Chapter 58 "Just wish me a happy birthday."

"—Merry Christmas, Lai."

Jiang Lai gradually regained consciousness. After traveling through time for thousands of years, he finally returned to the starting point.

He is standing on a tiled floor, holding a small chocolate cake in his hand, and looking out at the rental house. It is 2018.

After experiencing the stories of the first week, at this moment, facing the person in front of you again, the pin-point vigilance that was originally shown because of the sudden visit of the uninvited guest is no longer meaningful.

However, in order to explain the tension and hostility that just appeared on his body, Jiang Lai changed his mind slightly, and his demeanor remained the same as when he first stepped in. He said calmly in the tone of a stranger:

"Merry Christmas, sir. What brings you here?"

Upon hearing this, Gojo Satoru suddenly froze in place. His hands, which were crossed steadily, inevitably trembled a little. A certain surging aura rose up and then froze. His blue eyes stared straight at him——!

The next second, Jiang Lai put aside his vigilance and hostility, and smiled: "I was just kidding, Wu. I remember now."

“…”

The air was silent for a few seconds. Gojo Satoru had no expression on his face.

Jiang Lai (thinking): Ah, it seems that I shouldn’t make such jokes.

So he winked, raised his hand to gesture at the chocolate cake he was holding, and said to lighten the mood: "I bought some desserts. How about I treat you to this?"

The white-haired young man on the chair did not change his posture or respond. He was silent for a moment, then raised his cerebral pupils, with the power to detect lies and discern the truth:

"…[Remembered], what does that mean?"

"Well, do you remember the promise you and I made to meet tomorrow? This is actually a kind of bondage." Jiang Lai frowned, "Before December 25, my memory is not very complete - but it's much better now."

There is some linguistic sleight of hand, but overall it is the truth.

I have only just finished the experience of the first round. If I look at it from the forward timeline, it is true that I am only now remembering the past.

Gojo Satoru blinked his blue eyes slightly, and after Rokugan determined that this was most likely the truth, he restrained his tense and silent posture.

"You bastard... I thought I had a bad personality, but I didn't expect that I'm still inferior to you."

The white-haired young man suddenly changed his tone, stood up, and accused in a long tone.

"Hey, hey, you made us wait for so long, and you just made such a joke! You thousand-year-old demon is very evil! Ah, no matter what, the handsome Gojo is angry, and the consequences are very serious."

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for so long." Jiang Lai's eyes were like a crescent moon. "I'll treat you to a small cake, okay?"

"Don't think you can get away with it so easily."

Gojo Satoru stood up, his tall figure almost completely blocking the sunlight coming in through the window. He walked over quickly with his long legs in a dashing manner, "You want to buy it for just a small cake—"

As he approached Jiang Lai, his unfinished words suddenly stopped, as if a muting button had been pressed!

"Understand?" Jiang Lai tilted his head slightly.

Gojo Satoru's brilliant blue eyes widened slightly, and the lighthearted tone of his playful voice just now completely disappeared, leaving only the coolness of the winter wind blowing the snow off the branches.

His tone was a little heavy, and he asked slowly: "...What's wrong with you, Lai?"

"What's wrong with me?" Jiang Lai was a little confused. He looked down at his outfit and said, "Is this outfit inappropriate? That's not right. The trench coat is definitely suitable for the season. Could it be that Mr. Strongest has some advice on how to dress?"

There was a hint of sarcasm at the end of the conversation.

However, the white-haired young man in front of him did not respond to the joke. He just stared at Jiang Lai deeply with his blue eyes, then took another step forward and approached him.

Gojo Satoru stretched out his hand, paused for half a second, and finally put it on the left shoulder of the person in front of him. He asked seriously:

"Your current state...what's wrong with you?"

Just now, he was briefly occupied by the joy of reunion, and then Jiang Lai's prank of amnesia made him tremble again. Until now, when he calmed down, his brain and six eyes started to work normally again.

It was also at this moment that Gojo Satoru noticed the difference in the person in front of him.

In his memory, the black-haired, brown-eyed young man was always like a floating cloud in Liuyan, mysterious and elegant.

No matter how the seasons change, he never changes due to heat or cold.

Because he is [existence], he belongs to nature, he is not afraid of heat, nor cold. The human form is just a body walking in the world.

But now, within the six-eyes field of vision, although the cursed energy is still blurred by unknown factors and somewhat difficult to identify, it is no longer the impenetrable fog that it once was.

There is no longer that mysterious halo flowing around the heart.

Because he had just come back from outside, the black-haired, brown-eyed young man's fingers were frozen red while holding the dessert bag.

The windbreaker on my body is no longer worn to blend in with the people around me or to not stand out in the world, but simply to keep away the cold.

The cake in your hand is not for tasting.

Gojo Satoru suddenly remembered that this house was full of life. The small stove in the living room, the fruit on the coffee table, and the fruits and vegetables in the kitchen were all traces of human life.

However, as an [existence], Lei should not be associated with these traces.

...Now, he no longer seems to be the high and mighty, carefree [existence] he once was.

This conclusion hit my heart like a hammer. The joy of meeting again after more than ten years was once again filled with complicated emotions!

His heart seemed to be suddenly grasped by a huge hand. After many years, he once again felt the powerlessness and pain he had felt long, long ago when he faced the defector Jie on the streets of the first episode.

The gentle god gives the children who have gone astray a return ticket, reversing the time and space of the world, but the price is the loss of glory.

"...You told me that the cost was small, but that was a lie." Gojo Satoru couldn't help tightening his hand on Jiang Lai's shoulder. He didn't know what tone to use, "You——"

"Wu. I'm fine." Jiang Lai blinked lightly and he soothed, "To me, [existence] and humans are not much different. I like to wander among the human world."

"It's not bad to be like you, isn't it?"

"Same? Hey, do I look like someone who can be fooled easily, Lai?"

Gojo Satoru's eyes narrowed slightly, and his voice rose at the end, but without any of the usual lightheartedness. "A real adult is no longer the seven-year-old child. I hate lies, even white lies. Don't lie to me again."

"You can't even be considered a pure human now!" Gojo Satoru's words were certain, and his eyes had a strong penetrating power at close range. "Although most people would judge you as an ordinary human, I can see that your actual situation is worse. Others can't see it because of the confusing effect of some kind of cursed tool."

His eyes fell on the feather necklace on the neck of the black-haired, brown-eyed young man: "It's this one, right?"

"..." Jiang Lai was indeed a little surprised. He didn't expect Gojo Satoru to be able to notice the key things so keenly.

After half a second, he admitted frankly: "Yes. This necklace is - you can understand it as something that remains relatively stable."

Jiang Lai pondered for a moment, and finally finalized the definition of the feather necklace: [Existence] A kind of protection after the divinity is shattered, which keeps the vague self in a relatively stable state - whether this state is human, cursed spirit or a mixture of the two.

This seems to complete the feather necklace setting.

Gojo Satoru's expression was disturbed. Although Jiang Lai only mentioned a little bit, he was able to complete the meaning behind it.

"......Lai." He said in a hoarse voice.

"It's really okay. For me, this is not a sacrifice." Jiang Lai smiled again and sighed, "In fact, being independent all the time makes me feel lonely. I don't want to be lonely for a long time."

When he first arrived in the cursed world, he was alone and helpless, like a lost goose.

The familiar scientific friend is in a distant dimension, and there is no real friend around him. The only company is the half-cautious and half-calm Fushiguro Shinobu.

After the first round, he has friends in this world with whom he can truly get along.

Jiang Lai does not think it is a pity to lose the identity of [existence]. Even if he did not experience such a Mobius ring, he would make the same decision under the circumstances of the narrative.

"For a better future - our common future." Jiang Lai's brown eyes were as gentle and heavy as the vast fertile soil, and engraved with determination and a smile. "Fighting side by side, sharing weal and woe, this is what friends are, isn't it?"

"For me, December 25th is not a fall, but a very happy rebirth and reunion that is worth celebrating."

Jiang Lai raised the corners of his lips, looking very excited. He smiled and said, "To put it in human terms - I also have a birthday. Today is my birthday."

“…”

Gojo Goichi didn't say anything for a while, he just slowly loosened his hand on Jiang Lai's left shoulder.

"Aren't you going to wish me a happy birthday? I will accept Wu's blessing seriously." Jiang Lai said with a smile and stepped into the house.

The white-haired young man stared at the figure in front of him with his glass-like eyes. His mouth, which was usually eloquent and could make people angry to death, and tease and make fun of students and senior executives, was now speechless.

It was difficult for Gojo Satoru to calm down.

Jiang Lai took off his coat and hung it on the hanger at the entrance. He gently pushed the tall white-haired young man and naturally changed the subject:

"Okay, tell me about what happened in the past few years. Don't hesitate to share with me any interesting things that happened during the time I was away."

"We can talk while eating cake." Jiang Lai put the newly bought chocolate cake on the table, then turned to the refrigerator, "I also bought some blueberries yesterday, let's eat them together."

"Oh, by the way." Jiang Lai returned to the living room holding a box of instant blueberries and turned to Gojo Satoru and asked, "After starting over again, how is your layout now?"

Standing there like a pillar, Gojo Satoru slowly raised his head. After a long silence, he finally spoke: "...We can help you find it again."

"What?" Jiang Lai didn't quite understand.

Gojo Satoru let out a breath, his eyebrows slightly raised, and he wiped away his previous solemnity, returning to his usual carefree and relaxed look, his arrogance so strong that it made people angry.

"That is to say - how long have you been a human? You can't experience all the mess that humans have in just a few months."

Gojo Satoru clapped his hands casually and spoke in a raised tone.

"You will definitely cry later. When you become a trembling old man with a lot of illnesses and troubles, you will definitely wipe away your tears and say things like 'If I could turn back time once, I would never give up my godhood' or 'I will not be a human in my next life'."

Jiang Lai was a little confused: "Hey, are you cursing me with diseases so early? And what kind of ghost will I be in my next life if I don't behave like a human being?"

"Ah, these are just examples, don't worry about the details--" Gojo Satoru waved his hands.

"No matter what, you should have the chance to choose to exist again." When the white-haired young man said this, his expression was focused, and his nonchalance was mixed with a bit of seriousness.

After a few seconds of pausing, Gojo Satoru continued, "If your own existence [godhood] cannot be restored, then I will grab another one and bring it back to you. As the strongest, I never owe anyone anything."

"Can this thing be stolen?" Jiang Lai coughed, "Besides, it's not very moral."

"Some things are not worthy of their place. What's the point of occupying such things? It's better to give them to a kind-hearted person like you." Gojo Satoru said with a snort.

Then, he suddenly stopped talking, raised his eyes and said in a deep voice: "The Regulatory Commission - there is probably one there as well."