Everyone Is Non-Human Except Me [Rebirth] Chapter 72

Wei Huan’s eyes darted around as he clutched his mouth, finally settling on the plate of meat in front of him.

“Mmm!” He freed a hand to point accusingly at the meat, glaring at Yun Yongzhou.

Yun Yongzhou smirked, raising a subtle eyebrow like his plan had worked perfectly.

Wei Huan never imagined—not even after dying once and coming back—that Yun Yongzhou would actually pull something like this. Was this really that cold and aloof guy from back then?

Yun Yongzhou calmly picked up two more slices of trick beast meat and placed them in Wei Huan’s bowl. “Does it taste bad?”

“Terrible.” Wei Huan couldn’t stop the words from coming out, no matter how hard he tried to clamp his mouth shut. The answer still escaped in defiant rebellion.

Watching that same little Nine Phoenix who had step by step lured him into a trap now suffer a misstep in the gutter, Yun Yongzhou felt a strange sense of satisfaction. This guy still thought he didn’t know his identity. If not for that, Yun Yongzhou probably would have added one more jab, “using his own tricks against him,” and teased him a bit more.

But pretending to be oblivious had its own fun.

Yun Yongzhou kept a calm, indifferent expression as if he knew nothing. “Really not good? Looks like the boss tricked me. He said this was the house specialty.” With that, he put away his chopsticks and pushed the small plate of meat to the corner of the table. “I won’t eat it either.”

No, you have to eat it. Wei Huan had been waiting for Yun Yongzhou to fall into the same trap, but now he could only stare helplessly as he didn’t take the bait.

“You don’t eat.” Once again, his words came out the opposite of his heart.

Yun Yongzhou nodded, “I know.” He could barely hide the smile tugging at his lips, so he covered his mouth with a fist and coughed. “I’m full. Shall we go?”

Wei Huan nodded quickly, but his mouth still said, “Not going.”

“Not going?” Yun Yongzhou glanced around and locked his clear gaze onto Wei Huan again. “You want to stay here?”

Wei Huan’s head shook like a rattle drum, but he still couldn’t fight the powerful effect of the false beast. “Yes.”

Yun Yongzhou lightly tapped his finger on the table. “But I’m tired. I want to go back to Shanhai and rest.” He looked up at Wei Huan, his eyes hiding a teasing glint. “Do you want to come back with me?”

Of course, Wei Huan wanted to go back. He hadn’t slept for almost two days—this human body couldn’t hold up much longer.

He eagerly nodded, but what came out of his mouth was, “No.”

Yun Yongzhou raised his brows. “No?”

Wei Huan was frantically doing mental work.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Hurry up and say yes.

“No.”

Yun Yongzhou showed a thoughtful expression, nodded, pulled out some bills from his wallet, and stood up, speaking casually, “Then I’ll go by myself.”

No, don’t go alone.

“Okay.”

Wei Huan wanted to slam his head into the wall. This d*mned Yun Yongzhou clearly knew it was False Beast meat and what the effects were. Wasn’t this deliberately toying with him? How boring.

Yun Yongzhou raised his hand like teasing a pet. “I’m really going now?”

Wei Huan was almost resigned to his fate, but his d*mn mouth still didn’t listen.

“Go.”

Probably because saying the opposite of what he wanted made him feel even more suffocated, he sat there, pouting, staring at Yun Yongzhou with a wronged look. To Yun Yongzhou, this appearance was ridiculously cute—like a little animal that had been wronged.

He really wanted to hug him.

Yun Yongzhou walked over and stood next to Wei Huan, calling the boss over. “Bill, please.”

Wei Huan, still frustrated, realized he still had so many noodles left, so he lowered his head and tried to quickly eat them while there was still time. The boss came over cheerfully, saw Yun Yongzhou hand over several large bills, and quickly said, “Ah, this is too much. It doesn’t cost that much.”

“Tip.” Yun Yongzhou stuffed the money into the boss’s hand, then very naturally reached out and patted Wei Huan’s head. “He really likes eating.”

No, I don’t.

“Yes,” Wei Huan’s reversed response now backed Yun Yongzhou’s words.

The boss smiled so widely his wrinkles showed. “If you like it, come back. Next time, I’ll make sure to prepare extra for this young man.”

Wei Huan sneered inside. No need.

“Okay, thank you.”

Ah, this d*mned False Beast.

Yun Yongzhou’s hand stayed on Wei Huan’s head, warm, his fingertips gently rubbing, passing along the heat of the sun. Wei Huan, with his head bowed, looked like a little flower wilting under the sun—wilted, yes, but his heart was beating fast, faster than anyone else’s. He blamed it on the False Beast Syndrome.

When he felt that hand finally leave, the little flower wanted to lift its head but didn’t quite dare.

He’s probably leaving now.

Maybe he’s already opening the barrier.

Fine, let him go.

Heartless, eating his fill and then leaving me behind.

Wei Huan suddenly shot up, and even though these were all the thoughts buried in his heart, he still couldn’t stop the words from spilling out.

“Don’t leave me behind.”

Yun Yongzhou, his back turned, tilted his head to glance at him.

Although he knew the words were reversed, that his heart didn’t actually think this, Yun Yongzhou still inexplicably enjoyed hearing them—it didn’t sound bad at all. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Yang Ling’s voice from behind.

“You stupid human!”

Wei Huan looked up and saw the rest of the group. He thought, this is bad—who knows how long the False Beast’s effects will last. It was already embarrassing enough in front of Yun Yongzhou, but now there were even more people.

“What delicious food did you guys eat?” Jing Yun ran over, pushing up his glasses and glancing at the table. “Looks like a feast. I’m getting hungry too.” He saw the half-eaten plate of marinated meat on the table and couldn’t resist reaching for it.

Don’t eat that.

“Eat!” His mouth betrayed him again. Wei Huan was about ready to give up on himself.

Jing Yun happily said, “Okay!” Wei Huan could only watch helplessly as Jing Yun ate the False Beast meat. He turned to look at Yun Yongzhou with a face full of exasperation, but Yun Yongzhou kept his cool, pretending to know nothing, his expression serene like a god.

Forget it. It’s not like it’s going to cause any major harm.

At that moment, Yan Shanyue and Qing He finally walked over. Wei Huan noticed Qing He’s expression seemed off—his brows were furrowed, and he looked a little dazed.

What’s going on?

But he couldn’t speak normally now… Wei Huan thought for a moment, then suddenly came up with an idea. He wasn’t sure if it would work, but he tried to connect via telepathy. Yun Yongzhou, as if he had been waiting for him, connected instantly.

[Instructor Yun, can you help me ask Qing He what’s wrong?]

Yun Yongzhou’s lazy voice came through.

[Why should I ask?]

You! Wei Huan held back the urge to roll his eyes.

[Because I’m having trouble speaking right now. I burned my tongue while eating, it hurts so much. Please help me ask.] 

As he sent the message through their heart link, Wei Huan even gave Yun Yongzhou a pitiful smile.

Yun Yongzhou shoved both hands into the pockets of his instructor’s uniform, those sharp, predatory eyes locked on Wei Huan.

[Beg me.]

This guy is just…

Wei Huan had no other choice. He thought, since it’s just between the two of them through the heart link, it didn’t matter if it was a bit embarrassing. Fine, he would beg—it’s not like he hasn’t begged before.

[Please, I’m begging you, help me out. You’re the best person in the world, you’re an angel! Please, please help me.]

Even his tone matched the act, all soft and pleading, completely like he was acting cute. Yun Yongzhou’s satisfaction hit its peak. He hadn’t had many chances in his past life, but in this one, he realized he actually really liked bullying Wei Huan—and loved seeing him act cute.

[What will you give me in return?]

When he heard that, Wei Huan almost exploded on the spot. You need to be paid back for this? Was Yun Yongzhou always this stingy? He forced down his frustration and asked politely:

[What would you like in return? Anything, you just say it.]

There was a slight pause on the other end.

[I’ll collect later.]

Wei Huan could only keep up his smile. But Yun Yongzhou was at least true to his word. Just as Qing He walked up to them, Yun Yongzhou spoke at exactly the right time, “How did it go? Did it work?”

Qing He looked at them, then shook his head.

What does shaking his head mean? Wei Huan didn’t get it. He nudged Yun Yongzhou with his elbow, signaling him to keep asking.

“What happened?”

Wei Huan was about to faint. Why did I pick someone with a natural speech disorder to speak for me? This was driving him crazy.

Before Qing He could speak, Yang Ling flopped onto a chair and chimed in, “Boss Jue tried, but couldn’t summon him.”

Couldn’t summon him? Wei Huan frowned and nudged Yun Yongzhou again.

Receiving the cue, Yun Yongzhou mechanically asked, “Why not?”

Yang Ling quickly replied, “At first, I thought Boss Jue was doing it on purpose—she’s already scammed Sister Shanyue out of a precious item—but she tried three times and still failed.”

Boss Jue was a disciple of the former Dark Witch. Given that she could seal even Yun Yongzhou’s mother’s demon soul, it didn’t make sense that she couldn’t summon a human soul.

Qing He sighed, brows furrowed. “She said she did her best and searched for a long time but couldn’t find his soul.” He sniffled. “She said there are two possibilities. The first is that he’s been dead for too long, and his soul has already reincarnated. Once a soul is reincarnated, it has no memory of its previous life, making it extremely hard to summon.”

Is that really it? Just as Wei Huan was about to elbow him a third time, Yun Yongzhou was already one step ahead and caught his arm, sliding his grip down to his wrist and holding him firmly.

Yun Yongzhou asked, “That is possible, since it’s been over ten years. What’s the second possibility?”

When the second option came up, Qing He went silent.

Yang Ling glanced at Qing He, then tilted her head to look at Yun Yongzhou before finally deciding to tell them. “Boss Jue said… there’s another possibility, though it’s a small chance. The person he’s looking for might not have died at all.” She paused. “She can’t summon the soul of someone who’s still alive, nor can she locate it.”

She then grabbed Qing He’s wrist, as if to comfort him. “That’s a good thing—it means he might still be alive.”

Qing He’s lips curved into a faint, powerless smile. “Of course, I’d rather believe he’s alive. Between the two options, I’d much rather it be the second. But…”

His forced calm made Wei Huan feel heavy-hearted.

“But…” Qing He’s voice dropped, almost drowned out by the bustle of the morning market, “either way, it seems like I still can’t find him.”

He lowered his head.

“I want to see him.”

Wei Huan was stunned. He didn’t expect Qing He to speak his desire so openly. It was always Wei Huan who spoke and acted in contradictions, but now Qing He was pushed by longing to finally speak his true feelings.

Yan Shanyue, who had bought several breakfasts, walked over and handed them out to Yang Ling, Jing Yun, and Qing He. Usually reserved, even she couldn’t hold back and said, “It’s okay. If he’s really alive, you can’t summon him anyway. If he’s alive, what’s there to be afraid of? You’ll find him eventually.”

Qing He took the food from her. “Thanks.” He smiled. “Maybe all the suffering I’ve been through finally paid off.”

Jing Yun, who was happily eating, looked up, confused. “Huh?”

Qing He said plainly, “It’s how I got to meet you guys.”

Yang Ling snorted proudly, “Meeting me is definitely your blessing~” Then she turned to Jing Yun and warned, “Stop eating so much. If you get a stomachache, how am I supposed to explain to my brother?”

Jing Yun swallowed and was about to agree, but when he opened his mouth, it came out as, “I won’t.”

Yang Ling shot up, furious. “How dare you?”

Wei Huan couldn’t help laughing. Looks like the effect of the False Beast was starting to kick in.

“I…” Jing Yun panicked and swallowed nervously. “I dare…”

“What?” Yang Ling was so mad she laughed. “What are you even saying?”

Jing Yun slapped his hand over his mouth and shook his head frantically. “I know, I know.”

“It’s over, it’s over, Little Chongming has gone crazy.” Yang Ling smacked her own forehead. “How am I going to explain this to my brother?”

Yan Shanyue walked over, glanced at the food on the table, and looked at Jing Yun. “What did you eat?”

Jing Yun covered his mouth with one hand and pointed to the empty plate on the table with the other.

“That’s a False Beast,” Yun Yongzhou finally spoke, giving the correct answer.

“A False Beast?” Yan Shanyue frowned, seeming to recall something. “Is that the one that makes you speak in opposites after eating it?”

Qing He was a little intrigued. “You guys have such interesting stuff in the demon realm?”

Yang Ling flicked her twin ponytails. “Of course! The demon realm has all kinds of amazing things!”

All the dishes on the table were empty—they’d clearly eaten a lot. “At this dosage, the effects will probably last most of the day, but it doesn’t do any harm to the body.” Seeing Jing Yun pressing his lips tightly together, Yan Shanyue couldn’t help but laugh. “Come on, let’s head back to school.”

Yang Ling teased Jing Yun. “I’m gonna tell your brother that you can only talk in opposites now.”

Jing Yun shook his head furiously—he clearly meant “no,” but what came out of his mouth was, “Yes, yes, yes.” His face flushed red with panic. Wei Huan watched from the side, thoroughly enjoying the show, completely forgetting that he had been the Misleading Beast’s victim just ten minutes ago.

Seeing that Yan Shanyue had already opened the barrier portal, Yun Yongzhou turned to Qing He. “Where are you going?”

Qing He shrugged. “Back to Kunlun Void.”

Yang Ling’s eyes darted around. “Hey, since you already have demon energy on you, why not come with us to Shanhai? It’s a university, after all—much safer than wandering around outside Kunlun Void.”

That did sound like a good idea.

But Qing He said, “Isn’t Shanhai the top university in your demon realm? It must have strict rules. Would I even be allowed in?”

They were all just students, not in a position to help much. Wei Huan suddenly thought of Yun Yongzhou, and quickly shot him a look. Even without mind-linking, Yun Yongzhou immediately got what Wei Huan meant.

[I can help him—but you’ll owe me another favor.]

Greedy b*stard. Wei Huan had no choice but to agree.

[Fine, I owe you. Just help him find a place to stay.]

“I can help you,” Yun Yongzhou said aloud, just as Qing He happened to be watching him. Their eyes met. “I can take you somewhere—it’s a good fit for you.”

Qing He hadn’t expected that from Yun Yongzhou. “A good fit?” He nodded thoughtfully. Yan Shanyue activated the teleportation spell and took them all back to Shanhai. Wei Huan originally planned to head back to Yansui with them, but was stopped by Yun Yongzhou.

“Wait here for me.”

With no other choice, Wei Huan wandered over to the nearby Luoyan Lake, sat down on the grass by the water, leaned against an ornamental rock, and began tossing pebbles into the lake. Each stone he threw sparked a tiny orange flame at the lake’s center.

Qing He hadn’t expected he’d ever step foot into the demon realm’s top academy in this lifetime—it was strange but also kind of amusing. But Yun Yongzhou didn’t give him much time to sightsee. Using the teleportation spell again, they instantly appeared in front of a new building. Looking up, the words “Research Department” were written above the entrance.

“You brought me here?”

Yun Yongzhou nodded and led him to a lab door. Inside stood a half-demon working on a robot. The moment he caught a whiff of golden crow aura, he jumped in alarm. When he saw Yun Yongzhou, he immediately stood upright. “I-Instructor Yun!”

“You’ll be working with him.”

Fang Cheng gave Qing He a quick once-over—there was a trace of Ice Silkworm aura on him, but also a human scent. Assuming he was another half-demon like himself, he cheerfully extended his hand. “Hi, I’m also a half-demon!”

“I’m human,” Qing He replied bluntly.

“Eh?” Fang Cheng froze, his hand awkwardly suspended mid-air. He looked at Yun Yongzhou in a panic, but Yun Yongzhou simply said, “Just treat him like you would one of your own.”

“This place really does suit me,” Qing He took a few steps, looking around, then turned to Yun Yongzhou. “Alright, I know you’re in a rush to go see your little mute—go ahead.” Then he smiled at Fang Cheng. “I’ll get along just fine with this half-demon big brother.”

Wei Huan, having thrown all the pebbles at hand, was now drowsy. He leaned against the rock, closed his eyes for a nap—and before he knew it, he’d fallen fast asleep.

When Yun Yongzhou returned, he searched around a bit before sensing Wei Huan through their blood pact. He found him napping behind the ornamental rock. Quietly, he walked over and knelt down beside him.

Summer was fading. The oppressive heat from before had now settled into a slow-burning fire inside Yun Yongzhou, heating up from within.

A leaf gently drifted down, landing on Wei Huan’s head, reminding Yun Yongzhou of that summer night when a white feather of his had fallen.

Landed on Wei Huan’s head.

And somehow, Wei Huan had noticed. Before Yun Yongzhou could take it back, Wei Huan had grinned and hidden the feather in his shirt. “It fell on my head, so it’s mine now!”

That smile… Yun Yongzhou still remembered it.

Lowering his gaze, he saw the wristband on Wei Huan’s arm—wrapped with a bit of tape.

This fragile little porcelain figure, probably trying to patch over the cracks in himself, hiding them away. The thought led him to that absurd nightmare realm from the past—those were desires he hadn’t even admitted to himself. For a moment, Yun Yongzhou wondered:

Had he appeared in Wei Huan’s nightmare realm too? And if so, what role did he play? A friend? An enemy?

Or… perhaps nothing at all.

He lowered his head, a faint frustration rising in his heart.

Probably nothing at all.

As he reached out to pluck the leaf from Wei Huan’s head, the boy stirred and woke up just in time. Still groggy, he blinked up at Yun Yongzhou. “Hmm…? You’re here… I’m so sleepy…”

“Good. So am I.” Yun Yongzhou twirled the leaf between his fingers. “Come back with me.”

“Mmm…” Wei Huan mumbled in half-sleep—then suddenly realized something.

The reversal effect was gone.

He had accidentally spoken the truth.

Sleepiness vanished instantly.

Screw it. He decided to pretend it was still the False Beast’s effect.

A red Golden Crow barrier ring suddenly appeared. Yun Yongzhou pulled him up, and Wei Huan felt his body fall forward into emptiness—there was no support. The next moment, he landed on a bed. The world spun around him. Wei Huan stared blankly at the ceiling for a long moment before realizing this was Yun Yongzhou’s dorm room.

His body sank into the soft, fluffy bed, and Yun Yongzhou was half-pressing down on him.

“Um… Instructor Yun, I’d like to go back to my own dorm.”

Yun Yongzhou lifted his lashes and said slowly, “Are you saying that sincerely, or is that still reverse talk?”

“I…” Wei Huan didn’t know how to answer. This time, he’d completely fallen into the trap and couldn’t climb out. So he simply wriggled out from under Yun Yongzhou, pulled the blanket over his head, and mumbled, “I don’t know, I’m really tired, I’m going to sleep.”

Through the thin quilt, Wei Huan felt arms wrap around him and pull him into an embrace.

“I want my reward now.”

His heart was pounding—once again, he was caught completely off guard.

Yun Yongzhou lowered his head, bringing it close to Wei Huan’s ear. Wei Huan could feel his lips brush against his ear, or maybe they didn’t—it hovered in that uncertain space of touch and illusion. Then the blanket was pulled away.

“What reward?” Wei Huan tried to ask, but his voice was trembling.

In the agonizing silence that followed, Yun Yongzhou let go of the embrace and pulled back slightly. An uncontrollable wave of disappointment washed over Wei Huan. Then, in the next second, Yun Yongzhou looked at him directly.

His voice was cool and low.

“Come here. Hug me.”

“Sleep in my arms.”

Wei Huan froze, his pupils involuntarily widening. He tried to control his breathing. Perhaps noticing his inaction, Yun Yongzhou narrowed his eyes slightly, hinting—I’m waiting.

There was no way out. He had agreed earlier to do whatever Yun Yongzhou asked. Besides… besides, it wasn’t like he hadn’t hugged him before—it had even been his idea. Wei Huan made excuses for himself, like an awkward little earthworm, squirmed twice, moved closer to Yun Yongzhou, and stiffly wrapped his arms around him.

Their bodies pressed together, sharing warmth. Wei Huan buried his face in the hollow of Yun Yongzhou’s collarbone, eyes squeezed shut in panic and confusion. It all felt like some absurd twist of fate—but maybe he wanted this too. Especially that moment he woke from the nightmare realm and saw Yun Yongzhou rushing toward him. His instincts had whispered:

Go hug him. Just once.

Just once.

Just as Wei Huan thought this hug would be the end of it, Yun Yongzhou spoke again.

“Second reward.”

A request so improbable it felt like magic, but he spoke with such certainty that resistance was impossible.

“Dream of me.”