Infinite Ebullience
Chapter 298 - 1: Peaceful Daily Life

Chapter 298: Chapter 1: Peaceful Daily Life

After being teleported back to a street in reality, Tang Zheng was still making the middle finger gesture. He couldn’t help it, Trojan’s response was too irksome.

"Ha, are you daydreaming? Go and earn ten thousand points for me diligently, not a single point less!" Trojan, who was usually jolly, became stern when it came to points. He wouldn’t leave any loopholes for his playthings.

Tang Zheng had expected this outcome and wasn’t too disappointed. Nevertheless, he still spent five hundred points and bought a bottle of Recovery Potion.

"Sweet Spring, a B-Class prop, a one-time consumable. Take just a small sip, and your dry and weary body will overflow with strength and energy, even keeping you in combat excitement for ten minutes."

Looking at the silver iron wine container with a capacity of only five hundred milliliters, Tang Zheng shook it around, listening to the sound of the liquid inside, feeling like cursing. The thing can be taken in at most fifty sips, which means one sip costs fifty points, almost catching up with the score that newbies earned for the first time.

Tang Zheng looked at the sky, it was still nightfall. The alley was dark and silent, and the light from the street lights flickered on the road outside, with vehicles and pedestrians passing by from time to time.

A couple were up to something!

"Actually, I know them!" Tang Zheng chuckled. This pair happened to be the prostitute and her client that he had encountered after returning from Death Island last time. From their conversation, it seemed like they were getting together. Tang Zheng was somewhat impressed with the man’s skills. Getting a hooker without paying, his sweet talk must be impressive.

Tang Zheng tried to lighten his steps as he left, but there was too much debris in the alley. He hadn’t walked far when he kicked a can and made a noise.

"Who’s there?" The man in the suit got scared and, glancing at Tang Zheng’s elongated shadow in the streak of light that seeped into the alley, grew fearful and prepared to run. "Isn’t it a robber? I didn’t get much money today. All I have is a hundred bucks."

"Nonsense, can’t you see he’s leaving?" The woman turned around, slapped his chest, and then started to pick his pockets. "You coward, I’m not even scared, what are you afraid of? A hundred bucks, give it to me."

"Should we change locations?" The man remained worried, but seeing the woman taking out two notes from his pocket and putting them into her purse, he hurriedly asked, "Hey, give me one. Otherwise, I really won’t have any money left."

"No, go ask your wife for it." The woman brushed him off.

Hearing the faint argument behind him, Tang Zheng’s mood improved significantly. He hailed a cab and returned to Jingshan Villa. He thought he was alone, but as soon as he opened the door, the lights in the living room turned on, and An Xiuru ran out.

"Why did you come back so late? Haven’t you eaten yet? I will cook for you." An Xiuru looked up and down at Tang Zheng a few times to ensure there were no wounds and then handed him his slippers while heading to the kitchen with a sigh of relief.

With the key still in his hand, Tang Zheng felt a sudden sting in his eyes. He could tell that An Xiuru was genuinely worried about him, and she had even cried. Her red, swollen eyes said it all.

Of course, Tang Zheng did not know that An Xiuru would come over every day hoping to cook for him and that her efforts were in vain every time. She had been fretting over his safety, wondering if something unfortunate had happened to him.

"Sister Xiu Ru, why didn’t you switch on the light?" Tang Zheng sighed, calling himself an idiot. When a woman was crying alone in a dark living room, it could only be for one of two reasons: family issues or relationship problems.

As expected, An Xiuru did not respond. She wanted to know where Tang Zheng had been over the past few days and was worried about his safety, but didn’t want to bother him.

"You should go and take a shower first. Dinner will be ready soon." An Xiuru knew that remaining silent wasn’t good, so she came up with a random subject to distract Tang Zheng.

"Okay." Right now, Tang Zheng’s mind was in a mess, and he was feeling confused. It wasn’t until the hot water poured onto him from the showerhead that he was able to regain some calmness.

"Should I leave? Sister Xiu Ru has been too kind to me." Tang Zheng was uncertain. In such a situation, he would inevitably be conquered by the gentle An Xiuru. Watching her take care of him like a doting wife, Tang Zheng felt guilty, knowing that he could never repay her kindness.

"Tang Zheng, can I come in?" After asking, An Xiuru didn’t wait for Tang Zheng to reply, she just opened the door and entered the bathroom.

"Sister Xiu Ru." Tang Zheng jumped in surprise, quickly covering his lower half, reaching for his clothes.

"You’re just a child, what are you afraid of? I just want to help wash your back." An Xiuru’s gaze fell on Tang Zheng’s chest, his shoulders, and after making sure there were no wounds, she sighed, "If you ever run into trouble, make sure to tell me, don’t bear it all alone."

Tang Zheng was originally irritated by An Xiuru barging in unannounced, and felt it was over the top. But once he realized that she was checking him for injuries, he was at a loss for words, and images of Li Xinlan passed through his mind once again.

"Eh, why is the skin on your left arm so white? It’s like it has grown anew." An Xiuru laughed. Noticing that the color of Tang Zheng’s arm looked different, she tried to make a joke to lighten the mood, only to notice his expression turning serious before relaxing again.

"Is something really wrong?" An Xiuru’s expression remained unchanged, but her mind was filled with questions. She suddenly noticed that the kind and diligent young man was becoming somewhat elusive recently.

"You should leave, I can manage on my own." Tang Zheng urged An Xiuru to leave as she began to undress, quickly averting his eyes.

"Ah, still the polite and shy young man, that part hasn’t changed." An Xiuru was satisfied with achieving her goal, and decided not to press him further, leaving the bathroom.

"I hope she didn’t notice anything..." Seeing An Xiuru glance at his arm before she left, Tang Zheng scratched his head in annoyance. He didn’t want to expose his secret and risk getting his head blown off by a trojan, nor did he want to involve An Xiuru in this.

"If I survive my next venture, I’ll leave this place." After taking his bath, Tang Zheng made up his mind. Always on the verge of death, it wasn’t fair to get An Xiuru involved, doing so would only hurt her.

Despite it being late in the night, An Xiuru still managed to prepare a hearty meal. Tang Zheng took a walk through the kitchen where the ingredients had been lavishly prepared, with the refrigerator packed full.

"The porridge tastes good, right? I’ve been practicing for days." An Xiuru, helping Tang Zheng serve his food, hesitated, then said, "Mu Nianqi came to see you yesterday. It was about your absence from school. Your homeroom teacher is also angry, questioning where you have been all these weeks?"

Tang Zheng remained silent, sipping his porridge. He knew An Xiuru had more to say.

"I want to know why you haven’t been going to school?" At this, An Xiuru paused, waiting for Tang Zheng’s response.

"Sorry, I’m keeping quiet for your sake."

"Okay, then. If you can’t find time to go to school in the future, why not take a break, or even drop out? I can help you with that." An Xiuru was annoyed and decided to provoke Tang Zheng a bit, but contrary to her expectations, he remained calm.

"I appreciate your help, sister Xiu Ru." Leaving school might be the best decision considering his sporadic disappearances. He couldn’t afford to lead a communal life for fear of exposing his secret.

"You... never mind." An Xiuru sighed and decided to keep an eye on Tang Zheng. She wouldn’t let him stray from the right path.

The two lounged in the living room, chatting idly, unaware that they were revealing all their secrets.

Mu Nianqi sat in a bedroom, dressed in pajamas and cross-legged on the sofa, staring at a dozen LCD displays across from her. The screens showed every corner of An Xiuru’s villa.

"Tang Zheng, what are you hiding?" Mu Nianqi took a leisurely sip of her coffee, her eyes falling on the coffee table scattered with a stack of photos. They depicted post-apocalyptic ruins, pirate ships, and pictures of Mu Nianqi clad in a red suit, wielding futuristic firearms and cold weapons.

They looked like photoshopped pictures, but they felt surreally real. However, Mu Nianqi was certain that she had never taken these pictures, nor did she have any memories concerning them. At first, she wanted to threaten Tang Zheng not to spill the beans about her accidentally sending intimate pictures, but she later found him secretive, and thought she might be able to trace the origin of these photos through him.

"Have I really forgotten something?" Mu Nianqi didn’t like this feeling of uncertainty. She was determined to uncover the truth behind all this.