The online popularity made Qing Dai feel extremely guilty. The next day, when Bai Tang arrived at the training class, he saw Qing Dai with his head hung low, apologizing in a low voice, “I’m sorry, Bai Tang. I didn’t expect yesterday’s photo to cause such a sensation on the internet. If it affects your life, I’ll delete that post immediately.”
Having heard Grandpa Su’s explanation and witnessing the continuous flow of energy, Bai Tang naturally didn’t blame Qing Dai. Moreover, to avoid unnecessary trouble, Su Siyuan prepared a veil for Bai Tang. Whenever he went out, he would wear the veil, preventing people from recognizing him.
The content of today’s class was all theoretical, with a thick stack of materials that looked intimidating but turned out to be quite interesting. These were research materials on humans compiled by monsters, covering a wide range of topics.
For example, the Cockroach Spirit couldn’t understand why humans abhorred them while mantis spirits were adored. They were considered distant relatives, yet humans treated them so differently.
To explore this, they conducted extensive research, examining their appearance and habits. They believed that, in terms of appearance, green was fresher than black. The mantis, with its praying-like posture in the fields, appeared like a praying nun. In contrast, the cockroach, resembling a messy ghost in a garbage bag, had a less appealing appearance.
So the Cockroach Spirit believed that if they wore green attire and appeared in the fields, they might win the favor of humans.
Bai Tang: “…”
As long as you’re happy.
Bai Tang had encountered mutated cockroaches in the Apocalypse Dimension, fist-sized roaches that shaped his concept of ugliness. If you changed the color of those roaches to green…
It would be an extremely mutated and bizarre species of cockroach!
Tang Jinlang, who was beside him, also saw this page of information. He pondered for a moment, imagining the roaches in green…
Then Tang Jinlang stopped the imagination with a disgusted expression, taking out his emerald green long knife to cleanse his eyes.
Similarly, there were mice and squirrels, following the logic of humans liking hamsters. Tang Jinlang, putting down the long knife, took out a box of sweets from the drawer and secretly handed it to Zhen Aichi.
Zhen Aichi, as a hamster, propped his chin and pondered this question.
He frowned and thought about it for a while. Then, as his brain cells were dying too much, Zhen Aichi opened the dessert and, while eating, contemplated deeply.
“Maybe it’s because my cheeks are chubby.” Zhen Aichi stuffed the dessert into his mouth, made an “ok” gesture with both hands and then used his thumb and forefinger to outline his chubby cheeks.
Tang Jinlang clasped his ten fingers, gripping the long knife tightly as if he was about to draw the sword the next second, but in his heart, he thought, “So, so cute.”
Zhen Aichi, unfazed by Tang Jinlang’s fierce appearance, finished the last bite of the dessert, slumped in the chair, and touched his little belly, “Plus, I look soft?”
The hamster spirit lifted his sleeve, exposing his wrist to Tang Jinlang, “See, it’s still fair, humans like things that are fair and soft, like buns.” He tapped his lips, “Ah—I like buns too.”
So Tang Jinlang on the side… his expression became even more fierce and evil.
There was also other peculiar information, such as human aesthetic standards for animals.
Terms like “fox eyes,” “snake waist,” and “butterfly bones” were positive terms in human society. Humans seemed to prefer small and exquisite animals. However, this excluded bears, but humans particularly liked giant pandas.
In conclusion, except for a few species like cockroaches, humans can find shining points in almost all animals.
Cockroach: “…” No, we also have shining points. Humans even gave us a cute nickname, calling us “Xiao Qiang1Little Strong“.
In the end, the monsters concluded that humans are truly a species full of love.
Humans love cats, dogs, chubby birds, and giant pandas, like a fickle big radish.
However, these fickle two-legged creatures are also liked by many monsters.
On the Monster Network, there is an anonymous exchange forum for monsters, featuring a special section for two-legged creatures (also known as terrifying bipedal apes).
The term “two-legged creatures” is an endearing nickname, while “terrifying bipedal apes” is a term used by skeptics.
There are many well-known threads on the forum, where monsters share stories about their interactions with humans.
The longest-lasting thread on the forum was posted by a turtle spirit.
This particular thread was selected by Chu Li and included in the exam materials—
When it was still a turtle spirit, it was bought as a pet by a human boy. Over the years, the boy grew into a man, then an old man, and eventually turned into ashes.
It also transformed along with him.
Following the dying wish of the human, he said, “Ah Lu, I’m leaving. Please take care of my child. Watch him grow up, establish a family, and have many descendants…”
The turtle spirit continued to guard this human family. He often concealed his form, quietly observing the bustling household.
As time passed, he lost track of how long he had silently watched from the shadows. One day, he suddenly saw a descendant who looked remarkably like that human.
So, he transformed into the appearance of a young turtle and appeared at the doorstep of the youth. The young man joyfully picked him up, caring for him just like the previous human. He watched as this human went to school, fell in love, got married, had children, and the family flourished. At the brink of death, the human softly said, “I want a sea burial.”
Thus, the turtle spirit quietly took a small portion of the ashes and carried it to the sea.
The turtle spirit said that taking care of a human is a very fulfilling thing. You accompany them through their entire life and continue to walk with their descendants. Encountering a descendant who looks so much like him is an even more joyful thing.
Because you would recall the happiness of when you first fell in love with humans. On that sunny day, a young boy squatted in the flower and bird market, beaming a bright smile at you.
Humans are excellent companions. They look adorable when they smile and walk briskly. Even when they stroll slowly in their old age, it’s still adorable.
However, turtle spirits are truly unsuitable for keeping humans. Your beautiful memories with that human last no more than a hundred years, yet you have to cherish them for the rest of your life.
…
Chu Li’s question was: if one day, you fell in love with a human with a short lifespan, what would you do?
The classroom fell silent, only the sound of pens scratching on paper.
Blankly staring at the paper, Bai Tang struggled to imagine the correct way to approach the question. After hesitating for a while, he wrote, “Then, before falling in love with a human, I’ll first fall in love with a monster.”
For example, falling for Su Siyuan would be just fine.
Bai Tang unconsciously revealed a smile. Just as he was about to put down his pen, the system suddenly spoke, “Have you ever considered a certain question?”
Bai Tang uttered a puzzled “Hmm.”
“For you, Su Siyuan is no different from a human,” the system said. “No matter how long Su Siyuan lives, it won’t be longer than this world.”
“And this world is just a small segment of our journey.”
His heart momentarily tightened, the pen paused, and several black dots were marked on the paper.
…
When Su Siyuan took Bai Tang back, he noticed that the young man’s spirits were low. The melancholy look on his face made one’s heart ache.
“What’s wrong?” Su Siyuan asked gently.
However, the young man in front of him just shook his head, unwilling to speak. Like a clam holding its breath, no one could pry open his shell, and no one could touch his soft heart.
But this person certainly didn’t include Su Siyuan.
Su Siyuan magically produced a seed and whispered to Bai Tang, “This is a magical seed.”
Bai Tang raised his eyes to look at him, and Su Siyuan lowered his voice, “It can hear what’s in people’s hearts.”
Su Siyuan placed the seed in Bai Tang’s palm, instructing him to cover it with both hands before blowing a breath into the gaps between Bai Tang’s fingers.
A subtle tingling sensation emerged in the palm, and an unknown flower bloomed—pink and delicate. Bai Tang saw Su Siyuan tilt his head, aligning his ear with the flower, and nodded solemnly, “It says Bai Tang is not happy.”
After Su Siyuan finished speaking, he looked at Bai Tang. “If it’s correct, nod your head; if it’s wrong, shake your head.”
Bai Tang remained silent for a moment and then nodded slowly.
“It shouldn’t be related to the hot search,” Su Siyuan thought. He had been monitoring the topics on the monster network all day, and no one had exposed Bai Tang’s identity. Considering Bai Tang’s expression after hearing Grandpa’s analysis yesterday, Bai Tang didn’t seem averse to the hot search, maybe even supportive.
Su Siyuan seemed to be asking Bai Tang, but also pondering to himself, “Why is Bai Tang unhappy?” After speaking, he pressed his ear to the flower. “Hmm, it’s about the training class today.”
Bai Tang blinked and then nodded gently.
“The classmates and teachers in the training class are easy to get along with,” Su Siyuan said, observing the expressions of the little green seedling and Bai Tang while his mind was racing. “It says it’s related to the class.”
Seeing Bai Tang continue to nod, Su Siyuan cautiously probed further, “And it’s related to the class content.”
Upon receiving affirmation, Su Siyuan held his breath. He felt he was very close to the answer, just one more step and he would know.
“What is the content then?” Su Siyuan asked the flower. “It says the content is too long, and it doesn’t want to say.” Su Siyuan made a distressed expression. “What should we do?”
Bai Tang’s heart tightened again. He lowered his eyes, opened his palm, and looked at the unnamed pink flower.
Everything was unnamed—those unspoken likes hidden in the heart, the ambiguous feelings floating in the air.
He pinched the lonely flower stem and placed the flower near Su Siyuan’s ear. Through the flower, he softly asked, “If one day… you fall in love with a short-lived monster, what would you do?”
The man in front of him fell into silence for a long time, so long that Bai Tang began to doubt if he was facing a statue. Then, he heard an extremely soft answer, “I would cherish the memory with the remaining years of my life.”
“Wouldn’t it be very painful?”
“It would,” Su Siyuan gazed at Bai Tang intently, “but sweet in its bitterness.”
“Because if I didn’t fall in love with them, I wouldn’t know what bitterness is, nor would I know what sweetness is.”
Author’s Note:
1. Su Siyuan thinks Bai Tang’s lifespan is short.
2. The entire story is sweet; I am a genuine sweet story author, writing only sweet treats! Daily updates! Plenty during the holidays! So, my little angels, how about considering bookmarking my author’s column (with puppy eyes)?
I heard that bookmarking the author’s column will be flooded with sweetness (whispering super softly).
