Chapter 2233: Love Trapped in the Fate Cycle 32

Xie Guan buried his head in the real exam paper, the pen tip scratching softly across the page, when he suddenly heard a knocking sound.

The knocking was light, slow in rhythm, carrying a strange cadence.

Xie Guan frowned, put down his pen.

"Who?" he asked as he walked to the door, his voice sounding especially clear in the empty hallway.

No one answered.

Xie Guan hesitated a moment, then turned the lock anyway.

As the door opened, Xie Guan froze, then retreated half a step speechless.

Outside stood two girls, one in red, one in white, their hems falling to their ankles.

They stood at the doorway, wearing eerie smiles, their eyes glowing frighteningly in the dim hallway.

Xiao Jin tilted her head slightly, black hair falling, the corner of her mouth curling into an eerie arc.

Xiao Jin held up a huge, blood‑red "double happiness" character with both hands, the strokes thick and vivid like blood, casting an eerie gloom in the dim hallway light.

Xie Guan: "……"

He stared at the "double happiness" character, at a loss for words.

"Long time no see, Brother Xie." Xiao Jin spoke in a soft, floating voice, like something crawling up from the ground: "Teacher Luo asked us to bring you and Jin Chen a gift."

Xiao Jin handed over a stack of study books, the cover boldly printed with the words "special review materials," the paper yellowed.

Luo Wenbin had taught him for two years and was an old teacher, so the material was surely useful.

…But it would have been better if it had just been delivered.

The two sisters exchanged a glance, then simultaneously stepped forward and shoved the "double happiness" character into Xie Guan's arms,

Xie Guan's mouth twitched, he reached out and took it: "Thank you."

He had just lowered his head to look through the materials, then lifted his head—

The two sisters had already vanished.

The hallway was empty, not a footstep to be heard, as if everything just now had been an illusion.

Xie Guan: "……"

He silently closed the door, lowered his gaze to the "double happiness" character in his hand, then looked at the stack of materials.

Finally he sighed and tossed the "double happiness" character onto the sofa.

Two hours later.

Jin Chen pushed the door open and came home; a glance showed him the garish, eye‑stinging "double happiness" on the sofa.

He stood in the entryway, silent for three seconds, then slowly lifted his gaze to see Xie Guan walking out of the kitchen holding a tea cup.

"What's this?" he raised an eyebrow.

Xie Guan's face was blank: "It's from Xiao Jin and Xiao Jin."

Jin Chen: "……"

That makes perfect sense.

Xie Guan paused, then added: "They also brought Teacher Luo's review materials."

"I just looked; it's something Teacher Luo specially put together."

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -5, total 45!】

Jin Chen stepped closer, pinched Xie Guan's cheek, his tone lazy yet dangerous: "Someone still hasn't agreed to be my boyfriend, and already you're collecting blessings."

Xie Guan's ears heated, he brushed away the hand: "…You still can't let it go? Is there anything we haven't done yet?"

Jin Chen gave a low chuckle, his thumb rubbing Xie Guan's chin, voice ambiguous: "Sure, you've never said you like me, never called me 'brother.'"

"You refused before; can't you do it now?"

Jin Chen's tone softened, sounding somewhat aggrieved.

Xie Guan turned his face away, his heart racing, his gaze wandering: "Are you annoyed?"

Jin Chen refused to let go, leaning in close, his nose almost brushing Xie Guan's lips.

"Say it once, let me hear?"

Xie Guan's face flushed completely, he tried to struggle, but Jin Chen pressed him onto the sofa; before their lips met, he heard the other's amused voice.

"Otherwise you won't finish tonight's exam paper."

Backed into a corner by Jin Chen, Xie Guan ended up flushed, squeezing out a whisper like a mosquito.

"Brother."

Jin Chen satisfiedly gripped the back of his neck and kissed him.

In the phone lying on the sofa, Shao Huai was spamming the group chat wildly.

Future Police Academy's Glory: "Holy crap! Those two sisters sent me a paper‑cut little person!! And they grinned at me!! Help, I opened my eyes and almost thought I was back in the apartment!"

A Pet Doctor Who Can't Write Scripts Isn't a Good Funeral Director: "Thanks for the invite, I'm at the pet hospital, got the other half of the paper‑cut figure, almost fainted from fright."

——

During the break, Shao Huai sent Xie Guan an invitation to come tour the Police Academy and relax a bit.

Xie Guan stood before the main gate of the Police Academy, head tilted up to gaze at the gilded motto stone, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the strap of his backpack.

If it weren't for those two missing years, he ought to be walking here side by side with Jin Chen; now he's just an outsider.

"Yo, study freak Xie Guan, finally tearing yourself away from the book pile?" Shao Huai's voice came from behind, his usual punch‑worthy tone, wearing the Police Academy uniform, he nodded and smiled at Xie Guan: "If you don't come out to catch some sun, you'll turn into a paper‑thin person."

Xie Guan rolled his eyes, slung his backpack over his shoulder: "Cut the chatter, lead the way."

Xu Yi handed Xie Guan a milk tea, smiling: "I recently asked Jin Chen if he wanted to keep a pet for fun, since your exam prep is stressful."

Xie Guan hadn't heard Jin Chen mention it, curious: "What did he say?"

Xu Yi gave a calm smile: "Having him as your pastime is enough."

Xie Guan: "……"

Shao Huai grinned, "Jin Chen was temporarily called to a meeting by the instructor, so let us show you around first."

Xie Guan made an affirmative sound, his gaze involuntarily sweeping over every corner of the campus.

The three had just arrived at the basement of the cafeteria.

Xie Guan's steps halted.

Jin Chen leaned lazily against the vending machine, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his well-defined forearms.

He was lowering his head to open a bottle of electrolyte water; as his throat moved, the line of his jaw tensed and then relaxed.

The male student standing opposite him wore a special police training uniform, clean-cut and handsome, his ear tips red, his fingers nervously gripping the edge of his tactical gloves.

He tilted his face up, his voice soft yet firm:

"Senior, I like you."

Jin Chen: "……"

Wasn't it said the instructor had an important matter!

Xie Guan's heart sank sharply, as if being gripped and ruthlessly squeezed, a sour liquid rising from his chest all the way to his throat.

Shao Huai and Xu Yi simultaneously sucked in a breath of cold air, turning their heads in unison to look at him.

Xie Guan's face was expressionless; he could even hear his own calm voice commenting in his mind: "Oh, so Jin Chen is quite popular at school."

But in reality, his fingertips had unconsciously dug into his palm, his nails leaving several shallow crescent marks on his skin.

Jin Chen straightened his body, quickly employing the classic refusal line: "Sorry, I already have someone I like."

【Excellent, word for word, very classic.】 Ling Gun Gun sighed, "【The Main God, upon hearing this, would also… oh my, Main God!】"

The male student wasn't giving up; it wasn't as if he had never heard similar rejections before.

"But… senior, you don't have a boyfriend, right? Can you give me a chance?"

Xie Guan's heart clenched suddenly.

Damn it.

【83) He regretted it.

He regretted.

He regretted not accepting Jin Chen's confession back then, regretted leaving their relationship undecided, regretted giving others an opportunity to covet him.

The next second, he strode over, grabbed Jin Chen's arm, and calmly looked at that male student.

"He has one."

The male student stared: "……ah?"

Xie Guan directly wrapped his arms around Jin Chen's neck and kissed him in front of everyone.

The moment their lips touched, Jin Chen reacted, letting out a short laugh.

The male student's face flushed red, he embarrassingly stepped back two paces: "……Sorry to disturb."

He turned and ran.