Everyone Is Non-Human Except Me [Rebirth] Chapter 57

“Pet?”

Wei Huan panicked and flipped over to face Yun Yongzhou, but the moment he turned, he froze.

Wait, no—why did I turn over?

His face flushed red. Someone who usually talked so much no one could get a word in edgewise was suddenly at a loss. “You…”

Seeing him like this, Yun Yongzhou suddenly smiled.

That smile completely finished off Wei Huan, who was already half-delirious. His mind went blank with a buzz. Yun Yongzhou was right not to smile often! Wei Huan thought frantically. No one can handle it when he smiles like that!

People who said Yun Yongzhou was good-looking had never seen him at his most beautiful. They were only seeing a sliver of the iceberg—just a glimpse through a narrow tube.

Only I have seen it.

Only me.

That possessive little thought made Wei Huan’s heart pound even faster. At this moment, he no longer questioned whether he liked Yun Yongzhou. That judgment had become a trivial detail, no longer relevant.

Yun Yongzhou’s smile faded, and the ripples on the spring water stilled, his calm returning. His arm remained draped over Wei Huan, eyes fixed on his.

“Are you feeling sad?”

The topic shift was abrupt. Wei Huan felt guilty and dodged, “Why do you say that?”

Did you already find something out?

Yun Yongzhou’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. “When you encountered the Demon Puppet… something felt off.”

The palm resting on Wei Huan’s waist was hot—so hot it made him dizzy. He paused, then forced a smile and replied, “Well, maybe a little. Because he has the same ability as Little Nine Phoenix, and didn’t someone tell you before that he was my idol?”

Normally skilled in spinning lies without blinking, even Wei Huan felt a bit nervous now. But when Yun Yongzhou blinked, as if silently acknowledging it, Wei Huan continued, “So when I saw that puppet, I felt a little uncomfortable, like…”

“Something very precious was stolen,” Yun Yongzhou continued.

Wei Huan was a bit surprised, feeling as if someone had glimpsed into the depths of his heart.

“…How do you know?”

Because I feel the same way. Yun Yongzhou didn’t answer, just reached out and gently patted Wei Huan’s head. “It wasn’t stolen. What’s most precious to you is always there.”

“What is it?” Wei Huan asked.

Yun Yongzhou looked into his eyes. “You know.”

It’s your own heart—one that never gives up.

—

The next morning, when Wei Huan got up, Qing He was already gone. He’d left a voice message saying that their boss had arranged a place for him to stay, and that he’d get in touch when there was news.

Wei Huan still had class in the morning and rushed to get back to Yansui. Halfway through casting a boundary-crossing spell, Yun Yongzhou suddenly grabbed him.

“What is it?”

Yun Yongzhou looked into his eyes. “You tell me.”

Wei Huan was a little baffled, his mind spinning quickly. Suddenly, something occurred to him. “Oh, right, right, right! I haven’t finished washing your bedding yet—but I took it out of the washing machine. It should be fine if you hang it up to dry.”

Yun Yongzhou tilted his head slightly, still staring at him.

Clearly, that wasn’t the answer he was looking for.

“…What else is there?” Wei Huan thought hard, then clapped his hands. “Ah! I got it—breakfast! It’s my fault you didn’t get a bite. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll cook for you next time~”

He thought that would get him off the hook, but Yun Yongzhou folded his arms, his tone calm and unhurried: “Own up, or I’ll make you.”

What’s going on?

Wei Huan was getting uneasy but still couldn’t think of anything he’d done wrong. As Yun Yongzhou started to approach, closing the distance in a few quick steps, Wei Huan backed away—only to misjudge the space and find himself pressed up against the wall.

Own up to what…?

Looking into Yun Yongzhou’s eyes, a spark suddenly lit in Wei Huan’s mind.

Got it.

He grabbed Yun Yongzhou’s hand and placed it on top of his own head, patting it twice.

Yun Yongzhou froze on the spot.

What kind of trick is this guy pulling again?

“What are you doing?”

Wei Huan had this [I’m amazing, clever, obedient, and cute, praise me already!] look on his face. He grinned a mouthful of white teeth, speaking in a deliberately sweet tone, “Didn’t you say you wanted me to admit it? I admit it—I’m your pet. Do you prefer cats or dogs? Or maybe a bunny or a hamster? They’re all fluffy—you can pet me all you want, but once you’re done, I’ve got class to get to.”

This rapid-fire nonsense left Yun Yongzhou speechless, unable to refute a word. Everything he’d originally wanted to say completely vanished from his mind. He could only play along with Wei Huan’s lead: “…I like birds.”

Birds?

So he likes his own kind, huh. Tch. What a narcissist. Wei Huan gave a honey-sweet smile. “Okay~ Then I’m your little chubby chick~” As he spoke, he traced a circle in the air with his finger. “I’m gonna be late, so I’m off to class!”

Watching as Wei Huan disappeared into the small white portal, Yun Yongzhou belatedly withdrew his hand and muttered the words he’d originally meant to say out loud.

“Cancel the sensory link, will you?” He sighed silently, staring at his palm, still holding the warmth Wei Huan had left behind.

There was just no dealing with him.

“Idiot…”

—

Back at school, while heading to class, Wei Huan figured he should report the demon puppet matter to Yang Sheng. So he used the lunch break to run over to Fuyao. Although Jing Yun didn’t know exactly what he was up to, he still led him into the Fuyao barrier.

Yang Sheng had just finished class, and was taking off his training gloves, which he tossed into Jing Yun’s arms. “You go ahead, I’ll find you this afternoon.”

Jing Yun blushed and let out a soft “Mm” before heading out, holding the gloves like a treasure.

“How did you know…” Wei Huan hadn’t finished the question before Yang Sheng cut him off.

“If I couldn’t figure that out, I wouldn’t be worthy of taking the blame for you all these years. Cut the nonsense—just tell me, what happened this time?”

“I went to the dark zone the last couple days,” Wei Huan said as he stepped closer and took the drink Yang Sheng pulled from his bag. He opened it, took a sip, and handed it back. “Guess what? I really did run into a demon puppet.”

“Seriously?” Yang Sheng looked surprised—it was clear he hadn’t expected that. “Was it that demon slayer?”

“No, a new one. Actually, more than one.”

Yang Sheng’s expression turned serious. “This is bad… You went alone?”

Wei Huan scratched the back of his head. “Not exactly…”

“Oh. You went with Yun Yongzhou,” Yang Sheng said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. He took a big gulp of the drink, not taking his eyes off Wei Huan as he did, staring so intently it made Wei Huan’s scalp tingle. Wei Huan shoved him, snatched the bottle back, and snapped, “What are you staring at Grandpa Wei for!”

“Pfft.” Yang Sheng resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I just wish I could conjure up a mirror right now so you could take a good look at yourself—see what kind of lovestruck fool you’ve become.”

Wei Huan jumped up, “Who—who’s lovestruck?!”

His thoughts being so easily exposed by his childhood friend left him completely speechless.

“Wei Heng. Wei Heng is lovestruck. Satisfied?” Yang Sheng clearly knew exactly what was going on. This guy and Yun Yongzhou were untouchable in their past life, and he had no intention of interfering this time around either. He dragged Wei Huan back into his seat. “Back to the point. What’s the deal with the demon puppets?”

Glad for the chance to change the subject, Wei Huan cleared his throat and explained everything—his trip to the dark zone with Yun Yongzhou, and the situation with Qing He. After listening, Yang Sheng frowned.

“You said the last demon puppet you encountered had the same ability as you, and used it with skill?”

Wei Huan nodded. “Compared to the first two, which were more like low-tier demons with some powers, the last one not only had Nine Phoenix’s wind-manipulation technique, but also impressive close-combat ability—and even used the boundary-crossing spell better than most demons.”

“The first two were destroyed once you found their demon hearts,” Yang Sheng asked. “So if the last one was a Nine Phoenix-type puppet, shouldn’t you have sensed the demon heart right away?”

“I’m baffled too. Who knows what’s going on.” His eyes dimmed. “Maybe… my demon heart is inside that body.”

Yang Sheng looked skeptical. “Do you really believe your corpse somehow ended up in the Mortal Fanzhou via Yan Feng’s nine-tailed channel, and got made into one of those so-called demon puppets by humans? I don’t buy it. There would’ve been some trace. You know you weren’t the only one looking for your remains—there’s also the Demon Realm Federation.”

“If that puppet is so strong, have you considered another possibility…” He glanced at Wei Huan, hesitating whether to say it. But Wei Huan was smart—he got it just from the lead-in. His face turned to utter shock.

“No way…” Wei Huan’s hands and feet went cold.

How could he have forgotten—he wasn’t the only Nine Phoenix.

There were his parents too.

Both were great demons. They died in the line of duty and were given the highest-level ice burial. Their bodies wouldn’t decay for ten years.

“The Nine Phoenix ancestral tomb’s barrier is so strong—how could anyone just come and go?” Wei Huan’s lips trembled slightly. He lowered his head. “No way. That’s impossible…”

Since reincarnating, he had tried multiple times to visit the ancestral tomb to see his parents. But no matter how he tried, he couldn’t activate the barrier in his human form to enter.

Even he couldn’t get in…

“It’s just a guess,” Yang Sheng said, resting a hand on his shoulder. “There are only two possibilities. We’ll have to start from there. That demon puppet is the key. Through him, maybe we can find out the truth about your body’s disappearance.”

He paused and added, “Pull yourself together.”

Wei Huan let out a soft laugh and looked up. “You think I’m not pulled together?”

Yang Sheng grabbed his wrist and helped him make a fist, tapping it with his own. “That’s why I said…”

“I, Yang Sheng, don’t make friends lightly.”

Just then, there were two knocks on the door of the training room. It cracked open. Wei Huan looked up—it was Su Buyu.

A flood of emotions rushed in—guilt, regret—and he lowered his eyes.

But Su Buyu’s voice was still as gentle as water. “Ah, there’s another one here. What a coincidence.”

Yang Sheng looked up. “What is it?”

“Nothing major. The vice principal asked me to drop something off for you. Heard you just got out of field training, so I figured I’d help.” Su Buyu took out a box from his pearl and handed it over, his pretty grey-green eyes skimming past Wei Huan with a soft smile. “You two carry on.”

“We’re done talking.” Yang Sheng stood up and slung an arm around Su Buyu. “Wanna grab lunch together?”

Su Buyu’s gaze landed on Wei Huan. Wei Huan immediately stood. “I’ll just—”

“You should come too,” Yang Sheng teased on purpose. “What—Yansui students too good for Fuyou and Shangshan teachers now?”

You’re lucky I don’t dare mess with you in front of Buyu. Wei Huan forced a fake smile. “Of course not. Thanks for the invite, Instructor Yang.”

He turned to Su Buyu—still smiling—and that only deepened his guilt.

“Thank you, Teacher Su…”

“What for?” Su Buyu’s voice was soft. “We haven’t even eaten yet.”

The three of them headed to the staff cafeteria. There were hardly any students inside, and as a human, Wei Huan stood out. Yang Sheng ordered for him while Su Buyu and Wei Huan waited behind. Wei Huan seized the moment.

“Teacher Su, about that night…”

“It’s fine.” Su Buyu cut him off before he could finish, speaking lightly, as though he didn’t care at all. “I only waited a little while. Figured something came up, so I asked someone else to help. Don’t worry about it.”

Hearing that, Wei Huan didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to explain—and couldn’t tell him about the Dark Zone.

“What are you spacing out for?” Yang Sheng returned with the food and nodded toward Su Buyu. “Go grab something to eat too.” Then he sat down, with Wei Huan across from him. Right after Su Buyu got his meal, a female teacher from Shangshan started chatting him up.

Yang Sheng split his chopsticks and got right to the point. “When are you going to tell Buyu?”

Wei Huan had just taken a sip of soup and nearly choked. “Cough, cough…” He wiped his mouth and glanced toward Buyu in the distance. “I don’t know. I’m afraid telling him will just make him worry.” Stirring his spoon slowly in the clear broth, he said, “I used to be the one protecting him. Now I’m like this… all I do is drag him down.”

“That’s what you call self-inflicted worry,” Yang Sheng said bluntly. “You really think not telling him is better? Do you know how long it took him to recover after you left?”

Wei Huan blinked. “What do you mean?”

Yang Sheng sighed. “For six months after you left, Buyu barely spoke to anyone. He was completely shut down—not even talking to me. Fortunately, he pulled through on his own.” He knocked on Wei Huan’s spoon with his chopsticks. “You need to understand—no one sees you as a burden or jinx. Our Group 7 fought side by side for years—do you think we’re cowards in your eyes?”

Wei Huan felt like something was stuck in his chest.

He wanted to get back what he had with those friends more than anything.

From the moment he was born as Nine Phoenix, he had never felt so alone.

“…Then I’ll find a chance to tell him.”

Only then did Yang Sheng let it go. “And while you’re at it, be honest with Yun Yongzhou too.”

“What?” Wei Huan looked up.

Yang Sheng glared. “Don’t tell me you still haven’t—”

Before he could finish, Su Buyu came back and sat down beside him. He looked at Yang Sheng, then at Wei Huan, and smiled awkwardly.

“Did I come at the wrong time? Did I interrupt something?”

Yang Sheng thought for a moment, then couldn’t be bothered to continue the conversation.

“No, not at all,” Wei Huan waved it off.

“That’s good.” Su Buyu picked out a generous portion of dishes for Wei Huan. “Eat more—meals from the staff canteen aren’t something you can get just any time.”

Su Buyu’s words stirred memories in Wei Huan. Back when they were still in school, only Yang Sheng’s father was an instructor at Shanhai. Everyone knew that the staff canteen meals were leagues above the student ones. They’d always take advantage of Yang Sheng’s connection to bum meals off his dad. After too many times, Instructor Yang got annoyed, thinking it didn’t look good.

Eventually, only when Combat Group Seven performed exceptionally well and earned school commendations were they allowed a staff meal as a reward.

Honestly, the food wasn’t exactly some gourmet feast. Maybe it was just that the people they ate with were so precious—every memory of it felt particularly cherished.

“Hey, that female teacher just now—was she into you?” Yang Sheng asked with a mouthful of food, cheeks puffed out, still managing to tease Su Buyu. “She was pretty. I recognized her demon markings too—probably a merfolk, right?”

Su Buyu gave a wry smile. “No, we were just chatting.”

“You don’t get it. I, Yang Sheng, have been through countless battles. I can tell at a glance whether it’s casual talk or flirting.”

Seeing Yang Sheng getting more and more ridiculous, Su Buyu glanced at Wei Huan, who was quietly eating, and said softly, “There’s a student here. Let’s not talk about this.”

Yang Sheng lit up.

Just say you didn’t want me talking in front of him. What’s all this “student-teacher” talk?

“No worries, keep going,” Wei Huan looked up quickly, a rice grain stuck to his lip as he gave a silly grin. “I thought that teacher was really pretty too. Totally matches well with you, Teacher Su.”

What was meant to be a flattering comment ended up backfiring—Su Buyu, usually gentle and mild, actually furrowed his brows. “You really think she and I are a good match?”

“…N-not a match?” Wei Huan’s chopsticks slipped and clattered to the table before rolling off and hitting the floor with a clack.

He was about to bend down when a strong, familiar wave of demon energy hit him, making him freeze.

Of course. When it rains, it pours…

The chopsticks on the ground were caught and lifted lightly by a glowing thread of energy, then placed back on the table. Yang Sheng handed him a fresh pair and looked up toward the source.

Ah, perfect. Group Seven, full attendance.

The searing Golden Crow energy was approaching fast. Wei Huan swallowed hard and picked up the previous thread, “Teacher Su, I was just joking. Not that matched. Your life decisions should definitely be your own.”

Yun Yongzhou pulled out a chair and sat down beside him, his voice cool with a hint of teasing.

“Speaking from experience?”

What the h*ll?!

Wei Huan stared wide-eyed at him. Yun Yongzhou raised an eyebrow slightly, saying nothing more. The silence that followed suddenly made the atmosphere weird.

“I’ve never made any life decisions,” Wei Huan retorted, his eyes darting. “Instructor Yun, you don’t even know the context, so quit sticking your nose in.”

Unexpectedly, Yun Yongzhou calmly replied, “Big Life decisions*.”
* can kind of mean talking about deciding who to marry

Hearing that, Yang Sheng—who was enjoying his food—choked and started coughing violently.

Su Buyu stared at Yun Yongzhou, gripping an empty cup tightly. Only when water filled the bottom little by little did he pass it to Yang Sheng.

“Wei Huan, have you already made your big life decisions?”

Su Buyu was still smiling, voice gentle, but Wei Huan felt like he was being stabbed all over. He forced a nervous grin. “N-no! Who said that? Rubbish. I don’t know anything about that.”

He thought Yun Yongzhou would blast him with a light blade on the spot like in the past, but what came instead wasn’t a blade—it was Yun Yongzhou’s finger.

His long, warm fingers brushed the corner of Wei Huan’s mouth as Yun Yongzhou leaned in. Wei Huan could feel the abnormal warmth unique to Golden Crows.

As the fingertip touched his lip, Wei Huan stared blankly into Yun Yongzhou’s lowered gaze. His mind went completely blank. But all Yun Yongzhou did was wipe away the rice grain stuck to his mouth and whisper, “Eat slower.”

Then he sat upright again, looking over at Su Buyu. “I thought everyone already knew we’d formed a pact.”

His gaze briefly passed over Yang Sheng. Yang Sheng guiltily stuffed a mini bun into his mouth, trying to change the subject. “Mmm! This is good. I’ll bring some to Jing Yun later…”

Su Buyu chuckled. “Oh, so you meant forming a pact. I guess I misunderstood.”

Yun Yongzhou took Wei Huan’s empty bowl and calmly ladled him more soup. “Not really a misunderstanding.”

His voice, as always, was calm and even—but to Wei Huan, it felt like storm clouds pressing down on a city.

Wei Huan and Yang Sheng exchanged awkward glances. This dinner table felt like a battlefield.

Yang Sheng rubbed his forehead and subtly shot Wei Huan a look. Wei Huan returned one, confused. What’s going on? What kind of silent war is this? Why does Su Buyu always act different whenever Yun Yongzhou shows up?

…Don’t tell me Su Buyu really likes Yun Yongzhou?

Cr(p. That would put me in serious danger.

“Well, I’m full. I’ll stop bothering the teachers now—” Wei Huan had just lifted himself off the bench when he heard Yun Yongzhou’s voice echo telepathically:
[Sit down.]

“…Ahaha, suddenly I’m hungry again. I want another bowl of soup. Sorry, sorry,” Wei Huan sat back down with a thump, grinning sheepishly as he picked up the bowl Yun Yongzhou had placed in front of him and gulped it down. “So good! This soup is amazing!”

Yang Sheng shook his head inwardly. Wei Huan was such an idiot. He probably thought he had the most secrets at this table, playing dumb like that—when in truth, he likely had no clue what these two were really arguing about.

He sighed and tried to smooth things over, picking out a dish for Yun Yongzhou. “Here, try this—new dish from the staff kitchen.”

After saying that, he placed another dish into Su Buyu’s bowl. “You should eat more too. Isn’t this your favorite fish?”

Su Buyu hooked the corner of his lips into a smile, eyes landing on the person across from him. “Yes, when I like a dish, I’ll keep eating it.”

But Yun Yongzhou didn’t even respond to his gaze. He simply picked up his chopsticks slowly, tried the new dish Yang Sheng had given him, nodded in approval, and offered a comment: “Old wine in a new bottle—not bad.” Then he lifted his eyes, gaze sharp and provocative. “At least I got to eat it.”

The back-and-forth left Wei Huan completely confused. He turned to Yang Sheng across the table, showing the most bewildered expression. Yang Sheng was sweating bullets, just short of sighing up at the sky.

Seriously, just what kind of love-hate drama had unfolded between Yun Yongzhou and Su Buyu over these seven years?

Just as his inner gossiper began stirring restlessly, Yun Yongzhou’s clear, cool voice rang in his mind:

[Why aren’t you saying anything?]

Wei Huan replied honestly:
[I don’t know what to say. I can’t understand what you and Teacher Su are talking about, and I have no place to jump in.]

[Teacher Su.]

The way Yun Yongzhou repeated those three syllables was filled with hidden meaning. His tone dipped and turned, the trailing sound seductive enough to make Wei Huan feel strangely sour. If he called his name like that…

Ugh, why would he call your name like that?

What are you even thinking? Stop.

[So, am I interrupting you and Teacher Su’s conversation?]

At that moment, Su Buyu, seeing Yun Yongzhou quiet, gave up on the topic and turned to Wei Huan, placing a crispy piece of fish on his plate. “Try this, it’s really good.”

Wei Huan quickly lowered his head. “Thank you, Teacher Su.”

“You’re welcome,” Su Buyu replied gently. “Careful of the bones.”

At the same time, Yun Yongzhou’s voice chimed in his mind again:

[Now you don’t even have time to answer me?]

“Alright, alright,” Wei Huan tried his best to ignore the mental intrusions and stay composed. “Thank you.” Only then did he sneak in a reply via mind-voice:

[I never said you interrupted me. Don’t make stuff up.]

That had a slightly childish tone of complaint, which only made Yun Yongzhou enjoy it more.

[Then why are you acting so awkward?]

[I’m not—] Wei Huan lowered his head, multitasking as he ate the fish. [When have I ever been awkward? I’m eloquent and confident—I never drop my words on the floor, okay?]

Yun Yongzhou’s voice floated in like a cloud soaked in wine—cool, scented, and softly intoxicating:

[Then why won’t you admit we’ve formed a pact? Isn’t that a major life decision?]

At that, Wei Huan’s brain shut down entirely.

A pact is a pact—it’s not like they got married…

“Is it good?” Su Buyu tilted his head at him. “You look completely entranced.”

Wei Huan blinked blankly, about to respond, when Yun Yongzhou, sitting beside him with lips pressed but silent, spoke again through mind-voice—calm, measured, almost teasing:

[You won’t admit it because you’re afraid of making him upset.]

[Do you like Su Buyu?]

“Bullsh*t!”

Wei Huan blurted it out instinctively—loud, explosive.

Not just their table, but even the surrounding ones turned their heads at the outburst.

Clatter.

Yang Sheng’s chopsticks dropped onto the table.

Su Buyu’s expression shifted visibly, going from shock to discomfort.

Only Yun Yongzhou—the cause of the disaster—sat there completely unbothered. He poured himself another bowl of soup and sipped calmly, nodding slightly in satisfaction.

Wei Huan now just wanted to slap himself twice.

No, one slap for himself. The other for Yun Yongzhou.

And not even on the face.

Seeing the expression on Su Buyu’s face, Wei Huan rushed to explain, “T-Teacher Su, please don’t misunderstand, I wasn’t talking to you—I just had a moment of… brain fog. I heard voices. Like, hallucinations.”

Knowing Su Buyu was a sensitive person, Wei Huan panicked, reaching to grab his wrist in a gesture of reassurance. “Please don’t be upset, I’m just… a bit neurotic, seriously, it was just a hallucination—”

Before his hand could reach Su Buyu, a light binding rope from Yun Yongzhou yanked him back, wrapping around his wrist several times.

Yang Sheng gave a mortified look. “Yongzhou, seriously…”

Yun Yongzhou stood up and dragged Wei Huan up with him.

Wei Huan, completely confused, shouted, “Hey, hey, hey! I haven’t even finished my fish! Instructor Yun, what are you doing?!”

“To treat your hallucinations.”