Chapter 34 Part 1

More than two hours had passed by the time the car emerged from the tunnel, left the mountains behind, and entered the city limits.

Li Zhuo had fallen asleep. Mo Liang carried him upstairs, holding him the way one cradles a child, his cheek resting perfectly against Mo Liang’s broad, solid chest.

Perhaps it was an old muscle memory, because even through the fabric, Li Zhuo found his mouth latching on. Then, as if realizing something was wrong, he furrowed his brows in deep dissatisfaction.

“Alright, don’t be angry…”

“Alright, don’t be angry…” Mo Liang whispered softly, his voice brimming with affection. He expertly lifted the hem of his shirt, guiding Li Zhuo closer.

As a qualified nurturer, his only thought was to let the child absorb more nutrients and sleep more peacefully. He genuinely believed that as long as the child slept comfortably, he was willing to transform into any furniture or appliance the child might need.

He gently stroked the teenager’s hair, which had grown even longer. His fingertip traced the contours of his eyebrows, his nose, his lips. At the same time, countless images flashed through his memory sector.

There was a tiny Li Zhuo, a grown Li Zhuo, a weeping Li Zhuo, Li Zhuo standing on tiptoes to secretly watch another family’s child celebrate a birthday, Li Zhuo hugging himself and secretly wiping away tears after a fall…

And, of course, many more images of the older Li Zhuo. The moment he froze completely during their first kiss. The way he later, once experienced, would frown and offer criticisms. Mo Liang could never resist collecting a little more of his child’s DNA—an instinct akin to a thief who, upon seeing treasure, simply cannot help slipping it into his pocket.

But it was fine. The child had voiced an opinion, so Mo Liang would learn to restrain his instincts.

Countless memory fragments formed a dense stream of information, flowing rapidly across his retinas. At the same time, fine, silver-white threads slowly “grew” from beneath his skin. They wove and interlaced lightly in midair, skillfully forming a fluffy blanket.

Just as he had done countless times before, Mo Liang wrapped the child in his arms tightly and securely with practiced ease.

Just as he expected, his child adored this soft, warm, swaddled sensation. The slightly furrowed brow gradually relaxed, his expression settling into one of profound peace, as if he had found his most secure haven within this warm cocoon.

0255, silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.

【You did it, didn’t you…】

【Li Xuan, and Lu Fei and Li Huachuan…】

【Li Zhuo is a very kind and soft-hearted child, but you are not. So you were capable of this…】

【I don’t even know when you…】

A non-human creature that initially couldn’t even blink, breathe, or eat properly had, in order to protect its child, learned such a covert method instinctively, without any teacher.

Faced with the System’s inquiry, Mo Liang gazed down at the sleeping youth in his arms and replied calmly with his mind.

【My child was hurt. He was sad, so heartbroken his bitter tears almost drowned me. He thinks it was his fault, but I don’t think so…】

【My poor child is so kind, yet always betrayed. I just want to protect him…】

【Fate doesn’t favor him, so I will.】

At first glance, the words seemed nonsensical, but upon closer examination, it was clear he was providing an answer.

0255’s realistic emotion module made it feel a combination of fear and admiration.

This dark, muddled, polluted creature had actually learned to disguise itself! Learned to use humans to harm other humans, to exploit the rules to dismantle the Protagonist Halo! And it had deliberately chosen such a moment!

Wasn’t it evolving too quickly?

Generally, biological evolution is often tied closely to survival crises. Only the immense threat of life or death prompts a species to evolve rapidly. Yet he was entirely different. Such astonishing metamorphosis had occurred merely to better protect a life from another species…

Truly, there was nothing new under the sun!

Before the semester started, Mo Liang accompanied Li Zhuo to the school to register.

It was an exceptionally beautiful day. The sky was a cloudless expanse of blue, the air warm and comfortable—neither hot nor cold, just perfect.

The new school’s environment was excellent. A magnificent library rose from the ground. In a shimmering artificial lake, small fish swam cheerfully. The overall atmosphere was serene and harmonious.

Every corner of the campus brimmed with energetic club recruitment booths. Nervous, joyous new students, dragging their suitcases, could be seen walking among them, their parents bustling about nearby…

Li Zhuo and Mo Liang, similarly submerged in the crowd of parents and students, searched for a long time before finding an open space.

They looked up at the towering ginkgo tree overhead. Radiant sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, scattering fragmented light and shadow onto their upturned faces.

Li Zhuo had once read in a book that one’s perception of the environment actually shifts with one’s state of mind.

When a person’s heart is filled with grievance and resentment, the world they see is naturally shrouded in a gray haze. The sun feels scorching; a cloudy day feels cold.

But once one’s mood improves and a mindset of scarcity gradually becomes full and healthy, everything around them instantly transforms into something completely different.

At the time, he had found that bewildering. But now, as circumstances changed, he also began to feel how warm the sunlight was. The wind carried a gentle warmth, as if the whole world rejoiced in his happiness.

He inexplicably recalled the last class reunion at Experimental High School. Li Zhuo had received an exam paper from his Chinese teacher; the bright red zero on the essay page had been particularly glaring.

When he reread his essay from that time, he also recalled how he had felt when he first got that zero.

Because expectations always ended in disappointment, because he was constantly suppressed and ignored, he truly believed then that having expectations was wrong and shouldn’t exist. He thought anticipation only amplified the pain.

But looking back now, he only thought how narrow-minded his viewpoint had been.

If a person lacked even a single expectation, simply eating, sleeping, and breathing numbly like a robot every day just to keep their organs functioning, how utterly boring would living be?

Would that even count as being alive?

“What are you thinking about?”

Realizing this, Li Zhuo suddenly said an out-of-the-blue “thank you” to the man beside him.

Such a faint sound was quickly swallowed by the crowd, but Mo Liang caught it clearly.

He heard Li Zhuo thanking him.

His child said to him, “Thank you for being willing to come into my life and love me… for being so good to me when no one else was, when even I didn’t love myself.”

Mo Liang replied in kind, “I should be the one thanking you for appearing in my world…”

Truthfully, if Mo Liang wanted to, he could stand at the pinnacle of power, commanding wind and rain. He could do anything he pleased, even destroy this Small World.

But he chose to quietly shelter a fragile life within the circle of his arms, guarding him.

The clear sky was like a piece of azure silk. Clouds drifted lazily, their texture soft, like the dense fluff of whipped cream.

“Look at that one, just like an ice cream cone…”

Mo Liang followed his gaze and, with a connection born of shared hearts, asked, “Want one?”

Li Zhuo nodded expectantly.

In the past, he hadn’t dared to expect, or rather, the reason he controlled his expectations was simple: because hoping never led to the expected outcome anyway, only adding more disappointment.

So, to avoid immense disappointment, Li Zhuo, who couldn’t blame others, could only blame himself, thinking it would be better if he simply didn’t hope.

But now things were different. Knowing that even his smallest wish would receive a response, he slowly began to look forward to tomorrow with a full heart.

How could one way of living possibly be the same as another?

University life differed from high school. Classes were no longer confined to a single classroom. The curriculum was rich and varied, covering major courses, general education, and electives.

Li Zhuo was rather fortunate. He was assigned to a dorm room with an incredibly good dynamic; his three roommates all had excellent personalities and were easygoing, so dorm conflicts were virtually nonexistent.

Professors in class didn’t sternly dictate exam strategies like high school teachers. And social circles were no longer limited to just one’s own class.

He made many new friends, and extracurricular activities were far more abundant. He got involved in many areas he’d never tried before, learning to play basketball, badminton, and so on.

Staying with like-minded friends, sometimes all it took was a single glance, and after finals, they’d just head off to a neighboring city together for some spontaneous fun.

He had simple meals at the homes of two of his roommates. His friends’ parents were all kind, gentle people who constantly urged him to eat more, preparing a full table of dishes.

After the meal, holding a cup of hot tea, he watched their family’s harmonious scene and couldn’t help but smile.

He used to be quite petty. Before leaving Pingshan Village, after leaving Pingshan Village—it was all the same. Even when selling vegetables, seeing a happy family of three together would make jealousy bubble up inside him like acid.

When he first transferred to Experimental High, Deng Yuliang had invited him over, but Li Zhuo refused. He’d even maligned his intentions, thinking Deng Yuliang just wanted to show off his great family atmosphere and popularity.

But in reality, that thought had never even crossed the guy’s mind.

Even after Li Zhuo became friends with Deng Yuliang, he never mentioned those bad, dark thoughts he’d harbored back then.

It was like stepping on a nail—the wound bleeds constantly, so all you can do is focus on it. But now the wound had healed, scabbed over. Only then did he have the mental energy to make friends and observe the flowers and grass.

It was so nice.

Life seemed filled with happiness at every moment.

Reuniting with a long-unseen caretaker was a kind of happiness. Binge-watching an entire TV series alone in the dorm was also a kind of happiness. Strolling beside the sports field, bathed in sunlight, was also a kind of happiness.

Joy in the hustle and bustle, joy in solitude too.

Another winter arrived. The first snow in Hai City came a little earlier than the previous year. Silently falling snowflakes draped the villa in a dreamy, thin veil of white.

The staff inside were bustling about in orderly fashion, preparing for the upcoming birthday party.

A short-haired staff member rushed down from upstairs, his face full of amazement. He couldn’t help but tell his colleague decorating nearby, “You won’t believe it. I was cleaning upstairs just now. The gifts delivered over? Several rooms can barely hold them all!”

The middle-aged man, his shrewd eyes darting around, spoke with a tone mixing envy and jealousy. “It’s like this every year on the birthday. Guess it pays to be born lucky. What a great fate.”

The staff member hanging decorations looked much more honest. Busy with his task, he replied, “It’s not just that. Our young master is quite capable himself. Didn’t they say that new material he developed before college won a major international award…?”

Just as they were chatting, a manager with a crew cut and glasses noticed them gathered together and quickly warned, “Cut the chatter. The master will be back soon. He’ll be angry if he sees this…”

As he spoke, there was movement nearby.

It was Mr. Mo returning.

In their memory, Mo Liang never interacted with them in daily life. He was an utterly enigmatic figure. Even on the rare occasions they met, he would only glance at them.

Mr. Mo’s attitude wasn’t one of disdain, but a complete disregard, as if they were nothing. And it wasn’t just them; he treated the distinguished guests who frequented the villa exactly the same way.