Marked the Protagonist A (Translated)

Chapter 60: Ambiguous Distance

Chapter 60: Ambiguous Distance

Chi Zhuo replied with a light "Mm," leaving without hesitation.

The scene made Bai Anran's eyelids twitch.

Lu Jianhan, being straightforward, failed to grasp any underlying meaning from their conversation and thought it was all quite normal. Wasn't it just the upperclassmen finishing their tasks and leaving?

As a more perceptive omega, Bai Anran naturally sensed something amiss; every word seemed laden with meaning, especially with Chi Zhuo walking away just like that.

After Chi Zhuo left, Ji Chenxi showed no obvious anger. He simply turned to Bai Anran and Lu Jianhan and gestured, "I'll go check the situation outside. You two see if the poison has been neutralized. If not, the school should send someone with the antidote."

Watching Ji Chenxi's retreating figure, Lu Jianhan frowned slightly and asked Bai Anran, "Did he just leave us behind? Is he afraid we'll take his points? Just the two of us can't beat him!"

Bai Anran's expression was strange. "Not really."

"So what is he going to do?"

"...Check the situation, I guess." Bai Anran felt quite guilty saying this, almost failing to convince himself.

Sure enough, Lu Jianhan looked speechless after hearing this answer. "Now I understand why Ji Chenxi treats everyone equally but is special to you." After all, what's wrong with a silly kid showing a bit more care?

Ji Chenxi followed the route into the maze as it kept changing, and the path he had taken before was no longer applicable. However, he continued along the previous path for quite a while before encountering an unsurprising person.

Chi Zhuo had only walked about fifty meters; if the maze hadn't been so winding, Lu Jianhan and the others would still be able to see him.

"What are you doing?" Ji Chenxi asked. "Isn't Chi Zhuo leaving yet?"

"Waiting for you."

"Hmm, wait for me to do what? I didn't make my senior wait for me."

"So it's me who wants to wait for you."

Ji Chenxi wanted to maintain his composure but couldn't quite hold it, breaking into a smile. He set down several layers of protection and quietly asked, "How did that person from the Lan family get in touch with you? His blatant favoritism towards you is unlike his usual style."

"Recently, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince stirred up a bit of trouble. It started with a batch of goods from the Lan family. The Lan family is among the top-tier aristocrats, especially with their representatives in the council. Although they claim it's about their goods, what they really want is the Lan family's support. That guy, Lan Mu, intentionally signed up for this new student trial, probably because he heard I was participating and wants to drag me down with him."

Ji Chenxi responded, "Aren't you angry?"

"What's there to be angry about? He's both dragging me down and indirectly saying that whoever I choose, he'll support. Your Highness, the Lan family's support is a crucial part of the equation."

"I understand the reasoning, but he seems to be really familiar with you." After discussing serious matters, Ji Chenxi threw the question back to the initial point.

"We are indeed quite familiar; I've known him for eleven years, and he has never beaten me once."

Always being defeated, this familiarity was certainly something Lan Mu didn't want. Chi Zhuo was essentially saying he and Lan Mu were not that close at all.

"Actually, I don't mind if you have friends."

"Is that sarcasm?"

Ji Chenxi didn't expect such a response from his rare moment of generosity. He felt a mix of amusement and exasperation, "I really doubt I'm seen as some sharp-tongued villain in your eyes."

"That's not the case."

"Oh? Is that sarcasm?" Ji Chenxi replied with a half-smile, successfully tossing back someone else's words.

Chi Zhuo was momentarily speechless, though his brows relaxed slightly, a hint of a faint smile emerging on his stern face. "Perhaps. Your Highness, do you want to guess whether that's the truth or sarcasm?"

Ji Chenxi shook his head, indicating he had no intention of playing guessing games with him. He redirected the topic back to the beginning, "Honestly, I don't mind you having friends rationally, since I have good friends myself."

"Rationally? So does Your Highness have irrational moments?"

Ji Chenxi took this for granted. "Of course! Sometimes emotions don't listen to reason."

"How do emotions make you misbehave?" Chi Zhuo's voice softened a bit.

After all, this was an exciting moment. Typically, when young couples reach this point in conversation, the natural development is that "emotions don't want you to have friends, don't want to see you being so close to others." Regardless of whether the involved parties take it to heart, it's a form of flirting. People often indulge in this ambiguous relationship, and even Chi Zhuo couldn't completely avoid it.

Ji Chenxi was pleased to hear Chi Zhuo's question, as if he had intentionally dug a pit for him to jump into, wearing a nearly content smile.

He leaned closer and whispered in Chi Zhuo's ear, "Of course, I want to lock you up so that you can't see anyone but me. In that prolonged darkness and loneliness, the only sounds you hear will be your own breathing and heartbeat along with my voice. You will gradually depend on me and become inseparable from me..."

Chi Zhuo's breathing slightly deepened, uncertain whether it was due to Ji Chenxi's flirtatious proximity or the threatening words.