Chapter 216
Tang Yu’an met Zhou Qi’s gaze. He stared blankly for three seconds before finally reacting.
“Wow, Brother Qi, you’re awake!”
Zhou Qi slightly opened his mouth but still couldn’t make a sound.
Only then did Tang Yu’an notice that, although the petrification had faded from his face, the rest of his body still seemed to be in a petrified state.
“You’re not completely healed yet?”
He lifted Zhou Qi’s clothes to check.
Zhou Qi watched as the boy directly lifted his hem and even stuck his head inside to examine him. His eyes widened in shock.
Soon, he felt the warm breath of the boy on his chest, tingling and warm, followed by the cool touch of his fingertips. A wave of sensation rippled through his body.
He couldn’t speak, nor could he move due to the partial petrification. He could only let Tang Yu’an do as he pleased.
The blush on his cheeks slowly spread to his neck, and in the end, Zhou Qi could only close his eyes helplessly.
Tang Yu’an focused on checking the area around Zhou Qi’s heart.
It was probably due to the daily Light Healing spells—Zhou Qi’s body had mostly recovered from his collarbone to his abdomen. However, the further the examination extended toward his limbs, the more severe the petrification remained.
“Even though you’re not completely healed, at least you’ve regained consciousness!”
Tang Yu’an smiled. “That’s amazing!”
He hugged Zhou Qi again, nestling tightly against his chest as if he were holding onto a lost treasure finally found.
Zhou Qi lowered his gaze to look at him. His expression was a mix of helplessness and deep affection.
For more than a month, his consciousness had remained awake.
So he knew exactly how much Tang Yu’an had done to save him.
The Light-based skill he had struggled to comprehend for so long—he had completely mastered it in just over a month, all for Zhou Qi’s sake…
Zhou Qi’s gaze softened.
Unfortunately, he still couldn’t move. He couldn’t hug Tang Yu’an back, nor could he pat his head and tell him, I’m here.
Tang Yu’an looked up and met Zhou Qi’s deep, gentle eyes.
Under the moonlight, they shimmered with life. For some reason, Tang Yu’an felt his heartbeat quicken.
Was it because he was too happy?
He tightened his arms again, holding Zhou Qi even closer.
The heart that had been hanging in suspense for over a month finally felt a little more at ease.
Looking up at Zhou Qi, his clear, beautiful eyes carried hope and longing.
“You have to get better soon.”
Zhou Qi blinked firmly.
I will.
Understanding the message in his eyes, Tang Yu’an smiled.
Just then, a new message popped up on the message board.
[Message Board (Admin Channel)]
[Handsome Zhou]: Go to sleep now.
0.0
Oh right! Now that Brother Qi had regained consciousness, they could communicate through the message board!
“I don’t want to. I want to stay a little longer.”
Tang Yu’an yawned and snuggled into him again. “I haven’t rested enough yet…”
After using Light Healing for the seventh time today, his energy and stamina were completely drained. He felt exhausted and sluggish, unwilling to move.
Zhou Qi didn’t say anything else. He closed his eyes, continuing to resist the lingering effects of the spirit parasite.
However…
After a while, he opened his eyes again, looking down at the boy in mild frustration.
Fine, you can rest, but can you at least move your hand away?
Now that he was recovering from petrification, his senses had become even sharper than before. Tang Yu’an’s unconscious movements were nothing short of torture for him.
But as he looked at the boy’s soft hair, Zhou Qi could only sigh and close his eyes again.
Thus, in this bittersweet dilemma, Zhou Qi spent another half a month before finally regaining his ability to speak.
“An’an…”
After nearly two months of silence, Zhou Qi’s voice was still hoarse and raspy.
Tang Yu’an had just finished his last Light Healing spell for the day when he suddenly heard the voice. He froze.
Then, the tears he had been holding back for two months finally spilled from his eyes.
“You can talk now?” he choked.
Zhou Qi nodded gently.
He raised his arm, wanting to ruffle Tang Yu’an’s hair—only to realize that he couldn’t.
His fingers were still petrified.
Tang Yu’an quickly noticed. He rolled up Zhou Qi’s sleeve and saw that his arm had regained normal flesh and blood, but his forearm and fingers were still hard as stone.
“You’re not completely healed yet?”
Tang Yu’an lifted Zhou Qi’s clothes again, his fingers pressing and stroking to check which parts were still not back to normal.
Zhou Qi clenched his eyes shut, enduring.
He thought that after two months, he would have grown used to Tang Yu’an’s touch. He wouldn’t blush or get flustered as easily as before.
Until…
Tang Yu’an started tugging at his pants.
Zhou Qi jolted in shock. Instinctively, he tried to retreat, but his legs felt as heavy as lead—completely beyond his control.
And just like that, Tang Yu’an got his way.
*
Tang Yu’an’s hands pressed and patted Zhou Qi’s legs.
Finally, he heard the boy’s voice: “Brother Qi, your thighs haven’t recovered below the midsection yet. Can you walk?”
When the boy looked up at him, Zhou Qi mechanically shook his head.
The boy patted his butt again and said, “Your hips and glutes seem to have recovered. I wonder if you can sit down… Eh? Brother Qi, why is your face so red?”
Zhou Qi turned his head away. “N-Nothing…”
Tang Yu’an examined him. At first, he thought Zhou Qi might be feeling unwell, but then he realized something and blinked. “Brother Qi, are you embarrassed?”
Zhou Qi: “…”
He finally couldn’t hold back and glared at Tang Yu’an in shame and frustration.
However, the boy wasn’t intimidated at all. Instead, he chuckled, “We’re both guys, what’s the big deal? Worst case, I’ll let you touch me back next time.”
Zhou Qi: “…”
His heart skipped a beat before he slowly processed the meaning.
An’an had absolutely no unusual thoughts about him—otherwise, he wouldn’t have said something like that so casually.
In fact, in An’an’s mind, the idea of anything beyond friendship between two males was probably inconceivable…
The redness on Zhou Qi’s face gradually faded.
He calmed down, took a deep look at Tang Yu’an, then hummed in response and turned his head away again.
Sensing the shift in his expression, Tang Yu’an was a little confused, but hearing Zhou Qi respond, he felt an inexplicable emotion rising in his heart.
He imagined for a moment—what if Brother Qi really took him up on the offer and touched him back…?
Tang Yu’an swallowed hard and quickly shook off the thought. No way! Brother Qi would never do that! I was just joking!
Then, he leaned closer to Zhou Qi, assuming he was feeling down because his body hadn’t fully recovered, and comforted him, “This is already a huge improvement! Tonight, you can finally sleep lying down.”
Zhou Qi nodded absentmindedly.
Tang Yu’an bought a wheelchair from the dimensional store, then carefully adjusted Zhou Qi’s body to help him sit in it.
His legs still couldn’t bend, but at least he could sit now.
Zhou Qi closed his eyes and continued to circulate his energy, using Wood Spirit energy to counter the Earth Spirit Worm’s invasion and gradually breaking it down into his own strength.
By the next day, he had finally pushed the petrification back to his calves, allowing his knees to bend properly again.
*
Desolate City Haven
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi had spent two months in the alternate dimension, but in this world, it was only the third morning.
Xie Chaori woke from his sleep and looked at the unfamiliar room around him. He glanced at his hands and touched his own warm human body.
Only after confirming that he had really turned back into a human did he finally breathe a sigh of relief, breaking free from his suffocating nightmare.
During this time after waking up, Xie Chaori had finally come to understand the astonishing transformation he had undergone.
Because of his background, he had access to more knowledge than Hong Li and Chi Hao.
He knew that ability users who suffered backlash almost never returned to normal.
Once backlash set in, it was nearly irreversible.
At least, Xie Chaori had never seen a case where backlash was successfully reversed. And yet… after suffering a severe backlash that nearly killed him, he had regained his human form.
It was unbelievable!
Could this also be the power of the Merchant God Sect?
If so, the Merchant God Sect could likely attract a large number of high-level ability users.
After all, from mid-Tier 6 onward, backlash became a constant shadow. Xie Chaori had been lucky to reach late Tier 6 smoothly, but he still ended up suffering backlash after sustaining serious injuries.
Still, even knowing the risks, most people would continue to pursue power—just as Hong Li had ignored his warnings before.
Xie Chaori examined his hands.
He could feel that something had disappeared from his body, but… when he gathered a handful of sand in his palm, it quickly crumbled apart again.
He hadn’t lost his ability, but his rank had fallen.
From late Tier 6, he had dropped all the way to late Tier 4—a full two tiers down.
But… that was still better than dying or being stuck as a rock forever.
While Xie Chaori was sensing the changes in his body, Old Li emerged from his bedroom. He looked energetic—nothing like an elderly man in his eighties.
“Morning.”
“Good morning,” Xie Chaori responded before getting up from his makeshift bed and tidying up his bedding.
“Looks like you’ve mostly recovered?” Old Li asked.
“About 60-70%,” Xie Chaori replied. “Boss An’s medicine was very effective.”
Old Li nodded and went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Xie Chaori followed him, watching in amazement as the old man skillfully used the gas stove.
“These things were all exchanged from the store?” he finally couldn’t resist asking.
“What else?”
“Does the Merchant God really exist?”
Old Li glanced at him and said, “You ask too many questions. If you’re recovered, hurry up and figure out how to pay off your debt.”
Xie Chaori sighed.
Although he was still a bit weak, the thought of that 1 million credit debt made him feel immense pressure.
How long would it take to pay it all off?
But first, he decided to level up to Lv5. That way, he could post on the forums and access the trading area.
More importantly, he needed to confirm whether “Greenish Blue” was really Chi Hao…
Yesterday, the outermost wall of Desolate City Haven was finally completed, but the residents and construction robots did not stop working.
Following Old Li’s orders, they began constructing a small shop at the entrance of the wall for external trade—this would be known as the “Desolate City Grocery Store.”
However, Desolate City Haven itself would remain closed to outsiders. Room 501 would still be kept as a designated area for transactions with residents.
*
After the great flood receded, the residents of Desolate City Haven started feeling restless—not because they wanted to leave, but because they wanted to bring their families and friends to move in, just like Ba Shi.
Before the flood hit, his younger brother, Ba Tu, had gone to Jufeng Town. Now, he had no idea what had happened to him. So, Ba Shi planned to search for him once the major construction projects were complete.
However, before he could even set out, Ba Tu became one of the first returning residents to discover the existence of Desolate City Haven—
Mainly because the haven had expanded so much.
The areas where Old Li, Granny Guo, and Lin Zhen originally lived were now within the haven’s boundaries. Even Tie Jin’s house was on the outer edge.
That said, Tie Jin’s family had already grown accustomed to living in Building No. 1, so they had no intention of moving back.
Meanwhile, Ba Tu and Ba Shi had always been active in this very area.
So, after returning home and realizing that his brother and their big black dog were nowhere to be found, Ba Tu hurried out to search—only to quickly spot a brand-new three-meter-high wall.
He could tell at a glance that it was newly built.
Curious, he climbed up the wall, but just as he reached the top, the haven’s patrol squad spotted him.
The squad was made up of awakened ability users and was personally organized by their strongest member, Lan Lin.
They enjoyed the best treatment, wielded weapons and armor made of mutated metals, and underwent daily training and discussions in the common room. Compared to before, their strength had drastically improved.
At the very least, they were far beyond the level of Ba Tu, who had spent nearly two months starving and struggling in the mountains of Jufeng.
He stood no chance and was immediately captured and brought before Old Li.
Seeing the old man—whom he never got along with—standing there surrounded by others, smirking like an old fox, Ba Tu was scared stiff.
Old Li wasn’t smiling because they had captured Ba Tu—he was simply pleased that his surveillance system was working.
Before leaving, Tang Yu’an had given him ten optical computers all at once.
Old Li had set them up around the haven’s perimeter so that whenever an outsider appeared, he and the patrol squad would be immediately alerted.
There was no internet inside the haven, but the optical computers could transmit signals independently, allowing free communication within the area.
Now that real-time surveillance was in place, the haven’s security had reached a whole new level—how could Old Li not be pleased?
As for Ba Tu…
Old Li simply cast him a cold glance before ordering someone to fetch Ba Shi.
Of course, thanks to the optical computers, finding people was now much easier.
The squad captain issued a simple command into his device.
Meanwhile, a few hundred meters away, a small floating optical computer stationed at a communication post suddenly sprang to life.
It flew straight to a nearby construction site, located Ba Shi, and initiated a video call with the squad captain.
Ba Shi was momentarily stunned.
Then, his expression lit up with joy.
Without hesitation, he dropped what he was doing and sprinted to retrieve his brother.
By the time he arrived, Old Li had already left.
Ba Tu, still shaken, was relieved to see his brother.
But after a brief moment of comfort, Ba Shi started telling him about Old Li and the haven’s leader—how they had saved him during the flood and taken him in.
That was fine and all…
But why did he keep talking about how the haven’s leader had saved Old Li?
And why was that story even more detailed than his own rescue?!
Even more bizarrely, the more he listened, the more he felt like this “Boss An” was truly an incredible person.
A deep sense of respect and gratitude began to well up inside him.
While Ba Shi continued his “love the haven” education for his brother, the patrol squad quickly captured a few more intruders.
But since they were returning Desolate City residents who had fled during the disaster, they were all old acquaintances.
Lin Zhen wasted no time in smoothly persuading them to register and move in.
Since the haven’s mysterious rules restricted all new residents, they couldn’t cause trouble anyway.
With that in mind, it was better to keep them all under supervision.
Not that they were eager to leave in the first place.
*
In just two months, the transformation of Desolate City Haven’s residents had been astonishing.
Even when Ba Shi and Ba Tu stood side by side, people mistook Ba Shi for the younger brother and Ba Tu for the older one.
Because in just two months…
Ba Shi had been well-fed and taken care of. He had gained some weight, and his face had even rounded out.
Thanks to the haven’s emphasis on hygiene, he shaved daily, clipped his nails, and changed into clean clothes after work.
On top of that, his entire demeanor had changed— He had become calmer, more positive, and more optimistic. The dark and scheming aura he once had was now nearly gone.
Ba Tu found this incredibly strange.
Ba Shi thought for a moment, then patted his shoulder and said:
“When you live in a peaceful and secure environment, in a community where you don’t have to fear getting robbed or hurt, you’ll probably become like me too.”
Of course, there was more to it than that.
The residents gathered every night in the chatroom to talk and laugh.
They even regularly watched pre-catastrophe movies and shows, which significantly broadened their perspectives.
With an expanded worldview, their mental state had transformed dramatically.
Ba Tu was skeptical at first…
But looking at his brother and the other familiar residents, and seeing how they had changed, he couldn’t help but believe it.
“Can I Live Here Too?”
“So… can I live here too, just like you?”
“Of course! But first…”
Ba Shi wrinkled his nose in disgust at his filthy, wild-looking brother and said:
“You need to cut your hair, shave, trim your nails— —and take a bath. Seriously, when was the last time you even washed?”
Ba Tu wanted to argue that Ba Shi had been just like him before.
But looking at his well-groomed, well-fed brother now…
He couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of envy.
As Ba Shi continued telling him about his new life in Desolate City Haven, Ba Tu was left utterly shocked.
In the end, he had only one thought: “I want this too! This… this is what it means to actually live!”
*
Interdimensional Cabin.
Tang Yu’an pushed the wheelchair, guiding Zhou Qi back into their original courtyard.
Autumn had arrived in the interdimensional space. The trees had begun to wither, and the wood-element energy in the giant forest was no longer as dense, making it unnecessary to stay there any longer.
Besides, Zhou Qi had already recovered everywhere except his limbs. Staying in the forest any longer would only make him uncomfortable.
Tang Yu’an pushed him into the small cabin. A new bed had been added, and the housekeeping robot had already made it up.
“Brother Qi, do you want to lie down on the bed for a bit?” he asked.
Zhou Qi nodded. With Tang Yu’an’s help, he sat on the bed and slowly moved to lie down.
He let out a comfortable sigh, feeling the tension and soreness in his body ease.
Tang Yu’an adjusted his position, tucked him in with a blanket, and then went to cook a meal and make porridge. Afterward, he helped Zhou Qi sit up and spoon-fed him.
Zhou Qi felt a little awkward. “I can do it myself.”
Tang Yu’an shook his head and said, “When I was sick before, you took care of me like this. Let me take care of you this time.”
Seeing the bright, smiling eyes of the young man, Zhou Qi didn’t refuse in the end.
He glanced at Tang Yu’an and then took another bite of porridge. Though there was no sugar in it, he felt a lingering sweetness seep into his heart.
“These past two months… you’ve worked hard,” Zhou Qi murmured.
Tang Yu’an put down the empty bowl, then squeezed onto the bed, sitting close beside him. Before long, he lazily lay down as well.
“You scared me,” he suddenly said. “It wasn’t as terrifying as last time, but it still frightened me.”
“I’m sorry…” Zhou Qi’s voice carried guilt.
“If you get better soon, I’ll forgive you!”
Tang Yu’an rolled over, resting his head on Zhou Qi’s chest, looking at him with a pitiful expression. “Do you even know what I went through these past two months?”
“Look, I’ve lost weight.” He touched his still chubby cheeks, realizing it wasn’t very convincing, and let his hand drop.
He continued grumbling, “Two whole months without eating your cooking—life felt meaningless!”
Just as Zhou Qi was about to scold him for saying such nonsense, the little housekeeping robot, Xiao Jin, rolled over with a pitiful look.
“Master, is my cooking not good?”
Its electronic eyes on the display screen turned into a “QAQ” expression.
Tang Yu’an: “…”
He coughed awkwardly and sighed, “It’s good, really. Now go outside. I’ll call you when I need you.”
“Okay, Master,” Little Gold obediently rolled out of the cabin.
As Tang Yu’an withdrew his gaze, he met Zhou Qi’s amused eyes.
The seventeen-year-old had shed his childishness, though he wasn’t quite a full-grown adult yet. He had a unique charm, caught somewhere between youthful innocence and quiet maturity.
For the first time, Tang Yu’an realized Zhou Qi was… strikingly handsome.
He froze for a moment before quickly looking away, pushing that strange and untimely thought to the back of his mind.
Seeing Zhou Qi dare to tease him, Tang Yu’an’s eyes flickered mischievously. He suddenly grinned and said, “Brother Qi, let me give you a massage!”
Sure enough, Zhou Qi’s amusement vanished, and a brief panic flashed through his eyes.
“No need…”
In his current condition, that was absolutely not a good idea…
He put on a serious face. “My body hasn’t fully recovered yet. Massage isn’t suitable.”
Tang Yu’an thought about it and realized that made sense.
If some internal part of his body was still petrified and he accidentally cracked it while massaging, that would be bad.
So he had to give up on the idea.
That night, after using a purification spell to clean them both, Tang Yu’an changed into his sleepwear and lay down beside Zhou Qi.
“Brother Qi, good night~”
“Good night.”
That night, with Zhou Qi finally back at his side, Tang Yu’an slept more soundly than he had in a long time.
When he woke up the next morning, he saw Zhou Qi carefully moving his left hand, trying to remove Tang Yu’an’s hand from his abdomen.
Huh? Brother Qi’s hand has recovered?
Tang Yu’an was first overjoyed but was quickly distracted by something else. He curiously asked, “Brother Qi, why is this part puffed up?”
Saying that, he reached out and poked it.
