Chapter 56: I Like You
A week passed by quickly.
Then two weeks passed by just as fast.
Jian Tang clocked into work on time and clocked out on time every single day. With no performance pressure and no overtime requirements, his life was incredibly blissful.
He quickly became well-acquainted with his colleagues, and everyone got along wonderfully. Day after day, they did nothing but eat and drink. Aside from the luxurious feasts at noon, various delicious desserts and milk teas would drop from the sky from time to time in the afternoons. After half a month, every single colleague had put on a visible layer of weight—except for Jian Tang, whose unique constitution kept him from gaining size.
Jian Tang had never imagined that a working life could be this joyful. However, amidst his happiness, he did have one minor grievance.
—He was simply too idle, so idle that it was making his heart feel a little restless.
In fact, during the second week, he had actually received a work task once. It was on a Tuesday morning when his OA system interface suddenly lit up with a message from CEO Feng.
CEO Feng: [(Personal Email Address)]
CEO Feng: [Coordinate with this person.]
Jian Tang: [Understood, Crazy Feng.]
He immediately deleted it at lightning speed and resent a new one.
Jian Tang: [Understood, CEO Feng.]
Ahhh, how could I make a blunder like that?!
CEO Feng didn’t say anything else. There was no telling if the man had seen it, or if he had seen it but simply pretended not to, silently nursing a grudge in his heart.
Shouldering the heavy responsibility of a “secret undercover agent,” Jian Tang had been constantly looking for an opportunity to make contact with this task taker named “CEO Feng.” Yet the man never showed up at the company at all. Jian Tang didn’t even know what he looked like, let alone gathering any useful information.
Today, after finally getting a chance to interact, he had completely ruined it with a single “Crazy Feng.” Wuhu, he was such a dummy.
Whining to himself, Jian Tang added the email link. He actually already knew the identity of the email’s owner; it was a “worker monster” dispatched by the Realm Lords to coordinate with him. All procurement-related requests were to be submitted by that person, since there was no way the Realm Lords would handle such minor chores themselves.
Jian Tang’s introductory email received a prompt reply, and the other party sent over a procurement list, requesting delivery before the end of the current month.
Jian Tang forwarded the client’s requirements to the purchasing department. Having been idle for over a week, his colleagues instantly rallied their spirits: Work has finally arrived!
Everyone rolled up their sleeves, bursting with motivation, and threw themselves into their tasks with a whirlwind of energy. Meanwhile, Jian Tang continued to sit in his office, bored out of his mind.
Not only was Jian Tang worrying, but the three Realm Lords were worrying as well.
To this day, they still hadn’t figured out the Bloody Butcher’s intention behind opening this company. If it was merely to blindside them, that would be one thing. But the man rewarded his employees from time to time and tossed out bonuses and perks at the drop of a hat, doing things that seemed entirely unnecessary. This series of abnormal behaviors truly prevented them from setting their minds at ease.
On Monday of the third week, seeing that the Bloody Butcher still had no intention of visiting the company, Fila finally couldn’t hold back anymore.
Fila: [Are you running a company or playing house?]
An hour later, the Bloody Butcher surfaced.
Killer 444: [What’s the matter? Did the spies you planted grow anxious?]
Hiramis: [Bullshit! We checked the surveillance at the company’s front gate. You haven’t gone to the company at all!]
Agne: [You have been absent from work for two whole weeks.]
Fila: [Are you taking a seventy-percent cut of the profits for nothing? Are you doing your job seriously?]
Killer 444: [Are you teaching me how to do my job?]
Nobody muttered another word.
Once again, they fell as silent as cicadas in winter.
With a cold snort, Feng Xun closed the group chat, pulled up the OA interface, and looked through the employee list from top to bottom.
He knew the three Realm Lords would definitely plant spies within the company, but he hadn’t expected them to be so incredibly discreet this time. For two whole weeks, he hadn’t found a single trace or clue of the undercover agent.
But it didn’t matter.
Remote control was highly convenient. The company was currently operating perfectly well, so it was all the same whether he went or not. A lurking undercover agent couldn’t stir up any major waves anyway. Besides, Little Tang talked to him about the company’s happenings every single day, so his understanding of the company’s situation was being updated in real time.
In any case, he wouldn’t easily show his face. He would just let those bosses stew in their own anxiety.
A leisurely Monday passed by in the blink of an eye.
The end-of-day bell rang, and everyone stood up one after another, happily leaving for the day.
Jian Tang slung his canvas backpack over his shoulders and blended into the departing crowd. He rode the elevator down to the first floor, bid his friendly colleagues a cheerful goodbye, and crossed the street in front of the office building to arrive at the entrance of A University.
After waiting for less than ten minutes, the familiar silver SUV drove out of the campus gates and pulled up right in front of him.
Jian Tang opened the door and smoothly slid into the passenger seat. “Let’s eat out tonight, okay? I booked a room in advance.”
Feng Xun’s heart stirred, though his face remained neutral. “Sure. Where are we going?”
“No. 117 Ganlin Road.”
Feng Xun turned on the navigation and discovered that Ganlin Road was close to City A’s Riverside Park. That area hosted several famous viral spots, and quite a few young couples liked to go there for dates.
The car cruised smoothly along the street. Jian Tang stole a glance at the man’s profile, but the other party kept his eyes fixed ahead, focusing entirely on driving.
Aren’t you even going to ask why we’re going to Ganlin Road tonight?
Jian Tang puffed out his cheeks, his gaze landing on the left side of the driver’s seat. A beautiful rose was tucked right there.
It was today’s “pursuit package.”
Ever since Feng Xun mentioned that he wanted to receive fruit tea and roses every day, Jian Tang had single-mindedly sent them daily, demonstrating a persistence akin to a devout admirer.
The other party would usually finish the fruit tea at school, then bring the rose back home. After giving it a neat trim, he would arrange it into the glass vase in the living room.
The fiery, passionate blossoms snugly occupied a corner of the living room like a quiet manifestation of affection, silently brewing and growing.
Including the one from today, Jian Tang had already gifted Feng Xun exactly fifteen roses.
Fifteen roses, fifteen days. It was long enough for a tiny sliver of a crescent moon to step-by-step transform into a full, radiant moon, and it was also long enough for their relationship to advance to a brand-new stage.
The restaurant Jian Tang booked was situated right along the banks of the Riverside Park.
As the twilight deepened, the decorative lights adorning the riverbank lit up one by one. The two sat in a private room adjacent to the river. Outside the window, the water’s surface shimmered with rippling waves, looking as though shattered starlight was dancing in the river. Inside, candles had been lit, their warm glow flickering gently and painting the entire private room with a hazy, cozy ambiance.
Feng Xun truly hadn’t expected that the candlelight dinner he had wanted to have but failed to arrange would be set up by Jian Tang today.
Though he had never been in a relationship, Feng Xun understood basic dating tropes. He guessed there would definitely be some special segment in the middle of this meal, but even as their plates emptied and the dinner concluded, the person sitting across from him didn’t make any special moves.
? Did I get it wrong again?
Jian Tang set down his utensils and offered Feng Xun a small smile. “Did you enjoy your food? Do you want to add anything else?”
“No need, I’m already full.”
“Then let’s go for a walk along the river.”
Feng Xun raised no objections. The two left the restaurant and walked forward along the wooden boardwalk by the riverbank.
Compared to the scorching heat of the sun during the day, the riverbank blanketed by night was damp and refreshing. Across the river lay the neon lights of the bustling city. The two stepped through the warm glow cast by the streetlamps, their shadows stretching out long behind them.
Feng Xun turned his head to glance at Jian Tang. The youth claimed they were out for a stroll, but he clearly lacked the idle mind for a walk; his eyes kept darting left and right, as if he were searching for something.
There were quite a few citizens strolling by the river, along with a number of street vendors setting up stalls on the spot to hawk small items.
Suddenly, Jian Tang’s eyes lit up. He turned his head and told Feng Xun, “Wait for me a moment,” before swiftly dashing toward a middle-aged man selling balloons on the bank.
“Uncle, Uncle, I’m here to pick up my order.”
Showing the man a screenshot of his order, Jian Tang asked, “Which one is the balloon I ordered?”
“This one.” The uncle untied a string from the trailer behind him and handed a pink rabbit-head balloon to Jian Tang. “Here, it’s yours.”
Jian Tang’s mouth opened slightly: I-it’s so huge!
The balloon measured a full 1.5 meters in diameter. Because it was filled with helium, the massive balloon floated in mid-air. Its round, plump rabbit cheeks were painted with an incredibly cute smiling face, and the two long rabbit ears on its head swayed gently with the wind. Passersby along the path couldn’t help but turn their eyes toward it—what a massive, adorable pink bunny balloon!
Feng Xun watched as Jian Tang held the large balloon, looking like a happy puppy as he joyfully bounded back toward him.
The youth’s clothes billowed gently in the night breeze, and that pink bunny balloon drifted high behind him like a clump of pink flame burning in the night, becoming a striking piece of scenery on this summer night.
It was also, at this very moment, the only vivid and animated sight capable of catching a certain someone’s eye.
The evening breeze blowing past his ears suddenly carried a hint of sweetness. Feng Xun gazed at the youth who had run up to stand before him. The boy was panting slightly from the swift run, yet his smile was exceptionally brilliant and his eyes were sparkling. Feng Xun felt his own heartbeat behaving exactly like the large balloon held in the youth’s hand, bumping against the tender night air beat by beat—rapidly, yet softly.
Jian Tang caught his breath. Just as he was about to speak, the person in front of him suddenly spoke first.
“I do.”
Jian Tang blinked in a daze. “Ah? I-I haven’t said anything yet…”
“No matter what you say, my answer is—I do.”
Feng Xun grasped the hand Jian Tang was using to hold the balloon. It was clearly just a very thin, soft silk thread, yet it was capable of anchoring such a massive balloon.
And along with it, it securely anchored his heart.
“Y-you’re cheating,” Jian Tang mumbled, but he didn’t fling the man’s hand away, letting his own hand be firmly enveloped by the man’s broad palm. “That’s not how the standard process goes.”
“All right, let’s follow the process then.” Feng Xun smiled. “What do you plan to say?”
“Extend your hand first.”
Feng Xun held out his hand. Jian Tang tied the balloon’s string around the man’s wrist, then pried open his palm. Three red paper stars tumbled into the man’s hand.
Feng Xun looked down. Written across the plump paper stars were words—
[Look at me]
[It’s a love letter]
[For you]
Jian Tang pursed his lips and smiled, turning his face away with a hint of bashfulness. “Why are you just looking at me? Hurry up and unfold them to take a look.”
Feng Xun unfolded the three paper stars. A sentence was written on each strip of star paper, and when connected together, they read—
[Feng Xun, you are a very, very good person, and I like you.]
[I want to get to know you and walk closer to you. While you aren’t paying attention, I want to quietly take root in your heart, quietly sprout, quietly grow up, and quietly bloom.]
[Feng Xun, are you willing to give me this chance?]
This was a love letter written to him by Little Tang.
This was—a love letter written to him by the person he liked.
Feng Xun stared down at them for a very, very long time. He slowly rolled the three strips of star paper back up and placed them into his breast pocket.
“I am willing,” he said solemnly.
Even though he had long known the other party’s answer, hearing such a reply still caused Jian Tang to instantly leap for joy. It felt as if a brilliant firework had erupted inside his heart, making him so happy he wanted to skip around.
Jian Tang happily took hold of the man’s hand, and the other party clasped it back in turn. The two continued to walk forward along the wooden boardwalk, only this time, a massive pink bunny balloon trailed behind them.
“Feng Xun, can you feel my affection now?”
“Yes, I can feel it.”
“Do you like me, too?”
“Very much.”
“Now you can’t say anymore that my liking and your liking are different, right?”
Was the boy still brooding over what happened before?
Feng Xun tightened his grip on the youth’s hand and let out a soft laugh.
“Yes, they’re the same.”
But in reality, there was still a slight difference.
His own affection was somewhat laced with the selfishness of possession and the desire of passion. Little Tang’s affection, however, was incredibly pure and completely spotless. When he cast his gaze upon you, he would be entirely devoted, with only you in his eyes.
Affection in this world had never been bound to a single definition. It was hard to dictate which form was more noble or which was more mundane.
Yet Feng Xun knew: not everyone could be fortunate enough to receive an affection so genuine and pure.
How incredibly blessed he was to cross countless dimensions and countless eras, only to truly encounter such a pure and wonderful person.
The night breeze pushed aside the thin clouds in the sky. Today’s moon happened to be a full moon, its bright and clean moonlight spilling down and draping a layer of gentle silver radiance over all creation.
“The moon is beautiful tonight,” Jian Tang couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.
Feng Xun glanced at him, the corners of his mouth arching up. “Yes, and the breeze is gentle.”
“Feng Xun, do you still remember your past?” Jian Tang asked.
The man had never spoken of his past experiences, and Jian Tang wasn’t sure if they had been wiped away during the brainwashing or if there simply hadn’t been an occasion to talk about it.
The concept of the “past” was far too broad for Feng Xun. After all, he had drifted through the Anomalous World for over nine hundred years. If he adopted the perspective of an ordinary human—
“Are you talking about things from my childhood?”
“Mm-hmm!”
“I’ve forgotten most of it.” Feng Xun tried hard to recall. “I only remember a little bit about my parents.”
Jian Tang was highly intrigued. “What kind of people were they?”
“They were two very good people,” Feng Xun said.
“My mother was the gentlest and most wonderful woman I have ever met. When I was young, she ran a flower shop. It wasn’t large, but it had an excellent reputation. An endless stream of people patronized it every day, and every single person who met her liked her immensely.”
“Wow—” Jian Tang listened with a deep sense of yearning. He remembered that in the Book of Destiny, that adorable wife had also run a flower shop.
Could it be that every human woman who ran a flower shop came with a natural buff that made everyone love them?
Jian Tang: “If I could meet her, I would definitely like her a lot too.”
Feng Xun: “If she could see you, she would certainly like you a lot as well.”
Jian Tang felt as though he had just been praised, his eyes curving happily. “What about your father? What kind of person was he?”
“He was a writer who published many mystery, thriller, and horror novels. He even won quite a few awards. Everyone called him a ‘prodigy,’ saying he was someone with highly unconventional and peculiar ideas.”
“Wow.” Jian Tang listened very intently. “It sounds like your father was a very cool person. Did a lot of people like him too?”
“It was alright.” Feng Xun smiled. “He often said that his fans only liked his books and wouldn’t actually like him as a person. Perhaps the childhoods of talented writers are never too wonderful? He mentioned that when he was young, people always called him a monster and a freak. No one could understand him, and everyone stayed away from him.”
“Ah…” Jian Tang opened his mouth. “Fortunately… he met your mother.”
“Yes, my father said so too.” Feng Xun nodded. “He always said that the luckiest thing in his life was meeting my mother.”
Jian Tang resonated deeply with that: Yes, the Book of Destiny said the exact same thing—an adorable human wife is a treasure of the world; owning one brings a lifetime of happiness.
“That’s so nice,” Jian Tang sighed from the bottom of his heart. “It feels like your parents were so loving and very happy.”
“They were.”
“Where do they live now?”
The smile on Feng Xun’s lips faded. He slightly lowered his eyes and didn’t speak.
Jian Tang instantly realized he had said the wrong thing. “I’m sorry, I won’t ask anymore.”
Feng Xun shook his head. “It’s alright. There’s actually nothing that can’t be said. Birth, age, sickness, and death are simply the normal course of life.”
Even though he said that, Jian Tang could detect a hint of regret and desolation within the man’s voice. Clearly, the scars left by the passing of his parents were not so easily healed.
He thought for a moment, then said, “Feng Xun, have you ever heard of the theory of ‘the immortality of the soul’? Although your parents are no longer here, only their physical bodies perished, not their souls. A free soul can drift freely between cosmic dimensions. Perhaps they have already been reborn in a new dimension, or have even met each other anew, living a happy life.”
Many ordinary humans treated this theory as a self-deceiving placebo, but all inhabitants of the Anomalous World knew: this was real.
An immortal soul, reincarnation, and rebirth—these were not legends, but a cosmic law. From humans at the top down to mosquitoes at the bottom, all conformed to such laws, which were regulated and protected by the system.
—Except for those world-ending dimensions that had succumbed to an invasion of the Sinister Seed and plunged toward destruction.
Jian Tang had heard a rumor that all destroyed dimensions would be dragged into the “Abyssal Prison” by the Sinister Seed, becoming a part of its nest. The souls that managed to escape by a stroke of luck became remnants, while the souls unable to escape were trapped within the “Abyss,” stripped of their freedom forever.
Of course, this was merely a circulating rumor. When it came to the “Abyssal Prison,” neither task takers nor anomalous monsters knew very much. What the situation inside was truly like and what the nest of the Sinister Seed’s headquarters actually looked like remained unsolved mysteries at present.
“Yeah.” Feng Xun offered a soft response, raising his head to look at the full moon in the night sky as he let out a quiet sigh.
“Let’s hope so.”
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