DADH Chapter 55

Huo Yi unexpectedly turned out to be the guest bringing mushroom candies to Ga’erfu today.

Seeing the man in black enter the small garden and meet his handsome face, Jing Nian felt like the world had taken on a fantastical quality.

He is the vegetable farmer Uncle Pipilu, the mysterious hacker, now also a guest of Ga’erfu.

Jing Nian felt that Huo Yi’s background was even more mysterious than his own.

Noticing the gaze of the shrunken young boy, those big, beautiful blue eyes were so stunning that one dared not look directly at them.

Huo Yi’s breath slightly hitched, and he instinctively straightened his posture. He seemed casual, but in reality, he had discreetly examined Jing Nian’s face countless times.

It was as if he was seeing Jing Nian’s appearance for the first time, but he didn’t show much surprise. Instead, he calmly greeted Jing Nian.

“Long time no see.”

Jing Nian: “…” Such a plain greeting made Jing Nian inexplicably devoid of a sense of accomplishment.

He wasn’t a narcissistic person, but ever since he had his new body, everyone’s first glance at him would be stunned by his appearance. Jing Nian had gotten used to it, and he was even prepared for it.

However, suddenly, someone came along who didn’t follow the usual script.

Very well, you have my attention.

The adorable young Jing XiaoNian tilted his head cutely and glanced at the man who was not at all stunned by his good looks. Then, he looked at the serious expression on the man’s face, and Jing XiaoNian inexplicably wanted to stir things up, to see a different expression on this handsome and serious face.

What Jing Nian didn’t know was that his mischievous glances were no match for the man’s powerful perception.

Huo Yi didn’t know what Jing Nian was thinking, he just felt that the boy’s lively appearance was…

Adorable.

He’s so adorable that he almost considered giving up on his own troublesome dragon egg and just taking the young boy back to the divine realm. But, of course, the first thought was just a passing fancy; he still needed to find the dragon egg. As for the idea of the young boy, that could be scheduled for later.

While contemplating this, Huo Yi took out a spatial storage bag filled with mushrooms. Even though people in this world preferred using accessories like rings and bracelets as storage devices, Huo Yi, being an ancient and traditional cultivator, preferred using storage bags.

Huo Yi noticed that Ga’erfu and Jing Nian knew each other quite well and didn’t ask many questions. He handed the storage bag directly to Ga’erfu.

In this game, as long as he and Jing Nian were in a team, when he completed a quest, it was as if Jing Nian had completed it too, and Jing Nian could share his rewards.

So he didn’t bother explaining.

Seeing the bag with an obvious Eastern vibe, Jing Nian was a bit surprised because the game world was primarily Western in its setting, and the bag Huo Yi held didn’t seem like something from the game.

Could it be that beyond the Grans Continent in the game’s background, there were Eastern characters?

Seeming to sense Jing Nian’s curiosity, Huo Yi explained, “I made this myself. Do you want it?”

With that, he actually had a new, unused storage bag, which he took out and handed to Jing Nian.

A man as tall and straight as a lonely pine tree on a cold cliff suddenly dispelled the cold and approached a warm spring. Jing Nian, who had tried to make the other person lose their composure with his own appearance, not only failed but was also astounded by the other’s close proximity.

Foul!

Muddled, Jing Nian took the milk-white storage bag adorned with the character of “fortune.” His ears turned red, and his head felt warm. Suddenly, he extended a little hand and, with a sweet, childish tone, tugged at Huo Yi’s sleeve.

“Uncle, I want candy too.”

Opening the storage bag and looking at the mushrooms prepared to give to Jing Nian, Ga’erfu was left speechless.

He looked at his suddenly odd friend with astonishment.

Then, he remembered what Jing Nian had told him earlier.

“That’s another kind of friend.”

Using his scarce emotional faculties, the dwarf pondered this several times. Then, he looked at Jing XiaoNian, whose little face was now all red, and the black-clad guest who had eyes only for Jing Nian.

Ga’erfu’s eyes widened in shock.

In his eyes, a glimmer of realization passed.

Ah…

Is it this kind of friend?

The kind with a tang of sourness?

No wonder…

Ga’erfu suddenly felt that he shouldn’t have been so petty before.

Ironically, those two were completely oblivious to the dwarf’s ever-shifting thoughts.

Jing Nian was taken aback by his sudden cuteness and, once he realized it, felt so embarrassed he wanted to crawl into a hole.

As for Huo Yi…

He quietly gazed at the young boy’s lovely and delicate face, all rosy and adorable. That’s what he was thinking inside.

Then, he turned and took back the storage bag filled with mushroom candies from Ga’erfu’s hands, handing it to Jing Nian.

He didn’t say anything, but the meaning was clear.

It’s all for you.

Those three silent words conveyed through actions made Jing Nian’s ears even redder.

The tiny person stood there. One hand holding an empty storage bag and the other holding a bag filled with mushroom candies, looking bewildered. His beautiful eyes carried a naive shyness, wet and tender, making him especially endearing.

Huo Yi felt as if a gentle rain had fallen beneath the boy’s eyes and soaked his heart, like finding refreshment after a long drought, making his heart race with anticipation.

On the other hand, Ga’erfu, who had been left aside, raised his large hands and covered his eyes.

Can’t watch, can’t watch.

—

This unexpected encounter and the unexpected connection with the people involved made everything proceed smoothly. When Huo Yi learned that Jing Nian was the one truly interested in investigating the source of the mushrooms, he abruptly held back the words he was about to say and simply stated, “I’ll take you to see it.”

Ga’erfu glanced at Huo Yi and chose not to reveal his secret.

Huo Yi had contacted Ga’erfu by offering to give away the castle. At that time, Ga’erfu had agreed to meet him because he claimed to have information about the source of the mushrooms. Coincidentally, Ga’erfu hadn’t told Jing Nian about this because he wanted to surprise his friend.

Now, he thought it was the perfect opportunity to let Huo Yi benefit from it.

Not to mention that this person who could make the lord of Lan City speak was evidently also from a different world. Moreover, Jing Nian was willing to entrust the Dragon-Slaying Sword to this person. So, Ga’erfu thought maybe he was about to witness a two-way relationship unfold.

After a brief conversation between Jing Nian and Huo Yi, Jing Nian looked apologetically at Ga’erfu and bid him farewell.

Ga’erfu smiled, waved, and concealed his actions and name.

Just as Jing Nian and Huo Yi were preparing to leave Ga’erfu’s house the way they came, Ga’erfu suddenly slapped his forehead, recalling something.

“Do you want to try this?” Ga’erfu said, taking out an object and looking around the small garden, then inserting it into the ground nearby.

As he did, a beam of light appeared.

Recognizing what this was, Jing Nian: “…” Wow, indeed, is this the Eye of Another World? A teleportation circle was replicated for him.

Meeting Jing Nian’s surprised gaze, Ga’erfu, feeling a bit embarrassed, scratched his cheek. “I stumbled upon it that day, and it seemed like… many people from other worlds are using this teleportation circle.”

And this teleportation circle was invisible to the natives of the Grans Continent.

Ga’erfu, who had been itching to try it, thought of his friend from another world and decided to give it a shot, not expecting it to work.

So, amid Jing Nian’s astonishment and praise, Huo Yi quietly pursed his lips, stashed away something that made him feel like he was offering a treasure, and followed the young boy into the teleportation circle.

After Jing Nian and Huo Yi left…

“Clang! Clang! Clang!” The sound of urgent bells rang from a nearby tower.

This was the signal that guests were visiting and could not be refused.

Ga’erfu furrowed his brow, very displeased, muttering to himself, “Why is it happening again.”

With a reluctant heart, Ga’erfu met three young men.

When he saw their faces, Ga’erfu was momentarily stunned, especially by the youngest-looking boy among them.

He, astonishingly, looked exactly like the friend he had just seen off!

Ga’erfu’s complexion changed.

The bell that had just rung wasn’t an ordinary bell; it was a warning bell he had obtained from the Fates using three divine artifacts. When the bell rang, it meant that an inevitable guest had arrived, one he couldn’t refuse.

And these guests he couldn’t refuse were more or less connected to “fate,” and he blamed the inescapable fates on those foreign Eyes of Another World.

At this moment, these three people from another world had come knocking at his door, ringing his warning bell.

It wasn’t a good sign.

However, these three individuals clearly had an extraordinary connection with his friend.

“We need to meet the one who needs mushrooms,” they said.

Ga’erfu found himself in a dilemma, hesitating between whether to speak or remain silent.

Jing Nian was his only acknowledged close friend, but these three individuals, aside from their connection to Jing Nian, were also entangled with an elusive and uncertain “fate” that he couldn’t quite discern, and that wasn’t a good sign.

Although he led a reclusive life and rarely left his home, at his current position, he had heard quite a bit about recent events on the continent, even if he’d rather not listen. For example, the prophesied outsiders, or how the “rules” had chosen outsiders, putting the future of the Grans Continent in jeopardy. And these outsiders were the ones who had already determined that future.

Jing Nian stood on the side of the Grans Continent, a fact that Ga’erfu had known as soon as he saw Jing Nian. This was because Jing Nian was inseparable from the Dragon Clan.

Furthermore, he was privy to more information than others, such as the fact that the Dragon-Slaying Sword, which was not born by his own intention, also came from a directive of fate.

But to this day, Ga’erfu couldn’t be certain whether the Grans Continent’s opposition to the outsiders was also a directive of fate or if it was the intent of the outsiders. From Jing Nian, Huo Yi, and even some outsiders he had occasionally encountered, Ga’erfu sensed that at the very least, regardless of the outcome, the outsiders, while not necessarily malevolent, were not entirely to blame.

However, these three individuals, even if they meant no harm, were somehow tied to fate.

Who knew if tomorrow they might become puppets of destiny, pitted against him, the Grans Continent, or even Jing Nian.

And they themselves might not even know.

So, Ga’erfu made his decision.

“Sorry, I won’t tell you.”

Upon hearing about the mushroom incident, Jing Yan hastily left the military academy and rushed back to the studio. With red eyes, he stormed into the in-game world with the intention of grabbing the dwarf NPC in front of him and interrogating him directly.

However, he was stopped by his two elder brothers.

Jing Yan looked at his eldest brother, clearly not understanding.

His eldest brother had always been composed, preferring to use his wits and charisma rather than resorting to physical violence. But now, it seemed that his second brother was also…

Facing his third brother’s confusion, Jing Xing shook his head.

“Don’t be impulsive.”

After spending so many days in this virtual world, Jing Xing had realized just how lifelike the people and things in this holographic realm were. He had learned to handle the NPCs with caution. If he were to hastily attack this NPC, they might not get the answers they were looking for.

Moreover, perhaps due to their positioning earlier, he noticed a brief flicker of surprise in the NPC’s eyes when he saw them, especially when…

The dwarf’s gaze settled on Jing Yan’s face.

One possibility made Jing Xing’s heart skip a beat!

Could it be… because he had met Nian Nian!

That’s why it’s like this!

—

“May I ask, have you seen a young boy who looks exactly like him, possibly called ‘Nian Nian’?”

---