Chapter 315

Chapter 315 - Extra: Suddenly, One Day

Due to the nature of my work, I often found myself flying across the skies. While air travel could save time, it wasn't always a comfortable experience, especially when there were many infants on board.

It was unclear whether the seats at the back of the cabin were traditionally reserved for parents with children or if there was an unusually high number of them that day. In any case, as soon as I settled into my seat and realized I was surrounded by a group of parents with young ones, I knew this wouldn't be a pleasant journey.

Especially when—

Not long after I sat down, the occupant of the window seat next to me, another young man carrying a child, approached.

Unfastening my seatbelt to let him pass, I instinctively checked my pockets—oh no! I had forgotten my earplugs!

Looks like I'd have to endure it.

But I soon realized that earplugs might not be enough; I needed a nose plug too. There seemed to be something wrong with this damned aircraft because an unpleasant, pungent odor resembling an unflushed toilet began to permeate the cabin. Oh, damn—

Thus, the flight began, filled with the "fragrance" of a public restroom.

My intuition was spot on: just as the plane started taking off, one of the children surrounding me let out a loud wail, and soon, others followed suit, their cries echoing throughout the cabin.

I knew it would come to this.

With a sigh of despair, I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impending wails of the child seated beside me.

Yet, there was no crying to be heard.

The plane ascended smoothly into the sky.

The older child eventually stopped sobbing, and the younger one's cries softened under their parents' soothing comfort.

But this did little to improve my flight experience: those older children had now embarked on a game of their own!

Yelling at the top of their lungs, their words were incomprehensible to me, either in some unique language of childhood or repetitive phrases from their favorite cartoon characters. Two of them, seated behind me, engaged in this boisterous exchange, shouting back and forth!

Their parents, seemingly oblivious, even dozed off?！

It was a remarkable display of resilience!

Well, I could empathize with how challenging it must be to manage these hyperactive children, and how exhausting it must be to sleep amidst such chaos. But still, —

Surely they should consider the other passengers around them?

Amidst the sound of parents soothing their children, others pulled out earplugs, demonstrating a collective indifference to the situation. With no choice, I rose from my seat, attempting to rouse the oblivious parents. Failing that, I tried to get the two children to sit quietly, but alas, that endeavor also proved unsuccessful; the toddlers only grew more restless.

Defeated, I returned to my seat. At that moment, the little one beside me stirred.

He or she stood up.

Though still tiny, the child did so with remarkable agility, a far cry from a baby who would need assistance. Heaven knows I'd always assumed this was an infant, for I have no experience with children and seldom pay attention to the ages and heights of others' kids.

Well, in any case, the one by my side was no longer just a tiny creature who only knew how to sleep, cry, and hide in its swaddle. It was a slightly bigger creature with a bit more control over its tear ducts.

This relieved me somewhat.

And then—

I heard the little one speak:

"Jiujiu, what are they shouting about?"

An incredibly adorable voice, soft and tender, tugged at my heartstrings with every word, diverting my attention in that very moment from the two mischievous kids behind me to the tiny creature beside me.

But... at what age do children usually start talking? Even without much common sense, it was clear that this child's size was unusually small.

Then, a crisp male voice rang out:

"I don't understand either, but it's not proper, it could disturb others. Hei Dan, you shouldn't do that."

Finally, a responsible guardian had arrived!

Grateful almost to the point of relief, I turned to look at the man seated to my right, and —

I was slightly taken aback.

It was a strikingly handsome... young man, certainly not a child. His face held a youthful appearance, yet his demeanor was mature and composed. There was an icy aura about him that made one feel as if they had touched a cold surface upon seeing him, instantly cooling one's thoughts.

Incredibly, the pent-up anxiety I'd been carrying since boarding the aircraft suddenly dissipated upon setting eyes on him.

Noticing my gaze, he turned to look at me immediately. His voice, though slightly cold, was pleasant to the ears as he asked, "I'm sorry, did I disturb you?"

What a polite young man.

Suddenly, I recalled that when he entered and took his seat, he had thanked me. Unfortunately, I was too agitated back then and forgot to respond with "you're welcome."

Indeed, the world is so beautiful; I shouldn't be so irritable.

Thus, I naturally continued the conversation, "Oh no, not at all. You didn't disturb me. Are you the child's father? You're very young..."

"No, I'm the child's uncle," the young man replied.

"Ahh! To be able to travel with such a young child at your age, that's remarkable." Much better than those irresponsible parents in the backseat! While paying him compliments, I inwardly criticized the unconscious parents in the rear with disdain.

The young man slightly shook his head and, after a moment, softly said, "There's nothing remarkable about it. Hei Dan is very well-behaved."

And that's how I learned the child's name was Hei Dan.

A rather... rustic-sounding name.

Despite its somewhat rustic connotation, the child who bore this name was truly an angel in disguise.

While the adults were engaged in conversation, Little Hei Dan, on his tiptoes, turned around once more. Instead of using his hands to speak, he seemed to make a shushing gesture. The two little tyrants sitting behind him ignored him and, if anything, escalated the situation by standing up and even removing his hat.

I hurriedly unbuckled my seatbelt to retrieve the fallen cap from the aisle. Upon my return, I witnessed the two little rascals obediently sitting back down in their seats.

"Hei Dan says we must fasten our seat belts properly when on a plane!" Black Egg, still perched on Jiujiu's lap and leaning against the backrest, continued to lecture them.

Could it be that these two mischievous kids were actually taking his words to heart?!

It was unbelievable!

Was this some sort of unique connection between young children?

However, I couldn't shake off the feeling that the two youngsters in the backseat appeared rather frightened.

But then again—

Who cared?

It's good that those two rascals have quieted down.

Passing him the hat, I sat back down.

"Thank you." The little one named Hei Dan politely expressed his gratitude to me before reaching out with his tiny hand to put on the hat.

I noticed that he was wearing gloves.

Very delicate little gloves.

Not the kind that most children would wear.

Throughout the entire time, I couldn't catch a clear glimpse of the child's face. His young uncle must have been worried about him catching a cold, so he dressed him warmly.

Perched on his uncle's lap with his tiny legs crossed, the child shared the safety belt with his uncle.

He remained silent and well-behaved the whole time, causing the cabin to instantly become tranquil after the absence of the two kids' noise. Soon, snores filled the air.

It was evening now, and everyone was worn out, though they had previously found it hard to fall asleep.

By my side, Little Black Egg was surprisingly energetic, and suddenly, I wasn't feeling tired anymore. Gazing at the fair-skinned young man beside me, I felt an urge to strike up a conversation.

Thus, our chat unfolded gradually.

I learned that he was now employed and had come here to visit his hometown. I even discovered that his birthplace was Badu Town – a place I'd visited many years ago!

"That town has fantastic hot springs! The year before last, I wanted to revisit, but when I tried to buy a ticket, I found out that due to an earthquake, the entire town was no longer inhabitable. I heard you all had to move out, right?"

The young man nodded. "Yes, that's why it's been inconvenient to reconnect with people."

"I was thinking, if possible, it would be great to see my friends from back then..." he added.

"But before I left, I did catch a glimpse of one of them. They seemed to be doing well and had made new friends..." His voice held no trace of melancholy; he was simply stating facts.

"Making new friends doesn't mean forgetting old ones. Trust me, if he could see you again, he'd be overjoyed! Childhood friends are the purest!" Even though I sensed he might not need the reassurance, I offered it promptly.

He gazed at me for a moment before smiling softly.

His smile was strikingly beautiful, breathtakingly so.

In that instant, Little Hei, who was sitting in his lap, suddenly lifted his head and stretched out his tiny hand. Gently patting his uncle's hand in a comforting manner, I caught a glimpse of his skin from this angle.

My heart skipped a beat: The hue of the child's exposed skin... seemed peculiar.

However, he didn't give me a chance to verify my observation as the little one quickly lowered his head again.

We remained silent for a long while until the plane's announcement that we were about to land.

As the aircraft prepared for descent while still in the air, he suddenly spoke to me, "I'd like to step out for a moment. Could you please make some room?"

Promptly, I unbuckled my seatbelt and stood up, making way for him as he rose and walked past me into the aisle.

Before leaving, he whispered softly, "It was a pleasure meeting you."

It was an ordinary sentence, yet without explicitly mentioning "goodbye," I could somehow sense the parting in those words.

Before I could grasp what was happening, he turned and walked away with his nephew in his arms. When I looked back, I caught sight of the little boy named Hei Dan waving at me with his tiny hand.

I was taken aback.

The corner of my eye caught a small handkerchief left on the neighboring seat. In a daze, I snatched it up and chased after them in the direction they'd gone.

Assuming they had headed to the lavatory at the back of the plane, I rushed there, only to find it empty.

I searched the cabin for a long while but failed to locate either the uncle or the nephew.

The plane was still soaring through the sky, yet they had vanished like that?

If not for the green handkerchief clutched in my hand, I might have believed it was all a dream.

I wandered the aisles for a while until a flight attendant asked me to return to my seat.

Sitting there again, my mind felt muddled.

Until I turned my head, my gaze inadvertently drifting towards the window—

In that instant, I almost believed I was truly dreaming.

Against the inky black of the night sky, I spied an enormous creature, a being indescribable in its nature, with features that would baffle even someone like me who seldom watches wildlife channels. Yet, that was not what left me most astonished.

What struck me to the core was this: perched on the creature's back were the two companions I had just traveled with, the uncle-nephew duo.

They were not alone. Beside them sat another man.

A man with jet-black hair, nearly blending into the darkness himself.

Soon, the aircraft I was on began its descent, while they ascended higher and higher.

We brushed past each other.

I have never spoken of that night's encounter to anyone. No one else but me has laid eyes on that scene outside the window.

If you're reading this story, then you've glimpsed into my diary.

Author's Note: The extra chapter has been completed. This is an extra chapter that I've long wanted to write but couldn't find the right spot to insert it into the main story.

Originating from an irritable flight where I was surrounded by the stuffy cabin air and the incessant wailing of children, I found myself wishing that Hei Dan was seated beside me. Such an adorable and well-behaved baby like Hei Dan would undoubtedly soothe my frayed nerves.

However, Hei Dan couldn't possibly fly alone; Jiujiu would certainly accompany him.

Ah... why would Jiujiu be sitting on an airplane?

He has no family in this world, no lingering attachments... Oh, right, his friend Wang Xiaochuan.

That was the evidence of his existence in that world and the sole friend he had there.

However, Ji Huan had confirmed the other's well-being before leaving, so there wasn't a compelling reason for him to visit.

Ji Huan could live in the Demon Realm on his own; it wasn't necessary for his friend to accompany him, for an ordinary person would not survive such a journey.

Before departing, he had ascertained that Wang Xiaochuan had successfully advanced in his studies and made new friends. In Ji Huan's eyes, Wang Xiaochuan now led a stable life.

In truth, he no longer had any justification to return and search for someone.

Perhaps deep down, he still longed to meet his friends.

And he wanted Hei Dan to experience the human world.

But he wouldn't come often.

Each visit was arduous, and while he could make the journey, Ajin couldn't – an ultra-high-ranking monster like Ajin would never casually descend to the mortal realm.

When Ji Huan left, though he didn't show it, he must have been worried about Ji Huan returning too late, right?

So cunning, he'd surely have cleverly expressed his desire for Grandfather to cook for him, thus keeping Grandfather occupied. As he bid Ji Huan farewell, he'd say, "Be sure to return on time."

Eventually, as Ji Huan grew stronger and became an existence that couldn't easily descend, their paths diverged further.

Wang Xiaochuan's life wasn't miserable; he just lived a very long time until he no longer wished to continue. He never fell victim to becoming someone's experimental subject.

He had forgotten Ji Huan's name, but the memory of him remained the most beautiful and ethereal part of his life.

Then, one day, the grown-up Hei Dan, powerful enough to return home alone, finally found him.

This extra takes place during one of those occasions when Ji Huan was still capable of descending to the mortal world, and he brought Hei Dan along for a brief sojourn in the human realm.

It serves as an additional chapter to augment the story's conclusion.