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Chapter 65: Funeral
The Wandering Circus was stationed in the Reformation District, staging their shows at an abandoned stadium.
The circus replaced the large tent with a simulated light screen, surrounded by two levels of seats, the lower level was a ring-shaped bench and higher level being a small private room.
The wandering circus was famous for the “rare species” that they showed. These living beings included both animals and plants. In addition to being rare, they also had extremely high soul power purity — almost reaching the known limit for soul plants and animals’ 'self-consciousness”.
The performance mode of the circus was different from those in Yang Yang’s memory. It was created to look more alike to exhibitions: using the simulated light screen to show the living environment of these species, as well as some of their living habits…
It could be said that the whole performance was a gorgeous visual feast, as well as a science class.
This attracted people’s curiosity or those who specialised in soul power one after another, making the ticket sought after and hard to get.
Yang Yang and Archibald’s private rooms was facing the stage.
The private room was quite large mostly made from a lot of transparent materials. It felt like being suspended in the air, and when the light screen in the venue started to change the visuals, it gave one a sense of immersing in the reality.
There was still a quarter of an hour before the performance begins. The light screen of the circus simulates a sea of stars, making the entire venue look like overlapping small universes.
“This place is even better than the posters.”
Yang Yang was ready to wait in the private room for a long time, he sat on the circular sofa by the window, took a small biscuit from the snack tray on the small coffee table and handed it to Archibald: “Do you want to eat?”
Archibald walked over, bent down naturally and took a bite of the small biscuit right from Yang Yang’s hand, snatching it whole. Then he sat down next to Yang Yang, chewed expressionlessly and frowned slightly after swallowing: “Too sweet.”
Yang Yang: “…”
Eh?
Yang Yang looked down at his fingers, which were still stained with cookie crumbs. It wasn’t his illusion.
He thought about it for a while and then handed over another dried fruit: “Try this?”
Archibald glanced at it, turned his head again, opened his mouth to take it away, giving a positive answer after eating: “It’s okay. “
Yang Yang: “…”
Wow, has Lord Duke’s emotional intelligence black hole been closed?
However, because the Duke’s flirting mode was turned on too quickly, Yang Yang couldn’t react at once.
It’s not like there’s anything wrong with that either.
Yang Yang smiled, his heart feeling a little itchy, so he supported his chin and looked at Archibald, asking questions in a blind date manner: “You don’t like sweets, what else do you dislike?”
Archibald paused. After a while, he confessed: “Scaled snakes.”
It was a species of snake, but its scales were rougher, and it looked much bigger than usual snakes. Although poisonous, it made a very popular pet snake because of its beautiful appearance.
Yang Yang looked at Archibald’s expression, and felt that things were not as simple as a matter of liking or disliking, so he asked: “Why is that?”
Archibald shot a glance at Yang Yang, but finally said with an unhappy expression: “I went hunting with my father when I was young, and we accidentally strayed into the scaled snake’s nest. When he tried to hit the snakes, he mistook my tail for them, giving it a blow.”
Ever since then, whenever he saw a scaled snake, Archibald felt a dull pain in his tail.
Yang Yang: “…”
Archibald: “If you want to laugh, laugh.”
Yang Yang laughed out loud, then asked with pity: “I remember you hate going out, also because your tail was stepped on. Why are you having such troubles with your own tail?”
Archibald was a little embarrassed, his eyelids drooped, but he still answered Yang Yang’s words: “Before the age of five, I couldn’t control my animal-shaped half body very well, with the tail being the hardest to perceive and control. I sometimes couldn’t even feel it so the tail was injured often when I was young.”
This was why his tail was more sensitive now.
In truth, he had learned to control his psychological reactions through years, otherwise he would not have been able to go to the battlefield at all, but he still couldn’t accept direct contact with people. ——It was only after Yang Yang appeared that he discovered this.
Yang Yang felt distressed hearing Archibald’s words. Thinking of Archibald’s genetic disease, he couldn’t help but ask: “Your disease, I mean the hereditary disease in your family, is it getting better now?”
Archibald nodded: “From my grandfather to my father and then to me, the severity of the disease had been constantly declining. Uncle YaQing said that this disease was of inherited nature, and it will weaken a little every time it is inherited, but the degree of weakening is very small. But once the inherited illness dies down, the last person’s condition will be stabilized.”
Yang Yang remembered He Shu’s condition, although He Shu’s body and soul power were very weak now, but he had never been sick like Archibald.
But if that’s the case, then…
There were some not-so-bright thoughts shrouding Yang Yang’s heart, but he didn’t say it, because the truth might not be what he thought.
Yang Yang: “Then what about the treatment? Has that uncle YaQing said anything about the possibility of you being cured?”
Archibald: “They have been saying it is possible.”
But from Archibald’s expression, he did not seem to believe that much.
Yang Yang was silent for a while, and at this moment, loud music sounded outside the private room.
The show began.
This performance may had been wonderful, but Yang Yang was absent-minded throughout all of it. It was not until the cheers at end of the performance sounded that Yang Yang had recovered from his thoughts. He saw the dazzling collection of rare species on the stage, as well as the enthusiastic smiles of the performers in the circus.
Yang Yang: “…”
It seemed to have been a waste of money.
Archibald also noticed Yang Yang’s distraction, and couldn’t help but ask: “Do you not like this show?”
Yang Yang sighed: “No, I was just distracted by some about other things. ——There are such crowds here, let’s wait a bit until it clears out.”
Archibald had no objection: “Okay.”
After a pause, Archibald added: “If it’s too tiring to manage the store, you can take a break from it. ——I know that you want your own career, but you don’t have to be in a hurry, when your soul essence plants bear fruit, everything will be a matter of course.”
Archibald knew all too well how difficult it was to manufacture an advanced mania suppressant. If Yang Yang could stably provide high-grade soul essence plants, it would be more than enough for an individual career.
Yang Yang smiled: “Thanks, but it wasn’t from exhaustion just now, I was only thinking… Maybe I should pick up the medicine major I once studied.”
Archibald had a sudden realisation in his heart and glanced at Yang Yang: “Why is that?”
Yang Yang laughed in his heart — knowing well yet still asking.
But since he wanted to listen, Yang Yang happily said: “Because of you. Of course, I’m not so arrogant to think that I can cure you after studying medicine, but I think, even if it’s just a little bit, I want to know your situation better. I can’t share your pain, but at least I can know how much it hurts you.”
Archibald guessed the purpose of Yang Yang mentioning studying medicine, but did not expect that Yang Yang would say something like this.
At this moment, Archibald realized clearly that Yang Yang really liked him.
Archibald’s heart warmed up, he reached out to grab Yang Yang’s hand as the corners of his mouth curled up in a happy arc: “I’m very happy.”
Yang Yang looked at Archibald’s smile, his heart suddenly softened, he sighed: “Foolish.”
Archibald: “???”
Why did he suddenly call him a fool? ? ?
Archibald’s expression was so obvious that Yang Yang couldn’t pretend he didn’t see it.
Yang Yang was very helpless — well, the black hole of emotional intelligence was not something you can close once you want to.
The two sat in the private room for about a quarter of an hour before going out the door and walking towards the parking lot wearing the same cloak — he was covered by Archibald’s spare cloak.
The parking lot was close to the living quarters of the circus employees. On the way back, Yang Yang and Archibald accidentally witnessed a funeral.
It was a funeral for a dead animal held by a circus person. It was very formal, but the dead body was of a rare species animal that Yang Yang had seen on the stage just now.
The dead animal was not big, being only about the size of a calf. The fur on its back was white, and there was a single horn on its head, which glowed with a metallic sheen in the snowy night.
“Ah, Lord Duke!”
A little girl who passing by with flowers noticed them — to be precise, she noticed Archibald, because the spare cloak was too big, and Yang Yang almost looked like a moving blanket.
Archibald was as expressionless as ever, so it was Yang Yang whose face could not be seen that asked: “Are sending flowers to that animal?”
The little girl seemed to have only noticed Yang Yang now, but she still couldn’t see Yang Yang’s face, replying subconsciously: “Mm. That’s a Xian Suo unicorn that we rescued on the road. It had a serious laceration on its abdomen. It had an operation but we still failed to save its life.”
Xian Suo unicorn was a relatively common beast with a docile temperament, but because its unicorn horn was a good material for making soul weapons, it was once hunted excessively, and now it was an endangered rare species.
After hearing this, Yang Yang nodded: “That’s a pity. Thank you, we won’t bother you then.”
The little girl hurried on her way, and after they left, she suddenly came back to her senses: “God, Duke Dalton also came to see our performance today!”
………
Yang Yang and Archibald went home directly afterwards.
Because they reported in advance that they would be back later today, no one was waiting for them when they got home, but a very suspicious pink gift box was placed on the cabinet in the porch.
This pink, seemed a bit familiar.
Yang Yang: “…”
Archibald: “…”
Open it, ba.
Yang Yang took the box and opened it. The box was the size of a palm, with a small box and a card in it. There was a line on the card — loving reminder: during pregnancy, sex without condoms is prohibited.
As for what was in the little box, was self-evident.
Yang Yang: “…”
Archibald: “…”
Yang Yang closed the box again with a snap and the room fell into a subtle awkward silence.
Yang Yang glanced at Archibald, and was not surprised to see Archibald’s ears turning red and his face slowly turning red.
Sensing Yang Yang’s gaze, Archibald also looked over. He was obviously blushing, but his face was still expressionless, and he even comforted Yang Yang solemnly: “Don’t worry, I won’t, won’t… do it during your pregnancy, because that might disturb the balance in female body’s soul palace and make soul power impure.”
Moreover, he still doesn’t know… but he can’t tell that to Yang Yang, too embarassing!
When Yang Yang heard it, it was as if a big rock fell down and the inexplicable tension disappeared immediately. The old driver went online again, so he asked Archibald with a nonchalant expression on his face: “Oh, not going to do what?”
Archibald saw through Yang Yang’s mind at a glance, glared at Yang Yang, but couldn’t bear to glare at him anymore so he withdrew his gaze.
“You know what. Okay, let’s go up and rest.”
He went upstairs first right after finishing speaking, but his pace was slowed down, his ears perking up to see if Yang Yang was following.
Cute. Want to do it…
Forget it, according to the current situation it seemed like he was the one who was being done, he didn’t care about bottom or top,  just the actual combat…
Yang Yang’s heart was a little nervous, but also a little itchy.
He thought about it, put the gift box in his pocket, and followed Archibald upstairs.
Archibald stood waiting at the door of his room, he said good night to Yang Yang first before entering the room.
Yang Yang didn’t care either, he smiled lightly and entered his room as well.
When Archibald went into the room, his heart was still pounding against his chest. Boiling blood rushed towards his mind and abdomen, scorching hot. The unfamiliar feeling made him feel a little helpless, but also with some expectations, as well as making him feel anxious and out of control.
Archibald was not used to this feeling, he paused, then changed his clothes, and decided to take a cold shower to calm down.
The bath time was not short, after coming out Archibald’s expression returned to calm. However, when he looked into the room, his mood was chaotic again — he saw a human head floating above the crib by the head of his bed that crossed the two rooms.
Archibald: “!!!”
Years of actual combat experience made Archibald not exclaim immediately, but all the scales on his tail puffed up. Then they slowly smoothed down again — because he could clearly see whose the human head was, it was Yang Yang.
Archibald’s voice was full of helplessness: “What are you doing?”
Yang Yang’s hand had also stretched out from the light-shielding screen and rested on the railing of the crib. He heard the words and looked over: “Climbing your bed.”
Archibald: “…”
Yang Yang: “Don’t want me to come? Then I’ll go back.”
Then he was about to crawl back.
“Wait.”
Archibald strode over, closed the light-shielding screen on this side, and he could see Yang Yang’s body previously hidden behind the light-screen —— he had changed into pyjamas and he was still barefoot, with his exposed toes dyed pink, seeming to have just taken a shower as well.
Archibald’s heartbeat accelerated again for no apparent reason. He hurriedly looked away, and said weakly: “I didn’t say that I wouldn’t let you over.”
Yang Yang grinned, got off the crib, and looked at Archibald: “You haven’t touched my belly yet today, do you want to?”
Archibald looked at Yang Yang deeply, and replied: “Yes.”
Yang Yang sat on Archibald’s bed: “The child may be sleepy, so it might take a while to sense it.”
Archibald: “Yeah.”
Yang Yang: “But I’m also sleepy, so I’ll sleep on your side tonight.”
Archibald: “…”
Archibald: “!!!”
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Author has something to say:
Yang Yang: The innocent Duke is super cute, flirtatious but eager to flirt, I can’t be a hero if I don’t fight!
Byrd: ….(contemplating: is this seduction? or a hint?) (the door to new world slowly opens.gif)