The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 541: Space Trekking Pt.2

Chapter 541: Space Trekking Pt.2

Dong Yang was not available. Not now, and perhaps not for a long while.

Xu Feng exhaled slowly, the weight of that blow settling in his chest like a stone. What had he been hoping for? He didn’t even know.

But the absence felt sharp, like a missing piece in his already fragmented world. Even though he had expected something like this, it still hurt.

Despite the ache in his heart, Xu Feng found himself moving toward the entrance of the cave, almost without thinking. The pull was instinctive.

One slow, heavy step after another, his feet carried him closer, as though the distance itself weighed on his soul. Then—he could go no further.

An invisible barrier met his outstretched hand with a firm, cool pressure. It thrummed beneath his palm, rhythmic and steady—like a heartbeat.

"Hah..." Xu Feng let out a shaky breath, pressing his palm more firmly against the unseen wall.

His gaze softened as he stood there, his forehead resting briefly on the barrier. He had brought wine for Dong Yang—a simple gesture, to an old lover.

"I brought wine for your master," he whispered, eyes lingering on the dark mouth of the cave. His voice was soft, almost reverent as if the act of saying it aloud would connect him to the distant, unreachable figure.

He didn’t bother looking back toward where he had stood before. There was only one jar of wine, and if his mischievous, puppy-like space could move things, this old grandpa of a space could certainly do the same.

As if responding to his unspoken thought, the wine jar appeared at his feet, sitting neatly at the edge of the barrier.

A small, genuine smile spread across Xu Feng’s face.

"Still causing trouble, even now," Xu Feng muttered, fondness seeping into his voice despite the frustration behind his words. Dong Yang had always been infuriating, in any life.

He lingered there a moment longer, lost in thoughts both nostalgic and bittersweet. Finally, he straightened with a long sigh. There was no point in staying longer, not today.

"Well, old man," Xu Feng whispered, his tone quiet but determined, "you’d better come back soon. I’m not done with you. You still owe me a pound of flesh"

With that, he let his hand fall away from the barrier, the cool pulse beneath his palm fading as he stepped back. But even as he moved away from the cave, the space still pressed against his awareness, warm and comforting.

"When I left, you weren’t," Xu Feng paused briefly, finding it strange to speak to a space as if it were a person, "so alive..."

The response was immediate, a quiet but clear thought drifting into his mind: ’Energy.’

Xu Feng tilted his head, processing that word. "From the crystal cores?"

’Yes.’

His brow furrowed slightly. "You and my space used the crystal cores?"

’Yes.’

Xu Feng huffed. "But you haven’t seen the children?"

’No.’

He laughed softly under his breath. His own space was happy to steal from him—but only for good causes, of course. Yet, somehow, it had decided not to share access to his children with Dong Yang’s space.

The spaces were playing their own game.

"Hmmm..." Xu Feng smirked. Even the wise, old space didn’t seem entirely pleased with its younger companion’s secrecy.

He could almost hear an exasperated sigh from it—like a cranky old man muttering about ’youth these days.’

That thought made his smile widen.

"I have to go home," Xu Feng admitted softly, the familiar ache returning to his chest. He needed to go back to Nanshan Estate, back to the people waiting for him and the children.

A wave of sadness rippled through the space, impossible to ignore. The air itself seemed to grow heavier, as though reluctant to let him leave.

"I’ll be back as soon as I can make time... with the cubs." Xu Feng stroked the small bundle strapped to his body. "I’ll bring them for a visit. We’ll visit you and Dong Yang."

The space hummed, a slow, deliberate sound that felt like an old man offering quiet approval.

’Hmmm.’

Xu Feng laughed under his breath, a smile playing on his lips. The space really was interesting. The thoughtful hum reminded him of a character from a C-drama—wise, slow to speak, but always one step ahead.

Being here, surrounded by this familiar energy, felt like being with his Xuan Yang again—only older and even calmer.

The memory made Xu Feng’s heartache with a strange mix of joy and sadness. Why did Dong Yang’s space feel so much like Xuan Yang?—that was a stupid question though.

And, more importantly, why was his space—the one he shared with Xu Zeng—so mischievous and crafty?

Xu Feng narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. His space was far too sneaky. It had siphoned his hard-earned crystal cores without a word, not only to help Dong Yang’s space heal but also to sustain itself—and the two children.

He huffed again, feeling both amused and exasperated. What a clever little thing it was. It wasn’t a bad investment, helping both spaces and his children thrive, but the way it operated was undeniably... cheeky.

"Where did it get that bad behavior from?" Xu Feng muttered to himself, half in frustration.

It couldn’t have been from him. No, he would never behave so coyly when caught doing something wrong—never!

It had to be Xu Zeng’s influence. Xu Feng nodded to himself, convinced. Yes, Xu Zeng must be the reason their space was so mischievous.

Xu Feng shook his head, trying to suppress the laugh threatening to bubble up. He didn’t have time to teach a space manners right now. But in the future? He’d have to teach Xu Zeng some manners first.

Clearly, his younger brother’s behavior was rubbing off on their space.

"Thank you," Xu Feng whispered to the cave, his voice soft.

He closed his eyes tightly and thought with all his might about being out of Dong Yang’s space. Not back in his own space—that part was very important. He focused hard on the thought, visualizing himself outside, away from the sly spaces.

For a moment, everything felt still. The air hummed faintly as if the space was considering his request.

When Xu Feng opened his eyes...

There was still the cave several feet ahead.

His lips twitched with frustration. ’Damn space.’

Xu Feng stared at the cave with a deadpan expression. Really? Was the space toying with him? He rubbed his forehead, muttering under his breath. Was this some kind of joke?

"...Do I need to bargain with you?" he grumbled, glaring at the still air around him. Or maybe... magic words will work?

He shook his head almost immediately. Nah. Abracadabra was just a made-up word.

"...Abracadabra?" Xu Feng whispered, trying it anyway. His voice was so low that even Da Long and Xiao Long, nestled snugly against him, wouldn’t have heard it.

For a moment, nothing happened. Xu Feng glanced around hopefully, but... no change.

He exhaled slowly through his nose, biting back a curse. Stupid space.

It was exactly like its master—an infuriating, sly pain in the ass. Both Dong Yang and Xuan Yang had been born to be thorns on his side, and it seemed their space was no exception. Wise, maybe. Old, sure. But trouble? Always.

"You’re supposed to be pampering me," Xu Feng muttered, his voice halfway between a whine and a grumble. Without realizing it, he pouted—just for a second—before catching himself.

"I need to go home... back to Nanshan—"

Before he could finish the sentence, the air seemed to ripple around him. A familiar, teasing presence pressed against his awareness, and for a moment, Xu Feng could have sworn the space was... laughing at him.

His eyes narrowed in irritation. The old geezer was enjoying this.

He opened his mouth to snap back, ready to give the space a piece of his mind, but before the words could leave his lips—

The scene around him shifted.

One moment, he was standing at the edge of the cave, the air thick with the hum of ancient energy. The next...

He wasn’t in Kansas anymore.

Or maybe he was in Kansas now, and before he’d been on the yellow brick road. Who knew? At this point, it didn’t really matter.

Xu Feng blinked, taking in his new surroundings with wary curiosity. The colors here were muted, the air still and cool. He stood in the middle of the cluster of too-tall trees.

This wasn’t his space, and it definitely wasn’t Dong Yang’s.

Xu Feng tightened his grip on the sleeping child nestled against his chest, the other bundled snugly on his back. The chilly air nipped at his skin, slipping under the edges of his clothes and making him shiver.

Da Long’s tiny hand twitched against his front, the little cub shifting in his sleep, but neither child stirred fully.

The wind whistled softly through the ancient forest around them. Xu Feng exhaled, watching his breath mist in the frigid air before fading into nothing.