Yan Yu’an shifted his gaze onto the youth’s lower half and reached out to touch the youth’s pants. Only when the youth got so nervous he nearly jumped did he laugh out loud twice.
“You—what do you mean!”
Watching the youth speak so urgently, Yan Yu’an smiled calmly. If he were in the youth’s shoes, he’d definitely react the same way. “The material of your pants doesn’t exist in this world.”
“!!!”
Seeing the youth’s eyes go wide, Yan Yu’an couldn’t help laughing again.
For some reason, he was very happy today. He felt like he’d run into a friend from his hometown.
The first moment Yan Yu’an saw him, he could guarantee this youth wasn’t one of those apocalypse people. This youth was pure as a blank sheet of paper, without a trace of a bloody scent on him.
“You—how do you know?” The youth’s tone changed. He rubbed his head a little dizzily, his tone uncertain. “Where are you from?”
“3050.” Yan Yu’an stared fixedly at him. He saw the youth’s lips move, his expression looking utterly stunned. “And you?”
The moment his words fell, he was pulled into a tight hug by the youth. He patted the youth’s back in surprise and felt tears continuously falling from the youth’s eyes.
“My name is Mu Shu.” His voice carried a hint of choking. Bean-sized tears kept falling onto Yan Yu’an, making him hurriedly let go of Yan Yu’an and raise a hand to wipe away his own tears. “I’m from the year 2050.”
Perhaps because they came from the same time and space—even separated by a thousand years—Mu Shu felt a wonderful sense of closeness to Yan Yu’an.
Yan Yu’an’s throat tightened. All his earlier guesses had been right.
“How did you get here?” Yan Yu’an comforted the tear-covered Mu Shu and asked the question he most wanted to know.
Mu Shu shook his head and pursed his lips. The pretty youth looked like he was about to cry again. “I don’t know either. I just appeared here for no reason, and besides…”
His words cut off abruptly, and an unusual red appeared on his face.
And besides what? Before Yan Yu’an could say this, a huge gust of wind suddenly swept past. Yan Yu’an froze and hurriedly turned to look at Xie Ji and the others. The next second, he was pulled into Xie Ji’s embrace.
Across from him, Mu Shu waved at him. “I’m going now. Come find me up the mountain.” The next second, a tall figure scooped him up by the waist, and a pair of sharp eyes glared viciously at Yan Yu’an.
Yan Yu’an saw Mu Shu pat his hand, and the man withdrew his bare gaze, looking pitifully at Mu Shu.
“Let’s go.” The man’s voice was low. He gave Xie Ji a thoughtful glance, then without hesitation disappeared before everyone.
Yan Yu’an watched blankly as Mu Shu and that man vanished together. When he turned his head, he saw Xie Ji’s surprised gaze, and something in his heart immediately became clear.
“He’s your younger brother?”
Yan Yu’an asked quietly.
Xie Ji nodded, his tone a little helpless. “But he seems to have forgotten me.”
Shen Yuanzhou and Ning Bingque, who had arrived late, happened to hear this. Shen Yuanzhou said bluntly: “It’s been so long. Very normal.” As he spoke, he flicked his red tongue and circled around Yan Yu’an.
“Let’s go up the mountain.” Yan Yu’an lowered his eyes, his long hair partially covering them.
The three nodded. They didn’t know what Yan Yu’an and that guy had talked about, but they all noticed Yan Yu’an looked especially happy now.
Ning Bingque sighed and carefully tidied his messy hair for him again, then said: “After we go up, you have to stay close to us. This mountain is very dangerous.”
Yan Yu’an nodded in understanding.
This mountain was lush and green, covered in tall, dense trees. There were many insects on the mountain, and before long Yan Yu’an’s arms and legs were covered in bug bites.
Xie Ji irritably swept the bugs biting him away with his tail, but ended up covered in bites himself.
“Why are there so many mosquitoes here?” Xie Ji swiftly swatted the bugs stuck to his body, grumbling and complaining.
The next second, Shen Yuanzhou pulled Yan Yu’an to his side. Instantly, the bugs that wanted to stick to him immediately flew off toward Ning Bingque and Xie Ji.
Shen Yuanzhou raised an eyebrow, glanced at the furious Xie Ji, and rubbed Yan Yu’an’s hair. “No bug dares run wild before this Snake King.”
…
“What’s up ahead?” Yan Yu’an was the first to spot a stone house in front. He froze and was just about to step forward to check when Ning Bingque suddenly blocked him.
Seeing Yan Yu’an looking at him in confusion, Ning Bingque gave an unnatural cough, turned his face away, his ears red. “Wait a bit before going in.”
Just as he said this, a faint moaning sound reached everyone’s ears.
“…”
Even if Yan Yu’an were more innocent, he still knew what that sound represented.
Though Xie Ji and the others’ hearing wasn’t as good as Ning Bingque’s, it was still better than Yan Yu’an’s—they could even hear the man’s cries of pleasure.
“This…” Yan Yu’an couldn’t help rubbing his forehead. His fair face gradually turned red, and he couldn’t help twisting his fingers, flushed to the ears. “W-wait a bit, let’s wait.”
His red lips were bitten tightly shut, and his black-and-white eyes darted all around.
His look made the three of them find it funny—animal mating was a perfectly ordinary thing, especially now in spring and summer. Wasn’t it mating season?
Though the three of them had never experienced it, they’d seen plenty of this sort of thing in the tribe.
He didn’t know how much time had passed—long enough for the sun at the horizon to sink in the west—before Mu Shu slowly walked out.
“You’re here?” Mu Shu’s tone carried a hint of post-coital languor. His eyes were like silk threads as he stared at Yan Yu’an, then swept a glance over the other three. Not knowing what he thought of, he let out a light laugh.
He then called back over his shoulder: “Hubby, we’ve got guests.” His voice was crisp, without a trace of embarrassment.
The next second, the man shielded him behind his back, his tall frame blocking Mu Shu completely.
“What are you things?”
The man’s voice was low. He sized up the four before him and finally let his gaze land on Xie Ji.
“You…” The man narrowed his eyes, staring at Xie Ji without speaking.
For a moment, everyone actually fell silent.
In the end, it was Mu Shu who broke the silence. His eyes went wide, and he poked his head out from behind the man. “Oh my, you two look so alike.”
Xie Ji snapped back to his senses and couldn’t help swallowing. “Xie Chen.”
Xie Chen’s eyes flew wide. His nose moved, as if trying to catch some scent, but he failed. He looked at Xie Ji in disbelief.
“You two know each other?” Mu Shu tilted his head, a little puzzled. He rested his head against Xie Chen and wrapped his snow-white arms around Xie Chen’s neck. “My friend happens to be over there too. Why don’t we go sit for a bit?”
Xie Chen glanced at him, then nodded slightly. “Come in.” His tone was very cold, but Yan Yu’an inexplicably heard a hint of anticipation in it.
He couldn’t help glancing at Xie Ji, and saw his hands clenched into fists, trembling slightly.
“I’m nervous, An’an…” Seeing Yan Yu’an look at him, Xie Ji couldn’t help saying, pressing his lips together.
Yan Yu’an immediately patted his hand, wanting to keep him from being nervous—but Xie Ji’s hands were still shaking like a sieve.
Only after they entered the room did Yan Yu’an couldn’t help being a little startled. On the right side of the room was a large bed covered in soft animal hides, while on the other side there was actually ironwork.
“You know how to smelt iron?” Yan Yu’an couldn’t help asking.
Xie Chen glanced at him and pulled Mu Shu into his arms. He raised an eyebrow. “You know about this?”
Yan Yu’an nodded lightly. Shen Yuanzhou and Ning Bingque immediately shielded him behind them, their searching gazes landing on Xie Chen.
“Can we talk?” Xie Ji walked up to Xie Chen. The man before him had golden hair just like his own. Xie Ji couldn’t help wanting to pat his head like he had when they were little—but thinking of something, the hand he’d reached out snapped back.
Xie Chen felt a little miserable inside. He looked at the man standing before him, and only after a long while did he nod. “Let’s go.”
He glanced at Mu Shu, thought for a moment, then took his hand. “You don’t mind if I bring one person, right?”
Xie Ji nodded, then walked out first.
Yan Yu’an marveled at these things made of iron, secretly resolving in his heart to learn from Mu Shu how to smelt iron.
Meanwhile, on the other side, after Xie Ji and Xie Chen went out, Xie Ji suddenly spoke.
“You…” He forced down the urge in his heart and lowered his voice. “You look a lot like my younger brother.”
He said quietly, his tone a little trembling.
By now the sun had sunk in the west, and the moon had slowly risen high into the sky. The sky gradually darkened, leaving only the bright white moonlight for company.
Xie Chen pulled the watching-for-fun Mu Shu behind him, his voice muffled. “You look a lot like my older brother too.”
The word “older brother” seemed to be Xie Ji’s switch—his tail actually lifted slightly, and his ears twitched along with it.
Xie Chen looked at Xie Ji, an indescribable meaning in his eyes. He said quietly: “I thought you were dead.”
Xie Ji lowered his eyes. “Me too.”
The two brothers hadn’t seen each other for roughly twenty years. This sudden reunion left them both somewhat silent.
The rustling cries of cicadas came from all around, yet Xie Ji felt at ease. He looked deeply at Xie Chen, his lips moving, and only after a long while asked: “Do you want to come back to the lion tribe with me?”
Xie Chen was silent. Xie Ji immediately understood his meaning. He let out a deep sigh, then gave a bitter laugh. “If you’re not willing, then forget it.” He paused and looked around this small island. “It’s nice here too.”
If it were only Xie Chen alone, then Xie Ji would absolutely find a way to have him come back with them—but now there was Mu Shu keeping him company, so at least he wouldn’t be lonely anymore.
“You like that person?”
Just as they were about to head back, Mu Shu suddenly spoke. His big black-and-white eyes rolled slyly, and then he asked.
Xie Ji’s steps paused. He looked thoughtfully at Mu Shu, and after a while slowly nodded.
“Yes. But he doesn’t seem to like me…” Xie Ji smiled helplessly. “Besides, those two guys are still around.”
Mu Shu raised an eyebrow. Actually, he’d noticed too that these three had unusual feelings for Yan Yu’an—it was just that he hadn’t expected Yan Yu’an to not like a single one of them.
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