Chen Chaojiang's lips moved, but he didn't speak first. Instead, he knelt down with a thud!
"Zhengyang, you're finally back! I'm so sorry!" Chen Chaojiang couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears.
"Asagami, I'm so sorry, I know everything..."
Yes, Xu Zhengyang knows everything.
I just quickly browsed through the city scroll using my divine sense.
He then realized that more than two years had passed since he left and returned...
Time can change everything; two years is enough to alter a great deal!
Volume 5, Spirit Official, Chapter 215: Don't Try to Persuade Me
It was a clear, sunny autumn day. But then a cold wind suddenly blew in from somewhere, whipping up thousands of dark clouds that quickly filled the sky.
The sky darkened.
Since it's not yet winter, the courtyard house hasn't been heated yet, and the living room is already a bit chilly.
Having just returned to his physical body, Xu Zhengyang felt not only that his limbs were somewhat stiff and inconvenient, but also that he was extremely uncomfortable, as if his whole body was bound by ropes.
His face was calm, yet it exuded a gloomy aura as he sat quietly on the sofa.
Chen Chaojiang had wiped away his tears, his expression returning to its usual cold and stern demeanor. He was waiting for Xu Zhengyang's instructions, for what to do; he had been waiting for this day for a long time. However, he didn't want Xu Zhengyang to suddenly erupt in anger and lose his composure.
Because everything has changed.
Chen Chaojiang wasn't afraid of death, but he worried about how many people would be implicated and harmed if Xu Zhengyang acted impulsively...
Because in the eyes of many people, they are insignificant figures in this world.
"Fine!" Xu Zhengyang suddenly said with a cold laugh, "Very well, you all think I, Xu Zhengyang, am sick, stupid, and have forgotten how to be afraid, right? Fine!"
As he spoke, Xu Zhengyang clenched his right hand, then opened it, placing his middle finger on his knee and tapping it lightly; his eyes were narrowed, and the corners of his mouth curled up in a chilling smile that instilled fear.
“Zhengyang!” Chen Chaojiang stood up, bowed, and said, “I…”
"Chaojiang." Xu Zhengyang waved his hand, interrupting Chen Chaojiang, "No need to say anything more. It's not your fault. I'm the one who's sorry. It was my negligence!"
When Xu Zhengyang spoke, he would draw out each word for a long time. His voice was somewhat rough, steady, and deep, and his expression was frighteningly calm.
Hearing Xu Zhengyang's voice, Chen Chaojiang felt a chill of fear creeping into his heart for no reason, a feeling he had never experienced before. Although he had respected and admired Xu Zhengyang in the past and was willing to obey his orders, he had never been afraid of Xu Zhengyang, only treating him as a brother.
However, at this moment, his heart, which had always been as hard as iron, actually felt a little scared.
Has Zhengyang changed?
It seems not, but why is it that at this moment, his entire being, including the words he speaks, the look in his narrowed eyes, and the expression on his face, exudes an overwhelming aura of dominance, intimidating everything around him, including people?
"I really didn't want to end up like this!"
Xu Zhengyang lowered his head slightly, frowned, and grinned, revealing a fierce and angry expression. Slowly, his neck stiffly swayed, and then he looked directly at Chen Chaojiang and asked, "Chaojiang, tell me... am I a bad person? What have I done to wrong them?"
“Zhengyang…” Chen Chaojiang’s body trembled slightly.
"No!" Xu Zhengyang suddenly roared, standing up abruptly and waving his right hand. His index finger pointed wildly in the air, his face contorted with rage as he said, "Life and death reveal true friendship; wealth and status reveal true character... What? Haven't I done enough? Huh?"
Chen Chaojiang hurriedly said, "Zhengyang, first, let's call your uncle and aunt to let them know, so they can rest assured. Also... Bingjie."
"No need, I'll go back myself later!" Xu Zhengyang suppressed his anger, sat back on the sofa, and kept slowly shaking his head. "Fine, very well!"
"Zhengyang, it's good that you're back," Chen Chaojiang whispered to him.
Xu Zhengyang's lips curled up as he turned his head to look out the window.
The sky was overcast and dim.
The world has changed.
...
Throughout world history, countless illustrious figures have emerged, only to fade away like a fleeting moment, quickly disappearing from human memory and conversation.
Just like the metaphors used in many novels, these characters are like countless waves rising in the long river of history, leaping brilliantly out of the water, splashing up countless droplets, and soaring into the sky, but eventually merging into the long river, leaving no trace of glory or prominence.
Moreover, Xu Zhengyang is really not a particularly prominent figure.
So, in those two years, the world that originally belonged to Xu Zhengyang changed a lot...
Damn Heavenly Court, damn the gods, damn the Heavenly Court's historical records... Now, Xu Zhengyang can only curse them in his heart. Who else can he curse? Those people? No, those people don't need to be dealt with by cursing.
When Xu Zhengyang left the mortal realm for the Heavenly Court, he had considered visiting the Heavenly Court first. He planned to return immediately if anything happened and then make time to go there again. However, he never expected that once he went, he would find himself somewhat unable to control his own destiny.
Moreover, he overlooked a very important matter before going: when his divine sense flew to the Heavenly Court, in addition to taking the Jade City Scroll, he also took the City God's Mansion with him; that poor old man who was just a figurehead in the City God's Mansion and had no power was still in the City God's Mansion; the other ghost messengers, including the captain of the ghost messengers Su Peng, were all like starving disaster victims, weakly hiding in the courtyard house between Xiaowang Mountain and Qinghe, and were unable to go out to perform their duties.
Having grown accustomed to being a city god and a deity, Xu Zhengyang had forgotten a crucial point. These ghostly servants constantly needed to draw upon a small amount of divine power from Xu Zhengyang, the deity, to have the ability and authority to act arrogantly and domineeringly, intimidating people.
In other words, Xu Zhengyang's relatives and friends in the human world, as well as his company and antique shop, no longer have the assistance and protection of ghost messengers.
Upon closer examination, Xu Zhengyang, lacking any particular skill, how did he acquire such astonishing fame and wealth in such a short time? Ultimately, besides his sincerity, kindness, and purity, what aspect did he lack that required the help of the ghost messengers and divine power?
Without ghost messengers and supernatural powers, in this vast world, amidst the hustle and bustle of life, countless masters are fiercely competing and vying for power. How could he, a mud crab that has just crawled out of the ditch, possibly have the chance to show off his prowess?
Let alone Xu Zhengyang, even Zhan Xiaohui and his wife wouldn't have had the luck to start such a large logistics company without his support. Strategic planning? Management? Are you kidding me? It's developed into this mess in just a year and a half? Do you think this is child's play?
Xu Zhengyang disappeared without a trace. Who is the only one left in the world who can contact people on his behalf and speak a few words on his behalf?
Only Chen Chaojiang.
Let's move forward in time. After Xu Zhengyang left a trace of his willpower in his physical body, his divine consciousness left his body and ascended to the Heavenly Court.
More than a month passed quickly, and nothing special happened.
One day, while Chen Chaojiang was cleaning the courtyard and house, he suddenly thought of Xu Zhengyang's spirit having gone to the Heavenly Court. His physical body couldn't be left unattended; what if it rotted? Or, was his body hungry? It needed nourishment…
So Chen Chaojiang gently pushed open the door and entered the room where Xu Zhengyang's physical body was located.
Chen Chaojiang saw Xu Zhengyang lying quietly on the bed, his expression calm, but his face was noticeably thinner. Chen Chaojiang boiled some warm water and used it to wipe Xu Zhengyang's face, neck, and hands, then gently called his name. Xu Zhengyang opened his eyes, but they were empty and lifeless.
Chen Chaojiang knew that Xu Zhengyang's soul had left his body, leaving behind only a trace of his consciousness and an empty shell.
Next, Chen Chaojiang cooked some porridge and helped Xu Zhengyang sit up. Feeding him was not difficult.
So Chen Chaojiang decided to feed Xu Zhengyang every day to ensure his body wouldn't be damaged and that he would remain healthy. The amount of food didn't need to be too much because he didn't move around much and expended very little energy. However, this presented another problem.
Since Xu Zhengyang eats and drinks, he must also relieve himself.
Well, taking care of his eating, drinking, and bodily functions isn't too difficult. Given Chen Chaojiang's personality, he wouldn't complain at all, because Xu Zhengyang is his brother, and Xu Zhengyang trusts him, which is why he was asked to protect his physical body.
Eating, drinking, and relieving oneself are one thing, but Chen Chaojiang, who is usually cold-hearted but also meticulous, thought of massaging Xu Zhengyang's muscles to ensure that his limbs would not stiffen or become necrotic from lying down for too long, thus losing all bodily functions. Chen Chaojiang actually did this, turning Xu Zhengyang over six times a day and massaging his whole body once a day; and bathing him once every three days.
Perhaps to us, this is not a difficult task, something Chen Chaojiang should do; or perhaps we feel a bit like laughing and crying at the same time, these two young men... no matter how you look at them, they are a bit creepy, and we seriously suspect that they might have a gay relationship.
Chen Chaojiang did just that, and he was absolutely innocent and pure.
He's a good brother!
Fortunately, all the electrical appliances are available here and still have electricity; for drinking water, there is a well in the backyard, with absolutely pure and natural good water.
It really does feel like a paradise on earth.
Two months passed, then three months, then four months...
Winter is here, and the end of the year is approaching.
During this time, Ye Wan and Chen Chaojiang had some contact, but it was infrequent; Li Bingjie frequently called to inquire, knowing some things about Xu Zhengyang but not exactly what had happened. Chen Chaojiang, as he had initially agreed with Xu Zhengyang, gave her perfunctory answers.
During the Spring Festival, Chen Chaojiang told his family that he would not be going home for the holiday and would be staying in another city.
On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Li Bingjie and Li Chengzong suddenly arrived at this courtyard house.
Actually, Li Bingjie came here for no other reason than to visit this courtyard house and reminisce about the past. That's all.
But then she met Chen Chaojiang, and then saw Xu Zhengyang, who seemed like a dementia patient.
Li Bingjie cried, even though she knew what had happened.
At that time, Xu Zhengyang's consciousness was in the Heavenly Palace of the Heavenly Court, seemingly captivated, staring blankly at a historical epic...
Without needing Chen Chaojiang to explain anything, Li Bingjie told Li Chengzong not to reveal that Xu Zhengyang was ill, and added that he would get better.
After leaving the courtyard house, Li Bingjie went to Xu Zhengyang's home, but did not mention Xu Zhengyang's current situation at all.
Like Chen Chaojiang, she had to keep Xu Zhengyang's secret.
During the first month of the lunar calendar, Li Bingjie came twice more. On her last visit, an unexpected person accompanied her.
It is Ye Wan.
Some things can't be hidden forever. Li Bingjie wanted to keep it a secret, but Li Chengzong told Li Ruiyu about Xu Zhengyang's situation, and so... many people in the Li family found out. Besides Li Bingjie, the only people in the Li family who truly knew Xu Zhengyang's special identity were the brothers Li Ruiyu and Li Ruiqing.
No one in the Li family had ever approved of Li Bingjie's relationship with Xu Zhengyang, even after Li Ruiyu and Li Ruiqing learned of Xu Zhengyang's special identity. So, Xu Zhengyang's sudden illness and transformation into a dementia patient seemed like a happy thing for the Li family.
During a conversation between Ye Wan and Li Bingjie, Chen Chaojiang and Xu Zhengyang were mentioned. Jiang Lan overheard this and interrupted, revealing the matter to Ye Wan.
At that time, Ye Wan was furious. She was angry because her family had somehow found out that she knew Chen Chaojiang and had some contact with him, although it wasn't a romantic relationship. The Ye family still firmly forbade Ye Wan from seeing Chen Chaojiang, which was one reason for her sullenness. She was naturally proud and independent, with a slightly spoiled and rebellious personality; the more they forbade her to do something, the more she wanted to do it. Secondly, Ye Wan was angry that Chen Chaojiang didn't seem to care about her much and hadn't contacted her for a long time.
To be fair, Ye Wan really liked Chen Chaojiang, such a unique character.
Because Chen Chaojiang never tried to flatter or fawn over her, Ye Wan, who had grown up in a sweet and pampered environment, felt that Chen Chaojiang was the most genuine person towards her. Moreover... Ye Wan, who had a bit of a violent queen potential, really liked Chen Chaojiang's dashing and efficient skills and his extremely cold personality.
What was it again? Playing hard to get? Curiosity killed the cat? Resentment at being ignored and feeling unappreciated?
Chen Chaojiang is not a so-called Casanova; this is just his nature.
Even he himself didn't know that some, well, some women really liked his personality.
Enough with the nonsense...
When Ye Wan arrived, he was immediately shocked by what he saw. Xu Zhengyang, who had always been kind, gentle, approachable, and promising, and who even had a powerful figure like Chen Chaojiang loyally following him, had become a patient with dementia.
Chen Chaojiang was angry, but not at Li Bingjie or Ye Wan; he was angry at Li Chengzong.
"You dare betray him!"
"I did not betray you," Li Chengzhong said earnestly.
Next, the two super strong men engaged in an absolutely rare and crazy fight in the backyard of the courtyard house!
In the end, Li Chengzhong had to make concessions, even after losing an arm, to discourage Chen Chaojiang and end the almost endless fight—the two were evenly matched, and Chen Chaojiang seemed unable to quell his hatred without injuring or killing Li Chengzhong.
It was thanks to Li Bingjie's timely rebuke that the two stopped fighting.
Chen Chaojiang knew that Li Chengzong had let him off easy, so his anger subsided considerably; as for Li Chengzong, although he said he hadn't betrayed her, could he really feel no guilt at all? Although he meant well for Li Bingjie, he could tell that Li Bingjie was very unhappy and angry.
There's no medicine for regret in this world.