The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 577: I Don’t Want It

Gao Yang stood at the door, pondering if he should ring the doorbell or go through the window.

Click. The door opened then. Dressed in cotton pajamas with standing collars of a fashionably old-fashioned color, Wang Zikai emerged with a bag of trash, his other hand reaching under the hem of his shirt to scratch his back.

They both paused for a second.

“Gao Yang?!”

Wang Zikai broke into a beam, but quickly thought better of it and schooled his expression, standing there blankly, at a loss of what to say.

Wang Zikai had been worried about Gao Yang the past few days.

When he heard about the tragic passing of Uncle Gao and Auntie Li, even Wang Zikai had broken down in tears, thinking about how terrible Gao Yang and Gao Xinxin must be feeling.

He wasn’t so dumb that he wouldn’t realize that the two had died of something other than fire. It must have been an enemy. If Wang Zikai knew who it was, he would’ve torn them to pieces and ground their bones to ashes.

However, Gao Yang didn’t say anything about it. He said that he had to take care of his parents’ funeral first.

Wang Zikai didn’t know what to do, and he didn’t know who to turn to for advice. In the end, he thought of Fat Jun.

Fat Jun knew about what happened, too, and they talked on the phone.

“Brother Kai, you’re the best at fighting, but you don’t know how to deal with people as well as I do.”

“Cut the crap. Tell me what to do!”

“It’s simple. Don’t do anything.”

“What? My brother lost his parents to some bastard, but I should just watch and do nothing?”

“I know you’re furious, Brother Kai, and I’m heartbroken too. But Brother Yang must be the one hurting the most! Even if you slaughter ten thousand lizardmen and take out their leader, is it gonna bring Brother Yang’s parents back?”

“...No.”

“So there’s no thing you can do. Brother Yang has to mourn and move on by himself. Whatever you say will only be annoying noises to him.”

“So I just do nothing?”

“Yes, nothing. Once he’s sorted himself out and accepted reality, he will come to you. Then whatever he asks for, even the moon or the stars, you get it for him at whatever cost.”

“That makes some fucking sense. Alright, I’ll do that!”

Wang Zikai hung up and stopped himself from doing anything but wait at home.

He checked his phone dozens of times every day, checking Gao Yang’s and Gao Xinxin’s social media pages as well as the texts and messages, waiting for the siblings to seek him out.

There had only been radio silence the past few days.

Wang Zikai couldn’t wait any longer. He called Fat Jun again, and Fat Jun told him the same thing, but broke it down in more detail.

Wang Zikai decided to give Gao Yang three days, no more than that.

He was too preoccupied with his thoughts about Gao Yang tonight to fall asleep, so he stayed on the sofa playing video games without actually enjoying any of it. It was then he noticed a strange smell. Looking to the side, he saw the take-outs he had gotten a few days ago. It’d spoiled after being ignored for a few days. He brought the trash downstairs, and as soon as he opened the door, Gao Yang was standing outside.

Wang Zikai was pleasantly surprised. You really do know people, Fat Jun!

He was glad to see Gao Yang, but remembering that Gao Yang had just lost his parents, he felt like he shouldn’t be smiling, and he froze.

“Why, why are you here?” Wang Zikai managed to say.

“Am I not welcomed?” Gao Yang said coolly. “Then I’ll go.”

“Hey, that’s not it! Staaaaaay!” Wang Zikai quickly grabbed Gao Yang with his right hand and threw the trash bag with his left hand, which flew across the front yard and fell right into the trash can by the road.

He let go of Gao Yang and wiped his hands on his pajama pants. “Why didn’t you tell me in advance? I would’ve prepared late night snacks.”

“I just finished with the funeral,” Gao Yang said tiredly. “I couldn’t stay at home on my own, and my mind kept wandering. I came here to play games with you.”

“Sure! It Takes a Duo is fun. I’ve just bought it. Let’s play together!” Wang Zikai grabbed Gao Yang’s elbow. “Come on! Come on in!”

At an incredible speed, Wang Zikai cleaned up the mess in the living room like a cyclone before plopping himself down by Gao Yang’s side, turning on the console and the screen and picking up a controller.

Gao Yang picked up a controller too and watched the opening animation. He realized suddenly that he didn’t want to play games at all, and his brain refused to process the moving pictures.

He lowered the controller and glanced at Wang Zikai. “I’m a little hungry.”

“What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you.”

“Whatever is fine.”

“I’ll roast two chicken wings for you and make a bowl of spicy chicken instant noodles!”

“Okay, thanks.”

“No need for that!”

Wang Zikai dropped the controller and rushed into the kitchen. A wild series of clinks and clanks could be heard. It sounded completely different from when Gao Yang’s mother cooked.

Gao Yang slowly lay down and took a deep breath.

His chest was still empty, but it didn’t hurt as much.

He reached into his pocket and took out a gray circular tablet the size of a compact mirror. It was the Guard Rune Circuit.

Gao Yang examined it closely. It was the jade pendant his mother’s grandmother had given his father, and it had been his father’s lucky charm to be passed down as family heirloom.

Now, it was in Gao Yang’s hand.

“Didn’t you say all that as a prelude to you giving it to me?”

“What are you talking about? This is my treasure!”

“Keep it. I don’t want it.”

Memories lurked up to him like a venomous snake, striking when he least expected it. Gao Yang immediately activated Psychic Armor, his heaving chest calming slowly.

Yes, Gao Yang had lied to Qilin.

The Guard Rune Circuit had been in his pocket during the meeting, yet he lied without even batting an eye.

Before, Gao Yang would’ve been a nervous and fearful wreck, and he would’ve hidden the Guard Rune Circuit before the meeting. Now, though, he was doing things like he didn’t care.

That night, Gao Shou and Lin Yue sacrificed themselves to contain the Malediction’s self-destruction. Afterwards, the Guard Rune Circuit returned to its original shape and landed on the edge of the abyss, covered by charred soil.

When Gao Yang woke up from his semi-death, he had lost his mind to pain and started rolling around on the ground, then he gathered soil to shove into his mouth.

Qing Ling went up to stop Gao Yang. It was then she noticed the Guard Rune Circuit.

She picked it up and hid it.

It was incredibly bold of her. She later lied with a straight face to the bigshots of the three organizations.

Thanks to the Malediction leaving behind a dangerous and eerie abyss, drawing everyone’s attention, Qing Ling didn’t attract any suspicion.

Everyone was blindsided by their past experiences. They thought that something important must be earned with difficulty, and thus they would have to venture into the dangerous abyss to find the Guard Rune Circuit—just like how they had explored Rune Caves and defeated powerful enemies to acquire the other Rune Circuits. It had become a shared assumption.

Later, Qing Ling went to the hospital with Gao Yang. They woke up in a few hours. When she told Gao Yang to extend his hand so that she could take it, she handed him the Rune Circuit.

She couldn’t say it out loud because of the risk. There was no telling if they were under the scrutiny of an awakener with Talents like Keen Hearing or Clairvoyance. Thus, it was best to give him the Rune Circuit under guise.

Gao Yang recognized immediately what she had given him, and he kept it hidden.

Then Qing Ling told him that the Guard Rune Circuit had fallen into the abyss. Gao Yang knew that she was making sure that their stories matched.

Gao Yang decided to hide the Rune Circuit first rather than tell the three organizations; he had his reasons.

“Gao Yang.”

He paused, realizing that he had gotten distracted.

He looked up to see Wang Zikai standing behind the sofa with two bottles of cola. It would take two minutes for the roasted wings and instant noodles to be done. When Wang Zikai came over with the drinks, he spotted what was in Gao Yang’s hand.

“What are you...” His expression turned serious. “...holding?”