Chapter 57 I’m Not Happy

Chapter 57: I’m Not in the Mood

Meng Shu had just returned to his own world when he started coughing, his ears ringing and vision blurring, his head buzzing. He coughed so violently it felt like he was coughing up his lungs.

Lake was about to head out to visit the museum. His face went pale when he saw him like this. “What did you do in that world?”

He hurriedly poured Meng Shu a glass of hot water while rubbing his back. “Your body is too weak. If you keep crossing over like this, you could die young!”

Meng Shu took a sip and immediately choked again. He covered his mouth, tears welling up from the strain, hacking dry coughs. “Nothing… I didn’t do anything… cough, cough!”

After a while, Meng Shu’s coughing finally subsided.

Lake knelt beside him and said carefully. “Maybe… you should stop going to that world? You’re not from there, and without the world’s protection, this constant traveling is sapping your life force.”

“Thanks,” Meng Shu managed a weak smile. “I made a bet, and I can’t lose.”

Within three years, he had to win Ling Qingjue over.

Lake couldn’t figure out why this guy was so stubborn. He seemed easygoing, but he wouldn’t take any advice.

“If you insist on going, I can’t stop you—after all, it’s your mouth, and I can’t tape it shut.” Lake paused and said seriously. “But remember, you have to protect yourself in that world. Any harm will affect your real-world body, and of course, your real body will also affect you in that world.”

Because Meng Shu’s real body was gravely ill, his starting defense stat in the other world was only 2.

If his condition worsened, his defense could drop to 1, or even zero.

Meng Shu was silent for a moment, then said softly, “I’ve got it under control.”

Lake was skeptical. “Do you really?”

“Yeah, I do.” Meng Shu patted him on the back, smiling. “Aren’t you going to the museum? Hurry up. I can take care of myself.”

“How can I leave you like this?”

Lake’s face dropped. “What happened during this crossing? Did you die?”

“Three times.”

“You died three times in less than an hour?” Lake felt as if the sky had caved in. “No wonder you look so haggard now! That’s practically suicide!”

Meng Shu coughed a few more times, feigning calmness. “It won’t happen again.”

He’d never team up with those two screw-ups again.

Getting up from the bed, Meng Shu casually stuffed a bread and an apple into Lake’s backpack. “Alright, stop worrying about me. I’m a grown adult, I don’t need a kid like you to look after me. Go to the museum. You came to this world for an academic report, not to take care of a patient. Get going.”

He pushed Lake out the door, smiling. “I’ll be fine. This was just an accident. It won’t happen again.”

Lake couldn’t argue with him. Before leaving, he warned repeatedly, “Get some rest, and try not to cross over for a while. I don’t want you to die so soon…”

Meng Shu tapped his head with a smile. “Don’t jinx me. You’re supposed to say, ‘Brother Meng Shu, may you live a hundred years.’”

When he smiled, his eyes curved into crescent moons, tender and warm, like a ray of early winter sunshine.

Lake pouted.

“Brother, may you live a hundred years.”

…

After seeing Lake off, Meng Shu sat alone in his room, staring off into space for two hours.

He thought maybe Lake was right; he'd die fast from this reckless world-hopping.

But in this world, what else could he do?

Just sit here aimlessly, idling away time, feeling the life drain from this failing body.

If this is living, he'd rather die right now.

Meng Shu slowly moved his fingers.

"Mika, Moska, Makabaka."

...

Moon Bay.

Ling Qingjue leaned against the small balcony on the second floor. A vine beside him twined around his fingertips, showing affection.

He frowned impatiently. "I'm not in a good mood. Stop it."

The vine shrank back, acting pitiful.

He couldn't be bothered with the plants, speaking as if to himself: "He went back two days ago. Why isn't he back yet?"

When Meng Shu finished mining, it was still light out. Ling Qingjue had assumed he would be home by evening and waited patiently at home. But after waiting for a long time, Meng Shu didn't return.

Only then did he realize Meng Shu had chosen to head straight back to his own world.

He didn't return to make him dinner.

Ling Qingjue moped by himself for a while. He didn't even know what he was angry about, but he just felt that Meng Shu was irresponsible—he had time but didn't come home to feed the cat, leaving him to go hungry. In his mind, Meng Shu should center his life around him, stay by his side forever, and never abandon him to go off by himself.

Before Meng Shu was around, Ling Qingjue would make himself something to eat.

Now that his palate had been spoiled, the food he cooked himself was too awful, always making him really mad, so he simply chose to go hungry. If Meng Shu didn't come back, he would keep going hungry.

When Meng Shu finally returned, he would see a cat starved down to skin and bones, would be scared to death, and would hurry to cook for him and cheer him up.

Anyway, Ling Maomao is very angry.

Humans who casually abandon kittens are all bad!

Meng Shu had left him for a whole week, and now he had left him for two more days.

He'll never forgive Meng Shu.

A faint ripple of magic stirred in the room. Ling Qingjue's ears twitched, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly before he suppressed it.

The vine sensed his improved mood and shamelessly coiled around him again.

Ling Qingjue kept his face stern: "I'm still angry."

The vine tightened around him.

Ling Qingjue kept making excuses: "I was just thinking of something nice."

He still stood on the balcony, as if he hadn't noticed the commotion inside, absentmindedly fiddling with the plant's leaves.

Until Meng Shu walked up behind him, poking his head out, his eyes bright as moonlight: "Kitty, I'm back!"

Ling Qingjue gave a scoffing laugh, his thin lips curving into a seductive smile, and said, faking indifference: "Whether you come back or not, I don't care at all."