The park near my office is usually packed in the afternoons. There are elderly women dancing in the park square, mothers pushing their children to play, and the occasional student with a sketchpad. Overall, the park is bustling with activity.
It was just that the weather was too hot today, so there weren't many people in the park. Lu Qingjiu and Bai Yuehu went to the old tree and sat down on the flower bed next to it.
The scorching sunlight filtered through the lush branches and leaves of the old tree, casting mottled shadows on the ground. Lu Qingjiu reached out and touched the trunk of the old tree, calling out his friend's name.
The old tree didn't respond. When Lu Qingjiu was getting anxious, Bai Yuehu stood up and said that he would go somewhere else first, giving Lu Qingjiu time and space.
Lu Qingjiu looked bewildered, not understanding why Moon Fox did this. White Moon Fox explained, "It might have sensed my presence and was afraid to speak."
Lu Qingjiu: “Ah?” He had never thought of this.
"It's okay, you guys chat." Bai Yuehu said, "I'll wait for you at the park entrance."
Having said that, he turned and left.
About five or six minutes after Bai Yuehu left, Lao Shu's voice really rang out from behind Lu Qingjiu, but it was trembling a little: "Jiu'er, are you okay?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "I'm fine."
The old tree said, "Why did you come back with the dragon? Such a terrifying creature..."
Lu Qingjiu said to himself, "Not only am I back with the dragon, I'm also in love with the dragon." Of course, he didn't dare to provoke Lao Shu, but just explained that the White Moon Fox is different from ordinary dragons, has a very good temper, and has never done anything to hurt him.
However, Lao Shu did not comment on Lu Qingjiu's statement, but just kept saying that dragons are very dangerous creatures, and from the memory inheritance, humans who made friends with dragons would not have a good ending.
Lu Qingjiu just listened with a smile, and Lao Shu also tasted a certain determination from his silence. After a long sigh, he did not continue the topic and talked about other things.
A year, for someone as long-lived as Lao Shu, was but a fleeting moment. Unlike the years before, Lao Shu now had a companion, and life seemed to have become more interesting, no longer as boring as before. Lu Qingjiu had been a little worried about Lao Shu and Wu Xiao, but now that they seemed to be getting along well, she felt relieved.
Speaking of Wu Xiao, Lao Shu seemed to open up, saying that he had a sharp tongue but a kind heart. Although he said things that didn't sound nice, he was actually very understanding and spent a lot of time chatting with him. He was very happy to have such a partner. However, the only drawback was that after Wu Xiao could hear him speak, he could also hear some other non-human creatures speak, and even occasionally saw them, which caused Wu Xiao a lot of trouble.
Lu Qingjiu listened quietly to Lao Shu's chattering, and felt as if he had returned to the most difficult time of those years. At that time, he had just joined the company and was not familiar with other colleagues, but he met Lao Shu by chance. Lao Shu especially liked to talk, and told Lu Qingjiu to bring an umbrella on rainy days and put on more clothes on cold days, which helped Lu Qingjiu get through the worst period.
At this moment, Lao Shu's old habit came back. He muttered for a long time before realizing that he seemed to have talked too much. He said a little embarrassedly: "Oh, you didn't even remind me, I have been talking for almost an hour."
Lu Qingjiu smiled and said, "It's okay. Just tell me. I'm happy to listen."
The old tree whispered, "No, don't let the dragon get impatient."
Lu Qingjiu said, "It's okay." He had finally come back, and he believed that Bai Yuehu could understand his occasional willfulness.
The old tree said, "Are you really not going to come back?"
"I won't be coming back." Lu Qingjiu said firmly, "But I will come here to visit the grave every year. We can see each other once a year."
The old tree let out a regretful sigh.
Lu Qingjiu glanced at his phone. It was almost time for the dinner agreed upon by Zhu Miaomiao. He stood up and planned to say goodbye to Lao Shu, saying that he would come back to chat with Lao Shu after finishing his meal.
The old tree stammered for a long time, as if he wanted to say something.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?" Lu Qingjiu asked, "Go ahead, I'm listening."
The old tree said: "That's it..."
Lu Qingjiu said: "Hmm?"
The old tree said, "Do you still remember the fortune I told you about your parents?"
Lu Qingjiu said, "Of course I remember." Coincidentally, if Lao Shu hadn't told his parents a fortune, he wouldn't have returned to Shuifu Village, let alone met Baiyue Fox.
Lao Shu asked, "Do you... think this divination is accurate?"
"That's pretty accurate." Lu Qingjiu said, "My parents didn't die in an accident."
Lao Shu was silent for a moment, but his voice was a little low. He said, "Actually, a few days before you came back, I also read your fortune."
Lu Qingjiu asked, "How is it?"
The old tree said, “Not very good.”
Lu Qingjiu sighed: "Very bad?"
The old tree said, "I don't quite understand..." He began to ramble, "The hexagram says to stay away from water, but it also says that life lies in water. Isn't that a contradiction?"
Lu Qingjiu asked, "What does the hexagram say?"
The old tree read out the hexagram: "When the mountains reach their limit, the water will eventually run dry. A village with dark willows cannot retain its flowers tomorrow. If one does not enter the water, the whole process will be inevitable, and the mountains and rivers will be difficult to recover." This hexagram was different from other hexagrams. It was a poem derived using a unique method of their people. The hexagram was embedded in the poetry. This method usually consumed a great deal of their vitality, so the old tree rarely practiced fortune-telling. So far, he had only done it three times: twice for Lu Qingjiu and once for Wu Xiao.
The previous divinations were over after they were completed, but after this one, Lao Shu felt a sense of fear. He had a sense of crisis that he was almost discovered while spying on the Heavenly Dao. Lao Shu didn't understand why Lu Qingjiu was related to the Heavenly Dao until he saw the White Moon Fox who came back with Lu Qingjiu. Only then did he understand the reason.
The dragon race was born in response to the Way of Heaven. To be more precise, they are the race that upholds the Way of Heaven. Lu Qingjiu, who is related to dragons, naturally has a close connection with the Way of Heaven, so this is probably the last time he will tell Lu Qingjiu's fortune.
Lu Qingjiu read his own hexagram again and felt that it had an ominous aura, but after reading it carefully, he felt a little confused. The first few sentences seemed to indicate that the road ahead would be very difficult, but the last few sentences hinted at the possibility of survival.
Lu Qingjiu savored it for a while and said, “I understand. I will be careful next time.”
"Hmm." The old tree muttered, "You have a good temper. Good things will surely be rewarded. Nothing will happen to you."
Lu Qingjiu smiled and hummed.
Seeing that the time was almost up, he said goodbye to the old tree and went to the park gate to pick up the White Moon Fox.
Bai Yuehu asked them what they talked about, and Lu Qingjiu told Bai Yuehu the divination that Lao Shu had given. After hearing this, Bai Yuehu frowned and fell into silence.
The two of them walked downstairs to the company building in this strange atmosphere and happened to meet Zhu Miaomiao who was coming downstairs.
Seeing that the two of them were silent, Zhu Miaomiao asked in confusion: "What's wrong with you two? Why don't you say anything?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "It's okay, aren't I just thinking about asking you to treat me to something?"
Zhu Miaomiao said, "Ha, don't give me that. I've already made up my mind. With Bai Yuehu here, we must go to the buffet."
Lu Qingjiu: “…” It seems to make sense.
Zhu Miaomiao rolled up her sleeves and said that she had already inquired about the famous buffets in the city a few days ago, and chose one with reasonable prices and good taste, and was waiting for them to come. Lu Qingjiu said she accepted the challenge.
This buffet was different from the Japanese food Taifeng had invited them to last time. It featured hot pot and barbecue, with a piping hot pot in the middle and plates of barbecue on the side. The food here was quite fresh, both cooked and raw, and you could pick it up yourself. After they sat down, the food quickly piled up in front of them, so much so that the passing waitstaff looked stunned, perhaps worried about their waste.
But soon, the puzzled looks on the side turned into astonishment, because the plates of food piled next to them began to decrease rapidly. Lu Qingjiu and Zhu Miaomiao were full soon, and they both started to feed Bai Yuehu, one of them made hot pot and the other grilled meat. Bai Yuehu was responsible for eating with chopsticks.
"Oh my god, Bai Yuehu's appetite is too big." Zhu Miaomiao exclaimed in amazement, "There are so many big eaters now, I think being a food broadcaster is also a way out for him..." Bai Yuehu's appearance, coupled with his huge appetite, makes him the new darling of the food broadcasting world no matter how you look at it.
Lu Qingjiu smiled and said, “If you want to be a food broadcaster, you have to find something to eat first.”
Zhu Miaomiao said: "Isn't this self-help?"
Lu Qingjiu said, "It's okay for one meal, but if you come here every day, the buffet owner will be bankrupt."
Zhu Miaomiao took a look at the way Bai Yuehu ate and felt that there was some truth to his behavior. To be honest, with the way Bai Yuehu ate, she really suspected that he would be blacklisted by the restaurant owner next time.
As more and more plates piled up next to Bai Yuehu, the people around him looked more and more surprised, and some even picked up their phones to take pictures. Seeing that the situation was not good, Lu Qingjiu quickly asked Bai Yuehu to leave, fearing that if he continued to eat, he would be watched by people in the restaurant, and it was almost nine o'clock and closing time.
When the three of them left, they looked as guilty as thieves who had stolen something. They didn't even dare to look around and quickly left the restaurant.
Outside, Lu Qingjiu asked Zhu Miaomiao if he wanted an ice cream cone to help with the digestion, and Zhu Miaomiao happily agreed. Bai Yuehu still looked unsatisfied, so Lu Qingjiu shamelessly leaned over and touched his belly. It still didn't feel bulging, and his abdominal muscles were clearly visible beneath his T-shirt, showing no sign of softening at all.
Lu Qingjiu touched his stomach again and felt a small bulge in it. He felt like vomiting when he pressed it a little, so he quickly withdrew his hand.
"Let's find a place to sit down and digest our food," Zhu Miaomiao suggested. "There are several good bars nearby."
Lu Qingjiu asked, "Do you still go there often?"
In the past, when work was stressful, Zhu Miaomiao liked to go to bars, drink and dance during her free time. If she was lucky, she would meet some cute guys who would chat her up. Sometimes when she got drunk, Lu Qingjiu would help take her home. Because of this, Lu Qingjiu would always remind Zhu Miaomiao to be careful when she went out alone.
"No." Zhu Miaomiao shook her head. "I'm old and can't jump anymore. Now I have to add wolfberries to my beer. Oh, and I remember there's a bar that has red date and wolfberry beer that's super delicious. Wanna go?"
Lu Qingjiu thought that it was still early and there was nothing to do in the hotel, so he agreed.
The three of them walked towards the bar. Zhu Miaomiao munched on an ice cream cone while answering a phone call. After a long pause, he hung up and said, "Mr. Wu knows you're here and wants to come over for a drink. Do you mind?"
Lu Qingjiu asked, "Wu Xiao?"
Zhu Miaomiao said: "Yes."
Lu Qingjiu said, "Hmm... that's fine." He also wanted to chat with Wu Xiao about his recent situation. During their afternoon chat with Lao Shu, he learned from Lao Shu that Wu Xiao had been in a bad state recently, seemingly plagued by nightmares. Since Lao Shu couldn't leave the park, he couldn't find the cause for a while and was quite worried. Lu Qingjiu figured that since Bai Yuehu was here, why not ask Bai Yuehu to help Wu Xiao and maybe find the cause?
Zhu Miaomiao talked about Wu Xiao, saying that his temper had improved a lot since Lu Qingjiu left, he had become more amiable, and the atmosphere in the team had improved a lot.
Lu Qingjiu thought that this might be because people are in high spirits when something good happens...
Zhu Miaomiao walked into the bar and ordered drinks and snacks. This time, she chose a quiet bar with a relatively peaceful atmosphere. A singer with a guitar sat in the center of the stage, singing a niche song that few people had heard. Lu Qingjiu drank the wolfberry and red date beer that Zhu Miaomiao had mentioned. Unexpectedly, it tasted much better than he had imagined. It always felt warm in his mouth.
Zhu Miaomiao ate potato chips and said, "Wu Xiao is here."
Lu Qingjiu followed Zhu Miaomiao's gaze and saw Wu Xiao. He had changed out of his formal attire and was wearing a white shirt and jeans. His tall and straight figure attracted a lot of attention as he entered the bar. Of course, the best-looking one here was Bai Yuehu, although Bai Yuehu's attention was all on the fruit plate in front of him.
"Long time no see." Wu Xiao sat down next to Lu Qingjiu and greeted him warmly.
"Mr. Wu, long time no see." Lu Qingjiu said with a smile.
Wu Xiao frowned: "Don't make fun of me. Who is still your boss now that you've resigned? Call me Wu Xiao."
Lu Qingjiu responded with a smile.
Not sure if it was due to his own psychology or the fact that the lighting was too dim, Lu Qingjiu looked at Wu Xiao and felt that his face looked a little bad. There was a dark patch under his eyes, and he looked rather haggard. Lu Qingjiu said, "What's wrong? Have you not rested well recently? Why do you look so tired?"
Wu Xiao pinched the corner of his eyes and said helplessly: "Yeah, I haven't rested well recently." As he said that, he glanced at Zhu Miaomiao.
Lu Qingjiu understood what Wu Xiao meant and said, "She knows everything, just tell her directly." Wu Xiao was probably worried that Zhu Miaomiao didn't know those non-human things, so he gave Lu Qingjiu a look.
Wu Xiao breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. He raised his hand and unbuttoned his shirt, then slumped down on the sofa without maintaining his upright sitting posture. "I haven't been able to sleep lately. I keep hearing something nagging in my ear."
Lu Qingjiu: "Mumbling?"
"Yes," Wu Xiao said, "I thought it was a human voice, but I couldn't make out what it was saying. It was just mumbling and it was almost making me lose my mind."
Lu Qingjiu asked, "How exactly is this going to happen?"
Wu Xiao said, "I can't really put it into words, but it's like it's talking right into my ear."
Lu Qingjiu ate the apple that Bai Yuehu fed to his mouth: "When does this sound usually occur?"
Wu Xiao said, "Before I go to sleep, he's fine on weekdays, but as soon as I fall asleep..." He rubbed his head irritably. "I asked the old tree, and it said it couldn't figure it out either."
Being able to hear what non-humans say has both advantages and disadvantages for him. The advantage is that he can communicate with the old tree unimpeded, but the disadvantage is that he will be forced to hear many voices that he doesn't want to hear, and sometimes he will get into trouble that he shouldn't get into.
Lu Qingjiu asked, “Is this sound only in your home, or does it also occur when you sleep in other places?”
Wu Xiao said, "Both, but it's a little louder at home." His expression was helpless yet pleading, and he clearly regarded Lu Qingjiu as his savior. "Qingjiu, you have to help me. If I can't get rid of this noise, I'm going to have schizophrenia."
Lu Qingjiu said, "Yuehu, do you have any ideas?"
Bai Yuehu was still struggling with the fruit plate. After hearing Lu Qingjiu's question, he reluctantly put down the toothpick in his hand and looked at Wu Xiao.
Wu Xiao felt a chill run down his spine under Bai Yuehu's cold gaze. It was his first time meeting Bai Yuehu, and he noticed her unusual aura the moment he sat down. He was considering whether to greet her, but seeing that Lu Qingjiu had no intention of introducing her, he gave up. Being stared at by Bai Yuehu with such hostility, he felt a sense of crisis, like a thorn in his side.
"Ah... I forgot to introduce him." Lu Qingjiu said, "This is my boyfriend, Bai Yuehu."
Wu Xiao was stunned, as if he was shocked by Lu Qingjiu's straightforward introduction. He was quiet for a long time before he whispered, "Are you gay?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "That should be it."
Wu Xiao: "Then you used to..."
Lu Qingjiu said: "It was only after meeting him that I realized that men can do the same."
Bai Yuehu stared at Wu Xiao coldly and asked, "What's the problem?"
Wu Xiao quickly shook his head to indicate that there was absolutely no problem. He also realized that he still needed Bai Yuehu's help in this matter. Not to mention that Bai Yuehu was a man, even if Bai Yuehu was a small grass by the roadside, he would have to say that the two of them were really a perfect match...
Lu Qingjiu smiled and told Bai Yuehu not to scare Wu Xiao, and Bai Yuehu then withdrew his gaze.
Wu Xiao felt his back soaked with sweat. He didn't know what was happening to him. He'd seen plenty of big scenes, but the look in the man before him had frightened him into silence. It was as if a survival instinct etched in his bones was telling him not to move, or else he'd get his head bitten off...
"I can't see the reason." Bai Yuehu said, "The aura on his body is very chaotic." He raised his eyelids lazily, "He must have gone to a place he shouldn't have been."
Wu Xiao laughed awkwardly.
Lu Qingjiu quickly asked Wu Xiao where he had been. Wu Xiao hesitated for a few words, but when he realized he couldn't get away with it, he confessed. He said that after he could understand non-human conversations, he discovered an interesting place. There was a market there every once in a while, and the non-humans there sold many small gadgets at the market. After he discovered this, he was worried that Lao Shu would not let him go, so he kept it a secret. He went there a few times secretly. There were no accidents in the first few times, but after returning from his visit last month, he started to hear strange noises in his ears. He didn't dare to tell Lao Shu, so he had to bite the bullet and endure it. He had originally planned to find time to go to Shuifu Village to ask Lu Qingjiu, but he found out that Lu Qingjiu would be back in August, so he didn't go.
After hearing this, Lu Qingjiu and Zhu Miaomiao both showed an expression that said, "You are really courting death."
Zhu Miaomiao said even more rudely, "Boss Wu, I didn't realize that someone as calm as you could still have such a childlike innocence."
Wu Xiao coughed dryly, his expression extremely awkward as he said, "Isn't this just curiosity..."
Zhu Miaomiao: "But you can't risk your life for curiosity."
Wu Xiao said: "Miaomiao..."
Zhu Miaomiao: “Hmm?”
Wu Xiao said, "I bought the cleansing seaweed you asked me about earlier from that market."
Zhu Miaomiao: "..." She was silent for half a minute, then whispered, "Boss Wu, next time, take me with you to see if it works?"
Wu Xiao: "Huh."
Lu Qingjiu couldn't stand it anymore and said that it was enough for the two of them to be good enough. What kind of cleansing seaweed could be exchanged for one's life?
Zhu Miaomiao was still whispering, saying that the cleansing seaweed was incredibly useful, that all the blackheads were gone after just one use, and that paired with Lu Qingjiu's honey, it was a true beauty product. The girls in the company were all vying for it, but unfortunately, there was only a small jar...
Lu Qingjiu heard the melancholy in her tone and was immediately at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
Wu Xiao became more excited and introduced several interesting little items, such as a cushion that was extremely comfortable to sit on, a sachet that could make you have sweet dreams after smelling it, and apples that you could never finish eating... Lu Qingjiu clearly noticed that when he introduced the apples that could never be finished eating, the eyes of Bai Yuehu who was sitting next to him lit up very obviously, and little stars of anticipation began to flicker in them.
Lu Qingjiu: "...That's about it. Are you here to sell Amway or to solve the problem?"
Wu Xiao quickly shut up and said that he was there to solve the problem.
"How about we go to your house and check out those little gadgets?" Zhu Miaomiao was already rubbing her hands together, "Didn't you say the situation at home is the most serious? The source must be at home!"
Wu Xiao: "...Are you going?" He looked at Bai Yuehu and Lu Qingjiu.
Bai Yuehu didn't say anything, but Lu Qingjiu already knew what his vixen was thinking at the moment, and his tone was filled with a hint of doting helplessness: "Okay, let's go and take a look."
Zhu Miaomiao: “Yeah!”
Wu Xiao: “Yeah!”
Bai Yuehu was not reserved at all, but his sparkling eyes had already spoken for him.
So the four of them paid the bill, went out and got into Lu Qingjiu's pickup truck. Wu Xiao, sitting in the back seat, casually asked when Lu Qingjiu bought the truck, as it was quite new.
Lu Qingjiu said very frankly that this car was not bought, but transformed from an animal.
"What did that turn into?" Zhu Miaomiao asked excitedly, "Is it a horse?" Just like the white dragon horse in the comics.
Lu Qingjiu said: "No."
"What is that?" Zhu Miaomiao asked.
Lu Qingjiu said, “It’s a slug.”
Zhu Miaomiao and Wu Xiao were both stunned, as if they were trying to digest the name "slug".
Lu Qingjiu was afraid that they didn’t understand, so he kindly explained: “It’s commonly known as slug.”
The next moment, Zhu Miaomiao's sharp screams rang out from inside the car: "Ahhhhhh, shut up, don't say anymore, I don't want to hear it!!! I don't want to hear it!!!"
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