Chapter 35: Death Certificate
Cheng Ge was too embarrassed to ask a second time. He thought the question would be left unsettled. Unexpectedly, after being silent for a long time, Wen Ling suddenly rolled over. Still buried in the quilt, clutching the corner of Cheng Ge’s clothes, he slowly said a sentence: “Like.”
The volume wasn’t loud, but it was very clear.
But even though it was that clear, Cheng Ge thought he was hallucinating. Pulling down the quilt covering Wen Ling’s head a bit, “What did you say?”
Wen Ling hugged Cheng Ge’s waist tight, hiding nothing: “Like you.”
Raw and ignorant, yet very direct.
Cheng Ge’s heart trembled. His brain felt like it exploded, instantly squeezing out a pile of questions.
Wait a minute! Did the little lunatic know what “like” was?
If it was like, what kind of like was it?
Did he like the identity of “Cheng Ge” or him?
Did possessiveness count as liking?
What should he say to respond to Wen Ling appropriately?
“Cheng Ge?” Wen Ling called Cheng Ge again. “I said I like you.”
“Okay, okay,” Cheng Ge snapped back to reality in a panic, suppressing those messy questions. “I know…”
“Do you like me?” Wen Ling asked.
Cheng Ge’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He spoke the answer that was most suitable and most beneficial to himself: “…L-like.”
[Conquest value +2%]
“Do you like me?” Wen Ling repeated the question.
“…Like.”
Wen Ling laughed lightly and cheerfully. Lifting his head, he kissed the corner of Cheng Ge’s mouth for two seconds, then buried himself in Cheng Ge’s arms again, his head nuzzling happily against Cheng Ge’s chest.
It was Wen Ling’s behavior when he was especially happy.
Cheng Ge stroked Wen Ling’s back, not daring to move at all, completely not knowing how to deal with such a Wen Ling—a little lunatic who held affection for him.
Finally, Wen Ling fell asleep peacefully, but Cheng Ge suffered uncontrollable insomnia.
Too strange.
Actually, if Wen Ling developed the strange emotion of liking Cheng Ge, it would be beneficial and harmless for raising the conquest value. But Cheng Ge just felt awkward.
He was acting on occasion, and ended up making the little lunatic act out real feelings?
Although he wasn’t a good person, he couldn’t blatantly toy with someone’s feelings. How was he supposed to act in the future?
Cheng Ge almost stayed awake all night. Halfway through, he was counseled by 001 with things like “It’s just a novel world,” “No need to care so much,” “Go back after completing the mission,” “Part on good terms.”
Cheng Ge thought 001 was right. Not caring too much was the correct way, because he had no other choice but to ignore these details.
Finally, Cheng Ge tried hard to hypnotize himself with “part on good terms” and “take what we need,” barely falling asleep when the sky turned the color of a fish’s belly.
Because of insomnia, Cheng Ge woke up especially late today. The time was approaching noon, and he didn’t wake up naturally.
It was because Wen Ling was playing with his eyelashes and hair, tickling him awake!
The scene he saw upon opening his eyes was Wen Ling looking at him with round eyes. Cheng Ge didn’t have morning grumpiness, but having just woken up, his brain was a bit foggy. Staring at Wen Ling for two seconds to react, he unconsciously raised his hand to cover those bright eyes, his tone somewhat unnatural: “What are you doing?”
“You got up too late,” Wen Ling said, his thinking jumping around. “I discovered your eyelashes are many and long, so I counted them.”
…Hehe.
Wen Ling’s eyelashes swept against Cheng Ge’s palm, ticklish. He wanted to ask exactly whose eyelashes were longer!?
“Thanks for the praise,” Cheng Ge stretched, looking at the glaring sunlight outside. “What time is it?”
“Almost noon.”
Cheng Ge: “!?”
He actually slept this late!?
Cheng Ge lifted the quilt to get out of bed and wash up. Suddenly remembering something, his steps paused. Turning to ask Wen Ling: “Ate breakfast yet?”
“Ate. I ordered takeout.”
“Alright.”
Cheng Ge finished washing up, prepared to go to the kitchen to make something to eat and make lunch while he was at it, but found Wen Ling had already heated up the food and was waiting for him at the dining table.
The roles were suddenly reversed; inexplicably a bit unaccustomed.
Cheng Ge walked over and scanned the dishes on the table. Two meat, one veggie, typical takeout appearance. And porridge—probably the breakfast he missed because he slept late.
Wen Ling’s gaze was somewhat burning, a blatant expectation. But Cheng Ge didn’t know what Wen Ling was expecting. Probing: “You’re really thoughtful.”
Wen Ling mimicked his speech mannerisms: “Thanks for the praise.”
But that blatant gaze remained. Cheng Ge didn’t get it.
He picked up some greens with chopsticks. Wen Ling’s gaze became even more eager.
Cheng Ge: “What’s wrong?”
Wen Ling shook his head.
Cheng Ge stuffed the vegetable in his mouth. Wen Ling kept staring at him, making him afraid to chew fast.
When he swallowed the vegetable, Wen Ling asked as if he couldn’t hold it in anymore, “Do you think the dish is delicious?”
Just to ask this?
“It’s okay.” Cheng Ge spoke truthfully. Nothing special, but not bad either. At least one could tell it wasn’t cooked with dishwater by an unscrupulous merchant.
“Alright…” Wen Ling’s whole being instantly became listless.
Cheng Ge realized something was wrong with a delayed reaction. glancing at the person bowing his head to eat, then looking at that plate of greens, he coughed. “Actually, tasting carefully, it’s simply a delicacy on earth!”
“Really?” Wen Ling’s eyes lit up again.
“Really. Especially delicious. I just had no taste a moment ago.”
[Conquest value +1%]
“Then eat more.”
Cheng Ge gave Wen Ling plenty of face, eating almost the entire plate of greens.
Finally, Wen Ling revealed the answer like unveiling a mystery: “Actually, I stir-fried that vegetable.”
“No wonder!” Cheng Ge’s eyes opened wide. “I was saying why it was so delicious. You’re too talented.”
Wen Ling smiled at Cheng Ge, smiling shyly.
[Conquest value +1%]
Cheng Ge felt Wen Ling was so dorky, yet inexplicably cute. Unconsciously, he smiled along with him.
After washing the dishes, Cheng Ge played games on the sofa to digest food. Wen Ling napped on his lap. When Wen Ling woke up, he watched Cheng Ge play games for a while, then took out the tablet to draw.
Unknowingly, another day passed.
Day after day.
One day left before school started. The luggage was mostly packed. In the morning, Cheng Ge was checking if any small items were missed. After all, the school was far away, hard to come back to get things, and buying new ones would be a waste of money.
He was checking the drawer but suddenly dug out a piece of paper pressed at the very back, folded neatly. Cheng Ge unfolded it.
It was a death certificate.
Deceased—Cheng Ge.
Date was over a month ago.
Which meant, Wen Ling’s original plan was to announce his death to the world, then keep Cheng Ge like a puppy, becoming his private property.
Never seeing the light of day for a lifetime.
A chill ran through Cheng Ge’s heart. Both afraid and simultaneously rejoicing. Rejoicing he didn’t choose to fight the little lunatic hard, rejoicing he found a way to make Wen Ling let him go to school, rejoicing the little lunatic… seemed to be slowly getting better.
Too damn terrifying. A little bit more, and Cheng Ge would have been in this cage for a lifetime.
“Cheng Ge.”
A warm and cool object stuck to Cheng Ge’s back. His waist was hooped. The same sunny scene as previous days, the same soft tone.
But because he had seen that death certificate, this time it made Cheng Ge freeze with cold all over.
Cheng Ge quietly folded that thin paper, turned around to hug Wen Ling back, and kissed Wen Ling’s nose tip.
“What are you doing?” Wen Ling’s tone carried delight.
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