Chapter 129 – Going Home for New Year’s

Because of that inexplicable call from his dad, Fang Zheng’s heart was in turmoil. Later, Diamond and Fifth Brother helped analyze the situation. The former said that perhaps his dad had suddenly dreamed of him one night and couldn’t help but feel sorrow, thus impulsively calling—just to hear his voice. The latter suggested that it might have been an invitation to come home for New Year’s, but since Fifth Brother answered the phone, it led to another argument, and in the end, the old man couldn’t swallow his pride and let it drop. Fang Zheng felt that both Diamond and Fifth Brother’s analyses were sincere, though in terms of credibility, the gap between them was as wide as the Mariana Trench and Mount Everest.

To go home or not—it was like two mountains with no path between them. He could only choose one to climb over, and this dilemma tormented the Commander.

If he went back, another fierce battle was inevitable.

If he didn’t, and his parents truly fell ill from missing him, he’d regret it to the point of self-immolation.

Though he had left home amid curses back then, the Commander still had full confidence in his charm within the Fang family. His mother, needless to say—if she really disliked him, she wouldn’t have stuffed money into his hand even while scolding him before he left. His father had never shown a shred of kindness from start to finish, but if he truly didn’t care about his son, how could he find connections to him even while watching Animal World? As for the relatives—his father’s two sisters and his mother’s elder sister and younger brother—they had all doted on him since childhood. Every time they visited, they’d smother and pinch his chubby little self, unable to get enough. Even after he came out and left home, whenever he contacted these elders, their main concern was whether he had enough money or if life was hard. As for the fact that he liked men—even though his mother, with her innate need to vent, had already spread the news far and wide—they still never mentioned it, pretending it didn’t exist.

Just as the Commander was struggling with this, Fifth Brother and Diamond had already bought their tickets home. Hou Cong dragged Chang Xiaohu over to ask how many days off they could get for New Year’s. It felt like the whole world was singing, “Brother, you gotta go home for New Year’s, gotta go home~~~~~”, which put immense pressure on the Commander.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and had to turn to his Doraemon for help—

“Just go back if you want to.”

Birdy’s advice was simple—so simple that Fang Zheng felt brushed off =_=

“You think going home is as easy as saying it? It’s practically a dragon’s den and a tiger’s lair!”

“Then don’t go.”

No, this wasn’t just being brushed off—this was being aggressively brushed off!!

The sulky Commander retreated to the corner of the bedroom, hugging his knees in sorrow.

Meng Chudong genuinely wasn’t interested in this topic, but seeing how seriously Fang Zheng was taking it, he hesitated for a long while before sighing and offering his honest opinion: “I’m definitely not going back. Even if I did, it wouldn’t change anything. We’d just hurt each other again. Why bother? It’s better to stay apart now—easier for everyone. But my family situation might not be the same as yours. If you really think your dad called because he wants you home for New Year’s, then go. Otherwise, you’ll just keep guessing here, never knowing which answer is right.”

In truth, Fang Zheng was already leaning toward going home. Asking Meng Chudong was just to settle his nerves. Now that he’d heard this, he immediately felt better, his worries vanishing. With his brain’s CPU freed up to handle other matters, he moved on to—

“Then if we all go home, won’t you be the only one left here?”

Birdy sat on the edge of the bed, raising an eyebrow and giving him a light glance: “Thanks for finally remembering me.”

The Deputy’s aggrieved expression was lethally effective. The Commander immediately jumped up and gave him a loving hug, refusing to let go and even swaying gently back and forth: “What to do~~~ our Birdy will be all alone at home~~~”

Meng Chudong felt like he’d suddenly regressed into childhood =_=

“Why don’t you go home too? They’re your parents, after all—it’s not like they really don’t want you…” The Commander was the type who, once happy himself, couldn’t bear to see others unhappy.

Meng Chudong didn’t respond, but his expression slowly darkened.

Fang Zheng wasn’t dense—in fact, quite the opposite. Because of his insecurity about his appearance, he wanted to leave a good impression in other ways and had unconsciously developed a keen sensitivity to others’ emotions. Right now, he could sense that Meng Chudong really didn’t like this topic.

Even the first time Birdy had mentioned his family, Fang Zheng had sensed the emotional distance in his heart—something he himself didn’t have. If his parents now said, “We accept you,” he’d immediately scamper home without hesitation. But Birdy wouldn’t. The moment his parents shut him out, he had also shut them out.

“Ah, why don’t you come home with me?” At first, he’d just wanted to change the subject, but once the words were out, the more he thought about it, the more he felt this proposal was scientifically sound—and it filled him with the blissful image of “birds in pairs on a tree~\(≧▽≦)/~”

Meng Chudong’s attention was successfully diverted, his face saying, “What the hell possessed you?”: “Didn’t you say going home alone would already be a fierce battle? And now you want to bring me along to escalate the war?”

Fang Zheng gave him a loving slap on the head while still hugging him: “You dummy. If I go back alone, it’s an internal family conflict. Even if my dad beats me to death, it’d just be enforcing family discipline. But if you’re there, you can protect me! He can’t very well beat up an outsider, right? Not only do I avoid physical pain, but they’ll also give up on ‘fixing’ me once and for all. Two birds with one stone!”

The Deputy rubbed his head. Had he just… been hit?

“Hey hey hey, don’t zone out!” Fang Zheng shook him vigorously. “Just give me a straight answer—yes or no?”

Through the non-stop shaking, the Deputy felt his cervical spine was about to snap, but even in this critical moment, he managed to rank his preferences:

1. Spending New Year’s Eve with Fang Zheng in bed >>>

2. Gaining Fang Zheng’s parents’ approval >>>

3. Staying up alone for New Year’s >>>

4. Staying up alone and having to manage Happy Gaming Co.’s merchant alts.

In the end, he nodded cheerfully.

The victorious Commander didn’t hold back on the loving kisses, leaving the Deputy’s cheeks red from all the smooching.

Much later, the Deputy was finally able to calmly reflect on that bizarre morning. After retracing the chain of events—from “his anger made Fang Zheng panic” to “Fang Zheng slapped his head, shook his shoulders, and coaxed him into going home”—he realized one thing:

That fatty had gradually closed the level gap between them and, without anyone noticing, had overtaken him with relentless diligence.

As they say, good things come in pairs. After transforming “going home alone for a fierce battle” into “returning home in glory as a couple,” Fang Zheng encountered another stroke of luck. Or rather, Happy Gaming Co. did.

Five days before New Year’s, Happy Gaming Co.’s merchant alts on Holy Light Sanctuary began receiving orders one after another. By three days before New Year’s, the accumulated orders had surpassed fifty—and were still rising! These included power-leveling, gear farming, and even requests to buy empty accounts outright. Though Holy Light Sanctuary had gained fame after reaching the summit, attracting more and more players from other servers, Happy Gaming Co. wasn’t the only business operating there. Such a massive influx of orders was not normal.

Until an old friend knocked on the Legion’s QQ—

[Bright Noob] 21:12:23

Boss, have you been drowning in orders lately? Hahahaha

[Milk is Mom] 21:13:54

I was wondering why so many orders suddenly came in. Did you refer them?

[Bright Noob] 21:14:08

Refer? NONONO, I’ve been promoting you guys like my life depends on it! Hahahaha

[Milk is Mom] 21:14:17

Uh, thanks.

[Bright Noob] 21:16:19

Pfft, why so polite? You know, after you helped me farm that purple-tier weapon, all the parts of dungeons where my skills fell short were covered by my gear now! I no longer have to worry about my dungeon runs!!! Did you think you just did a power-leveling run for me? No! You changed my entire Huaxia life! Now, in my entire Legion, even the Commander is green with envy—except for Thousand Mountains, who already has a purple-tier weapon! I feel like hiring you was a god-tier decision! Hahahaha

The chat ended, leaving the Commander deeply moved. So it was true—justice existed in the world, and effort was rewarded. TAT

Thankfully, Bright Noob was a man of gratitude, even if his love for “hahahaha” was hard to understand.

When the rest of Happy Gaming Co. heard about this, they too found it miraculous—as if fate itself had ordained it. One unintentional act had opened the first door to riches for Happy Gaming Co.

On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Ghost Server Legion Leader, armed with meticulously prepared strategies, led his team—along with Five Peaks Pavilion and Meteor Blitz—in another attempt at the endgame dungeon. But due to lack of experience and poor timing, the boss still unleashed its AoE wipe, resulting in failure. With New Year’s approaching, the joint team decided to regroup after the holiday.

On the 28th, Fifth Brother and Diamond went home.

On the 29th, Hou Cong and Chang Xiaohu, who were locals, returned to their families.

On New Year’s Eve, Fang Zheng and Meng Chudong packed up, bid farewell to everyone on YY—

“…In short, I’ll do my best to survive until the 15th day of the new year. Comrades, bless me!” Fang Zheng briefly explained the backstory of bringing Birdy home with him and began soliciting blessings.

His comrades wouldn’t let him down…

[Your Uncle]: “Commander, you must hold on! Even if your dad tries to drag you out the door, claw at the doorframe with everything you’ve got!”

[438]: “Commander! Make sure to hide all the kitchen knives first! Safety first!”

[Sister Blood Bull]: “Don’t forget the fruit knife on the coffee table.”

[Your Sister]: “Commander, trim your mom’s nails first to butter her up—that way, even if she gets mad and scratches you, she won’t break skin!”

[2B Fighter Jet]: “Milk Mom, when you’re clawing the doorframe, make sure Parrot keeps an eye out so no one slams the security door on you!”

…Though these heartfelt blessings were drenched in blood =_=

Amid the chorus of well-wishes, a discordant note laced with faint mockery appeared:

“Volunteering to get abused—what a bunch of idiots.”

The entire team (except the Deputy): “The hell’s wrong with you—”

But before the crowd’s outrage could fully erupt, the speaker added with infinite melancholy:

“But… such is youth.”

The comrades decided to forgive the intermittent madness of an old man.

Only Birdy, who had never had much fondness for Mad Lad, found himself wanting to give that first comment a rare like.

After the farewells, the two packed their luggage, locked up, and headed for the long-distance bus station. While waiting for the bus to depart, Fang Zheng’s phone rang. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number—probably someone looking for power-leveling. But when he answered, it turned out to be the police officer who had taken his statement after his wallet was stolen.

The officer, worried Fang Zheng might not remember, reminded him: “The baby-faced one. Ring any bells?”

Fang Zheng was speechless. This was the only time he’d ever dealt with the police—how could he forget? “Yeah, yeah. You said if the thief turned out to be a repeat offender, you’d contact me. Did you find new evidence?”

“Not exactly, but for you, it’s good news.”

Good news from dealing with the police? Were they messing with him?

“That kid asked me to help return the money to you.”

They were messing with him =_=

“Hello? Can you hear me?” The other end, hearing no response, assumed the signal was bad.

“Ah, yeah, yeah,” Fang Zheng replied, wiping sweat from his forehead—the bus’s heater was blasting. “About the money—don’t worry about it. Didn’t you tell me last time, ‘Lose wealth, avoid disaster’?”

The officer chuckled. “I said that because I didn’t think he’d actually return it. But now that he’s truly turned over a new leaf, we should encourage that, right?”

The subtext: If you refuse, you’re undermining the construction of a harmonious society.

But a wolf giving up meat and cutting off its own flesh to feed you—that was not convincing!

“Are you sure he’s reformed? He didn’t steal from someone else, did he?”

“Positive,” the officer sighed. “Remember when I told you he was on our watchlist? After being released, he started doing odd jobs at a construction site. I’m guessing he just saved up a thousand and came straight to me without even letting it warm his pocket.”

“A thousand? I spent thirteen hundred.”

“……”

“Uh, well, whatever the amount, it’s a happy surprise, right?”

“Alright, come by the station when you have time to pick it up and sign a receipt.”

“Huh?”

“What, forgot where the station is?”

“No, no, I’m about to go home for New Year’s.”

“Your family’s out of town?”

“Yeah…”

“When are you coming back?”

“If all goes well, the 15th day of the new year…”

“Are you sure you’re not just using New Year’s as an excuse to avoid stepping into a police station again?”

Officer, you’re too suspicious =_=

“Bad guys are the ones who fear police stations! Someone like me—why would I be scared!”

“Good, then I’ll just transfer it to you.”

So that was the plan all along, huh? =_=

Once the transfer was decided, the baby-faced officer asked for Fang Zheng’s account details, instructing him to mail back a signed receipt after receiving the money. Since he didn’t want to visit in person, regular mail would suffice—no need for expensive express delivery.

With everything settled, the busy officer prepared to hang up. But Fang Zheng still felt uneasy and couldn’t resist asking one last question:

“Are you really sure he’s not a repeat offender? His hands were scary fast.”

The baby-faced officer shared the investigation results honestly: “We checked everything we could—even tracked down where his mom ran off to and with whom—but found zero similar offenses. He explained his speed by saying he’d learned sleight of hand from his dad as a kid and was beaten into mastering it. After his dad died, he started hanging out in internet cafés playing games, so his hands were never idle.”

The first part Fang Zheng couldn’t verify, but the latter… was impossible to refute. TAT

Still, the Commander wasn’t ready to give up: “I still think suddenly turning over a new leaf is suspicious…”

The other end of the line fell silent. Fang Zheng waited, thinking the call had dropped, but when he checked his phone, it was still connected. He pressed it back to his ear just in time to hear a soft sigh:

“During the days he was detained, his grandmother passed away.”

Fang Zheng froze.

The voice on the phone continued: “Remember how you said you couldn’t understand why he ran so desperately even after throwing the money away? Later, we found out his grandmother had been sick those days, but the family had no money left. He’d gone to an internet café to help someone with a dungeon run—something about gaming to earn cash—but it didn’t work out. Desperate, he saw you and took his chance. The reason he ran like hell was that he was afraid being caught would keep him from going home for days, making his grandma worry. Well… sometimes, the very thing you fear is what comes to pass…”

Long after hanging up, Fang Zheng still felt a heavy weight in his chest.

He wished he’d never taken that call. He’d rather not have that thousand yuan.

Meng Chudong didn’t ask anything. He just gently pulled Fang Zheng’s head onto his shoulder.

Resting there, Fang Zheng didn’t know if the other man had pieced together the truth from his one-sided conversation, but it didn’t matter. Suddenly, he was desperate to go home—to see if his parents were still healthy, if his grandmother was still as spry as ever.

The bus jolted along for hours, arriving only by evening.

Fang Zheng slept until the final stop. By the time he woke, the earlier sorrow had faded somewhat. Gazing at the familiar-yet-unfamiliar city, he felt mostly nervous and excited:

“Listen, in a bit, you won’t just meet my mom and dad—you’ll probably see my grandma and my two aunts’ families too. Since our house is pretty big, New Year’s Eve gatherings are usually at our place. If all goes well, on the second day of the new year, I’ll take you to my aunt’s place. My maternal grandparents have passed, so New Year’s celebrations there are just my uncle and aunt’s family—we can keep the party going until the sixth day!”

Though he truly believed Fang Zheng bringing him home was just asking for trouble, the sheer anticipation on Fang Zheng’s face still infected Meng Chudong a little—as if they really were about to win a glorious battle.

Soon, however, he’d realize that in that earlier thought, only the word “as if” had been accurate.

“Who is it—?” The doorbell had barely rung when a woman’s voice called out from inside, followed by approaching footsteps.

Before Fang Zheng could answer, the door swung open—and the woman froze. Her expression suggested she’d have preferred armed robbers.

“Mom…” Fang Zheng managed, trying to smile but failing—his face was too stiff from the cold.

The woman stood stunned for a full half-minute before briskly shoving Fang Zheng aside and addressing Meng Chudong:

“And you are?”

Meng Chudong glanced at Fang Zheng, then back at his mom. Seeing both waiting for his answer, he could only offer a polite smile and a slight bow:

“My name is Meng Chudong. I’m your son’s boyfriend.”

Head still bowed, Meng Chudong couldn’t see his future mother-in-law’s expression. The prolonged silence made him slowly straighten up—

Only to be met with an earth-shaking roar the moment he lifted his head:

“YOU LITTLE BRAT, DARE SAY THAT AGAIN!!!!!”

Meng Chudong’s ears were ringing from the volume. Before the echo of “again” could fade in the hallway, he felt a gust of wind whoosh toward his face!

He leapt back—nearly half a meter outside the security door—but still felt something graze his cheek, stinging slightly. When he focused, he saw a tall, burly, middle-aged bald man standing inside the doorway, wielding a street sweeper’s broom like a modern-day Lu Zhishen uprooting a willow tree.

[“But if you’re there, you can protect me! He can’t very well beat up an outsider, right? He can’t very well beat up an outsider, right? ᴴᵉ ᶜᵃⁿ’ᵗ ᵛᵉʳʸ ʷᵉˡˡ ᵇᵉᵃᵗ ᵘᵖ ᵃⁿ ᵒᵘᵗˢⁱᵈᵉʳ, ʳⁱᵍʰᵗ?”]

Never trust your boyfriend’s words. Ever. TAT