HLLY Chapter 47

During that night, Yao Wuque stood in the center of the first-floor lobby of the Shanhai Unit’s administrative building, reading his self-criticism with vivid emotions and evident distress. This performance caused the nearby team members who had gathered to witness the spectacle to stifle their laughter so hard that it resulted in internal injuries.

Among the three thousand characters, two thousand were a repetitive cycle of remorse, while the remaining one thousand were written with the assistance of Zhang Xiaowen, detailing his mistake and expressing deep regret. He depicted himself as having committed an unforgivable sin, deserving of the severest punishment, and vowed resolutely not to repeat his actions. He sincerely invited everyone to supervise his progress.

Hearing this, Shen Shanwu felt a surge of gastric acid, strongly tempted to send Yao Wuque back to rewrite his self-criticism. However, seeing how utterly defeated Yao Wuque appeared, he graciously spared him.

After all, tomorrow morning Yao Wuque still had to read his self-criticism in front of the entire class… Perhaps it wasn’t just this one self-criticism. Putting himself in Yao Wuque’s shoes, he understood the need to show some leniency.

After learning about Shen Shanwu’s supernatural ability, Jiang Huan’s initial reactions were curiosity and clinginess. When Shen Shanwu was about to deal with Yao Wuque, Jiang Huan showed reluctance. However, once he was left alone for a while and his mind gradually cooled down…

Jiang Huan slowly began to understand.

A profound sense of embarrassment instantly enveloped him. He recalled himself reading fairy tales to Jiang Tong, sharing the same bed with him countless times, holding Jiang Tong’s toes to warm them up, and even allowing Jiang Tong to take off his pants in front of him to apply radiation cream to his buttocks!

Taking a bath together with Jiang Tong, standing openly in front of him, showing his body without any defense, showing Jiang Tong the photo of Shen Shanwu on the table, and sincerely praising Shen Shanwu’s excellence to Jiang Tong.

Arguing passionately with his family in front of Jiang Tong on behalf of Shen Shanwu, gripping the nameplate with emotional intensity almost teary-eyed, and those heartaches that are clearly evident as being caused by Shen Shanwu…

Most importantly, on the night when he learned that Shen Shanwu might still be alive, he uncontrollably entered the bathroom to relieve his desire. He thought a sleeping child couldn’t possibly know what he did, but what if that wasn’t just an ordinary child, but a mutant with heightened senses beyond normal humans and who didn’t require sleep?

Would he not have known?

So between six and ten in the evening, Jiang Huan never appeared in front of Shen Shanwu again, even deliberately timing his meals to avoid overlapping.

Shen Shanwu could probably guess the reason, so he didn’t disturb Jiang Huan’s contemplation of life on his own. He felt uneasy and locked the door before summoning Wolf Dog. He briefly recounted the events of tonight, saying with remorse, “I wasn’t cautious enough…”

Wolf Dog was momentarily unsure how to describe its feelings at that moment. It took a deep breath and grabbed Shen Shanwu to seek out the Prophet.

Sitting on the sofa, listening to the Wolf Dog’s excited words, the Prophet didn’t show a hint of surprise. A faint smile remained on their lips, and their relaxed demeanor even prompted the Wolf Dog to take a sip of water to calm down.

During this month, the mutants decided to make communication easier and organized a seven-story apartment building. They were divided among the floors. The Prophet only needed to lean out of the window and call out, and within five minutes, nine mutants would gather at the Prophet’s place.

Naturally, in front of everyone, Shen Shanwu conducted a ten-minute self-criticism, omitting everyone’s names and focusing on himself. He mentioned that he didn’t handle his belongings properly and took full responsibility for it.

He had prepared himself for the possibility of being beaten up before coming, but after he finished speaking, all he got was a yawn from Milk Tea.

“…” Something’s off with all of them. Shen Shanwu looked around in surprise, and even Hugo, who had the strongest disdain for humans, didn’t react much.

Manager waved his hand and said, “The Prophet already warned us about this. He said that these days Top Student Shen might cause trouble, so we’ve already passionately berated you several times while you were absent.”

“It’s just missing the step of scattering your ashes,” Milk Tea added.

“The Prophet also mentioned that apart from this, he hasn’t foreseen any major changes in the near future,” CEO said, dressed in a formal shirt and pants, his tie perfectly knotted. With his hands clasped on his lap, he spoke with a composed demeanor, “That means the person you mentioned will keep our secret and is someone we can trust.”

Shen Shanwu raised a barely perceptible smile, “Of course he will.”

Milk Tea winked beside Executioner, “Captain Jiang is deeply infatuated with our student. The touching scene of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meeting on the Magpie Bridge¹This phrase refers to a romantic and sentimental scene between two legendary figures in Chinese folklore, known as the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. According to the legend, they are only able to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, which is celebrated as the Qixi Festival or Chinese Valentine’s Day. The Magpie Bridge is a mythical bridge formed by a flock of magpies that allows them to reunite. last time… Isn’t that right? I also believe he won’t leak any secrets.”

“I don’t believe that person,” Hugo suddenly said, lifting his gaze to meet Shen Shanwu’s eyes. After a pause, he continued, “But I believe the Prophet…”

“So, your life is spared,” Executioner concluded.

As he spoke, his hands didn’t stop moving, the falling speed of the Tetris blocks leaving afterimages as they rapidly cleared in an instant.

Tibetan couldn’t keep up with the speed of the conversation, so he eventually stopped listening. His attention was completely drawn to Executioner’s game, and he watched with great curiosity.

Only Wolf Dog looked utterly puzzled, glancing around and not grasping the situation. He exclaimed in frustration, “When did you all coordinate? Why wasn’t I informed? Prophet, did you intentionally not tell me?”

“Didn’t I tell you?” The Prophet chuckled slightly, “I thought I had.”

“… You did it on purpose!!!” The CEO, who knows when, had sneakily approached Shen Shanwu and asked, “Did you only tell Jiang Huan about your abilities? You didn’t mention ours?”

“No, I didn’t. Definitely not,” Shen Shanwu quickly reassured.

Upon hearing this, the CEO unexpectedly displayed a look of regret. “Ah, when will I also be able to accidentally reveal my superpower to someone? I have such an amazing ability, yet only you guys know about it. The worst part is, you all have superpowers too, so you’re not even envious of me. This feeling… it’s like planning the perfect crime as a serial killer, but no one knows about it. It’s so painful! I also want to show off, to bask in the awe of humanity, to be surrounded by admiring gazes.”

“Your analogy is quite off. You could have compared it to carrying a precious treasure unknown to anyone,” Shen Shanwu corrected.

“Your analogy is too ordinary; it can’t capture even a tenth of the inner torment I feel. Comparing it to a serial killer is much more impactful. It gives you goosebumps just from hearing it.”

“No, it just makes you sound like a freak from the moment you mention it.”

The CEO: “…”

“Top Student.” The Prophet suddenly called out Shen Shanwu’s name and waved him over, saying, “I have one more thing to tell you.”

The CEO kicked Shen Shanwu’s knee harshly, “Go on, you scoundrel.”

Shen Shanwu quickly walked over to the Prophet’s side and listened as he said, “Since this morning, the lingering anxiety that has been troubling me has suddenly disappeared, as if it foretells that the problems bothering us will soon be resolved.”

“…” Shen Shanwu certainly knew what this meant. He exclaimed with delight, “Are you saying that the issues with the new mutants will be resolved soon?”

“Yes, but don’t you find the timing a bit too coincidental?” The Prophet raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smile. “I believe the solution is highly likely to be related to your friend.”

Shen Shanwu couldn’t help but furrow his brow. “Prophet, are you suggesting seeking Jiang Huan’s help? But I’m not too keen on involving him.”

The Prophet remained silent, only smiling as he looked at Shen Shanwu. Shen Shanwu frowned, understanding clearly that this wasn’t a matter of his preference; the Prophet’s premonition was right there, indicating that this was an inevitable event.

“But by doing that, I’ll inevitably reveal more information about mutants to him. He’s very clever, and I’m worried…”

“I’m not worried, so why are you?” The Prophet chuckled, his smile growing. “After all these years, don’t you know that my feelings are quite accurate?”

“…If you weren’t the Prophet, with that fortune-teller’s tone you use under the bridge, I’d definitely burn down your shop,” Shen Shanwu replied with a hint of humor.

The Prophet smiled with delight, exchanged a few more words, and then stood up to see his guest off. “You should go back quickly. Jiang Huan might get worried if he can’t find you.”

The CEO quickly interjected, “Leaving so soon? Stay and play cards. We’re one short for a game.”

“Our hero here has important matters to attend to. When the new mutant arrives, you can play with him,” The Prophet replied.

Shen Shanwu didn’t want to mention that Jiang Huan was probably too preoccupied blushing to pay attention, so he ended up being escorted back by Wolf Dog, who left grumbling. Alone in his bed, Shen Shanwu lay back, pondering his life.

The night had grown quite late. He tossed and turned in bed for a couple of rounds. Taking advantage of the moonlight filtering through the willow branches, an impulse to sneak into Jiang Huan’s room in the dead of night suddenly surged within him. Shen Shanwu abruptly sat up in bed, ready to get up and put on his shoes, but then he heard some movement in the hallway.

He immediately laid back down.

The footsteps outside the door drew nearer from a distance, and eventually came to a slow stop right in front of his room. Shen Shanwu closed his eyes, attempting to simulate the image of being awakened from a light sleep and then groggily opening the door. But as he lay there, even pretending to be half asleep, he was nearly falling asleep for real. The person outside the door remained completely silent, without even a knock.

“…” Shen Shanwu endured patiently for another five minutes before finally giving in. He picked up the clothes he had recently acquired from the Prophet and quickly changed into them. He also retrieved the ring he had hidden in the drawer and tidied himself up. Then, he got up and opened the door.

Outside the door, Jiang Huan stood in sleepwear, draped in a black cloak for warmth. He held his hand poised in mid-air as if he was about to knock, his face shrouded in shadow, resembling a silent sculpture. If anyone else had seen him, they might have mistaken him for an assassin.

Shen Shanwu reluctantly held onto his wrist and let him in, then locked the door behind him.

“If I hadn’t come out to greet you, were you planning to stand outside the door all night?”

“…No, I was just about to knock,” Jiang Huan replied, averting his gaze. As for how much longer he needed to prepare, that was another matter. He looked at the dim nightlight on the bedside table and hesitated, “Brother, um…”

“Mm?”

“…”

Shen Shanwu lay on the bed, looking at Jiang Huan quietly and intently. He asked again, “Mm?”

“…One month later, Wuyou City will hold its annual domestic base representative conference, and the organizers intend to invite anonymous participation of mutant representatives,” Jiang Huan’s tone became serious as the topic was grave. “Have you received any related information?”

“Inviting us? They’re quite audacious,” Shen Shanwu sat up straight, “…But it fits the style of Wuyou City. Only they would set up an official song and dance hall where anyone can enter as long as they pay, and they don’t check identities… I’ll inform other mutants about this.”

“Good,” Jiang Huan nodded, and the two fell into another prolonged silence.

Not knowing what to say, everything felt awkward, yet they didn’t want to leave. They’d rather endure the awkwardness and stay together.

Alright, it seems like tonight belongs to serious matters. Shen Shanwu sighed, “Jiang Huan, we mutants have something we’d like to request your help with.”

Jiang Huan immediately turned to look at him, his gaze clear, “Go on.”

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  This phrase refers to a romantic and sentimental scene between two legendary figures in Chinese folklore, known as the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. According to the legend, they are only able to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, which is celebrated as the Qixi Festival or Chinese Valentine’s Day. The Magpie Bridge is a mythical bridge formed by a flock of magpies that allows them to reunite.