143 Part 2
Cong Xia tugged at the cloth, but it didn’t budge. It seemed to be stuck to the box during its construction. The more difficult it was to move, the more curious Cong Xia became. Perhaps there was something hidden beneath the cloth, like a note or an engraving?
Zhuang Yao advised, “Don’t fiddle with it. Let’s wait until we’re back in Beijing.”
Cong Xia reluctantly stopped and tightly wrapped the ancient jade and box back with the cloth.
Tang Yanqiu sighed, “Who knows how many secrets we are unaware of.”
Zhuang Yao fell into contemplation, sitting motionless with his knees hugged to his chest.
Deng Xiao plopped down on the ground and patted his stomach, muttering, “Call me when you’re done chatting.”
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Nkw Wldtuw yzps zyu esod, wpkdt Pldt Dkys’p pvsxynb yp y rkzzso.
Pldt Dkys ryvvle Nkw Wldtuw’p psqv byka yde ypjle, “Ebyv yal usw eskdt?”
“Mbl taswde kp ekavu, yde R fwpv oypble xu byka,” Nkw Wldtuw alrzkle xyvvla-sq-qynvzu. “Gb, vbl lhldkdt callgl qllzp ps nsxqsavyczl, yde vbl pvyap kd vbl pju yal ps caktbv.”
Mydt Zydikw tzydnle yv bkx, pzktbvzu qwaasokdt bkp caso.
Usdt Dky vssj y ellr calyvb, ldfsukdt vbl nssz callgl cawpbkdt ytykdpv bkp qynl. Tl pxkzle yde pyke, “Rdelle, kv’p hlau nsxqsavyczl, yde vbl yka kp ps qalpb. El osd’v cl calyvbkdt kd lmnlppkhl nyacsd eksmkel yduxsal.”
Nkw Wldtuw pktble, “Jwv R pvkzz xkpp swa sze zkql.”
Usdt Dky tayccle Ubldt Mkydck, pyukdt, “Usxl sd, Mkydck, zlv’p zkl esod qsa y obkzl.”
Mblu kxkvyvle zukdt esod, yde vbl ydjzl-ellr taypp oayrrle yaswde vblx, xyjkdt kv pzktbvzu wdnsxqsavyczl. Mbydjqwzzu, vblu olal olyakdt vbknj nyxswqzytl wdkqsaxp. Tyhkdt fwpv lmrlakldnle y qklanl cyvvzl, zukdt sd vbl taypp yqvla y pyvkpqukdt xlyz, nbyvvkdt, yde pvyatygkdt olal vawzu y zwmwau.
Cong Xia secretly held Cheng Tianbi’s hand, fidgeting with his palm, playing with his slender fingers.
Cheng Tianbi wordlessly clasped his hand in return, and his warm and broad hand brought a sense of comfort when touched.
For a while, no one spoke, and the only sound around was the chirping of insects. It was so quiet that they could almost hear each other’s heartbeat.
Cong Xia slowly moved closer, eventually placing his head next to Cheng Tianbi’s and turning to blow air towards his face.
Cheng Tianbi opened his eyes, and Cong Xia looked at him with a mischievous smile. Cheng Tianbi leaned forward slightly and kissed his lips.
Cong Xia gently sucked on Cheng Tianbi’s lower lip, savoring the moment. Hidden in the thicket, their hands intertwined, they kissed each other quietly, feeling as if the whole world had vanished, leaving only the two of them. The preciousness and joy made them feel satisfied and fulfilled.
After spending two hours outside, the wind picked up as the night grew late, so they returned to the hospital.
Upon their return, they found that the mercenaries and the Dragon Blood Clan members were having a celebration, drinking medicinal alcohol diluted with water as if it were regular alcohol. They were boisterous and loud, and Shen Changze’s little baby was sound asleep on the nearby sofa.
Seeing them back, Qiao Bo shouted, “Come on, join us for some drinks!”
Liu Fengyu, who loved alcohol, rolled up his sleeves and exclaimed, “Watch how I’ll knock each one of you out tonight.”
Deng Xiao liked being in the midst of the crowd and rushed over to join in.
Zhuang Yao’s lips curled with an uninterested expression, while Tang Yanqiu didn’t even look back as he went upstairs.
Cheng Tianbi and Cong Xia were about to head upstairs too, but the group dragged them back and insisted they join the party. Cong Xia wasn’t good at refusing people, and considering the festive atmosphere, they decided to stay. Cheng Tianbi knew that Cong Xia had a low alcohol tolerance, so he stayed as well.
It was the first time Cong Xia drank “alcohol” made with medical alcohol, and it was so bitter that he couldn’t describe it. But even someone like Liu Fengyu, who used to only drink the finest wines, didn’t complain. They were there for the atmosphere, and the drink itself didn’t matter much.
Ke Seqi (Seki) got excited from drinking and jumped onto the table, using his somewhat unskilled Chinese to narrate the glorious moments of their battle against the bugs. The others could barely understand what he was saying, but they laughed heartily anyway.
They continued drinking and making a ruckus until late into the night.
Consequently, Cong Xia and Deng Xiao had poor alcohol tolerance and swayed as they walked. Cheng Tianbi didn’t drink much, while Liu Fengyu, despite having a strong alcohol tolerance, drank too much and was now feeling dizzy.
The members of the Dragonblood clan were even worse off, completely drunk and unconscious.
Cheng Tianbi supported Cong Xia and Deng Xiao while also holding onto Liu Fengyu, managing to carry the three of them up the stairs.
Liu Fengyu laughed heartily, feeling elated. “I’m so happy, so happy! It’s all thanks to this damn terrible, terrible drink!”
Carrying the three drunken individuals was somewhat challenging for Cheng Tianbi. As he passed by Tang Yanqiu’s door, he kicked it lightly. “Yanqiu, come and help.”
Tang Yanqiu quickly opened the door, even though it was already 3 AM. He didn’t seem to have slept, probably due to being kept awake by the commotion.
Cheng Tianbi said, “You take care of him,” while pointing at Liu Fengyu. “Which room is Xiao Deng’s?”
Tang Yanqiu grabbed Liu Fengyu and pointed to the opposite room.
Cheng Tianbi kicked open Deng Xiao’s door, threw him onto the bed, and then carried Cong Xia out. As soon as they stepped out of the room, they saw Liu Fengyu hanging on Tang Yanqiu, randomly touching his face and exclaiming in a drunken stupor, “Who are you? Who told you to get so close to me?”
Tang Yanqiu frowned and said, “Don’t move around, go back to sleep!”
“Hmm… Your skin is so smooth. Let me touch it.” Liu Fengyu held onto Tang Yanqiu’s neck, and his alcohol breath blew all over Tang Yanqiu’s face.
Tang Yanqiu glared at him, hugged Liu Fengyu’s waist, and dragged him back into the room.
The next day, Cong Xia woke up with a headache again. He lay on the bed for a while, drank some water, and gradually his head became clearer.
He realized Cheng Tianbi was not in the room and recalled that he was supposed to treat some injured people last night. However, they all ended up getting drunk, including a few injured mercenaries, which was quite amusing.
Cong Xia washed his face, went downstairs, and found some people still sleeping on the floor in the hall. However, most of them had already woken up, having breakfast and packing their belongings.
Al brought a few people with infected wounds to Cong Xia, asking him to treat them. Except for Shen Changze, the other members of the Dragonblood clan had minor injuries that had already healed naturally. They didn’t need Cong Xia’s help. On the other hand, the mercenaries’ wounds were left untreated, which posed a potential danger to their lives.
Cong Xia quickly healed these minor wounds. He asked, “Are we leaving today? I’m a bit worried about the situation here. Have the bugs in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda been completely eradicated?”
“Let’s head back today. A specialized team from Beijing has come to clean and disinfect the area. They brought protective suits and equipment, and they are more suitable for dealing with the scattered bugs. Captain Wan will also cooperate with them. We no longer need to stay here.”
Cong Xia nodded. “What about Zhuang Zhuang?”
“That dog? He hasn’t eaten or drunk anything since we arrived in Xi’an. The woman who owns him was brought here by the people from Beijing. Her brother’s body is unlikely to be found, but she should be able to take the dog back.”
Cong Xia sighed, feeling a bit distressed thinking about the innocent young boy. He was still so young and naive, yet he was killed by the bugs.
After finishing his meal, Cheng Tianbi and Zhuang Yao returned from outside.
“Huh? Where did you two go?” Cong Xia asked.
“We went to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda,” Zhuang Yao replied.
“Did you find anything special?”
Cheng Tianbi placed two glass jars on the table, one containing a slowly piling heap of bugs and the other seemingly filled with ashes.
Indeed, Zhuang Yao said, “I brought back some ashes, and there are many bug eggs in them. They’re not dead yet. If we can study the abilities of these insect-like humans, especially their ability to continuously repair themselves with the bugs, it could greatly enhance the combat capabilities of humans.”
Cong Xia nodded. “What about Xiao Deng?”
“He’s still sleeping.”
“And Xiao Tang and Liu Ge? Xiao Tang never oversleeps.”
“Not sure.” Zhuang Yao showed little interest, as he was completely absorbed in observing the two jars of bugs, his eyes gleaming.
Cong Xia said, “I’ll go call them. We need to pack up and get ready to leave in the afternoon.”
Cong Xia went upstairs and first woke up Deng Xiao. The boy was sleeping in a disheveled manner, naked and all over the bed, quite ungraceful. Cong Xia pulled him up from the bed and had him drink some water, helping him gradually recover from the hangover.
After getting Deng Xiao up, Cong Xia then went to knock on Tang Yanqiu and Liu Fengyu’s room door. “Liu Ge, Xiao Tang, wake up. It’s time to pack up; we’ll be heading back to Beijing this afternoon.”
There was some noise from inside the room, and then Tang Yanqiu’s hoarse voice responded, “Alright, got it.”
Cong Xia pondered for a moment and asked, “Liu Ge, did you drink too much yesterday? Need any help?”
Tang Yanqiu’s tone sounded somewhat unusual, “No need, we… we will come down later.”
Cong Xia then escorted Deng Xiao downstairs.
After a while, Tang Yanqiu and Liu Fengyu indeed came down, but both of them seemed uneasy. Liu Fengyu was still feeling the effects of his hangover, with swollen eyes and a pale complexion.
“Ah, you’re here.” Cong Xia handed them two cups of vinegar drink he had just made. He forced a bitter smile and said, “Here, sober up a bit. Drinking that diluted alcohol was just for fun, my head really hurts.”
Deng Xiao rested his chin on the table, his long limbs hanging beneath, looking as if he was paralyzed. He wailed, “Cong ge, my head hurts.”
“I told you, if you can’t handle alcohol, don’t drink so much.”
“Cong ge, please help me out.”
Cong Xia patted his furry head, “I can’t help you with a headache caused by drinking too much. I don’t know how to do that. Just bear with it, you’ll feel better in the afternoon.”
Deng Xiao hugged his waist, crying, “My head feels like it’s about to split open.”
Cheng Tianbi grabbed the collar of his shirt and lifted him up, saying, “Hurry up and pack your things; we’re going back.”
Deng Xiao wore a mournful expression as he went to pack his luggage. They didn’t have much to carry, so they finished packing quickly.
Captain Wan joined them and sent them back to the spot where the balloon had landed.
Zhuang Yao gave Captain Wan some instructions for the follow-up matters, and then one by one, they boarded the airship.
Cong Xia sat in his old spot, looking around, and sighed, “In just four days, we’re already heading back. It’s quite fast, and it’s fortunate that all of us are going back safely.”
Shen Ming laughed, “Kid, you made great contributions this time. Being able to return safely without casualties, you played a significant role.”
Cong Xia humbly replied, “It’s the result of everyone’s joint efforts.”
Shen Ming sneered, “Still being so modest.” He lifted Shen Changze and playfully waved the golden little baby in the air, “Son, we’re going home now. I find it quite fun that you can’t speak. How about you stay like this and accompany me for a while?”
Shen Changze made gurgling sounds and anxiously clenched his little fists, his tail patting Shen Ming’s wrist.
Shen Ming burst into laughter.
The airship slowly ascended, carrying them northwards.
They arrived in Beijing’s airspace at just past five in the morning, with the sky just beginning to lighten. The city beneath them looked hazy and devoid of any activity.
All they wanted now was to quickly return to the warmth of the Institute, take a hot bath, and rest well.
Tang Yanqiu and Liu Fengyu didn’t speak along the way, nor did they look at each other. Liu Fengyu lay in the airship, applying a facial mask, while Tang Yanqiu maintained a fixed posture for hours, silently gazing out the window.
Suddenly, he moved and exclaimed in surprise, “Is that Abu?”
Zhuang Yao was dozing off, but upon hearing the name Abu, he was jolted awake. Deng Xiao also woke up, and together, they peered through the airship’s window. They were currently flying at an altitude of over three hundred meters, and the city streets were clearly visible, although everything appeared quite small. On the ground, a white cat was moving swiftly.
Deng Xiao excitedly said, “It’s Abu, it really is Abu! Abu came to pick us up!”
Zhuang Yao was perched on the window and anxiously asked the pilot, “How much longer until we arrive?”
“Approximately twenty minutes.”
As they flew in the sky, Abu ran below, closely following the airship. It was a cat with remarkable jumping abilities, moving effortlessly between tall buildings, disregarding all obstacles, determined to stay with them. They could even hear Abu’s anxious meows.
After about ten minutes, the airship began to descend, and Abu’s figure became clearer and larger. When the airship landed on the lawn in the backyard of the Academy, Abu pounced on them, whether out of longing for them, fascination with the round airship, or both. Regardless, Abu’s enthusiastic jump caused them to tumble inside the airship.
Zhuang Yao opened the door and shouted, “Abu, stop shaking!”
Abu poked its head into the doorway, and Zhuang Yao immediately hugged its nose, laughing heartily, “Abu, Abu, I’m back!”
Deng Xiao was the second to jump out of the airship and pounced onto Abu, exclaiming, “Abu, I missed you so much!”
One by one, they descended from the airship, and Abu rolled on the grass, using its paws to touch each one of them, showing its belly and meowing affectionately.
Cong Xia fell onto Abu, vigorously rubbing its belly and laughing, “Abu, you missed us, didn’t you?”
Liu Fengyu also lay on Abu, enjoying and saying, “No bed is as comfortable as sleeping on Abu.”
Abu was so excited that it couldn’t contain itself, and the ground trembled as it rolled around.
Cong Zhenzhong and Tang Tingzhi ran over with a group of people.
“Second Uncle!” Cong Xia stood up, looking at him happily.
Cong Zhenzhong breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him, and said with relief, “That’s great, you all returned safely.”
Al rushed to Tang Tingzhi and hugged his waist, not caring about being affectionate in front of everyone. Tang Tingzhi’s expression was indifferent, as if he was already used to it, and he soothingly patted Al’s head.
Deng Xiao shouted, “We’re back, we’re back!”
Cong Xia took a deep breath, smiled, and looked at Cheng Tianbi with joy and gratitude.
They were back, they returned safely!
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