Chapter 89 Afternoon Tea Xavier Spring.
The group had arranged to have afternoon tea at Arribel's private residence. When East and his companion entered the back garden hand in hand, they discovered that they were not the first to arrive.
When Easter saw the figure in the glass flower hall, his breath hitched. It was the first reaction a human would have when encountering something beautiful. It was an existence that could only be described with one word—spirit. He had long, vibrant, tender green hair, flawless skin, and light-colored eyes with a glassy texture. His existence seemed to be on a different level from this world, yet he was also integrated into nature and into all things, making one marvel at the wonder of the Creator.
“You’re back. How was your time?” Xavier asked, his voice light and gentle, no less mesmerizing than a mermaid’s.
Upon closer inspection, one can see his long, pointed ears, and the earrings he wears on those ears, making his identity immediately clear—an elf.
“Xavier Spring, my friend,” Arribel stepped forward and introduced him to Easter, “Easter, my partner.”
Xavier nodded to East and said, "It's a pleasure to see you here."
"Why are you here so early?" Aripel pulled Easter to sit opposite Xavier, appearing relaxed and at ease.
A faint smile appeared on Xavier's lips. "I'm just a nobody with nothing to do, so I've come here to have some tea." He took out a small box and handed it to Easter. "It's what you promised."
East was unsure whether to accept the gift. Given their equal relationship, it might not be appropriate to accept such an expensive gift.
“Honey, it’s okay. If they’re willing to give, just accept it,” Aripel took the gift for East and whispered in his ear, “Didn’t I tell you before we came? Don’t be polite with them. They have plenty of good things there. They can give you a return gift when they have a partner.”
“I understand,” East put away the small box and thanked Xavier. “Thank you.” This was a matter of courtesy, but considering that he wasn’t very familiar with these people, and his only connection was Arribel, he was afraid that if he did something inappropriate, he might put Arribel in a difficult position.
“Honey, don’t overthink it. They’re my friends. If you get along with them, then be friends. If you don’t, don’t feel bad about it,” Arip said bluntly.
Xavier nodded in agreement. "Arip is right."
Easter smiled and said, "It seems I've been overthinking things."
“It’s right to think more,” Xavier said. “We learned our lesson from this.”
In the beginning, they couldn't always say whatever they wanted or express their dissatisfaction directly. They only gradually changed after suffering from poor communication a few times. And this habit only exists among their few friends.
Xavier closed the book in his hands, revealing a thick, ancient cover. It was a hard shell with a black background and the four gold characters "Continental Epic" on it, which had faded a bit.
“Perhaps you’ll be interested in this book. Would you like to take a look?” he asked East.
East was happy to accept Xavier's offer, and what he knew should be different from what they knew.
Xavier seemed to be in a good mood and said, "It's a pity about your good nature."
East was puzzled.
Arip's face darkened, and he felt a lump in his throat, but he couldn't jump in and assume it was him before Xavier had explained it clearly, which made him even angrier.
East silently opened the book in his hands. The book was quite heavy, pressing down on his thighs. He shouldn't interrupt his friends' playful banter.
The book "The Epic of the Continent" may seem ordinary and like something from a street stall, but just by looking at who wrote it, you can tell how precious it is.
The title page has this sentence written on it—
Don't try to uncover the secrets of history.
On the yellowed pages, East saw a different meaning.
The book opens to a table of contents, which is divided into five eras. Under each of these eras, major events that occurred are marked in smaller print. The events of the first four eras are relatively few, accounting for only one-third of the last era.
For the first time, East gained a direct understanding of the history of this continent, looking back from today to the Age of Divinity, at least billions of years had passed.
The Age of Divine Decline was the first honeymoon period between humans and gods, and also the birth era of various magical species. The records are brief, depicting a desolate, chaotic, yet peaceful landscape.
Records of the Pantheon are scarce, comparable to the Divine Birth Era but not as numerous as the Divine Decline Era. All that is known is that countless gods were born in that era. The only noteworthy aspect is the record of the emergence of demons. It seems that more gods appeared to be created for the sake of the demons, but who can say for sure what the truth is? That's just how it is recorded in the records.
On the Day of Divine Silence, a special day that cannot be mentioned too much, humans and gods are separated. From then on, gods are high above, and humans can only worship faith. The gods' favorites begin to replace the gods and convey the gods' will to humans.
Soon a new era arrived, an era few hoped for. The Chronicle of Gods' Fall, an era in which neither humans nor gods could prevail. A multitude of Gods' Chosen and Gods' Descendants clashed with an even greater number of demons across the continent. Only by uniting nearly all of humanity and other magical species could the Gods' Chosen and Gods' Descendants barely manage to resist the demons. It was a protracted war, but fortunately, victory was ultimately achieved.
The above is the first half of the Chronicle of the Fallen Gods, which records many powerful chosen ones and divine beings, as well as many powerful magicians and swordsmen. The magical species are also very diverse, making it a chaotic yet magnificent period of history.
The latter half of the Godfall Era and the boundary with the new era are very blurry, or how should I put it? It can still be called the Godfall Era now, because no one can end the Godfall Era, but to avoid the taboo, this era has various names now. Those who do not revere the gods call it the "Athena Era", while those who highly admire the gods call it the "Twelve Gods Era". The one that is truly widely known and widely circulated is the "Gods Concealed Era", which means that the gods have disappeared after humanity.
Easton examined his family's history more closely, a period that falls between the Age of Gods' Fall and the Age of Gods' Disappearance.
That period of history is the most watched since the "War of Gods and Demons". Patrick Felix was a man of great fortune and the blessings of heaven and earth. Perhaps it was a case of things reaching their extreme and then turning into their opposite, or perhaps it was the jealousy of the heavens. He was like a shooting star, dazzling and short-lived.
There are very few records about him, and most of them are rumors, most of which are scandalous affairs. As for the relationship between humans and gods, there are only a few words available. Based on these few words and what East knows, he can only speculate.
The Felix family was initially a great noble family, but it declined amidst power struggles and infighting. Patrick was born during a time of great turmoil for the Felix family. By the time he grew up, the Felix family had fallen to the point of being an obscure and almost extinct family. Under these circumstances, he led the family to rise again, to glory, and also to its demise.
While East was engrossed in his book, the other two were not idle either. In order not to disturb him, Xavier and Aripelago communicated privately via telepathy. This was a secret technique mastered by high-level mages, requiring strong soul power to establish a bridge of communication, which was easy for the two of them.
“Ester Felix, you really have no scruples? Should I be glad you got him a new face?” Xavier said.
Arribel: "I think there's no need for us to hide anything from each other."
“I would love to praise your courage and boldness, and commend your responsibility and commitment,” Xavier said, “but as a friend and, more importantly, a business partner, I just want to say, Arribel, you’re being too emotional.”
Arribel calmly replied, "I know." How could he not know? He had allowed his feelings to fester, letting himself and the other person sink deeper and deeper into the mire.
At first, his feelings for her were thinner than paper, easily broken, at most a fleeting affair. But the more they spent together, the more reluctant he became to let her go. His precious one was so wonderful, she belonged to him, so why should he let her go?
"Xavier, I'm so tired." That was all he said in the end.
Xavier was speechless. No one knew Aripal better than them. No matter how powerful Aripal was, one thing was unchangeable: he lived under the watchful eyes of the gods. It sounded nice, but it wasn't a good thing. If it were, they wouldn't have established such a close relationship.
Easter keenly sensed the awkward atmosphere, and at that moment, he also flipped to the very end of the book, where, too, there was a sentence—
Unrecorded history is longer than recorded history; some histories are destined to be buried.
Easter closed the book, looked at Areber with concern, and asked, "What happened? Are you unhappy?"
"My darling is so engrossed in reading that she's neglecting me. How can I be happy?" Aribo said lazily, his words a mix of truth and falsehood.
Xavier, not one to be tactless, exposed him at that moment. He asked, "Have you finished watching? What are your thoughts?"
East: "..." What do you think of this? Well, as a former Chinese teacher, he had asked this question many times. It's true that fortunes change.
“Historical records are incomplete,” Easter said, stating his initial thought. However, he only considered that idea in his mind; he wouldn’t pretend to be ignorant about things that were truly important.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Xavier said this not so much as to ask East, but rather as to himself, his voice very soft.
Arip sighed.
East was puzzled for a moment, but after his thoughts swirled in his mind a couple of times, he suddenly understood. This matter was too obvious; those who pursue history cannot find the answer in history. Those who cannot pursue history are naturally still ignorant of history.
After understanding the situation, the former had only vague guesses about the instigator and dared not discuss it too much. The latter could say that ignorance is bliss. Under such circumstances, more and more history will be buried. In the end, all that will remain is what they allowed to remain, a kind of self-evident sorrow.
"What's wrong? Why are you so lifeless?" The voice that suddenly appeared was captivating and melodious, making one unconsciously intoxicated. The identity of the newcomer was obvious—Pearl.
"I'm sorry I'm late." His tone was calm and composed, yet imbued with a sense of icy resolve—that was Randall.
“Where are they late?” Pearl retorted. “There’s still half an hour until the appointed time. They arrived first without even informing us beforehand.”
“Pearl is right,” said Spencer, who had only parted ways at noon. “I thought we were early enough, but I didn’t expect the three of you to gather together so quietly. Could it be that you’ve been doing something behind our backs?”
Pearl looked intently at the three of them and asked, "Is Spencer right?"
"How could that be right?" Areber was speechless. "What could the three of us possibly be hiding from you?"
"If you're not hiding it from them, are you trying to hide it from me?"
When East heard the voice of the newcomer, his first reaction was righteousness. It was an indescribable feeling, just like when he first met Xavier, he thought of "spirit." Upon hearing the voice and seeing the appearance of the newcomer, he could only think of the word "righteousness." The newcomer was very handsome and exuded a strong sense of security. He was too "righteous."
“Caius, I didn’t think you would come,” Areper said.
“Just passing by. It’s been a while since we got together. It’s rare to have so many of us together, so we couldn’t miss it,” Caius replied. “And this is…?” he asked Ist.
Aripo repeated the same introduction he had given to Xavier to Caius.
Caius looked around and said, "So you really did keep it from me." Looking at everyone present, he was probably the only one who didn't know.
"Is it that we didn't want to notify you?" Pearl asked. "Once you've disappeared into the 'little abyss,' who can contact you?"
“No, you never intended to contact me,” Caius exposed.
“It’s not a matter of anyone contacting anyone,” Randall said. “It was Aripor who let it slip at the last gathering. It’s his private matter, and we shouldn’t pry.” His implication was, who can you blame? You weren’t there last time.
Caius glanced at East a couple of times, not with malice, but purely out of curiosity, "Was it to bring a gift?" He then pulled out a jade box, "Don't be shy, it's a small gift."
With Caius acting as their representative, Pearl, Randall, and Spencer also presented their gifts.
With Xavier's example set, East's response went smoothly. After receiving the gift, he smiled and said, "Thank you. I've also prepared some small trinkets. They certainly can't compare to the precious gifts you've given, but they're just a token of my appreciation."
Arip was somewhat prepared for Easter's actions; he knew that Easter was the kind of person who wouldn't accept too much kindness from others.
After exchanging gifts, everyone casually took out several plates of pastries, fruits, and drinks, with no two items being the same. They placed them on the table for everyone to take.
Arip took out two bottles of wine from his spatial storage device.
East understood their habits, and a smile curved his lips. He should thank the players for giving him something presentable to eat at this moment.
“Arip, you’re being so generous today?” Pearl exclaimed in admiration.
But Pearl couldn't keep up with Caius. "Thank you, otherwise he wouldn't have been willing to take out this wine," he said to East.
There were two bottles of wine in round glass crystal bottles, no bigger than the palm of your hand, the amber-colored liquid reflecting a beautiful brilliance in the crystal.
"Afternoon tea, time for tea." Randall took out the tea set and good tea.
Xavier approached Randall and said, “Try the spring water I just found.”
Spencer reached for the dessert that Easter had brought out; it was made differently from what they had here, and it gave him a lot of inspiration.
The atmosphere was lively and harmonious, showing their good relationship.
East and Arip sat side by side, their hands intertwined, playing a game that only couples play, creating a very sweet atmosphere.
Randall brewed the tea, and the delicate aroma of the tea filled the air, having a calming effect on the mind and spirit.
"Have a taste." He handed the tea to East and the other man.
East had met Randall once before when he helped him, so he had no reason to refuse his current kindness.
"What about me?" Spencer asked, holding a tray and staring longingly at the tea Randall had brewed. "Get me a cup, I'm going to choke."
“Spencer, I remember you don’t have a big appetite?” Xavier sat down next to him, his gaze falling on the porcelain plate that Spencer was protecting. “Is it that delicious?”
"Delicious, incredibly delicious." Pearl was one of the more qualified to speak on the matter; he had almost sold himself to obtain the recipe for the dish.
Attracting many glances, Istdo took out several plates, all of different kinds. "You can try them all. If you like any, tell me and I can write down the recipe for you."
The people present nodded slightly, and then the topic turned to food. Spencer talked at length, explaining everything from the heat and seasonings to the proportions and ingredients in great detail, as if he wanted to give a live demonstration.
Xavier and Randall sat together, with Spencer's voice in the background, talking about food that they both found interesting, the combination of natural ingredients, without cooking, just tasting the food itself.
Pearl and Caius were more interested in the drinks. They initially clashed over the wines that Arriber had brought out, but when they started talking, they found they got along the best. Once they were really into the conversation, they even started exchanging their wines.
Arip leaned against East, nuzzling his neck, and said, "I didn't expect to pique their interest." He sounded languid and sleepy.
Today's main purpose is to formally introduce Easter to his friends. Easter's appearance is not a problem. They recognize people not by their appearance but by their aura. There's not much else to it. They're not very familiar with each other. Even if they are close, it won't be easy to build trust.
Easter supported Ariber's waist to prevent him from slipping and asked, "You didn't sleep well last night, do you want to go back to your room to rest?"
“Just watch him put on an act,” Pearl scoffed at Areper’s words. “He used to fight for seven days and seven nights without getting tired, but he’s this exhausted after just one night of not sleeping well. Only you would believe that.”
Randall gently tapped Pearl's arm, signaling him not to be oblivious to the situation, and said to the two of them, "It's just a meeting today, nothing important, and it's getting late, we can call it a day."
Xavier said, "We can meet again sometime and talk about collaboration. Your summons can be very useful."
Caius, clutching the empty bottle, showed no signs of drunkenness. He said, "Arip, I have to leave in a couple of days. Contact me as soon as possible if anything comes up."
Pearl waved her hand dismissively, becoming the first to leave, saying, "See you later." There will be plenty of opportunities; it'll be more fun once we get to know each other better.
Once people leave, the tea grows cold; soon only two people remained in the glass conservatory.
Aripor bit East's earlobe; since he wasn't wearing an earring, he could freely ravage the soft earlobe.
East tightened her grip on his waist, turned her head uncomfortably to the side, and whispered, "It tickles."
Arip smiled sweetly, "Baby, you're so cute."
He released his earlobe, which he had ravaged so badly, and kissed his way from his cheek to his lips, leaving behind hot and wet marks.
"Finally, no one's around." With a sigh of relief, he pressed his lips firmly against theirs, not allowing East any room to back away.
With a change of position, Arip was in East's arms, pinning him down. His long, wavy hair, like molten gold in the sunset, was spread out, adding even more heat to the ambiguous space.
Easter readily complied, and when it came to intimacy, he would never refuse Aripor, opening his lips and tongue to Aripor and letting him explore and ravage him.
"Why are you so well-behaved?" Arepo mumbled.
"Happy." Arip's actions today clearly show how much he values him, how could he not be happy?
Aripelago understood, wrapped his arms around Easter's neck, and whispered sweetly in his ear, "Baby, there's a passageway from where I live that leads to Fanchun Park, wanna come?"
East, "..." Isn't it better to stay home? Why are you so fixated on Fanchun Park?
Arribel understood East's thoughts and explained, "Home is anytime, but it's not easy for you to agree to this even once outside."
"I didn't refuse."
"Sure, how about right here?" This was exactly what Aribo had been waiting for from Easter.
East, “…” It’s all a routine, a routine.
Arriber laughed so hard he almost rolled on the floor. "Baby, I'm just kidding. We're only going to Fanchun Park today."
Easter let out a soft sigh. He always found it difficult to respond to Arribel's proposals. It wasn't that he was unwilling, but rather that he was afraid. He was afraid of nothing else but that other people might see Arribel. No one knew better than Easterel how captivating Arribel was back then. He knew that he was just worrying unnecessarily, but even as a hypothetical scenario, he was unwilling to accept it.
Arribel absolutely loved East's expression of being clearly conflicted yet forced to indulge him.
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