Obsessed with a High-Ranking Esper (BL)-Chapter 263: Have you ever been in love?

AN: Wishing you joy, prosperity, and harmony as the Year of the Horse begins. May your days gallop forward with strength, courage, and endless opportunities. Happy reading!!

Just then, the elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and Jian Ci stepped inside the sanctuary. His movements were quiet and subdued. He didn’t say a word as he crossed the room, simply sitting down without sparing Jian Rui a glance. The weight of last night’s outburst still hung heavy on him, and he didn’t know how to face his brother.

Seraphyne’s voice broke the silence, calm but firm. "Did you have a good rest?"

Jian Ci nodded faintly. "I did."

"Have you calmed down?" she asked, her gaze steady. He lowered his eyes and nodded again.

"That’s good," she said, turning to Jian Rui. "Rui-er, do you want to say something to your brother?"

Jian Rui cleared his throat, his expression serious. "I am sorry. I kept you out of the loop. I was just trying to protect you, but I didn’t realize that was harming you. From now on, I will tell you everything there is to know."

Jian Ci’s chest eased at those words. That was all he had wanted, not to be left out, even if his condition meant he couldn’t always participate actively.

"I would like to go with Yu Xi when he gets a task assignment," Jian Ci said quietly, his voice steady but hopeful.

Jian Rui nodded. "Sure. As long as Yu Xi is fine with it."

Jian Ci hesitated, then exhaled. "And... I am sorry for my outburst. I should have found a better way to express myself without being harsh."

Jian Ci’s words carried a weight of sincerity, his tone steady but vulnerable. Seraphyne’s eyes softened as she watched her son. She was pleased that he had finally spoken from the heart, and even more pleased that the brothers had managed to talk things out properly.

Jian Wei stretched his arms with a dramatic sigh. "Now that we have hushed things out, can we go back to normal? Last night I couldn’t even sleep because of this."

Jian Rui smirked faintly. "Sorry, little brother, for inconveniencing your sleep."

Jian Wei turned immediately to their mother, feigning outrage. "Mum, you see that? He is being mean to me."

Jian Rui shot back, and soon the two were bantering, their voices overlapping in playful argument. The tension that had weighed down the sanctuary the night before seemed to dissolve into something lighter, almost familial warmth.

But Jian Ci still had one more matter gnawing at him. He cleared his throat, his voice cutting through their chatter. "What about me and Yu Xi?"

The room quieted. All three turned to look at him.

Seraphyne tilted her head. "What about it?"

Jian Ci hesitated, his heart pounding. "You... you aren’t mad about it?"

Seraphyne’s expression was calm, resolute. "What is there to be mad about? It’s your choice who you want to be with."

Jian Wei grinned, leaning back. "Yeah. Besides, Yu Xi is pretty cool. It saves me the trouble of getting to know a stranger."

Jian Rui shrugged, his voice firm but gentle. "As long as you are happy, who cares?"

Jian Ci blinked, his mind short-circuiting. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His chest tightened, overwhelmed by relief and disbelief all at once.

"So... you are all cool with it? No complaints?" he asked, almost stammering.

They exchanged glances, then answered together, their voices steady. "Yeah. We are fine with it."

Jian Ci felt like he was drifting through a dream he couldn’t wake from. For so long, he had believed his family would oppose him, oppose his love for Yu Xi.

He thought they would see it as a mistake especially given their mother’s history with their father. That history had scarred him, left him resistant to the idea of esper to esper relationships.

And yet, the first person he had fallen in love with was Yu Xi, an esper and his best friend at that. The irony twisted inside him, sharp and confusing. His resentment for what his father had done had shaped him, made him wary, and now he was betraying his own convictions by feeling this way. He couldn’t make sense of it.

An hour later he sat by the poolside, staring at the clear water, his thoughts circling endlessly. The surface reflected the sky, calm and unbroken, while inside him everything churned.

Suddenly, a bottle appeared in front of him. It was his favorite drink. Jian Ci blinked, looked up, and met Jian Rui’s gaze.

"Thanks," Jian Ci murmured, twisting the cap and taking a sip.

Jian Rui lowered himself onto the seat beside him. They didn’t speak at first, just sat there side by side, drinking quietly, their eyes fixed on the horizon. The atmosphere was harmonious, the silence comfortable.

After a long while, Jian Rui broke it. "So... when are you going to tell him?"

Jian Ci’s fingers tightened around the bottle. He exhaled slowly. "Tomorrow."

Jian Rui nodded, taking another sip, his expression unreadable.

Jian Ci turned to him, his voice hesitant. "Have you ever been in love?"

The question seemed to catch Jian Rui off guard. He froze, the bottle halfway to his lips, his eyes unfocused. For a moment, he was in a daze, truly thinking about those words.

He was in love with Stannis. Stannis made him happy. He seemed to always know how to cheer him up, but with his future path as the next imperial lord made it difficult to publicly declare their relationship.

He could only waiting until he was frimly sitting on that throne. Jian Rui wasn’t ready to tell his family but he still told Jian Ci the truth.

After a long while he finally spoke. "Yeah," he said quietly, almost reluctantly.

Jian Ci turned his head sharply, eyes widening. "You never told me. Does Wei-ge know?"

Jian Rui shook his head firmly. "No, no. You’re the first one I told."

Jian Ci blinked, stunned. His brother so guarded, so precise had just entrusted him with a secret no one else knew. That alone was shocking.

"Still in love with them?" Jian Ci asked, his voice softer now, almost careful.

Jian Rui took another sip, his expression steady but his eyes betraying a flicker of warmth. "Yeah. Still in love."

Jian Ci leaned forward, curiosity burning. "How did you confess?"

Jian Rui’s lips curved faintly, almost wistfully. "They confessed to me."

Jian Ci’s jaw dropped. Of all people, Jian Rui, the one who was always rigged, always goal-oriented, his eyes fixed on the imperial throne, had been pursued and won over. It was unexpected, almost unbelievable.