Chapter 92: Little Wang
In the middle of the night, a few loud thunderclaps startled Jiang Hong awake, but he quickly fell back asleep. He heard the sound of heavy rain pouring outside until dawn, when he groggily sat up.
"What time is it?" Jiang Hong asked.
Lao Sun: "It's ten o'clock."
Jiang Hong instantly woke up, screaming, "You said you'd wake me up!"
Lao Sun: "I did call you, but... no, you were fast asleep and didn't wake up."
"Did Lu Xiu come over?" Jiang Hong, with his hair in disarray, looked at Lao Sun in confusion and asked, "When did he come?"
"No," Lao Sun said. "I meant the road is still closed. After midnight, the path to the outer area is locked."
Jiang Hong felt incredibly drowsy but had a very sound sleep, which completely relieved the tension he had been holding since returning to Chongqing. This was the most comfortable night's sleep he'd had in weeks, restoring the energy he lost due to his father's illness.
"Your Majesty!" a panda outside asked, "Are you awake?"
"Hmm... I'm going to wash up," Jiang Hong said. "You can come in now."
Jiang Hong, still groggy, entered the bathroom. A group of pandas came trotting or rolling in. As Jiang Hong washed his face, the pandas started making the bed, setting up the table, and brought in a breakfast of both large and small plates to the bedroom. They also started making hand-poured coffee on the side.
Jiang Hong: "I won't eat here, I need to hurry downstairs... But this looks so lavish! I should eat a bit, can't waste it... Wow! It looks so delicious! A mix of Chinese and Western! And there's Zhajiangmian! Is this caviar steamed egg? Isn't this too luxurious for early morning..."
"Jiang Hong!" Suddenly, a voice shouted from outside.
Just as Jiang Hong was about to sit down, he jumped in shock—it was Zhang Xiting's voice! How did Zhang Xiting get here?
"Jiang Hong!" Jin Ye strode in and said, "You were actually hiding here?"
"Wow!" Xiao Pi also came in and said, "What are you eating? Why is your breakfast so luxurious?! Where is this?!"
Lian Jiang: "Damn! I knew you were up here enjoying this!"
Jiang Hong: "……………………"
"Dads!" Jiang Hong quickly put down his chopsticks and said, "I was wrong! How did you all get here? You..."
Da Wan was waiting outside and said, "Little Wang came by last night and saw you weren't there, guessed you went downstairs. This morning he instructed us, and they all moved up here, making it convenient to accompany you."
Jiang Hong: "Ah, ah, ah, this is so awkward!"
Xiao Pi exclaimed, "Wow, so many pandas! They're adorable!"
"You're a Pixiu, haha!" a panda said, "You're cute too!"
The suite was in complete chaos. He Jian also arrived, saying, "We're staying at the end of the corridor."
"This..." Jiang Hong said, "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to start this, maybe it's a bit awkward for you too..."
"Awkward? Not at all!" Xiao Pi said, laughing heartily. "Not awkward in the least! Ha ha ha, a deluxe suite, wow!"
Zhang Xiting was still taking photos in Jiang Hong's room, which was usually not allowed, but in the palace, nobody minded them.
"Ahahaha," He Jian laughed wildly, "The place I'm staying is even fancier than my brother's dorm! Thanks so much, Jiang Hong, ha ha ha! I can go show off a bit now!"
The roommates, far from feeling out of place, were thrilled and decided to thoroughly enjoy their stay in the palace.
"What are you eating?" Lian Jiang asked. "Looks like you can't finish it, let's eat together."
"Sure, sure!" Jiang Hong immediately ordered, "Bring more sets of chopsticks and cutlery."
Xiao Pi: "Though I've already eaten, I can still eat a bit more."
Zhang Xiting said, "You guys eat. I'm looking forward to lunch. I'm going to wander around a bit."
Jiang Hong: "Do you have jade?"
"All set." Jin showed his jade, a piece of jadeite. Of course, access was limited, only to the upper palace living area and the other elevator going down to the lower area.
"Thanks a lot, Jiang Hong!" Jin was clearly very pleased, the first time Jiang Hong had seen him this excited.
"Uh, I thought you might feel uncomfortable…" Jiang Hong said.
"Why would we?" Xiao Pi said, "This is delicious! Much better than the cafeteria, although the cafeteria isn't bad either… Hmm."
Lian Jiang commented, "Staying in the demon royal palace is a rare experience."
That's good… Jiang Hong finally felt relieved. He then remembered He Zhi and realized he hadn’t yet made his request – now Xiao Pi and his dad wouldn’t have to squeeze into one dorm room.
"Do you all stay together?" Jiang Hong asked further.
"Yes!" Xiao Pi replied, "But I still go down at night."
Jiang Hong thought: That's good, otherwise your dad would really kill me.
Lian Jiang gave Jiang Hong a knowing look, and Jiang Hong understood not to ask further.
After breakfast, everyone went off to their internships, except Jiang Hong who hadn’t been assigned any tasks. Da Wan had been waiting outside during breakfast.
"Um…" Jiang Hong asked Da Wan, "Who should I look for regarding my internship?"
Da Wan replied, "No need to look for anyone. You can do anything you like. Your internship is to have no specific job. You can find your own tasks or just enjoy yourself around here."
Jiang Hong: "Is that really okay?"
Da Wan: "That’s how we do it every day. Doing what you love gives you motivation. You can also ride on my back, and I can take you around."
Jiang Hong quickly responded, "No no, that would be too much trouble for you. I’ve already been a disturbance. You should keep the Ghost King company. I’ll go see him in a bit, um…"
Jiang Hong thought: Riding on Da Wan's back, if seen by my classmates, I'd probably get mobbed.
Da Wan said, "Alright then, I'll go find him to play mahjong. If you need anything, just grab any panda and tell it what you want."
Jiang Hong let Da Wan go, feeling a bit guilty for troubling the pandas, especially the two guarding the gate. He gave them some snacks, and realizing that pandas nap wherever they please, he finally accepted the reality of panda gatekeepers.
Did Lu Xiu come by last night? Jiang Hong thought of looking for Lu Xiu, assuming his jade pendant allowed access everywhere, he could probably visit him, right?
There's also kimchi and pepper mixed rice sauce! Jiang Hong almost forgot, quickly rummaging through his box to find them, thankful that the cool temperature had kept them fresh.
But I definitely won't barge into the main hall carrying all this stuff. That would be too absurd.
Huh, what's this? Jiang Hong spotted the invisible pot. Perfect!
He put the pot on his head and, holding the specialties, became invisible.
Jiang Hong vaguely remembered the way. The main hall was where he had dinner with the demon kings last time. He had to cross a suspended corridor to the mountain on the opposite side... Lao Sun should have a map, a built-in feature of the cleaning robot, marking places it had been to.
But today, Lao Sun couldn't move, so Jiang Hong had to rely on his memory for the route.
Outside, heavy rain continued, the air saturated with moisture, almost palpable. The wind and rain marked the seasonal shift in the Chongqing area, heralding the start of autumn.
Walking through the corridor, Jiang Hong's clothes got slightly wet, marveling at how the pot was a treasure for homebodies. Ordinary invisibility might still leave footprints or mist traces, risking accidental contact.
But with this pot, all anomalies were refracted away, including any trace of his presence. Normally, if someone witnessed an invisible person opening a door, they'd find it strange.
However, with this pot, onlookers completely ignored all associated phenomena. It was incredibly useful!
But why doesn't it work on some people? Jiang Hong was still puzzled. Why could his mother see the pot?
Found it! Jiang Hong returned to the courtyard, then took the elevator platform to the highest point of the palace.
Outside the main hall of the palace stood two tiger sculptures, unguarded by any demon.
Was Lu Xiu inside? Jiang Hong heard voices talking and hesitated, wanting to peek through the door. Suddenly, his pot clanged to the floor.
Disaster! The pot clattered on the ground, drawing the attention of the sculptures which instantly turned their heads toward him. But seeing the ancient jade on his waist, they took no action.
"What's that noise outside?" voices from inside the hall inquired.
Jiang Hong hurriedly scrambled to pick up and reposition his pot.
The doors of the main hall opened, revealing He Rong, Hua Xiaoli, whom Jiang Hong had met before, and another high-ranking demon unknown to Jiang Hong, seemingly reporting to Lu Xiu.
Lu Xiu was sitting in the demon king's seat, idly scrolling through his phone.
As the door opened, Lu Xiu looked outside, his gaze landing on Jiang Hong.
Lu Xiu: "......"
Jiang Hong: "......"
Seeing Lu Xiu again!
He seems thinner... The moment Jiang Hong saw Lu Xiu, his eyes began to redden. Lu Xiu, in his slightly worn Tibetan robe, seemed out of place amidst his surroundings.
Jiang Hong, dressed in a new Tibetan robe, appeared as if he belonged in the grand palace, like someone from the same homeland as Lu Xiu.
The spacious main hall was carpeted with thousands of square feet of camel hair, adorned with cosmic patterns and celestial bodies. They stood on either side of this expansive carpet, gazing at each other from a distance.
Lu Xiu's skin was paler, his eyes still clear and bright. He seemed fully accustomed to being a demon king, naturally exuding a dragon's presence even while sitting. The only change was his slightly longer hair, adding a touch of melancholy to his demeanor.
Jiang Hong, with an aluminum pot on his head and holding a box of specialties for Lu Xiu, stood there staring blankly at him.
He Rong came over, glanced around without noticing Jiang Hong, and closed the door.
Lu Xiu's expression changed, hesitating to speak, but Jiang Hong, holding the box, slipped in at the last moment before He Rong shut the door.
He accidentally bumped into He Rong, causing the contents to spill out.
"Ah, sorry!" Jiang Hong immediately apologized, but He Rong, and everyone else in the hall except Lu Xiu, completely ignored Jiang Hong's actions, voice, and the items scattered on the floor.
"Everything else is arranged," He Rong said, "Eagle King has started handling some routine matters."
Hua Xiaoli chuckled, "Our side isn't like the Exorcism Commission; we don't have many complicated tasks."
Lu Xiu didn't respond, just kept staring at Jiang Hong, then suddenly said, "You all may leave."
"Ah?" Hua Xiaoli seemed to have something else to say but promptly replied, "Yes."
The three of them left, with Jiang Hong still picking up his things. Before closing the door, Lu Xiu also stepped down from his throne. The three seemed a bit surprised but didn't turn back, and the door automatically closed.
Lu Xiu approached Jiang Hong, picking up the food and putting it back in the box.
Jiang Hong looked up, locking eyes with Lu Xiu. For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Lu Xiu's lips trembled slightly, his hand quivering subtly, the main hall steeped in profound silence.
Jiang Hong felt restrained, wanting to say something but feeling Lu Xiu had become strangely distant.
"My mom asked me to bring this for you," Jiang Hong finally broke the silence.
Lu Xiu didn't respond. Jiang Hong packed the items, uncertain whether to hand them over, as Lu Xiu showed no intention of receiving them. After a moment of mutual silence, Lu Xiu abruptly turned and walked back to his throne.
Jiang Hong watched for a while, then followed behind Lu Xiu.
Is he crying? Jiang Hong suddenly sensed a subtle emotion. Was Lu Xiu crying?
The air around them was tinged with a sorrowful yet faint emotion, like the scent of tears mingling with the wind, slowly diffusing.
Did he just cry?! Because he saw me again? Jiang Hong felt both joy and sorrow – joyous that Lu Xiu still cared about him, and sorrowful that his own grief had found an outlet upon seeing Lu Xiu again.
But when Lu Xiu turned around again, Jiang Hong didn't see any tears, only a hint of redness in his eyes.
He must be thinking of me, right?
Jiang Hong looked at Lu Xiu, then around the room. There were two chairs, one in the center and the other slightly to the side, both facing outward.
Not wanting to sit in the other chair, Jiang Hong sat down on the steps in front of the throne.
Lu Xiu watched for a while, didn’t sit on his throne, but slowly came down and sat beside Jiang Hong, side by side on the steps.
"Hmm... what did you bring me?"
Lu Xiu finally spoke, his voice slightly unsteady, confirming Jiang Hong's suspicion that he had choked up, even if just for a brief second. Jiang Hong no longer cared about the past. From this gesture, he realized how important he truly was to Lu Xiu. Perhaps there was another reason why Lu Xiu hadn't responded to his messages?
"There's... kimchi, green pepper duck liver sauce, crispy meat, and twisted dough strips... The dough strips were bought, the crispy meat I fried myself."
Jiang Hong showed Lu Xiu the assortment of specialties.
"She also bought us two down jackets," Jiang Hong said with an embarrassed smile, "saying it's cold in the mountains."
Jiang Hong took out a down vest to show Lu Xiu, who took it and put it on.
"Does it look good?" Lu Xiu wore a black one.
Jiang Hong's white one wasn't with him, and though wearing a down vest over a Tibetan robe was somewhat odd, he took out his phone and took a selfie with Lu Xiu, saying, "It looks good. Someone with a good-looking face looks good in anything."
Lu Xiu calmed down.
"How's your dad doing?" Lu Xiu asked.
"He's been discharged," Jiang Hong, sitting on the steps, not looking at Lu Xiu but at the luxurious carpet patterns, said, "He's the same as usual."
"Mm," Lu Xiu said, "He will live a long time, no need to worry."
After these few words, the earlier sense of strangeness disappeared. Gradually, Jiang Hong felt that Lu Xiu was still the same person, and he finally dared to look at him. He stared at Lu Xiu's face, his hand twitching, wanting to hug him as they used to, but fearing that after the confession, such an embrace might make Lu Xiu uncomfortable.
Lu Xiu, gazing into Jiang Hong's eyes, seemed to know what he wanted to do. His hand lightly touched Jiang Hong's, a touch so gentle it was as if nothing had happened, prompting Jiang Hong to finally give in and hug him.
Lu Xiu reciprocated the hug, patting Jiang Hong's shoulder.
"Are you okay?" Jiang Hong, after a moment of choking up, asked with reddened eyes.
"Mm," Lu Xiu replied.
"I was worried," Jiang Hong added, "Why didn't you reply to my messages?"
"Not replying to your messages?" Lu Xiu was taken aback, "Did I miss one?"
Jiang Hong said, "You replied, but you didn't really say anything."
Lu Xiu pondered for a moment, then asked, "Didn’t you sleep in the palace last night?"
Jiang Hong: "Don't change the subject. We're talking about you not responding to my messages."
Lu Xiu: "I went to find you last night because I wanted to explain."
Jiang Hong: "Oh, so you know that replying like that on WeChat would annoy someone."
Lu Xiu: "......"
Jiang Hong felt like he was being unreasonably petulant. Because he liked Lu Xiu, he suddenly knew that Lu Xiu cared about him too — after they cried upon reuniting, he just wanted to double check, making his emotions unstable, almost looking for an argument with Lu Xiu.
The day before, he would never have dared to speak like this. He was just grateful for any attention from Lu Xiu.
Lu Xiu, not angry, patiently explained, "I'm not familiar with the sacred land. This isn't my territory. There are some things I don’t want to discuss over communication apps in this place."
Jiang Hong said, "But even before coming to the sacred land, you almost never paid attention to me."
Lu Xiu: "When? I never ignored you."
Jiang Hong: "During the summer break when I went home, and when you returned to school."
Lu Xiu: "That's because I was busy with something important and couldn’t be distracted..."
Jiang Hong: "What was it?"
Lu Xiu: "I can’t tell you."
Jiang Hong's expression soured, realizing he was being unreasonable, but he wasn’t ready to back down yet, not wanting to lose face.
"Getting angry won’t help," Lu Xiu said, "I absolutely won’t talk about this matter."
Jiang Hong remained silent, and Lu Xiu took the initiative to place a hand on his shoulder.
"Okay, fine," Jiang Hong conceded first, saying, "Let it be."
Jiang Hong always felt that Lu Xiu was keeping many things from him, but he wasn’t anyone special to Lu Xiu, so why should he expect to be told everything?
Cherish the time together. Jiang Hong recalled what Jin had said… They had finally met, so why argue again? Guilt crept in, leaving him feeling a bit awkward.
"What have you been doing here?" Jiang Hong tried to steer the conversation.
"Not much," Lu Xiu replied, "Just sitting, playing with my phone."
Jiang Hong wanted to ask about Lu Xiu's plans for that matter, or why he left school, what were his next steps? But after a thought, those seemed unimportant now. As long as Lu Xiu was okay, he was content.
"Don’t you worry about me?" Jiang Hong challenged again.
"No," Lu Xiu answered, "Because if you were in trouble, you would summon me."
Alright… But this conversation was too ambiguous. Jiang Hong felt if they continued like this, he might start believing they were in a relationship, despite having already crushed that notion – they were just friends, at best very good friends.
"Then, I should go," Jiang Hong said, curious about Lu Xiu's reaction.
"Where to?" Lu Xiu asked.
Jiang Hong: "Work."
"You don't have work," Lu Xiu said, "Your internship was arranged by me."
Jiang Hong stood up, and Lu Xiu also rose to join him.
"I want to go out for a walk," Jiang Hong said, "I'll patrol the sacred land for you."
Lu Xiu replied, "Let's go together. I haven't left the palace in a long time."
As Lu Xiu followed, Jiang Hong couldn't help feeling a bit pleased, after all, it meant...
Lu Xiu: "Why are you smiling?"
"Ah?" Jiang Hong wondered if it was that obvious. He replied, "Nothing, am I smiling? I didn't realize."
"Your eyes are smiling," Lu Xiu observed, looking into Jiang Hong's eyes. Lu Xiu had become serious about everything again, just like when Jiang Hong first met him, when Lu Xiu couldn't tell when he was joking or being serious.
"I...," Jiang Hong pondered, deciding to be sincere instead of playing it cool, "I'm happy because you still want to be with me, without despising me."
Lu Xiu paused, then looked away, saying, "Of course, I want to. It was you who ignored me. What's this nonsense about despising?"
Jiang Hong wanted to say he hadn't, but remembered that after that night, he had indeed said he wanted to be alone and had left Lu Xiu first.
As Jiang Hong walked out of the palace, with Lu Xiu following, Lu Xiu said, "Where do you want to go? Let's go. The sacred land is vast, and there are many places you haven't seen yet."
Not knowing where to go, Jiang Hong followed the path in front of the main hall, with Lu Xiu trailing behind him like a bodyguard.
"After that night, I thought about it seriously," Jiang Hong suddenly said to Lu Xiu, "I'm sorry, it was my fault."
Since that night, they had both been cautious, avoiding the topic, but Jiang Hong felt it was meaningless and only made their relationship more awkward. Even though they could act as if nothing had happened, since he had spoken and been rejected, it was something that needed to be addressed.
"It's not something one can decide," Lu Xiu's expression became uneasy, filled with regret, as if he was the one who should be apologizing, "Don't say that, let's forget about it."
It was raining in the courtyard. Lu Xiu casually picked up a large black umbrella nearby, opened it, and held it over Jiang Hong, who was carrying the pot, thinking he could use it to avoid greetings if he didn’t want to interact with anyone.
Jiang Hong said, "Liking someone isn't something you can decide; not liking someone isn't either. So..."
Lu Xiu interrupted, "I never said I didn't like you, I just..."
Jiang Hong smiled, "I know, it's just... I'm a bit selfish, maybe because of my family background, I didn't consider your feelings."
"Let's not talk about this anymore," Lu Xiu suddenly said, "I don't want to discuss it further."
"Just let me finish, okay?" Jiang Hong said, "Just this once, alright?"
Lu Xiu looked at Jiang Hong, finally relenting, "Alright, shall we keep walking?"
Jiang Hong passed through the courtyard to another exit leading to the upper garden, filled with rare plants, also under the rain.
Lu Xiu tilted the umbrella towards Jiang Hong, half of his body exposed to the rain, not using any magic, drenching his left shoulder.
Da Wan was sitting in the courtyard with a group of pandas folding paper planes. Seeing Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong, he quickly called a panda over. The panda scampered off and soon returned with an umbrella, which Da Wan promptly opened, following Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong, extending a paw to shield Lu Xiu from the rain.
Then, a few more pandas arrived, each holding a large umbrella resembling those at security posts, to cover their leader.
"But then," Jiang Hong tried to smile again, "I thought it over clearly. I got a bit confused... um, between the affection of friends and the love between partners. After thinking about it and comparing, I realized it wasn't the same."
"Mm."
"I just mistakenly thought I liked you," Jiang Hong said with an awkward laugh, "How silly, ha ha ha."
Lu Xiu didn't respond, just silently continued walking.
Jiang Hong: "Having never been in a relationship can indeed lead to confusion. I’ve figured it out, it's not like that."
"Oh."
Jiang Hong: "Yeah, so you don’t need to worry about that anymore. I think... between us... um, just like before, I’ll gradually get used to it. You don’t need to worry about me."
Lu Xiu, clearly unsure of how to respond, finally said, "Okay."
After a moment of silence, Jiang Hong finally said what he'd been holding back.
Jiang Hong: "Can we... be like we were before?"
Lu Xiu: "We can. Now, it's you who are struggling, not me."
Shortly after, Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong noticed Da Wan and the large group of pandas behind him.
Da Wan: "?"
Lu Xiu: "......"
Jiang Hong: "Okay, never mind, that’s all I wanted to say."
In fact, with the pandas around, Jiang Hong found it difficult to say more. Da Wan's appearance had somewhat saved the situation.
Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu walked side by side through the garden, followed by a parade of pandas of various sizes, holding umbrellas like a set of Russian nesting dolls.
Lu Xiu suddenly said, "I've always been like this. You, to me, have always been... been..."
Lu Xiu seemed to be searching for the right words, but Jiang Hong chuckled, "Alright, no need to say it, I understand."
It was embarrassing, but Jiang Hong's mood was gradually improving. He decided to cherish his relationship with Lu Xiu from now on. After all, he had already done enough for himself.
"There are many medicinal herbs in the garden," Lu Xiu changed the subject, "You can take some for your uncle, they should help him recover quickly."
"Sure!" Jiang Hong immediately said, "Thank you! Can I dig up any of them?"
Jiang Hong squatted down to examine the herbs in the garden. He wouldn't study pharmacology until his junior year, but he could already recognize a few spiritual herbs. He asked, "Are there also things like lingzhi, cordyceps, and ginseng here?"
"Those are just used as firewood," Lu Xiu said, "You won't find them here. This one, called Jiuyou Changpu, can enhance brain function and improve vision..."
Jiang Hong then picked some, knowing the herbs here, nourished by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, couldn't be transplanted to his own garden.
Lu Xiu helped him select a few more herbs, saying, "It's lunchtime, want to eat at my place?"
"I'm going to eat in the cafeteria, then I have to go out this afternoon," Jiang Hong said, "I need to mail these herbs back home."
Lu Xiu: "Oh, what for?"
The cleaning robot Jiang Hong had ordered had arrived, and he needed to pick it up from the town. He couldn't always rely on Hu Qingquan to fetch deliveries, which were only done every two days for the entire grade. Lu Xiu thought sending someone to fetch it would suffice, but Jiang Hong preferred to go himself.
"Then let's eat together, and I'll accompany you after," Lu Xiu suggested.
"Can you leave the sacred land?" Jiang Hong worried that Lu Xiu might be captured by agents from the Exorcism Commission as soon as he left the barrier.
"Don't worry, let's go," Lu Xiu reassured him.
Chapter 92: Little Wang
In the middle of the night, a few loud thunderclaps startled Jiang Hong awake, but he quickly fell back asleep. He heard the sound of heavy rain pouring outside until dawn, when he groggily sat up.
"What time is it?" Jiang Hong asked.
Lao Sun: "It's ten o'clock."
Jiang Hong instantly woke up, screaming, "You said you'd wake me up!"
Lao Sun: "I did call you, but... no, you were fast asleep and didn't wake up."
"Did Lu Xiu come over?" Jiang Hong, with his hair in disarray, looked at Lao Sun in confusion and asked, "When did he come?"
"No," Lao Sun said. "I meant the road is still closed. After midnight, the path to the outer area is locked."
Jiang Hong felt incredibly drowsy but had a very sound sleep, which completely relieved the tension he had been holding since returning to Chongqing. This was the most comfortable night's sleep he'd had in weeks, restoring the energy he lost due to his father's illness.
"Your Majesty!" a panda outside asked, "Are you awake?"
"Hmm... I'm going to wash up," Jiang Hong said. "You can come in now."
Jiang Hong, still groggy, entered the bathroom. A group of pandas came trotting or rolling in. As Jiang Hong washed his face, the pandas started making the bed, setting up the table, and brought in a breakfast of both large and small plates to the bedroom. They also started making hand-poured coffee on the side.
Jiang Hong: "I won't eat here, I need to hurry downstairs... But this looks so lavish! I should eat a bit, can't waste it... Wow! It looks so delicious! A mix of Chinese and Western! And there's Zhajiangmian! Is this caviar steamed egg? Isn't this too luxurious for early morning..."
"Jiang Hong!" Suddenly, a voice shouted from outside.
Just as Jiang Hong was about to sit down, he jumped in shock—it was Zhang Xiting's voice! How did Zhang Xiting get here?
"Jiang Hong!" Jin Ye strode in and said, "You were actually hiding here?"
"Wow!" Xiao Pi also came in and said, "What are you eating? Why is your breakfast so luxurious?! Where is this?!"
Lian Jiang: "Damn! I knew you were up here enjoying this!"
Jiang Hong: "……………………"
"Dads!" Jiang Hong quickly put down his chopsticks and said, "I was wrong! How did you all get here? You..."
Da Wan was waiting outside and said, "Little Wang came by last night and saw you weren't there, guessed you went downstairs. This morning he instructed us, and they all moved up here, making it convenient to accompany you."
Jiang Hong: "Ah, ah, ah, this is so awkward!"
Xiao Pi exclaimed, "Wow, so many pandas! They're adorable!"
"You're a Pixiu, haha!" a panda said, "You're cute too!"
The suite was in complete chaos. He Jian also arrived, saying, "We're staying at the end of the corridor."
"This..." Jiang Hong said, "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to start this, maybe it's a bit awkward for you too..."
"Awkward? Not at all!" Xiao Pi said, laughing heartily. "Not awkward in the least! Ha ha ha, a deluxe suite, wow!"
Zhang Xiting was still taking photos in Jiang Hong's room, which was usually not allowed, but in the palace, nobody minded them.
"Ahahaha," He Jian laughed wildly, "The place I'm staying is even fancier than my brother's dorm! Thanks so much, Jiang Hong, ha ha ha! I can go show off a bit now!"
The roommates, far from feeling out of place, were thrilled and decided to thoroughly enjoy their stay in the palace.
"What are you eating?" Lian Jiang asked. "Looks like you can't finish it, let's eat together."
"Sure, sure!" Jiang Hong immediately ordered, "Bring more sets of chopsticks and cutlery."
Xiao Pi: "Though I've already eaten, I can still eat a bit more."
Zhang Xiting said, "You guys eat. I'm looking forward to lunch. I'm going to wander around a bit."
Jiang Hong: "Do you have jade?"
"All set." Jin showed his jade, a piece of jadeite. Of course, access was limited, only to the upper palace living area and the other elevator going down to the lower area.
"Thanks a lot, Jiang Hong!" Jin was clearly very pleased, the first time Jiang Hong had seen him this excited.
"Uh, I thought you might feel uncomfortable…" Jiang Hong said.
"Why would we?" Xiao Pi said, "This is delicious! Much better than the cafeteria, although the cafeteria isn't bad either… Hmm."
Lian Jiang commented, "Staying in the demon royal palace is a rare experience."
That's good… Jiang Hong finally felt relieved. He then remembered He Zhi and realized he hadn’t yet made his request – now Xiao Pi and his dad wouldn’t have to squeeze into one dorm room.
"Do you all stay together?" Jiang Hong asked further.
"Yes!" Xiao Pi replied, "But I still go down at night."
Jiang Hong thought: That's good, otherwise your dad would really kill me.
Lian Jiang gave Jiang Hong a knowing look, and Jiang Hong understood not to ask further.
After breakfast, everyone went off to their internships, except Jiang Hong who hadn’t been assigned any tasks. Da Wan had been waiting outside during breakfast.
"Um…" Jiang Hong asked Da Wan, "Who should I look for regarding my internship?"
Da Wan replied, "No need to look for anyone. You can do anything you like. Your internship is to have no specific job. You can find your own tasks or just enjoy yourself around here."
Jiang Hong: "Is that really okay?"
Da Wan: "That’s how we do it every day. Doing what you love gives you motivation. You can also ride on my back, and I can take you around."
Jiang Hong quickly responded, "No no, that would be too much trouble for you. I’ve already been a disturbance. You should keep the Ghost King company. I’ll go see him in a bit, um…"
Jiang Hong thought: Riding on Da Wan's back, if seen by my classmates, I'd probably get mobbed.
Da Wan said, "Alright then, I'll go find him to play mahjong. If you need anything, just grab any panda and tell it what you want."
Jiang Hong let Da Wan go, feeling a bit guilty for troubling the pandas, especially the two guarding the gate. He gave them some snacks, and realizing that pandas nap wherever they please, he finally accepted the reality of panda gatekeepers.
Did Lu Xiu come by last night? Jiang Hong thought of looking for Lu Xiu, assuming his jade pendant allowed access everywhere, he could probably visit him, right?
There's also kimchi and pepper mixed rice sauce! Jiang Hong almost forgot, quickly rummaging through his box to find them, thankful that the cool temperature had kept them fresh.
But I definitely won't barge into the main hall carrying all this stuff. That would be too absurd.
Huh, what's this? Jiang Hong spotted the invisible pot. Perfect!
He put the pot on his head and, holding the specialties, became invisible.
Jiang Hong vaguely remembered the way. The main hall was where he had dinner with the demon kings last time. He had to cross a suspended corridor to the mountain on the opposite side... Lao Sun should have a map, a built-in feature of the cleaning robot, marking places it had been to.
But today, Lao Sun couldn't move, so Jiang Hong had to rely on his memory for the route.
Outside, heavy rain continued, the air saturated with moisture, almost palpable. The wind and rain marked the seasonal shift in the Chongqing area, heralding the start of autumn.
Walking through the corridor, Jiang Hong's clothes got slightly wet, marveling at how the pot was a treasure for homebodies. Ordinary invisibility might still leave footprints or mist traces, risking accidental contact.
But with this pot, all anomalies were refracted away, including any trace of his presence. Normally, if someone witnessed an invisible person opening a door, they'd find it strange.
However, with this pot, onlookers completely ignored all associated phenomena. It was incredibly useful!
But why doesn't it work on some people? Jiang Hong was still puzzled. Why could his mother see the pot?
Found it! Jiang Hong returned to the courtyard, then took the elevator platform to the highest point of the palace.
Outside the main hall of the palace stood two tiger sculptures, unguarded by any demon.
Was Lu Xiu inside? Jiang Hong heard voices talking and hesitated, wanting to peek through the door. Suddenly, his pot clanged to the floor.
Disaster! The pot clattered on the ground, drawing the attention of the sculptures which instantly turned their heads toward him. But seeing the ancient jade on his waist, they took no action.
"What's that noise outside?" voices from inside the hall inquired.
Jiang Hong hurriedly scrambled to pick up and reposition his pot.
The doors of the main hall opened, revealing He Rong, Hua Xiaoli, whom Jiang Hong had met before, and another high-ranking demon unknown to Jiang Hong, seemingly reporting to Lu Xiu.
Lu Xiu was sitting in the demon king's seat, idly scrolling through his phone.
As the door opened, Lu Xiu looked outside, his gaze landing on Jiang Hong.
Lu Xiu: "......"
Jiang Hong: "......"
Seeing Lu Xiu again!
He seems thinner... The moment Jiang Hong saw Lu Xiu, his eyes began to redden. Lu Xiu, in his slightly worn Tibetan robe, seemed out of place amidst his surroundings.
Jiang Hong, dressed in a new Tibetan robe, appeared as if he belonged in the grand palace, like someone from the same homeland as Lu Xiu.
The spacious main hall was carpeted with thousands of square feet of camel hair, adorned with cosmic patterns and celestial bodies. They stood on either side of this expansive carpet, gazing at each other from a distance.
Lu Xiu's skin was paler, his eyes still clear and bright. He seemed fully accustomed to being a demon king, naturally exuding a dragon's presence even while sitting. The only change was his slightly longer hair, adding a touch of melancholy to his demeanor.
Jiang Hong, with an aluminum pot on his head and holding a box of specialties for Lu Xiu, stood there staring blankly at him.
He Rong came over, glanced around without noticing Jiang Hong, and closed the door.
Lu Xiu's expression changed, hesitating to speak, but Jiang Hong, holding the box, slipped in at the last moment before He Rong shut the door.
He accidentally bumped into He Rong, causing the contents to spill out.
"Ah, sorry!" Jiang Hong immediately apologized, but He Rong, and everyone else in the hall except Lu Xiu, completely ignored Jiang Hong's actions, voice, and the items scattered on the floor.
"Everything else is arranged," He Rong said, "Eagle King has started handling some routine matters."
Hua Xiaoli chuckled, "Our side isn't like the Exorcism Commission; we don't have many complicated tasks."
Lu Xiu didn't respond, just kept staring at Jiang Hong, then suddenly said, "You all may leave."
"Ah?" Hua Xiaoli seemed to have something else to say but promptly replied, "Yes."
The three of them left, with Jiang Hong still picking up his things. Before closing the door, Lu Xiu also stepped down from his throne. The three seemed a bit surprised but didn't turn back, and the door automatically closed.
Lu Xiu approached Jiang Hong, picking up the food and putting it back in the box.
Jiang Hong looked up, locking eyes with Lu Xiu. For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Lu Xiu's lips trembled slightly, his hand quivering subtly, the main hall steeped in profound silence.
Jiang Hong felt restrained, wanting to say something but feeling Lu Xiu had become strangely distant.
"My mom asked me to bring this for you," Jiang Hong finally broke the silence.
Lu Xiu didn't respond. Jiang Hong packed the items, uncertain whether to hand them over, as Lu Xiu showed no intention of receiving them. After a moment of mutual silence, Lu Xiu abruptly turned and walked back to his throne.
Jiang Hong watched for a while, then followed behind Lu Xiu.
Is he crying? Jiang Hong suddenly sensed a subtle emotion. Was Lu Xiu crying?
The air around them was tinged with a sorrowful yet faint emotion, like the scent of tears mingling with the wind, slowly diffusing.
Did he just cry?! Because he saw me again? Jiang Hong felt both joy and sorrow – joyous that Lu Xiu still cared about him, and sorrowful that his own grief had found an outlet upon seeing Lu Xiu again.
But when Lu Xiu turned around again, Jiang Hong didn't see any tears, only a hint of redness in his eyes.
He must be thinking of me, right?
Jiang Hong looked at Lu Xiu, then around the room. There were two chairs, one in the center and the other slightly to the side, both facing outward.
Not wanting to sit in the other chair, Jiang Hong sat down on the steps in front of the throne.
Lu Xiu watched for a while, didn’t sit on his throne, but slowly came down and sat beside Jiang Hong, side by side on the steps.
"Hmm... what did you bring me?"
Lu Xiu finally spoke, his voice slightly unsteady, confirming Jiang Hong's suspicion that he had choked up, even if just for a brief second. Jiang Hong no longer cared about the past. From this gesture, he realized how important he truly was to Lu Xiu. Perhaps there was another reason why Lu Xiu hadn't responded to his messages?
"There's... kimchi, green pepper duck liver sauce, crispy meat, and twisted dough strips... The dough strips were bought, the crispy meat I fried myself."
Jiang Hong showed Lu Xiu the assortment of specialties.
"She also bought us two down jackets," Jiang Hong said with an embarrassed smile, "saying it's cold in the mountains."
Jiang Hong took out a down vest to show Lu Xiu, who took it and put it on.
"Does it look good?" Lu Xiu wore a black one.
Jiang Hong's white one wasn't with him, and though wearing a down vest over a Tibetan robe was somewhat odd, he took out his phone and took a selfie with Lu Xiu, saying, "It looks good. Someone with a good-looking face looks good in anything."
Lu Xiu calmed down.
"How's your dad doing?" Lu Xiu asked.
"He's been discharged," Jiang Hong, sitting on the steps, not looking at Lu Xiu but at the luxurious carpet patterns, said, "He's the same as usual."
"Mm," Lu Xiu said, "He will live a long time, no need to worry."
After these few words, the earlier sense of strangeness disappeared. Gradually, Jiang Hong felt that Lu Xiu was still the same person, and he finally dared to look at him. He stared at Lu Xiu's face, his hand twitching, wanting to hug him as they used to, but fearing that after the confession, such an embrace might make Lu Xiu uncomfortable.
Lu Xiu, gazing into Jiang Hong's eyes, seemed to know what he wanted to do. His hand lightly touched Jiang Hong's, a touch so gentle it was as if nothing had happened, prompting Jiang Hong to finally give in and hug him.
Lu Xiu reciprocated the hug, patting Jiang Hong's shoulder.
"Are you okay?" Jiang Hong, after a moment of choking up, asked with reddened eyes.
"Mm," Lu Xiu replied.
"I was worried," Jiang Hong added, "Why didn't you reply to my messages?"
"Not replying to your messages?" Lu Xiu was taken aback, "Did I miss one?"
Jiang Hong said, "You replied, but you didn't really say anything."
Lu Xiu pondered for a moment, then asked, "Didn’t you sleep in the palace last night?"
Jiang Hong: "Don't change the subject. We're talking about you not responding to my messages."
Lu Xiu: "I went to find you last night because I wanted to explain."
Jiang Hong: "Oh, so you know that replying like that on WeChat would annoy someone."
Lu Xiu: "......"
Jiang Hong felt like he was being unreasonably petulant. Because he liked Lu Xiu, he suddenly knew that Lu Xiu cared about him too — after they cried upon reuniting, he just wanted to double check, making his emotions unstable, almost looking for an argument with Lu Xiu.
The day before, he would never have dared to speak like this. He was just grateful for any attention from Lu Xiu.
Lu Xiu, not angry, patiently explained, "I'm not familiar with the sacred land. This isn't my territory. There are some things I don’t want to discuss over communication apps in this place."
Jiang Hong said, "But even before coming to the sacred land, you almost never paid attention to me."
Lu Xiu: "When? I never ignored you."
Jiang Hong: "During the summer break when I went home, and when you returned to school."
Lu Xiu: "That's because I was busy with something important and couldn’t be distracted..."
Jiang Hong: "What was it?"
Lu Xiu: "I can’t tell you."
Jiang Hong's expression soured, realizing he was being unreasonable, but he wasn’t ready to back down yet, not wanting to lose face.
"Getting angry won’t help," Lu Xiu said, "I absolutely won’t talk about this matter."
Jiang Hong remained silent, and Lu Xiu took the initiative to place a hand on his shoulder.
"Okay, fine," Jiang Hong conceded first, saying, "Let it be."
Jiang Hong always felt that Lu Xiu was keeping many things from him, but he wasn’t anyone special to Lu Xiu, so why should he expect to be told everything?
Cherish the time together. Jiang Hong recalled what Jin had said… They had finally met, so why argue again? Guilt crept in, leaving him feeling a bit awkward.
"What have you been doing here?" Jiang Hong tried to steer the conversation.
"Not much," Lu Xiu replied, "Just sitting, playing with my phone."
Jiang Hong wanted to ask about Lu Xiu's plans for that matter, or why he left school, what were his next steps? But after a thought, those seemed unimportant now. As long as Lu Xiu was okay, he was content.
"Don’t you worry about me?" Jiang Hong challenged again.
"No," Lu Xiu answered, "Because if you were in trouble, you would summon me."
Alright… But this conversation was too ambiguous. Jiang Hong felt if they continued like this, he might start believing they were in a relationship, despite having already crushed that notion – they were just friends, at best very good friends.
"Then, I should go," Jiang Hong said, curious about Lu Xiu's reaction.
"Where to?" Lu Xiu asked.
Jiang Hong: "Work."
"You don't have work," Lu Xiu said, "Your internship was arranged by me."
Jiang Hong stood up, and Lu Xiu also rose to join him.
"I want to go out for a walk," Jiang Hong said, "I'll patrol the sacred land for you."
Lu Xiu replied, "Let's go together. I haven't left the palace in a long time."
As Lu Xiu followed, Jiang Hong couldn't help feeling a bit pleased, after all, it meant...
Lu Xiu: "Why are you smiling?"
"Ah?" Jiang Hong wondered if it was that obvious. He replied, "Nothing, am I smiling? I didn't realize."
"Your eyes are smiling," Lu Xiu observed, looking into Jiang Hong's eyes. Lu Xiu had become serious about everything again, just like when Jiang Hong first met him, when Lu Xiu couldn't tell when he was joking or being serious.
"I...," Jiang Hong pondered, deciding to be sincere instead of playing it cool, "I'm happy because you still want to be with me, without despising me."
Lu Xiu paused, then looked away, saying, "Of course, I want to. It was you who ignored me. What's this nonsense about despising?"
Jiang Hong wanted to say he hadn't, but remembered that after that night, he had indeed said he wanted to be alone and had left Lu Xiu first.
As Jiang Hong walked out of the palace, with Lu Xiu following, Lu Xiu said, "Where do you want to go? Let's go. The sacred land is vast, and there are many places you haven't seen yet."
Not knowing where to go, Jiang Hong followed the path in front of the main hall, with Lu Xiu trailing behind him like a bodyguard.
"After that night, I thought about it seriously," Jiang Hong suddenly said to Lu Xiu, "I'm sorry, it was my fault."
Since that night, they had both been cautious, avoiding the topic, but Jiang Hong felt it was meaningless and only made their relationship more awkward. Even though they could act as if nothing had happened, since he had spoken and been rejected, it was something that needed to be addressed.
"It's not something one can decide," Lu Xiu's expression became uneasy, filled with regret, as if he was the one who should be apologizing, "Don't say that, let's forget about it."
It was raining in the courtyard. Lu Xiu casually picked up a large black umbrella nearby, opened it, and held it over Jiang Hong, who was carrying the pot, thinking he could use it to avoid greetings if he didn’t want to interact with anyone.
Jiang Hong said, "Liking someone isn't something you can decide; not liking someone isn't either. So..."
Lu Xiu interrupted, "I never said I didn't like you, I just..."
Jiang Hong smiled, "I know, it's just... I'm a bit selfish, maybe because of my family background, I didn't consider your feelings."
"Let's not talk about this anymore," Lu Xiu suddenly said, "I don't want to discuss it further."
"Just let me finish, okay?" Jiang Hong said, "Just this once, alright?"
Lu Xiu looked at Jiang Hong, finally relenting, "Alright, shall we keep walking?"
Jiang Hong passed through the courtyard to another exit leading to the upper garden, filled with rare plants, also under the rain.
Lu Xiu tilted the umbrella towards Jiang Hong, half of his body exposed to the rain, not using any magic, drenching his left shoulder.
Da Wan was sitting in the courtyard with a group of pandas folding paper planes. Seeing Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong, he quickly called a panda over. The panda scampered off and soon returned with an umbrella, which Da Wan promptly opened, following Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong, extending a paw to shield Lu Xiu from the rain.
Then, a few more pandas arrived, each holding a large umbrella resembling those at security posts, to cover their leader.
"But then," Jiang Hong tried to smile again, "I thought it over clearly. I got a bit confused... um, between the affection of friends and the love between partners. After thinking about it and comparing, I realized it wasn't the same."
"Mm."
"I just mistakenly thought I liked you," Jiang Hong said with an awkward laugh, "How silly, ha ha ha."
Lu Xiu didn't respond, just silently continued walking.
Jiang Hong: "Having never been in a relationship can indeed lead to confusion. I’ve figured it out, it's not like that."
"Oh."
Jiang Hong: "Yeah, so you don’t need to worry about that anymore. I think... between us... um, just like before, I’ll gradually get used to it. You don’t need to worry about me."
Lu Xiu, clearly unsure of how to respond, finally said, "Okay."
After a moment of silence, Jiang Hong finally said what he'd been holding back.
Jiang Hong: "Can we... be like we were before?"
Lu Xiu: "We can. Now, it's you who are struggling, not me."
Shortly after, Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong noticed Da Wan and the large group of pandas behind him.
Da Wan: "?"
Lu Xiu: "......"
Jiang Hong: "Okay, never mind, that’s all I wanted to say."
In fact, with the pandas around, Jiang Hong found it difficult to say more. Da Wan's appearance had somewhat saved the situation.
Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu walked side by side through the garden, followed by a parade of pandas of various sizes, holding umbrellas like a set of Russian nesting dolls.
Lu Xiu suddenly said, "I've always been like this. You, to me, have always been... been..."
Lu Xiu seemed to be searching for the right words, but Jiang Hong chuckled, "Alright, no need to say it, I understand."
It was embarrassing, but Jiang Hong's mood was gradually improving. He decided to cherish his relationship with Lu Xiu from now on. After all, he had already done enough for himself.
"There are many medicinal herbs in the garden," Lu Xiu changed the subject, "You can take some for your uncle, they should help him recover quickly."
"Sure!" Jiang Hong immediately said, "Thank you! Can I dig up any of them?"
Jiang Hong squatted down to examine the herbs in the garden. He wouldn't study pharmacology until his junior year, but he could already recognize a few spiritual herbs. He asked, "Are there also things like lingzhi, cordyceps, and ginseng here?"
"Those are just used as firewood," Lu Xiu said, "You won't find them here. This one, called Jiuyou Changpu, can enhance brain function and improve vision..."
Jiang Hong then picked some, knowing the herbs here, nourished by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, couldn't be transplanted to his own garden.
Lu Xiu helped him select a few more herbs, saying, "It's lunchtime, want to eat at my place?"
"I'm going to eat in the cafeteria, then I have to go out this afternoon," Jiang Hong said, "I need to mail these herbs back home."
Lu Xiu: "Oh, what for?"
The cleaning robot Jiang Hong had ordered had arrived, and he needed to pick it up from the town. He couldn't always rely on Hu Qingquan to fetch deliveries, which were only done every two days for the entire grade. Lu Xiu thought sending someone to fetch it would suffice, but Jiang Hong preferred to go himself.
"Then let's eat together, and I'll accompany you after," Lu Xiu suggested.
"Can you leave the sacred land?" Jiang Hong worried that Lu Xiu might be captured by agents from the Exorcism Commission as soon as he left the barrier.
"Don't worry, let's go," Lu Xiu reassured him.
