Chu Xiuyan glared at Zhang Chun’s lazy retreating figure, rubbing his reddened forehead, then plopped down cross-legged on the ground and called out in a drawn-out voice, “Heeere’s the thirty-year-old big brother with the weary face who’s never received a single love letter~”
A few meters away, Zhang Chun staggered underfoot, turned his head, and shouted back, “Stop using that tone, it’s so disgusting!”
Chu Xiuyan curled his lips. “This uncle is so hard to get along with.”
Three sleek black vehicles slowly drove past. The driver of the last one was a young man with a buzz cut, his right arm resting on the window.
He slightly leaned out and said to Chu Xiuyan, who was still sitting on the ground, “You got the Chief mad again, huh?”
Being about the same age, apart from Zhang Chun and Scarface Uncle, this young man was the first to become familiar with Chu Xiuyan in the Huangshi Settlement convoy.
He continued, “We’re about to enter the village. Don’t be fooled by how lazy and useless the Chief looks—he’s actually very petty. If you don’t flatter him properly, you might get kicked out. Winter is coming soon; at this rate, you probably won’t survive.”
After speaking, he shook his head regretfully.
Chu Xiuyan’s eyes widened. He jumped up immediately and trotted alongside the vehicle, lowering his voice, “You make a lot of sense! Since that’s the case, what do you say we team up and secretly take down the uncle? Then I’ll be Chief, and you can be deputy Chief.”
“Huh?”
The driver suddenly started coughing repeatedly, as if choked by his own spit, then quickly changed the subject, “Ah, look—there’s a person hanging from that tree over there.”
“That’s a kid stuck up there and can’t get down.”
Chu Xiuyan didn’t even look back, fixating on the driver as he steered the conversation back, “So, have you thought it through? Let’s move tonight.”
The driver lowered his voice, seeing Zhang Chun at the front of the convoy carrying the child down from the tree and walking this way.
“The Chief is here.”
“It’s not like the principal’s coming. Why are you so nervous?”
Chu Xiuyan didn’t care and lifted his chin—only to be grabbed by Zhang Chun, who pressed his head down hard.
“Ow, my neck! It’s cramping!”
“Night raid tonight? Can we reschedule? I haven’t been sleeping well at night standing guard; it’s really tough.”
Zhang Chun ruffled the boy’s soft hair and then let go, turning to the embarrassed driver, “Seriously, it’s always you. Every time you tease this brat, he turns it right back on you… He never learns.”
“Damn it! I’m serious!”
Chu Xiuyan lunged clawing, trying to strangle Zhang Chun, but the man’s dodging skills were maxed out—he easily evaded the boy’s attack without even changing his breathing.
“Oh, by the way, almost forgot. You successfully protected the convoy’s camp last night; thanks for that. Without you, when I and the leader from Huishi Settlement returned, there might have been casualties.”
Chu Xiuyan steadied himself.
“What? I didn’t catch that.”
“Last night, remember? The Strange Plant attacked the camp. Thanks to you being there, no one was hurt.”
Chu Xiuyan: “No, I mean what do you want to say after that? The two words starting with ‘thank’.”
Zhang Chun’s words caught in his throat.
He stared at the boy for a long moment, then feigned ignorance and continued, “When you came back, it was already daytime, and because of that terrifying ghost thing, I didn’t get a chance to explain the situation…”
“Apologize for the amazing gift you brought back with so much effort.”
“That was obviously a cursed object possessed by a Resentful Spirit… Don’t interrupt, listen. This time you were stronger than that ghost, so you weren’t hurt. But if you sense danger next time, hide in one of these black vehicles.”
He pulled out a gun and aimed the barrel at the rear window of the last vehicle.
Calmly pressing the trigger, he said, “These black cars reflect dazzling colors in the sunlight, but they’re all equipped with special automatic Energy Shields. When attacked, the shield deploys like this.”
Bang!
The bullet struck a faint red transparent layer that appeared suddenly on the window.
It was made of honeycomb-like small pentagonal panels, shimmering with subtle ripples before vanishing.
Chu Xiuyan exclaimed, “So cool!”
He hurried over and trotted along behind the slow-moving vehicle, not minding the exhaust fumes, running his hands over the cold car body.
After a moment’s thought, he clenched his fists, exhaled warm breath, and punched hard forward.
A faint red Energy Shield appeared, blocking his fist.
Zhang Chun, approaching, said, “Exactly. It can withstand attacks rated A-level and below, roughly ten hits. It’s one of the more advanced travel tools on the market…”
Before he finished, his eyelid twitched as the faint red shield beneath the boy’s fist suddenly cracked with lines, then shattered with a crisp sound!
The driver glanced at the display, showing the Energy Shield’s power instantly dropping to zero. Shocked, he stuck his head out the window, “Chief, what did you guys do? The shield’s energy is completely drained! It was still over 50% a moment ago!”
Chu Xiuyan slowly withdrew his hand, pondering, “Uncle, the merchant gave you junk gear.”
Zhang Chun: “I think this is your problem…”
Before he finished, the boy vanished in a flash, dashing toward the village, leaving only a shrinking black shadow.
Zhang Chun rubbed his forehead.
“I didn’t even make you pay. Running that fast, brat.”
The convoy slowly stopped outside the village.
Many people had already gathered at the entrance, bustling and greeting one another.
Some helped unload the vehicles, others chatted arm in arm, and a few children ran around the adults playing.
The atmosphere was relaxed.
Zhang Chun walked over, and people greeted him as they recognized him.
“Chief, back safe and sound again! Awesome!”
“Welcome back, Chief!”
“I heard we’re cooperating with other Settlements. What are they like? Chief, you didn’t bring anyone back from there? No way, tsk tsk.”
“My piglet suddenly stopped eating recently. Chief, do you know why?”
“Our apples are ripe, Chief. Here’s a basket for you…”
Zhang Chun was quickly surrounded by a crowd, looking a bit helpless, trying to dodge but politely responding to everyone.
Only when a plainly dressed woman approached did the crowd part with smiles.
Zhang Chun straightened silently, his ears reddening slightly.
The young woman was Shu Xiumei. Noticing Zhang Chun’s discomfort, she showed no surprise and gently said, “It’s been a hard journey. Welcome back. Are you hurt?”
Zhang Chun shook his head. “No, very safe.”
“That’s good.”
Shu Xiumei wasn’t particularly beautiful, perhaps because she already had a child.
Her demeanor was like flowing water—gentle yet steady.
Her eyes now seemed to hold starlight, making Zhang Chun’s heart pound uncontrollably.
“By the way, I just saw a strange black-haired boy run into the village. Is he a guest or a new companion, Chief?”
The word “Chief” extinguished the fire in Zhang Chun’s heart.
He sighed, “Picked him up on the road. He seemed homeless, so I brought him back.”
“Where’s he staying? There’s space next to Old Wang’s house, but since it’s already past noon, asking everyone to help build a house might be too late. Maybe let him stay somewhere for one night first?”
Zhang Chun felt an odd sense of casualness, “He’s staying with me. From now on, he stays with me.”
Shu Xiumei smiled, “You seem to like that kid. By the way, what’s his name?”
Zhang Chun froze on the spot.
“Chief?” Shu Xiumei’s smile faltered, confusion flickering.
He stammered, looking around.
Her smile vanished instantly.
“You don’t know his name, do you?”
Zhang Chun explained, “That brat never introduced himself!”
Shu Xiumei recalled her own experience raising a child, took a deep breath, and suppressed her anger.
“You won’t ask? You’re almost thirty! Wait, if you don’t know his name, how do you address him?”
“…Brat, stinky brat, troublemaker.”
Shu Xiumei frowned.
“You brought him into the village and still don’t know his name? How do you think he feels?”
Zhang Chun was stunned.
“No matter how natural he looks on the surface, there must be grudges inside. The kid doesn’t look big, and his personality shows on his face—seems carefree and cheerful, but he’s actually very sensitive!”
Zhang Chun pursed his lips.
Though his intuition said the kid wasn’t that type, he was definitely the one who forgot to ask for the name all along.
His eyes scanned the crowd, suddenly catching a familiar face.
The black-haired boy stood among the crowd, a bit short and partially hidden.
Noticing Zhang Chun’s gaze, the boy’s pale face trembled weakly.
He slowly stepped forward, voice trembling, “You… you never knew my name?”
Zhang Chun lowered his voice, “You never answered when I introduced myself.”
The boy’s eyes filled with tears.
“I’m so miserable, so painful. My heart feels like it’s shattering like glass. For three days—three whole days—you forgot to ask my name! Don’t say you’ll help me put my broken heart back together, because it’s not the same perfect me anymore!”
After speaking, he covered his face and ran back into the village, accidentally bumping into someone from the convoy watching the scene.
He glanced apologetically with one eye.
Zhang Chun stared blankly at the disappearing black-haired boy, then looked calmly at a stunned Shu Xiumei and said, “He’s not sad at all—he’s actually having a great time.”
***
“Oh? So this is the type Uncle likes?”
Chu Xiuyan was hiding behind a wall of a house near the village entrance, sneakily watching Zhang Chun and the woman interact, thoughtfully stroking his chin.
[“I’m back.”]
The System’s voice suddenly sounded. [“What are you doing? Why do you have that ‘I’m about to do something bad’ look on your face?”]
Chu Xiuyan: [“None of your business. I have my plan. By the way, System, you were offline for two chapters—constipated or couldn’t get out of the bathroom?”]
System: [“Don’t say things that break dimensional barriers. Also, Systems don’t get constipated; they only produce junk data. I was just stabilizing the Time-Space Tunnel. One day of buffer time barely lets us pass through.”]
Chu Xiuyan: [“Sounds like you revealed some new settings I didn’t know.”]
System: [“Anyway, from now on, the time to travel between the two worlds is up to you—minimum one day, maximum three days. Less than a day, the tunnel becomes chaotic and tears apart everything that enters. More than three days, it becomes extremely stable but no longer freely traversable.”]
Chu Xiuyan: [“I’m free!”]
[…]
System was speechless.
[“By the way, why can you absorb and use Blood Crystal Energy? This ability isn’t related to me; it comes from you. I just checked—you’re currently at 53% Pollution Value, meaning you’re still classified as a Mutant, but your appearance has fully reverted to human. How did you manage that? No other Mutants can do it.”]
Chu Xiuyan said naturally, [“Because I’m the protagonist, I can do what ordinary people can’t.”]
[“Don’t joke with me.”]
[“Fine,”] Chu Xiuyan thought for a moment, [“but I’m not really sure either. After merging with the Blood Crystal, I just feel warm—like in winter when you don’t have to get up early and can comfortably turn over under an electric blanket set on a timer.”]
System: [“Wait, even though I was created from local materials, it can’t all be Blood Crystal Energy, right?!”]
Chu Xiuyan immediately said, [“So it’s your fault, System!”]
System: [“Impossible! It was fine during my trial…”]
“Hey, what are you staring at over there?”
A sudden voice interrupted the System.
Chu Xiuyan turned around to find a boy with messy hair and a rather impatient expression.
“New face, huh? Here in the village today?”
The boy sized Chu Xiuyan up, hands in pockets. Despite only waist-high, he looked like a little adult.
Chu Xiuyan nodded, “I was brought here by the Chief.”
“Chief… Zhang Chun?”
The boy’s expression instantly soured, and it looked like he wanted to turn and leave.
Chu Xiuyan grabbed him.
“Don’t you dislike the Chief?”
“Not really, but…”
The boy hesitated, then glared at Chu Xiuyan.
“This isn’t your business!”
Chu Xiuyan looked at the boy for a moment, then smiled, “Why aren’t you playing by the village gate? Are the other kids isolating you?”
The boy pouted, “No way. Those little brats are annoying—I don’t want to play with them.”
“So, you’re Shu Xiumei’s son?”
The boy’s hair suddenly spiked like a porcupine.
He shrugged off Chu Xiuyan’s hand and briskly walked away.
Chu Xiuyan reached out and grabbed him again, pulling him back.
Before the boy could explode, Chu Xiuyan hurried to say, “Alright, alright, no more talking about them. Will you help me get familiar with the village? I’m socially anxious and don’t dare talk to strangers.”
“I won’t. Find someone else.”
Chu Xiuyan’s eyes dropped, his smile fading. It looked like tears glistened on his lashes.
The boy froze in place, too shocked to even struggle.
“Hey! Don’t cry! You’re so big, why are you crying…”
“Why can’t big kids cry? I don’t know anyone here, and just thinking about facing this strange village alone makes me so sad my heart feels like it’s shattering like glass.”
He seemed to realize he was affecting others, forcing a smile, though it looked pitiful.
“Sorry, just let me break like glass. It’s okay.”
“Ahhh, I get it! Wipe those tears! I’ll keep you company, Glass Man!”
Chu Xiuyan’s face lit up with a radiant smile.
“If you’d said so earlier, shorty.”
The boy’s eyes widened.
“You’re lying? Who else is shorty!”
He kicked Chu Xiuyan’s shin hard.
“Okay, okay. A little man can’t go back on promises, or I’ll break again, boohoo…”
“Ugh! So annoying! You’re such a lying jerk!”
The boy grumbled and cursed all the way.
The System was surprised: [“Why are you taking this kid along?”]
[“Hmm? Didn’t you notice? This kid is the son of the uncle’s crush. He feels like a burden, somewhat resisting the uncle, but also wants his mother to have a family, so he tries not to make things awkward and avoids hanging out at the village entrance like other kids. Just like his mother said, though he looks carefree, he’s actually extremely sensitive and fragile inside but stubbornly pretends he doesn’t care.”]
Chu Xiuyan grabbed the boy by the collar and lifted him up, laughing cruelly as he flailed in midair.
[“So, next is the friendly exchange time between Big Glass Man and Little Glass Man. Well, of course, I’m the fake Big Glass Man.”]
The black-haired boy pinched his chin thoughtfully.
“No, more accurately, I should be a Gem Person.”
He actually produces Blood Crystals!