Chapter 78: Guard Dog [Knasch, 90%]…
He Yue wanted to take off his mask, but the female insect held his wrist, not letting go.
The black leather gloves separated them, and the system couldn’t identify the female insect’s name and data. He Yue occasionally heard a faint electric current, interfering with his hearing and thoughts, causing a slight discomfort.
(System, didn’t you say you could identify without contact before?)
[Signal interference, I… identify… not…]
The mechanical voice disappeared, and no matter what He Yue said, he didn’t get a response from the system. The human transmigrator had disrupted the system’s order, becoming a cross-temporal variable, temporarily beyond the system’s control.
He Yue gave up on asking the semi-faulty system for help.
“I’ve already… almost forgotten what you look like.” He Yue didn’t let go, and he clearly felt the hand holding his tremble slightly, the force of resistance also weakening a lot.
If being tough didn’t work, then he would be soft. He Yue didn’t believe he was completely unmoved.
He Yue’s appearance hadn’t changed much, only that his body had become more slender because he had become a male insect. The spotlight on the stage made him look even paler, the specks of white light in his eyes like a shattered galaxy. He deliberately softened his attitude a little, making the female insect let go of his grip on the stalemate.
The way to handle him was the same as before, he couldn’t stand seeing the little painter he had raised make this expression.
“When Xiao Yue was little, he liked to watch horror movies. You said that feeling of being scared to the point of cold sweat and a chill down your spine was terrifying but addictive. Even if you were so scared you didn’t dare to close your eyes at night, after the fear passed, you would pester me to watch thrillers with you.”
Being reminded of his childhood experiences after growing up was quite embarrassing. He Yue’s memory of those hard-to-speak-of childish times was already blurry, but this female insect could recount them as if they were treasures, having recalled them countless times.
“It’s been so long, what’s the point of bringing it up?” He Yue felt that this person still treated him like a child, even though there was only a ten-year age difference.
The female insect chuckled softly. “I was just saying, the way I look now is no different from the jump-scare ghosts in those thrillers, a bloody mess like a special effect.” He lowered his head, and the corner of the mask He Yue was holding also fell. “Even if I recover in the end, I might not look the same as before.”
“Before, Xiao Yue promised to grant me a request. I’ll use it now. I hope I can let you see my true face in my best state, not this messy, ghostly appearance.” The female insect said.
He Yue retracted his hand.
Why was his painting mentor here, why had he become his conquest target, why had he become like this? Why was the supernatural system malfunctioning, why couldn’t it identify his information?
“Alright, I’ll grant this request.”
He Yue walked past him and headed for the door without looking back, not even saying goodbye. He could guess that the female insect might have his reasons, but he was also dissatisfied with being kept in the dark.
The female insect watched his back, hearing the bell on the club door jingle as it was pushed open, then close heavily. The entire club was silent, and the working female insects, as waiters, were tactfully quiet.
He sighed deeply, left the corridor hall, and entered his private lounge and office.
His own system was also malfunctioning, and there was a ringing and electric current in his ears.
(System, continue the new round of modification tests.)
[Can your host’s body still take it?]
(Continue, I want to see him sooner.)
Ever since the magic show, He Yue had a new idea. He wanted to open a separate area in the venue, decorating it to look like the aftermath of a fire.
The pencil made a “swish” sound on the white paper, his inspiration flying freely on the paper.
The walls were the gray-black of after a fire, and the floor was covered in ashes. The paintings on the canvas used black as a base, with large patches of black to simulate the traces of a fire. The connections were also painted with a zigzag pattern, and the drawn shadows made it look like a part of it had really been burned.
One side was a brilliant dreamscape of colors, the bold color combinations incredibly eye-catching. But the other side was a blackened wooden board, so dark it was like a black hole, incredibly oppressive.
He Yue gave this section a name, “The Art of Being Destroyed.”
He left enough room for the audience’s imagination, to imagine what the destroyed part of the painting was.
He could also make the audience feel regret. As long as they entered this area, looked at the oppressive black and the remaining brilliant colors, they would remember the fire news that had been forgotten on the optical network, drowned out by countless new messages.
A disaster should not be forgotten.
Art deserves to be protected.
At least, he couldn’t be the only one dwelling on this fire. By recreating the destroyed paintings in his art exhibition in this way, he was also giving them new life.
Only at this moment did He Yue feel that he had truly emerged from this fire.
He put the paintbrush in the brush holder, and the new box of paints was now a mess. To prepare for this art exhibition, He Yue had used a lot of paint. Thankfully, the insect race’s paints were well-mixed and could be used directly, reducing the trouble of mixing colors and saving a lot of time.
They were a bit expensive, but Arnis had sent him the best paints on the market, a whole cabinet full.
He painted until late at night, and when he emerged from his inspiration, he realized it was pouring outside.
The heavy rain formed a mist, blurring his vision. The studio’s soundproofing was very good, and the sound of the rain coming in formed a white noise of just the right volume.
He Yue leaned against the window, listening to the natural white noise, feeling comfortable. This kind of weather was very suitable for sleeping.
His gaze swept across the courtyard and saw a white thing at the gate.
Oh right, the fox was still outside.
Without his permission, Knasch would tie the leash to the iron gate and endure the rain without a sound, even in a downpour. From a distance, he looked like he was lying on the ground, curled up. He Yue could only see a white ball under the dim courtyard light.
He changed his shoes, took an umbrella, and walked into the heavy rain alone.
The rain was heavy, the raindrops hitting He Yue’s umbrella with a loud sound, and the cool wind was also very cold. He Yue’s leather shoes stepped into the courtyard, each step splashing a little water.
The water on the ground was also very deep, almost reaching the bottom of his leather shoes. Knasch was lying on his side, the water reaching his eyes.
He Yue walked to the gate, the front of the umbrella only covering the fox’s upper body.
He gently kicked the fox’s tail with the tip of his shoe. “Knasch, wake up.” The fox didn’t react, hugging his tail tightly, lying in the accumulated water.
“Fox? Get up.”
He Yue knelt down, his fingers touching his cold body.
The rain and the night wind were very cold, and the fox’s body was terrifyingly cold, without a trace of warmth. He Yue froze for a moment, his fingers touching his nose.
There was still a faint breath, he wasn’t dead.
He Yue pulled on Knasch’s arm and said, “Fox, get up.” The fox, half-asleep, hugged the tablet computer in his hand and struggled to open his eyes, propping up his heavy body from the accumulated water, and stared at He Yue for a long time.
The sound of the heavy rain was so loud that his ears were filled with the sound of raindrops hitting the ground or the umbrella. The dim light in the courtyard made everything look like a dream. Knasch saw He Yue standing before him, holding an umbrella, and lay back down.
“You…?” He Yue looked at him, puzzled.
The fox turned over, his back to He Yue, and muttered, “Another dream… can I have fewer of the same dream, Master won’t really come and call me…” He Yue raised his hand and slapped his tail, his hand getting wet.
The slight pain made the fox shudder, and he finally sat up as if waking from a dream, his water-soaked fox ears standing up straight, shaking off a lot of water.
“Mas… Master, good evening, I wasn’t deliberately slacking off.” He sat on the ground, fumbling with his tail to hand the wrapped tablet computer to He Yue. “I’ve finished the materials Wien gave me tonight. He didn’t come to get them, he’s probably busy, right?” He Yue looked back upstairs, and the study on the second floor was indeed brightly lit.
The house used soundproof glass, and Wien in the study couldn’t hear the rain outside.
These two guys…
The tablet computer itself had a waterproof coating, and being wrapped tightly in the thick fox fur, a little rain was harmless. Compared to the drenched Knasch, this tablet computer was very well protected.
He Yue didn’t check if the materials inside were complete, but got up to untie the leash wrapped around the iron bars.
The iron chain was tied very tightly by Knasch, and He Yue had to use some effort to unwind it. It was just for show, Knasch could stand up and untie the chain, escape from here, or find a comfortable eave to shelter from the rain.
But the fox didn’t do that.
As long as he could stay by He Yue’s side and gain his Master’s forgiveness, even being a guard dog was a great blessing.
He was content to be a guard dog at the gate.
“Let’s go, get inside and out of the rain.”
Knasch had been exposed to the wind and rain for a long time, and he hadn’t said a single word of plea in this downpour. Every day when he came in and out, Knasch would dutifully greet He Yue with sunshine and enthusiasm.
He had truly lived up to being his Master’s dog.
In the truest sense.
“It’s alright, Master… the fox is fine here.”
“Stop with the nonsense.”
He Yue pulled on the leash, making the chain taut, forcing Knasch to look up at him. “Whatever I give you, whether it’s a reward or a punishment, you have no right to refuse. Don’t make me angry, let’s go.”
Hearing the word “angry,” the fox instinctively trembled and nodded earnestly.
“Little fox, a reward is not a right, you can only accept and obey.”
The fox seemed to understand his Master’s meaning.
“Master, I’m sorry, I know I was wrong…” The fox knelt up, nervously squeezing his tail, squeezing the water out of his wet fox tail like a thick white towel. “It’s not just punishment that I have to accept, I can’t use my suffering to measure your command…”
His azure eyes reflected his Master’s shadow, with even more wholehearted devotion than before.
“Everything I have belongs to you, Master… I only have what you’re willing to give me…”
[Knasch, 90%]
He Yue rarely showed a gratified and satisfied smile. “Good performance, Master will set up a dog bed for you in the living room.”
All the gloom was swept away, and the fox, hugging his wet tail, was overjoyed. “Thank you, Master!” He didn’t get up as He Yue expected, but followed behind him, dragging his knees, wading through the accumulated water in the courtyard.
He had been thoroughly tormented by the downpour, and this moment was no different. He Yue didn’t tell him to get up, and he didn’t want to get up. The 90% submission value made his knees weak, and he followed behind He Yue, enveloped in the shadow cast by his Master, feeling very safe.
He Yue pushed open the door and put away the umbrella.
“Come in.” He hung the umbrella by the door and said, turning around.
The fox knelt under the eaves outside the door, wringing out his wet fox tail, like wringing a thick white towel.
“You’re allowed to use the bathroom on the first floor to take a bath. The beanbag chair in front of the floor-to-ceiling window will be your dog bed from now on.”
“Yes, thank you, Master.”
The fox, as usual, gratefully accepted his Master’s reward, his forehead touching the threshold as he entered.
The heavy rain, driven by the evening wind, inevitably blew onto He Yue’s body, his clothes clinging to him, cold and damp. He also went upstairs to take a hot bath and changed into dry, comfortable clothes.
The fox had already cleaned himself up, his tail fur blown dry and fluffy, and he sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, blankly counting the raindrops dripping down the glass.
“Fox, do you watch horror movies?”
He Yue couldn’t sleep and sat on the living room sofa, a thin blanket over his legs. After meeting that female insect at the club, He Yue had been thinking about thrillers. Having finally finished the paintings for the exhibition, he had time to watch some of the insect race’s horror movies.
“I do. The organization’s missions are always at night, and there are always eerie ambush points. The leader, to improve our courage, forced us to go through haunted houses, watch horror movies, and read horror novels to desensitize us.”
He Yue had never heard of an assassin organization making its members watch horror movies to desensitize them to ghosts, and he found it novel. “You have a gun, what’s there to worry about ghosts?”
“Of course I’m not afraid!” The fox crawled on all fours to He Yue’s feet. “I’m not even afraid of death, of course I’m not afraid of ghosts. If they have the ability, they can take me down to hell!” His tail wagged like a little dog’s, and his ears flattened against his head. “Master, can the fox watch with you?”
“Yes.”
He Yue handed him the projector’s remote control. “This is for you, pick the scariest one.”
“Wow… isn’t Master afraid?”
“I am.”
The fox’s hand, adjusting the frequency, paused, and he turned to look at He Yue, puzzled. “Why watch if you’re afraid?”
“The fun is in being afraid. The more afraid you are, the more you have to watch, to be scared to the point of cold sweat and a chill down your spine… that’s what’s exciting.” He Yue unconsciously repeated the female insect’s words.
When he was very young, He Yue loved to watch horror movies. The strange colors and darkness blending together made him feel like he was there. The downside of being too immersed was that he would be too scared to sleep, and would secretly sneak into his old friend’s room, even into his bed…
It was quite funny to think about now.
“This one has a high rating. The members of the organization were so scared they ran around everywhere when they saw this.” The fox stopped pressing the remote and turned to ask He Yue’s opinion.
The movie poster was of a faceless insect, and the background was filled with various bloodstains. Without a doubt, this was a movie with a lot of jump scares.
The way I look now is no different from the jump-scare ghosts in those thrillers.
He Yue remembered this sentence at an inappropriate time.
“Alright, let’s watch.”
The soundproof glass blocked most of the rain, but also placed the entire living room in a surround sound of gentle rain. The late night and the dark atmosphere perfectly created the right mood for watching a horror movie, and the moment the movie started, He Yue gripped the thin blanket on him tightly.
Knasch sat at his feet, his eyes always secretly glancing at his Master.
He Yue’s face was sometimes illuminated by the flashing lights of the projector, sometimes completely shrouded in darkness, only his smooth silhouette visible.
The music was an ethereal chant, and the screen suddenly shook, a dazzling white light flashing, a piercing scream coming from the speakers.
Before He Yue could see the ghost’s head suddenly jump out, his vision was blocked by a ball of white fluff.
The fox had been staring at his Master, watching his hands grip the thin blanket, twisting it, seeing his Master’s jaw clenched and his face trembling, and he couldn’t bear it.
The dry fox’s tail pressed against He Yue’s eyes, the fur soft and gentle, perfectly covering his view of the projector, forming a comfortable eye mask.
The fox had jumped up suddenly, one hand holding his tail to block He Yue’s eyes, the other braced against He Yue’s side, trapping him in front of the sofa.
He could still hear the eerie and intense background music, and some monstrous roars. He Yue laughed and hooked the fox’s tail with his index finger, pulling it down.
“You’re disturbing me watching a horror movie, bad fox.”
The fox’s tail was pulled down, turning from an eye mask to a mouth mask, the fluffy fur covering He Yue’s mouth, making his voice muffled. The soft fox fur was too close, and when he opened his mouth, the soft fur brushed against his wet tongue.
The fox stood in front of He Yue and quickly tried to explain, “I… I’ve seen this, this scene… it scared me a lot.” He didn’t look scared at all, his eyes filled with a greedy desire for his Master, who was so close.
“Aren’t you not afraid?”
“This kind of sudden appearance, anyone would flinch.”
He Yue was amused by his awkwardness, his cheerful laughter a stark contrast to the dark and terrifying movie background music.
They were very close, so close that Knasch had trapped He Yue between himself and the sofa, with only a fox’s tail between them. He Yue’s warm breath blew on the tip of the fox’s fur, and then on the fox’s face.
“The horror movies here are really not that interesting.” He Yue was immune to low-level jump scares. If he were to write a horror movie for the insect race, he would definitely show them what true psychological horror and a chill down your spine was.
The fox agreed, quietly moving a little closer, pressing his own lips against his side of the fox’s tail.
He was no longer listening to what his Master was saying. He only felt that his Master loved the fox’s big, fluffy tail, and would press his soft lips against it when he spoke. And he would also cunningly press his own lips against the tail, as if he could indirectly kiss his Master.
He Yue pushed aside the thick fox fur and pressed his cool lips against the part of the tail covered only by fine, soft fur, his moving lips clearly felt by the fox through the tail.
He Yue nonchalantly enjoyed the comfortable feeling of the soft fur brushing against his cheek, and the fox before him was almost going crazy.
“Fox, are you listening to me?”
The fox came back to his senses and nodded repeatedly. “I’m listening, I’m listening…”
No one was paying attention to the hard-working projector anymore, nor to the faceless ghost that kept appearing.
He Yue stroked the fluffy fox’s tail, rubbing his face against the comfortable, thick fur, complaining about the low-quality horror movie, not noticing the tense, lust-filled fox before him.
He didn’t even see the faceless ghost in the end, nor did he remember that perhaps, under the female insect’s mask, was such a terrifying face.
The tickets for He Yue’s art exhibition were priced very reasonably, and on the first day, countless insects came to see it. The news of the art exhibition occupied the front page, and the amount of discussion at one point made the front page of the optical network all about He Yue, with no end in sight.
{How many years has it been, I’m finally eating fine food.}
{I’ve almost moved in, I’ve been there several times already. Does the art gallery have a VIP or a point system? I’ll definitely be at the front.}
{I suggest the art gallery tour all the districts.}
{I saw the artist today, how can he be so good-looking, so skilled, and have unlimited inspiration? When he was born, he must have grabbed my heart…}
…
There were many comments on the optical network praising the art exhibition, and many praising He Yue.
The “Art of Being Destroyed” section, as expected, became a hot topic on the optical network. Some insects uploaded their own photos of the original paintings and compared them one by one.
Regretful voices were in the majority, and the previous news was back in the public eye.
{But, this fire is really strange. I live nearby, I heard an explosion.}
{Me too.}
{It was said to be an accident, what rumors are you spreading.}
{You guess why there are so few art exhibitions, those who know, know.}
…
He Yue looked at the heated comments on the optical network and smiled.
This was the effect he needed.
He wanted to reopen the arson case, and he needed the power of public opinion.
This world was already rotten. The evil held the power of speech, and he couldn’t get the perpetrators the punishment they deserved through proper channels, nor could he directly kill them.
He needed public opinion, he needed this matter to be as big as possible, so big that the council couldn’t silence the insects, so that all the conspiracies would be exposed before him, so that the insects who came to see the exhibition would stand behind him, become his weapon, and get justice for himself.
In fact, He Yue didn’t want to shake this civilization that had existed for so long. He just wanted to know who started the fire, who Oried was protecting, and he just wanted the perpetrators to get the punishment they deserved.
Even if it was just a few years in prison according to the insect race’s law, it would be enough to comfort the victims’ hearts.
That was all.
He Yue stood in the exhibition hall, looking at the walls painted to simulate ash and the broken paintings on them.
Art always carried a story, and the story of these paintings wasn’t over yet.
On the optical network, some insects had already spontaneously gathered together, asking for clues and testimonies from the insects who had passed by the art exhibition at that time.
The art gallery was doing better and better, becoming a local landmark, and every insect who came to Area A would visit it. Not only that, but many insects came for a second or third time, and many would visit the art exhibition every few days.
He Yue’s income accumulated quickly, and he soon became very rich.
He created a side account and joined the private investigation team for the arson case, slowly following their progress.
The art exhibition had made a name for He Yue, and many rich insects were rejected when they offered a high price for a painting. Occasionally, when he found a kindred spirit, he would paint one or two high-priced custom paintings for them when he was in a good mood.
Everything was going smoothly.
“Master, the income from the art gallery and custom paintings has reached the tens of millions, Master is amazing!”
Knasch held up the prepared accounting spreadsheet for He Yue to see.
Although they didn’t use income as a measure, they were also very happy when He Yue’s hard work was recognized by the public, not just through praise, but also through actual income.
The closing time had already passed, and only a few of them were left in the art gallery.
Arnis rushed over after work and, hearing the fox’s words, walked up to He Yue. “A milestone, worth celebrating. What do you want to eat tonight, my treat.”
He Yue chuckled. “I don’t need you to treat me anymore.”
The fox glanced at Arnis and muttered, “The president’s net worth is at the top of the insect race, I can’t even count how many digits that number has, of course he looks down on these tens of millions.”
His tone was clearly slandering Arnis in front of He Yue.
Arnis said lightly, “If you can’t count, then learn.”
“You, are you polite!!”
He Yue watched as the fox, enraged, was about to rush over and fight, and laughed out loud.
Wien held Knasch’s shoulder and said helplessly, “Forget it, fox, you can’t win a war of words with a merchant.”
“You’re so mean…”
The fox drooped his ears and curled up at He Yue’s feet, hugging his tail.
He Yue reached out and ruffled his ears. “Don’t fight.”
The fox obediently nodded, hugged He Yue’s calf, and affectionately nuzzled his Master’s knee. “Master is still the best…”
“Is the fox always like this?” Arnis crossed his arms and looked at He Yue, who was petting the fox’s ears, and asked Wien in a low voice.
“A vixen is like this, who let him have fluffy fur? You’ll get used to it.” Wien patted his shoulder and nodded.
Arnis’s eyes darkened. “As the Master’s accompanying female insect, you’re really generous.”
“As long as Master likes it and has fun, that’s the most important thing.”
The two of them tacitly didn’t continue the conversation, each with their own thoughts.
One was thinking, if you truly love someone, how can you bear to give them away?
The other was thinking, if you truly love someone, how can you bear to make them unhappy?
