Chapter 21: The Depressed Uncle
Ao Chen: “…”
Unexpected Guest: “…”
The unexpected guest aggressively charged toward Wang Ming, seemingly missing a brick.
Wang Ming: “…”
Wang Ming didn’t bother with politeness. He charged, headfirst, into the bathroom and locked the door.
Ao Chen: “…”
Unexpected Guest: “…”
Was that a little unmanly of me? Wang Ming thought.
But then he reconsidered, deciding Ao Chen was definitely more manly.
And even if Wang Ming wasn’t afraid of magic attacks, the guest’s superior size and strength still made him instinctively fear a physical beating.
Wang Ming: “…”
Wang Ming trembled like a frightened quail, then decided that staying alive was the best way to avoid being a burden on Ao Chen.
Just as Wang Ming made this incredibly cowardly yet strategically sound decision, suddenly, he felt he was going blind.
To be precise, not blind, but the colors in his vision rapidly faded until only black and white remained.
Wang Ming: “…”
What the heck? Even if I’m not a paying player in this world, they don’t need to make it black and white! Wang Ming thought, speechless.
At the same time, someone knocked on the bathroom door.
Wang Ming: “…”
Before Wang Ming could fully process his situation, Ao Chen’s voice sounded from outside.
“Wang Ming, are you alright?” Ao Chen asked.
Wang Ming: “…”
“I’m fine, just…” Wang Ming mumbled, cautiously emerging from the bathroom.
“My eyes seem a little…” Wang Ming said, looking at Ao Chen. The moment he saw Ao Chen, the world exploded back into full color.
Wang Ming: “…”
Anyone who doesn’t know better would think I’m in love with this man in a literary sense. Wow, the world’s become so colorful! Wang Ming provided a rather literary description of his current state.
“What’s wrong with your eyes?” Ao Chen asked, puzzled.
Wang Ming: “…”
“Nothing.” Wang Ming abruptly changed the subject, effectively deflecting Ao Chen.
Ao Chen: “…”
“Okay, good you’re alright.” Ao Chen said.
“By the way, that guy’s gone and I can guarantee he won’t be back.” Ao Chen steered the conversation back on track, seeing Wang Ming was fine.
“Oh, good.” Wang Ming patted his chest in relief.
Looks like that street thug was scared off by my wise and valiant savior, Wang Ming thought, feeling a sense of shared glory.
Maybe it’s because we fought off a thug together, Wang Ming thought, completely forgetting how he’d scurried into the bathroom like a frightened quail.
“I’m sorry, I disturbed you because of my personal issues.” As Wang Ming basked in his glory, he heard Ao Chen apologize.
Wang Ming: “…”
Whoa, the prince just apologized to me? Wang Ming thought.
“Hey, it’s nothing. Everyone has their problems,” Wang Ming laughed.
They said goodnight and returned to their respective areas to sleep.
Perhaps due to a sense of peace of mind, Wang Ming slept soundly.
The next morning, without any inner conflict, he leaped out of bed.
Wang Ming quietly opened the bedroom door, but didn’t see Ao Chen sleeping in a pool of icy blue water as usual.
Wang Ming: “…”
He left early? Wang Ming thought.
He felt a sense of freedom, like waking up to find all his roommates gone, even if he were naked.
Wang Ming: “…”
Yawning, Wang Ming headed to the bathroom.
As soon as he entered, he bumped into something.
Wang Ming heard a thud, and in the dim, cramped space, he vaguely saw that he had bumped into a person.
Even more embarrassing was that, without warning, the impact was considerable.
The person, seemingly huddled by the sink, was knocked into the sink itself.
Wang Ming: “…”
Wang Ming quickly pulled the person out of the sink, looking at him cautiously.
After all, they’d had an unexpected visitor yesterday.
But after seeing the person clearly, Wang Ming instinctively felt that this person…wasn’t connected to the previous visitor.
The person was a rather dishevelled-looking uncle, unshaven, wearing a ribbed tank top and floral swim trunks, and flip-flops. He looked nothing like yesterday’s visitor.
“Watch it, you uncouth oaf!” the dishevelled uncle grumbled, his hair plastered to his head like seaweed from the sink.
Wang Ming: “…”
“Uncle, although I shouldn’t have bumped into you, it was an accident. Besides…aren’t you trespassing?” Wang Ming argued logically.
Normally, a stranger appearing in his house would warrant a call to the police, but Ao Chen had just told him the place was heavily protected, and no one, not even a fly, could enter without his permission.
Wang Ming: “…”
“So mosquitoes can get in?” Wang Ming reflexively asked.
“Don’t call me ‘uncle’, call me ‘big brother.'”
As Wang Ming reflected on past events, the dishevelled uncle muttered expressionlessly.
Wang Ming: “…”
I didn’t know this uncle… I mean, this big brother, had such a taboo, Wang Ming thought, obligingly changing his address: “Older brother.”
Dishevelled Uncle: “…”
“Big brother is big brother, why add ‘older’?” The dishevelled uncle showed a hint of displeasure.
“It’s our local dialect, we’re used to saying it that way,” Wang Ming shrugged innocently.
Wang Ming felt that calling a young-looking guy “young brother” was acceptable, and calling someone slightly older than him “big brother” was respectful, but calling someone “uncle” when they wanted to be called “big brother” left him no choice but to use “older brother”.
Of course, Wang Ming only thought these rebellious thoughts and didn’t dare voice them.
Then he heard the dishevelled uncle reluctantly nod: “Fine, call me that.”
The dishevelled uncle then looked Wang Ming up and down, a puzzled expression on his face.
“Wang Ming, right?” the dishevelled uncle said.
“Hello, I’m Ao Chen’s pet.” The dishevelled uncle casually stated his identity.