TRYMBPIETM 109: Revival of All Things (30)

At eight in the morning, Chi Qingzhou barely woke up from his dreams.

He, who usually had good sleep habits, rarely slept in, and for once, he felt an intense sense of fatigue.

Irritated, he slapped away the arm hanging around his waist, turned around, and pulled up the corners of his lips in a half-smile, half-grimace.

“Xing Su,” he called the person behind him by full name, “I advise you to be a bit kinder.”

Xing Shuangzhan propped up his head, paused for a few seconds, and then replied seriously, “Sorry, I haven’t been human for a long time, I’m not very skilled.”

Chi Qingzhou, no longer his usual calm self, didn’t even want to spare him an extra glance.

“You think that’s how a human should act?

Xing Shuangzhan thought for a few more seconds and sincerely admitted his mistake: “Sorry, I’ve been holding it in for too long.”

Chi Qingzhou fell silent for a few seconds, then chose to kick him hard.

He sat up, staring at Xing Shuangzhan with an unfriendly gaze.

“Are you still so proud?”

Of course, Xing Shuangzhan wasn’t about to act foolish at this moment. He firmly denied, “I am seriously reflecting.”

Chi Qingzhou said expressionlessly, “Doesn’t seem like it.”

Xing Shuangzhan immediately responded, “It’s my fault. I’ve realized my mistake and will reflect deeply.”

Chi Qingzhou stared at him for a moment, then suddenly felt that going back and forth with such circular talk seemed like a waste of time.

For a moment, he felt something indescribable in his heart.

It always felt like this situation would not be a one-time occurrence in the future.

Chi Qingzhou didn’t want to forgive Xing Shuangzhan, but Xing Shuangzhan at this moment was very good at lowering his face, admitting his wrongs, with a good attitude, not fighting back or cursing. After thinking for a while, Chi Qingzhou, deciding he was a kind person, couldn’t be so extreme, reluctantly forgave him.

Xing Shuangzhan quietly ate breakfast with Chi Qingzhou. Just before Chi Qingzhou was about to call Du Huan, Xing Shuangzhan suddenly spoke up to stop him.

“Qingzhou.” His gaze lingered on Chi Qingzhou’s face, a smile playing on his lips. “Your emotions are quite rich today.”

Chi Qingzhou didn’t even think, just coldly scoffing, “Who’s pissed me off, only I know!”

Xing Shuangzhan didn’t respond.

He simply watched Chi Qingzhou quietly, and his eyes gradually filled with a smile.

Chi Qingzhou wrinkled his nose, about to say something, but then suddenly realized something was wrong.

“Rich emotions…?”

He stared at Xing Shuangzhan for a long time, then slowly began to realize.

From when he woke up in the morning until now, his behavior and tone, rather than showing richer emotions, had rather revealed rare negative emotions.

When his soul was most wounded, he couldn’t hold onto his own negative emotions at all, they would just flow toward the other half of his soul.

But today, he had been able to get angry and even directly scold Xing Shuangzhan.

Chi Qingzhou’s gaze flickered. “Am I a little better?”

Xing Shuangzhan nodded, stepped forward, and gently embraced him.

He knew Chi Qingzhou wasn’t asking for clarification, just wanting to express some emotions.

Chi Qingzhou leaned in his arms, closed his eyes, and smiled faintly.

Xing Shuangzhan’s heart stirred, and his gaze deepened.

He absentmindedly patted Chi Qingzhou’s back, lowering his tone, and slowly asked, “Qingzhou, don’t you think this method works quite well?”

Chi Qingzhou didn’t understand for a moment, “What?”

Xing Shuangzhan suppressed his thoughts, but couldn’t help but show a slightly meaningful smile.

“I just remembered that whether in Taoism or Buddhism, there are orthodox dual cultivation methods. You’ve absorbed many different types of powers, most of which have reached their limits, but dual cultivation…”

He paused, a low, deep laugh escaped from his throat.

“Dual cultivation, last night was the first time. If this counts as a new kind of power, then what you’ve absorbed…”

He paused again, his expression and tone conveying a subtle meaning that was hard to put into words.

He smiled, “You’re still far from the limit. Qingzhou, why don’t we try again tonight?”

The smile on Chi Qingzhou’s face vanished.

He coldly stared at Xing Shuangzhan for a few seconds, then kicked him in the knee.

“Xing Su, get lost!”

…

After a bit of chaos, Chi Qingzhou finally got himself together and walked downstairs to the apartment.

The apartment he lived in was located in a well-secured neighborhood, in a small high-rise building.

Walking from the fifth floor all the way down to the first floor, just before reaching the building’s security gate, Chi Qingzhou’s footsteps suddenly halted.

Outside the gate, there seemed to be the sound of breathing?

Was someone standing by the door?

Chi Qingzhou raised his eyes and looked through the glass window above the gate, but saw no one.

Was the person standing at the corner of the wall, or…

Squatting by the door?

He raised an eyebrow, and his shadow began to shift.

Nonchalantly walking up to the door, Chi Qingzhou pressed the gate’s lock open and pushed the door outward.

With a bang, the iron door hit something.

Chi Qingzhou looked down in the direction of the sound, his expression suddenly turning strange—

On the steps in front of the building, a person was lying on the platform with their eyes tightly shut.

Their body was curled up uncomfortably, hands clenched into fists beside their cheek, their chest rising and falling regularly. It was clear they weren’t unconscious but rather sleeping soundly.

They were covered with a blanket, and from the corner of the blanket, a soft mat could be faintly seen underneath.

And this person looked very familiar—wasn’t it his brother, Chi Qingning?

Chi Qingzhou fell silent.

Was he seriously sleeping on the floor??

He thought for a moment, then went forward to wake up Chi Qingning.

“Little brother, why are you sleeping here?”

Chi Qingning rubbed his eyes groggily, sat on the thin mat for a moment, and when his gaze met Chi Qingzhou’s face, he suddenly woke up.

He almost sprang up, instinctively grabbing the hem of Chi Qingzhou’s clothes, his eyes full of excitement, even tearing up.

“Second Brother! Help! Save me! I encountered something strange, I’m so scared, really scared!”

He babbled and gestured as his face, flushed from sleep, gradually returned to normal, and soon, sweat began to bead on his forehead.

Chi Qingzhou’s gaze swept over his shoulder, noting his yang fire was slightly low, but it wasn’t a major issue.

He looked Chi Qingning up and down, then thoughtfully said, “So after encountering something strange last night, you came straight to my building?”

Chi Qingning froze for a moment, closed his eyes, and decided to tell the truth.

“No, I… I’m a bit scared, when I felt something was off during the phone call yesterday, I just grabbed my things and came to your place.”

Chi Qingzhou: “…?”

He took a few seconds to process Chi Qingning’s words.

“Little brother, are you saying you were on the phone while coming to my place? Did you have the driver bring you here, or did you take public transport?”

Chi Qingning: “Uh…”

He looked embarrassed but didn’t hide the truth, “Well, I ran here.”

Chi Qingzhou: “…?”

You ran here by yourself, carrying a blanket and mat?

No one saw you, or took pictures of you on the way?

For a moment, Chi Qingzhou wondered if “the popular young star running with a blanket in the middle of the night” had made it to the trending topics.

Chi Qingning was even more embarrassed now. He resisted the impulse to dig a hole and hide, while folding up the blanket to distract himself, answering Chi Qingzhou’s question in a soft voice.

“I don’t think anyone took pictures. After I made that phone call, there was not a single person on the way here.”

But there were no people, though… it seemed like he did see some ghosts.

Chi Qingning was terrified at the time, with no way to defend himself. He could only shout the same thing over and over on the empty street.

“My brother is Chi Qingzhou. We had some misunderstandings before, but he forgives me now! He calls me his little brother! Do you understand? I’m Chi Qingzhou’s little brother! If you dare come, you better check with my brother first!”

The shadows that had been squirming in the darkness seemed to have been frightened by his words, and the oddly shaped tree shadows slowly returned to normal.

Chi Qingning dared not stay longer. While shouting that phrase, he hugged the blanket and ran.

In this way, he finally saw some living people when he reached the entrance of the building in Chi Qingzhou’s neighborhood.

In the security guard’s odd gaze, he pulled out his phone, showing photos and chat records to prove his identity, successfully entering the neighborhood.

In the middle of the night, he didn’t want to disturb Chi Qingzhou, who might have already gone to sleep. After thinking for a while, he decided to make a bed in front of the building’s entrance.

After all, he didn’t expect Chi Qingzhou to give him a room to stay in, so why not sleep outside?

Chi Qingning, thinking he wasn’t looking for death, pondered for ten seconds and figured that it was a feasible idea to sleep outside in the summer.

He went to the 24-hour convenience store in the neighborhood to buy mosquito repellent, sprayed it around, and then laid down to sleep.

He believed that, even if he encountered something dirty, as long as he stayed close to Chi Qingzhou, those things wouldn’t dare to act.

As for the fact that Chi Qingzhou was upstairs, with a long distance and multiple doors between them?

That was nonsense, that was Chi Qingzhou!

Not to mention that a mere few dozen meters wasn’t a problem for Chi Qingzhou, but even if there was that distance, as long as Chi Qingzhou lived in this neighborhood, this place was Chi Qingzhou’s turf!

Bothering Chi Qingzhou or even disturbing his sleep on his turf?

Chi Qingning would gladly welcome any of those daring actions from those dirty things!

Unfortunately, the dirty things were also clever.

They chose to stay away from Chi Qingzhou.

Chi Qingning had a peaceful night, but once he thought of those things still alive and lurking, his fear came rushing back.

Whatever high ideals or dignity he once had, they were all thrown out the window. All he hoped for was that Chi Qingzhou could save him.

Chi Qingzhou’s expression slightly changed before quickly returning to normal.

He watched Chi Qingning tidy up the blanket and mat and made a hand gesture.

“My assistant will be here soon. You should come with me. We’ll talk in the car.”

Did that mean he was willing to help?!

Chi Qingning bounced up excitedly, quickly packed his things, and eagerly said, “Alright, Second Brother, let’s go now?”

Chi Qingzhou nodded and led the way to the neighborhood entrance.

Chi Qingning didn’t mind the curious stares of passersby, clutching the blanket and quickly following.

They both got into the car, and Du Huan turned around, surprised.

Chi Qingning noticed but didn’t care.

He just stared at Chi Qingzhou with great expectation.

Chi Qingzhou changed positions a couple of times, sitting uncomfortably.

He suppressed the rising emotions in his heart, while using his foot to stomp on the shadow, closing his eyes, and calmly asking Chi Qingning.

“Who did you call last night? When did the abnormality occur? What exactly happened?”