“You’re asking if my ‘like’ really means ‘like’?” Tao Fangyi, who was busy scaring a child, took a moment to stroke Wang’s hand. “Of course it does. I like you very much.”
Wang looked at the back of his hand, feeling somewhat unsatisfied. He suspected something was wrong with him, but this time he didn’t interfere with Tao Fangyi’s work.
Tao Fangyi only had a bit of Fear Value left.
After finishing the midnight scare, Tao Fangyi returned to the Toy Room and took out his watch. The dial was green. This meant Liu Xuanyong hadn’t been left with any shadow at all.
He had dressed up as a ghost to scare him, and yet the kid really had a big heart.
As Tao Fangyi packed his things, he asked Wang if there was something he wanted to talk about. During his mission, Wang had been trying to speak but seemed particularly conflicted.
“I think I might like you a little,” Wang said. “Not much, just a tiny bit.”
“Then I’ll look forward to the day you like me a whole lot.” The last bit of Fear Value was collected. Tao Fangyi deactivated his dinosaur form, and his short claws finally turned back into long, round hands.
“No, you don’t understand my ‘like’,” Wang said, a bit frustrated. He didn’t want it to be this way either, but by the time he realized it, it was already a bit late. “I mean my liking you might be mixed with lust.”
Wang had always known he wasn’t quite normal. When his emotions were heightened, he was especially prone to going overboard. So overstepping boundaries was normal for Wang. In turn, this “normality” affected his judgment. He couldn’t even infer his own feelings from his physical reactions, because his physiological responses were still like those of a teenager or a young adult human, getting intensely aroused by even a little stimulation. Wang had learned to ignore his body’s state; his physical reactions could not be used as a standard of judgment.
But when Tao Fangyi said he liked him, Wang was so happy. That meant he could pester Tao Fangyi every day, and even if Tao Fangyi got angry, he wouldn’t throw him out? When he slept, Tao Fangyi would put a hand on his back and pat him? Even if he kept nudging Tao Fangyi, Tao Fangyi would only look at him helplessly with a smile? Such a life would be too blissful. This was the first time Wang had ever longed so much for a tangible “happiness.”
“You don’t like me,” Tao Fangyi firmly denied. “You’ve misunderstood.”
“How would you know?!” Wang was a bit displeased.
“You like my face, right?” Tao Fangyi asked him.
“Of course.” Wang crossed his arms and nodded solemnly.
“You sleep peacefully by my side, right?” Tao Fangyi asked again.
Wang nodded again.
“So to you, I’m just a reliable senior whose face you find appealing.” Tao Fangyi put his hands on his hips. He felt he understood Wang’s mentality. “There’s some insecurity in your heart, and I’m like a protective umbrella to you. Combined with your fondness for my looks, you’ve mistaken that for liking me.” Tao Fangyi finished packing. He stretched out his round hand and tapped Wang, who also turned into a chibi mummy doll.
Wang touched his chin. “Really?” He felt there was some truth to what Tao Fangyi said.
Tao Fangyi gave him a sense of security? Indeed, Wang didn’t dare live with his parents. His power was growing too fast. If one day he went mad and actually attacked his own family, there was a certain probability he would succeed. If he really killed his own closest relatives, his path would likely come to an end. But Tao Fangyi was different; that red collar was still around his neck. That actually counted as a sense of security. As for Tao Fangyi’s face, he really did like it, very much. So was it all just an illusion?
“Think of it this way.” Tao Fangyi pulled Wang through the wall, and they entered the elevator of The Nineteenth Level. “Can you accept physical contact with me?”
Wang: “You mean you topping me or me topping you?”
“Hey hey hey!” Tao Fangyi hurriedly covered Wang’s mouth. “You can’t talk like that!!”
With his mouth covered, Wang looked up and pondered for a moment. Then he pulled Tao Fangyi’s round hand down: “I can accept that.”
Tao Fangyi: “Ah?”
“I’m actually looking forward to it.” Wang had just imagined that scene, and his True Form was already getting excited again. Why wouldn’t he accept? He really wanted to see Tao Fangyi in a state of passionate disarray. Wang wanted to see Tao Fangyi blush, and he wanted to play with Tao Fangyi’s long hair.
“Do you want to give it a try?” Wang asked Tao Fangyi. “If you’re worried I lack experience and might make you very uncomfortable, you can do me instead.”
Tao Fangyi was shocked by Wang.
“Don’t mind me, I’ve got plenty of ways to get pleasure.” Wang felt that when the time came, he could tease Tao Fangyi; watching Tao Fangyi break down or earnestly lecture him, he could find joy in that.
“Wang!!!” Tao Fangyi shouted his name.
Just then, the elevator doors opened, and a Plastic Puzzle Figure waiting outside was startled.
“Senior Tao?” The plastic figure recognized Tao Fangyi.
“Sorry, that was rude of me.” Tao Fangyi suddenly grabbed Wang’s hand and dragged him out of the elevator.
“Senior Tao, has something happened?” The Ceramic Capybara behind the plastic figure had never seen Tao Fangyi look so angry before.
“My upbringing has a problem.” Tao Fangyi controlled his tone, but it was obvious he was extremely angry.
Tao Fangyi furiously pulled Wang to the town and dragged him into his own home.
Wang thought Tao Fangyi would fling him hard into the house and then punish him as a bad child. Instead, after closing the door, Tao Fangyi let go of Wang. Wang returned to his True Form and looked at his five fingers, opening and closing them. Meanwhile, Tao Fangyi quickly ran upstairs and changed into his real body.
“This is too much! How can you just say something like that outright!” Tao Fangyi held his forehead. He took a long moment to calm down, then felt this wasn’t good. He and Wang hadn’t known each other long; Wang’s personality must have been formed earlier. Wang was so unconcerned about matters of lust, yet he said he had no experience… So Wang’s previous family education must have had some issues. He couldn’t confront it fiercely; he should be gentler.
Tao Fangyi took out his phone with a serious expression, searching for feel-good articles on how to be a parent. Then he mentally prepared himself, took a deep breath, and was ready to go talk to Wang.
Passing by a mirror, Tao Fangyi paused. He was still wearing The Nineteenth Level’s uniform. He had learned that some kids liked this kind of clothing. Besides, Wang liked his face. He should present himself more like a guardian. Tao Fangyi took off his jacket and shirt, not even leaving the gloves. Then he put on a loose white T-shirt and looked at his face in the mirror. His appearance seemed a bit too fierce.
Tao Fangyi searched around the house and found a pair of gold-rimmed glasses in a box.
“These are from… when?” As Tao Fangyi wiped the lenses, he recalled that he liked buying various odds and ends. He occasionally chased trends, though the trends he chased seemed a bit strange to others.
Tao Fangyi put on the glasses and looked at the mirror for a while. There was still a touch of aggression. He tied his long hair into a low ponytail and put a loose black sweater over his white shirt. He changed into a pair of dark trousers. Now he looked very gentle. Tao Fangyi was quite satisfied. He pushed open the door and went downstairs. He had thought Wang would have gone off to do his own thing, but Wang was waiting for him in the living room downstairs.
“Wang,” Tao Fangyi called.
Wang, who was pondering how he would be treated, turned to look at Tao Fangyi.
At the same time, Wenren Fu, who was on leave at home and engaged in a flame war online out of boredom, suddenly covered the lower half of his face. His face instantly flushed bright red. The computer screen gradually faded from Wenren Fu’s vision, replaced by Wang’s perspective.
“Wang, we need to communicate.” Tao Fangyi walked over to stand opposite Wang.
Wenren Fu saw Tao Fangyi’s clean, slender hand gently touch the back of the chair. The muscle structure of his wrist shifted and rippled with his subtle movement. His joints paled slightly when exerting force. Wenren Fu caught a glimpse of a wrist peeking out from the sweater, where the base of the palm and the inside of the wrist faintly showed the pattern of blood vessels. But as Tao Fangyi stepped forward and his arm was no longer stretched out, the sweater sleeve covered the wrist again. Wenren Fu felt it was a pity; he really wanted to bite down and taste the flavor of Tao Fangyi’s blood. Both Wang and Wenren Fu licked their lips simultaneously, trying their best to maintain their composure. Then Tao Fangyi’s face came into view; he had already sat down. Tao Fangyi’s long black hair was tied in a low ponytail, draped from behind his neck to his chest. Wang saw himself in the reflection of Tao Fangyi’s glasses, and his own smile was truly too exaggerated.
Come to think of it, did Tao Fangyi think that dressing more casually would make him look less serious? Wang never found Tao Fangyi frightening. Tao Fangyi’s oppressive feeling would excite Wang; Wang liked the feeling of being near death, of pain. But now…
“Have you really been conscious since ancient times?” Wang reached out his hand, and just as he was about to touch Tao Fangyi’s cheek, Tao Fangyi caught his wrist.
“What’s the matter?” Tao Fangyi asked in return.
“The desire in your eyes isn’t as intense as mine,” Wang said. “You’re actually very innocent, even though you know so many principles…” He wanted to devour Tao Fangyi, or be devoured.
“You really did pick up a monster,” Wang sighed.
“You’re not a monster, and besides, you don’t have eyes.” Tao Fangyi reached out and touched Wang’s smooth cheek.
Wang: … Fine, he wouldn’t force Tao Fangyi to understand.
“Here’s the thing.” Tao Fangyi cleared his throat. “I hope you can understand that you and I are not in that kind of relationship.”
Wang: “But we could be.” Wang didn’t care about the future, nor what kind of ending they would have. If he were someone who cared about his future, he wouldn’t have split off Wang, this Separated Soul. Wang only cared about the present, and right now he felt he really wanted Tao Fangyi.
“We can’t!” Tao Fangyi emphasized.
Wang: “… Why? Didn’t you say you could accept loving someone to the point of life and death?”
“Of course I can accept that, because it would be a novel experience, but my romantic partner can’t be you.” Tao Fangyi’s tone was as gentle as possible. “Do you know what our relationship is?”
Wang shrugged. “If you slept with me now, I’d say we’re pretty good business partners.”
“That’s not the kind of relationship it is! Good heavens! What kind of education did you get before? Your parents are far too irresponsible!” Tao Fangyi pressed his brow. At the same time, two of his old friends coincidentally sneezed. Wang agreed with Tao Fangyi’s assessment of his parents: “They truly can’t be called responsible.”
“In short, I’m your senior, and you still need to learn from me later. I cannot develop feelings for you.” Tao Fangyi said. “This isn’t a matter of love or not love; it’s a matter of morality.”
“But I thought you didn’t care about this before.” Wang had asked Tao Fangyi before, and Tao Fangyi didn’t mind if Wang pursued him.
Tao Fangyi placed his hand over Wang’s. “Because I love you now.”
Wang: “Ah?”
“I feel like that past experience of mine has been washed by rain. The originally misty memories have become clear, and my feelings have also become clear.” Tao Fangyi explained, “I want to understand you better, but not through that kind of irrational emotion.”
“You might have some favorable impression of a senior like me, but that’s not love.” Tao Fangyi smiled especially gently.
Wang thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, “If, and I mean if.” Tao Fangyi tilted his head. “If your old friend’s son, the one called Wen, Wen…” Wang pretended to forget his own real name. Tao Fangyi: “Wenren Fu.” “Ah yes yes yes, Wenren Fu. If one day Wenren Fu fell for you and confessed to you, could you accept it?” Wang was preparing to change tactics.
