Chapter 145: The Alter Ego Says He Loves Me (34 – Finale)
Deep down, Xiao Yinnian was a man with a very strong career drive.
But a strong career drive meant being very busy at work with very little free time.
At a certain stage, Xiao Yinnian would get drunk at every social engagement and wait for Xiao Ji to pick him up.
The high-intensity work of leaving early and returning late every day meant that he just slept when he got home and had to go out again early the next morning.
This made him feel very guilty toward Xiao Ji, who was always guarding an empty house.
Xiao Ji never complained about anything, but the occasional sudden sense of strangeness between the two made Xiao Yinnian feel even more guilty.
Thus, in the sixth year they were together, Xiao Yinnian gave up his rising career. Taking the savings from those years, he settled down in Haicheng and opened a cafe with Xiao Ji.
The greeter was a little shrike, perched on a bird stand at the door, chirping a couple of times whenever someone entered.
In the eighth year, Mother Xiao was released from prison and gladly accepted Xiao Ji’s existence.
Days became peaceful. Xiao Yinnian was always fiery and active, wanting to tinker with everything.
Xiao Ji was always calm and silent, accompanying Xiao Yinnian in whatever he tinkered with.
Time spares no one. Perhaps because Xiao Ji’s body was “redeemed” and the shop had long since ceased to exist to provide after-sales service, in his sixtieth year, his various organs suddenly suffered acute failure without any warning.
After unsuccessful resuscitation, he was declared dead.
Just as Xiao Yinnian looked at the corpse covered in a white cloth and almost collapsed, he suddenly heard a familiar voice in his head saying to him:
“I am here.”
From then on, the two returned to the same shell.
Only, Xiao Yinnian returned to that insecurity of having lost the initiative from many years ago, asking many times a day:
“A-Ji, are you there?”
At first, Xiao Ji would tell him tirelessly:
“I am here.”
Later, as he gradually perceived Xiao Yinnian’s anxiety, he would take the initiative to talk to Xiao Yinnian at set times every day, after a short interval.
Xiao Yinnian had always been worried that Xiao Ji would silently leave again.
He never expected that on a night ten years later, the one to silently withdraw in their sleep first was actually Xiao Yinnian’s soul.
When Xiao Ji noticed, within the shell that Xiao Yinnian used to dominate, only his own soul remained.
But compared to the confusion of last time, this time Xiao Ji clearly had his own plan. He summoned 037 and said:
[Next time, let me have the initiative, in all aspects.]
037 frantically flipped through the documents in its hand and made an “OK” gesture in Xiao Ji’s mind:
[Leave it to me, rest assured!]
…
A green train puffed steam as it traveled slowly on the tracks.
The closer it got to Huating, the slower it became.
The crowded carriages were noisy and restless. Various indescribable unpleasant odors permeated the air, making people feel incredibly annoyed.
“Coming to Huating at a time like this, I really don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse.”
“Hai, these days, it’s hard everywhere. Huating is big; it’s always easier to make a living here than in one’s hometown.”
“It’s big, but the chaos is also real. Commander Pei just died, and the eldest young master of the Pei family has returned from Nancheng to take over the Pei family’s troops.”
“Now, let alone Huating, in the entire three southern provinces, no one dares to say ‘no’ in front of Young Master Pei. He’s a living local emperor; it sounds terrifying.”
“I heard that Commander Pei’s death was Young Master Pei’s own doing, just so he could return to Huating to seize military power. I wonder if it’s true?”
“Who cares if it’s true or fake? The common people still have a hard time making a living regardless!”
Listening to the noisy conversation by his ear, Xiao Ji opened his eyes and found himself sitting in a window seat on the train. A woman sat beside him, holding a child in her arms, crowding close to him.
Currently, he held a book in one hand with the word “Sinking” written on it.
In his other hand, he held a pair of thin, rimless glasses.
At the point where the temple met the lens, a piece of thread was wrapped around it; it was already somewhat loose.
Whether it was these glasses or the long robe he was wearing—which was somewhat worn and faded from washing—it wasn’t hard to see that his family situation was poor.
Xiao Ji put the glasses on the bridge of his nose. He didn’t feel much of a difference compared to when he wasn’t wearing them.
At this time, the sky outside the window was already dark. Xiao Ji leaned closer to the window, regained his composure, and summoned 037:
[Ji-ge, are you there?]
After the familiar sound of static, a cold electronic female voice rang out:
[Please receive the mission details, Law Enforcer.]
In an era of wind and rain, warlords carved up the land, and chaos reigned supreme.
While the wine and meat rotted behind the vermilion gates of the rich, the bones of the frozen lay by the roadside.
The original Xiao Ji’s family used to do some small business years ago, and their family situation was decent. He had loved poetry and books since childhood and was sent abroad by his family to study a few years ago; his life had been quite good.
Unfortunately, life is unpredictable. Father Xiao suddenly died of illness, leaving behind Mother Xiao—who was illiterate—and a physically weak and sickly younger sister.
The original body had no choice but to return to the country. Relying on his experience and knowledge from studying abroad, he found a job teaching at Huating National First Middle School.
In this era, not many families could afford education. Those who could study at National First Middle School were mostly from high and noble households.
As soon as the original body started his job, he encountered a group of extremely troublesome students led by Pei Xinyun.
The original body was a stubborn one, full of talent but not very adaptable, and lacked teaching experience.
When students were disobedient, he would go head-to-head with them, insisting on calling Pei Xinyun’s parents to the school for a talk.
And this Pei Xinyun was the biological younger sister of the master of Huating, Pei Yinnian.
Pei Yinnian was very busy and put most of his energy into power; he had no time to restrain this sister of his.
But she was his biological sister, after all. He wouldn’t allow Pei Xinyun to act recklessly, so he directly entrusted Pei Xinyun to the original body, requesting that the original body go to the Pei Residence after class every day to give Pei Xinyun tutoring.
Over time, the original body and Pei Yinnian became familiar with each other.
Humans are strange creatures. The more they lack something, the more they yearn for it.
Pei Yinnian was good at fighting and killing, but his education was lacking. He was always attracted by that dense scholarly air on the original body.
As time went by, the original body could also feel that Pei Yinnian’s attitude toward him was a bit strange.
During their mutual testing and interactions, the original body developed other intentions.
He began to deliberately approach Pei Yinnian, chatting about everything under the sun. They had pleasant conversations and often talked through the night, but neither ever broke that layer of window paper.
The original body began to use Pei Yinnian’s trust, using his poor family background and his talented yet unrecognized status as a base to play for sympathy.
With Pei Yinnian’s help, he not only resolved the difficulties at home but also resigned from his teaching job to take up an official position, working under Pei Yinnian.
Pei Yinnian had admiration for the original body and some indescribable affection, but to take it a step further, he always felt something was lacking.
He never made any demands of the original body. But after the original body started living a good life, he became increasingly insatiable, gradually blinded by ambition and desire.
Ultimately, at a critical juncture of political transition, he chose to betray Pei Yinnian.
———— [Fictional Republic Era setting, HE (Happy Ending), do not over-scrutinize.]
T/n: This arc has ended perfectly~ Read on for more arcs!!! AHhhh!! I love this novel!!!
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