Chapter 306- Cultured Villain vs. Humanoid Weapon (11)
Jian Minghui could clearly sense that Mu Jin was closer to him than to anyone else, and this made him feel unexpectedly happy. Especially now, with his turn to keep watch, Mu Jin still chose to accompany him, which filled him with even more confidence.
After the two of them had gone, the male lead, Jian Mingyuan, came over briefly to deliver a pack of beef jerky and a thermos of hot soup to Jian Minghui before leaving with a few casual words.
At this point, beef jerky was a rare treat, and the hot soup in the thermos was likely thanks to Aunt Wang’s help. It was obvious that Jian Mingyuan had come specifically to bring these items for Jian Minghui. Though his words were brief and a bit dry, his concern for Jian Minghui was still apparent.
Mu Jin felt relieved at seeing how, over these past few days, Jian Mingyuan had been discreetly slipping things to Jian Minghui whenever Chen Shuyun wasn’t paying attention. Even though Jian Mingyuan might have some resentment toward Jian Minghui’s background due to Chen Shuyun’s influence, he still remembered that Jian Minghui was the younger brother he had watched grow up.
Mu Jin could understand that Jian Mingyuan sympathized with Chen Shuyun’s distaste for Jian Minghui. Unable to openly rebuke his mother, Jian Mingyuan also couldn’t publicly take care of Jian Minghui, but he did what he could, which was enough in Mu Jin’s eyes.
The moon above was fairly bright. Because of the night watch, Jian Minghui had thoughtfully draped a blanket around Mu Jin to prevent him from catching a chill.
Mu Jin appreciated his lover’s thoughtfulness. Seeing that no one else was around, he pulled Jian Minghui over to a quiet corner to sit and rest. Naturally, he took the beef jerky from Jian Minghui’s hand, opened it, handed Jian Minghui a strip, and then took one for himself, savoring it.
Whenever the two of them were alone these days, Mu Jin would always share a snack with him, beef jerky included. It felt like their little secret, a small, shared intimacy that made Jian Minghui happy.
Without realizing it, Jian Minghui’s thoughts had started to veer in a more childish direction; he simply felt that sharing things with the one he loved was a source of pure joy.
Mu Jin was enjoying the beef jerky, finding it quite flavorful. Noticing Jian Minghui lost in thought, he turned to him with a smile and said, “If you feel uncomfortable taking things from Jian Mingyuan, I can gather some things tomorrow, and we can return them to him.”
Perhaps it was the use of “we” that pleased him; Jian Minghui’s mouth curved into a smile as he shook his head. He thought his older brother was alright, though he didn’t particularly like Mu Jin paying attention to him. As for whether to repay this favor—well, they’d see in time. His feelings toward Jian Mingyuan were always a bit complicated.
The two chatted and shared the beef jerky, their proximity closing gradually until they were nearly leaning against each other. Jian Minghui looked at Mu Jin’s slightly puffed cheeks as he chewed the jerky, feeling an increasing tenderness. His hand instinctively moved to Mu Jin’s shoulder, wanting to pull him into an embrace.
Just then, Mu Jin swallowed his jerky, suddenly turning to him and asking, “Jian Minghui, do you wish you had an ability?”
Jian Minghui was taken aback. His raised hand fell back down as he nodded without hesitation. Then he laughed bitterly to himself; even if he wanted an ability, what difference would it make now? A month in, those who could awaken abilities in the team had mostly already done so. Clearly, he wasn’t one of them.
He didn’t feel angry or resentful, but it was hard not to feel a tinge of envy toward those with abilities. In this brutal world, who wouldn’t want to be more than just an ordinary person?
Seeing his expression, Mu Jin naturally understood his lover’s thoughts. He straightened up, looked Jian Minghui in the eyes, and said earnestly, “What if I told you that I could give you an ability?”
“Are you serious?” Jian Minghui’s eyes widened in surprise at Mu Jin’s words. He didn’t believe Mu Jin would joke about something like this.
But the idea of giving a regular person an ability—it was such an incredible possibility.
After a brief moment of joy at the thought of possibly gaining an ability, Jian Minghui instead felt a deep worry for Mu Jin. Seeing the concern in his lover’s eyes, Mu Jin felt even more cherished.
This was the person he loved, always putting Mu Jin’s safety above everything else, never thinking about his own gain or loss. How could he not love such a man?
It was wonderful—this amazing man belonged to him!
“I can sense faintly that you have the potential for an ability, but the timing just hasn’t come, so it hasn’t awakened yet. However, I could try to help you awaken it a bit sooner. I can’t guarantee success, though.”
“What do you mean?” Jian Minghui asked, habitually pushing his glasses up and looking at Mu Jin with confusion.
“Since my potential was unlocked, my mental power is far stronger than others’. I can feel that your mental strength is also quite powerful, way beyond ordinary people—it should have great potential.
“In theory, this could develop into a mental ability, but it just hasn’t been activated. So I thought, if I give you a little help, it’s very possible you could awaken a mental ability ahead of time.”
“A mental ability?” Jian Minghui had never encountered someone with that kind of power, but from what Mu Jin said, he could tell it was likely very strong. He hadn’t expected he might awaken this type of ability.
Grateful that Mu Jin was willing to share this with him, he quickly asked with concern, “Xiao Jin, does anyone else know about this? That you might be able to help someone awaken an ability?”
Mu Jin shook his head. “I can’t help others awaken abilities. You’re the only exception I’ve met—I just have a sense of how strong your mental strength is. Are you willing to let me try?”
“Of course I’m willing!” Jian Minghui nodded vigorously.
Even if success wasn’t guaranteed, just having the possibility of transforming from an ordinary person to an ability user was an incredible opportunity—one he couldn’t pass up.
But hearing Mu Jin clarify that he couldn’t awaken others’ abilities and was only making this offer because of Jian Minghui’s unique potential allowed Jian Minghui to feel more at ease.
Then, he reminded Mu Jin not to share this ability lightly with others, emphasizing the importance of being cautious and vigilant about his own safety.
Watching his usually reserved partner fussing over him for so long, Mu Jin felt both amused and touched. He pressed a fist to his lips, giving a small cough to hide the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Trying to keep a serious expression, he said to Jian Minghui, “Alright, I’m going to check your mental state now. Just relax and don’t resist me.”
With that, Mu Jin leaned close to Jian Minghui.
Jian Minghui wasn’t sure what Mu Jin was planning, only noticing how close his face was coming. Then Mu Jin reached out, grasped Jian Minghui’s shirt collar, and gently pulled his head toward him.
Their foreheads touching, Mu Jin extended his consciousness into Jian Minghui’s mind to examine the state of his spiritual sea. Entering someone else’s mind required complete trust; otherwise, it was risky for both parties.
Of course, with Mu Jin’s powerful consciousness, a weaker mind would typically only experience harm. But with his beloved, Mu Jin was extra cautious, carefully guiding his consciousness into Jian Minghui’s mind bit by bit.
Jian Minghui’s spirit had always been strong; it was simply sealed away in this world. Entering his mind, Mu Jin felt his partner’s trust, as Jian Minghui instinctively opened his mental sea to him.
Seeing this, Mu Jin felt a deep warmth in his heart. Sensing the potent, latent mental strength within him confirmed what he suspected—his lover’s mental power was immense but still dormant.
In the original storyline, Jian Minghui was meant to accidentally awaken his psychic powers about two months later. But Mu Jin saw the advantages of awakening sooner and carefully began guiding Jian Minghui’s mental energy, helping him learn to use it more freely.
Mu Jin’s consciousness was far stronger than mere mental energy; it contained a trace of his primal power, sometimes called “divine energy.” However, in this world, Mu Jin didn’t possess psychic powers, so he only dared to extend a small thread of his consciousness, moving with extreme care. Yet, it was clear that Jian Minghui didn’t fully understand the kindness and caution Mu Jin was showing him.
Under Mu Jin’s guidance, Jian Minghui’s psychic abilities began to awaken. His mind filled with a swarm of active, weaving mental threads.
The moment these threads sensed Mu Jin’s spiritual presence, they reacted instinctively, like a predator finally finding its prey, rushing towards his spirit thread.
Mu Jin was momentarily stunned by the sudden surge of Jian Minghui’s mental energy. He didn’t believe his partner would intentionally harm him, so he understood that this reaction was unconscious, a primal instinct rather than an attack.
The threads sought to capture him, entangling his consciousness with fierce intensity. As the two energies intertwined, the mental threads coiled tightly around Mu Jin’s spirit, making his entire body tremble.
Mu Jin could feel the overwhelming possessiveness in those threads, as if they were trying to hold him there, powerful and unyielding, refusing to let him go.
Unaware of the details, Jian Minghui only felt a surge of pleasure flooding through him, starting in his mind and spreading throughout his entire body. His breath came out in a heavy gasp, a flush creeping up his face that he couldn’t suppress.
The pleasure was so consuming it was beyond his control. The sudden awakening of his psychic power left his senses momentarily blurred.
As a result, his instincts took over. Like a hidden beast unleashed, he tightened his arm around Mu Jin, holding him firmly in his embrace.
With an intense fervor, Jian Minghui’s lips pressed against Mu Jin’s, kissing him deeply, almost as if he wanted to devour him whole.
Soft, muffled sounds escaped Mu Jin, only spurring Jian Minghui on, fueling his exhilaration. He couldn’t bear to part from this intoxicating closeness and acted entirely on instinct.
His mind was consumed by a desire to possess, to claim more of Mu Jin. Unconsciously, he even began to direct his newfound ability to try and trap Mu Jin’s spirit thread.