"That won't do. You have to show it. Love needs to be expressed loudly, don't you understand?"
Shu Bai raised an eyebrow: "For example?"
Li Yuheng immediately took a half step back, exaggeratedly covering her chest with both hands, her eyelashes fluttering, and said in a sickeningly sweet voice in an affected manner: "Like this—my dear husband~ I'm so touched~ I love you so much~"
Shu Bai narrowed one eye slightly, picked at his ear with his finger, and looked completely innocent: "...What? What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly. How about you say it again?"
"..."
"Was it intentional, or did you accidentally not hear me?" Li Yuheng asked expressionlessly.
"It was intentional, an accident," Shu Bai replied casually, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Li Yuheng suddenly stood up.
Shu Bai stood up quickly and nimbly.
"Why did you stand up?" Li Yuheng asked.
Shu Bai put his hands behind his back and said, "There are no slaves in the new society."
The two stared at each other for two seconds across the stone table.
The air seemed to freeze, with only fallen leaves swirling through the middle.
Suddenly, Shu Bai turned and ran.
Li Yuheng laughed, his phantom image flickering as he floated into the air: "You think you can outrun the guardian deity?"
Shu Bai didn't even turn his head: "Whether you can outrun them or not, we'll find out once we try."
His pale white robe fluttered in the twilight as he darted across the corridor.
Li Yuheng added slowly and deliberately: "Three—two—"
Before he could finish the word "one," Shu Bai abruptly stopped, turned around, and said with a serious expression, "Wait."
Li Yuheng raised an eyebrow and stopped: "What? You admit defeat?"
Shu Bai pointed behind him: "You stepped on the persimmons that Wen Rui just dried."
Li Yuheng subconsciously turned around.
The ground was empty.
Of course, his feet weren't touching the ground either.
When he turned back, Shu Bai had already nimbly climbed onto the roof of the west wing and was squatting on the ridge, waving at him.
Li Yuheng: "..."
He swiftly floated up, crossed his arms, and looked down at Shu Bai, who was squatting down: "Pretty capable, huh? You've even learned to use feints?"
Shu Bai looked up, his face calm: "All's fair in war."
A gentle evening breeze rustled his earrings, and the last rays of daylight shone in his eyes.
Just as Li Yuheng leaned closer to Shu Bai, he heard Wen Rui's concerned voice from below:
"Guardian Deity! It's almost dark, and this isn't the time to sunbathe! What are you doing up there!"
Li Yuheng froze, then slowly turned his head.
From Wen Rui's perspective, all she could see was the back of the guardian deity, sticking out high in a very unseemly posture, standing on the roof.
Shu Bai silently looked away, her shoulders shaking violently.
Li Yuheng took a deep breath, remaining bent over without moving, and asked Shu Bai through gritted teeth, "...Do I look like I'm sunbathing?"
Shu Bai nodded sincerely: "From below, it should look quite similar. It's the kind where you stick your butt out in the sun."
Li Yuheng: "..."
He suddenly straightened up, stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering in the evening breeze, instantly regaining his unfathomable guardian demeanor.
"I am observing the stars." He spoke solemnly, his gaze lingering on the sky, which was not yet completely dark. "Tonight, the Purple Star is moving, which may indicate an unusual omen."
Wen Rui, looking somewhat confused, gave an "oh" and then added, "Be careful, the roof tiles are slippery, don't fall!"
Li Yuheng nodded reservedly: "It's alright."
…
"Shu Bai, stop laughing."
"……Um…"
"Quickly apologize to me."
"sorry."
What else should you say?
"Cough, dear old man... Pfft—hahahahahahaha"
"...Ha. Is it that funny?"
…
"?! Li Yuheng! Stop carrying me around on the roof!"
"I...I...won't."
…
As night deepened, Li Yuheng finally stopped "jumping" on the roof of the Shu family's old house and put Shu Bai down. The two sat side by side on the cool roof tiles.
Shu Bai straightened her disheveled robes and glared at Li Yuheng with annoyance: "Childish."
Li Yuheng said smugly, with a smirk on his face, "That's called romance, you wouldn't understand, you little old man."
He casually grabbed the small flask of fruit wine that Shu Bai had brought earlier, tilted his head back, and took a swig. "Ah, so delicious!"
Shu Bai ignored him, turned her gaze to the city lights in the distance, and suddenly said, "That Zhou Che is quite interesting."
"Oh?" Li Yuheng raised an eyebrow, held the wine pot to Shu Bai's lips, and gestured for him to take a sip as well. "What do you mean? I think he's just a rich fool with a thicker skin than me."
Shu Bai took a sip from his hand, the sweet wine soothing her throat: "The way he looked at He Ying didn't seem like a spur-of-the-moment thing. 'Sexual attack' might be a trigger, but not the root cause. He probably knew her longer than we thought."
"Oh? Tell me more?"
…
Li Yuheng stroked his chin: "You mean, this kid knows what He Ying is doing right now, and might even... be involved in her current job?"
"Uncertain. But for someone like He Ying, a 'new job' that would allow her to stay temporarily and even require her to disguise her identity is definitely not an ordinary business. The fact that Zhou Che was able to find her so accurately speaks volumes."
"So you think Zhou Che is truly in love?"
"Whether it's true love or not, I don't know, but she's incredibly bold and ruthless. As far as I know, He Ying's organization has extremely strict rules; they only take on those who deserve to be killed. For a sniper of this caliber to make an exception and lock onto an 'innocent' target, it must have cost more than an astronomical sum of money..."
Moreover, it's more likely that the person in question is Zhou Che himself.
Li Yuheng laughed, "Hiring someone to kill yourself? Oh my, that's truly a crazy and unique idea."
A cool evening breeze swept by.
The city lights in the distance flickered in the night, like countless unsolved mysteries.
…
A few days later, a vague message began to circulate through certain channels.
It is said that an incongruous figure has appeared in an anonymous investigative organization of a newly emerging group targeting "fake sex offenders" and their protectors.
He was a baby-faced young man, agile and incredibly wealthy, and always pestered the taciturn, short-haired "male" member of the organization.
Someone saw the young man carrying hot roasted chestnuts, following closely behind.
"Brother He! Have a taste, it's fresh out of the pot, and it's very sweet!"
The man in front, referred to as "Brother He," kept walking, his back stiff.
"Brother He, the weather's so nice today, perfect for fieldwork! Can I come along? I'm a top-notch driver!"
"Brother He, what do you think of my women's clothing? Isn't it flawless?"
"……roll."
"Alright! I'll be right back after one roll!"
The veracity of the news is hard to discern, just like whether Zhou Che actually wore women's clothing or whether He Ying was eventually annoyed by him and softened her stance—both have become mysteries with no known answers.
Perhaps in a dark alley, or perhaps at the moment of a mission handover, those gray and silent eyes briefly reflected that playful baby face.
Or perhaps, no.
…
The old house of the Shu family, a quiet room.
Li Yuheng floated in mid-air with his feet up, watching Shu Bai put the last magical artifact back in its place.
"The story's over?" Li Yuheng raised an eyebrow. "And the ending?"
"What kind of ending do you want? Life isn't a storybook."
“That’s true.” Li Yuheng stretched and floated in front of Shu Bai, blocking his way. “Now that everyone else’s show is over, isn’t it my turn?”
Shu Bai raised her eyes: "What kind of trouble are you trying to cause now?"
"Where are my colored gems? I've been carrying them around for so long, aren't I going to offer them up?"
"What's the rush? Shouldn't we choose an auspicious day for the offerings?"
Li Yuheng: "The guardian deity is the most auspicious day. Now, immediately, right now—hand it over."
Shu Bai took out a small brocade pouch from his sleeve pocket and slowly untied the ribbon.
Li Yuheng reached out to grab it, but he dodged it by stepping to the side.
"What about the rules? Have you forgotten the rules for offering sacrifices?"
Li Yuheng clicked his tongue, straightened his robes, and floated solemnly to the offering table. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm ready."
Inside the quiet room, the scent of sandalwood was faint and subtle.
Shu Bai walked to the offering table and took something out of the brocade pouch.
It wasn't the loose stone I had expected, but a ring.
The ring was made of warm, dark metal, similar in style to the one Li Yuheng had given him, but even more exquisite.
The cabochon is set with a perfectly cut colored gemstone, shimmering with light. At the very top of the gemstone's crown, there is a lifelike, exquisitely carved piece of potato chip with slightly curled golden edges.
Shu Bai placed the ring next to the ever-burning lamp, his movements unhurried and deliberate, just as he had done when he first offered the potato chips.
He even picked it up, adjusted its position, and solemnly put it down again, just like he had done before.
"Guardian, the latest flavor is sold out, but there is a colored gem, which comes with a permanent potato chip. The portion is small, not filling, can't be eaten, and won't break."
Li Yuheng pressed down on the corners of his mouth, feigning seriousness: "Indeed."
…
Li Yuheng couldn't wait to pick up the ring and squint at it under the ever-burning lamp.
The gemstones are dazzling, and the miniature potato chip on top is an exquisite work of art, with even the finest grains of salt clearly visible.
His lips curled up higher and higher, and with a flick of his finger, the ring was securely slipped onto his ring finger.
The dimensions are exactly as described.
He examined it with delight for a long time, then suddenly his figure flickered and he was already floating in the afternoon sunlight at the entrance of the quiet room.
He raised his hand, changing the angle to watch the gemstones refract different lights under the light, and the golden potato chip micro-carving shone brightly.
"Wow, that's really great."
He smacked his lips in satisfaction, turned around, his back to the warm sunlight filling the courtyard, and looked at Shu Bai, who stood quietly in the room.
And the third ring from Shubai, got it.
Li Yuheng cleared his throat, his face unusually serious.
“Sparse white. The colors in this world may be real or fake.”
"The idea of destiny may be nothing but a myth."
"But you and I are definitely destined for each other."
The sunlight dazzled Shu Bai, who squinted slightly.
He just stared at the radiant figure at the door, waiting for his response.
Then, without saying anything, he strode off and walked straight toward Li Yuheng.
A slight breeze stirred up by the hem of her clothes, brushing against the back of Yu Heng's hand as he stood beside her.
Gradually fading into the distance.
Li Yuheng stood still, without moving.
He counted silently in his mind.
three.
Shu Bai's steps did not falter in the slightest.
two.
Shu Bai's figure was almost at the end of the corridor.
one.
The moment he finished counting, Li Yuheng turned around calmly with a smile.
Shu Bai had returned at some point and was just in time to kiss his lips.
...
When color becomes a tool for lies
Who can truly see the essence of love?
I saw it—
It happens in the blink of an eye.
...
(World V - The End)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com