When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 383: Visit Grandpa

Chapter 383: Visit Grandpa

Under normal circumstances, Shen Nianzu would have instructed his assistant to perform a background check before dropping by unannounced like he did to Jin Jiuchi and Gu Luoxin. But now, the person he sought to visit was not just any Tom, Dick and Harry— it was one of the three Legendary players in the country!

For that, Shen Nianzu dared not act willfully and opted to send a formal message through the Nightmare App instead, requesting for a meeting. It was fortunate that Grandpa had always left his DMs open, unlike some other high-ranking players he knew, himself included.

A response arrived three days later, and they agreed to meet over the weekend.

Gu Luoxin, upon hearing that they were going to meet Grandpa in person, desperately begged for Shen Nianzu to bring him along, almost kneeling under his feet with tears and all. To prevent Jin Jiuchi from going ballistic at the sight of his moping and crying, Shen Nianzu reluctantly acquiesced.

Weekend arrived in a flash.

At first, they were supposed to board the train, which was the fastest mode of transportation to reach their destination. But after everything they had gone through in the Cycle, they collectively agreed to avoid it for the time being for the sake of their mental health – although in Jin Jiuchi’s case, he seemed utterly unfazed.

As a result, Shen Nianzu took it upon himself to drive for six whole hours. Upon their arrival, the sun had already begun its descent beneath the horizon.

"Woah..." Jin Jiuchi and Gu Luoxin stood agape, marveling at the breathtaking scenery around them like two bear children seeing the outside world for the first time. Even Shen Nianzu, who was born with a diamond spoon in his mouth, couldn’t help but be mildly impressed.

The address Grandpa provided turned out to be an expansive area that encompassed the entire mountainous region. Entering autumn, the leaves had transformed into vibrant yellow and fiery reds. It was like seeing a captivating cloud of flames unfolding right before their eyes.

The trio left their car at the base of the mountain and ascended the mountain via a cable car.

Peeking out of the crimson hilltops was a majestic pagoda, and the closer they got to the destination, an opulent traditional house soon came into sight, intricately carved with wood. Red lanterns hung along the eaves, contributing to the overall elegant ambience. Against the canvas of the setting sun, it created an ethereal and picturesque scene.

"Woah woah woah..."

Gu Luoxin’s jaws almost became a permanent fixture on the ground as he stumbled out of the cable car, feeling as if he had been transported into some kind of fantasy realm. "Oh my God, how much money do you need to own all of these?"

Shen Nianzu cast him a faint glance. "Do you want to know?"

Swallowing hard, Gu Luoxin vigorously shook his head. "N–No, thank you! I’d like to remain blissfully ignorant for the sake of my sanity, please!"

Shen Nianzu let out an amused huff at his antics. "Don’t worry, you will also get this rich..." he paused for a beat to increase the suspense. "...if you manage to become a legendary player someday."

Hearing that, Gu Luoxin’s shoulders immediately slumped in dejection. Legendary player? He shuddered just by the mere notion of it. It was the kind of level he dared not fantasize even in his wildest dream!

Satisfied after teasing the young man, Shen Nianzu turned away, only to realize that a certain husky had been alarmingly silent. He had a bad feeling about this, and sure enough as he swept his gaze over the surroundings, he spotted Jin Jiuchi a few meters away with small animals flocking to him— birds had decided to perch on his head and shoulders, squirrels were clinging onto his shirt and oh God, a goddamn snake was coiling on the branch above his head, seemingly ready to strike! And to make matters worse, Jin Jiuchi looked like he was thoroughly enjoying the unexpected company!

"Nian’er, Nian’er, look!" Jin Jiuchi cupped the baby squirrel in his palms and brought it to his cheek, beaming like a child who had just received a candy. "Ain’t it the cutest?!"

"Jin—"

Shen Nianzu opened his mouth to warn him about the potentially venomous snake, but before he could do so, hearty laughter echoed from the direction of the house.

A charismatic man in sixties or seventies stepped out of the entrance clad in a dark blue hanfu. Although his face was different from the man they had encountered inside the Cycle, there was no mistaking this awe-inspiring aura.

"You’re truly loved by nature, aren’t you?" Grandpa regarded Jin Jiuchi with amusement. "What a unique fellow. Thank you for coming all the way here, everyone."

"The honor is entirely ours," Shen Nianzu replied with a polite and elegant bow. "Please allow us to introduce ourselves properly. My name is Shen Nianzu, and these are my teammates, Jin Jiuchi and Gu Luoxin."

"M–M–My name is Gu Luoxin!" Gu Luoxin stuttered out, so nervous that he almost bit his tongue. Bending deeply at the waist, he greeted with a loud voice, "T–Thank you very much for having us, Grandpa!"

Jin Jiuchi jogged over with the baby squirrel in hand. "Nian’er, look!" He presented the small creature to Shen Nianzu as though offering a precious gift, his silver eyes glittering like stars. "It spat out the peanuts in its mouth for me! Ain’t it the cutest? It is soft, small and cute, just like you!"

Shen Nianzu resisted the urge to sigh as he made eye contact with the baby squirrel that looked even smaller cradled within Jin Jiuchi’s broad palm. How could this tiny and helpless creature be compared to him? Perhaps he should take Jin Jiuchi to the opthamologist someday to get his eyes checked. Sending a warning look, Shen Nianzu hissed, "Put it back to where it belongs, Jin Jiuchi. And greet Grandpa properly first!"

Jin Jiuchi tutted, but he still reluctantly let the squirrel go.

"You must be Jin Jiuchi, then," Grandpa remarked, his eyes crinkling in the corners.

Straightening up, Jin Jiuchi replied with a careless grin. "Yup, the one and only!"

"Are you doing fine now? I was a little concerned since you ended up in quite a bad shape inside the Cycle."

"Nah," Jin Jiuchi dismissed the concern with a casual wave of his hand. "Nothing I couldn’t handle! Not to brag, but I very seldom get sick, you know!"

Shen Nianzu almost whacked the damned husky on the back of his head for his overly informal attitude, but Grandpa looked like he was not offended at all, so he refrained from doing so.

Moreover, there was something about Grandpa’s words that raised an alarm in him.

As far as his memory could tell, from Team 1 until Team 14, Jin Jiuchi’s direct interaction with Grandpa had remained minimal. Not to mention, the only time when the Legendary player managed to meet the twins was after they had been reduced into a lump of unrecognizable flesh, so there was no way he could link them to Jin Jiuchi. But from the way he worded his sentence earlier... was it possible that Grandpa already knew the full truth?

With the questions still churning in his mind, Grandpa extended a sincere invitation to them. "The temperature will drop soon. Let’s head inside and talk over warm tea."

.

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A/N: Thank you so much Cats_895, Daoist5dNVpc, Wolfdemon1 and others for giving WBNC 250+ GTs in November QAQ I really appreciate all of your support!