Translator-Rhapsodite
Editor-Pierce, Proofreader-adjective
Nan Zhou thought this was particularly different.
Although he possessed a normal perception of pain, he always had a high tolerance to it.
But this ambiguous anguish from within the depths of his body had left him with neither way to resist nor resolve it.
Thus, Nan Zhou was left baffled as he was held in Jiang Fang’s arms.
Jiang Fang’s somewhat increased body temperature seemed to be able to soothe this tingling, subtle yet unusual and constricting feeling in his chest.
This was completely illogical.
How could someone who didn’t have any medicinal properties on their body have such a calming effect?
The most noteworthy thing was that Nan Zhou was quite familiar with the emotion he seemed to have held tightly in his heart.
Alas, Nan Zhou had lost his memory of this period.
However, what his mind had completely forgotten, his body still seemed to recognize it.
This sense of stupor he felt was caused by the near-collapse of his temple of consciousness, where his vivid memories were once amassed before.
Nan Zhou leaned against Jiang Fang’s arms, trying his best to remember but to no avail.
Jiang Fang clearly felt the tension in Nan Zhou’s body.
Jiang Fang pressed his elbow on the other’s shoulder. His warm palm rose to cover Nan Zhou’s eyes, conveniently obstructing the latter’s sight directed towards that door.
He silently warned him not to look.
Nan Zhou lowered his gaze, his lashes fluttering against Jiang Fang’s palm.
Jiang Fang’s fingertips stroked his back, reminding him, “My heart is beating too fast. Why don’t you calm down a little? Settle down a bit.”
Nan Zhou, “…”
“You’re making my heart beat faster.” Jiang Fang was softly and indiscernibly showing weakness in front of Nan Zhou, “I can’t stand the massive stimulation right now.”
Nan Zhou, “I’m trying.”
Jiang Fang caught Nan Zhou’s wrist, “Listen to me.”
Saying that, Jiang Fang rested his wrist onto Nan Zhou’s wrist.
The warm skin to skin contact stirred up Nan Zhou’s supposedly steady heartbeat. The pulse on Nan Zhou’s wrist was hammering strongly.
Gradually, Nan Zhou’s breathing and heartbeat returned to normal.
Jiang Fang was like a gentle guide, gradually calming a sentinel’s skittish, restless, and vulnerable spirit.
Confirming that this small eccentric person’s enigmatic mood was gradually improving, but was still leaning on him and refusing to let go, Jiang Fang smiled and tenderly patted his shoulder, “Stop acting like a spoiled child, ah. There are still others around us.”
“I am not acting like a spoiled child.” Nan Zhou retorted, “It’s just me lying in your arms.”
Jiang Fang was amused by his solemn tone and smiled softly, “All right.”
The blonde held a winnowing basket full of food for the swans. Her attitude was unfailingly cordial.
She looked at them with a smile: “Congratulations on successfully passing the customs clearance. Do you want to rest for a while?”
Nan Zhou turned around and gave the blonde girl a faint look.
Jiang Fang directed Nan Zhou’s head back to him, forcing him to look at him and him alone.
That little selfish part of him didn’t want Nan Zhou’s attention to be on others.
The attention that should belong only to him, he didn’t want to share even a miniscule of it to another person.
Even if he knew the reason as to why Nan Zhou looked at her.
Jiang Fang said in a low voice, “Don’t look at her. You can’t kill her.”
He was really a wicked man.
He wanted Nan Zhou to accompany him when he was in pain.
The more distressed and sorry Nan Zhou felt for him, the more Jiang Fang’s heart became moved beyond words.
Jiang Fang never felt that he was similar to his mother.
Until he began to fall in love with someone.
……
Nan Zhou now had a terrible impression of the blond girl since he felt incensed due to Jiang Fang having to spend nearly 11 hours on this mission.
In this regard, Jiang Fang’s explanation was quite an understatement, “The previous levels were okay. It was the last few levels that took most of my time.”
What he meant was that, overall, the earlier levels only took him 30 minutes to clear. But from levels eight to thirteen, it took him 10 hours and 20 minutes to finish it.
Thus, Jiang Fang was indeed in need of rest.
And the environment here was quiet and peaceful enough.
The surrounding idyllic pastoral atmosphere could greatly soothe their tensed nerves.
The 48 hours spent for exploration—which was provided by [Brain Invasion], along with the consumptive nature of the game—indicated that it was impossible for them to carry out the mission back-to-back.
So, combining various conditions, they decided to rest here for five hours before setting off.
When he assisted Jiang Fang to get up, Nan Zhou stumbled a little.
Jiang Fang’s mind was still unstable since he subjected himself to suicide many times.
This made him forget about the golden ring on Nan Zhou’s thigh.
Only at this time did Jiang Fang realize that Nan Zhou’s trembling behavior wasn’t just because he felt distressed for him.
Jiang Fang frowned and touched his thigh with his fingertips.
A ring of cold and hard material about one finger wide pressed against Nan Zhou’s crisp, starched suit pants, wrapping Nan Zhou’s thigh tightly.
Jiang Fang traced the outline of the ring through the layer of fabric, “Does it hurt?”
Nan Zhou looked down at Jiang Fang’s hand, “I don’t feel it anymore.”
Jiang Fang, “Let’s go then.”
The blonde girl looked with interest.
And Li Yinhang, who regained her human form, had already grabbed a handful of feed for the swans, acting bashful as she ran to the pond where the swans were
She turned to a group of large white swans, “honk honk honk.”
Watching people fall in love was as interesting as feeding swans.
……
Unlike the sweatpants that Li Yinhang wore for convenience, Nan Zhou’s pants couldn’t be lifted up to his thigh.
Because the position where the leg ring was wedged was relatively hidden, and it was difficult to accurately judge the situation from Nan Zhou’s own perspective, so Nan Zhou felt that it wasn’t a big problem for Jiang Fang to check the situation for him.
The two of them found a secluded place where the two people of the opposite sex couldn’t see them from a distance.
Nan Zhou lowered his dark suit pants just below the knee and sat with his fully-clothed torso on the floor, allowing Jiang Fang to fiddle and inspect.
It was at this time that the unique characteristics about Nan Zhou were clearly revealed.
He not only possessed the slender shoulders, long legs, and powerful muscles and bones of a real man, but he also had this allure which almost every male lead in a comic has.
Nan Zhou had a translucent, light-skinned complexion, a vivid semblance to a light.
His body hair was exceptionally scarce, nearly non-existent.
The brilliance of the pure golden ring was firmly bound on the skin; its contrast in color was extremely sharp.
The reddish spots mottled around the vicinity added a certain peculiarity and unusual fascination.
Jiang Fang supported the area behind Nan Zhou’s knee and lifted one of his legs slightly.
He applied shallow pressure to the skin that surrounded the gold ring.
Fortunately, the gold ring didn’t leave scorched or clinched marks on the skin.
But it was snuggly fit to the thigh.
Jiang Fang embedded his fingers in between the golden ring and Nan Zhou’s thigh, manipulating it around. His brows then slightly narrowed.
——Inside the gold ring were rugged lines engraved to it, slipping the ring off would cause abrasion.
If he forcibly tried to remove it, it may injure Nan Zhou.
Jiang Fang asked him, “Do you feel the impact of it when you perform any actions?”
Nan Zhou tried to flex and stretch his legs a bit, “No.”
The thickness of the golden ring was average. Indeed, it wouldn’t affect anything.
Jiang Fang, “Kick me.”
Nan Zhou understood his intention, “Hmm.”
As the words fell, he forcibly swept his leg towards the side of Jiang Fang’s neck.
Jiang Fang slightly dodged and grabbed hold of his ankle, taking the opportunity to measure the length of the other’s ankle in his palm.
He smiled and intimately held Nan Zhou’s ankle, “It seems to be unaffected.”
Nan Zhou propped his hands on the grassy ground behind him, “Do I have to take it off?”
Even if there was no bleeding or injury in that place, it must be painful whenever it would rub against his skin and flesh.
“No. It’s aesthetically appealing.” Jiang Fang’s voice was gentle, “And there are also dangling decorations included.”
As he spoke, he playfully flickered the miniature gold rings with his fingers, which were decorated on the bigger golden ring.
The golden ringlets collided, emitting a pleasant metallic sound.
Jiang Fang said, “If you attach a chain or ornament, it should look exquisite.”
Nan Zhou originally didn’t care much about this golden ring.
As long as it didn’t affect his performance, it was a dispensable existence.
Hearing what Jiang Fang said, he didn’t care anymore.
He said, “Then let’s go to sleep.”
Jiang Fang was preoccupied with admiring his leg, thinking about what to decorate on it if he had a chance, when he suddenly heard Nan Zhou’s unexpected suggestion. He was rendered speechless for a while as he gazed at Nan Zhou.
Nan Zhou noticed his odd expression, quite confused he asked, “You don’t want to sleep?”
Jiang Fang lowered his voice, knowingly asking: “Then if I go to sleep, where will you go?”
His tone was weak, pitiful, and helpless.
Nan Zhou grabbed the waist of his pants and rustled it up.
Hearing this, he replied, “Of course, I’ll sleep with you.”
The two laid down on the boundless expanse of the green field. With the sky above them as their shelter and the earth below as their bedding, they laid under the same rays of light and on the same grass they treaded on.
Jiang Fang used his arm as a pillow, closing his eyes and pretended to recuperate.
Nan Zhou said, “You are exceptionally stunning.”
The corners of Jiang Fang’s mouth slightly rose, “Thank you.”
Nan Zhou, “This look of yours makes me think of a very important person.”
Jiang Fang, “Is that so? Is it a friend?”
Nan Zhou frankly responded: “Actually, no. Not really.”
Jiang Fang, “……” Why not again?
…… After all, wasn’t a friend someone who has a similar way of thinking as yourself?
Nan Zhou was thinking about another thing.
He still clearly remembered that when the three of them bluffed and emptied [Squirrel Town], Jiang Fang accurately stated the time for the fireworks display in that town.
At that time, Jiang Fang was obviously hiding something from them.
Nan Zhou didn’t pursue it and let it go.
But now, Nan Zhou had a new idea.
Nan Zhou asked: “Have you ever played [Forces of Temptation] before.”
Jiang Fang’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated, “Why do you ask that?”
Nan Zhou’s forthrightness instantly attacked his heart, “Have you ever planted an apple tree for someone?”
“I…”
When the matter came to a head, Jiang Fang was once again at a loss for words.
T/N-Chinese word, pinyin shì dào lín tóu, which is interpreted as the matter has come to an end and describes the urgency of the matter
He was ashamed to open up about the tenderness he once had.
Because once he admitted it, he was bound to answer Nan Zhou’s next question.
“Why?”
Why would he pretend not to know Nan Zhou when he had met him long ago?
Why plant a tree for someone like him whom he had never met?
The funny thing was that Jiang Fang was even willing to die just to see Nan Zhou. But he just couldn’t express his love and heart to the person.
That past was gone. What was the point of acknowledging it now?
Jiang Fang would rather take things slowly like they were doing now than rush their relationship.
Doing that would cause Jiang Fang to do an imprudent and untimely transgressive act.
So, he gave an evasive answer.
“… What apple tree?”
“Ah.” Nan Zhou pursed his lips, “… Nothing.”
Jiang Fang raised his hand and rubbed his hair, “Don’t think of too much nonsense. Go to sleep.”
Nan Zhou obediently forced himself to fall asleep quickly.
He was still convinced that there was some kind of problem with his body.
So he made sure to have a good rest and recover, reducing the supposedly detrimental effects caused by the full moon.
In the next level, he still needed to protect the two.
When Nan Zhou’s breathing gradually stabilized, Jiang Fang, however, supported his body with his arm and turned sideways, focusing on Nan Zhou’s sleeping face.
The clothes provided by the game system were always impeccably clean.
But after being worn by Nan Zhou for a long time, it came with a little warmth and the aroma of fresh apples on his body.
Jiang Fang tilted down to gaze at him for a long time before he leaned down, discreetly kissing his collar.
That bit of warmth and fragrance naturally stained his lips.
Jiang Fang stroked his lips. The corners of his mouth blossomed into a somewhat helpless smile, “Don’t be so smart. You… wait for me again.”
Translator-Rhapsodite
Editor-Pierce, Proofreader-adjective
Nan Zhou thought this was particularly different.
Although he possessed a normal perception of pain, he always had a high tolerance to it.
But this ambiguous anguish from within the depths of his body had left him with neither way to resist nor resolve it.
Thus, Nan Zhou was left baffled as he was held in Jiang Fang’s arms.
Jiang Fang’s somewhat increased body temperature seemed to be able to soothe this tingling, subtle yet unusual and constricting feeling in his chest.
This was completely illogical.
How could someone who didn’t have any medicinal properties on their body have such a calming effect?
The most noteworthy thing was that Nan Zhou was quite familiar with the emotion he seemed to have held tightly in his heart.
Alas, Nan Zhou had lost his memory of this period.
However, what his mind had completely forgotten, his body still seemed to recognize it.
This sense of stupor he felt was caused by the near-collapse of his temple of consciousness, where his vivid memories were once amassed before.
Nan Zhou leaned against Jiang Fang’s arms, trying his best to remember but to no avail.
Jiang Fang clearly felt the tension in Nan Zhou’s body.
Jiang Fang pressed his elbow on the other’s shoulder. His warm palm rose to cover Nan Zhou’s eyes, conveniently obstructing the latter’s sight directed towards that door.
He silently warned him not to look.
Nan Zhou lowered his gaze, his lashes fluttering against Jiang Fang’s palm.
Jiang Fang’s fingertips stroked his back, reminding him, “My heart is beating too fast. Why don’t you calm down a little? Settle down a bit.”
Nan Zhou, “…”
“You’re making my heart beat faster.” Jiang Fang was softly and indiscernibly showing weakness in front of Nan Zhou, “I can’t stand the massive stimulation right now.”
Nan Zhou, “I’m trying.”
Jiang Fang caught Nan Zhou’s wrist, “Listen to me.”
Saying that, Jiang Fang rested his wrist onto Nan Zhou’s wrist.
The warm skin to skin contact stirred up Nan Zhou’s supposedly steady heartbeat. The pulse on Nan Zhou’s wrist was hammering strongly.
Gradually, Nan Zhou’s breathing and heartbeat returned to normal.
Jiang Fang was like a gentle guide, gradually calming a sentinel’s skittish, restless, and vulnerable spirit.
Confirming that this small eccentric person’s enigmatic mood was gradually improving, but was still leaning on him and refusing to let go, Jiang Fang smiled and tenderly patted his shoulder, “Stop acting like a spoiled child, ah. There are still others around us.”
“I am not acting like a spoiled child.” Nan Zhou retorted, “It’s just me lying in your arms.”
Jiang Fang was amused by his solemn tone and smiled softly, “All right.”
The blonde held a winnowing basket full of food for the swans. Her attitude was unfailingly cordial.
She looked at them with a smile: “Congratulations on successfully passing the customs clearance. Do you want to rest for a while?”
Nan Zhou turned around and gave the blonde girl a faint look.
Jiang Fang directed Nan Zhou’s head back to him, forcing him to look at him and him alone.
That little selfish part of him didn’t want Nan Zhou’s attention to be on others.
The attention that should belong only to him, he didn’t want to share even a miniscule of it to another person.
Even if he knew the reason as to why Nan Zhou looked at her.
Jiang Fang said in a low voice, “Don’t look at her. You can’t kill her.”
He was really a wicked man.
He wanted Nan Zhou to accompany him when he was in pain.
The more distressed and sorry Nan Zhou felt for him, the more Jiang Fang’s heart became moved beyond words.
Jiang Fang never felt that he was similar to his mother.
Until he began to fall in love with someone.
……
Nan Zhou now had a terrible impression of the blond girl since he felt incensed due to Jiang Fang having to spend nearly 11 hours on this mission.
In this regard, Jiang Fang’s explanation was quite an understatement, “The previous levels were okay. It was the last few levels that took most of my time.”
What he meant was that, overall, the earlier levels only took him 30 minutes to clear. But from levels eight to thirteen, it took him 10 hours and 20 minutes to finish it.
Thus, Jiang Fang was indeed in need of rest.
And the environment here was quiet and peaceful enough.
The surrounding idyllic pastoral atmosphere could greatly soothe their tensed nerves.
The 48 hours spent for exploration—which was provided by [Brain Invasion], along with the consumptive nature of the game—indicated that it was impossible for them to carry out the mission back-to-back.
So, combining various conditions, they decided to rest here for five hours before setting off.
When he assisted Jiang Fang to get up, Nan Zhou stumbled a little.
Jiang Fang’s mind was still unstable since he subjected himself to suicide many times.
This made him forget about the golden ring on Nan Zhou’s thigh.
Only at this time did Jiang Fang realize that Nan Zhou’s trembling behavior wasn’t just because he felt distressed for him.
Jiang Fang frowned and touched his thigh with his fingertips.
A ring of cold and hard material about one finger wide pressed against Nan Zhou’s crisp, starched suit pants, wrapping Nan Zhou’s thigh tightly.
Jiang Fang traced the outline of the ring through the layer of fabric, “Does it hurt?”
Nan Zhou looked down at Jiang Fang’s hand, “I don’t feel it anymore.”
Jiang Fang, “Let’s go then.”
The blonde girl looked with interest.
And Li Yinhang, who regained her human form, had already grabbed a handful of feed for the swans, acting bashful as she ran to the pond where the swans were
She turned to a group of large white swans, “honk honk honk.”
Watching people fall in love was as interesting as feeding swans.
……
Unlike the sweatpants that Li Yinhang wore for convenience, Nan Zhou’s pants couldn’t be lifted up to his thigh.
Because the position where the leg ring was wedged was relatively hidden, and it was difficult to accurately judge the situation from Nan Zhou’s own perspective, so Nan Zhou felt that it wasn’t a big problem for Jiang Fang to check the situation for him.
The two of them found a secluded place where the two people of the opposite sex couldn’t see them from a distance.
Nan Zhou lowered his dark suit pants just below the knee and sat with his fully-clothed torso on the floor, allowing Jiang Fang to fiddle and inspect.
It was at this time that the unique characteristics about Nan Zhou were clearly revealed.
He not only possessed the slender shoulders, long legs, and powerful muscles and bones of a real man, but he also had this allure which almost every male lead in a comic has.
Nan Zhou had a translucent, light-skinned complexion, a vivid semblance to a light.
His body hair was exceptionally scarce, nearly non-existent.
The brilliance of the pure golden ring was firmly bound on the skin; its contrast in color was extremely sharp.
The reddish spots mottled around the vicinity added a certain peculiarity and unusual fascination.
Jiang Fang supported the area behind Nan Zhou’s knee and lifted one of his legs slightly.
He applied shallow pressure to the skin that surrounded the gold ring.
Fortunately, the gold ring didn’t leave scorched or clinched marks on the skin.
But it was snuggly fit to the thigh.
Jiang Fang embedded his fingers in between the golden ring and Nan Zhou’s thigh, manipulating it around. His brows then slightly narrowed.
——Inside the gold ring were rugged lines engraved to it, slipping the ring off would cause abrasion.
If he forcibly tried to remove it, it may injure Nan Zhou.
Jiang Fang asked him, “Do you feel the impact of it when you perform any actions?”
Nan Zhou tried to flex and stretch his legs a bit, “No.”
The thickness of the golden ring was average. Indeed, it wouldn’t affect anything.
Jiang Fang, “Kick me.”
Nan Zhou understood his intention, “Hmm.”
As the words fell, he forcibly swept his leg towards the side of Jiang Fang’s neck.
Jiang Fang slightly dodged and grabbed hold of his ankle, taking the opportunity to measure the length of the other’s ankle in his palm.
He smiled and intimately held Nan Zhou’s ankle, “It seems to be unaffected.”
Nan Zhou propped his hands on the grassy ground behind him, “Do I have to take it off?”
Even if there was no bleeding or injury in that place, it must be painful whenever it would rub against his skin and flesh.
“No. It’s aesthetically appealing.” Jiang Fang’s voice was gentle, “And there are also dangling decorations included.”
As he spoke, he playfully flickered the miniature gold rings with his fingers, which were decorated on the bigger golden ring.
The golden ringlets collided, emitting a pleasant metallic sound.
Jiang Fang said, “If you attach a chain or ornament, it should look exquisite.”
Nan Zhou originally didn’t care much about this golden ring.
As long as it didn’t affect his performance, it was a dispensable existence.
Hearing what Jiang Fang said, he didn’t care anymore.
He said, “Then let’s go to sleep.”
Jiang Fang was preoccupied with admiring his leg, thinking about what to decorate on it if he had a chance, when he suddenly heard Nan Zhou’s unexpected suggestion. He was rendered speechless for a while as he gazed at Nan Zhou.
Nan Zhou noticed his odd expression, quite confused he asked, “You don’t want to sleep?”
Jiang Fang lowered his voice, knowingly asking: “Then if I go to sleep, where will you go?”
His tone was weak, pitiful, and helpless.
Nan Zhou grabbed the waist of his pants and rustled it up.
Hearing this, he replied, “Of course, I’ll sleep with you.”
The two laid down on the boundless expanse of the green field. With the sky above them as their shelter and the earth below as their bedding, they laid under the same rays of light and on the same grass they treaded on.
Jiang Fang used his arm as a pillow, closing his eyes and pretended to recuperate.
Nan Zhou said, “You are exceptionally stunning.”
The corners of Jiang Fang’s mouth slightly rose, “Thank you.”
Nan Zhou, “This look of yours makes me think of a very important person.”
Jiang Fang, “Is that so? Is it a friend?”
Nan Zhou frankly responded: “Actually, no. Not really.”
Jiang Fang, “……” Why not again?
…… After all, wasn’t a friend someone who has a similar way of thinking as yourself?
Nan Zhou was thinking about another thing.
He still clearly remembered that when the three of them bluffed and emptied [Squirrel Town], Jiang Fang accurately stated the time for the fireworks display in that town.
At that time, Jiang Fang was obviously hiding something from them.
Nan Zhou didn’t pursue it and let it go.
But now, Nan Zhou had a new idea.
Nan Zhou asked: “Have you ever played [Forces of Temptation] before.”
Jiang Fang’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated, “Why do you ask that?”
Nan Zhou’s forthrightness instantly attacked his heart, “Have you ever planted an apple tree for someone?”
“I…”
When the matter came to a head, Jiang Fang was once again at a loss for words.
T/N-Chinese word, pinyin shì dào lín tóu, which is interpreted as the matter has come to an end and describes the urgency of the matter
He was ashamed to open up about the tenderness he once had.
Because once he admitted it, he was bound to answer Nan Zhou’s next question.
“Why?”
Why would he pretend not to know Nan Zhou when he had met him long ago?
Why plant a tree for someone like him whom he had never met?
The funny thing was that Jiang Fang was even willing to die just to see Nan Zhou. But he just couldn’t express his love and heart to the person.
That past was gone. What was the point of acknowledging it now?
Jiang Fang would rather take things slowly like they were doing now than rush their relationship.
Doing that would cause Jiang Fang to do an imprudent and untimely transgressive act.
So, he gave an evasive answer.
“… What apple tree?”
“Ah.” Nan Zhou pursed his lips, “… Nothing.”
Jiang Fang raised his hand and rubbed his hair, “Don’t think of too much nonsense. Go to sleep.”
Nan Zhou obediently forced himself to fall asleep quickly.
He was still convinced that there was some kind of problem with his body.
So he made sure to have a good rest and recover, reducing the supposedly detrimental effects caused by the full moon.
In the next level, he still needed to protect the two.
When Nan Zhou’s breathing gradually stabilized, Jiang Fang, however, supported his body with his arm and turned sideways, focusing on Nan Zhou’s sleeping face.
The clothes provided by the game system were always impeccably clean.
But after being worn by Nan Zhou for a long time, it came with a little warmth and the aroma of fresh apples on his body.
Jiang Fang tilted down to gaze at him for a long time before he leaned down, discreetly kissing his collar.
That bit of warmth and fragrance naturally stained his lips.
Jiang Fang stroked his lips. The corners of his mouth blossomed into a somewhat helpless smile, “Don’t be so smart. You… wait for me again.”
