At dawn, Lin Yuan woke up.
The room was dim and blurry, but he could see the man who hugged him clearly. Lin Yuan could vividly see Huo Chen.
The man slept very deeply. Lin Yuan couldn't recall the last time when the man slept so snugly. His long eyelashes were calm, his features profound and handsome, and his aura was fresh and lively.
Lin Yuan was held in Huo Chen's embrace and felt the other's warm body. His heart brimmed with joy. Then he remembered what Huo Chen whispered into his ears before he fainted last night.
I love you...
Lin Yuan's heartbeat thumped quickly, and the resounding sound was deafening to his ears.
He loves me, Lin Yuan thought cheerfully.
521 was originally dormant in Lin Yuan's consciousness, but the mental state of the host would affect the system, so it woke up directly: "Senior~ it's so early in the morning, why aren't you sleeping? What are you happy about?
Lin Yuan broke out in a smile, and his dimples seemed to be filled with honey. "521! Did you hear last night? My husband said he loves me! And he said it many times!"
"Senior, yesterday evening when you came back... you were doing this and that in the bathroom..."
521's wings moved around, vividly restoring the scene: "I was embarrassed, so I went out..."
Lin Yuan looked at its wings that were pressed together, and was impressed with the similarity but he also couldn't help but blush. He still said proudly: "He really said it many, many times!!"
521 nodded: "Okay, 521 knows."
Suddenly, 521 noticed something was off and looked towards the light screen that was counting down the seconds. There were only nine hours left until they had to leave the world, but the senior was still thinking about how the mission target said he loved him.
521 quickly flew over and it panicked: "Senior, senior, do you still remember that we have to leave this world today?"
Remember?
Lin Yuan felt itchy and uncomfortable from its rubbing and turned away and buried his face into Huo Chen's neck. "I remember."
521: "Then do you want to say goodbye to him?"
Lin Yuan blinked in confusion: "Why say goodbye?"
521 was helpless: "Because we're going to leave this world today, but if Senior doesn't want to say goodbye, that's okay."
Lin Yuan was more confused and scratched his head blankly: "When did I say I was going to leave this world?"
521 was shocked and was about to lose his fur: "Senior, you're not going to leave this world? But this will affect our performance evaluation. 521 doesn't want to be the last one on the list, 521 wants to be number one."
Lin Yuan didn't answer immediately. He looked up at the man who was still sleeping. He clearly remembered what Huo Chen said to him last night in a paranoid and attached voice.
If you die, I will also die... We will die together, Lin Yuan...
His slender fingers stretched out to touch Huo Chen's long and curly eyelashes, and rested on the ends of his eyes.
The man's face was thin, with a high nose bridge, and then two thin and red lips. Because of last night's activities, they were a little swollen at this time.
Lin Yuan couldn't help but be a little proud. He was the one who kissed them swollen.
Looking at such a lively and gentle Huo Chen, Lin Yuan couldn't imagine what would happen if he left this world. That abyss that Huo Chen had just left behind, might again approach him and drag him down into death and darkness.
At that time, no one would come and save him.
Huo Chen could finally see the sky. The spring breeze had just started to blow away the cold and ice of winter. Huo Chen was finally whole and alive again.
Lin Yuan wasn't willing to see him turn back into a living corpse and rot with time, ending up as a pile of bones.
Besides, he didn't want to leave.
Huo Chen made him stay, time and the law made him stay, and life and death made him stay.
Lin Yuan couldn't help hugging Huo Chen tightly. In his sleep, the man seemed to sense something, and slowly tightened his arms and hugged Lin Yuan back. They were entangled like two vines. They wouldn't separate, in life or death.
"I won't leave this world. I will refuse the departure command." Lin Yuan said with a rare determined and serious appearance. There was even a trace of sharpness.
521 was aggrieved.
The performance evaluation was calculated based on the number of successful rescues. According to the usual process, once the host completed the task, they would leave to go to the next world and continue to save people.
Now that its senior was adamant to stay in this world, they could only wait until his body died from natural causes before they could go to the next world. Even if its senior didn't live until 100 years old, he would live until 70 or 80. This year, 521 was for sure at the bottom.
Wuuu~
521 made a last effort to save his performance evaluation: "Senior, you need to use points to stay in this world. One year is 20 points. So if you live to be 80 years old, you'll need… 1200 points. This task will only reward 2000 points."
Unexpectedly, Lin Yuan was happy to hear this: "So if I live to be 80 years old, I'll still have 800 points left. That's pretty good ah."
But as a former system, Lin Yuan understood 521's mood and reached out to touch and comfort him: "Don't worry about your performance. I only have one husband, but I will have many tasks in the future. You'll get your performance evaluation, and I'll get points, we can definitely be number one."
Thinking about it, 521 was convinced, and was happy again: "Senior~ you have to also work hard to save the villain in the next world. 521 wants to be number one~"
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Huo Chen slept until noon. When he woke up, before he could say anything, Lin Yuan encircled his heck and hummed: "Husband~ Last night you said you love me, do you still remember? You said it many, many times!"
He indeed remembered, but although it was true, it seemed to have happened ages ago. Huo Chen felt a bit sheepish and his ears reddened. He coughed to cover up his awkwardness and lightly hummed, signaling he remembered.
Seeing Huo Chen admit it, Lin Yuan was very happy. He rubbed against Huo Chen and said excitedly: "Huo Chen~ I also love you. You love me, and I love you~"
Huo Chen's embarrassment disappeared in an instant. He looked down at Lin Yuan's fluffy head and cupped up the young man's face. He said in a soft voice: "Sui Sui is so good, the best person I've ever met. Thank you for loving me~"
Lin Yuan cheerfully said that no thanks were needed, and then he buried his face into Huo Chen's embrace with some shyness.
Huo Chen lifted up his head and wondered: "What's wrong?"
Lin Yuan's face was flushed and he shyly whispered: "It's the first time anyone has said that to me. I'm happy..."
He was also shy, very, very shy.
Huo Chen's heart softened into a puddle and he lowered his head and kissed Lin Yuan's eyes: "Me too, it's the first time anyone said they loved me. I'm also very happy….."
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After lunch, Huo Chen said that he needed to go somewhere. Lin Yuan recalled how yesterday, Huo Chen left and then fell ill and the blackening value rose to 99%, and felt that he had to follow along today.
Huo Chen knew that the place he was going to wasn't suitable for Lin Yuan, but he didn't manage to persuade the other, so he had to bring Lin Yuan with him.
When they arrived, Lin Yuan realized what place they were at, and immediately tearfully hugged Huo Chen: "Wuuu... why did you come here? There will be a lot of ghosts here. Maybe there are ghosts waiting right outside the car..."
Lin Yuan scared himself with his own words and sobbed pitifully.
Huo Chen stroked Lin Yuan's hair and coaxed him softly: "Sui Sui, there aren't any ghosts. Don't scare yourself."
Lin Yuan insisted: "I didn't scare myself! There are really ghosts!"
Huo Chen felt a little helpless. He had never come here before. Back then, he didn't want to come and was… afraid to come. But now, he believed it was time to visit. Only when he came here would everything be really over.
"Sui Sui, I need to go inside for a bit. Wait for me in the car, okay?"
Lin Yuan thought that it wasn't okay. If he was alone in this place, he would be scared to death.
But he saw that Huo Chen's eyes were calm and gentle and deep like the twilight ocean. Lin Yuan just asked softly: "You have to go, right?"
Huo Chen nodded.
Lin Yuan reluctantly released the other. He curled into a ball and nestled into the passenger seat and covered himself with his down jacket.
Huo Chen looked at his timid partner. Lin Yuan was scared to this point but was ever so tolerant and warm to him. He leaned over and hugged him and pecked him: "I'll be back soon."
It was the end of the year, so there were several other people at the cemetery. Huo Chen knew the location, and walked over step by step until he finally stopped in front of a tombstone.
On the grave was a picture of a beautiful woman who had a pair of eyes similar to Huo Chen.
Huo Chen held something in his hand and stood quietly in front of the grave. In the photo, the woman was young and beautiful, completely different from her beast-like appearance in his nightmares.
"I'm here to say goodbye to you, mom….."