Obsessed with a High-Ranking Esper (BL)-Chapter 167: They fell in love

"Of course not, my little Tian is still young," Lord Leung said, "but they do have to be seen together often. Otherwise, I will let the public know my daughter was discarded like trash after tenth used her."

"The public will eat it up," Lord Leung continued, swirling his glass. "The poor guide, bruised and abandoned. And now, the noble tenth prince refuses to take responsibility."

Jian Rui exhaled slowly. "Fine."

He didn’t like these conditions at all. He negotiated wanting the relationship to be private but lord Leung couldn’t wait to spread it all around that Jian Ci was a scumbag who imprinted to his daughter by force and deserted her. Jian Rui had no choice but to agree.

He left the estate with a bitter taste in his mouth. But the moment he entered the hovercar, another summons awaited him. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

***

The palace was colder than usual.

Jian Rui knelt on the marble floor, head bowed, the scent of incense and wine thick in the air. Imperial Lord Thaurion reclined on a chaise, his robe loose, a glass of wine in one hand, an esper kneading his shoulders. He didn’t look up.

"Didn’t I tell you," Thaurion said, voice smooth and sharp, "that your brothers’ relationships require my approval?"

Jian Rui’s eyes stayed on the floor, but his pupils trembled with barely restrained fury. "They fell in love, Father. I realized it too late."

The glass shattered at his feet. A shard sliced across his brow, blood trickling down his temple. He didn’t flinch.

"Tell them to break it off," Thaurion said coldly.

Jian Rui wanted to. He didn’t particularly like Alarna or Lord Leung, but he knew it wasn’t an option. Not anymore.

"Father," he said, voice steady, "if I may interject... there are benefits to this union."

Thaurion waved the esper away. She bowed and left the room, the door hissing shut behind her.

"Speak," Thaurion said.

Jian Rui rose to one knee. "Alarna is truly in love with Jian Ci. As long as she is happy, we can control Lord Leung. He’s not aligned with any of the princes or princesses. He has no loyalty to the court, only to profit. If we keep him close, we can use him."

Thaurion narrowed his eyes. "Go on."

"He is greedy. Cunning. But predictable. If we give him the illusion of power, he will sell out anyone. Even his allies. He is a perfect wedge."

Thaurion leaned back, considering. The silence stretched.

Then, finally, he nodded once. "Fine. Let the public believe what they want. But keep it clean. No scandals and no more surprises otherwise you will pay for your brother’s sins."

"Yes, Father."

"And Jian Ci?"

"Will do what he is told."

Thaurion’s gaze lingered on his son. "See that he does."

Jian Rui bowed again, blood still trailing down his face. He didn’t wipe it neither did he speak. He just turned and left.

***

Back at home, Jian Ci sat in the dark, the communicator still in his hand. There was another chime. It was another message.

Alarna: "I made you some soup. I will leave it at the gate if you can’t come out. Just... let me know you’re okay."

Jian Ci stared at the screen. Then, slowly, he opened the message thread with Yu Xi but there was still nothing.

He typed, "Are you okay?"

He stared at the blinking cursor for a momemt then deleted it. And refreshed the screen again.

****

Jian Rui walked out of the palace with his head bowed, posture deferential, the perfect image of a dutiful son. The cut above his brow still bled sluggishly, a thin line of red trailing down his temple. The guards didn’t meet his eyes. They didn’t need to. Everyone knew what had just happened.

He descended the marble steps and entered the waiting hover car, the doors hissing shut behind him.

A pulse of psychic energy surged from his body, rattling the walls of the cabin. The lights flickered. The air shimmered with pressure. His fists clenched, and for a moment, the entire vessel groaned under the weight of his fury.

"Sir," the pilot called from the front, voice tight. "Containment fields are holding, but—"

"I know," Jian Rui snapped, forcing the power back down.

It coiled inside him like a storm in a bottle, furious and barely leashed. He leaned back hard, breathing through his teeth, his hands trembling with restraint. As he wiped the blood off his face with a handkerchief. His communicator buzzed.

"Your Highness," the bodyguard in the front seat said. "We are being followed."

"I see it," Jian Rui muttered, eyes narrowing at the hover car trailing behind them. "Pull over."

The vehicle slowed and drifted to the side of the skyway. The other hover car mirrored the motion, coming to a smooth stop a few meters behind.

Jian Rui’s communicator buzzed again. A floating screen flickered to life.

Stannis: Come over.

Jian Rui exhaled through his nose. Of course. He wasn’t in the mood for Stannis’s chaos. Not today. But if he didn’t go, Stannis would only escalate. He would show up at their house and risk exposing them to the enemy.

With a grunt, Jian Rui stepped out of the hover car. "Head back," he told the driver.

"Sir?"

"I said head back."

The bodyguard hesitated, then nodded. The hover car lifted off and vanished into the traffic stream.

Jian Rui walked over to the unmarked hover car and opened the door.

A wave of scent hit him first—floral, sweet, and strangely calming. A massive bouquet hovered in the air before him, suspended in a levitating field. Star-orchids shimmered with soft bioluminescence, their petals shifting color with every breath.

Crystal roses glowed from within, their edges refracting light like prisms. The bouquet pulsed gently, releasing a scent tuned to his emotional frequency.

Jian Rui blinked, stunned.

Stannis leaned forward from the opposite seat, moving the bouquet aside with a grin. "Get in."

Jian Rui hesitated for only a second. Then he climbed in and let the door close behind him.

As the hover car pulled away, Stannis said, "I know you had a terrible day. So I brought you these."

He gestured proudly to the bouquet, clearly pleased with himself.

Jian Rui didn’t say a word. He just lunged forward and kissed him hard.

Stannis let out a surprised sound as he was pushed back against the seat, the bouquet tumbling to the floor in a soft rustle of petals and light. But he didn’t resist.

His hands found Jian Rui’s shoulders, then his waist, pulling him closer as he kissed him back with equal heat.