Chapter 24: Burying himself in his pecs and sniffing: “Wi…”
Getting paid for one’s services, one must deliver the goods. Jian Tang, a professional at heart, was filled with renewed motivation the moment he received his pay.
According to the bosses, the three World-Lord guests had already left Wei-Five Town and were waiting at the entrance leading to human territory, promising to meet in thirty minutes. Twenty minutes had already passed, leaving Jian Tang with only ten minutes to prepare.
Jian Tang sped back to the factory and found an empty room to change out of his flashy formal wear—the new clothes were beautiful, but they weren’t suitable for strolling through human territory; they were far too eye-catching. Based on his years of experience navigating human lands, the key to avoiding the Investigation Bureau’s surveillance was to be as low-profile as possible.
He understood this logic, but those three World-Lord titans… would they?
Dressed in plain, unremarkable casual clothes, Jian Tang nervously took the elevator to the surface.
In the room housing the array for the space entrance, the gatekeeper—a monster with a giant eyeball—didn’t say a word, didn’t even show itself, but immediately opened the exit. Meanwhile, the yellow mud inside the dilapidated little hut shook incessantly, like a landslide—it seemed absolutely terrified.
Thinking that the three World-Lord titans must have passed through this same exit to reach the outside world, Jian Tang’s heart leaped into his throat. What happened to hiding their aura? What happened to ‘we absolutely won’t be discovered’? Could it be they were just like the “pie-in-the-sky” painting bosses—painting a picture of “we will hide our aura perfectly” while actually doing nothing and running off to frolic??
Jian Tang stepped onto human ground and frantically looked around.
Thank goodness, the alarm didn’t go off.
Unlike the Jingba Town plane, which placed its space entrance in a bustling human city, their Wei-Five Town entrance was located in a derelict little park in the suburbs. The park was small and run-down, long neglected, with wildflowers and weeds growing wildly everywhere. Among the weeds that almost covered the paths, monitoring devices were distributed. If a human were detected approaching, or if the aura of an exiting monster exceeded the limit, the monitoring tools would emit an alarm wave audible only to supernatural creatures, reminding them to stay hidden.
Since there was no alarm, everything was still within controllable limits. Safe.
Jian Tang paced back and forth near the road by the park, waiting for the three World-Lords to appear while pondering where to take them for sightseeing. Honestly, his understanding of the situation on the surface of A-City wasn’t entirely comprehensive—he was only familiar with specific areas. If he had to select places for eating, drinking, and having fun…
How about near the University Town?
College students knew how to have the most fun; that area was a small commercial hub with plenty of entertainment facilities, bustling from morning to night—it fit the titans’ needs for letting off steam perfectly.
However, there were risks. It was relatively close to the Happiness Court complex. If the three World-Lords caused a massive commotion, he wouldn’t want his own home to be collateral damage, would he…
In the midst of his wild thoughts, Jian Tang felt his hem being tugged. He looked down and saw a human boy looking up at him. The boy looked to be about five or six years old, like a delicate, carved jade figure, wearing zebra-patterned overalls. His big, dark, moist eyes looked like glistening black grapes. Though his face lacked expression, his chubby cheeks were truly adorable.
Wow! Such a cute human cub! Jian Tang felt his heart melt, but he quickly snapped back to reality. Wait, a human entered this park—why didn’t the alarm go off?
“Little kid,” he became immediately vigilant, “why are you here? Where are your parents?”
The little boy: “I am Agne.”
Jian Tang: “…”
Jian Tang: “Lord Agne?! Is it you??”
Hell’s Eye Agne, the end-level BOSS of the large public dungeon ‘Child of Light’. Its true form was unknown; it usually presented itself to the outside (like when being interviewed by Monster Weekly) as a mass of fog. It was said that different people saw different images within the fog, but staring too long carried a risk of strong mental corruption. Jian Tang had never dared to look directly at this mysterious World-Lord before, but there was no need for such caution now; he could stare all he wanted.
“Lord Agne, is this your human form?” Jian Tang exclaimed sincerely, “It’s so perfect, it’s just like a real human child.”
“It is a real human child,” Agne said. “I took his body.”
“…………”
Wait, the ‘perfect way to hide your aura’ you mentioned—don’t tell me it means forcibly seizing human bodies??
The comment “That’s a felony” was forcibly swallowed by Jian Tang as he squeezed out a trembling smile. “Uh, Lord Agne… if you go out with this appearance and are discovered by the child’s parents, it might cause trouble.”
“It doesn’t matter; I’ve handled it.”
Jian Tang: “?” Handled what? Please don’t tell me you handled the child’s parents’ corpses!
“When I occupied the body, I brainwashed the adults around him by the way. They won’t notice anything unusual,” Agne said. “After three days pass, I’ll return the body.”
Oh… Jian Tang relaxed. “As expected of Lord Agne, so considerate!”
Choosing a child’s body was a small, inconspicuous move—perfectly in line with the “low-profile” principle. As expected, a titan is a titan; his actions were still quite measured. His previous worries were completely unnecessary!
Jian Tang’s face revealed a relieved smile. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned his head… and his smile froze on his face.
“Hm?” The person stopped in front of Jian Tang, looking down at the dazed youth. “Little pipsqueak, are you the one leading the way for us later?”
The black-haired little boy tilted his head up to look at the tall figure in front of him, letting out a haughty, old-fashioned humph. “Heramis, you’re still as ostentatious as ever.”
Evil God Heramis, the end-level BOSS of the large public dungeon ‘Sacrificial Hunting Ground’. Its true form usually appeared as a woman: the upper body was a normal female form, but the lower body was a monster of tentacle-like masses. If the chaotic entity hidden within the gorgeous skirt were to awaken, any Tasker within hundreds of miles would suffer indiscriminate mental attacks. Those with weak resistance would drop dead on the spot.
The Heramis at this moment—no, the body she had “seized”—was a tall, heavily tattooed “big sister.” Estimating her height at at least 1.85 meters, she wore a tight-fitting, sleeveless camouflage top, matching flared pants, and dyed, colorful hair tied in a high ponytail. The non-mainstream “tough girl” aura hit him in the face.
Jian Tang’s vision went black; he wanted to faint on the spot. This height, this outfit, this aura—standing on the street, if not a 100% turn-rate, it had to be 120%—even passing dogs would have to turn their heads to look twice.
“Lady Heramis,” Jian Tang’s mouth twitched, his smile more painful than crying. “It, it is my honor to lead the way for you all this time, but traveling on human territory requires extra caution regarding the Investigation Bureau’s patrols, so regarding our appearance, it’s best if we could be a little…”
The “low-profile” he was about to say was cut off by the roaring screech of a motor, coming from afar and rushing toward them like a whirlwind. A bright red convertible sports car screeched to a halt in front of Jian Tang and the others, the displaced air ruffling Jian Tang’s hair into a bird’s nest.
“Yo.” The man in the driver’s seat took off his sunglasses and smiled at the crowd. The thick gold chain around his neck shimmered bling-bling under the sunlight, making people dizzy. “Everyone here?”
Duke of Nightmares Fila, the end-level BOSS of the large public dungeon ‘Infinite Nightmare’. His true race was demon, usually appearing as an elegant and charming male gentleman. But in reality, his style wasn’t elegant or charming; he was extraordinarily brutal when cruel, and extraordinarily mischievous when playful. He had once topped the “Most Unwanted Dungeon BOSS” list voted on by Taskers. (Incidentally, the dungeon BOSSes also held a “Most Unwanted Tasker” list, and ‘Bloody Butcher’ had topped it for three consecutive terms.)
Duke of Nightmares scanned the crowd and smiled. “Is this the new clothing you chose? Such poor taste.”
Jian Tang was stunned, then realized: “Clothing” referred to the human bodies the two lords had seized, right?
But… he glanced secretly at Agne and Heramis, then at Fila, and felt speechless: You seized the body of a nouveau-riche playboy—your ‘fashion sense’ isn’t any better than the cute little boy or the tattooed big sister!
The man’s gaze shifted to Jian Tang and he let out a tsk. “Little Candy Bean, why are you dressed like that?”
Jian Tang: “?”
Jian Tang: “Lord Fila, my name is Jian Tang.”
“Mm, I know.” The man curled his lips, his smile elegant and charming. “But don’t you think ‘Little Candy Bean’ suits you better?” He smiled, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth. His eyes curved into the arc unique to demons—dangerous, cunning, and enough to make one’s back turn cold. “A little Candy Bean with every bite, just enough to get stuck in our teeth.”
Jian Tang: “!!”
“Bad taste.” Agne snorted, opened the car door, kicked with his short legs, and climbed into the back seat.
“Cool it with your demon-flavor; if you scare the tour guide, you’ll have to lead the way yourself?” Heramis glared at Duke of Nightmares, grabbed Jian Tang, who was shaking like a leaf, with one hand and tossed him into the passenger seat. She then braced herself on the car door and flipped directly into the back.
“Hehe, just a joke.” Fila pinched the youth’s pale cheek and smiled. “Little Candy Bean, you don’t mind, do you?”
Jian Tang: …Do I dare say I mind!
“All buckle up!” Fila whistled, floored the gas pedal, and shouted: “Let’s go!”
The sports car sped forward like a whirlwind. The massive G-force nearly sent Jian Tang flying. The other three, however, looked like they were enjoying it; even Agne, who usually had a poker face, revealed a trace of a smile.
Agne: “This is what living is.”
Heramis: “Mm-hm, the wind tastes like freedom.”
Fila: “Hahahahaha, I am FREE!! Die, you idiot System!! How dare you keep me locked up for 9,999 years!!”
Heramis: “Did you forget that the plane world outside the dungeons is also under System monitoring?”
Fila: “Distinguished System Lord, the signal was poor just now, all you heard was static, please don’t take it to heart.”
Jian Tang: “…”
The convertible sped along, driving like a race car in an arena. Jian Tang watched Fila continue to stomp on the gas; the speedometer hit an incredibly exaggerated number, and his face turned pale with fright.
“Lord Fila! Please slow down!!” Jian Tang screamed against the wind, “Speeding will attract traffic police!!”
“What is a traffic police?”
“They are a type of human executive officer! They specialize in catching humans who break driving rules! Speeding results in fines!!”
Heramis: “Oh? Is this a unique NPC plot for this plane?”
Agne: “Does it trigger when you reach the specified conditions?”
Fila: “Hahaha!! Let’s try it!”
Jian Tang: “Ahhhhhhhh, no, don’t!!!”
The motor roared, carrying three thrill-seeking criminals and one screaming “candy” out of the suburbs and into the city streets.
Like a weasel rushing into a chicken coop, the reckless sports car soon threw the downtown area into total chaos—
The explosive sound of the sports car shattered the peace, drawing the attention of every passerby. The traffic police patrolling the street were dumbfounded; once they reacted, they jumped onto their motorcycles and chased behind, warning with loudspeakers and pursuing frantically. As the speeders were far too arrogant, they couldn’t catch up for the moment.
For several blocks, the crowd watched helplessly: a red sports car flying in front, a group of police chasing behind; the people in the car wailing, the people in the police cars yelling. Both sides pursued and fled, locked in a struggle neither could escape. The passersby watched with dropped jaws, and after coming to their senses, they asked which film company was shooting a movie to have such a grand production and make the chase scene look so realistic.
—
On the food street behind the South Gate of A-City University.
There wasn’t much work today, so the colleagues from the A-University human specimen preparation department had agreed to go out for a group lunch. A few people were discussing which restaurant to enter when they heard the roar of a sports car from afar. They stopped talking in surprise and looked toward the intersection ahead.
Just as they were watching, a fiery red car-blur flashed across the intersection with lightning speed, accompanied by a string of “Hahahaha, so refreshing” and “Ahhhhhh, help me!” screams. Soon after, several police cars flew across the intersection in succession, their flashing lights and high-pitched sirens attracting countless gazes.
“???” “What’s going on?”
“Are they filming a movie? Or are the police actually chasing a wanted criminal??”
“What’s been going on lately? It hasn’t been peaceful; there were so many police at Golden Bay Hospital last night, I heard it’s still sealed off now.”
The colleagues discussed it one after another. Feng Xun didn’t join the discussion, his gaze fixed on the intersection ahead, his expression puzzled.
Was he hallucinating?
Just now… did he seem to hear Jian Tang’s voice?
But thinking about it again, it was impossible: Jian Tang had said yesterday that a big client was coming to their factory today, and for that, their stingy boss had even spent money to buy a beautiful new formal outfit. The other party was likely busy entertaining guests at the factory—how could he be here in the University Town acting as a road-homicidal speeder?
Feng Xun shook his head and withdrew his gaze.
The group eventually chose a Hunan restaurant. Their department head wasn’t there, and the six of them from the department filled up a small private room perfectly. After ordering, some chatted, some browsed their phones, and others were directly whispering sweet nothings to their boyfriends.
“…Mm, didn’t eat takeout for lunch today; we came out for a group meal… Alright, I’m not working overtime tonight, let’s go see a movie together. …Aiya, you’re so cheesy; I miss you too, miss you miss you miss you, happy now? …Hee hee, okay, see you tonight.”
Feng Xun lowered his eyes, his fingers sliding aimlessly on his phone. When he snapped out of it, he realized he had opened his contact list and was frozen on the chat window with “Cohabiting Spouse.”
“…”
He immediately pressed the exit button, returning to the desktop.
Three seconds later, he reopened his contacts and changed the name from “Cohabiting Spouse” to “Jian Tang.”
Mm, much better on the eyes.
His finger hovered over the “exit button,” then he released it after a while.
Never mind.
Since I’m already here.
He began to type and send.
Feng Xun: [Are you working overtime tonight?]
Even after several dishes were served, there was no reply. This situation was actually quite rare. Previously, when Feng Xun sent a message, the other party would reply within five minutes even if it wasn’t an instant one. This time, it had been half an hour, and it was dead silent.
Feng Xun frowned slightly. He figured the other party might be busy—busy to the point of not having time to check his phone. But it was his lunch break—what could he be busy with?
Busy working overtime? Busy eating? Or busy… entertaining clients?
Feng Xun froze, belatedly realizing a problem.
The stingy boss Jian Tang kept talking about had actually been willing to spend a fortune to outfit his employees in such beautiful formal wear. It couldn’t just be to improve the employees’ image and style; it must be to dress them up attractively for others to see.
These “others” were naturally the “big clients” the boss wanted to suck up to.
He hadn’t spent much time looking yesterday, but today, a group of people would get to look at him for half a day. His private, valuable asset had actually become someone else’s exhibition piece. Even his lunch break wasn’t spared; maybe now a group of pot-bellied businessmen were sitting in a private room, letting his valuable asset serve tea and water, ordering him around, pushing the owner himself into a corner where he couldn’t even receive a message.
“…”
The colleagues sitting on either side of Feng Xun shuddered in unison, rubbing the goosebumps on their arms while looking at the AC vent in bewilderment. Who turned down the AC temperature? Why does it feel suddenly so cold, and why is there an inexplicable palpitation…
The meal was soon over.
The satisfied group walked out of the room, praising the restaurant’s taste, saying they must come back often. Feng Xun, however, felt this restaurant was terrible, completely unpalatable. I’m never coming back.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, and Jian Tang finally replied.
Jian Tang: [For the sake of you, Wife, I will definitely return with all my might!! QAQ]
Feng Xun: ?
Does this mean he’s not working overtime?
Feng Xun tightened his face and typed.
Feng Xun: [Where are you right now?]
Jian Tang: [At the amusement park.]
Feng Xun: ?
Feng Xun: [At the amusement park accompanying clients?]
Jian Tang: [Mm, they insisted on coming to play QAQ]
It was hard to imagine a group of suit-clad businesspeople or a group of pot-bellied, greasy bosses choosing to have fun at an amusement park. Feng Xun pondered for a moment and thought of the answer.
Feng Xun: [Accompanying the clients’ children?]
Jian Tang: […Uh, there are children, indeed.]
So that was it.
No wonder the new formal wear Jian Tang had was in the “cute” style—aside from fitting his own temperament, it also suited children’s tastes, making it easy for the little ones to feel close to him.
Feng Xun’s complexion softened: Playing with little cubs is no easy task; I’m afraid they don’t dare check their phones casually because they’re afraid the rowdy, energetic bear-kids might have an accident—it’s only natural they have no time to reply to messages.
Feng Xun: [Can you handle it? I’m not busy today; I can take leave and go help you.]
Jian Tang: [No need, no need! I, I can handle it! I’ve already been able to keep up with their rhythm! QAQ]
Feng Xun: [Are you sure? Really don’t need me to go over?]
Jian Tang: [Really don’t need to! Wife, you absolutely must not come over!! Do not come over!!]
Jian Tang: [Ah, I don’t mean I don’t want to see you, Wife, don’t misunderstand!]
Jian Tang: [It’s just… it’s just that I think an amusement park is better for just the two of us to visit alone. Once I’m done with my busy schedule this week, shall I take you there next weekend? Would you be willing, Wife?]
Feng Xun curled his lips and scoffed. Go to the amusement park? I’m not that childish. Then he decisively typed.
Feng Xun: [Okay.]
Going alone is childish; taking my cohabiting cub is only natural—very reasonable.
Feng Xun: [I can leave work early today; do you want me to come pick you up?]
Jian Tang: [No!!! Wife, don’t come!!!]
Jian Tang: [Because, because my time isn’t certain, but it shouldn’t take too long to work overtime; I will be back before dinner! Wife, you can just go home after work! No need to come pick me up!!]
Feng Xun: [What do you want to eat tonight? I’ll go back and make it.]
Jian Tang: [Whatever you make, Wife, I love to eat! ^^ I love the meals you make the most! O(??)O]
Feng Xun: [Mm, got it.]
Jian Tang: [Ah, they’re coming out soon, I have to get back to work QAQ]
Jian Tang: [See you at home tonight! Wife, kiss kiss! Love you?=3=]
No more messages came after that; clearly, he was off to work. Feng Xun stared at the chat box on his phone for a long time without blinking, then pressed the screen off and slowly stowed the phone away.
The rookie walking next to him watched as the senior titan’s expression shifted from cloudy to sunny, finally daring to speak.
“Senior Feng, what did you think of the restaurant’s flavor?” he asked nervously. “Are you not used to it?”
Just now at the table, the gloomy look on Feng Xun’s face had been truly terrifying. As the one who had made the final call to choose that Hunan restaurant, this rookie was really frightened, worried that he had stepped on the titan’s landmine and displeased him.
“Hm?” Feng Xun was startled for a moment, and it took him a second to process what the other person was saying.
“Oh, no,” he said. “The shop is pretty good; it’s quite nice.” He paused slightly, as if savoring something, and a trace of an imperceptible arc rose on his lips. “It felt very good.” “It was truly very good.” “We can come here often.”
—
Afternoon work was easy.
There were no major dissections today. Everyone had basically finished their small miscellaneous tasks in the morning, and with the department head away, the idle group began to slack off blatantly.
Feng Xun opened his phone and browsed messages on the local platform. The “anomaly” at Golden Bay Hospital last night was the focus of most people’s discussions this morning. Some said there had been a medical accident, others said a patient had jumped off the building—various rumors were flying. Feng Xun browsed for a while and then decisively blocked the keywords because he couldn’t filter out any valid information.
The only thing he could be sure of: that nest—suspected to be a gathering point for supernatural creatures—was ruined, and he had to find the next breakthrough.
Besides the discussions about “Golden Bay Hospital,” another hot topic on the platform was a crazy red sports car. The owner seemed to be driving recklessly as if on drugs, which was astonishing enough, but what was even more astonishing was that after the traffic police chased them for over a dozen streets, they actually lost the people. Specifically, the group abandoned the car and fled; by the time the police arrived at the scene, the car was empty.
Of course, based on the vehicle’s license plate information, they would definitely be able to track them down eventually, but that would take time, and this vacant period was the best soil for the public’s imagination. Various rumors and gossip spread on the platform, and Feng Xun blocked them after reading a few.
Worthless garbage information; not worth attention.
He spent the whole afternoon browsing his phone like this and had yet to collect any useful information when it was time to get off work.
Clock out. Off work.
Feng Xun drove home, passed by the vegetable market, and got out to buy some groceries. He had looked up the menu for dinner before leaving work: stir-fried green beans, pan-fried crispy-skin tofu, spicy stir-fried mushrooms, sweet and sour lotus root, and a tomato, seaweed, and egg drop soup. Everything set.
Although he hadn’t cooked these dishes before, looking at the steps, they didn’t seem too difficult. They should… not be a complete disaster like last time.
Feng Xun carried a large bag of groceries into the house, changed into his loungewear, and dove headfirst into the kitchen.
Practical evidence showed that a good assassin isn’t necessarily a good cook; if God opens a door for you, he will inevitably close another window.
After wrestling for more than two hours, looking at the four plates of food he’d served, Feng Xun fell into deep thought.
Although the taste was better than last time and wasn’t so salty it was inedible, the presentation… was truly too abstract. The green beans didn’t look stir-fried; the tofu didn’t look crispy; he couldn’t tell the difference between the mushrooms and the peppers; the lotus root pieces had lost their identity in the thick sweet-and-sour sauce. The only thing he had been most confident about, the tomato, seaweed, and egg drop soup, ended up black and muddy-looking because he’d added too much seaweed, looking at a glance like a basin of dishwater.
“…”
Better call in reinforcements—it should still be in time to order takeout.
Feng Xun pinched his brow and began flipping through the takeout app on his phone.
Just as he opened the icon, he suddenly heard movement at the main entrance—the keypad lock was opened, and someone had entered.
“I, I’m back!”
The youth’s breathless voice came from the doorway, a bit muffled, as if blocked by something. Feng Xun walked out of the kitchen, startled by the scene, and quickly stepped forward to help Jian Tang with his things.
Jian Tang was holding several shoe boxes, at least seven or eight of them, stacked up so high they blocked his face.
Feng Xun took the boxes into the living room and discovered that there was another pile of things outside the door—bags from various brands were piled all over the floor. Looking at the packaging, they were quite exquisite and likely valuable.
“Where did all this come from?” Feng Xun was surprised. After observing for the past few days, he knew Jian Tang was very frugal in his daily life and wasn’t the type to go shopping wildly.
“They were bought by the client,” Jian Tang said, his voice a bit hoarse. He wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, looking like a busy little hamster, bustling in and out as he moved things into his little home. “They didn’t want them after they were bought, and I thought it was a pity to throw them away, so I brought them back.”
Feng Xun helped out, taking a general look while moving them, and found all sorts of things—clothes and shoes, perfume and jewelry, desserts and drinks, dolls and cushions, and even stationery and water cups.
Feng Xun: “?”
With such a variety and so many things, did a tour group come by?
The two moved back and forth for who knew how many trips, and finally cleared the entrance. In its place, the living room was so crowded there was nowhere to step—not just the floor, but the sofa, coffee table, and display cabinet were also piled high with boxes and gift bags of all sizes.
“Let’s clean it up later.” Feng Xun checked the time. “Let’s first…”
The man’s voice cut off abruptly. Because Jian Tang had suddenly opened his arms and hugged him firmly from the front.
“Wife.”
The youth’s voice was hoarse, revealing a deep sense of fatigue, as if he had been trying hard to hold on until now, finally releasing the burden on his shoulders, exposing his weakness in front of the person he trusted most.
“Wife, I’m so tired…”
Taking those three ash-level titans who had been locked up for ten thousand years out for some air—no, sightseeing—was, for Jian Tang, who was always cautious and timid on human turf, an incredibly high-intensity, exhausting experience, both mentally and physically. He couldn’t relax his spirit for a moment.
When they were speeding wildly on the streets playing tag with human police, Jian Tang had truly thought he was a dead man—if they were caught by the police, the three titans who had projected themselves over could just walk away, but he would genuinely be thrown into prison!
Later, when they abandoned the car and fled, Hell’s Eye Agne used his “covering the truth” ability, saying no one would remember their faces, and there would be no evidence left on surveillance footage, so they could continue to party and play openly. Jian Tang was even more terrified after hearing that—You treat the human police like walking dogs, and you call this ‘play’?
He tried his best to talk them into going to a regular, legal recreational place—an amusement park. But they had no interest in regular amusement facilities and only wanted to try the most thrilling rides, and insisted on dragging Jian Tang along to experience them.
After finally finishing the “thrilling journey” at the amusement park, the three shifted like a gust of wind to go on a shopping spree in a crowded mall. Actually, they weren’t very interested in human commodities, but were very interested in the experience of offline shopping—for thousands of years, the three World-Lords had only engaged in online transactions in the System Mall and had never experienced what it felt like to engage in real offline transactions in a bustling mall.
Jian Tang was like a frazzled mother—he had to watch them to make sure they didn’t stir up any trouble, had to serve them by carrying bags and things for them, had to squeeze things that couldn’t be carried into the space card, and had to act as a mediator when the three of them argued endlessly over whether gloves were more tasteful in red or black…
He was as busy as a high-speed spinning top.
“Wuwu, I’m really so tired, so tired, so tired…”
Like a young bird returning to its warm nest, Feng Xun felt the youth completely collapse into his arms, rubbing against him continuously, seemingly trying to draw more warmth and comfort.
The man’s hand, hanging at his side, moved slightly and lifted slowly, landing somewhat stiffly on the youth’s back. “…You’ve worked hard,” he whispered.
Jian Tang felt that the hand landing on his body was light and soft, like stroking a cloud drifting through a light rain—gentle and affectionate. His nose suddenly went sour, seemingly because of the grievance, seemingly because of the relief, and seemingly… because of some indescribable feeling.
In a daze, as if from a very, very long time ago, in a distant past that even his own memories didn’t cover, there seemed to have been someone like this, gently stroking his tender leaves and whispering.
—You’ve worked hard.
—Get well soon.
…Who was it?
…When was that?
He couldn’t recall it at all.
Feng Xun gently patted the youth’s back, feeling the other party gradually calm down, his furrowed brows slowly smoothing out along with it. He wasn’t accustomed to hugging people, and he wasn’t good at comforting people, but fortunately, he had seen how his mother used to appease his father. Although it was a long-distant and fuzzy memory, imitating it actually turned out to have an effect.
But soon, the youth, now relaxed, hugged him tightly again, rubbing his cheeks left and right against his chest like a little animal foraging for food.
Feng Xun felt itchy and quickly clasped the back of the youth’s neck. “Stop it.”
Unable to move his neck, the youth simply buried himself in the man’s muscular and firm chest, taking a deep breath.
Feng Xun stiffened as he heard the other party let out a satisfied sigh.
“Wife, you smell so good—”
Feng Xun: “?”
“Really so good.” Jian Tang sniffed hard again, finally confirming. “Ah, it’s the sweet scent of sweet and sour! Aiya, I’m about to drool, slurp slurp.”
“…”
Remembering the lump of sticky sweet-and-sour lotus root in the kitchen pot, Feng Xun remained expressionless as he grabbed the youth’s collar, wanting to tear him off his body.
“If you’re hungry, go eat.”
Don’t keep slurping away on my pecs here. It felt weird.
“No, no!” Like a mischievous little kitten, Jian Tang dodged left and right, stubbornly refusing to move an inch from his embrace. “Wife is so fragrant! I want to hug fragrant Wife! Wife—Wife—”
As the other party kept sweet and softly calling “Wife, Wife” without stopping, while continuing to drill into his arms, Feng Xun, unable to bear the rubbing, quickly clasped the youth’s waist, forcibly pressing him into his embrace.
“I’m hugging you, I’m hugging you,” he said helplessly, confining the person in his arms even tighter. “Stop moving around.” If he kept moving like this, something would really happen.
Jian Tang knew when to quit and nestled contentedly in his wife’s embrace. The man’s body temperature was higher than his own; sticking close to the other person like this felt warm, comfortable, and had such… a feeling of “home.”
The person in his arms suddenly went quiet, obedient and gentle. Feng Xun looked down, only to see a fuzzy little head. The other party was completely buried in his arms; through a thin layer of clothing, he could feel the youth’s soft cheeks pressed against his chest, spraying out tiny streams of air as he breathed.
To dare to be so brazenly intimate, to dare to act spoiled with him, to dare to open his heart and embrace to him without any defense—in hundreds of years, this was the very first.
He vaguely understood a little: why the System would pair his Safe House with such a cohabitant.
Suddenly, Feng Xun smelled a faint fragrance. It was fresh, serene, like the sweet, crisp scent emitted by tender shoots sprouting after the rain—a faint scent of grass lingering at the tip of his nose. He subconsciously pursued this scent, only to discover in the end: the fragrance seemed to be emanating from the youth in his arms.
In fact, Feng Xun had occasionally smelled this scent over the past few days, but it had been much shallower, much lighter—as if the scent of grass brought in unintentionally by the wind outside the window, so he had never thought much of it. Now that he recalled it, it seemed that every time he smelled this scent, Jian Tang was by his side.
Could it be… the other person’s natural body scent?
Feng Xun couldn’t help but lower his head, wanting to smell it more clearly.
But at that moment, the person in his arms suddenly lifted his head, a radiant smile on his face, his emerald eyes blossoming with energetic vigor once again.
“Charging complete! Haha! I’m back to my best!”
Eyes met.
One looking down, one looking up, the two embracing people—the distance between their cheeks suddenly became so close.
So close that he could feel the other person’s breath spraying onto his face, the airflow from their mouths intersecting and entwining in the air, inseparable.
Precisely because of this, Feng Xun finally confirmed: the pleasant scent of herbs was indeed emanating from the youth—slowly drifting into the air with his breath.
In this instant, for some inexplicable reason, a strange thought suddenly popped into Feng Xun’s mind.
—The other person’s breath is so sweet; is the taste of his lips just as sweet?
![After Waking Up I Inherited the Earth [Interstellar]](https://i1.wp.com/panda-translations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20220822190944_300_420.jpg?resize=151,215 "After Waking Up I Inherited the Earth [Interstellar]")
