Unconsciously staggering, I grabbed the wall for support, found a sofa by the door, plopped down, took a few deep breaths, and tried to calm myself down.
I...I'm a superhuman now. Am I really a superhuman?
Am I really... not a normal person anymore?!
"So, just accept it." Zhu Rong smiled and comforted Chen Xiao, "Little guy, you're one of us now, you can't deny it. It's fate, you're meant to be with us. Isn't it better for us to help each other and survive in this world together?"
She paused for a moment, then winked at Chen Xiao: "You just said you don't like the service agency, that's okay. We haven't asked you to do anything too complicated. You'll just be an agent, managing our accounts and accepting commissions—basically, a housekeeper's job. As for carrying out the commissions, those are our old hands and feet; you just need to sit in the shop and greet the customers. It's a simple job, not too difficult, right?"
Old Tian finally spoke. He sighed, walked over to Chen Xiao, and slowly sat down opposite him. Old Tian's voice was gentle: "Chen Xiao, I know how you feel right now. Back then, I was like you, realizing that I was different from most people in this world. You can probably guess what happened in my time; I was considered a monster! But here, everyone went through the same thing. Slowly, you'll feel the benefits here. As long as you don't treat us like outsiders, we'll treat you like family."
"I... my mind is a bit muddled." Chen Xiao looked up, glancing blankly at Uncle Tian: "My job..."
"I guarantee that no one will force you to go on fieldwork unless you want to. You'll just stay here to receive guests every Thursday night. You'll accept orders and decide whether to take the task or not. We'll handle the rest. Zhu Rong is right. We'll go and fight to the death. You just need to be a good housekeeper."
"...Let me think about it."
After Chen Xiao finished speaking, he silently stood up, walked to the door, hesitated for a moment, and finally pushed the door open and left.
"Stubborn boy," Zhu Rong muttered.
"Alright, all newcomers go through this." Old Tian frowned and glanced at Zhu Rong: "Back when you were his age, you probably felt even more panicked than he did when you discovered you were a fire woman."
Zhu Rong's expression changed, seemingly annoyed, but then his anger turned into a trace of sadness. He shook his head and said, "Old Tian, you're a real bastard! You've angered me, I'll burn your auto repair shop down!"
After saying that, she snorted, strode out of the store, and at the door, she turned back and yelled at her husband, "You rascal! What are you sitting here waiting for! Waiting for someone to treat you to dinner!"
Gonggong sighed and quickly followed him out timidly.
Old Tian stood in the coffee shop, picked up his teacup and drank the rest of the tea in one gulp. He then took out a cigarette, lit it, took two puffs, and suddenly smiled bitterly, muttering to himself, "Sigh, I quit smoking, didn't I... Hehe, but it's a habit, and it's really hard to quit."
After throwing away his cigarette butt, Lao Tian turned off the light, walked out of the coffee shop, and chased after Chen Xiao in the direction he had gone.
As night fell, a dark cloud crept in, obscuring the once bright starry sky and moonlight.
Chen Xiao walked along this quiet street, his mind in turmoil, unable to discern directions, and simply wandered aimlessly.
After walking for a while, I suddenly turned around. I had a strange feeling in my heart, as if I was being followed by someone. But when I looked back, the path behind me was empty, and there was not a single person in sight.
"Could it be my imagination?" Chen Xiao shook his head: "It seems I really am a bit abnormal."
Meow~~
A small shadow lightly leaped down from the wall and landed in the middle of the path.
It was a small black cat looking at me with its green cat eyes.
"Isn't something abnormal a good thing?"
With a familiar voice that made Chen Xiao's heart race, the black cat in front of him suddenly took two steps forward, its size suddenly increasing, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a human shape!
In the quiet of the night, her eyes were as serene as water. Under the cover of darkness, she stood before Chen Xiao, a faint smile on her lips, her bright eyes captivating him.
"Phoenix, a phoenix?"
The other person laughed and blinked their glasses: "You still remember my name."
How could I possibly forget?
A thought flashed through Chen Xiao's mind, and after a moment's thought, she asked, "Just now, you were following me the whole time?"
"To be precise, I've been near that street ever since you opened for business tonight." Phoenix tilted her head, a gesture that looked quite adorable, but deliberately chuckled leisurely, "Tonight is an important day for accepting commissions. I had nothing to do anyway, so I came over to check it out."
"You know everything?" Chen Xiao had only said one sentence when he couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Of course you know everything. I'm just a newcomer to this industry, you... definitely know more than I do."
Phoenix walked up gently, coming within two steps of Chen Xiao. When she got close, her eyes were breathtakingly beautiful!
“You seem to have something on your mind.” Phoenix actually took the initiative to reach out and gently take Chen Xiao’s hand: “Come, I’ll take you somewhere.”
Chen Xiao felt something soft and delicate in his palm. The touch of her skin sent a shiver down his spine, followed by a moment of panic. This girl, breathtakingly beautiful, had eyes as gentle as water, and Chen Xiao found himself involuntarily drawn to her…
But then, Chen Xiao let out a gasp!
"ah!!!!"
Their bodies floated in the air, watching the streets, streetlights, and houses below gradually shrink. As they soared higher and higher through the sky, Chen Xiao couldn't help but cry out.
"Shh." Phoenix held Chen Xiao's hand with one hand and made a soft-sounding gesture with the other, her face smiling: "Don't shout, or it'll be troublesome if someone sees us."
Chen Xiao's heart pounded wildly!
It flew...it flew! It really flew!!!
Phoenix held Chen Xiao's hand, and Chen Xiao felt as if his body had become as light as a feather! Under Phoenix's guidance, the two flew further and further away... Looking down from the sky, the streets and buildings quickly flew past.
Facing the wind, the evening breeze caressed his face and body, instantly lifting Chen Xiao's spirits, which had been heavy-hearted. Although he had just taken to the sky and was initially somewhat panicked, Chen Xiao quickly calmed down under the gentle gaze of the phoenix.
He couldn't help but scrutinize Phoenix closely—the evening breeze gently lifted her long, beautiful hair, the strands seemingly brushing against his cheeks. Leaning close to her, a faint, delicate fragrance wafted into his nostrils.
She pulled herself along, and like a fairy, she danced gracefully in the sky...
Yes... let's fly...
Where to fly?
I hope... it never stops.
At that moment, young Chen Xiao did not realize that, like all young men his age in the world, the image of the fairy-like girl beside him had been forever etched in his heart!