Chapter 26: You’ll Understand When You Have a Partner
A few hours earlier—
Wei Langxing, enjoying the morning sun, couldn’t have predicted the events to come. Full of energy, he even woke up early, deciding to try his hand at making breakfast.
Everything required practice, he thought. If he couldn’t become a five-star chef overnight, he could at least become a normal person who didn’t blow up the kitchen.
His wish was granted. The kitchen wasn’t a laboratory; it wouldn’t explode from a minor mistake. But the end product was far from what he had envisioned.
He poked at the blackened, unidentified object on the plate with his chopsticks. It didn’t resemble a multigrain beef patty at all.
Why? He had followed the recipe perfectly. Why did it turn out like this when he was the one cooking?
The defeated Wei Langxing couldn’t understand.
He absolutely couldn’t feed this to Tang Yu’an. It would ruin his image.
He’d go buy something edible before he returned from Yu Liao’s place.
He wondered how he slept, if the night light kept him company.
Frustrated, Wei Langxing abandoned the idea of making vegetable soup.
Coincidentally, Xie Cun, also up early and wandering around the building, drifted over.
Whenever Xie Cun saw him, he would either completely ignore him or address him sarcastically as “Captain Wei.”
He knew Xie Cun resented him and was looking for a fight, but if he retaliated too harshly, Tang Yu’an might think he was prejudiced against the new recruit.
He didn’t know what Xie Cun had said to Tang Yu’an behind his back, making him specifically tell him to get to know Xie Cun better.
It had been the same with Zuo Tinghan. Tang Yu’an had told him that if he just got to know him, he would definitely like him.
As if in his world, all conflicts were caused by misunderstandings, and everyone had a heart of gold hidden beneath their exterior, just waiting to be discovered.
So, faced with this troublesome butterfly, he could only suffer in silence.
Sometimes, he felt irritated, thinking Tang Yu’an was too impartial.
Initially, it had been just the two of them, like twin stars, revolving around each other.
But then came Zuo Tinghan, and then Xie Cun, one cold as ice, the other burning hot.
If they stood close enough, they might even neutralize each other, like some kind of elemental game.
If he had to choose, Wei Langxing would rather be in the same room with Zuo Tinghan. At least he wouldn’t do anything besides trying to freeze everyone to death.
But unfortunately, while he was wallowing in the depths of his culinary failure, it was Xie Cun who appeared before him.
The man even glanced at his creation with disdain, then feigned surprise: “Oh, Captain Wei is reminiscing about hard times? As expected of our hardworking model citizen.”
Wei Langxing: “…”
Now he was even more annoyed.
His tone was unfriendly: “Don’t you have anything better to do than criticize others?”
Xie Cun raised his hands in surrender: “Whoa, don’t be so angry early in the morning. It’ll age you, give you wrinkles.”
Wei Langxing knew he was still young; he wouldn’t be swayed by such words.
He pointed to the door: “Get out, don’t bother me.”
Normally, Xie Cun wasn’t someone who could be easily dismissed, but he happened to be on his way out.
Picking up the keys to his fancy car, which he constantly showed off, he said: “I’m going to pick up Tang Tang. Don’t worry, Captain, we’ll bring you back some leftovers!”
Xie Cun loved giving people nicknames. He had called Zuo Tinghan “Doomsday Racer” the first time they met, earning him a death glare.
He was overly familiar, always using nicknames. Wei Langxing tried to ignore it.
If it weren’t for the cooking disaster, he would be on his way now, not this guy.
A single dish could defeat a hero, he lamented, finishing the blackened mess.
He couldn’t waste food, and although it looked terrible, it was edible.
He would have just had nutrient paste; it was convenient and hassle-free.
But Tang Yu’an seemed averse to it. It wasn’t that he couldn’t tolerate slightly strange tastes, he simply didn’t like processed food.
He had asked him about it once. Tang Yu’an, swallowing a bite of cornbread, had said that nutrient paste felt like medicine, and he didn’t like it.
He hadn’t elaborated further. He wouldn’t tell Wei Langxing that in a previous world, he had been born in a laboratory, constantly subjected to various drugs and injections. He hadn’t even considered that living.
His limbs restrained, his mind always hazy, he would chat with the system, even though it was just a robot.
Because he was afraid that if he remained silent for too long, he would forget how to speak.
The researchers would sometimes implant memories into his mind to observe his reactions, making him feel like he was being dissected.
Dreams and reality blended together, his thoughts fragmented and reshaped. He felt like a pile of sand, flowing through cracks, molded into different shapes, easily scattered by anyone.
During that time, he sometimes couldn’t even distinguish between implanted memories and real ones.
He had asked the system: “Are you a figment of my imagination? Am I insane?”
Although the system was always responsive, it couldn’t answer such complex questions, only repeating the same phrase.
[The main storyline is about to begin. The protagonist will arrive shortly. Please cooperate with the mission, Host!]
Right, he had a mission, to be a lab rat, a catalyst for the protagonist, who would stumble upon the villain’s inhumane experiments and be moved to action.
Protagonists weren’t always strong and brave from the start; they needed to grow, sometimes gradually, sometimes in a single moment.
And Tang Yu’an was the wave that pushed them at the crucial moment.
He had escaped once, according to the plot, and encountered the protagonist, fresh out of society, naive but full of passion.
The protagonist, seeing him as a blank slate, curious about everything, felt a protective instinct, and they struggled to survive together in the wasteland.
But their time together was short-lived. Due to an accident, his location was exposed, and he was captured.
The protagonist thought he was dead, until he infiltrated the enemy base and saw him strapped to an operating table.
In that single moment, he transformed from an ordinary person to a determined fighter, vowing to eradicate the villainous organization.
As the protagonist carried him away, the sounds of gunfire filled the air, but he could only faintly hear the protagonist’s pleas for him to stay.
The goal was achieved; it was time for him to leave.
Although he couldn’t speak, hearing the protagonist’s choked sobs, he wanted to tell him not to be sad, that time would heal all wounds.
You’ll forget me soon, he thought. This time, I don’t have to stay and experience it myself, which is a blessing.
The drugs made his mind sluggish, in and out of consciousness. Upon being transported to the next world, he pinched himself hard until he bled, the pain confirming he was still in reality.
That memory was so deeply ingrained that he felt a reflexive aversion to the nutrient paste in the small bottles.
But he had to adapt; he couldn’t let his abnormality attract attention.
Besides, there would be times when he wouldn’t have time to eat and would have to rely on nutrient paste. He had to overcome his aversion.
So, he chose a nice day, taking out various flavors and brands of nutrient paste, attempting a desensitization therapy.
But he overestimated himself. He couldn’t control his body’s rejection of the liquid, vomiting immediately after each sip.
He wasn’t discouraged, mechanically continuing like a robot, drinking and vomiting, until he succeeded.
Finally, his throat gradually adapted, and he could keep it down.
Perhaps his complexion was too terrible, as Wei Langxing had asked him, alarmed, if he was sick.
Saying he was fine wouldn’t be convincing, so he told him he had just read a novel and was feeling emotional.
Wei Langxing understood, saying his sister was the same, crying over soap operas. He had teased her about it several times, only to be chased and beaten while she continued to cry, unable to retaliate with their parents present.
Knowing Tang Yu’an was empathetic, he had a sudden thought, asking him which character he would choose to be if he could enter a novel.
It was a lighthearted, playful question, but Tang Yu’an thought for a long time.
Finally, he looked up, meeting Wei Langxing’s eyes: “I want to be an ordinary person, someone who lives a simple life, eats well, sleeps well.”
Many days had passed since that conversation. Wei Langxing, having finished his culinary disaster, looked at the sunlight streaming through the window, suddenly remembering those words.
He had asked Tang Yu’an curiously, didn’t he want to be the protagonist, blessed with luck, destined to save the world?
What had Tang Yu’an’s answer been?
Oh right, he had said it was “too much.”
Wei Langxing had assumed he meant too much responsibility, or too many unexpected events, but Tang Yu’an had actually meant too many emotions.
He couldn’t handle it.
Wei Langxing had pondered over his unspoken words, even mentioning it to his sister when she called, reminding him to take their parents for a checkup.
His sister had laughed, asking why he, a grown man, didn’t understand such a simple concept.
A simple life was the best, contentment was the most valuable quality, she had said. You’ll understand when you have a partner, living your own little life… Oh wait, you’re married to your work, you don’t have time for a partner.
“That’s not…”
He muttered, and his sister, immediately alert, started interrogating him excitedly. He hung up without hesitation.
But he took her words to heart—
After meeting Tang Yu’an, he had gradually become accustomed to eating real food instead of nutrient paste.
Honestly, he quite enjoyed it. It wasn’t that he was particularly interested in food, but watching Tang Yu’an eat gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.
He ate slowly, like a graceful, adorable black cat.
For the first time, he understood the meaning of contentment.
Enjoying the pleasure of feeding him, he had the delusional idea of cooking himself, which was why he tried making breakfast before Tang Yu’an returned.
He was washing the dishes when he received a call from Xie Cun.
Tang Yu’an and Yu Liao were missing. The guards had been drugged.
The plate slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor.
