Chapter 55
go home?
When the little fox heard this word, his eyes lit up instantly.
Seeing that it couldn't suppress the anticipation on its face, Wen Xin felt relieved and touched its head.
When he told Bishop Shi that he would take the little fox away, he was firm and showed no mercy, and was ready to break off relations with the Idealism Sect.
As long as the little fox wants to leave, he won't have any more concerns.
Wen Xin planned to take the little fox to find a place to stay in the suburbs of City B after confirming Tang Qi's safety.
If the message entrusted to the believers to take to City A can be delivered smoothly, someone from that side should be sent to contact us soon.
By then he could discuss with the base how to contact Zhang Quanyong.
At the same time, he also has to prepare for the worst.
In case the base does not send anyone, or something unexpected happens and the news cannot be delivered, it means that Wen Xin needs to find a way to complete this difficult task by himself.
Wen Xin made up his mind not to show it on his face so as not to worry the little fox.
Unexpectedly, after wagging its tail excitedly for a while, the little fox actually lowered its head hesitantly.
Wen Xin was surprised. He rubbed its head and asked softly, "Don't you want to leave, Xiao Qi?"
The little girl immediately raised her head and shouted happily and affirmatively: "Ying!"
Of course I want to leave. I even dream of going home with you!
Wen Xin understood what it meant and was puzzled: "Then why don't you leave?"
The little fox subconsciously wanted to use illusion to communicate with him, but suddenly remembered that Wen Xin didn't know it could use illusion, nor did he know it could talk.
Using illusions would expose the Pope's identity, and speaking human language might scare Wen Xin.
After thinking about it, the little fox decided to be safe. It jumped to the ground and wagged its tail to signal people to follow it.
Wen Xin followed it out the door.
There was more than one guard standing at the door.
Wen Xin saw Bishop Shi standing by the road with a sad face. Beside him, there were two red-robed men pacing back and forth hesitantly.
They are the other two cardinals of Idealism, one in charge of foreign affairs, and the other sharing domestic affairs with Bishop Shi.
In addition to the three people standing in the front, there were a dozen black-robed bishops at the back of the road. A rough count showed that there were exactly twelve people.
In other words, all those who had some power and ruling position in the Idealist Church came here.
Seeing the man and the fox walk out, everyone's eyes were immediately focused on them. Everyone's face stiffened and they held their breath, extremely nervous.
Bishop Shi thought Wen Xin had told the little fox everything, so he walked over with fear and trepidation: "Teacher..."
In case he let the cat out of the bag, Wen Xin spoke first, "Xiao Qi and I are going to go out for a while. Please help us inform His Holiness the Pope."
Hearing this, Bishop Shi instantly realized that the little fox was still hiding his identity from the young man, and he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
The little fox glanced at him.
That look seemed to be mixed with ice chips, freezing Bishop Shi on the spot, his whole body stiff.
If the little fox hadn't stopped him in his tracks, he would have already fallen to his knees.
But even though he couldn't kneel down, the old man's knees were already half bent and his lips were trembling.
Wen Xin took this scene in, and his mind immediately changed. He guessed that the man and the fox might be having a private conversation in their minds.
To be honest, Wen Xin was really angry after the argument with Bishop Shi just now.
So much so that now when I see the old man’s regretful face, I feel an indescribable feeling in my heart.
This dissatisfaction is not directed only at Bishop Shi.
Bishop Shi is one of the three cardinals, and to a certain extent can directly reflect the overall view of Idealism.
Even Bishop Shi took it for granted that the burden of tens of thousands of people should be placed on the little fox, let alone other people in the church?
Wen Xin realized that Idealism did not respect the little fox from the bottom of its heart, nor did it care at all how tired the little fox was.
What these people worshiped from the beginning to the end was nothing more than a powerful force that could build a paradise on earth.
How could this not make him feel cold?
Wen Xin couldn't help but worry, if the little fox lost this power in the future, how would the Idealist Church treat the little fox?
What if these fanatical believers get too angry and think that the little fox's power is enough to carry out great undertakings, and cause the little fox to cause some irreparable trouble without authorization? What should the latter do?
Isn’t the pockmarked face a living example?
Bishop Shi next to them was pecking at the little fox and chicken, saying, "Okay, okay, then you guys have fun, do you need me to send someone to follow you?"
The answer is of course no.
Bishop Shi nodded again like a sieve.
He was also careful. He remembered that Wen Xin had used the excuse of "going out to play for a while" to get the little fox away, so he asked someone to prepare the universal currency in advance and handed it to the other party.
Wen Xin first glanced at the little fox, and when he saw the latter nod, he took the heavy bag in his hand.
I opened the bag and saw, hiss.
It's actually filled with gold beans, each of which is polished smooth and round!
Several bishops even said shamelessly, "Why not take two more bags? It may not be enough."
The little fox thought so too, and asked Wen Xin with his eyes: Is that enough? Do you want a few more bags?
Wen Xin: “…”
Wen Xin immediately gained a better understanding of the Idealism's financial resources and said in a complicated way, "It should be enough."
He hadn't had the chance to go out yet, so he didn't know how much it would cost to travel around the base in City B, but he was not without common sense.
Moreover, there were many people selling things along the way from the city to the church. Wen Xin listened carefully to the prices and could probably estimate the normal prices.
The little fox nodded in satisfaction, then ignored the Idealist disciples who were watching eagerly beside him, and called out to Wen Xin again.
The man and the fox took another step forward, and no one dared to stop them.
Bishop Shi stretched his neck behind them and looked eagerly: "Well, come back early after playing, it's not safe outside after dark——"
.
Wen Xin didn't know where the little fox wanted to take him.
When they arrived at the commercial street that had been converted into a trade market and saw many busy food stalls and some stalls selling various kinds of entertainment, he realized that the latter actually just wanted to hang out with him.
Wen Xin wanted to know why the little fox hesitated to leave, but the latter seemed to forget to answer his question.
Seeing the little fox's dark eyes rolling around, staring at the vendors, unable to take their eyes away, he smiled helplessly.
However, it was he who first agreed to take the little fox out to play, so he should keep his promise.
Just in case, Wen Xin first observed other people's reactions to the little fox.
Seeing that no one showed any fear, he thought that the little fox might have given everyone some mental hints.
Or maybe only the core members of Idealism know that His Holiness the Pope is a pink-haired fox, after all, the fox statue enshrined is not painted.
Wen Xin picked up the little fox and held up its pink little paws: "Okay, let's go play. Do you have any recommendations?"
Who knew that the little fox looked at him blankly and blinked twice innocently.
Wen Xin had a guess in his mind, and the corners of his mouth twitched twice: "You don't know what to recommend... Could it be that you have never been here before?"
The little fox barked twice.
The first one was full of righteousness, responding to Wen Xin's question. The second one was louder, as if praising his intelligence.
Wen Xin: “…”
He was angry, amused, and a little distressed. He pinched the fox's paw and said, "Okay, since I'm taking you out to play, then just follow me."
Playing seems to have become an instinct engraved in human bones.
While the little fox was still looking around awkwardly, Wen Xin had already sniffed the aroma in the air and found a small stall selling meat pancakes.
The end of the world does not mean a lack of food, but the availability of survival resources has skyrocketed, and people generally tend to prefer food that can fill their stomachs.
Some families grow crops, some raise livestock, and they will sell them.
After being made into a snack, although the price is much higher, there are always people who miss the taste and bear the pain and buy one to satisfy their craving.
Wen Xin bought two meat pancakes.
The shop owner has a very precise control over the heat. The pancakes are served just when the surface is baked to a crispy texture. They are shiny with golden oil in the sunlight, and the rich meaty aroma fills the air, making your mouth water unconsciously.
Wen Xin blew the hot air on the little fox first, and when he felt it was almost ready, he passed it to the little dumpling's mouth.
The pink ball couldn't wait to open its mouth and take a bite. Its eyes narrowed into a line in satisfaction and it wagged its tail wildly.
“Oh!”
Warm and spicy, this is delicious!
Wen Xin took a bite and heard a crisp snap, and the crispy crust exploded in his mouth.
The gravy-covered pancake was as delicious as a deep-fried bomb. It filled his entire mouth in less than a breath, almost making him dizzy from the aroma. He sighed subconsciously, "It's really good."
The shop is owned by a couple, and business is booming right now.
They kneaded the dough, rolled the bread, wrapped the meat, and baked it. They were so busy that they couldn't stop.
But after hearing the customer's praise, the couple couldn't help but raise their heads, their faces full of enthusiastic smiles: "These are our own pigs, fed with coarse food, of course they taste delicious!"
The diners next to them, who had a good relationship with them, teased, "What? Most of the factories have stopped operating now, and synthetic feed is more expensive than whole grains. If you don't feed whole grains, you will lose money, right?"
"Go to hell." The shopkeeper laughed and cursed, "Even food can't stop you from talking."
Wen Xin stopped chewing and his eyes looked a little dazed.
No matter how many times he saw them, these smiling faces filled with happiness would irresistibly touch his heart.
The little fox finished his meat pancake in just a few bites.
它也不要新的，見溫辛的手裏還有半個沒吃完，聳聳鼻子，悄悄摸摸地伸脖子張嘴。
咔——
溫辛就像是下巴長眼一樣将手挪開，粉團子直接咬了個空。
被發現的小狐貍絲毫不覺得害臊，厚着臉皮又來咬，溫辛被它折騰得忍俊不禁，撕下半截自己沒咬過的部分喂小狐貍吃了。
他拍了拍意猶未盡舔嘴唇的小團子：“留着肚子，咱們還要去吃別的。”
只聽這話，就叫小狐貍的眼裏放出了光。
溫辛又抱着小狐貍來到了一家燒烤店。
由于交通運輸受限，對外的道路基本上被喪屍給堵死，冬天了，溫室外面的農作物停止生長，能拿來燒烤的食材有限。
但架不住燒烤店的老板頭腦靈活，普普通通的烤豆幹、烤雞脆骨，硬是叫她用不同的作料，弄出來了新奇的滋味，每一種都叫人忍不住嘗試。
吃完這家店，下一家是章魚小丸子。
章魚一般在沿海一帶捕撈，送不過來，店家就用雞肉豬肉代替，擠上家裏自制的甜醬，也是同等程度的美味。
溫辛和小狐貍一家店一家店地吃過去，身上全是食物的香氣。
到最後吃不下了，他們就各捧着一杯糖水，懶懶地站在路邊上看人胸口碎大石，套火圈。
冬天的夜晚總是黑得很快。
等到天色稍微暗沉了一些，道路兩邊的路燈就亮了起來，電力源于基地裏正在運作的供電廠，商家們上交的租金裏包括這一部分的電費。
光線不是很充足，可能是電路不穩的原因。有一些商家早有準備，拿出了自己編織出來的燈籠。
每一家的燈籠都不一樣。
有的人手藝好，編出來的兔子燈籠小巧可愛、栩栩如生，引得食客紛紛圍觀。
有的人手藝差，編出來的燈籠歪七扭八，木棍子還穿出了紙面。商家也不在乎，大大咧咧地往那一放，仿佛自己就突出一個與衆不同。
剎那間，各式各樣的花燈琳琅滿目，人間煙火氣正盛，霓彩煌煌耀人眼睛。
溫辛帶着小狐貍在街上流連了一會兒，把腳步放得格外緩慢，悠閑地從街頭一直逛到巷尾。
等走到沒有路之後，他們又從巷尾原路返回，去湊新的熱鬧。
直至游客都散了，商家也收攤關門，小狐貍才主動叫了一聲，跳下了地面。
它走在前面領路，一直把溫辛帶到一棟高樓的門口前。
樓和末世前随處可見的商業樓沒有什麽兩樣，粗略一數，讓溫辛感到驚訝的是，裏面的電梯居然還在運作。
這棟樓似乎是唯心教的私人産業，幾名黑袍教徒正守在門口。
見到小狐貍走了過來，他們按下了電梯按鈕。
一人一狐搭乘電梯上了頂樓陽臺。
剛開電梯門，夜風呼嘯而過，饒是溫辛現在體質好，也經不住打了個寒顫。
小狐貍見狀，飛快地跑到長桌前，啪的一下打開了電火爐，連叫幾聲催促青年趕快過來。
溫辛在旁邊的空地上看到了幾塊太陽能充電板。
再往前走，他發現沙發上有靠枕，還有厚實柔軟的被子。
在他抱起小狐貍裹進溫暖的被子裏時，樓下的唯心教教徒也送來了果盤和熱茶。
“嘤。”
小狐貍從被子裏伸出爪子，指向玻璃護欄，示意溫辛往下看。
這個高度，足夠把B市的大半風景收納眼底。
溫辛垂下眸眼，看見了萬家燈火連成一片，璀璨奪目。
末世就好像一把推着谷子的釘耙，所有人都是前面不斷翻滾的谷子，一些人堅持不住，就從縫隙裏漏了出去，爛在雨水裏。
痛苦和哭泣已經成了常态。
不管是前往A市的路上，還是A市的基地裏，他都不曾看見一張如同唯心教衆人一樣的笑臉。
溫辛閉了閉眼。
他突然間明白了，小狐貍帶他出來玩，并不只是為了玩，還想要讓他看到這無法用言語來形容的一切。
他也明白了，這就是小狐貍猶豫着不想走的原因。
在溫辛出神的時候，小狐貍從被子裏鑽了出來，跳上他的肩膀，輕輕舔舐額頭。
随後小團子又跳了下來，站在青年的大腿上，用爪子不斷比劃。
小狐貍有點後悔，之前沒學點手語什麽的，不能直接和溫辛說話真的好麻煩。
但是一些簡單的詞彙，它還是能比劃得出來。
“嘤。”
溫辛看粉團子比劃出來了一個詞：家。
小狐貍用爪子指了指那耀眼的燈火，又重複地比出了“家”這個詞彙。
——這樣的輕松，這樣的熱鬧和歡快，才是我們所期待的家。
小狐貍不知道自己能不能表達清楚，它努力地繼續比劃。
——我知道，你，喜歡，他們。
我知道你喜歡他們。
你喜歡每一個人類，每一個生靈，就如同你希望看到每一個人都幸福美滿，會接納不對勁且危險的我們。
可是末世的到來讓你感到痛苦，你看着那些人死去，好像自己也受了傷，經歷了相同的死亡。
只要外面的災難不會停止，就算我們回了家，你也會痛苦。
畢竟你可是溫辛啊，是溫柔的溫辛，是心腸好的溫辛。
小狐貍比劃完，撲到了溫辛的懷裏，抖着毛茸茸的尖耳朵，又搖尾巴。
那閃着光的眼神好像在問他。
——現在，溫辛，我将這萬家燈火作為禮物送給你。
——你會不會非常開心？
溫辛理解了小狐貍手勢裏的意思。
他很長時間沒有吭聲了，嘴唇翕動，瞳孔也跟着顫動個不停。
心髒像是被暖熱的流水所包裹，千萬般感動與酸澀都被融化在了其中。
好半天，溫辛才沙啞地說：“可是，你在這裏很累，并不開心。”
小狐貍立馬奇怪地歪了下腦袋。
它是很累，也不開心，但溫辛是怎麽知道的？
溫辛看着它狐疑的小表情，無奈地彎了下嘴角。
到現在都沒有懷疑自己暴露了，到底是小七對自己的僞裝太自信，還是太相信他了完全不設防？
他親了下小狐貍的額頭，抱着粉團子站起身來。
夜風習習，月光皎潔。
溫辛用一種近乎惬意放松的姿态，看着高樓下絢爛的燈火，沒有否認自己的喜歡。
“謝謝，我非常高興，也很喜歡這樣的風景。”
小狐貍嘚瑟地叫了兩聲。
“嘤嘤！”
我就知道你喜歡！
溫辛寵溺地看着它，又說道：“聽說是教皇殿下在用自己的力量維系這樣的繁華。”
“可我很擔心，萬一有哪一天他不在了怎麽辦？”
小狐貍愣住。
它怎麽會不在？
溫辛：“你和教皇殿下熟悉，覺得他有能力将影響擴散至另一座城市嗎？”
小狐貍皺緊眉頭。
它要壓制住自己不聽話的本性，必須餘出這部分力量。
但要是溫辛所希望的，咬咬牙也不是不能堅持過去。
小狐貍緩慢地點了點頭。
“所以兩座城市沒問題。”溫辛又問，“那要是三座城市、四座、五座，也可以嗎？”
小狐貍傻眼，小臉苦兮兮地垮了下來。
好難的，它不行。
“看，這就是問題了。”溫辛揉揉它的腦袋，“就像三座城市會讓教皇殿下吃不消，長期維持住一座城市的安寧，也是巨大的消耗，萬一教皇殿下有一天撐不住了怎麽辦？”
小狐貍想說我可以撐住。
溫辛搶在它表态之前，鄭重其事地說：“如果他真的像這樣出事，會讓我非常難過。”
“就如同小七親眼看着我出事一樣。”
小狐貍一下子卡殼，說不出話來了。
溫辛又摸了摸團子的腦袋，側身展望而去。
不知道從什麽時候開始，或許是走入商業街看到人們臉上挂笑的那一刻，他的心境突然發生了一些變化。
他的胸腔突然騰升起了一種灼熱沸騰着的、不斷叫嚣着的，和他發誓想要保護溫勁風時一樣的情緒。
幻術要消耗小七的力量，終歸不是長久之道。
這也不是小狐貍該承擔的東西。
如果不依靠幻術，這片滿目瘡痍的土地，又要靠什麽來維持住幸福？
溫辛閉了下眼睛，萬般思緒彙集在一塊，心裏模模糊糊地抓住了一點什麽。
他在心裏緩慢地呢喃。
如果我能……
【作者有話說】
修了一下前面的bug：小狐貍不知道溫辛已經知道他會幻術。
感謝在2023-05-03 23:58:19~2023-05-04 16:34:42期間為我投出霸王票或灌溉營養液的小天使哦~
感謝灌溉營養液的小天使：化鯨 20瓶；無法回複 10瓶；試圖擺爛……擺爛失敗、Charlie蘇、小白菜地裏涼 1瓶；
非常感謝大家對我的支持，我會繼續努力的！