CH 2

Xie Fei picked up the clothes scattered on the ground and hurriedly went back. The garden was quiet again. In its tranquility, the white bird on the tree suddenly rose and flew into the sky, rushing straight to the silver moon.

After more than an hour later, the white bird hovered over a high-end community in Nanshan and quietly landed on a family’s balcony.

The bird closed its wings dotted with brown spots and jumped towards the door with its white belly. With its face fixed on the glass door, a pair of pale and golden eyes stared back, reflecting a man caught between youth and maturity.

The man only wore a pair of loose-fitting boxer briefs, showing off his build. He was tall, with white and translucent skin. However, his chest and collarbones were covered with a thin layer of powder. He ran a hand through his hair, rubbing it roughly. Drops of water fell from the tips of his hair, landing on his delicate eyebrows. His eyelashes weren’t very long but they were thick, giving the impression of having naturally lined eyes.

“Tap, tap--”

Hearing movement, the man looked up, impatience clear in his eyes, and saw a snowy owl knocking its beak against the glass.

“The door’s unlocked.”

The owl flew to the doorknob and used its claws to twist it, opening the door. It fanned its wings as it came to the man’s feet. It looked up with its large, round face and hooted at him.

“They want to take action against the humans again?” The man threw his towel and said in a cold voice: “Very well. Since my words fall on deaf ears, it looks like they want to settle this unbearable itch.

The snowy owl shuddered at his words and brought over a bathrobe to the man’s legs, waiting to serve him.

“That man, was he handsome?” The man asked while tying the bathrobe.

The snowy owl narrowed its eyes and twisted its body as if intoxicated.

"Oh, no wonder that woman couldn’t control herself." The man sat down indifferently. He raised his chin and crossed his long legs. “What else? You didn’t specifically come here to tell me just that, right?”

The owl glanced at him and hesitated. Then it lowered its head, stretched its claws, and drew a circle on the carpet.

The man’s face showed bewilderment and incredulity. He grabbed the owl and sharply asked: “Did he react to the well?”

The snowy owl cried out in pain and nodded quickly.

The man relaxed, his eyes in a daze. After a while, he picked up his phone and walked over to the balcony.

“En, I won’t go back to Nanshan for the time being…..”

Outside it was very windy, causing the man’s voice to be muffled. “Xining village is closer to the film and television base….when the time comes I’ll head over directly...I know the number.”

After hanging up, the man stood still for a while, as if he was a statue. In front of him was the dark night while behind him was the warm light; it’s like he’s caught in the middle of two worlds. The man gazed at the crescent moon for a long time, eyes dark and gloomy.

Under the moon, the world was so vast. Some people were tossing and turning in bed while others were dreaming.

--

Xie Fei thought that after experiencing so many strange things, he would lose sleep. But, he slept soundly in bed until his alarm woke him up. He drew back the curtains and the morning light poured in. A flock of sparrows perched themselves on the treetop, their chirping reaching Xie Fei’s ears across the window. He felt a renewed sense of vitality, a unique feeling one got from waking up and seeing the sun.

Such mornings always made a person feel pleasant. For a moment, Xie Fei forgot all about his plans of leaving, but soon he quickly regained his senses.

After freshening up and combing his hair, Xie Fei went downstairs and pondered over his words. As soon as he arrived in the lobby, he heard a loud noise--bang!

The sound came from the front yard. Xie Fei looked outside the gate and saw that the front fence had a large hole in it. A group of bald-headed men with thick waists stood by the hole, hands clutching wooden sticks. At their feet were broken potted plants and flowers.

“Are you going to move or not?”

The man’s face was full of scars, completely in line with a villain’s image. Across him, Ah Fu still held the water can in his hands, giving him a dull look.

“Didn’t I tell you last time that the boss isn’t in?”

“Did your boss go to see God? They haven’t been back in half a month.” The bald-headed man had a thick accent which sounded a little funny to Xie Fei’s ears. The man continued and threatened them fiercely. “Brother Long’s patience is running out. If you don’t move, laozi will show you the skills of a strong excavator!”

…...So we’re forced to move out?

Xie Fei more or less understood what was going on. He planned to dial 1101 but realized he didn’t have a mobile phone with him.

All of a sudden, a gust of wind blew carrying a soft fragrance and a languid voice. Manager Xiang spoke: “It’s so early in the morning, why are you angry? Can’t we discuss this matter in a nicer way?”

Xie Fei looked back and saw Manager Xiang wearing a red silk nightgown, giving them an impression of a blooming red rose. As she passed by, she quietly patted Xie Fei’s waist but based on last night's experiences, he wasn’t sure if she was doing it to comfort him or to take advantage of him…...

Despite the many complaints the man had, it was clear he was struck by Ms. Xiang. His mouth was wide open and his eyes were glazed over. His grip on the wooden stick slackened and it fell to the ground. Seeing that the hero was saddened by the beauty, the young man beside him grabbed his arm and pulled him. “Boss! Don’t fall for the woman’s looks. Look, she’s keeping a “little white face2” there!”

The young man raised a finger and pointed at Xie Fei who stood by the entrance of the  lobby.

Xie Fei: “......”

“What the hell is a dog doing here? Get over here to laozi!” The bald man sneered and pointed at Xie Fei, a ferocious look on his face.

Manager Xiang had a small smile on her lips and said: “He’s only a new employee who just joined yesterday. He doesn’t know anything so why call him over?”

The bald man clearly thought that she deliberately lied to cover things up. Jealousy coursed through his veins. Just as he was about to step forward and grab someone, his body flew into the air. His body went flying, drawing an arc, and was thrown down smashing the flowers. The manager’s slipper landed with him.

“I’m the one giving you face here,” Xiang Fei said, crossing her arms on her chest and giving him a dry look.

“Fuck! You threw me!”

The thugs clamored and the scene became chaotic. Xie Fei silently took a step back, deciding not to involve himself any further.  It’s the end of the line--he found that a bunch of men couldn’t beat a bare-handed woman. Xie Fei stood calmly by the sidelines, watching them as if he was watching an action movie.

After struggling to get up, the bald-headed man found out that half his men were lying on the ground. Overwhelmed with shock, his eyes scanned the crowd and immediately landed on the “Little White Face” who caused all this commotion. Furious, the man raised his fist in and rushed towards him. As he neared the “Little White Face,” he noticed that the youth’s eyes held no fear. He didn’t even dodge. Instead, the youth had an amused expression on his face, interested to see what would happen next.

The bald-headed man faltered and stared blankly at the face in front of him. In this moment of weakness, Manager Xiang ran towards him and kicked his back!.

An excruciating pain spread through the man’s back making him think that he had a broken spine. He endured it and raised his head. He saw the “Little White Face” hidden behind a tree giving him a sympathetic look as if everything that happened were all illusions. But the bald-headed man had no time for such thoughts as he saw his younger brothers flee to the streets one after another. In the end, the bald-headed man begged for mercy, frustration written all over his face.

After Manager Xiang granted them pardon, the thugs scrambled to their feet and crawled out of the courtyard like a bunch of dead dogs.

“Tsk.” Ah Fu surveyed the mess in the courtyard and complained bitterly: “Why didn’t you just let them pack up and roll3?”

Manager Xiang ignored him and instead focused all her attention on Xie Fei. “Xiao Xie, is everything all right? Are you scared?” She secretly regretted ruining her image; she didn’t know how many points were deducted in Xie Fei’s heart. Trying to salvage the situation, she explained: “Actually, I usually have a good temper. I just couldn’t bear to see them bully you.”

“I’m all right, Sister Xiang. You were great!” Xie Fei praised her.  He was really surprised at Manager Xiang’s strength. Now, his heart was even more guarded. He was determined to leave. Of course, he wouldn’t mention it now.

Xie Fei didn’t plan on continuing the conversation. He turned and saw Ah Fu crouching on the ground, cleaning up the broken pieces of pottery. Xie Fei quickly said: “Brother Ah Fu, let me help you.”

“Then go and fetch two large bamboo baskets, right next to the duty room.”

“Okay!”

Xie Fei jogged all the way into the courtyard and soon found two bamboo baskets. Just as he was about to lift the baskets, his body froze. He couldn’t move.

“Ssi, Ssi….”

"Gulu, gulu...."

Xie Fei heard the sound of boiling water in his ears, coming from the direction of the garden. The steam gradually thickened, leaving his skin moist and sticky as if a cold snake crawled all over him. At the same time, Xie Fei felt a strong force pulling him towards the garden.

He tried calling for help but his throat closed up. He couldn’t speak. He wanted to struggle but his limbs wouldn’t respond.

Compared to last night’s incident, Xie Fei was fully sober. At this moment, he felt like a puppet, manipulated by some invisible force, dragging him into the unknown.

He could only watch, his back cold with sweat, as he entered the garden. As Xie Fei reached the edge of the well, the ground shook. His legs trembled at the loud noise. A water pillar burst into the sky, the mist scattering and reflecting a rainbow under the sun. One could see the water column spinning rapidly, straight through the clouds!

“Boom----”

The sky roared with thunder. In an instant, dark clouds covered the sky and blocked the sun. The water pillar continued to rise, connecting the heavens and the earth. Under the dim sky, Xie Fei squinted and saw an illusion of clear, translucent scales.

Wait, scales?

Xie Fei could feel his heart beating like a drum. He can’t believe his eyes. This is....a dragon?

A huge and seething dragon!

Amidst the thunder and lightning, the dragon’s silhouette became more and more distinct. Its wings were stretched, its whiskers floating in the air. The majestic dragon’s eyes quietly looked down at Xie Fei on the ground.

Facing the dragon before him, Xie Fei was deeply aware of his own smallness, like he was just a speck of dust. Unconsciously, he stepped back and discovered he could move again. However before he could find joy in this realization, he heard the deafening roar of the dragon--a dragon flying mid-air was suddenly diving down!

Xie Fei felt something cold surround him--the dragon’s breath. His throat strangled out a weak moan while his body experienced a pain so sharp, it peeled his bones and broke his will, trying to drag him into the endless abyss.

In a trance, Xie Fei faintly heard someone yelling behind him but he had no strength left to turn around. His eyes rolled back and then, he fainted.

His consciousness drifted around, like a ghost imprisoned in the darkness. He didn’t know how long he stayed there for until he saw the light.

When Xie Fei opened his eyes, he found himself lying down in a strange room. The room was large and well-furnished--worlds apart from his first impression of the poor and shabby inn.

Where am I?

Xie Fei sat up in surprise, trying to piece together his broken memories. A few seconds later, he jolted in shock--that...it seemed he just saw a dragon?

“You’re awake.”

A voice called out from inside the room. Xie Fei turned his head and saw a man standing in front of a half-opened window. Outside, the sun was setting, the clouds were tinted with orange and red hues mimicking a beautiful oil painting. The man in the “painting” slowly walked towards him through the floating dust. Every step the man took, the shadows melted away until he was completely exposed to the light.

The warm light struck the man’s face, giving him a soft-light filter--it was a young and handsome face that Xie Fei had never seen before.

In fact, the man’s facial features weren’t perfect. His eyes were small with slightly drooping eyelids, adding a touch of somberness.. The pair of eyes faintly revealed a certain indifference, as if weary of the world around him. His skin was pale and his lips even paler, giving him an unhealthy pallor. Despite all of these imperfections, it created a unique charm that made it difficult for one to tear their eyes away.

Maybe it was because he just woke up, or maybe it was the impact of the man’s beauty before him but Xie Fei felt a little dizzy. He stared blankly at the man approaching his bed. The man asked condescendingly: “Who are you?”

Xie Fei’s ears moved slightly and honestly reported his name.

“Xie Fei.”

The man scowled, as if dissatisfied. He suddenly pressed a hand on Xie Fei’s shoulder and leaned closer.

What’s going on?!

The mild scent of sandalwood and green bamboo permeated the room. Xie Fei felt the man’s cool fingertips touch the area between his Adam's apple and collarbone. The man’s nose brushed against his neck and Xie Fei could feel his warmth breath. He heard the man breathe in softly, as if readying himself to bite into his veins in the next second.

Xie Fei’s mind went back to the bat he saw yesterday...did he somehow fall into the vampire’s nest? Did the big, handsome guy in front of him want to embrace him first?

A myriad of ideas flashed before Xie Fei’s eyes and he quickly broke off the man’s hand. The other party stood up straight but the look on his face wasn’t good. He seemed to be reigning in some negative emotions inside.

The two stared at each other in silence. The man’s eyes gradually darkened, like the blackest night.

“Your origins?”

A peculiar feeling came over him and Xie Fei’s mind suddenly went blank. His eyes clouded over. “I…”

After he uttered a word, he immediately regained his bearings and a ridiculous thought popped in his head--he was hypnotized.

It was a just hunch and it was impossible to explain with common sense but Xie Fei was sure of it.

“Huai’an city, I came from Huai’an.”

Xie Fei’s back was rigid and cold but he kept  his composure and carefully answered the man’s questions according to the original owner’s settings. In fact, it was very simple to investigate his past. It didn’t make sense for Xie Fei to lie and he didn’t want to take the risk that he could actually ignore the man’s hypnosis.

Besides, the only secret he wanted to hide was the fact that he transmigrated into this novel.

“Be specific,” the man commanded. “Tell me why you came to the inn.”

“I was an orphan and grew up in a foster home.” Xie Fei replied expressionlessly. He followed the memory of the original owner and added: “Last year, my biological parents found me and took me home…”

In the novel, the original owner was both stupid and poisonous but after inheriting the original’s memory, Xie Fei knew that whether it was due to the protagonist’s deliberate pressure against him, the parents’ inability to use common sense leading to bias, or the people’s cold avoidance towards him--it all made the original owner feel frightened and lost.

Despite acting like a proper young master, the original owner had never been able to fit in well into his family. In the end he felt wronged and unwilling. Of course, there was also envy.

Based on the original’s memory of living in a foster home, life taught him that in order to get what you want, you have to fight for it. However, the methods he used in this new environment were rough and inferior. In the end, he made his situation worse.

After getting what he wanted only to see it taken away, his mind gradually became unbalanced.

A few months ago, the original owner and the protagonist got into a huge fight. For the first time, the anger got the best of him and he broke the protagonist’s right hand rendering him unable to participate in the upcoming college entrance exams.

Furious, the parents drove the original owner out of the house.

“I had no place to go. I just wandered around the streets and then I accidentally got hit on the head by a falling object. I was in a coma for more than two months…..”

In reality, it wasn’t an accident.

The book described how the protagonist was suddenly hit with abdominal pain, like a stream of air rushing straight in him making him unable to resist. Although it wasn’t clear in the text, Xie Fei having read the novel in advance knew that the protagonist had awakened the koi blood within him, which brought disaster to the original owner.

“I woke up in a nursing facility and I didn’t see my family as I recovered. I didn’t want to see them so I secretly left and came to Xining Village.” Xie Fei made sure that he had an empty gaze and monotone voice. “I had no money at the time and the inn was recruiting, so I applied.”

After speaking the last sentence, Xie Fei clearly sensed the power binding him had disappeared. It seemed that the man lifted the hypnosis. He blinked, unaware, and his eyes gradually focused.

He wasn’t sure what the right reaction would be right after being hypnotized, so he remained silent. He was worried whether he could fool the man or not.

The man’s face didn’t show any suspicion or doubt anymore but his expression was somewhat disappointed. After a while, he asked: “...Does it still hurt?”

Xie Fei sat still, dumbfounded. He didn’t understand what the man was referring to.

“Your head, does it still hurt?” The man said impatiently.

Xie Fei couldn’t help but notice a trace of concern in his voice. Seeing that the other person no longer had ill intentions towards him, he smiled and replied. “It’s all right.”

“Oh.”

Silence enveloped them. Xie Fei didn’t want to wait any longer and decided to find out about the current situation. Gathering his courage he asked, “That….excuse me but who are you?”

The author has something to say:

Yu: I am the gong.

T/N:

1. Police hotline

2. Handsome boy. Could also mean sugar baby/pretty boy

3. Get lost

Aaaaah, the gong is here! I honestly find this story hilarious so I hope you all laugh with me as well in the later chapters. I will also add some pictures for the animals later on hehe. Thank you so much for reading!