitude.

Yu Wangxiao also took it in. “Tell Wang Chen. I’ll take Jiangye there next month.”

“Got it. Old Wang will definitely reserve the whole day for you. He also kept several brews of eighty-year-old ancient tree tea for you. I asked him three times and still never got to drink any.”

“Then I really must go.” Yu Wangxiao curved his lips, then changed the topic. “As thanks… your son wants to pursue the second young master of Jialin Pharmaceuticals. For that, he stole three of your credit cards. You still haven’t noticed?”

“Wh-what?!”

Doctor Li’s suddenly amplified voice attracted the curious gazes of several guests downstairs and also made Lin Jiangye jolt awake as if from a dream.

“…Mm?”

Why was Yu Wangxiao pinching his face?

His fingertips smelled nice. It was pleasant, but this was not a particularly comfortable posture.

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Jiangye tugged at Yu Wangxiao’s sleeve, making him stretch out his palm and place it under his chin.

Yu Wangxiao understood immediately and did as he wanted. His fingertips slowly brushed across the blue-green blood vessels on the young man’s side neck. A smile once again appeared between his brows, and his tone was extremely gentle. “You spaced out for a long time. What were you thinking about?”

“I was thinking that I really am very unsuitable for being human. If you take me out a few more times, other people might get so angry they want to kill me.”

Lin Jiangye reflected seriously, his cheek unconsciously rubbing lightly against his warm palm. Every sentence was the truth.

“How could that be? Because you eat a lot?” Yu Wangxiao laughed. “There are more people who want to kill me, but to be honest, I think I’m very suitable for being human.”

“The nature is different. You’re much better than me.” Lin Jiangye poked the back of the hand that had moved closer. “Look, you’re accommodating me right now, but you’re my…”

“My what?”

Lin Jiangye paused, glanced at Doctor Li, who was still emotionally collapsing, and quickly lowered his voice. “Boss, leader, Party A.”

“But I don’t like any of those three titles. What should we do?” His tone seemed a little troubled as he calmly looked straight into Lin Jiangye’s eyes, his gaze deep.

Lin Jiangye looked back in confusion, not quite understanding. He could only continue seriously reflecting. “Then we’ll go with what you like. Whatever you want is fine.

“It should have been me accommodating you and unconditionally cooperating with your actions. Please don’t indulge me too much. I’m afraid I’ll cause trouble.”

“There’s no need to think that way. This world is very boring. If you cause some trouble, that would be perfect.”

“Perfect? It’ll cause a lot of trouble. What if you want to fire me because of it…”

Before he could finish speaking, Yu Wangxiao suddenly let go and, without allowing refusal, pressed down on the top of his head and rubbed hard.

“Mm?”

“I’m touching your head. Do you dislike it?”

“…No. It’s actually quite comfortable.” After thinking seriously, Lin Jiangye honestly reached a conclusion.

“Right. Because we’ve watched a movie together, attended a banquet together, gotten poisoned, collected a corpse, and exchanged secrets. We can already be considered good friends. So, I don’t like a purely businesslike attitude.”

Yu Wangxiao also imitated his serious tone and explained human social relationships to him. Though the explanation itself… was extremely subjective.

Lin Jiangye also had no experience distinguishing this. He was working hard to learn. “Then how should I treat you? More arrogantly and presumptuously?”

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft laugh sounded by his ear.

“As long as you don’t let yourself get hurt and stay away from Yu Lin, you can do whatever you want.” Yu Wangxiao stood up, his gaze tolerant and gentle. “If you cause trouble outside, you can also come to me to solve it. Make as much of a fuss as you like.”

The implication was that there was no trouble he could not settle.

What a generous human. What a generous invitation. It could practically be called arrogant.

But when he thought that the person before him was Yu Wangxiao, the Yu Wangxiao who had avoided death and drifted outside the plot, the logic somehow became reasonable again.

As long as he did not anger him, merely wearing the identity of “Yu Wangxiao’s lover” would allow Lin Jiangye to walk sideways across the whole of A City.

The employee benefits were this good. No wonder the Yu Group could become the industry leader. But this treatment was still so good that it felt unreal. Lin Jiangye thought Yu Wangxiao must have other intentions toward him.

Add to that the energy and health Lin Jiangye could obtain whenever favorability rose… It had not been long, yet he had already inexplicably owed Yu Wangxiao a lot.

It would be troublesome if he could not repay it in the future.

So Lin Jiangye softly proposed a return benefit. “Do you need a free divination service? Simple daily good or bad fortune, travel, opening ceremonies, weddings and funerals, things like that—I can roughly read them. I can help avoid bloody disasters.”

“Hm? When did you learn this skill?”

“Yesterday afternoon.”

“…”