Chapter 68: The Sky Clears

Chapter 68: The Sky Clears

After firmly stating its intention, the system's confidence immediately wavered, and it spoke to Ye Man with little certainty: "But I have to be honest with you, I'm not sure if I can stay here indefinitely."

The process of closing off the world was temporarily halted at the last moment because the system decided to continue with the mission.

Now everything has returned to the starting point, and the system continues to help Ye Man complete the mission. In theory, whether it succeeds or fails, the system will leave once everything is settled.

The system said shyly and awkwardly, "You... you're unlike anyone I've ever met. I don't want to pressure you into doing tasks; I want to stay by your side, to be with you."

"I feel I should tell you this," the system asked him, "I can't decide things for the two of us alone, right?"

Ye Man whispered in response, "Right."

It could also leave quietly like before, deciding on its own to do what it thought was best for him, but if that wasn't what Ye Man wanted, it would be meaningless.

The system had already sensed Ye Man's will, which was more powerful than any words.

He always threw himself wholeheartedly into what he wanted, giving it his all.

Previously, the system concluded that the chance of staying in this world, by Ye Man's side, was extremely slim, and made decisions based on this premise. For things that were absolutely impossible based on objective judgment, the system would seek other paths and make second-best choices.

This was a logical decision.

Even if it wasn't what it wanted, it had to compromise.

However, Ye Man told it through his actions—he was unwilling to compromise.

Among countless broad and smooth paths, he resolutely chose the narrow, uncharted path. Perhaps only humans always choose to face the impossible, defying all logic and reason, charging forward.

The system said bashfully, "I think I need to learn from you, to be a brave system."

So it wanted to tell him it also wished to stay, but it wasn't certain.

Hearing this, Ye Man didn't feel fooled or betrayed. Like Ye Guowen, who promised to take him to see fireworks but then made excuses not to go—that was a liar.

So he wasn't angry either, but comforted, "That's alright, let's figure it out together. Two heads are better than one; we can tackle this together."

The system: "I still don't want you to take on tasks, I don't want you to be unhappy, nor to compromise yourself. Ye Man, if you're not happy, I won't be happy either."

Ye Man bit into his toast, his eyes crinkling, "Then let's find a way to make us both happy."

"Xiao Man," Xu Huaiting leaned in and asked in a whisper only the two could hear, "What are you talking about with it, so happily? Share it with me so I can be happy too?"

Ye Man's body stiffened, and the system in his mind also erupted with a shout.

He nearly forgot there was someone else aware of the system's existence.

Ye Man said flatly, "It's not just the two of us now, it's the three of us, Brother Tong."

Xu Huaiting caught the toast that fell from Ye Man's hand, didn't give it back, but devoured it in two bites.

Ye Man, whose toast was snatched, pinched his empty palm, somewhat dazed.

Chi Yan's fork lost control, making a screeching sound on the plate.

Xu Huaiting pretended not to hear, took a new piece of toast, spread some raspberry jam, and stuffed it into Ye Man's hand: "Another flavor, try it."

At the dining table, Ye Man always ate what was placed in front of him by others. Unless he was deliberately making things difficult for Chi Jue, he rarely made requests for what he wanted to eat, nor did he actively reach for food beyond what was in front of him. If it was placed slightly further away, he wouldn't touch it from start to finish.

Most of the time, he would just focus on the small portion of food in front of him and eat quietly. Even if the table was laden with various dishes, he would still just eat the plain rice in his bowl.

Chi Jue, often bossed around by Ye Man, didn't think much of this. When they were at the Chi family home, this behavior wasn't very noticeable. Auntie Zhou would place dishes that catered to Ye Man's taste right by him, and Ye Man would have Chi Jue serve him food. Chi Jue would also proactively ask. But since he wasn't closely monitoring Ye Man, he sometimes missed cues.

This behavior became much more apparent during their visit to the braised pork rice restaurant.

After Ye Man took a few bites of the toast with jam, Xu Huaiting swapped the remaining half of Ye Man's jam toast with one spread with chocolate peanut butter.

—He could only handle so much food in one sitting. If he ate a whole piece, he wouldn't be able to eat anything else. This way was just right.

Meng Yao, seated across from them, was speechless, utterly dumbfounded by his uncle's maneuver.

Watching this, he felt a pang of envy and glanced at the unfinished toast in Chi Jue's hand. Under the weight of that longing stare, Chi Jue's temple twitched, and he hastily polished off his toast.

Xu Huaiting, unfazed by the death glares from Chi Yan and Chi Jue, nonchalantly finished Ye Man's leftover toast.

He drifted into reminiscing about their time at the braised pork shop.

The owner, Auntie Li, went out of her way to serve a few side dishes to Ye Man and Xu Huaiting. Ye Man didn't so much as glance at them the whole time, never once expressing a desire to try them. At the time, Xu Huaiting assumed he simply didn't care for them and didn't give it a second thought.

It wasn't until later that he realized the truth.

He was terrified of drawing any reprimand.

Xu Huaiting, being who he was, would never have imagined encountering someone so guarded about their eating habits.

Over the course of a single meal, his mind would race through countless scenarios, all while discreetly gauging the reactions of those around him.

He didn't dare let his true cravings show. His face wore an adorably compliant expression as he effusively praised the dishes on the table—despite not having tasted a single one.

Only someone watching him closely would ever catch onto his "little acts."

Not even Ye Man himself was conscious of it.

Those behaviors had, over time, become second nature to him.

Even if Xu Huaiting outright told him he didn't have to act this way, Ye Man's mindset would make it difficult for him to comprehend, let alone change.

He was wary, distrustful, and skeptical of others, rarely taking anyone at their word.

More often than not, after overthinking things, he'd retreat into the safety of his shell.

This wasn't something that could be fixed overnight; it would take time and patience, walking alongside him.

He needed to be treated very, very well, cherished and pampered to the point where one day he would ride on Xu Huaiting's head and show off; to the point where he couldn't bear any grievances or hardships, only then could these issues be corrected.

Xu Huaiting could feel that even when accepting his confession, Ye Man was full of uncertainty and doubt.

But despite not believing in his affection for him, he still accepted him without hesitation.

Rather than fearing the potential harm from uncertain feelings, he wanted to move towards him;

Even when he couldn't be sure of anything, he still firmly grasped the hand that Xu Huaiting extended to him.

Xu Huaiting ate the last bite of bread and, under the cover of the tablecloth, took Ye Man's hand.

He slowly opened Ye Man's fingers, which habitually curled towards his palm, one by one, and intertwined their fingers.

Feeling his palm being held, Ye Man slightly retracted his fingers. This action reminded him of what happened in the attic, his thin face turning red, a flash of panic quickly passing over his face, but he had to maintain composure for the sake of others.

Xu Huaiting gazed at the hand still obediently clasped in his, ultimately revealing a hint of regret.

At some point, Chi Yan had shifted the knife in his hand from a forward grip to a reverse one.

If Xu Huaiting tried anything else, Chi Yan might not stay put.

If Ye Man hadn't seemed so off last night, Chi Yan wouldn't have agreed to let them stay alone in the attic for so long.

Ye Man had only told Xu Huaiting about the system, and it wasn't appropriate to bring it up in front of everyone at the table. When Xu Huaiting held his hand under the table, Ye Man playfully traced Xu Huaiting's hand with his fingers. Xu Huaiting kept his cool but dropped the system topic.

Ye Man quickly filled in the system mentally.

The system scoffed and shot back, "You're not worried he'll think you're nuts?"

Ye Man bashfully echoed Xu Huaiting's words, and the system was dismayed to find Xu Huaiting flawless.

In its frustration, the system shouted in Ye Man's mind, "He's all talk, just a lovesick fool!"

Anyone would be suspicious! He bought the system story? No way!

Ye Man hadn't considered that. But the system's comment planted a seed of doubt.

But can a big shot like him really be lovesick?

In those cheesy dramas, lovesick fools always go broke.

Ye Man mumbled, "What's the big deal? Brother Tong, stop hating."

Snowed in, the group was stuck inside.

Ye Man had just scored some system points, and Brother Tong said they had time to plan their next move.

"You're in the Arctic—chill out and enjoy the break."

Chi Yan and Chi Jue never pressed Ye Man about his past.

For days, Ye Man avoided being alone with them, tagging after Xu Huaiting like a puppy, waiting until his elder brother slept before returning. Brother Tong's return eased Ye Man's fears, making him bolder.

When Xu Huaiting cooked, Ye Man clung to his shirt, shadowing him everywhere, his face serious as he tried to match Xu Huaiting's steps.

As Ye Man grew more familiar with the villa and had someone nearby, he stopped using his cane, relying on other senses to follow Xu Huaiting. Sometimes he misstepped and stepped on Xu Huaiting.

At such moments, Xu Huaiting would pause, turning around just in time to see Ye Man pursing his lips, flustered but trying to appear composed.

If others weren't around, Xu Huaiting would lean down and kiss him without hesitation.

Ye Man would obediently stand there, letting him kiss. Even if Xu Huaiting went further, lifting him onto the island counter and pressing him there until he struggled for breath, Ye Man would still try to hold onto Xu Huaiting's neck, making it easier for him to kiss.

The system made strange noises, causing Ye Man to blush.

He pushed Xu Huaiting away, covering his wet mouth with the back of his hand, softly reminding him, "There's still food cooking in the pot."

This usually only made Xu Huaiting, who had initially intended to let him go, press down on him again.

Gradually, Ye Man noticed that when his elder brothers were absent, he stepped on Xu Huaiting's feet more often.

He began to suspect that the other person might have intentionally let him step on his foot, but he had no evidence.

Later, Chi Yan couldn't stand it anymore and finally found an opportunity to corner him.

Ye Man nervously fidgeted with his fingers, but Chi Yan just patted his head and told him, "Not everything in the world needs to be picked apart and made perfectly clear."

Ye Man stayed silent.

Chi Yan asked, "Have you been feeling better these past couple of days?"

Ye Man nodded.

Chi Yan said, "That's all that matters."

When Chi Yan left, Ye Man was still a bit confused, but he soon realized what Chi Yan meant.

—He didn't want to press him for the reasons behind his absurd actions. If he wanted to talk about it, he could; if not, that was fine too.

They didn't understand, nor could they figure out why he did what he did.

They just wanted him to know one thing: as long as he was happy, they were willing to indulge him anytime.

A complicated, bittersweet feeling welled up inside him. Ye Man stood there alone for a while, wiping his eyes, and after that, he no longer avoided Chi Yan and Chi Jue.

Although they were trapped indoors by the snowstorm, Ye Man didn't find it boring or unbearable. On the contrary, the past few days had gone by so fast that he even wished time would slow down a bit.

That day, he was wrapped in a blanket sitting on the sofa. The villa was warm and snug, and he was dozing off against Xu Huaiting's shoulder when he suddenly heard the person beside him softly call his name.

"Xiao Man, wake up. The weather has cleared up. In a few hours, we should be able to go out. We planned to check out the seed vault."

Ye Man sat up, unsure of what he had been dreaming about, and stared off into space.

Xu Huaiting fetched his slippers and knelt down to help him put them on.

When he looked up, Ye Man was rummaging through his pockets for something. Finally, he pulled out a key and solemnly handed it to him.

"Here, this is for you. Keep it safe. There are only two keys like this—one for you and one for me. Inside is the royal blue you gave me, along with other valuables," he said, running his hands over Xu Huaiting's face, up to his head, and gave it a reassuring pat. Then, with a serious expression, he promised, "Don't worry, even if you go broke someday, I won't leave you hanging. I've saved up a lot, and I can take care of you too."

Xu Huaiting looked puzzled: "Huh?"

Ye Man affectionately stroked his head and said, "It's alright, being head over heels is fine too."