“What… What does that mean?” Sheng Zhao tugged at Hu Huanyang and whispered, “Is that thing related to Xing Yingzhu too?”
Hu Huanyang dared not nod this time.
Even if you gave him ten thousand guts, he wouldn’t dare to say that Xing Yingzhu was the mastermind behind the human spirits.
Apart from Xing Yingzhu, the faces of Zhang Chengde and his disciple didn’t look good either. The Origin Mirror had always been used to trace the origins. If the golden thread wrapped around something, it indicated the true source of that thing.
The golden chain of the bound dragon was one thing, perhaps something Xing Yingzhu had left behind unknowingly centuries ago, but human spirits were another matter. If it truly originated from Xing Yingzhu, regardless of his profound magical skills, today’s situation couldn’t be resolved peacefully.
“Sheng Zhao,” Xing Yingzhu suddenly said, “Come here.”
Sheng Zhao was stunned, not knowing why he was suddenly called, but still subconsciously stepped forward and hurried to his side.
Zhang Jian wanted to stop him, but seeing Sheng Zhao wave his hand at him, with an innocent expression of “How could Xing Yingzhu harm me?” he ran to Xing Yingzhu.
Zhang Jian: “…”
Drowning will take a swim, stubborn mouth will be beaten by Xing Yingzhu sooner or later.
“What’s the matter?” Sheng Zhao asked, “Why did you call me over?”
Xing Yingzhu’s face was as calm as water. He turned his head, suddenly moved like lightning, grabbed Sheng Zhao’s right wrist, and sent it into the Origin Mirror.
Sheng Zhao was startled. Before he could pull his hand back, his fingertips had already touched the mirror’s surface.
The touch of the mirror was very subtle, soft and slippery, like touching a pool of elastic water. It was slightly cold to the touch, but still within the acceptable range.
He was about to ask Xing Yingzhu what he was doing when he saw another golden thread extending from the mirror… for the third time, wrapping around Xing Yingzhu’s wrist.
Now, not only Sheng Zhao, but even the remaining three people’s expressions became strange.
“Is this thing broken?” Hu Huanyang stared at them full of question marks, the first to question, “Why does everything wrap around our big boss?”
Good buddy, Sheng Zhao thought: you said what I dared not say.
“Impossible!” Before Zhang Chengde could speak, Zhang Jian immediately retorted, “The Origin Mirror is a divine artifact of Mount Longhu. It has never made a mistake in so many years.”
“But it’s not reasonable for everything to wrap around Xing Yingzhu,” Sheng Zhao muttered quietly, “Is it a disadvantage to live too long?”
Zhang Jian was stunned by his words and subconsciously turned to look at Zhang Chengde.
However, no matter how capable he was, Zhang Chengde himself was just an ordinary mortal, limited in his knowledge. He also dared not assert whether the human spirits came from Xing Yingzhu’s hand or if the Origin Mirror had criteria unknown to ordinary people.
“In that case, it’s simple.” Hu Huanyang, confused, stepped forward and said, “Let me try, and we’ll be done—”
As he spoke, he reached out to touch the mirror, but before he could get close, Zhang Jian grabbed his wrist.
“No.” Zhang Jian said, “The Origin Mirror can only be used three times when opened. If you want to use it again, you have to wait until the next time.”
“When is the next time?” Sheng Zhao asked.
“Three years later,” Zhang Jian said.
Sheng Zhao: “… This efficiency is really poor.”
Xing Yingzhu let go of Sheng Zhao, who pulled back his hand and found that he was still intact. He touched his back with satisfaction and then looked at Xing Yingzhu’s hand.
Because Sheng Zhao had already left, the golden thread belonging to him had also disappeared.
“Why don’t we do this?” Zhang Chengde said timely, “Please follow me to the Inner Mountain. There should be some magical techniques in the library that can also trace the origins—”
“No need.” Xing Yingzhu interrupted him.
Xing Yingzhu seemed to have no intention of explaining further. He turned around and left, not forgetting to call out to Sheng Zhao.
“Let’s go.” Xing Yingzhu said, “Go home.”
“Go home?” Sheng Zhao asked in confusion, “Aren’t you going to investigate your matter?”
“They won’t find out.” Xing Yingzhu said indifferently, “There’s no need.”
Sheng Zhao: “…”
This remark, said in front of the host, was really disrespectful.
“You’re just leaving like this—?” Zhang Jian asked incredulously, “What about the anomalies in various places—”
“The seals in various places can hold out for another two years at least.” Xing Yingzhu said without looking back, “You figure it out yourselves, don’t bother me if there’s nothing important.”
“You—”
Zhang Chengde held Zhang Jian’s hand lightly and shook his head.
Hu Huanyang stood in place and looked around, took two seconds to choose between Zhang Jian and Xing Yingzhu, and then followed Xing Yingzhu with a trot.
However, foxes were a bit more emotionally intelligent than cold-blooded animals. Before chasing after Xing Yingzhu, Hu Huanyang hadn’t forgotten to slip a small note with a phone number into Zhang Jian’s hand.
“See you another day.” Hu Huanyang smiled slyly, “Feel free to watch my livestream.”
Sheng Zhao happened to hear this sentence, thinking that Hu Huanyang’s boss signing him was indeed worth it. Even at this time, he didn’t forget to promote himself. Such dedication was truly commendable.
Xing Yingzhu’s trip to Mount Longhu was originally intended to investigate the whereabouts of his bones. As a result, not only did he not find anything, but he also brought about a lot of questions for no reason. Sheng Zhao felt sorry for him just by looking at him, feeling like he was worrying for him.
“What’s the matter?” Xing Yingzhu lazily lifted his eyelids, looking at him with a smile that wasn’t a smile, and pinched Sheng Zhao’s chin as if he were teasing him, saying casually, “Aren’t you harvesting a boyfriend?”
Sheng Zhao: “…”
Help, Sheng Zhao thought, why is he so good at this now? Who taught him this flirting technique!
Behind the check-in counter, Hu Huanyang sneezed mysteriously.
In contrast, Xing Yingzhu’s mentality seemed much better than Sheng Zhao’s. He looked like he was on vacation, going out for a trip and coming back, still calm and without any disappointment from unmet expectations.
I wonder how many times he has been rejected over these years.
As a thoughtful and considerate boyfriend, Sheng Zhao certainly wouldn’t go poking at Xing Yingzhu’s sore spots, but secretly, his mischievous nature remained. After returning home, he not only booked online VR tours of six museums but also bought a bunch of ancient books, vowing to catch up on the history of metaphysics.
However, Xing Yingzhu was not quite aware of these things at the moment because he was facing another imminent unexpected event.
“Say it again,” Xing Yingzhu said calmly, “What do you want to do?”
Sheng Zhao, holding Xing Yingzhuo’s lunch, leaned against the door frame with one hand, chest out, and head held high, saying confidently, “Since we’re legally a couple, what’s wrong with living together?”
“…Watch more legal channels,” Xing Yingzhu couldn’t help but retort, “There’s no such thing as legally a couple.”
Sheng Zhao choked, then angrily retorted, “It’s the same thing anyway, just understand the spirit of it!”
Xing Yingzhu sighed.
Sheng Zhao knew himself that even though he had entered into a relationship with Xing Yingzhu, the decision to live together was rushed and dramatic. The time was too short, not even passing a “probation period”. Moving in together was indeed reckless.
But he couldn’t help himself.
Perhaps when he took leave to go to Shanghai, the video call Xing Yingzhu made back then laid the groundwork. Sheng Zhao had a strong desire to have a home of his own, and if the other person was Xing Yingzhu, that desire multiplied even more.
So even though he knew it wasn’t quite right, he couldn’t resist acting like an impulsive kid.
“Think about it,” Sheng Zhao praised himself, “I’m good in every way, warm-hearted, and I can cook.”
During his time outside, Sheng Zhao had vaguely noticed some of Xing Yingzhu’s habits. He liked dampness but didn’t like cold. If they slept together at night, Sheng Zhao would notice that Xing Yingzhuo instinctively leaned towards the heat source.
“Sheng Zhao, am I paying you a salary for you to flirt with the boss?” Xing Yingzhu said slowly.
Sheng Zhao: “…”
Sheng “Corporate Slave” Zhao suddenly remembered his forgotten professional identity and visibly felt guilty for a moment.
“Does that interfere?” Sheng Zhao defended himself, “I work downstairs during the day, come up for cohabitation at night. What’s wrong with that? You didn’t say anything about office romance during the interview.”
Xing Yingzhuo sighed for the second time, feeling a headache coming on.
He could almost foresee his future—Sheng Zhao, with his energetic spirit, chattering all day long, like a walking encyclopedia. Having him around day and night would surely be more lively than the sparrows outside the window.
But fragile humans were sensitive, and if rejected, they would probably be melancholic behind his back.
Considering himself a generous boyfriend, Xing Yingzhuo convinced himself to make a slight concession.
“Come here,” Xing Yingzhu said.
Sheng Zhao trotted over and sat down on the carpet next to the sofa.
Xing Yingzhu squinted slightly, pinched his chin, looked left and right, and teasingly asked, “So, what benefits can you give me?”
Sheng Zhao chuckled, grasped his fist like a loyal henchman, and pounded his leg.
“I’ll cook for you,” Sheng Zhao said.
“If I don’t agree, you won’t cook for me anymore?” Xing Yingzhu asked.
“Well… that’s not it,” Sheng Zhao argued, “Maybe the food I cook after living together will have a taste of love.”
Xing Yingzhu smirked.
“Alright,” Xing Yingzhu said, “Let me taste your so-called ‘taste of love’. If I can’t taste it, your year-end bonus is canceled.”
Sheng Zhao: “…”
This guy! Can you deduct your boyfriend’s salary just like that?
Sheng Zhao was about to argue for his year-end bonus, but then he saw Xing Yingzhu release his chin and start feeling around on the coffee table, as if looking for the remote control.
His movements were somewhat sluggish, and Sheng Zhao tilted his head, feeling something was not quite right.
“Are you not feeling well?” Sheng Zhao scooted forward a bit, held his face, and looked left and right, saying, “Why is your complexion so pale?”
Xing Yingzhu first squinted his eyes, seemingly reacting to his words, then gently pushed away his hand, saying no.
“Really?” Sheng Zhao didn’t quite believe it, “You haven’t argued with me today, you seem low-spirited.”
Xing Yingzhu: “…”
How novel, someone actually looking for an argument.
“A bit tired,” Xing Yingzhu said concisely, “The weather is getting cold.”
Sheng Zhao first paused, then his gaze suddenly became subtle. He looked at Xing Yingzhu’s face strangely, hesitated for a moment, and then said hesitantly, “You’re not… going into hibernation, are you?”
