Translator-Rhapsodite
Editor-CherryApple, Proofreader-adjective
Listening to the faint sounds coming from behind the door, Nan Zhou took two steps forward in curiosity, only to stop again at the doorway and look left and right.
The accordion player asked him with his arms folded, “What are you looking for?”
Nan Zhou replied earnestly, “Looking for the floor plan for the route to the emergency exit.”
It can be said that he was very cautious.
The accordionist’s shoulders shook, as he tried to hold in his laughter. “Good. I’ll accompany you to find it.”
Nan Zhou looked at him from the corner of his eye.
In his hazy memories, it seemed that such a person had existed.
No matter what Nan Zhou did, that person would stare at him and laugh.
At first, Nan Zhou thought it was because he did something wrong.
Then, he thought it was because that person loved to laugh.
Later on, Nan Zhou found out that the way that person smiled at him was different from the way he smiled at others, but he couldn’t figure out why.
When Nan Zhou looked closely, he found that the accordionist’s smile right now was no different from when he was smiling at others.
It was bright and gave off a warm feeling, but it also held an indescribable feeling of detachment and caution.
So, the person in his memories shouldn’t be the accordion master.
That hazy figure in his mind would smile with a warmth that existed only for him.
Since the beginning of his contact with the outside world, Nan Zhou’s perception of human emotions had always been keen and slow.
Sharp, because of his natural animal intuition.
Sluggish, because he could not understand why their emotions had such complex and strange changes.
Before Nan Zhou could think more, the musician held him by the arm and guided him down the few concrete steps, opening the door to the hidden bar.
The realistic atmosphere created from the sounds of music mixed with a strong alcohol smell and the air-conditioning set at low temperatures swept Nan Zhou into the dream of a world dazzling with paper and gold.
At that moment, a heavy metal music with a strong sense of rhythm was playing on the speakers.
The NPC DJ on the stage wore a skeleton mask and held up a hand.
Using just one arm, he operated the mixers and controls, easily bringing the crowd into a livelier mood as they matched the pulsing rhythm.
As he moved, he revealed the intricate butterfly tattoos on his arm.
Noticing the tattoo, Nan Zhou momentarily seemed to remember something, he flipped his wrist, and turned it around.
——There’s nothing there.
As if everything was supposed to be like that.
The team quickly blended into the seductive atmosphere and frenzied beat, dispersing and dancing on their own.
An ambience such as this was the best anaesthetic.
A shot of dopamine, secreted under the stimulation of sounds and colors, can make people briefly forget their pain.
The accordion master was obviously very familiar with the place.
He walked ahead, leading Nan Zhou to the bar card table, and said to the beautiful bartender lady, “Hello. I’ll have a ‘zombie’, please give my friend a glass of…”
Saying that he looked at Nan Zhou, “… cider. Thanks.”
The bartender winked like silk, leaned her body forward, and pressed down her red lips slightly with a long silver spoon, making a seductive impression, “Sir, if the cost of the drink is your heart, I would love to do this business with you.”
The accordionist returned a gentle smile.
He accepted such flirting readily and without scruple.
After she turned around, Nan Zhou asked, “Why does she want your heart?”
The accordionist pondered for a moment and replied, “Probably because… it’s one of the three lines she can say to guests under the system settings?”
Nan Zhou, “But she wants your heart…”
Nan Zhou obediently allowed him to rub his head, while seriously answering, “The brain. It is made of four parts…”
Next, he explained the structure of the brain in detail for the accordion player.
The accordionist also seemed to be a fan of drawing and anatomy and did not interrupt him, but let him speak.
Nan Zhou liked the way he listened to him quietly like this.
It made him feel that he was not alone.
Probably because he had been talking for so long, Nan Zhou was starting to feel his throat and lips going dry, and beginning to feel thirsty.
He began to look forward to the cup of cider that had not yet arrived.
……
In Jiang Fang’s dream world, he was also listening carefully to Nan Zhou’s words.
Or rather, he was sipping wine while watching Nan Zhou’s lips open and close.
Due to the light, Nan Zhou’s lips appeared as a very bright shade of red in contrast to his lustrous white skin, making people wonder if he was secretly applying something.
When he realized that he actually wanted to reach out and touch Nan Zhou’s lips, Jiang Fang’s heart trembled.
A ludicrous feeling mixed with disbelief surfaced in his heart.
He thought that it was probably because he hadn’t had alcohol in a while.
The strong alcohol content in ‘zombie’ also started to show its effects earlier than anticipated.
——People and NPCs?
Don’t be ridiculous.
One will eventually either leave or die here.
And the other is destined to stay here forever.
Since either ending is pointless, why even bother to start?
Jiang Fang’s logical side told him that it was foolish to even consider this as a possibility.
What’s more, the image of an insane and obsessive mother still haunted his dreams quite vividly even after so many years.
He would be crazy to try that cancerous and deadly disease called “love” again.
So Jiang Fang interrupted Nan Zhou in time to distract him, “Why were you staring at the DJ when you came in?”
Nan Zhou, “I was looking at his arm.”
——The tattoos on…
Jiang Fang complied and turned around, looking at the DJ’s forearm.
Jiang Fang easily identified the species, “It’s a blue morpho butterfly.”
He asked Nan Zhou, “Do you want it too?”
……
At the same time, Nan Zhou slightly pursed his lips.
He only thought that it looked familiar and was curious about it.
“I wouldn’t recommend getting one, it’s very painful. You need to use a small needle suffused with ink and pierce it onto the skin slowly.” The accordion master raised his glass to him, “Free advice, you can try it if you’d like.”
Nan Zhou asked, “Do you have a tattoo anywhere?”
The accordionist, however, avoided the question.
He said, “If you want, I can draw one for you ah.”
Soon, the accordionist grabbed a black marker from his storage, took his left hand and started to trace along his wrist.
The skin at the wrist was very sensitive.
Under the friction of the pen, there was a cold and damp feeling.
Nan Zhou quietly stared at the drooping silver scorpion braid, his heart was beating violently.
That feeling between familiarity and strangeness made his heart beat faster as he could not restrain himself from trying to sneak a peek.
Nan Zhou felt that the accordionist had noticed him staring.
The accordion player suddenly asked, “Do you know Liang Zhu?”
Nan Zhou, “Well. I’ve read it. They fell in love and in the end, they turned into butterflies.”
The accordionist lowered his head and let go of Nan Zhou’s hand, “But there aren’t many Liang Zhus in this world.”
Nan Zhou examined the black shadow on his left wrist and looked slightly confused. “This is not a butterfly.”
The accordionist laughed, “Yes. It’s just a butterfly chrysalis.”
Nan Zhou looked up at him, more and more puzzled.
The accordionist leaned on one elbow against the bar, looked at Nan Zhou, and laughed, “When they fall in love, they turn into butterflies. But many people, their love is as blind as moths fluttering to the flames.As long as they see a little light, they would rush forward without hesitation, and regard the companion they met by chance on the lamppost as their partner, which is so stupid that it is simply pathetic.”
Nan Zhou, “Hmm.”
He sensed that the accordion master seemed to be trying to educate him about something.
Nan Zhou asked, “So, is this also a kind of metaphor?”
The accordionist nodded slightly.
Nan Zhou, “That makes sense to me. What you want to convey is, don’t fall in love.”
The accordionist, “I mean, be clear-headed and don’t fall in love if it won’t have a future.”
“So, this is a wish.” He gently held Nan Zhou’s left wrist and smiled, “Nan Zhou, it will only become a butterfly when you meet someone you really like.”
Nan Zhou humbly asked for advice, “So when will I become a butterfly?”
The accordionist, “When the person who should appear appears.”
Nan Zhou, “Like when you came to [Eternal Day] and planted the apple tree?”
The accordionist, “……”
Nan Zhou was also quite surprised at the words that came out of his mouth.
He seemed to have recovered some memories, but they quickly dissipated and disappeared like falling sand.
He was actually a little angry.
Nan Zhou was very perceptive of emotions.
He could understand that the accordion master wanted to push him out on purpose and forbid him to be friends with him again.
He just didn’t understand how it came to be as such.
So, he puffed up coldly. “That’s a metaphor too.”
The accordionist only smiled and changed the subject freely. “Isn’t it too noisy here? Let’s go sit somewhere a little quieter.”
Because he was so enticed by the accordion player, Nan Zhou never had the chance to take a sip of his own cider.
And when he was led by the accordionist to a more remote card seat, he was flanked by the other teammates who were already having a good time.
Once the atmosphere warmed up, Nan Zhou felt that these people had become a lot more friendly towards him.
For Nan Zhou, this was also a very inexplicable emotional change that deserves to be studied.
Obviously, they were still so afraid of him not too long ago, so how could they talk to him in ease now?
“Nan Zhou.” The drunken man with earrings swung his arm around the perplexed looking Nan Zhou’s shoulders. “Do you know how to swear?”
Nan Zhou asked, “Why should I swear?
“To let off steam.” The man with the earrings waved his hand, “Have you never cursed before?”
Nan Zhou, “No.”
He never vented his emotions, he only considered how to solve the problem.
——Oh, except for the sentence that deliberately choked the accordionist.
The man with earrings was full of passion. “Don’t you think it’s particularly fucked up? Me, you, us, we’re all in this game now. Maybe, we are going to stay here and become teammates for life!”
Saying that, he vigorously slapped Nan Zhou’s shoulder. “We’re going to be teammates for life!”
Nan Zhou, “Oh.”
The man with the earrings was very proud, “I’ll teach you to start swearing!”
Nan Zhou, “Why?”
Earring wearing man, “Friends, do not ask why!”
Nan Zhou, “We are not…”
Before he could correct the earring wearing man, the latter made a fist in the air and cursed out, “Fuck this!”
Nan Zhou, “Hmm.”
Earring man, “…What does ‘hm’ mean?”
Nan Zhou, “It means to agree.”
Earring man, “……”
The other teammates burst out laughing.
Once this little episode was over, they organized the table to play board games again with great enthusiasm.
And Nan Zhou was also inspired by the earring man’s words.
After a brief moment of thinking, he tried to figure out why the accordion player had rejected him.
He still wanted to settle the matter properly.
The accordionist sat on the periphery of the card table away from the rest, sipping a new glass of whiskey and watching the lively interactions from a distance.
Nan Zhou moved to his side and asked, “… Why?”
The accordionist smiled and asked, “Why do you have so many questions, student Nan?”
Nan Zhou, “Because I don’t know you.”
His knowledge of this man was an endless blank space.
He was more like the chrysalis painted on his wrist, spitting out soft, black silken threads, wrapping himself into a cocoon slowly and deliberately, not allowing himself to touch that bit of light and warmth.
The accordion master wanted him to stop asking questions, and tried to change the subject. “Your lips are dry and cracked. Drink some liquor, it’s not very strong.”
Nan Zhou looked at him stubbornly.
The accordionist could not do anything with him, he smiled and spread his arms. “Fine, fine, let’s do this, let’s play a game. You can drink as much as you want to know about me.”
Nan Zhou looked at him for a moment, stubbornly picked up the glass full of amber colored liquor, and drank it all.
The accordionist smiled faintly.
He had thought that his goal was achieved.
Who would’ve thought that Nan Zhou grabbed the whiskey in his hand, put it to his lips, and downed it just as quickly.
The amber liquor slipped from the corner of his mouth, dripping on his shirt collar, making a slightly beautiful watermark.
In fact, as the bottle of alcohol went down, a steaming heat rose up from Nan Zhou’s stomach.
After finishing the accordionist’s liquor, Nan Zhou reached out to take the bottle of liquor that was casually placed on the obsidian card table next to the man with the earrings.
However, before his fingertips could touch the bottle, his body tilted forward out of control.
An extreme dizziness hit his head.
The tingling heat gurgled along his veins, quickly filling every capillary and causing his face to flush rapidly.
His lips, stained with a bit of clear liquor, opened in a rare moment of panic and confusion.
——This is… what happened?
————————————
The author has something to say.
Jiang Fang: Thanks for the invitation, there will be no love in this life.
Translator-Rhapsodite
Editor-CherryApple, Proofreader-adjective
Listening to the faint sounds coming from behind the door, Nan Zhou took two steps forward in curiosity, only to stop again at the doorway and look left and right.
The accordion player asked him with his arms folded, “What are you looking for?”
Nan Zhou replied earnestly, “Looking for the floor plan for the route to the emergency exit.”
It can be said that he was very cautious.
The accordionist’s shoulders shook, as he tried to hold in his laughter. “Good. I’ll accompany you to find it.”
Nan Zhou looked at him from the corner of his eye.
In his hazy memories, it seemed that such a person had existed.
No matter what Nan Zhou did, that person would stare at him and laugh.
At first, Nan Zhou thought it was because he did something wrong.
Then, he thought it was because that person loved to laugh.
Later on, Nan Zhou found out that the way that person smiled at him was different from the way he smiled at others, but he couldn’t figure out why.
When Nan Zhou looked closely, he found that the accordionist’s smile right now was no different from when he was smiling at others.
It was bright and gave off a warm feeling, but it also held an indescribable feeling of detachment and caution.
So, the person in his memories shouldn’t be the accordion master.
That hazy figure in his mind would smile with a warmth that existed only for him.
Since the beginning of his contact with the outside world, Nan Zhou’s perception of human emotions had always been keen and slow.
Sharp, because of his natural animal intuition.
Sluggish, because he could not understand why their emotions had such complex and strange changes.
Before Nan Zhou could think more, the musician held him by the arm and guided him down the few concrete steps, opening the door to the hidden bar.
The realistic atmosphere created from the sounds of music mixed with a strong alcohol smell and the air-conditioning set at low temperatures swept Nan Zhou into the dream of a world dazzling with paper and gold.
At that moment, a heavy metal music with a strong sense of rhythm was playing on the speakers.
The NPC DJ on the stage wore a skeleton mask and held up a hand.
Using just one arm, he operated the mixers and controls, easily bringing the crowd into a livelier mood as they matched the pulsing rhythm.
As he moved, he revealed the intricate butterfly tattoos on his arm.
Noticing the tattoo, Nan Zhou momentarily seemed to remember something, he flipped his wrist, and turned it around.
——There’s nothing there.
As if everything was supposed to be like that.
The team quickly blended into the seductive atmosphere and frenzied beat, dispersing and dancing on their own.
An ambience such as this was the best anaesthetic.
A shot of dopamine, secreted under the stimulation of sounds and colors, can make people briefly forget their pain.
The accordion master was obviously very familiar with the place.
He walked ahead, leading Nan Zhou to the bar card table, and said to the beautiful bartender lady, “Hello. I’ll have a ‘zombie’, please give my friend a glass of…”
Saying that he looked at Nan Zhou, “… cider. Thanks.”
The bartender winked like silk, leaned her body forward, and pressed down her red lips slightly with a long silver spoon, making a seductive impression, “Sir, if the cost of the drink is your heart, I would love to do this business with you.”
The accordionist returned a gentle smile.
He accepted such flirting readily and without scruple.
After she turned around, Nan Zhou asked, “Why does she want your heart?”
The accordionist pondered for a moment and replied, “Probably because… it’s one of the three lines she can say to guests under the system settings?”
Nan Zhou, “But she wants your heart…”
Nan Zhou obediently allowed him to rub his head, while seriously answering, “The brain. It is made of four parts…”
Next, he explained the structure of the brain in detail for the accordion player.
The accordionist also seemed to be a fan of drawing and anatomy and did not interrupt him, but let him speak.
Nan Zhou liked the way he listened to him quietly like this.
It made him feel that he was not alone.
Probably because he had been talking for so long, Nan Zhou was starting to feel his throat and lips going dry, and beginning to feel thirsty.
He began to look forward to the cup of cider that had not yet arrived.
……
In Jiang Fang’s dream world, he was also listening carefully to Nan Zhou’s words.
Or rather, he was sipping wine while watching Nan Zhou’s lips open and close.
Due to the light, Nan Zhou’s lips appeared as a very bright shade of red in contrast to his lustrous white skin, making people wonder if he was secretly applying something.
When he realized that he actually wanted to reach out and touch Nan Zhou’s lips, Jiang Fang’s heart trembled.
A ludicrous feeling mixed with disbelief surfaced in his heart.
He thought that it was probably because he hadn’t had alcohol in a while.
The strong alcohol content in ‘zombie’ also started to show its effects earlier than anticipated.
——People and NPCs?
Don’t be ridiculous.
One will eventually either leave or die here.
And the other is destined to stay here forever.
Since either ending is pointless, why even bother to start?
Jiang Fang’s logical side told him that it was foolish to even consider this as a possibility.
What’s more, the image of an insane and obsessive mother still haunted his dreams quite vividly even after so many years.
He would be crazy to try that cancerous and deadly disease called “love” again.
So Jiang Fang interrupted Nan Zhou in time to distract him, “Why were you staring at the DJ when you came in?”
Nan Zhou, “I was looking at his arm.”
——The tattoos on…
Jiang Fang complied and turned around, looking at the DJ’s forearm.
Jiang Fang easily identified the species, “It’s a blue morpho butterfly.”
He asked Nan Zhou, “Do you want it too?”
……
At the same time, Nan Zhou slightly pursed his lips.
He only thought that it looked familiar and was curious about it.
“I wouldn’t recommend getting one, it’s very painful. You need to use a small needle suffused with ink and pierce it onto the skin slowly.” The accordion master raised his glass to him, “Free advice, you can try it if you’d like.”
Nan Zhou asked, “Do you have a tattoo anywhere?”
The accordionist, however, avoided the question.
He said, “If you want, I can draw one for you ah.”
Soon, the accordionist grabbed a black marker from his storage, took his left hand and started to trace along his wrist.
The skin at the wrist was very sensitive.
Under the friction of the pen, there was a cold and damp feeling.
Nan Zhou quietly stared at the drooping silver scorpion braid, his heart was beating violently.
That feeling between familiarity and strangeness made his heart beat faster as he could not restrain himself from trying to sneak a peek.
Nan Zhou felt that the accordionist had noticed him staring.
The accordion player suddenly asked, “Do you know Liang Zhu?”
Nan Zhou, “Well. I’ve read it. They fell in love and in the end, they turned into butterflies.”
The accordionist lowered his head and let go of Nan Zhou’s hand, “But there aren’t many Liang Zhus in this world.”
Nan Zhou examined the black shadow on his left wrist and looked slightly confused. “This is not a butterfly.”
The accordionist laughed, “Yes. It’s just a butterfly chrysalis.”
Nan Zhou looked up at him, more and more puzzled.
The accordionist leaned on one elbow against the bar, looked at Nan Zhou, and laughed, “When they fall in love, they turn into butterflies. But many people, their love is as blind as moths fluttering to the flames.As long as they see a little light, they would rush forward without hesitation, and regard the companion they met by chance on the lamppost as their partner, which is so stupid that it is simply pathetic.”
Nan Zhou, “Hmm.”
He sensed that the accordion master seemed to be trying to educate him about something.
Nan Zhou asked, “So, is this also a kind of metaphor?”
The accordionist nodded slightly.
Nan Zhou, “That makes sense to me. What you want to convey is, don’t fall in love.”
The accordionist, “I mean, be clear-headed and don’t fall in love if it won’t have a future.”
“So, this is a wish.” He gently held Nan Zhou’s left wrist and smiled, “Nan Zhou, it will only become a butterfly when you meet someone you really like.”
Nan Zhou humbly asked for advice, “So when will I become a butterfly?”
The accordionist, “When the person who should appear appears.”
Nan Zhou, “Like when you came to [Eternal Day] and planted the apple tree?”
The accordionist, “……”
Nan Zhou was also quite surprised at the words that came out of his mouth.
He seemed to have recovered some memories, but they quickly dissipated and disappeared like falling sand.
He was actually a little angry.
Nan Zhou was very perceptive of emotions.
He could understand that the accordion master wanted to push him out on purpose and forbid him to be friends with him again.
He just didn’t understand how it came to be as such.
So, he puffed up coldly. “That’s a metaphor too.”
The accordionist only smiled and changed the subject freely. “Isn’t it too noisy here? Let’s go sit somewhere a little quieter.”
Because he was so enticed by the accordion player, Nan Zhou never had the chance to take a sip of his own cider.
And when he was led by the accordionist to a more remote card seat, he was flanked by the other teammates who were already having a good time.
Once the atmosphere warmed up, Nan Zhou felt that these people had become a lot more friendly towards him.
For Nan Zhou, this was also a very inexplicable emotional change that deserves to be studied.
Obviously, they were still so afraid of him not too long ago, so how could they talk to him in ease now?
“Nan Zhou.” The drunken man with earrings swung his arm around the perplexed looking Nan Zhou’s shoulders. “Do you know how to swear?”
Nan Zhou asked, “Why should I swear?
“To let off steam.” The man with the earrings waved his hand, “Have you never cursed before?”
Nan Zhou, “No.”
He never vented his emotions, he only considered how to solve the problem.
——Oh, except for the sentence that deliberately choked the accordionist.
The man with earrings was full of passion. “Don’t you think it’s particularly fucked up? Me, you, us, we’re all in this game now. Maybe, we are going to stay here and become teammates for life!”
Saying that, he vigorously slapped Nan Zhou’s shoulder. “We’re going to be teammates for life!”
Nan Zhou, “Oh.”
The man with the earrings was very proud, “I’ll teach you to start swearing!”
Nan Zhou, “Why?”
Earring wearing man, “Friends, do not ask why!”
Nan Zhou, “We are not…”
Before he could correct the earring wearing man, the latter made a fist in the air and cursed out, “Fuck this!”
Nan Zhou, “Hmm.”
Earring man, “…What does ‘hm’ mean?”
Nan Zhou, “It means to agree.”
Earring man, “……”
The other teammates burst out laughing.
Once this little episode was over, they organized the table to play board games again with great enthusiasm.
And Nan Zhou was also inspired by the earring man’s words.
After a brief moment of thinking, he tried to figure out why the accordion player had rejected him.
He still wanted to settle the matter properly.
The accordionist sat on the periphery of the card table away from the rest, sipping a new glass of whiskey and watching the lively interactions from a distance.
Nan Zhou moved to his side and asked, “… Why?”
The accordionist smiled and asked, “Why do you have so many questions, student Nan?”
Nan Zhou, “Because I don’t know you.”
His knowledge of this man was an endless blank space.
He was more like the chrysalis painted on his wrist, spitting out soft, black silken threads, wrapping himself into a cocoon slowly and deliberately, not allowing himself to touch that bit of light and warmth.
The accordion master wanted him to stop asking questions, and tried to change the subject. “Your lips are dry and cracked. Drink some liquor, it’s not very strong.”
Nan Zhou looked at him stubbornly.
The accordionist could not do anything with him, he smiled and spread his arms. “Fine, fine, let’s do this, let’s play a game. You can drink as much as you want to know about me.”
Nan Zhou looked at him for a moment, stubbornly picked up the glass full of amber colored liquor, and drank it all.
The accordionist smiled faintly.
He had thought that his goal was achieved.
Who would’ve thought that Nan Zhou grabbed the whiskey in his hand, put it to his lips, and downed it just as quickly.
The amber liquor slipped from the corner of his mouth, dripping on his shirt collar, making a slightly beautiful watermark.
In fact, as the bottle of alcohol went down, a steaming heat rose up from Nan Zhou’s stomach.
After finishing the accordionist’s liquor, Nan Zhou reached out to take the bottle of liquor that was casually placed on the obsidian card table next to the man with the earrings.
However, before his fingertips could touch the bottle, his body tilted forward out of control.
An extreme dizziness hit his head.
The tingling heat gurgled along his veins, quickly filling every capillary and causing his face to flush rapidly.
His lips, stained with a bit of clear liquor, opened in a rare moment of panic and confusion.
——This is… what happened?
————————————
The author has something to say.
Jiang Fang: Thanks for the invitation, there will be no love in this life.
