DCHHLT Chapter 16

The setting sun hung far away over the treetops, its golden afterglow still carrying the warmth of sunlight as it spilled down upon the human world.

At some point, Yaoyaoling came charging out of the living room again, biting a squeaky fish-bone toy and breaking the silence between the two.

The flowers and plants that had seemed to freeze in midair earlier appeared to have had the play button pressed once more. Their soft, lush branches, leaves, and blossoms slowly swayed together in the wind.

After Liang Xingyuan finished saying those words—words that, to him, had been so difficult to voice—he lifted his head and saw the clear, indifferent eyes of Chu Junshan. Suddenly, he felt a little regretful.

Words like that… had they been a little too abrupt?

The monster’s eight brains began racing at high speed at that moment, trying to discern his lover’s true feelings from the faint expression on Chu Junshan’s face.

Chu Junshan did not look like an emotional person. Of course, he would not allow his feelings to dictate his actions, either.

If Liang Xingyuan were asked to choose one person in this world who would never make the wrong choice, then he believed that person would definitely be Chu Junshan.

He was simply too aloof and too rational. Liang Xingyuan seemed as though he could never guess what exactly Chu Junshan was thinking.

Chu Junshan would always look at him with his eyes slightly curved, as though every tiny change in the world was reflected in his gaze. Yet Liang Xingyuan suddenly had an illusion—

It was as though he cared about nothing at all.

Then… would he also not care about Liang Xingyuan’s confession?

Those three words were like burning-hot coals, searing Liang Xingyuan’s heart twice. The pain was so scorching that he did not dare to think back on the expression he had just observed on Chu Junshan’s face.

His heart thumped helplessly, beat after beat. He was clearly looking forward to Chu Junshan’s answer more than anything, yet he felt that Chu Junshan would probably be just as he had imagined—not giving him a straightforward answer.

…At the very least, he wouldn’t simply answer him so clearly with a yes or a no.

The surge of passion that had overtaken him earlier had now passed, receding like the tide and gradually overwhelming Liang Xingyuan’s burning heart.

The sky grew darker. The sun slowly sank below the horizon, its afterglow gradually fading until only wisps of watercolor-like clouds remained at the edge of the sky.

Liang Xingyuan pressed his lips together, unwilling to let the awkward atmosphere continue any longer. He spoke first. “I’ll go make food for Yaoyaoling. That dog is such a picky eater, and it doesn’t like exercising either. I’m afraid it’ll eat freeze-dried food every day and end up getting fat to death…”

“Wait a moment.”

Before Liang Xingyuan could make his escape, Chu Junshan stopped him in time. With his arms folded, he leaned casually against the glass doorframe of the terrace. His head tilted slightly, and his eyes reflected the distant setting sun, as though they were filled with melted honey.

“At a time like this, shouldn’t I give you an answer—or rather… the answer?”

The ending of his words was flat and direct, carrying his usual indifferent tone. Yet, for some reason, Liang Xingyuan’s heart skipped another beat because of it. In the next moment, the scorching tide came rushing back.

Liang Xingyuan turned his head, his lips pressed together and his gaze flickering. Even the tip of his nose felt a little sour. “…What?”

“Thank you for liking me,” Chu Junshan said gently and steadily. “I like you, too.”

Liang Xingyuan felt as though his ability to control his limbs had suddenly regressed to how it had been years ago, when he had first arrived in this world.

He could barely feel the existence of his own body. All he could do was stand there stiffly and blankly, turning his head to meet Chu Junshan’s smile.

“…So, I’m willing to keep walking forward with you. Perhaps getting closer to me will take some time and effort. I hope you won’t give up, okay?”

Liang Xingyuan felt as though even his breathing no longer belonged to him.

Countless pink bubbles burst uncontrollably from his heart, popping one after another and splashing their sweet yet sour juices all over him.

At last, his mind caught up a beat too late—

Had Chu Junshan just said that he liked him, too?!

That thought set his long-suppressed heart completely free. It sprouted wings, as though he were about to take flight the very next moment!

He liked Chu Junshan, and Chu Junshan liked him, too… This was something Liang Xingyuan wouldn’t have dared to imagine, no matter how much he thought about it!

He had thought that getting to Chu Junshan’s side would take a very, very long time. After deciding to “give it a try” with him, Liang Xingyuan had already prepared himself to put in a great deal of effort and patience—

No matter what happened, he would try his best to pursue the human he liked.

But in reality, it seemed that Chu Junshan had been waiting for him all along.

Liang Xingyuan couldn’t hold it back. His nose stung, and tears welled up, dampening the corners of his eyes.

Pretending he had not just made such an embarrassing display of emotion, he lowered his head slightly. Only after he had composed himself did he raise his head again. When he looked at Chu Junshan once more, he had returned to being the dignified, composed Teacher Liang.

He nodded firmly at Chu Junshan. “Mm. I will.”

Yaoyaoling had long since been unable to stand the sight of its master, who had fallen into a trap of pink bubbles. Seizing the opportunity, it let out an “Awoo!” and pounced on Liang Xingyuan’s calf, protesting on behalf of its dinner.

Liang Xingyuan had originally wanted to spend a little more tender time with Chu Junshan, but Yaoyaoling was simply too much of a nuisance. For the first time, he seriously considered tying this dog—who was serving as a professional third wheel—up outside.

He cautiously raised his head and stole a glance at Chu Junshan, only to abruptly meet those indifferent eyes, which now held a faint trace of amusement.

Chu Junshan said to him, “Go on.”

Liang Xingyuan could only answer reluctantly, “Okay.”

As the biggest winner of this contest, Yaoyaoling was very satisfied. After Liang Xingyuan left, looking back every few steps, it began circling Chu Junshan’s legs in an extremely ingratiating manner, its tail wagging as though it had an engine attached to it.

For some reason, the smile in Chu Junshan’s eyes deepened.

He bent down slightly and extended a hand, curling his index finger in a small beckoning gesture. “Yaoyaoling, come here.”

Yaoyaoling obeyed at once. With its tongue hanging out, it happily circled him.

Chu Junshan lowered his gaze. Between his porcelain-white fingertips, he held a small piece of square cake. He gently pinched off a little and fed it to Yaoyaoling.

“Is it tasty?”

With tears in its eyes, Yaoyaoling replied, “Woof, woof, woof—!”

Ever since he had just arrived here, Yaoyaoling had been circling him the whole time.

Besides liking Chu Junshan himself, of course, there was another reason today.

There was now a little more bait in Chu Junshan’s pocket—bait he had gotten from Jiang Chun.

Back in the days of the Infinite Game, resources had been even scarcer than in modern society. Human players had spent a long time there. After countless trials, errors, and attempts, they had finally developed a kind of bait made by mixing together common foods.

It was completely non-toxic to Yaoyaoling, but to monsters, it possessed a lethally irresistible attraction.

Of course, as bait, this stuff was useful not only for attracting those vicious and malevolent monsters; it was also highly appealing to small household pets.

If Liang Xingyuan wasn’t attracted to these things…

Chu Junshan thought that was fine, too.

He had made many other things as well, all for the sake of luring in that one monster.

Chu Junshan smiled as he watched Yaoyaoling lick up the crumbs on the floor, then reached down to pat its big, fluffy head. “That’s all you get. If you eat too much and don’t feel like eating your dinner later, your master will blame me.”

Yaoyaoling hovered expectantly around the fingers Chu Junshan had just used to pinch the square cake. But after waiting a while without getting anything more, it could only flee the terrace in sorrow.

Just then, Liang Xingyuan appeared at the glass door. His attention was focused on the dog food bowl in his hands. He failed to notice Yaoyaoling storming off in a huff. The sad but plump dog crashed into him, making him let out a muffled grunt and nearly causing him to lose his grip on the bowl.

“Yaoyaoling.” Liang Xingyuan’s naturally imposing voice rang out. When he wasn’t speaking to Chu Junshan, his voice didn’t seem nearly as gentle. “Who chased you away? We agreed that you weren’t allowed to run around the house.”

Yaoyaoling, catching the scent of its dog food: “!”

With tears in its eyes, it immediately began treating the owner in front of it as the ultimate authority. Decisively switching targets for its flattery, it started whining in a deliberately cutesy voice.

“…” Liang Xingyuan set down the dog food bowl and sighed. “You’re really not a good dog.”

Chu Junshan concealed the fact that he had just provoked Yaoyaoling and said impassively, “Maybe spring has come.”

Liang Xingyuan thought it over briefly. “Mm, maybe.”

Yaoyaoling pricked up its ears, watching Liang Xingyuan warily as his expression turned serious. Its two floppy ears, which had been drooping limply, immediately stood alert.

The next moment, it heard Liang Xingyuan say, “I happen to have a day off next week. I’ll take you to the pet hospital to get neutered.”

Yaoyaoling seemed to understand what he meant. Suddenly, even its food no longer smelled appetizing, and it began howling frantically.

However, neither of its two owners had the time to pay attention to it now.

Liang Xingyuan followed Chu Junshan through the glass door. He looked back at Yaoyaoling, who was eating with tears in its eyes, and sighed softly. Before he could even turn back around, he heard Chu Junshan ask, “Have you had it for a long time?”

“A year and a half.” Liang Xingyuan raised his head and met Chu Junshan’s gaze. His eyes held a bright, warm light. As he recalled the past, a happy smile spread across his face. “I had only just officially started working at Xinghai Kindergarten at the time. I took two children home because their parents hadn’t come to pick them up, so I got off work a little late that day. On my way home, I saw two people who looked like very young students standing beside a roadside garbage collection point, holding a puppy. It hadn’t been cared for well and was barely clinging to life. Its eyes closed as though it might die at any moment.”

Chu Junshan gazed into his eyes. Even though he had already guessed what happened next, he didn’t interrupt Liang Xingyuan’s story. A faint smile lingered in his clear eyes as he prompted, “And then?”

“And then, I bought it for a thousand yuan.” Liang Xingyuan walked over to the dining table, brought out the dinner he had prepared earlier, and popped it into the microwave to heat it. Then he turned around and smiled at Chu Junshan. “The two students said they had saved up their own money to buy it from a pet shop, but their parents didn’t agree to let them keep it. If no one else was willing to take it, they were planning to throw it into a garbage bin. After all, they couldn’t afford to keep it either.”

After hearing this, Chu Junshan was silent for a long time before finally saying, “You’re very kind.”

“No, no.” Liang Xingyuan sat down at the dining table again, raised his head, and said earnestly, “It’s because I’d wanted to have a puppy in the first place. Meeting it was probably a kind of fate, too.”

Back when he was still a tentacled monster living in the mud, Liang Xingyuan had once imagined that if one day he could come to that warm and wonderful human world of legend, he would definitely find the companion he loved most, raise a puppy, and build a warm and loving family.

Without realizing it, it seemed that he was about to achieve all those goals.

Chu Junshan…

He had said that he liked him, too.

Suppressing the urge for his heart to start pounding wildly again, Liang Xingyuan took a deep breath and returned to being the calm, self-controlled, dignified, and composed Teacher Liang.

After dinner, Liang Xingyuan went to wash up first.

Chu Junshan sat at the desk, watching the tall figure walk away and gradually disappear behind a beaded curtain strung with seashells. He lowered his eyes slightly, his long, thick lashes falling together and concealing the turbulent emotions surging beneath them like a dark undercurrent.

However, to an outsider, that unusual expression had lasted only an instant.

By the time Chu Junshan raised his head again, the complex emotions that had surged in his eyes had vanished without a trace.

He put away the things he had gotten from Jiang Chun that day and pushed open the door to the bedroom.

As usual, Chu Junshan switched on a dim bedside lamp. He held a sketchpad with sheets of sketch paper clipped to it and casually drew something with a ballpoint pen.

About ten minutes later, a faint creak came from the doorway.

Chu Junshan did not look up. Familiar footsteps approached from the door, and Liang Xingyuan’s distinctive warm, humid scent lingered in the air, gradually encroaching upon Chu Junshan’s territory.

Liang Xingyuan’s scent was like countless tiny tentacles, wrapping themselves around Chu Junshan completely.

Noticing this, Chu Junshan raised one eyebrow and turned his head to look at him.

“Did I… disturb you?” Liang Xingyuan’s voice came from the doorway, carrying a hint of hesitation and gentleness to an almost outrageous degree.

“No.”

Chu Junshan answered briefly. Lowering his head, he lightly tapped the barrel of his ballpoint pen with his fingertips, as though he were caressing something. “It’s about time to sleep anyway.”

Under the dim light, the soft glow illuminated Chu Junshan’s profile. A light breeze from outside the window stirred his loose strands of hair, revealing his smooth, clean forehead, which looked like a piece of warm, flawless jade beneath the light.

Liang Xingyuan unconsciously softened his breathing and lowered his eyes slightly. His gaze never left Chu Junshan for even a moment, following him as it had countless times before, tracing the outline of his lover in the dim light.

Whenever moments like this—quiet and warm—came around, Liang Xingyuan couldn’t help but hold his breath, afraid that even the slightest movement from him might disturb this dreamlike, illusory scene.

Until—

At some point, Chu Junshan set down the sketchpad in his hands and turned slightly. Those pale-colored eyes of his disappeared into the darkness, yet they seemed to come alive with a different kind of vitality, more vivid than before.

The corners of Chu Junshan’s lips curved slightly. Under Liang Xingyuan’s gaze, his eyes narrowed with a strong, suggestive implication.

“Want a kiss?”

In an instant, Liang Xingyuan, who had just sat down at the edge of the bed, felt an unfamiliar fragrance enter his nostrils. At the same time, a fire rose within his heart, along with certain indescribable impulses, burning fiercely through his reason.

It smells so good.

So good, so good, so good, so good, so good!!!!!

The tentacles, which had been suppressed for so long, began battering uncontrollably against the restraints Liang Xingyuan had set in advance. As though heedless of everything, they rushed toward the outside world.

They spread invisibly through the air, black tentacles twisting and writhing. Their tide-like appendages tangled and knotted together, like the roots of a century-old tree buried deep beneath the soil.

I want him!!!!!

The tentacles clamored, pouring out all their strength as they tried to break free from the cage Liang Xingyuan had created.

Liang Xingyuan keenly noticed this. He lowered his head and fixed a warning gaze on the tentacles that continued to spread through the air, silently chanting something in his mind.

Go back. Go back.

You have no right to lay a finger on him.

The tentacles, which would normally retreat after being intimidated by him, seemed to have gone mad today, defying his commands.

But…

Why did Chu Junshan smell so good? Even he—a tentacled monster possessed of human will and capable of restraining himself—could barely keep his impulses in check.

Liang Xingyuan frowned slightly. His sense of smell, many times sharper than a human’s, chased after the faint wisps of fragrance lingering in the air.

…Maybe he’d changed his body wash.

The unruly tentacles completely overwhelmed Liang Xingyuan’s will, pulling all of his attention away from everything else.

He frowned slightly. The veins in his neck stood out beneath his collar, as though they might burst at any moment.

Eat him. Eat him. Eat him.

No, I can’t.

Absolutely not…

An ever-growing tide of desire crowded Liang Xingyuan’s mind until it was completely full. He could barely spare the effort to keep those disobedient tentacles suppressed.

Those thoughts rammed against his mind like mad, nearly piercing through the human rationality Liang Xingyuan had learned!

“What’s wrong?”

At the critical moment, Chu Junshan’s voice drifted leisurely to his ears.

Those thoughts were forced back like a receding tide by those words. Seizing the opportunity, Liang Xingyuan took advantage of the brief moment of confusion among the tentacles and sealed them back where they belonged.

From Chu Junshan’s perspective, he must have simply been standing there, head lowered in silence.

That probably looked strange, didn’t it?

Liang Xingyuan thought miserably to himself, but he still forced himself to finish all of it. Only then did he reluctantly raise his head, not even daring to meet Chu Junshan’s eyes—

Yet all these strange actions earned only the faintest smile from Chu Junshan, so subtle it was almost impossible to catch.

When he raised his eyes again, the keenly interested expression that had been swirling in them earlier was already gone. “Come to bed.”

Liang Xingyuan was thoroughly confused, but he still knew enough to take the way out Chu Junshan had offered him. He quickly took the hint and went along with it. “…Okay.”

With a soft click, the bedside lamp went out, and the entire bedroom fell into darkness.

Liang Xingyuan frowned slightly. As usual, he gently draped an arm around Chu Junshan’s waist.

The warmth radiating from the human beside him felt incomparably real, as though constantly reminding him that, compared to humans, he was ultimately a different kind of being.

He closed his eyes in some distress. At some point, the fragrance that had dispersed through the air earlier came rushing back, slipping into his nostrils.

Liang Xingyuan opened his eyes in the darkness.

It smells so good… so good…

The imprisoned tentacles were humming softly to themselves, trying to brainwash Liang Xingyuan into letting them out so they could feast to their hearts’ content.

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

Something brushed lightly against the leaves of the plane tree outside the window, producing a soft sound. Together with Chu Junshan’s steady, unhurried breathing beside him, it tugged at Liang Xingyuan’s heartbeat.

Realizing something, he raised his eyes toward the window, only to see the curtains moving without any wind.

A huge shadow stood outside the window. Moonlight, silver as liquid, poured down like clear water, spilling across the mahogany floor and outlining the enormous silhouette.

Liang Xingyuan narrowed his eyes slightly and, in the darkness, saw a pair of eyes that belonged to a monster.

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