Help! I Do Not Want to Guide a Disaster

’Be patient, Shao Xinyuan, be patient.’

Xinyuan repeated the mantra like a prayer in his head, holding onto Wenzhi’s hand under the table.

He had just proposed. Wenzhi had accepted, kissed him, and slid the ring onto his finger. It was the best thing that had ever happened to him, a beautiful moment of pure light in his life. He should be back in their quarters right now, wrapped around his new husband for a long, quiet night of cuddles and... More.

But of course, the world was against him. It had been against him since the exact second he was born into his fucked-up family, all the way through his awakening as a living weapon, and up to the moment they sold him to the CEA like property.

Even so, he wasn’t going to let the Eclipse Faction ruin this. He understood Wenzhi’s perspective. He knew why his Guide wanted this meeting.

If there was even a fraction of a percent chance that they could fix the rifts and save the world without anyone else dying... What if it worked? There were too many "what ifs" to ignore.

The restaurant was cleared with dizzying speed. Within minutes, the bustling dining room was entirely empty. Elder Suisui had sent all the kitchen staff and servers home, and even the automated cleaning droids had been shut down. Only Xinyuan, Wenzhi, and Suisui remained in the quiet, dim space.

Then, the heavy front doors chimed.

A woman walked in, stepping out of the chilly air. She was dressed in a sharp, tailored black coat. Her hair was a striking, elegant silver from old age, framing a slightly wrinkled but sharp face. This was Leader of the Eclipse Faction.

Elder Suisui was practically vibrating with excitement as she rose to greet her. "This is Faction Leader Ting," Suisui introduced, guiding the silver-haired woman toward their seats.

"It is finally a pleasure to meet you, Faction Leader Lin, and you, Mr. Shao Xinyuan," Faction Leader Ting said, her voice smooth and seasoned with authority as she took a seat opposite them.

Elder Suisui quickly sat down beside her. Instantly, the warmth of the restaurant vanished, replaced by a heavy, dense atmosphere of seriousness.

"You are legends who have accomplished what no faction believed possible." Ting continued, her eyes scanning them. "Sovereign has become incredibly magnificent and well-protected, despite the constant backlash and sabotage thrown your way."

"Thank you," Wenzhi replied.

He had a lollipop in his mouth now, his back pressed firmly against the leather of the chair. Through their bond, Xinyuan could feel just how incredibly tense Wenzhi actually was beneath his calm facade. It didn’t help that Faction Leader Ting was openly staring at Xinyuan with a mixture of intense curiosity and awe.

"You really are magnificent," she murmured.

Xinyuan just stared back at her. His face was a mask of cold stone, completely unreadable.

Ting let out a soft hum, shifting her focus to include Wenzhi. "I know what Suisui must have told you, and I know it probably threw you off guard. On paper, our proposal sounds exactly like what the Old Blood and the CEA want. So, why is our method different?"

She leaned forward, resting her hands on the glass tabletop.

"It’s simple. We figured out the core of the issue. You are fighting back because you refuse to let your Guide die. And we don’t blame you."

Wenzhi raised a brow, the lollipop shifting to the corner of his mouth, while Xinyuan cocked his head, his interest finally piqued.

"How are we supposed to believe you?" he asked.

"Simple. You opened a majority of the red zone rifts currently active, simply as a consequence of your awakening as a Disaster-class Esper," Faction Leader Ting said, looking directly at Xinyuan. "We are going to use your unique energy signature to close them. All of them. But here is the critical difference. If you die, Lin Wenzhi, we all die. Your compatibility rate with Shao Xinyuan is powerful, and your bond is the only thing keeping him tethered. If you are taken out of the equation, Xinyuan will enter a completely irreversible, destructive berserk state."

She leaned back, her expression hardening.

"The Old Blood and the CEA aren’t calculating this. They are arrogant, confident in whatever backup ’taming’ measures they think they have. But those measures won’t mean a damn thing if the entire world is left in smoking shambles. They foolishly believe they can close every single rift and restore the old world. But the world cannot be completely fixed. We can only do what is realistic by closing the red zone rifts. Doing that will stop the worst of the monster mutations, allow us to establish a proper, stabilized system to organize Espers and Guides, and let us find newly awakened individuals without our own systemic corruption destroying them first."

Xinyuan’s eyes widened slightly in genuine surprise. "You mean you can’t close all the rifts?"

Wenzhi scoffed, but a faint, sharp smile touched his lips. He knew she was telling the truth. A liar would have promised them the world on a silver platter. The fact that the Eclipse Faction was admitting they could only seal the red zones rather than magically fixing the entire planet proved they weren’t selling a fantasy.

The CEA and the Old Blood wanted a total cure, even if it meant breaking Xinyuan to get it. The Eclipse just wanted to stop the main bleeding.

Faction Leader Ting caught Wenzhi’s look and gave him a small, knowing smile. "You just have to be there with him, Faction Leader Lin. Close enough to anchor him and keep him from going berserk while we channel the energy."

Wenzhi turned his head, his grey eyes meeting Xinyuan’s. He offered him a quiet, reassuring smile, a silent communication passing between them in a split second. The tension in Xinyuan’s shoulders dissolved, replaced by solid confidence.

"Let’s do it," Xinyuan said.

Faction Leader Ting let out a heavy breath, a mixture of relief and anticipation settling over her features. "I promise you, we won’t disappoint."

Beside her, Elder Suisui beamed, practically radiating joy that a deal had finally been struck.

Despite the agreement, both Wenzhi and Xinyuan remained deeply guarded.

"We will return to the headquarters, finalize a few things on our end, and meet your team at the lab," Wenzhi said, sliding his chair back as he stood up.

Faction Leader Ting nodded, rising to her feet as well. "Thankfully my top scientists are already here. They’ve been monitoring the dome’s energy output, so they’re ready to begin immediately."

"I will make sure Doctor Ruixin joins them," Wenzhi said.

With the terms set, they went their separate ways. Xinyuan and Wenzhi returned to the base, eventually making their way to the main medical wing.

When they slid open the doors to Doctor Ruixin’s lab, they found her completely engrossed in her work, her fingers flying across her keyboard.

"Hey, boss," she murmured, not even looking up from her monitors.

Xinyuan stepped forward, his frame casting a shadow over her desk. "Can you draft our marriage registration form, Doctor?"

Ruixin’s fingers froze instantly. She slowly turned her head, her jaw dropping slightly as she stared at Xinyuan, then at Wenzhi. "I..."

Wenzhi smirked, casually raising his hand to flash the glowing blue diamond on his finger.

Ruixin’s eyes lit up instantly. She slammed her hands on the desk and jumped to her feet, a massive smile breaking across her face. "Congratulations!"

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!