I gained spiritual awareness because of you.
When Huang Daxian saw the photo on the table, he tremblingly reached out and picked it up, carefully turning the pages. Seeing the words "Me and Dahuang" written on the back of the photo, tears streamed down Huang Daxian's face.
“My benefactor, I want to see him! I really, really want to see him! Is he doing well? Has he achieved his dream…” After saying that, he suddenly shook his head and felt that what he said was not quite right: “It doesn’t matter if he hasn’t achieved it, as long as he is doing well, as long as he is healthy and safe, I will be satisfied.”
“I can bring him to see you, but there are conditions. You’ve already disrupted people’s daily lives here. After you see him and settle your past, come with me. I’ll find you a place to stay and a job. Are you willing?”
"Can't I stay with him? I won't hurt anyone, I promise I'll behave, I can even stay away from other people, you can even put an emergency talisman on me to keep an eye on me." Wong Tai Sin mustered his courage and refused.
Shen Zhizhou squatted down in front of Huang Daxian and explained, "Now that you have gained sentience, you cannot stay with the person you are attached to for long. It is not good for either of you. You will go astray because you will be tainted by human desires, while he will either suffer from illness and misfortune or lose his life. There are countless examples of this throughout history."
Seeing Wong Tai Sin looking sad with his head bowed to his chest, Shen Zhizhou made a promise: "I will allow you to see him twice a week. During that time, I can let you meet him in human form, but the spell can only last for a maximum of five hours at a time."
Upon hearing this, Wong Tai Sin knelt down and said in a devout voice, "I do."
A golden light, like a thread, connected Shen Zhizhou and Huang Daxian's hands. Shu Yi thought it looked a bit like the love spell she and Shen Zhizhou had made before. She understood that if Shen Zhizhou helped the monsters resolve their inner conflicts and wishes, they would automatically form a contract with Shen Zhizhou.
Perhaps because they were too happy, Huang Daxian had an excellent appetite. In no time, the two demons finished all the food on the table. Shen Zhizhou was full after eating only half a bowl of wontons. Shuyi felt it was a waste to leave so much food, so she finished the rest.
"You... have quite a good appetite." This was the first time Shen Zhizhou had encountered such an unreserved girl—no, a monster.
"Wasting food is shameful, young man!" Shu Yi burped and collapsed onto the floor.
Shen Zhizhou silently turned his face away, feeling a little embarrassed.
Having filled his belly, Huang Daxian fiddled with his clothes by the mirror, wanting the demon and the human to give him some styling advice.
Looking at Shuyi offering advice and Huang Daxian nodding in response to the discussion, Shen Zhizhou rubbed his temples. It seemed that his surroundings had become lively ever since Shuyi arrived, but it didn't really need to be this lively.
"Why don't you just meet them the way you used to be? The most important thing about meeting old friends is the meeting itself, not the form in which it takes."
Upon hearing this, Huang Daxian pounded his palms in sudden enlightenment and rushed over to flatter him, saying, "It has to be our Lord Shen! How could an ordinary person have such a level of understanding... When do you think would be a good time for me to meet him?"
Looking at the fawning Huang Daxian, Shen Zhizhou recalled Li Yan's appearance and felt that there was no doubt that the two were involved; they both had the same squinty-eyed fawning manner.
"I'll bring him over at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Shuyi, you stay here and watch over him." After giving the instructions, Shen Zhizhou grabbed the keys, glanced back at the two demons, and then turned to leave.
Shuyi has found a monster she can talk to, so the two of them should have a lot in common now.
Shen Zhizhou made up an excuse to lure Li Yan out. While sitting in the car, Li Yan talked non-stop to Shen Zhizhou about the business project, saying that as long as you invested, you would get a return.
While giving Li Yan a perfunctory reply, Shen Zhizhou, with his hand on the steering wheel, said while waiting at a traffic light, "The family photo on your desk the other day looked hand-drawn. Did you draw it yourself? That's really impressive."
Upon hearing this, Li Yan's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and he could only laugh it off, saying that he bought it just for show.
"Really? I noticed you have some art books in your office. I thought it was one of your hobbies." Shen Zhizhou finally turned to look at Li Yan, his gaze seemingly seeing through everything, which made Li Yan shut up.
It seems that art and painting are taboo topics for Li Yan, but now he is heading towards the very road leading to those taboo topics.
When they arrived at their destination, Shen Zhizhou parked the car and turned off the engine. Li Yan got out of the car with some confusion and looked around, feeling that the place was very familiar.
Shuyi heard Shen Zhizhou stop the car and quickly called Huang Daxian to get ready. Huang Daxian was so nervous that his palms were sweating. He kept asking Shuyi in the mirror if he looked good and if his hair was smooth.
"Let's go, Mr. Li." Shen Zhizhou gestured for Li Yan to go first.
Li Yan had some doubts, but he still went upstairs. When he reached the attic door, his pupils dilated as he remembered something. He turned around fearfully, pointed at Shen Zhizhou, and asked loudly, "Who exactly are you?"
The door creaked open, and Huang Daxian stood there, small in stature, but with bright, sparkling eyes looking at Li Yan. Sunlight streamed through the small window in the attic, reflecting off Huang Daxian's glossy orange-yellow fur, making it look exceptionally beautiful.
Huang Daxian rubbed his face awkwardly, trying to make his smile look as kind and friendly as possible. He thought of countless opening lines, but in the end, he couldn't say a word. He nudged him and could only stiffly greet Li Yan: "Hey, old buddy, how are you? Have you been happy lately?"
"You damned beast, I'll beat you to death!" Li Yan suddenly erupted in anger, throwing everything around him that could be used as an attack at Wong Tai Sin.
Huang Daxian stood there blankly, letting Li Yan throw things at him, until his vision was blurred by a bloody red blur, and he reached up to touch his forehead.
So there was bleeding... But weren't they ambitious partners back then? Why did this happen?
"It's all your fault, isn't it! You couldn't stand seeing me so smug and doing so well, so you tried to drag me down with you, didn't you? You want anything? I can give you... No, I should have done what those people said and beaten you to death, you beast! It was me who gave you a bite to eat back then, it was me, it was me, it was me..."
Li Yan suddenly knelt on the ground, covered her face, and broke down in tears.
Shen Zhizhou wanted to say something, but Shu Yi shook her head and stopped him. This was not something they could handle; it was better to let them explain themselves.
Huang Daxian stepped forward and patted Li Yan on the shoulder, then pulled out an old photo from behind his back to comfort him, saying, "It's okay. Even if you didn't become the person you wanted to be, it's good to be healthy and happy. I'll be there for you from now on..."
Before he could finish speaking, Li Yan snatched the photo and tore it to shreds without hesitation.
Huang Daxian stared down at the torn old photos on the ground, muttering to himself as if trying to make amends: "You definitely didn't do it on purpose. You just haven't seen me in so long and can't accept it all at once. Yes, yes, that must be it. Back then, I was just an ordinary, timid weasel. It's normal to be afraid if you've never seen a weasel talk. I need... I need tape. Yes, I need tape..."
Huang Daxian started searching the attic for tape. Shen Zhizhou sighed, took the tape from the high storage basket, and handed it to Huang Daxian. Huang Daxian thanked him quietly and then sat on the floor, wiping away tears as he tried to glue the photo back together.
But the more anxious he became, the more chaotic things got, and he even tore some of the edges. Huang Daxian sobbed, "Why can't I glue it back together? Am I too stupid...?"
Li Yan looked at Huang Daxian, who was secretly wiping away tears, with a somewhat dazed expression. During those dark, unbearable, and uncertain days in the attic, it was his Da Huang who had always been with him. Even though Da Huang was a cowardly weasel that everyone hated back then, and he was not a senior executive of Jianhua Construction Company, but just a dull and rigid young man with unrealistic fantasies, the two of them could share a rice ball.
"I don't remember..." Li Yan wiped away his tears, half venting and half resigning, and said, "I don't remember. I don't remember how many publishers I submitted my work to, or even begged them to publish it. I don't remember how many days and nights I spent hungry in this attic. I really don't remember spending all my remaining savings to self-publish, going from publisher to publisher to recommend my work, and finally, the editor-in-chief of that publisher mocked me to my face, saying that this kind of low-class stuff, even if I paid to print it myself, would only be used as a table leg, and then he just threw it in the trash can... I don't remember, I really don't remember. But why do I still feel pain when I think about those days?"
Li Yan began to recount his experiences after moving out of the attic: "I'm not smart and don't have much education. I couldn't stand it anymore and went back to my hometown, but when I got there, I found out my mother was sick, and it was already in its late stages... My mother passed away in my arms. Her last words were about worrying about me, blaming herself for not being able to earn any savings for me. But my mother was widowed at a young age, and she treated me like her eldest child. I knew that was already very difficult. I was so stupid before, not knowing how to earn more money and spending all my time on that illusory thing. Back then, I cleaned toilets for people and slept in the toilets at night. I finally got paid and bought myself a 20-yuan quilt, but when I came back from taking out the trash, I found that my quilt had been urinated on..."
Li Yan couldn't continue speaking. He supported himself on the ground, tilted his head back, and shed a single tear with red eyes. The tear fell to the ground and sounded particularly deep and loud.
"But I only gained sentience because of you."
Huang Daxian wiped away her tears, got up from the floor, and stood in front of Li Yan. Her small body seemed particularly tiny among the three of them, but her eyes looked at Li Yan with great determination and repeated the same thing over and over.
"I gained spiritual awareness because of you, and I was willing to stay in this attic for 23 years without ever leaving."
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