DCHHLT Chapter 19

These words sent Liang Xingyuan into an absolute shock.

He felt his heart skip a beat. Even his pulse no longer felt like his own.

A second later, Liang Xingyuan suddenly remembered that this matter really ought to be put on the agenda. From the very beginning, Chu Junshan and he had entered the relationship with marriage in mind. Now that they had been living together for nearly a month, logically, he should have been the one to bring it up first.

Perhaps over this recent stretch of time, he had been so completely absorbed in his work and in clearing out those annoying monsters that he hadn’t even given it a second thought.

Frowning slightly, his wildly racing heart stilled in an instant, replaced by a subtle twinge of guilt. “Tomorrow?”

He really should have paid more attention to this… During these busy days, Chu Junshan must have been under an immense amount of pressure facing all of this alone, hadn’t he?

Liang Xingyuan raised his eyes, his gaze settling on his lover’s tall, slender silhouette outlined in the dim light. In that moment, his heart felt like an overripe plum, like a single tender touch would make it burst with sweet, aching juice.

He didn’t know if Chu Junshan, standing in the shadow, could see his expression clearly. Yet as if reading his mind, Chu Junshan observed Liang Xingyuan’s face thoughtfully. “You don’t need to overthink it, really. It’s just a simple meal. Setting it for tomorrow is only because it happens to be a time when we’re both free.”

Liang Xingyuan’s heart ached even more. He felt as though his non-existent conscience was suffering intense condemnation.

Chu Junshan was so wonderful. How could he have brought himself to be so neglectful? He remembered Chu Junshan mentioning that before meeting him, he had gone through a hundred failed blind dates. From that alone, Liang Xingyuan could easily deduce that Chu Junshan’s parents were likely the pushy, fast-tracking type who rushed every stage of life.

Which meant that during all that time he hadn’t noticed, Chu Junshan’s parents must have dropped hints—both subtle and direct—countless times.

At the thought, Liang Xingyuan took a deep breath.

He raised his eyes once more, his resolute, ready-for-doomsday look caught entirely by Chu Junshan beside him. “Alright,” Liang Xingyuan tried to sound as casual as possible, though the tension on his face was impossible to hide. “I’ll go get things ready first.”

If he was going to meet Chu Junshan’s parents tomorrow, bringing gifts was an absolute must. It was a tradition in human society, one Liang Xingyuan had picked up over time and felt obligated to follow. There was only one problem troubling him. What on earth should he buy?

Cigarettes, white wine, gold jewelry, or tea? He wondered if those shops would even be open early tomorrow morning.

Would Chu Junshan’s parents even like these things?

If not, what else could he get? He couldn’t possibly turn up empty-handed. What if his parents disapproved and made Chu Junshan break up with him?

After all, his handsome face was practically his only redeeming quality. He had no family in this world. And if one were to trace it back to the very root, even his fabricated identity was completely hollow.

Liang Xingyuan took another deep breath, a faint sense of grim resignation written all over his face—

“You seem really worried about tomorrow’s meeting.”

Chu Junshan raised his eyes, his tea-brown gaze reflecting Liang Xingyuan’s worry-filled face in full view. It was an irrefutable piece of evidence against the instinctive denial Liang Xingyuan was about to utter.

“If you’re really worried you’re not ready, we can always change the date.” Chu Junshan pulled the quilt up over his shoulders, looking at him with a calm, gentle gaze. “Go to sleep for now.”

He reached out and switched off the light, letting out a soft laugh that sounded completely offhand. His tone was as casual as ever, yet it instantly soothed Liang Xingyuan’s faintly anxious heart. “I’m right here. There’s no need to be anxious.”

Liang Xingyuan’s heart, wound tight all evening, finally gave way like a crumbling ant nest, revealing its softest, most vulnerable state.

Suppressing the urge to step forward and hug or kiss Chu Junshan, he forced himself to pull back his hand. A cozy warmth flooded his chest, laced with a hint of sweetness.

To meet Chu Junshan’s parents was an unparalleled sign of acceptance. He felt immensely honored—

Yet beneath that honor lay a subtle worry, one that Chu Junshan likely wouldn’t understand.

He worried that in a world where disasters were steadily worsening and the shadow of death loomed once more, he wouldn’t be able to bring Chu Junshan true happiness.

The endless influx of monsters, the uncontrollable sources of contamination, and those invisible channels and bridges connecting the two worlds… none of it seemed solvable in the short term.

He was terrified… what if he couldn’t protect Chu Junshan?

Even so, since Chu Junshan was willing to give him this chance, it meant he accepted him, cherished him, and truly regarded him as his closest family.

So, whether for his own happiness, for Chu Junshan, or for this wonderful, gentle world, Liang Xingyuan was willing to give it another shot.

He gave a firm nod, suddenly feeling relieved that it wasn’t daylight. In the dim light, Chu Junshan wouldn’t be able to see the expression on his face that had briefly slipped out of control moments ago.

Liang Xingyuan climbed onto the bed and turned his head, just about to whisper some sweet nothings between lovers, when a dark shadow suddenly flitted past the window. A row of owls—symbols of ill omen—perched brazenly on the windowsill, their pairs of brightly glowing eyes staring at him in unison.

The owl standing right in the center slowly turned its head. A malicious grin stretched across its eerily human face, as if mocking Liang Xingyuan for falling in love with a human and refusing to return to his original world.

…These were “Eyes”.

Certain high-level monsters developed their own sentience. Just like Liang Xingyuan, they formed factions, built up their influence, and actively bred in the other world.

However, since most monsters lived in the pitch-black abyss, scouting the outside world was difficult. Thus, having “Eyes” to observe their surroundings on their behalf became indispensable.

Liang Xingyuan’s heart, which had only just settled into place, slowly sank once more as he frowned.

Sensing his sudden change in mood, Chu Junshan spoke softly, his voice thick with faint, sleepy fatigue. “What are you looking at?”

The question snapped Liang Xingyuan back to reality. Sensing something was off, Chu Junshan started to turn around to see what was out the window. But a large hand pressed down firmly on his shoulder.

A little confused, Chu Junshan tilted his head up slightly. His subtle Adam’s apple bobbed gently against his fair, slender neck. It was irresistibly sexy under the moonlight filtering through the window.

“Looking at you.”

Liang Xingyuan pressed his lips to his, completely drawing Chu Junshan’s attention back. With “Teacher Chu” practicing with him daily, his kissing skills had improved by leaps and bounds, showing the initial makings of a true master.

He was putting in an unusually earnest effort, making the lie—one Chu Junshan could have easily seen right through—seem charmingly clumsy.

He knew what was outside the window.

Letting out a soft chuckle, Chu Junshan compliantly stayed facing him, giving his full attention to the tender, deep kiss.

Besides, Liang Xingyuan was simply too adorable.

So this harmless little lie was easy enough to indulge.

Chu Junshan’s plan wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision, but something he had thought out well in advance.

Lately, his parents had been sending frequent messages to probe the situation, with every line practically reading, “We don’t know if you’ve got good taste in partners, but whether he’s a mule or a horse, bring him out and let’s see what he’s made of.” As it happened, Chu Junshan felt the timing was right as well.

Over these past few days, he had been busy clearing out the monsters occupying various corners of the world, inevitably neglecting Liang Xingyuan a little.

In his eyes, even though Liang Xingyuan was a monster, he possessed a sensitivity and attentiveness that other monsters lacked. And most importantly, a deep sense of insecurity.

Settling things a little sooner made no difference to Chu Junshan. If anything, it might even make Liang Xingyuan a bit happier.

At ten o’clock in the morning, Jiang Chun’s car pulled up outside the house right on schedule. Today he wore a casual shirt and a pair of light pink sunglasses, forcibly smothering his heavy, half-dead corporate drone vibe. Through the half-lowered window, he turned his head and waved cheerfully at Chu Junshan. “Have you two finished packing? When are we leaving? I’m dying for Uncle’s chestnut-braised chicken!”

Ever since Jiang Chun had come out of the Infinite Game alongside Chu Junshan, he had been working with him. He was an orphan in this world with no family of his own. Fortunately, Chu Junshan’s parents were very fond of the polite kid. Chu Junshan had long regarded him as family, so of course he was bringing him along for his partner’s first meeting with the parents.

Jiang Chun lacked even an ounce of self-awareness as a third wheel, hollering loudly from the car: “Where’s Liang Xingyuan? How come I don’t see him? What’s taking him so long…”

Before he could finish, a man in a white shirt with half-rolled sleeves came into view. Liang Xingyuan was steadily holding a stack of neatly boxed gift sets, his expression calm as he raised an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”

Jiang Chun: “…”

For some reason, even though this tall, handsome Teacher Liang seemed completely non-threatening, Jiang Chun inexplicably felt an overwhelming sense of pressure, as if standing before him meant something terrible was bound to happen the next second.

Silenced, he quickly pushed open the door, got out of the car, and obediently walked up to Liang Xingyuan. Picking up another pile of purchases Liang Xingyuan had set on the ground, he asked, “Are we bringing all of these?”

Liang Xingyuan nodded with refined elegance, confirming the answer: “Yes.”

Compared to the busy pair, Chu Junshan, who was feeding freeze-dried treats to Yaoyaoling, appeared completely relaxed. “When did you buy all this?”

Upon hearing those words, Liang Xingyuan, who had been expressionless just a moment ago, seemed to instantly unlock a hidden talent. Under Jiang Chun’s dumbfounded gaze, he turned around and pulled off a complete 180 in aura, transforming entirely into a gentle, refined, and courteous man. “This morning. I felt I should observe proper etiquette. After all, it’s my first time visiting your parents’ place. I wasn’t sure what they would like—”

His smile was soft and gentle, like a white feather brushing across a quiet lake. “I hope they’ll like my gifts… and me.”

Jiang Chun stood there completely stunned by his words, holding the gift boxes in mid-air for quite a while before finally snapping back to his usual self.

He couldn’t help but steal a glance at Chu Junshan’s expression.

However, as if thoroughly accustomed to Liang Xingyuan’s way of speaking, Chu Junshan didn’t show the slightest flicker of emotion on his face, simply replying in a flat tone, “They will.”

There was still some distance between the two of them, yet for the first time, Jiang Chun felt that inseparable aura so intensely. Feeling acutely aware of his presence as a third wheel, he silently took a step back.

…

How terrifying.

Teacher Liang, who could flatter the boss so seamlessly, was truly terrifying.

And the boss, sitting there silently accepting the flattery, felt strangely unfamiliar, too.

Jiang Chun quietly and swiftly scampered back to the driver’s seat, chanting in his head that for this trip, he was merely a chauffeur who brought his mouth along for a free meal.

As for anything else, he didn’t want to know a single thing.jpg

Still…

Jiang Chun looked back through the rearview mirror, his gaze landing on Liang Xingyuan, who was turned sideways, whispering something to Chu Junshan.

He actually looked pretty sincere. After all, managing to buy all those bags and gift boxes in a single morning was no small feat.

Shrugging at the thought, Jiang Chun sniffed the air inside the car and suddenly asked, “Huh? Chuchu, are you wearing perfume? Why aren’t you using your usual one?”

“Yes.” Chu Junshan’s smiling face was reflected in the rearview mirror. His eyes were lowered slightly, his long, thick eyelashes fluttering softly, rising and falling gently with his breath. “I blended a new fragrance myself. Does it smell good?”

Jiang Chun held his breath and turned to look at Liang Xingyuan sitting beside Chu Junshan, as if waiting for an answer.

Oddly enough, however, Liang Xingyuan didn’t offer a compliment right away as he had expected.

“Huh?” After the silence in the car dragged on for a moment, Jiang Chun couldn’t hold back anymore. “Does it not smell good?”

He figured Chu Junshan had worn it specifically for Liang Xingyuan. So why wasn’t Liang Xingyuan saying anything?

Amid the silence between the three of them, Liang Xingyuan let out a quiet sigh in his heart.

It wasn’t that it didn’t smell good. On the contrary—

It was precisely because it smelled so good that he was suppressing—

Suppressing an urge to swallow Chu Junshan whole, to keep him safely treasured away deep inside his own body.

If you enjoy my works and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-fi. Thank you for your support.