“If you don’t take me with you, what if a hacker hacks the entire control system? What will you do then?”
Wang Chao sat with his arms folded and his legs crossed, pretending to be calm as he warned them, but his drooping mouth betrayed him.
At that moment, they were sitting in the revolving restaurant at the Hongjing Hotel.
Xing Conglian had reserved the most expensive restaurant in the city to break this cruel news to Wang Chao.
However, since he had spent money, Captain Xing wouldn’t verbally admit defeat.
“Comrade Xiao Wang Chao.” Xing Conglian tapped the table. “The hacker capable of hacking the whole ship’s control system is right in front of me.”
“Boss, you rarely praise me like this!”
“So why would I bring someone as dangerous as you to threaten the safety of tourists?”
“You’re insulting my character!”
“Haven’t you done a few illegal things?”
“A’Chen Gege, say something!”
Lin Chen, who had been quietly tasting pudding, was finally drawn into the flames of battle. On one side was an indignant and seemingly abandoned teenager, and on the other was a gentleman with an eyebrow raised.
Lin Chen put down his spoon, tentatively suggesting, “Or… How about you two go?”
Things started a week earlier.
One night, while watching TV, Xing Conglian excitedly turned up the volume and pointed to a commercial for a trans-Atlantic cruise, asking, “How about we go on a honeymoon?”
In the advertisement, a luxurious cruise ship cut through the azure sea, and a row of stylized romantic characters spelled out, “Join the Darwin for a global journey of your dreams.”
Lin Chen thought it looked nice but didn’t take it seriously. They couldn’t possibly have 35 days off for a global dream journey. But somehow, their leave was approved, and Wang Chao didn’t have a ticket.
Lin Chen thought for a moment about what he had said casually at the time, something like “It looks pretty good,” but he didn’t take it to heart. After all, how could they possibly have a 35-day vacation to go on a global dream journey?
But…
Nothing was absolute. In any case, their vacation request was approved before the end of work today, and they were to board the ship tomorrow. As for Wang Chao… Xing Conglian obviously would not buy a ticket for him.
At first, Mr. Xing probably felt guilty and had prepared to treat the teenager to a lavish dinner.
But Wang Chao wouldn’t be himself if he backed down easily.
After dinner, Xing Conglian broke the bad news, and Wang Chao listed all the potential consequences of not taking him along. Lin Chen was troubled, but Xing Conglian was determined to live freely without children, so Wang Chao’s protests were in vain.
In reality, Lin Chen didn’t care if they brought Wang Chao, but Xing Conglian’s words finally persuaded him.
“What does it mean to bring Wang Chao?”
“What?”
“It means that whatever happens in the world, you will know about it; it means anyone can find you at any time; it means you don’t really have a vacation!”
Later, Lin Chen thought, even if they went on the cruise without Wang Chao, if someone really wanted to find you, they could still find you…
But for a “middle-aged man” who had been raising a child for over a decade, Lin Chen felt sympathetic and understanding, so he chose to keep silent.
Then they boarded the ship with their passports.
When they were actually sitting on the balcony of the cabin, looking at the yellow port waters, Lin Chen felt a sense of magical realism.
They were really going on vacation?
Unbelievable…
He turned around, and Xing Conglian was already sprawled out on the bed, taking a long, deep drag.
Seeing him look, Xing Conglian propped up his head, patted the empty space beside him, and his eyes were filled with laughter. Lin Chen obediently lay down on the bed, his head resting in Xing Conglian’s arm, and closed his eyes.
“Going to sleep just like that?” Xing Conglian was surprised.
“Or we could make love.”
“…”
Lin Chen laughed and yawned but didn’t open his eyes.
“I have no objection; shall we start now?”
Xing Conglian said and kissed him.
If this were not a story of magical realism, then Lin Chen would surely say, “Making such a proclamation in broad daylight seems inappropriate.”
But since they only brought their passports onto the ship, besides doing something inappropriate, there wasn’t much else to do. Lin Chen turned over, affectionately hugged Xing Conglian’s neck.
In the distance was the vast ocean, so there was no need to draw the curtains.
“I have a very strange premonition.” Lin Chen put his hand on Xing Conglian’s back.
“Please, don’t say it out loud.”
“Okay.”
“So what else can be said?”
“Say, ‘Husband, I love you.'”
Xing Conglian’s nasal voice was wet, and he kissed Lin Chen’s ear.
Lin Chen smiled.
……
When they woke up, the ship had already set sail, and they didn’t know where they were.
The sound of waves slapping against the hull came from outside the balcony, and the stars in the sky were twinkling.
Lin Chen vaguely remembered that the boarding instructions mentioned a fixed emergency drill at 17:00. He sat up abruptly from the bed, rubbing his forehead, feeling that something wasn’t right.
The bedside table had lube, and the room was a mess. Lin Chen had only one question in his mind: why was lube prepared in the suite? What was this feeling of being on a pirate ship all about?
Xing Conglian came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and sat down by the bed, considerately asking, “Are you feeling unwell?”
“Did we miss the drill?” Lin Chen asked.
“Um…” Xing Conglian paused. “This kind of large cruise ship won’t have any problems, and it’s not like the era of the Titanic.”
“Safety is important,” Lin Chen said, “and since the cruise ship has this rule, we need to follow it.”
“Actually…”
“Yes?”
“You put on your clothes first, and I’ll take you to the emergency drill.”
“…”
Being in the middle of winter and at sea, the cruise ship’s deck was probably colder than they imagined. Since they hadn’t prepared any luggage, Lin Chen intended to wear a bathrobe over his coat, but Xing Conglian stopped him with a hesitant look.
“Why do I feel like you’re hiding something from me?”
“No, actually, I feel quite guilty.”
Xing Conglian said as he pulled Lin Chen out the door, took him into the elevator, and pressed the floor button to go down.
“Guilty about what?”
“I remember that I seem to be quite rich…”
“And then?”
“Then you actually don’t remember this, and I feel very guilty about it.”
He was holding Xing Conglian’s hand. When the elevator door opened, the shopping street on the Darwin cruise ship appeared before them. Crystal chandeliers sparkled above them while throngs of tourists passed by. There were some parties happening further away, and young people’s laughter filled the bustling ship’s street.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve said the words, ‘I’ll pay by card’. I almost forgot that I’m rich!” Xing Conglian sighed, looking at the street.
Lin Chen felt his chest tremble with the enveloping electronic music, but when he turned his head, he saw Xing Conglian looking relaxed and at ease, as if he was very accustomed to this flashy scene. Lin Chen, too, began to feel nostalgic.
In fact, thinking about it, he had never felt uncomfortable living with Xing Conglian for so long. To say they were in sync, it was probably more accurate that Xing Conglian had been accommodating him quite a bit.
A waiter handed over a cocktail, and Lin Chen passed it to Xing Conglian.
“Do you feel like you’re ten years younger?” Xing Conglian took a sip, smiled, wrapped his arm around Lin Chen, and yelled in his ear.
“My experiences when I was young might not be the same as yours.”
Xing Conglian began by laughing. As they walked into a men’s clothing store, everything suddenly quieted down, and he realized something was amiss. “Not the same when young… Are you calling me old?”
Lin Chen shook his head. “I’m not that kind of person.”
Since Xing Conglian was paying, Lin Chen didn’t hesitate and picked out a down jacket to check out.
Standing at the counter, Lin Chen handed over the ship card and looked out the window, only to unexpectedly see a familiar figure.
He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but the duckbill cap, black hoodie, and that face that screamed ‘Laozi’s really 100% clever’—if it wasn’t Wang Chao, who else could it be?
Why was Wang Chao here?
Xing Conglian stood by his side, looking at him, and Lin Chen hurriedly stepped forward, unconsciously blocking Xing Conglian’s view of the street.
If he had a phone right now, he would definitely send Wang Chao a secret text message questioning if he knew the meaning of the word “death”.
But he didn’t have a phone.
Because Xing Conglian had made it clear that the honeymoon was a dedicated emotional journey (?) for two adults, focusing on adult entertainment activities (?), and prohibiting all distractions.
So they really just boarded the ship with just their passports. Now, Lin Chen began to regret his rash decision.
After leaving the men’s clothing store, Lin Chen remained uneasy.
On one hand, he feared Wang Chao might suddenly appear and cause a scene; on the other hand, he felt he should be honest with Xing Conglian about what he had seen.
Lost in thought for a moment, when he came back to his senses, he was already standing with Xing Conglian in an open space at the highest point of the top deck.
Surrounded by a circle of ground lights, everything else is shrouded in darkness, with bright stars in the night sky and a sharp, brisk sea breeze. The laughter from the heated pool downstairs is faintly audible, and on the distant basketball court, young people are still playing. But where they stand is very quiet, so much so that even the sound of a heartbeat can be heard.
Lin Chen wrapped his down jacket tightly around himself, pointed to where they were standing, and looked at Xing Conglian.
“Lifeboat drill.” Xing Conglian’s face was very close to his, and he could faintly see the other’s moss-green eyes. “In case of a shipwreck, this is our gathering point.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means that according to the level of our room card, a helicopter will come to pick us up when the time comes…” Xing Conglian seemed quite embarrassed. “How wicked.”
Lin Chen looks up at the night sky, taking a deep breath of the chilly sea breeze.
“If the helicopter can’t make it in time, there are other lifeboats, but…” Xing Conglian paused. “But if something really happens, we will probably be the last to leave.”
He said this without regret.
Lin Chen stretches out both arms, embracing him. “Xing Conglian.”
“At your service anytime.”
“Don’t casually set flags for us.”
“Okay.”
“It’s my character setting to set up flags.”
“Then what’s my character setting?” Xing Conglian also hugged him with both arms.
But since both of them were wearing quite thick down jackets, the embrace was somewhat awkward.
“Your character setting…” Lin Chen looked up at him, “is to say with a smile, ‘We should kiss here.'”
The day before the Qixi Festival, Lin Chen went on a business trip to the province to attend an academic exchange meeting.
Xing Conglian initially had no objections to this. After all, it was just over a hundred kilometers, which was only a two-hour drive.
However, when Comrade Zhang Xiaolong put the Qixi Festival duty roster on his desk, Xing Conglian gestured for the policewoman to come to him and stand at attention.
“What does this mean?” he asked, shaking the duty roster, where his name had been assigned to the Ansheng International Mall in the Chong’an Distract column.
Zhang Xiaolong obsequiously smiled, saying, “Captain, on Qixi night, the General Bureau and branch offices are short of manpower. The higher-ups mean for team leaders and above to take the lead in duty, setting an example.”
“If the superiors set an example, what do you subordinates do?”
“We subordinates are going on dates, of course.”
The policewoman finished, showing him the happy smile of a contented woman. Then she took the duty roster from his hand, laying it on the table with a giggling smile “Captain Xing, please, it won’t hurt for a single dog like you to work hard on Valentine’s Day.”
Xing Conglian was so choked up that he couldn’t speak. When he called Lin Chen in the evening, he was still dwelling on it. “She actually called me a single dog; I just disdain to feed them ‘dog food*’!”
*Buzzword referring to couples showing affection in front of others (usually people who are single).
The noise on the other end of the phone was loud, as Lin Chen seemed to be attending a post-conference dinner, filled with the sounds of clinking glasses. Perhaps because he was too busy, Lin Chen just gave a noncommittal “Mm” as if he didn’t care.
Xing Conglian was still a little upset when he hung up. Although he knew Lin Chen had little interest in these holidays, the thought of watching couples cooing at each other in the mall while Lin Chen was dining with others elsewhere made him feel an indescribable chill, like a cold wind in the face.
Perhaps because even the heavens felt he was too desolate, when he got home after work, the central air conditioning was malfunctioning.
Wang Chao pressed the remote control for a long time, stripped to his vest, and then began to wail. “Boss, can we buy a new air conditioner right now? I’m going to die of heat!”
Xing Conglian coldly glanced at him, saying, “Calm your mind, and you will cool down.”
“Abuse!”
“So what if I abuse you?” Xing Conglian removed his coat and walked straight into the bathroom.
When he came out, Wang Chao was nowhere to be seen in the house. From the yard came the sound of a teenager playing games. When he went out to see, Wang Chao had actually dragged mosquito nets and mats to sleep in the yard.
The evening breeze was pleasant, and the night was fine, but Lin Chen was not there. He looked up at the sky and then went back to his room.
Although it was indeed hot at night, opening the doors and windows allowed the cool breeze to pass through, making sleep barely possible. Xing Conglian lay in bed, looked at the empty pillow beside his head, and closed his eyes.
He couldn’t remember the last time he slept alone, but when it was time to sleep, he didn’t feel the loneliness of an old man in an empty nest.
The room was filled with the scent of life.
At the head of the bed was Lin Chen’s unfinished bedtime book, and at the foot were his uncollected pajamas.
Notably, the book was “Harry Potter“, and the pajamas were a set of gray, white, and blue plaid shirt and trousers.
When had he last unbuttoned this set of pajamas? Xing Conglian laughed at the thought, turned off the light, placed his arm under his head, stared at the dark ceiling, and closed his eyes to sleep.
But…
Of course, he couldn’t sleep at first.
He found himself wondering what the difference was between sleeping alone before and now. After thinking for a while, the only differences were a bigger bed, more things around him, and a feeling of fullness in his heart.
Because of that fulfillment, he didn’t even have time to romanticize about Lin Chen’s pajamas and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
In the middle of the night, a strange noise suddenly came from the room, and in the darkness, footsteps could be heard. Someone stealthily walked into the room and stopped by the bed.
Xing Conglian abruptly reached out, grabbing the intruder’s hands. Just as he was about to kick out, the feeling of the skin in his hands gave him a jolt.
He quickly changed positions, pulling the person to his chest and holding them down forcefully.
The lights came on.
“Gentler.”
Xing Conglian thought he was dreaming, but at that moment, Lin Chen was indeed lying on his chest.
His face was fair and radiant, his eyes sparkled with a watery smile, and he was holding onto the corner of a blanket, as if he had been caught red-handed while grabbing it.
“How did you get back?” Xing Conglian exclaimed in shock.
“By train.”
“Weren’t there more meetings left?”
“I skipped it,” Lin Chen said nonchalantly.
“But I have to be on duty tomorrow.”
“It’s okay, I’ll accompany you.”
Lin Chen finished speaking and tried to stand up, but Xing Conglian hooked his leg around Lin Chen’s calf.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“The yard is too cold; I want to give Wang Chao another blanket.”
“No!”
Before his words had even fallen, Lin Chen pinched his chin and kissed him.
“Let go; I’ll be right back.”
Lin Chen’s voice was somewhat hoarse, with two buttons undone at his shirt collar, revealing his neck and collarbone.
Although he said to let go, his tone was teasing, quite provocative.
Xing Conglian let go of his hand, and just as Lin Chen was about to stand up, he slammed the person under his body again, rubbing his penis against Lin Chen’s lower abdomen. “Baby, I said no.”
Lin Chen’s chest was slightly undulating. His eyes were languid, and his lips were red.
He wiped Lin Chen’s lips with his fingers, then pried open Lin Chen’s teeth, put his thumb into Lin Chen’s moist mouth, and stirred gently.
Lin Chen smiled with an ambiguous expression on his face, and his tongue subconsciously cooperated, licking his fingers.
Obviously, it was just licking, but the method imitated oral sex, which made Xing Conglian almost lose control. He stretched out another finger into Lin Chen’s mouth and twitched it gently.
“Mmph…”
Lin Chen whimpered in confusion.
Xing Conglian leaned down. His eyes followed the trail of saliva coming from the corner of Lin Chen’s mouth and closed in on his ears, asking, “Is it hot?”
“It’s hot.” Lin Chen opened his mouth and whispered. One arm was around his waist, and the other was inserted between their overlapping bodies. He grinded up and down through his pants, whimpering, “But I want more heat.”
These words only made Xing Conglian harder. As he subconsciously propped up his body, Lin Chen took advantage of the momentum and reached into his pants.
Compared to the hot bed, hot air, and hot flesh, Lin Chen’s fingers were exceptionally cold, like extremely tender bamboo branches, kneading lightly or heavily, which was refreshing.
“Baby, you are so sweet.”
Lin Chen listened to Xing Conglian whispering in his ear.
He was actually quite sleepy, and the surrounding was so hot, so it wasn’t a good time to have sex.
However, suffocation sex was also a genre, and the feeling of being confused was quite exhilarating.
Xing Conglian kissed his neck. There was no air conditioning, and the two hugged for a while, so he was sweating profusely, especially his neck. Xing Conglian’s movements were extremely gentle, careful not to leave any hickeys, but because of these gentle and careful movements, it made him feel an unbearable itch.
“Mm…”
Unconsciously, he groaned in a low voice.
Xing Conglian licked the area behind his ear, and the itchy feeling bottomed out of his heart all at once. He let go of his hand and subconsciously turned his head to avoid it.
However, it was obviously unavoidable.
Xing Conglian took advantage of the situation to lick into his ear. The feeling of wetness stirred the eroticism of the dark night, and Lin Chen couldn’t help but get goosebumps.
“Don’t lick it in.”
“Haven’t gone in yet.” Xing Conglian rubbed his penis against his hips, indicating that he was still, indeed, honest.
Lin Chen smiled. Xing Conglian’s expression was hazy, but with the moonlight, he could guess the expression on his lover’s face from his imagination.
“It’s itchy.”
Lin Chen touched Xing Conglian’s face and imagined his moss-green eyes. It felt hazy, like a dream.
“Where does it itch?” Xing Conglian asked.
“Everywhere.”
Xing Conglian’s breathing stagnated, and after a while, Lin Chen felt the belt around his waist loosen.
The trousers of the suit were taken off along with the underwear. He raised his feet very cooperatively and then heard the sound of the trousers landing.
Xing Conglian’s dick was already behind him.
Lin Chen was a little horrified and couldn’t help wondering if he had gone too far just now.
“Can I go in today, or are you too tired?”
It was obvious that his dick was hot and rock hard, but Xing Conglian still remained polite.
“Otherwise, why would I buy a ticket overnight and come back to spend Qixi with you under the sheets?” Lin Chen asked rhetorically.
“I thought too much.” Xing Conglian laughed out loud.
However, the words were still spoken.
Xing Conglian didn’t even forcibly insert right away.
The balcony door was open, and the murmur of water was clearly audible.
Under the glistening moonlight, Lin Chen’s slender legs and lower body appeared as if they were nothing. His penis stood erect, calm yet lewd.
His upper body was a stark contrast. Because of his conference, Lin Chen wore a slim white shirt and tie today.
They had been entangled for a while, yet the shirt remained intact, with the exception of a few more wrinkles, and the black tie hung to one side, giving a sense of abstinence that made one want to invade.
And looking closely, although Lin Chen was still wearing a vest, Xing Conglian could see his nipples were faintly excited. Coupled with his naked lower body, this contrast was even more exciting than being completely naked.
Xing Conglian’s fingers were still wet. That was the saliva drawn from Lin Chen’s mouth just now. He held Lin Chen’s penis with his wet fingers while holding Lin Chen’s tie with his other hand. He leaned down and gently nibbled on the red dot on Lin Chen’s chest through the shirt, teasing it with his tongue.
“Mmph…”
“Why are you so excited?” Xing Conglian asked vaguely as the tip of his teeth bit lightly on the cloth and the milk beads below.
“Because it’s comfortable.”
“Am I serving comfortably?”
“Yes.”
“What else can I do for you?”
After speaking, Lin Chen grabbed his hair, raised his neck, and said in a disguised fierce tone, “The foreplay is too long. Enter me, quickly.”
Lin Chen was so cute that Xing Conglian didn’t even care about him. The fingers below rubbed the tip of Lin Chen’s penis and felt a moist liquid oozing out.
“Consultant Lin, be patient and persevere,” Xing Conglian said solemnly.
Lin Chen directly reached out and opened the bedside table, pulled out the lube, and threw it directly on him.
Xing Conglian laughed out loud and wanted to mess with him again.
Lin Chen raised his knees, pushed his hands away, and began to rub Xing Conglian’s dick with his feet. “No, I can’t hold on anymore.”
Xing Conglian had to kneel and sit beside Lin Chen, squeeze out the cold liquid from his hand, and rub it on his fingers indiscriminately.
Lin Chen was very cooperative and raised his body a little bit as Xing Conglian poked his index finger in with a bit of force.
“Ah…… Nn……”
Lin Chen’s insides were tight and hot. Xing Conglian pushed his finger in and out as he kissed Lin Chen.
Hearing Lin Chen’s vague and sleepy moans, as well as feeling his erected penis tremble as it rested on his forearm from time to time, Xing Conglian couldn’t help feeling anxious.
He wrapped Lin Chen’s penis again with his other hand and stroked it as he inserted another finger.
At the moment when the index and middle fingers were inserted, Lin Chen arched his back at the same time and trembled all over. He couldn’t suppress his groan any longer.
“I’m going to cum… Enter me…”
The voice was so hoarse and soft that it almost made Xing Conglian surrender.
“Who do you want to enter you?” Xing Conglian leaned down, let go of his hand, and licked the tip of Lin Chen’s penis.
Lin Chen trembled again due to the sensitivity, as if afraid Xing Conglian would suck him all the way down.
Lin Chen hurriedly said, “I want my husband to enter me.”
Lin Chen never called him that, except at certain times in bed.
This was obviously the considerate interest of Consultant Lin at certain moments. Hearing Lin Chen call him that, Xing Conglian almost entered him on the spot.
However, his sanity as a husband still existed. Lin Chen would definitely be injured if he entered too quickly. He immediately put on three fingers and inserted them into Lin Chen together.
Perhaps because it was painful, or maybe the feeling of fullness pressing against his prostate made him feel uncomfortable…
Lin Chen twisted.
Xing Conglian held him down, kissed his forehead, and said earnestly, “Be good. Bear with me.”
Lin Chen’s forehead was already drenched. He stared at Xing Conglian with lust and love while teasing him. “Don’t want my husband’s fingers.”
Lin Chen said.
“Then what do you want?” Xing Conglian thrust his finger into the deepest part of Lin Chen’s body.
“Hey!”
Lin Chen obviously couldn’t say it, so he stopped him very playfully.
But after a second, Lin Chen softened again. After all, Consultant Lin was a very dedicated actor. He wraps his legs around Xing Conglian’s waist and rubs his ears with his fingers. He was very gentle, and he had exposed his entire body in front of him.
“Hurry up…”
Lin Chen said.
Xing Conglian leaned down and kissed him deeply. As his penis penetrated just as deep, Lin Chen tried to swallow all his moans.
The gurgling sound of the river outside the balcony and the night wind poured into the room together, akin to the moist, warm, deep feeling of Lin Chen’s insides.
Xing Conglian’s movements weren’t crazy, although they should be. After all, in front of him was a magnificent lover, with a beautiful body, who was smart and handsome with a noble aura.
But the feeling of fullness in his heart made him unable to help maintain that delicate balance between intoxication and sobriety.
There was nothing more beautiful than love, and he must treasure it.
“I love you.” When he was embedded into the deepest part of Lin Chen’s body, he said this.
Dong Zhi looked up at Long Shen from afar and heard him say, “I told you not to come.”
“But you’re here. How could I not come?” Dong Zhi smiled faintly. After calling down the heavenly thunder from the abyss to disperse the demonic qi, he was nearly drained. Even his speech was labored, yet his tone and demeanor were much calmer than when he had jumped into the hellish abyss.
If initially, he had felt fear of death and the unknown, that fear had faded over time. He hadn’t been defeated by the demonic qi, and upon seeing Long Shen, the fear had vanished entirely.
“Master, I’ve come to take you home.”
Long Shen didn’t respond for a long while. After what felt like an eternity, he finally flashed an almost eerie smile. From afar, Dong Zhi couldn’t see it clearly, but he instantly recognized that the odd, contrasting tone of the voice wasn’t Long Shen’s.
Or perhaps, after absorbing half the demonic qi, the newly awakened Mara took control of Long Shen’s body. Maybe Long Shen’s will was too strong, or Mara’s power wasn’t yet enough to dominate the abyss. The terrifying demon king hadn’t yet fully taken over the body. But if they lingered, Long Shen would weaken further.
Thinking this, Dong Zhi no longer hesitated. He stepped onto the stairway and confidently began his ascent.
Demonic qi howled toward him, but he slashed them away with his sword. Each stroke opened a gap in the dense demonic barrier that covered the stairs.
In the abyss, there was no light, except for that emitted from the Changshou Sword. It was like a beacon in an endless night, sometimes strong, sometimes faint, but never extinguishing even against the strong wind or torrential rain.
The faint light grew like a sapling into a towering tree, shielding against the storms and protecting those who once nurtured it.
Long Shen watched Dong Zhi’s ascending figure from afar. The corner of his mouth curled slightly, and a glint sparkled in his tranquil eyes, as if hiding a galaxy.
“When he’s in front of you, I’ll use your body to kill him myself. Won’t that be more fun?” Mara remarked.
“You can’t do it,” Long Shen replied calmly. “If you could fully control my body, I would’ve ceased to exist already.”
He didn’t believe that the demon inside him was benevolent. The reason it hadn’t acted was not due to mercy or amusement but because it lacked sufficient power.
It sounded amusing, but it was true. The Eight-Sided Demon Sealing Formation didn’t just seal the gateway between the abyss and the human realm; it weakened the demonic qi. Mara had awoken after many years of slumber in the abyss due to the connection with the world’s vital qi. But an unexpected thing happened with Long Shen. He absorbed almost all the escaping demonic qi and, fearing he might lose control and become a threat, chose to jump into the abyss to resolve the crisis. He never intended to leave. By sheer coincidence, this decision suppressed the awakened heavenly demon.
Mara wanted to reach the human world, but the laws of heaven prevented him from manifesting in his true form. He had to rely on Long Shen’s body. However, upon merging, he found that Long Shen wasn’t as easy to control as expected. Their powers were balanced, and neither could gain the upper hand. Mara’s power was suppressed, and Long Shen couldn’t expel him.
That was why Dong Zhi and the others still had a fighting chance. While Long Shen was restraining Mara, he was also protecting them in his own way.
However, as the time spent in the abyss of hell got longer and longer, Long Shen would only become weaker and weaker. The control over his body would eventually be completely taken by Mara. When he regained all his strength and possessed the human body, the heavenly demon Mara would truly become the terrifying Demon King.
The black demonic qi roiled around ceaselessly, howling and roaring. After being deeply corroded by the demonic qi, Long Shen didn’t even need to try hard to feel; he could hear the inner voices of these demonic qi. They were filled with countless dark desires that could instantly drive any normal human into madness.
“Look at his futile struggles!” Mara watched Dong Zhi with a smirk as he painstakingly made his way up.
He raised his hand and pointed into the void, and a demonic qi flowed from his fingertip. It morphed into a pitch-black phoenix in mid-air. Its tail, which should have been radiant, drawing a circle, but what followed was a stormy demonic qi sweeping towards Dong Zhi.
After being cleaved by the sword light, a wholly black phoenix descended from the sky, rushing fiercely towards Dong Zhi.
The demonic pressure from the phoenix was far more intense than before. This was a part of the demonic qi that Mara had differentiated from himself, a power from the ancient abyss. Even at Long Shen’s prime, it would be tricky to deal with, let alone now when he was all alone.
However, Dong Zhi remained unshaken, still raising his sword to meet it head-on. The Bu Tian Gang qi gathered on the blade, and as the sword qi clashed with the black fire spewed from the phoenix’s mouth, a tremendous shockwave erupted!
……
Yu Buhui slowly approached the peach blossom tree. The familiar sight once again evoked the deepest guilt in his heart and memories of his old friend. However, for Liu Si, it was more of a caution. To him, the peach tree wasn’t one of his kind, but a demonized entity that shouldn’t be here.
Under the tree stood a person, dressed in white, with hair tied up high, a clear and handsome face, and a faint smile, as if having been waiting for a long time.
“Yuchang Sword, long time no see,” the stranger said, his gaze falling on Liu Si, expressing surprise. “I didn’t expect to meet someone destined here.”
Liu Si paused. “What do you mean?”
The peach tree laughed. “Aren’t you also transformed from a tree? If it wasn’t for seeing you, I would have almost forgotten that my original form was the same as yours.”
Instead of being pleasantly surprised by meeting a fellow being, Liu Si’s brows furrowed.
In his eyes, the peach tree was a demon created from Yu Buhui’s memories, representing his inner demon. It might know about Yu Buhui’s past, but it couldn’t possibly know Liu Si’s origins. Doubts about his initial judgment began to creep into Liu Si’s mind.
“Are you still the Peach Tree?” he asked.
The person in white smiled. “As long as a trace of demonic thoughts remains in the world, demons are virtually immortal. Although the Yuchang Sword killed me once, after I became a demon, I escaped the cycle of reincarnation. I couldn’t be reborn or turn into a tree or a person. I could only stay in this abyss, waiting for the day someone remembers me and comes to rescue me from this misery.”
After speaking, he paused and gently asked, “Have you come to save me?”
Since it was a demon, there was nothing much to say. Liu Si replied, “The past is filled with misunderstandings and unforeseen circumstances. Whatever Yu Buhui owed you has been repaid.”
“Repaid?”
The Peach Tree seemed to have heard a joke; his gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by a mocking expression.
“What did he repay me with? If it wasn’t for saving him, I wouldn’t have lost half of my cultivation. If my cultivation wasn’t damaged, I could have escaped later and not been burnt to ashes. I took root and grew between heaven and earth, protecting countless creatures sheltering under my leaves and shading countless humans from rain and wind. I never owed anyone anything. Why was I treated this way?”
With all the grievances of his life unable to be vented, the only option left was to become resentful to retain consciousness. He gritted his teeth. “Why?!”
Each word was full of resentment, questioning not only Liu Si and Yu Buhui but also the injustice of the world.
As if resonating, the peach tree behind him began to rustle, shaking violently. Petals began to fall, creating a shower of blossoms. But to Liu Si, this wasn’t a romantic sight—it was clear murderous intent!
Liu Si reacted swiftly, pulling Yu Buhui back. However, the peach tree was faster. The petals paused in midair, then shot towards them, overwhelming and unavoidable.
“Yu Buhui, you dared to name yourself so*!” The Peach Tree laughed madly. “So, you don’t regret killing me at all? Remember, I saved your life, yet you killed me. I’ve waited here for so many years, just to see you again. You owe me two lives. I will take your heart and liver!”
*Clarity: The [Buhui] in his name means no regrets.
The petals, carrying sharp wind and dense demonic qi, arrived in a flash. Liu Si managed to whip away most of them, but some still got through, especially with Yu Buhui not helping.
“Yu Buhui!” Liu Si shouted angrily. “Wake up! It wants to kill us!”
Yu Buhui released a bright sword light, but it was too late. The petals turned into a surging demonic qi halfway. He hesitated slightly, and half of his face was corroded by the demonic qi, causing excruciating pain. A touch revealed a handful of fresh blood.
Behind him, the demonic qi swiftly approached, morphing into the human form of the peach tree. The person in white clawed at him. Yu Buhui barely fended off the frontal assault, but he was too slow to turn around. Liu Si, already overwhelmed, could only grasp Yu Buhui and took a heavy blow on his shoulder, losing a chunk of flesh.
Liu Si grunted, attempting to use his whip, but roots emerged from the ground, tangling their legs and quickly wrapping around Liu Si’s wrist.
Yu Buhui’s sword light rose and fell, cutting off the roots one after another, but the Peach Tree’s power was much stronger than they imagined. In its territory, it had an endless supply of demonic qi, while Yu Buhui and Liu Si couldn’t utilize it. The Peach Tree waved, and the surrounding demonic qi surged, wrapping the two, immobilizing them.
Under the immense demonic pressure, Liu Si couldn’t help but spit out a large mouthful of blood. His knees weakened, and he almost knelt down. However, he was constrained by the surrounding demonic qi, and his limbs were bound. The man in white, transformed from the peach tree, didn’t spare him a glance, and with a surge of killing intent, he headed straight for Yu Buhui.
Yu Buhui’s sharp sword light was also cut off by the opponent. He reached out to grab the peach tree at an amazing speed, yet he still missed. From above, a cold laugh echoed, followed by a chilling surge of demonic qi from behind him.
At the critical moment, Liu Si spit out another mouthful of fresh blood. This time, it sprayed all over Yu Buhui. The demonic qi that had been about to sever his neck hesitated for a moment.
This mouthful of blood wasn’t from the injury Liu Si had just sustained. Instead, he spat out the blood of his heart, mingled with a part of his spirit. Bound and in a desperate situation, he could think of no other way to assist Yu Buhui, opting for a risky move that could harm the enemy but also greatly injure himself.
Fortunately, Yu Buhui quickly reacted. Using the time Liu Si’s action bought him, he leaped up, the light of his sword blazing, and with a dazzling motion, slashed towards the peach tree.
When the demonic qi met the sword light in midair, the peach tree suppressed it with an overwhelming force, causing the sword light to solidify. Close to each other, the man in white looked indifferent. His face, shrouded by the demonic qi, was slightly darkened and mysteriously eerie. This familiar yet strange expression momentarily bewildered Yu Buhui, making him question reality.
“Yu Buhui!” Liu Si’s voice rang out, pulling him from his daze. The demonic qi had already wrapped around Yu Buhui’s neck and limbs, suspending him in midair. As it tightened, Yu Buhui began to suffocate.
“My name is Yu Buhui, not because I have no regrets about taking your life force and becoming a human,” he said, seemingly trying to peer deep into the eyes of the man in white, expressing a regret that was two millennia overdue. “But because I’ve spent hundreds of years with a peach tree, watching the sun, moon, and stars change, and I have never felt regret.”
After this, the man in white appeared taken aback. Yu Buhui shook his wrist, and the sword light shattered the demonic qi, targeting his opponent’s weak spot.
“A’Tao, I regret countless times that I didn’t come back in time to save you. If I could, I’d give you my life. But after you became a demon, I had no choice but to kill you.”
He didn’t know if the peach tree heard him or if this entity was just a manifestation of his inner demon all along. With teary eyes, Yu Buhui murmured.
Yet, the myriad sword lights still shredded the demonic qi, and the man in white finally vanished entirely. Faint lights mixed within the scattered demonic qi, like the unresolved regrets of the peach tree.
I’m sorry!
Liu Si was about to collapse when Yu Buhui caught him.
“He probably didn’t want to kill you. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had a chance earlier,” Liu Si panted.
“I know,” Yu Buhui whispered, tears silently rolling down. Liu Si noticed but pretended not to. If fate hadn’t played its tricks, Yu Buhui and the peach tree might have been colleagues in the Special Administration Bureau or living together somewhere. Maybe not as partners, but definitely as close comrades.
Liu Si sighed softly.
“Hold onto me,” he heard Yu Buhui say. Acting on instinct, Liu Si did as told. Suddenly, he felt weightless, as if they had leaped into an abyss. “Before he disappeared, he told me this was a gap in the abyss. Jumping from here will lead us to its core!”
The howling wind and Yu Buhui’s words simultaneously reached Liu Si’s ears.
Before Liu Si could respond, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and a shock coursed through his body. Everything was so bright, unlike anything he had seen since entering the abyss. “Dong Zhi has summoned the heavenly thunder!” he exclaimed.
The heavenly thunder broke the darkness and the fog within it. Both of them fell from a great height and saw a gigantic phoenix charging at Dong Zhi not far away. The phoenix split into two, then four, surrounding Dong Zhi from all directions.
The dark qi that emanated from its feathers turned him into a sea of black mist. The immense demonic qi here was even more stifling than before. Liu Si couldn’t fathom how Dong Zhi had persevered under such conditions, attempting to evade the phoenix’s attacks and climb the staircase.
Ignoring the pain in his chest, Liu Si dashed forward, his whip in hand. The whip’s shadow ensnared one of the phoenix’s wings. The phoenix, agitated, turned its head. Its other wing flapped towards Liu Si, bringing with it suffocating demonic qi.
The pain from the qi felt like burning. Just as Liu Si felt his grip loosening, the phoenix flapped its wings, sending him flying. But in midair, Liu Si used his whip to latch onto the phoenix’s neck. With a tight grip, he caused the phoenix to cry out in pain.
Even so, there are still three phoenixes surrounding Dong Zhi. These phoenixes were born from the power of the abyss split from Mara. Although they weren’t true divine beasts, their power was immensely amplified here, rendering them almost invincible.
They flapped their wings and rushed at Dong Zhi. A black whirlwind trapped Dong Zhi in the center, leaving him no room to advance or retreat. Demonic qi caused wounds to appear on his body. The demonic air’s corrosiveness caused the wounds to quickly turn black, and even the blood that flowed out turned dark.
If it had been in the past, Dong Zhi would never have imagined himself facing three phoenixes with power comparable to divine beasts alone. But now, he felt his strength rapidly draining. The sword in his hand became increasingly heavy. If it weren’t for the sheer willpower he held on to, he might have already fallen.
Suddenly, a phoenix cried out in pain. Its body was torn apart by the radiance of a sword. Yu Buhui arrived from behind, and with a single swing of his sword, the phoenix turned into a black mist and disappeared.
“Go find your Senior Brother. We’ll hold them off here!” Yu Buhui shouted.
Gritting his teeth, Dong Zhi seized the opportunity that Yu Buhui provided and continued to rush towards the steps above.
His footsteps grew heavier, and his breathing became more labored. The pounding of his heart was loud in his ears, sounding as though it would burst from his chest. As his physical stamina dwindled, Dong Zhi looked up to see a figure standing at the highest point. He couldn’t discern the figure’s expression but drew strength from the familiar silhouette.
Behind him, the muffled groans of Yu Buhui and Liu Si reached his ears, along with the scent of blood and dark aura. Without looking back, Dong Zhi sensed the severity of the battle. Yet, he never turned around, persistently moving forward step by step, his pace slowing but never stopping.
“Dong Zhi.”
Suddenly, he heard Long Shen’s voice. It was neither close nor far, just like the distance between them. Dong Zhi was taken aback and looked up. Long Shen pointed towards him.
With that gesture, countless demonic qi rushed towards Dong Zhi, transforming into an army of demon soldiers blocking his path, their blades swinging. Instinctively, Dong Zhi swung his sword. The demons in front fell, but more replaced them from behind, a never-ending onslaught.
The cold air he exhaled carried a distinct metallic scent, and a bitter taste filled his mouth. Battles ensued one after another, surrounded by the suffocating presence of the demonic qi. This place, isolated from the mortal world for millions of years, offered no hope.
His protective qi became frail. A demonic qi slashed his shoulder, leaving a wound so deep that the bone was visible. Blood gushed out, splashing his face, and he couldn’t distinguish whether it was his own blood or just a hallucination.
Amidst it all, he felt increasingly isolated, his awareness fading. Memories of the world became distant: Long Shen waiting at the end of the steps, the relentless battles with Yu Buhui and Liu Si. Everything seemed to be ebbing away. Under the erosion of the demonic qi, his mind grew cold and numb; only his body mechanically responded, repelling wave after wave of demons.
Was he dying?
If he did die, would his soul forever be buried in this abyss, becoming a part of the demonic qi?
A part of him welcomed the idea. He was exhausted, yearning for rest. But something crucial remained undone.
It was more important than life itself. What was it that made him jump without hesitation…?
His actions slowed, every blink and sword swing seeming to play in slow motion. His blade, almost consumed by darkness, began to glow, illuminating his gaze and warming his dull heart.
It was the Changshou sword.
Confusion appeared in his eyes as he looked at the sword. Another demonic qi hit his back, but it felt as if his body no longer registered the pain, only reflexively shuddering.
Who gave him this sword, and what did they say?
The sword was named Changshou.
Was it named by its original owner for a loved one?
Because it means to ‘stay loyal and pure-hearted, valuing honesty and virtue’. It was a gift, hoping the receiver would use it to maintain peace in the world, purifying the world with righteousness.
And that world must include you, right?
Guarding the peace and guarding you.
Tears welled up in his eyes, dropping onto the sword, making it shine brightly amidst the dark mist.
He remembered.
He was here for the Seven-Star Longyuan Sword and for someone named Long Shen.
“Thank you,” he whispered, swinging his sword, causing the demons to cry out and shatter.
Thank you for helping me hold onto my clarity.
From a vantage point, Long Shen could clearly see the figure surrounded by layers of demon soldiers. The figure was on the verge of defeat, teetering on the brink of life and death, with his willpower visibly dissipating at an alarming rate.
Long Shen observed almost indifferently. Under the influence of the powerful demonic qi, his own emotional turmoil was waning, nearly vanishing.
Controlling Mara almost drained all of Long Shen’s life’s cultivation. If he weren’t a half-immortal, he wouldn’t have lasted this long. But it was precisely because of his half-immortal body that the backlash from Mara grew stronger.
All his willpower was focused on suppressing the demon. He couldn’t spare even a shred of attention for Dong Zhi.
Standing stiffly, blood slowly seeped from the corners of his eyes. Blood as tears—only the most profound pain could cause such an expression.
“You can’t escape, and you can’t kill me,” Long Shen heard himself say.
It was his voice but not his will; he could no longer control his body.
“Because I am Long Shen, and Long Shen is me. Even if you kill me, you’d also kill him,” Mara mocked.
With a wave of his hand, countless more demon soldiers descended, blocking Dong Zhi’s path upwards.
Blood tears slowly streamed down one side of Long Shen’s handsome face, turning into a droplet at his jawline, poised but not falling. On the other side, his eyes were narrowed, revealing a sinister and wicked smile, reveling in the suffering of all beings, their struggles in vain.
Below the steps, the brilliance of the sword light grew increasingly intense. Long Shen couldn’t move, merely watching as the other wielded the sword, miraculously regaining strength, battling amidst a vast army. From afar, he saw Dong Zhi, drenched in blood, looking as if he had bathed in a sea of it. The blood made Dong Zhi’s usually gentle face fierce.
Long Shen remembered first meeting Dong Zhi on a train. Dong Zhi, curious and fearful of unexplained oddities, was no different from ordinary people. After narrowly escaping a demonic encounter, Dong Zhi had impulsively ventured to Changbai Mountain alone. If not for meeting someone from the Special Administration Bureau, he might’ve been dead.
If time could be rewound and everything started anew, he would have sternly turned Dong Zhi away upon their first meeting on the train. He would have decisively rejected Dong Zhi’s admiring request to be taken as a disciple. Before their bond deepened, he would sever the connection between them.
Because if it had never started, Dong Zhi wouldn’t have gotten hurt and wouldn’t need to risk his life for him.
Master, this mooncake represents my heart. I hope you’ll be happy and content every year.”
Dong Zhi’s words echoed. Long Shen tried to speak but couldn’t make a sound.
He wanted to tell Dong Zhi he had something left unsaid, but more than that, he wished for Dong Zhi to live a content and ordinary life. There was nothing wrong with that either.
The fog gradually lifted, revealing a figure moving with the dance of sword light. With each swing of the blade, the demonic soldiers fell like chaff, disintegrating into dust.
From the depths of the abyss, there echoed continuous screams of fear and despair.
However, Long Shen knew this was almost a fleeting resurgence. Dong Zhi’s stamina should have already been exhausted. Even if sheer willpower was reviving him, it wouldn’t last long. Soon, he would be utterly drained and consumed by darkness, with no identical soul left in the heavens or earth.
Long Shen saw Dong Zhi leap up, his silhouette merging with the sword light, like a meteor in the long night, heading straight towards him.
But instead of feeling panic, the demon inside Long Shen, Mara, scoffed. “Your persistence is a joke. You can’t save yourself, let alone him.”
“I know.”
Dong Zhi’s voice echoed, sounding as if from the edges of the universe, yet as close as a whisper.
“But I have another choice.”
The starlight grew brighter, coming ever closer. Despite its blinding luminance, Long Shen didn’t close his eyes. Instead, he watched the oncoming sword light intently.
If this is your wish…
Long Shen smiled faintly.
Even as tears of blood streamed down his face, this smile was enough to move mountains.
He thought, ‘This is my wish as well.’
Mara’s expression finally shifted. He realized what Dong Zhi was planning!
“The four great enlightenment, heaven and the earth are eternal, by the Jade Emperor’s orders, clear the three realms—”
Thunder rumbled, accompanying the streaking sword light, deafening in its intensity. Mara summoned more demonic qi, but it shattered instantly against the sword light and thunder.
When the abyss no longer remained shrouded in pure darkness, the end of the abyss was nigh!
Intense tremors cracked and shattered the ground, disintegrating into countless pieces, which then transformed into demonic qi, dissipating upon meeting the light.
Mara no longer desired Long Shen’s body; he wanted to return to eternal slumber. Even if it took millions of years, it would be better than total annihilation. But he couldn’t leave this body, for Long Shen was holding onto him with the last of his strength.
“I can let you both go!” Mara finally shouted in anger.
But the sword light was already upon him. In an instant, everything was engulfed in an overwhelming white light.
Long Shen felt someone gently holding him.
Master, I can’t save you. We can only perish together.
The voice, laced with the metallic tang of blood, wasn’t the soft, clear tone he remembered.
But it didn’t matter. Even reduced to bare bones, it was still his Dong Zhi.
Long Shen felt as if he too reached out and embraced the other.
The heavens collapsed and the earth cracked open, the abyss of hell underwent destruction and rebirth, and their bodies became insensible amidst such drastic changes.
Soon, not just their bodies, even their consciousness would be completely devoured, ultimately dissolving into chaos.
……
Under a dim moon, the tides roared.
Dong Zhi felt as if he was swaying, rocked by the waves.
After the tempest, a precious tranquility settled. He felt like he was in a dream, yet awake. He felt he should be dead but wondered why he still had consciousness.
He lacked the strength to struggle, simply letting his body sink until an arm wrapped around him, pulling him up. The sting of the salty water on his wounds reminded him that this might not be a dream.
“Master…?”
In the sea, the two clung to each other, drifting up and down.
“Liu Si, the others…?” Dong Zhi whispered, his voice tinged with the taste of blood.
“I saw them when we were sucked into the sea,” Long Shen replied, his face showing a lifetime of fatigue. “If we’re okay, they will be too.”
Upon hearing this, tears involuntarily rolled down Dong Zhi’s cheeks.
“It was Elder Zong. She saved us.”
Between destruction and rebirth, he had heard a voice—
I will send you away.
“Yes.”
Long Shen had heard it too. He glanced back, faintly seeing two other figures drifting with the waves.
The warmth of the body in his arms was all he cherished. He never thought he would get to embrace Dong Zhi like this in his lifetime. Their necks leaned against each other, unwilling to let go.
“How did you defeat the heavenly demon?” Dong Zhi asked.
“The moment we perished together, I had already died. But the soul bound to the Changshou Sword brought me back to life,” Long Shen explained.
Dong Zhi chuckled weakly. “In the end, you saved yourself.”
“It was your presence that kept me going. Without you, Long Shen would have ceased to exist,” Long Shen kissed Dong Zhi’s forehead. “And now, our lives are intertwined. As long as you live, I live. If you die, I die.”
“Okay.”
The sea was black, and the water was cold. But at the horizon, a glimmer of starlight heralded the coming dawn. Soon, the sky would be painted with golden hues, becoming silent witnesses to the rising sun, eternal watchers of the cosmic river.
……
Deep in the Qinling Mountains, a person carried a heavy and worn-out ancient guqin, moving step by step deeper into the mountain range, seemingly tireless.
But suddenly, he stopped, lifting his eyes to see the winds suddenly rising in the sky and the clouds breaking apart, revealing the moon. The moonlight outlined the mountain range and sprinkled silver luminescence onto the guqin he was holding.
He looks at the guqin in his arms with a gaze filled with fondness and gentleness.
……
Wu Bingtian stood on the top-level terrace, looking up at the rare starry and moonlit night sky in the capital city.
Under his shoulder, one sleeve was empty. But this deputy director of the Special Administration Bureau refused to heed the advice of friends and family to get a prosthetic arm. He viewed it as a badge of honor and a tribute to his late comrades.
……
The lingering fog on Kunlun Mountain finally completely dispersed, and the world became clear, revealing the original appearance of the Lengele Gorge.
Everyone, exhausted, fell to the ground but still cheered and jumped with joy, with tears of happiness streaming down their faces.
…
In the abyss of hell, the lights of the Four Symbol Star-Setting Lamp flickered.
Dots of luminescence swirled in the air, taking the forms of the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger, before finally converging into a graceful figure.
Zong Ling looked in the direction where Dong Zhi and Long Shen disappeared, smiled slightly, then swiftly spun around. Her skirt flares, and her figure abruptly shatters, turning into a sky full of stars, falling, and purifying the demonic qi into white light.
The end of the cycle, perhaps, was a new beginning.
——End of Main Text——
The author has something to say:
The main story has finally concluded. Thank you all for accompanying Xiao Dong Zhi and Boss Long over these past few months.
Up next, there’s a side story. It’s quite extensive, covering topics like from which exit they emerged, daily sweet moments, the after-effects of demonic qi, daily happenings at the Special Administration Bureau, Dong Zhi’s promotion, He Yu watching over an octopus monster, and Kan Chaosheng, among others.
Kinky Thoughts:
With that, we’ve reached the conclusion of the main text of this novel. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. You can use Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.
You can also check out (what is probably Meng Xi Shi’s most famous work) Thousand Autumns which has been licensed by 7Seas.
Peerless (which I’ve read and highly recommend) has also been licensed by them, so you can look forward to that.
Yin Ci was dumbfounded by the words “You’re back”, and once again forgot to breathe.
Even though he had suspected it before and was positively sure that person was the Little Mute, he still held onto that thought tightly. He feared that any “coincidental” possibility would shatter his hopes once again.
In front of him, the old house was dimly lit, and outside the door were numerous monsters surrounding them. It all felt like an unreal dream.
After wandering in this mortal world for hundreds of years, Yin Ci finally felt a trace of “fate’s” kindness. The warmth of that kindness was so intense that he instinctively pulled his hand back, feeling a tingling sensation along his spine, bringing out the feeling of pins and needles along the way.
The embrace from Shi Jingzhi tightened even more.
The ban was broken, and the mist in front of him dispersed. Shi Jingzhi had never been so clear-headed.
That strong desire still lingered in his heart, but it had transformed from a ferocious beast into an obedient wolf, no longer able to shake his mind.
However, at this moment, Shi Jingzhi didn’t know how to respond. His usually nimble tongue seemed stiff, turning into a block of wood that didn’t know how to cooperate.
At one moment, he wanted to explain the “final parting” from back then; another moment, he thought about seeking justice on the Imperial Preceptor directly. Feeling the warmth from Yin Ci being so close, his heart softened, and he wanted to tease, “You won’t recognize me as your master now.” But he was suppressed by the question, “How have you been all these years?”
Shi Jingzhi wished he had eight heads to speak all at once and pour out everything he had just seen.
Unfortunately, his throat seemed to be blocked by these trivial words, and he could only let out a short “Mm.”
‘Strange,’ Shi Jingzhi thought.
When he was three years old, he wanted to hug Yin Ci, but his arms couldn’t even reach halfway around him. Now he held the person in his arms, and there was even enough room to lift his hand and stroke the man’s hair.
Yin Ci trembled slightly; his body was stiff, and he didn’t say another word. Compared to before, just looking at the posture of the hug made it seem like the roles had switched.
But that vitality and warmth remained as before, as if nothing had changed.
How could there be such a good thing in the world?
A strange thought popped into Yin Ci’s mind—perhaps Shi Jingzhi was already dead, and he had gone mad without realizing it. The peaceful scene in front of him was nothing but a hallucination in his madness.
He clutched Shi Jingzhi’s clothes tightly, accidentally grabbing onto his flesh under the fabric, but he dared not ease his grip. Yin Ci was afraid that if he let go, the person in front of him would turn into smoke, quicksand, or something he could no longer grasp.
Shi Jingzhi was pinched so hard that he gasped for breath, finally clearing his throat. He didn’t struggle, but instead, he babbled endlessly, as if trying to make up for the twenty-four years of silence.
“In the North, there are no flowers. When we return to the Central Plains, I’ll find some for you. This time, if we encounter that flower monster, with just one flagpole, I can skewer it. You can have as many as you want.”
“I remember why I was afraid of ghosts now. A’Ci, you told me so many ghost stories back then, and they were so spooky that not even a ban could suppress them…”
……
While chattering, Shi Jingzhi’s gaze swept over the dim formation, the scarce remaining flesh, and Yin Ci’s blood-stained outer garments.
The ancient corpse’s smell was slightly heavier and different from that of a freshly dead “corpse”. Chen Qianfan showed surprise on his face but no anger, indicating that the “corpse” wasn’t an innocent victim.
He probably could guess their origin.
Shi Jingzhi’s expression turned dim, but he didn’t question Yin Ci about his self-harm, nor did he inquire about his immortality.
He just recounted those warm moments from twenty-four years ago, telling them one by one in a soft voice. He did this until the person in his arms gradually regained consciousness and was no longer as stiff as a rock.
Having just broken through the ban, Shi Jingzhi was already exhausted. Talking consumed his energy, and as he spoke, he couldn’t help but relax his body, turning the hug into mutual support.
“…Alright, take a rest.”
Yin Ci noticed the other’s fatigue; smoke and sand wouldn’t get tired. He didn’t think he could go mad with such coherence, so he had to turn his confusion into relief.
He let go of Shi Jingzhi and used his sleeve to wipe the blood from the other’s face. When he was almost done, he carefully observed Shi Jingzhi’s face, as if they were meeting for the first time, and he wanted to etch that face firmly into his mind.
“Are you alright?”
Yin Ci looked at him for a while, feeling that it was inappropriate to stare so intently, so he tried to find something to say. He even thought of pretending to be as composed as before, but if it weren’t for Shi Jingzhi’s broken and hoarse tone, he might have succeeded.
Shi Jingzhi glanced at the scattered corpses not far away, and his heart twitched. He didn’t know how the person in front of him dared to ask such a question—wouldn’t the immortal body feel pain too?
Sect Master Shi didn’t care whether Yin Ci had lived for two hundred or twenty years, whether he was Su Zhi or Yin Ci. At that moment, all he felt was that his disciple had caused him great distress, half of it from concern, and half from anger.
So, he leaned back and said truthfully, “Not good.”
Yin Ci’s heart quivered, and he reached out to take Shi Jingzhi’s pulse. Unexpectedly, Shi Jingzhi quickly pulled his hand back, not letting him check.
He mouthed to Yin Ci with his back facing Elder Chen.
[I’ve lived for over twenty years, and the first person to treat me well was A’Ci, and perhaps the last one before my death is also you. If you cut yourself into a blood gourd, how can I be alright?]
“Cut yourself into a blood gourd”?
Yin Ci instantly understood that Shi Jingzhi hadn’t simply regained his desire. Having witnessed his battle with the giant monster, Shi Jingzhi might have guessed what…
Crack, crack.
Chen Qianfan saw the two of them clinging to each other and couldn’t stand watching it anymore, so he gave each of them a smack on the head. Yin Ci was deep in thought, and he had never experienced such treatment before; the killing intent almost burst out.
“What are you doing? What are you doing? That’s enough; don’t you know the situation? Yet you’re still endlessly chattering.”
Chen Qianfan skillfully ignored the killing intent. After spraying saliva all over Shi Jingzhi, his eyes locked onto Yin Ci.
“This kid can’t die, so you don’t need to see him off. Why are you still standing here? I need materials for the Living Puppet Curse, so get out and do something!”
Shi Jingzhi deviated from his usual behavior. Instead of sticking to his disciple, he joined Elder Chen in sending him away—Shi Jingzhi straightened up and lay back on the wooden platform, solemnly saying, “Senior Chen is right. The situation is critical, and important matters take priority.”
Yin Ci didn’t know what could be considered “important matters”.
Could there be anything more important than regaining something lost for twenty-four years?
If Yan Qing and Shi Zhongyu weren’t outside, he would have sacrificed everything and suppressed the Arcane Arts before coming back to interrogate Shi Jingzhi properly. If it wasn’t for the wrong timing, he wouldn’t let this guy out of his sight.
What if he loses him again?
Compared to the anxious and worried Yin Ci, Shi Jingzhi, who had his object addiction, was surprisingly calm. He seemed to be recalling the past in an ordinary manner, as if meeting someone he hadn’t seen in a long time. Despite the dangerous ban, there were neither intense feelings of love or hatred nor any sinister schemes.
“Go.” Shi Jingzhi urged calmly.
It seemed that their current affairs couldn’t be resolved, and they couldn’t sit down and have a proper conversation. Yin Ci looked left and right, but the child who clung to him and wouldn’t let go was no longer there.
So he could only let out a long sigh, change into a clean outer robe, and stride into the wind and snow.
However, behind Yin Ci, Shi Jingzhi turned his head again. Granny Wei wasn’t in the outer room, and no one closed the main door. He fixed his gaze on Yin Ci’s gradually diminishing figure, walking farther and farther away in the wind and snow.
He extended a hand, spreading his five fingers just enough to block the tall silhouette of the other person.
Then, Shi Jingzhi slowly clenched his fist, and a smile of determination finally appeared on his face. This time, he didn’t care about the observing Elder Chen, nor did he worry about whether this smile seemed “normal” or not.
The desire was here, and he knew how to seize it.
On the journey of life, he would no longer stumble away from death but instead head towards the destination he personally chose—after more than twenty years, he finally found a human heart he could touch.
“Senior Chen, I’m counting on you with the Living Puppet Curse. Please act quickly. I want to deal with the Arcane Arts together with my disciple.”
He wanted Yin Ci—to keep this person by his side. Not as his possession, but as a “person” with blood and tears.
He wanted to live, more than he ever had before.
At the same time, in Yidu.
The spring breeze treated everyone the same, passing over the red gates of the Imperial Preceptor’s residence.
Jiang Youyue put down his brush and looked at the nearby shrine—the miniature landscape on the shrine automatically changed without any wind, and the small flower buds bloomed, gently swaying crimson petals. The sweet fragrance of the flowers carried a faint scent of blood.
Jiang Youyue was momentarily stunned, sighing with a complex expression.
“Master, is the ban left by Grandmaster* now lifted?”
*[Shigong] (师公) Refers to the master of one’s master.
Jiang Youyue’s subordinate still wore a mask for the ritual. Their respectful tone was tinged with concern.
“Yes.”
“Shi Jingzhi’s fate is at stake. Originally, he was single-mindedly seeking to survive. Now that he has seen through his root of desire, who knows if he will seek far and abandon the near or even become our enemy…”
“Destiny is hard to defy.”
“If destiny is hard to defy, why did Grandmaster oppose it in the first place and seal his root of desire?” The masked person seemed to be averse to the word “destiny”.
Jiang Youyue raised an eyebrow. “Do you know the meaning behind the ‘root of desire’?”
The masked person looked at his Master, showing a hint of confusion on his face. This question was simple for him, but when asked seriously by his Master, he didn’t dare to answer casually.
Jiang Youyue continued, “The matter of the ‘root of desire’ wasn’t caused by destiny in the first place, so how could it be opposing destiny?”
The masked person was taken aback. “Please enlighten me, Master.”
“In this world, desires are numerous, and it’s difficult for ordinary people to bear them. So the Saints created a technique to fix them—when experiencing the most beautiful things in the world for the first time, you establish your root of desire. By concentrating on this one point, you’re less likely to be disturbed by various desires and can maintain your mental clarity.”
“Youngsters who have determined their root of desire cannot be interfered with, but it’s different for a three-year-old child. My master sealed his root of desire and blunted his will. He could resist all desires and keep his root of desire, so he wouldn’t waste all his mental energy, making it easy for us to tame him.”
Jiang Youyue gestured in the air, and the flowers on the shrine were shattered into pieces, and petals scattered all over the floor.
“Shi Jingzhi is not like the Queen of Milan, who lived in a daze for the first sixteen years, wasting her time. Nor is he like Yan Budu, who acted recklessly throughout his life, without any sense of order.”
“Now the foundation has been established. Everything is set; only the east wind is missing. How much he knows and whether there is a ‘heart’ in that shell… has nothing to do with the great undertaking of the Saints.”
Kinky Thoughts:
This marks the end of this arc. I have to say, I thought the backstory with Su Si and Yang Qing was good, but Shi Jingzhi’s childhood with Yin Ci made me cry buckets too!
Ahh…. Will Lord Bai get an emotional backstory as well (probably not).
The flames in the fireplace crackled, licking the logs and bringing out the unique, cool aroma of pine. The old hunter went on his usual night patrol with his crossbow. He typically patrolled from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., always bringing back pheasants and rabbits—of course, he never shared his game.
Now, only Nol and Teest remained in the hunter’s cabin. After guessing the existence of the “archive”, the cozy cabin acquired a somewhat eerie atmosphere.
Teest sat cross-legged in front of the fireplace, casually throwing pinecones into the fire. The flames danced wildly over the pinecones, and the crackling became more intense.
It was their fifth night in the cabin.
The burly man hadn’t shown himself since his defeat. The team of four had split up. The married couple secretly looked for the burly man while Teest and Nol searched for the white wolf. Days passed with no results. Nol had encountered the shadow wolf a few times, but luckily, they always managed to escape.
As the days went by, the mood didn’t lighten. Surviving fourteen days would complete the mission, and the Eternal Church surely wouldn’t sit idly by. The burly man must be plotting something.
Nol spoke less and often stared into a corner, lost in thought. He barely ate and only pretended to eat when the old hunter was present. He also didn’t sleep at night. When Teest and the old hunter went to sleep, he’d get up to craft his magic.
‘Such a peculiar situation,’ Teest thought. Although Nol was unharmed, he seemed drained, as if some vital force was continuously being sapped from him.
Now, Nol sat silently, looking at the flames, but not as if he were really seeing them. His eyes looked as though they had been replaced by a puppet witch, beautiful but with a deadened hue.
“I think the old hunter will be fine. You don’t need to worry about your neighbors.” Teest adjusted the burning logs with tongs. “The Eternalist surely doesn’t want us to know about the ‘archive’, so he has no reason to harm the hunter.”
“I know,” Nol whispered.
Teest continued, “That couple is interesting. Are all you folks from another world like that? I mean, they seem more like comrades than spouses.”
Nol finally looked at him. “A good spouse is always a good comrade… but not everyone’s the same. My parents, for example…”
Teest stopped fiddling with the tongs, making the room go silent.
“…are different,” Nol continued, seemingly unable to stand the silence. “They are reserved, not expressive. But they never missed an anniversary. They’d always buy a cake, even taking time off work.”
“That’s nice.” Teest smiled. “In my family, whenever they got the chance, my parents would act all lovey-dovey, always together, completely disregarding how their child felt.”
The fire illuminated the room, reflecting Teest’s bright and genuinely sincere smile.
Perhaps touched by this sincerity, Nol continued without thinking, “I was always busy with work and didn’t get to see them often. They never complained… I’m their only child; I should’ve spent more time with them. Even if I couldn’t visit, I should’ve called more often… I…”
“So you hope this world is an illusion,” Teest whispered. “That way, you could just wake up from this nightmare and return to your family, right?”
Nol didn’t reply.
Teest set down the tongs, shifting on the fur rug to sit next to Nol.
“I don’t really understand your ‘game company’ that you talk about. But I guess you have a stronger connection to this world than others,” he said with a smile. “You said you know more, and those who know more always carry a heavier burden… especially kind-hearted people like you. You feel guilty towards those who remain in the dark.”
“Guilt?” Nol mused.
Teest grabbed Nol’s cold hand, holding it firmly. Nol just watched him silently, the same way he watched the flames earlier.
“Yes, you feel guilty towards your compatriots and this world.” Teest tightened his grip. “But you don’t need to feel that way for me—I don’t need you to bring me home, relieve my pain, or guide my way.”
His voice softened, sounding almost seductive, like the devil tempting a mortal.
“I am the sinner of this world. No matter what you’ve done, I have no right to judge you… You don’t owe me anything, okay?”
Nol twitched his lips, showing a smile that was almost not a smile. “Are you tempting me, Teest? Trying to make me dependent on you mentally?”
“Hey, then you’ve misunderstood me.” Teest released Nol’s hand. He pointed two fingers at the hollow of Nol’s neck, precisely at the artery. “I swear I’m not hinting at anything. This is pretty clear, honey.”
“…Go on,” Nol said. He grabbed Teest’s wrist and, a moment later, released it as if scalded.
Teest withdrew his hand, his smile growing sweeter. “I want your knowledge, your wisdom. You need me too—to maintain sanity, one must have room to breathe.”
“I am your only respite.”
While speaking, Teest’s gaze shifted downwards. It gently slid over Nol’s collarbone, chest, and waist, eventually resting on a small letter opener in Nol’s pocket.
Teest stared at the dark fabric, his voice sticky and intimate, like a lover’s whisper. “I know you’re smart, so it wouldn’t be strange for you to leave me at any time. I just hope I can stay by your side longer…”
Nol didn’t respond.
“…I can’t hurt you; I can protect you, so you’re not alone. Other than life, loyalty, and love, I can give you everything you want.” Teest looked into Nol’s eyes, sounding almost tender.
‘Well,’ Nol thought, ‘at least this Mad Monk is straightforward.’
Nol doubted that the Mad Monk understood “love and loyalty”. But then again, Nol really didn’t have the energy to nurture friendship anymore, especially with this unpredictable lunatic.
Being overtly kind was a form of burning out, and he was close to being extinguished.
Teest might be right; they needed a simpler, more brutal, and more practical relationship.
Nol knew that Teest was tempting him, but he did need someone—someone to relieve him of the guilt he felt. Otherwise, in time, his sanity would be consumed by accumulated emotions.
Time flowed leisurely. Teest waited silently with a smile, awaiting Nol’s response.
“You want to maintain the engagement, and then we use each other,” Nol summarized. “It’s a deal, right?”
“Yes, yes,” Teest said happily. “To show sincerity, I’m willing to throw in a bonus. Honey, what can I do for you? Hunt polar bears, catch the shadow wolf, or—”
“Hug me,” Nol said.
“…What?”
“I want a hug,” Nol calmly repeated. “Just a hug, until I say ‘stop’.”
Teest was silent, staring at Nol for a full half-minute before finally opening his arms and gently embracing him.
‘So warm, suffocatingly warm,’ Nol thought.
He buried his face in Teest’s neck, holding onto that silver hair as if it were a lifeline. He felt the heartbeat, the rhythm of breathing, the warmth. From Teest’s neck, he caught a faint scent—the sweet, bloody scent of a monster’s blood, mixed with Teest’s own.
It was a sense of ironic reassurance.
Teest felt the dampness on his shoulder, which he guessed was probably tears. But Nol’s body didn’t tremble due to sobbing; he was still and cold, as always.
After a moment’s hesitation, Teest lifted his hand and gently held the back of Nol’s head, running his fingers through Nol’s silky hair, patting his back.
That letter opener was still in Nol’s pocket, and Teest knew it. It was so close, and Nol was defenseless. Maybe he should take it… always being in control. That was the Mad Monk’s rule.
Technically, this wouldn’t breach their deal, he thought absentmindedly. Nol had already agreed to the engagement.
But just now, looking straight at him, Nol’s eyes were faintly alight with that blue fire. Teest really liked their color.
After some consideration, Teest just sighed. He lifted his other hand and wrapped it around Nol’s waist. After that, he did nothing and said nothing.
Nol never said “stop”.
The lich’s breath became fainter and quieter, and Nol fell asleep just like that.
In this regard, Teest wasn’t too surprised. Nol had been tense non-stop for so many days; it was time to relax a bit.
Teest carefully let go of his embrace, pondered for a few seconds, and moved the pillow next to the fireplace. It was warmer there, and Nol didn’t feel as cold to the touch. After some brief adjustments, the two of them lay next to the fireplace.
As for the old hunter’s goodwill… no matter. Anyway, deducting points from zero was still zero.
“Goodnight, Nol.” Teest yawned and muttered quietly.
……
“No good. I still can’t smell anything. That burly guy must have specifically masked his scent.” Dr. Zhu, supporting Officer Luo on her shoulder, moved through the snow.
Rosen’s head constantly scanned from side to side, wary that the shadow wolf could jump out at any moment.
“We can only search slowly. Tailing is always this tedious,” Officer Luo said in a low voice while fidgeting with the wolfkin’s ears.
Julie twitched her ears. “Mm, if we can’t find it by 2, we’ll go to sleep.”
In this godforsaken place, it was essential to keep up one’s strength. They were different from real players. If they messed up at a critical moment, they might not get another chance. To keep themselves awake and alert, the two would chat from time to time.
“Do you have any impression of that Xu Yue?” Rosen suddenly asked.
Julie shook her head. “The neighbors who I have relationships with are families with old and young. But now that you mention it… Xu Yue once spoke in the homeowner group chat. He changed his username from the unit number to his real name. I remember him quite clearly.”
“Eh, I don’t pay much attention to that homeowner group,” Rosen replied.
“Why? Do you think he’s suspicious?”
“It’s not exactly that he’s suspicious, but generally speaking, ordinary people wouldn’t think of using living people as human shields,” Officer Luo said. “I know game players can have some quirky tactics, but this isn’t a simple game. Thinking of such a strategy already feels a bit…”
He inhaled sharply, changing the subject. “I’m more concerned about Teest. There’s something off about him. With that look in his eyes, I’m sure I’m not mistaken—that kid doesn’t even bother pretending in front of me.”
‘Indeed,’ Julie thought resignedly. In many ways, Officer Luo couldn’t influence Teest.
“You think he might have a bad influence on Xu Yue?” Dr. Zhu guessed.
“Yes, in a place like this, people’s moral standards can easily waver.”
Rosen smiled wryly. “Xu Yue is an outsider. I don’t know what he’s seen, but his mental state clearly isn’t right—he’s under too much stress. If this continues, he’ll break down.”
“Well, Xu Yue’s sense of justice is too strong. If he were only looking out for himself, he could hide in the hunter’s cabin for two weeks without searching for the white wolf. Think about it; the shadow wolf can’t get in, and that evil cult player probably can’t beat them.”
Dr. Zhu said, “In the end, he didn’t need to care about us… Maybe he feels responsible because he works at that game company.”
Officer Luo laughed. “What I can’t stand the most is this. Good people always have a harder life than the wicked.”
“If you have no objections, once we clear this instance, we can invite Xu Yue to join us. But first, we need to find that cult player. Actually… Shh!”
Julie suddenly stopped, crouching down and alertly turning in a certain direction. Rosen nodded, threw a few concealment spells around, and readied an attack spell in his hand.
Both of them carefully moved through the darkness towards the depths of the forest.
The skies in the instance were always gloomy. There was no sun during the day and no moonlight at night. Thick clouds continuously poured snow towards the ground, but strangely, the snow accumulation remained at a consistent depth.
Julie stepped over the thick snow crust, and through the darkness, she saw the source of the scent—
The old hunter stood deep in the forest with a crossbow in his left hand and a bag of herbs in his right. The scent from the herb bag was pungent, identical to the smell of Nol’s snow boots.
About ten steps away from him, a white wolf stood quietly.
It was a beautiful wolf with golden eyes and fluffy white fur that seemed to shimmer. It gracefully stood on the snow, looking like a winter forest sprite.
At that moment, it tilted its head, gazing at the old hunter nearby.
The white wolf seemed to ponder something for a few seconds, and then it made its move—lowering its body, it lunged at the hunter.
Julie instinctively wanted to rush to help but was held back by Rosen.
“Something’s off,” she said.
As she spoke, the white wolf had already reached the old hunter. It panted and nuzzled against him affectionately, its tail wagging nonstop.
“You idiot! You idiot!” The old hunter crouched down slightly, vigorously rubbing its head. “Didn’t I tell you to stay away from this scent? Not even if I’m here. Listen—not even if I’m here!”
The white wolf seemed not to hear, only affectionately licking the old hunter’s face. Its teeth were severely worn out, showing its age.
The hunter picked a clean rock and took out some processed wild chicken and deer innards from his backpack. He carefully laid them on the rock. “Eat… Come on, eat. Eat more.”
The white wolf took the clean piece of chicken, dragging it in front of the old hunter, and then hopped to the side of the innards, munching eagerly. Its tail wagged gently the entire time, looking extremely happy.
The old hunter just watched. He held up the piece of chicken while his expression gradually shifted from tender to sorrowful. There seemed to be some tiny reflections in the hunter’s eyes, but Julie couldn’t see clearly—in this freezing winter night, tears wouldn’t flow.
Having eaten its fill, the white wolf joyfully rolled around in the snow. It cleaned its claws and mouth with the snow, then went back to the old hunter, affectionately rubbing against his leg and even attempting to stand up and pounce into his arms.
“My friend…”
The hunter caressed the warm fur of the white wolf, his voice trembling a bit.
“I can’t hurt them. I can’t even hide my true thoughts from them. This is my fate… Even if I could tell a single lie—do something against my will just once—you have no idea how much I wish I could keep them in the cabin, hold out to the very end… Now they’re searching everywhere for you. I feel like I’m about to get you killed, my friend…”
The old hunter slightly bent down, hugging the white wolf’s head. He hugged with much force and sheer desperation.
It seemed the white wolf sensed his sorrow, and it calmed down, allowing the hunter to hold it quietly. Gradually, the old hunter’s back began to tremble. The white wolf turned its head and gently licked his face.
Its tail kept wagging gently.
The author has something to say:
In this chapter, the two completely broke the line of friendship development. You know what’s left to develop, right? (said in a suggestive tone)
The pain of addiction was as agonizing as the torture of skinning.
The young Shi Jingzhi closed his eyes. Silence enveloped everything, and the maple forest disappeared. Only intense pain and darkness remained in his memory.
When the crucial memories returned, the pain pierced through time like splitting a bamboo*. Completely recalling that moment from the past, Shi Jingzhi’s mind was almost torn apart.
*(势如破竹) Metaphor referring to something so powerful it’s unstoppable, just like how bamboo can be split with ease when using great strength and momentum.
In that fleeting moment, he finally understood the danger of breaking the ban.
Accompanied by the sweeping fragments of memories, the pain continued without end. It felt like sinking into a swamp, unable to breathe or move. It was as if he was forcefully crammed into a small iron cage, and his entire body was in excruciating pain.
Shi Jingzhi tried his best to maintain a shred of clarity in his mind.
It wasn’t for the sake of the truth; for a moment, desires and bets were thrown to the side. Amidst the growing chaos in Shi Jingzhi’s mind, only one thought remained.
What happened afterward? What happened next?
Yin Ci would return in haste with medicinal herbs, only to find a scene of carnage. Faced with the scattered internal organs and shattered bones, what emotions would he experience?
This was the second time Shi Jingzhi didn’t wait for him to return.
Would Yin Ci fall into madness again? Without him by his side, Yin Ci would be alone once more. At the moment of Yin Ci’s utmost suffering, there would be no one to hold him.
They only had one short month. The best day would be their last meeting.
Twenty-four years later, they encountered each other again at Kushan, but an invisible ban separated them, making them strangers despite seeing each other.
As far as he knew, Yin Ci’s “three generations” of relatives were all on Kushan… After the dispersal at the gathering in the Juyi Valley, did Yin Ci never leave the vicinity of Kushan again?
The heartache and sorrow overshadowed even the intense pain caused by the ban. The sadness didn’t solely stem from their separation…
On the day of their forced separation, the eerie battle between Yin Ci and the giant monster was still vivid in Shi Jingzhi’s mind.
According to legends, the immortal body restored its physical form through blood-red fine roots, thus achieving immortality. In Shi Jingzhi’s mind, the ink characters that recorded the legends swayed, and the scattered clues assembled like pearls at this inopportune moment.
Yin Ci was also an immortal.
For a long time, Shi Jingzhi had been seeking the path to longevity, but he had never heard of an immortal body. Chen Qianfan had studied this path for thirty years and only discovered a rumor. The immortal body wasn’t as common as mushrooms after the rain, impossible to appear so frequently.
A near-absurd conjecture gradually took shape.
…What if there had been only one such person since ancient times?
Since their reunion, regardless of the situation, Yin Ci never showed obvious external injuries. His aura, honed through years of experience, and his exceptional combat skills were all unlike those of an ordinary person.
Twenty years ago, Yin Ci was present in this place. He referred to himself as “This Seat”, his authority profoundly imposing.
Was Yin Ci really just a descendant of the “Su Clan”? If the Chigou Sect, which became the top demonic sect in the world, couldn’t find the “Su Clan”, was it really because they chose to live in seclusion? …Did the “Su Clan” really exist?
One hundred years ago, Su Zhi and his renowned Bone Sweeping Sword technique simply passed away, but was it really just a natural death and not fabricated aging using the ghostskin robe? Two hundred years ago, that strange person kneeling before the village—was he also Yin Ci?
This almost pitiful “immortal” state—when did it actually begin?
Numerous questions surged up and down, eventually condensing into waves of palpitations. Thousands of words gathered and scattered, and in the end, he only wanted to give that person a hug, twenty-four years late.
Shi Jingzhi had never wanted to wake up so much before.
The ban sensed his intentions. The headache became more piercing, and more memories rushed in, attempting to disrupt his thoughts and occupy his entire mind.
He saw his own mother.
The woman leaned against the bed, with only a pair of eyes left in her emaciated appearance. She looked at Shi Jingzhi expressionlessly, with traces of her past beauty still visible on her face. Since he regained his memories, it seemed that he had only seen her like this once.
The unfamiliar mother didn’t speak, but simply reached out and caressed his head. The thin, withered hand naturally slid down his face, tucking a strand of unruly hair behind his ear.
The next moment, he saw himself being held down by the eunuch, Lu Fu, reluctantly putting on a tattered mountain villager’s clothes. The clothes reeked of a wild, foul odor, causing the young Shi Jingzhi to be immediately nauseated by the stench.
The eunuch forcefully dressed him, saying, “Ancestor, just behave yourself. If you wear those luxurious and fragrant robes, you’ll be taken away by wild beasts the next day!”
Shi Jingzhi remembered the carriage carrying him to Kushan, the taste of bitter medicine lingering in his mouth. He also remembered the Imperial Preceptor carrying him back to the mansion, with the added aroma of medicinal herbs. He heard people whispering angrily and arguing. He also heard others whispering, mourning, and crying.
Memories became increasingly fragmented, and the voices became louder and more chaotic. Emotions from the past cycled endlessly. The three elements combined into countless invisible hands behind him. They constantly tempted him to lose focus, to be angry, and even to be confused, trying to drag him into the depths of darkness.
In the depths of his mind, Shi Jingzhi felt as if he had returned to Juyi Valley and stepped onto a strange path with no way out. Sweet floral scents wafted behind him, and he knew that as long as he turned around, gave up struggling, the endless pain would stop.
But this time, he strode forward, without even glancing back.
A’Ci told him to wait for him. But he had been away for too long, and he couldn’t waste any more time here.
The “immortal” under the maple tree had been waiting for him for twenty-four years.
Finally, at the end of his memories, a soft sigh echoed. In the last memory, a thin, withered finger pressed against his forehead.
“A bottomless pit of desire, an endless world of mortals. You have collected the desires of all living beings, often destroyed by your own desire. To maintain your sanity, you can only choose one desire.”
“Unfortunately, for over three hundred years, anyone who chose their desire, be it wealth, fame, love, or family, eventually became a calamity, without exception.”
“You are somewhat special… Your desire was formed early, and your character is not yet mature, which makes you suitable for our careful cultivation. Perhaps this great achievement in a hundred years can be accomplished by this old one’s own hands…”
Suddenly, Shi Jingzhi felt like laughing.
Born with an insatiable desire, destined to bring calamity in the future. It turned out that he had even attempted to adopt a disciple and hold a “Zhuazhou” ceremony. But little did he know that the world had already made him go through a “Zhuazhou” once, letting him choose one from countless desires.
A thought flashed, and his mind became clear.
Shi Jingzhi knew what desire he had chosen. On that day, in Yin Ci’s embrace, he grasped a moment of worry-free contentment and lasting satisfaction in his heart.
Countless beings in the world spend their whole lives seeking what they desire. It was no different from this.
That old man really made a mistake. Over three hundred years, Shi Jingzhi didn’t know how many people became those who “chose their desires”, but he must have been the greediest among them all.
In the past, he disregarded everything to seek survival, yet he never found satisfaction. The reason was simpler than he imagined—what he desired was “the happiness of living”, but it was forcefully cut off, leaving only a vague “life” without meaning.
…Until he met Yin Ci again.
At this moment, the person he eagerly wanted to see was just within reach. If he really died due to the ban, wouldn’t it be a letdown to the “bottomless pit of desire” the old man spoke of?
In an instant, a strong gust of wind rose, bringing a heavy sense of oppression.
Chen Qianfan was busy disassembling the formation and almost spat out blood. His movements almost came to a halt.
Shi Jingzhi on the wooden platform had his eyes tightly shut, and his face looked somewhat distorted. Threads of blood-like patterns appeared around him, and his surging inner force went out of control, causing the flames below the platform to scatter chaotically. The ban formation behind Shi Jingzhi’s head manifested again, emitting a series of explosions, significantly weakening the brilliance of the grand formation.
The brilliant golden formation seemed alive. Strands of runes detached from the formation and crawled towards Shi Jingzhi’s temple, burrowing into his flesh and disregarding any resistance. They swelled and wriggled beneath his skin like restless blood vessels.
Between Chen Qianfan’s fingers, silver-blue threads of light intertwined, forming sharp “tweezers”. He held his breath and carefully disassembled and twisted the runes, pulling them away from the formation. The golden runes he plucked wriggled like worms but soon turned into scattered specks of golden dust.
However, their numbers were too great, their structures too complex, and their speed of burrowing into the flesh was too fast. Chen Qianfan’s face became drawn, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Shi Jingzhi’s skin turned a golden color, blood oozing from the corners of his mouth, and his trembling fingers showed signs of resistance.
Without Chen Qianfan needing to explain, Yin Ci knew that it was a critical moment in unraveling the formation.
Shi Jingzhi must have sensed the “root of desire” and was fighting for his life against the ban, which provoked the crazed counterattack of the formation. If Shi Jingzhi lost consciousness, these runes would immediately seize the opportunity to infiltrate his body and turn him into a lifeless husk.
Although Shi Jingzhi was adept at circumventing others, he wasn’t a coward. Judging from the situation, he was forcefully intimidating the runes with his qi, daring to confront them head-on.
Yin Ci saw no trace of retreat or fear on his face, but he sensed a sorrow of unknown origin.
Shi Jingzhi was highly skilled at finding joy in adversity. Even if he faced despair and anger, he always clung to his full vitality. Yin Ci had never seen Shi Jingzhi like this… filled with sadness.
Thankfully, Yin Ci knew how to deal with this situation.
Yin Ci tightened the outer garment stained with blood and stepped back into the formation. He withstood the chaotic inner force while matching the path with his right hand drawing the “Purifying Words”, sequentially pressing on the acupoints around Shi Jingzhi.
His left hand gripped Shi Jingzhi’s trembling fingers, covering them with his palm.
Chen Qianfan immediately puffed his cheeks, glaring at him angrily. “What are you messing around for? Just behave yourself!”
Yin Ci didn’t let go. “I won’t interfere with you in disassembling the formation. I’m just helping him.”
As if sensing a familiar aura, Shi Jingzhi’s trembling gradually stopped, and the rampant inner force around him also quieted down a lot. Whether it was oblivious or deliberate, Shi Jingzhi’s fingers moved in Yin Ci’s palm, as if trying to hold that hand again.
It was this moment that made the ban go completely berserk.
The momentary calm passed, but instead of improving, Shi Jingzhi’s condition became even more terrifying—blood flowed from his seven orifices, and his whole body convulsed. The wriggling runes at his temple struggled frantically, making his complexion even darker, and the former exuberance in him gradually revealed the appearance of decline.
Shi Jingzhi’s fingertips, which were originally scorching hot, now cooled down a bit. Yin Ci’s hand tightened, and his heart turned cold as well.
Did he make another mistake?
Did he once again choose the seemingly correct but ultimately destructive path?
The scorching heat in his palm suddenly changed its nature, and the scene before him overlapped with the tragedy of twenty-four years ago. Yin Ci almost couldn’t control the rising resentment in his heart.
On that day many years ago, he didn’t understand the cause of the Little Mute’s illness. But Yin Ci knew in his heart that he needed some medicine for internal injuries to stabilize the Little Mute’s condition.
He had never exerted his full effort in qinggong like he did that day. At the nearest medicine shop, Yin Ci tossed a few silver ingots and directly took away the most precious medicines in the shop. He continued without stopping, and he couldn’t count how many wounds he got from the branches along the way.
He handled things properly and returned in a timely manner. Even though Yuyi Valley was vast with a wide variety of monsters, it was only a temporary departure, so the Little Mute should be fine.
He couldn’t afford to have anything happen.
Yin Ci already knew that prayers were useless, but at that moment, he uncharacteristically made a wish. In the vastness of the world, he only wished for the heavens to accommodate the destiny of a three-year-old child.
When Yin Ci returned to his original location, the autumn wind blew gently, and the red leaves remained. The monster’s corpse was still there, looking the same as when he left.
However, the smell of blood in the wind was overpowering.
As if it was destined by the heavens, his wish would never be fulfilled. All the hopes he held onto would eventually end in vain. Faced with a ground covered in flesh and blood, in a daze, Yin Ci’s mind found a kind of almost cruel calmness.
He remembered how he had repeatedly inspected those remains, trying to find any traces of the “Little Mute” still being alive. He also recalled how he despaired bit by bit in front of the roasted fish and wild fruits inside the corpse’s stomach.
Yin Ci didn’t fall into madness, although he even hoped to lose his mind.
Even if he couldn’t die, he just wanted to escape from the tragic scene before him and find liberation. Blaming others was easy, but hating oneself was like hell. People said there were eighteen levels in hell, but his personal hell seemed like an endless abyss.
Unfortunately, this time, he couldn’t take that final step off the cliff.
In just one month, Yin Ci had developed a pitiful habit. Just as his resentment surged, it silently dissipated once more.
In a daze, it was as if someone was holding his hand and giving him a sticky embrace.
What a pity. He still wanted a flower.
The heavens indeed gave him an answer that was so sharp it was almost ironic—indeed, there was such a person who, from birth to death, never disappointed him once.
Then he would leave it to fate, continue to maintain his clarity, and wander through the world. If one day that hand could no longer hold him, if that embrace could no longer stop him, he would leap off the cliff once again and perhaps never have a clear day ever after.
Now that he had finally found a glimmer of hope, would he watch it extinguish before his eyes?
Yin Ci tightly held Shi Jingzhi’s hand, unable to meet the man’s face covered in blood. The suppressed resentment of twenty-four years sensed his fear and began to stir once again.
Crack.
A series of cracking sounds followed by continuous explosions rang out.
Within Shi Jingzhi’s heavy qi, a hint of warmth emerged. Golden dust exploded throughout the room. Chen Qianfan’s hand froze in mid-air, and the runes on the “tweezers” continued to writhe.
A hand reversed and gripped Yin Ci’s wrist. The hand was scorching hot and almost burned him, but its strength was just right—gentle yet irresistible.
In an instant of daze, Yin Ci was pulled towards the wooden platform, and the slight resentment within him had no time to dissipate.
Immediately after, he received a warm embrace.
On the wooden platform, Shi Jingzhi’s face was covered in blood, looking disheveled. But his embrace was fervent, and his heart beat steadily and vigorously. The ban was completely shattered, and the dark green sparks on the wooden platform turned into a radiant gold-red color. They were swept up by Shi Jingzhi’s inner force, resembling tiny scattered petals.
“You’re back.”
Shi Jingzhi buried his nose in Yin Ci’s neck and sighed softly.
Kinky Thoughts:
I’m just a hot, crying mess reading these chapters.
The next moment, Wang Chao grabbed the table leg, his head against the corner of the glass table, looking as if he would bash his head in if he wasn’t allowed to switch teammates.
Lin Chen, not wanting to keep the delivery guy waiting, reluctantly said, “Fine, let’s switch. Wang Chao and I will be a team.”
Although they had to switch teammates at the last moment, they didn’t need to start the game over since Su Fengzi himself had dealt the 7 bottom cards for this round.
Lin Chen led Wang Chao downstairs.
Before leaving, Su Fengzi gave him a meaningful look.
The budget hotel had only one elevator, and 9 o’clock was the peak time for room bookings, so the elevator had to stop at every floor, and it moved slowly.
Wang Chao followed Lin Chen into the elevator, first taking a young couple to the 17th floor, then descending in the empty elevator.
His A’Chen Gege looked calm and upright, holding the cards with one hand and the other in his pocket.
The sound of the lifting motor and cables filled the space, and the metal elevator door reflected the blurry pattern on the back of the playing cards.
Wang Chao swallowed, his mind wandering.
If they exchanged cards, would they be able to guess the general suit in the Demon King’s hand, and discuss the best strategy?
However!
Wang Chao looked at Lin Chen’s serious face.
How could such an upright gentleman like his A’Chen Gege agree to such a petty trick like the Demon King?
Thinking this, Comrade Xiao Wang decided to keep quiet.
“Wang Chao…”
Lin Chen began.
“Huh?”
His A’Chen Gege eyes were full of helplessness.
Lin Chen: “You really don’t know how to be considerate of adults.”
Wang Chao was even more confused.
“I… was wrong!” He admitted quickly, though utterly bewildered.
Lin Chen continued, “Look, I specifically brought the cards down, and you did too…”
Wang Chao clenched his playing cards. “Yeah, to prevent the Demon King from peeking at our cards!”
The elevator door swung open, interrupting Lin Chen’s words.
A delivery guy in blue was waiting at the front desk, holding a bag from a well-known ice cream brand.
Wang Chao was deeply touched. “A’Chen Gege, can we finish eating before going back up?”
Lin Chen’s face showed satisfaction, so Wang Chao took the ice cream bag, sat on the windowsill, and placed the cards beside him.
Lin Chen sat next to him and put his cards down too.
The two decks of cards were very close, and Wang Chao snuck a glance; he could easily see his A’Chen Gege’s cards if he reached out.
Ah, the world is full of temptations!
Wang Chao could hardly control his desire to peek at the cards and turned his back, holding the ice cream box, too nervous to open it.
Lin Chen noticed all of Wang Chao’s small movements.
He didn’t react immediately because he was also quite shocked. His actions were so obvious, and yet Wang Chao resisted the temptation and turned away?
Comrade Xiao Wang was so upright, and Lin Chen’s own thoughts seemed so petty that he was too embarrassed to speak.
An awkward silence lasted for the time it took to eat a bowl of ice cream downstairs.
Upstairs in the family room, things were very simple.
Under the dim chandelier.
First, Xing Conglian looked up.
Then, Su Fengzi looked up.
Next, their eyes met.
Finally, they simultaneously reached out and exchanged the cards in their hands.
When Lin Chen and Wang Chao returned upstairs, everything around the card table seemed normal.
Xing Conglian snuffed out his cigarette, obviously bored, looking at the ice cream that was still on Wang Chao’s face. He said impatiently, “Did you have to sneakily eat it downstairs? What, afraid your boss is going to steal it?”
Wang Chao waved his hand and returned to his seat. “Who knows, Boss? In my eyes, that’s just the kind of person you are!”
Xing Conglian took advantage of the situation and smacked Wang Chao in the head, which was followed by Wang Chao’s howling.
Under the lamp, Su Fengzi propped up his chin with one hand, watching the antics and smiling but not speaking.
Lin Chen stood up, looking down at Xing Conglian and Su Fengzi, feeling that everything about them was forced, and the air was filled with a strange aura.
He must have been showing it quite obviously.
Su Fengzi picked up his cards and glanced at him and Wang Chao. “Even if you were memorizing cards downstairs, you didn’t have to take so long. What happened to your high IQ?”
Wang Chao’s face turned bright red. “Who was memorizing cards? Would I be as shameless as you?”
Lin Chen’s gaze shifted to Xing Conglian. Surely, he wouldn’t conspire with Su Fengzi, right?
Xing Conglian raised both hands and shouted, “Husband, you have to believe in my integrity!”
Lin Chen was speechless and sat down beside Xing Conglian.
If one could say that the previous round of cards was simply played casually, with everyone watching Su Fengzi tease Wang Chao as they played, then this round had begun with everyone mysteriously becoming serious, each harboring their own ulterior motives.
Lin Chen observed Xing Conglian and Su Fengzi’s expressions while playing his cards.
Su Fengzi flipped his cards randomly, and it was impossible to discern his emotions from his face when he drew one to play.
Xing Conglian didn’t smoke, and he held up his cards to play seriously. However, he found them too high, covering most of his face.
As for Wang Chao…
Wang Chao was calculating his cards so fast that he didn’t need any reaction time. Through their pre-arranged signals, the teenager continuously informed him of the possible remaining cards in Xing Conglian and Su Fengzi’s hands.
“Five of clubs.” In the third to last round, Xing Conglian again led with the trump card.
Lin Chen looked at Wang Chao.
If Su Fengzi and Xing Conglian scored 80 points, Lin Chen and Wang Chao would lose no matter what.
At this moment, more than halfway through the game, Su Fengzi and Xing Conglian had already scored 65 points, putting them at a great disadvantage.
The worst part was that Su Fengzi and Xing Conglian knew what their last six cards were, but they did not know theirs.
Now he had two choices: play the big king, to beat the five of clubs, or play a small card, to keep the big king for the last two rounds. He could also force out Su Fengzi’s main card, the king of clubs, but if that card was hidden in the seven bottom cards, then the big king would be tricked out, and they would lose the entire game.
Lin Chen’s fingers gently stroked the edges of the cards without looking at Su Fengzi, who was the last to play, but instead watching Xing Conglian.
“Baby, don’t hold the cards so high; I’m not so good at reading micro-expressions. Don’t worry about me seeing through your hand,” he said to Xing Conglian.
Xing Conglian shivered but did not let his guard down, swiftly putting down his cards and covering his face with his hands.
Lin Chen chuckled.
His finger slid over the card, and he played a useless card.
Su Fengzi sighed deeply; his face was filled with the sorrow of wasted efforts. “It’s just a game of cards, Shidi. You’re too cautious.”
As he spoke, he played the king of clubs, easily stabbing them.
By now, Xing Conglian and Su Fengzi had scored 75 points, and the chances of victory were diminishing.
Wang Chao’s face turned red with anxiety, and he groaned in pain, casting Lin Chen a “Why did you play that way?” look.
Lin Chen shrugged, apologetic.
“Shidi, do we need to play this card?”
At this point, Su Fengzi smiled meaningfully, flipping over his own cards to reveal the big and small kings.
As a small king had already been played, there was no doubt that Su Fengzi’s cards were the biggest.
A complete sweep!
Wang Chao’s eyes widened.
“Damn! So shameless!” Wang Chao yelled. “You hid such big cards till the end!”
As he spoke, he threw out his cards, a pair of tens.
At that moment, Su Fengzi’s face changed slightly.
But Xing Conglian didn’t realize what had happened, flipping over his card and throwing it out, his face filled with triumph.
“Shidi,” Su Fengzi began, his gaze following.
Of course, this couldn’t stop Lin Chen from turning over his card.
Under the lamp, on the transparent square table.
All eyes were focused on those two cards.
They were two bright red big kings, with the joker’s bright red smiling face particularly noticeable.
Now the situation was strange; there could only be two big kings in two decks, but at this moment, there were undoubtedly three cards lying on the table.
Time seemed to slow.
Wang Chao slammed the table, stood on his chair, and pointed at Su Fengzi, yelling, “You’re cheating! Scum!”
Su Fengzi remained calm, arms crossed, leaning back in his chair.
His eyes were cold and deep as he stared at Wang Chao.
Su Fengzi: “You’re so good at counting cards; you should have known that I probably had both the big and small kings in my hand. Why were you so shocked just now?”
Wang Chao recoiled but was not to be outdone. “I was shocked at your shamelessness; you still dare to be so fierce even though you cheated!”
“Is it not by pretending to be shocked that you clear yourselves of the suspicion of buying two decks and secretly switching the cards?”
“Are we you? It’s just a game of cards, and how do you know about buying two decks?”
Su Fengzi smiled. “That’s strange indeed…”
Lin Chen had been quietly watching, while Xing Conglian had been staring at him.
Xing Conglian: “What does Consultant Lin say?”
“Very strange.”
Xing Conglian stifled a laugh. “What’s strange?”
“Now there are only two possibilities.”
“Hmm?”
“First, you cheated. Second, we cheated.”
“Oh?”
“It seems that our going downstairs to pick up a parcel and buying a new deck is more likely, but of course, it’s not impossible that Fengzi secretly brought a new deck.”
“So?”
“So, since it’s a matter of ‘he said, she said’, this round can only be counted as your loss.”
Wang Chao nodded.
“Why?” Xing Conglian was taken aback.
“Normally,” Lin Chen said matter-of-factly, “since everyone has revealed their cards, it’s clear who’s the biggest.”
If it were Wang Chao, he would certainly jump up and retort, “Clearly, this round should be invalidated.” But the benefit of having Wang Chao as a teammate was that he was sure to keep his mouth shut now.
Su Fengzi: “Shidi is waiting for me here. Why is your competitive spirit so strong?”
Lin Chen: “Shixiong has taught me well.”
“I didn’t teach you to cheat, did I?”
“First of all, I didn’t. Secondly, there was a time when the four of us were playing cards with the teacher in the laboratory. How do you explain the 10 various point cards, big and small kings, that were found on you?”
“That was to make you understand that there’s no kinship at the poker table.” Su Fengzi sighed. “I never thought Shidi would become so shameless. You’ve grown up.”
Lin Chen still confronted Su Fengzi, neither giving an inch, and the situation was at a stalemate.
“I have an idea.” Xing Conglian raised his hand. “We can check fingerprints on the three big kings. The one without everyone’s fingerprints must be the cheated card.”
“That’s fine. In that case, why not check all the cards on the table?” Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian.
“That’s too much trouble.” Su Fengzi spoke up. “Don’t add to the police’s workload. Just check these three.” Su Fengzi pointed to the cards in front of Lin Chen.
Just then, there was a loud bang in the room.
Wang Chao knocked over the chair, glaring at Su Fengzi, grabbed his collar, and yelled, “You are shameless, utterly shameless! I’m ashamed to be associated with you!”
Xing Conglian quickly rushed to pull them apart.
Lin Chen looked at Wang Chao’s performance, astonished. This couldn’t be explained as mere exaggeration.
“What’s wrong with you?” Xing Conglian suddenly asked.
Lin Chen frowned, quickly walked over to Wang Chao, and touched his forehead.
Wang Chao began to laugh, then kicked his legs, cursing Su Fengzi.
Lin Chen suddenly remembered the way the teenager acted when he was drunk and thought this scene seemed familiar.
“I ordered a matcha strawberry double scoop, not rum flavor.” He sniffed near Wang Chao’s mouth, smelling only a faint sweet ice cream scent, making it hard to determine if Wang Chao had accidentally eaten rum-flavored ice cream.
Lin Chen began to call the delivery company, asking what they had sent.
Xing Conglian dragged Wang Chao into the side room.
The company said they would have to investigate, and Lin Chen and Xing Conglian stood by Wang Chao’s bed, watching the teenager wriggle like a caterpillar.
“You didn’t watch him eat?” Xing Conglian asked.
Lin Chen replied, “Of course not. I went to buy a new deck of cards at the time.”
Xing Conglian turned slowly, staring at him in disbelief.
Wang Chao began to act seriously drunk.
Lin Chen never thought his perfect plan to counter Su Fengzi’s cheating would be punctured by a misdelivered box of ice cream.
Su Fengzi looked annoyed. He had finally been able to catch someone to play cards, and now they were one player short. Moreover, the child had a fever, so the guests could hardly have the nerve to stay.
Su Fengzi flipped through his phone contacts, planning to find someone else to play cards with.
As he was leaving, Lin Chen escorted him to the door, with Wang Chao singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” out of tune in the room.
“It seems a bit late, Shixiong. Would you like to stay?” Lin Chen asked politely.
Wang Chao yelled from the room, “Playing cards is fun! So much fun!”
Su Fengzi’s face was full of disdain. “Why would I stay? To play a CP for you to develop?”
Well, perhaps that adjective wasn’t quite right. Specifically, it was more like Su Fengzi unilaterally overwhelming everyone, making everything revolve around his joy.
If this meal gathering were turned into a game scene, it would be like the pea-size Wang Chao, wielding a sword, jumping to attack the giant Su Fengzi. The giant simply raised a finger and flicked the little pea to the ground. Despite the little pea’s cries, it got up and continued swinging the sword chaotically, but it couldn’t leave a scratch on the giant.
After all, it was a basic attribute for giants to have thick skin and blood.
After the meal, Lin Chen felt really full and walked back to the hotel with Xing Conglian.
Surprisingly, Su Fengzi decided to accompany them on the way, perhaps because he hadn’t encountered someone as entertaining as Wang Chao in a long time and it would be such a waste to not keep pressing Wang Chao down repeatedly.
“Come on, let’s compete in a game. I’ll use only one hand!” Wang Chao was still hopping mad.
“Why don’t you compete with me in programming?” Su Fengzi said leisurely.
“Sure, sure, let’s head to the internet café up ahead!”
Lin Chen finally couldn’t stand it anymore and turned around to remind him, “He’s mocking you.”
Wang Chao asked Su Fengzi, “Why are you mocking me?”
Lin Chen looked at Su Fengzi.
Su Fengzi smiled and didn’t answer.
Wang Chao asked, “Are you at a loss for words?”
Su Fengzi: “No, your A’Chen Gege wants to be your interpreter, so of course I’ll give him a chance.”
Lin Chen felt like he was also being mocked and couldn’t help but remain silent.
“Do you have anything else to say?” Su Fengzi added.
“A’Chen Gege, you don’t need to give me face,” Wang Chao said.
Lin Chen was helpless. Wang Chao had absolutely no awareness in this regard. The explanation Lin Chen wanted to provide him with now seemed utterly foolish. He asked Wang Chao with patience, “Why did you want to compete with him?”
“Because he kept challenging me, and I wanted to educate him!” Wang Chao replied.
“Why don’t you just plug your ears and just ignore him?” Lin Chen suggested.
Su Fengzi laughed. “Shidi, I’m still here.”
Wang Chao: “That would be a bit pretentious, and it doesn’t fit my character.”
Lin Chen: “…”
People were passing by the riverside as they walked after the meal. However, Lin Chen felt that this stroll had no meaning in aiding digestion. Fortunately, after a few random remarks, they soon arrived at the hotel entrance. Lin Chen and Xing Conglian simultaneously stopped and turned to look at Su Fengzi.
Xing Conglian cleared his throat. “Fengzi, thank you so much for today.”
Meaning: Is it possible for you to leave now?
“What are you thanking me for? Otherwise, you would have bought Wangji just to have a meal of crayfish?” Su Fengzi retorted.
Xing Conglian felt embarrassed. “How could that be?”
“Shixiong, thanks for today,” Lin Chen added.
“Are you two teaming up to drive me away?” Su Fengzi pretended to be hurt.
Lin Chen asked directly, “Are you leaving or do you have other plans?”
……
Ten minutes later.
Two decks of cards were thrown on the table.
In the small living room of a budget hotel’s family room, four people, one on each side, stared at the playing cards in the middle of the table, silent.
“To be honest, I haven’t played cards in many years.”
Wang Chao had just returned from buying the cards, panting for breath, and from the mere term “playing cards”, one could tell that the young man had neglected this practice of a human cultural heritage that has been passed down for hundreds of years.
Xing Conglian looked at him coldly. “Not playing for many years implies that you have played before. Have you ever played?”
“Eh!” Wang Chao was taken aback. “Some tablets can only play Spider Solitaire; does that count?”
“That doesn’t count.”
“Oh, then I don’t know how to play cards.”
Wang Chao admitted honestly.
“You never taught him to play cards?” Lin Chen asked Xing Conglian.
“Why teach him? With his intelligence, who would want to play cards with him? I might as well play Fight the Landlord*.”
*A card game in the genre of shedding and gambling. It is one of the most popular card games played in China.
Hearing this, Wang Chao’s eyes lit up, and he slapped the table, pointing at Su Fengzi. “You’ve walked into hell!”
Su Fengzi didn’t respond, probably feeling hot. He finally slowly took off his suit, then reached over and slowly tore the packaging off the sealed deck of cards and began to shuffle them with a rattle.
The lighting in the small living room wasn’t bright enough; Xing Conglian had just smoked a cigarette, and the indoor smoke was swirling, floating like a thin veil under the light, creating a weird and solemn atmosphere.
“Can I check the rules for the card game ‘shuang ji*’ on Baidu Encyclopedia? Will one minute be enough?”
*Also known as level up, is a trick-taking card game played in China. They have dynamic trump, which cards change every round. As these games are played over a wide area with no standardization, rules vary widely from region to region. You can go to the Wikipedia to see the rules.
Su Fengzi also looked up and seriously asked Wang Chao.
In the blink of an eye, Wang Chao had already closed the Encyclopedia page, put down his phone, and replied, “Let’s do this!”
Xing Conglian had never played cards like this before, or rather, he had never played such a serious game.
Because of seating arrangements, Su Fengzi and Wang Chao sat facing each other, becoming teammates.
Wang Chao, although intelligent, had never played cards before, and was very awkward in the first round.
Su Fengzi sternly pointed out his mistakes, and Wang Chao even apologized earnestly.
Xing Conglian looked at his teammate, Lin Chen, and the two turned a blind eye to this instructional style of play.
“Pair of 9s, pair of 10s, pair of Jacks.” Wang Chao threw down another hand.
Su Fengzi stopped him. “They’re now grabbing points. If your A’Chen Gege throws QQ, KK, AA, we’ll be in big trouble.”
Lin Chen rubbed his forehead. “Shixiong, you’ve peeked at my cards again…”
Su Fengzi shrugged. “I’m not that kind of person, Shidi.”
Lin Chen didn’t believe it at all and turned his head to check all the reflective objects around him, then noticed the metal frame on the cabinet door behind him.
Su Fengzi looked surprised. “There’s actually a metal strip there, but don’t hurry to change places; I’ve only peeked in the first round.”
Lin Chen was speechless.
Wang Chao changed his play, but because of Su Fengzi’s spoilers, the teenager had already calculated their hands and played a pair of 10s, reporting as he played, “A’Chen Gege has Q-A, and the Boss didn’t play a pair of A’s in the last round, so the probability that the Boss has AA is very small. I don’t have it, so the pair of A’s should be in the hands of the big demon king!”
Su Fengzi shook his head helplessly.
“I told you not to teach him to play cards!” Xing Conglian complained.
“Endure it.” Lin Chen threw out a pair of Kings. “We’re leaving tomorrow anyway.”
“What do you mean?” Xing Conglian was stunned. “Tomorrow?”
“Yes, a game with Teacher Su takes at least 12 hours. Otherwise, why would he pester us so much?”
“Why?” Xing Conglian threw his cards out.
“Because his playing style is too shameless, and he’s skilled at counting cards, so basically no one wants to play with him.”
Lin Chen finally said, moving his gaze to the small glass table.
“Damn it!” Wang Chao jumped up, staring at the table in a perverted way, looking at the pair of A’s that Xing Conglian had finally played.
“You obviously had cards, why didn’t you play them just now!” Wang Chao said angrily. “Why are you so calculating!”
“Because this round is 40 points, the last round was only 20.” Xing Conglian educated. “40 is greater than 20, so the pair of A’s should be used here.”
Wang Chao ignored him, turning to the next person to question. “Why didn’t you remind me that you didn’t have a pair of A’s!”
“That would be cheating.” Su Fengzi continued the education. “Mainly to let you know how treacherous people are at the card table.”
“It’s too treacherous.”
“Yes.”
The two sang in harmony, and Wang Chao believed that Su Fengzi really didn’t remind him on purpose to teach him a lesson.
For Su Fengzi, shuang ji, a two-on-two game, was like playing Fight the Landlord; he himself was the only dealer, and as long as he could trap others, any way to play was fine.
But Lin Chen understood this quite well. For him, playing cards was too simple, so creating difficulties and then solving them was much more interesting than simply winning cards.
Lin Chen had to continue playing and looked at Xing Conglian, both equally speechless.
In fact, Wang Chao soon saw through Su Fengzi’s routine without Lin Chen pointing it out.
“Fuck, you did it on purpose, didn’t you!”
The good situation was once again uncertain because Su Fengzi had thrown the game.
The teenager angrily threw the cards; he was barefoot, and at this moment one foot stepped on the chair, and the other foot almost stepped on the glass table, tipping it over.
“You must have a calm mind when playing cards; being too competitive isn’t good.” Su Fengzi laughed.
“A’Chen Gege, I don’t want to be on his team anymore!” Wang Chao said.
“I don’t want to be on his team either,” Lin Chen said seriously.
Wang Chao’s eyes moved to Xing Conglian.
Captain Xing glared at him. “Comrade Xiao Wang, who gave you the courage to break up the CP?”
Wang Chao was almost in tears.
Lin Chen was helpless, and at that moment, his phone rang.
Lin Chen answered it; it was the takeout he had ordered earlier.
“Thank you, I’ll come down right away.”
Lin Chen hung up the phone and said to Wang Chao, “I ordered ice cream for you.”
The teenager’s interest was quickly diverted. “A’Chen Gege, how can you be so nice!”
“Experience,” Lin Chen said, picking up the unfinished cards, standing up, and gesturing for Wang Chao to go downstairs with him.
“What kind of experience?”
“The experience of cooling down. The last teammate who played cards with Shixiong was so angry after five rounds that he wanted to take a heart-relieving pill.”
“Is it too late to not want to play now?” Wang Chao wanted to hit the wall.
“Do you dare? I don’t anyway,” Lin Chen said honestly.
Hearing him say that Su Fengzi was very pleased. “Shidi, you flatter me.”
Comrade Xiao Wang’s pleas for mercy were in vain, but Lin Chen and Xing Conglian didn’t betray him.
How to put it? After all, it was Su Fengzi who came, and nobody could figure out what he was thinking.
Therefore, when Su Fengzi stood before them, Lin Chen and Xing Conglian exchanged glances, each hoping the other would be the first to greet him. Probably because they were too in sync, they found that both were trying to avoid taking the initiative, so they glared at each other.
Su Fengzi saw this and merely smiled, not saying a word.
‘Indeed, my Shixiong’s mind is as mysterious as the bottom of the sea and terrifyingly abnormal,’ Lin Chen thought, shaking his head helplessly.
He looked Su Fengzi up and down, from his suit to his shoes, and casually asked, “Isn’t it hot?”
“It’s hot, but since my Shidi needs me, I have to get dressed even if it’s hot,” Su Fengzi replied.
Lin Chen probably understood what was going on and casually said, “Thank you.”
Su Fengzi nodded but said nothing, standing tall in the night.
Xing Conglian and Wang Chao were at a loss. They felt that it was a bit strange that Su Fengzi didn’t make fun of them.
A disturbance suddenly arose at the entrance of Wangji’s restaurant.
Outside, diners were calling out, “Madam Boss”, “Madam Boss”…
A vigorous female voice responded politely, and soon, a woman was standing before them.
Xing Conglian’s eyes widened as he realized that the goddess of all crayfish enthusiasts, Madam Wang Meimei, was now standing in front of him.
Wearing a white dress and high heels and a sparkling diamond necklace around her neck, Wang Meimei was well-known on TV, especially during crayfish season. She was more than just an ordinary restaurant owner; she was almost considered a celebrity.
Now that the crayfish goddess appeared before them, it was obvious who she had come for.
Xing Conglian looked at Su Fengzi, more confused.
Indeed, the crayfish goddess only had eyes for Su Fengzi. She stepped forward, her cheeks flushed with excitement, and said, “Teacher Su, I’ve missed you so much.”
Her words weren’t flirtatious but full of genuine longing and respect for Su Fengzi.
Was Wang Meimei not part of Su Fengzi’s entourage but someone he had helped before? But Su Fengzi wasn’t like Lin Chen, meddling in other’s affairs…
As Xing Conglian was lost in thought, Wang Meimei explained herself.
“Will ‘The Domineering Tyrant’s Love’ be updated soon? I’ve been waiting so painfully!”
The crayfish goddess changed her tone and complained to Su Fengzi.
“…”
The room fell into silence, all stunned by the name.
Xing Conglian looked at the crayfish goddess, not expecting her to have such a taste.
Su Fengzi, however, acted as if everything was normal.
“How about I write a chapter for you to read?” he shamelessly offered.
Wang Meimei pondered seriously for a moment, then said, “I really want to read it, but since Teacher Su has come to have crayfish with me, let’s eat first.”
Su Fengzi nodded and asked, “Shall I tell you the outline?”
Wang Meimei’s porcelain-like face instantly brightened. “Yes, yes, but wouldn’t spoiling it be bad?”
As she spoke, she confidently led the way into the restaurant, taking them to a specially reserved private room, satisfying Xing Conglian’s vanity to the fullest.
“Why not? You’re so cute; what’s wrong with telling you?” Su Fengzi laughed.
Wang Meimei’s face turned red, and she sat down proudly next to Su Fengzi, looking honored.
Su Fengzi opened a napkin for her, and they began a passionate discussion about whether the Dragon Emperor liked the fourteenth Yunyang immortal more than the Crayfish Goddess.
Xing Conglian, looking at the well-dressed Teacher Su, finally understood who the suit was for.
“Interesting, right?” Lin Chen sat down beside him and smiled.
“Interesting,” Xing Conglian replied.
Wang Chao spread his chopsticks and made a face, silently despising Su Fengzi with a look that said, “You’re not braindead, are you?”
It was hard to tell whether Su Fengzi saw this look from Comrade Xiao Wang.
Lin Chen exchanged a glance with Xing Conglian, silently lamenting.
The dishes were served quickly. The four of them plus the restaurant’s boss sat at a table with more than half of the seats left empty, but the crayfish covered the entire surface.
To balance the richness, they also had garlic mashed cucumber, cold edamame, and marinated lotus root.
The sight was filled with red and green, and the spicy fragrance rushed to the face.
Xing Conglian ordered two bottles of Yongchuan draft beer, and as he heard the pleasant sound of the bottles being opened, he seriously considered the feasibility of acquiring Wangji.
It didn’t seem to cost much, and spreading Wangji restaurants all over the world would be a way to enhance the country’s prestige, right?
Su Fengzi continued to discuss the outline with Wang Meimei.
They had gotten to the part where the Dragon Emperor broke through and ascended to the Nine Heavens, where the great sect’s Senior Uncle’s Ancestor (female) fell in love with him at first sight, insisting on dual cultivation with the Dragon Emperor.
Upon hearing this, Wang Chao couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of cola.
Su Fengzi put down his chopsticks and looked over.
“What are you looking at me for?” Wang Chao hurriedly wiped his mouth.
“Why did you suddenly spray cola?” Su Fengzi asked sincerely.
Wang Chao, perhaps emboldened, directly said, “Because you’re selling dog meat under the guise of mutton. Let me tell you, real male channel upgrade novels with a stallion theme aren’t like this. Your work has big problems!”
Su Fengzi didn’t get angry but smiled and said, “I would like to hear more.”
Basically, when Su Fengzi showed this expression, even Xing Conglian knew not to argue directly, as this person’s thinking was too bizarre.
But perhaps Wang Chao was too delighted with the meal, or maybe Su Fengzi’s acting was too good, as he thought Teacher Su was sincerely asking, so he benevolently instructed, “First of all, your title is very perverted. I thought it was a CEO novel, but you actually wrote a stallion story. There’s nothing like ‘Martial Arts’ or ‘Different World’ in the title. You dare call it a stallion? Isn’t your title a bit effeminate?”
Xing Conglian seriously doubted whether the cola in Wang Chao’s glass had been secretly spiked with alcohol. How else could a well-behaved kid go crazy like this?
Lin Chen was peeling crayfish like nothing was happening, and Xing Conglian also lowered his head, realizing that Lin Chen was more experienced in turning a deaf ear.
“Yes,” Su Fengzi replied to Wang Chao’s criticism, showing no resistance.
“And then there’s the female ancestor from the Nine Heavens Realm; this hag is a few thousand years old… Who wants to see her sleep with the male protagonist?” Wang Chao continued.
“Shut up! How can you talk about Teacher Su’s work like that!” As expected, Teacher Su’s number one fan, Miss Wang Meimei, couldn’t agree with it and rose to her feet, rebuking Wang Chao.
Su Fengzi, the author himself, took a small sip of the tea in front of him and smiled at his fan. “Don’t be angry.”
“But Teacher Su, he’s too much. How can he be so rude!” Wang Meimei was still furious.
“He’s just a child. He’s quite cute,” Su Fengzi explained gently, with a forgiving and magnanimous expression.
“That still doesn’t allow him to speak to you like that,” Wang Meimei insisted, still upset.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Su Fengzi gestured for his fan to sit down. “Shall I take revenge for you?”
Wang Meimei was momentarily confused.
Su Fengzi turned to Wang Chao. “You sing a song.”
“What? Why suddenly ask me to sing?” Wang Chao’s mouth was still full of crayfish, and he was utterly perplexed. “Are you looking for trouble?”
“Yes.” Su Fengzi smiled.
“Hey!”
“Don’t adults usually ask children to perform for guests when they take them out for meals?” Su Fengzi said softly.
“I’m an adult!” Wang Chao shouted angrily.
“An adult, huh…” Su Fengzi rested his chin on one hand, insinuating something. “Then can you recite a poem, like ‘Preface to the Prince Teng’s Pavilion‘?”
“Screw that!” Wang Chao yelled.
Su Fengzi and Wang Meimei looked at each other and laughed.
“Cute, isn’t he?” Su Fengzi playfully pointed in Wang Chao’s direction with the end of his chopsticks, as if he were no longer teasing Wang Chao, but instead asking Wang Meimei.
“He’s adorable. I want to pinch his cheeks!” Wang Meimei revealed a creepy-aunt grin.
“He’s the prototype of Eunuch Jiangling in the book.”
“Really, it does seem like him. Oh yes, that little eunuch in the book was teased like this the first time he met the Dragon Emperor.”
The two continued to chat as if no one else was there. Su Fengzi seemed to be letting Wang Chao off, but his voice was loud, clearly speaking for Wang Chao to hear.
Comrade Xiao Wang, a pure and innocent youth, never thought that one day he would be written into a book like “The Domineering Tyrant’s Love” as an eunuch. For a moment, he was thunderstruck, his worldview shaken. However, he couldn’t help but ask, “Who is that?”
“A little eunuch beside the Dragon Emperor. Don’t worry, there is no sexual relationship between them,” Su Fengzi answered.
For Xing Conglian, the dividing line between spring and summer was marked by the large influx of crawfish to the market.
In reality, he had no particular requirements for food and often ate instant noodles and takeout with Lin Chen.
However, just like Lin Chen’s obsession with breakfast, he had a passionate love for crawfish.
Thirteen spices were good, steamed shrimp was also nice, but only spicy crawfish was the king, unparalleled.
Moreover, in a year, there were only one or two months when crawfish reached their peak in taste, so it wasn’t excessive to drive a hundred kilometers to Yongchuan to eat crawfish for two days during the weekend.
When he proposed this idea to Lin Chen, they had just left their office building.
“Then let’s go.” Lin Chen replied.
Wang Chao cheered from behind. Xing Conglian looked up at the fiery clouds in the sky and felt that the weather was truly pleasant.
As a genuine man, there was no need to prepare when going out. They arrived in Yongchuan with just one press of the gas pedal before the sky completely darkened.
This time, of course, they didn’t need to show off or worry about being embarrassed, so they decided to find a place not far from Yongchuan University to stay.
The suburban hotels like Cohen May couldn’t even order take-out. Besides a comfortable bed, they had nothing else to offer.
However, when they were getting off the highway, Xing Conglian still sought Lin Chen’s opinion.
Lin Chen opened his phone and randomly selected a budget hotel around 500 meters from the late-night food market based on ratings. When placing the order, Wang Chao in the backseat was still complaining, “Why do you need A’Chen Gege’s help to search for things? What’s my status?”
Lin Chen turned to ask him if he had any other ideas, such as staying near the children’s amusement park…
Wang Chao seriously considered this suggestion, but in the end, his overwhelming love for spicy crawfish prevailed.
And it didn’t stop there. Perhaps Lin Chen’s question triggered some memories in Wang Chao, and the teenager started rambling about his bitter experiences and reminiscing about the sweet moments.
“At that time, we really, during our hardest times, ate canned soybeans for three months, and even our farts smelled like that.”
“We even had to chew on camel meat in the desert, and the taste was simply bizarre.”
“When the Boss said he was retiring and returning to the country, I was so happy that I cried. Finally, we wouldn’t have to eat pizza every day. It was like living like a god!”
Wang Chao’s story became more and more outrageous. He even started to cry and wipe his tears in the lobby of the budget hotel while telling Lin Chen about the first time he had spicy crabs and cried over it.
“I held onto the table and refused to leave. The Boss tricked me and said there was crab at Mailin that was even better! Later, I found out it was a lie—a complete lie!”
“Okay!”
In the elevator, although Lin Chen’s face remained calm, Xing Conglian finally couldn’t help but stop Wang Chao. “Didn’t I compensate you afterward?!”
“Wow, Boss, are you talking about the month we ate stewed mutton as compensation? Mailin, tropical climate, scorching heat, and stewed mutton, for me!”
“What’s the matter? Do you have any complaints? The stewed meat was even airlifted from China.”
“But the dipping sauce! The key is that Mailin’s lamb dipping sauce is sweet! That’s what I mean by bizarre!”
“Bizarre.”
When the elevator arrived, Lin Chen, who had had his hands in his pocket the whole time, said nonchalantly.
Xing Conglian was dumbfounded and slowly turned his head.
“Eating soybeans for three months is also excessive.”
Entering the corridor after the elevator, Lin Chen said again.
Upon hearing this, Wang Chao almost choked up and clung to Lin Chen’s thigh.
“For these two days, just order whatever you want, and your boss will pay for it.” Lin Chen swiped the room key, firmly making the final decision.
Wang Chao felt like he had won a lottery and couldn’t help but shout for joy. To show his support for his A-Chen Gege, Wang Chao immediately turned around and said he wanted to queue at Wangji Spicy Crawfish. Within three seconds, he disappeared from sight.
Lin Chen entered the room and opened the window for ventilation. The hotel’s location wasn’t great, the furnishings were simple, and the family room had a small dining area with one table and four chairs. The bar counter only had an electric kettle and some tea. Lin Chen quietly boiled water and sat in one of the chairs, waiting for it to boil.
Xing Conglian sat down across from him, wanting to say something but not knowing where to start.
The air was filled with the hissing sound of an electric kettle boiling water, and the sound of vehicles passing by outside the window was clear yet somewhat distant. The atmosphere settled into a comfortable calm.
Xing Conglian looked at Lin Chen’s face under the soft yellow light and blinked gently. “Consultant Lin, what’s wrong?”
“Obviously, I’m feeling a little sorry for you,” Lin Chen said straightforwardly.
The water had just reached a boil. Lin Chen stood up to heat the cups and brew two servings of green tea.
Xing Conglian stood up and walked over to hug him. His stubbly chin rubbed against Lin Chen’s neck, but it didn’t interrupt Lin Chen’s tea preparation.
“Then I’ll have to treat you, you little glutton. You know how much you can eat,” he said with a smile.
“But I also feel a bit emotional. After feeling emotional, it’s appropriate to be a little angry.”
When Consultant Lin mentioned being “a little angry,” it meant just that—not too much or too little.
But with that peaceful tone, Xing Conglian was afraid that he might accidentally spill hot water on him.
He could only steel himself and say, “It’s not like I can’t apologize first. If I apologize, you will surely ask me what exactly I did wrong, and if I don’t know, I’ll have to kneel on the keyboard. But how could I not know? Everything that happened before is a thing of the past, like a dream or an illusion. It’s best to view it as such, and now everything is fine…”
Lin Chen finally put down the electric kettle and turned around. He also hugged Xing Conglian in return, and Xing Conglian let out a sigh of relief.
“If it were the old me, I would probably think that since you didn’t say anything, I shouldn’t ask either, and it’s fine to respect each other’s privacy regarding some past secrets…”
“That’s right!”
“However, that’s when I had secrets that I couldn’t tell. Now that I have no secrets, how could you still have secrets… Wife.”
As Lin Chen spoke, he kissed Xing Conglian’s earlobe, causing Xing Conglian to shiver and swallow a mouthful of saliva. “What do you want to hear?”
“Let’s start with the three months of canned soybeans.” Lin Chen paused. “You can skip the classified parts.”
Xing Conglian kissed him back and earnestly expressed his loyalty. “Actually, there are no classified parts, and how could there be anything I can’t tell you?”
“Why have you never mentioned it before?”
“A true man sheds blood, not tears.”
“Hm?”
Xing Conglian fell silent but held Lin Chen tightly. He could only say, “I felt very bitter. My personal qualities were not enough, and it wasn’t appropriate to talk about it as a casual chat.”
“On this point, you’re far inferior to Wang Chao,” Lin Chen said.
Xing Conglian let out a long sigh, unable to argue.
When Lin Chen said he was “inferior”, he meant that he wasn’t as carefree as Wang Chao, who didn’t take things seriously and would bravely face any situation.
For people like them, the most common way of dealing with things was to let the past be the past, not say much about it, and leave it at that.
However, some things would not truly be in the past until the day they were mentioned again.
This was probably some form of psychological treatment, but Xing Conglian thought it could also be classified as “when you’re unhappy, I’ll kiss you to make you feel better.”
In the end, this topic didn’t continue.
Wang Chao quickly called them, shouting in a panicked tone, “Boss, there are 500 tables waiting for Wang Ji. Has the world gone crazy?”
“If it’s so hard to wait at Wang Ji, don’t you have experience? Why didn’t you hack the queue system in advance?” Xing Conglian angrily replied.
“Boss, I’m a high-level expert, hacking a small crawfish restaurant’s queue system is beneath me!” Wang Chao said angrily, then turned into a flatterer. “But I have a new idea!”
“What do you want to do?”
“Why don’t you buy Wangji now?”
“Fuck off!” Xing Conglian was furious. “Do you think I’m demeaning myself by making a call for this kind of thing?”
“I think it’s quite imposing, like a domineering president.”
“Then hacking a queue system is also quite expert-like, right?” Xing Conglian sneered. “Or can’t you get in?”
“The art of provoking doesn’t work on me.”
Wang Chao wanted to say more, but Lin Chen finally spoke helplessly. “Do you guys still want to eat?”
“Of course!”
They both said simultaneously, on the phone and in person.
“No way, huh?” Lin Chen paused, then changed his tone. “Is there a way that you both don’t want to help?”
“As ordinary people, there’s really no way,” Wang Chao said righteously.
Looking into Lin Chen’s eyes, Xing Conglian also nodded.
“Alright then.” Lin Chen took out his phone and dialed a number. “I guess I’ll have to figure something out.”
20 minutes later, they stood together at the entrance of Wangji, surrounded by a dense crowd of customers. The aroma of crayfish wafted through the door, and Wang Chao was excited. “A’Chen Gege, you truly deserve to be the man supported by the boss. One phone call, and we’ve settled it with Wangji. Can we go in now?”
“Wait a little longer.” Lin Chen’s gaze drifted, giving a non-committal reply.
Wang Chao sniffed, his face showing a worried expression.
Sure enough, just at that moment, a figure in a tailored suit emerged from the end of the street. It was a scorching hot day, yet the person was still dressed in a smoking-gray suit with a dark blue tie, like someone from another world.
Wang Chao looked at the person for a few seconds, then exclaimed in fear, “Boss, is hacking the queue system still not possible? I was wrong!”
Kinky Translations 