Chapter 98.2: End
Gu Ming hadn’t responded yet when Meng Yu interjected, “Wait, who exactly is hunting whom?”
Xie Zijing and Meng Yu exchanged a glance and burst into wild laughter.
A swath of water-like light suddenly swept overhead.
Gu Ming instinctively looked up and immediately shouted, “Whoa!”
A gigantic swordfish was cruising through the night sky. The neon lights of the bar street illuminated its aquatic protective shield, reflecting increasingly complex colors.
“Brother-in-law said your little fish has now become a spectacle in the Wangdu district,” Tang Cuo said.
He and Gao Shu were standing on the rooftop, leaning against the railing, watching the excited crowd on the bar street below and the swordfish swimming slowly in the night sky.
The aftermath of the Warehouse No. 0 incident was complex, and one of its consequences was that the release of sentinel and guide spirit animals was subjected to stricter control. Gao Shu’s swordfish used to be let out for a stroll during late nights or rainy days, but now it was becoming increasingly difficult. Tang Cuo’s panda could still make people happy, but whenever his swordfish was released, it always caused a commotion among the sentinel and guide crowd.
No matter how much he explained, “It’s very timid and gentle,” it was still useless.
Gao Shu was despondent for a long time.
Last month, Meng Yu, Gao Shu, and Tang Cuo secretly arranged a banquet on the rooftop of Gao Shu’s gym, where Gao Shu proposed to Tang Xing. After Tang Xing tearfully accepted, the swordfish soared from Gao Shu’s body, happily flipping and circling in the air above the rooftop.
The wonderful engagement banquet ended on a less than perfect note: Gao Shu was reported and taken to the police station for a lengthy reprimand.
By the time he left the police station, it was almost morning. Meng Yu, Tang Xing, and Tang Cuo were all waiting for him. Meng Yu patted his shoulder, “Although I can’t see your fish and don’t know what it looks like, I suggest you take it to the Wangdu district for a stroll in the future.”
No one in the Wangdu district would be surprised by his swordfish. People here could always accept things that were different; a giant fish swimming through the air would even evoke waves of delighted exclamations.
“I like it here,” Gao Shu said, “and so does my little fish.”
Patrolling black soldiers ran past on a nearby rooftop, and two guides dressed in black put their hands to their mouths and shouted at Gao Shu and Tang Cuo, “What a cool fish!”
Gao Shu raised his beer bottle in salute, and the two waved and turned to leap into the dark streets.
“Very cool,” Tang Cuo clinked his bottle against Gao Shu’s, “I mean you.”
The panda was hugging Gao Shu’s leg, making it difficult for him to move. Gao Shu simply reached out and pulled Tang Cuo closer, exchanging a deep kiss with him.
“… You taste like peach,” Gao Shu laughed.
Hand in hand, they gazed down at the bar street below.
The bar street was brightly lit, crowded with people looking up excitedly at the swordfish overhead. Half-zombies, underground people, and werewolves who couldn’t see spirit animals could only guess from snippets of conversation what tricks the swordfish was performing in the air today. Catching sight of Gao Shu and Tang Cuo peering over the rooftop, they whistled at the two.
The swordfish was very happy. Its massive body continued to flip vigorously. Tang Cuo never found it fierce; now he felt this little fish was even cuter.
“I once spent a long time overcoming myself to do something,” Gao Shu said with a grin, looking down at the people waving at him and Tang Cuo, praising the swordfish for its might and beauty.
Tang Cuo asked curiously, “What thing?”
Gao Shu replied, “Overcoming my subconscious.”
Tang Cuo silently watched him.
“I try hard not to immediately negate compliments, not to say ‘no’ or ‘I’m not’ when people praise me,” Gao Shu said, his eyes reflecting the swordfish’s swaying tail. “It’s so hard, Tang Cuo.”
Tang Cuo patted his head and kissed the back of his hand.
“Even when I tell myself I’m pretty good, as soon as I hear my mom or dad talk about the swordfish, I immediately feel, no, I’m not good enough, I’m nothing,” Gao Shu sighed deeply. “But now it’s different. Now I feel that no matter how people praise me, I deserve it.”
Tang Cuo said, “Yes, you are good just the way you are.”
Gao Shu only needed a word of affirmation from Tang Cuo. That was his lifeline, his saving grace. He hugged Tang Cuo, and Tang Cuo’s panda hugged both their legs, like a huge, fluffy heat source.
“You’re right,” Gao Shu murmured in his ear.
Tang Cuo’s ears itched. His hand loosened, and the bottle of peach-flavored wine fell to the ground, the remaining liquid trickling from the mouth, adding a soft fragrance to the warm night breeze.
Bai Xiaoyuan received a short video from Xie Zijing.
The video showed a swordfish performing complex flips in the air, with Gao Shu and Tang Cuo kissing on the rooftop below.
Bai Xiaoyuan: [You guys went to the Wangdu district without inviting me!]
Xie Zijing: [Weren’t you going to accompany your idol to study?]
Bai Xiaoyuan: [If Tang Cuo finds out you secretly filmed him kissing Gao Shu, the panda will definitely scratch you.]
Xie Zijing: [You should get your words right first, sis.]
Xie Zijing: [With that level of literacy, you shouldn’t be accompanying a top student from the Talent Planning Bureau to study.]
Bai Xiaoyuan: [I’m also a top student from New Hope!]
She put down her phone and looked up to see Lei Chi staring at her.
“Why are you looking at me?” Bai Xiaoyuan asked curiously. “Finished translating the documents?”
“You had many different expressions in the past three minutes,” Lei Chi said. “It’s very amusing.”
“Xie Zijing and the others went to the Wangdu district to have fun.” Bai Xiaoyuan tapped on the tablet in front of her. “When are you free so we can go too?”
“No need to be envious,” Lei Chi smiled. “The leader of the werewolves in the Black Battalion is my close friend. She’ll take us to explore even more mysterious places in the Wangdu district.”
Bai Xiaoyuan nodded repeatedly. She knew Xia Chun well; after demonstrating her skill of copying the sand cat in front of Xia Chun, Xia Chun had already regarded her as the most formidable sentinel she knew.
“I remember you said that your little friend, Sea Child, also wants to see the Wangdu district?”
Lei Chi nodded, “Yes. He’s very interested in the Wangdu district and said he wants to remember it to tell his friends when he gets back.”
Bai Xiaoyuan licked her lips, “That incredibly beautiful mermaid leader?”
Lei Chi thought for a moment and then showed his palm to her. “Last time Xie Zijing and I visited Xiaohai, Xie Zijing asked him what it means to kiss the leader’s palm. Little Hai said it’s a vow of absolute loyalty and love to the leader.”
As he expected, Bai Xiaoyuan’s eyes lit up. “I never knew about this tradition! It’s so touching!”
Lei Chi: “But the mermaid leader doesn’t want to become a special human.”
Bai Xiaoyuan: “Non-human is even more appealing!”
Lei Chi: “…Non-human?”
Bai Xiaoyuan was silent for a moment. “Forget it, you focus on studying first. I’ll explain it to you properly after your exams.”
Satisfied with the information Lei Chi had revealed, she filled in many stories in her mind. With no new material to consume, she picked up her tablet and started reading.
“The series has resumed?” Lei Chi asked casually as he looked down to flip through a dictionary. “The last part’s plot ended with the werewolf faking his death, and the vampire seeking revenge on the big boss, right?”
Bai Xiaoyuan was stunned. “You remember it so clearly!”
Lei Chi: “I read it three times.”
Bai Xiaoyuan: “…The last part had a lot of explicit content. You managed to get through it?”
Lei Chi: “It’s literary creation, I understand it.”
Bai Xiaoyuan laughed so hard she almost collapsed on the table. It took her a while to reply, “You’re so strange.”
Lei Chi smiled at her, then quickly regained his serious expression. “I need to pet the cat.”
Moments later, a small sand cat jumped from Bai Xiaoyuan’s arms onto the table, sitting on Lei Chi’s reference book. Its large ears twitched and its round eyes stared at Lei Chi.
Bai Xiaoyuan: “This is Teacher Cat.”
Lei Chi: “Teacher Cat, give me some strength.”
The sand cat made a soft meowing sound, quickly patted Lei Chi’s palm with its paw, and wagged its tail happily.
Lei Chi was preparing to represent the werewolves in the annual International Special Human Skills Competition. This year’s competition included a lot of written knowledge, so he had to cram. Both Lei Chi and Bai Xiaoyuan were very busy with work, but they wanted to spend more time together, so they often sat in cafes reading at night or on weekends.
Lei Chi had been confident in his knowledge, but a lot of the werewolf research materials were abroad, forcing him to rely on dictionaries to study. Looking at the over a hundred pages of “Medieval Werewolf Clan Studies” in front of him, he rubbed his temples. “German is so hard.”
A cup of coffee was placed in front of him.
“This sentence is incorrect.” The young man who set down the coffee glanced at the material in front of Lei Chi. “The original text says that the activity of hunting werewolves indeed suppressed their entry into human-inhabited cities for a time, reducing the frequency of human casualties. It doesn’t say ‘reducing the possibility’; you translated it wrong.”
“…You understand German?” Lei Chi was extremely surprised.
“A little.” The young man smiled at him and placed a delicate cake in front of Bai Xiaoyuan. “Try this.”
Bai Xiaoyuan: “I didn’t order cake.”
“I like treating pretty girls to desserts.” The young man’s smile, though undeniably professional, was very sincere in his eyes. “Besides, you are Lei Chi’s girlfriend.”
Lei Chi: “Stop being so attentive and go sweep the floor.”
“The shop hired a temp, so all the odd jobs go to him.” The young man raised his eyebrows. “Take your time, I’ll go make some salad. It’s my special salad; you have to try it.”
The last sentence was directed at Bai Xiaoyuan. As the owner of the café, his culinary skills were also a major draw for customers.
“The owner is so handsome. Does he always like treating pretty girls to food?” Bai Xiaoyuan glanced at Lei Chi and quickly added, “But then again, if you’re the most handsome werewolf, he can only be second.”
The pen twirled around Lei Chi’s fingers. The sand cat’s tail gently brushed against his hand, and Lei Chi glanced at the little cat, whose tail affectionately swished back and forth even more.
Lei Chi continued reading the literature, a slight smile on his lips. “Of course I’m the most handsome.”
Bai Xiaoyuan’s phone rang again; it was another message from Xie Zijing.
[Show this to my idol.]
Along with the message was a photo of Xie Zijing, Qin Ge, and a Barbary lion.
Bai Xiaoyuan put down her phone and went back to her captivating werewolf and vampire love story.
“Bai Xiaoyuan isn’t replying to me,” Xie Zijing was a bit frustrated. “Maybe my selfie angle was bad and she didn’t see the lion.”
The Barbary lion swished its tail, looking at his phone, while Qin Ge brought over a can of cold beer and leaned close to his face. Xie Zijing temporarily set aside thoughts of Bai Xiaoyuan and her date, sharing the beer with Qin Ge on the rooftop.
“I heard from Bai Xiaoyuan that her ‘sea area’ is really fun.” Xie Zijing asked, “Have you been in it?”
“I have,” Qin Ge nodded. “Last year, during the comprehensive crisis management and special management committee member ‘sea area’ tests, I entered hers and Tang Cuo’s. Both were very interesting.”
Xie Zijing was intrigued. “What is it like? Can you tell me?”
“Sure,” Qin Ge smiled. “It’s not a confidential matter. Bai Xiaoyuan regrets that you can’t enter her ‘sea area’ to experience the fun.”
Xie Zijing was even more curious. “What kind of place is it?”
“An amusement park,” Qin Ge said. “A huge, endless amusement park. It runs day and night, and all the attractions are operational. You can play anytime, anywhere.”
Whether it was the balloon-selling dolls or the myriad of amusement rides, there was nothing in Bai Xiaoyuan’s “sea area” that Qin Ge could imagine but not find.
He spent a long time looking for Bai Xiaoyuan in this “sea area.” Her “sea area” was intricate, with big and small paths crisscrossing, sometimes not even on the same plane. Several times, Qin Ge felt he had reached a dead end, only to look down and find another staircase below.
“Bai Xiaoyuan was in a dessert shop,” Qin Ge recalled with a smile. “Her headpiece was very cute.”
Xie Zijing, having no interest in amusement parks, couldn’t really imagine the scene.
Xie Zijing had no interest in the amusement park and couldn’t imagine the scene at all.
“Her ‘sea area’ wasn’t always like this,” Qin Ge said. “Only half of the attractions used to work. She wanted to reach the other half of the amusement park, but she could never get there. She needed someone to guide her, but no such guardian existed in her ‘sea area.'”
This was what Bai Xiaoyuan had later told Qin Ge. Her ‘sea area’ was now completely different: the balloon-selling dolls used to be giant sand cats, but now they were huge, dark werewolves, somewhat resembling Lei Chi.
Xie Zijing: “…I don’t accept this!”
Qin Ge: “No one cares if you accept it or not.”
Xie Zijing: “I don’t allow my idol to sell balloons in an amusement park!”
Qin Ge: “…”
He suspected that Xie Zijing loved him but fervently idolized Lei Chi. Clearly, these two feelings were distinct and manifested very differently in Xie Zijing.
To divert his attention, Qin Ge mentioned Tang Cuo’s ‘sea area.’ “He mentioned it to you, right?”
“Yes,” Xie Zijing nodded. “He said it’s a small town.”
“…” Qin Ge gripped the railing. “It’s not just any small town! It’s a fairy tale town!”
Xie Zijing was so shocked that he almost dropped his beer.
“Byzantine-style buildings, imagine it, onion-shaped domes painted in all sorts of colors!” Qin Ge couldn’t help but recall his own shock upon entering Tang Cuo’s ‘sea area.’ “You’d think it’s some romantic place, but no! Absolutely not! Once you enter those buildings, you find out that every single one is a library! Books piled from the floor to the ceiling! Endless bookshelves! It’s an inescapable maze!”
Xie Zijing suddenly burst out laughing.
Qin Ge: “What’s so funny?”
Xie Zijing: “It’s just so amusing. I rarely see you this agitated.”
Qin Ge: “I was completely trapped in his terrifying ‘sea area.’ An hour of wandering around and I found nothing, just trudging through his endless books. After I left, he was so happy, asking me when I’d go in again because he wanted to show me his entire collection.”
Xie Zijing found it even more interesting: “Tang Cuo is amazing. The books in his ‘sea area’ can actually be opened.”
Qin Ge: “And his ‘sea area’ has countless swordfish sharks, big and small, fat and thin. Imagine trudging through the library for half a day, finally finding a way out, you push open a door, and there are thirty thousand swordfish sharks blowing bubbles right in front of you… it’s really terrifying, really.”
The more Xie Zijing thought about it, the funnier it seemed. He hugged Qin Ge around the neck and kissed him on the cheek: “Let Gao Shu give you some mental compensation.”
Qin Ge: “A year’s worth of private lessons, one for two, for both me and you.”
Xie Zijing: “Deal!”
At this moment, the sound of drums suddenly came from downstairs, attracting their attention.
They were already near the edge of the Wangdu District. The street below, once quiet, was now bustling with activity.
When Meng Yu had come up earlier, he told them that a new settlement for underground people had just been established here. Coincidentally, many semi-zombified humans had gathered nearby. He and the leader of the semi-zombified humans often operated here, striving to bridge the gap between the two groups. This settlement was surrounded by underground pipelines, and with the help of the semi-zombified humans, the underground people managed to perfectly navigate these dense pipes and carve out a space large enough for over a hundred people to live.
For the semi-zombified humans, having underground people living beneath their feet added a bit of novelty: at least this street now had some freshness and was no longer just a warehouse of zombie viruses that everyone feared.
“This place will be a major warehouse for zombie and petrification viruses from now on,” someone said loudly, raising their glass. “Anyone here studying viruses? Can these two things combine into a new virus or something?”
The people around clapped and laughed. What was a nightmare for ordinary people had become their lifelong companions, and they gradually learned to use self-mockery to ease their distress and sorrow.
Xie Zijing and Qin Ge watched with great interest. It was lively downstairs. On the night of the establishment of the subterranean settlement, the underground people and semi-zombified humans held an unprecedented banquet to celebrate. The semi-zombified humans, being lightweight, excelled at dancing, while the underground people, though with stiff joints, had deep, resonant voices. After a brief uproar, a tall semi-zombified girl got up to dance, accompanied by a chubby subterranean boy beating a simple large drum.
“Do underground people really have such good voices?” Xie Zijing asked. “I thought their vocal cords were affected too.”
“This change happens when the petrification virus first affects the vocal cords,” Qin Ge explained. “This period can be as short as six months or as long as three to five years, depending on whether the virus’s activity can be suppressed.”
Gu Ming, red-faced from Meng Yu’s teasing, ran to Qin Ge’s side to escape the relentless pursuit of the subterranean leader. Initially interested in the banquet downstairs, he gradually grew bored and, upon hearing Meng Yu call out, “I have photos of Xia Chun, want to see them?” he hesitated for a moment before turning back to Meng Yu.
Xie Zijing and Qin Ge continued their low-voiced conversation and laughter, while the Barbary lion, ignored, paced on the rooftop before leaping onto a higher roof nearby.
Its body shimmered with golden specks of light. After leaping from roof to roof, it reached the clock tower in the Wangdu District.
Half of the streets were brightly lit, while the other half remained shrouded in darkness. The lion walked slowly on the rooftop like a patrolling soldier.
Tonight, werewolves and sentinels were in charge of patrolling the Wangdu District. Seeing the lion, many people waved and greeted it.
The Barbary lion paid no attention. After wandering around the clock tower for a while, it suddenly noticed that the bell hammer had been reinstalled, and the chains connecting the bell to the beam were no longer fixed.
It could swing now.
The lion raised its paw.
“Wait,” someone suddenly called out to stop it.
The lion jumped aside and turned to see Xie Zijing and Qin Ge climbing up from below.
“Wait two more minutes,” Xie Zijing checked the time, “You sure can run.”
The night breeze was refreshing, carrying a hint of May’s heat. The sky above the Wangdu District was less polluted by city lights, revealing clear stars in the sapphire blue sky forming indistinguishable shapes. The underground people’ singing came from afar, mingling with laughter and drumbeats. People clinked bottles and glasses gently with friends or strangers.
Swordfish sharks slowly swam in from the distance, adorned with starlight.
“It’s now,” Xie Zijing said.
Ten o’clock sharp.
The Barbary lion extended its paw and pushed the clock.
The first loud chime startled the lion, and the long-haired rabbit on Qin Ge’s shoulder quickly grabbed its long ears.
The clock began to sway, swinging back and forth, the hammer striking repeatedly. The deep chimes followed one after another, like ripples, like surging waves, rolling away into the unseen distance.
“Every morning at six and every evening at ten, the Black Guards will ring this bell,” Xie Zijing told Qin Ge, “It wakes up the Wangdu District and also tells them it’s late and time to rest.”
Qin Ge smiled and asked in the midst of the chimes, “Why must they ring the bell?”
“Ringing the bell tells the people of the Wangdu District that the Black Guards are still here, protecting them.” Xie Zijing gave Qin Ge a sly smile, “Not everyone can touch this bell. I just met with the Sentinel and Guide leader and got permission from him.”
Qin Ge: “What do you need this permission for?”
The chimes still resonated. Xie Zijing leaned closer to Qin Ge, almost touching his ear.
In the pauses between the chimes, Qin Ge heard his sentinel ask, “Do you know why this bell was originally built?”
Qin Ge knew. Tang Cuo, familiar with the Wangdu District, had told him.
The people living in the Wangdu District also longed to marry, to live with their loved ones, to have children, and to continue their lineage.
The clock tower was built for weddings.
Every couple, whether they had obtained legal permission or not, could decide to marry and announce their commitment to the people of the Wangdu District.
They would climb the clock tower, grab the rope connected to the bell hammer, and swing it forcefully. The chimes, like vows, would awaken everyone above and below ground in the Wangdu District.
Sometimes, even ordinary humans and semi-zombified people or underground people would climb the clock tower. They couldn’t get formal permission, but they still decided to live together.
“…Are you proposing?” Qin Ge asked.
“Only found out the bell was fixed after coming here; I didn’t have time to buy a ring,” Xie Zijing said.
Qin Ge hugged him, “That’s okay.”
Xie Zijing: “I don’t have much money.”
Qin Ge: “What a coincidence? Me neither.”
Xie Zijing remained silent, just holding Qin Ge, swaying slowly in the chimes. The long-haired rabbit leaped onto his head, tugging at his hair and stuffing it into its mouth.
“It’s snowing in my ‘sea area,'” he suddenly said.
Qin Ge cupped his face and kissed him.
“It’s raining in my ‘sea area,'” he smiled at Xie Zijing, “Stars fall like rain. But there will never be wildfires again.”
The sound of the bell gradually weakened. They heard someone whistling on a nearby rooftop. The patrolling Black Battalion in black clothes smiled and applauded.
The long-haired rabbit rolled off Xie Zijing’s head and dashed to the lion’s side. The lion covered it with the tuft on its tail, and it nervously pushed aside the fur in front of its eyes, gazing up at the two people kissing. After a moment, it shyly lowered its head again.
The lion bent down and moved its tail away. It touched the rabbit’s ear with its nose.
The long ears perked up instantly, then quickly drooped again. The rabbit struggled to stand, stretching out its short paws to touch the lion’s face.
The beast’s golden pupils reflected the round, fluffy little creature in front of it. The rabbit’s black eyes contained the gentle gaze of the Barbary lion and the swordfish sharks gliding through the sapphire night sky.
It shook its massive body, and the water protective shield suddenly shattered.
The misty water droplets fell like snowflakes, like stars, descending from the sky.
The swordfish sharks disappeared, but the droplets kept falling. They touched the rooftop tiles, Qin Ge and Xie Zijing’s shoulders and hair, turning into tiny wisps of white smoke, swirling around this small world.
“Why propose in front of a barbecue stall!” Tang Xing shouted, “I don’t agree!”
Meng Yu: “You’re not their sister…”
Gu Ming: “Meng Yu, can you tell me more about Xia Chun?”
The barbecue stall owner waved a lamb skewer, “If you don’t eat it soon, it’ll get cold!”
Amid the noisy chaos, Xie Zijing felt as if he heard the mermaid’s song again.
In the song, there was another distant sound.
It was a human voice. Someone was singing in the dark night and warm land, using words he couldn’t understand.
Wind and sunlight flowed over the land, the grass seeds were solid, and the bronze deer were radiant. Someone walked out from the October wheat stack, and pain guided him closer to you.
The land illuminated by light. The harvest symbolized by October and the wheat stacks. The bronze deer protected by heaven and earth. Every marker stone along the way. All of it pounded in his chest, and he could even hear the sound of blood flowing in his veins.
He also heard the distant sound of wind, rain, the tinkling of prayer wheels, and the dull thud of a forehead hitting the ground. A young man in red clothes sang softly in the dark, his palm warm and moist, like a merciful god.
Someone touched his forehead as he was on the brink of despair, giving him an eternal, certain blessing.
“Why are you crying?” Qin Ge asked in surprise, and then couldn’t help but laugh, “I didn’t even cry.”
“I don’t know.” Xie Zijing let him wipe away his tears, “…Qin Ge.”
Words of thanks or gratitude felt too light, insufficient to express his feelings.
Qin Ge: “Hmm?”
Xie Zijing grasped his hand, slowly opened it, and solemnly placed a gentle kiss in Qin Ge’s palm.
His palm tickled a little, and Qin Ge couldn’t help but ask, “What does this mean?”
Xie Zijing looked up at him, a mysterious smile gradually spreading across his face.
“It means I love you,” he answered softly, deciding to keep the meaning of this kiss forever in his heart.
(The End)
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