Chapter 93 The End [VIP]
"Sir, have things been going wrong lately?"
"Yes, yes, yes." The man had just sat down and hadn't even raised his head when the young man directly in front of him lazily spoke up. His voice was relaxed and pleasant, and the man's wrinkled face immediately relaxed.
This is a master!
He apologized for the ten minutes he hesitated before entering; even young people can be reliable. "Master, how did you know? I was really worried about that..."
Chen Sheng and Wu Duo, who were on winter break, both put down their phones and stared at him expectantly.
Jiang Zhuochen tapped his finger in the air a few times. "A dark forehead indicates a period of low fortune. Bluish discoloration under the eyes suggests gossip and disputes. Red earlobes indicate potential financial losses."
The man, reflecting on his ruined business and the mountain of debt he had incurred after the failed betting agreement, felt as if he had found a savior.
He quickly smiled ingratiatingly, "Then, then, Master, is there any solution?"
Jiang Zhuochen glanced at him, "There's no shortcut."
The man's expression froze, and he awkwardly rubbed his hands together. "What other methods are there?"
Chen Sheng slammed his phone down on the table, covered Jiang Zhuochen's mouth with one hand, and pointed to the payment code with the other. "Pay first, then we'll provide the plan."
"Oh, oh." The man took out his phone. "Okay then, how much?"
"two thousand."
"How much?!" The man's eyes widened suddenly.
"two thousand."
Chen Sheng confidently patted Jiang Zhuochen's chest and raised his chin. "You saw it yourself, doesn't my brother deserve this price? You're just lucky, it happened to be the 100th order after the opening, otherwise it would cost more than this."
"No, no..." The man felt a pang of pain, his already meager balance now even more strained. He waited with hope for his leader to speak.
To his surprise, the boy simply propped his head up, remaining calm and not saying a word. After hesitating for a while, he gritted his teeth and gave him the money.
"Is it okay now?"
"That's enough." Chen Sheng nodded in satisfaction and withdrew his hand. Although he couldn't understand it, it didn't stop him from pretending to be all ears.
"Are you born in the Year of the Rooster?" Jiang Zhuochen asked.
“Yes!” the man replied without hesitation. “The master is indeed amazing.”
Jiang Zhuochen narrowed his eyes in agreement and continued, "You're in conflict with Tai Sui. Avoid red items for the next three months, and ideally, avoid them for the entire year. Keep a low profile, don't participate in major decisions, and stay away from troublesome places. I'll also draw you a peace talisman to carry with you; it can ward off disasters and misfortunes."
"Thank you! Thank you, Master!"
The man eagerly took the amulet and left happily.
Jiang Zhuochen watched the person leave listlessly, when he immediately heard a curse.
"Damn it, he actually reported me for AFK?! If he's so tough, let's play against each other next game and I'll beat this bastard to a pulp!"
Jiang Zhuochen tapped his fingertip, "How come I didn't know I'd made a hundred orders since opening?"
"Hehe, it's just a sales tactic, Brother Jiang." Chen Sheng didn't feel guilty at all. "That's how salespeople do it, it's a way to attract customers to place orders."
"Where did you learn that?" Wu Duo asked. He'd known this guy for so many years, how come he didn't know he could do sales?
"I was just scrolling through short videos out of boredom; those short dramas taught me that."
“…” Jiang Zhuochen sighed, “I’m not responsible if you get beaten up.”
Chen Sheng nudged him, "We're practically family, right, Brother Jiang?"
Jiang Zhuochen chatted with the two of them casually. When it was almost time for dinner, he took a notebook out of his drawer and placed it on the table.
"Bosses, this is your business manual. Just have someone read it from here. If you don't understand, come find me."
Jiang Zhuochen couldn't understand why these two would leave their comfortable beds at home and insist on squeezing into this Taoist temple, spending more time there than he, the shop owner. However, he was naturally happy to have someone help watch the shop.
Chen Sheng glanced at the booklet with a randomly opened page, hesitated for a moment, and then finally fixed his hazy gaze on Jiang Zhuochen. "It's not easy. I've finally found someone whose handwriting is even worse than Wu Duo's."
The next moment, he was hit twice on the back of the head at the same time, which made him shudder.
"Aww!"
"Go to hell, who are you cursing?" Wu Duo glared angrily.
"Brother Jiang, I don't want to be a barefoot immortal." Chen Sheng ignored him and shook the booklet on his own. "I want to be a Taoist priest!"
"You can't even read faces, yet you want to be a Taoist priest," Jiang Zhuochen mocked him. "If I gave you a talisman, would you even know how to use it?"
"How could I not?" Chen Sheng grumbled indignantly. "I used that talisman you gave me last time on someone I didn't like. That idiot couldn't figure out why for ages, and he was so scared he knelt down and begged for mercy. Let me tell you, Brother Jiang, as long as you're willing to teach me, I'll definitely follow in your footsteps and punish evil and promote good... Hey, Brother Jiang, Brother Jiang!"
Jiang Zhuochen ignored him, packed his things, and ran out.
He slowed down as he ran. Xu Xing had been very busy these past few days. Apart from managing to squeeze out time to eat with him during meals, he was busy all the time. He wasn't even sure if Xu Xing would be available if he went over at this time.
Sure enough, as soon as he pushed open the office door, several secretaries were reporting on the upcoming schedule.
Secretary Liu lowered her head slightly, glancing at the figure at the door out of the corner of her eye.
Lately, she didn't know if it was just her imagination, but she felt that the president was like a different person. Although his behavior was no different, he had a coldness that kept strangers at bay, which made her think that the couple had quarreled. She was afraid that the president would take his anger out on her, and she even had to be careful when she was with Jiang Zhuochen.
No matter how distant they are, they still eat three meals together and leave work together, so their relationship isn't actually that strained.
However, it's understandable that others might have wild thoughts. When Jiang Zhuochen saw Xu Xing working, he automatically went around to the sofa and lay down, not even sparing a glance.
Several secretaries felt a chill run down their spines, and the smiles they had been maintaining on their faces froze. Finally, after the president nodded, they slipped away like the wind.
Xu Xing put down the documents in his hand and turned around: "It might take a while. Why don't you eat first?"
"It's okay, I'm not hungry." Jiang Zhuochen turned to the side, idly drawing circles on the cushion. His daily exercise was less than the amount of paperwork Xu Xing had signed that morning, so how could he be hungry? "I'll wait for you."
Xu Xing was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly: "Yes, just say if you're hungry."
After saying that, he got up and went out to a meeting.
The meeting ended a little faster than the previous few days. At that time, Jiang Zhuochen was being pestered by Chen Sheng and Wu Duo to play games. The swearing played through the loudspeaker grew louder and louder, making Jiang Zhuochen's head ache.
Perhaps it was the quiet atmosphere that made it so contagious, or perhaps it was the constant exposure from being around him, but Jiang Zhuochen frowned and cursed back: "Shut the fuck up."
At the same time, the office door was pushed open.
The two people opposite him were momentarily stunned. Before they could even be shocked that their Brother Jiang would swear, another voice came from the next second.
What did you just say?
Time seemed to stand still, a deathly silence descended.
Jiang Zhuochen suddenly sat up straight, blinked at Xu Xing, and tried to bluff his way out: "I didn't say anything."
Xu Xing walked in, glancing down at the person. "Who taught them?"
The two people on the other end of the phone didn't dare to breathe, they were practically begging Jiang Zhuochen not to say anything.
"Teach what?" Jiang Zhuochen refused to admit it and blurted out, "You misheard, someone else was speaking just now."
After a moment of silence, Xu Xing reached out and pinched his earlobe. "Don't do it again."
Jiang Zhuochen touched his nose and said, "Oh."
Xu Xing caught his hand as he put it down and helped the others up. "Let's go eat."
"Okay!" Jiang Zhuochen turned off his phone screen and followed Xu Xing with a smile.
A colleague who happened to be passing by secretly saw this scene and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The days that followed were mostly the same. Occasionally there would be work at the Taoist temple, so Jiang Zhuochen would go there. When he had nothing to do, he would hang out with his friends and occasionally visit Zhao Li. Once, he was surprised to find that she had been promoted to shop manager. Seeing that she was very satisfied with his work, he swallowed back what he wanted to say.
But most of the time, he still prefers to stay by Xu Xing's side, like now, lying on his lap, not having to do anything or think about anything.
Xu Xing gently twirled a strand of hair between his fingers and asked softly, "Won't you be bored? Should we go back early?"
He naturally enjoyed Jiang Zhuochen sticking to him all the time, but the other had only been here for a few months, was unfamiliar with the place, and didn't have many friends. He worried that if this continued, the other would get bored. As long as Jiang Zhuochen was willing, going back early wouldn't be a problem.
"Is Master in a hurry to go back?" Jiang Zhuochen asked in return.
Xu Xing shook his head slightly, "The sect is being managed by a few elders, so nothing will happen for the time being."
"Then when you're not busy, let's visit all the fun places in the world before we go back." Jiang Zhuochen looked up at Xu Xing. "Okay?"
Xu Xing's gaze fell upon his expectant eyes, and his heart felt as if a feather had swept over it. He softly said, "Whatever you like."
Jiang Zhuochen turned around, hugged the other's waist, and rubbed against him with a smug look. "I knew you would agree."
He just didn't want Xu Xing to overthink things. After all, he was an unregistered person who had transmigrated to this world halfway through, while the other person had a complete identity in this world. No matter how you looked at it, it was impossible for him to travel the world with him right away.
After their conversation, Jiang Zhuochen didn't take it to heart. Anyway, they had plenty of time and weren't in a hurry. They would just continue doing what they needed to do.
He lived a life of ease, without the need for cultivation or academic pursuits, and with everything done for him. His bones grew lazy, and he almost forgot what he had said. Then one morning, Xu Xing scooped him up, bent down, and said:
"Let's go."
So together they traveled across the world's mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, watched the aurora borealis in the Arctic night sky, listened to the chirping of insects in the tropical rainforest, walked barefoot on the white sand of an island nation, and reached out to brush the maple leaves of Kyoto, experiencing everything they didn't have where they were.
Counting the days, in the depths of winter with heavy snow, two beams of light flashed across the darkness, so fast it seemed like an illusion.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Changliu Mountain was covered in snow, appearing even more ethereal in the hazy morning mist.
A peaceful atmosphere prevailed in Wangxian Valley, with even red lanterns beginning to be hung. The disciples inside were busy at work, gathered in small groups, yet their smiles remained undiminished.
A string of auspicious knots hung at the gate of the mountain beyond the mountain, praying for peace and prosperity in the coming year. The courtyard was clean and tidy, and apart from the bright red decorations everywhere, it was exactly the same as when they left.
A sound came from the east, which was the direction of Jiang Zhuochen's bedroom.
Senior Brother Shen Hezhou raised his hand to his forehead, suppressing his anger, while Xu Chang'an and Ling He, who were rolling around on the ground, were still howling.
"Junior brother, your senior brother misses you so much!"
"Master, your disciple misses you so much!"
"If we don't come back soon, disciples from the other peaks will come knocking on our door!"
"The New Year is just around the corner. Are we even going to celebrate it this year?"
Jiang Zhuochen wanted to laugh, the long-lost lively atmosphere layered up, enveloping him in a warm glow. He released Xu Xing's hand, took a long stride, and stepped into the house.
"Who is howling like a ghost in my house, trying to kill off my good fortune?"
Before he could finish speaking, three pairs of eyes turned to the doorway simultaneously, and the two senior brothers froze, their mouths agape.
After a long pause, Ling He rubbed her eyes. "Am I seeing things? Junior Brother is back?"
"Is that Master...?"
The three of them raised their eyelids further, their gazes falling on the familiar figure behind Jiang Zhuochen. After realizing what was happening, they were momentarily moved to tears.
Xu Chang'an and Ling He got up from the ground together. On impulse, they wanted to go forward and give each other a hug, but when Xu Xing looked at them, they stopped abruptly and hugged Jiang Zhuochen in their arms.
"That's great! That's great!"
Shen Hezhou's joyful expression was tinged with a hint of helplessness towards the two men. He walked around the three people at the door, stood in front of Xu Xing, and bowed.
"Master, you're finally back."
Xu Xing nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping over the disciples before him. "You've worked hard these past few days."
Shen Hezhou breathed a sigh of relief. "It's no trouble at all. It's my duty as a disciple."
Xu Chang'an gave Jiang Zhuochen a good rub, "You brat, do you know what time it is? Why are you back so late?"
"Of course I know." Jiang Zhuochen freed his head; how could he not know? He deliberately chose this time to come back.
The valley was illuminated by red lanterns, and in the square of the main hall, each dragon pillar was wrapped with red satin. Glass palace lanterns floated on the top of the pillars, and spiritual fire was sealed inside the lanterns. They would occasionally transform into dragons and phoenixes and circle in the night sky, illuminating this area.
The sound of stomping continued throughout the valley, and figures intersected and separated, bustling about, yet their forms became increasingly clear.
Jiang Zhuochen noticed several suddenly appearing dark figures in his peripheral vision. Amidst the joyful footsteps, he smiled and spoke to his senior brothers:
"I'm coming back to celebrate the New Year with you all."
—The End—
A note from the author:
Okay, that's all for now.
It's finally finished! Creating this was really tough. This idea was originally intended for the approval process; I hadn't planned to write it out. It was supposed to be deleted if it didn't pass the approval, but I got lazy and didn't, and a few days later it somehow got a few more favorites... They always say not to fall in love with readers, but it's not that easy to do.
So, for the sake of these few favorites, I gritted my teeth and started writing.
But during the summer vacation, I was busy with the visa application process and driving lessons, so I didn't have much energy to focus on this story. I had to somewhat sheepishly compile the outline I'd written for the visa application process into a coherent version. However, since this was the first story I wrote after the visa was approved, I prepared a nearly 40,000-word detailed outline with the mindset of writing it well. In the end, this detailed outline, besides bringing the erratic plot back on track, still caused the writing to stall.
I went through a lot of emotional ups and downs, and I kept asking myself why. Suddenly, I had this strange feeling that not getting the contract was better. How did getting the contract automatically give me data anxiety? Then I confided in my best friend about this, and she comforted me, saying that writing is meant to escape reality and relax, and if I still had to worry about data, why write at all? I suddenly understood, but I was only halfway there. I still couldn't help but sneak a peek while uploading my drafts. But! I'm not anxious anymore! Because when one of my stories went to be paid, I did some minor revisions and found that my writing seemed to have improved a little...maybe, haha.
Anyway, I'm so grateful to all my lovely friends who have been quietly supporting me!
There will probably be one or two more side stories. Since my goal is to finish this story before the end of the year, I'll write as many side stories as I can. It would be a real shame if I couldn't finish them all... so I'll try to write at least one.
Love you all, see you again someday!
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