Xu Nian was cut off, blocking Chen Zhou’s view so he could no longer see Cao Ying’s expression.
However, Cao Ying did not linger for long and quickly proposed going to see Xu Nian’s mother, Aunt Wang.
“Alright,” Xu Nian nodded. “Xiaojia, you head back first.”
Chen Zhou was shooed away promptly. Sensing that Xu Nian wanted him to leave immediately, he offered a slight nod, greeted Cao Ying, and departed.
As he walked, Chen Zhou felt a lingering sense of oddity. Realistically speaking, Cao Ying had no business showing up here.
[126!] Chen Zhou issued an emergency call. [What is going on?]
Taken aback by the abrupt interrogation, 126 paused for a good long while. [I’m right here, host.]
[What’s happening? Shouldn’t Cao Ying be busy falling in love properly back in town? Why is he here?]
126 visibly hesitated for a moment, beating around the bush before offering a slow explanation. [Actually, it’s because he came back to visit his family. There’s nothing wrong with that.]
[It’s just that…]
Chen Zhou: [Just what?]
Why did it always like to leave people hanging?
[He actually seemed like he wanted to go look for you just now…]
Huh?
[Sigh…] 126 let out a faint sigh. [To be honest, host, ever since you arrived, certain things around here have genuinely started to shift.]
Chen Zhou felt a bit aggrieved. [So it’s my fault again.]
[Not quite, it’s just that…] 126 continued, [Do you remember when Xu Nian’s mother was sick and refused to seek medical treatment?]
[I remember.]
[Well… originally she was completely stubborn about it, but the words you said had a massive impact on her, so she changed her mind. Therefore, host, without even realizing it, you’re changing things here as well…]
Meaning that while Aunt Wang was originally programmed a certain way, Chen Zhou had altered that predetermined trajectory? Chen Zhou fell deep into thought. In other words, these events were originally designed and scripted.
Could it be that these people were also implanted with specific personalities and memories? So they felt subconsciously that they ought to act a certain way, yet Chen Zhou was subtly altering them without intending to?
Chen Zhou’s mind raced through these possibilities, feeling as though he might be on the verge of uncovering the truth. Could it even be possible that Xu Nian was a real person from the outside world whose memories had been rewritten before being sent here?
While 126 chattered away endlessly, Chen Zhou barely registered a word.
At last, 126 delivered its concluding remark. [So please rest assured, absolutely no other issues will arise!]
Kicking a pebble along the roadside, Chen Zhou muttered, [Oh, right, got it.]
126:
While Chen Zhou walked and pondered, Cao Ying accompanied Xu Nian toward the house.
“How has Aunt Wang been lately? I’ve been meaning to find a chance to visit her, but something always ends up getting in the way.”
Walking behind Xu Nian, Cao Ying maintained a polite distance.
Xu Nian typically acted like an air conditioner set to max chill around anyone else, offering only a flat, cold “Yeah.”
Sensing that Xu Nian had changed a great deal, Cao Ying didn’t quite know what else to say, so he continued walking in silence.
After a moment, Cao Ying’s voice drifted over from behind.
“You and Xiaojia…”
Hearing those words, Xu Nian came to an abrupt halt and turned to look at Cao Ying.
With absolute earnestness, he uttered a single word.
“Yes.”
Seeming caught off guard by Xu Nian’s response, Cao Ying found himself somewhat speechless in the face of such profound changes in his former friend. He let out a dry, helpless laugh. “I see…”
Pausing to think it over, Cao Ying pressed on anyway. “Xu Nian, you must know how difficult it’s going to be, out here…”
Drawing from the bitter wisdom of someone who had walked a similar path, Cao Ying spoke with a deep, lingering sigh and unspoken hardship.
“No matter how difficult it gets, I won’t give it up,” Xu Nian replied, entirely unfazed. “Never.”
This time it was Cao Ying’s turn to fall silent. After a long interval, he offered a self-deprecating smile.
“Xiaojia is a good person. You two should take good care of each other.”
After paying his respects to Aunt Wang, Cao Ying departed. Ever since hearing that declaration, Xu Nian hadn’t spoken another word; he felt a growing annoyance at hearing anyone else mention Li Jia.
Yet he forced down the intense discomfort churning inside him.
As Xu Nian busied himself tidying up the room, he let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh. It was all because of that kid that he had turned into such a jealous mess.
“Where did you go last night?”
Wang Yulin suddenly broke the silence to question him.
Unwilling to resort to lying, Xu Nian kept his mouth shut.
“You, you…” Struck by a towering wave of anger, Wang Yulin glared at him. “Are you going to ignore everything your mother says?”
“Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”
Remaining stubbornly silent, Xu Nian pushed Wang Yulin to the point of giving up entirely.
After a long while, she fought back her fury. “In a little while, Xiaoxin is coming back. Go pick her up. It’s clear you’ve spent way too long without interacting with any young women.”
Having no earthly idea who this “Xiaoxin” person was, Xu Nian panicked instantly. “Mom!”
“All right, say no more. I don’t want to hear it.”
Bang. The bedroom door slammed shut. Left standing in place, Xu Nian felt a splitting headache coming on.
Lingering for a moment outside, Xu Nian ultimately gave up and went out to smoke. Pulling out a cigarette, he brought it to his lips before a sudden thought struck him, causing him to toss it back into the pack instead.
Reaching peak levels of irritation, Xu Nian repeated the motion several times over, yet still refrained from lighting up.
Letting out a frustrated curse, unsure of what he was even trying to vent against, Xu Nian squatted down by the base of the wall and buried his face in his hands.
More than anything right now, he wanted to pull the person currently occupying his mind into his arms and hold him tight.
Later that evening, Xu Nian came over to find Chen Zhou, who reached out from the window to haul him inside.
The moment he stepped through the door, Xu Nian pulled Chen Zhou tightly into his embrace, nearly squeezing the breath out of him. Muffling his voice against him, Chen Zhou murmured, “Brother.”
Running a hand through his hair, Xu Nian replied, “Yeah.”
While pressing soft kisses to Chen Zhou’s cheek, Xu Nian’s hands began to wander restlessly.
He slipped his hand beneath Chen Zhou’s shirt, tracing his spine before brushing against his shoulder blades.
Deeply sensitive to his touch, Chen Zhou gave a slight shudder in his arms.
“Brother.”
“Hmm?”
“I want to kiss.”
With a soft chuckle, Xu Nian captured Chen Zhou’s lips the very next second. Sliding his tongue smoothly past his teeth, he began with a fierce, demanding pressure before gradually softening into a tender rhythm.
A gentle nip here, a slow suckle there—it was Chen Zhou’s first time realizing Xu Nian possessed such masterclass kissing skills.
Swept away in a dizzying fog of desire, Chen Zhou clutched at Xu Nian’s collar and whispered a breathless “Brother.”
Xu Nian wasn’t faring much better; his wandering hands radiated an escalating heat, turning his entire body scorching hot.
“Xiaojia…”
“Brother.” Chen Zhou abruptly interrupted, looking up with bright, shining eyes.
“Hmm? What is it?”
“I want to try.”