Chapter 422: Reunion
Chapter 422: Reunion
"So... where to next?" Feng Bu Jue said, "It's rare for us to go out together during Golden Week. Going to the movies feels a bit... uninspired."
"Your place", Si Yu interrupted in her usual icy tone.
"You... this... I..." Feng Bu Jue, usually sharp-tongued and quick-witted, couldn't even form a complete sentence.
"You're overthinking", Si Yu added.
"Fine..." Feng Bu Jue sighed.
How these two understood each other... was probably a mystery only they could solve.
"Oh, wait a second", Feng Bu Jue said, pulling out his cell phone and dialing a speed-dial number.
After a few seconds, Xiao Tan's voice came through: "Hey? Feng Bu Jue? What's up?"
"Nothing urgent. Just wanted to ask you and the lovely lady hiding behind the bushes to come over to my place for a visit."
Five minutes later, the four sat in Xiao Tan's car.
Xiao Tan and Bei Ling occupied the front seats, while Feng Bu Jue and Si Yu sat far apart in the back, each resting their cheek in one hand in nearly symmetrical poses, staring out opposite windows.
"It's definitely your clumsy fault that we got caught", Bei Ling grumbled.
Xiao Tan retorted, "Don't start while I'm driving. Oh... and don't forget your safety belt."
Both had removed their sunglasses and hats, their faces tinged with awkwardness.
"Don't blame him", Feng Bu Jue chimed in from the back. "My anti-tracking skills are system-trained. My theoretical knowledge and practical experience are far beyond yours. Even the local police—"
"Hey! Don't blurt that stuff out!" Xiao Tan barked, interrupting.
"Aww, forget it. Actually, this works out fine. All four of us rarely get together", Bei Ling said. "And during this national holiday, public places are packed. The Commander's place is actually a great choice."
"That's right. 'A solitary geek's home combines a cinema, board game room, café, and dining hall all in one.'" Si Yu recited in a neutral tone.
"That's my—" Feng Bu Jue instantly recognized his own words from an old novel.
"From your short story Eyes Across the Hall three years ago", Si Yu clarified.
"You actually believed what I wrote?" Feng Bu Jue asked.
"I didn't believe the content itself", Si Yu replied. "I merely used your writing to speculate how much it reflects your real-life habits."
"If we swapped genders... I'd be filing a report already", Feng Bu Jue muttered, squinting sideways at Si Yu.
"I only speculate", Si Yu said. "I never conduct actual investigations. I never imagined we'd meet again in Terrifying Paradise."
"Call it fate", Xiao Tan interjected from the driver's seat without turning his head.
About half an hour later, they arrived at Feng Bu Jue's home—the multifunctional sanctuary described earlier.
"Ah~ Suddenly feels like a Vip private screening!" Bei Ling cheerfully jumped onto Feng Bu Jue's sofa, stretching lazily.
"Hey, Assass, you still have that superior look today", Xiao Tan said, approaching the cat curled up in the corner and crouching before it.
"Eh? Commander keeps a cat?" Bei Ling bounced back up, running over to kneel beside Xiao Tan. "Uh... this cat's attitude is so snobbish."
"His expression strangely mirrors the owner's", Si Yu observed, leaning closer.
Unfazed by the trio's stares, Assass remained in typical feline posture, casually flicking his gaze over them before turning away with a yawn.
"You lot sure treat this place like home", Feng Bu Jue remarked from the doorway, closing the door behind him.
"Commander, do you have any cat toys?" Bei Ling asked.
"I bought some the day I adopted him, but never used them. He doesn't claw or bite anything, and he ignores cat wands and yarn balls completely..." Feng Bu Jue explained. "So I returned all the toys after a few days."
"So he's actually quite well-behaved?" Bei Ling said.
"Aside from strategically planting landmines in his litter box and ignoring me completely? I guess so..." Feng Bu Jue mused. "Now that I think about it... why did I bother adopting this noble creature again?"
"Because of Jimo", Si Yu said, heading toward the kitchen. "What would you like to drink?"
"Hey! That's the host's job to ask!" Feng Bu Jue protested.
"Hot water." "Whatever." Bei Ling and Xiao Tan gave their replies.
"Eh? Why hot—ugh!" Xiao Tan's question got cut short by an elbow jab from Bei Ling.
"I can already imagine your married life", Feng Bu Jue deadpanned.
At that moment, Si Yu, standing by the fridge, suddenly stiffened, her brow furrowing as she turned to Feng Bu Jue. "Why... does your fridge have... underwear?"
Feng Bu Jue showed no embarrassment, responding matter-of-factly: "Once you've gone ice-cold, room temperature feels unbearable."
"So comfort is the reason..." Si Yu pondered, her cheeks unusually flushed. Her gaze returned to the fridge. "And they're all boxers..."
"This feels so wrong. Our gender roles are reversed here", Feng Bu Jue complained. "Shouldn't I be the one scheming to peek into your underwear drawer?"
"Where's the normality in that?" Xiao Tan chimed in. "You're both just varying degrees of perverts."
That afternoon, the four enjoyed lively conversation and endless fun. The building had excellent soundproofing, and Feng Bu Jue lived on the top floor. Even their noisy board games wouldn't disturb anyone below—unless they stomped directly on the floor.
Feng Bu Jue's home truly housed various entertainment facilities, including Si Yu's mentioned amenities. His game console collection spanned every platform, with ample cartridges—offering mainstream systems from the nineteen-nineties to the 2150s.
Around five o'clock, while Feng Bu Jue prepared dinner in the kitchen (suffering from middle school syndrome cooking), the others rewatched Feng Bu Jue's "I'm a Writer" video segment. Though the episode had aired on TV and Si Yu secretly recorded it earlier, she still watched this version with full attention.
Dinner naturally proved lavish, leaving both young ladies sweating at Feng Bu Jue's culinary skills. Of course, his kitchen antics made them sweat even more.
Afterward, no one seemed eager to leave. Following Bei Ling's suggestion, they used Feng Bu Jue's luxurious home theater for karaoke—though Xiao Tan and Bei Ling dominated the singing. These two rich kids, handsome and beautiful respectively, possessed excellent singing voices. Objectively speaking, they could easily make top ten in a talent competition.
Feng Bu Jue, surprisingly in high spirits, even sang Love Makes No Sense: "Actually living alone isn't so bad, occasional little sorrows... I think others don't notice. Even when loneliness hurts, I try to let go..." In many ways, it felt like his response to Si Yu's earlier words—"Because of Jimo."
At nine PM, the three reluctant guests finally departed, leaving Xiao Tan responsible for escorting both young ladies home.
With his friends gone, Feng Bu Jue sat alone in the empty apartment.
The sink still held unwashed dishes. Assass' litter box needed changing. Si Yu had deleted important video files while "inspecting" his computer—requiring data recovery...
Yet Feng Bu Jue simply sat on the sofa, switching off all lights, closing his eyes in darkness.
He wanted to preserve this memory, sealing it in an exquisite mental box within his mind palace, labeled with "Happiness" for eternal safekeeping.
A pessimist by nature, he'd considered that one day, the shadows in his mind might steal not just his fear, but his wisdom—and ultimately his life.
If that day came, at least he could revisit this final happy period in his mind palace, reminiscing freely.
(End of Chapter)
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