Chapter 18 Camping: Within the abyss of fate, sharp birdsong could be heard from time to time...

Within the abyss of fate, sharp bird cries occasionally pierce the dark silence; within a radius of several hundred meters, apart from you and Bai E, there is not a single living person in sight.

From within the dilapidated temple, faint, unidentified murmurs seemed to emanate, and sighs echoed softly in the air.

"What do you mean, 'hit me'?"

After spending these past few days together, Bai E had already gotten used to your abstract style and could even catch the occasional joke you threw out. But this time, he genuinely didn't understand what you were saying and lowered his head in confusion, deep in thought.

"Oh, I see!" He suddenly realized, then took your right hand and placed it around his neck. "Is it only by slapping me that this skill can be activated? Go ahead and slap me—can you not slap my face?"

Putting everything else aside, his face is also used to subtly charm you—Bai E truly knows he's very good-looking. I wonder what he's learned all these years. I heard he has a teacher named Na Ke Xia; is that also part of the Tree Garden's teaching?

You can't help but feel a bit curious about this Teacher Xia.

Bai E had already closed his eyes as if he had died a martyr.

Your palm trembled a few times against Bai E's cheek. You pulled your hand away, then pinched his arm, and said speechlessly:

"What do you know...? Why did you even think of this?"

—And why did you accept and agree so naturally?!

"Oh...so that's not what you meant?" He looked a little disappointed.

"...Sometimes, there's a real reason why Wan Di wants to attack you..."

*

In short, for some reason, Bai E joined your team, and he can now use the Boundary Anchor.

I remember when you first arrived in Onpharos, you also entered this place under Tibo's guidance. But now that she's no longer leading you, you and Bai'er can only explore up and down each level. Fortunately, you are both energetic and skilled in combat—for you, as long as the opponent's health bar is exposed, even a Star God can be taken down.

You and Bai E followed the traps and went up the temple, searching the entire temple for a long time. During this time, you even had a high-spirited competition to kill enemies, defeating all the monsters around you and opening countless treasure chests, but you still didn't find any ring.

"Could it have fallen into a pile of junk...?"

Bai E emerged from the pile of rubble, dusted off his clothes, and muttered to himself.

You were inspecting the bookshelf. Some of the books were covered in cobwebs, and pulling one out would kick up a cloud of dust, causing you to cough several times from the rising dust, which drew frequent sidelong glances and "concern" from Bai E beside you.

"What is this... the 'Standardized Terms for Sacrificial Prayers'? Cough, cough—"

He brushed the dust off your face, laughed heartily a few times, and said in a way that was incredibly irritating, "Buddy, are you pretending to blend in with the monsters, all covered in dirt?"

...Sure enough, after a few days, the kid's cheerful nature couldn't be hidden anymore. Was he a little too cheerful?

You expressionlessly picked up his dark blue cloak and, when he wasn't looking, used it to wipe yourself, using it as a makeshift towel. "You dare laugh at me? Go back and do laundry until you're exhausted...!"

Bai E shrugged. "Anyway, I have to wash again every morning after practicing swordsmanship."

He wasn't angry, letting you rub your once-neat robe until it was covered in grime and dirt, and then indulgently reached out to wipe the remaining dirt off your cheeks.

When his fingertips brushed against the sensitive skin under your eyelids, you subconsciously closed your eyes and tried to back away, but he pulled you back with a slightly forceful grip.

"Don't move yet," he whispered.

Startled by his sudden forcefulness, you were momentarily stunned. Before you could even dodge, you stood there with your mouth slightly agape, letting him continue to clean the dust off your body.

Just now we were saying he was cheerful—how come he's showing a maturity different from when he was a child...? You're not used to it.

Before, when I watched him, I would always look at the innocent and cute little Bai through the lens of the grown-up Bai, and my heart would be covered by a filter. But now I find that I have to be serious in order to resist his power, which makes me feel a little enlightened.

His blue eyes were so close, like crumpled cellophane, with a shimmering light swirling within.

His expression was very focused, and his face was calm, as if he was really just wiping his face, which only made your current panic seem abnormal.

Dim light seeped in through the cracks in the temple's broken windows and pillars, and something more inconspicuous and hidden in the darkness seemed to be quietly growing.

For example, the dust motes trembling under the beam of light, and... what else?

But his breath was so hot that you wanted to back away, your heart was beating faster and faster, and it felt like your skin was rapidly heating up along with his scalding breath.

You can't understand his eyes, you just feel that the person in front of you is different from when you were a child... Ten years have obviously taken away a lot, but also given him a lot.

Something like a transparent barrier stood in front of you. You turned your head away in embarrassment, refusing to look at it again.

After Bai'er wiped away the last speck of dust for you, he saw you squint involuntarily from the stimulation of his fingertips. He was thinking of the chimera in the yard that always stretched and yawned with its tail up, liked to lie on the grass and yawn, and would make an embarrassed "Awooo" sound when its ears were rubbed. He pretended to be annoyed and tried to bite his fingers.

Thinking of this, he felt it was rude of him to compare you to a chimera. You are far more powerful than a chimera.

A fluffy little animal, a tiny life easily controlled in the palm of one's hand—that's clearly not enough to describe you. Besides your adorable side, you're also a valiant warrior.

But seeing that you haven't said anything for so long, Bai E couldn't help but make a strange "hmm?" sound, thinking that you were really angry.

"Are you really angry?" He apologized quickly. "I'm sorry, I just said it offhand, I didn't mean anything by it. Please forgive me, my friend—"

You take a deep breath. "...I'm not angry. I was just thinking about what to do today. My phone...cough...the stone slab shows it's already evening. Do you want to go back to Ohmma or just stay here for the night?"

“…I see. Thank you for reminding me.” Bai E pondered for a moment. “Why don’t we find a place nearby to rest for the night? Anyway, all the monsters around here have been cleared out. I’ll keep watch tonight.”

What he didn't say was that he just wanted to spend more time with you. If you go back to Ohm, you'll have to sleep with that Danheng again, not in the same room, but it's still something you'd rather not do.

*

Bai'er was very experienced in wilderness survival. When he was still in Ailimishe, the village often held festivals and celebrations, and he would follow the adults to secretly observe the decorations, food, fuel and so on. Later, when he became a soldier in Ohma, he was often tired from traveling and would often fall asleep in the open in the wild.

Even though the temple is still dilapidated, resting here would be disrespectful to the Titans. You all have special powers protecting you, so you won't catch a cold or anything like that. Therefore, you casually found a suitable corner outside and decided to make do for the night.

Bai E used the stones he found to build a simple fence around himself. While he was still thinking about what to cover himself with when he saw you tap a few times in the air and then pull out two quilts.

Bai E: ...You even have something like this?

You: (Sincerely) There's a little bit left from the last Cosmic Home Decor Guide event. Do you want to hug a plush toy to sleep with? I still have a cute chibi doll that a friend gave me.

Bai E quickly shook his head, "No, that's not necessary."

He looked helpless. "I'm not a child anymore."

He lit a campfire, and the flames rose in the darkness, illuminating a small area around him. Then he took out a wild bird he had just shot down, quickly prepared it, and put it on the fire to roast—even though you already have plenty of food in your backpack, he insisted on showing you his culinary skills.

The aroma of oils gradually fills the air, and a gentle breeze brushes your forehead, like the hand of time, smoothing your messy hair after a long day.

"What's this?"

"A little salt and pepper can make food more delicious. I usually carry this with me at all times in case of emergencies."

"So, between you and Wan Di, who cooks better?"

"What's the point of comparing them? It's obviously me. How can he compare to me?"

"...So confident."

Bai Er's cloak got dirty during their earlier playful fight, so he casually took it off, flipped it over, and put it on the rock behind you as a cushion.

A cool breeze carries the faint smell of food, tickling your nose and making your head spin. You lean against it, drifting off to sleep.

In a daze, I don't even know what I said, "...but Xiaobai's cooking skills are...much better than when she made mushroom soup back then..."

He turned around. The firewood was burning too brightly, and the constant crackling sound filled his ears. He mumbled something, but you couldn't hear him clearly. "What?"

At first glance, you're already asleep.

Bai E unconsciously smiled. The scene was so peaceful and beautiful, and his heart was filled with an indescribable sense of satisfaction—it was strange, it was just an ordinary day, the food was so ordinary, why did he feel so happy?

He baked it for a while longer, then, thinking that you hadn't eaten dinner yet, he finally had the heart to wake you up.

"Eat something," he said, handing you the roast chicken. "Otherwise you'll be hungry tonight."

...

You forced yourself to finish your meal, but you were so sleepy you couldn't stay awake any longer. Your eyes were closing and closing, and the last time you felt this sleepy was when Professor Latio was explaining math problems. Every time you nodded your head like a chick pecking at rice, a piece of chalk would be thrown at you—

"I'm not asleep, Professor..." you mumbled as you turned over, still stubbornly insisting in your sleep, "What calculus? I don't understand... Don't ask me questions on March 7th...!"

Bai Er is looking at you from behind, her face turned to the side.

As he watched, he couldn't help but laugh again. He tentatively reached out to help you cover yourself with the blankets, but hesitated as he got closer.

Trembling fingertips paused about an inch from your back. Daytime interactions aside, at night, especially during intimate moments like sleeping, certain actions became particularly ambiguous.

He licked his lips, countless thoughts flashing through his mind, his heart feeling as if it had split into two completely different parts:

One group clamored to quickly pull the person in front of them into their arms, saying, "Haven't we wanted to do this for a long time?" The other group shook their heads in disapproval, saying, "If a person can't control their desires, what's the difference between them and animals or monsters from the Black Tide? A hero isn't just a hero in battle, but also in character and morality."

...In the end, his reluctance to abruptly change your mind overcame his unspoken desire, and he was about to withdraw his hand—

You rolled over, deliberately getting even closer to him. So close that the two thin layers of mattress became almost invisible.

Bai E could even see your eyelashes trembling slightly in the night, making his heart itch.

The atmosphere gradually heated up. He started sweating.

Bai E was in agony, but you were completely oblivious, still frowning and talking in your sleep:

"...Why does the nameless guy have to learn calculus?! I'll fight you to the death with math!!"

The tense atmosphere dissipated with a "pop," like a bubble being punctured.

Bai E chuckled helplessly, her expression softening. Her arms, which had been about to embrace you, paused, and instead, her warm fingertips gently smoothed your furrowed brow.

Night fell.

"Goodnight," he whispered. "[See you tomorrow]."

A note from the author:

----------------------