Well I did say I would let nature take its course but...
Feng Lei hung his head helplessly as his eyes followed the movements of another young boy busying about being him through the mirror.
The young boy hummed a sweet melody as he grabbed a handful of jade pins, sticking them into various places in a fluid manner which made it seem like he was creating an artwork instead of just fixing up Feng Lei's hair.
"Qi gongzi, can we do anything else aside from this?" Feng Lei asked, trying to resist the urge to stand up and move around.
Who knew sitting still for a few moments could be this hard?
"Shush, Feng Lei. This is your punishment for jumping off so suddenly and leaving me behind." Qi Tianbei said and gazed at Feng Lei coldly, effectively freezing the younger boy in his seat, then, returned to humming sweetly as he continued his work.
....he really is a general's son.
[Hard to believe at first but, those eyes! Even as a system, I felt as if I would become a frozen statue if he stared for any longer.]
"....Tianbei." Qi Tianbei spoke so suddenly that it surprised Feng Lei. "What?"
"Since we're friends and roommates now, you should call me Tianbei and I'll also call you Lei. Okay?" Qi Tianbei smiled gently at Feng Lei.
At first, Feng Lei wanted to politely decline but, remembered that behind this gently smiling youth was a cold general's son, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva and nodded.
"Great! I don't have much friends outside the clan, you see. My father kept me from meeting other scions and just trained me personally every single day he's not on the battlefield. And when he's working, he assigned tutors to keep me busy. If we don't count my cousins and other relatives, you're actually considered as my first friend." Tianbei spoke as he worked, drawing Feng Lei's attention towards the conversation instead of the current state his hair was in. "How about you, Lei? What was your life inside your clan like? I'm curious."
"My life in the clan?" Feng Lei pondered about what he was going to tell Tianbei as the Feng Lei in the novel barely had anything mentioned about him, let alone what his life was like before meeting the protagonist. Seeing that he couldn't recall anything noteworthy, he decided to temporarily make things up as he thought they would not change up anything in the future.
"Hmm... My clan prioritizes the elite so, ever since I was able to read, I've been trained in various aspects, from basic cultivation, all the way to musical arts. My father didn't train me personally though, it seemed like he didn't even know I existed until recently. It was actually the clan elders who taught me secretly and raised me, along with my elder brother. I also have a little brother at home who calls me momma instead of erge." Recalling the tiny bun who would joyfully call out to him every time they met, Feng Lei couldn't help but smile to himself.
"That is odd, but it seems that you care deeply for your little brother." Tianbei said, having seen the smile Feng Lei tried to conceal from the mirror. "Indeed."
"Do you have siblings, Tianbei?" Feng Lei asked casually. "Yes. I actually have four little sisters and one little brother." Tianbei replied cheerfully. It seems that his relationship with his siblings was quite good.
"Wow. That's a lot." Feng Lei exclaimed in surprise. "I also have quite a number of cousins which can pose as a headache sometimes since they like to stir up trouble." Tianbei winced, seeming to have remember something he would rather not.
"I would pat you on the shoulder right now to comfort you but it seems that you won't allow me to move." Feng Lei said, trying to sympathize with Tianbei. "It's alright, I accept your imaginary pat." Tianbei replied.
"Here it's done!" Tianbei exclaimed, gazing through the mirror to admire his creation. "Now wear this qipao." Tianbei ordered Feng Lei as he pulled a traditional white qipao with black embroidery from out of nowhere.
Seriously, who even brings these stuff to a dormitory?!
[He does, apparently.]
"I refuse to wear women's clothing." Feng Lei said resolutely, standing up and backing away from Tianbei, looking as if he had encountered an enemy.
"Even if you don't want to, you still have to wear it, Lei. Soldiers shouldn't escape their punishment." Although he said it with the same gentle smile as before, it somehow made Feng Lei's body be filled with chills.
[He seems to have forgotten that he's at the academy and thinks you both are soldiers.]
I was just about to point that out.
"Um, Tianbei, we're not soldiers. At least not yet anyways." Feng Lei said with an awkward smile.
Hearing what Feng Lei said, Tianbei froze in his tracks, seeming to have realized something as he stared into open space.
Only after a few moments passing and Tianbei still not having moved an inch from his position did Feng Lei start to fidget uncomfortably.
Help! I seemed to have broken something in him! What do I do?
[Relax. That's probably just his mental defense mechanism acting up. Should be fixed soon.]
Mental defense mechanism? The fuck is that?
[Survival instincts.]
....I doubt this situation is that dire.
Taking the chance to run away while Tianbei was still frozen, Feng Lei turned around and was just about to open the door and exit their shared room when he was suddenly grabbed by his robe's collar from behind.
"And where do you think you're going?" A soft yet threatening voice said as he was dragged back into the room.
"U-um, to the lounge?" Feng Lei stuttered nervously, to his surprise.
"Hmm? You can go to the lounge after we're done here." Tianbei said as he smiled at Feng Lei and started pulling the younger boy's robes off.
"W-wait! You can't!" Feng Lei shouted as he desperately tried to escape the older boy's clutches but was unable to due to his messed up robes restricting his movements.
"And why not, Oh mighty Ice demon Lei? We're both boys anyways. Unless..." Tianbei drifted off with the edges of his both slightly curling, making it obvious that he was teasing Feng Lei. "You're secretly a girl? Honestly, I won't be surprised even if you really were."
"Who are you calling a girl?! Are your eyes blind?! Can't you see how manly I, your father, is?!" Feng Lei fumed. Ever since transmigrating to this world, being mistaken for a girl had been one of the things that troubled Feng Lei the most to the point where he would explode every time it was even mentioned.
"Then why are acting so secretive? Come on! Off with those clothes! Off! Off!" Tianbei laughed cheerfully as he pushed Feng Lei onto one of the beds and tore off the younger boy's robes. "Wait, don't!"
"....such...porcelain? Wait, no... Ivory? This..." As the robes have been pulled off, the flawless skin hiding underneath had been gradually revealed. As the pure, jade like figure that has been hiding underneath those piles of clothes met his eyes, Tianbei's complexion darkened and with a grim tone, he asked. "Are you.... A modified human?"
"This is why you shouldn't have pulled my clothes off." Feng Lei said in distraught as he tried to get up from the bed but was forced back down by Tianbei. "You know this is illegal, right?"
"This is none of your business, Tianbei. I can do what I want!" Feng Lei said through gritted teeth.
Crap! If he finds out the truth and somehow spreads it out, everything I've done so far would have just been wasted. I'll just hope he's not smart enough to figure it out.
"...a kid like you couldn't have acquired all the materials yourself since most of the stuff used for modification are substances banned from the empire." Every second that passed as he spoke, Tianbei's complexion just seemed to get increasingly darker. "You.... Have been modified by your clan, haven't you?"
"You! That's not-" "Don't even try to cover it up! Do you really think I'm that stupid to not figure it out?!" Feng Lei tried to deny but was cut off by Tianbei's shout, rendering him shocked speechless. "Lei! What your clan is doing to you is illegal!"
Shocked by Tianbei's sudden outburst, Feng Lei couldn't help but stay quiet as he just watched the boy who was pinning him down on the bed catch his breath, although his body began to feel uncomfortable from the position it was put in.
This kid.... Has such an intense sense of justice. Perhaps he too, could've become a protagonist of a story....
Completely unlike me. But...
"What happens to me doesn't affect you in any way. Why are you so concerned?" Feng Lei couldn't help but ask when he saw Tianbei calm down slightly.
Seeming to be genuinely surprised by Feng Lei's question, Tianbei's eyes widened and an expression that expressed the disbelief he felt from Feng Lei having even asked this question. "I've already told you before, haven't I? We're friends, Lei. This is normal."
Normal, is it?
Feng Lei closed his eyes and contemplated about Tianbei's answer. "...I've never had anyone show their concern about me before."
"This is new to me. Please let me process this internally for a few moments."
Both in this world and the previous one, this is the first time this has happened. I'm still far too inexperienced, it seems.
After a few moments of silence and neither of them moving from their position, Tianbei tentatively tried to speak. "I should report this to the instructors..." Tianbei gazed at Feng Lei's prone figure underneath him that didn't seem to have any reaction to his words and continued. "But as you said, we're not soldiers. At least not yet." Tianbei said with a smile which made Feng Lei open his eyes and look up at the older boy in disbelief.
"I can keep this a secret if that's what you want." Tianbei reassured Feng Lei.
"...Thanks." Feng Lei muttered so quietly that Tianbei was barely able to hear it but, once he did, a bright smile bloomed from his face.
"Can I touch you?" Tianbei suddenly asked, once again making Feng Lei look at him in shock. "W-what?"
"Well, I've always wanted to know what a physically modified human feels like. Will they still feel like normal humans or would they feel different?... Can I?" Being stared at by a curious gaze without any impure intentions made it hard for Feng Lei to refuse so he just nodded slightly and looked at a different direction, trying mentally escape from the situation.
"Ha!" The sudden contact of a warm hand against his cold skin made Feng Lei gasp in surprise.
"...it really feels like jade. But looks like porcelain while having the toughness of ivory..." Tianbei muttered as if he was talking to himself whilst having his hands travel to different sections of Feng Lei's exposed skin. "You're beautiful."
Despite it having been said so quietly, Feng Lei still managed to hear it and in turn, made him blush deeply. "Y-you! Mmf?!"
Unknowingly, Tianbei's hand began travelling towards Feng Lei's abdomen, which caused the younger boy's body to jerk. "Where do you think you're touching, ah?!"
"Ah, sorry. It was unintentional. But, the sensitivity in this section is a bit abnormal. Could it have been a side effect of the modification? If so, that could pose as a weakness. This is troubling." Tianbei pondered aloud.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door.
"Yin?" A low voice asked from outside along with the sound of the door being opened.
"Wait! Don't!" Realizing the position he was currently in, Feng Lei tried to stop Yang from entering but it was too late. Yang had already entered and had seen everything.
Seeing Feng Lei being pinned on the bed half naked with Tianbei's hand on his abdomen nearly made Yang crazy with rage.
"Umm... Will you believe me if I tell you it's not what it looks like?" Feng Lei said awkwardly.
Drip.
Drip?
[Ah! The doorknob melted!]
It seems that Yang has to hurry up if he plans on capturing Feng Lei.
Yang cursed inwardly as he felt frustrated from the seemingly endless number of rivals that kept on popping up.
A/N:
I recently published the third segment of the Villain Transmigration series BTW. It's called Villain Transmigration: Where Time and Space Ends. Please check it out when you have time.