TECSBRO | 67 | Lu Xu Reborn | 02
Rong Que didn't intend to be overly controlling. Seeing that the Evil God obediently turned off the computer, lay down on the bed, and fell asleep, he left.
The next morning, Rong Que called to order a small double-layered cake to be delivered in the evening.
Then he spent the entire morning playing games with the Evil God.
At lunchtime, he stretched lazily and frowned with a hint of worry, "It feels like playing games is such a waste of time. After all, these are the last two days of my life."
Rong Que didn't say much. Perhaps influenced by his feelings for Lu Xu, he couldn't help but be affected by the Evil God's mood.
In the afternoon, the Evil God pestered Rong Que to accompany him on roller coasters and various amusement park rides.
They ate street food along the way.
It seemed like he was genuinely trying to experience life to the fullest.
As dinner approached, the Evil God suddenly turned to Rong Que and said, "I've changed my mind."
Rong Que's heart skipped a beat, thinking the Evil God no longer wanted to leave Lu Xu's body.
But since they had already signed a soul contract, even the Evil God himself couldn't alter the outcome.
The Evil God wore a serious expression, "I want to celebrate my birthday tomorrow. After eating the cake, I'll go back."
"Birthday is also my death day. How interesting," he forced a smile, which still looked somewhat eerie.
Rong Que couldn't comprehend the Evil God's feelings. With such a precise countdown to death, watching himself inch closer to the end, how could he still enjoy life so thoroughly?
He didn't want to ask too many questions, so he simply messaged the bakery to deliver the cake the next evening instead.
After sending the message, Rong Que hesitated for a moment, then asked the bakery to write "Happy Birthday" on the cake.
Lu Xu's birthday was always celebrated with Rong Que, but the Evil God's first birthday would also be his death day.
It was indeed somewhat ironic.
Rong Que asked the Evil God what he wanted to eat. After thinking seriously for a while, the Evil God frowned and said, "I can't think for too long. Time shouldn't be wasted like this."
Then, as if giving up on overthinking, he said, "Let's go for a picnic."
Rong Que paused for a moment, then quickly went to a convenience store to buy snacks, bento boxes, a mat, and a light bulb. Carrying the bags, they headed to the park together.
Normal people wouldn't go for a picnic after dark.
But he had agreed to the Evil God's request.
By the time they reached the park, it was completely dark.
The picnic spot was poorly lit, almost pitch black.
Rong Que took out the light bulb he had just bought to illuminate the path, ensuring they didn't drop the food before even starting.
The Evil God, however, found it all very novel. Even in the darkness, he seemed to think there was plenty of fun to be had.
When they reached an open area, the Evil God stood there and said, "How about here? It's great for stargazing."
Rong Que walked over, spread out the mat, and placed the food on it.
He thought the night was cold and full of mosquitoes, with little to enjoy.
But perhaps because of the Evil God's presence, no insects buzzed around them.
The Evil God, however, didn't feel the same way. He was thoroughly enjoying himself, finding joy in everything.
After setting everything up, he reminded Rong Que to turn off the light.
Rong Que complied.
Once the light was off, they had to rely entirely on the moonlight to eat.
Rong Que hoped there weren't any bugs around.
After finishing the bento, Rong Que noticed the Evil God doing something with his fingers.
A faint fluorescent green light appeared at his fingertips, resembling a firefly.
As Rong Que watched, the green light seemed to come to life, swaying and drifting away.
The evil god glanced at him, then opened his palm and blew a breath. Tiny specks of fluorescent light scattered from his hand and flew away.
However, they didn’t fly far, instead hovering and drifting around the two of them.
Under the moonlight, green starlight flickered among the grass, appearing and disappearing, dazzlingly beautiful.
Rong Que remembered the fireflies he and Lu Xu had watched together during their travels.
The evil god was indeed trying hard to recreate the beautiful memories in Lu Xu’s mind.
A speck of green light stopped by Rong Que’s feet, but when he looked down, it dissipated.
“Not real fireflies,” the evil god explained.
They were just light dots created using his light-based abilities.
After saying this, the evil god suddenly lay down on the mat. From this angle, he could see the bright moon and the green dots.
Rong Que could see the glimmer in the evil god’s eyes and lay down as well.
This strange picnic seemed quite nice.
“It really feels like being alive,” the evil god suddenly spoke up.
His tone sounded somewhat wistful. “Too bad I only have three days to live.”
After saying this, the evil god sneezed. “It’s getting a bit cold. Let’s go back and watch a movie.”
“Didn’t we watch one yesterday?”
“That was at the cinema. I actually wanted to watch it at home with the projector yesterday,” the evil god explained, sounding a bit aggrieved.
He hadn’t been that keen on going to the cinema in the first place.
“Alright,” Rong Que replied while starting to pack up the barely touched snacks and trash.
The evil god seemed like he was just here for the experience.
But he truly cherished his time.
Carrying a large bag of things back, the evil god asked him to order some late-night snacks so they could enjoy them while watching the movie.
He certainly knew how to indulge.
The coffee table in the living room was filled with snacks and late-night treats as the two ate and watched the movie.
Rong Que wasn’t actually hungry and didn’t feel like eating.
But the evil god insisted that eating alone wasn’t enjoyable and made him join.
Fortunately, the evil god was so engrossed in the movie that he didn’t bother urging Rong Que to eat more.
When the movie ended, Rong Que urged him to clean up and go to bed.
Only after seeing the evil god obediently lying in bed did he turn off the lights and close the door.
When he woke up, it was the final day.
Rong Que opened the door and saw the evil god, who had risen early.
Before Rong Que could ask what he wanted to do, the evil god said, “Today, I’m going to lie around all day.”
Rong Que was surprised. He had thought the evil god would consider lazing at home a waste of time.
“Let’s begin today’s ‘lying flat’!” the evil god declared, using the trendy phrase he had just learned, and plopped down on the sofa.
Then, with great enthusiasm, he opened his tablet and picked out a series that could be binge-watched in a day.
He even pulled out the leftover snacks from the drawer and started munching.
There wasn’t a trace of panic in his eyes, even though he had only a dozen or so hours left.
As he ate chips, the evil god looked up and said, “You don’t have to keep me company today, but I’d like to have a meal cooked by you, Rong Que, for lunch and dinner.”
“Then I’ll go buy groceries,” Rong Que replied, feeling a bit relieved. Lu Xu was finally coming back.
The evil god suddenly paused the show. “Wait, I’ll go to the supermarket with you.”
Rong Que didn’t say anything, and the two set off together.
After Rong Que mentioned buying groceries, the evil god remembered from his memories that going to the supermarket felt very homely.
Even though it was just a trip to the nearby supermarket, he seemed quite excited.
Rong Que let him pick out the vegetables and meat he liked.
The evil god was even happier.
He was also quite interested in the supermarket cart and took the initiative to handle the task of pushing it.
As he pushed the cart while selecting groceries, he actually looked quite natural.
Due to the Evil God's indecisiveness, it took them an hour to finally leave the supermarket.
However, the Evil God didn’t seem as stressed about time anymore. He said contentedly, "Grocery shopping is so much fun."
Rong Que didn’t say anything, because everything the Evil God found enjoyable was just part of a normal human life.
It was also evident how much the Evil God wished to live like an ordinary person.
Perhaps because he wanted to experience a leisurely day today, there weren’t many rigid plans.
After returning home, Rong Que cooked in the kitchen while the Evil God continued watching his anime.
It was a well-known classic, and the content was undoubtedly excellent. The Evil God was fully immersed in it.
From time to time, he would glance up at the kitchen.
Then he’d lower his head and continue watching.
At mealtime, Rong Que served up two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and a soup.
The Evil God could smell the aroma from afar and came over with his tablet in hand.
Rong Que frowned and said, "Don’t watch anything while eating."
The Evil God looked up pitifully, "But if I don’t, I might not finish it today, and I’d die without knowing the ending."
Rong Que silently sat back down. After all, it was just this once.
The Evil God ate seriously and watched the anime seriously, so lunchtime stretched to an hour.
Fortunately, all the food was finished.
After eating, he rubbed his stomach and offered to help with the dishes.
Rong Que taught him how to do it while also holding the tablet for him.
In the afternoon, feeling a bit sleepy, Rong Que went back to take a nap, and the Evil God didn’t force himself to keep watching.
In fact, he could have finished the entire series in a day, but he wanted to save some time for his birthday celebration in the evening.
He set an alarm for an hour and a half and went back to his room to nap.
However, the Evil God clearly underestimated the power of a nap.
After unconsciously turning off the alarm, he slept for another hour before waking up naturally.
Glancing at the time, it was already 3 p.m.
The Evil God perked up, relieved he hadn’t slept the entire day away.
He got dressed and continued watching the anime while snacking.
When Rong Que got up, he asked the Evil God what time he wanted to have dinner.
The Evil God thought for a moment and said, "9 p.m. I’m not hungry yet since I had snacks in the afternoon."
Seeing there wasn’t much else to do, Rong Que went back to his room to handle some work.
The Evil God didn’t insist on Rong Que keeping him company. Today, he wanted to enjoy the feeling of a day off.
After 8 p.m., Rong Que came out to cook dinner.
The meal was made with the fresh seafood the Evil God had carefully selected that morning.
Halfway through cooking, the cake arrived.
Though small, it was exquisitely made.
The Evil God opened the door to receive the cake and happily skipped into the kitchen with it.
Rong Que couldn’t help but chuckle and told him to put it in the fridge.
The Evil God cheerfully complied and then switched to watching the anime at double speed.
When dinner was ready, Rong Que asked if he wanted to have the cake with the seafood or after the meal.
The Evil God put the tablet aside. He had already finished the anime, and the ending was so moving that he hadn’t fully recovered yet.
His emotions were still immersed in the story.
"Let’s have it after dinner," he said, glancing at the clock on the wall.
Since seafood takes longer to eat, it was already 11 p.m. by the time they finished.
The two of them cleaned up the leftovers together and turned on a dim little light.
The Evil God’s face looked slightly nervous.
It was unclear whether he was nervous about his life nearing its end or simply anxious about celebrating his birthday for the first time.
Perhaps it was both.
Rong Que inserted the candles one by one, lit them, and then looked at the Evil God, saying, "Make a wish."
The Evil God replied earnestly, "Turn off the lights first."
Rong Que played the "Happy Birthday" song on his phone.
The Evil God clasped his hands together, a hint of piety on his face, and said, "I wish to be an ordinary person in my next life."
But both of them knew that the Evil God had no next life.
His death meant the true annihilation of his soul.
Rong Que watched the flickering candlelight being blown out, then turned on the lights and handed over a plastic knife.
The Evil God cut the cake in a peculiar way, dividing it into three pieces. He handed one to Rong Que, kept one for himself, and left the last piece untouched.
"Eat up!" he smiled, seemingly finding happiness in someone sharing his birthday cake.
Rong Que ate silently but suddenly felt something was off.
He looked up and saw tears streaming down the Evil God's face, yet he was still trying to stuff cake into his mouth.
Cream smeared at the corners of his lips, but he seemed completely unaware.
Rong Que tightened his grip on the fork but didn’t know how to speak up.
The Evil God paused, his wet eyes continuously shedding tears. "I’m... fine," he said, his voice choked and struggling to form words. "I’m just... experiencing... what it’s like... for an ordinary person... to cry."
Rong Que didn’t expose him. Time was running out, and both of them fell into a tacit silence.
The ticking of the wall clock echoed in the room.
Before the Evil God could finish his piece of cake, he suddenly looked up at Rong Que, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "Goodbye."
Rong Que quickly raised his head to look across the table.
A faint smile lingered on the Evil God’s lips.
Then, slowly, he closed his eyes.
Rong Que instinctively glanced at the clock—the hour hand had just passed midnight.
When he looked back, Lu Xu’s face showed a brief moment of confusion.
Then, dazedly, he looked up at Rong Que before suddenly throwing himself into Rong Que’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Rong Que patted Lu Xu’s head and sighed in relief, "It’s good to have you back."
Lu Xu rubbed his face against Rong Que’s clothes, his voice choked with tears, "Thank you..."
Rong Que’s movements froze at those words.
Then he heard Lu Xu’s hoarse voice say, "There’s an extra memory in my mind."
Lu Xu sat up, his tear-streaked face still wet with falling tears, "'I' was in so much pain..."
Rong Que held Lu Xu tightly, feeling his body tremble slightly.
The memories of the Evil God’s past life filled Lu Xu with both fear and relief.
That had almost been his life.
A life that Lu Xu, who had grown up healthy and safe, couldn’t even imagine.
Fear, helplessness, loneliness.
Being bullied, standing against the entire world, forever alone.
That was the life Lu Xu was supposed to have.
0 Comments
Post a Comment