Chapter 95

Chapter 95

Back in town, Bai Tu's first task was to find several buckets of black paint to slap a coat on anything that could throw back a reflection, including mirrors, glass, tiles that could show a person, and the like.

Once he was done, he went to the road at the town center. "Are you here?"

There was no answer, nor did any sudden tentacle or tail appear.

Bai Tu said, to no one in particular, "I did what you asked. What else do you want me to do?"

Still no answer. Bai Tu stopped talking, planted himself stubbornly in the middle of the road as if determined not to budge without further instructions. The setting sun cast his long shadow. After a long while, a crisp clink suddenly sounded.

Bai Tu walked over. Etched into the concrete near the curb were four short lines.

「Go back」

「Eat」

「Bathe」

「Sleep」

"That's more than one thing," Bai Tu said, staring at these crudely scratched lines. "I'll count it as one thing if I get a second reward."

Another small stone was thrown from the shadows, indicating agreement.

Bai Tu showed the first genuine smile in days. "It's settled. If you go back on it, you're a bastard."

The next morning, before the morning fog had lifted, Bai Tu went to the road.

After the paint was applied in some areas, the town soaked up the light, leaving it looking gloomy most of the time. Bai Tu found a sun-drenched step to sit on, with the building's shadow just a meter away.

"Are you here?"

This time, Bai Tu didn't have to wait long. The words were barely out of his mouth when a stone landed at his feet. It was a pebble, pale yellow, dropped from a height. Bai Tu smiled slightly. Perhaps Huo Changfeng was on the rooftop behind him at that moment, basking in this rare, gentle sun just like him.

He didn't bother looking up. Instead, he bent to pick up the pebble, holding it in his hand. Its surface was dry and retained some warmth, making it pleasant to fiddle with.

"Last night, I ate properly, took a hot bath, and went to bed early. Can I collect my reward now?"

Another pebble was thrown down, landing steadily at Bai Tu's feet with almost no sound. Bai Tu picked it up. Instead of stating what he wanted, he began talking about the past in a seemingly unrelated way.

"The weather is really nice today. Do you see those flowers? They're still blooming now. I thought they would have withered long ago." Bai Tu looked at the clusters of wildflowers blooming by the roadside. They were all small, nameless flowers, only ankle-high, but huddled together in a riot of colors, creating a unique charm. "When I was little, my parents were very busy. The most frequent time they spent with me was in the morning when they dropped me off at school on their way. I remember that road to school; in spring, it was also full of such wildflowers. But they rarely stopped to let me play."

Bai Tu paused. He thought he heard another, steady breath in the air.

He switched the two warmed pebbles to his other hand. "So after school, I'd call a few classmates to go there and play hide-and-seek. For some reason, I was never the seeker. I'd hide in one spot, and rarely did anyone come to find me. Sometimes, I'd hide until dark, only to come out and find my classmates had already left."

After Bai Tu finished speaking, something gently brushed over his head, like a silent comfort. He resisted the urge to look up, staring at the shadow on the ground, and continued, "Later, when I grew up, I didn't like playing such childish games anymore. But occasionally, when I think back, I still feel it's a regret that I never properly played hide-and-seek back then."

"So the reward I want today is for you to play a game of hide-and-seek with me." The long black shadow above his head paused, then slowly retracted. "This time, I want to be the seeker. You hide, okay?"

Bai Tu stuffed the two pebbles into his pocket, took out a silver bracelet, and held it above his head. "If you agree, take this."

He often wore this bracelet on his ankle and had never taken it off. Bai Tu held it up for a few minutes. Slowly, a long black shadow extended down again and coiled around the bracelet, taking it away.

He smiled. "We'll play within the town. You can hide anywhere. But the town is too big. You have to go easy on me; don't hide inside buildings. Give me a hint occasionally, using the bracelet you have." He took a blindfold from his pocket and put it on. "Ten seconds. I'm going to start counting down now."

"Ten, nine, eight..."

The sound of silver bells gradually faded into the distance. The countdown ended, but Bai Tu didn't remove the blindfold, which he could have according to the rules. Instead, he casually picked up a long pole from beside him and slowly walked in the direction the bell sounds had gone.

He knew the town's layout like the back of his hand, remembering every street and alley clearly. But there were many obstacles and abandoned cars on the road, making his progress inevitably clumsy and stumbling.

Even so, he didn't remove the blindfold, patiently using the long pole to probe the path ahead. Whenever he walked through a street, crossed an alley, or stopped at an intersection, hesitating which way to go, the sound of silver bells, sometimes near, sometimes far, would ring in his ears. So he no longer felt lost, walking firmly toward one of the directions.

The sun gradually rose high. The originally gentle sunlight slowly turned scorching. This game lasted for several hours. Bai Tu followed the sound of the bells, always aware in his mind of which location he was at, but he couldn't count how many times he had circled these few streets and alleys. The originally stumbling path had, at some point, become incredibly smooth.

When he reached the same intersection for who-knows-how-many-th time, the sound of silver bells didn't ring. Bai Tu stopped. Through the blindfold, the scorching sunlight suddenly disappeared.

Immediately after, he realized something taller than him was blocking the sunlight ahead. His heart trembled. He threw away the long pole, hurried forward a few steps, bumped into a hard, warm wall, and then was lifted up by a pair of hands.

Bai Tu immediately grabbed these "hands" and said, "Found you!"

He laughed like a triumphant child. "I won."

He didn't get a response, but warm breath sprayed against his forehead and hair. He said, "You see, whether I can see you or not, no matter what you look like, I recognize you. I will always find you. And no matter where, no matter what happens, you will clear all obstacles for me. You've always been walking ahead of me, right? You never really hid."

Bai Tu's expression was both cunning and sincere. Huo Changfeng silently watched him.

Bai Tu stood right in front of him, within reach, obediently held by the waist. He neither removed the blindfold nor reached out to grope around. Huo Changfeng couldn't help but raise a hand, wanting to touch his face, but then he saw his own terrifying, inhuman hand.

Veins bulged, skin and flesh withered, fingers thick and strong, nails sharp and pointed. It seemed that just touching Bai Tu would make his skin split and flesh tear.

He remembered how firmly Bai Tu had once told him that zombies couldn't be human. So what was he? Was he not even comparable to something like a zombie?

He withdrew his hand, raised the tip of his tail, and gently brushed it against Bai Tu's cheek. After a long silence, he spoke, "You once said..."

Bai Tu was startled, his hands involuntarily tightening around the tentacle.

Huo Changfeng knew his current voice was unpleasant. He controlled his stiff vocal cords, trying his best to soften his voice. "Have you seen what I look like now? When I wasn't awake?"

Bai Tu hesitated slightly, then nodded.

Huo Changfeng asked him, "What do you think I am?"

"You are Huo Changfeng," Bai Tu answered firmly.

He knew nothing at all.

Huo Changfeng thought, Bai Tu was completely ignorant.

He didn't know the meaning of this name, nor what his current appearance represented.

He ate raw meat and drank blood. His first thought upon seeing a living creature wasn't to avoid it but to bite its neck and devour its flesh and blood. His stomach constantly screamed with hunger. Bai Tu stood before him, and what drifted to his nostrils wasn't the scent of soap but an enticing aroma of meat. He could clearly see the artery in Bai Tu's neck pulsing powerfully, the blood inside flowing with a wonderful sound.

It took immense effort to restrain his desire to devour him. Even so, saliva continuously secreted in his mouth.

He guarded Bai Tu, sometimes even having the delusion that he was guarding a food reserve. He followed Bai Tu, wanting to walk upright like a human, but often ended up crawling on all fours.

Bai Tu had painted over everything that could reflect his image, but the clearest mirror in the world was Bai Tu's eyes. Even though these eyes were covered, this mirror was deeply embedded in his heart.

He slowly began to retract his tentacle, but Bai Tu suddenly tightened his grip, holding onto him tightly, with such force that even his hard tentacle felt a twinge of pain.

"The game is over," he said.

But Bai Tu smiled. "Do you know that the person who often wins games as a child usually becomes the leader among that group? Leaders always get prizes. Although we only played one round, as the only one who lost to me in this game, don't you have anything to give?"

Huo Changfeng was silent for a moment. "What do you want?"

Even now, he found he still couldn't say no to Bai Tu. He thought to himself that if Bai Tu wanted to remove the blindfold now, he would accept it. Better he run away scared than end up as a meal.

But Bai Tu only said, "It's getting hot. Let's go cool off together. I know a place with birdsong and fragrant flowers."

It truly was a place of birdsong and fragrant flowers. The flowers were fragrant, but the birds were mutant, constantly trying to peck at Bai Tu, though they were swatted away by one of Huo Changfeng's tentacles before they could get close.

Bai Tu took a nap on the grass. When he woke up, he was a bit dazed, taking a few minutes to come around. "Is it dinner time?"

Huo Changfeng gently patted his hand.

"Alright," Bai Tu reluctantly let go. "See you tomorrow."

Huo Changfeng hadn't expected him to be so compliant. His tentacle moved faster than his brain, coiling around Bai Tu's wrist. Bai Tu was slightly taken aback, turning his head toward Huo Changfeng's direction. Huo Changfeng yanked his tentacle back, using the tip of his tail to nudge him.

Bai Tu got up from the push and took a few steps forward.

"Oh, right," he stopped and called back over his shoulder. "Have you thought of the third thing you want me to do?"

Huo Changfeng didn't answer.

Bai Tu grinned slyly. "You should think quickly, because I've already decided what I want for the third reward."

Huo Changfeng racked his brains but couldn't figure out what the third thing was. He felt Bai Tu was already doing well—taking good care of himself and not taking any more risks. The only thing he wished for was for Bai Tu to stay away from him as he is now.

But if Bai Tu really stayed away, what if he got hurt again?

So, in the end, Huo Changfeng simply said he hadn't thought of anything.

"What should we do then?" Bai Tu said in a wheedling tone. "I really want that reward."

Huo Changfeng didn't know what to do, lying there stiffly on the ground.

His behavior now was more like that of a beast—resting on all fours, belly pressed to the ground, with Bai Tu nestled unknowingly within the circle, one hand still gripping one of his tentacles.

After thinking for a moment, Bai Tu exclaimed, "Ah!" and asked, "Can I get this reward in advance?"

Without waiting for Huo Changfeng's reply, he continued, "I want to cut my hair. It's just a little thing, please?"

Huo Changfeng looked around and said, "There are no scissors."

Even if there were scissors, he wouldn't be able to use them in his current state.

"Why do we need scissors? You can use your nails—they can cut hair just fine," Bai Tu said dismissively, then reached out to touch the stinger at the end of the tentacle. "Or use this."

Huo Changfeng stiffened. Bai Tu seemed not to notice, eagerly pulling out a piece of paper and pointing at it. "I want this hairstyle."

He was wearing a blindfold and holding the paper upside down, but Huo Changfeng could still tell it was torn from a once-popular magazine. Bai Tu held it up for a while without getting a response, his enthusiasm waning slightly as he asked with a hint of unease, "Is it not possible?"

Huo Changfeng sighed, taking the paper with a tentacle. "Cut it now?"

"Uh-huh," Bai Tu immediately nodded happily, sitting up straight obediently.

Huo Changfeng had keen vision. At such a close distance, he could see how every strand of Bai Tu's hair fell. He raised his hand, hovering in the air for a few seconds before curling his fingers, carefully smoothing Bai Tu's bangs with his knuckles. Then, he used another tentacle to gently lift a strand, using the very edge of his nail to slowly saw through the ends.

He was more focused than ever before, so much so that the process took far longer than any previous haircut. But Bai Tu simply sat cross-legged quietly, neither interrupting him nor showing the slightest impatience.

Only when Huo Changfeng trimmed the last strand of hair did he suddenly realize he'd actually managed to cut Bai Tu's hair.

He stared at Bai Tu for a long time before retreating to his original distance and saying, "Done."

Bai Tu first touched his temples, then ran his fingers along the ends of his hair. Finally, he exclaimed excitedly, "Huo Changfeng, your haircutting skills have improved!"

Huo Changfeng thought to himself, *Was I really that bad before?*

Bai Tu stood up, brushing the dust off his pants. "Alright, now come for a walk with me."

"Is it time for the fourth reward?" Huo Changfeng asked instinctively.

But he hadn't even thought of the third thing yet.

"This doesn't count as a reward. It's something I want to do with you. Hurry up, or those flowers will really wither."

He tugged at Huo Changfeng's tentacle. Huo Changfeng silently stood up, only to hear Bai Tu say, "You have to walk in front. I can't see the way."

Huo Changfeng led him to the path blooming with wildflowers, stopping at the entrance. He released his tentacle, walked behind Bai Tu, and nudged him with it. "We're here."

Bai Tu refused to let go. "We're taking a walk together."

Huo Changfeng said quietly, "But you won't be able to see the flowers this way."

"I'm here to take a walk, not to look at flowers. Come on."

The two slowly strolled forward. When they reached the place where the scent of flowers was strongest, Bai Tu asked, "Are there any butterflies?"

"A few."

"Then catch one for me. Alive."

Huo Changfeng was a bit troubled. With his speed, he could hit it easily, but the butterfly would be dead or crippled. Bai Tu didn't emphasize the request further, quietly waiting for his reply. Huo Changfeng could almost imagine the eager look in Bai Tu's eyes beneath the blindfold.

In the end, he went to great pains to successfully catch a live butterfly and place it in Bai Tu's palm. Bai Tu touched the trembling wings of the butterfly, broke into a genuine smile, and then released it.

"Let's keep walking," he said.

But after a while, he said his legs were sore and asked Huo Changfeng to give him a piggyback.

Huo Changfeng stiffened for a long moment before slowly crouching down, using his tail to lift Bai Tu onto his back.

Bai Tu leaned in, wrapping his arms around Huo Changfeng's neck, his soft body pressed tightly against his back. "Has the sun started to set?"

"Mhm."

"Is there a sunset glow today?"

"Yes."

"Is it beautiful?"

"Yes."

Bai Tu fell silent for so long that Huo Changfeng thought he had fallen asleep. When they reached the doorway to Bai Tu's building, Huo Changfeng wasn't sure whether to wake him.

After a while, he heard Bai Tu say, "Actually, we can still do many things together."

Bai Tu's voice was perfectly clear. Huo Changfeng realized he hadn't been asleep at all.

"Just like today, we'll spend day after day, year after year happily, until we die."

Huo Changfeng remained silent for a long time before saying, "Once you see me, you'll hate me. You won't be as happy as you are today."

"I'd never be happy again if I left you. I will always, always, always love you. Even if I remain blind forever, I'll still love you. Even if you grow old and ugly, I'll still love you. You have to keep loving me too, even if I grow old, ugly, and not so sharp anymore."

Huo Changfeng remained silent throughout. Bai Tu smiled and slid off his back.

"See you tomorrow."

He walked toward the building entrance, stopping after a few steps. "Tomorrow, it's your turn to find me, okay?"