It was already late when Wu Xiaohang returned home. He spent some money and bought a pound of pork head at the nearby braised food shop downstairs. Business was good today, so the boss kept him a little longer. There was no overtime pay for such overtime, but when he left, he could get a hot box lunch from the kitchen. The contents were quite hearty, with chicken, rice, and some vegetables. It was enough for Wu Xiaohang himself, but with an extra mouth to feed, he had to buy some extra food to bring back.
He walked downstairs and saw that the orange light in his room was on. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his cheek, smiled, took out the key from his pocket and opened the door.
The room was quiet, the only sound besides the light coming from the fan. A young man lay slumped over the table, seemingly asleep. His hair, stained by the warm light, looked exceptionally soft. As Wu Xiaohang entered the room, he straightened up and rubbed his eyes dazedly. "You're back..."
"Yes." Wu Xiaohang said, "I brought you some delicious food. Wait a minute, I'll go make some porridge."
"No need." The boy's voice was vaguely sleepy. He said, "I've already made it." He seemed a little embarrassed and lowered his voice. "It's my first time, I don't know if it will taste good..."
"It must be delicious. Hurry up and wash your face." Wu Xiaohang said, "Come and eat."
The boy happily went to the toilet.
Wu Xiaohang went into the kitchen and set the table.
A young boy named Wu Ruhuo has been staying at Wu Xiaohang's home for almost a month. At first, Wu Xiaohang wanted to find his parents and send him back. Until one day, the boy suddenly left for three days. When he came back on the third day, he was covered in scars.
Wu Xiaohang's first reaction was that Wu Ruhuo was beaten, and he immediately wanted to call the police, but Wu Ruhuo refused Wu Xiaohang's suggestion and said sullenly that it was his parents who did it.
"The police don't care." Wu Ruhuo said, "They said it was a family matter. I don't want to go back..."
Wu Xiaohang was furious after hearing this and rolled up his sleeves to seek justice from Wu Ruhuo's parents. However, after calming down, he realized he had no right to seek justice for Wu Ruhuo. To put it bluntly, he had no relationship with Wu Ruhuo, and the police had no right to intervene, so he, as an outsider, had no right to intervene.
"I don't want to go back." Wu Ruhuo's beautiful eyes were filled with tears. "I will be beaten to death at home."
Wu Xiaohang softened his heart. His parents died young, and he grew up with his grandmother. He also had a younger brother, a year younger than him, and they had been dependent on each other since childhood. However, his brother later died in an accident. Seeing Wu Ruhuo reminded him of his beloved brother. If his brother were still alive, he would never have beaten him. He would have helped him get back what he had suffered.
While he was thinking, Wu Ruhuo had already sat down in front of Wu Xiaohang, picked up the chopsticks, bit the tip of the chopsticks with his teeth, and stared at the meat in front of him.
"Eat." Wu Xiaohang smiled and placed the bowl in front of Wu Ruhuo.
Although it was his first time making porridge, Wu Ruhuo's technique was quite good, and the porridge was neither too thick nor too thin, just right. The pig's head was braised and then mixed with various seasonings and chilies, which was delicious. Wu Xiaohang especially liked the fried peanuts.
Wu Ruhuo and Wu Xiaohang have similar tastes and are very interested in peanuts.
Wu Xiaohang asked, "Do you like it?"
Wu Ruhuo nodded vigorously and said, "I've never eaten anything so delicious..."
"What did you eat before?" Wu Xiaohang asked.
"It's just raw meat." Wu Ruhuo answered casually.
"Raw meat? Your family members feed you raw meat?" Wu Xiaohang looked incredulous.
Wu Ruhuo was stunned for a moment and responded vaguely.
Wu Xiaohang was furious. In his opinion, this was further evidence of Wu Ruhuo's family abusing him. No wonder when he first saw the child, the child was so skinny, wearing inappropriate clothes, and was almost robbed...
After they finished their pork head, they watched TV beneath a fan. Wu Xiaohang was exhausted from the day's work, so after eating, he took a shower and quickly fell asleep. His eyes slowly closed, and with even breathing, he drifted off to sleep. The young man, who had been sitting quietly beside him, turned his head and regarded Wu Xiaohang with an ambiguous gaze. His dark eyes gradually took on a frightening, blood-red hue, but the color was fleeting, fading quickly.
The human world is really interesting, especially the people here. They look so fragile, but they are thinking about how to protect others.
Wu Ruhuo laughed and pressed the remote control in his hand. The TV screen in front of him dimmed and the whole room fell into darkness.
…
Ever since the God of Spring was killed, White Moon Fox has been busy for a long time.
He left home early and returned late every day, eating breakfast after returning from the fields. Lu Qingjiu was concerned about his meals and gave him enough pocket money every day, but Bai Yuehu still expressed his preference for Lu Qingjiu's cooking. So Lu Qingjiu came up with an idea and prepared a thermos for him. By adding hot soup to the bottom of the thermos, the food inside could be kept warm.
In this way, even though Bai Yuehu is on business trips every day, he can still eat hot meals at home.
However, although Bai Yuehu became busy, the frequency of Zhulong's crimes began to decrease rapidly, from two or three times a week to no movement in half a month. This may be a good thing for the police, but for Bai Yuehu and others, it is bad news, because it makes it more difficult to capture Zhulong's whereabouts.
Fortunately, Bai Yuehu and his team's high-intensity search yielded results. They found the trace of Zhulong and fought with him.
If he let it loose, Zhulong was no match for Baiyuehu. However, considering the surrounding residential area, Baiyuehu let Zhulong escape. He could have transformed back into his original form and swallowed Zhulong whole, but if he did, the nearby humans would have been swallowed along with Zhulong. With no other choice, Baiyuehu gave up. Fortunately, he still managed to severely injure Zhulong. However, the injured Zhulong disappeared and did not commit any crimes for more than ten days.
It was already mid-August, and the anniversary of Lu Qingjiu's parents' death was approaching. According to custom, he wanted to go home to pay homage to his parents' cenotaphs and visit the old tree that he had not seen for a long time.
Bai Yuehu insisted on going back with Lu Qingjiu. Although Lu Qingjiu said that she could go alone, his attitude was very firm. In the end, Lu Qingjiu agreed.
The planned trip lasted three days, and Lu Qingjiu had prepared food for Yin Xun that could be heated up and eaten. He fried a large pot of meatballs and put them in the refrigerator, and also stewed some meat and chicken, so Yin Xun could eat as much as he wanted.
Lu Qingjiu and Bai Yuehu got on the transformed pickup truck and set off.
This was the first time that Bai Yuehu had taken public transportation to other provinces. According to Lu Qingjiu's inquiry, Bai Yuehu seldom left Shuifu Village. Even if he left, he would go back at night. This trip back to his hometown with Lu Qingjiu could almost be considered a long journey. Lu Qingjiu saw some anticipation on his face.
After more than ten hours of travel, Lu Qingjiu returned to the city where he worked.
Zhu Miaomiao knew that he was coming back and warmly invited him to stay at her house, but because Bai Yuehu was there too, Lu Qingjiu chose to stay in the hotel. He checked in, put his luggage in, and went out for a walk with Bai Yuehu.
Unlike the urban area over there, this place is closer to the coast and has a more developed economy, with tall buildings and cars coming and going.
The weather was really hot at the moment. Lu Qingjiu bought a big vanilla ice cream cone for Bai Yuehu on the roadside and watched him eat it happily.
"What would you like to eat tonight?" Lu Qingjiu asked, "The seafood here is quite famous. How about we have a seafood hotpot?"
Bai Yuehu ate an ice cream cone and said that everything was fine.
It has to be said that a tall, handsome young man with a cold expression walking on the street eating an ice cream cone is still very eye-catching. The atmosphere here is open. Lu Qingjiu has noticed that many people around have taken out their mobile phones to take pictures of Bai Yuehu. He became inexplicably unhappy, pulled Bai Yuehu away from the street, and sat down in a random milk tea shop.
Bai Yuehu didn't know what Lu Qingjiu was thinking, but still followed Lu Qingjiu obediently.
After ordering two cups of milk tea, Lu Qingjiu propped up his chin and joked with Bai Yuehu, "What should I do if I get jealous when I see others looking at you?"
Bai Yuehu bit off most of the ice cream cone in one bite, and a little white cream was stained on the corner of his lips. After hearing this, his black eyes stared at Lu Qingjiu, and after a moment, he whispered: "Then hide me and don't let others see me."
Lu Qingjiu laughed and leaned over to lick the cream off the corner of Bai Yuehu's lips. Because of his action, there was a gasp from the surroundings, but Lu Qingjiu didn't care. After the milk tea came, he and Bai Yuehu left leisurely.
After announcing his ownership of the White Moon Fox, Lu Qingjiu felt much better, and even the covetous glances from those around him were less glaring. This was probably the downside of big cities: people were not very reserved. When they saw someone they liked, their first reaction was to ask for their WeChat. After all, the place was so big, and if they didn't get their contact information, this might be the last time they saw each other in this life.
Dinner was a seafood hotpot, and Lu Qingjiu ordered the largest one. Because of Bai Yuehu's outstanding appearance and huge appetite, he was constantly asked for his WeChat during the meal. Finally, Lu Qingjiu had no choice but to ask the restaurant to change them to a private room.
The box finally quieted down and Baiyue Fox could enjoy his food.
Lu Qingjiu sat by the glass, watching the people coming and going outside. After nightfall, the city's neon lights formed a river of light, illuminating the skyline, and the cars on the road flowed endlessly. In summer, for many people, night is not an end but a beginning.
This seafood hotpot is very light, and the dipping sauce is just soy sauce. It tastes like the original flavor of seafood. Because it is fresh enough, it tastes very good. However, Lu Qingjiu had eaten a lot of snacks with Bai Yuehu in the afternoon, so he was not hungry at all at this moment. He put down his chopsticks after tasting a little.
Bai Yuehu did not have this worry. All his attention was focused on the food in front of him: prawns as big as his palm, octopuses that were still twisted and curled up when put into the pot, mussels and clams that opened their shells as soon as they were cooked, and abalone with plump and elastic meat. In short, every seafood was delicious, and Bai Yuehu enjoyed eating it very much.
Lu Qingjiu said, “After we finish eating, let’s go to the night market?”
"Yeah." Bai Yuehu agreed.
Lu Qingjiu smiled and said, “There are many specialties here. It’s a pity that Yin Xun can’t leave the Water Mansion for too long… Otherwise, it would be nice for our family to go on a trip.”
The White Moon Fox remained noncommittal about this, and was clearly still very protective of his food. He was full of hostility towards anyone who might share food with him—except Lu Qingjiu.
At the end of the seafood hotpot, Bai Yuehu didn't even let go of the soup. In the end, the whole pot was as clean as if it had been washed. The waiter who came in to clean up was stunned and couldn't understand how they did it.
Lu Qingjiu ignored the waiter's surprised expression and walked straight to the front desk to pay the bill. Then the two of them left the restaurant and headed towards the night market.
After the sun went down, the temperature began to gradually drop, though the ground was still steaming. Arriving at the night market, Lu Qingjiu pulled out his wallet and let Bai Yuehu eat as much as she wanted. The oysters here are a specialty, two for ten yuan at the roadside stall. They're incredibly fresh and come in garlic sauce, steamed, or raw, each with its own unique flavors.
Lu Qingjiu ordered a 100-yuan drink for Bai Yuehu, which also came with about 30 pieces. Then he went to the side and bought two coconuts, inserted straws and started drinking.
Bai Yuehu ate oysters contentedly, and Lu Qingjiu looked at him from the side: "Do you want to see the sea?"
Bai Yuehu asked, "Sea?"
"Well, the sea in the human world," Lu Qingjiu said, "is a little different from the sea in the other world."
Bai Yuehu said, "Okay."
The night market wasn't far from the beach, only a ten-minute walk away. The beach was quite lively. The weather had been hot these past few days, but there had been little rain, so the beach was filled with people enjoying the cool air and swimming. However, Bai Yuehu and Lu Qingjiu arrived a little late, and most people had already gone home, leaving only a small number of people still on the beach.
The night sea is a sinister spectacle. The setting sun is about to sink below the horizon, and the water, tugged fiercely against the beach by the pull of the moon's gravity, slams against the sand. The water, once a beautiful azure under the sun, is now black, like a lurking beast, ready to tear apart any approaching prey.
"It's much darker than the sea where you are." Lu Qingjiu said slowly, "It would be more beautiful during the day..."
Bai Yuehu turned his head and glanced at Lu Qingjiu: "Do you like it here?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "I like it."
After leaving Shuifu Village, he grew up here and naturally liked it. It can be said that this is his second hometown. If his parents had not had an accident, he would not have chosen to return to Shuifu Village to find the truth.
Bai Yuehu fell silent, and the only sound in the two of them's ears was the crashing of the waves.
"Let's go back." Lu Qingjiu said, "It's a bit late."
Bai Yuehu nodded.
The two began to walk back.
Along the way, Lu Qingjiu and Bai Yuehu talked about some of their childhood events, some of which happened in Shuifu Village and some of which happened here. He said that he was very reluctant to leave Shuifu Village because he couldn't bear to leave his grandmother.
"I know." Bai Yuehu said, "I know you cried when you left." He said slowly, "Yin Xun even ran after the train you left on for a long time, wanting to give you game coins."
Lu Qingjiu: "...You know everything?"
Bai Yuehu nodded.
Lu Qingjiu thought for a moment: "So, actually, you have been by my side since I was born?"
Bai Yuehu nodded softly.
Lu Qingjiu: "Then why haven't I seen you?"
Bai Yuehu said, "Because your grandma doesn't want you to repeat her mistakes." He sighed softly, "She doesn't want you to become a guardian."
Lu Qingjiu was speechless.
Indeed, when his parents suddenly passed away, Lu Qingjiu wanted to return to Shuifu Village to be with his grandmother, but she drove him away. She told him to finish his studies and consider other matters after he finished. He also considered bringing his grandmother to live near the school, but she still disagreed, saying that Shuifu was her roots and she couldn't leave them for too long. Growing up, Lu Qingjiu had never seen a White Moon Fox, nor had he ever heard its name. Now thinking about it, perhaps his grandmother hadn't intended for him to come into contact with the White Moon Fox from the beginning, because only Guardians interacted with the Dragon Clan.
"So are you happy in Shuifu Village?" asked Bai Yuehu.
"Be happy naturally." Lu Qingjiu laughed, "I'm not someone who likes to force myself."
Bai Yuehu lowered his eyes.
The two arrived at the hotel, and Lu Qingjiu took a shower, washing off the sweat and dust. After he finished, he saw Bai Yuehu sitting by the window, lost in thought. The hotel they had booked was in a great location, offering a panoramic view of the entire city at night. Whether it was the beautiful neon lights, the buildings emitting various lights, or the traffic flowing like water, it was all a breathtaking sight.
"So beautiful." Bai Yuehu's fingers touched the smooth glass, and he didn't look back.
"What's so beautiful about it?" Lu Qingjiu walked to the side of Bai Yuehu.
Bai Yuehu said, "I seldom come to the city." Even when I come, I don't stay in a hotel.
Lu Qingjiu could hear the disappointment in Bai Yuehu's tone. He reached out his hands, cupped Bai Yuehu's face, and looked seriously into his beautiful eyes: "Not as beautiful as yours." He lowered his head and kissed Bai Yuehu's eyelashes. "You know, I like lying in the yard with you at night the most."
Bai Yuehu hummed softly, with a hint of doubt in his voice.
"Because at that time, your eyes were full of stars." Lu Qingjiu said, "It was as if you were the entire Milky Way." He hugged Bai Yuehu, "I won't leave you, I won't go anywhere. This is not a place I like. I only like you, and I only like Shuifu Village where you are."
Bai Yuehu's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "Really?"
Lu Qingjiu smiled and said, "Of course it's true."
Bai Yuehu said, "Shuifu Village is very boring..."
Lu Qingjiu said: "Any place you stay in for a long time will be boring, but if you have someone you like, you won't feel bored."
Bai Yuehu stopped talking and the two of them lingered together.
That night, they went to bed very late, which resulted in Lu Qingjiu almost not getting out of bed the next day.
The plan was to visit the grave early today. Lu Qingjiu, with back pain, lay on the bed and said she was going to die. Bai Yuehu's hand hooked the outline of Lu Qingjiu's ear, and his voice was gentle, low and sexy. He said, "Lu Qingjiu, I won't allow you to die. I have a way to bring you back to life."
Lu Qingjiu sensed something keenly and got up from the bed regardless of the pain in his body. If he was tormented again, he probably wouldn't be able to go anywhere today.
Bai Yuehu laughed at Lu Qingjiu's frightened look. Lu Qingjiu said angrily, "How dare you laugh? If I can't walk today, I will stick to you and let you carry me."
Bai Yuehu didn't care: "If you can walk, I'm willing to carry you."
Lu Qingjiu: “…” Forget it, I won’t bother with the shameless vixen.
He limped to take a shower, and then had a buffet breakfast at the hotel with Bai Yuehu before slowly getting into the van. Fortunately, the van didn't need to be driven and nothing would happen, otherwise Lu Qingjiu really wouldn't dare drive today.
The cemetery was in the suburbs, and it would take at least an hour to get there. Lu Qingjiu almost fell asleep in the driver's seat. Bai Yuehu was considerate enough to remain quiet along the way, and only woke Lu Qingjiu up gently when they were almost at the cemetery.
Lu Qingjiu yawned, rubbed his eyes and woke up. Seeing that the small truck had parked in the parking space, he instructed Bai Yuehu to buy paper money, incense, candles and a bunch of beautiful yellow chrysanthemums.
Walking on the bluestone slabs, with tall pines and cypresses on both sides, the solemn atmosphere here made Lu Qingjiu and Bai Yuehu's smiles disappear from their faces, replaced by serious expressions.
The tombstone was found quickly. Having not been here for a year, some moss and weeds had accumulated on it. Lu Qingjiu took out the prepared wet towel and cleaned the tombstone bit by bit.
Bai Yuehu half-knelt beside him and helped Lu Qingjiu light the incense and candles.
After wiping the tombstone, Lu Qingjiu talked to his parents for a while while burning paper money, saying that he had come back to see them and that he had been having a good time recently, and asked them not to worry about him. When mentioning Bai Yuehu, he said very frankly that Bai Yuehu was his boyfriend and that he liked him very much.
Bai Yuehu continued to burn paper money quietly like a little wife.
"He's so cute." Lu Qingjiu said, "I like him very much. Dad and Mom, if you feel uncomfortable down there, remember to send me a dream." When he said this, he remembered that Zhulong seemed to be in charge of the underworld. Does that mean that there is hell and ghosts in the world?
He then looked at the White Moon Fox, who seemed to have a psychic connection with him and immediately understood his question. She shook her head, explaining that the underworld was a broad concept, that where there was yang, there was yin, which was more like a world opposite to yang. Furthermore, not all creatures possessed souls; it all depended on luck. With good luck, they would be reincarnated, but with bad luck, they would be reborn as livestock.
Lu Qingjiu felt complicated after hearing this. She didn't want to accept that her parents might become pigs and be killed and eaten in the next life.
Fortunately, Bai Yuehu probably noticed Lu Qingjiu's mood at the moment, and explained that Lu Qingjiu's mother was half dragon blood. People with this bloodline should be able to travel freely in the underworld even after death, and there is no need to worry about being bullied.
Lu Qingjiu was relieved.
After burning the paper money, Lu Qingjiu said Zhu Miaomiao would treat him to lunch at noon, and he wanted to visit the old tree in the park near the company. Bai Yuehu also wanted to see the tree spirit that Lu Qingjiu had always mentioned, and the two of them drove towards the company.
The author has something to say: Lu Qingjiu: Mom and Dad, this is my boyfriend Bai Yuehu.
Bai Yuehu is well-behaved: Hello Mom and Dad, I am Bai Yuehu.
Lu Qingjiu: He is a dragon... Ugh!
Bai Yuehu: That’s right, I am just a rural vixen.
Lu Qingjiu: ...?
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