Yu Hua was a controlled person. As a leveler, he hadn’t wasted his points. He had put every point where it counted. He wouldn’t have indiscriminately used his points to fulfill unnecessary desires. As an ordinary person, he had also very rarely squandered money. Whether at home or at work, each sum was used on a knife’s edge. Undoubtedly the decoration of the studio had been done to make life unpleasant for Lian Yufan, but he had also truly been economizing. 

Yu Hua, who had practically never been self-indulgent, had spent a vast sum of money today and felt that it really felt good to spend money. No wonder TV dramas often had plots about retaliatory shopping. The astonished look on the saleswoman’s face when he had swiped his card and transferred accounts had made Yu Hua very satisfied. 

Today he had cheerfully spent ninety million. He was planning to use the remaining ten million to buy some livestreaming equipment, then leave some money to pay Feng Kui’s salary. 

The studio, which had at first been used to attract the notice of the Protection Organization and the Destroyers, was making more and more money. The appearances and figures of the levelers who had been altered by the System were perfect. The studio’s volume and performance became more flourishing by the day. This made Yu Hua attach value to the cyclical use of the Destroyers and their sustainable development. If they were only given new education and overawed by favors, these people could also become his money-making slaves… Ahem, that was wrong. These people could also slowly integrate into this world. 

With his mood as clear and bright as the sky, Yu Hua came home humming the intro music for the news broadcast. He was pondering today’s meals. When he reached the door of his estate, he nervously adjusted his shirt, worried that it would be wrinkled. 

After all, he was meeting Xiao You again after thousands of years of separation. Yu Hua didn’t know whether his nature had changed. He didn’t know whether he was still that social elite that Xiao You had fallen in love with at first sight at the very beginning. The closer he got to the door, the more nervous he became. He involuntarily activated “super memory images,” reviewing his blurred memories like watching a movie, getting a clear impression of them in his brain, so it was as if they had just happened. 

When he reached the door of his apartment, Yu Hua once again took inventory of the ingredients in his bag. He hadn’t cooked in over two thousand years. Yu Hua didn’t even know whether his culinary skills could still hold up to half of what they had been before. He rapidly recited the menu of dishes he would make today, then started recalling what to do when he came through the door. 

According to his living habits of over three years of marriage, he ought to walk through the door and first change his shoes. If Xiao You was home, he would kiss his cheek, then go wash his hands. He would change into indoor clothes, then turn around and give his husband a hug. He would turn on the TV to the news channel and listen to the news while cooking. 

Thinking that there would be a coming home kiss when he walked through the door, Yu Hua smiled a neglected senior citizen’s smile, the smile of someone who hadn’t been kissed in over two thousand years. He expectantly swiped his fingerprint and opened the apartment door. He put on a smile like a spring breezes that he thought was the most charming, most gentle, most likely to fascinate Xiao You, and walked through the door. 

“Hahaha! Can’t Lian Yufan move his arms and legs in coordination? I remember his nerves always seemed good during physical activity, and here he’s done this hip-hop dance with the bearing of a public square dance. Zhen Li’s standing there next to him so upset his flat face has folded up into a lump.” 

As soon as he walked through the door, he heard a voice as warm as a fire laughing to the fullest. Yu Hua saw a man sitting on his sofa with an arm around his husband’s shoulders. He was eating fried chicken and French fries and drinking beer while watching the studio’s livestream program. 

The smile on Yu Hua’s face froze. He raised his hand slightly towards the back of the man’s head. 

You Zhengping stood up when he heard the sound of the door opening. He leapt directly over the coffee table, vigorously came up to Yu Hua, and hugged him, holding down his raised arm. He kissed both his cheeks and took the supermarket bag out of Yu Hua’s hand. He happily said, “You’re home! I’ve been waiting so long for you. Didn’t you say you’d be home in the morning? It’s already five in the afternoon.” 

There was a bit of complaint in his voice, but Yu Hua liked this alluring “the emperor didn’t appear at morning court” tone. He enjoyed it very much. He kissed You Zhengping back and said, “A new employee came to the studio at the last minute. I had to interview him. I couldn’t get away for a while.”  

“It must be Feng Kui. We were just watching Zhen Li’s livestream and saw that there’s a new security director.” The man sitting on the sofa stood up and naturally waved to Yu Hua. “Hey, Xiao Rui and I have come to scrounge a meal off of you.” 

The hand Yu Hua had raised against this man had been held down by You Zhengping just now. The man’s light and breezy attitude made him hesitate over whether to light him up. Then the man put down the piece of fried chicken he was holding and casually wiped his hands. Without washing his hands, he shook Yu Hua’s hand with his fried-chicken-scented hand and even said, “You’re really too polite. We’re all old friends here, there’s no need to shake hands. Should I help you out in the kitchen, chopping vegetables or something? We’re always coming to your house to freeload and not lifting a finger. I feel awkward about it.” 

Yu Hua glanced at his own hand, which had some fried chicken oil on it. He squeezed it into a fist. He raised his other, unpolluted hand and took a pen from his front shirt pocket. 

The original form of the “rule writer” was a brush pen, but after Yu Hua had grasped natural law power, he could change it into a fountain pen, a pencil, a ballpoint pen, a watercolor pen, a felt-tip pen, and other forms. 

Seeing that Yu Hua had even taken out the “rule writer,” You Zhengping snatched it away and said, “Is that a new pen for me? I love it! Love you!” 

Hearing the words “love you,” Yu Hua calmed down slightly and connected the man in front of him to the name “Cen Xiao.”  

When he had used “super memory imagery” to watch his memories, Cen Xiao had been an indelible presence. When he had met Xiao You, Cen Xiao had been cutting up Xiao You’s pants; on his first date with Xiao You, they had made barbecue in Cen Xiao’s backyard; after the first time he and Xiao You kissed,  Cen Xiao had paid 500 yuan towards the fine for defacing the old tree in the park. 

Oh, and the phone he had hidden under the bed—Xiao You had bought that with Cen Xiao’s assistance. 

Since that was the case, when he wanted to have a candlelight dinner with Xiao You upon reuniting after over two thousand years, how could Cen Xiao not be there? After all, Cen Xiao was a fire type special ability user. He could supply the candlelight! 

Yu Hua at last suppressed his temper and forced out a courteous smile towards Cen Xiao. Faking politeness, he said, “You’re treating yourself like too much of an outsider by saying you feel awkward. You always used to come hang out at my house, but lately you’ve come much less often.” 

“I’ve been busy at work,” Cen Xiao said. “I’ve finally got a few days off, so I can drink a bit and chat about old times. It’s like the old idle days back at the subdistrict office.” 

Cen Xiao had actually come to console You Zhengping. You Zhengping had been suspended for investigation for three months. Cen Xiao didn’t know that the suspension was actually an extended leave. He was very concerned about You Zhengping’s psychological state, so he had come to drink and chat with him to relax his friend’s mind. 

When Cen Xiao mentioned those days, Yu Hua remembered how at the time his special abilities had been sealed. He had been a worker who occasionally worked overtime, working hard every day to make money to pay back his mortgage. He had always been glad to save an extra ten thousand yuan. It wasn’t like now, when he was only somewhat happy when he had spent ninety million. 

So he sighed and said, “That’s right, those were very happy times.” 

Cen Xiao didn’t know that the recollection of past times had made him escape a calamity. After Yu Hua had changed his clothes and gone into the kitchen, he feelingly said to You Zhengping, “It seems that this studio is making Yu Hua very weary.” 

Third underling Xiao Rui pointed to the livestream image on his phone. “It is pretty wearying.” 

Cen Xiao had come at noon to You Zhengping’s home, bringing fried chicken, French fries, popcorn, peanuts, and beer. It had been a long time since they’d gotten together like this to play games. These past few months, if they hadn’t been patrolling, then they’d been having meetings at the base about Destroyers. They’d hardly had any free time, and they’d hardly touched their phones. This time they’d formed a group to play and had lost a dozen times in a row, so badly that all three of them were looking sick, so they’d simply watched Zhen Li’s livestream to make fun of Lian Yufan as stress relief. 

Because the floor needed to be repaired, Zhen Li hadn’t livestreamed in the morning. He only opened for business at 2 PM. When Cen Xiao and the others entered the livestream channel, he had just started. 

For the last month and more, Yuan Luori had been filming the talent show. Lian Yufan didn’t cooperate with the work, so Zhen Li had spent the evenings mostly promoting products and had been sluggish during the daily livestreams. The fans had complained that they were on summer vacation and had time to watch hot guys during the day, but they weren’t in business. 

This morning, Zhen Li had posted an announcement saying that Yuan Luori had returned and that they would be livestreaming at precisely 2 PM. Word passed among the fans; right at the start of the livestream, the number of people watching climbed to third place in the rankings. 

The livestream camera was aimed at a wall. There were no people. Only Zhen Li’s voice could be heard: “Hello, everyone. In order to welcome back Yuan Luori, the four of us have put together an old style dance for everyone. Yuan Luori and I will be the chief performers. Don’t criticize Director Lian and Director Huan too harshly.” 

[An old style dance! You never know what’s going to come out President Zhen’s wardrobe. I want to see Zhen Li change his clothes!]

[Hurry up, it’s been such a long time since we’ve seen Yuan Luori-xiaogege. We heard he went to take a course. Let’s see the results!]

[Director Huan knows how to promote goods. Every time, as soon as he opens his mouth, I can’t resist buying, buying, buying, all of it. President Zhen and Director Yuan can dance. But Director Lian…does he have anything but his teardrop mole?]

[Nonsense! Our Director Lian can also compete with Director Ha for the position of public relations director!]

Though there was nothing on screen but a blank wall, the barrage was unprecedentedly active. As a zither prelude began to play, the camera slowly panned to four people. 

First all of there was Zhen Li in white, with gold feather designs embroidered on his chest and sleeves. He was wearing a white feather hair ornament on his head. Two strands of long hair were tucked behind his ears and fell down in front of his collarbones with two strings of azure feather ornaments at the ends. He held a white feather fan in his hand. With Zhen Li’s face, which was as beautiful as a peacock, he truly did look like a mystical bird turned human. 

A parrot flew over Zhen Li’s head and sat down on Yuan Luori, standing to right and back of Zhen Li, dressed all in skintight black clothes. Yuan Luori had tied a black cloth over his somewhat foolish-looking eyes, making the sharpness of his features more obvious. He had a dagger in his hand and was standing in the studio’s open window as though weightless. A breeze gently rustled the curtain, now hiding him in the shadows, now revealing him, like an assassin in the night. 

Because of the curtain, the parrot couldn’t stand firmly on Yuan Luori, so it had to fly over to the man sitting on a plastic stool at the very center. Lian Yufan wore a wide-sleeved, dark gown with a zither placed in front of him. His long, slender fingers stirred over the zither. The ancient melody was actually coming from his hands. 

Zhen Li had found a wig of loose hair for Lian Yufan. The long hair occasionally brushed the mole at the corner of his eye. Accompanied by the sweet, mournful ancient tune, Lian Yufan’s expression really did make it seem like he was crying. It was pitiable. 

Placed to the left was Huan Zixu. His hair was long to start with. He didn’t need to wear a wig. He had just casually done his hair up in a high bun, making his phoenix eyes look even slyer in contrast. The color of Huan Zixu’s ancient dress was green. On another person, that color would have been completely ridiculous, but he could actually dominate that color. He looked as supple and strong as a green willow. 

First the barrage went blank for a moment. Then there were waves of screaming and fans constantly sending gifts. The number of viewers soared in a straight line. It rose to second place in the number of people online and neared first place. 

Zhen Li and the others weren’t impacted by the gifts. They danced strictly according to the arrangement. Most of the work was done by Yuan Luori and Zhen Li. Lian Yufan only needed to sit alone plucking at the zither and looking lovely. Huan Zixu only walked around. 

Though two people weren’t pulling their weight, the attractiveness of all four of them, as well as Yuan Luori and Zhen Li’s dance technique, still shook all those present, and there were people wildly writing [CaoYuanLuoRiLiMing is real!] high-level comments. Without turning off the barrage, you were likely to have an attack of trypophobia. 

The song came to an end. As Lian Yufan plucked out the final note, a howl just like a lone wolf howling at the moon reverberated through the livestream. Director Ha shot out from some corner, crossing half the space of the office like an arrow and landing in the camera’s dead spot so the fans couldn’t directly see Director Ha. It left an afterimage the picture of a happily waving fluffy tail. 

At that moment, the number of people online in the livestream had soared to first place, and it was still increasing constantly. 

[Requesting a recording. There must be a recording. I want to watch every day!]

[Requesting a recording +1. I watched the first half with the barrage on. I’d like to watch on my own.]

[I was going to have an attack of trypophobia from watching the barrage. Requesting a recording without the barrage.]

[What was that flying by at the end? Does the studio have a wolf? That’s a little too cool!]

[It’s not a wolf, it’s the studio’s Director Ha. I haven’t seen it in a while, and now it’s so big.]

[Www, why are other people’s huskies so attractive and elegant, with such a sense of security? I’m so mad I kicked the stupid husky tearing up my couch right now.]

[Www, Lian Yufan, I was wrong about you. You aren’t just a pretty vase with a teardrop mole. You’re the zither-playing beauty of my heart.]

[Requesting the studio to release merchandise! Clothing similar to what’s in the recording, a body pillow of Director Ha, Zhen Li’s fan, Yuan Luori’s dagger, Beauty Lian’s zither. Print your logo or photograph on it, and I’ll buy it all.]

[What’s the marketing director doing? I can put up with you being dead weight and spoiling the aesthetic the whole way through the dance, but aren’t you supposed to take care of merchandise in advance? Do your job, don’t keep promoting products. Make your own products!]

“Thank you, everyone! After the event, we’ll release a recording of the dance.” Zhen Li loved to let the fans see his beautiful self. Seeing so many people in the livestream now, he felt that his dreams were coming true. He was so excited that there were tears spilling from his eyes. “Next Friday evening, ‘Idol’s Light’ will be broadcast. Our studio’s Yuan Luori will be on it. I hope everyone will be able to support him!”

One after another, the barrage comments said [I’ll definitely support him] and [Yuan Luori dances so well, the show must be good]. The count of fans watching the livestream now had reached its pinnacle. Huan Zixu quickly took a screenshot to record the numbers. This was part of their advertisement for the ‘Idol’s Light’ show group. This could be counted as having fulfilled their requirement. They could collect money from the show group according to the number of people watching the livestream. 

After the opening dance ended, the studio’s people answered the fans’ questions one by one. 

Yuan Luori: “Are there handsome young men on the talent show? None of them are as handsome as me, I think. I can’t say anything specific. You’ll have to wait and watch the show.” 

Lian Yufan: “That really was me playing the zither, I wasn’t faking it. My technique isn’t very good. It’s no match for a professional. I only have some slight knowledge.” 

Huan Zixu: “You said I was dead weight? This isn’t what I’m here to do. Zhen Li insisted on forcing me to make up the number. I still have to prepare for tonight’s livestream.” 

Director Ha: “Aw-aw-awooo! Awooo!” 

Zhen Li: “As for the merchandise, we have to wait for Director Yu to return to decide. Where is Director Yu? Is he skipping work? No, no, no, he’s definitely not skipping work. We have a new employee, and Director Yu went to enroll him in social insurance.” 

Hearing that a new employee had joined, the barrage excitedly debated what style of handsome man this would be. Just then, one of the cubicle partitions behind the people on the screen gave a clatter, and they all fell down like dominoes, followed closely by a pitter-patter, as though there was someone behind the partitions tearing them down. 

[What’s going on? Is it Director Ha, finally unable to resist tearing things down?] someone asked in the barrage. 

“Aw-aw-awoo!” Director Ha appeared in front of the camera in protest, remonstrating that it hadn’t done it. 

As the barrage wondered, a two-meter tall figure walked out from behind the partitions. His figure was strong and muscular, his chest muscles so well-developed that his t-shirt couldn’t cover them up. He looked like a bodybuilder in a European film. It was one thing to be big and tall, but there also wasn’t a bit of excess fat on his whole body. It was the perfect combination of strength and beauty. 

He wasn’t of the pretty sort the other four employees were. You could only say his face was rugged. But he gave you an indescribable sense of security. 

“This is our new director of security, Feng Kui,” Zhen Li introduced. “Director Feng isn’t one of the studio’s signed internet celebrities. He protects us. Reasonably speaking, he won’t normally appear on camera, though our studio is really too small, and we’ve had a bit of an accident, so there’s no avoiding him appearing. 

[It’s fine, it’s fine. We like looking at him.]

[So…would your studio be interested in developing a fitness service? Like a fitness livestream or something. I’m very interested in Director Feng’s muscles. I crave his body… No, I mean, I want to get in shape.]

[That’s right. What’s going on with Director Yu this time? He didn’t sign an unfair contract? Such excellent muscles… Ahem, such an excellent person, aren’t you going to let us see him later?]

[@Yu Hua, look into promoting exercise products. If Director Feng promotes it, I’ll 100% place an order.]

The fans had already gotten used to seeing all the different beautiful men of the Zhen Li Studio. At first, they really hadn’t had any interest in the new person. Placed among the entertainment circle, all of this studio’s internet celebrities would be first-rate. No matter what sort of beautiful man was added, he wouldn’t stand up to them. 

Only Feng Kui was different. He was a brand new being for the aesthetic senses of the spoiled fans. He was completely different from the others. His height, which was a head taller than the others, and his body-building physique were unusually prominent in this studio, which tended towards male beauties. 

The fans wanted to see more of Feng Kui, but Huan Zixu pulled a fan out from somewhere, opened it with a swish, and blocked the camera. “Feng Kui won’t be participating in livestreams.”

“A-Xu, I broke stuff again,” came Feng Kui’s somewhat helpless voice. 

“It’s all right, it’s because Yu Hua bought cheap materials, it’s nothing to do with you,” Huan Zixu reassured. “If Yu Hua dares to make trouble for you tomorrow, I’ll fight him to the death.” 

“Don’t talk about it now, let me turn off the livestream.” That was Zhen Li’s voice. “Sorry, our studio is a bit of a mess right now, we’re temporarily going offline for an hour. We’ll start again later.”

An hour later, the livestream started again. It could be seen that the studio had been straightened out, but the cubicles had completely fallen over. There was probably no way to repair them. And Feng Kui, who had appeared earlier, had disappeared. 

Before Zhen Li could explain anything, the whole barrage started asking what Feng Kui and Huan Zixu’s relationship was. What kind of person could make the product promoting fiend Director Huan stick up for him like that? He would even dare to fight to the death with the demon Director Yu! What kind of poignant feelings were these?!

Zhen Li explained that Feng Kui and Huan Zixu were only ordinary coworkers, though Feng Kui was simple and honest, so Huan Zixu was just looking after him a little. 

On the screen, Zhen Li was saying things not even a child would believe. Outside the screen, You Zhengping and Cen Xiao were quietly looking at Yu Hua, who was just bustling around the kitchen. Then they silently lowered their heads. 

If the partitions hadn’t broken during the livestream, Lian Yufan certainly would have used his special ability to repair them and cover the business up. But there had been so many people during the livestream, and there were always busybodies sending private reports to Yu Hua. Lian Yufan couldn’t use his special ability. Tomorrow Yu Hua would probably have to spend money to refurbish the office. 

Cen Xiao laughed awkwardly. “Haha, entrepreneurial work is pretty tiring.” 

He and Xiao Ruo thought at the same time that Yu Hua was working so hard, but his employees were all people who could casually cause mass destruction. The only one who had lost his special ability was Huan Zixu, who was so clever he gave the Protection Organization incessant headaches. Managing a group like that really was hard on Yu Hua. 

The saddest part was, Yu Hua wanted to use the studio to establish himself. He had quit his original job, a lofty and brilliant elite of the business world going to work at a crappy studio, but this brave irrevocable commitment had brought him to a crowd of dangerous elements. These people couldn’t work properly to begin with. Poor Yu Hua!

“You…should pay more attention to Yu Hua’s psychological state and comfort him promptly,” Cen Xiao instructed You Zhengping. “Let him have his way a little in daily life. You’ll be on vacation, so you should do whatever he likes with him!” 

You Zhengping: “…” 

He remembered back in the little world, those apparent three days that had actually been months in the little dark room. He thought, Cen Xiao, what exactly are you advising me to do? 

Just then, Yu Hua brought over a plate of fish boiled in chili oil to the dining table. He had heard what Cen Xiao had said,  and the corners of his lips turned up faintly. He deleted his mental plans for such dishes as “all Cen Xiao feast,” “Xiao variety dish,” “cuts of Xiao,” etc. He gently said to everyone, “Do you object if I turn on the TV to the news channel?” 

“Go ahead!” said Cen Xiao, not knowing he had avoided a calamity. “We’re just sitting around. It doesn’t matter what you put. It’ll be good to have some noise.” 

Yu Hua used the lid from the fish boiled in chili oil to waft the fragrance around and covered it up. He picked up the remote from the couch and turned on the TV. He changed the channel and didn’t forget to crook a finger towards You Zhengping. 

You Zhengping:  “…” 

The facts demonstrated that even though he hadn’t cooked in over two thousand years, Yu Hua’s cooking was still first class. Cen Xiao and the others ate to their delight. Seeing that You Zhengping’s mental state seemed all right and that his relationship with Yu Hua was good, they finally relaxed and left. 

That night, while You Zhengping was sleeping soundly, Yu Hua quietly went to the study, opened the desk calendar diary, and gently stroked the date with his fingertips. 

—XX/XX/XX

I’ve been away, and it feels like I’m in another world. 

Many years ago, I was always considering one thing—what was truth? In my daze, I thought that all experiences were merely illusion. 

It’s only right now, putting my pen down to write the date, that I had the feeling of having my feet firmly on solid ground. 

In the past, I never thought that writing down the year, month, and date could make a person feel so calm. When I read the date on the calendar, I finally had the feeling that I had returned. 

It must be because the truth is every minute and every second of experience that I’m willing to remember and trust. 

---

Author's Note

Cen Xiao: Up to the present, I don’t know how many times I’ve wavered on the border between life and death.