EHW Ch70

Extra Story 2 · System Swap

The system was transferred to Pei Xin for two days.

However, these “two days” didn’t follow the real-world flow of time.

In other words, even if Pei Xin rewound a save to the previous day, the actual time that had passed remained gone for good.

Pei Xin didn’t mind. He only wanted to play around with it a little anyway.

Gu Fangzhi, on the other hand, had already started to grow afraid.

He tried to persuade Pei Xin:
“Your Majesty… perhaps you could use this opportunity to test your courtiers?”

“Testing them can be done any time,” Pei Xin replied. “This time, I only have one target in mind, Teacher.”

Gu Fangzhi: “……”

He lifted his sleeve to cover half his face, adopting an exaggeratedly pitiful look.
“Your Majesty truly has the heart to torment your minister so?”

Pei Xin: “……”

Damn. Why did he have to act so adorably?

Pei Xin forced a cold hum.
“I won’t go overboard… but I also won’t not go overboard.”

In just an hour, Pei Xin had completely mastered the art of the save/load system.

Dinner tasted bad? Reload.

Snowball the dog knocked over his ink and ruined a memorial? Reload.

He even set aside two special save files, both recording Gu Fangzhi speaking.

Then he started swapping between them rapidly, just as Gu Fangzhi had once done.

Gu Fangzhi could only watch in horror as his own voice stuttered out, piece by piece:

“Your… minister… loves… Your… Majesty… the… most…”

Pei Xin, apparently, had a natural talent for editing.

Gu Fangzhi dared not move, creeping stiffly step by step toward the bookshelf, hoping to at least grab a scroll so that when Pei Xin inevitably reloaded again, he wouldn’t look completely idle.

But as he passed by the desk where Pei Xin sat reviewing documents, a strong arm suddenly hooked around his waist.

With one hard tug, Pei Xin pulled him straight down onto his lap.

“Ah, ow ow ow, !”

Pei Xin barely managed to keep from laughing.
“What kind of language was that, Teacher?”

Gu Fangzhi: “……”

How strange.

How could his mood simultaneously manage rage beyond measure and perfect calm?

No wonder Pei Xin’s expression so often carried that serene, almost enlightened look, Gu Fangzhi was beginning to understand.

Seizing the moment while Pei Xin was distracted, Gu Fangzhi pressed down hard on his wrist.
“Your Majesty, please, let me… catch my breath.”

Though Gu Fangzhi was using nearly all his strength, Pei Xin’s expression remained relaxed.
He raised his head and smiled smugly.

“Teacher, your strength can’t compare to Mine. This trick won’t work.”

Gu Fangzhi: “……”

AAAAA!!! Why was this so infuriating, so utterly humiliating, AAAAA!

Seeing his teacher’s frustrated face, Pei Xin couldn’t help a genuine laugh.

He slid his hand into Gu Fangzhi’s wide sleeve, fingers tracing along his forearm with teasing gentleness, his voice smooth and serene:

“Teacher should learn from Me, keep a broad heart, and the world will feel broader.”

Gu Fangzhi: “……”

One of his hands was still stubbornly pressing Pei Xin’s wrist, the other had been captured completely.

With both hands occupied, all he could do was lower his head and retaliate by biting Pei Xin’s lips.

Once. Twice. Thrice-

“Why do you save so fast?!” Gu Fangzhi shouted between bites.

Pei Xin smiled. “No special technique. One simply needs a heart full of passionate resentment toward all the wrongs of the past.”

Gu Fangzhi: “……”

Pei Xin reloaded again.

Gu Fangzhi’s proud head dipped once more; his soft lips pressed against Pei Xin’s mouth all over again.

Pei Xin’s hand rose to the back of Gu Fangzhi’s neck, deepening the kiss.

After a while, the tension faded from Gu Fangzhi’s face, replaced by eyes turning glassy with emotion, and a hazy, lost expression.

His robes had come loose, sliding halfway down his shoulders.

Pei Xin kissed along his slender neck and lifted his waist slightly.

Gu Fangzhi, who normally carried himself with calm dignity, became obedient in moments of passion, opening his mouth when told, moving when guided.

Pei Xin loved this side of him the most, the way the usually composed man melted completely, his face soft and flushed.

Though… Pei Xin’s actual technique left much to be desired.

To see Gu Fangzhi truly undone usually required either a lot of time, or sheer persistence.

Thinking back, only twice had Gu Fangzhi completely lost control like that, once during their first night, and once when Pei Xin called him “Teacher.”
Only then did his whole body tremble, curling in on itself as though to withstand a crashing wave.

Now Pei Xin lifted his waist again, and while Gu Fangzhi’s mind was hazy, gently lowered him down.

The skin exposed to air was flushed pink, his body trembling slightly, voice barely holding together with broken sounds.

Pei Xin blinked. “?”

Why?

Was it because all the previous reloading had amplified Gu Fangzhi’s emotions?
Or was it this position that made him feel everything more deeply?

The diligent student in him pondered seriously, but even good students must multitask.
He saved, then loaded again.

Just at the height of Gu Fangzhi’s dazed passion, reload.

Again and again. Each time, Gu Fangzhi’s shuddering grew more violent.

He clung to Pei Xin’s shoulders, barely able to speak:

“Your Majesty… Pei Xin… I’m going to die… stop fooling around… really… going to die…”

Pei Xin chuckled smugly.

He wrapped an arm around Gu Fangzhi’s waist, drawing him closer.
“If Teacher says something nice,” he coaxed, “then I’ll stop misbehaving.”

The man resting on his shoulder fell silent for a while.

Sometimes Gu Fangzhi could be quite shy.

He always thought, as the elder, he should be the one teaching Pei Xin, so even when he wanted to say something tender, he restrained himself.

Pei Xin knew that, and didn’t press. He tilted his head, about to nuzzle Gu Fangzhi’s cheek, when he heard, in a soft voice:

“Pei Xin… we’ll be together, lifetime after lifetime.”

Pei Xin: “……”

He closed his eyes.

Two words echoed through his head.

It’s over.

It was over, he’d promised not to torment him again, but now he couldn’t keep that promise.

It was over, he truly would never be able to live without Gu Fangzhi, in any lifetime.

All the humiliation and frustration he’d ever felt before melted away in an instant.

This wasn’t a stern teacher.

This was a living bodhisattva, sent to save him.

System: 【Congratulations, player! You’ve reached a Bad Ending – “Disrespecting the Gods.”】

Pei Xin: “……?”

…What the hell does this system know, anyway?!